Spinach and Goat Cheese Muffins
Friday, March 12, 2021For a savoury snack or breakfast that's delicious, nutritious, and quick and easy to make, these spinach muffins with goat's cheese really hit the spot. They pair perfectly with soup or salad. For an extra flavour kick, add 1-2 finely chopped chillies (green or red) together with crumbled cheese. Instead of goat's cheese, you can use other cheese made with sheep's milk, for example, real Feta or even Roquefort.
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- Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Lightly grease 6 holes of a jumbo muffin pan or 10 holes of a regular one.
- Heat bacon fat or butter and milk in a pan over medium heat. Add the spinach and stir for 1 minute until wilted. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then blend until almost smooth.
- Sift spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda and black salt into a large bowl. Add grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, eggs, wholegrain mustard and spinach mixture.
- Crumble in goat's cheese, then mix gently until just combined. Divide the mixture among 6 muffin holes. Prick tomatoes several times, then place one in the centre of each muffin.
- Bake for 22 minutes for jumbo pan, and 16 minutes for regular, or until muffins are risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Roast Leg of Lamb with Herbes de Provence
Tuesday, March 09, 2021Tender, juicy and full of flavour, a leg of lamb is an extremely versatile and budget cut of meat that’s great for feeding a crowd. I personally like bone-in because of its intense lamb flavour, but you can use boneless if you prefer. You can use boneless leg if you prefer. Try not to overcook this lean meat or it will get tough and dry. To ensure a leg of lamb cooks evenly, you want to remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for two hours before cooking.
Herbs de Provence, a staple in French and Mediterranean cooking, is an aromatic mixture of dried Provençal herbs and spices, which traditionally includes thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf. If you don't have this spice blend on hand, you can easily make your own.
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- Combine chopped garlic cloves, herbs de Provence, mustard and olive oil together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Score lamb leg with a sharp knife and place it in a roasting pan. Generously spread the herb mixture, reserving 1 tablespoon for the potatoes, all over the leg of lamb. Cover, and refrigerate for overnight.
- Two hours or so before you plan to roast the lamb, remove it from the fridge so that it can warm to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Add the broth to the roasting pan. Roast the lamb in the middle of the oven for about 55-60 minutes for medium or until internal temperature registers 60C/140F when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the center of the thickest part of the meat. Roast for 10 more minutes if you want it medium-well. Toss the potatoes with the reserved marinade and add into the roasting pan after 15 minutes.
- Remove the meat from the oven and loosely tent with foil. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes. This helps the juices redistribute throughout the meat instead of over the cutting board. Slice and serve with roasted potatoes and lamb's lettuce or red cabbage salad.
Arugula Spiced Spelt Soda Bread
Saturday, March 06, 2021Soda bread is so easy because it requires no yeast, extensive kneading or proving. It’s best eaten within a couple of days, or you can slice and freeze it to toast later. Instead of kefir, you can use buttermilk or yoghurt. It is delicious dunked into a bowl of homemade soup, or served with cheese or simply with butter and a hot cuppa.
Why did bread turn red?
Turmeric has two pigments known as xanthophylls, which lends the yellow colour to it and carotene, which is reddish orange in colour. When it's exposed to alkaline materials (baking soda, and kefir) and heated, it reacts and the yellow pigment is neutralised. As a result, the yellow xanthophyll is suppressed and the orange-red carotene pigment becomes more prominent, so the baked goods turn red.
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- Heat the oven to 200C/400F. Toast the cumin seeds in a small pan for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, then lightly crush using a pestle and mortar. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Mix together the flours, turmeric, black pepper, baking soda and black salt in a large mixing bowl. Use your fingers to rub in the diced butter until only small crumbs remain.
- Stir in the oats, arugula, and crushed cumin seeds. Pour the kefir over and use a wooden spoon to quickly mix in. Tip everything out onto a lightly floured worksurface and use your hands to gently knead into a smooth-ish dough.
- Shape into a 20cm round loaf with a flat top, and transfer to baking tray lined with a parchment paper. Dust some flour over the dough. Use a small, sharp knife to score a deep cross into the top.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until crusty and the base of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack slightly. Serve with salted butter.
Spinach Fruit Salad with Macadamia Nuts and Feta
Wednesday, March 03, 2021This is a wonderfully healthy, delicious and power-packed spinach salad for you and your family with a lot of options as to pairing and mixing. Blood orange and kiwi are added not only for the colour, but also an explosion of flavour. Any seasonal fruit is great though. I love macadamias for extra crunch and flavour, but pecans, hazelnuts or pistachios are just as lovely. The combination of sweet fruit and salty feta cheese makes this salad a winner and the perfect compliment to any meal.
Salad | Dressing |
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- Divide spinach, sliced fruit and red onion if using, on two plates. Top with macadamia nuts and crumbled Feta cheese.
- Mix together olive oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. You also can make this in a jar. Just place everything in the jar and secure lid. Shake to combine. Pour over salad and serve immediately.
Indian Spiced Meatballs in Curry Sauce
Monday, March 01, 2021This yummilicious Indian spiced meatball curry combines tender, flavourful beef meatballs with a rich creamy curry sauce. It is wonderful to serve over cauliflower rice if you're doing low-carbs, noodles or with flatbread. With its irresistible blend of spices and sweet coconut milk, this has become one of my our favourite warming meals for a chilly night.
Meatballs | Curry Sauce |
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- To make the meatballs, combine the ground meat with the spring onion, coriander, spices, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands until everything is combined. Roll the mixture into golfball-sized meatballs.
- Heat a large frypan over medium heat and with coconut oil, fry the meatballs for a few minutes until they’re brown all over.
- To make the sauce, in a large, deep pan over medium heat, heat coconut oil and add the shallots, spring onions, chilli flakes, butter, garlic and ginger and stir until butter melted. Add the curry powder, cumin and ground coriander and salt and pepper to taste. Sweat the mixture off for about 5 minutes, then pour in the stock, passata and coconut milk. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to cook for about 10 minutes.
- Place the browned meatballs into the curry sauce and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened and reduced and the meatballs are cooked through, turn off the heat. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the chopped herbs sprinkled on top.
Hummus Bowls with Spiced Ground Beef and Grape Tomatoes
Friday, February 26, 2021A bed of extra creamy hummus topped with well spiced ground beef and a fresh grape tomato salad served with crisp crackers (or bread of your choice). It makes a simple and tasty weeknight dinner. You can easily use chicken, pork or lamb (tofu if you want to go mealess) in place of the beef or try other seasonal vegetables on top. The hummus can also be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator.
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- Heat oil in a large heavy bottom skillet over high. Pat beef dry with paper towels, then press into an even layer in skillet with a spatula. Season with coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook, undisturbed, until a brown crust begins to form underneath, about 6 minutes. Turn, break beef into pieces, and continue to cook, stirring, until just cooked through, about 1 minute.
- Meanwhile, toss tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
- Divide hummus among shallow bowls. Using the back of a spoon to create a shallow well in the center. Spoon spiced beef and tomato mixture over, then drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper flakes. Serve with lemon wedges and crackers alongside, if using.