simple and wholesome: broccoli and prawn soup

Broccoli and prawn soup.

It is a wonderful thing when your ingredients shine. And the easiest way to achieve this, is to keep things simple, while harnessing all the magic you can with what you've got.

In the case of this broccoli and prawn soup, it's all about the prawn heads. Some people would rather not handle these parts of the animal, but by shying away from them you'd be shortchanging yourself. The flavour you can draw out from these things - it's just fabulous, infusing so much richness and complexity into the soup that you hardly need any other embellishments. I mean, aside from salt, pepper, and water, this is effectively a 3-ingredient soup. Grab the prawns, broccoli, and lemon, and you're set. So here we go...

A lemony prawn and broccoli soup.

broccoli and prawn soup (serves 1)

6 large prawns/shrimp, with shells and heads intact
1 cup broccoli florets
1 wedge of lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

Chop off the prawn heads, and remove the shells. Throw the heads and shells into a pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer.
In the meantime, devein the prawns, and set aside.
When the liquid in the pot is reduced, takes on an orange hue and is wonderfully infused with flavour, discard the prawn heads and shells.
Add the broccoli florets to the prawn stock, and bring it to boil. Let the broccoli cook for 1 minute before stirring in the peeled and deveined prawns. Reduce the temperature and allow the soup to simmer gently for about 3 minutes or until the broccoli is tender-crisp and the prawns are just cooked through. Turn off the heat, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the soup into a bowl, squeeze in some lemon juice, stir with a spoon, and enjoy!

A simple broccoli and prawn soup, with a touch of lemon.

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summer potluck butter bean salad

Summer potluck butter bean salad.

Potlucks are fun. I fret about what I make, and I worry about how they will be received, but I also love thinking about potluck ideas - I get excited about all the possibilities and what I can bring to the table. Not to mention how awesome it is to try all the potluck dishes that everyone else is sharing with the crowd. Ultimately, a potluck is a pretty cool food adventure.

But in addition to potlucks, I want to talk about something else. I have only recently realised that butter beans are actually rather tasty, with their mild flavour and soft, creamy texture. To think all this time I've been ignoring them in the supermarket aisles.

Driven by an impending summer potluck date with friends, and fueled by a desire to make up for lost butter bean time, here's a corn and butter bean salad I created for the occasion. It's supremely wholesome, it's light and refreshing, and it travels well in a container to take to a potluck, or even a picnic if you're feeling outdoorsy. It's also gluten-free and vegan-friendly. Best of all, it's easy to make. No complicated tricks, no cooking required: just a bit of chopping and then tossing it all together, and you've got yourself a sunny salad with a friendly outlook - bright and colourful with an abundance of healthy, delicious ingredients.

summer potluck butter bean salad

2 cans butter beans (cans of approximately 400g / 14oz each)
1 can corn kernels (can of approximately 420g / 15oz) or 1.5 cups fresh corn kernels
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 capsicum / bell pepper, sliced (any colour - I used red)
1 chilli, sliced thinly (any colour - I used green)
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Drain the cans of butter beans and corn kernels, but reserve 2 tablespoons of liquid from one of the butter bean cans to form part of the salad dressing.
Mix the butter beans, corn kernels, and reserved liquid in a large bowl or container. Add all other ingredients and toss everything together thoroughly.
You may serve the salad immediately, or allow the flavours mingle for a while before eating. It keeps well, so you can make it in advance and store it in the fridge overnight for consumption on the following day.

Assorted vegetables, butter beans, and corn salad for summer picnics and potlucks.

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lamb's lettuce (aka corn salad, mache, rapunzel, etc.)... and a simple stir-fry

an easy lamb's lettuce stir-fry.

Apologies for my long-winded post title, but you would be hard-pressed to find another vegetable suffering from a similarly severe case of identity crisis, and I wanted to cover at least some of its many interesting monikers. Here are the names we use to refer to the pleasantly placid vegetable I'm introducing today, according to Wikipedia:

Corn salad, Lewiston cornsalad, lamb's lettuce, lamb's tongue, fetticus, field salad, mâche, feldsalat, nut lettuce and rapunzel.

