Vegan - Yum Yum!!

I had a bunch of mushrooms left over, and some curried vege sausages... Throw it together with some lentils and a few interesting flavours and you get this delicious, easy vegan meal.


Brown Lentil and Mushroom Curry

1.5 cups dried brown lentils - soak for a few hours.
about 7 large cup mushrooms, thickly chopped
1 medium sweet potato, diced
5 curried vege sausages - cut into 1.5cm lengths
1 large onion, finely diced
5 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tbs korma paste
1/2 tbs biryani paste
1 tbs apple and date chutney
1/2 tbs garam masala
salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat:
Saute the onions and garlic till clear, put in the mushrooms and cook with a little water until wilted.
Add the sweet potato and about 2 cups water. Stir in condiments and garam masala.
cook about 5 minutes. Add the lentils and enough water to cover. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes until sweet potato is cooked.
Add the vege sausages. cook a further 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes aboout 8 serves.

Super Breaky #1

Its sunday morning, Ive just gone for a jog, done a set of 10 descending burpees, all sorts of crunches, dips, squats and about 50 push ups. Ive got a huge day of washing and gardening planned, complete with weed pulling down at the creek and i'll be taking the dogs down to the dog park at 5pm.

Before I get started on the rest of the day, I think its time for breakfast!!

Super Breaky #1

2 slices of Sourdough rye bread, toasted.
1/2 Avocado
1/2 tin baked beans (tomato sauce flavoured)
a good shake of tabasco
a few baby spinach leaves
2 large organic free range eggs, pan fried with yolks still runny
salt and pepper

Spread toast with avocado. add salt and pepper to taste
You can either put baked beans on top of the avocado with a shake of tabasco, or have it on the side. I'll be having mine on the side.
Put your baby spinach leaves on the avocado.
Top with 1 fried egg and salt/pepper/tabasco to taste.

Serves 1 very hungry person!!

Mixed vegetable risotto with baked pumpkin and leek

I really do have a thing about risotto, and I *really* do have a thing about leeks.

Once again, this combined my love for both and gives a good meal for watching a movie on Saturday night!!

Mixed Vegetable Risotto with baked Pumpkin and Leek

1.5 cups rice
1lt vegetable stock
1lt water
3 cloves garlic - chopped finely
1 onion - chopped finely
2tbs butter
(peas, corn kernels, chopped carrot, chopped celery, sliced green beans, chopped garlic shoots - as much as you would like. 1/2 cup pureed tomatoes) This was basically what I could fathom the $5 risotto sauce I accidentally bought {thinking it was a risotto} was made from...
juice of 1/2 lemon
about 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Parsley, salt, pepper.

For the baked Pumpkin and Leek:
1/3 Large Jap Pumpkin, sliced into wedges about 1.5cm thick
1/2 large leek, sliced lengthways, then sliced lengthways again, then into thirds.
extra virgin olive oil
powdered vegetable stock (I use Massell - {Vegeta - the more common one, is 1)imported and 2)contains MSG (621) eeew!})
pepper

Start with the leeks and pumpkins, as the risotto only takes about 15 minutes to cook.



Oil a large pizza pan, arrange the pumpkin around the inside. Drizzle with a good amount of olive oil, then sprinkle with powdered stock and pepper. Put your sliced leek into a foil 'bag' and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the open end of the foil bag with another piece of foil and place onto the pizza pan in the middle of the pumpkin. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 190 degrees.

While they are baking, its risotto time!

Saute garlic and onion in saucepan until clear. Add rice and mix well till all grains are coated. Add your vegetables and tomato puree. Stir in 1/2 litre of stock over a medium-high heat. Allow to boil then turn down heat to medium. Stir until liquid almost dissolved and then add another cup. Continue to add and stir until stock is finished, and then continue with boiling water - adding water a cup at a time until the rice is cooked. Make sure that the risotto is quite saucy and not at all dry - If so, add more boiling water and stir through.
At the end of cooking, stir in the lemon juice.
Add your salt, pepper, parsley and parmesan. Stir through well.

Pumpkin should be well cooked and starting to brown on the edges. Leeks should be soft yet not too mushy.

Serve risotto with pumkin slices and leek. Add cracked pepper and parmesan on top if you like.
Serves 4 (or 3 really hungry people!)

Pumpkin, Leek and Fetta Risotto

I found some leeks on sale at the local grocer - they are almost out of season so i'll be getting as much leek time in as possible... what better way to use my 2 fave vegetables than in my favourite dish!

