Staple2

Spicy lentil and chorizo soup two tablespoons olive oil  one brown onion, cut in small pieces  two cloves of garlic, crushed  two x hundred and fifty grams chorizo sausages , sliced  half a teaspoon chili flakes  one cup lentils  two x four hundred grams cans chopped tomatoes  one liter chicken stock  sea salt and cracked black pepper, to season crusty bread, to serve (optional)  one// Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, chorizo and chili and cook for eight-ten minutes or until the onion is tender and the chorizo is golden. two// Add the lentils, tomato, stock, salt and pepper, bring to the boil and cook for fifteen minutes or until the lentils are tender. Serve with crusty bread. Serves four. 
Jul 11

Spicy lentil and chorizo soup



two tablespoons olive oil 

one brown onion, cut in small pieces 

two cloves of garlic, crushed 

two x hundred and fifty grams chorizo sausages , sliced 

half a teaspoon chili flakes 

one cup lentils 

two x four hundred grams cans chopped tomatoes 

one liter chicken stock 

sea salt and cracked black pepper, to season

crusty bread, to serve (optional) 



one// Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, chorizo and chili and cook for eight-ten minutes or until the onion is tender and the chorizo is golden.

two// Add the lentils, tomato, stock, salt and pepper, bring to the boil and cook for fifteen minutes or until the lentils are tender. Serve with crusty bread.

Serves four. 

Lentil and pumkin salad one kilo jap pumpkin, cut into wedges one red onion, cut into wedges one third cup olive oil one teaspoon wholegrain mustard one tablespoon balsamic vinegar four hundred grams can brown lentils, rinsed, drained one cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped fifty grams wild rocket leaves three hundred grams marinated goat`s cheese feta, drained, crumbledone// Preheat oven to two hundred degrees celcius. Line a large baking tray with foil and arrange the pumpkin and onion wedges on the tray in a single layer. Drizzle with two tablespoons oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for twenty five- thirty five minutes until cooked through and lightly caramelised. two// Meanwhile, combine the mustard, vinegar and remaining two tablespoons of oil in a bowl, then season.  three// Toss the lentils, parsley and roasted pumpkin and onion together with the dressing. Transfer to a platter and serve with wild rocket and feta.  Serves four-six. 
Aug 8

Lentil and pumkin salad


one kilo jap pumpkin, cut into wedges

one red onion, cut into wedges

one third cup olive oil

one teaspoon wholegrain mustard

one tablespoon balsamic vinegar

four hundred grams can brown lentils, rinsed, drained

one cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

fifty grams wild rocket leaves

three hundred grams marinated goat`s cheese feta, drained, crumbled


one// Preheat oven to two hundred degrees celcius. Line a large baking tray with foil and arrange the pumpkin and onion wedges on the tray in a single layer. Drizzle with two tablespoons oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for twenty five- thirty five minutes until cooked through and lightly caramelised.

two// Meanwhile, combine the mustard, vinegar and remaining two tablespoons of oil in a bowl, then season. 

three// Toss the lentils, parsley and roasted pumpkin and onion together with the dressing. Transfer to a platter and serve with wild rocket and feta. 

Serves four-six. 

Warm Puy lentil and tarragon beef salad  one cup puy lentils twelve red baby beetroots, trimmed and scrubbed two tablespoons olive oil two tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves two teaspoons sea salt flakes one teaspoon cracked black pepper  one x five hundred gram beef eye fillet one cup flat-leaf parsley leavesMustard dressingone tablespoon balsamic vinegar one tablespoon Dijon mustard one tablespoon olive oil one// Preheat oven to two hundred degrees celsius. Place the lentils in a bowl, cover with cold water and soak for twenty minutes.  Drain and place the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook for twenty minutes over high heat or until tender. Drain and keep warm. two// Meanwhile place the beetroot on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, drizzle with the oil and roast for thirty minutes. While the beetroot is cooking, combine the tarragon, salt and pepper and sprinkle over the beef to coat. three// Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the beef and cook for three-four minutes each side or until well browned. Add the beef to the tray with the beetroot in the last ten minutes of the cooking time and roast for ten minutes or until the beef is cooked to your liking. Remove from the oven and set the beef aside to rest. four// Place the lentils, beetroot and parsley in a bowl. Mix together the vinegar, mustard and oil, pour over the lentils and toss to combine. Thinly slice the beef, divide between the plates and top with the lentil salad to serve.Serves four. 
Jan 16

