Easy to cheese
Fuss-free food to warm the soul
Ifeel like we have reached the heart of autumn produce this month. Feijoas, apples, pears and figs are overflowing at market stalls and backyard fruit trees. Not to mention squash, onions and hearty brassicas such as broccoli and kale.
I love how the hues and flavours of produce seem to complement the seasons perfectly.
This recipe is inspired by an Italian cheese tasting I attended recently, where ricotta was served drizzled with local honey. With a tray of figs ready to use at home, I knew exactly what they would become.
This simple dish could be served as a dessert or special brunch.
Honey caramel figs with ricotta
Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 8 minutes Serves 4
1 heaped tbsp mild honey
1 tbsp olive oil or butter Pinch of salt
4-8 ripe figs (about 300g, mine were
quite small, so I used 8), halved 200g ricotta, drained and cut into
wedges
Place the honey, olive oil and salt into a frying pan and heat together over a low heat until bubbling.
Add the figs, cut side down, and cook for about 5 minutes. The aim is to soften the figs and caramelise the cut side.
Toss in the honey caramel and remove from the heat.
Arrange the ricotta wedges on small plates and spoon over the figs and caramel. Serve immediately.
Pumpkin, broccoli & lentil tray bake with quick pickled onions
I think of this dish as a layered tray bake as the ingredients and flavour elements are added at different stages of cooking.
Any dried lentils can be used here – I used brown lentils because I had them on hand, but green lentils or black beluga lentils would work just as well.
To keep with the ricotta theme from the previous recipe (and since I had some spare) I added ricotta to this dish – feta or pan-fried halloumi can also be used.
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes Serves 4-6 as a side
1⁄2 cup (100g) dried lentils (or 400g can
of lentils)
1⁄2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and chilli flakes
1⁄2 butternut squash or another squash
(about 500g)
2 tbsp olive oil
About 250g broccoli florets
1 tsp ground cumin
8 dried dates, roughly chopped About 100g ricotta or feta, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 200C.
If cooking the lentils, rinse well and place into a saucepan. Cover with
2 cups water and bring to a boil, simmer for 15 minutes until just tender. Drain.
Prepare the pickled onions. Place the sliced onion into a bowl, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Massage briefly with your fingers and set aside to soften.
Slice the squash into wedges, remove the seeds and cut into bite-sized pieces – I leave the skin on, but you can remove if preferred. Place onto a large roasting tray, drizzle with
1 tablespoon olive oil and add a pinch each of salt and chilli flakes (optional). Toss well and spread in a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes.
While the pumpkin is roasting, steam or blanch the broccoli for 5 minutes until al dente (if cooking dried lentils, the broccoli can be added to the pan in the last 5 minutes of cooking).
Once the lentils and broccoli are cooked and drained, place into a bowl and add the extra tablespoon olive oil, cumin and dates. Toss to combine.
Remove the pumpkin from the oven and add the lentil mixture to the tray. Toss to combine and spread out evenly. Roast for another 10-15 minutes until the pumpkin is tender. Remove from the oven and squeeze over 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
Dot with the ricotta or feta and serve with the pickled onion on the side. This makes a nice weekend lunch or side to dinner.