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 rigatoni with pea, eggplant and mint sauce
Cook 400g of rigatoni in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Drain and return to the warm pan. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a frypan over high and when smoking hot add 1 finely cubed eggplant and cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden. Add 1 chopped clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon of dried mint and cook for a minute. Add 2 cups tomato passata sauce and 1 cup frozen peas (defrosted) and cook for 4-5 minutes. Serve over pasta with some parmesan or dollop of fresh ricotta.
pea curry
Cook 1 chopped onion, 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 1 chopped large red chilli in a splash of vegetable oil until the onion softens. Add 2 tablespoons mild curry powder and cook for a minute, to release all the hidden spices. Add 3 chopped tomatoes and 1 cup water and bring to the boil. Add 1 cup frozen peas, return to the boil then reduce heat to rapid simmer for 15 minutes, so the sauce has thickened. Stir through 1 tablespoon butter, taste for seasoning and serve with steamed rice.
creamy pea soup
Cook 1 chopped onion in 2 tabslepoons sizzling butter for 2-3 minutes. Add 3 cups frozen peas and 1 litre chicken stock and boil for 10 minutes. Pour into a food processor and blend for 1 minute then return to a clean saucepan. Stir through 1/2 cup double cream and cook on a low heat until heated through. Taste for seasoning and serve with buttered toast.
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3 ways with tinned tomatoes |
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The humble tinned tomato. It must be in just about every kitchen cupboard as we speak. Whenever I talk about food and ask people what is one item they know they have in their pantry, most say tinned tomatoes. Students, professionals and retirees alike. There is something about this versatile vegie (we all know is a fruit) that is right at home in just about any cusine and style of cooking.  roasted tomato pasta sauce
Have your oven hot and ready at 180C. Place a large 800g tin of whole tomatoes and the juice in a baking tray with 1/2 cup water, 1 peeled and quartered onion, 2 chopped cloves garlic, 4 anchovies and a good pinch of sea salt and white sugar. Cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Whiz the mixture in a food processor with a handful of basil leaves. Toss through your favourite pasta and serve with lots of grated parmesan. Cream can be added to make soup and this rich sauce can be used as a base for pizzas.
ginger tomato fish stew with coriander rice
Cook 2 cups of white rice in boiling water for 10-12 minutes. Drain well and stir through 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander. Meanwhile, place 1 chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic and 1 tablespoon of grated ginger in a food processor and whiz to a smooth paste. Heat a splash of vegetable oil in saucepan and cook the paste for 5 minutes, over a gentle heat, until fragrant. Add 400g tin chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup of water and boil for a 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of large cubes of white fish fillet, stir once and cover. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, to gently poach the fish. Season well with sea salt and black pepper and serve with the rice.
lamb and rosemary ragout
Cook 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped garlic clove and 1 tablespoon rosemary needles in a splash of olive oil, so the onion gently softens and sizzles in the oil. Add 500g cubed lamb shoulder, 400g tinned chopped tomatoes and 250ml each of red wine and water and simmer on a gentle heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring often, until the lamb is really tender. Season well and serve with potato mash or soft and creamy polenta.
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 stuffed tomatoes
Cut the tops off 4 medium tomatoes. Scoop the flesh out of each tomato into a bowl with any of the juice. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a frypan and cook 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped clove of garlic for a few minutes until softened. Add 1 chopped small carrot, 1 chopped stalk celery and cook for 4-5 minutes, to soften the carrot. Add the tomato pulp and juice to the pan and season well with sea salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat and stir through 2 tablespoons of cous cous, 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese and some finely chopped herbs like parsley or coriander, or both. Spoon the mixture into the tomatoes, put the tops back on the tomatoes and put onto a baking tray. Cook in a pre heated 180C oven for 30 minutes.
honey eggplant cous cous salad
Heat 3 tablespoons light olive oil in a frypan and cook 4 baby eggplants (or thin Japanese eggplants) for 2-3 minutes each side until lightly golden. Add 1 sliced red onion and 1 chopped clove garlic to the pan and cook for a minute then add 2 chopped tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of honey to the pan. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place 1 cup of cous cous and 1 tablespoon of butter in a bowl. Pour over 1 cup of boiling water, cover tightly for 10 minutes. Fluff once or twice, cover again for 5 more minutes. Place the cous cous in a bowl, fluff and separate with your fingers. Add the eggplant mixture to the cous cous with 1 / 4 cup toasted flaked almonds, toss around to combine. smokey spiced cous cous with almonds
Place 1 1 / 2 cups cous cous, 1/2 cup flaked almonds, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1 / 2 teaspoon each ground coriander, chilli powder and paprika in a dry saucepan. Shake the pan over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, to release the aromas in the spices, being careful not to burn the cous cous and the nuts. Turn the heat off and pour 1 ½ cups of boiling water into the pan. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, stir quickly and cover the pan tightly with a tight for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and return the lid for 2 minutes. Serve as you would with any cous cous, its intense flavour goes really well with simply grilled meats and fish, char grilled vegetable and yoghurt. 
