Friday, February 15, 2013

Pesto

 The basil has been going great guns in the garden, so it must be time to make pesto! Good quality pesto in the shops is so expensive to but, it is far cheaper and really easy to make your own.

 The one ingredient in pesto that is ridiculously expensive is pinenuts. I tend to use cashews in mine instead, much cheaper and just as yummy.


  Pesto is a great thing to have floating round in the freezer. I freeze mine in icecube trays - each cube is about a tablespoon of pesto. I also freeze tomato paste that is left over in the same way.

  The best way to make pesto is in the food processor.

  Pesto

2 c packed basil leaves
1 t crushed garlic
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c grated parmesan
1/4 c toasted salted cashews (or pinenuts or walnuts)

Blend everything together until they form a smooth paste. Pesto oxidises and goes brown very quickly, so freeze or cover with a layer of olive oil in a jar in the fridge. So many uses!



I am off to Mia's daycare this week to make pesto and pasta with the kids for the second year in a row. They loved it last year!

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Vegetarian: Tomato and lentil soup

Usually the word lentil is enough to send people running. You won't even notice the lentils in this soup. It is my husband and 4 year olds' favourite as the lentils used are the small red variety, which pretty much just dissolve into the soup and thicken it. It is full of protein, taste like a delicious tomato soup, and is great served on a cool day for lunch or dinner with bread or scones.

Tomato and Lentil Soup

2 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1 t smoked paprika (I love smoked paprika!)
2 tins crushed tomatoes
6 c beef or vegetable stock
1/3 c tomato paste
1 1/2 c red lentils
2 T brown sugar
1/2 c chopped parsely or coriander leaves
sour cream to garnish (optional)

1. Heat oil on low in a large pot and fry onions and garlic until soft.
2. Add the spices and fry for 1 min.
3. Add tomatoes, stock, paste, lentils and brown sugar and bring to boil.
4. Simmer for 45 mins until lentils are soft, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom.
5. Stir through herbs and serve with a blob of sourcream in the middle if you wish.
6. Crusty bread or scones on the side are delicious!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Thai inspired salad and kebabs


I love Thai flavours. Usually given the above ingredients I would probably make a stir-fry, but I wanted to make something a bit different. We also very rarely eat pork, partly because I don't usually think to buy it, and partly I don't really like eating non-free range pork given the apalling conditions of pen reared pigs.

Thai pork kebabs

500g pork steaks or schnitzel, sliced into thin strips
12 kebab sticks, soaked to avoid them catching on fire (you may use less)
1 t crushed garlic
2 T grated fresh ginger
1 t finely grated lemon rind
1/4 c chopped fresh coriander
2 T fish sauce
2 T sweet thai chilli sauce
Juice of 2 lemons

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
2. Marinate the pork in the mixture for at least 2 hours.
3. Thread onto kebab sticks.
4. Cook under the grill or on the BBQ.

Thai noodle salad

1 1/2 t crushed garlic
1 T grated ginger
2 T soy sauce
1 - 2 T sweet thai chilli sauce
1 T fish sauce
2 T peanut butter
Juice of 2 lemons
1 T brown sugar
Handful of coriander leaves, chopped

500g noodles (I used udon) cooked to instructions on packet
1/2 c roasted peanuts OR 2 T toasted sesame seeds
2 spring onions, chopped (optional)
1/2 head of broccoli,cut in small florets, steamed for about 4 mins
1 carrot, cut into small batons, steamed for about 4 mins

1. Mix dressing ingredients together.
2. Mix prepared salad ingredients together and toss through dressing, serve with kebabs.

Note: Different veges could be used in the salad, this is just what I had. Capsicum, mung bean or snowpea sprouts, cucumber and snowpeas would all be yummy.