PUMPKIN, SILVERBEET & SWEET POTATO MASHUP

This meal was loosely based on a delicious breakfast I had at Elk cafe at Broadbeach. I loved my meal so much that I endeavoured to remember the flavours and recreate this mashup of sorts in my own kitchen. This mixup of hearty winter vegetables is so tasty that the bacon or ham is completely optional and can easily be omitted without reducing the flavour. This is a true winter meal that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner! 

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato (600g), peeled and roughly chopped
• 450g pumpkin, peeled & seeds removed, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 a large leek, white part only, finely chopped
• Optional - 120g bacon or ham, roughly chopped
• 1/2 a bunch of silverbeet, shredded 
• 2 tablespoons of fresh basil and / or fresh parsley, finely chopped 

Cooking 

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add the sweet potato and cover with a lid. After 5 minutes add the pumpkin and cover. Remove from the heat after 5 more minutes and drain well. 

2. Once the sweet potato has been added to the boiling water heat a large, deep fry pan over medium heat and add the oil, swirling to coat. Add the leek to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until the leek becomes brighter in colour. Next add the bacon to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the silverbeet and stir well to combine, then cover and leave for 2-3 minutes or until the silverbeet has completely wilted. 

3. Remove from the heat and stir the cooked sweet potato and pumpkin, herbs and a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper into the silverbeet mixture. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15-20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15-20 minutes 

x Emily 

KALE & PROSCIUTTO RISOTTO

My blog has been a little quiet of late, due to some totally crazy renovations than myself, my fiancée Chris and his amazing parents have been involved in. But it will all be worth it when Chris & I move into our very first home at the end of October. With 14-15 hours of our day accounted for filled with work, renovating and travelling across Brisbane there has not been much, if any, time to cook. I have truly missed it. So much so that I ignored my tired body screaming at me to sit down last night and instead cooked three dinners so I would be able to blog about something other than how renovations are much more physically and emotionally draining that I had ever thought possible. Because who honestly wants to hear about that? Thanks to gourmet farmer Matthew Evans for the inspiration for this simple yet moreish recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium leek, white part only, finely chopped
• 2 long thin slices of prosciutto, finely chopped
• 2 cups (400g) arborio rice
• 1 medium bunch kale, stems removed, washed & roughly chopped
• 1.75 - 2 litres (7 - 8 cups) vegetable stock 
• sea salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

COOKING 

1. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and prosciutto and cook, stirring regularly, for 3-4 minutes or until the leek is soft but not burnt. Add the rice and kale and stir well until combined. 

2. Add the vegetable stock one ladleful or 1/2 cup at a time to the pan, making sure to stir the risotto constantly and only add another ladleful when the stock in the pan has been completely absorbed. When all the stock has been absorbed by the rice, taste the rice to see if it is tender. If it is not, add a splash of water and continue to stir, taste-testing the rice again when the water has been absorbed. If / when the rice is tender,  stir in the sea salt & pepper. Serve warm, sprinkled with basil. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 12 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

SUGO ALLA BOLOGNESE / BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Another recipe as promised from the Iuliano family, available in the April edition of the SBS Feast magazine. I must stress that I did adapt their beautiful traditional recipe, to omit the pork ribs and minced pork. The 1 cup of basil and chilli made this Bolognese shine, as each bite was more aromatic than the last. You could replace the chives with parsley and the chilli powder with finely chopped red chilies if you prefer. Another superb Italian dish that was polished off in my home at warp speed considering that only 2 of us live there. Thankyou Feast magazine for adding culture and depth to my cooking and to many readers all across Australia!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 kilogram extra lean beef mince
• 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve 
• 1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 2 x 700ml passata (tomato puree)

COOKING 

1. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add leek and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until leek is slightly transparent but not burnt. Add mince and cook for 6-7 minutes or until browned, breaking up any lumps in the meat with a strong spatula. Add basil, chives and chilli powder and stir well to combine with the meat. Add the passata and bring to the boil. When boiled, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover, cooking for 30 minutes or until the bolognese has thickened and the mince is tender. Season with sea salt & ground black pepper and remove from heat and serve on top of gluten-free pasta sprinkled with extra basil leaves, if you desire. 

