All posts tagged: recipe vegetarian

Pumpkin Soup for Pumpkin Haters

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I know I sound childish and not at all like a sophisticated foodie when I say, “I hate pumpkin”. Maybe hate is too strong a word, but I have a strong dislike for it. Whenever we get roast dinner takeaways (best hangover food) I transfer my pumpkin pieces onto The Koala’s plate. The Koala loves pumpkin so he accepts it happily. I say pumpkin, you say squash Before I go further, I should mention that here in New Zealand, we call all things in the squash and pumpkin family simply, “pumpkin”. So when I say, “I hate pumpkin“, elsewhere, I would say, “I hate squash“. Anyway, I know it’s good for you and when it’s in season, it’s everywhere. Since The Koala loves pumpkin and pumpkin soup, and since pumpkins keep appearing in our Foodbox, I’ve been experimenting with pumpkin soup recipes. This recipe is for the pumpkin haters among us. Spices I’ve used garam masala and cinnamon, feel free to also try turmeric and ground coriander. Spices make pumpkin palatable. A little cream doesn’t hurt either. …

Sliders Party

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  The Koala and I had friends over for a sliders party last weekend. We love home made burgers and make them all the time. With The Koala as captain and me as his prep chef, we usually create towering cheeseburgers with all the trimmings that require you to unhinge your jaw to feast upon. Having a burger party was on my foodie bucket list. Having never made sliders before, we might have been too ambitious with our five slider menu. Luckily we didn’t have many guests and everything went smoothly (if a little frantic). We made 50 sliders but this was too many as the sliders were more filling than anticipated. Our eyes were much bigger than our stomachs so we sent everyone home with extras and we grazed on leftover sliders all night. It was hard to pick the winning slider, but the top three were: (in no particular order) Crispy Pork Belly Pan-fried Fish Peking Duck All the sliders were good, some were just better. In future, I would just make the top three flavours. Five kinds was too much …

Figs with soft goats cheese and balsamic syrup

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The following post is part of a series of recipes celebrating figs which are currently in season.  I visited Sabato in Mt Eden for advice on cheeses to go with figs. There were a few recommendations but I was sold on the value of the Pico Affinė, a soft goat’s camembert with a yellow rind from France. You could substitute this for chèvre or regular cow’s camembert. This recipe is gluten free, refined sugar free and vegetarian. Out of the four dishes at our four course fig feast, this dish was my favourite. Please check out my tips at the end of the recipe for alternate options.  = Figs with soft goats cheese and balsamic syrup Makes 20 pieces Ingredients 10 figs, halved 2 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons honey 100 grams (3½ oz) soft goats cheese Preparation Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Melt butter in a sauce pan and add balsamic and honey. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes until syrup is thickened. Line a baking sheet with parchment …

Mr Fancy Cabbage Pants

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The Koala enjoys cabbage boiled, I prefer it cooked quickly on high heat. We both eat cabbage either way. Sometimes, I tease The Koala about how white people smell like milk and cabbages. It’s not true. I love milk and cabbages just as much as the next girl, maybe even more than the next girl. We don’t smell like milk and cabbages (unless we’re immune to the smell). Kale was fashionable in a big way, then came brussels sprouts. I think cauliflower tried to knuckle in (particularly with cauli rice and cauli crust pizza) but it’s time for the humble cabbage to make a comeback. Of all the brassicas, cabbage is the most affordable by weight. A dependable, good value vegetable. It’s time to get creative with cabbage. Very Pinteresting I kept seeing grilled cabbages on Pinterest. To be more precise, cabbage wedges with a special dressing. I browse Pinterest quite a lot and grilled cabbage food porn kept popping up as different bloggers posted variations of the recipe. It came with glowing reviews like: “I don’t really like cabbage, but I fixed this recipe …

Jubilee Rice

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First world problems: Too many cashew nuts. It all started off around National Nut Day when I had heaps of cashew nuts sent to me. I made a delicious Coriander and Cashew Pesto and Sugar and Spice Candied Nuts which were both winners, but I wanted to try something else.

Grilled Chi Sandwich

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Right by my work at the top of Mt Eden Road is the hilariously named “Wang Mart” – a Korean grocery shop selling mostly Korean goods. Within the shop is a counter where a lady makes kim-chi all day and sells a small selection of fresh vegetables. A kilo tub of her kim-chi will set you back a measly $8NZ. I’m no kim-chi expert, but I know a bargain when I see one. 

