Ingredients:

• 500g of Arborio rice
• 500g large dark mushrooms
• 1 medium size onion
• 2 - 6 cloves garlic (optional to taste)
• Glass red wine (optional)
• 1.5 litres vegetable stock (or use homemade veg stock)
• Ground black pepper
• Chilli (optional)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Method:

Wash and chop mushrooms. Peel and chop onions. Crush garlic. Sauté in heavy pan with ½ tbsp olive oil, for approx 3 - 4 minutes.

Add rice, mix together, continue to sauté, and continuing to stir for a further 1 minute. Add stock at least 1/2, (and wine if using) bring to boil, turn down heat to simmer.

Continue to simmer adding more stock as absorbed.

Cook for approx 25minutes.

Taste rice to see if cooked, add Parmesan, pepper to taste and chilli if required.

Serve immediately. Risotto should have a nice creamy consistency. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan and chopped fresh basil (if desired) on top.

Ingredients:

• 250 grams dried Farfalle
• 125 grams green beans
• 1 red potato
• 1 small bunch broccolini
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 30 grams parmesan cheese
•  3 tablespoons of a good pesto
• Rock salt
• Black pepper
• Virgin Olive oil

Method:

• Put water on to boil.
• Trim beans top and tail. Clean and thinly slice potato, trim end from broccolini and chop into small pieces.
• Cook pasta in boiling water with a little salt for about 5 to 7 minutes. Before the pasta is cooked add trimmed beans, thinly sliced red potato and trimmed broccolini
• Grate parmesan. Toast pine nuts - be careful you don’t burn them just add them to a hot pan and toss around only takes a minute or two.
• When the pasta and vegetables have cooked drain BUT KEEP a cup of the pasta water, put to one side.
• Add pasta and vegetables to a hot pan with olive oil (about a tablespoon of olive oil) add pesto and toss around, add a little of the pasta water to thin it out.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper, add pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan and serve.

Ingredients:

• Approximately 500g of 2 or 3 types of fish of your choice (Snapper, Tuna, Whiting, Garfish, Rudderfish, etc)
• 1 red pepper
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (plus a little extra may be needed)
• 1 egg
• Tablespoon sweet chilli sauce

Method:

Combine fish, pepper, sweet chilli sauce, egg, breadcrumbs, carrot, onion and garlic in a processor until a smooth paste.
If necessary, thicken with more breadcrumbs. Make into patties and fry in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil or bake in a hot oven on greaseproof paper for approximately 15min per side.

Serve with salad or rice. These are great cold the next day made into a salad sandwich/burger.

Ingredients:

For the base:

• 2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
• ½ cup skim/low fat milk
• ¼ cup virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch salt

For the topping:

• 2 large zucchinis, thinly sliced
• Bunch asparagus, trimmed
• home-made pesto or a good quality bought pesto 
• 200g Feta, crumbled
• Dried oregano
• Black pepper 
• rock salt

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 200°C.

Blanch sliced zucchini and asparagus and allow to drain.
As there is very little oil and no butter this pastry mix needs to be worked very quickly.

Add to a saucepan the milk, olive oil, pinch rock salt and bring to boil. Once boiled leave for two to three minutes off the heat to cool slightly. In a processor put wholemeal self raising flour, start processing, then slowly add hot milk mixture. It should form into round pastry dough. Remove from processor put between two sheets of grease proof paper and roll out to fit in a baking tray (lined with grease proof paper). Remember to work reasonably quickly as you can’t leave the pastry for long before you cook it.

When you have prepared your pastry and rolled it into a tray, prick it all over with a fork, spread the pesto, layer the zucchini (not overlapping), spread asparagus over the top, season to taste with dried oregano, fresh black pepper and pinch rock salt. Lastly sprinkle crumbled feta over top.

Bake for approx. 15 – 20min or until golden brown. Serve with salad of your choice.

