CLEAN & DELICIOUS
These versatile vegetables deserve a starring role on your dinner plate
WHOLEMEAL SPAGHETTI WITH BROCCOLINI GARLIC CRUMBS
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 40 MINS 6 slices wholemeal bread, crusts discarded 375g wholemeal spaghetti 420g broccolini, ends trimmed 150g sugar snap peas, trimmed ¹⁄ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 fresh small red chilli, seeded, chopped finely 2 green onions, chopped finely 1 medium zucchini, sliced thinly 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind ¼ cup lemon juice 75g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled 1 Tear bread into small pieces. 2 Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until almost tender. Add broccolini and peas to water for the last 5 mins of pasta cooking time. Drain. Reserve ¼ cup (60ml) of cooking water.
3 Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook bread pieces, garlic and chilli, stirring frequently, for 5 mins until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towel.
4 Heat remaining oil in same cleaned pan. Cook green onion and zucchini, stirring, for 3 mins until zucchini is tender.
5 Combine pasta mixture and zucchini mixture in a large bowl with rind, juice and reserved cooking water.
6 Serve pasta topped with garlic crumbs and goat’s cheese.
CREAM OF CELERIAC SOUP
SERVES 8 PREP + COOK 1 HOUR 30 MINS + STANDING 2kg celeriac, chopped coarsely 1 medium onion, chopped coarsely 1 trimmed celery stalk, chopped coarsely 3 cloves garlic, quartered 1.5 litres (6 cups) water 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock ½ cup pouring cream 2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup loosely packed fresh chervil leaves 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Place celeriac, onion, celery, garlic, water and stock in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour until tender. Remove pan from heat. Stand for 10 mins.
2 Blend or process soup, in batches, until smooth. Return soup to pan. Stir in cream, over medium-high heat, until hot. Season to taste. Stir in juice.
3 Serve soup sprinkled with chervil and drizzled with oil.
ALMOND SKORDALIA & PUMPKIN BRUSCHETTA
SERVES 8 PREP + COOK 30 MINS 500g Jap pumpkin, skin on 2 tbsp olive oil 8 thin slices sourdough 100g fetta, crumbled ½ cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 2 tbsp olive oil, extra
ALMOND SKORDALIA
1 cup (160g) blanched almonds, toasted 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 cup (70g) coarsely chopped day-old bread 2 tbsp white-wine vinegar ¹⁄ cup (80ml) olive oil ½ cup (125ml) water
1 ALMOND SKORDALIA
Process almonds, garlic, bread and vinegar until combined. Add oil in a thin, steady stream. Add water. Process until mixture is smooth.
2 Cut pumpkin into thin wedges. Place pumpkin and half the oil in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Cook pumpkin on a heated oiled grill plate for 4 mins until tender.
3 Brush sourdough slices with remaining oil. Cook on a heated grill plate for 1 min each side until browned. Spread skordalia on sourdough. Top with pumpkin, fetta and parsley. Drizzle with extra oil.
MIXED BEAN, SPINACH & PANEER ROGAN JOSH
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 4 HOURS 30 MINS ½ cup rogan josh curry paste 2 large onions, sliced thinly 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger 3 cloves garlic, crushed 400g can diced tomatoes 840g can four-bean mix, drained, rinsed 2 dried bay leaves 2 cups (500ml) vegetable stock 150g baby spinach leaves 200g paneer, crumbled ¼ cup loosely packed fresh micro herbs
1 Heat a 4.5-litre (18-cup) slow cooker on Medium. Cook curry paste, stirring, for 5 mins until fragrant. Add onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, beans, bay leaves and stock. Stir to combine. Cook, covered, on Low for 4 hours.
2 Stir in spinach. Cook, covered, on High for 5 mins until spinach wilts. Season to taste.
3 Serve curry topped with paneer and micro herbs.
CAULIFLOWER MAC ’N’ CHEESE
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 45 MINS 750g cauliflower, trimmed, cut into large florets 1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 300g casarecce or other short tubular pasta 100g butter, chopped coarsely ½ cup plain flour 3¼ cups hot milk 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard ½ cup coarsely grated cheddar ¾ cup finely grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese 2 tbsp panko crumbs
1 Preheat oven to 240°C. Grease four 2-cup (500ml) ovenproof dishes.
2 Place cauliflower on an oven tray. Drizzle with oil. Season. Toss well to combine. Roast for 15 mins until almost tender and browned. Reduce oven to 200°C.
3 Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 6 mins (or 2 mins less than directed on the packet). Drain. Return pasta to pan.
4 Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add flour. Cook, stirring, until mixture bubbles and thickens. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Cook, whisking, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in mustard, cheddar and two-thirds of the parmesan until cheeses melt. Add cheese sauce to pasta in pan and toss to combine.
