Chunky Vegetable Soup

This is always a firm favourite vegetable soup in our house.  I have been making it for years and always satisfies.  Thick and hearty.  Enjoy.

*Taken from Family Circle's 'Comfort Food', published 1999, pg 57*

Ingredients

50g butter

1 leek, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 large potato, chopped

1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

1 swede or turnip, peeled and chopped

225g sweet potato, chopped

1/2 cup (115g) soup mix

2 litres vegetable stock or water

1 cup (155g) frozen peas

125g green beans, chopped

and the two ingredients I always forget;

1/4 cup (15g) chopped fresh mint

1/3 cup (20g) chopped fresh parsley

Method

Heat the butter in a large heavy-based pan and cook the leek, celery, carrot, potato, parsnip, swede or turnip and sweet potato, stirring for 5 minutes.

Add the soup mix and stock or water.  Bring slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/4 hours or until the mix has softened.

Add the peas and beans and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until tender.  Stir in the chopped mint and parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot.  Delicious with crusty bread.

Serves 6

Risoni Salad

A lovely, light tasting side salad. Try it for something a little different.

*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 152, published 2007*

Ingredients
200g (1 cup) risoni
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
40g baby rocket leaves
1 1/2 tbs shredded basil leaves
1/2 small red onion, finely sliced

Method
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the risoni and cook for about 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, then drain again. Put the risoni in a large bowl with the oil, vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, rocket, basil and onion. Mix well, season to taste and refridgerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4 as a Side Salad

Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a pretty basic salad to make and there is probably got a zillion recipes out there to make it, but this one tasty. I don't always add the red cabbage (a bit pricey at times) and when I took this photo I didn't have the parsley added, nor the red cabbage. I have to say, the Food Processor gets a good work out in this recipe...
*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 143, published 2007*

Ingredients
1/2 green cabbage
1/4 red cabbage
3 carrots, coarsley grated
6 radishes, coarsley grated
1 red capsicum (pepepr), chopped
4 spring onions, sliced
15g chopped flat-leaf (italian) parsley
250g (1 cup) whole-egg mayonnaise

Method
Remove the hard core from the cabbages and shred the leaves with a sharp knife. Place in a large bowl and add the grated carrot, radishes, red capsicum, spring onion and parsley.

Add the mayonnaise just before serving, season to taste and toss ntil well combined.

Serves 8-10 as a Side Salad

Moroccan Eggplant with Couscous

This salad made an excellent side dish for a BBQ we had and by all accounts, everyone enjoyed this flavoursome salad. Will definitely be making it again in the not too distant future...

*Taken from the Murdoch publication 'Tossed'*

Ingredients
185g (1 cup) instant couscous
200 ml olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 eggplant (aubergine)
3 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cloves
50g butter
2 1/2 large handfuls parsley, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbs capers, rinsed and drained

Method
Put the couscous in a large bowl and add 375ml (1 1/2 cups) boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes, then fluff up with a fork.

Heat 2 tbs of the oil in a large frying pan and gently cook the onion for 8-10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan.

Cut the eggplant into 1cm thick slices, then into quarters and place in a large bowl. (I cut my eggplant into about 1cm cubes)
Mix the cumin, garlic salt, cinnamon, paprika and cloves in a small bowl with 1/2 tsp of salt, then sprinkle over the eggplant, tossing to coat well.

Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook, turning once, for 20-25 minutes, or until browned. Removed from the pan and allow to cool.

In the same pan, melt the butter, then add the couscous and gently cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the onion, eggplant, parsley, lemon zest and capers and take off the heat. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Serves 4 as a side salad.

Orange Sweet Potato and Ditalini Patties

These were really tasty, besides the fact that for the life of me, I could not find any ditalini pasta anywhere. Instead I used tiny little star shaped pasta, I don't think there is any need to actually use the pasta specified, but what ever pasta you use, make sure it is tiny. I served mine on a bed of mixed lettuce leaves and a big dollop of creamy mayonnaise.

*Taken from 'Fast Food', a Murdoch publication Book, 2002*

Ingredients

2 orange sweet potatoes (about 800g in total)

1/2 cup (90g) ditalini

30g toasted pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 tbs finely chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan

1/3 cup (35g) dry breadcrumbs

plain flour, for dusting

olive oil, for shallow-frying

Method

Preheat the oven to very hot 250C. Pierce the whole sweet potatoes several times with a fork, then place in a roasting tin and roast for 1 hour, or until soft. Remove and allow to cool. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under running water.

