Whenever I'm flipping around on the internet looking at recipes, I forget that I am sometimes in another country, until they start talking about ounces and Fahrenheit... then I have no idea.
The first time I visited London it was Autumn and I when I woke each morning, I checked the temperature for the day, and had no idea whether it was going to be warm or cold!
So here are a few conversions you'll need if you are using my metric recipes....
Oven Temperatures
Fahrenheit
Celsius
Description
225 F
105 C
Very cool
250 F
120 C
275 F
130 C
Cool
300 F
150 C
325 F
165 C
Very moderate
350 F
180 C
Moderate
375 F
190 C
400 F
200 C
Moderately hot
425 F
220 C
Hot
450 F
230 C
475 F
245 C
Very hot
LIQUID MEASUREMENTS
1 ounce = 28.4 g (usually be rounded to 25 or 30) 1 pound = 454 g 1 kg = 2.2 pounds
We had eaten so much over the Easter holiday, that by the evening of the first day back at work, I really didn't feel like cooking or eating so no plans were made. by 7.30 we were feeling a little peckish so I made these PARMESAN CRUMBED MUSHROOMS WITH AIOLI, from the April GOURMET TRAVELER.
This quantity makes a light meal for 4, or a satisfying snack for 6 people.
The quantities can be easily be halved.
Light vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 cup seasoned plain flour
1 cup milk
3 eggs
2 cups fresh white or Panko breadcrumbs
12 large mushrooms, sliced thickly (about 12 mm)
AIOLI
2 eggs
Juice of one lemon
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup (250ml) each of extra virgin olive oil and vegetable oil
FOR THE AIOLI, process the eggs, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor until light and frothy (1 to 2 minutes). With the motor running, add oils in a thick stream until emulsified. Season to taste, and refrigerate until required. Makes about 350ml.
Heat vegetable oil to 18oC in a deep fryer or large deep sided saucepan. Whisk eggs and milk together in a separate bowl. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a separate bowl. Dust each mushroom with slice in flour, then the egg-wash, then coat in the breadcrumbs.
Deep fry mushrooms in batches of about 3 or 4, until golden. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Season to taste and serve hot with aioli.
Last year my partner and I were fortunate enough to have a month off work and two business class round-the-world tickets in hand. Our first leg was the longest and most indirect flight. We set off from Sydney to San Francisco via Hong Kong. The planned two and a half hour stop-over turned into three and a half, but that gave us plenty of time to explore this huge airport. I didn’t even recognise it from my last visit two years ago. We’d had plenty to eat and drink on board a very pleasant Cathay Pacific flight, so while we were tempted to sip champagne at the caviar bar, our stomachs were definitely not going to cooperate. Back on board and a few movies later, we arrived in San Francisco. It was Saturday so once our bags were in our room, we headed off on foot to the famous The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on the Embarcadero.
Unfortunately my sense of direction was still in Hong Kong, and instead of the Embarcadero, we ended up at Fisherman’s Wharf! I have managed to avoid the place each time I’ve been to San Francisco, and I was right in doing so…although once we got there we were too tired to rund to the Embarcadero, so we sat in The Wines of California Wine Bar, and did a few variety tasters which was not bad.
Strangey, after our brief stop in Hong Kong were dying for some Chinese, so we had a late dinner that night at R & G Lounge in Chinatown. There was a short wait for a table, then we were seated and promptly served some very good classic Chinese food, in the slightly bland surroundings. There were tourists galore, but also plenty of American Chinese diners which I always think is a good sign. My partner ate about a kilo of their Live Crab With Salt And Pepper (a house speciality). The bill was reasonable and we left very full and satisfied.
