Pesto Lentils with Zucchini and Capsicum

 

I'm so happy to share with you an outrageously delicious, simple, filling, and healthy lentil and vegetable dish. When I talk to our friends these days about food and what they are cooking for themselves, many are now eating more simply than ever, particularly during the week. So let's go mental for lentils, they tick lots of boxes.

Tuscan Chicken, Cheese and Broccoli Bake (Low carb)

This is comfort food without the extra calories, which my friends is my kind of meal at the moment in the lead up to Christmas. Leftovers are even more delicious the following day for lunch or served for dinner. You could almost think you are eating a lasagna but not missing the pasta because of the extra protein, vegetables, herbs and cheese. It's very tasty.

Ligurian pasta with pesto, new potatoes, and green beans

 

Destination Liguria, in northwestern Italy, where it's Mediterranean coastline is known as the Italian Riviera. Two of Liguria's most famous specialities are pesto and focaccia, which can be served plain, or with tasty variations like onion, olives, sage, and cheese etc. The local's use of fresh herbs and delicious seafood is also well reputed and reflects it's coastal geography.

Pan-fried Fillet of Barramundi, Bulgur Wheat Risotto and Halloumi

When I first started cooking this Barramundi meal, I wasn't sure if it would be suitable for publishing, being a new combination of elements for me, even though I have eaten them all separately before. My goal was to serve perfectly cooked crispy Barramundi fillets with a tasty and low calorie grain dish as a side, and some pan fried halloumi because we love it. This meal  exceeded my expectations and the fish was the perfect protein to serve with the Risotto. 

Fresh Asparagus Quiche

 

Crisp Asparagus spears cooked to perfection in a rich quiche retain a light crunch and impart a delicious flavour,  perfect for a weekend lunch in Spring. They are a spring-time favourite, and are in season right now here in sunny Queensland. They are very reasonably priced, so this is the perfect time to cook with this abundant vegetable. 

My forever Chilli Con Carne recipe

 

This is my forever Chilli Con Carne recipe. I've dabbled with the ingredients over the last few years to get it just right, and it's been worth it. What's not to love about an earthy and wholesome beef recipe with a hint of chilli that has you coming back for more. Chilli con carne isn't season dependant, so my friends, start cooking. 

Air Fryer or Oven Roasted Italian Vegetables with Whipped Tofu Ricotta

Roasted Italian vegetables garnished with Basil Pesto and sitting on a layer of delicious whipped tofu ricotta sauce, is an amazing combination of flavours and textures. It will compliment any Italian main meal perfectly, or will also be delicious served with toasted crostini or sourdough for a fun and healthy appetiser. The vegetables cook perfectly in the air fryer, or the conventional oven.

Whole Baked Pumpkin with Chorizo and Pearl Barley Stuffing

A baked and stuffed whole Kent or Jap pumpkin is a real crowd pleaser, and goes a long way as a vegetable side dish. It is a delicious and very economical way to serve pumpkin with an interesting filling which is also versatile, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Using a smaller pumpkin, weighing about 1200 grams, ensures that it should bake within an hour. 

Oven-Baked Ratatouille

 

Oven-baked Ratatouille is a modern interpretation of the classic stove top Niçoise dish, Ratatouille. It's roots are very firmly planted in the Provençal region of France. By baking the vegetables, and roasting the ripe tomatoes into a rich, garlicky tomato sauce, a delicious and caramelised flavour is imparted to the dish. I make this French vegetarian dish often.

Amazing Miso Mushrooms

 

Mushrooms and white or red miso paste are a marvellous combination bringing stacks of umami flavours to this dish to tantalise our palate. There are many varieties of mushrooms available these days, and I have used the standard white cap variety for this recipe.  I also used white miso paste. More about that later.

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Bake, gluten free and with a vegetarian option

 

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Bake, is full of vegetables, gluten free, and simple to make either on the stovetop or as a casserole. It's the perfect meal for a mid-week dinner and also works well as an easy way to stay relaxed and entertain your dinner guests. I know this is originally an authentic American dish, but this particular recipe is claiming it for the Aussies as well. It's delicious!

Roasted pumpkin, beetroot, pearl barley and haloumi salad recipe

 

This is a hearty, vegetarian Autumnal salad, celebrating the in-season vegetables, jap (Kent) pumpkin and beetroot, which are in plentiful supply at the Australian markets and retail supermarkets right now. Photos can't fully portray the delicious flavours contained in this salad, with pops of maple syrup sweetness accentuating the warm crispy haloumi, and a refreshing mint pesto combining with all the ingredients.

Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagne Recipe

 

This is a Mediterranean style vegetable lasagne, to my way of thinking anyway. Most of the ingredients are of Mediterranean origin, and can probably be found in your refrigerator and pantry right now. Except perhaps for the ricotta which needs to be purchased fresh. The Mediterranean flavours shine through. There are times when a vegetarian meal just ticks all the right boxes for me, especially when I need to really load up on vegetables,  however this lasagne can also be served with any meats of your choice if you wish. This meal is perfect for a no fuss Meat Free Monday, which I still try to abide by, and at the same time enjoy something really filling and comforting.

Very tasty Cauliflower Cheese Steaks

 

Baked cauliflower, dressed in shredded Red Leicester Cheese, more eye-catchingly orange than red, with tasty spices added, and for the finishing touch, a crunchy parmesan crumb strewn throughout. This dish can confidently go solo taking centre stage, for a delicious vegetarian meal, perfect for Meat Free Monday. When baked, cauliflower becomes such a sweet vegetable, and keeps its shape and firmness beautifully. We really enjoyed it just on its own, but feel free to eat it with a salad, or any other side dish of your choice. 

Authentically Scottish-style Lentil Soup

 

Lentil Soup is Food for Everyone, and I know you are thinking that there are just so many lentil soup recipes already on the planet. Why post another one? Whilst I am wondering, why haven't I put this superb Scottish soup recipe up before on HRK when I make it so often. It's my go to lentil soup. 

Herbed Mushrooms on Home Baked Toasted Sourdough

The unique umami of edible mushrooms combined with fresh herbs, garlic and balsamic vinegar shines through in this recipe in both taste and nutritional benefits. Essentially it is a simple dish to make but every element within brings wonderful savoury richness to the plate. This recipe evolved after I had baked two loaves of rye sourdough bread in the morning. I felt like celebrating the success of the bread with a tasty lunch to compliment toasted sourdough. 

In My Kitchen, March 2023

February has always had a special zing to it for me because it's my birthday month. I mightn't feel a day over 25, but I hope that I am a lot wiser than I was back then. My friends really spoiled me this year with beautiful birthday cakes. Jennifer arrived for dinner one night just before my birthday when husband P was away, with a dozen beautiful Butterfly Cakes which she had made that day, which are nostalgically reminiscent to me of school fetes, church fetes, and splendid old fashioned afternoon teas. I was so appreciative as there is quite a lot of fiddly work involved with these. Each cake either had homemade strawberry jam or lemon curd dolloped into the middle under the cream. I froze a few of them, and they kept beautifully in the freezer. We've eaten them all now. Gosh they were so good.  I'll bake some one day and share the recipe with you. Thanks so much Jen, you are a very thoughtful friend.

Perfect with a cuppa

Chris, my dear friend of many years and who lives nearby, was hosting Mahjong on the Tuesday afternoon after my birthday and baked this spectacular Sponge cake, with a candle on top as well. Three of us share a birthday during the same week in February, so that's three Aquarians in the one group, that means a lot of laughter and chatter. 

The cake was absolutely divine. What is it about a sponge cake with lots of cream and fresh strawberries that sets it apart from most other cakes. If you look closely you can see a few Mahjong tiles to the right of the photo. It was so lovely to eat birthday cake for afternoon tea which someone else had made for me. I was very spoiled.

Before my birthday I made a Pear, Chocolate and Walnut cake for friends, which would also be perfect for dessert, as Mr. HRK keeps reminding me. Surprisingly though he said he would prefer sultanas instead of the Chocolate chips in it. He never ceases to amaze me. What would you prefer?

I had some homemade Scottish Shortbread leftover from the February Book club meeting which was here at home, so I added a piece to the slice of Pear cake on the plate. The rich red flowers are edible Dianthus from our garden. They've been growing for a couple of years now which has really surprised me.

Corella pears were perfect in the cake

I bought a new Zyliss brand Apple Corer and used it to core the pears for this cake. I originally bought it for apples and it is fantastic to use. So much stronger than any others I have ever had. I've broken a few apple corers over the years. It was a little bit more expensive, but it does the job, and it even has a lock on it to lock in place the moving parts. It removes and discards the cores beautifully. 

This cute tea towel says it all, except perhaps that I also need a great kitchen, and lovely family and friends.

