Cream of Sweet Potato Soup

2 large sweet potatoes, diced
2 litres of stock (I used reconstituted massell chicken stock cubes)
1 carrot, diced
1 stick of celery, diced
1/4 cup of dry sherry
1 small tub of light cream
2 tablespoons of dried chives


1. Sautee the carrot and celery in a pan until soft and a little brown at the edges.
2. Deglaze the pan with sherry being sure to get all the brown bits up.
3. Add the stock and potatoes. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer.
4. Simmer uncovered until potatoes have begun to fall apart.
5. Add the cream and chives. Blend. Season to taste.

Pea and Bacon Soup

2 cups of split peas
2 litres of stock (I use reconstituted massel cubes)
2 potatoes
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stick, diced
1/4 cup of dry sherry
2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons of dried chives

6 rashers of bacon, diced

1. Sautee the carrot and celery in a pan until soft and a little brown at the edges.
2. Deglaze the pan with sherry being sure to get all the brown bits up.
3. Add carrot and celery mix, stock, potatoes, lentils and bay leaves to a slow cooker. Cook on whichever setting you prefer until lentils are soft.
4. Remove the bay leaves. Add the chives. Blend.
5. Fry off bacon until crispy. Add to soup or, for vegetarian option, serve on the side.

Spanakopita Pie

2 x 250g packets of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of water

1 bunch of dill, finely chopped

1/2 bunch of parsley, finely chopped

1 bunch of chives, finely chopped

500g of low fat ricotta

250 g of low fat feta, crumbled

1 tsp of nutmeg

1 tbsp of lemon zest

1 egg

1 tbsp of melted butter

1/2 packet of filo pastry* 

1. Pre heat oven to 180C

2. Mix together the spinach, herbs, cheese, nutmeg, lemon zest and egg. Season with salt and pepper. You should end up with a smooth creamy mix.

3. Brush baking tin or casserol dish with better. Line with two layers of filo leaving a little pastry overhanging around the edges. Brush with butter. 

4. Place spinach mix in the lined tin. Cover the top with two more layers of filo brushed with butter. Fold over the overhanding edges.

5. Bake in oven until golden brown on top (20-30 minutes).

* Filo pastry does contain wheat but because it a very thin pastry and you only use a small amount, each slice of pie includes relatively little wheat (as compared to regular pastry in a pie). I don't find this small amount of wheat to be a problem. People who are very sensitive to wheat could use gluten free puff pastry or they could add 2 extra eggs and do without the pastry altoether. This would make a spinach fritatta rather than a pie.

Grilled Vegetable and Proscuitto Salad

This is a nice variation on this salad I published a few months back which doesn't require an oven.

• 4 cups of rocket, rinsed and dried
• 1 medium eggplant, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1/4 cup of shaved parmesan
• 100g finely sliced proscuitto, shredded
• 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

1. Salt the eggplant and zucchini and sit in a sieve over a bowl for 30 minutes or more. Once the bitter liquid has come out of them, rinse the salt off and pat them dry with paper towel.
2. Heat up 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a fry pan. Fry the eggplant and zucchini until cooked through and browned on the edges. Set aside.
3. Toss together, rocket, parmesan and prosciutto. Top with cooked vegetables.
4. Mix together remaining oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Pour on salad. Toss and serve.

Alternative: you could leave out the proscuitto to make this vegetarian. If I did this I think I would stir some pesto in to the dressing or add a couple of finely sliced sun dried tomatoes to give it a bit more zing.

Corn Fritters

• 1 can of corn, drained and rinsed
• 6 tbsp of gluten free self raising flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup crumbled greek fetta
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• salt and pepper
• canola oil

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Heat 1.5 cm of oil in a heavy fry pan until very hot
3. Place 1/2 cup size portions into oil to make little corn "pikelets". Cook until brown on bottom and flip.
4. When cooked on both sides, sit on paper towel.
5. Serve hot or cold with raita or tatziki dip.

Frittata

Serves 3 - 4 for a light meal

• 1 red capsicum, diced small
• 1 zucchini, diced small
• 4 rashers of bacon, diced
• 2 birds-eye chillies, deseeded and finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed (you could use garlic oil instead)
• 2 med-large desiree potatoes, washed and diced
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp diced chives
• 1/2 cup of grated tasty cheese

1. Pre-heat grill.
2. Put potatoes in a microwave safe bowl, covered with glad wrap and microwave for 3 minutes or until just soft.
3. Heat oil in a large non-stick fry pan. Add potatoes, bacon, garlic, zucchini, capsicum and chilli. Fry off on high heat until potatoes start to show some colour.
4. Sprinkle over the chives and the cheese evenly. Pour eggs on top. Tilt pan to make sure eggs have spread around the whole pan.
5. Let cook for 5 minutes on high.
6. Place pan under grill (if a plastic handled pan, be careful not to melt it!) until browned on top.
7. Serve with a green salad and some crusty bread

Alternatives: You could substitute some FF chorizo sausage for the bacon for a more authentic spanish taste.

Kedgeree

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 100g smoked salmon or trout (hot smoked fillet style) finely shredded and deboned
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1.5 cups FF chicken stock
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp FF curry paste (you could substitute this for 1 tbsp of FF curry powder mixed in water to a paste)
• 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 eggs

1. Boil the eggs for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and sit in cold water to cool.
2. Heat ghee in a medium saucepan. Fry curry paste until fragrant.
3. Add capsicum and rice to paste. Stir. Add stock. Stir.
4. Leave to simmer on a very low heat until rice is cooked and stock largely absorbed.
5. Remove from heat. Add the fish. Add lemon juice and parsley to taste. Season.
6. Peel the boiled eggs and slice into quarters.
7. Serve the kedgeree with sliced egg on top and garnished with parsley.