Gourmet fast
Cracking meals are on the table in less than 30 minutes with these recipes from Emma Knowles.
Midweek meals made in no time.
1 Crumbed flathead with crunchy slaw
2 Miso noodle soup with mushrooms and ginger 3 Five-cheese and ham triple-decker toastie 4 Roast chicken thighs with green polenta
5 Lamb with orzo and olives
6 Braised white beans with chorizo and silverbeet
7 Pumpkin pilaf with ricotta and pepitas
8 Caramelised pears with honey and fennel seeds
1 Crumbed flathead with crunchy slaw
Think of this as a cold-weather take on fish and chips. A crunchy slaw adds texture and keeps things light and fresh, while the roast potatoes are a much easier proposition than deep-fried chips.
Serves 4
700 gm floury potatoes, such as sebago,
scrubbed, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
70 gm coarse sourdough breadcrumbs or panko crumbs
Finely grated rind of ½ lemon, plus extra wedges to serve
1 tbsp finely chopped thyme
500 gm flathead fillets, cut into rough
10cm pieces, or four 150gm skinless blue-eye fillets
2½ tbsp Dijon mustard
Crunchy slaw
1 celeriac, cut into julienne
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into julienne
1 pale celery stalk, thinly sliced, leaves torn ¼ white cabbage, thinly sliced on a mandolin ¼ Spanish onion, thinly sliced
2½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp crème fraîche
Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon, or to taste
1 Preheat oven to 200C and put a roasting pan in to heat. Combine potato and olive oil in a bowl, season to taste, then add to hot pan and shake to spread out evenly. Roast until golden brown and tender (15-20 minutes). Season to taste.
2 Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, lemon rind and thyme in a bowl and season to taste. Brush fish with mustard, then toss in crumb mixture to coat evenly.
3 For slaw, combine ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and toss well to combine.
4 Heat a good splash of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add fish and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through (3-4 minutes). Serve with roast potatoes, slaw and lemon wedges.
2 Miso noodle soup with mushrooms and ginger
For a dish that’s light yet satisfying, it’s hard to go past a bowl of miso soup – ours is full of mushrooms, tofu and green tea noodles, with a good helping of ginger to give it some kick. This is an ideal recipe to customise to your liking – try broccolini in place of the spinach, or swap out the tofu for poached chicken. Serves 4
12 gm (2 sachets) instant dashi
80 gm shiro (white) miso paste
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
200 gm shiitake mushrooms, halved
50 gm oyster mushrooms, torn
50 gm enoki mushrooms
1 tbsp dried sea vegetable (see note)
300 gm green tea soba noodles
150 gm silken tofu, diced
1 bunch English spinach, trimmed
Thinly sliced spring onions, torn nori and roasted sesame seeds, to serve
1 Bring 1 litre water to a simmer in a saucepan, add dashi and simmer for flavour to develop
(4-5 minutes). Whisk in miso, add ginger, mushrooms and sea vegetable and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, cook noodles in a separate saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender (2-3 minutes), then drain and divide among serving bowls.
3 Add tofu and spinach to miso mixture, stir to wilt, then ladle mixture over noodles and serve topped with spring onion, nori and sesame seeds. Note Dried sea vegetables are available from health-food shops and Japanese grocers.
3 Five-cheese and ham triple-decker toastie
This recipe makes two sandwiches but they’re on the large side – depending on the appetite of your audience they may serve two hungry people or four as a snack. Some tangy pickles alongside would make an excellent addition.
Makes 2
200 gm firm ricotta
75 gm vintage cheddar, coarsely grated
75 gm provolone piccante, coarsely grated 75 gm parmesan, finely grated
6 slices sourdough bread
Dijon mustard, for spreading
4 thin slices leg ham off the bone
200 gm buffalo mozzarella, thickly sliced
40 gm butter, diced 1 Preheat oven to 180C. Stir ricotta, cheddar, provolone and parmesan in a bowl to combine, and season to taste. Spread two of the bread slices with cheese mixture, then top each with another bread slice. Spread with mustard to taste, top with ham, then mozzarella and season to taste. Sandwich with remaining bread.
2 Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, add sandwiches and fry until browned on the base (1-2 minutes). Carefully turn over and brown the other side, then transfer to the oven and bake until cheese is bubbling (3-4 minutes). Pour the butter in the frying pan over the top of the toasties and serve hot with mustard.
4 Roast chicken thighs with green polenta
Polenta can be polarising – many people dismiss it as bland, but when you fold in plenty of mascarpone and parmesan, along with puréed winter greens, we assure you it won’t want for flavour. We use instant polenta when time is tight; for a weekend version, consider using regular polenta for extra texture.
Serves 4
2 tbsp coarsely chopped thyme
2 tbsp coarsely chopped oregano, plus extra to serve
Finely grated rind of ½ lemon, juice of 1 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
8 chicken thighs, on the bone
200 gm mixed dark-green leaves, such as kale,
silverbeet and spinach, coarsely chopped 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
200 gm instant polenta
50 gm parmesan, finely grated
200 gm mascarpone
1 Preheat oven to 220C. Blitz herbs, lemon rind, 2 garlic cloves and olive oil in a food processor to combine, season to taste and add half the lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl, add chicken, massage to coat well, then spread on a large baking tray lined with baking paper and roast until browned and cooked through (15-18 minutes).
