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Italian tomato, saffron and mozzarella arancini

1/2 cup chicken stock 1 pinch of saffron olive oil, for cooking 1 small brown onion, diced 1 tbsp. tomato paste 150 g Carnaroli rice or Arborio rice Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper 100 ml white wine 60 g grated parmesan finely grated zest of 1 lemon 100 g grated mozzarella 3 eggs 125 ml (1/2 cup) milk 50 g plain flour 160 g panko breadcrumbs (see Note) vegetable oil, for deep-frying




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Coorong Angus Beef Pie with Red Wine, Fennel and Green Olives

This recipe featured on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment with Raf Epstein on Drive, 774 ABC Melbourne, 3.30PM, courtesy of Maggie Beer. Maggie's new book is "Autumn Harvest".





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White Chocolate and fresh peach cheesecake

This is a glorious match! Free stone yellow and white peaches are perfect at the moment but wont last much longer so enjoy them while you can




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Burnt Fig and Bresaola Salad

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Alice Zaslavsky aka Alice in Frames. Alice's latest book is "Alice's Food A-Z: Edible Adventures".




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Babushka's Borsch

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Alice Zaslavsky aka Alice in Frames. Alice's latest book is "Alice's Food A-Z: Edible Adventures".




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Baked figs stuffed with goat's cheese, black garlic and herbs, mint and purple basil salad

Figs are such a versatile fruit, they can be eaten raw, cooked, and sweet or savoury. Here I am baking them with goat's curd which is truly delicious. Wrapping them in prosciutto adds texture and saltiness and the mint salad adds a lovely freshness to the dish.




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Greek chicken with polenta and sumac crumb

6 chicken thighs 1 egg 1/2 cup polenta 1 tbsp. sumac 1 tsp cumin seeds salt flakes and freshly ground pepper, to season 60 ml (1/4 cup) pomegranate molasses Avocado Tzatziki: 1 cup)Greek-style yoghurt 1 ripe avocado, flesh coarsely mashed with a fork 3 Lebanese cucumbers, grated, squeeze to remove excess liquid 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves 1 tbsp. chopped mint leaves juice of 1/2 lime pinch of Himalayan salt




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Easter ricotta, spinach, egg and dill pie

This is a simplified version of a traditional Italian spinach and ricotta pie, commonly eaten on Good Friday.





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Lamb kofte with lemon yogurt flatbread

700g minced lamb 30g pine nuts, roughly chopped 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 1/2 onion, diced 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional) zest of 1/2 lemon pinch of salt and pepper 3 tbsp. oil Lemon Flatbread 1 cup plain flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder pinch of salt 3/4 cup plain yoghurt zest of 1/2 lemon




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SLOW-COOKED QUINCES WITH MANDARIN AND ROSEWATER

Once you've peeled and cored the quinces there's really little work to do to make this gorgeous dessert. They just bubble away happily for a few hours while the sugar and long slow cooking cast their spell, transforming the quinces' hard, ivory-coloured flesh until it's meltingly soft and an incredible deep-rose colour.




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SPICY CARROT, RED LENTIL AND COCONUT SOUP

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 large brown onion, thinly sliced 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger 1 small red chilli, finely chopped, optional 1 heaped teaspoons ground cumin 1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons #harissa 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato pesto (or regular tomato paste) 1 kg carrots, peeled and fairly finely sliced 150g red lentils, thoroughly washed 1 x 400g can diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons raw sugar 2-3 teaspoons sea salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Approx.1 litres (6 cups) cool water (double-check next time I make it) Juice - 1 lemon (or lime), to taste 1 x 270ml can coconut cream # My favourite harissa is Chris Manfield's which is available in speciality food shops and on-line




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Greek calamari with watermelon, goat's cheese and olives

1/4 small watermelon vegetable oil, for deep-frying 50 g vine leaves in brine 1/3 cup plain flour 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to garnish 500 g calamari, cleaned, scored and cut into bite-sized pieces, tentacles reserved salt flakes and cracked pepper 200 g green olives 200 g goat's curd, broken into small pieces




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Fish Chowder

20 unsalted butter. 1 tbs vegetable oil 4 rashes bacon, finely chopped (optional) 1 brown onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 500g potatoes, peeled, cut into 1cm chunks 1L chicken stock 500g firm white fish fillets (such as ling or snapper), cut into 3cm chunks 1 cup frozen corn kernels 1/2 cup thickened cream 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley




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Pork and Pea Pastizzi with Mustard Mayonnnaise

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Shane Delia. This recipe is from Shane's book, and SBS series, "Shane Delia's Spice Journey".




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Slow-cooked pork shoulder with apples and crackling

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Justine Schofield. Justine's latest book is "Dinner With Justine".




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Rich pork and eggplant lasagne

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Justine Schofield. Justine's latest book is "Dinner With Justine".




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Pomegranate Coconut Fish

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Damo and Zoe Gaeau. Their new book is "That Sugar Guide".




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Marinated crispy skinned salmon fillets

4 salmon fillets, skin on (175g per portion) 2 tbs soy sauce 1 tbs rice wine vinegar 1 tbs olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tbs ginger, mined 1 small red chilli 1 lime, juiced







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Sad Vegetable Ratatouille

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Cassie Duncan from Sustainable Table.




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Carrot Top Pesto

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Cassie Duncan from Sustainable Table.




