Serve these middle eastern dips with bread or as side dishes. To make this Turkish-style zucchini (courgette) dip shred 900g (2lbs) of zucchinis. Sauté them in some olive oil over medium heat adding 1 tablespoon of dried mint and 1 teaspoon of paprika. Allow to cook until all the moisture has gone and then add…… Continue reading two dips
Tag: recipe
lemon ice cream + candied lemon peel
A glut of lemons led to some experimentation and a simple recipe that’s worth repeating. There are no eggs or custard-making in this recipe. Just combine one 395g (13oz) tin of sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup of cream, some grated lemon rind and the juice of 2-3 lemons. Make sure to taste for the…… Continue reading lemon ice cream + candied lemon peel
grilled vegetable and chick pea salad
Serve this for lunch with fresh bread or add some felafel or barbecued meat for a bigger meal. Cut 1 eggplant and 2 zucchinis lengthways into slices (not too thin) and core and quarter a red and green pepper so that the pieces are relatively flat. Toss the vegetables in olive oil and season with…… Continue reading grilled vegetable and chick pea salad
chilli jam and how to use it
I’m now the proud owner of Christine Manfield’s cookbook Stir. The first recipe, chilli jam, is a fiery condiment with amazing complexity and depth of flavour not to be confused with the type of chilli jam you might eat with chocolate cake! Christine Manfield’s Chilli Jam is sold here in Australia and may be available online. If looking for an…… Continue reading chilli jam and how to use it
flourless almond pistachio and yoghurt cake
Here’s another wondefully moist and dense dessert-like cake. In a food processor combine 85g (3 oz) butter, 100g (3½ oz) each of brown sugar and raw sugar, 250g (8¾ oz) of almond meal and 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom until it has the consistency of a fine crumb. Add 3 eggs, 250 ml (8½ fl oz) natural greek-style…… Continue reading flourless almond pistachio and yoghurt cake
san choy bow
This is my own version of a classic. For serving, wash a head of iceberg lettuce and separate the leaves. For 700g (1½ lbs) minced chicken you will need 1-2 carrots, an equal amount of cabbage, 1 green pepper, 1 small can of water chestnuts , 5-10 diced button mushrooms and 1-2 onions. All of…… Continue reading san choy bow
ricotta spinach and basil lasagna
A lazy but delicious alternative to cannelloni. First, wash a large bunch of English spinach and steam it until just wilted. Chop the spinach and a bunch of fresh basil and combine these with 500g (18 oz) of fresh ricotta. You can also add some feta cheese for extra flavour. Season with salt and pepper.…… Continue reading ricotta spinach and basil lasagna
vanilla sweet vermouth cake
Although I don’t normally use packet mixes, my good friend Rosalie gave me this recipe. The cake is moist, alcoholic and reminiscent of Rum Baba. Preheat your oven to 180C (350F). In a bowl combine 1 packet of vanilla cake mix, 1 packet of vanilla instant pudding mix, 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg…… Continue reading vanilla sweet vermouth cake
black pepper beancurd
A birthday request was fulfilled with Yotam Ottolenghi’s inspiring cookbook Plenty. This first recipe I tried didn’t disappoint. Cut 400g (14oz) of firm tofu (beancurd) into cubes and toss in some cornflour. Shallow fry in batches in hot vegetable oil and remove onto paper towel. Discard the oil and sediment and melt some butter in the same pan. Gently…… Continue reading black pepper beancurd
lamb shanks with baharat
Baharat is a wonderful combination of spices from Iraq. You may find baharat at your local Middle Eastern store but check for salt before seasoning your dish. To make your own spice mix grind 2 tablespoons of black peppercorns, 1½ tablespoons of cumin seeds, ½ a teaspoon of cardamom seeds and 1 tablespoon each of coriander seeds, cassia bark and…… Continue reading lamb shanks with baharat
michelle picker cooks 