Cheese Pinwheel Scones

From Commonsense Vegetarian, Murdoch Books, 2011.

There were a few ends of cheeses in the refrigerator so this recipe looked like a good way to use some of them up.

Firstly the scone dough was made. In a bowl I placed 250g flour, a tablespoon baking soda, a good pinch of cayenne pepper. I didn’t sift, though I should have; I just did a tossing type of stir. I then rubbed in 30g cubed butter to make fine breadcrumbs. Milk (180ml) was poured in and mixed until a dough was formed.

As soon as the dough was formed it was rolled out to make a rectangle of about 20 x 25cm. Onto this went a mixture of cheeses: 40g each of crumbled feta, grated parmesan and grated cheddar. Beginning from the longer side this was rolled up into a sausage shape and pressed together tightly. It was now cut into slices about 2cm wide.

An oven tray was prepared with baking paper and the slices placed on it about 2cm apart. This went into a 220ºC oven for about 12 minutes when the scones were golden. They were taken out and, while they were still warm, served.

These were wonderfully savoury and the scone dough had become a little crisp on the outside but remained light on the inside. The next day the remaining scones required a quick burst in the microwave to bring them back a little to their first-baked stage.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔

Sautéed Green Beans with Artichokes and Green Olives

From Commonsense Vegetarian, Murdoch Books, 2011.

I was using green olives with a potato salad so thought I’d continue with the green olives and make this dish.

Sufficient green beans for two people were topped and tailed and blanched for 2 minutes, then drained and put aside.

Some spring onions were cut into lengths about the same as those of the beans. Now some oil was heated in a pan and the beans and the onions were added with a couple of small rosemary sprigs. The vegetables were sautéed until lightly browned. They were then taken off the stove.

While the vegetables were still hot some green olives were added with capers, some canned artichoke hearts and a little vinegar and olive oil. They were seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

This dish went really well with the warm potato salad. I always find that I get pleasing results from dishes made using this particular recipe book.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Warm Potato Salad with Green Olive Dressing

From Commonsense Vegetarian, Murdoch Books, 2011.

Browsing through cookery books is always a pleasure and you never know when you are going to come across something you really want to make. When I saw this potato salad with green olives I knew that I wanted to sample it. I do like green olives—and, of course, potatoes.

It was all very easy to make. I cut some chat potatoes in halves and put them in a pot of salted water to bring them to the boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes.

While they were cooking the dressing was made. In a bowl I placed about 10 green olives, chopped; about a tablespoon capers, a goodly amount of chopped parsley, a crushed garlic clove and the juice of half a lemon. These were mixed well and then olive oil added, about ¼ cup. The ingredients were beaten well and when the potatoes were drained and let cool just a little were poured over. The salad had a touch of salt and freshly ground black pepper added and it was then carefully tossed. Easy.

This met my expectations. The comforting potatoes were nicely brought to life with the zesty flavours of the dressing. Worth remembering.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Rice Noodles with Ginger and Sweet Chilli Vegetables

From Commonsense Vegetarian, Murdoch Books, 2011.

Still working at mastering Asian flavours, I chose this to make.

An onion was cut into thin slices and cooked with a little finely sliced ginger in a mixture of cooking oil and sesame oil. When they had softened, in went a sliced red capsicum, some halved baby sweet corn, sliced shiitake mushrooms, a handful of snow peas and sliced Chinese broccoli. This was stir-fried until it had softened and become shiny.

I then added thick rice noodles carefully separated in some warm water. My separation wasn’t too well done and much of it was broken up. Nevertheless it was carefully stirred into the vegetables. I also added a handful of Thai basil leaves.

A sauce was then added. This was made with a mixture of sweet chilli sauce, light and dark soy sauce and a tablespoon of lime juice. It was all mixed together and the dish was ready.

I didn’t really enjoy this. It was a good enough vegetable mix and the sauce reasonably tasty but I didn’t feel that it was quite right. The instructions called for a moderately hot pan to cook with. I have been told that perhaps I should have used the top heat to cook it all much quicker to gain a better result.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔

Spicy Chickpea and Vegetable Casserole

From Commonsense Vegetarian, Murdoch Books, 2011.

To make this casserole, I should have soaked the chickpeas overnight but forgot to do so. However, it was easy enough to do a quick soak by putting them in a saucepan with plenty of water, bringing it to the boil and them letting them soak for a couple of hours. That worked well.