I have always wanted to dine at Zuni Café so we had booked two months in advance for the following evening. I have owned Judy Rogers Zuni Café Cookbook for a couple of years. In fact I believe this was my first American cook book. I had previously resisted the idea that American’s knew anything about good food, so had never bothered about their cooks or cookbooks. Of course I was very wrong. Many of the world’s great chefs (and restaurants) are American. I particularly admire chefs who have maintained links to long established restaurants such as Judy Rogers at Zuni Café, Alice Waters of Chez Panisse and Tomas Kellar of the legendary French Laundry (Per Se and Bouchon (amongst many others). Unfortunately I have not yet had the opportunity to dine at Chez Panisse or in fact any of Kellar’s stellar restaurants, but that’s part of the goal of my blog. To explore the great and not so great dining destinations in Australia, New Zealand and the world, and share my humble opinion and thoughts with all you other food obsessed individuals out there.
We both just loved Zuni Café. It is the perfect restaurant for both of us. Relaxed, excellent service and wine list and the tastiest food. The kind of place you can go a little dressed up for for a special occasion, or in your jeans with a bunch of friends. It suits whatever mood or dress you are in. And the food! Simple ingredients cooked to perfection. The sad part is I don’t even remember what we ate. It was all so….good. We also drank some beautiful Californian wines recommended by the very competent wait staff. I know our entrées were one offal, and one seafood, followed by a game dish and a great steak. We ended the meal with a serve each of Zuni’s Café’s classic single cheeses. Each served with the perfect accompaniment.
For a foodie, our table was in a perfect position with a bird’s eye view of the kitchen. We watched dozens of roast chickens and bread salads being prepared. Although we had not dined there before, I had cooked these at home so despite it being a classic Zuni dish, we didn’t order one but watching them being prepared was just fantastic. In fact, the guy at the wood fired oven must be the hardest working chef in the kitchen. He juggled roasting and fry pans all night, whilst topping up the wood to maintain a perfect temperature.
It was all so good, neither of us wanted to leave so once we had finished our fortified wines, we headed to the bar for a few tequilas. That’s probably why I no longer recall what we ate!
In case you don’t get it, we LOVE Zuni Café. We had plenty of wonderful meals on our trip including an incredible lunch at River Café, London; a very fine dinner at Grammercy Tavern, New York; and dinner at the legendary Grand Vefour in Paris amongst others. Zuni was our undisputed favourite!
Just so you get an idea of how good it all is here is a slightly condensed version of their Roast Chicken and Bread Salad. Once you try and love this dish - like thousands of other devotees, including Rockpool Bar & Grills, Neil Perry – go out and buy Judy Rogers’ Zuni Cafe cookbook. A novice may find it a litte intimidating, not because the food it hard to cook but the recipes tend to be long and involve detailed steps and descriptions (like this Roast Chicken and Bread Salad). None the less, its a very inspiring book and you'll be rewarded if you persevere.
ZUNI ROAST CHICKEN WITH BREAD SALAD
Half quantities for two
For the chicken:
2 x One small chickens, 1.2 to 1.5 kilos
8 tender sprigs fresh thyme
Salt
About 4 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
A little water
For the salad:
Generous 1lb slightly stale open-crumbed, chewy, peasant-style bread (not sourdough)
13 - 1/2 cup mild-tasting olive oil
2-3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons dried currants
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar, or as needed
2 tablespoon warm water
4 tablespoons pine nuts
4 to 6 garlic cloves, slivered
1/2 cup slivered shallots (about 4), including a little of the green part
4 tablespoons lightly salted chicken stock or lightly salted water
Lettuce leaves: A few handfuls of arugula, frisée, or red mustard greens, carefully washed and dried. All I had the other night was iceberg which worked fine.
DIRECTIONS
The Zuni roast chicken is best made with small chickens, 1.2 to 1.5 kilos, which cook beautifully at high heat, roasting quickly and evenly, and, with lots of skin per ounce of meat, they are virtually designed to stay succulent. Salt the birds 24 hours in advance.
