mushroom risotto

Risotto is so easy to stuff up. I once had about 10 people over for dinner so decided to make risotto to feed the troops, but I got drunk and burnt the risotto because I wasn't constantly checking the rice. But if done well it's a deliciously warm meal for wintry nights, and leftovers heat up well in the microwave for lunch the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups arborio rice
• 4 cups vegetable stock (or as per rice package instruction)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 medium brown onion finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 12 medium-sized mushrooms sliced
• 1 ripe tomato finely diced
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chopped spring onions as garnish

PREPARATION:

Time: 10 minutes to prepare, 30-40 minutes to cook

1. Heat oil on medium-heat in a large deep pot. Add garlic and onions and stir gently until brown.
2. Add mushrooms, tomato and herbs and sautee until mushrooms are soft and browned.
3. Add rice and stir for a minute.
4. Turn heat to high, add milk and stir well into rice.
5. When the milk boils, turn to low heat and add 1/2 cup of stock to pot. Gradually add 1/2 cups of stock one at a time as the liquid is absorbed into the rice. You may need a little more or less than 4 cups of stock depending on the rice brand and the amount of ingredients you have put in. Remove the bay leaf and thyme after about 20 minutes. The risotto is ready when it is soft and creamy, and usually takes me about 30-40 minutes on the stove.
6. Take the pot off the stove and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Garnish with spring onions and serve immediately with salad. Serves 3-4.

re-fried bean nachos

Nachos are so simple to make, and are great for sharing when you have guests over. I use canned organic re-fried beans to save time, and the brands they stock at Choices Markets and reasonably priced and low in salt. The success of a great nachos meal is to use fresh ingredients and make the perfect guacamole.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bag (400-500g) organic corn tortilla chips
• 1 can (450g) organic re-fried beans
• 1 brown onion finely diced
• 1 tin (185g) Hunt's tomato paste
• 4 tbs water
• 1 ripe tomato diced
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tbs cajun seasoning
• 1.5 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups shredded cheddar/mozza cheese
• sides (sour cream, chopped spring onions, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, salsa sauce, guacamole)

PREPARATION:

Time: 15 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes in the oven

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add onions and gently stir until brown.
2. Pre-heat oven to 240 degrees C.
3. Add beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, spices and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through.
4. Arrange chips on a large oven-proof tray (multiple if required). Spread 1/2 the cheese mixture evenly over the chips, then the bean mixture, and top off with the other 1/2 of the cheese.
5. Bake in oven until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately with the sides. Serves 3-4.

For a tasty home-made guacamole, mix 1 cup of sour cream with 1 avocado, 1 tbs salsa, 2 tbs lime juice and 1tsp lemon juice.

eggplant and chickpea curry

This curry dish uses curry paste made from scratch. The paste can be made fresh and cooked straightaway, but I like to make a large jar of it and keep it in the fridge with a layer of vegetable oil on top to keep it fresh. You can usually store it in the fridge for a couple of weeks, but any longer than that you should freeze it (but don’t thaw and then re-freeze). I just use chickpeas from the can, but if you do so it is best to soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking to break down the hardness. The soft eggplant textures makes a nice contrast to the chickpeas when mixed together.

INGREDIENTS (curry paste for single serve)
•2 tbs vegetable oil
•4 tbs milk (or evaporated milk for more taste but more fat!)
•1 large (or 2 small) onion (finely chopped)
•4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
•2 tsp grated ginger
•1 tbs ground turmeric
•1 tbs garam masala
•1 tbs cumin
•1 tsp coriander seed
•1 stick cinnamon (optional)

PREPARATION
Time: 5 minutes to prepare, 20 minutes in the wok
1. Add ingredients to a blender (unless onion and garlic is very finely chopped) and mix well, adding a splash of water if the mixture becomes too thick.
2. Fry in a wok for 20 minutes until fragrant.

INGREDIENTS (curry)
•2 large tomato (diced)
•1 medium onion (sliced)
•2 cups cauliflower florets (I usually just buy frozen cauli as it’s fresher – make sure to thaw prior to cooking)
•1 medium eggplant (cut into 3cm cubes)
•1 400g can chickpeas (rinsed, drained and soaked for 30 minutes)
•Garnish: coriander leaves, dry chilli flakes, sliced cucumber


PREPARATION
Time: 10 minutes to prepare, 50 minutes in a deep pot
1. Fry curry paste (if not fresh) in pot for 5 minutes with a splash of vegetable oil.
2. Add onions and fry until brown, then add tomatoes and chickpeas and cook for 5-10 minutes until tomatoes are soft.
3. Add 2 cups of low-fat milk (or evaporated condensed milk) and 1 cup cold water. Bring to the boil whilst continuously stirring.
4. Turn down to medium-heat after boiling and add eggplant and cauliflower. Cook for a further 10 minutes with lid on.
5. Remove lid, turn down to low-heat and stir occasionally for another 20 minutes or until chickpeas are soft and cooked through.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves, chilli flakes, sliced cucumber and serve with rice. Serves 3-4.

pad thai

Pad Thai is one of Thailand's national dishes, and after dozens of times experimenting with different ingredients and measurements, I think I've got a pretty authentic recipe. Pad Thai is very easy to mess up - the noodles can become too gluggy, or too oily, and if you eat it at a North American restaurant they often put ketchup in it (VERY BAD!!) for that westernised flavour. The most important thing is to get the rice noodles at the right softness before you throw it in the wok.