Peel the sweet potato and mash the flesh with a potato masher or fork, then add the pine nuts, garlic, basil, Parmesan, breadcrumbs and the pasta and combine. Season.

Shape the mixture into eight even patties (about 1.5cm thick) with floured hands, then lightly dust the patties with flour. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the patties in batches over medium heat for 2 minutes each side, or until golden and heated through. Drain on crumpled paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately. Great with a fresh green salad.

Serves 4

Roasted Vegetable and Gruyere Pasties

I couldn't find celeriac anywhere so I used some sweet potato instead. I also couldn't find Gruyere cheese (! I know!!) so I used some good old tasty. No jap pumpkin here either, so I used Kent (which I prefer anyway!) I don't own a food processor, so I used my mix master on extra low speed, using dough hooks, to mix the pastry together. But after all that, it was pretty simple really.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
Pastry
3 1/3 cups (500g) plain flour
1/2 tsp table salt
3 tbs olive oil
1 cup (250mls) cold water

Filling
3x2 cm slices jap pumpkin, cut into 1 cm pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
1/2 celeriac, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
70ml extra virgin olive oil
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
5 golden shallots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
1 tsp ground fennel
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped
150g grated Gruyere
1 egg, lightly beaten
100g ricotta
1 extra egg, beaten with 1 tbs olive oil
sesame seeds (optional)

Method
Preheat oven to 165C. For the pastry, combine flour and salt in a food processor and, with motor running, drizzle in olive oil. Add water and pulse until mixture just comes together. Knead gently on a lightly floured work surface, then wrap in plastic film and place in the fridge for 2 hours.

To make the filling, combine the pumpkin, carrot, potato, parsnip and celeriac, in a large baking dish. Add 50 mls of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 1 hour, turning occasionally. Turn off oven and leave vegetables inside for 1 hour (they should shrink and intensify in flavour).

Heat remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over low-heat. Add shallots, garlic and leek and cook for 8-10 minutes or until soft and caramelised. Stir in ground fennel and parsley. Add roasted vegetables and stir gently to combine. Stir in Gruyere and beaten egg. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Preheat oven to 200C. Divide pastry into 4 pieces, making 2 slightly larger than the others. Roll the 2 larger pieces on a lightly floured surface to 5 mm-thick ovals. Spread vegetable mixture evenly on each, leaving a 2 cm border. Scatter ricotta over vegetables. Roll remaining pastry into 2 thin ovals and cover vegetables. Press and twist edges of pastry to seal and glaze tops by brushing with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using, and salt and pepper. Place pasties on a large baking tray lined with baking powder. Bake for 25-30 mins or until cooked and golden. Remove from oven and leave for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 2 large pasties.

Serves 6-8 as a light lunch

Eggplant Parmigiana

This was actually pretty tasty and was something different too. The anchovies in the recipe really brought out the flavour. It was more like an eggplant lasagna rather than a parmigiana! I added on top a few sliced black olives and a sprinkling of crumber fetta cheese....

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
2 large eggplants (I used 1)
3/4 cup (110g) plain flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten with 3 tbs water
2 cups fine breadcrumbs
350ml olive oil, for frying
100ml extra virgin olive oil
4 cups (1 litre) tomato passata (I used 500ml)
1 cup (80g) grated Parmesan
200g mascarpone
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
10 slices fontina* cheese
4 sprigs oregano (I used dried)
2 sprigs basil, leaves picked
salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

Method
Cut eggplants length ways into 1/2 cm-thick slices. Dust eggplant with flour, then dip into egg was then breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Fry eggplant slices for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

Preheat the oven to 170C. Place 2 tbs of the extra virgin olive oil in a large ovenproof dish and swirl to cover base. Spread about a third of the tomato passata in base of dish. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons Parmesan. Place marscarpone, anchovies and remaining Parmesan in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Place one layer of eggplant slices over the base of the dish. Spoon another third of the tomato passata over eggplant, top with a layer of fontina and spoon over a few dollops of mascarpone mixture. Sprinkle with half the oregano and basil. Repeat layers, seasoning each layer. Finish with cheese and herbs. Drizzle with remaining extra virgin olive oil and cover with foil/

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden.

Serves 6

*Fontina is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese with a sweet delicate flavour. (I looked high and low for this cheese and was unsuccessful in finding it. Instead I used what I had in the fridge - some lovely cheddar cheese and a bit of fetta)

Double Potato and Halloumi Bake

This is a very simple dish to make and would be delicious served with anything. To be honest with you, I could of just eaten a whole plate piled high of this. It was very yummy. And besides, I have a thing for roasted garlic...

