Thursday, 25. March 2010

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 Vegetables

Asian vegetable guide

Vegetable recipes

Baked beans and bacon.

Chop the onion into small wedges, place in a sauce pan with 1 tablespoon margarine, caramelise onion—remove, set aside. Chop bacon into small pieces, add to sauce pan and cook in small amount of margarine until soft, return onion and add baked beans to pan. Bring to the boil, simmer for 10 mins, covered, stirring occasionally, add salt and pepper to taste, serve on thick toast.     4

Baked Spinach and ricotta crepes

Preheat oven to 2000C (1800C fan forced), lightly grease a shallow baking dish. Place a small amount of oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and heat through, add the onion and cook until soft, add the spinach and cook until it wilts. Remove the spinach to a bowl to cool slowly. Add the ricotta, half of the parmesan and lemon rind to the spinach mixture and mix well, season to taste. Lay out the crepes, divide the ricotta/spinach mixture between the crepes, and roll up to enclose the filling. Pour ⅓ of the pasta sauce over the base of the prepared dish. Arrange crepes in a single layer over the sauce, pour the remaining pasta sauce over the crepes, top with the remaining parmesan. Bake for 15 mins until bubbling and cheese is golden.  Serve with salad greens. 4
 

Baked vegetables.

Cut all vegetables into small pieces, about 3-4cm, soak in salted water for about 2 hours, remove and pat dry on paper towel. Layer a large baking tray with baking paper. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Roll small amount of vegetables in the mixture, making sure each piece is coated well, then place on the baking paper, continue until all veg are coated. Place in preheated 180C oven for about 1 hour or until they are cooked as required.

Baked Veg and Avocado Salad

Veg

Dressing

Veg

Cut the potatoes and pumpkin into 2-3cm cubes and place in a large bowl with two tablespoons EV olive oil and the cumin and mix well. Preheat an oven to 200⁰C. Line an oven tray with non-stick baking paper, place the veg onto the tray and bake in the oven for 20—25 mins, tossing occasionally. Remove and place in a large serving bowl. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the beans, cook for 2-3 minutes, drain and refresh in iced water, add to the serving bowl.

Dressing

Combine the honey, soy sauce, olive oil and salt and pepper in a sealed jar, shake to mix well. Add the spinach (or equiv), avocados, nuts and dressing to the veg, mix well. Serve.

Balsamic mushrooms.

Heat wok to high heat, add walnuts and stir for 2-3 minutes, remove and set aside. Add oil, garlic and chilli to wok, stir for 30 seconds. Combine brown sugar and vinegar well, set aside. Add mushrooms and stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until mushrooms are just tender.  Add vinegar/sugar to mushrooms and stir fry until mushrooms are well coated. Remove from heat, stir in the walnuts and lime juice, serve over boiled rice with wedge of lemon.    4

Balsamic glazed roast vegetables.

Vegetables                                                 Glaze

Vegetables:    Chop vegetables into medium size pieces. Line a large roasting pan with baking paper and spread the vegetables in a single layer.

Glaze:     Place oil, maple syrup, vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper in a screw top jar, secure lid and shake vigorously to combine ingredients. Remove lid and microwave for 1 minute or until hot.

Pour glaze over vegetables and toss gently to coat. Roast in 180C oven for 60 minutes or until tender, turning once.

Bean and vegetable casserole.

Heat 60 grams butter in large pan, add onion and cook until transparent. Add garlic, celery, carrot, zucchini, capsicum, cauliflower and beans. Stir over heat for 1 minute. Add contents of tomato can, chives, mint and basil. Bring to boil stirring occasionally, remove from heat.

Stir in drained and rinsed butter beans, shallots and parsley. Place vegetable mixture in ovenproof dish. Slice potatoes thinly, cover vegetables with single layer of potatoes, brush potatoes with 15 gram melted butter, sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake uncovered in 180C oven for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.     6

Beetroot  - Cooking Tips

• Be gentle when washing beets. You want the thin skin to remain intact for cooking. Although beets can be eaten raw, they are generally boiled, baked, steamed, fried, grilled or otherwise cooked before eating.

• Choose beets of uniform size to promote even cooking.

• To retain nutrients and colour, boil, bake or steam without peeling first. The skin will easily rub off under cold running water after they are cooked.

• When trimming, leave at least an inch of the leaf stems attached and do not remove the root. The stem and root are removed after cooking.

• If you must peel before cooking, a swivel vegetable peeler works better than a paring knife.

• For best flavour, bake beets instead of boiling or steaming. Wrap them in foil to avoid staining.

• Complementary herbs and spices include allspice, bay leaf, cloves, chives, dill weed, garlic, mustard seed, thyme, and citrus.

• To avoid staining your fingers, wear rubber gloves when handling beets. To remove beet juice from fingers, rub with wet salt and lemon juice and then wash with soap and water. For cutting boards and plastic containers, use a bleach solution.