Warm Puy lentil and tarragon beef salad
 

one cup puy lentils

twelve red baby beetroots, trimmed and scrubbed

two tablespoons olive oil

two tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves

two teaspoons sea salt flakes

one teaspoon cracked black pepper 

one x five hundred gram beef eye fillet

one cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

Mustard dressing

one tablespoon balsamic vinegar

one tablespoon Dijon mustard

one tablespoon olive oil

one// Preheat oven to two hundred degrees celsius. Place the lentils in a bowl, cover with cold water and soak for twenty minutes.  Drain and place the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook for twenty minutes over high heat or until tender. Drain and keep warm.

two// Meanwhile place the beetroot on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, drizzle with the oil and roast for thirty minutes. While the beetroot is cooking, combine the tarragon, salt and pepper and sprinkle over the beef to coat.

three// Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the beef and cook for three-four minutes each side or until well browned. Add the beef to the tray with the beetroot in the last ten minutes of the cooking time and roast for ten minutes or until the beef is cooked to your liking. Remove from the oven and set the beef aside to rest.

four// Place the lentils, beetroot and parsley in a bowl. Mix together the vinegar, mustard and oil, pour over the lentils and toss to combine. Thinly slice the beef, divide between the plates and top with the lentil salad to serve.

Serves four. 

Vegetable lasagnetwo eggplants, cut lengthways one red onion, roughly chopped two capsicums, cut in large pieces  two zucchini, sliced in rounds five hundred grams pumpkin, cut into thin slices one tablespoon olive oil five hundred ml passata handful of fresh basil, chopped handful of baby spinach leaves five hundred grams ricotta  pinch nutmeg/pinch cinnamon thirty grams parmesan four hundred gram tin lentils, rinsed and drained one// Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees Celsius. Grill the eggplant on a bbq or grill pan until soft. Combine the onion, pumpkin, zucchini and capsicum with olive oil, salt pepper and a little cinnamon. Put on a baking tray/dish and roast for thirty minutes or until soft, then remove from the heat. two// Fold through the lentils, passata and basil. Layer the eggplant to line the base or a large baking dish. Top with half of the roasted vegetables. Place another layer of eggplant over the top then proceed with the final vegetable filling. Finish off with the final layer of eggplant. three// Combine the ricotta, nutmeg and a handful of baby spinach leaves into a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Spread over the top of the eggplant followed by a light grating of parmesan. Bake for thirty or forty minutes until golden and heated through.  Serves six.   
Jan 26

Vegetable lasagne

two eggplants, cut lengthways

one red onion, roughly chopped

two capsicums, cut in large pieces 

two zucchini, sliced in rounds

five hundred grams pumpkin, cut into thin slices

one tablespoon olive oil

five hundred ml passata

handful of fresh basil, chopped

handful of baby spinach leaves

five hundred grams ricotta 

pinch nutmeg/pinch cinnamon

thirty grams parmesan

four hundred gram tin lentils, rinsed and drained 

one// Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees Celsius. Grill the eggplant on a bbq or grill pan until soft. Combine the onion, pumpkin, zucchini and capsicum with olive oil, salt pepper and a little cinnamon. Put on a baking tray/dish and roast for thirty minutes or until soft, then remove from the heat.

two// Fold through the lentils, passata and basil. Layer the eggplant to line the base or a large baking dish. Top with half of the roasted vegetables. Place another layer of eggplant over the top then proceed with the final vegetable filling. Finish off with the final layer of eggplant.

three// Combine the ricotta, nutmeg and a handful of baby spinach leaves into a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Spread over the top of the eggplant followed by a light grating of parmesan. Bake for thirty or forty minutes until golden and heated through. 

Serves six.