Cumin and Cayenne Kale Chips

Few things are easier, cheaper and tastier. Mess around with the flavours or go natural. Too easy. Works really really well with basil too, just adjust the cooking time down.


3 - 4 kale leaves ripped (size don't matter)
Olive oil
Cumin
Cayenne pepper
Salt

Combine the cumin and cayenne and salt with some olive oil. Bake in a preheated 180C oven for five minutes or so. Remove and allow to stand for a couple of minutes to become crisp. Keep your eye on them while they cook as they suck if burnt. Enjoy.

Kale with Bacon, Mushroom and Yoghurt

Wow, my first post this year. I still cook new things regularly but haven't found the time recently to do this. The reason I am sharing this particular recipe is - it rules - heaps. We eat this stacks as a side and as my now favourite kind of sauce for steak. I can't remember why I decided to throw these ingredients together but I am so glad that I did. It ticks most of the boxes; its cheap, quick and healthy. The kids rate this heaps too which is a bonus. Those are duck fat roasted smashed potatoes right there too BTW...

1 rasher bacon diced
1 handful of mushrooms minced
3 cloves garlic minced
3 kale leaves roughly minced with a knife
Dash of white wine (optional)
1 decent slug of chicken stock
1 heaped tbs of natural yoghurt
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Saute the garlic on the extra virgin with the bacon, salt and pepper until soft and fragrant. Saute the mushrooms (add more extra virgin if needed) until cooked through. Throw in the kale and cook until soft and fragrant. Deglaze with the stock (and wine if using) and reduce. When the liquid is mostly gone, mix through the yoghurt. Enjoy the hell out of this salty, smokey mess.

Wiltof Triple Cream Brie and Lemon

I've never eaten wiltof before prior to this. It was more bitter than I was expecting but it has a refreshing taste. Prep for this was about 10 minutes and it has only about ten minutes cook time. Nice snack. I think next time though I would have grilled the cheese over the top. Cheap and simple.

4 wiltof quartered
Garlic oil
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Triple cream brie in slices
A lemon cheek or two
Chopped parsley

Oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on a grill over high heat for a couple of minutes until you get some lines/colour. Top with a piece of brie, a squeeze of lemon and some parsely. I reckon chilli flakes would be rad too.

Cous Cous Quinoa and Lentil Salad with Roast Potato and Minted Yoghurt

This was good, defo doing this again.


2/3 cup quinoa
2/3 cup cous cous
2/3 cup lentils cooked
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup yoghurt
1 handful of mint
1 handful of coriander
Juice from half a lemon
2 cups diced roasted sweet potato
2 handful of quartered cherry tomatoes


Cook the quinoa and cous cous according to the packet instructions, but bung a slice of lemon in there while it cooks. When done, fluff with a fork and fold through a little olive oil, salt and pepper. If you follow the link above to the lentils it will show you how I prepare them, for this dish I was chasing lemon so the dressing I made for it was the same as for the recipe but lemon juice instead of red wine vinegar and honey instead of sugar. Mix the lentils in to the cous cous/quinoa concoction. Combine the yoghurt and lemon juice with some chopped coriander and mint and some salt and pepper. Place the gear onto a serving tray then layer up with roast sweet potato, tomatoes, some coriander and yoghurt sauce. Finish with some salt and a good grind of pepper and a splash of extra virgin olive oil.

Pistachio Romesco Sauce

I made Romesco sauce a few years ago and it was nice but it was hard work. Traditional Romesco sauce is made with blanched almonds and hazelnuts. To prep the hazelnuts you need to oven roast them and then rub the skins off with a tea-towel. That task sucked. Anywho the reiteration I've come up with here was simple and quick and versatile. I served this with scallops, prosciutto and guacamole but it very easily doubles as a dip.


100 grams shelled pistachios
3 slices of ciabatta crusts removed, diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tsp chilli flakes
2 pinches paprika
Water


Toast the nuts and garlic in some olive oil over a medium heat. Remove to a clean plate. Add the remaining oil then toast the bread. Blitz the ingredients (only half of the vinegar) together, check for acidity and add more vinegar if required. Add water until you reach the consistency you'd like.

Cumin Roasted Pumpkin Rocket Parmessan Barbecued Broccolini and Almond Salad

This according to my wife was the best salad she has ever eaten. I often find that the 'I need to use that up very soon' approach to making food to be the most rewarding. In this case it was rocket and pumpkin. Again, this was low maintenance, cheap and tasty. The cumin touch came from a pumpkin soup some mates made in South America, really great combo. (Photo soon).