Ingredients:

• 2 Small bulbs Fennels
• 1 brown Onion thinly sliced
• 2tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 kilo kipfler potatoes
• 4 large potatoes
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons low fat cream
• 2.5 cups grated Gruyere cheese fat reduced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
• Olive oil the inside of a 10 by 15 by 2 inch (10-cup) baking dish
• Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil on medium-low heat for 15 minutes until tender.
• Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of light cream, 2 cups of Gruyere, salt and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well.
• Pour the potatoes into a baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on the top.
• Bake for 1.5 hours or until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 1 bunch chopped spring onions (white and green parts)
• 2 x 500g boxes of frozen spinach (defrosted) or use fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 3 extra large free range eggs, lightly beaten
• 200g Feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 40 sheets frozen light filo pastry (defrosted overnight in the refrigerator)
• virgin olive oil spray
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. 
• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the spring onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft.
• Meanwhile, squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a bowl. Add spring onions, dill, eggs, feta, salt, and pepper and mix together.
• Keep the Filo sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel. Unfold 1 sheet of the Filo.
• Spray the sheets with a little olive oil spray and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Repeat the process by laying a second sheet of Filo over the first sheet and spray with a little olive oil spray and sprinkle with breadcrumbs until all 10 sheets have been used.
• Spoon 3/4 cup of the spinach mixture into a sausage shape along one edge of the Filo. Roll it up.
• Spray with olive oil and score the roll into 1-inch rounds. Place it on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat until all the pastry and filling have been used.
• Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
• Serve warm. 

Ingredients

Pasta:

• 250g dried Pappardelle

Fruit and veg:

• ½ small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 lemon
• 1 bunch of broccolini
• 250g mixed mushrooms (as interesting as you can get)

Milk and dairy:

• 40g Parmesan cheese
• butter or goats curd (optional)
• ½ x 125g bocconcini mozzarella cheese

Dried herbs and spices:

• black pepper (freshly ground)
• sea salt

Oils and dressings:

• extra virgin olive oil
• olive oil

Method:

Fill a deep saucepan with water and bring to the boil, add a pinch of rock salt or sea salt. When boiling add pasta.
Chop mushrooms (tear them up rather than chop with a knife - it’s more rustic) and chop a medium bunch of broccolini.

Roughly chop parsley stalks, peel and finely slice garlic, add to a hot non-stick pan with a good amount of virgin olive oil (about a tablespoon). Put it all in the pan with a pinch of salt and black pepper. OPTIONAL - you can add a little butter or some goats curd to make it a richer dish.

Tear the bocconcini balls into bite sized pieces and grate the parmesan cheese. Grate the zest of a lemon.
Check the pasta if cooked drain and keep a bit of the water back.
Check the mushrooms and broccolini (should be cooked) add the pasta to the pan, add the lemon zest and the parsley and a little of the water kept back.

Mix well now add the bocconcini and ½ the parmesan. Check seasoning, keep stirring/tossing lightly.

Serve immediately adding the remainder of the parmesan a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Dijon (French) mustard
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
• ½ teaspoons Celtic Sea Salt
• ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup virgin Olive Oil
• 4 ripe Avocados
• 2 large ruby red grapefruit

Method:

Place the mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

Before serving, cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the seeds, and carefully peel off the skin. Cut each half into 4 thick slices. Toss the avocado slices in the vinaigrette to prevent them from turning brown. Use a large, sharp knife to slice the peel off the grapefruits (be sure to remove all the white pith), then cut between the membranes to release the grapefruit segments.

Arrange the avocado slices around the edge of a large platter. Arrange the grapefruit segments in the centre. Spoon the vinaigrette on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

Ingredients

• 1kg potatoes, peeled
• 750g carrots, peeled
• 500g beets, scrubbed
• ½ bunch fresh rosemary, leaves picked
• ½ bulb garlic, broken into cloves, peeled
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 dessert spoon honey
• Good quality balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt

Pre Heat oven to high then make it HOT then reduce to half - say 180ºC

Method:

Bring three pans water to the boil (with a pinch of salt). Cut any large potatoes in half and leave any small ones whole. Place the potatoes in one of the pans and parboil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until half cooked. Drain the potatoes then leave them to steam dry. Return the potatoes to the hot pan and shake it around to chuff up the edges. Repeat with the carrots and beets but do not shake them around after leaving them to steam dry.