INGREDIENTS
* 500g flat rice noodles (good Asian grocers stock good Vietnamese brands that are perfect for Pad Thai)
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
* 1 small onion (finely chopped)

* 1 thai chilli pepper (finely chopped, seeds removed if you don't do well with spice)

* 1 tablespoon soy sauce (wheat-free)

* 3 tablespoons fish sauce

* 2 tablespoon tamarind paste (optional, but it gives it that extra flavour. Good Asian grocers stock it in jars)

* 2 limes (sliced into quarters)

* 200g tofu (medium-firm or extra-firm, sliced into bite-sized pieces)

* 200g bean sprouts

* 2 medium-sized carrots (thinly sliced)

* handful of green onions (or shallots or spring onions, depending where you're from) (chopped)

* garnish: chopped coriander, dry chilli flakes, crushed peanuts, green onions, lime wedges

PREPARATION
Time: 15 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes in the wok
1. Soak the rice noodles in a large pot of hot (not boiling) water.

2. Whilst you wait for the noodles to soften, prepare all the other ingredients and the sauce. To prepare the sauce, combine the thai chilli, soy sauce, fish sauce, tamarind paste and squeeze 1 lime's worth of juice into a small jar. Shake/stir well and set aside.

3. When the rice noodles have softened, put the wok on low-medium heat with the vegetable oil. The rice noodles should be 'al dente' - firm but not hard and not cooked through. If the noodles are too soft, the pad thai will be too gluggy. If the noodles are too hard, the pad thai will be tough, though you can add some more water in the wok if this is the case. It will take practice to get the right level of softness of the noodles.

4. Fry the garlic and onion in the wok, making sure the garlic does not burn (or it will taste bitter).

5. Pour in half the sauce mixture from the jar and stir with the onions.

6. Toss in the tofu, carrots, green onions and bean sprouts and stir with mixture for about 2 minutes.

7. Make a hole in the middle of the wok with your stirring spatula and pour eggs into the gap. When it is half-cooked, stir with the rest of the vegetables until fully cooked.

8. Gradually add the rice noodles and a few tablespoons of water (more if the noodles are too hard) with the remainder of the sauce mixture, stirring through constantly.

9. Stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes or until the noodles are cooked through.

10. Remove from heat, serve and garnish with chopped coriander, dry chilli flakes, crushed peanuts, green onions, lime wedges. Serves 3-4.

cajun baked rice

Paella is traditionally a Spanish dish, but this recipe combines the southern flavours of Jambalaya with the traditional method of cooking Paella – in the oven. Plus, its vegetarian goodness means it is a lot healthier than either of the two dishes that inspired this recipe, which often contain lots of fatty meats.

INGREDIENTS
• 1 medium onion (sliced)
• 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 8 medium-sized mushrooms (sliced)
• 2 large tomatoes (diced)
• 1 cup of sliced pineapple (canned pineapple including its juice is best)
• Handful of chopped green onions/shallots
• 1 red capsicum (sliced)
• 2 cups of long-grain or basmati rice (uncooked)
• 4 cups of cold water
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 2 tbs Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional – if you like it spicy)
• Garnish: coriander leaves, dry chilli flakes, sliced cucumber


PREPARATION
Time: 20 minutes to prepare, 60 minutes in the wok
1. Warm oven before preparing ingredients at 180 degrees C
2. Slice and dice vegetables as per ingredient list. Prepare cooking broth by adding vegetable oil, water, pineapple juice, herbs and seasoning in a jar and mix well.
3. Place vegetables and pineapple in a grease-proof oven-safe baking tray (double the size required to fill all the above ingredients, as the rice will grow!), followed by the uncooked rice and finally the cooking broth.
4. Cover tray with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes, check if there is enough water and bake for a further 15 minutes.
5. Check again and add water if necessary and leave un-covered for the remaining 15 minutes.
6. Granish with coriander leaves, chilli flakes and cucumber. Serves 3-4.

spinach and feta stuffed peppers

This is my recipe for a healthy vegetarian dish for dinner, inspired by some recipes I've seen but with my own ingredients. I've never made stuffed peppers before and next time I do it I'll only use red ones (the green ones a little bitter when steamed).

INGREDIENTS
* 4 bell peppers (red and/or yellow)
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
* 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
* 1 small box of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
* 1 tbs fresh chopped oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano
* 2 chopped tomatoes
* 2 tbs tomato paste
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
* 3/4 cup crumbed feta cheese
* 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
* 2 tbs corn flour
* 2 eggs (beaten)
* 1/4 cup milk

PREPARATION
Time: 15 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes in the oven
1. Halve the peppers lengthwise along the stem, removing all seeds and white fleshy parts (leave the stem on for presentation). Place the peppers cut-side down in a microwave-proof dish, wrap with cling wrap and steam in the microwave on high for about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside in a baking dish.
2. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F)
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium fire.
4. Add garlic and onion, stirring until soft and slightly brown.
5. Stir in oregano and spinach until wilted (don't overcook - about 2 minutes is enough).
6. Add tomato paste and dilute with water until the mixture has a slightly thicker consistency than pasta sauce.
6. Stir in tomatoes, vinegar and 1/2 the feta and cook on low heat until heated through.
7. In a separate bowl, whisk corn flour into the eggs and add milk. Pour the contents into the skillet and stir until mixed through.
8. Divide the filling among the pepper halves and sprinkle each with the cheddar and remaining feta cheese.
9. Bake for 10 minutes, grill for a couple of minutes if you like your cheese toasty, let stand for a few minutes and serve with steamed vegetables for a complete meal.