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
Category: grains
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 –Â 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
barley with smoked ham hock
Inspired by chilly weather I decided, instead of pea and ham soup, to adapt this recipe by Colin Fassnidge of Four in Hand in Sydney which appeared in Gourmet Traveller magazine in 2010. First cover a large or 2 small ham hocks with cold water and add an onion, a carrot, a celery stalk or 2, some whole peppercorns,…… Continue reading barley with smoked ham hock
koftas + harissa + fragrant couscous
These beef and lamb koftas are simple to make and taste great cooked on a BBQ. Combine lamb mince with double the amount of beef mince. Add crushed garlic, cumin powder, mild paprika, parsley, a handful of  breadcrumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Shape into long meatballs and cook over medium heat until just cooked…… Continue reading koftas + harissa + fragrant couscous
prawn and broccolini risotto
A great combination of prawns (shrimps) and broccolini with saffron, chilli, capers and lemon. As usual I cooked this risotto in a pressure cooker. If you don’t have a pressure cooker you can achieve the same result by traditional methods. I used 400g (14 oz) of arborio rice and 4 cups of chicken stock. First…… Continue reading prawn and broccolini risotto
seafood and couscous salad
Lovers of seafood will appreciate this salad. The two kinds of couscous create a wonderful texture and it’s easy to prepare ahead of time. A great alternative to pasta marinara on a hot day. In a medium to large saucepan boil water with a drizzle of oil and some salt and add a 250g  (8¾ oz) packet…… Continue reading seafood and couscous salad
roasted vegetable and couscous platter
Serve this as a stand-alone vegetarian meal, an accompaniment to meat or a colourful addition to a buffet. The vegetables in this dish are chopped and roasted together. The choice of vegetables can be a little flexible depending on what you have to hand but must include fennel, tomatoes and black olives. I would normally…… Continue reading roasted vegetable and couscous platter
super fast risotto
If you have a pressure cooker this recipe makes wonderful creamy risotto and can be adapted for different ingredients. Here’s a bacon and vegetable risotto. In your pressure cooker add a little olive oil and fry a diced onion, 2 finely diced cloves of garlic and 6 short pieces of bacon (also finely sliced) until…… Continue reading super fast risotto
