Lorraine made this simple but delicious pumpkin dish and served it as a first course salad. The recipe is from Where the Heart Is by Karen Martini. Preheat your oven to 200ºC (395•F). Cut ½ Japanese pumpkin into 8 slices (you can leave the skin on) and place in a large bowl with 100ml (3⅓ fl…… Continue reading cinnamon roasted pumpkin
Tag: salad
ricotta with fennel, peas and mint
This lovely fresh starter or salad comes from Where the Heart Is by Karen Martini. Blanch ⅔ of a cup of frozen peas in lightly salted boiling water for 15-20 seconds. Drain, then drizzle with a little good quality olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cut I large fennel…… Continue reading ricotta with fennel, peas and mint
Balinese baked fish + asinan sayur
Try this delicious recipe, by Justine Scholfield, with barramundi or snapper. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350ºF). Heat ¼ of a cup of coconut oil in a large frypan over high heat. Add 6 finely chopped purple shallots, 6 finely chopped cloves of garlic, a finely chopped 5cm piece of ginger, 5 very finely sliced…… Continue reading Balinese baked fish + asinan sayur
txuleton + tomato salad
Txuleton or chuletón is a speciality of the Basque region in northern Spain, where we travelled recently. While most commercially reared cattle are slaughtered in their first three years, these massive rib (T-bone) steaks come from cows that are between 8 and 18 years old! The cows, ideally Galician Blond (Rubia Gallega), are former dairy…… Continue reading txuleton + tomato salad
tomato salad + cauliflower salad
Lorraine made these two salads, both with Middle Eastern flavours, from recipes by the flavour master himself, Yotam Ottolenghi. Worthy additions to any meal. The first is adapted from his tomato and pomegranate salad. Thinly slice ½ a small red onion. Add 2 teaspoons of za’atar and 1½ tablespoons of good quality olive oil and set aside. Halve…… Continue reading tomato salad + cauliflower salad
purslane salad
Purslane (portaluca oleracea) is an annual succulent which goes by many names worldwide and has been eaten by many cultures throughout history. Here in Australia most people consider it a weed but the species is regarded as a native plant which is eaten by the Aboriginal people and was well known to early settlers. The…… Continue reading purslane salad
beef larb + sticky rice
Larb is an authentic and ubiquitous Laotian dish, a spicy beef salad which is packed with fresh herbs and chilli and served with steamed sticky rice. Make a marinade for 250g (1 lb) of beef steak (we used sirloin) by combining 2 tablespoons of Thai fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of…… Continue reading beef larb + sticky rice
gado gado 2.0
My first version of gado gado is a little westernised (not such a bad thing) and makes a great meal on it’s own. This recipe, from Fire Islands: Recipes from Indonesia by Eleanor Ford, is a lighter version with a fresher peanut dressing which is served underneath the other ingredients in the traditional manner. It makes…… Continue reading gado gado 2.0
bún-chả with bbq pork balls
These Vietnamese pork balls are packed with flavour and wonderful when served as a complete meal with a fresh and delicious rice vermicelli salad and Nuoc Cham. I could eat this any time. For the pork balls, you will need 450g (1 lb) of pork mince. Place ¼ of the mince in a small food…… Continue reading bún-chả with bbq pork balls
spiced roast chicken with harissa + greek salad
Here is our Summer solstice main course. Spiced roasted chicken served on a bed of home-made harissa and garnished with herbs and watercress. Lorraine chose this recipe from Karen Martini’s Where The Heart Is and cooked it to perfection. You will need Baharat, a Middle Eastern spice mix, for this recipe. If you can’t find it…… Continue reading spiced roast chicken with harissa + greek salad
michelle picker cooks 