The salad is a sort of a scrappy stuffing. A mix of crispy, tender, and chewy chunks of bread, a little slivered garlic and spring onions, a scatter of currants and pine nuts, and a handful of greens, all moistened with vinaigrette and chicken drippings. Tasting as you make it is obligatory, so Judy Rogers recommends extra bread and vinaigrette the first time you make the recipe so you can taste to your hearts content but still have enough for the salad! For the best texture, use chewy peasant-style bread with lots of big and little holes in the crumb. you'll need a half or a quarter loaf, per chicken. As wonderful as it is, don’t use sourdough bread for this recipe, as the sour flavor too strong and rich for this dish. Day-old bread is preferable, as fresh bread can make a soggy, doughy salad.
Seasoning the chicken (Can be done 1 to 3 days before serving):
Remove and discard the lump of fat inside the chicken. Rinse the chicken and pat very dry inside and out. Be thorough-a wet chicken will spend too much time steaming before it begins to turn golden brown.
Approaching from the edge of the cavity, slide a finger under the skin of each of the breasts, making 2 little pockets. Now use the tip of your finger to gently loosen a pocket of skin on the outside of the thickest section of each thigh. Using your finger, shove and herb sprig into each of the 4 pockets.
Season the chicken liberally all over with salt and pepper (use just under one teaspoon per 500g chicken). Season the thick sections a little more heavily than the skinny ankles and wings. Sprinkle a little of the salt just inside the cavity, on the backbone, but don’t otherwise worry about seasoning the inside. Twist and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders. Cover loosely and refrigerate.
Starting the bread salad (Can be done up to several hours in advance):
Preheat the broiler.
Cut the bread into a couple of large chunks. Carve off all of the bottom crust and most of the top and side crust. The top and side crusts can cut up and frozen and used as croutons in salads or soups. Brush the bread all over with olive oil. Broil whole very briefly, to crisp and lightly color the surface. Turn the bread chunks over and crisp the other side. Trim off any badly charred tips, then tear the chunks into a combination of irregular 2- to 3-inch wads, bite-sized bits, and fat crumbs. You should get about 4 cups.
Combine about 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the Champagne or white wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Toss about 1/4 cup of this tart vinaigrette with the torn bread in a wide salad bowl; the bread will be unevenly dressed. Taste one of the more saturated pieces. If it is bland, add a little salt and pepper and toss again.
Place the currants in a small bowl and moisten with the red wine vinegar and warm water. Set aside.
Roasting the chicken:
Preheat the oven to 475. Depending on the size, efficiency and accuracy of your oven, and the size of your bird, you may need to adjust the heat to as high as 500 or as low as 450 during the course of roasting the chicken to get it to brown properly. If that proves to be the case, begin at that temperature the next time you roast a chicken. If you have a convection function on your oven, use it for the first 30 minutes; it will enhance browning, and may reduce overall cooking by 5 to 10 minutes.
Choose a baking or roasting pan barely larger than the chicken. Preheat the pan over medium heat, wipe the chicken dry and set it breast side up in the pan. It should sizzle.
Place the center of the oven and listen and watch for it to start browning within 20 minutes. If it doesn’t, raise the temperature progressively until it does. The skin should blister, but if the chicken begins to char, or the fat is smoking, reduce temperature by 25 degrees. After about 30 minutes, turn the bird over — drying the bird and preheating the pan should keep the skin from sticking. Roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size, then flip back over to re-crisp the breast skin, another 5 to 10 minutes. Total oven time will be 45 minutes to an hour.
Assembling the salad:
While the chicken is roasting, place the pine nuts in a small baking dish and set in the hot oven for a minute or two, just to warm though. Add them to the bowl of bread.
Place a spoonful of the olive oil in a small skillet, add the garlic and scallions, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until softened. Don’t let them color. Scrape into the bread and fold to combine. Drain the plumped currants and fold in. Dribble the chicken stock or lightly salted water over the salad and fold again. Taste a few pieces of bread-a fairly saturated one and a dryish one. If it is bland, add salt, pepper, and/or a few drops of vinegar, then toss well. Since the basic character of the bread salad depends on the bread you use, these adjustments can be essential.