I bought it at a vegetable stall at the market where it was labelled as "corn salad", which had me imagining them to be young corn sprouts. But no, apparently this little vegetable used to be harvested from corn fields before the days of commercial cultivation, and that's where it got its name. I've taken a liking to the name "lamb's lettuce", though, because this was charmingly derived from its resemblance to a lamb's tongue, and also because it is purportedly a lamb's favourite food. So from here onwards I'll be referring to it as lamb's lettuce.

lamb's lettuce, aka corn salad, lamb's tongue, fetticus, field salad, mâche, feldsalat, nut lettuce, rapunzel.

To me, lamb's lettuce tastes like a marriage of butter lettuce and baby spinach. It's quite mild when raw, and features often in salads, but I personally think that cooking actually brings out more of the sweetness of the vegetable, even if they do shrink a lot in the heat. Lamb's lettuce cooks fast, too, so you can add it into a soup right at the end, and when stir-fried, as I have done, you shouldn't need more than 20 seconds, and perhaps even less, depending on whether you want to retain a little bit of crunch or if you prefer them completely tender.

So keep an eye out for this little vegetable next time you're at the markets. Or jostle with some lambs for a share when you're next strolling through a corn field.

chilli-garlic lamb's lettuce stir-fry
(yields one very petite side serve)

50g (2oz) lamb's lettuce
1/2 tablespoon peanut oil (or any neutral or nutty oil suitable for frying)
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 - 3 cm (1 inch) red chilli, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
a few drops sesame oil

Thoroughly wash lamb's lettuce, as dirt collects easily in its nooks and crannies. Trim off the roots, if you like - I didn't bother as they were quite tiny. Shake off as much excess water as possible, or use a salad spinner to do the job.
Heat up the oil in a frying pan or wok over a medium heat, and swirl it around. Fry garlic and chilli for about 20 seconds or until softened.
Turn the heat up and add lamb's lettuce. Stir-fry for another 20 seconds or until slightly wilted, bearing in mind that they will continue to cook from the residual warmth of the pan. Remove from heat immediately. Mix in soy sauce and sesame oil. Serve.

This stir-fry recipe can be adapted to suit other vegetables in lieu of lamb's lettuce.
To make this dish gluten-free, use a wheat-free soy sauce.

stir-fried lamb's lettuce.

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spring onion & radish salad in soy-lemon-sesame vinaigrette

Amazingly - given their popularity in Australian cuisine - I've never bought little red radishes before. I've always been more of a daikon kind of girl. But when I saw bunches of radishes going for cheap, cheap, cheap at the market the other week, I thought it was high time I experimented with them.

spring onion and baby radishes.

Radishes, when raw, have a sharp, spicy flavour which mellows down to a gentle sweetness if cooked. For this recipe, you may use either raw radish, cooked radish, or a combination of both, depending on your preferences. If you serve this salad soon after preparation, the difference will be fairly distinct in both taste and texture, but if you leave the radish slices to marinade overnight, the dressing so infuses them that it becomes much of a muchness - in which case, just leave 'em raw and save yourself the trouble.

This incredibly easy recipe is really just a combination of sliced radishes and spring onions tossed in a vinaigrette of shoyu, lemon and roasted sesame oil. Very simple. Very refreshing.

asian-inspired spring onion & radish salad in soy-lemon-sesame vinaigrette

1 bunch (12 - 15) young radishes about 2 - 3 cm / 1 inch in diameter
2 spring onions (aka scallions)
1 teaspoon shoyu, tamari, or light soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice, or lime
1 teaspoon Chinese sesame oil / roasted sesame oil

Trim the leaves and ends of the radishes. Thinly slice. Leave them raw, or if you prefer, you may boil or steam them till just tender.
Finely slice the dark green part of the spring onions. Don't discard the white parts, though - you can use them in future soups, stocks and stir-fries. Alternatively, you can also boil or steam the white parts to take away their edge, and use them in this salad as well.
Toss together radish and spring onions with soy sauce, lemon or lime juice, and sesame oil, making sure they mix well.
Let the salad marinade serenely in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or leave it overnight before serving. Makes a great little side dish!

