leek & pumpkin barley risotto

what you need

butternut pumpkin, 500g, peeled, seeded, chopped
olive oil, 2 tablespoons
leek, 1, trimmed, rinsed, sliced
rindless bacon, 2 rashes, chopped
garlic, 1 clove, crushed
button mushrooms, 200g, halved
pearl barley, 1 1/2 cups
vegetable stock, 5 cups
parsley, roughly chopped, 1/3 cup
bread, to serve (optional)

what to do 

Preheat oven to hot, 200C.

 In a baking dish, toss pumpkin in half oil. Season to taste. Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden and tender.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan on medium. Saute leek, bacon and garlic 2-3 minutes, until leek is tender. 

Add mushrooms and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring, until golden. 

Stir in barley to coat in oil. Pour in stock and bring to boil. 

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes

.Remove lid and simmer a further 10-15 minutes, stirring, until barley is tender and liquid completely absorbed. 

Season to taste.Carefully stir pumpkin through. Serve sprinkled with parsley, accompanied with bread, if liked.

my tip

Pearl barley is higher in fibre than white rice and contains antioxidants. Try brown rice for a gluten-free fibre hit

quinoa tabouleh

Quinoa is a great gluten-free substitute for burghul or cracked wheat that is traditionally used in tabouleh. This salad goes great with barbequed lamb or chicken.

What you need

1 cup (200g) quinoa

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, finely chopped

2 tbs finely chopped mint or coriander

10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp paprika, plus extra to sprinkle

1 tsp ground cumin

Pinch of cayenne

1 tsp caster sugar

100g low-fat thick Greek yoghurt

1 tbs olive oil

4 x 180g chicken breast fillets

What to do

Place the quinoa and 600ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat, then bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well and leave to cool.

Add herbs, tomato and onion to quinoa and toss to combine. Combine oil, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp paprika, cumin, cayenne and sugar, then season.

Dressing

Place yoghurt in a bowl and drizzle over 2 tsp dressing, then sprinkle with some paprika. Toss salad in remaining dressing.

Serve the salad with warm BBQ lamb or chicken thighs and yoghurt dressing

roasted beetroot & red wine risotto

Ingredients

400g (3 large) beetroot, ends trimmed

500ml (2 cups) salt-reduced vegetable stock

1 tbs olive oil

1 small brown onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

220g (1 cup) arborio rice

160ml (2/3 cup) red wine

40g (1/2 cup) finely grated parmesan

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C.

Wrap the beetroot in foil and roast in the oven for approx. 40-50 minutes or until tender (this will depend on the size of the beets). Set aside to cool slightly.

Wearing rubber gloves to avoid staining your hands, peel the beetroot and coarsely chop.

Place the beetroot in the bowl of a food processor with 125ml (1/2 cup) of the stock and process until smooth.

Heat the oil in a 2L (8-cup) capacity ovenproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and rice, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until the grains appear slightly glassy.

Heat the remaining stock in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Add the beetroot mixture, stock and wine to the casserole dish and stir to combine. Cover the dish tightly with a lid or foil.

Reduce the oven temp to 160 celcius and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Stir in the parmesan. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, topped with baby water cress and break pieces of goats cheese over

My tip: Prepare the beetroot up to 7 hours ahead. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, then it should only take 40 minutes to finish the risotto.

Italian stuffed mushrooms

18 large (about 2 lbs.) white mushrooms
Extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup Marsala wine
1 ½ cups, fresh bread crumbs (can substitute with gluten free crumbs!)
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
Aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove stems and coarsely chop them, reserving the caps. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped mushrooms to the heated oil, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook until mushroom mixture is dry, about 5 minutes. Slowly add Marsala. Cook until Marsala has evaporated, about 2 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the bread crumbs. Set aside the bread crumb mixture to let cool, and then add Pecorino Romano, parsley, and garlic. Mix thoroughly.

Place mushroom caps in a single layer (rounded side down) on a greased cookie sheet. Spoon mushroom filling into caps, drizzle with olive oil, season with pepper, and bake until golden brown, about 30-45 minutes. Arrange mushrooms on serving platter and drizzle with a little aged balsamic vinegar

raspberry friands

what you need

• 190g unsalted butter


• 60g plain flour


• 1 1/3 cups (200g) icing sugar, plus extra to dust


• 120g almond meal


• 5 eggwhites


• 100gr raspberries

what to do

Preheat oven to 180°C. Melt butter and use a little to grease a 12-hole friand pan. Dust with a little flour, shaking out excess.

Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl, then stir in the almond meal.

Place eggwhites in a small bowl and lightly froth with a fork. Add to dry ingredients with melted butter, stirring until completely combined, then gently fold through raspberries. Fill each friand hole two-thirds full. Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven, leave in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

grilled polenta with proscuitto

what you need
3 cups (750ml) chicken stock
1 cup (250ml) milk
1 cup instant polenta
50g unsalted butter

6 slices proscuitto
1 tbs olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
1 red and 1 yellow capsicum, roasted, seeds removed, sliced
1/2 cup small black olives
2 cups wild rocket leaves
Balsamic vinegar, to drizzle

what to do
Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan with 2 cups (500ml) water.
Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to very low. Slowly add the milk, then the polenta, whisking continuously. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, then add the butter and season with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into a 20cm x 30cm shallow baking tray. Allow to cool, then place in the fridge for about 1 hour until firm.
Place a chargrill pan over very high heat or heat a BBQ. Cut the polenta into 6 triangles, wrap with the proscuitto and use the tablespoon of oil to lightly brush both sides. Chargrill for 3 minutes each side until charred and crisp.

To serve, place a wedge of grilled polenta on each plate, top with slices of roasted capsicum, a few olives and some leaves. Drizzle with extra olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar.

eggplant rolls

what you need

3 eggplants
250 g cottage cheese or soft cheese
1-2 garlic cloves
rosemary, thyme, parsley,
salt to taste

cracked pepper
olive oil for frying

what to do
Wash the eggplants, trim off the ends and cut them along in thin slices.
Pour olive oil into a frying pan and fry eggplant slices on both sides until they get soft, for about 2 minutes each side.
Chop herbs finely. Mash garlic cloves.
Mix the herbs and the garlic with cottage cheese or any soft cheese. Salt slightly if needed and cracked pepper to taste.
Then put cottage cheese on the warm eggplant slices and fold them into rolls.

Serve the rolls cold, drizzle with good olive oil light squeeze of lemon

chilli spiced polenta cakes

what you need
1 1/2 cups polenta

1/2 cup diced roasted green chilies

1 small onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

what to do
Sweat the onion and garlic in a dash of oil. Add the green chilies and the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the polenta and keep stirring until the spoon stands up-right without falling over, about ten minutes.

Spoon polents mixture into well greased muffin trays, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 180c or until golden brown.

Serve warm with crisp salad and red pepper sauce or tomato salsa