Serves 3-4
3 tblsp olive oil
2 cups prepared Italian tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
4 tblsp grated parmesan cheese
1 cup rice
2 cups beef stock
1/8 tsp white pepper
Heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan and add the rice, stir until the oil has been absorbed. Blend the tomato sauce with the stock and add it to the rice. Season with salt and pepper and bring it to the boil. Pour into a casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese before serving. This is a great basic recipe that you add any other herbs, vegetables or meats that you want. Simply add the extra ingredients at the stage of cooking the rice with the oil and continue from there.
Makes 8 cups
1 tblsp coriander seeds, toasted
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
½ tsp fennel seeds, toasted
½ tsp paprika
100ml olive oil
2 cups (320g) unpeeled peanuts
½ cup (120g) popcorn kernels
Sea salt
Combine all the toasted spices in a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder. Heat the oil in a saucepan with a lid over medium heat, add the peanuts and corn kernals and cook covered shaking occasionally for 5 minutes or until the peanuts are golden and the corn has popped.
Remove the pop corn and the peanuts from the heat. Add in the spice mixture and season with salt, toss to combine well , cool completely before serving.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Makes approx 30 falafel
1 ½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked over night in water
1 red or brown onion finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 good handful or 1 ½ cups firmly packed fresh continental parsley leaves
1 good handful or 1 ½ cups firmly packed fresh coriander leaves
2 tblsp finely grated lemon rind
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp baking powder
Sea salt
Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside overnight to soak. Drain well.
Place the chickpeas, brown onion, garlic, parsley, fresh coriander, lemon rind and juice, ground coriander, cumin and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and process, scraping down the side of the bowl regularly, until smooth. Set aside for 30 minutes to develop flavours.
Divide chickpea mixture into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and flatten slightly. Shallow fry until golden brown or place on the prepared baking tray with baking paper and lightly spray with olive oil spray. Bake in oven of 200c turning halfway through cooking, for 15 minutes or until light golden brown.
Makes 2 cups
2 red onions, finely chopped
2 tblsp oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 long red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
½ capsicum, finely diced
1-1/2 cups water/vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups yoghurt
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Heat the oil in a fry pan and cook the onions and garlic over the lowest heat for 5 minutes, or until they haved softened and caramelised. Add the water or stock, diced chili and diced capsicum stir, cook over a moderate heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the capsicum has softened. Season with salt. Turn off the heat and add in the yoghurt and chopped mint.
Serves 4 – 6
500g very ripe tomatoes
a large pinch of saffron
2 cloves garlic
200g feta cheese
½ cup olive oil
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
500g cooked pasta
1 ½ cup fresh parsley
1 cup fresh basil
Remove the skin and seeds from the tomatoes and cut them into large pieces. Place the tomatoes in a bowl and coarsely mash them using a fork, add the ground saffron, half the cheese, the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well with a wooden spoon and refrigerate covered for at least ½ an hour or until needed
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook off the pasta until aldente, meanwhile coarsely rip the parsley and the basil into thirds, drain the pasta and pour it into a serving bowl. Pour over the cooled saffron sauce, mix very well and sprinkle with the extra cheese, parsley and the basil.
Serves 6-7
500g minced lamb
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
2 tblsp sesame seeds
½ bunch fresh coriander – 1 cup
½ bunch fresh mint – 1 cup
½ bunch picked parsley – 1 cup
2 cups kamut cous cous
2 tblsp butter
1 tblsp curry powder
1 lt stock
Dressing
2 tsp roasted cumin seeds
Juice of ½ lemon
3 tblsp verjuice
¼ cup olive oil
2 red onion, finely sliced
Salt and pepper
For the dressing roast the cumin seeds and roughly ground them in the mortar and pestle add in the olive oil, lemon juice, spanish onions and verjuice, season with salt and pepper
Heat a large fry pan and fry the lamb mince until all the fat is released and the lamb starts to go a little crispy. Add in the ground coriander, garam masala and season with salt and pepper. Once the lamb is slightly crispy and dry, set aside.
Heat another small pan and roast the sesame seeds, set aside. In a pot, melt the butter and add the curry powder and stock. Bring the stock to a boil and po, cover the cous cous and allow to cool and to soak up the stock. When the cous cous is ready, using a fork scratch the surface of the cous cous to lift the grains and separate them. Toss the cous cous with the lamb, picked herbs and toss with the dressing .
Serve with thick yoghurt.
Serves 6-8
3 cups chopped parsley – about 1 bunch of curly parsley
2 tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped
2 Lebanese cucumber, finely diced
1 cup black olives, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
1 cup bourghal, soaked
1 cup quinoa, boiled until soft and drained
1 cup barley, cooked until aldente, drained
Dressing
Juice of ½ lemon
3 tblsp white vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Combine all the grains with the parsley, tomatoes, olive and cucumbers and toss well. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and adjust seasoning to suit. Pour over the salad and toss well.
Serves 4-6
½ cup uncooked red lentils (masoor dhal)
1 large (red, sweet variety) unpeeled apple, grated or finely diced
1 tblsp lemon juice
4 cups precooked brown rice
½ bunch shallots finely sliced
½ cup raisins, chopped
½ cup walnuts, chopped and roasted
½ cup unsalted (hulled) sunflower seeds
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
Thoroughly rinse and drain lentils. In a small saucepan, combine lentils with enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 5-10 minutes, just until water is absorbed (don’t overcook or lentils will become mushy). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, sprinkle apple with lemon juice. Add all remaining ingredients including the red lentils and toss to combine. Just before serving, drizzle with curry dressing.
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup light mayonnaise
1 ½ (good quality) curry powder, to taste
1 tsp brown sugar, to taste
2 tsp tahini
In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Adjust seasonings to taste. Dressing should be tart but smooth.
Makes 30 – 40 balls
1/2 cup sesame seeds, roasted
½ cup sunflower seeds, roasted
1 ½ cup shredded coconut, roasted
½ cup dried apricots
¼ cup tahini
2 tblsp peanut butter
4 tblsp rice syrup
Blend the rice syrup and peanut butter with the tahina, add in the nuts, coconut and apricots and blend until combined and the mix comes together. Roll into balls and place onto wax paper. Cool in the fridge until firm. Store in an airtight container.
