Broccolini with Lemon, Parmesan and Pine Nuts

From Coles Magazine, June 2014.

Broccolini is in season at the moment and it is just wonderful.

For this recipe I steamed a bunch of broccolini until it was tender. While it was steaming I dry roasted a good handful of pine nuts. The broccolini then went onto a serving plate. It was drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice was added. It was then topped with shavings of parmesan cheese and pine nuts were sprinkled over. A pinch of salt and some freshly grated black pepper added to this favourite vegetable.

This could become my favourite way to serve this vegetable.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔            Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔✔

Cheesy Spinach Mash

From Coles Magazine, June 2014.

There are heaps of variations to potato mash and I generally like to try them all. This one began with a normal boiling of 300g potatoes while I prepared the other ingredients.

I grated 35g cheddar and sliced 35g baby spinach leaves.

Once the potatoes were cooked I drained them and mashed them with about a tablespoon butter. I quickly added the spinach as I wanted it to wilt in the hot potatoes. The cheese went in next while the mash was still hot so that it could melt in. Lastly I added a little milk to make the mash creamier. A little salt and a lot of freshly ground black pepper went in.

This was an acceptable variation. I don’t expect it’s one that I will use that often but one to keep in mind in case.

Taste: ✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Huevos Rancheros with Beans

From Coles Magazine, October 2013.

Breakfast-type meals are always a favourite with me and when they are Mexican flavours then I am sold. I remember travelling through Mexico and settling down nearly every morning to hoe into huevos rancheros, bursting with flavour and so satisfying you could do without lunch.

Browsing through this Coles magazine I came across this variation and memories of Mexico prompted me to make it. A chopped onion and chopped red capsicum with sautéed until soft. A teaspoon of cumin was added and stirred in for a little while before 4 chopped tomatoes were added with ½ cup water and a half a stock cube. I added a chopped red chilli and ½ teaspoon Mexican dried oregano. Once this mixture reached the boil it was simmered for about half an hour. When it had thickened a little, a can of red kidney beans was opened and placed in a sieve under a cold tap. Once the beans had been rinsed they were added to the tomato mixture, stirred in and let heat through.

While they heated a frying pan with a little oil was heated and tortillas cooked on each side until they had crisped up. They were kept warm in the oven while eggs were fried.

Now a tortilla was placed on each plate, the tomato/bean mixture spooned over and a fried egg placed on top. Slices of avocado and some coriander were added and, of course, some chilli powder sprinkled over.

Tasty and definitely a favourite. When a breakfast dish tastes like this it’s always fair go for an evening dinner.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔

Mushroom Gratin with Eggs & Parmesan

From Coles Magazine, August 2013.

How often do you purchase goods for one particular dish and then, through circumstances, don’t use them? Every so often I find myself with ingredients and need to go searching for a recipe to use them up. I had mushrooms and found this recipe to use them.

I took a large frying pan and heated up some olive oil. Into it went a mixture of mushrooms cut into slices. They were sautéed for about 10 minutes. I then added a chopped onion and continued the cooking for another 3 minutes. Next into the pan went  2 chopped garlic cloves and a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme. After 2 more minutes I added a couple of dashes of red wine vinegar and cooked it further until this had evaporated. Now I stirred in two large tablespoons mascarpone (the recipe called for cream) and about a dessertspoon butter. Once these had been fully incorporated into the mushrooms the mixture was tipped into a casserole dish.

In a separate bowl 2 eggs were beaten with about ½ cup grated parmesan cheese and a lot of chopped parsley. This mixture was poured over the mushrooms and they went into a 200ºC oven until cooked. It took about 10 minutes.

If you have the mushrooms and you enjoy them, then this dish should please. It’s a useful way to use up mushrooms though it’s not anything spectacular. It makes a good middle-of-the-week-and-you-can’t-think-of-anything-to-make dish. With some greens and a heap of mashed potato it will go down well.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Lemon Spaghetti with Shaved Squash

From Coles Magazine, April 2013.

I don’t often use golden squash but this pasta recipe persuaded me.

I took four squash and sliced them thinly on the mandolin. I chopped a garlic clove and one green chilli, including the seeds. I put on a large pot of salted water to bring to the boil.

In a frying pan I heated up 2 tablespoons olive oil. Into the pan went the garlic, the chilli and the squash. Into the saucepan went about 250g spaghettini. I sautéed the squash for about 4 minutes and then added the juice of half a lemon, together with zest. I sprinkled in some salt and it was ready for the pasta which had by now reached al dente. I drained the pasta and added it to the frying pan with the squash. I also added about 100g crumbled feta. The mixture was tossed to mix everything together. It went onto serving plates, had black pepper ground over it and some mint leaves tossed over. The pasta was ready.

While this was a pleasant pasta it’s one that I doubt I would repeat. I enjoyed the tang of the lemon against the creamy salty feta. I felt that the squash, though evident, was overshadowed by the other flavours.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