Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

Hi! It's been ages, actually I don't really need to say that. I have made a bunch of things and keep telling myself "I must blog that" but never seem to get around to it but here I am. I've been on holidays for the past 10 days. Well, sort of, since I did go to work for 3 days but it was fine because I got a heap of stuff done and didn't have to put up with anyone else. Unfortunately I have to go back to work proper tomorrow. I don't really feel much like interacting with people so I might end up in my separate little office on the guise of finishing stuff I didn't get done in those three days. I suppose it will depend on how I am feeling tomorrow.

It is raining here today which makes it a lovely day to be sitting here writing. I will most likely end up on the lounge reading and/or napping at some point today. Although there is house work that needs doing. I keep telling myself that I can do it later however the problem with that is that it continues to build up. Yes, you can do it later but it becomes a bigger job. Will get out of the chair and off here soon.

I started this with this Eggs in Purgatory recipe from Nigella. As I started to cook it dawned on me that it was a pretty boring recipe so I just started adding things. It turned out really well so I thought that I should sit down & blog as quickly as possible so that I remember it. One thing I did put in it was  3 smoked mushrooms. I bought a jar of them when I was on my cruise to New Zealand. That was over a year ago now and I hadn't opened the jar. They added a lovely little smoky flavour, not too much, just a hint. I will make this again. The sauce will make enough for two eggs, possibly 3. I cooked 1 egg in it and scooped it out. I will use the sauce again, probably tomorrow. Next time I would either make half the amount or, more likely, take out half the mix before cooking the egg. I would also sprinkle with chopped parsley but I didn't have any inside and it is raining out there.

Eggs poached in tomato sauce

1/2 onion, diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

shake of chilli flakes

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 roasted capsicum, torn into pieces

1 zucchini, grated

125g can four bean mix

3 smoked mushrooms, chopped

400 g can crushed tomatoes

1 egg

Saute onion 1 - 2 minutes, add garlic and chilli flakes and saute another minute.

Add remaining ingredients. Cook 10 minutes.

Make an impression in the sauce and crack egg into it. Cover and cook 2 - 3 minutes. Until the white is firm and yolk still runny. I cooked a little bit too far today. Serve on toast.

September 2014 - Spaghetti with cherry tomato sauce

Blah to cooking this month. No there has been some done but mostly rather plain stuff or stuff that shouldn't be spoken about, like the Pasta & Sauce sachet that I bought, made and devoured...blergh. 

There were various things in this issue that did look okay but I just could not seem to get interested in making any of it. Coming towards the end of the month and I realised that something had to be done. So I went for something quick and easy. Valli Little's Spaghetti with cherry tomato sauce. It was good. I mean it was spaghetti with a tomato sauce not much can go wrong with that. I didn't have pancetta so I had to leave that out. The resulting meal was very good. 

Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato Sauce 

by Valli Little 

Delicious September 2014 pg 48

1 onion, chopped

125 g pancetta, rind removed, chopped

1 rosemary sprig, leaves picke

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 tbsp evoo

3 anchovy fillets in oil, drained & chopped

400 g can chopped tomatoes 

400 g can cherry tomatoes 

400 g spaghetti

2 cups  basil leaves ( I didn't have any, added dried mixed herbs & baby spinach for green)

80 g grated parmesan

Wizz, onion, pancetta, rosemary and garlic in a processor until finally chopped.

Cook onion mixture over medium heat for 2 -3 minutes. Add anchovy and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, cook 5 - 6 min until slightly reduced. 

Cook pasta as per directions, drain, toss to combine with sauce. 

Cooks Club - Spicy Mushroom & Tomato salad

Another entry for the taste.com.au Cooks Club. I really loved this salad. It was perfectly filling with just some scotch fillet steak. 

I had some tomatoes that are in between cherry & regular size and they have such a rich tomato flavour. I put them on the bbq to char them up a bit. It gave such fabulous flavour. I didn't have any fresh chilli but I do have a chilli infused olive oil so I used some of that in the dressing. The other half of the oil I used a garlic infused olive oil mainly because I am not keen on the flavour of raw garlic in things. It gave a lovely garlic flavour with a bit of a kick at the end. I think that it would have also been good if the mushrooms had been grilled but it was still really good with the fresh mushrooms. I would definitely make this again. 

Baked egg & chorizo tomato

Back to breakfasts, I think I may have mentioned, ad nauseum, that I love cooked breakfasts. I don't do it nearly enough. Weekends are usually when I take the time to make something delicious. During the week it is usually porridge or toast so it is always nice to have something a bit more substantial. Well, not so much substantial but more interesting. Lately I have been sticking to the toast or porridge on the weekends as well. I also had two weeks off work and did very little in the way of cooking, breakfasts or anything else. 

