Here’s a hearty vegetarian meal to satisfy eaters of all persuasions. Finely dice 2 onions and fry them over low heat in some olive oil until wilted. Add 450g (1 lb) of chopped fresh mushrooms and 7g (¼ oz) of finely chopped dried porcini mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have wilted then add 1 cup…… Continue reading mushroom barley casserole + baked peppers with walnut and feta
Category: grains
cavolo nero polenta with beef cheek ragu
A great way to eat greens, this polenta recipe appears in River Cafe Cook Book Two by Rose Grey and Ruth Rogers. Beef cheeks: In some olive oil over high heat sear the beef cheeks briefly and remove them to a plate. Lower the heat and add a little more olive oil, some diced onion, garlic, carrots and celery…… Continue reading cavolo nero polenta with beef cheek ragu
jerk chicken + coconut rice and beans
I haven’t tried much Jamaican food but a newly found appreciation of all things cooked over coal led to this delicious meal. Jerk is a style of cooking in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a very hot spice mixture which always includes allspice (pimento in Jamaica) and Scotch bonnet chillies. We used Tasting Tables’s…… Continue reading jerk chicken + coconut rice and beans
chicken in green almond sauce + red mexican rice
Simple poached chicken is taken to another level with this wonderful Mexican sauce. In a saucepan, cover chicken pieces with cold chicken stock. Bring to a simmer as slowly as possible. When barely cooked, take them off the heat and set aside. In a food processor combine 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 115g (4oz)…… Continue reading chicken in green almond sauce + red mexican rice
lamb meatballs with eggplant and tomato + couscous with cauliflower
Here’s a hearty meal with North African and Middle Eastern influences. To make the meatballs combine lamb mince with finely chopped parsley, ground cumin and ground cinnamon to taste and season well with salt and pepper. Form into small meatballs and set aside in the fridge. Dice a large eggplant (aubergine) and fry gently in some…… Continue reading lamb meatballs with eggplant and tomato + couscous with cauliflower
rice with onions, chick peas and currants + butternut salad
Here are another two inspired Yotam Ottolenghi recipes from his book Jerusalem. This dish is made with a cup of basmati rice and ¼ of a cup of wild rice both pre-cooked separately. Heat some sunflower oil in a saucepan and add 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds and 1½ teaspoons of curry powder. After only a few seconds…… Continue reading rice with onions, chick peas and currants + butternut salad
polenta with mushrooms and sage
Mushrooms at their best with sage and cheesy polenta. For this dish you will need at least 450g (1lb) of mushrooms (I used Swiss brown) and a few dried porcini mushrooms. Soak the porcini mushrooms in a little boiling water until soft. Meanwhile fry 20-30 fresh sage leaves in olive oil until crisp and set…… Continue reading polenta with mushrooms and sage
thai fried rice
Left-over rice in the fridge and holy basil in the garden inspired this fragrant dish. The 3-4 cups of rice for this dish are best cooked ahead and refrigerated – left-overs are perfect. To prepare the rest of the ingredients cut 3 chicken thighs into small pieces, cut 1 or 2 carrots into small pieces, finely…… Continue reading thai fried rice
quinoa and rice salad
This salad is adapted from a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe. First chop a large eggplant (aubergine) into pieces, season with salt and fry in a little olive oil. Set aside in a large salad bowl. Cook 200g (7 oz) of quinoa (I used a mixture of red, white and black quinoa and amaranth) in plenty of boiling…… Continue reading quinoa and rice salad
quinoa chaufa
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Chinese immigrants in Peru substituted local ingredients in their cooking which gave rise to one of the most popular foods in Peru today, colloquially known as chaufa, possibly from ‘chao fan’ (Mandarin for fried rice). This recipe is an adaptation of one by Gastón Acurio printed in TIME…… Continue reading quinoa chaufa
michelle picker cooks 