Simple meals
Nicola Galloway brings flavour to her food with dried herbs and sun-dried tomatoes.
November has been a wonderful month of warmth and just enough rain so the gardens and parks are so green and lush. It is a busy time of year if you are a gardener with summer plantings while keeping on top of the weeds. It is also a time of year with much anticipation for the season of abundance soon to arrive.
The fruit trees have set fruit, the berry vines have small green buds, and the tomatoes and cucumber are flowering. It won’t be long now until the fruit bowl and kitchen bench will be laden with the fruits of summer. For now, I make the most of flavourful dried herbs and sun-dried tomatoes to bring all the flavour.
Broccoli, sun-dried tomato and chorizo spaghetti
Pasta is often my go-to when I haven’t planned a meal. By this time of year my autumn preserved jars of slow-cooked pasta sauce are finished so I get a little more creative with my additions using what I can find in the fridge. A small head of broccoli, a few spicy sausages and the last of a jar of sundried tomatoes becomes a simple meal. Chorizo sausages are flavour bombs so a little goes a long way. I freeze a packet into pairs then a quick thaw in a bowl of cold water and they are ready to go in no time – the benefit of the higher fat content. Feel free to mix up the vegetables, using asparagus or cauliflower instead of broccoli.
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Serves 3-4
■ About 250g dried spaghetti ■ 1 tsp salt
■ 2 tbsp olive oil
■ 1⁄ brown onion, chopped
2
■ 1-2 chorizo sausages (about 200g) or similar well-flavoured sausages
■ 2 garlic cloves, chopped
■ 1 small head of broccoli
■ Pinch of dried oregano or mint
■ 6-8 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
■ 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
■ Grated parmesan to serve
Bring a large saucepan of water (2-3L) to a boil. Add the salt followed by the spaghetti and cook until the spaghetti is al dente. About 8 minutes (longer if using gluten-free pasta, check the packet instructions). Drain the spaghetti in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water in a bowl.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a heavy-based frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the olive oil and onion, saute´ for 5 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, peel the casing from the chorizo or squeeze out the sausage meat (this will depend on the type of sausage used). Crumble the sausage meat into the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into small pieces. Add the garlic and continue to stir as the fat is rendered from the sausage meat.
Coarsely chop the broccoli into 1cm pieces, starting from the top to the base and including the stalk. Add to the pan and cook for another 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until the broccoli has softened and is a little golden around the edges.
Add the herbs, sun-dried tomatoes and pumpkin seeds and cook for a few more minutes. Add the drained pasta along with 1⁄ cup of the reserved
2 cooking water. Toss over the heat until well combined. Serve immediately with grated parmesan.
Cucumber and asparagus dill salad
As much as I love fresh dill it can be difficult to come by so a small shaker of dried dill in the kitchen has become one of my essentials. I am not usually a fan of dried herbs beyond oregano (and herbs for tea) but dill and mint retain their flavour well. The creamy salad dressing base can be used for any selection of spring into summer produce such as capsicum, cherry tomatoes, or boiled new potatoes.
Preparation time: 20 minutes Serves 4 as a side
■ Bunch (250g) of asparagus, trimmed
and cut into 4cm lengths
■ 1⁄ large cucumber
2
■ 3 tbsp natural yoghurt
■ 1 tbsp sour cream or more yoghurt
■ 1 tsp dijon mustard
■ Squeeze of lemon juice
■ 1 tsp each dried dill and mint, or 1 tbsp each fresh, finely chopped
■ Salt and cracked pepper
First blanch the asparagus. Place into a heat-proof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Leave for 2-3 minutes then drain.
Check for doneness and repeat if needed. Refresh in cold water then drain well.
Cut the cucumber into 2-3cm wide wedges and place into a serving bowl.
Make the dressing, by combining the yoghurt, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice and herbs in a small bowl.
Season to taste, checking flavour adding extra mustard or lemon if needed.
Add the asparagus to the cucumber then toss through the dressing. Serve. The salad can be prepared ahead of time and kept chilled for 2-3 hours.