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Wednesday Girls Dinner - Sarah

Entrée Easy tart
Main Middle Eastern Lamb salad with eggplant and tomato
Dessert Lemon curd tart with berries

Easy tart

September 2011 issue Delicious magazine

The beauty of puff pastry is you can practically top it with anything! This is a very easy recipe and one you can whip together when unexpected guests drop in.

Ingredients

375g block frozen puff pastry, thawed
100g good quality pesto
8 anchovy fillets in oil, halved lengthways
2 tbs black olives, pitted
2 bocconcini, sliced
2 tbs olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
Handful of basil leaves

Method

Prehead the oven to 220°C. Lightly oil a large non-stick baking tray.

Roll the pastry into a 20cm x 30cm rectangle and lay out on the tray. Score a border 2cm in from the edges of the pastry. This will allow the border to rise and crisp while the middle stays flat.

Spread the pesto over the inner section of the tart and crisscross the anchovies over the top. Scatter over the capers and olives, then top with the bocconcini.

Season, then drizzle over the oil and brush the pastry border with the beaten egg.

Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the border rises and is golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle over the basil leaves.

Middle Eastern Lamb salad with eggplant and tomato

September issue Delicious magazine - Belinda Jeffery's

Serves 4-6

250g punnet vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
3 thyme sprigs
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
2 tbs olive oil, plus extra to brush
2 eggplants, cut into 1cm-thick slices
2 tbs tahini*
1/4 cup (70g) thick Greek-style yoghurt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs lemon juice Rocket leaves, to serve
Marinated lamb
1/4 cup sweet paprika
1 1/2 tbs ground cumin
1 1/2 tbs finely chopped thyme leaves
3 tbs ground turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (pimenton)  
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
4 x 150g lamb back straps, trimmed

For the marinated lamb, place all the ingredients except the lamb in a bowl and mix well to combine. Add the lamb and rub the marinade into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 100°C.

Halve tomatoes and place cut-side up on a foil-lined baking tray. Sprinkle over the thyme, garlic and

2 tbs oil. Season and cook for 40 minutes or until tender.

Preheat a chargrill pan to medium-high.

Brush eggplant with oil and grill for 2-3 minutes each side until tender.

Meanwhile, whisk together tahini, yoghurt and 2 tbs warm water until smooth. Stir in cumin and lemon juice and season with sea salt. Set aside.

Bring lamb to room temperature, then brush with oil and grill for 3-4 minutes each side until charred, but still pink inside. Rest, loosely covered with foil, for 5 minutes, then cut into 1cm-thick slices.

Place lamb, rocket, eggplant and tomato on a platter and serve with tahini dressing.

* Tahini is a sesame seed paste from supermarkets and health food shops.

Lemon curd tart with berries

Ingredients

1 tbs finely grated lemon zest, plus 3/4 cup (185ml) lemon juice
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle
1 tbs cornflour
2 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 3 extra egg yolks
50g unsalted butter, finally chopped
375g block frozen puff pastry, thawed
Blueberries, blackberries and crème fraiche (optional) to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place the lemon zest and juice, sugar, cornflour, beaten eggs and 2 egg yolks in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, for 10 minutes or until smooth and thick. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, lightly flour a work surface and roll out the pastry to a 24cm x 34cm rectangle. Trim a 2cm strip from each side of the pastry sheet, reserving the strips.

Brush the pastry sheet and strips with the remaining egg yolk. Arrange strips around the edge of the pastry sheet, trimming the edges to form a neat frame. Prick pastry sheet with a fork and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Transfer to the lined tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Leave to cool, then press down the centre of the pastry and fill the shell with the lemon curd. Serve topped with berries and crème fraich, if desired.

Warm salad of prawns, southern golds, shaved fennel & chilli oil

This is for my beautiful and loving Aunty Kathy. You have influenced me more than you can imagine. When I'm older, if I'm half the woman you are I'll be over the moon.

Aunty Kathy saw the cover to one of my favourite cookbooks; e'cco 2, and wanted the recipe, so here it is lovely. I've made this dish before and honestly it's delicious!! Cara this one's for you too, I know how long you've been waiting :)

 Serves 6

4 baby fennel, outer leaves and core removed, finely shaved

1/2 red onion, finely sliced

1 cup picked coriander sprigs, washed and spun

1/2 cup (125ml) good quality mayonnaise

1 tablespoon seeded mustard (preferably Hill Farm Mountain Pepper)

grated zest of 1 lime

1 tablespoon (20ml) lime juice

12 medium southern gold (pink eye) potatoes, steamed and peeled

olive oil

30 medium green prawns, peeled, butterflied with tails attached

salt/freshly ground black pepper

chilli oil

3 limes, halved

Toss fennel, onion and coriander in a bowl, reserving a few coriander sprigs

Combine mayonnaise with mustard, lime zest and lime juice.  Dress salad with mayonnaise to moisten.

Slice each potato in half. Heat a wide, heavy-based pan and fry potatoes cut side-down in a little olive oil until the surface has crisped and potatoes have good colour and are warmed through.

Season prawns and pan-fry, char-grill or barbecue until just cooked.

To serve, place 4 potato halves in the centre of each plate and top with 3 prawns. Arrange salad on top of prawns. Place remaining prawns on top. Drizzle a little chilli oil over and around. Top with reserved coriander and serve with lime halves.