2 Meanwhile, blanch greens until wilted
(30 seconds to 1 minute; see cook’s notes p176), drain and refresh, then blitz in a food processor with remaining garlic to a purée.
3 Bring stock and 300ml water to the boil in a saucepan, rain in polenta, whisking continuously, then season generously to taste. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking, until thick and smooth (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat, whisk in parmesan, then swirl green purée and mascarpone through to form ripples.
4 To serve, divide green polenta among serving bowls. Squeeze remaining lemon over roast chicken, place on top of polenta, drizzle with roasting juices and serve hot scattered with extra oregano.>
5 Lamb with orzo and olives
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
500 gm minced lamb
1 onion, finely chopped
1 baby fennel, finely chopped, fronds
reserved
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
¾ tsp dried chilli flakes
½ tsp dried mint
400 gm canned cherry tomatoes
250 ml (1 cup) beef stock
¼ cup coarsely chopped dill
¼ cup coarsely chopped mint
¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley 50 gm pitted kalamata olives, coarsely
chopped
400 gm orzo or risoni
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Feta, to serve
1 Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add lamb and brown well all over, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon (2-3 minutes). Transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon and pour off all but 2 tbsp fat from the pan. Add onion, fennel, garlic and lemon rind, sauté until translucent (4-5 minutes), then stir in cumin, coriander, chilli and dried mint, and fry until fragrant. Return lamb to the pan, add tomatoes and stock, season to taste, bring to a simmer and cook until liquid reduces by half and lamb is well flavoured (10-12 minutes). Stir in fresh herbs and olives and check seasoning.
2 Meanwhile, cook orzo in a large saucepan of well-salted boiling water until just tender
(4-5 minutes), then drain and toss in a bowl with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
3 To serve, divide orzo among serving bowls, top with lamb mixture and serve hot scattered with feta and fennel fronds.
6 Braised white beans with chorizo and silverbeet
Canned beans make this dish weekday-friendly. Should you have leftover beans, they’re excellent the next day for a quick breakfast – serve them on sourdough toast and top with a fried egg.
Serves 4 (pictured p37)
60 ml ( 1/ cup) olive oil
4
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp paprika
3 thyme sprigs
1 fresh bay leaf
250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock
200 gm canned chopped tomatoes
800 gm canned white beans, drained and
rinsed 2 tsp sherry vinegar, or to taste
4 fresh chorizo
Coarsely chopped oregano and flat-leaf parsley, and crusty bread, to serve
1 Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent (4-5 minutes). Stir in paprika, thyme and bay leaf, sauté until fragrant, add stock and tomato, season to taste and bring to the boil. Add beans, reduce heat to medium and simmer until well flavoured (4-5 minutes). Discard thyme and bay leaf, stir in vinegar, season to taste and keep warm.
2 Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add chorizo and fry, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through (4-5 minutes). Thickly slice. Top bowls of braised beans with chorizo, scatter with oregano and parsley, and serve with crusty bread.
7 Pumpkin pilaf with ricotta and pepitas
You have to love a one-pot wonder – far less washing up and fiddling around, and oh-so-much flavour absorbed by the rice from the stock and vegetables. Serves 4
50 ml olive oil
100 gm butter, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
180 gm basmati rice
500 ml (2 cups) hot vegetable stock
400 gm peeled and seeded pumpkin, diced 2 thyme sprigs, plus 2 tsp coarsely chopped thyme, to serve
2½ tbsp pepitas
Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon 200 gm ricotta
1 Heat oil and 40gm butter in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat until butter foams, add onion and half the garlic and sauté until tender (3-4 minutes). Stir in rice to coat well in oil, then add stock, pumpkin, thyme sprigs and 100ml boiling water, season to taste and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook without uncovering for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stand for 5 minutes without uncovering.
2 Meanwhile, cook remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until nut brown (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in pepitas, lemon rind and remaining garlic and season to taste, then stir in lemon juice.
3 Spoon ricotta onto pilaf, drizzle with the pepita mixture, scatter with thyme and serve hot.
8 Caramelised pears with honey and fennel seeds
What’s not to love about pears and caramel, especially caramel spiked with fennel seeds? Served with ice-cream, it’s an ideal midweek dessert.
Serves 4
40 gm butter, diced
4 firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored and quartered
150 gm honey
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
½ tsp fennel seeds
70 ml pouring cream
Toasted slivered almonds and vanilla ice-cream, to serve
1 Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until foaming, add pears and fry, turning occasionally, until beginning to caramelise (5-6 minutes).
2 Add honey, vanilla bean and seeds, and fennel seeds and simmer, stirring occasionally and turning pears in syrup, until tender and a caramel forms (4-5 minutes).
3 Remove from heat, transfer pears to serving bowls, then return caramel to the heat, add cream and swirl to combine. Spoon caramel over pears, scatter with almonds and serve hot with vanilla ice-cream.