If there's one thing Caliban and I do well together, it's the Sydney Morning Herald crossword. If there's another, it's host dinner parties. I do the cooking, Caliban creates the playlist, keeps the wine glasses full and occasionally steps in as my sous chef.
On Saturday night, our friends B and S came over for dinner. They too are excellent at hosting dinner parties - like me, B takes care of the cooking and S is in charge of entertainment and ambience. They're a fantastic match.
We've eaten at B and S's twice now, and both times we experienced super culinary delights. B spent some time in Spain as a spring chicken, so his paella was a dish to be reckoned with (I just ate it, though, and then asked for second and third helpings until my heart could no longer bear the thought of more chorizo sausage). We knew that our meal had to be up to their standards.
I decided to make garlic prawns, mushroom risotto and sticky date pudding for dessert - it's officially winter now, and comfort food is a must. What could be more comforting than a bowl of steaming garlicky tomato stew topped with prawns, hearty, creamy risotto dotted with meaty mushrooms and the ultimate crowd-pleaser, sticky date pudding (for which no adjectives are needed)?
The mixed mushroom risotto is courtesy of Donna Hay, and the sticky date pud is from BBC Good Food, but the garlic prawn recipe is all mine. It's not a traditional garlic prawn recipe - I don't have cast-iron pots, so I didn't use them. It's a bit of a cheat's recipe, really. I don't have a problem with it, because it tasted wonderful - let me know what you think!
Garlic prawns (serves 4)
Ingredients
1kg raw prawns, tails intact
2 400g cans diced/whole/chopped tomatoes*
2 heads garlic
12 cloves garlic
1 brown onion, chopped
Olive oil
1 cup vegetable/chicken stock
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Add onion and a tablespoon of olive oil to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook slowly (for around 5-7 minutes) until onion has browned and softened.
3. Smash garlic cloves (do not chop) and add to onion mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, chop the stems off the garlic heads and place on a sheet of foil. Drizzle some olive oil over them and wrap the foil around them tightly. Place on an oven tray and roast for 15 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and stock to garlic and onion mixture, and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat as low as you can and simmer until the garlic heads are ready.
6. Remove garlic heads from oven and allow to cool slightly. Carefully (they'll be ridiculously hot) use tongs to squeeze the garlic flesh from the skin. Add to the tomato mixture (along with the olive oil in the foil).
7. Add prawns and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until prawns are cooked through.
8. Serve with crusty bread, aioli and lots of good red wine.
*I like using whole canned tomatoes, because I like the chunky texture. But if you'd like a smoother stew, try diced or chopped tomatoes. I used Annalisa Cherry Tomatoes, because I like their sweetness.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Sunday, June 13
Monday, March 8
lunch for dad
Last week, my brother and I made lunch to celebrate my Dad's 50th birthday. This was an exercise in frustration for a few reasons...but mostly because my brother, Big Bird, is a wee bit hopeless when it comes to cooking. Oh, and he was dreadfully hungover.
BB is three years younger than me, and while we get along really well, we don't have too much in common. For instance: there was no olive oil in his pantry. This should probably tell you something about the differences in our priorities.
We have cooked together before, but usually at my Mum's house, which is stocked with all sorts of gadgets and foodstuffs that make cooking a breeze. At BB's house, there are two pans, one tray and three sets of cutlery (ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife, in short). But we did succeed in making a three course meal - here's how.
1. Time. We allowed half an hour for shopping and 1.5 hours for preparation.
2. Delegation. BB isn't a kitchen native, so I happily bossed him about, shouting temperatures and times like Nigella on crack.
3. Rage. When BB told me he didn't have any olive oil, I shouted at him. Same for when he didn't answer his phone or the doorbell when we were trying to get into his house. Hey, when it comes to little brothers, sometimes you've gotta be tough.
4. Laughter. When BB lost half the couscous down the sink, we just laughed. I mean, at that point, what can you do?
5. Booze. For the guests, not us. Keep the table wet and you'll be a success, no matter how charred the meat.
We also served an easy entree that looks fancy, is relatively cheap and also provides two servings of vegetables. Even BB, who normally wouldn't consume anything green except Gatorade, finished his serve.
Stuffed roast capsicum
Ingredients
4 red capsicums, sliced in half lengthways, pith and seeds removed
500 gm grape tomatoes (mini Roma would also work well)
1 garlic bulb, peeled and separated into cloves
1 spanish onion, chopped in wedges
1 cup of baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup shaved parmesan
1 cup basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.
2. Arrange capsicums on oven trays, empty side up. Fill with garlic, tomatoes and onion.
3. Bake for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, blitz the spinach, basil, parmesan and oil in a food processor (not too long - you want it to be a bit chunky).
