Prawn, capsicum, and lentil curry

Substitute the capsicum for a courgette. Serve with basmati rice or creamy mashed kumera. Serves 1.

Ingredients

• 100 g prawns, about 14, deveined
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 small red onion or ½ a large one
• ½ a large red or orange capsicum
• 100 g precooked puy lentils
• Pinch of chilli powder or ½ a red chilli
• 1 T curry paste, for example, Pataks korma paste
• ½ cup tomato passata
• ¼ cup cream
• 6 baby tomatoes
• Fresh coriander, chopped

METHOD

1. Dice the onion.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the onion and chilli and stir until the onion is starting to soften. Add the curry paste and cook for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the passata. Bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to low and let it reduce and thicken.
4. Slice the capsicum. If using a courgette instead, slice and then cut each slice in half. Add the capsicum/courgette and the lentils. Simmer until the capsicum/courgette is almost cooked.
5. Halve the tomatoes, Add the tomatoes, cream, and the prawns. Slowly cook until the prawns have turned pink.
6. Serve in a bowl. Sprinkle over chopped coriander.

Broccoli and Bacon salad

Serves 3 to 4. Optionally add some crumbled feta cheese, dried cranberries, and/or finely-diced red chilli. Adapted from Jamie’s America by Jamie Oliver.

Nice as a Christmas salad because of the colours.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large head of broccoli
• 3 rashers of smoky streaky bacon
• Olive oil
• 100 g cherry tomatoes
• ½ a bunch of fresh chives
• ½ a clove of garlic
• 1 t Dijon mustard
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 T white wine vinegar
• Sea salt and black pepper

METHOD

1. Use a small knife to remove the broccoli florets and cut them up into small ones. Discard the thick dry base of the stalk, and cut the remaining stalk in half lengthways and finely slice.
2. Blanch the broccoli florets and sliced stalks quickly in boiling salted water for a minute or two, long enough to soften the broccoli but still leave it with a bit of a bite.
3. Drain it in a colander, then spread it around on a clean tea towel to steam dry, which will help the dressing cling to the broccoli.
4. Once completely dry, transfer to a serving dish.
5. Finely slice the bacon and fry on a medium heat with a small splash of olive oil until crisp and golden. Spoon most of the bacon bits over the broccoli. Use any leftover fat in the pan in the dressing.
6. Pour any leftover fat into a mixing bowl. Peel, crush, and finely chop the garlic. Add the garlic, mustard, olive oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and whisk. Check the seasoning and adjust if needed.
7. Finely slice the cherry tomatoes and chop the chives. Add to the broccoli and bacon bits.
8. About 15 minutes before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad.

Sweet and Sour Slaw

Serves 4 to 6. Adapted from Simply Nigella by Nigella Lawson.

Nice as a Christmas salad because of the colours.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 red cabbage
• 2 spring onions
• 1 red capsicum
• 1 green capsicum
• 1 red chilli
• About 50g fresh coriander
• 1/2 c crushed peanuts
• 125 ml pineapple juice
• 1 lime
• 1 1/2 t sea salt flakes
• 1 t toasted sesame oil
• 1 t maple syrup

1. Slice the cabbage very thinly and place in a large bowl.
2. Slice the spring onions horizontally. Finely slice and add to the bowl.
3. Slice the capsicums very thinly and add to the bowl.
4. Deseed the chilli. Finely slice and add to the bowl.
5. Finely slice the coriander including the stalks. Reserve one tablespoon and add the rest to the bowl.
6. In a bowl, add the pineapple juice, the zest and juice of the lime, the sesame oil, and maple syrup. Whisk together.
7. Pour over the vegetables about 15 mins before serving.
8. To serve, place in a serving bowl and sprinkle over the reserved coriander.
9. Place the crushed peanuts in a small bowl on the side — in case of nut allergies.

Blueberry Compote

Blueberry compote. Serve with Greek yoghurt and toasted oats for a quick breakfast, or with a Pavlova or a New York cheesecake for dessert.

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/8 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 T chia seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the berries are soft, mash them gently with a fork.
2. Remove from the heat. The compote will thicken as it cools.

Quince and rosé wine jam

Quicker to make than jelly or paste. The grated quince gives it the jam/marmalade texture.

Makes 4 small jars or about 500 ml (2 cups).

Ingredients

• 6 cups, packed, of grated quince – about 3 large quince
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup sparkling rosé wine (or water if you prefer)
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 T lemon zest
• 4 cups sugar

Method

1. Boil water in a large saucepan. Add the grated quince, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes and cook until soft.
3. Stir in the sugar. Bring back to the boil for a couple of minutes. It will start to turn pink.
4. Turn down to a medium heat and cook until thicken and set. Stir regularly with a wooden spoon to avoid the jam from sticking and burning.
5. Pour into sterilised jars.

Mexican Corn and Avocado Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 T olive oil
• 100 g Feta cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 red chilli, deseeded and diced

Lime vinaigrette

• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 T lime juice
• 1/2 t honey
• 1/4 T cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t chilli powder
• Fresh coriander, chopped for garnish

METHOD

1. Fry corn in olive oil until it is starting to char.
2. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. Mix all the other ingredients and then stir in the cooled corn. Season to taste.
4. In a small bowl, mix the vinaigrette ingredients whisking until emulsified. Season to taste.
5. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
6. Garnish with coriander.

Chinese Orange Chicken

From a recipe I found on the internet called “Better-than-Panda Homemade Orange Chicken”, but we don’t have Panda Express so I don’t know. Serve with fried rice and green vegetables. It would probably also be nice with fried tofu instead of chicken.

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless and skinless chicken breast
• Some flour for coating the chicken
• 2 T butter / oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 T oyster sauce
• 2 T honey
• 2 t freshly-grated ginger
• 1/4 t crushed chilli

Method

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and coat in some flour.
2. Heat the butter/oil in a frypan. Add the chicken and cook until brown.
3. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce.
4. Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Simmer in a small saucepan until the sauce has reduced and thickened a bit.
5. Remove the chicken and put onto a plate with a power towel to drain.
6. Add the sauce to the frypan, and return the chicken.
7. Toss on a low heat until well combined.

Creamy Mushrooms

Serve with steak, mashed potato, and slow-roasted baby tomatoes or with polenta and slow-roasted baby tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 125 g mushrooms, sliced or quartered depending on the size
• 1/4 onion, diced
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup cream

Method

1. Cook onion in a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat until til softened.
2. Add mushrooms and salt and cook for a couple of minutes until they start to soften.
3. Stir in wine. When it starts to evaporate, add cream. Simmer until slightly thickened and reduced.
4. Season to taste.

Lemon Loaf

Ingredients

• 125 g butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• Grated rind and juice of one lemon
• 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 pottle 160g, plain yoghurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• lemon syrup mixture: juice of 1 lemon and 1 T sugar warmed in microwave until sugar is dissolved.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 °C.
2. Line and grease a loaf tin.
3. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and lemon.
4. Gently alternately mix flour and milk.
5. Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Fold into creamed mixture.
6. Put into loaf tin.
7. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 160 °C and bake for 25 mins until cooked.
8. Remove from oven and pour over lemon syrup.
9. Stand for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from pan and cooling on a cake rack.