Pile the bread salad in a 1-quart baking dish and tent with foil; set the salad bowl aside. Place the salad in the oven after you flip the chicken the final time.
Finishing and serving the chicken and bread salad:
Remove the chicken from the oven and turn off the heat. Leave the bread salad to continue warming for another 5 minutes of so.
Lift the chicken from the roasting pan and set on a plate. Carefully pour the clear fat from the roasting oven, leaving the lean drippings behind. Add about a tablespoon of water to the hot pan and swirl it.
Slash the stretched skin between the thighs and breasts of the chicken, then tilt the bird and plate over the roasting pan to drain the juice into the drippings.
Set the chicken in a warm spot and leave to rest while you finish the bread salad. The meat will become more tender and uniformly succulent as it cools.
Set a platter in the oven to warm for a minute or two.
Tilt the roasting pan and skim the last of the fat. Place over medium-low heat, add any juice that has collected under the chicken, and bring to a simmer. Stir and scrape to soften any hard golden drippings. Taste-the juices will be extremely flavorful.
Tip the bread salad into the salad bowl. It will be steamy-hot, a mixture of soft, moist wads, crispy-on-the-outside-but-moist-in-the-middle-wads, and a few downright crispy ones. Drizzle and toss with a spoonful of the pan juices. Add the greens, a drizzle of vinaigrette, and fold well. Taste again.
Cut the chicken into pieces, spread the bread salad on the warm platter, and nestle the chicken in the salad.
As you can see, mine isn't anywhere near as pretty as that served at Zuni, but it tasted great. ..
A wonderful lunch even if i might say so myself...
We started with a platter of cheese, grapes and prosciutto, some marinated baby figs, and some crisp flat bread.
The prep went well, but there are always a few hiccups, but no one besides me noticed. That's the great thing about home cooking. There are no harsh critics around. For some reason the butcher decided to trim my pork loins and gave me two neatly trimmed squares. When you intend to roll the pork, you need the untrimmed loin so you can wrap it sufficiently to hold the stuffing. Never the less, with some baking paper and string, we managed to hold our prune and apple stuffing in place. The crackling didn't crisp sufficiently, so as I suggest below, I simply crisped it up under the grill and that rescue recipe worked fine.
We ended up having the green beans with tarragon and walnut, rosemary roast potatoes and the roast vegetable salad. We roasted our vegies on the BBQ so it was rustic and delicious.
All that was served with some crusty bread, apple sauce, and cranberry sauce with orange and port.
We had a big party a couple of days before, and had about a kilo of fabulous chocolate cake left over, so I decided to make Black Forest Trifle in individual dishes for dessert. I made this the night before to maximise the flavour....and to take the pressure of on Easter Sunday. It went down a treat....
Black Forest Trifle has the same components as a Black Forest Cake: chocolate, cherries, kirsch liqueur and whipped cream.
If you don't have any good leftover cake, use some chocolate brownies, or chocolate sponge. Sour cherries are best. I used a jar of Morello Cherries that are packed in light syrup, which I heated in a saucepan, and added about 3 tablespoons of sugar and reduced slightly before cooling slightly, before adding the Kirsch.
Then whip 300ml of heavy cream with a little icing sugar and vanilla.
Place some chocolate cake into the bottom of the dishes, place a couple of spoonfuls of the cherries and liquid over, then a layer or whipped cream. repeat so you have two layers of each. As with all trifles, you need to refrigerate to allow the flavours to all meld together, so they are a great dish to prepare when the workload is heavy the next day.
Just before serving, I sprinkled finely grated chocolate over.
You could do this in a large or individual bowl, but glass is best because they look great. I served mine in Bodum thermo-glass (See www.bodum.com). They are insulated so they keep frozen and chilled desserts that way for longer, but are also great for cafe' latte. They are great for tiramisu, trifle, parfait and lots of other pretty desserts in them. I have a Bodum cast iron fondue set on my wish list, but can't find one anywhere....
Well, EASTER is really only a few days away now...