This was such and easy breakfast to make but every so tasty. I have used chorizo with eggs on a number of occasions. I find that it is a really good combination. Chorizo is not something that should be on the menu for breakfast every day but it is certainly nice occasionally and certainly adds some zing to the dish. 

Baked egg & chorizo tomato

Serves 1

1 large tomato

1/4 chorizo, finely sliced 

1 egg

pepper 

Slice top off tomato and scoop out the seeds and some of the flesh. 

Line with chorizo and then crack egg into the tomato and sprinkle with pepper (a sprinkle of paprika would be good too). 

Bake at 160 C for 15 - 20 minutes or until the egg is done to your liking. 

Serve with toast (sourdough would be great). 

March 2013 - Sfincione Siciliano

I don't often post more than one recipe from each issue. This month I have made three things so will post all three. I also have another couple on my list to make but haven't yet made them. Hopefully I will get them made this week although I am not sure I will also get them blogged. 

There is a Gennaro Contaldo section in this month's issue. It is an excerpt from his new book Let's Cook Italian: Favourite Family Recipes. From the recipes in this issue it looks like it would be a good book but I have decided that I am not buying any more cook books. I already have so many that I barely use. 

This looked really good and Gennaro's description said that it was a traditional focaccia from Palermo. It said that the dough was supposed to be very soft. Mine wasn't, it was hard and dense and doughy. I am not really sure what happened. I did everything according to the recipe but it just didn't turn out for me. I am going to be really lazy here and say that it is a long recipe and it didn't work for me so, sorry, I am not going to post the recipe. 

It did look good though....

March 2013 - Slow Roast Lamb with tomato & garlic crust

So delicious. has brought their Italian issue out a couple of months early this year. I have found a lot of recipes in the issue that I want to make, in fact I have already made three, however my previous criticism still stands. It is time for an issue dedicated to and another cuisine. I would love to see an issue dedicated to something a little bit different. I am not sure exactly what but they are a talented bunch at delicious. I am sure they could work something out.

As I said there are a number of recipes that I want to make from this issue. One of which is Jamie Oliver's Cauliflower risotto with chilli pangrattato. It seems to be an unusual combination I would never have thought of putting cauliflower in risotto.

Another recipe that I am planning to try, hopefully this coming weekend, is from the month's guest chef Marie Zarro. It is her Braised pork with leek & ribiola mash. I will have to do the suggested substitute of a combination of ricotta and mascarpone in place of the ribiola as there is no possibility of getting that here but at least a suggested substitute was given. It sounds like it will be wonderfully decadent. I am also keen to make her brutti ma buoni (ugly but delicious) They are basically a meringue with hazelnuts and some cocoa powder. It reminds me of cookies that my mum used to make for me that were a meringue with chocolate chips stirred through and then dropped in tablespoonfuls and baked until crispy but the chocolate chips would still be soft and a bit oozy. I will give the brutti ma buoni a go but may also make my mum's choc-chip meringue cookies too. 

The first recipe that I made was The Food Dept.'s Slow-roast leg of lamb with tomato & garlic crust. It was wonderful. I had a smaller leg of lamb but I still made the whole amount of the crust. Instead of doing it in the oven I used my new weber bbq. I am still learning how to use the weber but it  worked well I think. Since it was smaller I cooked for less time but I think that it could have easily been done for a bit longer as it wasn't quite as 'fall apart' as I hoped it would be. The tomato and garlic crust was fabulous. The only change that I would make would be to add 1/2 to 1 tsp of sugar to the mix as the tomato paste flavour is very strong and it would cut through it well. Like always, I had problems keeping the double layer of foil over the pan. I had to move it as I had an issue with the bbq maintaining heat and it broke the "seal". I think that I am going to have to find myself a pan that has a lid which will fit in both my oven and bbq that I can use. I would still put the foil on but then the lid on top to stop the seal from being broken and letting steam escape. The roasted tomatoes that went with the roast were excellent too. 

Slow-roast Leg of Lamb with Tomato and Garlic Crust

2kg leg of lamb, trimmed

1 garlic bulb, cloves separated unpeeled

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

1 and 1/2 cups (375ml) white wine vinegar 

500g vine-ripened tomatoes, halved

1/2 bunch thyme springs

Handful fresh bay leaves

Preheat weber to high, reducing heat once up to temperature. 

