I bought Marcella Hazan’s
Marcella Cucina cook book over twenty years ago. The book has been a very
useful reference for me to learn how to cook authentic Italian as the
techniques and recipes are easy to follow. This is an adaptation from her book
and takes about half an hour to prepare (quicker than you can get takeaways). I
might add very tasty too!
Penne Pasta with Zucchini Sauce
7 or 8 medium zucchinis
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive
oil
3-4 cloves of garlic peeled and
finely chopped
½ to 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 tablespoons Italian parsley
chopped
1 x 400 grams tin of plum Italian tomatoes
500 grams box of good quality Penne Pasta or other hollow tube pasta
Salt to taste
Parmesan shavings for garnish
METHOD
Wash zucchinis well and cut them
into batons (lengthways) about 5 centimetres long and about 1 centimetre wide.
In a large fry pan put two tablespoons of oil and the finely chopped garlic
turning heat to medium. Fry from time to time and when garlic turns pale brown
and the smell is evident, throw in the parsley and the zucchini pieces along
with salt and the chilli flakes. Turn over once or twice before covering with
lid. Cook for about 5 -7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and squash them up in your
hand while adding. Mix to combine and keep it on a steady simmer for a further
ten minutes.
Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the box, drain and toss the sauce immediately. Stir in the remaining olive oil. Mix to combine. Serve promptly with shavings of Parmesan cheese. Serves 4
Did you know that this classic Italian dish has its origins in Campania, Sicily? People tend to associate Parmigiana to Parma in the north but now you know. There are several variations and you can do it with breaded meat but in our household we prefer the vegetarian version with eggplants. The process is long but I assure there is nothing technical or hard and the end result is very tasty. Remember good things take time!
Eggplant Parmigiana
3 large eggplants
Plain flour for dusting
100 ml of extra virgin olive oil
2 cups salsa di pomodori (recipe
below)
150 grams Mozzarella cheese
grated or sliced thin
50 grams of Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt
METHOD
Slice the eggplant lengthways
into 1 centimetre slices. You will have about 7 or 8 slices from each eggplant.
Don’t make them too thin as they will disintegrate when you fry. Sprinkle each
layer liberally with salt, as you place in a colander in a sink and leave for
about 2 hours.
Slice the eggplant lengthwaysSalting the eggplant
Preheat oven to 180oC
while you prepare the salsa di pomodori and the eggplant.
Pat dry with kitchen towel, dust lightly with flour.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a wide fry pan. Add the eggplant slices
and fry briskly until browned on both sides. Do not crowd the pan. Remove and
drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining oil and eggplant slices.
Layering the Eggplants with salsa di pomodori
Use a lasagne dish, with
alternate layers of salsa di pomodori, eggplant and Mozzarella cheese. Finish
the last layer with Parmigiano Reggiano.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to
40 minutes until golden. Serve hot as a main for four with crisp Cos lettuce
salad or as a side dish to accompany meat for eight people.
SALSA di POMODORI
500 grams of tinned plum tomatoes
1 onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive
oil
3 cloves of plump garlic finely
chopped
1 carrot diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
½ to 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
Salt and pepper
2 – 3 sprigs of fresh basil
METHOD
Heat a saucepan and when hot
enough add the olive oil, followed by the onion. Once onion is softened, add
the garlic, chilli flakes, sugar, tomatoes, carrot and tomato paste. Salt to
taste and grind plenty of black pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon to break up
the tomatoes. Add half cup water and bring to the boil. Partially cover and let
simmer for 15 -20 minutes. Remove from heat, blitz to form sauce. Stir in basil
if using.
Years ago, on our way to Hanmer
Springs, we stopped by at Pegasus Bay Winery for lunch and I ordered the
cauliflower soup with Pernod. I have substituted vodka and the end result is a
decadent rich tasting soup.
1 medium cauliflower (600 -700
grams) washed and cut into small florets
1 large potato (150 grams)
1 large onion (150 grams), peeled
and chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
50 grams butter
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
30ml vodka (optional)
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon hot English mustard
Chopped Italian Parsley for
garnish
Salt to taste
METHOD
Heat butter in a deep sauce pan.
When the butter starts to melt and froth, add the onion and fry for three
minutes until soft. Add the garlic and ground white pepper and fry for a
minute. Next add the cauliflower florets along with the potato. When you feel
everything is heated through, add the vodka. I immediately flambé the vodka – I
light a match and do this. Then add three cups of water and one cup of milk.
Let it come up to the boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes until the
vegetables are all soft. Remove from heat, stir in the mustard and add salt.
Set aside a few pieces of the cooked cauliflower for garnishing the soup and
using a hand held blender, blitz the vegetables until you get a glossy soup.
Taste and adjust seasoning according to your preference.