• 1 Tablespoon of vinegar added to beet cooking water will not only reduce the odour of the cooking beets, but also help them retain their bright colour.

• For older beets, try adding a pinch each of sugar and salt to each cup of cooking water to revive sweetness and color.

• Beets are naturally high in sodium, so no salt is necessary in the cooking water.

• To microwave whole beets, pierce the skin and place 500gram in a micro-proof dish with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook on high for 9 to 12 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before cooling and peeling.

• To avoid bleeding of colour into other ingredients, add beets just before serving if possible.

• Grated raw beets make a tasty addition to salads.
  

Bubble and squeak.

Boil, steam or microwave potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, corn and peas until soft, drain in colander then mix together in large bowl. Heat butter in pan, add onion and stir fry until soft, remove, add to mixture and stir in. Spoon  mixture into a shallow oven-proof dish. Sprinkle the top with cheese, bake in a 180C oven for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and turned a golden brown.

Cabbage.

Cut cabbage finely and place in a covered saucepan with only 2 or 3 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper. Place on stove and bring to the boil and steam for about 5 mins, stirring two or three times. Add 1 tablespoon butter/margarine and stir in until butter/margarine is melted and mixed through cabbage. Turn off heat and allow to sit on stove, covered, for a further 2-3 minutes.

Capsicum à la Matt.

Make a circular cut at the base of each capsicum and remove the stalk and the seeds, discard. Make a slit down 4 sides of each cap, but leave bells intact. Place bells in a large pot, pour olive oil over bells and medium heat until the bell flesh becomes soft. Cover and simmer for 15 mins. Grind rock salt and pepper into pot (to taste), add the garlic and ½ cup water, place lid on pot and simmer for further 20 minutes.       6

Caramel glazed carrots.

Drain carrots. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add carrots and all other ingredients. Cook over high heat until sauce forms a thickish glaze, stirring all the time.     4

Cauliflower Cheese.

Separate cauliflower into flowerets, cook in lightly salted water until just tender, drain, set aside. Sauté the shallots for a few moments, set aside. Melt butter and grease the base of a shallow oven proof dish then spread the cauliflower evenly to cover base. Cover the cauliflower with the shallots then sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Evenly spread mayonnaise over salt and pepper, top with coarsely grated cheese. Sprinkle top with paprika. Bake in 180C oven for 15 minutes, or until cheese has started to brown.     4

Cauliflower cheese and bacon

Cut cauliflower into florets.  Pre-heat oven at 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil; add cauliflower, cook for 4 minutes or until just tender; drain. Place in a greased ceramic baking dish. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add onion and bacon and cook 3-4 minutes or until softened. Spoon over the cauliflower. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, stir in flour and cook over gentle heat, stirring with wooden spoon continuously. Gradually add milk, stirring all the time and bring to a boil. Add seasoning, nutmeg, mustard, tasty cheese and half the parmesan; stir until melted. Pour sauce over cauliflower and bacon mix, sprinkle with remaining parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.     4

Cauliflower with crumb topping.

Cauliflower                                                 Topping

Topping:     Combine egg yolks, milk, cream, breadcrumbs, mustard, salt, pepper and cheese in a bowl, mix well. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, gently mix the egg whites into the breadcrumb mixture.

Cauliflower:     Either cut the cauliflower into flowerets, or leave it whole, depending on choice. Boil or steam the cauliflower until it is just tender, drain. Place the cauliflower in an oven proof dish. Heat (don’t boil) the cream in a pan, add the butter and garlic and stir in.

Spoon the topping over the cauliflower. Stand the dish in a large oven proof dish, then fill the large dish with water until the level comes half way up the inner dish. Bake in a 180C oven for 25 minutes or until the topping goes a golden brown.

Cheesy Eggplant.

Slice eggplant in half lengthways, scoop out the flesh, set aside. Sprinkle inside shells and flesh with salt, let stand for 30-40 minutes, then wash under water to remove salt, dry on paper towel. Add 3 tablespoons oil to hot saucepan, add onion, garlic and bacon, stir until soft. Chop the eggplant flesh roughly, add to saucepan along with tomato and ¼ cup rice, stir and mix well.

Line inside of each eggplant shell with the mixture, mix the remaining rice with the chives and cheese and sprinkle over the eggplant. Cook on greased tray in 180C oven  for 20minutes.     4

Corn and bacon stuffed tomatoes.

Slice off about 2cm from top of each tomato. Scoop out tomato pulp carefully with teaspoon, chop pulp finely. Fry bacon in pan until crisp, add butter, chopped shallots and garlic. Cook for 1 minute, add drained corn, breadcrumbs, cheese and tomato pulp. Spoon fillings  into tomatoes, stand tomatoes in ovenproof dish, bake in 180C oven for 20 minutes.     4

Cole Slaw  (KFC Recipe).