Not surprisingly, we were all caked out for a week or so after my birthday, but I've managed to bounce back well, hee, hee. Continuing on with the sweet theme, I made French Style Pears as baked in Savoie.  The pears were absolutely delicious. Mr. HRK was over the moon about them and I have more pears in the crisper of the refrigerator so that they keep crisp enough for this dessert later in the week. The pears were baked in a luscious syrup, minus any alcohol. Honestly they didn't need it. Remnants of the Vanilla pod can be seen in the photo.

I've just pickled some beetroot. The flavour and colour of beetroot pickled at home is much more intense than what we can buy in a tin.

Four large beetroot made two large jars of pickled beetroot, one of beetroot wedges and the other sliced. The slices will be perfect for sandwiches and burgers.

A fun tea towel gift from special friends. They know me well.

I also feel quite blessed that one of my Cattleya Bowringiana orchids was out in bloom for my birthday. The two in the photo flowered slightly later and I can see them from my kitchen window which is lovely. I started off with one pot of these Bowringianas from my Mum in Rockhampton over 15 years ago and now I have 4, and I've given some plants away as well. They always herald the beginning of Autumn for me. 

I just love this tea towel which my daughter bought for me recently during a wonderful holiday we all had up at O'Reilly's Resort, in the Lamington National Park. The birdlife there was just phenomenal. I keep meaning to frame or hang this tea towel. The beautiful King Parrots were feeding out of our hands on the patio of our "Glamping" tent.

I baked some Cheesy Broccoli Fritters which were delicious on a meat free day.

A traybake of Moroccan Baked Chicken with Fennel and Chickpeas was healthy, tasty and very easy to put together.

Coriander Pesto and Pea and Sorghum Spaghetti was a delicious and very different midweek meal to make. My interest in using sorghum products for cooking was piqued during a recent road trip along the Burnett Highway, an inland rural highway in Queensland, where the broad acre agricultural fields were mostly rust, orange or red sorghum. Sorghum in general has a diversity of uses, from livestock cattle feed to human food, so I was interested to see this sorghum spaghetti in the fruit and vegetable shop, even though the country of origin isn't Australia, but Bolivia in South America. In Bolivia they grow organic white sorghum for flour.

Freshly washed coriander for the pasta.

Savoury Yeast flakes replaced cheese in the Sorghum Spaghetti recipe which was interesting. I've never used it before. Now I need to find a way to use the rest of it.

There are just so many ways to use Pomegranate syrup, and the sweet variety was delicious on cooked barley that we ate with my Moroccan Baked Chicken.

This is my March submission to the #IMK series hosted by the wonderful Sherry from Sherry's Pickings. Each month food bloggers from around the world gather to share what is new in their kitchen.  I don't buy a lot of new merchandise for my Kitchen, mainly food ingredients, but I love cooking and baking. 

I hope you have enjoyed a visit to my kitchen this month. Cheerio.

Warm wishes

Pauline

Cheesy Broccoli Fritters, Baked not Fried

Broccoli Fritters which can be baked instead of fried, are my ideal way of making delicious and easy fritters where there's no risk of them breaking apart and no need to stand endlessly at the stove flipping fritters. I just know you will love this method too.  Baking ensures they are crispy and hold together well, thanks to the egg and cheese binding all the ingredients together. 

Green Coriander Pesto and Superfood Pea Spaghetti

 

It's all about being healthy and going green for me, on Meat Free Monday. It's my birthday tomorrow, not a significant one with a zero at the end, but at my age every birthday is special, and I'm sure there will be a few treats, so Monday's repast will need to be simple and delicious. There are some nights when just a quick and healthy pasta dish is required. I try to focus on adequate fibre content with our meals, and sorghum spaghetti ticks all the boxes. Its full of protein, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, and its gluten free which is always handy to have on hand, in case of visitors requiring a gluten free meal. This is very much a vegetarian recipe which I cooked last week, and the Yeast flakes which are essentially vegan can easily be swapped out for 1 cup grated cheese. Yeast flakes aren't an ingredient I would normally cook with but it has many other uses so it won't go to waste. I'll be cooking this dish again this Monday. It's ready in 30 minutes, so it doesn't get much easier than that.