Crush two of the garlic cloves and combine with tomato paste, oil and some salt & pepper and rub all over the lamb (the recipe said brush but hands are easier). Pour vinegar into the pan around the lamb. Cover baking paper, then cover with 2 sheets of foil. 

Place in the weber and oven and roast for 3- 4 hours maintaining temperature at 150 C. 

Remove the foil and baking paper add the to the pan, sprinkle over the thyme, bay leaves, remaining garlic cloves, drizzle tomatoes with oil and season. Return the pan to the weber and roast for the further 1 hour or until the tomatoes have softened. 

Pesto roasted tomato tart

So, I have a new subscription. This time to Australian Good Taste. I decided that, like delicious. magazine, I have to use it. There is no point getting the magazine if I don't use it. The best way for me to use it is to post on here that I will be cooking from it every month. See, now I am obligated, it is on the internet, it must be true. ;) 

I didn't get past the cover recipe for something I wanted to make make. Actually that isn't exactly true even if it is on the cover and is the first recipe inside. There are all sorts of things that I want to make but went with the cover recipe to start with. 

As for other things to make, I am not sure I will get them in this month. Although there is still plenty of time. However I also purchased a copy of New Zealand's Dish magazine with some amazing looking recipes. Also this month's delicious. magazine is excellent. I have done so much cooking this month but have been very lazy in regard to blogging about them. Oops, I shouldn't have admitted that, now it is out there I will have to write them won't I. 

Back to the March edition of Australian Good Taste magazine. The glazed pear & goat's cheese salad sounds really good, although it would be feta for me. I have tried hard to like goat's cheese but it is just not for me. I am happy to add feta to salads instead. I am definitely going to make the chorizo, corn & chilli streusel muffins. I can see them being the perfect accompaniment for soup, so it might be a recipe that will have to wait. Although I am sure they would be excellent brunch item too. Tobie Puttock's pesce al cartoccio looks fantastic. It is a fish dish that looks really good to me with a combination of fennel, olives and capers. As far as I am concerned anything with olives and capers is terrific. Plus with most fish dishes it is easy to reduce recipes to one serve. 

The pesto roasted tomato tart was good, although it certainly needed some seasoning. For me it was definitely missing pepper in the mix. I think that I would add more garlic and more pesto next time too. I really liked the parmesan & oregano pastry. It was wonderfully short and crumbly. I got it a bit too thick on the corners. I should probably have been rolled thinner. In fact I think that there could have been a bit less pastry. Perhaps there was a lot of pastry trimmed when they made the tart for the magazine. Overall, it was good but I think it would be great with a few tweaks. It was good cold as well as hot too. Oh, and it gave me a chance to try making pastry in my thermomix. It was so easy and an easier clean up than making it in my food processor. 

Pesto roasted tomato tart

2 tsp olive oil 

1 leek, thinly sliced 

1 garlic clove, thinly slice 

150 g fresh ricotta

50 g goat's cheese (I used feta)

1 tbsp basil pesto

10 mixed baby tomatoes 

2 truss tomatoes, thickly sliced

6 pitted kalamata olives, halved

Fresh oregano leaves, to serve 

Parmesan & oregano pastry

225 g plain flour

150 g butter, chilled & chopped 

20 g (1/4 c) shredded parmesan

3 tsp chopped fresh oregano (I probably used about a tbsp)

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp chilled water

For pastry: 

Add flour, butter, parmesan and oregano to tmx bowl and hit turbo until mix resembles breadcrumbs. 

Add egg yolk and water and mix for 5 - 10 seconds at speed 6 or until mix comes together in a ball. Turn out, shape into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge. 

Cook leek & garlic in oil over a medium heat until soft. Cool. 

Combine ricotta, goat's cheese and pesto. 

Pre-heat oven to 200 C. 

Roll pastry out to a 25 x 35 cm rectangle. (mine was a bit thick so would go on thickness rather than size). 

Spread with ricotta, then leeks and finally tomatoes and olives. 

Fold in the edges of the pastry and bake for 30 min or until golden and tomato soft. 

Sun-dried tomato tapenade

More playing around with my Thermomix. I made this on the weekend along with most of the other things I am posting at the moment. I am having such a wonderful time playing around with it. I can see that it will rapidly become the most use appliance in my kitchen. 