Chop cabbage and carrots very fine pieces (about the size of rice). Combine the sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, and lemon juice in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Add the cabbage, carrots, and onion, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Corn delight.

Lightly grease a medium casserole dish. Melt the butter in a saucepan, cook the onion until soft, don’t brown, add the corn, sugar, salt and pepper and stir until all ingredients are hot, remove from heat and allow to cool. Beat egg yolks lightly, stir into corn mixture, add cheese, and continue to stir until all ingredients are mixed. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the mixture. Pour into casserole dish, and bake in pre-heated 180C oven for 1 hour.     4

Curried Champignons.

Place champignons in glass container. Mix all other ingredients together, pour over champignons, seal container, shake to mix, store in refrigerator for 24 hours, shaking container every now and then so mixture is taken up by champignons. Pour all ingredients into heavy base pan, bring to boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring continuously. Drain and serve as accompaniment to steak etc, or as a hors d’oeuvre.

Eggplant baked (aubergines).

Slice the egg plant into smallish disks, pile them all in a colander, generously sprinkle with salt, place a weighted plate over the egg plant to squeeze out the excess water. Dry the egg plant thoroughly. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the egg plant and fry to a pale golden colour, add the chopped onion and continue cooking until the onion has softened. Add the tomatoes, garlic, parley, spices and sugar.  Let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Generously butter a shallow baking dish, transfer the mixture to the baking dish, sprinkle the top with a mixture of cheese and breadcrumbs and dot the surface with butter.      4

Eggplant parmigiana.

Eggplant                                                       Sauce

Melt butter in pan, add flour and stir over heat for 1 minute. Add milk and mustard, bring to boil, stirring until sauce thickens. Remove from heat stir in egg.

Cut unpeeled eggplant into dices. Bring stock to the boil, add eggplant and boil for 1 minute—drain. Pour contents of tomato can into pan, add crumbed stock cube, onion and garlic, bring to the boil, simmer for 10 minutes uncovered. Stir in mushrooms, parsley, tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Divide mixture into 8 individual heatproof dishes (about 1/2 cup each).     8

Eggplant, roasted with spiced rice.

Eggplant                                                        Rice

Eggplant:      Cut the eggplant into 3cm slices crossways. Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan, cook one third of the eggplant until browned on both sides, transfer to a large shallow baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the eggplant.  Sprinkle the eggplant with garlic, season with salt and pepper, bake in a 200C oven for 20 minutes or until eggplant is tender.

Spiced rice:     Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the onion, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste.  Heat until softened, stirring often to stop browning. Add the rice, stir well to coat with the butter mixture. Stir in the stock, bring to the boil then simmer covered for about 15 minutes or until stock is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts.

Finely chop the parsley and mint. Drizzle the eggplant with small amount of olive oil, top with parsley and mint, serve with spiced rice.     4

Eggplant stew.

In a saucepan, deep fry the egg plant in olive oil until golden brown, remove, strain. Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a pan, add garlic, celery and onions and toss until soft, season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, olives, caperberries, mushrooms, herbs and salt and pepper to taste, stir slowly over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add the sugar and 3 tablespoons vinegar and the egg plant and mix to form a stew. Poach 4 eggs (see eggs), place ¼ mixture on 4 plates, top with 1 egg, drizzle small amount of vinegar over.     4

Falafels.

In a food processor add onion, garlic and beans and puree. Add cumin, coriander, parsley and breadcrumbs. Mix well to combine. Roll mixture into small balls and flatten into cakes approximately 5cm in diameter. Heat oil in a large frying pan and cook the falafel for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp and brown. Serve wrapped in pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes and hummus.     4

Fried Rice.

Bring large saucepan of water to the boil, add 2 teaspoons salt. Add rice gradually so water does not go off the boil, Boil on high heat uncovered for 10-15 minutes until rice is tender, stirring so rice does not stick to bottom of saucepan. Add additional hot water if rice dries out. Pour rice into colander or strainer and drain immediately, run rice under cold water to remove any starch, stirring while cold water runs. Drain well.

Dry rice in large baking dish, spread to cover all of bottom of dish, place in 150C oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 3-5 minutes to bring moist rice to the top. Fry the bacon pieces  in oiled pan until crisp, drain on paper towel. Cook pork chop in pan, remove and slice very thinly. Break eggs into a bowl, season with salt and pepper, lightly beat with a fork until yolk and white are mixed, pour enough mixture into pan to make a thin pancake. Cook both sides, remove and set aside, continue until all egg is used.  Roll pancakes and slice into thin strips.

Chop prawns into small (8-10mm) pieces. Into a hot oiled pan add  the ginger and stir in for 1 minute. Add the rice, stir for 5 minutes, add the bacon, pork, shallots, egg strips, peas, soy sauce and prawns, mix well, heat for 3 minutes or until all ingredients are hot.