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3 quick ways with sausages |
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Sausage and bean casserole
Preheat oven to 180C. Cook 6-8 good-quality sausages (halved) in a little olive oil in a frying pan over high heat for 5 minutes, turning often, until browned all over. Place sausages in a casserole dish. Add 400g can chopped tomatoes, 1 cup chicken stock, 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto (or paste), 1 tsp rosemary leaves and 400g can white beans (drained and rinsed). Stir well to combine, cover with a lid and bake for 40 minutes. Serve over creamy mashed potatoes. Sausage, basil and pecorino pasta sauce Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook 6 good-quality sausages (thinly sliced) for 5-6 minutes, turning often, until they start to crisp up. Add 1 onion (chopped) and 1 clove garlic (chopped) and cook for 2 minutes. Add 400g can chopped tomatoes and a handful of basil leaves and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir through ¼ cup grated pecorino and season with black pepper. Serve with your favourite pasta, topped with extra grated pecorino. Spicy sausage and rocket pizza Preheat oven to 220C and place 2 baking trays in the oven to heat up. Remove skin from 6 good-quality sausages and roughly chop meat. Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and stir-fry meat for 4-5 minutes, until evenly browned, breaking up any large pieces. Stir through 1-2 tsp dried chilli flakes and remove from heat. Spread 1 cup tomato passata over 2 frozen pizza bases, top each with sausage mix and 8 slices mozzarella. Place on trays and bake for 15 minutes. Top with 2 handfuls wild rocket leaves, a drizzle of fruity olive oil and freshly ground black pepper and slice into wedges. |
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A steak and guiness pie wouldnt be without beer. And as great as it is, that pie does take some time to get ready. Here are some short and speedy beer recipes using all the tricks in the book. The earthy hops flavour of the beer seasons and the yeast is the magical ingredient in the perfect batter for fish. I use pre made tempura flour mix which you will find at any good Asian food store. shepherd's pie  Boil 4 large potatoes (chopped) for 20 minutes. Drain and mash in pan with 2 tbsp butter and ¼ cup milk. Set aside. Preheat oven to 220C. Place a splash of olive oil in an flameproof, ovenproof casserole dish over medium heat.
Cook 2 onions (sliced) and 1 carrot (diced) for 2-3 minutes. Add 500g beef mince and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until beef is browned.
In a bowl, combine 1 cup beer (such as James Squire pilsener), 1 cup beef stock, 2 tbsp oyster sauce and 2 tbsp cornflour. Stir until smooth and add to beef. Increase heat to high and cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1 cup frozen peas.Top beef with mash, smooth top and bake for 20 minutes. tempura fish with oven chips Preheat oven to 220C and place a non-stick tray in oven to heat. Cut 8 new potatoes (unpeeled) into 1cm strips. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp sea salt. Spread on tray and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked and golden.
Heat a large pan one-third full of vegetable oil over medium heat until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 15 seconds. Combine 375ml beer (such as Sapporo, chilled) and 2 cups tempura flour (from the Asian section at supermarkets). Stir with chopsticks, leaving the mixture a bit lumpy.Dip 4 flathead fillets (about 150g each) in batter, shaking off excess, and deep-fry for 3-4 minutes or until fish is cooked. Serve with chips and tartare sauce. tapas-style prawns with chorizo and cannellini beans Place 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Stir-fry 1 red onion (finely chopped) and 1 clove garlic (chopped) for 2-3 minutes or until onion softens.
Add 16 large raw prawns (peeled and de-veined) and cook for 1 minute on each side or until pink. Add 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1 chorizo sausage (sliced) and cook for 2-3 minutes or until sausage starts to brown.
Add 400g tin cannellini beans (drained and rinsed), 1/2 cup beer (such as Corona), 3 tbsp red wine vinegar and 1 bay leaf and bring to boil.
Simmer for 6-8 minutes or until almost all liquid has evaporated. Top with chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread.
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three ways with chick peas |
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chickpea, pancetta and winter vegetable soup 
Heat a splash of olive oil in a saucepan over high heat. Cook ¼ cup pancetta (finely cubed) for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 leek (sliced) and cook for a few minutes or until leek is soft and silky. Add 2 carrots (grated), 1 large potato (peeled and finely cubed), 300g can chickpeas (drained and rinsed - try Edgell brand) and 4 cups chicken stock. Bring to the boil, season and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and grated parmesan.
chickpeas with tomato, dill and fetta Heat a splash of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.Cook 1 red onion (chopped), 1 large red chill (chopped) and 1 clove garlic (chopped) for 5 minutes. Add 400g can chopped tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups water, 3 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste and 300g can chickpeas (drained and rinsed). Season well and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened slightly. Stir through 1 handful chopped dill.
To serve, spoon chickpeas over steamed rice and crumble 100g fetta on top.
chickpea, roast pumpkin and sage risoni Preheat oven to 220C. Place 3 cups pumpkin (peeled and cubed), 1 red onion (sliced) and 8 sage leaves in a roasting tray. Add a splash of olive oil, sea salt and pepper and toss to combine. Bake for 25 minutes or until pumpkin is cooked.
