Pittwater Life June 2023 Issue

Food Life
with Janelle Bloom
Food Life
Recipes: janellebloom.com.au; FB: facebook.com/culinaryinbloom Insta: instagram.com/janellegbloom/
Veg out: Get your serves of
these wonderful Winter crops
We all know how important vegetables in our diet are.
We should be eating at least five serves each and every
day – but most Australians only eat half that. The secret
is to try to add some to each meal, then the five serves is easy to
achieve. Given the wonderful winter crop of vegetables we have at
our fingertips, I hope the recipes below inspire you to get creative!
Spiced roast
cauliflower
Serves 4-5 (as a side)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp cayenne
¾ tsp sea salt flakes
Pinch of ground turmeric
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus
extra, to serve
1 (approx 700g) cauliflower,
trimmed, cut into florets
Raita or yoghurt, to serve
3. Drizzle with oil. Serve with
raita or yoghurt.
Serving suggestion: Serve
with pan-fried minute steak,
salmon or lamb chops.
Italian Stuffed
mushrooms
Makes 8 (Serves 4)
8 large Portobello/flat
mushrooms
1½ cups soft breadcrumbs (see
Tip)
¼ cup roasted red capsicum
strips
¼ cup semi dried tomatoes,
chopped,
2 tbs pitted olives, chopped
¼ cup parsley leaves, chopped
2 tbs pine nuts, toasted
½ cup basil pesto
½ cup finely grated parmesan
cheese
olive oil cooking spray
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
fan-forced. Trim the stalks
from the mushrooms. Finely
chop the stalks and place
in a large bowl. Add 1 cup
of the breadcrumbs to the
bowl. Add the capsicum,
tomatoes, olives, parsley and
pine nuts. Season. Mix well.
2. Place the mushrooms
on a baking tray. Divide
the stuffing between the
mushrooms and press
down slightly. Dollop
over the pesto. Combine
the remaining ½ cup
breadcrumbs and parmesan
and sprinkle over the
mushrooms. Spray the tops
with oil.
3. Roast for 20 minutes or until
the tops are golden and the
mushrooms are tender.
Serving suggestion: Serve
with roast beef, chicken or
barbecued chorizo sausages.
Janelle’s Tip: Process day-old
sourdough or sliced bread;
you will need around 4-5
slices.
Winter roast
vegetables
Serves 4 (as a side)
1 red onion, peeled, cut into
thin wedges
2 zucchini, cut into thick
rounds
2 Lebanese (or 1 small
regular) eggplant, cut into
thick rounds
1 red capsicum, chopped
1 yellow capsicum, chopped
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs maple syrup
2 tbs orange juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
fan-forced.
2. Place all the vegetables in
a large greased roasting
pan. Whisk the oil, maple
syrup, orange juice,
oregano and salt and
pepper together until well
combined. Pour half over
the vegetables, toss gently
so all the vegetables are
well coated. Spread the
vegetables evenly over the
pan.
3. Roast for 25-35 minutes,
shaking the pan every
10 minutes until the
vegetables are golden
and tender. Spoon over
the remaining oil mixture.
Serve.
Serving suggestion: Serve
with meatloaf, rissoles,
bolognese or char-grilled
pork chops.
Janelle’s Tip: Add thinly
sliced baby potatoes,
pumpkin or sweet potato,
brussels sprouts or
cauliflower to the mix if you
have them on hand.
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
fan forced. Combine the
cumin, coriander, paprika,
cayenne, salt and turmeric
in a bowl. Add the oil, stir to
combine.
2. Place the cauliflower in
a greased roasting pan.
Spoon over the spiced oil
mixture. Turn to coat all
the cauliflower, then spread
the cauliflower in a single
layer. Roast, shaking the
pan occasionally, for 20-30
minutes or until golden and
tender.
58 JUNE 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991