I have, previously, used sun-dried tomato pesto as a pasta sauce. I also use it in a chicken dish that I make. I thought it might be nice to give it a try making some of my own. I googled for a recipe and came up with this one for Sun-dried tomato tapenade which fit the bill perfectly. I didn't put the pesto in it and I used cashews instead of pine nuts. I also used 4 cloves of garlic and 3 largish anchovy fillets. I did use quite a bit of the oil to get it to the consistency I wanted. Such a magnificent flavour. I used some as a pasta sauce that night, cooking the orecchiette in the thermomix. I also took some into work for my boss to try with his morning tea of crackers and cheese and it was very well received. Definitely one to keep in my make again file. 

Just posting this here as the link no longer leads to the recipe.

Ingredients

1 x 400 g jar of sundried tomatoes in oil, drained (but save the oil and add at the end if desired) 4 or 5 pieces of roasted red pepper, skins removed 2 cloves garlic, peeled 1 Tbsp capers, rinsed 1 Tbsp anchovy essence or 2 or 3 anchovy fillets 1 Tbsp pesto 2 Tbsp pine nuts black pepper freshly ground

Method

Blend all the ingredients a few seconds at Speed 6 to make a rough paste. Taste for salt before adding any. Add a little more oil if necessary

Delicious October 2012 - Chorizo, Cumin & Tomato rice

So it took a while to get something made from this issue. Not from lack of choice perhaps too many things to choose from. Plus I went through a loss of cooking mojo and was then away for a few days. 

I decided to make this Bill Granger recipe last night as I had pretty much everything for the dish and could substitute what I didn't have. This one was okay but nothing to rave about really. For the rice portion of the dish I used a new product (or at least new to me) called Rice Plus which is a mix of different rices and grains. It was did like it there was a nice chewyness to it. I didn't have any green beans so used asparagus . When eaten with a bit of chorizo the rice was good but without it was a bit lacking. I had some of the leftovers for lunch today and added a bit of sweet chilli sauce and it was a bit better. Perhaps some chilli would have pepped it up. I use a combination of sweet & hot paprika perhaps all hot would have been better or even just more of the spices. Like most rice dishes half the recipe made more than enough for 3 serves. I wont be rushing to make it again. 

I served it with a fennel, radish & feta salad. 

Chorizo, Cumin & Tomato Rice

1 tbsp oil (everyone uses olive oil these days but at high heat it isn't the best so I used grapeseed)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp each ground cumin, paprika and ground coriander

1 1/2 cups basmati

400g can chopped tomatoes (perhaps some fresh would have added something) 

3 - 4 c chicken stock (I used 3) 

200 g green beans

300 g chorizo, chopped 

200 g marinated red capsicum, drained & sliced 

Heat oil, add garlic & spices cook until fragrant. Add rice and stir to coat in spice mix and then add the tomatoes & stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add beans in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile fry chorizo in another pan until lightly browned.

Serve rice with chorizo and capsicum.

March 2012 - Vintage cheddar & prosciutto toasties with spicy tomato & eggplant relish

I haven't forgotten about my delicious magazine recipe for this month. It was just that I had trouble deciding what to make. It wasn't that I couldn't find recipes in it that I wanted to try. I mean the Plum Tray Bake on the front cover is just glorious looking and I am sure it would be wonderful. My main problem was that I was stuck on really wanting to make David Prior's Breakfast Ful. It sounded just like something I would love for breakfast. The only problem was that it used dried broad beans and I couldn't find them any where. Well, that is not exactly true, I did find them in one online store but I didn't really want anything else so by the time the postage was added it really wasn't worth it. Oh well, I will buy them the next time I want other bits and pieces from that store and make the recipe then. 

I was also rather keen to make Ben O'Donoghue's Crispy rice pancakes with potato & chickpeas. It is a really lovely sounding vegetarian meal and something just a little bit different.  I didn't have any rice flour but that could have easily been rectified at the supermarket. Truth is that I just didn't feel like making them. Although I do hope to give it a try one day. 

What I ended up making was my version of Katie Quinn Davies Vintage cheddar & prosciutto toasties with spicy tomato & eggplant relish. I did a real cheat's version of the relish. Katie's recipe involved roasting fresh tomatoes for 2 hours, char-grilling capsicums and eggplant but as you will see I didn't do all of that. I wanted to use up some of the jars of stuff in the fridge and it was so easy and it is so, so good. I will definitely be making it again, my way. The actual toasties are fabulous too. I can't wait to use the relish on other things though. I am thinking it will be wonderful on a roasted portabello mushroom and made into a burger. 

