Recipes

Vegetable curry.

Vegetables can be varied easily. I found this served at least four people. I used barley because I had no lentils, but lentils would also be good. Serve with rice.

1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
tablespoon fresh ginger grated
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 heaped teaspoon bottled chopped chilis or to taste
4-5 crushed cardamom seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large potato cubed
1 small turnip cubed
2 medium carrots cubed
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 tomatoes chopped roughly juice of 1 lemon
1 small tin chickpeas 1/2-1 cup pearl barley or lentils
. 2 cups stock or water ( may need to be adjusted)

Fry onion slowly in a little oil. Add ginger, garlic, chili and dried spices and fry gently to release flavour and fragrance. Taste for flavour. Adjust to your own balance. Add chopped vegetables and stir well till coated with spicy mix. Add barley or lentils and chickpeas. Cover with stock or water. Cook, covered on low heat till liquid is absorbed. Taste again for flavour and adjust. When liquid is absorbed and barley is cooked, stir in the lemon juice. Serve with rice.

Serves 4 and also keeps well.

Risotto

Basic ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablepoons olive oil

2/3cup Arborio rice

1 large onion

4 cups hot chicken stock

2 cloves crushed garlic

ground pepper and salt to taste

Method

Melt the butter and oil together in a heavy pan.( I sue the low fat butter and have no problems.) Add sliced onion and garlic and cook gently till onionis transparent but not browned. Add Arborio rice and stir to coat grains with butter/oil mix. Cook 3 minutes. Add pepper and salt and 1 cup of the hot stock. Cook slowly tillliquid is absorbed. continue adding hot stock a bit at a time till rice will absorb no more. Cooking takes about 20 minutes.

Variations

Add sliced ham, smoked salmon, bacon or chicken to rice.

Large cubes of pumpkin or kumara are nice.

Other vegetables to taste

Replace some of the stock with white wine.

Stir through fresh coriander, parsley or chives just before serving

A few minutes before serving, add grated cheese to rice and stir through. Also sprinkle with some parmesan.

Serves 2 large serves and recipe can easily be doubled. You do need to use the butter for flavour, but the amount overall is not large.

Savoury Muffins

2 cups Self raising flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs lightly beaten

pinch salt

1 cup grated tasty cheese

3 tablespoons oil

Combine dry ingredients in bowl. Mix oil, eggs and milk together and add to dry ingredients. Stir till combined. Mixture will look a bit lumpy. That's fine. Grated cheese on top. Place in mini muffin pans and cook at 190 deg. for 15-20 minutes till nice and brown. Makes about 36

VARIATIONS I added about three teaspoons of french onion stock powder to the mix. I also cooked some cubed bacon and chopped onion and used that with the cheese in one batch. Proportions to suit yourself. It didn't seem to make any difference to the muffins. All tasted good.

Savoury Muffins-version 2

3 cups Self raising flour

1 3/4 cups milk

1 egg lightly beaten

pinch salt

1 cup grated tasty cheese

1/2 cup chopped bacon

1/2 cup chopped shallots/chives/parsley

pinch mixed herbs, whatever you like

Mix all together till just combined. Put in mini pans and bake at 200 degrees for 15 minutes till brown. I used 2 cups wholemeal SR flour and one white. Also used low fat milk. This made 48 mini muffins and the recipe suggested it would make a dozen regular size. I don't think the amounts of cheese and bacon are really critical. Suit yourself.

Leek Tray Bread
BASE
90ml water
1 egg
2 cups white bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
25 gm butter
1 teaspoon dried yeast.
Put ingredients into breadmaker in order specified by breadmaker, probably liquid first. Use dough setting. I use the pizza dough setting on mine. When finished, push into a lightly oiled tray, 20 x 30cm. I use baking paper, makes cleaning easy.
FILLING
4-5 leeks, depending on size. I have used 2 big ones or onions.
Oil spray
75 gm pancetta or other bacon
140ml sour cream
70 ml skim milk
2 eggs, lighlty beaten
pepper, salt to taste
Tablespoon chopped basil leaves or other fresh herbs to taste.
While dough is rising, spray a pan and lightly fry the leeks and pancetta till soft. Cool. Mix eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper in a bowl. I have used plain yoghurt, lite sour cream, milk, buttermilk. Whatever is in the fridge. They all work, although the yoghurt or sour cream taste best. Spread leek mixture over the base and gently pour egg mix over the top. It holds leeks together but doesn't make a thick topping like a quiche. Sprinkle with herbs. Cook at 190° for about 30-35 minutes. Serve with salad, hot or cold or even warm.

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