Tessa Kiros Tomato Lasagna

My version of Tessa Kiros' Tomato Lasagna

Tomato Sauce

1.25 kg of tinned diced tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

a good slosh of olive oil

one cup of warm water of stock

bunch of fresh basil or a teaspoon full of dried Italian herbs

8 sheets of instant lasagna (the dried one) : I used one family sized packet : about 350g

250g Parmesan

Bechamel Sauce

1 litre of warmed milk

3/4 cup of plain flour

120g of butter

nutmeg

Make the Tomato Sauce First

Heat the oil and gently fry the garlic till it's fragrant (not browned!) Throw in the tomatoes. Cook for 15 minutes, and then add 1 cup of water (or you could use stock!) Season with salt and pepper and then simmer it on a low heat while you make the Bechamel sauce. (You are meant to puree it, but I didn't, because I am lazy and I don't like too many dishes!)

Make the Bechamel Sauce Next

First warm your milk. Then in a separate large-ish pot melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk like crazy to make a smooth butter and flour paste. Continue to stir the floury butter over the heat for a few minutes to cook the floury taste away. Now start whisking in the warm milk a slosh at a time. Don't stop whisking! Your Bechamel will end up nice and thick and smooth. Good work. It needs to be thick so that it layers nicely.

Assemble it All

Grease a lasagna suitable dish or just slosh some oil and and coat the dish well with it using a pastry brush or your fingers. My dish was around 20cm x 30cm and quite deep. Slosh a layer of Bechamel sauce in first and spread it over the base. Put two sheets of dried lasagna atop the Bechamel. Now layer tomato sauce, then Bechamel, then Parmesan, then lasagna. Do that two times. Then add a final layer of lasagna and top with Bechamel, more Parmesan and dot with any leftover tomato sauce.

Cook in a 360F/180C degree oven for 30 minutes until golden and cheesy.

Eat it all up!

Serves 6

30 Soupy Recipes

Salt N Peppa Shakers via here

Last night we put an extra blanket on the bed.  And we had the heater on at the breakfast table.  You know what that means?  It's time for soup! I really love soup!  Soup with crusty bread, soup with crackers, soup with toasted sandwiches, soup, soup, SOUP!  Here are 30 extra great soup recipes for you to peruse.  Let me know if you make anything... I think I am going to do Sophie Grigson's soup tonight!

1. Chicken and Rice Soup via Martha //// here
2. Baked Potato Soup via Smitten Kitchen //// here
3. Happiness Soup via Nigella //// here
4. Spicy Parsnip Soup via Jamie Oliver //// here
5. Feel Good Chicken Broth via Jamie Oliver //// here
6. Cream of Cauliflower Soup via Pip! //// here
7. Stefano De Pieri's Minestrone via Pip! //// here
8. Chickpea and Celery Soup via Gourmet Traveller //// here
9. Corn, Bacon and Potato Soup via Pip! //// here
10. Lovely Mushroom Soup via Pip! //// here
11. Creamy Tomato Soup via The Splendid Table //// here
12. Vintage Vogue Soup Paysanne via Pip! //// here
13. Chicken Noodle Soup via Gourmet Traveller //// here
14. Kylie Kwong's Sweetcorn and Crab Soup via Lifestyle //// here
15. Madame E Saint-Ange's Pumpkin Soup via Recipes For Two //// here
16. Tyler Florence's Roasted Tomato Soup via Lifestyle //// here
17. Broccoli Soup via Chocolate and Zucchini //// here
18. French Onion Soup via Girl Cook In Paris //// here
19. Pumpkin, Barley and Miso Soup via Gourmet Traveller //// here
20. Coconut Red Lentil Soup via 101 Cookbooks //// here
21. Julia Child's Leek and Potato Soup via Food Network //// here
22. Simple Carrot Soup via Stone Soup Blog //// here
23. Sophie Grigson's Vegetable Soup via BBC Food //// here
24. Nigel Slater's Bubble and Squeak Soup via BBC Food //// here
25. Rachel Allen's Chicken and Udon Soup via Lifestyle //// here
26. Simple Tom Yum Soup via ABC Sydney //// here
27. Pea and Ham Soup via Gourmet Traveller //// here
28. Bill Granger's White Bean and Chorizo Soup via Lifestyle //// here
29. Rice Noodle Soup with Beef and Fresh Herbs via The Splendid Table //// here
30. Julia Child's Leek and Pepper Soup via Smell My Kitchen //// here

Pip's Kimchi Salad

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My Kimchi Salad

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Basic Ingredients
One tub of Kimchi from your local Asian grocer (I buy the Chinese Cabbage style one!)
One packet of ramen or soba noodles
2 diced cucumbers
1 diced avocado
1/2 tub of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 handful of diced beancurd
(you can also add some blanched peas, green beans, snow pea sprouts... whatever YOU love!)