Garlic Vegetables.

Cut cauliflower into flowerets and pumpkin into chunks about the same size as flowerets. Cut beans in half. Steam cauliflower and pumpkin until just tender. Heat butter in pan, add onion cook until soft, add stock cube, garlic and beans, cover and cook for 3 minutes or until beans are bright green. Add cauliflower and pumpkin, stir fry 3 minutes, add water, cover, cook for further 5 minutes, drain, serve sprinkled with cheese.  Replace pumpkin with carrots if desired.

Gingered cucumber.

Peel cucumbers using sharp knife, cutting as close to the skin as possible. Run fork down the sides of cucumber. Thinly slice cucumbers into a bowl, sprinkle with salt, mix well, cover, leave to stand for 30 minutes. Drain off excess liquid. Combine vinegar, sugar, ginger and vinegar, add to cucumber, mix well, cover, store in refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.

Gnocchi with mushroom and ham sauce.

Gnocchi                                                       Sauce

Gnocchi:     Boil the potatoes in salted water until soft then drain well. Mash potatoes while adding egg yolks, butter, sifted flour, baking soda, chopped parsley and chopped chives. Spread the mixture onto a floured tray and place in the refrigerator until cold. Using floured hands, roll a teaspoon of the mixture into balls, lightly flatten them with a fork. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, gently lower the balls into the water and leave until they double in size and rise to the surface, remove from water and drain well.

Sauce:      Heat the butter and the oil in a pan, add the pine nuts and stir over heat until browned. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft. Add the remaining ingredients, continue stirring over heat until all ingredients are well mixed and hot.

Arrange the gnocchi on a serving dish, top with sauce.     4

Green beans in lemon and garlic.

Place beans into a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Stand 5 minutes, drain and set aside. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add garlic, stir well. Add beans, parsley and lemon zest and cook, tossing for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Green curry mushroom.

Blend the curry paste with the coconut oil in a bowl, set aside.  Heat oil in wok to high heat. Add mushrooms and stir fry for 1 minute or until well coated with oil and slightly brown. and then add to mushrooms. Stir well to combine and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are just tender. Add  shallots, fish sauce, brown sugar and lime/lemon juice to wok and stir for 1 minute. Stir in coriander and serve immediately over steamed rice.

Honey glazed carrots

Cut carrots into skinny sticks about 4 cm long and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Heat the oil and butter in a small saucepan. Add the sugar, honey, lemon juice and water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Add carrots to mixture and stir well, cook for 5-7 mins until carrots just soften. Serve warm.

Lentil cottage pie.

Slice the eggplant lengthways, salt liberally, set aside for 30 mins, then rinse well and chop into coarse pieces. Boil potatoes until tender, mash until creamy in a large bowl with a large tablespoon of margarine (not butter), 1 desert spoon mayonnaise and the shallots. Set aside. Cook the lentils in a small sauce pan of boiling water until just tender, drain, rinse and drain again. Preheat oven to 200C. Heat a small amount of oil in a medium saucepan or wok, cook the onion, capsicum, zucchini, broccoli, eggplant and garlic, stirring until vegetables soften.

Add the lentils and undrained tomatoes, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Spoon mixture into a lightly oiled shallow baking dish, cover with mashed potato. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until potato browns lightly.     4

Maple Baked Beans

Drain all liquid from beans and rince in cold water. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the bacon and cook, stirring, for 5 mins. Add the onion and cook for a further 3 minutes or until browned. Add the mustard, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar, maple syrup, stock, crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for a further 5-8 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Add the beans, stir well and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Serve on toast.

Maple roasted vegetables

Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Combine butter, maple syrup and ginger in a small bowl. Place all the vegetables onto a large baking tray drizzle with maple mixture and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. To serve, toss cooked vegetables into a bowl along with spinach leaves

Mashed potato.

Peel potatoes, cut into small pieces, and boil in salted water until they are soft, drain. Slice onion into rings, then chop into small pieces, add to drained potato. Add 2 tablespoons margarine and baking soda to potatoes and mash well.      2

Minted tomatoes and cucumber.

Peel cucumber, slice thinly. Slice tomatoes thinly. Arrange overlapping slices of tomato and cucumber alternately in heatproof dish. Combine oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic and parsley. Pour mixture over tomato and cucumber. Sprinkle with cheese, cook under hot griller until cheese melts. Sprinkle with mint.     4

Mushrooms with bacon and garlic crumbs.

Remove stems from mushrooms, chop finely, set aside. Cook bacon in lightly oiled pan, stirring often until crispy, remove, store on paper towel. Add small amount of olive oil to pan, heat until hot, add garlic, stir for 30 seconds, add breadcrumbs, herbs, onion, mushroom stems and continue to stir over high heat for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Add bacon, teriyaki and season with salt and pepper, stir to mix well, remove and cover with foil to keep warm. Lightly brush  mushrooms with olive oil, place small amount of margarine (or butter) inside each, place on hot plate until margarine melts, turn, cook until tender. Remove, top with bacon mixture, serve.      4

Mushroom and eggplant stir fry.

