Vermicelli with Pan Fried Salmon.
A few good slugs of olive oil in a fry pan, add cubed salmon (one small fillet between two). Fry til cooked, add a handful of chopped flat leaf parsley, zest and juice of one lemon, salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta, stir and let it sit for a few minutes. Serve with a glass of white wine.
By Natalie Smith
Butterflied Chicken stuffed with Rosemary, Olives and Lemon. Kumara and Parsnip Mash and raw Bean Salad.
Flutterby Chicken. Cut Through the center of a good sized chicken breast almost till the end so you can unfold it. for the filling, finely chop rosemary, a hand full of nice and salty olives and squeeze one lemon. Add some olive oil and place into the pockets. I also added a thin slither of butter and this kept the center of the breast from drying out. Let marinade for as long as possible, over night at the most. Fry till golden on both sides and place in the oven to finish.
Kumara Parsnip Mash. Cut up two decent sized kumara and one parsnip and boil. Then whiz with hand blender, masher or food processor and season to taste.
Raw Bean Salad. I made this up as i went but it came out tasty. I’ve always loved the taste of beans strait from the vine and this salad captures that raw sweetness. Top and tail a hand fool of beans and cut into 2cm lengths. Chop 3 celery stalks and as much purple cabbage as you want and place into a bowl. Add some herbs. Coriander, basil or mint - whatever is on hand, chop finely and add to the mix. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and a drop of vinagre and olive oil. A spoon of greek yogurt for luck and stir it all up. Add anything you think it might need.
Falafel Wrap with Smokey Eggplant Dip, Chilli Haloumi, Tabouli and Hummus.
Falafel. In a small pan dry fry two teaspoons of coriander seeds and two tablespoons of cumin seeds until brown and crispy. Crush them and place in food processor. Add two small cans of drained, rinsed chickpeas, a handful of fresh parsley and coriander and one medium sized red onion, finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper and some cayenne pepper (or chili) to taste. Add a teaspoon of baking powder to bind and turn on the whizzer. Shallow fry small balls of the mixture on a high heat.
Smokey Eggplant Dip. Cut two large eggplants in half, length ways, score deeply and douse in olive oil. Season with salt and pop in the oven at 200 degrees until grilled and very soft. Separate the flesh from the skin and place in a food processor. Add two garlic cloves, one small wedge of preserved lemon and season. Whizz it up and if you want it more runny add olive oil.
Tabouli. Into a bowl add one finely chopped onion, tomato, lots of parsley and add cooked bulgar wheat. I used quinoa because it was on hand but you can also use cous cous if you prefer. Mix well.
Wrap it all up with some freshly cut lettuce and cucumber. Add the sauces you like. I used yogurt and hummus. Pop into sandwich press for that authentic late night drunken snack effect. Go ahead, wrap it up in foil too.
The Little Starter, Grilled Chilli & Lemon Haloumi with Hummus, Tabouli and Eggplant Dip.
Sunday Big Breakfast. Smoked Kahawai Spread, Preserved Herrings with Onion, Hummus, Haloumi, Vege Sausages, Potato Hash Crisps and Poached Eggs.
Smoked Kahawai Spread - Strip the flesh from half a smoked Kahawai removing all the bones you find along the way. Add Lemon juice and half a pottle or so of Creme Fraiche to achieve a ‘dip’ consistency. Season to taste.
Herrings - Slice into bite sized chunks and add to half a chopped onion. Try some of the herring before you cut it up, some brands use more salt then others and if it’s over powering then rinse under water and dry with a paper towel then add back into the oil.
Hummus - Soak Chickpeas overnight if you’re using dried or simply pop the top of the can and give them a good rinse. Pour into blender. Add one good sized clove of garlic and the juice of half a lemon. Then scoop in a tablespoon each of Tahini and olive oil. Turn it on! If it’s not coming together and falling down the side of the blender then add either more olive oil or a dash of water, one tablespoon at a time unti it looks right. Season to taste.
Potato Hash Crisps - Grate one large potato, I used Agria because they’re not floury, and once grated squeeze out all the extra juice. Add some parsley and season. Fry in a pan on medium heat till golden on each side. It’s more of a shallow fry - without enough oil you’ll end up with either burnt bits or an uneven color.
Pozole (Pork) Enchilada with Iceberg, La Morena Salsa Roja and Some Homemade Gumbo Guacamole.
Start by crushing two good sized cloves of garlic into a saucepan with a small nub of butter and add one finely chopped onion. Let it get a bit of colour then add 400g finely chopped tomoatoes. I used Mexican style ones from a can but you can use fresh ones if you like, just remember to remove the seeds. You want just the flesh or the sauce will be very wet. Add one can of La Morena refried Bayo beans and simmer lightly for 10min, season to taste.
Fry the pork in a separate pan, I used mince this time but you can add strips of any cut you like or if you’re out to impress make some pulled pork in a slow cooker. Give a nice colour to the meat and then add to the rest of the sauce.
Fill tortilla with about quarter of the mixture, fold and roll over. Repeat and then cover both the enchiladas with the rest of the sauce. It’s good to use a small baking dish and get them nice and snug. Add cheese to your liking and pop under the grill to melt.
This recipe is for two man sized portions. To make this dish go further, use smaller tortillas or serve with rice to satisfy all the bellies.
Broccoli Soup with Vogel’s Soldiers.
Possibly the simplest of all soups. Boil a head of broccoli in lightly salted water. Once it’s cooked put it in a blender and add some of the water that you boiled it in and whizz it all up. Start with less water and add to create the consistency that you like. Season to taste – this one I made heavy on the pepper, the ideal winter warmer. Easy.
Pork Schnitzel with Coleslaw and Agria Potatoes
Make sure you beat the pork nice and thin. To batter, cover lightly in flour making sure that it’s covered all over then cover in beaten eggs and finally in breadcrumbs. Don’t be afraid to use a good glug of oil when frying, if you don’t use enough you’ll end up with inconsistent browning.
Pan Fried Black Rock Lamb Leg Steak Marinated in Rosemary, Mint, Garlic, Onion and Pomegranate Molasses with a side of Goat Feta, Silverbeet and Kumara.
I let the lamb marinade for an hour or so, but the longer you leave it the better. Throw it all into a hot pan and fry, turning once. Rest for five minutes in the pan off the element.
I steamed the silverbeet and tossed the goat feta though it with a dash of olive oil.
‘Egg Hole’ with Ripe Avocado, Bertocchi Sopressa Salami and Rocket.
Egg hole is very easy to make. I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to put the hole into the toast (because I was being romantic) but you can use any shape you like or just cut out a square with a knife. The size of the bread and the size of the hole will determine how much egg goes over the sides.
Once you’ve chosen your shape and cut it into the bread, put it in the pan with a bit of butter and olive oil to let it toast up. Flip it over once it’s golden and crack the egg into the middle. Flip and let the other side cook for a bit too. If you like your eggs runny then don’t leave them too long once you’ve flipped them.
There is no tidy way of making these. I always get egg all over the pan but the finished product is too damn delicious.