Meanwhile, cook 1 cup risoni (rice-shaped pasta) in boiling water for 10 minutes, or according to packet instructions, until al dente. For the final minute of cooking, add 300g can chickpeas (drained and rinsed). Drain risoni and chickpeas and place in a serving bowl. Add pumpkin, ¼ cup parmesan (grated) and ¼ cup parsley leaves (roughly chopped). Toss well to combine and serve topped with extra grated parmesan. |
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three ways with frozen peas |
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On those chilly nights, you might think the freezer the last place to look for ingredients to warm the soul. But look again. Frozen peas may very well be the most common frozen vegetable and for good reason. When partnered with another ubiquitous ingredient, Indian curry powder, peas make a spicy and surprisingly hearty meal. Peas love Mediterranean flavours and go just as well with a tomato based pasta sauce as with a cream one. They can be pureed for a simple mash to serve with grilled lamb cutlets or turned into an quick and impressive soup when served with ricotta bruschetta.
Check out these dead easy pea recipes. 
ten minute pea curry
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teasppoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 cup frozen peas (defrosted)
2 cups chopped English spinach
Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion for 5 minutes on a high heat, until the onion turns golden.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute.
Add the curry powder to the pan, stir frying for a minute to release all the hidden spices in the curry powder.
Add the tomatoes and peas to the pan with 1 cup of water. Boil for 5 minutes then stir through the spinach. Cook for a minute so the spinach wilts through the curry and serve with rice, warm naan bread and yoghurt on the side.
rigatoni with pea, eggplant and mint
Cook 400g of rigatoni in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Drain and return to the warm pan. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a frypan over high and when smoking hot add 1 finely cubed eggplant and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning the pieces often, until golden. Add 1 chopped clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon of dried mint and cook for a minute. Add 2 cups tomato passata sauce and 1 cup frozen peas (defrosted) and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the sauce to the warm pasta with 1 cup of grated feta, stirring to evenly coat the pasta in the sauce.
pea soup with fresh ricotta bruschetta
Cook 1 chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of gently sizzling butter for 5 minutes, so the onion softens. Add 2 cups of chicken stock, 2 cups of water and 3 cups of frozen peas. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Pour into a food processor and blend for 1 minute (you can add some fresh mint leaves here), until smooth and return to clean saucepan. Season with sea salt and leave on a low heat. Toast 4 thin slices of sourdough or woodfired bread and spread each slice with 2 tablespoons of fresh, creamy ricotta. Ladle the soup into 4 small bowls and serve with the ricotta toasts and some black pepper.
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Some things just taste better at different times of the year. No matter how much you want them to taste like  their sun ripened summer counterparts, winter tomatoes are mostly a floury textured and flavourless fruit. That does not mean you can’t make a full and rich flavoured tomato pasta sauce with all the nutrients and taste of summer picked tomatoes. Tinned tomatoes are one of my top ten convenient food creations. They are generally inexpensive and their shelf life impressive. An added bonus is that the nutritional value is actually increased when a tomato is heated, which is part of the canning process. They have both vitamins and anti oxidants. Did I mention they are peeled already? You cant go wrong. Slow roasting tinned tomatoes in their juice, with a few other fresh ingredients, will produce a sauce that is thick and rich with a surprisingly fresh flavour. You can use this sauce simply tossed through your favourite pasta with lots of grated parmesan, of course. Add some tinned tuna, chilli, capers and olives for a more substantial meal. Whiz the sauce in a food processor, stir through cream and chopped basil for a warming winter tomato soup, dipped with thick, buttered toast. The sauce can also be used as a base for pizza. creamy tomato and basil soup
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
small handful basil leaves
400g tin tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup cream Heat the butter in a saucepan over high. When it sizzles add the onion, garlic and basil and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes and stock (and just a pinch of bicab soda as this neutralisese the often acidic tomaotes). Boil for 5 minutes. Pur into a food processor and whiz until smooth. Return to the saucepan with the cream and taste for seasoning.
Serve with well buttered thick slices of toast. roasted tomato sauce
810g tin whole tomatoes
1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4-6 anchovies
1/4 cup good olive oil Have your oven hot and ready at 180C.
Place the tomatoes, and the juice, in a baking tray with the onion wedges, garlic and anchovies scattered over top. Sprinkle over 1 teaspoon each of sea salt and sugar. Pour over the olive oil and 1/2 cup of water and roast for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time use a wooden spoon to scrape up any of the well cooked bits around the edge of the tray. If it looks like it is drying out too much add a little more water.
Place in a food processor and whiz for a few seconds to a smooth sauce. Enjoy straight away or refrigerate until ready to use. baked tomato and zucchini 'risotto'
Have your oven hot and ready at 200C. Cook 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped clove of garlic in a splash of olive oil for 2-3 minutes, to soften the onion. Add 2 grated zucchinis and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and stir fry for a few minutes. Add 1 cup of aborio rice, stirring for a minute, then add 400g tin chopped tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock and a good seasoning of sea salt and pepper. As soon as the mixture boils, place on a tight fitting lid and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, stir until the butter and cheese have melted smoothly into the rissoto and enjoy. Serves 4 with a salad.
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