This recipe was on the back of the Ceres Organics Sorghum Spaghetti packet (no promotion intended) which I found at our local Mifsud's Fresh Fruit Barn in Mackay. They stock a lot more interesting products than the average fruit barn and the freshest of produce. Quite a few local restaurant chefs shop there frequently. My interest in using sorghum products for cooking was piqued during a recent road trip along the Burnett Highway, an inland rural highway in Queensland, where the broad acre agricultural fields were mostly rust, orange or red coloured sorghum. Sorghum in general has a diversity of uses, from livestock cattle feed to human food, so I was interested to see this sorghum spaghetti in the shop, even though the country of origin isn't Australia, but Bolivia in South America. Never mind, it's still organic and still healthy. We've heard a lot about superfoods and super crops, but not much about sorghum being one of those, but it is.  Bolivian white sorghum is grown for flour for the food industry, so presumably it was used for this spaghetti. I read that it is also grown for the brewing of beer. Whereas red and rust coloured sorghum in the photo below is so versatile that it is used primarily for fuel and cattle feed but has many other uses as well.  Sorghum is an ancient grain native to Northeastern Africa, and requires little water to grow, so is now being considered environmentally beneficial for the planet. This makes it perfect for agricultural use in rural Queensland, which is notoriously dry, although when we travelled through there had been recent flooding. 

Rust coloured broad acre sorghum fields

During our road trip along the Burnett Highway, we also saw this creek sign. We had a good laugh when we tried to say the name, and decided this must be the longest creek name we have ever seen. Toondoonnananigy Creek, probably derived from the language of our First Nations People. 

LET'S COOK with Sorghum Spaghetti:

Ingredients:

Ready in 30 minutes, serves 3-4 (See notes)

1 packet Organic Sorghum Spaghetti (I used Ceres brand)

1 bunch coriander

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups peas, blanched

1/4 cup Organics Savoury Yeast Flakes

Method:

Cook sorghum spaghetti according to packet instructions, much the same as normal spaghetti but takes a little longer, about 13-15 minutes until al dente.

Wash the coriander and dry it in a herbs spinner. Coriander always needs washing and drying before use, this is an important step.

 In your food processor bowl, place the coriander, garlic and yeast flakes and give it a good blitz. Then scrape down the sides.

Drizzle the Extra Virgin Olive Oil through the lid chute, and process to a pesto consistency. I used all of the oil. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.

 Drain the pasta, return to the saucepan, add a little olive oil to loosen the strands, and then stir in the pesto and peas. You have a delicious and attractive meal on the table in 30 minutes.

Cooks notes:

• The recipe stated that this feeds 3-4 people. Mr. HRK and I ate this over two small meals, but it could easily be bumped up to feed 4 comfortably by adding some sun-dried tomatoes, cooked mushrooms, or roasted pumpkin or whatever vegetables you would like. Tasty mature grated cheese would also make it more filling than the Savoury Yeast flakes.
• Whilst it was delicious and we really enjoyed this dish, I would have liked even more flavour in this recipe. But that's me, and I love coriander which can be quite a strongly flavoured herb. Any herb pesto could be used though, and next time I make it I'll double the amount of pesto and keep adding it to the spaghetti until I'm happy with the flavour. Ill freeze the remainder for adding to other dishes. 

Is Meat Free or Meatless Monday still a thing? According to various websites I visited it is. I try to stick to it as a matter of routine, and it's an easy way to reset after the weekend when we may have had a wee indulgence or two. It appears that people are also more open to healthy behaviours at the beginning of the week, before the busy week gets on top of them. Just one plant-based day a week is a fun and easy way to do something for the planet and our future.

Warm wishes

Pauline

Vegetarian Lentil and Mushroom Curry with Baby Spinach or Eggplant (Aubergine)

Delicious Lentil, Eggplant and Mushroom curry

We all need a versatile lentil recipe in our repertoire that we can depend on when the going gets tough or just plain busy. I always have jars of green and red lentils on hand, and curry powder, which means this curry can be cooked at a moment's notice, even using frozen vegetables if necessary. We all know the power of pulses to provide essential protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre for our body. Lentils are also inexpensive. This is the perfect Meat Free Monday meal. When we were living in the Lakes District, in Northern England on a teacher exchange for Mr. HRK, 15 years ago, and being paid in Australian dollars and living on one wage, meat was so expensive that I introduced lentil dishes to our diet. That was the turning point for me, and I've cooked with them often ever since, along with other pulses such as chickpeas, dried peas and beans. Now I cook with them just because they are the basis of so many delicious meals like this one, and for the health benefits as well. Meat can easily be added to this recipe if you wish.

Lentil, Spinach and Mushroom Curry

Let's Cook:

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

 Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Whole Green lentils

1/2 cup Red Split Lentils

6 roughly chopped mushrooms

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced.

