problem | pig weed

Is this pig weed and is it edible?

It’s purslane, and the new leaves taste lovely in a salad…almost like green apple

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | rocket

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Rocket & olive salad with crisp haloumi

1 bunch rocket, ends trimmed, halved
250g grape tomatoes, halved
2 lebanese cucumbers, quartered, seeded, chopped
1 red capsicum, sliced
1 small red onion, halved, thinly sliced
½ cup pitted black olives
½ cup mint leaves, torn
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
180g haloumi, thickly sliced
1 tbsp plain flour

1. Place rocket, tomato, cucumber, capsicum, onion, olives and mint in a large bowl.
2. Mix together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and sugar.
3. Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium. Dust haloumi slices in flour, shaking off excess. Cook haloumi, turning, for 2-3 mins, until golden all over.
4. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve with haloumi.

Serves 4

Tip
Haloumi is best eaten immediately after being cooked, that way the outside remains crisp and the inside soft.

try this …….
Wilted rocket in balsamic with steak
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan on medium. Add 2 bunches rocket. Cook for 1-2 mins, until just wilted. Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Simmer for 1 min, until vinegar is syrupy. Serve alongside chargrilled beef.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | peas

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Warm prawn, pea & avocado salad

20 green prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact
juice of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves, chopped
pea salad
1½ cups shelled peas, cooked
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 eschallot, finely chopped
1 bunch mint, leaves picked
finely grated rind and juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp white sugar

1. Place prawns, lime juice and garlic in a bowl. Season well and set aside for 10 mins, to marinate.
2. Meanwhile, prepare pea salad. Cook peas in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 3-5 mins, until tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain again and place in a large bowl. Add tomato, avocado, eschallot and mint. Whisk together lime juice and rind, oil, chilli and sugar. Add to salad and toss to combine.
3. Heat a frying pan on high. Cook prawns for 2-3 mins, each side, until pink and cooked through. Pile salad on each serving plate and top with prawns. Season with cracked black pepper and serve.

Serves 4

tip ….
You will need about 1kg pods to yield 2½ cups of peas

try this ….
Pea mash
Cook 2 chopped eschallots and 2 cups of peas in a knob of butter for 5-7 mins, until the peas are tender and all the juices have evaporated. Season well and lightly mash. Serve with grilled fish or chicken and of course as a topping for a meat pie!

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | olives

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Potato & olive salad

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
8 medium kipfler potatoes
400g can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
100g baby green beans, trimmed, blanched
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1/2 small onion, finely sliced

1. Mix together oil, lemon juice and garlic in a large bowl.
2. Cook potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for 10-12 minutes, until tender. Drain and when cool enough to handle, peel and thickly slice. Add to lemon juice mixture and gently toss to coat.
3. Add cannellini beans, green beans and olives. Season to taste.

Serves 4

tip ….
When using kipfler potatoes, wash well under cold water. Cook in boiling water until just tender, not soft. The residual heat will finish the cooking process whilst cooling. I used Sicilian olives in this recipe, but experiment with different varieties and flavours.

try this ….

Olive foccacia
1 cup pitted black or green olives
100g goats cheese, crumbled
Foccacia Dough
2 cups (300g) flour, sifted
1 sachet (7g) active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup (250ml) warm water
1 tbsp olive oil

1. To make Focaccia Dough. Combine flour, yeast, sugar and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Combine water with half of oil. Stir into dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until dough becomes too firm to stir. Using your hands, work dough into a ball, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
2. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Brush a large bowl with remaining oil. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean tea towel. Leave in a warm place for 1 hr, until mixture doubles in size.
3. Preheat oven to 220C or 200C fan. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
4.Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, punch down and knead lightly. Press or roll into a 35cm x 23cm rectangle. Place on prepared tray.
5. Brush dough with oil and scatter over olives and goats cheese. Season well Bake for 25 mins, until crisp and golden.