Dressing
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon of mirin
1/2 tablespoon of nice vinegar (white wine, red wine or sherry are all good!)


Garnish
a handful of fried shallots (the kind you buy in a packet!)
a sprinkling of chopped peanuts if you like
a lemon or a lime squeezed over the top
Optional :: Coriander

How To:
Cook the noodles in a big pot of boiling water as per the instructions on the packet. Be careful not to over cook them. That would be yuck. No one likes mooshy noodles. Test them often until they are done. Now, cool the noodles under cold running water and drain them thoroughly.

Mix all the other ingredients together in a BIG BOWL. You can just slosh it all together and mix it up nicely with a pair of tongs or a spoon.Try not to mush it to much if you have added the avocado, or better still, put it on last. Add the cold, drained noodles and toss well again. If you are hands on, use your hands, but keep your chili fingers away from your face etc!

Plate it up and garnish with the shallots, peanuts and lemon or lime! You can add fresh herbs, too, if you like. Coriander would be lovely!

:: Super Delicious Super Simple Pot Roasted Potatoes

A simplified version of Nigel Slater's spuds. My kids don't like Taleggio :( I do!


You Need ::
1kg of peeled potatoes, sliced into fairly thinnish slices
30g butter
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed

Melt the butter and the olive oil together in a big frypan with a lid- over a medium high heat. Throw in the onion, fry for 30 seconds. Chuck in the garlic. Fry for a few seconds.
Now plonk in all the sliced potatoes and toss them really, really well until they are coated in butter and oil (!) Season with salt and pepper and put the lid on.
Turn the heat down to very low. Leave for 20 minutes, simmering away on the low heat. Now open the lid and toss them. Add any fresh herbs you might like. Nigel Slater puts a few bits of Taleggio in. You could put some brie... or whatever cheese you like at this point in there.
Lid back on - still over the low heat. 5 or 10 more minutes. Check for tenderness. And serve when tender. Sometimes they get a little brown and crunchy on the bottom. But I like that!

:: Warm Roasted Pumpkin Salad

Illustration : Joseph Giordano


1kg of pumpkin - cut into 1" chunks or thereabouts
1 onion, chopped roughly
1 cup of frozen peas
2 cobs of fresh corn, kernels removed (just cut them off roughly with a knife)
1 clove of chopped garlic
some sprigs of thyme or whatever fresh herbs you have
a good slosh of olive oil
salt and pepper
a teaspoon of sweet paprika
juice of a lemon

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Plonk onto an oven tray, slosh on some more oil and cook in a medium oven for half an hour to forty minutes (or until the pumpkin has a bit of colour and is nice and tender)

Serve warm - or let it cool and serve cold. You could throw some chopped pinenuts or cashews through this and it'd be nice too!

:: Yummy Tofu with Edamame Beans

We made this after seeing it on the Telly. It was delicious. Click the link right down the bottom for more recipes from this program.

For the bean curd stir-fry

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 400g/14oz firm fresh bean curd (dofu/tofu), drained and cut into rectangles 1cm/½ inch thick (I like to use deep-fried tofu here!)
  
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinkiang black rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

For the rest of the stir-fry

• 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 75g/3oz fresh or frozen edamame beans, defrosted
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chinkiang black rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 large handful of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks, finely chopped

• Make the bean curd stir-fry. Heat the groundnut oil in a large flat-based pan over a medium heat, add the bean curd and cook for 2 minutes. Add the light soy sauce and cook until the sauce has reduced and the bean curd is browned on one side. Using a small palette knife or fork, lift and turn each piece (careful not to break the bean curd) and cook to colour the other side.
• Add the dark soy sauce and vinegar and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Season with the dried chilli flakes. Transfer the bean curd to a serving plate and put to one side.
• Cook the rest of the stir-fry. Heat the pan and add the groundnut oil. Stir-fry the chilli for a few seconds, then add the edamame beans. Add a sprinkle of water to help create steam and cook for less than 1 minute. Season with the light soy sauce and vinegar and then stir in the chopped coriander.
• To serve, pour the beans over the bean curd and serve immediately.
• Tip: For a fuller meal, serve with steamed rice.