2cm piece fresh ginger, grated.

2 tablespoon Clive of India Curry Powder (or a good substitute curry powder)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

400 ml tin of coconut milk

1 cup vegetable stock

200g baby spinach or 1 whole medium sized eggplant

1 lemon, juice of

1/2 cup chopped coriander and extra for garnish if desired.

METHOD:

Rinse the Green lentils in a colander under cold water and pick over to remove any discoloured lentils or other matter. Do the same with the red lentils separately. The Green and the Red lentils are added at different stages during the cooking process.

On a low heat, sauté the onion in the oil for 4-5 minutes without browning. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.

Combine the curry powder, cumin, and pepper in a small bowl and stir into the onions to coat them. I have also added a teaspoon of beneficial dried turmeric spice sometimes, which gives it a nice colour and a little more flavour, but not necessary. 

Add the uncooked Whole Green Lentils, coconut milk, and stock. Stir and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes and add more liquid if the mixture looks dry. Stir every 5 minutes during this time to ensure the lentil mixture isn't sticking to the base of the pan. 

After 15 minutes, add the uncooked Red Lentils, and the mushrooms. This is when you add the slightly cooked eggplant pieces if you are using them. 

Cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring and adding more liquid if necessary to prevent the mixture sticking to the pan.

I added almost an extra cup of water.

Fold in the spinach, lemon juice and chopped coriander just before serving.

Heat through and serve with rice or naan bread, or both.

Lentil, Mushroom and Eggplant Curry variation

It is so easy to substitute eggplant for the baby spinach in this curry.  I used one medium sized eggplant, chopped it up small chunks, and baked the pieces on a tray in the oven until slightly coloured at 180 deg. C, and almost cooked. Bake the eggplant chunks whilst you are simmering the green lentils. Or precook them and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you need them. They will finish cooking in the curry. I prefer this to cooking them in oil first before adding to a curry. However, I did lightly spray the eggplant pieces with spray on olive oil before baking so that they didn't dry out too much.

Add the eggplant chunks to the lentil dish when you add the red lentils and mushrooms according to the recipe above. The eggplant will then absorb all of the delicious curry flavours.

Cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring and adding more liquid if necessary. I added almost an extra cup of water. Fold in the lemon juice and chopped coriander just before serving.

Once you have made your curry so many other foods can be eaten with it. It is perfect just a for a meal on its own with rice and naan bread, or you can add some cooked chicken for the meat lovers, some extra vegetables, or even a poached egg on top.

Leftover curry will improve in flavour in the refrigerator to be eaten the next day. However, the spinach will just about disappear, so you could add some more next time when you reheat your curry.

Regular readers will know that I was called up for jury duty last fortnight, but I had reprieve when no jurors were required for that period. Phew! I felt as if I was the one being let out of jail! However, it freed me up last week to look after Tess, a dear old friend of mine who needed a carer after having an Angiogram in hospital. She's 84 years old, very slight, and the procedure took a lot out of her. I drove her to the hospital at 7 am in the morning, she was there until 3.30 pm, and then I brought her home to our place for a "sleepover", and breakfast.  I drove her home, later in the morning. The Public Hospital staff looked after her very well, but both her wrists and arms were very bruised, and she was really worn out. Thankfully the hospital insists on the patients needing a carer after a procedure like this one. So, I cooked a large piece of Corned Silverside in the slow cooker, which I know she enjoys, and we ate that for an early tea with some mashed potato, mashed pumpkin, steamed beans and broccoli. Broccoli is her favourite vegetable, noted Tess. She just loved it, and because she couldn't apply any pressure to her wrists, I cut everything up into small pieces for her. Corned Silverside is always delicious, and then we have sliced cold meat for a few days. Plain food is the best when recovering after a medical procedure isn't it? Tess doesn't eat very much though at the best of times. I gave her a container to take home with enough silverside and vegetables to last for a couple of days. She was thrilled to bits with that.

The next day, Tess had recovered fairly well, and I've spoken to her each day since, but she is still tired and other friends are taking her out for small outings. I'll see her this weekend. She needs to have some non-invasive heart surgery in about 6 months' time, in Townsville, about 350 kms away, and will need to fly up there for that. This was a real wake up call for me about elderly people who have no family to help out when they need to be cared for. Even those with families will need lots of support at some time. She still lives in her own home, which she is very thankful for, but she does need a lot of support from her neighbours and friends.

Take care,

Warmest wishes and I hope you enjoy this recipe. 

Pauline x