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Chicken, chestnut and apple savoury crumble

A savoury crumble seems very odd at first but makes a lot of delicious sense when you eat it! Using dried chestnuts, which are available from good Italian grocers reduces the preparation time.




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Galatopita

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Kathy Tsaples.




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Potatoes with Lemon and Oregano

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Kathy Tsaples.




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Chocolate brownies with crystallised ginger and macadamia nuts

140g unsalted butter 200g dark chocolate 100g light brown sugar 100g caster sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 egg yolk 85g plain flour 55g macadamia nuts, lightly toasted, chopped 30g crystallised ginger, chopped Sifted cocoa powder, to dust




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Flourless Chocolate Cake (almond meal)

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Tad Lombardo Director & Head Chocolatier at Cioccolato Lombardo.




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Thai Style Fried Chicken - Gai Tod Nahm Prik Pao

A spicy Thai take on fried chicken, perfect as an entree to get the taste-buds sizzling or part of a main meal with rice and vegetables.




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Garlic, Leek and Currant fritters with Honey

These savoury bites break apart with a gentle crunch, with dough as light as air and a sticky honey sauce that will have you coming back for more.




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Spanish Chocolate and Hazelnut Figs

This simple recipe is bursting with sweetness from the figs, combined with a hearty crunch of hazlenuts.




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Buckwheat polenta with roasted vegetables, blue cheese, pine nuts and thyme

As the cold weather sets in, this nourishing winter dish is perfect to warm hands, feet and heart. The addition of buckwheat flour to polenta gives it a delicious smoky earth flavour and adds to the nutrition level of this dish. Rich in fibre and silica, gluten free buckwheat contain rutin, a bioflavonoid that is know to increase blood circulation and reduce high blood pressure. Perfect for winter!




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Spinach and Sweet Potato Frittata

The frittata has almost overtaken the classic quiche. It is a healthier option as it doesn't have the extra kilojoules of a pastry case. It's Italian in origin and a versatile dish as you can serve it hot or at room temperature for lunch or dinner, alone or with a salad or vegetables, as part of an Antipasto selection or cut in bite-size pieces to serve as a nibble with drinks.




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Ricotta cheese

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Mauro Montalto, Floridia Cheese




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Mozzarella cheese

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Mauro Montalto, Floridia Cheese






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Satay chicken with zucchini noodles

2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 1 cup shredded carrots 1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced 1 red capsicum, thinly sliced 1 green chilli, sliced 3 large zucchini, spiralled into noodles 2 large chicken breasts, cooked & shredded Toppings 1/2 cup cashew nuts, chopped spring onion Satay sauce 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/3 cup honey 1/3 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce




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Mocha-Cappuccino Caramel Biscuit Cheesecake

This indulgent cheesecake is as light as air, with all the ingredients of an afternoon tea rolled into one - coffee, chocolate and caramel biscuits.




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Pumpkin soup with roasted almond pesto

Pumpkin soup on it's own can be rather plain but with interesting garnishes, the ordinary becomes delicious. This variation on a classic pesto, which uses pine nuts, incorporates roasted almonds instead, giving this ubiquitous winter soup a greater depth of flavour and crunch.




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La Madre Sourdough

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Tez Kemp, La Madre Bakery




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ROASTED GREEN BEANS WITH LEMON AND ANCHOVIES

I nearly didn't write the word 'anchovies' in the name of this dish as I know that many people will pretty much automatically by-pass any recipe that has anchovies in it. It's such a shame, because (as is the case with many dishes that include them) they add a depth of flavour and intriguing background note that is perfectly delicious without being at all fishy. If you're one of my mob, and love them, then do give this recipe a try...it's such a simple dish yet full of flavour (I sometimes add a chopped red chilli at the end to give it a bit more oomph too.) The beans are terrific with any sort of grilled meat or fish.




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GINGER AND CORIANDER CHUTNEY

TIS TIME TO DUST OFF THOSE CASSEROLE DISHES AND GET BRAISING FOR A DROP IN TEMPRATURE. THIS FLAVOURSIM CHUTTNEY IS A GREAT ENHANCMENT WITH CURRY DISHES, OR EVEN GREAT LIGHTLY SPREAD ON A WARM BAQUETTE WITH CHICKEN, LETTUCE ETC.





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Choux puffs, lemon curd and whipped cream

This recipe features on Foodie Tuesday, a weekly segment on 774 Drive with Raf Epstein, 3.30PM, courtesy of Nicky Riemer at Union Dining.




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Luscious lemon slice

Base 180g butter, at room temperature 80g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg 225g plain flour Topping 315g castor sugar 4 eggs 2 egg yolks 1 tbs lemon zest 160ml lemon juice 40g plain flour




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BORLOTTI BEAN AND TUSCAN BLACK KALE (CAVOLO NERO) SOUP

Fortunately Tuscan black kale (cavolo nero) with its sweet, earthy flavour is readily available now, however as it's gratifyingly hardy and easy to grow, if you have a small patch or pot to put some in I can't encourage you enough to do so; it will pay you back in spades. The crinkly blue/green leaves are quite tough, but with long, slow cooking they become tender and gently sweet, and that's the quality they give to this stick-to-your-ribs soup. I usually make it on the weekend when I have a bit more time to potter around in the kitchen, and love that it makes rather a lot (I've never been one to cook by halves! Although by all means make half the recipe if you'd rather not have leftovers) as having a tub tucked away in the fridge is like gold in the bank in a busy week. There's a fair bit of chopping required to start with, however once that's done the recipe is really straightforward.