FOODIES
Hetty’s Tuscan Beans
400g dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight in water or 2 cans borlotti
beans rinsed under water
1 medium red onion, chopped
5 tbspns extra virgin olive oil
a few drops red wine vinegar
1 handful of kalamata olives
1 handful of chopped fresh parsley
1. If using fresh beans, rinse soaked borlotti beans under water and
cook until tender. Usually takes about 1 hour. DO NOT salt beans until
cooked
2. Place beans in bowl and mash half of them with a potato masher to
achieve a rustic look
3. Prepare the red onion by chopping finely, place in a bowl and add
water, salt and a splash of vinegar. Let this rest for 15 mins – this
will eliminate the strength of the raw onion. Then rinse under cold
water.
4. Mix the onion with the borlotti beans. Add generous amount of olive
oil, season with salt and pepper and add the vinegar.
Add parsley, olives and serve it with more olive oil.
Serve with Italian crusty bread such as bruschetta or crostini
(tastes v. good with Bourke St Bakery sourdough!!!!)
Desmond & Molly Jones Mule
A wedge each of orange, lemon and lime
A sprig of mint leaves
A shot of vodka
Ginger beer - we love Bundaberg, not to sweet with a ginger buzz about it!
Put your wedges into your tumbler, mash it up with rolling pin. Keep the wedges in the glass…they help the drink marinate – if it lasts that long!
Pour in your shot of vodka and top off with ginger beer.
Swizzle it and drink!
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Chicken Salad with Watercress, Almonds and Orange
pumpkin seeds – 3 tablespoons
a little dark soy sauce
whole skinned almonds – 2 tablespoons
watercress – 50g
a large orange
cooked chicken,grilled or left over from a roast – 250g
For the dressing:
olive oil – 3 tablespoons
grain mustard – a heaped tablespoon
red wine vinegar – 2 teaspoons
Make the dressing:whisk together the olive oil, mustard and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Put the pumpkin seeds on a grill pan or in a non-stick frying pan and sprinkle them with soy sauce. Toast them under the grill or over a moderate heat for a couple of minutes, until they smell toasty.The soy sauce will have dried.
Toast the almonds under a hot grill or in a dry, non-stick frying pan.Do not take your eyes off them – they burn in seconds.
Wash the watercress. Peel the orange, scrupulously removing the pith under the skin with a sharp knife. Cut the orange in half, then cut each half into thin slices, catching as much of the juice as you can and tipping it in the dressing.
Put the orange slices in the dressing. Tear the chicken into large, juicy pieces, but no bigger than you want on your fork, thenadd it to the dressing. Divide the watercress between two plates, lay the chicken and orange on top and then drizzle over the dressing. Scatter over the almonds and pumpkin seeds and serve straight away.
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Never drink your cuppa out of cardboard or polystyrene again…Ever!
Shepherd’s Pie with Spiced Parsnip Mash Nigel Slater- Real Cooking
Serves 4
900g large parsnips,peeled
2 medium sized onions,sliced
a thick slice, about 50g, butter
a large pinch of ground cumin
a teaspoon of freshly ground coriander seeds
a tablespoon of garam masala
more butter for mashing
For the filling
2 medium sized leeks or onions chopped
a medium sized carrot, diced
a thick slice of butter
4 medium sized mushrooms, sliced
450g minced lamb or beef
flour
a tablespoon tomato puree
250 ml hot stock
a bay leaf and sprig of time
Worcestershire sauce
Cut the parsnips into large chunks and simmer in salted water until tender. Fry the onions in the butter over a moderate heat until soft and translucent. Stir in the spices and continue cooking for two minutes till all is fragrant. Drain the parsnips when they are tender, mash them with masher, stirring in the butter and some salt and pepper, then the spiced onions. Set aside.
In a large pan, cook the chopped leeks or onions and the diced carrot with the butter, until they are soft and golden. If they have caught slightly at the edges all the better. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a further five minutes, then stir in the minced meat. The meat must brown, so do not stir it too often. Leave to cook for five minutes or so, breaking it up as necessary.
Add a casual sprinkling of flour and the tomato puree. Continue cooking, for three or four minutes. Pour on the hot stock, throw in a bayleaf and sprig of thyme, and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and leave to simmer very gently for twenty-five minutes. The mixture should not bubble, just occasionally ‘bloop’ at you. Season the filling as it cooks with salt, Worcestershire sauce and some black pepper. Be generous.
Scoop the mixture into a large baking dish. Spoon dollops of mashed parsnip over the top, and bake for twenty five minutes at 190 C/375F/Gas 5,till golden brown and caught a little on the peaks…
Buon Appettito!