via

Simple Crunchy Winter Salad

image via

Ingredients
500g sugar snap peas, cooked for 30 seconds in boiling water - then cooled completely by running under the cold tap or plunging into very cold water.
3 punnets of cherry tomatoes - halved
200g fetta, diced
1 cucumber, halved and seeded, then cut into thin slices
1 red onion, finely diced
1 bunch of basil, roughly torn

Dressing - put in a jar and shake the bejeezus out of:
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp seeded mustard
1 clove crushed garlic
6 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method::
Cut the cooled, blanched sugar snap peas into smaller pieces (cutting them in half or into thirds - depending on what you like!). Now in a big mixing bowl, toss the sugar snap peas, the halved cherry tomatoes, the cucumber, the red onion and the basil. Mix well. Then add the fetta. Dress with the shaken-and-nicely-mixed-up dressing and toss well. Plonk into a serving bowl and VOILA!

Serves 6

Vegies In A Bag

8 baby potatoes - halved
1 small onion - chopped roughly
4 cloves of garlic - chopped roughly
1 cob of corn - cut into 4 pieces
1 tub of cherry tomatoes
a handful of mushrooms, halved
1 bunch of baby carrots washed and trimmed up a bit
1/2 cup of chicken stock
pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander
a few leaves of fresh herbs - or a tsp of dried herbs
1 large oven bag
1 tbsp flour

Put flour into bag and toss about a bit to coat inside of bag. Toss all other ingredients into bag. Combine well by jiggling and massaging (!) Tie closed with the tie provided. Put a couple of teeny holes in the top of the bag. Pop onto oven tray and cook at 400 degrees (or 200) for 40 minutes. Eat with whichever condiments you like...! Pesto, mayo, chutney. Excellent alongside a nice cut of meat - if you are so inclined. You can use this method to cook lots of different combinations. You could make a curry like this - easy peasy. Or you could add tinned tomatoes and go down the Italian route. So many things you could do!

Skordalia de Mike - A Dip for Lovers of Mashed Potato and Other Such Good Things

1 kilo of very nice potatoes, boiled until tender and mashed roughly and lumpily
2 cloves of garlic diced
1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly chopped mint - half a handful

Mix all ingredients together - but not too much - we're going for rustic and lumpy here.
Spread on toast and gobble down.
Or serve as part of a mezze meal - or with a nice lamb chop.

Super Dooper Easy Peasy Peppers with Capers

3 nice medium sized deep red peppers - chopped roughly
1 head of garlic, sliced in half across ways
1 tbsp of capers - rinsed and drained
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of sherry vinegar
half a handful of fresh basil

Heat oil and plonk in the garlic (cut side down). Fry gently until fragrant. Throw in the capers. Fry for a minute. Then add the peppers. Put a lid on and allow to cook on a low heat for 15 minutes until soft and juicy. Lid off now. Turn the heat up and reduce the juices down until it looks oily and yummy. Add the vinegar and half the basil and pile into a big bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature and garnish with the remaining basil. Serve as a salad or on toast.

Famous Light as a Feather Gnocchi

6 large pontiac potatoes (or desiree) peeled and quartered
2 large free range eggs, beaten
250g plain flour
salt and pepper

Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until they are tender. Drain well and mash throughly - or pass through a ricer or food mill for extra lump-free ness! Allow to cool. Add the beaten eggs, flour, salt and pepper. Mix lightly with your hands - but not too much - we need the gnocchi to be feathery light, remember?!

Put on a big pot of fresh salted water to boil.

On a floured surface, roll handfuls of the mixture into long sausage shapes. Cut into two cm pieces and toss in flour to prevent the gnocchi sticking to one another. Once you've made about ten - drop them into the boiling water. When they float, they are cooked! Keep warm (with a drizzle of olive oil) in a big bowl covered with foil until you've cooked them all. Drizzle some more oil on them to stop them sticking to each other - or drop them straight into a bubbling pot of your chosen sauce!

