Joe's minestrone

Ingredients
1 small onion chopped
1 small carrot chopped
2 rashers bacon chopped
A few leaves of silverbeet/spinach chopped
1 small potato choppped
4 cloves garlic
1 can beans (white, red kidney or chickpeas)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can full water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Splash red wine
Salt and pepper

Method
Add all to a pot and simmer for 20 minutes then add a quarter of a cup of pasta (orzo works nicely) and simmer for a further 15 minutes.  Serve with black pepper and some crusty bread.

Juicy red pesto dip

Ingredients
3 roasted red peppers (capsicum)
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup virgin olive oil


Method
Puree all ingredients in a food processor and slowly pulse in the oil to form a smooth paste.  Season with salt and pepper, and if you like add a sprinkle of sugar to sweeten.  Makes about two cups.


Source: Abes bagels recipes.

Caramelised onion and tomato tarts

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, sliced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 sheets puff pastry

2 cups rocket leaves

 Method

1. Heat oil in a frypan. Add onion and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes to sweat. Add vinegar, sugar and salt and simmer a further 15 minutes until golden and soft. Set aside. (alternative is to buy caramelised onions - available at delicatessens)

2. Place tomatoes on a lined baking tray. Brush with balsamic vinegar and bake in a slow oven, 150°C, for 20 minutes.

3. Score a border around the pastry leaving a 2cm edge. Spread caramelised onion over sheets of pastry within the border. Arrange tomatoes over top.

4. Bake in a hot oven, 200°C, for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and puffed. Serve topped with rocket.

(Source: Sanitarium website)

Awesome chocolate cake

We did this cake for my son's 3rd birthday and it is the best dairy free chocolate cake I have had!!

Ingredients

Cake
250 gms of dark chocolate
225 gms of dairy free spread (I used Olivani)
6 large eggs separated
260gms caster sugar
75gms ground almonds
50 gms flour (sifted)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt

Icing
1 1/2 cups of icing sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp melted dairy free spread
1 tsp vanilla extract
warm water for mixing

Method
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius.  Grease a 25 cm cake tin - line the bottom with baking paper and the sides with strips of tinfoil.
2. Melt the chocolate and dairy free spread together gently over a low heat and reserve.
3. Beat the egg yolks and caster sugar together until thick, pale and creamy.  Fold in the chocolate mixture.  Fold in the ground almonds, flour and baking powder.
4. Whisk egg whites until they hold soft peaks but are not dry or grainy.  Add a spoonful or two of whites to the chocolate mix to loosen it, then gently fold in remaining egg whites, vanilla and salt and pour into cake tin.
5. Bake for an hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean but still moist.  Allow the cake to cool in the tin, turn out and remove the paper and foil.
6. Put the icing sugar, cocoa, dairy free spread, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.  Add water, little by little beating well so you have a spreadable paste.  Spread all over the cake and allow to set.

Roasted tomato, pine nut and spinach pasta

Ingredients
500gms cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, halved and finely sliced
1/4 cup of pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sugar
350gm dried pasta (pappardelle, linguine or fettucine)
1/2 cup small fresh basil leaves
100 gms baby spinach leaves
Salt

Method
1. Preheat oven to 220 celsius.  Place tomatoes, onions and pine nuts in a roasting pan.  Sprinkle with oil, garlic and sugar.  Season with salt to taste.  Gently toss to combine.  Roast, tossing once, for 8-10 minutes until tomatoes are tender.
2. Meanwhile cook pasta according to packet directions.
3. Drain pasta and put in roasting pan with tomato mixture.  Add spinach, season with salt if desired.  Toss until spinach wilts.  Add basil and serve.

Optional:  we added some proscuitto and bacon would be nice as well.

Source: Sanitarium nutrition service.

More pantry basics

I have found a couple more pantry basics that I thought might be useful!

We put some thai coriander on the bagel crisp layered with a sundried tomato. Delicious!

Gingerbread men

Ingredients

• 125g dairy free spread (Olivani), at room temperature
• 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
• 1 egg, separated
• 375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 1 tbs ground ginger
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Plain flour, to dust
• 150g (1 cup) pure icing sugar, sifted
• 8-10 drops red liquid food colouring (if desired)
• 8-10 drops green liquid food colouring (if desired)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Get two baking trays ready.

2. Use an electric beater to beat the dairy-free spread and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

3. Meanwhile, place egg white in a clean, dry bowl. Use an electric beater to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Divide icing among 3 bowls (if desired). Cover 1 bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Add red colouring to 1 bowl and stir until combined. Add green colouring to remaining bowl and stir until combined. Place in plastic bags with a seal and place in the fridge.

4. Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper (baking paper should be cut to be same size as baking tray) and roll out until about 4mm thick. Peel off 1 sheet and place baking paper with dough on baking tray. Use a 9cm gingerbread man cutter to cut out shapes and remove excess dough.

5. Repeat for the second tray.

6. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool.

7. Cut a small hole in a corner of each icing bag. Pipe icing over gingerbread men to decorate.