Makes 1

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | mint

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Poached chicken & mint salad

1 litre water
1 cup Chinese cooking wine
¼ cup soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, chopped
sliced ginger
4 chicken breast fillets
mint salad
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup coriander leaves
2 lebanese cucumber, shredded
3 green onions (shallots), shredded
2 celery stalk, cut into matchsticks
2 tbsp poaching liquid
2 tsp white sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp white vinegar
pinch of chilli flakes

1.  Combine water, wine, soy, garlic and ginger in a large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 mins. Add chicken and poach gently for 10 mins. Remove from heat and leave chicken in stock for 10 mins.
2.  Meanwhile make salad. Toss together mint, coriander, cucumber, onion and celery. Whisk together poaching liquid, sugar, oil, soy, vinegar and chilli.
3.  Remove chicken from stock and cool slightly. Using your fingers shred chicken and add to salad with dressing. Toss to combine.

Serves 4

tip ….
To re-use stock, strain and discard solids. Place stock in an airtight container and freeze. When ready to use, thaw, add more aromatics and boil for 10 mins before poaching chicken.

try this ….
Mushy minted peas – Combine 3 cups frozen or fresh peas, 1 cup chicken stock, 2 cups water and a few sprigs of mint in a saucepan. Boil for 5 mins, until peas are tender. Strain, reserve ½ cup cooking liquid. Discard solids. Place peas and reserved liquid in a blender and blend until just chopped.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | coriander

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Steamed snapper with coriander salad

2 x 1kg whole snapper, scaled, cleaned
sauce
½ cup light soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, shredded
2 tbsp shredded ginger
¼ cup kecap manis
¼ cup brown rice vinegar
½ cup water
½ tsp sesame oil
salad
1 bunch coriander, leaves picked
4 green onions (shallots), sliced
1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
steamed rice, to serve

1. Pat fish dry with kitchen paper. Using a sharp knife cut 3-4 diagonal slits into each side of fish. Line a large steamer basket with baking paper and top with fish. Steam, covered, over a wok of simmering water for 5-7 mins, until flesh is white.
2. Meanwhile, heat all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer on low heat for 5 mins, until fragrant and reduced slightly.
3. Transfer fish to a serving platter and pour over hot sauce. Combine coriander, onion and chilli and scatter over fish. Serve with steamed rice.

Serves 4

tip ….
You need about 500g snapper per person, you can purchase 1 large or 4 small fish if you prefer.

try this ….
Fish & coconut curry
Heat 1/3 cup coriander curry paste in a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir for 2-3 mins, until fragrant. Add 175ml can coconut milk, ½ cup of water and 2 cups chopped white fish and simmer for 5 mins, until cooked through. Stir through ½ cup chopped coriander and season to taste. Serve with steamed rice.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | pumpkin

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Warm pumpkin, walnut & blue cheese salad

1kg jap pumpkin, cut into thin wedges, skin on
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup walnuts
200g seedless red grapes
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
baby spinach leaves
50g soft blue cheese, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 200C or 180C fan. Lay pumpkin wedges on a baking tray and drizzle with oil. Bake for 30 mins, until golden and tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat a small frying pan on high. Toast walnuts for 1-2mins, until golden. Remove from pan. Cook grapes in same pan for 1-2mins, until just beginning to soften. Add balsamic and simmer for 1 min, until vinegar has evaporated.
3. Combine spinach, pumpkin, walnuts and grapes on a large serving platter. Place cheese in same frying pan and melt on low heat. Pour over salad and serve immediately.

Serves 6

tip ….
Jap pumpkin has a moist flesh that, when baked, caramelizes beautifully. Don’t hesitate to experiment with your favourite variety of pumpkin if you prefer.

try this ….
Spinach filled pumpkins
Preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan. Halve and remove seeds from 2 small golden nugget pumpkins. Place in shallow baking dish. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan on medium. Cook 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves for 5 mins, until soft. Trim, wash and shred 1 bunch silverbeet. Add to onion and cook for 5 mins, until wilted. Add ½ cup of cream and season well. Spoon into pumpkin and top with grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 40mins, until pumpkin is tender.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS