The new book Dinnertime Goodness features recipes which have rated highly with My Food Bag clients.
Frontwoman Nadia Lim appears on the cover and writes in the introduction that at the heart of the recipes is her ''naked food philosophy'', which is all about eating from the ground, sea and sky. As a result, the recipes in this book are organised in chapters according to their main ingredient; for example ''from the garden'' features vegetarian dishes.
One of the great things about the book is the ''essential'' section, which has recipes for sauces, dips, dressings, rubs, marinades and the mystery spice mixes that often come with food bags.
It also features photographs of some of the producers who service my food bag.
Photos by Tam West.
Smoked fish filo pot pies with asparagus salad
Energy 2039kj/488kcal | Protein 31.0g | Carbohydrate 31.0g | Fat 26.1g
Fancy fish pie without any fuss? This is a quick and easy recipe using filo pastry for light, tasty individual pies. For a whole pie, just scrunch up filo sheets and place, side by side, on top of fish pie mixture in a large casserole dish.
Serves 4-5
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ready in: 45 minutes
Ingredients
Smoked fish filo pot pies
1 leek, white and pale green part only, cut in half lengthways and thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and diced 0.5cm
¼ teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp standard flour
1 Tbsp chopped thyme leaves
½ cup milk
¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup chopped parsley leaves and stalks
zest of 1 lemon
500g boneless, skinless smoked fish (e.g. kahawai)
8-10 sheets filo pastry for small (or 465 sheets for large)
2 Tbsp olive oil (for brushing)
Asparagus salad
1 bunch asparagus (about 12 spears), ends trimmed and sliced 2-3cm
½ telegraph cucumber
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
120-150g rocket leaves
Method
Preheat oven to 180degC. Grease 8-10 small or 4-5 large oven-proof ramekins or coffee mugs with butter or oil.
1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a medium-sized pot on medium heat. Add leek, carrot and salt and cook for 5-6 minutes, until tender but not coloured. If leek starts to colour, add a tablespoon of water and reduce heat.
2. Stir in butter, flour and thyme and cook (stirring constantly) for 1 minute. Stir in milk and stock, reduce to low-medium heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, until sauce is thick and smooth, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, egg, parsley and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Flake smoked fish into small pieces, add to pot and fold gently to combine. Divide mixture among greased ramekins/mugs, filling about three-quarters full.
4. Lay 1 sheet of filo pastry on a clean, dry bench and brush lightly with oil. Gently scrunch up pastry and place on top of first ramekin/mug, oiled side facing up. Repeat this step with remaining filo pastry. Place all ramekins/mugs on to an oven tray.
5. Bake, in middle of oven, for 15-20 minutes until pastry is golden and crisp.
6. While pot pies are baking, bring a small pot of salted water to the boil. Cook asparagus for 2-3 minutes, until bright green and tender, then drain and refresh under cold water. Dice cucumber and cut cherry tomatoes in half. Add all to a medium-sized bowl with remaining salad ingredients. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper.
To serve
Place 1-2 smoked fish filo pot pies on to each plate and serve asparagus salad on the side.
Braised beef cheeks with ricotta polenta and gremolata
Energy 3086kj/738kcal | Protein 43.5g | Carbohydrate 36.5g | Fat 40.4g
Exclusive to our cookbook, this is a rich, warming winter dish, complemented by a creamy polenta and citrus gremolata. If using a slow cooker, you may need to add extra stock to ensure the beef is covered. Every slow cooker is different, so keep trying your beef until it is super tender and ready to fall apart.
Serves 5
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Ready in: 4 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
Braised beef cheeks
800g beef cheeks (at room temperature)
2 Tbsp standard flour
1 brown onion, diced 1cm
1 carrot, diced 2cm
1-2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
½ leek, white part only, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1½ cups red wine
2 cups beef or chicken stock (if using cubes, use only 1)
400g can chopped tomatoes
2-3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
Gremolata
¼ cup finely chopped parsley leaves
½ clove garlic, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp olive oil
Ricotta polenta
3 cups water
½ tsp salt
1 cup fine polenta
300g ricotta
½ cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves
Method
Preheat oven to 150degC. Set aside a medium-sized casserole dish (measuring about 25cm x 28cm).
1. Pat beef dry with paper towels. Remove any fatty membrane and season with salt and pepper. Dust with flour, discarding excess. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large fry-pan on medium-high heat. Cook beef for about 2 minutes each side, until starting to caramelise. Place in casserole dish. Keep pan on heat.
2. Add a drizzle of oil to pan and cook onion, carrot, celery, leek and garlic for 4-5 minutes, until softened, stirring. Add wine, bring to the boil and cook for 6-8 minutes, until liquid is reduced by two-thirds. Add stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil, then remove from heat. Pour into casserole dish with beef. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and bake for about 3 hours, until beef is very tender. Alternatively, cook in slow cooker for 6-8 hours on high.
3. Mix all gremolata ingredients together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Once beef is cooked, remove cheeks from dish and set aside. Transfer cooking liquid to a large pot on medium heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until thickened slightly. Remove from heat, stir through spinach and season with salt and pepper. Shred beef and return to sauce. Cover and keep warm.
5. While sauce thickens, bring water and salt (for polenta) to the boil. Gradually add polenta to boiling water, stirring constantly, until smooth. Reduce to low heat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring continuously, until thickened. Stir through ricotta, milk, butter and thyme. If necessary, add more warm water to get the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve
Divide ricotta polenta among plates and top with braised beef cheeks. Spoon over beef cheek sauce and gremolata.
Kumara dhal with radish pear pickle and almonds
Energy 2193kj/525kcal | Protein 15.5g | Carbohydrate 82.2g | Fat 12.8g
Warm and full-bodied, this dhal will not disappoint. Serving a curry with a fruit- or vegetable-based salsa as a garnish instead of yoghurt is a great way to freshen up the meal without any added dairy.
Serves 4-5
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes
Ingredients
Kumara dhal
400g gold or orange kumara, peeled and diced 1.5cm
1 brown onion, finely diced
¼-½ cup korma paste (¼ cup store-bought or ½ cup home-made)
½ cup split red lentils
2 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
120-150g baby spinach leaves
Radish pear pickle
4 radishes
1 pear
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves and stalks
To serve
steamed brown rice
¼ cup chopped coriander leaves and stalks
¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
Method
Preheat oven to 220degC. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
1. Start by preparing the rice and korma paste (if making your own).
2. Toss kumara on prepared tray with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 12-15 minutes, until tender.
3. While kumara is roasting, heat a drizzle of oil in a medium-sized pot on medium heat and cook onion for 3-4 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add korma paste and lentils and cook for 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes, water and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-18 minutes until lentils are tender, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add a little more water if mixture becomes too thick. Add cooked kumara and baby spinach, season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
4. While dhal simmers, prepare radish pear pickle. Grate radish and pear or cut both into thin matchsticks. Place in a medium-sized bowl and stir through remaining pickle ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If necessary, drain excess liquid from radish pear pickle before serving.
To serve, spoon rice into each bowl and top with kumara dhal. Garnish with radish pear pickle, coriander and almonds.
Tip: Toast almonds in a small, dry fry-pan on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until golden. Shake pan regularly to avoid burning.
