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iN GOOD tAStE: Expanding the repertoire
Time to expand the
repertoire. If you’re sick of
eating the same old pasta
with the same old sauce every
Wednesday night, followed
by chicken on Thursday and
fish on Friday, then it’s time
to add some excitement to
your life. Adding a couple of
salads and a sauce is a good
start. These are even better
if they can be augmented
and adapted using what you
have in the fridge or what is
in season.
~~~~~
This recipe is great on
pasta, works well with fish
like groper or snapper, on
grilled chicken, or it can
be mixed through cooked
butter beans for a vegetarian
meal. If you are a committed
carnivore, you could easily
add some grilled bacon or
fried chorizo; however, I feel the sauce is substantially meaty
enough in itself.
Mediterranean Artichoke and Tomato Sauce
2 medium onions, finely diced
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ cup of white wine
275g jar of roasted or grilled artichokes, drained and
quartered
440g tin of chopped tomatoes in juice
1/3 cup of pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
1 dried chilli, crumbled
Sea salt and ground pepper
the juice and zest of one lemon
flat leaf parsley, chopped
heat the olive oil in a heavy pan and add the onion.
Cook slowly until soft and golden. Add the garlic and chilli
and cook, stirring for one minute. Add the wine and allow
to bubble up for another couple of minutes. Now add the
artichoke hearts, tomatoes and their juice, olives, salt and
pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about
10 minutes. just before serving, add the lemon juice and zest
and chopped parsley. This sauce can now be stirred through
cooked pasta or served with fried or grilled fish. Serve with a
green salad and hot crusty bread for a complete meal.
~~~~~
Salads are another area where we can slip into a bit of a
rut, and when time is running short and the family is hungry
you turn to what you know. Although most people enjoy the
old lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad, we need to look
at other options now, when tomatoes and cucumbers are
disappointingly insipid and so very costly.
The next two salads are good sides to almost any main
course. The rice salad also makes a great lunch dish (especially
when topped with fried halloumi cheese) and would be good
to take to work for a high-fibre snack. Both of these salads
suit the autumn weather, and it’s refreshing to eat cabbage
in a different guise to the traditional coleslaw. Buy cabbages
now, as they are inexpensive and perfectly tight and crisp.
Both recipes are based on ones by Karen Martini.
Grader now available
Cabbage, pea, mint, chilli and Parmesan salad. Photo: Fiona Feasey.
Cabbage, pea, mint, chilli and Parmesan salad
1 cup of frozen baby peas, blanched and refreshed
¼ of a cabbage, shaved as finely as possible
a handful of small radishes, finely sliced, if available
¾ cup each of torn mint and flat leaf parsley (or use
coriander)
1 long red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
80 grams of the best Parmesan you can lay your hands
on, finely grated
50 ml olive oil
25 ml lemon juice
Start by whisking the olive oil and lemon juice together in
a small bowl. Season and set aside. This is your dressing.
Now combine hALF the Parmesan cheese with the
other ingredients. Toss together and add the dressing. Toss
again and serve on a platter scattered with the remaining
Parmesan.
~~~~~
Brown rice and lemon salad
3 cups of freshly cooked brown rice.
½ cup of currants
½ cup of sherry vinegar
½ cup of toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 large red onions sliced into thin half moons
salt and pepper
½ cup each of roughly chopped mint and flat leaf
parsley
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
juice of two lemons
Into a small saucepan place the currants and the vinegar.
Bring to a boil and bubble away until the currants are plump
and only a small amount of liquid remains. Place the oil into a
baking dish and add the onions. Season with salt, cover with
foil and roast in a fairly hot oven for 15 minutes. Remove the
foil and continue to roast until totally caramelised and crisp
around the edges. This does take some time, about 20-30
minutes, but can be done while the rest of the meal is being
prepared. These onions add the necessary sweetness to the
salad, so don’t be tempted to skip this step. Toss everything
all together while the rice and onions are still warm.
Adding some grilled halloumi cheese really shows this
salad off and goes well with the lemony rice.
Fiona Feasey
The GeRALDINe NeWS, ThURSDAY 14 jUNe 2012