To make this recipe gluten-free, use wheat-free tamari soy sauce.
Use less of the lemon or lime juice if you prefer a less acidic taste.
If you have sesame seeds (I wish I did!), lightly toast and sprinkle through the salad just before serving, for extra flavour and crunch.

asian-inspired spring onion & radish salad in shoyu-lemon-sesame vinaigrette.

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egg, shallot & samphire salad with smoky lemon dressing

The slender, knobbly green fingers beckoned.

"Try us," they beseech. "You've never tried us before."

It's true, I hadn't. Oh, I knew of samphire, of course. I've heard about the languid foraging excursions undertaken by intrepid food-lovers; I've spied them on the slickly written menus in expensive restaurants. But they were so quaint and far removed from my regular life that for all I was concerned they could be a made-up ingredient from a fairy tale.

marsh samphire, also known as sea asparagus.

It turns out they are quite real, and I have finally met them in the flesh. The label on the packet instructs, slightly awkwardly: "This unique vegetable, to be used steamed. Yummy in stir-fries or blanched and used as a bed under seafood."

I broke off a small piece and ate it raw, to give myself an inkling of what I was getting into. So what did it taste like? Imagine a crunchy, hollow vegetable shaped like a spindly, rugged drinking straw that's absolutely zonked out on sea water, and that's pretty much what marsh samphire is. Given how briny it was, I decided to boil it, hoping to strip away some of the excess salt. This seemed to help a little, but it was still very salty, and I can see that this is one ingredient that could require a nifty balancing act.

So this is what I did, based on what I already have at home. I boiled four eggs until their yolks were just set, then peeled and sliced them, rejoicing at their creamy, vibrant orange goodness. For the dressing, I sloshed together some lemon juice with extra virgin olive oil, swirled through a sexy dose of smoked Spanish paprika, and then, spying a shallot on the counter, chopped that up, too, and flung it in. It's tangy, it's smoky, it's savoury - what's not to love?

These joined forces proved to be a good match for the samphire. The tart and spicy dressing tamed the excessive saltiness, and the eggs, in their simplicity, were calm and gentle amongst the veritable ocean of flavours. I would definitely make this again.

egg, shallot & samphire salad with a spicy, smoky, tangy lemon dressing.

egg, shallot & samphire salad with smoky lemon dressing
(makes 2 light serves)

50g marsh samphire / sea asparagus
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Spanish hot smoked paprika (Pimenton de la Vera, Picante)*
4 large medium-boiled or hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Trim and discard the tough, fibrous stems near the root end of the samphire stalks. Roughly snip the samphire into shorter sections to make them more manageable when eating.
Bring a pot of water to boil, then throw in the samphire and let it cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Drain, then lightly rinse the samphire with cold water.
Mix shallot, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and Spanish hot smoked paprika to create a dressing.
Toss the samphire with half the dressing, then top with egg slices and drizzle with remaining dressing. No need to add salt!

You can have this salad for breakfast or brunch with some buttered toast - if you like, you can tear the toast into pieces and scatter them through the salad. This would work very, very well indeed. Alternatively, you could also serve it with any meal as a punchy little side dish.

*Pimenton de la Vera aka Spanish smoked paprika can usually be found at specialty and gourmet food stores, spice shops, or Spanish grocery stores. In lieu of the hot (Picante) version, you may use the mild, sweet version (Dulce) or medium, bittersweet version (Agridulce).

P.S. I love the dressing in this dish. It flavours the eggs beautifully, and if you don't have samphire, feel free to improvise with other vegetables - I imagine green beans, broccolini or asparagus would work well. The only difference is that you will probably want to season with a pinch of salt if using these substitutes.

I purchased my samphire from The Vegetable Connection in Fitzroy. The samphire is packaged by Outback Pride (please see their site for a list of other stockists in Australia). Note - they seem to pop up in the shops quite sporadically, so get ready to pounce if/when you see them!

egg, shallot & samphire salad with lemon, hot smoked paprika and extra virgin olive oil.

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balsamic thyme mushroom & potato fry-up

I like to make myself a good brunch on Fridays.

You see, I don't work on Fridays. I'm all relaxed... I potter around the kitchen, and I really get in touch with my ingredients.

I'll take the time to breathe in the scent of thyme.

I'll lick a bit of balsamic reduction off my fingers.