 Vintage cheddar & prosciutto toasties with spicy tomato & eggplant relish

4 thick slices sourdough bread 

4 slices prosciutto 

1 cup coarsely grated vintage cheese 

Spicy tomato & eggplant relish 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1/2 red onion, finely chopped 

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

20 sundried tomato halves, drained and torn into pieces 

1/2 jar of piquillo peppers, torn into pieces 

1/2 jar marinated grilled eggplant, drained and torn into pieces 

100 ml tomato passata 

1/2 c apple cider vinegar 

2 tbsp red wine vinegar 

1 tsp hot smoked paprika

For relish: 

Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and saute onion until soft. Add garlic and cook for a further minute. Add remaining ingredients bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour or until thickened and vegetables are starting to break down. 

For toasties: 

Toast bread on both sides under a hot grill. Then spread with relish top with prosciutto and cheese and grill until cheese is melted & bubbling. Serve with rocket on the side. 

Pesto & Chargrilled Vegetable Pasta

I am so tired, no exhausted, tonight but I just had to do a quick post about tonight's dinner. An incredibly simple recipe that I found on Taste for Pesto & chargrilled vegetable pasta. I already had everything that I needed for it in the house. It was made even simpler since I already had some homemade pesto in my fridge which was a gift from a friend. I made sure to drain the vegetables well. The sun-dried tomatoes that I have at the moment are in a vinaigrette as are the chargrilled capsicum so that cuts down on a bit of oil. I did add some small cubes of feta but I think that some extra parmesan would be great too. 

Dukkah-Crusted Lamb with Pearl Couscous Salad

I was invited to spend Christmas with friends this year and it was wonderful. I enjoyed taking a break from cooking and it was nice to be away from home for a few days. It was also terrific to spend time with my friends. However there was a bit of indulgence involved, especially with a trip to Bourke Street Bakery, along with all the other associated Christmas goodies. So I feel the need to have a few lighter meals for a while. This does not include the feast that I am making tomorrow for New Year's Eve, although I am mainly doing that for the leftovers that I can have for lunches. 

I started my lighter meals last night with this lamb recipe over on Taste but I didn't really follow the recipe so will post what I did instead. It was very good, although I think that my dukkah is starting to get some age on it and therefore lose a bit of its flavour so I think I will probably toss it and make up a new lot. The couscous was very good although I think I could have made it a bit healthier if I had used quinoa instead of the pearl couscous. You really could add any salad veg that you wanted to.

Dukkah-Crusted Lamb with Pearl Couscous Salad 

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

4 Lamb loin chops

Olive oil 

Pistachio dukkah (made with pistachios instead of almonds)

1/3 c pearl couscous

1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large

1/4 continental cucumber, pealed, quartered and sliced 

1/4 red onion sliced 

1/2 avocado diced 

2 slices of feta cheese, diced 

Handful mint leaves, chopped

Raspberry vinegar (I bought this ages ago, it is so good and well worth it)

salad leaves to serve

Method: 

Drizzle lamb with oil and sprinkle with dukkah giving it a good rub. Set aside while making salad. 

Cook pearl couscous in some vegetable stock following packet directions, rinse in cool water and drain well. Combine couscous, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, avocado, feta and mint, drizzle with a small amount of raspberry vinegar and mix to combine. Refrigerate until serving. 

Heat pan over medium-high heat and add a small about of grapeseed oil to pan. Cook chops for a few minutes each side or until cooked to your liking. Remove and drain on paper towel and trim fat from lamb. 

Serve with salad leaves and couscous salad with an extra drizzle of vinegar. 

Tomato Pesto & Feta Swirl Bread

A few weeks ago I had the urge to bake something breadish. I was initially going to make some plain rolls and then thought that I could spice it up a bit by making some filled scrolls instead. I was thinking in terms of cinnamon scrolls. At the time there had been a spate of cinnamon swirl loaves on foodgawker and tastespotting. So instead of individual scrolls I thought I might make a whole loaf. However, I didn't really want something sweet, I was more interested in making something savoury. Going to the fridge I found half a jar of tomato pesto and half a block of feta cheese. They seemed like a perfect fit, although I think next time perhaps some parmesan as well. 

Late in 2009 I came across the perfect bread roll/dough recipe over at Phemomenon's blog and since then it has been my go to recipe for rolls and scrolls. It is such and easy recipe, although I have tweaked it a bit over the many times that I have used it. So when I decided to make this loaf I saw no reason not to use that same recipe and it certainly did not disappoint. I was rewarded with a fantastic loaf of bread that rose and browned beautifully. The tomato pesto flavour really worked well  and the little bits of feta were perfect throughout. I will definitely be using this recipe again and again and again. 