Pumpkin, Leek and Fetta Risotto

1 1/2 tbs butter or dairy blend
3 cloves of garlic
2 leeks, washed and sliced (not too thick, but not too fine!!)
about 200gms pumpkin, diced (again not too thick but not too small!)
1 cube frozen spinach (about 50gms) - optional.
1 litre of strong vege stock - I use this in place of salt.
1 glass of sparkling wine (i like the local cleanskin NV pinot chardonnay... nice drop too!)
1 1/2 cups of white calrose rice
Pepper to taste
Low fat fetta to crumble as garnish

Saute leeks and garlic in butter until soft. Add the rice and mix thoroughly over medium heat till the rice is coated with the butter and starting to get warm.
Add about 1 cup of stock and stir slowly until the liquid has all but disappeared. Add stock in 1/2 - 1 cup amounts until you get halfway through.
Add 1/2 cup of sparkling wine, stir till absorbed. Add the other half. Stir till absorbed.
Add your pumpkin now, and half of your remaining stock. Stir and let sit for about 5 minutes on a low simmer. Stir occasionally to ensure the rice doesnt stick on the bottom of the pot.
When the liquid is absorbed, add the remaining stock and pepper to taste. Stir occasionally till liquid is absorbed.

You need to have the rice "al dente" so add HOT water in small increments if the stock wasnt enough to cook the rice and pumpkin. The pumpkin should be just cooked, and the risotto should be saucy - not dry.

Dish out into bowls, crumble fetta on top with a generous cracking of black pepper.

dim sim skin ravioli with creamy herb sauce

My mother used to make ravioli by filling wonton skins... you could boil them straight up to eat, or bake them slightly and freeze them.
You could also freeze and then deep fry them (YUMMMMMY but very unhealthy!)
I promise you, this recipe is super healthy though it certainly doesn't look it.

Im using the killah evaporated milk sauce from this weeks vege fry pan thing with some sage and rosemary as the sauce for these. The actual ravioli is stuffed with freshly made babaghanoush and roasted pumpkin, Should be a good mix!!

Dim sim skin Ravioli with herbed killah! sauce

1 eggplant, sliced, salted, baked.
about 1/4 jap pumpkin... around 400gms? chopped roughly and baked
2 tbs organic tahini
about 4 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped.
about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 head of organic garlic, baked
2 tins light evaporated milk
2 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped
about 2gms fresh sage, roughly chopped
salt and cracked pepper - to taste
1/2 tsp chinese 5 spice
1 tsp nutmeg
2 packets of dim sim (or wonton) skins.


Bake your separated head of garlic till they start caramelising, scrape out into a saucepan and add 1 tin of evaporated milk. Bring to boil then let simmer over a low heat stirring occasionally. When it starts to thicken, add the other tin of evaporated milk, and your chopped herbs and spices. Stir occasionally over a low simmer until nice and saucy.

Bake the Eggplant and Pumpkin in seperate dishes. You want the eggplant cooked and the pumpkin just cooked. A little oil in the pan and a light spray on top is good. Cover with foil for about 20 minutes and then take off the foil for the next 15. When done, set aside to cool for about 10 minutes, then stir in Tahini, breadcrumbs and chopped garlic. Set aside to cool a little longer. Open one pack of Dim sim skins, have a small bowl of water handy for your fingers.
Take 2 skins, place one on plate and spoon in about 3/4 tablespoon of filling. wet the edges of the skin with water and then place the other skin on top of the first and press down to seal. Fold the corners up into a little parcel and place on a lightly oiled or floured plate.
Try to work quickly as they dry out. You can put a damp towel on top if you want.

Drop the ravioli into boiling water, about 5 at a time. boil until they float and then for a further 2 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain. Arrange on plate with the sauce poured on top.

Serve with salad and garlic bread.

You should get through almost all the skins in both packs - probably around 35 parcels in all.
16-20 of these will be a VERY hearty meal for 4 people. You can bake the rest in a moderate oven for 10 minutes and then freeze for later use.

Quick, Healthy, Mexi-Beany

After last nights mammoth effort with the frypan and a bottle of chardonnay (ouch! but dinner tasted even better for lunch today!!) I felt like something quick, light and healthy.

Quick Mexi-Beans with Rice

*1 cup of white calrose rice (you can use brown rice but its the glugginess of the rice that really makes this!!)
*1 tin of red kidney beans, drained
*1 tin of whole peeled tomatoes
*2 big cloves of garlic - roughly chopped
*1 medium onion, roughly chopped
*1 small capsicum, roughly chopped

*1tbs olive oil
*Salt, pepper and tabasco to taste.