There are certainly plenty of things for which I can be thankful on Fridays.

balsamic thyme mushroom & potato fry-up.

This pan-fried mushroom and potato dish with shallot, thyme and balsamic vinegar... it's one of those things. It's vegan, but the mushrooms provide a meaty component to the dish, and it's gluten-free, but the potato satisfies those carb cravings. The shallots are deliciously charred, the thyme fragrant, the balsamic vinegar sweetly acidic.

Hearty, yet not too heavy. Robust, yet still quite gentle. My kind of brunch.

some of the ingredients...

pan-fried mushrooms and potatoes with shallot, thyme and balsamic vinegar

2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 French shallot (60g), thinly sliced
1 medium potato (150g), thinly sliced
10 small-to-medium button mushrooms (150g), sliced in half
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat up a couple tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and fry the garlic, shallot and potatoes.
When the potatoes start to char a little around the edges, put in mushrooms, balsamic vinegar and thyme leaves. Slosh in an extra tablespoon of olive oil, too, and even a little bit of water, if the pan looks too dry.
Stir-fry until mushrooms soften, then season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, add an extra dash of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of fresh thyme.
Try this with toast... perhaps with a gently cooked egg encasing a perfectly runny yolk. And it doesn't just have to be for brunch or breakfast, of course. It would also make a great side with your other main meals!

pan-fried mushrooms and potatoes with shallot, thyme and balsamic vinegar.

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chilli garlic cucumber in sesame oil

We're right in the middle of spring now. Flowers are growing, hemlines are shortening... and I am sneezing. Oh hay fever, how I do detest thee.

I'm not partial to pumping myself full of chemicals, but I had a terrible season last year, so when the first symptoms struck this time around, I surrendered immediately. Tablets and sprays, here I come! So far, they seem to be working. Fingers crossed.

Meanwhile, I still like the idea of getting a little boost from natural remedies. Garlic is purported to be good for fighting hay fever. Apparently chilli also helps. With that in mind, I made this easy Chinese-inspired cucumber salad over the weekend.

chilled cucumber in a chilli garlic sesame vinaigrette

Boy, this may be a simple recipe, but it sure is potent. The cucumber is hacked up like firewood, bombarded with minced garlic, scattered with chilli and drenched in sesame oil. Subtlety be damned, this is a dish that shoves itself deep into the receptors of your taste buds and smirks, "here I am!"

chilled cucumber in chilli garlic sesame vinaigrette

2 lebanese cucumbers (or 200-250 g / 1/2 lb of any cucumber), peeled and cut into chunky sticks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Chinese sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chinese white rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or 2 teaspoons light soy sauce)
1/8 teaspoon raw sugar

Toss all ingredients together till well-combined.
Cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Lightly toss again just before serving.


While sharp and satisfying at the time of consumption, this cucumber dish WILL result in hours of gloriously pungent breath. Not recommended for romantic dates, unless both parties have a garlic fetish.

Now, I have no idea whether this did anything to alleviate my hay fever, but I'm sure it did me good anyway. If you've had any success with natural remedies, do let me know!

chilled chilli garlic cucumber in sesame oil

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jalapeno rosemary potato fritters

Crunchy fried snacks are awesome. There is no dispute about this in my world. However, for the most part, I have been happy to sit back and relax as a paying customer while someone else prepares my crunchy fried snacks for me.

In an uncharacteristic move, however, I've recently taken to making my own crunchy fried snacks at home. Yes, I am still not fond of using and discarding all that oil. Yes, I still dislike the eau de grease that lingers in my kitchen and on me after the event.

But the rewards of taking things into my own hands are wonderful; it means I can bring my very own crunchy fried snack ideas into fruition. Take today's post subject as an example. I can't get these vegan and gluten-free jalapeno rosemary potato fritters at my local takeaway, but I can sure make them at home. And ain't that grand?

vegan, gluten-free jalapeno rosemary potato fritters.

jalapeno rosemary potato fritters (makes 12 fritters, serves 2 as a snack)

2 medium potatoes (approx. 300g or 2/3 pound)
1 - 2 fresh jalapeno chillies (may be substituted with other types of chilli pepper)
1 sprig rosemary
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup rice flour
oil, for frying

Prepping the ingredients...