Stir fry egg plant in hot wok until browned, add tomatoes and mushrooms, stir until mushrooms soften, add sauces, stir until all vegetables are soft, serve over boiled rice.

Mushroom pizza.

Preheat a heavy base frying pan. Combine oil and garlic in small bowl, lightly brush mushrooms on both sides with garlic oil. Heat in pan for 1-2 minutes each side, or until mushrooms are warmed through.  Place pocket breads into pan, cook for 1-2 minutes each side until breads are warmed. Spread pocket breads with tomato paste, top with mushrooms and parmesan, reheat for 1 minute, sprinkle with pepper and serve immediately.

Onion rings.

Peel onions, cut into rings, then separate. Put rings into bowl, add milk, let stand for 1 hour. Remove rings from milk, retain milk. Beat the egg well, add the milk, salt and sifter flour. Dip each onion ring into batter, then drop into the hop oil, fry until batter turns a golden brown, remove and dry well. Serve with a little salt.

Pad Thai.

Pad Thai sauce

Noodles

Sauce:     Heat tamarind and palm sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add other ingredients and stir. Remove from heat and cool. Store in a clean airtight jar in the fridge.

Noodles:     Clean and slice the bok choy lengthways. Chop the garlic chives into 3cm lengths. Heat oil in the wok, add eggs and stir until scrambled. Add the broccoli, beans, baby corn, and snow peas; toss. Add noodles and tofu and toss. Add bok choy and 2 small ladles of sauce and keep tossing to mix the dish.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic chives, half of the chopped peanuts and half of the bean sprouts. Ensure all vegetables and the noodles are coated with sauce. Serve with extra peanuts and bean sprouts on top and lemon wedges on the side.      2

Potato, avocado and onion bake.

Cut unpeeled potatoes into 3cm chunks, place on dry oven tray and bake in 150C oven for 30 minutes, turn, then cook further 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place in shallow oven proof dish. Heat butter in pan, sauté onion until soft, stirring all the while. Distribute avocado evenly over potato, pour onion and butter mix over potato/avocado, return to oven and bake further 10 minutes.

Potato Bread.

Pour warm water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand for 5 minutes. With the mixer at speed 2, slowly mix in milk, mashed potatoes sugar and salt. Gradually mix in flour. The dough should turn into a ball. Continue to knead on speed 2 for 2-3 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough does not ball up because it's to dry, add water one tablespoon at a time until it does. If your mixture is more like a batter, add flour one tablespoon at a time.

Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled (about 1½ hours). Grease 2 loaf pans and pre-heat oven to 190°F.  Punch down dough and divide into two pieces. Shape each piece into loaf shape and place in greased pans. Cover pans with clean towel and let rise till doubled (about 1 hour). Use a pastry brush to brush beaten egg over the tops of the loaves. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.      2 loaves

Potato galette

Thinly slice the potatoes, place on paper towel on a flat plate and microwave on high for 6 mins. Remove. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Grease and line with baking paper the bases of 4 x 10cm round cake tins with removable bases (or 1 large one); cover each base with a layer of sliced potatoes. Brush with melted butter, season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cheese. Layer egg plant then repeat another layer of potato, brushing with butter, seasoning and sprinkling with cheese. Slice up one side of the capsicum bells, open out and layer on top of the potato. Top with another layer of potatoes and cheese and carefully press down the mixture with a small bowl or plate; brush with remaining butter. Bake in oven for 50 minutes or until potatoes are crisp and golden.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the sausage and add to a heated large frying pan and cook for 5 minutes; add garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir through parsley. Serve galettes topped with sausage mix and garnish with baby rocket. 4

Potato Hash.

Peel, boil and mash the potatoes. Finely chop the onions and add to a large bowl. Add in the potatoes, half the flour and butter. Mix well, blend egg and milk together and add as required to bind the potatoes together like a dough. Add a pinch of salt to taste. On a floured board, roll out the mixture to about one inch thick. Use a 10" plate upside down on the potato dough and cut out a circle of dough using a knife. Remove excess potato dough from around perimeter of this circle. Divide the circle into 8 "Pie-Slices". Place each slice on a hot pan or grill for about 3 - 4 minutes each side until golden brown. Serve hot with butter on top.

Potatoes (garlic).

Drain potatoes well. Heat butter in frying pan. Add garlic and stir well. Add potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss continuously until potatoes are browned on all sides, serve with sprinkled parsley.

Potatoes in garlic sauce  (Ideal side dish).