Place the reserved cauliflower
florets onto a soup bowl and ladle soup into the bowl. Garnish with the Italian
Parsley. Serve with grilled cheese toast for a hearty lunch. Serves 6.
Until I started making couscous
this way, I did not have a very favourable impression. It always felt dry and
stodgy and lacked any real taste. I guarantee this recipe will definitely
change your mind like it did mine.
250 grams of wholemeal couscous
1 x 400 grams tin of chick peas
drained and rinsed
1 medium sized onion finely
chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped very fine
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon allspice powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 x 400 grams tinned tomatoes
1 green chilli finely chopped
12 kalamata olives, pitted and
sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
and parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a heavy
based fry pan that has a lid. Add onion and cook on a low heat until soft. Then
add the garlic, coriander, cumin, all spice, chilli powder and paprika, and mix
well. Cook for a couple of minutes, add tomatoes, green chilli and honey. Cook
for a few minutes, add a cup of water and let it come up to the boil. Now add the couscous, chick peas and olives.
Cover and cook over a low heat until the couscous swells up and is soft. This
will take about 5 -10 minutes. Just before serving stir the parsley and mint
through. Serves 4 -6.
Wash the black lentils and kidney
beans, soak in water overnight, drain and rinse well.
Place the beans and lentils in a
large saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil, reduce to a
simmer then cook, cover for an hour or hour and a half until the beans are
softened. To save time, alternatively, you may pressure cook.
In another large pan, heat the
ghee and fry the onion till golden. Then add the ginger and garlic and continue
frying for a further five minutes. Add the turmeric and chilli powder, fry for
a few minutes. If you feel the bottom of the pan is burning add a teaspoon of
water. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes and their juice. Cook this for five
minutes before adding the cooked beans along with the cooking liquid.
Add salt, pepper and garam
masala, stir everything together and simmer, uncovered for about an hour. The
dhal should be thick. If it’s too liquid, cook for a bit longer to evaporate
some liquid.
Check for seasoning, stir in the fresh green chilli and cream. Serve hot with rice.
ALOO METHI
Fresh fenugreek or methi
It is a commonly held belief in
India, that fenugreek (methi), the herb has a number of health benefits. Fresh
fenugreek has a very earthy flavour and every time I eat it, I feel I am putting some goodness into my body. Simply
put aloo methi is fenugreek stir fried with some potatoes. Please take the time
to prepare the methi well otherwise you will end up with a fibrous inedible
mess. Like with any greens, wash thoroughly and dry. Keep the tender tops and
leaves and discard tough bottom bits.
400 grams of potatoes like
Vivaldi boiled with skin on and peeled
2 large bunches of fenugreek
prepared (prepared weight 300 grams)
2 plump garlic sliced thinly
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon chilli powder
2 tablespoons ghee
Salt to taste
METHOD
Depending on size of your
potatoes, either quarter or cut into eighths. Finely chop all the fenugreek and
set aside. Heat the ghee in a fry pan and fry the garlic until the smell is
evident. Be careful to adjust heat so garlic does not burn. Then add the cumin
seeds and when they start to turn brown, add the potatoes. At the same time
sprinkle salt and chilli powder. Fry for thirty seconds to a minute and then
add the fenugreek. Stir fry continuously (may need to add a spoonful of water)
until all the fenugreek is cooked and sticking to the potatoes. Serve hot as a
side dish to your Indian meal.
1 cup of tightly packed leaves
and stems of coriander
½ cup of mint leaves
1 thumb ginger, roughly chopped
6-10 green chillies depending on
your heat preference and also how hot the chillies are to begin with
Cut the chicken into 5 centimetre
dice. To prepare the spice paste, soak the nuts in warm water for 10 -15
minutes. In a fry pan heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the chopped onion. Let
it cool. Put all the spice paste ingredients including the fried onion in a
blender and whiz to a paste.
Heat oil in a deep sauté pan and
add the red chilli along with cinnamon stick. When the flavour is evident, then
add the onions. When the onion begins to turn light brown, add the spice paste
and fry vigorously. Mind your hands as it can start to sputter! Continue frying
and add the yoghurt, tamarind paste, salt and a couple of tablespoons of water.
After frying five minutes, add all the chicken pieces. Give it a stir, cover
and cook for 15 – 20 minutes. Serve with rice or Indian breads.
There is no set recipe for
minestrone soup since it can be usually made with whatever vegetables or meat
one has at home. Just a note that the vegetables are a guide and you can create
your version depending on the vegetables you have and like. This is my
vegetarian version – which I like to serve with crusty bread for lunch.
