Roasted Vegetables and CousCous Salad

Sometimes a recipe is so good it deserves an encore.  We had so much interest in this salad recipe (thank you!!)  and we have made it many times since - it is a real winner and the perfect solution for so many summer events.  Great served on it's own, an side at a barbeque lunch or with some shredded chicken or lamb tossed through - versatile and easy - Encore! 

At this time of year when you get invited over for lunch and you offer to bring "a salad" you need to look for something a little different, that transports well and will also be a hit on the tastebuds.  This roasted vegetable and couscous salad inspired by Annabel Langbein, that I took to my friend Lesley's house ticked all the boxes.

Ingredients

2 red onions, peeled
3 medium beetroots, washed
200g pumpkin, peeled
3 medium carrots, peeled
2 sweet potato, peeled
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon maple syrup or golden syrup
Salt and pepper
2 cups couscous
lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup of mint leaves torn
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup of shelled unsalted pistachios nuts, chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Halve the onion lengthwise and cut into 2 cm pieces. 
Cut beetroot, pumpkin, carrots and sweet potato into 2 cm pieces.

Toss into a large roasting dish in a single layer (you may need two trays). 
Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup and season with salt and pepper.

Cook for approximately 45 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and start to caramelise.

In a large serving bowl, mix the couscous, lemon zest, salt and boiling water.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes then fluff with a fork.

Add the roasted vegetables, mint and lemon juice to the couscous and gently toss to combine.

Top with chopped pistachios.

Healthy and delicious!

Mamma Marmalade

Snickers & Salted Peanut slice

Looking for ideas for easy Christmas gifts or sweet treats for the party season? This couldn't really be called cooking, more like melting, stirring and combining.  But the results are delicious and at only 175cals (733kj) why not have two pieces.

Ingredients

3 x 50g Snickers bars, chopped roughly
2 x 53g Mars bars, chopped roughly
50g butter, chopped
1 tablespoon golden syrup
3 cups (105g ) rice bubbles
1/2 cup (70g) salted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
100g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
100g white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Method

Line a 19cm x 29cm slice pan with baking paper allowing the sides to overhang.
In a medium saucepan combine the Snickers and Mars bars, butter and golden syrup over medium to low heat.  Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the bars melt and the mixture is smooth.
Combine in a large bowl, rice bubbles and peanuts, pour over the melted Snickers mixture and stir until just combined.
Spoon mixture into lined slice pan and press down lightly to smooth the surface.
Set aside for 1 hour to set and cool.
Place dark chocolate and white chocolate in separate bowls over saucepan of simmering water.  Stir for 3 minutes or until the chocolate melts.
Pour chocolate alternately over the slice and using a palette or butter knife gently spread to create a marble effect.
Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Cut into desired size.

No need to resist.
Mamma Marmalade

Beef Empanadas

 
 
 

Great tasting snacks that are portable to take to parties and on picnics are always a winner.  This empanada filling from Donna Hay is encased in a buttery pastry.  Showcasing my family heirloom - a surviving plate from Watson's café Home Hill, Far North Queensland circa 1930's. 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped small brown onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
400g beef mince premium
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 cup beef stock
Salt and pepper
25g unsalted butter
1/4 cup currants
1/2 cup parsley chopped
1 green onion thinly sliced
4 sheets store-bought shortcuts pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Store bought tomato relish or chutney to serve

Method

Fry onion and garlic on a medium heat, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes.
Add the beef mince, cumin, sweet and smoked paprika and oregano.
Cook breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, for 6-8 minutes until golden.
Add the stock, salt and pepper and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the liquid is reduced.
Remove from the heat and stir through the butter, currants, parsley and green onion.
Allow to completely cool.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Using an 11cm cookie cutter, cut 4 rounds from each shortcrust pastry sheet.
Whisk egg and milk together in a small bowl.
Place 2 tablespoons of the beef mixture in the centre of each pastry circle, brush the edges with egg wash, fold over to enclose and press edge to seal. 
Fold and pinch the edge to create a ruffled edge. 
Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Line a backing tray with non-stick baking paper, place empanadas on tray and brush with remaining egg wash.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Tasty
Mamma Marmalade

Vietnamese summer salad

 

These stylish prawn salads use rice paper rolls in a new way, just a quick fry and they bubble and crisp up to be the perfect edible plate.  Easiest to serve one per person for entrée.

Ingredients

8 Rice paper rolls (22cm)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
100g rice vermicelli noodles
32 cooked king prawns, peeled and deceived
1 cup snow pea sprouts
2 carrots, peeled cut into matchsticks
2 medium Lebanese cucumbers, halved, seeds revived, cut into matchsticks
4 small radishes, washed and cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts
1/2 bunch mint leaves, extra for garnish
1/2 bunch coriander leaves, extra for garnish

Dressing
2 tablespoons Sweet Chilli Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
2 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoon lime juice

Method

To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a screw top jar and she.

Place noodles in a small heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 5 minutes to soften. Drain

Reserve 12 prawns for garnish, roughly chop remaining prawns. Combine vermicelli, chopped prawns, snow pea sprouts, carrot, cucumber, radish, peanuts and shredded mint and coriander in a bowl.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add rice paper sheets one at a time, cook until puffed and white. Drain on absorbent paper.

Add dressing to salad, toss gently. Place rice paper sheets on a plate, fill with salad, top with reserved prawns, garnish with extra mint and coriander leaves.

Flavour Crunch

Mamma Marmalade