Thursday, April 19, 2012

Fig, Haloumi and Pomegranate Salad

I was all set to make this salad without the Pomegranate as I thought there'd be no way I could find any around here at all. How surprised I was when we got to Coles last week and they had a whole crate of them!!! Score!!

Oh, and I'm officially in love with Haloumi. I made this salad for lunch one day and had to make it again for dinner. The Haloumi....ohmigod. I'm addicted. It's amazing. Like...A-MA-ZING!!! Love it!

The beautiful subtle sweetness to the fig married wonderfully with the crispiness of the fried cheese. The red wine vinegar and juice from the pomegranate added just enough sharpness and complimented the peppery rocket. This is definitely on the regular cards for me. I might just buy a whole crate of Haloumi while I'm at it....



Working on my photography...what do you think? It tasted even better than it looks!!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Pumpkin, Spinach and Goats Cheese Pie

I've been looking forward to making this pie for a while now. I love all of these flavor combinations together and wrapped in pastry is a nice crunch heaven compared to the softness of the roast pumpkin and smooth cheese. 

The main vegetables are roasted first then piled onto some good store-bought puff before being topped with spinach and goats cheese. Good luck buying goats cheese in Dysart. I used a good Feta instead. 

Tasting the vegetables after roasting them they tasted awesome. It's amazing what oil and seasoning can do to some pumpkin. But something seemed to go wrong between that roasting and when the pie was finished... The cut pie slice tasted...bland. There was no sweetness from the pumpkin or tang from the feta. I thought about the pumpkin I used and wonder how old the vegetable was in the first place, and now I wonder if that impacted on the end result? Knowing the vegetables we get out here have mostly been frozen and are mostly in poor condition, I don't know how much that impacts on the flavor at the end of baking when half way through it tasted so good.

Or it could be the quantity? Not enough pumpkin maybe? Or a stronger tasting one might have been better? Either way, its a nice simple dish and definitely one I'm going to try again. I already know these flavors work well together, I just need to tweak it a bit...




Thursday, April 12, 2012

Nectarine Tart with Orange Syrup

I had to go out and buy a tart tin for a few recipes in this book, as I didn't have one, so when going to a friends for an early Easter dinner, I thought I might test it out with this dish.

Really simple, it mimics the blistered plums in the previous dessert dish with a frangipane-like tart filling. I found it odd that it specifies the filling be made in a food processor, rather than a mixmaster, but it worked, so who am I to question it?

I was worried for a little bit about my orange syrup. It didn't thicken as quickly as the sugar syrup I'd previously made and I thought it might not work for me, but it eventually did. I didn't add the dash of orange liquor to the syrup, but I don't think that detracted from the dish much.


I went really well with my morning coffee for the next few days. Nice and light. The orange syrup gave it that 'fresh' taste, and wasn't too heavy.

A lovely tart.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Vanilla Mascarpone Tart with Blistered Plums

I love a good tart.

I also love fruit and sugar and cheese. And this dish marries them all together in a wonderful sugary syrup, so I was just destined to love it.

So so so so easy. A good bit of puff, blister sugar coated plums, sweeten the mascarpone and make the syrup. I have to confess though, the recipe called for brandy to be put into the syrup and I don't have any. And I wasn't going to go and buy a whole bottle just for a few spoonfuls into a syrup, so it was a brandy-less sugar syrup instead.


I sat for about an hour after finishing the tart, just admiring the syrup. Oh. My. God. Just sugar, water and vanilla make this nectar? Why haven't I learned this earlier.....?






And how AMAZING would it taste with Brandy in it!!

I expected the tart to be heavy, being laden with the mascarpone, but the puff seemed to offset it and lighten the texture. The plums were the perfect sweetness, but I suppose almost any fruit could be used if plums were out of season.

And smothered in syrup, anything would taste amazing.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Mozerella, Prosciutto and Rocket Pesto Bruschetta

I love a simple dish.

Simple in flavors. Clean. Not over powering. A nice easy lunch. 

Oh, I also love pesto. And how I can smear it on everything. Dollop it into my pasta and hide it in a toasted sandwich. 

I haven't made rocket pesto before and assumed it would taste really strong and peppery but this pesto surprisingly doesn't. It's nice and light and compliments the torn bocconcini and salty prosciutto. The toasted bread hummed lightly with the rubbed garlic. I believe if you forgot the garlic in this recipe, it would be ruined. It just seems to bring it all together.



Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Steak and Chips

A while ago I asked Hubby if he'd mind flicking through my Seasons cookbook and telling me recipes he'd like to try soon.

Big mistake.

I quote "Waldorf Salad? That looks like crap!"

Me: "Seriously?!? It's a classic salad!"

Hubby: "Why don't they just keep it simple? Why do people have to make food all....fancy (said with waving fingers and all)? Fish and fennell? Just have fish and chips. Simple"

I want to cook all these wonderful yummy things and my husbands taste buds are permanently set on 'Bland'. Urgh.

So when I found this recipe, I knew I'd hit the jackpot.

Steak and Chips. Deep fried chips, even. None of the healthy fancy oven baked sweet potato chips. No. Full fat, starchy Sebago potatos cut up and deep fried. Apparently, the way it's meant to be.

You could not get an easier, simple recipe. Cut up potato and fry. Keep warm in the oven. Check

Cook steak (rib eye fillet, from memory) on a griddle pan, or a Gorge Foreman grill in my case as that's what I've got, till Medium. Check.

Tuck in. Check.

Even Noah loved the chips!


Sunday, April 1, 2012

Pea and Herb Felafel

You know what my son thought of my Felafels....?


"Noah don't like those!"

He hadn't even tried one! Oh well. More for me then.


They were nice and light and crisp from deep frying. Could have been more herby I think, but maybe I didn't put enough in....

I wonder if they'll cook in the oven. A healthier version for next time, rather than frying. Might have to try that.


Had them in a wrap for dinner with some lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and sour cream. Yum! Would've made the Tabouli that's on the same page, but in two towns, I couldn't find fresh parsley anywhere. 

Oh well, another time.