It’s time to think seriously about what you plan to eat over the weekend and definitely time to order your pork. While I had hoped to cook a suckling pig for the family this year, I have been told by my butcher that it is too late, and we will have to settle for a roast loin of pork.
There will be 8 to 10 of us, so I have ordered a 3kg boned loin, and have asked the butcher to score the rind for me, as my knives aren’t up to the challenge at the moment. We probably won’t eat the whole 3 kg, a few 100 grams less would certainly be sufficient, but who’s to complain about leftovers?
The skin (or rind if you would rather not think about what it is) should we well scored, that is, cut approx. 1cm apart, through the skin and into the fat about 5mm. Don’t worry too much, but just don’t cut into the meat. The fat in the skin renders off during cooking and makes the meat tender.
I plan to stuff and roll my pork myself (oh, that sounds a little risqué) but your butcher will certainly sell it to you boned, stuffed and rolled if you are time poor. I prefer to make my own stuffing to ensure the ingredients are fresh and wholesome, and to maximize flavour and it’s certainly not hard to roll it. You need some decent sized skewers and cooking string. Not Bridget Jones blue!
You could also use a boned shoulder. It will cost less per kg, and is really tasty. It’s not quite as neat a cut as the loin, but the muscle has worked harder which makes for better tasting meat, but it benefits from slow (and lower temperature) roasting.
The key to great crackling is plenty of salt and starting the cooking at high heat. The salt draws the moisture out of the skin, and the high heat blisters it. After about 20 minutes the heat is reduced to continue cooking the meat at the appropriate temperature.
So, the day you are to roast you need to start by make your stuffing. You’ll need about a pudding bowl full and you can make up your own recipe. The best stuffing for pork generally includes some bread crumbs, herbs, onion, seasoning and fruit. The sweet fruit works beautifully to counterbalance the richness of the pork. Try the following:
·Apples sautéed in brown sugar and butter, fresh breadcrumbs andchopped sage;
·Prunes, diced apple, sautéed onion, fresh breadcrumbs and sage;
·Apricots, cooked brown rice, toasted almonds, butter and seasoning;
·Fresh breadcrumbs, and chopped fresh herbs with grated lemon zest and finely chopped spring onion;
·Sautéed mushrooms and spring onions with water chestnuts;
·Spinach sautéed with chopped onion, diced bacon and garlic, mixed with a little nutmeg and ricotta cheese;
·Whole pickled walnuts, sliced dill gherkins and diced ham;
·Drained sour cherries, chopped walnuts, onion and cinammon;
·Or this one from Jamie Oliver (care of Gennero):
2 onions, peeled and finely diced
Olive oil
200g chicken livers, cleaned and roughly chopped
200g pork mince
75g pine nuts
100g raisins
½ bunch of fresh sage, leaves picked and roughly chopped
½ bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
1 wineglass red wine or mulled wine, plus a bit extra for the stuffing
And some vegetables to form a trivet under the meat so the bottom stays moist. Those wilted carrots or celery usually found in the vegetable crisper are ideal.
So before you start, preheat your oven to its highest temperature.
Lay the piece of pork on a board, skin-side down, and season well salt and pepper. Massage all over the meat.
Put a large frypan on a medium heat and fry the onion in a little olive oil until it’s softened but not coloured, then turn the heat down to low and add the chopped chicken livers and pork mince. Use a wooden spoon to break the mince up a bit and mix everything together. TIP: I use a flat ended wooden spoon for all my savoury dishes and reserve my round end spoons for sweet dishes, so I don’t mix the sweet and savory flavours.
Add the pine nuts, raisins, sage and parsley, then season with of salt and pepper. Pour in a splash of the wine, and mix to combine. Remove from the heat and to avoid overcooking, put the stuffing in a bowl if you are not immediately ready to assemble the thing.