Peel and shred the potatoes. Lightly rinse in cold water, then squeeze out excess water (but keep in mind that a little moisture is fine, and can actually help adherence when coating with rice flour) and set aside in a bowl.
Slice chillies lengthwise. Discard the seeds if you like it mild. Chop the chillies into thin strips.
Strip rosemary leaves from the sprig. You may leave them whole or roughly chop them.
Mince the garlic.
Toss together shredded potatoes, chilli, rosemary leaves, garlic, vinegar and sea salt.
Mix in rice flour and continue tossing until well combined.

Now the frying!

Prepare a pan or skillet for frying. Pour in enough oil (I used macadamia oil, but any oil with a high smoke point will do) to fill it up to between 2 - 3 cm, or 1 inch, and let it heat up over a high flame for a minute.
For each potato fritter, drop a heaped tablespoon of mixture into the oil and slightly loosen and flatten it to a more uniform thickness. The bottom of the fritter will cook faster, so turn it over once halfway through.
Fry until the fritter takes on a crispy golden appearance and starts to brown a little at the edges on both sides. I fried my fritters one at a time, but if you have a large skillet and deft hands, you could probably do a few at a time.

Drain your jalapeno rosemary potato fritters on paper towels, then serve on a plate while they're hot and crunchy. Enjoy these little bundles of joy with an extra sprinkle of salt and perhaps some freshly ground black pepper. Throw in a dollop of sour cream or yoghurt for good measure. Oh... and you know what else will go with this? A cold beer. Oh yes. Now that would be very nice indeed.

a stack of rosemary jalapeno potato fritters, anyone?

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orange butter brussels sprouts, sugared pecan crumble

Brussels sprouts. Some think they are the work of the devil. Others sing their praises to high heaven. Me? I don't mind them at all, and can, in fact, be quite fond of them when they are done right. I often cook my Brussels sprouts in a broth over medium-low heat until they're tender and infused with flavours - I find that this keeps them from turning bitter, and brings out their gentler side.

I made these orangey, buttery, nutty Brussels sprouts as a side for lunch recently, and while I don't regard it as my best work, the dish definitely passed the I-can-easily-eat-it-all test, so I am fairly content. Simon liked it even more - he ardently pronounced it delicious. Our enthusiasm for the same dish can often vary, and hey, I certainly do not complain when he's more keen on my dishes than I am - it can be a nice boost for the ego, and serves as a nice reminder that taste is a personal thing.

Without further ado, here's the recipe!

brussels sprouts dressed up with orange butter and sugared pecan crumble

orange butter brussels sprouts with sugared pecan crumble

200g Brussels sprouts
1 small orange
1/4 cup pecans
1/2 teaspoon raw sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water or vegetable stock
salt and black pepper, to taste

Halve or quarter the Brussels sprouts lengthwise, depending on their size.
Zest and juice the orange.
In a pan, lightly toast the pecans until fragrant. Grind together with sugar and half of the orange zest with a mortar and pestle until it takes on a coarse sandy appearance. Set aside.
In a saucepan, gently fry Brussels sprouts in butter for 1 minute, turning and tossing them around. Add in orange juice (approximately 1/4 cup), the remaining orange zest, and water or vegetable stock. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes or until just tender.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with zesty sugared pecan crumble.

orange butter brussels sprouts with sugared pecan crumble

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oven-baked spinach chips

light and crispy spinach chips

You know how sometimes one idea leads to another? This always seems to happen to me. I'd have one thing in mind, then in a turn of events, decide to do something else. I was going to roast some carrots but when I opened up the fridge there was this bag of leftover spinach staring at me. So of course, I ended up making spinach chips!

spinach leaves, rinse and shake off excess water
extra virgin olive oil, a little goes a long way (may be omitted for a fat-free version?)
spices (I used garlic salt and chilli flakes)

- Preheat oven to 120C/250F, fan-forced.
- Toss spinach leaves in olive oil, garlic salt and chilli flakes, then lay them out (slightly apart, not overlapping) on a baking sheet/pan. (Grease or line the sheet with baking paper to make it easier for you to pick off the spinach leaves later.)
- Bake for approximately 10 minutes.

