Category Archives: Dinner

Escaping to the Blue Mountains: two soups and a spicy curry

Posted on by

0

For the past few days we have been staying in an adorable cottage in the Blue Mountains. We’ll staying the entire week.

Reading a lot, writing a lot. And taking photos.

Today it’s about zero degrees (or so it feels to us, softies that we are), and drizzling rain.

We’ve been pottering around the house in flannelette shirts, red wine in hand, nibbling rum’n’raisin chocolate and playing rummy in front of the fireplace.

While confined to the house, I’ve had the luxury of simmering soup for hours, slow-cooking a curry, and generally appreciating all that is warm and comforting.

Today I’ll share with you the hot and sour soup I whipped up yesterday, a more traditional vegetable and bean soup that sat on the stove for a good two hours before making it’s way into our tummies at lunchtime, and a spicy, creamy, slow-cooked mushroom and eggplant vindaloo. Continue reading →

About these ads

Ash’s smokey chunky tomato sauce. On an eggplant base with grilled asparagus and a simple salad.

Posted on by

1

At work last week I got an email from Ash, saying that he wanted to cook dinner one night and that he had an amazing recipe idea. And it was amazing. I actually stopped, a number of times, during dinner, to say ‘wow, this sauce, just wow’. It was that good. Continue reading →

Heat up that belly: an Indian dinner. And a giveaway!

Posted on by

2

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me whether Sydney winter gets much colder than what it was at that time, and I confidently reassured her that it didn’t. Never was I so wrong. This past week has been icy! And today has been ever so slightly rainy, so I walked home through chilling winds and tiny darts of freezing rain. Yuck. Curry time I say.

I had a difficult time coming to terms with the idea of a ‘dry curry’ when I started cooking. Maybe it’s the Aussie in me that expects everything Indian to look and taste like butter chicken, but I just thought curry should be swimming in a rich sauce. Not so, as it turns out. Paired with a saucier side of greens, this dry curry of sweet potato, cauliflower and edamame is spot on. Continue reading →

Cooking tom yummy soup from scratch

Posted on by

2

This post wouldn’t have been so overdue had WordPress not crashed and lost my post at 11pm last night. Here goes!

According to a meat-lover who isn’t too crazy about vegetables, this soup is really good. Ash and I loved it too, so I thought it would be worth sharing. Loaded with fresh vegetables, the broth is tasty with only just a touch of coconut milk, which gives it that moreish small-children-would-ask-for-seconds flavour.

Plus, it’s made without tom yum paste. Continue reading →

A simple mushroom soup

Posted on by

0

One of the lovely things about serving a salad with every meal, is that it leaves freedom to simplify the ‘main’. Although personally I’m starting to think the salad is the main dish. The other night I did just that, simmering a mix of shiitake and oyster mushrooms in a simple broth of stock and garlic, punctuated with ginger and chilli. Continue reading →

Japanese dinner bowls with otsu sauce

Posted on by

1

I’ve been wanting to make this Otsu recipe from 101cookbooks for ages, but something about the recipe has never quite felt right to me as I’m choosing what to make for dinner. I think that’s because it’s a bit heavy on the soba noodles and tofu, and light on the veggies. While the sauce sounds incredible, soba noodles are delicious, and I quite enjoy the occasional tofu, it’s not the sort of thing I’d feel nourished and energised after eating a good serving. And it’s nice to feel nourished and energised, just as it’s nice to enjoy a hearty meal without guilt.

Somehow it took me this long to figure out the solution – take those delicious otsu flavours and use them to make my own recipe, something I know I will love.

Here we have it. A small serving of soba noodles, a stack of lightly steamed greens and shallots, finely sliced tomato and a few slices of soft ripe avocado, drenched in that sweet and salty otsu sauce. Continue reading →

Giving the unpopular one a chance

Posted on by

1

Make a list of the vegetables you hated as a child. For me, that list included… (take a deep breath) mushroom, eggplant, zucchini, cucumber, tomato, spinach, spanish onion and brussel sprouts.

Now cross off that list the vegetables you’ve learnt to love. The only ones I don’t love are cucumber and spanish onion. And considering that two years ago I still wouldn’t eat them, the fact that I enjoy both now in some dishes is a fairly big step.

How do your lists compare? I bet brussel sprouts remained on the list. Continue reading →

Roasted red capsicum risotto

Posted on by

0

This risotto may seem sort of labour intensive. I’m not going to lie, there are two main steps here, and you’ll have to give each your full attention. But as with many things, more attention reaps a higher reward. Here your reward is a smoky, nutty, herbed risotto, which not only looks beautiful, but tastes incredible. An added bonus is the subtle crunch of pine nuts and walnuts. All in all, it’s not too time-consuming either. And if you buy your grilled capsicum, easy peasy. Continue reading →

The sweet (vegan) life

Posted on by

0

In other words, La Dolce Vegan!

I’m very lucky, living across the road from not only one of my oldest, best friends, but also, she’s vegan! Recently she gave me this book, which I’ve now read cover-to-cover. And she is willing to jump around in front of my tv with me as I (we?) do the 30-day shred. She is wonderful. Continue reading →

Little lentil burger balls

Posted on by

0

Vegan party food – some may think that’s an oxymoron, but they’d be wrong. It’s the best party food around!

Take these little lentil burger balls for example, crispy, tasty little flavour parties in your mouth. Continue reading →