5. Serve capsicums with pesto spread over them. Delicious hot or cold.
BB is three years younger than me, and while we get along really well, we don't have too much in common. For instance: there was no olive oil in his pantry. This should probably tell you something about the differences in our priorities.
We have cooked together before, but usually at my Mum's house, which is stocked with all sorts of gadgets and foodstuffs that make cooking a breeze. At BB's house, there are two pans, one tray and three sets of cutlery (ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife, in short). But we did succeed in making a three course meal - here's how.
1. Time. We allowed half an hour for shopping and 1.5 hours for preparation.
2. Delegation. BB isn't a kitchen native, so I happily bossed him about, shouting temperatures and times like Nigella on crack.
3. Rage. When BB told me he didn't have any olive oil, I shouted at him. Same for when he didn't answer his phone or the doorbell when we were trying to get into his house. Hey, when it comes to little brothers, sometimes you've gotta be tough.
4. Laughter. When BB lost half the couscous down the sink, we just laughed. I mean, at that point, what can you do?
5. Booze. For the guests, not us. Keep the table wet and you'll be a success, no matter how charred the meat.
We also served an easy entree that looks fancy, is relatively cheap and also provides two servings of vegetables. Even BB, who normally wouldn't consume anything green except Gatorade, finished his serve.
Stuffed roast capsicum
Ingredients
4 red capsicums, sliced in half lengthways, pith and seeds removed
500 gm grape tomatoes (mini Roma would also work well)
1 garlic bulb, peeled and separated into cloves
1 spanish onion, chopped in wedges
1 cup of baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup shaved parmesan
1 cup basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.
2. Arrange capsicums on oven trays, empty side up. Fill with garlic, tomatoes and onion.
3. Bake for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, blitz the spinach, basil, parmesan and oil in a food processor (not too long - you want it to be a bit chunky).
5. Serve capsicums with pesto spread over them. Delicious hot or cold.
Friday, December 18
christmas dinner!
Having people over for dinner parties is one of the chief joys of my life. I love everything about it: planning the menu, shopping for ingredients, "slaving" over the stove. I. Love. It. Lucky for me, Caliban and I have lots of willing dining companions to call on. Last week, I invited my best friend D over for an early Christmas dinner - and it was a triumph of epic culinary proportions. Truly!
D isn't big on vegetarians ("It's not a meal without meat," is practically a trademarked D-ism), so I knew she wouldn't be happy with a pescetarian meal, especially when it was meant for a Christmas celebration. I decided to make D and I roast pork loin, and made stuffed squid for Caliban.
The menu
Entree
Cold rocket and cucumber soup
Main
Roast pork loin with mango
Squid stuffed with Mediterranean couscous
Roast tomatoes with pesto
Best ever roast potatoes
Dessert
White chocolate pannacotta with drunken berries
The soup and pannacotta are Gourmet Traveller and Australian Women's Weekly recipes, respectively, so I won't repeat them here. I will say, though, that the pannacotta was sinfully easy to make. I was terrified that the pannacotta wouldn't slip from the moulds easily, but it did and I am now considered a Michelin-star-style chef by D and Caliban. Good stuff.
Here are the recipes for the rest of the dinner, which went off like a pimply kid at Schoolies.
Roast pork loin with mango
Ingredients
500 gm pork loin (more or less, depending on guests - this served D and I with lots left over, just the way I like it)
Asian marinade (I used Asian Fusion from The Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, which is basically a mix of soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and coriander - easy enough to make at home)
1 ripe mango
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
Method
1. Baste pork generously with Asian marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours, preferably overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Place pork in oven and roast for 1.5 hours.
3. Dice mango and mix with mint. Serve with pork.
Squid stuffed with Mediterranean couscous
Ingredients
Squid tubes (as many as you need: 1 per guest is adequate)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup couscous (for each tube)
Tablespoon oil
Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped fetta
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
Method
1. Place 1/2 cup water and tablespoon of oil in saucepan. Bring to the boil and remove from heat. Add couscous and cover for three minutes.
2. Remove lid from couscous and add butter. Stir through with fork, separating the grains. Add fetta, tomatoes and coriander and mix through thoroughly.
3. Open squid tube and fill with couscous until the tube is about three-quarters full. Use a toothpick to seal the end.
4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Place squid in oven for 1 hour, basting every fifteen minutes or so with the white wine. (Use more if necessary, depending on size of squid tube).