Perfect Bread Dough

Adapted from Phemomenon

Ingredients:

• 1 c warm water
• 1/2 c warm milk 
• 3 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 1/2 c plain flour, lightly spooned into measuring cup, then leveled off
• 1/2 c extra flour if required

Method: 

• Combine water, milk, yeast and sugar in KitchenAid bowl and stand until frothy. This should take 5 - 10 minutes. 
• Add oil, salt, and 2 cups of the flour  and, using the paddle attachment, beat on a low speed to combine. 
• Add in a further 1 cup of flour and continue beating until incorporated. 
• Change to dough attachment and add remaining 1/2 c flour (adding some or all of the extra 1/2 c if the dough is too sticky). Continue to mix the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. 
• Increase speed slightly, I don't go over 3 on mine for doughs, and let knead for 10 minutes. 
• Remove the dough from the bowl, oil it with some olive oil and return the dough to the bowl turning it to coat in the oil. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, approximately 20 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press dough out into a rectangle the same width as the pan you plan to bake it in.
• Spread with tomato pesto (however much you like) making sure to leave a border around the edge and top with crumbled feta cheese. 
• Carefully roll the dough up and place into your bread tin with the seam at the bottom of the pan. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for approximately 20 minutes. 
• In the meantime pre-heat oven to 200C. 
• Brush the top of the loaf with either melted butter, milk or beaten egg (I forgot to do this) and bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until golden. You may need to turn the pan halfway through baking to get an even colour. 

This was lovely served warm or cold and even toasted up really well under the grill. 

Open-faced Omelette with Fresh Tomato, Emmenthal & Rocket

Hope that you all had a good breakfast this morning. I made this weeks ago now...wish I had made it again this morning. 

Open-faced Omelette with Fresh Tomato, Emmenthal & Rocket

Per person (I think it is enough for two)

Ingredients: 

• 3 eggs 
• a pinch of salt 
• 10 g butter
• 2 spring onions, chopped 
• 1 ripe tomato, sliced 
• 2 slices of Emmenthal (I did have this so used whatever cheese I had) 
• 1 handful rocket, tossed in a little olive oil and sea salt
• black pepper

Method: 

• Beat eggs, salt and 2 tbsp water until just combined. 
• Melt butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. 
• Pour in egg mixture. 
• As it starts to cook add spring onions then tomato slices and cheese and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. 
• Place under preheated grill to finish off. 
• Top with rocket & black pepper and serve immediately. 

Delicious May 2011 - Tomato Soup with Melting Bocconcini

Hmmm, I have been on holidays. I went away for a few days. I had planned on doing a lot of blogging throughout my two weeks off but it just didn't turn out that way. Oh well, I guess that is just the way that things turn out some times. 

I really couldn't go past the cover recipe from this issue. Valli's Tomato Soup with Melting Bocconcini just looked so inviting. I also love making tomato soup as with the leftovers use it to make a lovely tomato risotto. I just loved this recipe it was relatively easy to make. It was rich and wonderful. Make sure to take the bocconcini straight from the oven and into the soup. Mine sat for about a minute and they were a bit rubbery. Oh, and next time I would roast the cherry tomatoes later too as they were cold by the time I served the soup. I think it would have been better to have been much better if they were hot. Although I have a recipe for tomato soup that I have made several times I think it will definitely be replaced with this one. I served it with the Parmesan & Garlic Bread recipe that followed.

Tomato Soup with Melting Bocconcini 

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg roma tomatoes, halved
• pinch caster sugar 
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle 
• 12 vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
• 50 g unsalted butter 
• 2 each, onions, carrots, celery & garlic cloves, chopped 
• 400g can chopped tomatoes 
• 2 tbsp sundried tomato paste (I used tomato pesto) 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 basil sprig, plus extra leaves for garnish 
• 1 L (4 cups) vegetable stock 
• 12 baby bocconcini

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 160 C. Place roma tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking tray. Sprinkle with sugar, drizzle with oil and season. Roast for 30 minutes until softened.
• Add cherry tomatoes to the tray, drizzle with a little more oil and season. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes or until lightly charred and softened. Set aside. 
• Heat butter and 1 tbsp oil in pan over a medium heat. Cook onion, carrot, celery and garlic, stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes or until softened. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, basil, stock, roasted roma tomatoes and any cooking juices. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 - 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. (I cooked about 40 minutes) 
• Discard basil sprig & bay leaf, cool slightly, then blend the soup in batches. Pass through a sieve into a clean pan, then cook over low heat, stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes or until warmed through. Adjust seasoning. 
• Place the bocconcini on a baking try lined with baking paper and bake for 2 - 3 minutes until just warm and lightly melted (do not overcook or the cheese will melt completely). Ladle the soup into serving bowls and scoop molten bocconcini into each one. Garnish with the roasted cherry tomatoes and basil leaves.

