Mushroom tartlets

The start to 2020 has been…well…not as we had expected it to be.

There were the fires, the loss of the family farm and our camper-trailer,  and the lingering smoke haze. Then there was the freak hail storm that left my car looking like a golf ball, caterers that pulled out the day before my husband’s birthday party and a mobile cool room who’s compressor decided to blow – meaning it was more of a “hot box” than a cool room.

But here we are. More than half way through February and things are starting to look up. My car was finally assessed as a ‘write off’ (no surprises there) , and I found a replacement car with low kms that I’m hoping pick up next week. The insurance claim for the camper is also in its final stages, and I’m pleased to report that my husband’s birthday went off without any more hitches and a great time was had by all!

So its’s time to get back in the kitchen and get a little creative. Making dishes that I wouldn’t normally make, and trying some new flavours and ingredients. For it’s no secret that the kitchen has always been my happy place.

When I looked back at my photos, I was reminded of one such afternoon in the kitchen – baking. On the menu were these lovely little mushroom tartlets, that we served as an appetiser when we had guests over for dinner.

Mushrooms, cooked in a creamy sauce that was laden with sherry, and served in crispy puff pastry. They were actually quite simple to prepare, from memory, and were a nice alternative to the cheese plate or charcuterie board that we normally serve as a starter.

I think they’d be lovely for lunch too, served with a green salad. I could probably even sneak them into the kids’ lunchboxes, although I’d probably omit the sherry.

So here’s to a 2020 that is filled more with baking and creating, than dealing with insurance companies!

Print Recipe
Mushroom tartlets
Course Appetiser
Servings
tartlets
Ingredients
Course Appetiser
Servings
tartlets
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180C and grease a 12-hole muffin pan.
  2. Cut puff pastry into 10cm rounds and press into the prepared tin. Prick the bases with a fork. Place some baking paper in each and fill with pastry weights. Bake for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove weights and baking paper and continue to bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. To make the filling - heat butter in a large frypan and sauté until golden. Add the sherry and allow to evaporate. Add the cream and lemon juice and simmer until the mixture had reduced slightly. Remove from heat and stir through egg yolks. Season to taste.
  5. Spoon the warm filling into the pastry cases, and bake for a further 5 minutes. Serve.
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Spicy lentil stew

It is rather appropriate that I am posting about a slow-cooked stew on a day where the temperature has not exceeded 8 degrees outside (although, if I’m completely honest, it feels more like 2 degrees).

I know this because I took my regular morning walk this morning, and despite wearing thermals, gloves and a beanie, I still returned home with chilled toes and a yearning for a warm bowl of something for lunch. Luckily, I had made a batch of this stew a few weeks back, with extra portions frozen for a later date. So today was definitely that ‘later date’!

Created on a Monday – which is now known as ‘slow cooker Monday’ in our house, this stew was so very easy to prepare. With one pot, lots of vegetables and the benefit of time – a delicious meal was brought to life with minimal effort on our part.

Today I kept it super simple, and served the stew with a side of greens and a sprinkle of parsley. But if you were wanting to make the meal even more substantial, I think a spoonful of yoghurt or sourcream, and a side of toasted flatbread or sourdough, would work just beautifully.


Print Recipe
Spicy lentil stew
Course Main Dish
Servings
people
Course Main Dish
Servings
people
Instructions
  1. Put the vegetables and lentils in a slow cooker, along with the garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper and stock. Stir to combine.
  2. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Just before serving, stir through the lemon juice and season to taste.
  3. Divide into bowls and top with parsley and sour cream / yoghurt to serve.
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My favourite Lemon and Coconut Slice

When asked to “bring a plate”, I often lean towards creating a sweet treat. Rocky road is usually my “go to” sweet, and is generally well received, but on other occasions I like to bring a plate of lemon slice.  For it is easy to make, requires no baking, and the leftovers keep really well too.

Recently I offered to make a couple slices for a birthday party. I had a few chocolate based ones in mind, and figured my favourite lemon slice would work beautifully as a nice flavour contrast to those. And with some lemons leftover from the peach and lemon cake, well it was a no-brainer really.

So one dreary morning, my helpers and I got to work. Lemons were juiced and zested, biscuits were crumbed and condensed milk and butter were heated. And before too long we had ourselves a big tray of lemon slice, sprinkled with coconut, and ready to be sliced and served.

This was a great slice to make with the kids too. They had a lot of fun turning the food processor on and off, and stirring the coconut and melted ingredients into the biscuit crumbs. Bowls and spoons were licked not long after, and coconut was liberally sprinkled over the iced slice (and most of the kitchen benchtop, but let’s not talk about that…!)





Print Recipe


Lemon and Coconut Slice

Course Baking
Cuisine Baking

Prep Time 30 minutes

Servings
slices (or more depending on the size)


Ingredients

Course Baking
Cuisine Baking

Prep Time 30 minutes

Servings
slices (or more depending on the size)


Ingredients


Instructions
  1. Process the biscuits in a food processor until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Place in a large bowl, add the coconut, lemon juice and zest, and stir to combine.

  2. Place the sweetened condensed milk and butter in a saucepan. Heat slowly, over a low heat, stirring until the butter has melted.

  3. Pour the butter mixture into the biscuit mixture, and stir until well combined. Press firmly into a slice tin (that is lined with baking paper), and place in the fridge for 10 minutes.

  4. Place the icing sugar and extra lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has melted and the ingredients have combined. Spread over the chilled slice, and sprinkle with extra coconut. Refrigerate for a couple of hours (or overnight) then slice and serve.


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Roasted chorizo and vegetables with couscous

If I had to name my top 3 grains, couscous would definitely be right up there. For not only does it taste good, it is really quick and easy to prepare (aka. the two winning factors in my dinner-making book).

I generally reach for the couscous when I have something spicy or herb-filled on the menu. For it seems to lend itself to Mediterranean-style meals, adding some ‘filler’ without adding too much flavour to what is already a bold-flavoured meal.

So when I had a big batch of vegetables and spicy chorizo roasting in the oven a  while ago, it was little surprise that I made a bowl of couscous to serve alongside. Flavoured simply with a squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh herbs.

A dinner bowl packed with flavour – with the couscous being the star accompaniment for sure!

Print Recipe
Roasted chorizo and vegetables with couscous
Course Main Dish
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200C. Line a roasting dish with baking paper, and spread over the chopped onion, capsicum, pumpkin and chorizo.
  2. Combine the oil, honey, harissa and cumin, and pour over the vegetables and chorizo. Bake for 30 minutes.
  3. Add the chickpeas and zucchini to the baking tray, and continue to roast for a further 20 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, place couscous in a bowl with 1.5 cups of boiling water. Cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes, or until cooked. Fluff the grains with a fork, and then stir through the lemon juice and herbs.
  5. Serve the couscous with the roasted chorizo and vegetables, along with some mixed lettuce leaves.
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