5. Serve, eat, enjoy!
Roast tomatoes with pesto
Ingredients
Six good quality tomatoes (or two for each guest)
2 bunches fresh basil, chopped roughly
1 cup good quality parmesan
1/2 cup roasted pine nuts
1 cup good quality olive oil
Method
1. Slice the tops of the tomatoes off (about a centimetre) and scoop out the flesh. Place tomatoes upside down on paper towel and leave to drain (about 15 minutes).
2. Place basil, parmesan and pine nuts in a food processor or blender. Add olive oil gradually, and process until smooth.
3. Scoop pesto into tomatoes, filling to about a centimetre away from the top.
4. When ready to serve, place in oven at 200 degrees Celcius, and roast for 10 minutes.
Best ever roast potatoes
Ingredients
9 potatoes (or three for each guest)
Sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil
Method
1. Boil potatoes in water for ten minutes.
2. Chop in half and place in roasting pan.
3. Pour olive oil over potatoes (more or less than I've recommended, depending on your love for olive oil/size of potatoes/propensity for heart attacks) and sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Roast in 200 degree oven for 1.5 hours. Drool.
D isn't big on vegetarians ("It's not a meal without meat," is practically a trademarked D-ism), so I knew she wouldn't be happy with a pescetarian meal, especially when it was meant for a Christmas celebration. I decided to make D and I roast pork loin, and made stuffed squid for Caliban.
The menu
Entree
Cold rocket and cucumber soup
Main
Roast pork loin with mango
Squid stuffed with Mediterranean couscous
Roast tomatoes with pesto
Best ever roast potatoes
Dessert
White chocolate pannacotta with drunken berries
The soup and pannacotta are Gourmet Traveller and Australian Women's Weekly recipes, respectively, so I won't repeat them here. I will say, though, that the pannacotta was sinfully easy to make. I was terrified that the pannacotta wouldn't slip from the moulds easily, but it did and I am now considered a Michelin-star-style chef by D and Caliban. Good stuff.
Here are the recipes for the rest of the dinner, which went off like a pimply kid at Schoolies.
Roast pork loin with mango
Ingredients
500 gm pork loin (more or less, depending on guests - this served D and I with lots left over, just the way I like it)
Asian marinade (I used Asian Fusion from The Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, which is basically a mix of soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and coriander - easy enough to make at home)
1 ripe mango
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
Method
1. Baste pork generously with Asian marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours, preferably overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Place pork in oven and roast for 1.5 hours.
3. Dice mango and mix with mint. Serve with pork.
Squid stuffed with Mediterranean couscous
Ingredients
Squid tubes (as many as you need: 1 per guest is adequate)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup couscous (for each tube)
Tablespoon oil
Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped fetta
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
Method
1. Place 1/2 cup water and tablespoon of oil in saucepan. Bring to the boil and remove from heat. Add couscous and cover for three minutes.
2. Remove lid from couscous and add butter. Stir through with fork, separating the grains. Add fetta, tomatoes and coriander and mix through thoroughly.
3. Open squid tube and fill with couscous until the tube is about three-quarters full. Use a toothpick to seal the end.
4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Place squid in oven for 1 hour, basting every fifteen minutes or so with the white wine. (Use more if necessary, depending on size of squid tube).
5. Serve, eat, enjoy!
Roast tomatoes with pesto
Ingredients
Six good quality tomatoes (or two for each guest)
2 bunches fresh basil, chopped roughly
1 cup good quality parmesan
1/2 cup roasted pine nuts
1 cup good quality olive oil
Method
1. Slice the tops of the tomatoes off (about a centimetre) and scoop out the flesh. Place tomatoes upside down on paper towel and leave to drain (about 15 minutes).
2. Place basil, parmesan and pine nuts in a food processor or blender. Add olive oil gradually, and process until smooth.
3. Scoop pesto into tomatoes, filling to about a centimetre away from the top.
4. When ready to serve, place in oven at 200 degrees Celcius, and roast for 10 minutes.
Best ever roast potatoes
Ingredients
9 potatoes (or three for each guest)
Sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil
Method
1. Boil potatoes in water for ten minutes.
2. Chop in half and place in roasting pan.
3. Pour olive oil over potatoes (more or less than I've recommended, depending on your love for olive oil/size of potatoes/propensity for heart attacks) and sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Roast in 200 degree oven for 1.5 hours. Drool.
Thursday, December 3
homemade chilli - a DDS original recipe
Get this: some people actually eat two-and-five a day. You know, two serves of fruit, five serves of veggies. Seriously. I am one of those people.
That is to say, I try very hard to be one of those people. As much as I truly believe that everything is better with butter, I also try pretty hard to be healthy (for the most part). So when I'm cooking for Caliban and I at home, I make an effort to use as many veggies as possible. It helps immensely that Caliban (thank God) isn't one of those "meat-and-potatoes" men.