Parmesan & Garlic Bread

Ingredients: 

• 3 garlic bulbs (skin on), halved horizontally
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 250g unsalted butter, softened (I used 150 g)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley 
• 2 sourdough baguettes (I used regular) 
• 1 1/4 c finely grated parmesan 

Method: 

• Pre-heat oven to 170C 
• Drizzle garlic with oil and roast for 40 minutes or until soft. 
• Cool and then squeeze from the skin and mash together with the parsley & butter. 
• Cut baguettes diagonally, but not all the way through. 
• Spread with butter and then stuff some parmesan in and then sprinkle the rest on top. 
• Bake for 15 minutes or until crisp. 

June 2005 - Airport Potatoes

I seem to be quickly getting through the recipes now, although not getting them posted quite as quickly. I had made the recipe from this issue on the weekend, the same day that I made the Florentine Pears from my last post. The cover recipe from issue #39, Bill Granger's Beef & Noodle Stir Fry with Chinese Broccoli looks just amazing. I think that just the colour of the background helps in it too. It didn't fit with my vegetarian month.

It is another month that is low on vegetarian recipes. I have noticed while looking through the issues that the first couple of years seemed to have a lot, then the next 3 or so years are a little bit bleak and the last 2 years there have been a decent range of recipes again. There is even the odd vegan recipe in there these days.

After looking through the recipes the only one that I wanted to make, besides Ben O'Donoghue's Cheesy Garlic Bread, was Jill Dupleix's Airport Potatoes. Jill describes the inspiration behind these as trays of potatoes in the airport at Rome. The recipe sounded really good and the taste was just sensational. I think that this could be a true rival of the traditional potato bake/gratin at an Aussie bbq. It has the added advantage of being a lot lower in fat too without all that cream. The only change that I will make when I make it next time is to added onion slices in layers with the potatoes. It was just superb. The potatoes were beautifully cooked and lovely and creamy. I used some baby Lady Cristel potatoes that were just perfect in the dish. A waxy potato is needed so that the do not break up while being cooked and mine held together perfectly. Jill suggests that this can be used for a side dish or an entire meal on its own. Now I will confess here that while this is a vegetarian/vegan friendly recipe I served it with a Herb & Mustard roast lamb and veg. I am not sure that I could just have a whole meal of the potatoes.

Airport Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1kg potatoes, peeled(I didn't peel mine)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and pepper
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano (I used Italian Mixed Herbs)
• 1tb salted capers rinsed well
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
• 200g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
  

Method

• Heat the oven to 190 C.
  
• Slice the potatoes about 1/2 cm thick and roughly layer over the base of an oiled roasting dish seasoning with salt and pepper between the layers.
  
• Add 1 cup (250 ml) water to the dish and cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile combine the canned tomatoes, oil, garlic, oregano, capers and half the chopped parsley.
• Remove dish from the oven, remove the foil and pour over the tomato mixture. Top with cherry tomatoes and return to the oven, uncovered, for 30 - 40 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
  
• Serve with remain parsley scattered on top.
  

April 2009 - Baked Meatballs with Tomato & Tamarind Sauce

I am not even going to faff about with what I could have made from issue #81 because while there were a couple of possibilities nothing interested me as much as the recipe that I ended up making. Bill Granger's Baked Meatballs with Tomato & Tamarind Sauce caught my eye and I decided that I must try it.

I have tamarind in my pantry although it doesn't get used very often. I have loved everything that I have had it in though and this was no exception. The meatballs being baked were great. I didn't have to worry about accidentally breaking them when turning like I have a habit of doing when I fry them in the pan. I think next time I make this, and there will be a next time rather soon I think, I will put them on baking paper in a tray so that I can use less oil. The meatballs could have had a bit more zing although that is all dependent on what type of chilli you use. I didn't have any fresh chilli so I used a small amount of sambal oelek, I will know for next time that more is needed.

The sauce for the meatballs had just the right amount of sweet and sour. I did add a little bit too much tamarind so the colour was a bit darker than the picture of Bill's and I needed to adjust the sugar slightly. I think next time I will use palm sugar instead of regular and use a splash of fish sauce instead of the salt.