Cook the rice to a sticky consistency - I used a microwave rice cooker. 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, 16 minutes on 70% stirring halfway, then 4 minutes on high. let sit for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork then set aside.

Put EVERYTHING into a saucepan except for salt, pepper and tabasco. bring to boil then reduce heat. Add your spices to taste (if you are like me, that means LOTS of tabasco... yum!!)
Cook until capsicums are starting to get soft and the tomato sauce has thickened.

Serve on rice, sprinkle some grated cheese on if you like.

Its made in a frypan, and i dont know what to call it

Well, my sister found her camera charger, so i'll be including photos from now on.

I came home with the thought of making a grilled vege stack, but...well, this is a little more exciting! I dont know what to call it... but it looks delicious!



2 large fresh beetroots, sliced about 1cm thick, very lightly blanched
3 large potatoes, sliced thinly.
3 small zuchinis, sliced thinly
5 field mushrooms - the more mature the better. sliced.
1 medium red onion, roughly diced.
1 1/2 tbs butter
about 8 big cloves of organic garlic, roasted/caramelised
2 tins of evaporated milk
1 tin whole peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped in tin
1/2 glass of chardonnay (the rest of the bottle is for me!!)
1tsp chinese 5-spice
1/2tsp nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper (lots!)
a good pinch of salt


Stick the peeled garlic cloves in the oven with a light spray of oil, roast until caramelised - about 45 minutes for the big cloves.
Blanch the beetroot, set aside to cool.
Saute the mushrooms and onion in the butter till they are soft... try not to eat them. Set aside.

In a saucepan, put in your evaporated milk, wine, garlic cloves and salt and pepper. (If you can get some red beetroot juice out of your beets, then about 2tbs adds a magic touch!) reduce by 1/4 then add 5-spice and nutmeg. reduce to 2/3. Keep this on the heat while you put together the vegies. (this sauce is absolutely killah! and i'll be making something pasta-ish with it later on in the week)

In a BIG flat bottom frypan:
Spray with a light coating of oil. place some potato slices in the bottom and put on high heat till they brown on the bottom (they should start going a little dry) add a layer of tomato (1/2 can).
Add a layer of beetroot and another of potatoes. Smother this with the rest of the can of tomato and then place your zuchini on top.
Add the remaining layer of potatoes and then spread the mushroom mixture on top.
Turn the heat down to 1/2way.
Pour the hot creamy sauce mixture over the top. cover with foil and cook for about 10 minutes.
Take off the foil, put heat up to 3/4 and cook for a further 15 minutes.
stand for 10 minutes.


Enjoy!!

I have had friends eat this stuff with a spoon...

Yeah, you know what I'm talking about...


Crack Dip

2 cartons sour cream
1/4 packet french onion soup mix
1/2 tsp chopped dried garlic
a pinch of salt
pepper
chopped chives to garnish

get bowl, put ingredients into bowl. mix thoroughly. garnish with chives.
serve with crackers and corn chips... and spoons.

Why is it called crack dip? well... try it.

Wednesday night...

Wednesday means Spicks and Specks, so I felt it necessary to keep with the music theme - Ty, Adam and I enjoyed a Weezer-inspired meal of Pork and Beans. Delish!

Roast pork steaks with Tomatoes and Pine nuts
[served 3 of us, add another chop for 4]

3 pork chops
250g punnet cherry/grape tomatoes
1 salad [purple] onion, in large chunks
generous handful of pine nuts
and another handful of torn basil
green beans
have a bottle of good balsamic and olive oil handy!

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Preheat the over to 180°

Cut your tomatoes in half - put in a bowl with a decent slosh of balsamic and some salt and pepper. Let sit while you organise the pork.

Heat a bit of oil in a large frypan over medium heat and cook the chops for about 2mins on either side to brown. Transfer to a large roasting pan and scatter over tomatoes, pine nuts and basil - put the onion about the pan. Slosh over a bit more balsamic and roast for about 15mins until pork is tender...



Spoon the pork, tomatoes and onions onto 3 warm plates. Serve drizzled with a little extra olive oil and some steamed beans.

Comfort food!

Hi there - Sarah here with my first contribution! Thanks to my quitting smoking [almost 3 weeks now!], I've been throwing myself into cooking, so this blog is a godsend. Having made my first blog-worthy meal though, I have been made aware that my food presentation leaves much to be desired. Although the meal looks a bit funky thanks to my lack of creativity and good light in the kitchen, it was damn tasty - as evidenced by the 3 empty bowls at the end of it!



Creamy chicken pesto fettuccine

serves 4 [or 3 very hungry housemates!]

400g fettuccine

olive oil

4 chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced [I shredded a BBQ chook instead, laziness!]