One of my favourite veggie-packed meals is this chilli. It's super healthy, low-fat, low-carb and most importantly, it actually tastes great. Try it and let me know what you think!
Homemade Veggie Chilli: a DDS original recipe
2 x 400gm cans chopped tomatoes
400gm can red kidney beans
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 red capsicum, chopped
10 large mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Punnet cherry tomatoes, chopped into quarters
Tablespoon cumin*
Tablespoon ground chilli
Tablespoon cinnamon
Tablespoon oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
* Honestly, I hardly ever measure spices (unless I'm baking). I think everyone has herbs and spices they love, and that you should determine how much of each you use based on this. If you hate chilli, don't use as much. Experiment until you get a result you love.
1. Add tablespoon of olive oil to saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Stir until onion is soft and golden brown.
2. Add chopped capsicum and mushrooms. Stir for three minutes.
3. Add tomato puree, chopped canned tomatoes, kidney beans and cherry tomatoes. Stir until combined.
4. Add spices and simmer for as little as 10 minutes or as long as an hour.
5. Serve with Greek yoghurt, avocado and warm wholegrain tortillas. If you want to be naughty, serve with corn chips.
That is to say, I try very hard to be one of those people. As much as I truly believe that everything is better with butter, I also try pretty hard to be healthy (for the most part). So when I'm cooking for Caliban and I at home, I make an effort to use as many veggies as possible. It helps immensely that Caliban (thank God) isn't one of those "meat-and-potatoes" men.
One of my favourite veggie-packed meals is this chilli. It's super healthy, low-fat, low-carb and most importantly, it actually tastes great. Try it and let me know what you think!
Homemade Veggie Chilli: a DDS original recipe
2 x 400gm cans chopped tomatoes
400gm can red kidney beans
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 red capsicum, chopped
10 large mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Punnet cherry tomatoes, chopped into quarters
Tablespoon cumin*
Tablespoon ground chilli
Tablespoon cinnamon
Tablespoon oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
* Honestly, I hardly ever measure spices (unless I'm baking). I think everyone has herbs and spices they love, and that you should determine how much of each you use based on this. If you hate chilli, don't use as much. Experiment until you get a result you love.
1. Add tablespoon of olive oil to saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Stir until onion is soft and golden brown.
2. Add chopped capsicum and mushrooms. Stir for three minutes.
3. Add tomato puree, chopped canned tomatoes, kidney beans and cherry tomatoes. Stir until combined.
4. Add spices and simmer for as little as 10 minutes or as long as an hour.
5. Serve with Greek yoghurt, avocado and warm wholegrain tortillas. If you want to be naughty, serve with corn chips.
Wednesday, September 23
bad, bad food blogger
Confession: I am a bad, bad food blogger. How will I ever score a book deal and film option (a la Julie Powell) if I continue in this very haphazard, ad hoc, "I'll write when I have something to say" fashion? The answer, friends, is never. So, I apologise for my bad, bad food blogging ways, and promise to be a better food blogger in the future. Do you think we can be friends again?
If you do (and I hope you do) and if you also harbour dreams of being a bit of a Ramsay yourself, why not contribute to food52.com's cookbook contest? The website is running a competition to find the best home cooks from all over the world, so each week, you're invited to submit recipes to fit a theme. This week, it's apple cake and potato gratin.
Meanwhile, things are getting very gastronomic in Sydney right now. The Sydney International Food Festival launches in October (if you can't afford the pricey chef meet-and-greets, the night noodle markets are always a sure bet) and Celebrity Masterchef begins next week. I'm interested to see just how proficient these "celebs" are in the kitchen...but I don't think it will have the same appeal as the regular show.
That's all for now, folks - but stay tuned for reviews of The Arthouse Hotel, Gusto's in Paddington and Japanese hole-in-the-wall Naniwa Tei. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick that needle in my eye.
If you do (and I hope you do) and if you also harbour dreams of being a bit of a Ramsay yourself, why not contribute to food52.com's cookbook contest? The website is running a competition to find the best home cooks from all over the world, so each week, you're invited to submit recipes to fit a theme. This week, it's apple cake and potato gratin.
Meanwhile, things are getting very gastronomic in Sydney right now. The Sydney International Food Festival launches in October (if you can't afford the pricey chef meet-and-greets, the night noodle markets are always a sure bet) and Celebrity Masterchef begins next week. I'm interested to see just how proficient these "celebs" are in the kitchen...but I don't think it will have the same appeal as the regular show.
That's all for now, folks - but stay tuned for reviews of The Arthouse Hotel, Gusto's in Paddington and Japanese hole-in-the-wall Naniwa Tei. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick that needle in my eye.
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