Minestrone Soup
50 grams green cabbage shredded
100 grams cauliflower cut into
small florets
2 zucchini cut into 1 centimetre
dice
100 grams mushrooms cut eighths
or quarters depending on size
1 large carrot diced evenly
2 sticks celery sliced thinly
1 x 400 grams tin plum tomatoes
in juice
1 x 400 grams tin Borlotti beans drained
and rinsed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
50 grams orzo or risoni
3 plump garlic cloves finely
chopped
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
plus extra to serve
4 tablespoons finely grated or
microplaned Parmigiano Reggiano for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper to
taste
Vegetables prepared for Minestrone Soup
METHOD
In a large pan, heat the oil and
fry the onions for a few minutes. Then add the garlic, celery and carrots and
fry for three or four minutes. Then add the chilli flakes, oregano and the
remaining vegetables. Continue frying intermittently for a further five
minutes. Then add the tomato paste followed by the tomatoes in their juice. Add
a litre of water and bring it up to the boil. Cover and let simmer for 15
minutes. Give it a good stir after this period, add the borlotti beans and
salt. Continue cooking for a further 10 minutes and add the orzo or rizoni.
Cook for another 5 -7 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
Just before serving, once dished
out into individual bowls, sprinkle the cheese and pour a teaspoon of extra
virgin olive oil on top. Serve immediately with bread.
Our household loves my lasagne.
Over the years I have done several variations and this vegetarian version using
winter vegetables is a big hit. Please don’t be alarmed by all the ingredients
– it is relatively easy to make and I urge you to give it a try.
Pan Roasted Vegetable Lasagne
500 grams butternut squash peeled
and cut into 3 centimetre cubes
3 leeks thoroughly washed and cut
into 2 centimetre rounds
500 grams mushrooms sliced
1 large onion finely chopped
2 sticks celery, peeled and
finely chopped
1 x 400 grams can of brown
lentils drained and rinsed
6 plump garlic cloves finely
diced
2 x 400 grams tin of plum
tomatoes
½ to 1 teaspoon red hot chilli
flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 to 7 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil
4 cups of milk
4 tablespoons of plain flour
Salt and pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
(optional)
50 grams of butter evenly cubed
10 grams of butter evenly cubed
50 grams of Parmigiano Reggiano microplaned
400 grams of fresh lasagne sheets
METHOD
Heat a large, heavy bottomed fry
pan and once sufficiently hot add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add
the butternut pieces (a few at a time so as not to crowd the pan) and roast
them until nicely caramelized on the sides. This is important as it gives a
sweetness. Repeat until all butternut is roasted this way. Set aside. Repeat
the same process for the leek rounds and then the mushrooms.
To make the sauce: Once the
vegetables are pan roasted, add some more oil and fry the onions, celery and
garlic for about 5-6 minutes. They should look soft and translucent. Squash up
the tomatoes and juice and add this to the onion mixture. Add the oregano, chilli
flakes, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir and simmer gently for about 10
minutes. If you feel the sauce is getting too thick, add about half a cup of
water. Then add the lentils and continue simmering for a further 10 minutes.
Once done cover with lid until needed.
To make the béchamel sauce: Heat
up the milk in a measuring cup and have it ready. Heat a saucepan and add the
50 grams of butter. When butter is melted, add the plain flour and mix
continuously so the flour and milk are incorporated. Add salt and pepper to
taste, reduce heat to lowest setting and start adding the milk little at a time
while stirring continuously ensuring that milk is incorporated into the butter
flour mixture. Continue until all milk is used up. If you don’t mix
continuously, you will have a very lumpy béchamel sauce. Continue stirring and
you will know that the sauce is ready to be used when it coats the back of your
spoon. Remove from heat but keep warm.
Pan Roasted Vegetable Lasagne
In a deep baking dish (26 centimetres
by 18 centimetres and 10 centimetres deep) start assembling the lasagne. Spread
a layer of béchamel sauce and then the lasagne sheet. Follow this with a layer
of the sauce followed by the vegetables and the béchamel sauce. Repeat until
all the lasagne sheets, vegetables and sauces are used up. Remember you have to
finish with a topping of béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the Parmigiano Reggiano. Dot
the 10 grams of butter and place the dish in a pre-heated moderate oven (180
degrees Celsius) for about 40 minutes or until golden. Once cooked allow to
rest for 30-40 minutes before serving with a fresh Cos lettuce salad. ( I normally
just cut up the Cos or Romaine lettuce to bite size pieces and toss with lemon
flavoured olive oil and squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon for a bit of zing
just before serving). Serves four generously.
Years ago, when my children were
in high school, they had an opportunity to visit Japan on a school trip. Both
enjoyed the trip immensely and I believe it extended their palate. Amongst the
experiences they related back, one was a love for Japanese food and this simple
savoury street food snack called Okonomiyaki. I had no idea what it was at that
time and we did try some not so tasty versions. However this one is inspired by
Japanese food blogger Just One Cookbook and here is my version.