Pumpkin and Ricotta Ravioli

Mmmm mmmm I made a delicious Donna Hay recipe for dinner tonight: Pumpkin and Ricotta Ravioli with burnt butter sauce. It was scrumptious and went perfect with my Yarra Valley Riesling. The dish was extremely easy to make. Why not give it a go yourself....

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Chop 500g of pumpkin and place on baking tray and cook in oven for approximately 20 minutes. Meanwhile put 250g of ricotta into a bowl with 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh oregano, sea salt and black pepper.

Spoon 2 teaspoons of the ricotta mix on to a wonton wrapper and top with 1 piece of pumpkin. Wet the 4 edges with your fingertip and place another wonton wrapper on top, sealing the edges.

On low heat put 50g of butter into a pan, add fresh oregano and cook until browned. Cook the ravioli in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Lay ravioli onto a plate and scatter remaining pumpkin over and around. Drizzle with burnt butter and sprinkle with fresh parmesan... Bona-petite!

Spring Clean

There's been quite a few articles on the big 'Spring Clean' of late; mainly wardrobe change-overs and gardening tips. These are certainly relevant, but as a foodie my 'Spring Clean' today comprised of a mighty pantry clean out!

I removed every single item from what seemed to be Mary Poppin shelves. I was amazed at what I found! I literally have hundreds of dollars worth of food and preserves, I must keep that in mind when asked what my assets are in future.

Once everything was out; sprawled across the kitchen island, shelves, floor, you name it, I thought to myself, what have I gotten myself into this lovely Spring Saturday morning, this job was going to take a lot longer than I thought.

I pre-packed, wiped bottles and jars and said goodbye to a few old friends, but also managed to rekindle a few new ones too. I had a heavenly bottle of Lentara Grove Extra Virgin Olive Oil that lay hidden and forgotten, for what would have been 12 months. I know this because I purchased the bottle from Tamar Valley's beautiful Pipers Brooke Vineyard on my Tasmanian holiday last year. I stumbled accross a few spice duplicates too; let me just say I have enough dried coriander and cumin to last me 2 years..... Anyone for Moroccan?

Yes the 'Spring Clean' took up a fare bit of my time, but at least I know what I have in the pantry now and I certainly feel refreshed, organised and motivated for many cooking adventures this coming Spring/Summer season. Have I given you a sudden urge to give your pantry a big 'Spring Clean'?

Cookbooks

Haven't cookbooks changed over the years?

I believe the demise of the bookshop will never eventuate, foodies will always insist on having a beautiful cookbook in their kitchen, why? Because they're works of arts that's why, besides, what will people give us as gifts?

As a nation we're fixated on beautiful things, it's all about image; don't think those marketing gurus don't know about it either! Compare the 1968 Margaret Fulton Cookbook with very minimal food photography to, well, any cookbook published in the last 5 years; pictures galore. I'm not saying I don't like it, that's certainly not it, my point is how much they've changed. Did you know Margaret Fulton has an iphone application... Yep you heard right, I just downloaded it from her website: www.margaretfulton.com.au

So on the topic of cookbooks, I thought I'd share a couple of my more favourite cookbooks in the kitchen.

#1 e’cco 2 - Philip Johnson
Philip Johnson owns a modern bistro called e'cco. Opened in 1995, e’cco is set in an historic tea warehouse in Brisbane’s CBD. e'cco 2 is my favourite cookbook, not just because it was my first ‘real’ cookbook, but more so because of it’s perfect and simple flavours. The recipes aren’t difficult and the ingredients obtainable. e’cco 2 comprises mainly of starters and desserts. Pressed duck and potato terrine with bitter greens, and onion jam and seared scallops with Tuscan bread salad. Caramelised rum bananas with toasted banana bread, Apple Pecan and Pine nut Torte and Campari sorbet just to name a few. Sadly this cookbook isn’t for sale anymore, all that were, are now sold – no wonder! 

#2 Food and Travels Asia - Alastair Hendy
If you don't know already, Miss Foodie's favourite cuisine is Vietnamese. So on my birthday last year when I received this cookbook from my mother I almost cried. Why would you cry over a book, well this book is honestly stunning!!! If you want an honest representation on Asian food then 'Food and travels Asia' is the cookbook for you. Hendy's photography is outstanding and the recipes authentic. He has a knack of painting the perfect picture; how the food is served, how the locals eat and on what occasion. The book is divided into countries India, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Bali, you get the gist. I made Turmeric Fish from the book in one of my Wednesday Girls Dinners. To put it simply, if you love Asian food then get this book!

#3 Saraban - Greg and Lucy Malouf
I was given this exquisite cookbook for my 30th birthday back in July this year. Saraban was inspired by Greg and Lucy’s trip to Iran in 2010. The ex-husband and wife team travelled there and discovered the secrets of Persian cuisine. The photography and story telling within these pages are so beautiful, it’s almost like you can smell the spices on that very hot sunny day. I’ve made a few recipes out of this book already. My favourite so far is Roasted Leg of Lamb with pumpkin, red onion and sultanas. You serve it with rice and natural yoghurt. I love it because, the taste is obviously out of this world, but also because it’s nice to have an alternate to the traditional roast veg and gravy we all know and love. 

#4 Marie Claire's Comfort Food
I like this book because the recipes are really simple but certainly don't lack in flavour. Comfort food is such a wonderful cuisine. During winter you can't go passed roasting and hearty soups. I also love the imagery here too. The ingredients are very local and never difficult to find.