Amazingly Delicious Eggplant with Honey

Whenever I make this, people moan with delight. It can be a wee bit embarrassing. For them. I am used to moaning. I based the recipe on a Claudia Roden one that I found in an old Cuisine Magazine.

2 medium eggplant, sliced to about 1cm slices
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, diced
1 tsp of curry powder
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 cup of stock or water
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup of olive oil (light)
a sprig of fresh mint or coriander

arrange the eggplant on oiled oven trays - drizzle with 1/4 cup of the light olive oil and bake until golden. Add more oil if they look to be drying out.
meanwhile, in a deep frypan - heat a tablespoon of olive oil and gently fry the garlic and ginger, being careful not to brown it. Add the curry powder. Next add the honey, lemon juice and stock/water. Stir until well combined. Simmer for 5 minutes on a low heat. Add the oven baked slices of eggplant. Cover and simmer, checking often for sticking/burning, until the liquid has reduced and the eggplant has started to go sticky and caramelise a bit.

Serve at room temperature with plenty of sea-salt and black pepper and the mint sprinkled over it too.

eggplant beanbags from here

Rustic Tomato and Onion Tart

Biscuity Dough Base
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup whole milk

Topping
Dijon Mustard - or Seeded Mustard is nice too!
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of crushed garlic
6 ripe tomatoes sliced thickly
1 red pepper sliced thinly
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Thyme/parsley... whatever you have on hand

ALSO - you could add capers, anchovies or olives.. whatever you like... even very thinly sliced potato if it's sauteed till tender! You might like to add something meaty or fishy if you are so inclined.


Make the dough - add all ingredients except milk to food processor (or do it by hand) - combine well - until crumby - and then slowly add the milk. Don't handle/process for too long. Roll out (on a well floured surface) to fit a WELL GREASED baking sheet (you should use butter here) - messy is good - rough edges are perfect!

Make the topping - fry the onion in the olive oil until it's caramelising and getting golden - add the garlic and peppers - fry until soft and melding together nicely. Add salt and pepper.

Assemble - Spread the uncooked base with a generous coating of mustard. Then place the tomatoes evenly over the base. Next add the onion and pepper mix (and any other treats you want to put on!) - and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Drizzle with olive oil. Add some more freshly ground pepper and put in a hot oven for about 15 - 20 minutes until the base is crispy and the edges re browning and rustic!

Eat with a nice bottle of wine and a rocket salad!


Tomato Tea-Towel Apron from here

My favourite snack - Potato and Onion Tortilla

I like to cut a cold wedge of this and tuck it into a baguette with mayo and tomatoey sauce of some kind. Definitely a great one to take on a picnic. It's filling and super tasty. There are lots of different versions of this dish - some say you shouldn't add garlic. But I like garlic. So I add it. You should add what you like too.


You need a large, deep frypan and a shallow oven-proof dish for this

600 g of red skinned or yellow fleshed potatoes - cut into smallish cubes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 roughly diced onions
2 cloves of crushed garlic
Salt and Pepper
2 tsp of sugar
a couple of sprigs of a fresh herb
(mint, thyme, basil, parsley.. whichever you like)
8 eggs


Heat the olive oil in a large deep frypan. Throw in the onions and potatoes and sugar and cook slowly (over a low heat) until golden - this is important as it makes it taste EXTRA good! It might take 15 or 20 minutes to do this bit - but keep stirring and you'll be rewarded! Once they are golden, add the garlic and fry for one minute to combine.

Next, butter your ovenproof dish (or you can use more olive oil). Tumble the potato and onion mixture into the buttered dish. Season VERY well with lots of salt and freshly ground pepper. Beat the eggs just a little bit to loosen them up.

Pour into the dish on top of the spuds. Put into a 400 degree (or 200 degree) oven for about 20 minutes until puffy and golden on the top.

Eat hot or cold. I like it cold!

Dollshouse onions via here

Cosiest Cream of Mushroom Soup

Oh. It's so cool in Melbourne today. I want to make some of this now! You know - if you reduce this down a bit - it makes a delicious toast topping. Just add a heap of cracked black pepper and a very huge cup of tea. Perfect.