You can replace the halloumi cheese with feta if you wish and I also added a carrot to the dish.

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's 'Nigella Bites'*

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato

1 large Desiree potato

1 red onion

1 yellow pepper

1 red pepper

1/2 head of garlic

4 tbs olive oil

black pepper

125g halloumi cheese, sliced as thinly as you can

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6

Cut the sweet potato into rough 4cm cubes and the Desiree slightly smaller (2 1/2 cm) as the sweet potato will cook more quickly. Halve the red onion, then cut each into 4 to 6 segments, discarding any tough outer skin. De-seed the peppers and cut into 2 1/2 cm squares, and separate the cloves of garlic. Put everything into a large roasting tin and using your hands, give the vegetables a good coating of olive oil. Season with black pepper, but no salt as the cheese will make it salty. Cook for 45 minutes, by which time the vegetables should be cooked through and here and there tinged with brown. You'll need to turn the oven up to a maximum or light the grill for the endgame: so place the thinly sliced cheese on top of the bake, and put it back in the very hot oven or under the grill until the cheese has melted and turned slightly brown on top, about 5-10 minutes. Serve straight out of the roasting tin.

Serves 2-3

Pasta Shells with Ricotta, Tomato & Basil

As fiddly as these were to make they were delicious. Truly delicious. They were meant to be made using Conchiglies (large pasta shells - you know those huge ones??) Well, I couldn't find any so I just used normal large size pasta shells that you can pick up in any supermarket.

These can be served at room temperature or you can heat them in the oven and serve hot with grated Parmesan on top. This is what I did. I put cheese on top then popped them into a hot oven for about 8 minutes in individual bowls for both Lyndon and I. Yummo!!!!

*Taken from 'Allegro Al Dente - Pasta & Opera'*

Ingredients

6 ripe tomatoes (I used Roma/Plum)

2 tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

salt to taste

1 tsp sugar

300g (10 oz) fresh ricotta (I used 200g)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 conchiglie (large pasta shells)

Fresh basil leaves

Method

Dunk tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, then peel off skin, cut in half, squeeze to remove seeds and chop remaining flesh. Heat olive oil, add tomatoes, garlic, salt and sugar and cook until tomatoes are soft and sweet.

Beat ricotta with a wooden spoon until light, adding salt and pepper as you go.

Cook pasta shells in plenty of salted, boiling water until al dente. Do not overcook or they will tear easily when stuffed. Drain pasta, tuck a basil leaf into each shell, and half fill with ricotta. Top with a spoonful of tomato sauce.

Serves 4

As I used smaller pasta shells I found it easier to put the ricotta into them via the use of a piping bag.)

La Pappa Per Il Bebe

A simple sauce for the baby

I made this very simple pasta sauce for Monet last night. It took her some convincing to eat (she is very fussy!) but it was honestly delicious. I served it over dinosuar shaped pasta and topped with a little fresh grated cheese... Unfortunately, I didn't get to take a photo!

*Taken from the cookbook 'Allegro Al Dente - Pasta & Opera'*

Ingredients
3 ripe tomatoes
2 tbs water
1 tsp butter
1 basil leaf

Method
Dunk the tomatoes into boiling water for a few seconds, then peel off skin. Cut in half, squeeze out the seeds and chop remaining flesh to a pulp.

Combine the pulp in a small pot with water, butter and basil leaf and cook very, very gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cooked pasta, heat through and serve.

Serves 1 toddler.

Sicilian Spaghetti Al'olio

A different way to serve spaghetti, that's for sure. It was rather tasty and very easy. Both Lyndon and Monet liked it.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
500g fresh spaghetti (I used dried)
1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, very finely sliced
2 small red chillies, very finely sliced
2 handfuls spinach, chopped
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, torn
1 lemon, juiced and zested
salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
10 thin slices sourdough baguette, fried in oil until crisp and seasoned, then pulsed in a food processor until crumbled
Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated (I used Parmesan)

Method
Cook spaghetti in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain.

Heat half the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and chilli and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add spinach, parsley and lemon zest and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Add pasta to frying pan with lemon juice and remaining oil. Add sourdough crumbs and toss to combine. Check seasoning. Serve immediately with the parmigiano reggiano.

