roasted pumpkin with parmesan and pistachio crust

Apart from French stews and tarte tatin, another comfort food that I turn to in the colder months is roasted vegetables. This one was inspired by a dish I had at a Surry Hills cafe whose name escapes me at the moment. They presented two beautiful thick slices of roasted pumpkin topped with a delicately flavoured breadcrumb mix and a dollop of sour cream. I don't like breadcrumb toppings and pistachios and parsley kept coming to mind. Fortunately, my experiment turned out well so I'm able to share this recipe with you. Let me know how you go. I'm happy to get some suggestions on how to improve it.

Ingredients:

1 kg pumpkin with skin on, cut into thick 3 cm slices

zest of 2 lemons

1/2 c chopped flat parsley

1/4 c pistachio kernels, chopped

1 c grated parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 c olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method: 

Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

In a bowl, mix together lemon zest, parsley, pistachios, parmesan and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Brush pumpkin with olive oil and lay flat on baking tray. Top with a thick layer of crust mix. Roast in oven for 30 mins or until pumpkin is tender. After the first 20 mins of the cooking time, check crust isn't getting too brown. If it is, lower oven temperature or to 180°C and continue to cook for another 10 mins.  Serve warm.

Serves 4.

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corn bread

If you like those smoky North American BBQ ribs like I do, then you're going to want some cornbread to go with them.  I've tried making cornbread in a baking pan several times but I kept getting inconsistent results. Sometimes the top would brown before the middle part is cooked. Or, the bread doesn't cook evenly across the pan. After those unsatisfying attempts, I decided to use muffin pans and they worked a treat. Having them as individual muffins also made it more convenient to store them. Plus, they produce very little mess because you don't have to cut the cornbread which can go all crumbly.

Cornbread by Bent Street Kitchen. Tofu testing the cornbread with her little piglet snout.

Ingredients:

1 cup plain flour, sifted

1 T baking powder

3/4 c polenta

1/2 c sugar

1 t salt

110 g butter, unsalted, melted

2 large eggs

3/4 c milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray 12-cup muffin pan with cooking oil spray.

In a large bowl, mix together polenta, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs then add the milk. Add egg mixture and melted butter to dry ingredients. Stir with wooden spoon until just combined. Do not overmix. Spoon into muffin pan, filling each cup almost to the brim. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top is golden and skewer comes out clean. Rest for 5 minutes then turn onto wire rack to cool.

Serves 12.

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chargrilled broccoli

This recipe was inspired by a trip to Eveleigh farmer's market. I saw a huge stack of broccoli heads that looked so bright and green that I just had to buy and make something out of them.  

I wanted to cook the broccoli as little as possible so that I wouldn't lose its bright colour. I also wanted to keep the dish simple so that the broccoli's flavour was the star.  I  came across a recipe of grilled broccoli salad that had a lot of ingredients in it so I pared it back and came up with this. 

This was so delicious it never made it as a side for the main meal. My husband and I just ended up eating it as a snack with a nice cold glass of dry white wine while I prepared the rest of dinner. I wasn't sure what to expect from grilling broccoli but I have to say it's probably one of the best ways I've ever had them.

Ingredients:

2 broccoli heads, preferably organic, cut into florets then cut lengthwise along the stalk so that they lie flat during grilling

1 T and 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, cut in half crosswise

2 T red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 red onion, finely sliced

sea salt flakes

freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Heat a grill pan to high heat. Toss broccoli with 1 T olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Grill for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally. Set aside. Grill lemon on both sides until softened.

Whisk 1/4 c olive oil, vinegar and garlic to make dressing. Add onion to broccoli and toss in dressing. Drizzle with juice of grilled lemon to taste.

You can serve this as a side or on its own.

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Serves 4.

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