Serves / 8 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 45 minutes 

x Emily 

CORN PASTA WITH BASIL & CASHEW PESTO

There are a few pesto recipes available on my blog if you go far back enough, however I am happy to say that this one is my very own recipe. I use the least amount of olive oil that I can (2 tablespoons) which does give the pesto a rougher quality, which I do prefer to the creamier texture of some store-bought pesto. As my partner loathes pine nuts (how can you possibly hate them?) I used cashews as the nut base. Do not go crazy with the lime juice as anymore than 2 tablespoons will give the pesto a runny quality. Since experimenting with this pesto a month or so ago, I have made it half a dozen times. It has become a wonderful addition to several dishes; I have used it in Eggplant Parmigiana, as a sauce for poached eggs and as a topping on corn & rice crackers. If you make a big batch it can be stored in the fridge for 4 days in an air-tight container. I find that there is something so primordial about making one's one sauce from scratch and I intend to do it more. 

INGREDIENTS

• 400g Sam Mills gluten-free corn pasta
• 1 large bunch basil leaves, washed & stems removed
• 1/4 cup raw and unsalted cashews
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt

COOKING 

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with a generous pinch of salt. Pour the pasta in the boiling water and stir occasionally for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and drain well with cold water. 

2. Meanwhile, place basil leaves, cashews, garlic, pinch of sea salt and lime juice in a food processor. Process on medium speed until well mixed. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil at a time until you have used 2 tablespoons. When the oil has been combined, remove pesto from the processor and serve a generous dollop on top of one quarter of the pasta. Serve immediately. 


Serves / 4
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 15 minutes

x E

STEAMED CORN WITH PEPPER, GARLIC & BASIL

It’s that time of year again; juicy sweet corn is in season! Corn is at its finest and juiciest from November to February so get involved and start incorporating this vegetable into your life. Sweet corn is a superb source of fibre and vitamin C and is one of the rare vegetables that gives you long-lasting energy for hours. A word of warning - do not store corn for too long in the refrigerator as the sugar changes to starch, leaving the kernels tough and tasteless. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge for around two days.

Get creative with your corn. I used a lemon pepper seasoning (available from all major supermarkets), as I love the zesty taste, however if you do not have that on hand you can certainly use ground black pepper. You could serve steamed corn with any combination of herbs & spices, such as paprika, chilli flakes, parsley, sumac, mint and many others. For true summer style, grill corn on the bbq.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 corn cobs, hulks and silks removed and cut into 4cm thick rounds
• 1 heaped teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning or ground black pepper 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, roughly chopped

COOKING 

1. Bring a medium to large saucepan with a pinch of salt to the boil. Add corn rounds and steam for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and drain well with cold water. 

2. Meanwhile, crush garlic, a pinch of salt and lemon pepper seasoning in a mortal & pestle or with the back of a large knife. When corn is tender and cooled down somewhat, rub seasoning into the corn rounds. Serve sprinkled with basil. 

Serves / 4 as a side

Total Preparation time / 5 minuets 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes (4 to boil, 5 to steam and 6 to cool)

x Emily 

TOMATO, BASIL & CHEESE PIZZA

Pre-made gluten-free pizza bases are just my version of a godsend. When I’ve had a long work day or just don’t feel like standing in the hot kitchen slaving away, I buy these from Coles or Woolworths, add whatever toppings I have on hand and the oven does the rest. When I am feeling enthusiastic I experiment with more ingredients, such as an Antipasto pizza or a Tandoori chicken pizza. Yesterday I just wanted simple, quick and damn tasty. I must admit, this is the best tasting pizza out of all the ones I have made, and it’s the humblest.  

INGREDIENTS

• 2 x Gluten-free pizza bases (available at all major supermarkets in the bread aisle)
• 6 tablespoons tomato paste or prepared pizza sauce
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 3/4 bunch of basil, roughly chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced 
• 1/2 cup loosely packed light grated cheese

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. 

2. Spread 3 tablespoons of paste/sauce on each pizza base. Arrange tomato slices on top. Scatter 1/2 a clove of finely chopped garlic, 1/4 cup of cheese and 1/2 of the chopped basil on each pizza. Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes or until base of the pizza is golden and no longer soft. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes

Total Cooking time / 23 minutes 

x E