Serves 4

Spinach, Herb, Rocotta & Fetta Filo Pastry Pie

A relatively easy recipe to prepare. I cheated and used pre-packaged frozen spinach... Can be eaten hot or cold and served with Tzatziki. To be honest with you I wasn't a big fan of it - maybe there was too much spinach for my liking and not enough cheese. Next time I'd probably cut down the spinach to 500g and increase the ricotta to 500g. But that is just my opinion. The biggest surprise though was that Lyndon actually really liked it. He normally doesn't like things like this...

*Taken from (you-guessed-it) Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
150ml extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbs capers, chopped
800-900g spinach (with stems), coarsely chopped
4 sprigs mint, leaves picked and torn
4 sprigs oregano, leaves picked and torn
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and torn
2 eggs, lightly beaten
250g ricotta
120g fetta, crumbled
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
12 large sheets filo pastry
2 tsp ground fennel seeds

Method

Heat 50ml of the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add capers and half the spinach and cook for 4-5 minutes. Drain in a colander and press out excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan and cook herbs and remaining spinach until wilted. Drain in a colander and press out excess liquid. Add to bowl. Stir eggs, ricotta and fetta into spinach mixture and mix well. Season.

Preheat oven to 165C.

Grease a round 20cm cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Keep the filo covered with a damp towel while working so it doesn't dry out. Place two pastry pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface and brush with olive oil. Repeat twice more. Place half the spinach mixture along the center of pastry and roll length ways. Place roll in a circle around the inside of the cake tin. Make another roll with remaining pastry and spinach mixture. Place in cake tin and wind around to completely cover the base of the tin. Brush with olive oil, scatter with fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Cool before serving.

Serves 6

Angel-Hair Pasta with Butter, Soft Goat's Curd, Chervil and Chives

To begin with I have to say that I could not find any fresh Chervil ANYWHERE so substituted chervil for fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley. After all, Chervil is a French Parsley so I figured Italian was just as good, yes? And goat's curd? Well, I'm pretty sure the marinated fetta I bought wasn't goat's but it was absolutely delicious.... A very quick and easy dinner!

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
150g unsalted butter
500g fresh angel-hair pasta (I used dried angel-hair spaghetti)
1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
3/4 cup chervil, coarsely chopped
150g fresh soft goats curd or marinated soft goats fetta, crumbled
salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
shaved Parmesan (optional) to serve

Method
Cut butter into small cubes and set aside at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until al dente. Drain, then add butter and toss to combine. Stir through chives, chervil and goat's cheese. Season with salt and cracked pepper. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately, scattered with Parmesan, if desired.

Serves 4

Tuna Nicoise

This recipe was delicious, besides the fact it took some fiddling about. It was worth the trouble. An absolute taste sensation and I will surely be making this again in the very near future. I didn't use the tuna steaks, instead I used Yellowfin Tuna in Oil from a tin (which was recommend if fresh tuna not available to use.) Please make it and you won't be disappointed. And yes, yet another Karen Martini recipe...

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
4 free-range eggs (60g each)
splash of vinegar
1/2 bunch basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
150ml extra virgin olive oil
salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
250g small green beans, trimmed
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 punnet (250g) red cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used grape tomatoes)
100g butter, chopped
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2tbs plain yoghurt
4 yellowfin tuna steaks (120g each)
3 large Desiree or kipfler potatoes, peeled and boiled in lightly salted water, then thinly sliced and tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and kept warm
1tbs small capers
16 black olives
lemon wedges to serve

Method
Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil and add a splash of vinegar. Slide in the eggs and poach for 3-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

Place herbs in a bowl, add 50ml olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook beans in lightly salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and add hot beans immediately to herb and oil mix. Add onion and cherry tomatoes and toss to combine.

To make the anchovy sauce, place butter, remaining olive oil, anchovies and garlic in a small saucepan. Use a wooden spoon to stir over low heat until anchovies dissolve, then season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Mix mayonnaise and yoghurt in a separate bowl.

On a hot barbecue or in a hot non-stick pan, sear the lightly oiled tuna or cook to your liking (2-3 minutes for rare, 3-4 minutes for medium, 4-6 minutes for well done).

To serve, spread the mayonnaise on four plates, arrange potato slices over and top with tuna. Spoon on the bean mix and scatter capers and olives. Place egg on top and spoon over hot anchovy sauce. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

Eggplant Involtini with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Tomato

Not ever haven made anything involving eggplant before, I was pretty keen on trying this recipe. Monet was not keen on tasting it (something to do with her being tired me thinks!) but Lyndon thought it was really nice and I tend to agree with him. Give it a go, you will not be disappointed.