Fig and Gorgonzola Rounds

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This post is part of Our Growing Edge, a monthly blogging event to encourage us to try new food related things. Phuong from My Kitchen of Love is the host for this month’s event. If you have a blog and you are eating or cooking something new this month, click below to join.   Orleans I’ve been obsessed with New Orleans since I was an angsty teenager. Long, long before I had any interest in food, I fell in love with the people, the French influence, the mystery  and the vampires. I blame Anne Rice novels. I’ve yet to visit New Orleans but it is number 100 on my bucket list. When I “grew up” and my interest for food developed, my obsession with New Orleans deepened. At the start of March, on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras celebration day in New Orleans) my friends and I converged on the newish Auckland restaurant, bar, speakeasy, smoky blues and jazz club called Orleans, in Britomart. Traditionally the day of debauchery before Lent starts, Fat Tuesday is all about living large with …

Make Tzatziki

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Have you heard of Tzatziki? Tzatziki is a thick yogurt and cucumber dip that works with range of dishes. It’s cooling and lovely and surprisingly easy to make. Tzatziki has been on my foodie bucket list for a long time. I put it on there because The Koala was obsessed with Delisio Greek Tzatziki flavoured chips. He’s since moved on but the Tzatziki remained on my list. Had I known how easy and versatile it was to make, I probably wouldn’t have waited all these years. Below is a recipe for Tzatziki and a bonus 2 recipes that complement it. Tzatziki Recipe adapted from Nici Wicke’s recipe here. Makes about 2 cups Ingredients 1 cup Greek yogurt* 1 cup grated cucumber, squeezed of excess liquid ½ teaspoon salt 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tablespoon chopped mint 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice Preparation Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Chill prior to use and stir before serving. Use as a dipping sauce, a side …

Cumin Hash Browns

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The Koala’s favourite brunch spot in Auckland is a local cafe in Sandringham called Okra. Even though they have changed hands (staff bought out the owners), much of their menu is the same and their big breakfast which includes a cumin spiced hash brown has been consistently good for a decade. Okra’s hash brown is a mashed and fried variety but I have grated these as it is quicker than mashing. Hash browns are a great gluten-free toast alternative for breakfast and since I’m watching my gluten intake, we had these babies instead of toast. This is my interpretation of Okra’s cumin hash browns. This recipe makes 2 good sized hash browns but can easily be double or tripled if you have more hungry mouths. Cumin Hash Browns Makes 2 Ingredients 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano) 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 medium potato 2 tablespoons oil for frying   Preparation In a bowl, beat egg and add the cumin, parmesan and seasonings. Peel and grate …

Eggplant Misocheese recipe by Bunny Eats Design

Do Something With Eggplant Part 2: Eggplant Misocheese

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A couple of years ago I tried to conquer my most loathed vegetable: the eggplant. The slimy fruit of nobody, I never thought I could like it. I grilled it and paired it with orzo salad and we ate it for dinner one night. The Koala left most of his eggplant on his plate. He wasn’t a fan either. I thought I had cooked it correctly but the evidence was clear. Eggplant 1, Genie 0. Your comments told me that I should give eggplant another chance (at some stage). Let’s call that experiment Part 1. Two years later, I have a different view on eggplant. Let’s call this Part 2. A few weeks ago, a group of us dined at Nishiki in Freeman’s Bay. I was delagated the pleasure of ordering for all (one of my favourite pastimes). One of Nishiki’s best dishes is the Bei-naso Misocheese (eggplant miso cheese) and I ordered 3 for the table. $9NZ for half an eggplant may seem steep but if you’ve ever tasted it, you’ll agree that it is …

Something Something Fritters

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Fritters are a New Zealand summer icon. Any neighborhood fish and chip shop sells mussel fritters, paua (abalone) fritters, even pineapple fritters. These are usually deep fried, but at home, most kiwis pan fry or bbq (grill) fritters. I had never tried making a fritter. It was one of those simple iconic New Zealand foods that had somehow escaped me. A few weeks ago, with sweetcorn the cheapest it will ever get, 5 ears for 2 bucks, it was time to fritter. Sweetcorn fritters with salsa cream Makes 4 giant fritters or about 20 to 30 fun size fritters Recipe adapted from Lifestylefood.com.au Ingredients for fritters Sweetcorn kernals cut from 2 cobs 1/4 cup sliced spring onion A handful of coriander, chopped 1 cup grated cheese 1 1/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder paprika salt freshly ground black pepper 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 cups milk vegetable oil Preparation In a large bowl, combine corn, spring onion, coriander, grated cheese, flour, baking powder, salt, paprika and pepper. Stir to distribute ingredients evenly. Add beaten eggs and milk and …

The Koala’s Taters

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The aioli I made today paired wonderfully with hot smoked salmon, roast broccoli spears and The Koala’s special potatoes. Our kitchen is mostly my domain, but The Koala has a few recipes up his sleeve, one of them being these fried potatoes. These potatoes are easy to make and uses very few ingredients. We usually have these with steak or fish and the crunchy outer gives way to a fluffy interior. Koala’s Taters (The Koala’s special recipe) Serves 2 Ingredients 3 medium potatoes 1 cup cooking oil Salt Preparation In a medium saucepan, bring 1 litre of water to the boil. Peel the potatoes, leaving whole. Once water is boiled, add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and once cool enough to handle, cut into 1.5 to 2cm (about 3/4″) thick slices. Heat 1 cup cooking oil in a deep skillet or a saute pan. Once oil is hot, using tongs carefully add potato slices to the oil in a single layer. Fry for 10-15 minutes until golden, turning once. Remove potato slices …