Halve potatoes and steam until just tender, melt butter in pan, add garlic and stir in for 30 seconds, add potatoes and stir until golden brown. Add thickened cream and chives, warm for 3 minutes, serve hot.     6

Potato casserole.

Boil potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes, or until soft, drain. Add butter and nutmeg to potatoes and mash. Spread mashed potato evenly over base of small greased oven proof dish. Beat the egg well, add the cream and grated cheese to the egg, season with salt and pepper, pour mixture over potato. Bake uncovered in 180C oven for 30 minutes, or until topping is set and golden.

Potato patties.

Microwave grated potato in microwave oven on high for 2 minutes. Thoroughly mix potatoes and eggs, add finely chopped shallots and onions, mix well, season to taste. Heat oil in frying pan, form potatoes into patties, fry in pan until golden brown on both sides.

Potato Salad (cold).

Salad                                                           Dressing

Place pine nuts on oven tray, toast in moderate oven for 5-8 minutes. Combine basil, garlic, 2 tablespoon toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese in processor, process until smooth, add mayonnaise and sour cream, process until smooth.

Boil or steam potatoes until tender, drain, place in salad bowl, add 2 tablespoons nuts to potatoes with cucumber, pour dressing over, toss lightly, sprinkle with basil.

Potato Salad (hot).

Drain and rinse potatoes under hot water. Combine remaining ingredients in pan, add potatoes, heat gently for about 5 minutes—do not boil. 4

Potato Salad (Japanese style)

*Mirin is Japanese cooking wine and can be found in the Japanese section of large supermarkets or Asian groceries – substitute white balsamic vinegar if unavailable.

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until just tender. Drain and leave to cool. Cut the bacon into thin strips and cook on a paper towel in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes or until just cooked. Peel alternate strips off the cucumber skin, then cut into small dice. Combine the mayonnaise, mirin, sesame oil and mustard in a jar and shake until well combined. Cut the potatoes into large dice. Put the potatoes, bacon, cucumbers and spring onions into a bowl. Pour the dressing and toss gently. This can be made well beforehand and refrigerated.

Pumpkin balls (spicy).

Peel pumpkin and remove seeds. Using a melon baller, scoop out the pumpkin flesh into balls. Place balls into boiling salted water and cook for about 5 minutes until pumpkin is just tender. Remove from heat and drain. Melt the butter/margarine in a saucepan, add the pumpkin balls, parsley, nutmeg and pepper to taste, stir gently for 2-3 minutes to coat the pumpkin.

Pumpkin, eggplant and chickpea stew.

Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring until golden brown. Peel the pumpkin and cut into 1.5 cm pieces, cut the eggplant into 1.5cm thick slices. Lightly salt. Reduce heat to low, add the garlic cumin, ginger and cayenne and cook, stirring until aromatic, 1-2 minutes.

Add the pumpkin, eggplant, tomatoes, chickpeas, and stock, and stir to combine. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the prunes and stir through.  Prepare the couscous as per instructions on the packing, serve the stew over, sprinkle with parsley.

Roast capsicum.

Place whole capsicum on an oven tray, and place into preheated oven at 220C. Roast, turning occasionally, until they are charred and blistered all over—about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and place in a plastic container, seal well and allow them to ‘sweat’ for 30 minutes, or until they are cool. Remove, peel off the skin, discard the seeds and core, and chop flesh finely.

Roast potatoes.

Peel and wash potatoes, if large, slice. Place potatoes in salted water, bring to the boil, boil for 10 minutes, drain and cool on paper towel. Score surface of potatoes lengthwise with fork—this helps to make them crisp. Place potatoes in a large bowl with some olive oil, mix around so potatoes are coated with oil. Place potatoes on baking paper in a 180C oven, bake 1½ hours, occasionally turning potatoes, and basking with additional oil if the potatoes appear to dry out.

Saffron Rice.

Fry onion in 30 grams butter until transparent, set aside. Thaw peas in water, drain. Bring water to boil in large sauce pan, add salt and saffron. Gradually add rice so as to keep water at the boil, cook for about 10-15 mins. Add onion and peas, stir, cook for further 5-10 minutes until rise is tender, stirring occasionally to stop rice sticking to bottom of pan.

Drain well in colander, run under hot water. Place in bowl, add rest of butter and parsley and stir until butter is melted through.

Satay mushrooms.

Chop the peanuts into small pieces, trim the stalks from the mushrooms level with the cup. Heat a wok to high heat, add ½ cup olive oil, garlic and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden and just tender, tossing frequently. Reduce heat, add satay sauce and coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir through green onions and peanuts, serve over steamed rice.      4

Savoury Eggplant on Toast.

Slice eggplant (also known as an aubergine) then place the cut side down on a baking dish and bake at 180 C for about half an hour, by which time it should be soft. Leave to cool. Fry the onion in the olive oil in a frying pan until lightly browned. Scrape the eggplant flesh from the skin and discard the skin. Chop the flesh coarsely. Add it to the frying pan and stir over heat with the onion for a couple of minutes longer. Season to taste and serve immediately over hot toast.      4

Slippery Jims.