1/2 a pumpkin in bite sized chunks
1/2 tsp cumin
Splash of teriyaki sauce
1 bunch broccolini
5 or 6 garlic cloves, skin on
Pepper
1 bag of rocket
1 handful slivered almonds
Parmesan shavings
Olive oil

Coat the pumpkin in oil, cumin and a splash of teriyaki. Coat the garlic in oil. Place the pumpkin on some grease proof paper and roast for about 20 minutes or until it has great colour. Barbecue the broccolini. Remove the pumpkin and garlic from the oven, when cool enough to handle remove the garlic from its skin. Combine all of the ingredients and tuck in.

Smashed Roast Garlic and Pumpkin with Toasted Almonds

Really very basic but very delicious. I was hoping to make more of a purée for some spatchcock I had roasted but part way through decided that the chunks looked cooler. The big bits of garlic were the real winner.

1/2 a butternut pumpkin in wedges
5 cloves garlic, skin on
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 slice bacon diced
1 handful sage leaves
1 handful sliced almonds



Oil, salt and pepper the pumpkin and garlic - roast at 180C until cooked (45 mins-ish). Remove from the oven and cool 'til you can handle. In the meantime, fry the bacon and sage leaves, when almost ready throw in the almonds to colour a little. While this happens, spoon out the flesh of the pumpkin and garlic.
Mash about a bit, top with the almonds then eat.

Cashew and Macadamia Nut Satay

I watched a TV chef recently smash together a satay sauce in about 2 minutes and I thought well I want to do that too. My recipe differs quite a bit from his but as my research after the fact discovered, it don't matter. I think satay is one of those 'satays are like opinions' scenarios. They can be simple or complicated. In any case, what I have done here is very very good and I can thoroughly recommend trying it. My bother in law who doesn't like satay had two helpings and was kind with his review. There is enough satay to marinade 1 - 2 kg of the meat of your choice, have enough left for being a sauce and, an additional purpose like making satay and coconut milk rice for the kids.


2 handfuls salted cashew/macadamia nuts
2 heaped tbs crunchy peanut butter
Rind of 1 lime
Juice of 2 limes (maybe more)
2 cloves garlic
1 thumb ginger roughly chopped
1/2 bunch coriander, roots and all
200 ml of coconut milk (or to taste)
1 long red chilli
1 tbs palm sugar (or brown)
2 tbs light olive oil or peanut oil
1/2 cup water


Leaving out the water, blitz the lot until it is in a smooth paste. Check for flavours and add more lime juice, coconut milk or sugar until you reach a tasty result (there should be enough salt from the nuts). Aim for a good balance of nut, sweet and importantly, lime. Pour in half of the water, blitz, check the consistency and add the remaining and more if required.

Chicken Vegetable Pesto Bake with Wine and Blue Cheese Sauce

Unreal and simple. All left overs were mixed together and were even more awesome. The roasted lemon smells great but I wouldn't recommend eating it...




6 chicken thighs, bone in
1 or 2 tbs pesto
1 capsicum in chunks
1 medium sweet potato in chunks
5 mushrooms torn
1 lemon quartered
3 rashers bacon in chunks
5 cloves garlic skin on
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs blue cheese
1/2 cup sparkling white wine
Parsley chopped
1 chilli thinly sliced
Natural yoghurt
Cous cous
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper




Combine the vegetables,lemon wedges, garlic cloves, bacon, chicken, pesto, extra virgin, salt and pepper in a roasting dish. Roast for 30 minutes at 180C or until cooked through. Remove the chicken to a clean bowl, remove the veg to a clean bowl and cover the lot. Place the roasting tray onto the stove and bring to a simmer. Stir in the sparkling wine and continue to simmer until the alcohol smell is gone. Stir in the blue cheese until melted and then remove from the heat. Pour in any resting juice from the chicken and veg bowls, skimming off the oil if necessary. Cook the cous cous  by covering with boiling water and leaving for 5 minutes, stir through the lemon juice.
Serve on top of the cous cous, top with parsley, chilli (if having) and dobs of yoghurt on the veg. Spoon some sauce over the chicken bits.

Sage and Garlic Butter Potato Cake

This is essentially a recipe I read in an Italian cookbook of my sister in-laws. I've not seen this approach anywhere else since so therefore I am sharing. It is caring after all. Decadent but unreal.


