Zucchini with Almond, Onion and Tomato

This is a recipe I used to cook when I was a teenager. I had forgotten about it until recently, when my mother sent my old cooking books down from my hometown Sydney. It was great to read again, the recipes of which I used to cook as a culinary obsessed adolescent.
The original recipe for this dish included sweet caramelized almonds, and I must say I thought the idea rather novel at the time. Back then I made the dish without the caramelized almonds because my mother didn’t have an appreciation of sweet things in a savoury dish, and it was too radical to even think of adding the almonds. Now that I’m a big boy, I do include the sweet crunchy almonds. I always get my way in the end. Ha!
To prepare the caramelized almonds simple toss some blanched almonds with a bit of sugar, a pinch of salt and a tiny drizzle of oil in a pan. The sugar will melt and coat the almonds lightly. The almonds are ready when they have turned a golden brown colour.
It is a revolting 42c today here in Melbourne and I am beginning to feel the sweat dripping down my arm as I type (not the most glamorous of descriptions, but so it is). So I bid all farewell until next year. We hope everyone has a wonderful New Year-prosperous and full of delicious foods to eat and wine to drink.

Components
Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
500 g zucchini (courgettes), sliced
400g tin Italian tomatoes, crushed with a fork
Stock
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
A handful of caramelized almonds (see story above)

Process
Heat the olive oil in a pan, and gently sauté the onion, garlic and oregano.
Add the zucchini (courgettes) and allow to very lightly brown- about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and enough stock to moisten the dish (about 100 ml or so). Cover the pan and simmer until the zucchinis are just cooked- cooking time shouldn’t be more 10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve hot, warm or room temperature with the almonds sprinkled over the dish just before serving. Serves 4.

Argentine Meatloaf

This is another one of my granny’s recipes, which I’ve fiddled around with to suit my own tastes and needs. I must say however, that it’s also the first time I’ve ever baked and eaten “meatloaf”. There’s a first time for everything, I guess.
It’s not the most glamorous looking preparation, but it is easy and tasty. My granny uses beef only, but I’ve added some pork, just because I think pork is nicer to eat than beef. I like to serve this cold the day after baking, sort of like a rustic terrine. It’s easier to cut into slices when cold too.
I choose to serve my grandmothers time honoured meatloaf, with my partners very modern rocket and mango salad. I like the idea of bringing those two dishes together. A meal inspired by the two great loves of my life- my Grandmother Marta, and my partner, Mike.

Components
500g minced beef
500g minced pork
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 green apple, peeled and grated
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 free range eggs, mixed together
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

Process
Heat the oven to 180c.
Combine all the ingredients together well.
Place into a lightly greased 21 cm loaf tin and pat the mixture down well.
Bake for about 30-45 minutes or until just cooked through.
Carefully pour away all of the fat from the tin.
Cut into slices and serve hot or cold.
Enough for 4–6 people

Heart of the Matter - Quick and Easy Vegetarian Ricepaper Rolls

I decided to start writing posts for The Heart of the Matter simply because it’s a great incentive for me to start eating a healthier diet. Not that my diet isn’t healthy, but you can never too healthy. Right?

I grew amongst Sydney’s Vietnamese community and even though at the time I had absolutely no appreciation of their cuisine, I most certainly do now. In fact it has become my favourite style of Asian food, and I can’t get enough of it. I love it!
Cooking in the Australian summer is not my idea of fun. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. So that’s exactly what I’ve done. My idea of “quick and easy” is “no cooking required”. And at the moment that suits me just fine. For this recipe, all that is required is soaking, mixing and assembling the rolls- quick and easy when prepared for 1 or 2 people. (I very rarely cook for more than 2 people). I eat these zesty little rolls unaccompanied, save for their dressing. The fat-free combination of carbohydrate and fresh vegetables, with the burst of herbs, is more than satisfying for me.

Pictured above (clockwise from the right) are long Red Chilli, Sweet Thai Basil, Garlic Chives, Coriander, Mint, Vietnamese Mint (or Rau ram).

Components
(for the dressing)
2 long, red chillies, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
20g palm sugar, crushed
40 ml lime juices
60 ml water
60 ml Vietnamese fish sauce
40 ml rice wine vinegar.

(for the filling)
Rice vermicelli, soaked in hot water till softened and drained
Carrot, grated
Cucumber, grated
Bean shoots, string removed
Coriander, Mint, Vietnamese mint, Asian basil (plenty of each)
Peanuts, roasted and chopped
Rice paper (purchased from Asian food shops)
Garlic chives

Process
Combine the first 7 ingredients together. Taste and adjust as you wish.
In a bowl combine the rice vermicelli with the carrot, cucumber, bean shoots, herbs and peanuts.

Add a few spoonfuls of the prepared dressing, just enough to lightly coat and flavour the noodles. Reserve the rest of the dressing.
Take one sheet of rice paper and place in hot water until softened. Remove and place it over a moistened dishcloth.
Place a small amount of the prepare noodle salad on to the lower third of the rice paper. Fold the short sides into the center over the filling. Begin to roll from the lower end, adding a garlic chive just before fully forming the roll (the garlic chive should stick out of the end). Repeat till the filling is all used.
Serve immediately with the remaining dressing for dipping.