Scatter the potatoes with the rosemary, half the garlic cloves, a drizzle of oil, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then spread them out evenly in a roasting tray. Toss the carrots with the honey, a lug of oil and season well with salt and pepper. Add them to the tray, spooning over any remaining juices. Toss the beetroot with a lug of balsamic and oil, and season well with salt and pepper, then add them to the tray too. Scatter over the remaining garlic cloves and roast all the veg in the hot oven for about 20 to 30 minutes giving them a jiggle every so often or until everything is crispy, golden and delicious. Keep and eye on them and rotate the tray for even cooking.

Serves 4 to 6 people
 

Ingredients

• 100g peas (frozen peas are fine)
• 2 large zucchinis, coarsely grated or julienned in a mandolin
• Good quality pre-made ravioli 400g
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 finely chopped red chili’s
• Zest of half lemon
• ½ cup fresh chopped flat leafed parsley
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method:

Bring a large pan of water to boil.
While water is boiling heat olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add garlic and chilli, stir for approx 3 minutes. Add peas and zucchini, cook for extra 4 – 5 minutes or until soft.

Add ravioli to pan of boiling water and cook as per instructions. Drain when cooked, keeping back ½ cup of the boiled water.
Add ravioli to the pea and zucchini mixture, add lemon zest and parsley, a little bit of the boiled water to moisten, serve immediately with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 700g peas (fresh or frozen)
• 100g fresh rocket leaves
• 750ml vegetable stock (low salt)
• Shaved parmesan (optional)
• Extra rocket leaves for garnish

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft.  Add the peas and rocket, and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the stock and 1 cup (250ml) water, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Cool slightly then place in a food processor or blender in batches and process until almost smooth. Return to the cleaned saucepan and heat through. Serve garnished with shaved parmesan and the extra rocket.

Serves 4

PATTIES

Use dry or tinned beans, chickpeas and/or lentils. If using tinned drain and rinse first.

(tin)

2 tin beans - Canoli, black-eyed beans, chickpeas
1 tin lentils

or

(dry)
150g black eyed beans
150g Canoli beans or chickpeas
300g lentils

Ensure you soak the beans overnight. Boil beans if using dried with some fresh basil and rosemary. Cook until tender and mash down to a puree.

If using tin beans, drain, rinse, add herbs and then mash.

Ingredients:

• 2 Zucchini’s finely chopped
• 1 cup pumpkin finely chopped
• 1 cup carrots finely chopped
• 1 tspn garlic finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• Wholemeal flour for mixture and coating
• Sesame seed and cornmeal for coating (optional)

Steam the zucchini’s, pumpkin, carrots and garlic. Season with basil and black pepper and cook until well done.
Mix bean mix and cooked vegetables together with eggs. Mash down or use a processor.
Season to taste (if mixture needs thickening add some wholemeal flour).
Bean mix should be quite thick and able to be formed using your hands into a burger or ball shape.
Coat with mixed sesame seeds and wholemeal flour or cornmeal, then cook in a non-stick pan using olive oil spray.
Cook on both sides until golden brown.

Serve on couscous or a bed of rice. A mixture of wild and brown rice looks good and has a nutty taste. Spoon over Salsa Sauce (recipe below).

SALSA

• 2 large chopped onions
• 2 leeks
• 1 tspn garlic
• 1 tspn grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tspn brown sugar or maple syrup or honey

Cook onions until transparent in dessertspoon olive oil. Add rest of ingredients and simmer on a very low light for 30min.
Optional - add 1 tsp of chilli or more if you like it.

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

• 250g self raising flour (50% plain unbleached and 50% wholemeal)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 eggs plus two extra egg whites, lightly beaten 
• 3 ripe bananas
•  1/2 cup nuts roughly chopped (pecans, walnuts and/or macadamia’s)
   

Method

Pre heat oven to 180° C. Mix flour, sugar and spices. In a food processor mix oil, eggs and the bananas. Process for one minute. Stir in nuts, mix with flour, sugar and spices.

Pour into an 18cm spring form tin and bake for about 1 hour. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out.

When cold you can if you wish dust with icing sugar mix with ground cinnamon or ice with a yoghurt and lemon icing.