These make an interesting variation to the typical onion bhaji
They are also great for those that have difficulty digesting quantities of onion.
Pea Bhaji
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Author Archives: Helen Jackson
Roast Kumara, Capsicum and Feta Frittata
Frittatas are super easy and so convenient. I often make one on a Sunday, have some for a simple dinner that night and the rest is lunch for the next couple of days.
Parmesan, Rosemary and Garlic Beer Bread
I have often made Basil Beer Bread but this one is winter friendly and is perfect served warm from the oven with a hot bowl of soup.
Beer bread is best eaten on the day of making, we like it warm, either from the oven or toasted.
Warming the beer first helps to make the bread rise. Remember how we warmed baby bottles of milk? I heat beer the same way, just sit in a jug of hot water for about 5 minutes until luke warm.
Remember if you scoop your flour into a cup you will end up with more than if you pour it in. Scooped flour may mean that you need to also add a little water to get a sticky dough.
Chunky Chocolate Chip and Bourbon Vanilla Cookies
These full flavoured biscuits take your usual chocolate chip biscuit to a whole new level.
Personally I would be adding in some chopped walnuts or macadamias (my kids rebel if I do).
Change the chocolate if you want to – dark, milk or white or a mixture of all.
You can omit caramelising the butter but it does add another flavour dimension that makes these extra delicious.
Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas, Almonds and Spinach with Spaghetti
This simple vegetarian pasta is a winter delight. Roasting cauliflower creates a lovely caramelised flavour and it becomes crisp around the edges.
Shakshuka
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sized red onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper (capsicum), finely chopped
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- pinch of chilli powder
- pinch of sugar
- 5-6 Henergy Cage-Free eggs
- coriander leaves to garnish
- toasted pita bread
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 C. Heat oil in a large frying pan (one that can be transferred to the oven), add the onion, garlic and red pepper and cook until onion is tender.
- Add the tomatoes to the pan along with the spices, salt and pepper to taste and simmer until the tomatoes are thick and saucy.
- Lift the pan from the heat and using a spoon make an indent for each egg. Break the eggs into each cavity and then transfer the pan to the oven.
- Cook until egg whites are set.
- Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with toasted pita bread to mop up juices.
May 2021
having just completed a wonderful 5 day cycle tour of Hawkes Bay I am once again reminded of just how beautiful this country of ours is. The scenery, food, wine and people were all wonderful and with so many km of cycle trails, it is a safe and scenic destination for cyclists. I am repeating the trip in September and hoping that we will be wowed with beautiful blossoms, Eat, Drink and Cycle Hawkes Bay.
Tray bakes are occupying my cooking time at present, the type that you just pile ingredients onto a tray, into the oven and 30 minutes later dinner is ready. Ed particularly likes our Bacon wrapped Chicken and Vegetable Tray Bake. Please do leave comments on our recipes as you make them, we hope they are good but appreciate all feed back.
Chicken and Vegetable Tray Bake
Tray bakes are so simple and there are no messy dishes, particularly if you line the tray first. :)
Autumn Vegetable and Feta Tray Bake
This is one of those recipes where you can swap ingredient in and out to suit what you have on hand. Just make sure if adding in any root vegetables that you chop them into small pieces to ensure even cooking time.
Curry Cauliflower and Chickpea Tray Bake
This is so very easy and super tasty. I really like the way the cauliflower roasts within the curry flavours and the chickpeas at the edges of the pan go a little bit crisp.
Green Risotto
Baking with Oats
Rolled oats are an essential panty item, even if you are not a breakfast porridge fan (too gloopy for me), when oats are combined with a few other vital ingredients e.g. coconut, brown sugar and butter, the results can be wonderful.
Like almost everything the standard bag of oats now involves shopping choices from the standard rolled oats to steel cut, wholegrain and Scotch to name but a few.
For muesli making I look for whole grain oats due to the interesting texture, these or traditional rolled oats are great for baking. Scotch oats are less textured and good for smooth porridge. Most oats can also be eaten raw in smoothies or the super delicious Bircher Muesli. Steel Cut Oats are the exception to this as these unrefined wholegrain oats are much kinder on the body when cooked first.
More of a chew than a crunch, Takaka Wholemeal Cafe Ginger Crunch is one of the best there is, I like to make both the base and the icing good and thick and if you find yourself in Takaka then the cafe is a popular choice.
Anzac biscuits are one of the most popular oat based biscuits around, Some like them crisp but these Chocolate Dipped Apricot and Sunflower Biscuits are a fantastic variation.
Blueberry and Lemon Oaty Slice can feel almost healthy whereas this Oaty Chocolate Caramel Slice has delicious decadence written all over it.
Regardless of the fruit you choose to use this Crumble topping is so good. It has enough butter to hold everything together so it is not at all crumbly but instead a delicious oaty baked layer on top of the pudding.
Digestive Biscuits are so good with a slice of butter or maybe some blue cheese and chutney.
A few years ago a story circulated about a biscuit recipe and a certain USA department store. The story doesn’t seem to have substance but the recipe for these Oaty Chocolate Chip Cookies is certainly good.
Pumpkin and Sage Arancini
I like to double the recipe, serve the risotto for dinner and then refrigerate the rest to make arancini the next day.
These live in my freezer, crumbed and ready to cook.
On the day I need them I fry them and then chill in the fridge and oven heat to serve. That way I am not frying when my guests are here.
Some arancini have a small ball of mozzarella in the centre which I sometimes do but actually do like them like this, very cheesy parmesan flavour which goes so well with the honey.
Cavolo Nero, Prosciutto and Parmesan Crouton Salad
This recipe is delicious and is great for a light yet interesting meal.
The ingredient quantities are loose as exact measurements are not needed.
Cavolo Nero provides such a great texture and has a fairly mild flavour. It is a relation of both cabbage and kale yet is so much nicer than both. if not available then I would recommend a mixture of very finely shredded cabbage and spinach.