I’ve read a lot of warnings about not putting hot stuffing into cold meat, but have always done so with no problems. I think it’s more about large turkeys and maintaining an adequate internal temperature (and why meat thermometers are an important kitchen tool). If you are interested in further reading, there is a whole heap of information on the United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Stuffing_and_Food_Safety/index.asp. I never stuff meat before I am ready to cook it, so perhaps that is what makes the difference…
So, now that the stuffing is made, place the pork skin side down on a board, and spoon the stuffing down the middle of the boned loin or shoulder. Roll the meat up quite tightly and along with some strategically placed skewers, tie it up as tightly as you can with string. I will add some images after I prepare our roast on Easter Sunday.
Drizzle all over with olive oil, season with lots of salt and some pepper. Rub the seasoning all over the skin to help it turn into delicious crackling.
Lay the carrots or celery across the middle of the roasting tray or baking dish and place the meat on top. Pour the wine and a glass of water in the bottom of the dish, then place into the oven.
Now, Jamie says to turn the heat down immediately and roast on 180°C/350°F/gas for four hours, until lovely and golden. I would normally roast on high for 20 minutes then reduce and cook for a further three plus hrs. As a rule, it generally takes approx. 1 hour per kilogram at 180°C, but this also includes the time for the hot start. If in doubt, buy yourself a meat thermometer and you’ll never make a mistake.
Remove the meat from the oven, and leave until it is cool enough to handle, then remove the string and skewers. Remove the skin, and reserve to serve later. Let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing the pork and serving it with broken up bits of yummy crackling.
Now to avoid disaster, if your crackling has not crisped up nicely, you can always place it under a hot grill for a few minutes. BUT WATCH IT. It burns very quickly and that would be a REAL disaster.
We all know how well apple sauce goes with roast port, but you could also try cranberry jelly with orange juice, a little orange zest and a dash or port or orange liqueur; or some lovely red wine jelly.
I will be serving mine with some ROSEMARY BAKED POTATOES and a ROAST PUMPKIN SALAD or a FRENCH STYLE ROAST VEGETABLE SALAD. The roast pumpkin salad has become a family favorite and a great alternative to cooked green vegetables. It is a slightly less traditional accompaniment, but really fresh and tasty, and very easy to prepare.
If you would prefer to serve hot vegetables, I a vegetable platter made up of GLAZED BABY CARROTS, BEANS WITH WALNUTS AND TARRAGON or PEAS WITH MINT AND PROSCUITTO (which we had last year with our slow roasted lamb shoulder and a glazed baked ham) are ideal. These dishes were ideal for a large group with both meats sliced and served at the table with the vegetable dishes it was easier for everyone to help themselves (to seconds… and thirds…).
Here are some recipes side dishes (photos will be posted later!):
GLAZED BABY CARROTS WITH CORIANDER
2 bunches baby carrots
100 grams butter
½ bunch fresh coriander, chopped with only a little of the stem. (You could put the rest of the chopped stem in the stuffing)
1 tablespoon of organic honey (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
Cut most of the stems off the baby carrots, but leave 1cm. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and cook a few minutes until tender. Drain. To the pan add the butter, melt, then add the chopped coriander, and sauté for just a few moments. Add seasoning to taste. Place carrots on platter, and pour butter over. A little honey and a tablespoon of lemon juice can also be added for extra tang.
BEANS WITH WALNUTS AND TARRAGON
1 kilo green beans, trimmed
3 tablespoons walnut oil
¼ cup tarragon, chopped
1 ½ cups walnut pieces, toasted
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the beans and cook until tender. Drain, and toss with walnut oil, tarragon and 1 cup of walnut pieces. Season to taste.
Place on a serving platter and top with remaining walnut pieces. Serve warm or equally delicious at room temperature.
Before adding the Walnuts...
PEAS WITH MINT AND PROSCUITTO
Ingredients (serves 6)
600g frozen peas
1 tbs olive oil
100g sliced prosciutto, thinly sliced crossways
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
30g butter
Cook the peas in large saucepan of boiling water for 4 minutes or until just tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until crisp.