Bill suggested serving this wonderful dish with a currant & cashew pilaf, english spinach raita and mint sambal. I, unfortunately just didn't have time to make it all so I served it with some plain rice. I stirred in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach leaves to the sauce and topped with a dollop of natural yoghurt. It was a very enjoyable meal and one that will definitely be added to the often made list.

Baked Meatballs with Tomato & Tamarind Sauce

Serves 4

Meatballs

500g minced beef or lamb (I used beef)

1 small onion, grated (I just chopped very finely)

55g fresh white breadcrumbs

3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

6 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, plus extra to garnish (I used all parsley)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 red chilli, seeded, finely chopped (I used a bit of sambal oelek)

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

Tomato and tamarind sauce

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, finely diced (I sliced in half and the slice half-rounds)

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

2 x 425g tins chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp tamarind pulp (or 2 tbsp lime juice)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

• Preheat the oven to 220C.
• Combine all the ingredients, except the oil, in a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands, then shape into small balls.
  
• Toss the meatballs gently in the oil in a roasting tin and bake for 10-15 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, for the tomato and tamarind sauce.
• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based pan over a medium to low heat.
  
• Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
  
• Add the garlic, ginger, cumin and turmeric and stir for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
• Then add the tomatoes, tamarind, sugar, salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the meatballs into a frying pan with the sauce and stir carefully until the meatballs are coated in sauce then simmer for 10 minutes.
• Serve with rice, raita and any other Indian condiments you may have.
  

February 2003 - Corn Salad and Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Salsa

Moving right along to issue #13. I really wanted to make the Duck Breasts with Berries but I could not get any duck breasts. I might as well have asked for hen's teeth as duck breasts at the couple of places that I enquired. I was told that they could special order me a whole duck but I didn't want a whole duck, I just wanted two breasts. Maybe one day I will be able to get them and come back to this recipe but I am not going to hold my breath.

I, instead, found my way to the "cooking with Bill Granger" section and discovered not one but two recipes that I wanted to try. He had a whole section devoted to a Mexican feast. I quite enjoy Mexican food and most of these recipes looked to be quick and easy so I chose two from the same page, Corn Salad and Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Salsa. I would have made it three with the Watermelon Vodka Juice but I didn't have any vodka in the house. I have made something similar in the past though. Bill used vodka, ice, sugar syrup and chopped watermelon blended up. I used to freeze chunks of watermelon to blend up with vodka and sugar syrup. That way you don't have ice watering things down.

The corn salad and the spicy potatoes with tomato salsa were very good. I particularly liked the corn salad. Everything was fresh and it was light and clean tasting. As part of Bill's feast he served it all with fish tacos. I had no interest in going there, so I pan fried a lightly seasoned pork leg steak and it worked very well with the two sides. The only thing I changed flavour wise was in the corn salad. It called for coriander leaves. I cannot stand coriander leaves. I have no problem with ground coriander seeds but the leaves just taste like soap to me. So I will always either substitute it or make something else.

Corn Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 40 ml olive oil
• 3 cups of fresh kernels from 3 - 4 cobs of corn (depending on size)
  
• 20 ml lime juice
  
• 1/2 red onion, finely sliced
• 1/2 green capsicum (I used red), finely sliced
• handful of coriander leaves (ugh! I used flat leaf parsley)
  

Method:

• Husk the corn and remove as much of the silk as possible. With a sharp knife slice down each cob to remove the kernels, or used a corn stripping tool if you have one.
  
• Heat oil in a fry pan and add corn and fry stirring constantly until cooked. This will take about 3 - 4 minutes. I let it brown a touch just to add to the flavour.
  
• Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper and add lime juice and leave to cool.
  
• Before serving add remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
  

Spicy Potatoes with Tomato Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 60 ml olive oil
• 40 ml lime juice
• 1 tsp tabasco, or to taste
• 2 tsp paprika (I used smoked paprika)
• 1 kg kipfler potatoes, scrubbed clean and halved (I just used baby potatoes quartered)

Tomato Salsa

• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
  
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
  
• 12 mint leaves
• 20 ml olive oil
  
• 20 ml lime juice
  

Method

• Preheat oven to 200 C.
  
• Combine all ingredients for the potatoes and toss thoroughly to combine.
  
• Turn out on a baking tray and bake in the oven until done, mine took about 30 minutes, Bill suggest an hour but mine were cut smaller.
  
• While potatoes are cooking combine all ingredients for the salsa and set aside for flavours to combine.
  
• Serve potatoes topped with the salsa and sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper.