I apologize to my subscribers who are receiving some unfinished posts. I am in the process of redoing my website, and sometimes, I hit the publish button by mistake. Please ignore any odd posts that may come into your email box. I hope to have it sorted out soon.
Sintra has had a tough year for tomatoes. The slug population was particularly high due to a warm winter that didn’t limit their numbers, and the cool, cloudy summer didn’t help either. Finally, almost two months later, we’re starting to see more and more beautiful, ripe red tomatoes.
I prepare this dish every couple of weeks in the summer and serve it with freshly baked bread. If time allows, I brush thick slices of bread with oil and grill them until golden. I serve the dish with a rocket salad and guacamole. It’s so satisfying!
ratatouille (sweet and sour aubergine stew)
serves 2 – 3
ingredients
1 medium/270g eggplant
3 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp olive oil – divided
2 sticks/120g celery, finely chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
½ medium/100g red capsicum, coarsely chopped
3 medium/205g ripe tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 large/40g green olives, stoned and chopped
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
to serve
feta/ricotta cheese/ a bowl of guacamole
chopped toasted almonds
flat-leaf parsley
few slices of sourdough bread
preparation 1. Slice the aubergine into 1 cm slices, salt them, and let them sit for 20 minutes. Wipe off the remaining salt and cut into 1 cm cubes. Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a medium pan, add eggplant and fry until soft and golden. Make sure you cook them well because undercooked eggplant is unpleasant. Alternatively, toss the eggplant in 2 Tbsp oil and spread out onto a roasting tray in a preheated 200C/400F oven for 20 minutes until brown and tender. Set aside.
2. On medium-high heat, add 2 Tbsp oil to the same skillet used for cooking the aubergine. Add the celery and bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the capsicum, cook for 2 more minutes, add the tomatoes, lower the heat, and cook for 15 minutes until pulpy. (If the tomatoes are dry, cover with a lid.) Add the eggplant, olives, vinegar, and sugar to the sauce and cook for a further 10 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust the seasoning (adding more sweet, sour or salt to balance the flavours). Set aside to develop. Stir in the parsley, leaving a little for garnish when serving.
prepare the toast 4. Heat a grill pan or frying pan. Brush bread slices with olive oil, and add them when the pan is hot. Keep an eye on the bread so it does not burn. Turn over when one side is golden.
To serve, place the toasted bread on the dish and top with ratatouille, ricotta or guacamole, almonds, and parsley.
I grew up in a small town in North Queensland called Home Hill. Home Hill is a sugar cane growing area; the surrounding sugar cane fields were our playground. In the burning season, when the farmers would light up the fires at dusk, the flames would reach meters high – there was something very entrancing and beautiful about it! Your first sight of a sugar cane fire is hard to forget; it’s a sight, and the smell is intrinsically North Queensland. As the cane burns, ash gets blown throughout the towns of the Burdekin. It is known as ‘black snow’, and as children, we would run around trying to catch the long black strands before they fell to the ground, keeping them intact to see who could catch the longest strand. My dad grew up cutting cane as a young man, it was very demanding work, but the pay was good, ultimately enabling him to marry and purchase his shop.
To cross over from Home Hill to the bigger town of Ayr, we had to cross the Burdekin Bridge, a long bridge running over the Burdekin River. The Burdekin Bridge, also known as the Silver Link – is one of the longest multi-span bridges in Australia. As a child, I remember how the river would overflow in the rainy season, flooding the shops and the main street of Home Hill. The river would flow fast and wild, swirling below when you drove over it. At a later stage, a dam was built. I spent my childhood swimming in that river with my school friends despite having more than one crocodile sighting!
Ayr, in all honesty, wasn’t much more extensive than Home Hill, but its main street was more prominent and had much more exciting shops. When my mother had to run errands that could not be fulfilled in Home Hill, we would drive over that bridge into Ayr. For a young child, this was always an adventure! Despite the boring shopping part, I would happily tag along to stay behind in the car with a freshly baked savoury pastie from the local bakery.
This brings me to this recipe!
Each time I make these samosas, my whole being is whisked away to that moment of biting into one of those warm, flaky, buttery-filled, savoury pasties.
I often crave savoury pastries, which are impossible to find without meat, onion, or garlic. These samosa always satisfy that craving and are a perfect entertaining food, receiving lots of ohs and ahs when bringing them out. They are very quick and easy to make. Once baked, the crackling layers of pastry contrast with the tender potato filling, and the spicy mango chutney is a match made in heaven.
1. Place water and potatoes in a saucepan; bring to a boil and simmer until soft—approximately 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the ghee in a skillet, add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add the curry powder and peas and fry for one minute, then add the potatoes, season with salt, mix well, turn off the heat, and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes.
vegan eggwash
3. Mix the non-dairy milk and maple syrup in a small bowl. Set aside.
assemble
4. Roll out the puff pastry and divide it into two parts by slicing it down the centre – parallel to the longer side. Lift and separate each piece.
5. Divide the potato filling and arrange it in a sausage-like shape on the bottom of each of the pieces of pastry, leaving a 2 cm space at the near edge. Brush the near pastry edge with vegan eggwash, then roll the pastry over to encase the filling tightly, pressing with your finger and rolling the edge up again to seal with the tines of a fork.
6. Place the rolls on a prepared baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze for 10 minutes to firm up, then move them back to the work surface. Brush the rolls with vegan egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and cut each roll into eight portions, slashing decoratively (optional). Arrange the pieces on the baking sheet with a bit of room in between. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
7. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F oven and bake for 30 minutes, until deeply golden. Eat straight away with the mango chutney.
mango chutney
I make this quick and easy chutney when I see green mangoes in the stores. It can also be made with barely ripe mangoes also. The greener the fruit, the sourer the taste will be. Balance the amount of sugar accordingly.
preparation 15 minutes
makes about 1cup
ingredients
1 medium-large/350g green mangoes (half-ripe, green outside and light yellow inside)
1 Tbsp peanut or coconut oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
⅛ tsp asafoetida powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 heaped tsp rasam powder (moderately spiced)
½ tsp fine rock salt
2 heaped tsp jaggery/brown sugar (depending on the sweetness of your mangos)
preparation
1. Peel the mango and cut into tiny cubes. Set aside.
2. In a heavy-based saucepan, add oil and mustard seeds; when they turn grey and pop, add the asafoetida – fry for 20 seconds, then add the turmeric and mango, and saute until the mango becomes soft, adding water when it starts to stick – cover and simmer for about 8-10 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and add salt, jaggery, and rasam powder. Taste and add more jaggery or salt if necessary. Puree half the mixture with a hand-immersion blender, if necessary.
In the late Autumn, I planted a bed of cabbages, placing them about 40cm apart; in between, I grew a variety of lettuce seedlings. By the time the lettuce was ready to be picked, the cabbages were beginning to spread out and to require more room. The ground that once nourished the lettuce began to nourish the cabbages. It’s a great way to use the space efficiently.
I also planted a bed of coriander and now have lots of lush leafy leaves – perfect for this herby green sauce.
The sauce can be used on almost anything, giving this plain old cabbage a lift. You can swap the coriander and mint for dill or parsley.
Note
Green cabbage is best for this dish. I like to use the Savoy variety. When buying the cabbage heads, make sure they are fresh and crisp. Look for tight and compact cabbages with few loose leaves, and feel heavy for size.
steamed & braised cabbage wedges with herby coriander goodness
serves 4
preparation 15 minutes
ingredients
1 small head cabbage
2 Tbsp ghee
herby coriander goodness
¼ cup/35g pine nuts, or nuts or seeds of choice
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
¼ cup/50g olive oil
1 bunch/40g fresh coriander
½ bunch/20g mint leaves
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp sweet white miso
½ tsp fine rock salt
freshly ground pepper
prepare the cabbage
1. Cut the stem off the cabbage head, remove any loose outer leaves, and cut into quarters. Place the cabbage wedges in a steamer. Steam the cabbages for 8 minutes or until tender. Finish in a lightly ghee hot pan, BBQ, or under the grill of your oven. Baste with ghee, turmeric and chilli powder to add some spice.
prepare the sauce
2. Toast the pinenuts and coriander seeds until golden and fragrant. Place all the sauce ingredients into a blender and grind until smooth. Brush, drizzle or spoon the sauce over the cabbage wedges.
Serve
With other grains. Brown rice, white basmati, millet and barley are just a few options. I especially love it with pongal & tamarind gojju or saffron rice.
With pasta. Enjoy alongside your favourite pasta and fold this herby coriander goodness sauce through the pasta.
I posted a similar pilaf recipe a while back; this version is easier, quicker and uses the option of olive oil, or if you prefer, replace it with ghee. I change the vegetables to what I have in the garden, sometimes using thinly sliced potatoes, fennel, zucchini or freshly picked sweet peas. It is easy to swap the vegetables around. If the season or garden is overgrown with parsley, coriander or similar soft herbs, they can be used instead.
Serving suggestions:
Serve with a crisp garden leaf salad and this basil dressing, a plate of vegan feta (drizzled with oil and za’atar), a bowl of tahini. Add steamed corn on the cob when in season – this combination is a perfect marriage of flavours.
There are a few steps in achieving the success of this dish; the crispy golden bottom makes it worth it!
Wash the rice to remove any surface starch, which might make it sticky.
Boil the rice for 8 minutes in boiling water, then drain and allow it to steam dry for a few minutes.
Cover with a cloth, as well as a lid, to protect it from the drops of condensation as it steams.
Achieving “the golden crusty bottom” at the bottom of the pot by cooking it over low heat for an extended period.
It is recommended to use a non-stick pot. For the recipe, I use a cast-iron 10-inch (24cm) pot. Also, try to use a pot with a flat bottom and one large enough to give the rice plenty of room to expand. If your pot is too small, the rice will clump together. If you are using a pan, ensure you have a lid that will tightly fit.
rice pilaf with a crunchy crust
Serves 3
Preparation 20 minutes
Cooking 45 minutes
ingredients
1 cup/200g white basmati rice
1 medium/140g carrot
1 medium/160g medium fennel
2 medium/125g potatoes
1 large bunch/30g each fresh dill and coriander
6 Tbsp/60g olive oil or ghee – divided
1 tsp fine rock salt – divided
1 tsp freshly ground pepper – divided
1 tsp turmeric powder – divided
prepare the rice
1. Wash the rice and drain. Repeat three more times to flush out all the excess starch (this helps the rice be fluffy with nice separate grains when cooked). Drain and set aside.
2. Fill a medium saucepan (with a lid that fits.) Bring the water to a vigorous boil and cook the rice for exactly 8 minutes, starting the timer from when the rice enters the pot. Drain in a colander and let sit for 5 minutes to steam dry.
prepare the vegetables and herbs
3. Finely slice the vegetable into 2mm thick slices and set aside. Finely chop the leaves and tender stems of the herbs, and mix the herbs and set aside.
assemble and cook the pilaf
4. Return the empty pan to the stove and add half of the oil.
5. Split the pile of herbs in two – setting aside a handful of herbs for garnish.
6. Layer half of the vegetables in the bottom of the pan and half of the herbs for use now. Sprinkle over half of the salt, pepper and turmeric. Add one-third of the rice over the top. Do not mix. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, then the next third of the rice and the other half of the herbs. Sprinkle the remaining salt, pepper and turmeric. Finish with the last third of rice. Drizzle the remaining oil over the top.
7. Cover the pot with a tea towel, then place the lid firmly on top, folding the corners of the tea towel over the top so it doesn’t catch fire. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes (#7 setting on an electric stove), then place the pot on the lowest heat you can manage (#2 setting on an electric stove) and continue cooking for another 40-45 minutes.
8. When the rice is ready, gently mix the reserved herbs and pile it all onto a good wide platter or bowl. Scrape up the crisp rice at the bottom of the pot and tuck it into the pile of rice shards – it’s delicious. It is optional to sprinkle with lemon zest and squeeze lemon juice – taste and season with salt and a few rounds of pepper. Serving suggestion above.
“This is very useful when you need a vegetable in a hurry: you cut them in short pieces and toss them in a pan of hot olive oil, then leave them to tender, when they are golden at the edges, season with salt and pepper and lemon juice.”
Serve them alongside your favourite pasta dish, pongal, dal, rice, over sourdough bread or as croutons like in this tomato soup.
a quick way with courgettes
Inspired from Tender by Nigel Slater
Preparation 10 minutes
Serves 2 – 3, as a side dish
ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium courgettes (zucchinis), cut into short diagonal pieces
salt and pepper, to season
zest and juice of a lemon
scattering of hand-torn herbs
preparation
1. Heat the oil over medium heat, add the courgettes, zest of one lemon and season well with salt and pepper.
2. Toss in the pan, for 5 minutes, until golden around the edges.
3. Stir in a handful of finely chopped herbs; fennel, coriander, parsley and thyme. Season again with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Lately, I been working in the garden in the mornings. I found that the sun is softer, and the areas that need work are in the shadier parts. Early this morning, I picked some green beans to go along with Monday’s Pepper Rasam. Later that morning, I returned to the garden and started pottering around, feeding the plants with compost, and staking up a few bean bushes – to my surprise, despite thinking I had picked all the beans earlier, I found myself walking away with another handful. The thing with beans, and even cucumbers to a lesser extent, is that you really need time and patience when harvesting them. There is much happiness to be had in rummaging through the leaves in search of their elegant, dangling pods. When you think you have picked them all, there’s still more hiding behind their foliage. It’s important to approach the plant from different angles and heights, squatting down to their level; even then, you can still miss a few…
I planted a few varieties of beans this season: romano pole bean, small french finger bush beans, and a long climbing snake bean. And for the first time, I planted another climbing variety in a pot on our balcony so that it can climb up the iron gate outside our kitchen door.
I have been staggering the sowing for a continuous supply, late May-early June, then another crop in July, and again in the last week of July. The hot season seems to come later each year, enabling another harvest before the cooler weather hits by early November.
The better quality and fresher the beans, the better tasting this recipe. Serve with pepper rasam, simple dal or Pongal.
steamed green beans
Steaming beans, rather than boiling help keep their colour and flavour.
Preparation 10 minutes
Serves 3
ingredients
350g green beans
2 Tbsp ghee
freshly ground pepper
Himalayan salt
preparation
1. Wash the beans and trim the ends. Leave them whole or cut in half.
2. Set a steaming basket in a medium saucepan filled with 1 – 2 inches water, once boiling simmer over high heat for 5 – 7 minutes, depending on how tender or crisp you like them.
3. Discard the water in the saucepan. Add the beans and ghee, season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Serve and enjoy!
This is a modified rice dish that Donna posted years ago and because I make it often I thought I would revisit and repost it. It is soothing on the digestive system and soft on the eyes with its pale yellow saffron hue. Serve it with roasted vegetables and an avocado-yoghurt sauce. It also goes nicely with a simple tovve and vegetable palya.
Saffron is considered sattvic, balancing all three doshas. One flower bears three stigmas, which are plucked and dried. It contains a carotenoid called crocin, which imparts a golden-yellow hue to dishes.
“Generosity is a noble quality. It opens the mind and heart to appreciate the universe and all that it encompasses.” ~ The Sacred Tradition of Yoga by Dr Shankaranaranaya Jois.
1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, pour into a sieve to drain.
2. Place the saffron threads in the hot water to steep for 5 minutes.
3. In a heavy-based pan, heat ghee, then fry the celery, bay leaf and salt; when soft, add rice and stir to coat grains in ghee.
4. Pour in ¼ cup saffron water and stir. When almost evaporated, add remaining saffron water and bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a rapid simmer, uncovered for 8 – 10 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
5. Turn off heat, and cover with a tea towel between the lid – set aside undisturbed for further 10 – 15 minutes.
6. Add coriander,lemon zest, juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
variation
A simple variation, omit the celery, add 1 heaped tsp cumin seeds and 8 curry leaves, fry in ghee. Not necessary to add the lemon and fresh coriander.
On this day 10 years ago, Donna and I posted our first combined post on ‘Goodnessis’, and with this in mind, we felt it was appropriate to share another, considering that we are currently spending family time together in Australia. As we live on opposite sides of the world, we always commit to meet once a year with our parents in Australia’s Winter on Hamilton Island. Each night, Donna and I cook and prepare a meal together, these Hasselback sweet potatoes was one of those delicious meals!
Donna first initiated this blog as a way for us to keep in contact. As with most areas of life, for growth to occur, things need to evolve, and due to exploring other pursuits, Donna stepped away from contributing and I continued. For me, this blog has given so much and has become a wonderful way to share this way of life and recipes with like-minded well-wishers.
This post is a heartfelt THANK YOU to Donna! I am forever grateful that we began this journey, as I am not sure this blog would have taken birth without her initial inspiration.
1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Line a flat baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place sweet potato in between 2 wooden spoons. Holding the spoons and the potato, make thin slices across the top of the potato. The spoons prevent cutting all the way through. Repeat with all sweet potatoes.
3. Place each sweet potato on the lined tray. Gently fan out the potatoes so the slices are revealed.
4. Drizzle ghee over the potatoes, aiming for a little to drip between the slices, and then also brush tops with ghee.
5. Sprinkle the rosemary over the top of each. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cover with foil and place in oven for 30 minutes, then remove foil and roast for a further 15-20 minutes, or until edges are crispy/charred, depending on how you like them.
Usually, sandwich night falls on Friday when it is just the three of us and I have made a fresh loaf of challah bread. The meal comes together in half an hour and is so delicious and satisfying. Slices of homemade bread are brushed with strong English mustard, followed by a thick layer of vegan mayonnaise and filled with avocado salsa, green garden leaves, tamari-sesame coated slices of tempeh and charred fennel and red pepper rings.
1. Slice the fennel and bell peppers into rounds and the tempeh into strips or rounds. (Depending on the shape of the tempeh you are using). Set aside
2. In a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Drizzle in a tablespoon of oil and cook the fennel rounds until charred around the edges. When sufficiently charred, scoop them out onto a large plate and repeat the same procedure with the red and green peppers – add to the same plate as the fennel.
3. Lower the heat to medium and pour in the remaining oil, fry the tempeh until golden, flipping over and doing the same with the other side. Once all have been done (may need to do in two batches), return all the tempeh to the pan, sprinkle over the sesame seeds and saute, coating the tempeh with the seeds for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and drizzle the tamari over the tempeh. Stir a few times and scoop out onto the plate. Making sure you brush out all the seeds leftover in the pan over the charred peppers, fennel and tempeh.
to assemble the sandwiches
4. Drizzle each slice of bread with olive oil, a swipe of mustard and spread a thick layer of mayonnaise, add a dollop of avocado salsa, and a layer of garden green leaves, a few slices of tempeh, a generous sprinkle of fennel and pepper rings and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
A very decadent and comforting dish for a special occasion. A bit rich on its own but goes well as part of the main meal, accompanied by a simple rice dish and a variety of salads. The parmesan crust is divine, crunchy and flavourful.
2 medium/350g zucchini, sliced into very thin coins
¾ tsp fine-grain rock salt
tart crust
½ cup/75g unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup/70g whole wheat flour
½ cup/115g unsalted butter, well chilled + cut into small cubes
2 cups/100g loosely packed grated parmesan cheese
½tsp fine-grain rock salt
2 Tbsp ice cold water
tomato sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp each of finely chopped fresh rosemary and oregano leaves
¾ tsp red pepper flakes
400g cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
½ tsp fine-grain rock salt
½ tsp brown sugar
1 cup/250g ricotta cheese
¼ cup small basil leaves
preparation
1. Preheat your oven to 190C/375F. Oil a 10-inch tart pan and set aside.
prepare the zucchini
2. Slice the zucchini using a mandoline or knife into 2mm slices. Place in a bowl, sprinkle over the salt and gently toss until evenly covered with salt. Transfer to a colander and let drain while you make the tart shell and tomato sauce.
make the tart crust
3. Place both flours, butter cubes, parmesan and salt in a food processor and pulse quickly about 25 times. You are looking for a sandy textured blend, with pea-sized pieces of butter. With a few more pulses, blend in the 2 tablespoons of ice water. The dough should stick together when you pinch it with your fingers.
4. Pour the dough into the tart pan. Working quickly, press the dough uniformly into the pan by pressing across the bottom and working up towards the sides. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes. You can use this time to finely chop the tomatoes.
bake the tart crust
5. Pull the tart out of the refrigerator and poke a few times with the tongs of a fork. Cover the tart with baking paper and fill generously with pie weights (I used chickpeas). Bake for 15 minutes, pull the tart out of the oven and gently remove the baking paper containing the pie weights.
6. Place the uncovered tart back in the oven, weight free, and allow to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
prepare the tomato sauce
7. Stir the olive oil, red pepper flakes and finely chopped herbs in a saucepan, cook over medium-high heat until the herbs start to sizzle just a bit.
8. Stir in the finely chopped tomatoes, bring to a simmer, cook the sauce down, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then stir in the salt and sugar, set aside.
to assemble the tart
9. Use a spatula to spread half the ricotta cheese across the base of the tart shell. Then spoon half the tomato sauce over the ricotta and arrange half the zucchini in a single layer on top of the sauce. If your zucchinis are still quite wet, press them with a paper towel. Spoon the remaining ricotta over the zucchinis and push it around a bit with your fingers so that it forms a layer. Arrange another layer of zucchini and finish with the remaining sauce. You want the filling to nearly, but not quite fill the pan.
to bake the tart
10. Place the tart on a rimmed baking sheet (in case you end up with an overflow) and bake for 40 minutes or until the tart is cooked through. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the top with fresh basil leaves.