I must say here, that the Karen Martini book I have been using is simply wonderful. I think this is my ninth recipe of hers that I have tried and posted about on this blog!!

*Taken from the Karen Martini book 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients

3 eggs

2 large eggplants (I used 1)

1/2 cup plain flour

300ml olive oil, for frying

250g ricotta

salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

3 tbs currants, soaked in red wine vinegar for 5 mins, then drained

1/2 cup (40 g) grated Parmesan

200 g mozzarella, cut into 1 cm-thick slices (I used grated)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I did NOT add this)

2 cups (500 ml) tomato passata

2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped

50 g pine nuts, coarsely chopped

3 tbs coarse breadcrumbs

Method

In a small shallow bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs with 1 tbs water. Cut the eggplants lengthways into 1 cm-thick slices. Dust the eggplant slices with flour, then dip in the egg-wash. Heat oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Cook eggplant slices for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain well on kitchen paper.

In a medium bowl, mix ricotta with remaining egg. Season with salt and pepper. Add the drained currants and half the Parmesan and stir to combine. Spoon about 1 tbs of the ricotta mixture onto each eggplant slice. Add a stick of mozzarella and roll up tightly.

Preheat oven to 170C. Brush the base of a large ovenproof dish with 1 tbs of the extra virgin olive oil. Spread half of the tomato passata in the base of dish. Place the eggplant rolls on the tomato, seam-side down so they don't unroll. Drizzle with remaining oil (which I didn't do!), spoon over remaining passata and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Combine parsley, pine nuts and breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and gooey.

Serve with a mixed-leaf salad dressed with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

Provencale Capsicums

I made this for dinner tonight not expecting Lyndon to go on (and on) about it! He loved it. So flavoursome and tasty he thought and I tended to agree with him. He said if he had to mark me out of 10 I would have got 10 out of 10 for this meal! What a compliment hey...

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
2 punnets (500 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
5 tbs black olives, pitted and finely chopped
4 sprigs oregano, torn
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
4 red capsicums, halved and seeded
3/4 cup (55 g) homemade breadcrumbs
1/2 cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
8 anchovy fillets, sliced length ways

Method
Preheat oven to 150C.

Combine tomatoes, olives, herbs and garlic in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Place capsicum halves on a lightly greased baking tray and fill with the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Place anchovies on top in a crisscross pattern. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 25 minutes until soft and golden. Serve with pan juices served over.

Serves 4-8

Genovese Salad

You can probably see by this blog that I have this 'thing' for potato salad. I was never a big fan of potato salad when growing up, I'm not sure why. I guess I am on a quest to find the perfect potato salad. This one is yummy and pretty different from the 'usual'. It's a good cross between both Potato salad and Pesto Pasta salad - Lyndon thought it was delicious. I did find with this one, that I seemed to use a hell of a lot of dishes. Someone buy me a dishwasher and I'll stop complaining here. Hehe...

*Taken from Karen Maritin's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
6 small Desiree potatoes (I used Golden Delight)
50ml extra virgin olive oil
50ml red wine vinegar
200gm green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
200gm lasagnette pasta
100ml pesto
1 cup spinach leaves, shredded
30g pine nuts
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Cook potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Slice potatoes thickly and toss with 2tbs of the olive oil and the vinegar.

Cook beans in lightly salted boiling water for about 3 minutes or until just cooked. Drain. Cook peas in reserved cooking liquid for 1 minute. Drain. Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water until just past al dente. Drain, then transfer to a bowl and stir through the remaining oil and half of the pesto. Add shredded spinach to hot pasta and stir through until wilted. Add potatoes, beans and peas and remaining pesto and pine nuts and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4-6

Warm Potato, Dill, Caper and Mustard Salad

This is a quick and easy potato salad recipe, that I whipped up last night. Different from traditional potato salad but delicious all the same.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where the Heart Is'*

Ingredients
8 Desiree potatoes (4 peeled, 4 scrubbed) (I used Golden Delight)
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs seeded mustard
4 tbs white-wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced and zested
3 red shallots, peeled and sliced
3 tbs tiny capers
2 sprigs dill, chopped (I used dried)
2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (I used curly-leaf)

Method
Cut potatoes diagonally into 2 cm-thick slices. Place in a medium-sized saucepan of boiling water and cook over medium heat until tender. Drain well.

Mix oil, both mustards, vinegar, lemon juice and zest and shallots in a large bowl. Add hot potatoes and stir to coat. Add capers, dill and parsley and toss gently to combine.

Serve warm.

SERVES 8