5 Spoon pasta mixture into ovenproof dishes, then press cauliflower pieces into pasta. Top with combined breadcrumbs and remaining parmesan.
6 Bake for 20 mins until crumbs are golden and mixture is heated through.
SPICY ZUCCHINI & RICOTTA PASTA SHELLS
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 1 HOUR 3 medium zucchini, grated coarsely 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1¹⁄3 cups firm ricotta 1 cup finely grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese ¹⁄3 cup pine nuts, toasted 3 egg yolks 1 tbsp fresh lemon thyme leaves ½ tsp dried chilli flakes 1.25 litres (5 cups) bottled tomato pasta sauce 250g large pasta shells ½ cup loosely packed small fresh basil leaves
1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Oil a shallow 2.5-litre (10-cup) ovenproof dish.
2 Combine zucchini, garlic, ricotta, ¾ cup of the parmesan, pine nuts, egg yolks, thyme and chilli in a medium bowl. Season.
3 Spread pasta sauce into dish. Season. Spoon zucchini mixture into uncooked pasta shells, then place in dish.
4 Cover dish with foil. Bake for 30 mins. Uncover, then bake for a further 15 mins until pasta is tender and parmesan is browned lightly. Serve pasta sprinkled with remaining parmesan and basil.
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 1 HOUR 15 MINS ²⁄ cup olive oil 3 1 medium onion, chopped finely 2 cloves garlic, crushed 400g can diced tomatoes 2 cups tomato passata ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes 2 medium eggplants, sliced thickly ¼ cup plain flour ¹⁄ cup loosely packed 3 fresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve 200g bocconcini, sliced thinly ²⁄ cup finely 3 grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese ½ tsp sweet paprika 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. 2 Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins until softened. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 min until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, passata and chilli. Season to taste. Transfer mixture to a medium jug.
3 Toss eggplant in flour to coat. Shake off excess. Heat remaining oil in same pan. Cook eggplant, in batches, until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towel.
4 Layer half the eggplant in an 18cm x 25cm ovenproof dish. Season. Top with half each of the tomato mixture, basil and bocconcini. Repeat layering. Scatter parmesan over the top. Sprinkle with paprika.
5 Bake, covered, for 30 mins. Uncover and bake for a further 15 mins until browned and eggplant is tender.
6 Serve parmigiana topped with extra basil.
QUATTRO FORMAGGI PIZZA
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 30 MINS + STANDING 100g bocconcini, sliced thinly ½ cup finely grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese ½ cup coarsely grated fontina cheese 50g gorgonzola, crumbled 4 sprigs fresh thyme
PIZZA DOUGH
1½ cups “00” flour, bread flour or plain flour 1 tsp dried yeast 1 tsp caster sugar 1 tsp fine table salt 1 tbsp olive oil ½ cup warm water, approximately
Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Make
PIZZA DOUGH
a well in centre. Stir in oil and enough of the water to mix to a soft dough. Knead dough on a floured surface for 10 mins until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large oiled bowl. Cover and stand in a warm place for 1 hour until dough doubles in size. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth.
2 Preheat oven to 240°C. Oil a pizza tray or oven tray. Place in heated oven.
3 Roll dough into a 35cm round. Place on tray.
4 Top pizza base with bocconcini. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses.
5 Bake for 15 mins until base is browned and crisp. Serve pizza topped with thyme.
✦ 2 tbsp olive oil ✦ 375g assorted mushrooms, sliced thinly ✦ 2 tsp finely chopped fresh lemon thyme ✦ 2 cloves garlic, crushed ✦ 300ml pouring cream ✦ ¹⁄ 3 cup (25g) finely grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese ✦ 2 tsp fresh lemon thyme sprigs, extra POTATO GNOCCHI ✦ 500g desiree potatoes, unpeeled ✦ 1 egg, beaten lightly ✦ 15g butter, melted ✦ 2 tbsp finely grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese ✦ 1 cup (150g) plain flour, approximately
1 POTATO GNOCCHI Boil whole potatoes until tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, peel away skins. Mash potatoes, using a ricer or potato masher, into a medium bowl. Stir in egg, butter, parmesan and enough flour to make a firm dough. Divide dough into four portions. Roll each portion on a floured surface into 2cm-thick ropes. Cut each rope into 2cm pieces. Place gnocchi, in a single layer, on a lightly floured tray. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2 Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook mushroom and thyme, allowing mushroom to brown well before turning, for 5 mins until golden. Add garlic. Stir for 30 secs until softened. Add cream. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, then cook until sauce thickens. Stir in half the parmesan. Season to taste.
3 Meanwhile, cook gnocchi, in batches, in a large saucepan of boiling water until gnocchi float to the surface. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Cover to keep warm.
4 Once all gnocchi are cooked, add to mushroom sauce and stir gently. Serve topped with remaining parmesan and extra thyme sprigs.