Quick and easy, what's not to love? I could pick most of the spinach chips off the pan without any trouble - some were slightly stuck but came off easily with the help of a butter knife. You could possibly circumvent this with a lining of baking paper. The spinach chips turned out really light and crispy with a lovely hint of garlic salt, chilli and olive oil. I have to say, it makes quite the addictive snack...

mmm, savoury spinach crisps.

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homemade bbq sauce + grilled chicken wings

A couple of weekends ago, I decided to make my own bbq sauce. While I've thrown together quick marinades and dressings before, I've never actually made an American-style bbq sauce. I think perhaps I should have simmered it down... as it was, it ended up being still just more like a marinade after all. I'm posting it up because I'm still pretty happy with it!

the fresh ingredients for bbq sauce

Looking at the ingredients of several bbq sauces, they vary quite wildly but what I gathered was that generally you want something sour, something sweet, something salty and something savoury/spicy. With that in mind, I came up with this...

homemade barbecue sauce/marinade

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 chilli, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 a single celery stalk, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder

- Process all ingredients (except tomato sauce, blackstrap molasses and ginger powder) in a blender until smooth.
- Place blended mixture in a bowl and stir in tomato sauce, blackstrap molasses and ginger powder until fully combined.
- Let stand for a few hours, OR simmer it down in a saucepan until thick and sticky (read further for more of my thoughts on this).

Be warned, this will smell fairly strong! But it will mellow down after you let it stand for a few hours. This bbq sauce can be used to marinate your meat of choice, or even vegetables. The above yielded enough for about half a dozen generously sized chicken wings. As I didn't simmer it down, the sauce wasn't very thick and sticky so instead of saving some to keep for serving with the wings later like a proper bbq sauce, I just used it all up as a marinade. Hmm... now I'm thinking perhaps that would've been worth a try after all. Even though the consistency wasn't that of a traditional bbq sauce, I still liked the taste - and it had a freshness that a cooked version wouldn't have.

I used it all as a marinade. Wish I'd saved some to use as a dip for later!

After letting my chicken wings soak up the marinade for a few hours, I grilled them and they turned out golden brown and succulent, with a sweet, savoury, spicy hint from the bbq marinade. So my bbq sauce adventure may not have turned out quite the way I wanted, but it still had a nice ending after all.

the grilled chicken wings had a nice touch of flavour from the bbq marinade, and were very juicy!

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twice cooked corn with Spanish hot smoked paprika and extra virgin olive oil

Hola! Why, if it isn't hot smoked paprika mucking about with his pal, extra virgin olive oil.

Hot smoked paprika, meet oven roasted sweet corn. Oven roasted sweet corn, meet hot smoked paprika.

Extra virgin olive oil, you make sure they get along.

Vamos a ser amigos!

My tin of Spanish hot smoked paprika has been getting a good workout ever since I purchased it. It added quite a bit of flair to my spicy coffee toffees, and now it's getting down and dirty with this super-simple corn dish. So easy, so good!

twice cooked corn with Spanish hot smoked paprika and extra virgin olive oil

sweet corn, still in husks
hot smoked paprika (pimentón de La Vera picante)
extra virgin olive oil
salt and lime juice (optional)

- Preheat oven to 180C (360F).
- Rinse sweet corn with water until the husks are moist and roast them whole on the oven rack, husks intact. If the corn you have has already had their husks removed, steam them instead.
- After 25 minutes, retrieve from the oven. The corn should be perfectly cooked in their own husks.
- Discard the silk. Strip down the husks and tie them at the stem. Brush the corn kernels with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and hot smoked paprika. The ratio of the ingredients is up to you. I like mine with lots of spice.
- Finish the sweet corn on the grill to char it up. Some of the kernels may pop loudly, this is normal.
- Eat as is with a sprinkle of salt and if you like, add a drizzle of lime juice as well. (I can't decide whether I prefer it with or without - depends on whether you want it tangy and smoky, or just seriously smoky! )

Either way, the pimentón and the sweet corn made a great match - the charred finish really completing the dish. Mmmmmm, hot and smoky nirvana!