You can also serve these with Hoisin sauce, to which you’ve added a splash of Chinese black vinegar and sesame oil.

Apples & Thyme - Tallarines con Tuco de Carne

I don’t remember much of my childhood, but I do remember that I absolutely adored spending time with my “abuela” (that’s grandmother in Spanish). While most kids preferred to spend their time outside with a soccer ball (how boring and absolutely hideous, I still have an intense phobia of sports to this day), I much preferred to stay inside, watching and assisting my abuela prepare food for the family lunches we enjoyed every Sunday.

It would be true to say my Argentine born, paternal grandmother, Marta (pictured holding me above), influenced me most when it came to food and cooking. My appreciation of fresh pasta dishes is a direct result of observing her prepare various types of fresh pasta (click here for Mikes instructions on preparing fresh egg pasta). Canelones, lazañas, ñoquis a la crema, ravioles and tallarines are South American/Spanish names for the Italian dishes popular in Argentina and Uruguay. All of these dishes are sauced with a tomato flavoured sauce known as “tuco” (“tocco” is the Italian version).
Abuela Marta is the expert of traditional style pastas in my family, and luckily for me, she recently sent me a handwritten notebook containing recipes for many of the dishes she cooked for our family lunches. One trick I learned from watching her, all those years ago (which I have never seen in any Italian cookbook) is to combine the freshly boiled and drained pasta with butter, Pecorino cheese (or Parmesan cheese) and the sauce in a baking dish. The baking dish is then placed into a gentle oven for a few minutes, just enough time to fuse the pasta and sauce. This simple but important step acts by unifying all the flavours of the dish, and bringing all the elements together harmoniously.

For this month’s Apples & Thyme (hosted by Jeni at The Passionate Palate & Inge at Vanielje Kitchen) I’ve chosen to write about this particular dish, not because it unique in anyway, but because I feel that slow, family dishes such as these have gone out of fashion. I’ve never seen a recipe similar to my grandmother’s style of meat sauce. Pasta sauces nowadays tend to be either made with minced meat and tomatoes (like Bolognese or ragú) or a meatless, rustic tomato number (like Napoletana or Pizzaiola). I’m not saying one is better than the other, but sometimes it’s good to honour the past and remember how good those old, traditional dishes are. My grandmother’s version is fantastic, not only because the meat is cooked with the sauce thus lending its flavours to the sauce, but also because you get two separate courses- slow cooked tender meat, followed by the sauced, baked pasta.
If you like, you can substitute a large piece of beef (topside or silverside) instead of chicken. My abuela stuffs the beef with whole garlic cloves and herbs. Once tender, the meat is sliced thinly and enjoyed with a simple salad (dressed with a red wine vinegar dressing) and crusty bread.

Components
Olive oil
I kilo chicken leg portions (free range or corn fed) or beef (as described above)
½ red onion, very finely chopped
½ red pepper, very finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 dried chili, finely crumbled
1 tbsp thyme, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano (I like Greek oregano)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Spanish sweet paprika (not smoked)
150ml wine (white or rose)
2 x 400g tins Italian tomatoes (chopped and mashed with a fork)
2 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
500ml chicken stock
1 tsp sugar
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Freshly prepared pasta, cut into thin noodles (300g tipo 00 flour and 3 free range eggs)
Melted butter
Pecorino cheese, freshly grated

Process
Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan and lightly brown the chicken portions. If you are using a piece of beef, brown it on all sides.
Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.
Add the onion, red pepper, carrot, garlic, herbs and chili to the saucepan and gook gently for about 15 minutes or until lightly coloured.
Add the paprika and stir about for a few seconds.
Add the wine, followed by the tomatoes, puree and stock.
Add the sugar, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Return the meat to the sauce. Simmer until the chicken is just falling from the bones (about 1 hour) or until the beef is tender (about 2 hours). The sauce should remain fairly liquid but concentrated in flavour. At this stage you can leave the meat in the sauce until you are ready to eat.
Heat the oven to 180c and gently re-heat the meat and sauce.
Boil your pasta until just cooked (literally seconds for noodles).
Drain the pasta and combine with melted butter, cheese and enough sauce to coat the noodles in a baking dish.
Place in the oven for 5 minutes and eat immediately. Any left over sauce can be spooned over individual portions, along with more cheese.
I like to serve the chicken or beef, after eating the pasta.
Enough for 4 generous serves.

Tomato Smothered Potatoes

If I’m going to be honest, I have to say that even though vegetable dishes where consumed at home, meat was definitely the star. Family menus were usually planned around the meat, the vegetables being an afterthought. That’s not to say though that the vegetables dishes we ate were boring. On the contrary they were quiet good, just not as appreciated I guess.
Both my mother and my paternal grandmother prepared this recipe. I’ve simplified the original method because my mother’s version is a little complicated (I think). My mother likes to deep-fry the potatoes in oil, on the stove. After the initial frying she bakes the potatoes with onion and tomato in the oven. I just throw everything onto a baking dish and into the oven. I find it much easier that way. Deep-frying can get a bit stressful sometimes. The finished dish is best described as tomato smothered baked potatoes.
The recipe I’m showing today was often served with bbq chicken and garlic mayonnaise. This is one vegetable dish in which I’m happy to pass up the meat.

