We love our lazy late breakfast or brunch. And Mexican food is the perfect way to wake up your tastebuds. Finely chop 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 1 chorizo and 1 fresh chilli and fry them in a little oil until the onions are translucent and soft. Add a drained can of kidney beans, some…… Continue reading mexican brunch
Category: legumes
mushroom, walnut and lentil loaf
Not in the mood for meat? Here’s a high protein, gluten free loaf that everyone will enjoy. Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Line the base and sides of a 1.5 litre loaf tin with baking paper. Heat 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in a saucepan and add a mirepoix of finely diced onion, celery…… Continue reading mushroom, walnut and lentil loaf
barley, lentils and mushrooms with fried onions
Once again Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe imparts amazing flavours to a vegetarian meal. In a small bowl cover 20g (¾ oz) of dried porcini with 1¾ cups of boiling water and leave to stand for an hour. After an hour, remove the mushrooms and strain the liquid through a very fine sieve to remove any grit, then return…… Continue reading barley, lentils and mushrooms with fried onions
lentils with mushrooms, bacon and sage
This hearty lentil dish makes a satisfying meal. Heat some olive oil in a saucepan and fry some chopped bacon, onion and celery, some chunky pieces of carrot and some finely diced garlic. When the onion is soft add a little red wine vinegar to deglaze. Add the lentils (I used du Puy lentils) and hot water…… Continue reading lentils with mushrooms, bacon and sage
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
fish and green mango curry + dhal with spinach
Inspired by the gift of a new cookbook Before it’s all forgotten by Shivahari Sellamuttu, David cooked this delicious Sri Lankan style meal. In a frypan over low heat dry roast 1½ tablespoons of chilli powder, 1 tablespoon of ground coriander seeds and 2 teaspoons of ground cumin until aromatic then set aside. In a heavy…… Continue reading fish and green mango curry + dhal with spinach
sour chick pea curry + vegetable korma
Indian vegetarian food is so complex and satisfying. This unusual sour chick pea curry is from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey. Soak and cook 1½ cups of chick peas (garbanzo beans) in the usual manner or use 3 drained cans of chick peas. Finely chop 3 onions and remove 2 tablespoons of the onion into a…… Continue reading sour chick pea curry + vegetable korma
rabbit with white beans and chorizo
Here’s a wonderfully complex rabbit dish. Serve it with crusty white bread and a fresh salad. If using dried beans soak 100g (3½ oz) overnight in 3 times their volume of water. Cook them until just tender then drain them and set aside (a can of white beans will work too). Cut a fresh rabbit into 6…… Continue reading rabbit with white beans and chorizo
smoky chipotle ham hock with red beans + barbecued corn
A Tex-Mex chilli of sorts using smoked ham hock, chipotle and red beans. Cook 1 large smoked ham hock with at least 2 cups of water until the meat is falling from the bone (in a pressure cooker this will take 30 minutes). Allow to cool and reserve the liquid. Cook 2 chopped onions and 3…… Continue reading smoky chipotle ham hock with red beans + barbecued corn
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
michelle picker cooks 