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baked pumpkin jam-mash with toasted almonds

I bought a slice of grey pumpkin on the weekend. I'm not sure exactly which variety it is, but I suspect it may be a Jarrahdale. I rarely cook with pumpkin - I've made pumpkin soup maybe two or three times, and that's it. It's fabulous stuff, but what with making the stock from scratch and all, it can take up hours of the day. So I decided to try something different this time.

a slice of grey pumpkin

Ideas were running through my head. I considered pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin scones and pumpkin pudding. But in the midst of it all I suddenly felt a craving for some good ol' homestyle chunky pumpkin jam on a slice of crispy toast. I don't even know where that came from, as I'm pretty sure I've not had anything like that before. But the weather has been a little temperamental lately (it's springtime here, and I got caught in hail last week!) and the idea of some mushy pumpkin goodness just seemed, well, comforting. So I came up with my own recipe to fulfill my vision of this imaginary pumpkin jam I had in my head.

approximately 500g pumpkin, cubed (the smaller the cubes, the faster it will cook)
2 tablespoons raw sugar
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoon butter (optional - omit for a lighter and vegan version)
juice of 1 small lemon
toasted almond flakes, for mixing in or sprinkling on top
spices, to taste (I only had cinnamon, but other popular spices that go with pumpkin are nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice)

- Put pumpkin cubes, butter, raw sugar, blackstrap molasses, lemon juice and spices together in a pot.
- Bring to a simmer and cover, stirring occasionally.
- When the pumpkin is soft enough, mash it up with a fork or puree in a blender or food processor.
- The pumpkin jam is ready to eat now if you like! Or you can continue along with the following steps...
- Preheat oven to 190c/375F.
- Put pumpkin mixture in a baking dish and bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
- Mix in the toasted almond flakes or sprinkle on top of the jam before serving.
- It's best served hot!

use like pumpkin jam and spread on toast...

So I got my baked pumpkin almond jam, which is probably more like a sweet pumpkin mash than your typical jam, and I am quite pleased with it. Because it's not too sugary, it's something I would eat even on its own as a warm dessert. I snuck in a few spoonfuls before spreading it on toast for brunch. If you're feeling omnivorous and craving a savoury touch, you can top it with some fried bacon as well!

or treat it as pumpkin mash with crispy fried bacon on top!

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spicy dried shrimp relish + congee

I have a lovely bag of dried shrimp sitting in my fridge which I don't use nearly as often as I should.
I remember how enamoured my parents were with the quality of these dried shrimps when we stumbled upon them in a small fishing village in Malaysia last year - I was promptly advised to bring some back to Australia and I didn't need a lot of encouragement; these were definitely dried shrimps of outstanding calibre.

dried shrimp, after toasting

So I decided to rescue them from neglect and make a Malaysian-style spicy dried shrimp relish, using a recipe from my mum which I think is both simple and sensational...

The following made just one small serving for my breakfast, so multiply if you wish:

2 tablespoons dried shrimp (you should be able to find this at Asian grocery stores)
1 shallot, chopped
1 hot red chilli, chopped
1/2 a small lime

- Soak dried shrimps in warm water, rinse well, then lightly toast in a pan. (Soaking time is dependent on the traits of the dried shrimp you have - mine were so light and flaky that they didn't require much soaking at all.)
- Remove and place in a bowl, mix in shallots, chilli and squeezes of half a lime to taste. Toss everything together thoroughly. Leave to sit a little for flavours to develop further, if desired.

served on congee - a well-balanced mix of dried shrimps, chillies, shallots, and lime juice

This also makes a great little salad or side dish and I love it on plain rice porridge - perhaps better known to some as congee. Soothing and easy to digest, congee is a common comfort food in many parts of Asia. Remember to prepare it in advance if you plan to eat it with the relish!

To make congee, simply bring rice and water to boil in a pot, then simmer, partly covered and stirring occasionally, until it reaches your ideal texture and consistency. I usually have mine with still a bit of a bite to them, while others simmer it till it almost resembles a thick soup. This can take awhile - make sure that there is always enough water so it doesn’t dry out. Traditionally congee is made with white rice, but I used brown rice on this occasion.

As far as I'm concerned, the softness and blandness of plain congee provides the perfect foil for this spicy, flavoursome dried shrimp, shallot, chilli and lime relish. And here it is, ready to tuck in and enjoy...

spicy dried shrimp relish on congee

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