Peel cucumbers, cut in half and scoop out seeds. Cut into long strips, sprinkle with salt, cover, and store in refrigerator for 24 hours.  Rinse cucumber sticks and place in deep pan. Combine all remaining ingredients, pour over cucumber, and bring mixture to the boil, reduce heat, and simmer until translucent, remove and store in refrigerator until ready for use.      6

Spiced potato bake.

Peel and slice potatoes into thin slices, layer in microwave proof dish, add salt (to taste) and lemon pepper (to taste). Add milk, but not too much, leave top layer of potatoes free of milk.  Cover and microwave until potatoes are cooked (time will vary depending on volume of potatoes).

Spinach and Bacon Strudel.

Heat 1 tablespoon margarine in a saucepan, sauté the leeks and bacon until bacon is browned, add flour, mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk then add the herbs, mustard and pepper, bring to the boil, stir well, then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool then fold in the spinach.  Melt a little margarine in a saucepan (or microwave) and brush onto one side of filo pastry sheets, spoon the spinach mixture down the centre of each pastry sheet,  roll each sheet, tucking in each end. Place rolls on to an oven tray covered with baking paper, bake in preheated 200C oven for 25 mins.

Stir-fried vegetables and almonds.

Cut broccoli into shall flowerets and boil, steam or microwave with carrots until they are just tender, drain then rinse under cold water, dry on paper towel. Heat oil in a wok, add almonds and cook, stirring over high heat until they are golden brown. Remove almonds from pan, drain on absorbent paper.

Add ginger, garlic and pepper to wok, stir-fry 1 minute, add oyster sauce, Soya sauce, sesame oil and vegetables, stir-fry 1 minute. Blend cornflour with a little water, add to wok with rest of water and stock cube, stirring constantly over high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in almonds and shallots.  Serve on boiled rice.

Stuffed capsicum.

Cook rice in boiling salted water until tender, drain, rinse under cold water, drain again. Fry bacon in heavy based pan in oil until crisp, remove and drain on paper towel. Add onions and garlic to pan, cook until softened, combine bacon, onion, tomatoes, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cut capsicum in half, remove seeds and membrane and blanch in boiling water. Fill capsicum with mixture and top with grated cheese. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour. Set oven to 180C, cook uncovered for 30 minutes.     4

Stuffed egg plant (aubergines).

Trim the green stalks from the base of the egg plant then slice them in half lengthways. Scrape out the pulp from the egg plant and set aside, leaving not less than ¼ inch (5mm)thick shell. Sprinkle the inside of the shells with salt, turn upside down on paper towel and leave to drain for 45 minutes. Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan, gently fry the bacon until it is browned, add the onion and fry until it is softened, stir in the egg plant pulp, crushed garlic and 1 teaspoon basil. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring to mix well. Wipe out the egg plant shells with paper towel, arrange in an oiled baking dish. Spoon the pulp mixture into the shells, top with tomato then cover with cheese. Add a few drops of olive oil to the top of each, place under a medium grill for 10 minutes then serve.      8

Stuffed mushrooms.

Wipe mushrooms, remove stalks and chop stalks finely. Sprinkle lemon juice inside mushroom caps and let stand for 15 minutes. In heavy based pan, fry bacon until crisp, remove and drain on paper towel. In the same pan, fry the outside of the mushrooms until they start to brown, remove. Place garlic and shallots in pan and fry until softened. Add chopped mushroom stalks and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the bacon to the mixture, heat for further 2 minutes, stirring to mix the stuffing well. Stuff the mushroom caps with the bacon mixture, cover each with a small amount of breadcrumbs and parsley. Dot each liberally with butter or margarine, place under preheated grill. Grill for 8 minutes.

Stuffed Mushrooms (Deep fried).

Mushrooms                                             Stuffing

Stuffing:  Remove stems from mushrooms, finely chop and place in bowl. Add mince, shallots, capsicum, celery, water chestnuts, green ginger, sherry, soy sauce, egg white, hoi sin sauce, salt and cornflour and mix well. Evenly distribute the stuffing into the cavity of the mushrooms, packing it in well.

Batter:   Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl, make a well in the centre and gradually add the milk and water. Mix to a smooth batter. Season the additional flour with salt and pepper to taste, coat the mushrooms with the seasoned flour, then dip in the prepared batter.

Cooking:   Heat (do not boil) the deep frying oil in saucepan. If oil is too hot mushrooms will brown too quickly and not cook through. Put a few coated mushrooms in the oil at a time, fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Sweet chilli and ginger mushrooms.

