Salty Popcorn

Ingredients:
2 Tbl olive oil
1/2 cup popcorn
Salt

Method:
Heat oil over medium heat with 2 corn kernels
Once they pop, remove from heat & add rest of popcorn, shimmy
After 60 seconds return to medium heat, shimmy occasionally
Once finished add to a bowl and sprinkle with salt

Puy Lentils

Ingredients

3 Tbl oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled & finely chopped
1 carrot peeled & finely chopped
2 1/4 cup French lentils
1 tsp thyme
3 Bay leaves
1 Tbl salt

Method

Place a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil. When hot add chopped vegetables & sauté until softened (5-10 minutes)
Add 6 cups water, lentils, thyme Bay leaves and salt. Bring to boil and then reduce to a fast simmer.
Simmer until lentils are tender and have absorbed most of the water ~25 minutes. If necessary, drain excess water from cooked lentils.

Dalmatian potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 bunch silverbeet
• 300 g potato
• 2 garlic cloves
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil for drizzling
• parsley for garnishing

Method

1. Wash and cube the potatoes, then place in a pot, cover with water and bring to boil.
2. Wash the silverbeet, remove the cores and chop the leaves into 3-4 pieces lengthwise.
3. When the potatoes are about 10 minutes away from being cooked, add the silverbeet on top of the potatoes and pop a lid on the pot.
4. Cook until the potatoes are done and the leaves are a lovely rich green colour (you may need to move the leaves around a bit so you don’t get overcooked pieces).
5. Drain, then drizzle with olive oil, add crushed garlic and salt and pepper.

Roasted Cauliflower Balls

Ingredients

• • 1/2 (about 350g) cauliflower, cut into large florets
  • 105g (1/2 cup) dried risoni pasta
  • 40g butter
  • 40g (1/4 cup) plain flour
  • 250ml (1 cup) milk
  • 80g (1 cup) coarsely grated cheddar
  • 20g (1/4 cup) finely grated parmesan
  • 70g (1 1/2 cups)  breadcrumbs
    
    Method
    
    

  Cook the cauliflower in a large saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a sieve set over a bowl. Set aside to drain and cool. Coarsely chop the cauliflower.
• Step 2
  Add the risoni to the saucepan and cook for 8 minutes (slightly less time than the packet directions). Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain well.
• Step 3
  Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, a little at a time, stirring until combined after each addition. Bring to the boil and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses until melted and smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the cauliflower and risoni. Season. Use a spatula to stir until evenly combined. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Step 4
  Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan forced. Spread the breadcrumbs over a large plate. Use damp hands to roll a heaped tablespoonful of the cauliflower mixture into a ball. Roll in the breadcrumbs to coat. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower mixture and breadcrumbs to make 24 balls.
• Step 5
  Spray 24 patty pans or mini muffin pans with oil. Divide the balls among the pans and spray the tops with oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside to cool slightly in the pans before serving.

Vegetarian Lasagne

Ingredients:
Dried lasagne sheets
1 Tbl oil
Slices of sweet potato and pumpkin
Tomato passata
2 tins brown lentils
1 cup water
Onion, chopped
Red capsicum, chopped
Spinach leaves
Stock cube
2Tbl butter
2Tbl plain flour
1.5 cups milk
1/2 cup grated cheese

Method:
Set oven to 180 degrees Celsius, fan-forced
Place slices of pumpkin and sweet potato on a tray and bake ~ 15 min. Remove when cooked.
Place oil in saucepan, heat, add chopped onion and after a few minutes add chopped capsicum. Add lentils, 1 cup of tomato passata, stock cube and water. Bring to a simmer and add spinach leaves. Stir occasionally.
In another saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Stir and add milk. Continue stirring until thickened.

Grease a lasagne dish. Pour a little of the white sauce and lentil mixture in the base.
Layer of lasagne sheets followed by pumpkin and lentil mixture and a drizzle of white sauce.
Repeat (with sweet potato).
Layer of pasta, add remaining lentil mixture, remaining passata and finally white sauce and cheese.

Chocolate Raspberry Pudding Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 5 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 250g dark chocolate, melted
• 1 1/4 cups hazelnut meal (ground hazelnuts)
• 1 - 2 cups frozen raspberries
• Double cream, to serve

GANACHE

• 150g dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup thickened cream

METHOD

• Step 1
  Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 20cm (base) round springform cake pan. Line base and side with baking paper.
• Step 2
  Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar together until thick and creamy. Stir in melted chocolate and hazelnut meal.
• Step 3
  Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until firm peaks form. Fold half the eggwhite mixture into chocolate mixture. Gently fold in remaining eggwhite mixture. Fold in raspberries. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre has moist crumbs clinging. Cool completely in pan.
• Step 4
  Make ganache: Place chopped chocolate and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth. Place cake on plate. Top with ganache. Serve with cream.

Hunza Pie

INGREDIENTS

• Melted butter, to grease
• 320g (2 cups) wholemeal plain flour or half wholemeal and half white flour
• 140g butter, chilled, chopped
• 60ml (1/4 cup) iced water
• 50g (1/4 cup) brown rice
• 1 bunch English spinach, trimmed, coarsely chopped
• 125g (1/2 cup) sour cream
• 65g (3/4 cup) coarsely grated cheddar
• 6 eggs

METHOD

• Grease a 5cm-deep, 20cm (base measurement) pie dish with melted butter.
• Step 2
  Process the flour and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add water. Process until mixture comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and roll to a 5mm-thick disc. Line the base and side of the dish with pastry. Trim any excess. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
• Step 3
  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C. Cook rice following packet directions. Drain. Cool. Cook the spinach in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 1 minute or until just wilted. Drain and squeeze out any excess liquid. Pat dry with paper towel.
• Step 4
  Line the pastry case with non-stick baking paper and fill with pastry weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and pastry weights and bake for a further 10 minutes.
• Step 5
  Combine rice, spinach, sour cream and 40g (1/2 cup) of cheddar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon spinach mixture into the pastry case. Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Pour over the spinach mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until set and light golden.