500g diced mushrooms
6 golden shallots diced finely - or use one medium onion
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 handful of fresh herbs - sage is nice - chopped
400ml cream1/2 cup plain flour
600ml stock - beef, vegie or chicken
salt and pepper
30 g butter
juice of one lemon


Saute the shallots and garlic until nearly golden, add the mushrooms and saute for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly until softened and sweet smelling and well combined. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Add the flour and combine well, then add the stock and fresh herbs. Allow to simmer on a gentle heat for 15 minutes, stirring often - it should thicken up a little. Then add the cream and cook gently for another five minutes. Serve with heaps of black pepper and sea salt and more herbs if you like! And bread, heaps of crusty bread!

Serves two hungry or four entree peeps!

Bird and Mushroom Print Via Here

Easy Enough For Duffers - Red Lentil and Vegetable Soup

I am one of those people who cannot get enough of SOUP. I just think you can't beat a warm bowl of deliciousness... especially on a wintery day. Soup makes me feel nurtured, loved and generally looked after. Even if I make it for myself, I feel totally chuffed and lucky. So if YOU made me soup...... WELL.... you should start running, because my gratitude would be a little TOO much to deal with for most people. And, did I mention I'm a good hugger?



1 tbsp mild curry paste
440g can of diced tomatoes
5 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable if you prefer)
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery diced
1 small zucchini diced
1 potato diced
1/2 cup peas - frozen is fine
1/2 cup corn - as above
1 cup red lentils
a handful of chopped fresh coriander
salt and pepper


Fry curry paste in a little oil until fragrant.
Add tomatoes, carrot, celery, potato and zucchini.
Fry for a few minutes until nicely coated and softened a bit. Add stock.
Add lentils. Bring up to the boil.
Then simmer for ten to fifteen minutes over a low heat.
Add peas and corn.
Simmer a further 5 minutes.
Serve with plenty of s&p and the fresh coriander.


soup bowls from here

Make It Golden - Potato Curry

I invented this dish when my eldest was a wee baby. it's particularly delicious with Jasmine Rice and some Gingery Stirfried Beans. I like it on toast for breakfast too. It's really the super goodness! Oh and whack it in a lovely soft sesame roll with some relish and rocket for a totally winning portable lunch!


1 kg of nice potatoes (peeled and cut into rustic cubes)
2 large onions - roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic - smashed up and chopped up
1 inch piece of ginger - grated or chopped finely
1 tbsp curry powder 1 cup of water
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
fresh mint - chopped
200 g frozen peas
salt and pepper

Boil potatoes until almost tender - while they are boiling, in a large frying pan saute the onion the oil until golden - stir often and make sure it doesn't burn. When it's nice and golden and catching a bit on the bottom of the pan - throw in the garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds - then add the almost cooked potatoes - toss or stir to combine all ingredients in the pan.

Next, mix the curry powder, soy sauce and water to form a paste and pour into pan over potatoes - mix and fry well. Add the peas. Keep simmering and tossing until liquid has reduced - it's meant to be a dry-ish curry. Season well with salt and pepper - garnish with mint and serve! With rice or naan or whatever you like!

Saucepan Pendant here

Sara's Sassy Saucy Spuds!

Crockery via here


Sara's Classic Bistro Style Gratin Dauphinoise -
French Gratin Potatoes


SERVES 4 -6
Ingredients

* 1.5 kgs waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
YOU MUST USE A V-SLICER!! You can get them from Victorias Basement QVB for about $40. It’s worth it TRUST ME
(such as Desiree, Golden Wonder, Maris Piper, Idaho or King Edward)
* 200 grams cheese, grated (gruyere or tasty) I try to use light
* 430 ml double cream (I try to use light here too)
* salt
* fresh ground black pepper
* 2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
* 2 sprigs fresh thyme
* 25 grams butter
* cheese, for topping (optional)


1. Preheat the oven to 300F/150C/gas mark 2.
2.Take a heavy-bottomed dish or an ovenproof gratin dish, and grease it will with some of the butter. I use one about 10 cm deep, 40 cm long and 20 cm wide.
3. Layer the potato slices in the dish, slightly overlapping each other, seasoning lightly with the salt and pepper, and sprinkling a liberal amount of cheese on each layer.
4. Sprinkle cheese on the top of the last layer.
5. Put the double cream, garlic and sprigs of thyme in a pan and bring to them gently to the boil, then remove the thyme and pour hot cream over the potatoes.
6. Dot the top of the gratin with the remaining butter and some extra cheese if you wish, and bake for about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs, or until the potatoes are soft, and the top is crispy and golden brown.

YUMMMMMMM! Via here.