Heat a wok to high heat, add oil and when hot, add ginger and stir fry for about 1 minute, add mushrooms, and stir fry for further minute or until coated with mixture. Add chilli sauce, stir fry further 2 minutes until mushrooms are  just tender. Remove from heat, add onions, toss well to combine, serve.      4

Tomato and cheese patties.

Boil or steam potatoes until soft. Drain, mash with butter, parsley and salt and pepper. Thinly slice tomatoes, sprinkle basil, salt and pepper over tomato slices. Slice mozzarella cheese (8 slices). Place 1 slice of cheese between 2 tomato slices. Mould warm potato around to seal the tomato and cheese completely, shape into patties.  Coat lightly with flour, dip in lightly beaten eggs, then breadcrumbs. Repeat until all ingredients are used, then deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.

Tomato and Cheese pie.

Preheat oven to 180C. Butter a shallow 26cm round ovenproof dish and line the base with baking paper, set aside. Drain the canned tomatoes thoroughly in a sieve over a bowl. (Keep the juices to make a tomato soup or sauce.) Sift the flour, salt and mustard in a bowl, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the cheeses and toss to mix. (You can use a food processor to this stage, then transfer the mixture to a bowl.) In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and Tabasco, add to the dry ingredients and mix lightly until a fairly stiff batter forms.

Place the thinly sliced tomatoes in overlapping rounds in the base of the prepared dish. Coarsely chop canned tomatoes and spread them evenly over the top of the sliced tomatoes, sprinkle with basil and thyme. Drop blobs of the batter over the tomatoes and pat it down with your fingers to spread it evenly (flour your fingers lightly). Don't worry if there are a few little gaps these will disappear as the pie bakes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the dough has risen and is golden. If the top is browning too rapidly, cover it loosely with a sheet of foil. (The time will vary a little depending on how thick your dish is.)

Test by inserting a thin metal skewer into the centre of the scone part. If it comes out clean the pie is ready. Remove it from the oven and allow it to settle for five minutes before inverting it onto a warm serving platter. Brush tomatoes with a little olive oil and garnish with herb leaves. Serve immediately, with bacon rashers.      6-8

Vegetables Julienne.

Cut all vegetables into thin strips, (about 6cm x 5mm). Melt butter in a hot pan, add vegetables, stir for 3 minutes, add salt and pepper. Remove.

Vegetable pasties

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C (fan forced). Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add potato, carrots, celery and stock cover and cook for 5 minutes until just tender, remove from heat and stir through spinach. Place remaining ingredients into large bowl and combine with cooked vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut 20cm rounds out of each pastry sheet. Divide vegetable mixture evenly between pastry sheets. Place in the centre and fold pastry up. Crimp edges firmly together and brush with beaten egg. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden. Serve with a crisp green salad. 4

Vegetable Triangles.

Place vegetables in large bowl, stir in 4 tablespoons soy sauce, cook vegetables in microwave as per instructions on back of packet, remove and allow to cool. Mix in cheese, garlic, egg and parsley with salt and pepper to taste. Spray one sheet of filo pastry with oil then layer another sheet on top then slice pastry into 3 thick strips. Place 1 desert spoon of chilli sauce at one end of pastry, top with 1½ tablespoon of the mixture. Fold pastry over the mixture to form a triangle. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.  Place on greased oven tray into a pre-heated oven at 200C, cook for 15 minutes. Serve immediately

Zucchini  Boats.

Slice (lengthways) about a third off each zucchini (to form a lid), scrape the pulp from each section, puree the pulp with wand blender and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large wok until hot, add the onion and garlic and toss for 3 or 4 minutes. Add minced chicken and cook a further 3 or 4 minutes. Add zucchini pulp, tomato sauce, soya sauce, sugar and stock. Season with pepper. Cook uncovered for a few minutes to dry mixture a little, stir through rice, mint and parsley. Place zucchini boats side by side in a baking dish. Fill with vegetable mixture, sprinkle on grated cheese then fit lids. Spray lightly with olive oil, cover with alfoil and bake in 180C oven for 25 minutes.

Zucchini carbonara

Cook pasta in large saucepan of  salted boiling water, drain, keep ½ cup cooking water. Heat a large frying pan on high heat, add the garlic, stir in for 1 min, add the bacon for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crisp, add the zucchini and cook for 5 mins until it softens. Whisk together the egg yolks, cream and grated parmesan, season well with salt and pepper. Add drained fettuccine to zucchini mixture and toss to combine. Remove pan from heat, add egg mixture and just enough cooking water to make a sauce, toss to combine. Top with extra grated parmesan and serve immediately. 4

Zucchini slice.

Grate unpeeled zucchini coarsely. Combine zucchini, onion, bacon, cheese, sifted flour, oil and lightly beaten eggs, season with salt and pepper.  Pour into well greased cake tin (measuring about 15cm by 25 cm) and bake in 180C oven for 30-40 minutes or until browned.

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