To begin the casserole, I sautéed a chopped onion and garlic glove in some olive oil for a few minutes. Then I added ground cumin (about 3 teaspoons), half a teaspoon of chipotle chilli powder, and half a teaspoon of allspice. These were stirred into the onion for another minute, when the chickpeas, drained, a can of chopped tomatoes and about two cups of stock were added. Once brought to the boil this was covered and left to cook for an hour.

A couple of cups of pumpkin pieces, three gold squash quartered and a good handful of green beans were added with a pinch of dried oregano and a tablespoon of tomato paste. These were left to cook for about 15 minutes more. By now the vegetables were done and the liquid had become a juicy sauce so I turned off the heat and left it covered for a few minutes more before serving.

This was a great cold weather dish. The chipotle chilli had imparted a smoky flavour that went well with the spicy sauce. And chickpeas are always a favourite. So far recipes from this particular cookery book have always turned out to be a success. They are easy to make and are well suited to family meals.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Couscous Patties

From Commonsense Vegetarian, Murdoch Books, 2011.

I had not used couscous as the basis for patties so decided to try out this recipe to see how it worked.

A cup of couscous was placed in a bowl and  a cup of boiling water was added. It was covered and left to wait for about 10 minutes for the water to be absorbed. This left time to cook the vegetables.

The vegetables were all cooked separately one batch after another in the frying pan. I think, should I make this again, I’ll put them all in together starting with the onions that I feel need a little longer. Anyway, the vegetables were fried one by one in the following order: an eggplant diced; an onion chopped together with a chopped garlic clove and some ground cumin and ground coriander; a diced red capsicum.

Once they were all done the vegetables were combined with the couscous, salt and pepper, chopped coriander, lemon zest and juice, yoghurt and a beaten egg. These were mixed well and formed into four patties. They were placed in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. It was only a matter then of frying them on both sides.

The couscous worked as a base and held up well. I served the patties with chickpeas and some greens on the side. Tamarind date chutney went well with the dish. Should I have couscous left over from any other cooking I think I will turn to this idea and turn them into patties.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Crispy Asian Noodle Pancakes

From Commonsense Vegetarian, Murdoch Books, 2011.

I was cooking some braised eggplant so wanted something had that a little crunch to it to go with it. I had seen these noodle pancakes when browsing through this book so thought this was a good opportunity to try them out.

The noodles first had to be soaked in boiling water for a few minutes until they were soft. They were then rinsed and dried as much as possible with paper towels. They were then placed in a bowl with all of the other chopped ingredients: coriander, spring onions, red chilli, garlic and some lemon grass.

All that remained was to drop tablespoonfuls into hot oil in a frying pan. They splattered wildly and widely but soon browned and crisped up. They were certainly crisp but did not have a lot of flavour despite the mix of ingredients added to the noodles.

Taste: ✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Artichoke Risoni

From Commonsense Vegetarian, Murdoch Books, 2011.

I often wonder who makes up the titles for cookery books. Is it the author or are they made up by the publishing staff in search of something that will sell. Some of the titles tell exactly what to expect while others tend to be on the amusing side: The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet (difficult to prove), The Naked Chef (always fully dressed), The Conscious Cook (that’s better than the opposite), and, my most favourite of all, Mrs Harvey’s Sister-in-law and other tasty dishes.

One title that I always feel comfortable with is Commonsense Vegetarian; it fits the book perfectly. The recipes here have a commonsense feel to them. They are perfect for family meals. They are readily put together. And yet, with all of this down-to-earth feel about the dishes, they often have an element or two that lifts them from being ordinary.

The risoni dish is a case in point. It’s all very straightforward to make yet it has little touches that make it stand out.

Fennel was fried in olive oil and butter until it was caramelised. From then on it was a much quicker process. I put on a pot of water to bring to the boil for the risoni, and then added a can of artichokes (chopped) to the fennel. By the time the artichoke/fennel mix had cooked for about 5 minutes, the water was boiling so I added the risoni to it.

The vegetables now had cream, wine, mustard and parmesan added to them to cook for another few minutes, until the risoni was done.  The risoni was drained and added to the vegetable mix with some chopped spinach. When the spinach had wilted the dish was done.

I did enjoy this. Risoni always appeals with its pearly grains that slip down the throat, and the sauce was full of flavour. I had not imagined using a fennel base rather than onion but it added a subtle hint of aniseed underneath the sauce.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔ 

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