120 grams plain flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
180 ml water or dashi (stock)
4 large eggs lightly beaten
half large cabbage finely chopped
¼ cup pickled ginger
8 large tiger prawns cut
Vegetable oil for frying
For toppings:
Bonito flakes
Seaweed powder
Spring onions finely chopped
Togarashi (Japanese spice powder)
METHOD
Mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking
powder in a large bowl. Whisk in the water or dashi. Cover and set aside in
refrigerator for an hour. Then mix in the eggs, pickled ginger and cabbage
making sure everything is mixed in well.
Heat a flat non-stick pan or fry
pan. Spread a teaspoon of oil. Add a few pieces of prawns and pour in about a
cup full of your okonomiyaki mixture. Spread it out to make it half centimetre
thick and 12-14 centimetres wide. Make sure your flame is medium high. Allow to
cook for about 5 minutes until the bottom starts to lightly brown. Using two
spatulas or a fish spatula turn the okonomiyaki. Cook for a couple more minutes.
While on the stove, spread a
thick layer of the okonomiyaki sauce. Transfer to a serving plate. Squeeze out
the mayonnaise in a crisscross pattern. Sprinkle the bonito flakes, sea weed
powder, spring onions and the togarashi. Serve immediately.
Makes about 8 okonomiyaki.
Okonomiyaki
Chef’s notes: I chopped the
cabbage using a cleaver and let it rest to let moisture evaporate. It took me
about half an hour. If you add right away without resting and squeezing out the
liquid, it will dilute batter.
Okonomiyaki sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 tablespoons store bought tomato
ketchup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire
sauce
Mix all together until sugar is
completely dissolved. Set aside.
Mayonnaise
Normally kewpie mayonnaise is
used but if you don’t have it you can make a similar tasting one by using the
below:
½ cup Best or other store bought
mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Mix all ingredients and fill a
squeezie bottle and keep ready.
This is a highly nutritious,
tasty and popular breakfast item made in Andhra households. It is nice on its
own or you can serve with ginger chutney (allam pachadi). This along with allam
pachadi is comfort food and as such tend to eyeball the ingredients rather than
measure them out precisely. For purposes of sharing this recipe, I have given
measurements. I use a tawa which is a special fry pan that is flat with a lip
of one centimetre tall. You can however use a regular fry pan.
250 grams whole mung beans
1 -3 fresh hot green chillies,
chopped
5 cms piece of fresh ginger
peeled and chopped
Handful of fresh coriander stems
and leaves
2 tablespoons rice flour
8 teaspoons vegetable oil like canola
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 medium onions finely chopped
Put the beans into a bowl and
wash them in several changes of water. Drain, then cover generously in fresh
water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and put into a blender. Add
chillies, ginger, coriander stems and leaves, salt and about 200 ml water.
Blend for several minutes until you have a pancake like batter. Empty into
another bowl and mix in the rice flour.
Mix the chopped onions with the
cumin seeds and set aside.
Set a largish non-stick fry pan
over a medium heat. When hot, stir the batter from the bottom and pour a
ladleful into the centre of pan. Lightly use the back of the ladle and a wrist
action to spread the batter outwards in an even spiral form to reach the wall
of the fry pan about 20 centimetres in diameter. Sprinkle the onion and cumin
mix and pat them down gently with the back of a spoon. Add a few drops of oil
in the centre and about the edges of the pancake. Cook on a low medium heat
until the pancake turns crisp and golden. Flip the pancake and allow to cook
the other side for about 30 seconds. Serve right away (I tend to use two fry
pans). Make all the pancakes in the same way, stirring the batter each time you
make.
Pesarettu
ALLAM PACHADI (Ginger chutney)
30 grams tamarind (the variety that comes in a packet in an Indian store) (small lime sized ball)
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 tablespoons channa dhal (split chick peas)
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
½ teaspoon powdered asafoetida
8-12 dried red hot chillies
3 tablespoons vegetable oil like
canola
40 grams jaggery (if you can’t
find jaggery, you can use palm sugar or muscavado sugar)
Salt to taste
100 grams ginger (peeled and evenly chopped)
Wash the tamarind and then soak in 60 ml of hot water from the kettle for an hour. Using your hand (wear gloves), squeeze the tamarind and extract thick pulp. Discard the fibrous bits that don’t get pulped. Put the pulp into a microwave safe container and microwave on high for a minute and set aside.
Heat a kadai (Indian style wok) or a saucepan and add the oil to make the popu (seasoning). Add the fenugreek seeds along with channa dhal and fry them until they are slightly brown (if the oil is too hot they tend to burn and get bitter). Add the chillies (you can cut them in half if they are too long), stir and then add the mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start to splutter, remove from heat and add asafoetida to the hot mixture. Allow to cool.
Once the popu is cool enough, blend to a fine paste in a food processor or mortar and pestle. Add the tamarind pulp, salt, jaggery and ginger. Pulse until everything is ground. Transfer to a jar and serve with pesarettu or adai dosa. Store in refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