Combine the peas, prosciutto, mint and butter in a large bowl. Serve.
ROSEMARY BAKED POTATOES
Potatoes (1 medium per person), peeled and cut into even sized pieces – about 2 or 3 per potato.
Olive oil
Rosemary sprigs, stem removed
Salt and pepper
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add potato and cook for 10 to 15 minutes depending on quantity. You actually want the potato cooked. Drain and set aside for a short while so they dry out really well.
Meanwhile, add olive oil, rosemary springs, salt and pepper to a heavy baking or roasting dish, and place in the oven to pre-heat for 5-10 minutes. When potatoes are quite dry, add to baking dish and toss to coat in seasoned oil and rosemary. Because they are well cooked, not partially, they tend to fall apart a little and all the soft edges make the cooked potatoes extra crispy. Roast at 200°C, turning a few times until golden brown and crisp. They usually less than half an hour at but you may need to turn your oven down a little if they are browning too fast. You can throw some grated parmesan cheese on 5 minutes before they are done if you like.
ROAST PUMPKIN & BABY SPINACH SALAD
Serves 6-8
1.5 kilos pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 4cm cubes
A packet of baby spinach leaves, washed (approx 200g)
A tub of bocconcini or baby mozzarella
Olive oil for roasting
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
500 cherry tomatoes, cut in half (optional)
Preheat the oven to 2000C. Place the pumpkin pieces in a lightly oiled baking dish, season, and roast for approx 30 minutes. If using tomatoes, cut them in half, and place in a lightly oiled baking dish, season with salt and pepper and place in oven, 15 minutes after the pumpkin. Turn the pumpkin a few times and remove the pumpkin tender once cooked to a golden colour, not brown, and set aside to cool once.
This simple salad can be varied with the additon of raw or roasted red (Tuscan) onions, oven roasted red capsicum, or roast pumpkin seeds as a garnish.
To serve, place the spinach in a large shallow bowl, and top with the pumpkin, roast tomatoes and bocconcini. Combine the oil, lemon zest, and garlic, and pour over the salad.
FRENCH ROAST VEGETABLE SALAD
Ingredients
2 red and 2 yellow capsicums
2 zucchini
2 bulbs fennel
4 small (eggplants
2 red onions
3 carrots
2 parsnips
500g grean beans, trimmed and just cooked
2 whole heads garlic, cloves separated
3 lemons, thickly sliced
8 tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
¼ cup of whole egg mayonnaise or aioli. Sometimes you will need more or less
A drizzle of honey
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Remove seeds from the capsicum, then slice everything into fairly even sized pieces. Place into a large roasting/baking pan. Scatter the peeled garlic cloves and lemon slices evenly over the vegetables and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and roast for 30 minutes or so, until softened and caramelised. Turn every now and then, and reduce temperature if they are cooking too fast.
Remove the cooked vegetables from the oven, take out the garlic and set aside for later use. Place the roasted vegetables onto a large serving platter or wide shallow bowl. Allow the vegetables to cool a little before adding the green beans.
To make the dressing, squash the garlic cloves with the edge of a large cooks knife, then chop finely. Place the lemon juice, remaining olive oil, mayonaise and honey (if using) in a jar, add the garlic and shake to combine. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well but gently. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
For DESSERT, I am thinking I will serve a chocolate cake (if we havent already eaten too much, delivered kindly by the Easter Bunny. If I do, it will be my new favourite: Willie’s Cloud Forest Chocolate Cake. After watching the programme, Willie’s Wonky Chocolate Factory with morbid fascination, I discovered the website one day (see Links). And it’s such a cute website. You can buy the cook book, and 100% pure Cacao (pictured) online from the UK. Its expensive so buy a whole lot at once to minimise postage!
If I feel like cheating and doing somehting really easy, it will be figs with chocolate ricotta stuffing; or maybe quinces baked in verjuice syrup, both of which are in season in Autumn.
Well, I hope your prepareation goes well for Easter and I’ll add some photos next week to show you how it all looks.