4 tbs basil pesto [recipe and photos to come]

2 cups cream

slosh of white wine [2008 Per Diem Traminer tonight]

1 cup toasted pine nuts

grated parmesan to serve

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Cook fettucine according to packet instructions - I usually get the water on the stovetop and start on the sauce. The sauce should have thickened enough by the time the pasta is done.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring often, for 5mins for until brown. Or, like me, you can buy a BBQ chook and shred it - munching on the wings as you go!

Add the pesto, cream, wine and some salt and pepper to the pan. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce has thickened slightly and the wine has cooked off...

Drain the pasta and put back in saucepan - pour in pesto mixture and pinenuts and toss over low heat until well combined. Serve with extra pinenuts and parmesan on top - om nom nom...

Warm Potato Salad with Celery and Avocado

I just love a warm potato salad!

Mushy potatoes, boiled eggs and the slightest hint of mustard in the dressing. Its nice to team the mushiness with something crunchy - Fennel is very nice and adds a different flavour, but today I feel like celery.
The avocado is there purely for sinful purposes... yummmmmmmm.....


Warm Potato Salad with Celery and Avocado.

about 1 kilo of small pontiac potatoes (just big enough to be quatered or 6th-ed)
6 boiled eggs, cut into 6ths
250gm light sour cream
2 tsp grey poupon mustard (the dijon stuff)
2 tsp maille dijonaise (the seedy stuff)
1 tsp masterfoods horseradish cream (the hot stuff!) or substitute 1/4 tsp of good wasabi.
3 tbs mayonnaise (i like the thomy delikatess stuff, or make your own... real mayo!!)
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
3 big stalks of celery, sliced coarsely
1 avocado, cubed
salt and pepper to taste

cut your potatoes and put them in a pot to boil until tender
chop your celery and onions. mix together.
spoon your condiments, salt and pepper into the sour cream - adjust the ingredients to taste if you like it hotter or creamier or more peppery.
drain potatoes, put celery/onion mix into potatoes, pour in your sour cream dressing.
mix well.
add avocados and eggs. mix through.

serve... go back for seconds 'cos its so good. swear that you will make this for the next bbq or picnic. go back for more and find that your housemates have eaten the lot...

EASY!

The first installment... and its got raisins!

Well, unfortunately, my sister has misplaced her camera battery charger, so its cameraphone photos for now. Mayhaps I shall procure a PS digi. (a premise which is completely alien to a die-hard film user like me... unless I plan to post all my food photos as black and white medium format... hmmm... pretty!)

Without further ado...

Baked Stuffed Capsicums

6 green capsicums - topped and seeds removed
1/4 butternut pumpkin - mashed
3/4 cup fine bulghur
4 cubes of frozen spinach (im guessing 150gms)
a handful of raisins
6 BIG cloves of organic garlic
a good block of fetta - about 200gm
salt & pepper to taste

for the sauce...
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
1 and a half onions, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons of harissa (you can use tabasco or paprika if you dont have any)
salt and pepper to taste


Right... now for the good stuff.

Firstly, make sure you put on some music that you can sing along to. I chose the Dandy Warhols because I just got tickets to their Brisbane show!

Soak the bulghur in cold water for about 30 minutes while you get the pumpkin and other stuff ready. mix the bulghur, pumpkin, spinach, raisins and fetta.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Add enough hot water to get a firm porridge consistency... spoon mixture into the capsicums and push 1 clove of garlic into the centre. top with more mixture and the top of the capsicum.
make sure your baking dish fits all the capsicums!

take 1 can of chopped tomatoes (and about 1/4 can of water), put it in a bowl with the chopped onions. add salt and pepper to taste. pour into the bottom of the baking dish.

Arrange your capsicums on top of the tomato mixture.

Put the second can of tomatoes into the bowl and add the harissa. add a little salt. mix well and pour around the capsicums.

Spray the tops of the capsicums with a little oil, cover with foil and place in the over at 180 degrees C for about an hour. Take off the foil and bake a further 15 minutes.

Serves 3, with some left over to take to work.

or what hes having...

Welcome... Chances are if you have found this blog
you are looking for something delicious to whip up for
that homo sapien dinner, or perhaps you were
searching for healthy, gourmet foods to feed your special canine friend.

Im hoping to get a few foodie friends contributing their creations over time, and posting meals and treats for dogs that get the Devo seal of approval. (As you can see in the photo above, Devo is a distingushed canine gourmand and has fantastic taste in couches)

Eagerly looking forward to the first installment, but for now...

Bone Appetit!!