Components
500g smallish waxy potatoes, peeled and halved
2 or 3 pickling onions, peeled and halved
About a dozen ripe red truss tomatoes
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Process
Heat the oven to 200c.
Place the potatoes, onion and tomatoes onto a baking dish.
Pour over a generous drizzle of oil. Sprinkle over the oregano, salt and pepper. Using your hands give all a mix, so as to combine all the elements.
Place into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. The potatoes and onion should be golden and tender, the tomatoes cooked and somewhat collapsed.
Allow the veggies to cool a bit (about 5 minutes).
Remove the skins from the tomatoes, leaving the tomatoes still in the dish. Lightly toss the components together. The tomatoes should break up a little, coating the onion and potato with the juices and oil in the pan.
Return to the oven for another 5 minutes and serve immediately.
Enough for 2.

Sopa de Camote

My grandmother recently sent me a handwritten notebook containing some of the recipes she used to cook when I was a boy. One of the recipes was for sweet potato soup. I can’t actually say that I remember eating such soup, but I do remember that sweet potato was commonly eaten in the form of a sweet paste, called Dulce de Batata, with queso (a soft bland cheese) in much the same way as one would eat quince paste. I am now feeling inspired to make my own Dulce de Batata- I will get back to you on that one.
I have added cinnamon and rosemary to my grandmother’s austere formula, just because I always like to add some sparkle to my life. I honestly don’t know what my granny would think of cinnamon being included in a savory soup but I can tell you that it works extremely well.
I know sweet potatoes are not very summery, but I decided to do this recipe now because it is quick and easy and we all know how stressful December can be. And I wish to also dedicate it to my friend Vida, who is sweet, down to earth and humble just like a sweet potato. And just the same way that everyone loves potatoes, every one loves Vida too. XXX

Components
Olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 large cinnamon stick
1 rosemary branch (about 10 cm)
1 kilo sweet potatoes (I use the orange variety which is very common here in Australia), peeled and cut into cubes
Stock
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper and nutmeg
Crispy grilled pancetta
Crème fraiche
Fresh chopped parsley

Process
In a large saucepan sauté the onion and rosemary stalk in the olive oil for about 10 minutes or until softened. Discard the rosemary.
Add the sweet potato and cinnamon stick.
Add enough stock to submerge the ingredients.
Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked through.
Remove the cinnamon stick.
Puree the soup and season with pepper and nutmeg.
Serve the soup hot, with crème fraiche, crispy pancetta pieces and chopped parsley.

Milanesas

I once read years ago (I don’t remember where, probably some high school history book) that the people of Milan were rather wealthy and apparently liked to show off their prosperity by colouring everything gold. Even their food. I have no idea if the story has any truth behind it, but it sounds good to me.
“A la Milanese” now usually refers to dishes which are gilded or resemble gold. Risotto Milanese is one of the first which comes to my mind. One of its ingredients is saffron, which lends the golden touch. Another form of “a la Milanese” is food which has been coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden.
So what does this have to do with South American food?
Milanesas, as it is known in Latin America, refers to sliced meat, which is coated with egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in oil until golden. The meat is flavoured with a generous amount of finely chopped garlic and parsley before being crumbed. I’m not totally certain where this particular dish gets it name but there does seem to be a resemblance between Milanesas and the classic term a la Milanese. My sources tell me that Argentina does have the largest population of Italians outside of Italy (thanks Ilva), so perhaps there is a relationship?
While beef is commonly used, chicken is popular too. If using beef, a prime cut like fillet or rump will be appropriate. I like to use thigh fillets when it comes to chicken, although my mother preferred breast fillets. Personal preference, I guess.
In keeping with the South American liking of large serves of meat, milanesas can be quite large (the size of a dinner plate sometimes). I prefer my food in smaller serves, so the milanesas I prepare at home are somewhat modest in size compared to those found traditionally in other peoples homes and restaurants.
My mother always served beef milanesas with carrot puree. Chicken milanesas where served with potato puree. A tomato salad makes a great accompaniment to either.

Components
500g sliced beef or boneless, skinless chicken (free range)
2 eggs, lightly beaten (free range)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Dried, fine breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Process
If using beef make sure you have selected slices which are free of sinew and about 5mm thick. Chicken thighs need to be flattened to an even thickness (I use a rolling pin to bash them into shape).
Combine the chosen meat, garlic, parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Allow to marinate for about 15 minutes.
Take each piece of meat, allowing the excess egg to drip back into the bowl.
Dip the meat into a plate of breadcrumbs. Use the heel of your hand to press the breadcrumbs firmly into the meat. Repeat until all the meat is crumbed.
Discard the excess egg. The meat at this stage can be refrigerated.
Shallow fry the milanesas in oil until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
Serve warm with lemon wedges, ideal for two people.