10 potatoes thinly sliced
3 or 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
50 gms butter
1/2 bunch sage leaves
200 ml cream
Salt and pepper
Parmesan
1 slice prosciutto
1/2 an onion thinly sliced


Melt the butter with the garlic and sage in a small saucepan until fragrant then remove from the heat. Wet 2 sheets of grease proof paper and line a spring form tin. Layer in the potato, pouring over some butter and sage leaves, topping with parmesan and salt and pepper each time. Should be enough for 3 layers. With the final layer place on some thin strips of prosciutto and the onion, pour over the cream, add some more parmesan and salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake in a 180C oven for 45 minutes. (Its a good idea to place a tray underneath to catch any cream/butter). Remove the foil and bake for another 15 or until golden and tender.

Lentils Poached in Chicken Stock

Lentils are new to me but I find them brilliant. Largely lentils appear to be cooked in water and flavours added later but I really wanted them to be bursting with flavour. It should be noted though that it appears the addition of salt or acid (like wine, vinegar or lemon juice) will cause them to become a little tough and should be added at the end. I know that chicken stock has salt in it but hey, its my lentils and I want 'em tasty. Also, from what I also understand, they are awesome in soups etc. Whilst this recipe is nice cold, it is at its best warm.

1 cup puy lentils (French)
2 cups chicken stock (or water or combo)
1/2 an onion in small dice
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbs oven roasted cherry tomatoes
1 tbs minced parsley
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil


In a small saucepan over a medium heat saute the onion and garlic in a little extra virgin olive oil until transparent. Add in the lentils and stock, bring to the boil and, reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Check to see if they are tender, if not keep cooking for a few more minutes. Drain off most of the liquid, stir through the salt and pepper, parsley and tomatoes. Transfer to a serving dish, tuck in.

Socca

Listening to mates is a great idea. They know things; great bands, cool books, sweet movies and sooper nice food. Thanks Helen. This is a bastardized version of the recipe I was told (apparently my local major supermarket food chain don't stock chickpea flour) but it worked anywho. I grabbed a packet of gluten free flour (read here: rice flour) and hoped for the best. Whilst I am sure the texture is different it did the job. This was made for the Kindy kids when I made Cherry Tomato Jam.

500 gms rice flour
An equal portion of water
1 tbs fresh chopped herbs
Salt flakes
Olive oil for frying

Combine flour, herbs, water and a little salt until it forms a thickish batter. Heat some olive oil in a large non stick pan to medium high, ladle in some batter and fry on one side. Carefully flip and sprinkle with some sea salt flakes. Fry some more, flip, sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Repeat once more then remove. Do this until your batter is gone. More oil will be prepared throughout the process. Eat with anything really.

Tomato Bread V 3.0

And here this reason why my Cherry Tomato Jam will not see November... Tomato Bread versions 1 and 2 can be found here.

Some great bread thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Cherry Tomato Jam

Drizzle some olive oil over the bread, smear over 1 tsp of tomato jam and grill until aweeeesoooooome.

Smashed Potatoes

So good, so easy. Use different herbs or try using flavoured salts/oils or lemon rind.

Small peeled potatoes

Sliced garlic

Rosemary or thyme sprigs

Salt and cracked pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat an oven to 200C. Boil the potatoes until tender, drain and allow to steam out. Place each potato on a baking tray and squash (I used the bottom of a saucepan). Season each with salt and pepper, sprinkle over some fresh thyme/rosemary and generously coat with extra virgin. Roast for about 25 mins or until golden and excellent.

Glazed Carrots and Beetroots

Its been done before I am sure but, I have done this a few times recently and it is tasty as. Essentially, boil/steam some root vegetables until just tender, drain, add butter, heat and flavour. This is a technique I plan to use heaps.

Carrots peeled

Butter

Honey

Orange peel

Salt and pepper
Minced parsley


Boil the carrots with a couple of slices of orange peel until just tender. Drain the water and allow the carrots to steam out in the pan for a minute or so. Return to the heat, add in some butter and heat until foaming, pour in some honey, salt, pepper and parsley, toss to combine then remove to a serving dish. Heaps easy, heaps tasty.

Beetroot peeled and well washed

Butter

Garlic chopped

Balsamic glaze

Chopped thyme

Salt and pepper

Boil the beets until just tender, drain and allow to steam out for a minute or so. Add in the butter, thyme and garlic and return to a medium high heat. When fragrant add in the balsamic glaze and season with salt and pepper.

Hand Made Potato Wedges

Worked a treat and didn't take long to prepare. The flavours were a very close guess and I would definitely do these specifically for the kids, parties or drinks on the lawn with sour cream and avo gear.

Small potatoes, quartered length ways

1.5 tsp pimenton (paprika)

1/2 bunch of oregano, leaves stripped

Some basil seeds and their leaves

Rind of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Combine the ingredients, turn out onto a baking tray. Roast for 45 mins in a preheated 180C oven or until they have nice colour and are crispy on bits. Drain on absorbent paper and serve immediately.

Duck Fat and Sage Roasted Potatoes

Not particularly healthy but you know, awesome. Just don't eat them very regularly and your heart and thighs should be fine. The duck fat I used here came from my confit chicken recipe, so they had extra flavour. The real reason I ever make confit chicken is for the fat it leaves behind for these potatoes.

Potatoes cleaned and halved

2 tbs duck fat

Sage leaves (or other robust herb)

Salt and pepper



Par boil the potatoes, coat them in fat, salt, pepper and sage leaves. Roast in a preheated 220C oven, cut side down, for 20 mins. Sprinkle with a little more salt on the cut side. Serve immediately. Serve as an entree, as tapas or with cooked and roasted meats.



Salmon with Crispy Sage Skin

Salmon is nothing to be afraid of, awesomely you virtually can't over cook it. Whilst having salmon cooked to medium is preferable, if you do over cook it or baulk at the thought of slightly uncooked fish, well done also works. The main thing to remember if you are trying to achieve crispy skin on a salmon fillet is to cook it over a medium heat as medium high or high could burn the skin and therefore - suck. The same principal can also be applied to any white fleshed fish fillet with the skin on but you will need to cook them all the way through. This recipe shares some of the same characteristics as my Crispy Skin Salmon with Garlic Thyme Kipflers recipe.

1 salmon fillet per person

Sage leaves (or any robust herb)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper
Horseradish sour cream

Pan roasted potato

Guacamole

Some grilled mushroom

Oil and salt and pepper each fillet. Run the sage leaves through the oil and place on the skin. Heat some olive oil to medium and place the salmon fillets in, skin side down. Cook the fillets until they become white-ish half way up (about 5 minutes). Carefully flip the fillets and cook on the other side for a further 2 minutes. Remove to clean plates, top with horseradish sour cream and serve with the potato, guacamole and mushrooms.

Guacamole with Barbecued Corn and Spring Onion

This is something that changes every time I make it. The addition of barbecued corn and spring onion gave this version more depth. If you haven't used the lemon/lime combination before, it is definitely worth trying.

1 avocado diced

1/2 a lemon juiced

1 lime juiced

1 clove garlic minced

2 cobs corn barbecued

1 spring onion barbecued

1 tbs blue cheese

2 tbs chopped coriander

Salt and pepper

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Slice the corn off the cob with a sharp knife. Finely slice the spring onion. Combine all of the ingredients with half of the juice. Check for seasoning and add more of whatever is missing and as much of the remaining juice as necessary. Could benefit from some chilli I guess.

Pork Loin With Sage and Lemon Zest

Same principal applies in this as to a thick piece of steak or even a roast, smack it with some heat and finish it in the oven. You can also do the same flavour combination with pork chops; pork, sage and lemon work very well together. If you wanted to in this recipe you could easily deglaze the pan with some wine or stock while the meat is resting to make a sauce and bung in some cream or butter or just reduce it. I opted tonight to finish this dish with a balsamic reduction I bought from a deli.

1 piece pork loin (mine was 1kg)

Sage leaves

Zest from 1 lemon

Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Baked mushrooms (I went basic)

Pan roasted potato with thyme

Steamed broccoli
Bought balsamic glaze

Preheat an oven to 180C. Season the pork loin with lemon rind, salt and pepper and coat lightly with oil. Add the sage leaves to one side of the loin, pressing them into the oil to make them stick. Heat some oil in a large frying pan to medium high. When hot add the pork loin, sage side down and sear until it has good colour, Carefully turn and repeat. When seared place on a lined baking tray (easier cleaning) and into the oven to roast for an hour. If your piece of pork is heavier or lighter, adjust the cooking time. Cook for 20mins per 450gms plus 20mins. Remove the pork to a clean plate, cover and allow to rest. I also cooked my mushrooms at the same time. I found that I needed to add a little more oil to the mushrooms toward the end to stop them from drying out.

When ready to serve, carve the pork to your desired thickness then spoon over a little of the resting juice. Arrange the pork on plates and drizzle over some balsamic glaze (or even a squeeze of lemon). Serve with baked mushrooms, pan roasted potato and steamed broccoli.