Recipes
27 June 2010
This is the most popular recipe I have ever created. Beautifully cooked vegetables are the best part of a meal for me. This bright fresh vegetable salad with contrasting crunch and flavour adds a real hit of colour to the festive table. Prepare everything in advance then refrigerate it, but bring back to room temperature before serving.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and roast the capsicums and onion wedges until soft (around 25 minutes) then set aside.
Boil the beetroot for 40 minutes or until tender, cool then remove the skins. Cut into chunks.
Cook the carrots in salted water with a pinch of sugar for around 10 minutes until soft but not mushy. Keep aside. Wash the tomatoes well and cut into neat chunks.
To make the dressing, mix everything together in a small screw-top jar. Place the vegetables on a large white platter, and drizzle the dressing over. Garnish with a few torn basil leaves and serve at room temperature. Serves 10-12.
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30 May 2010
I served this French toast this morning to Robert Oliver, author of Me'a Kai. Perfect for breakfast, which we ate on our deck, overlooking the sparkling Pacific Ocean.
- 6 slices day-old sourdough bread
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 150mls milk
- pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons light oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 small ripe mangos, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 3 tablespoons runny local honey
- 6 mint leaves shredded
Beat the eggs, milk and salt together. Heat a heavy frypan and add the oil and butter. When it is melted and has reached a medium heat, dip the slices of bread in the egg and milk mixture so they are thoroughly soaked. Place them in the pan (you may have to do this in two batches) and cook over a gentle heat until crisp and golden. Turn and cook on the other side.
Place two slices of toast on each plate. Top with a few mango slices, spoon over the yogurt, drizzle with honey and top with fresh shredded mint. Serve at once. Serves 3.
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16 May 2010
Take advantage of fresh juicy Doyenne du Comice pears to create simple yet deliciously refreshing desserts accompanied by local artisan products, all found at the Wellington Food Show.
Pears With Limoncello.
- 3 fresh juicy pears, peeled
- Scoops of Lemon Z limoncello ice cream
- Lemon Z limoncello
Slice the pears and pile into glass dishes.
Top each dish with a scoop of ice cream
Drizzle over 2-3 tablespoons limoncello
Pears with honey and yogurt
- 3 juicy pears
- Thick creamy yogurt Canaan Gourmet Yogurt from Epicurean Dairy
- JJ Friend Artisan Wild Thyme Honey
Slice the pears and pile into glass dishes.
Top each dish with a dollop of yogurt
Drizzle over 2 tablespoons wild thyme honey
Pear dessert ideas by Lauraine Jacobs
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16 May 2010
Another star dish I cooked in Wellington. Chickpeas can be tossed in spices and roasted to add to spinach leaves for a tasty salad idea. Pan-fry the pork and place on top of the salad for a lovely dish to share with friends.
For the vegetables:
- 400g jar of Navarrico chick peas, drained
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 400g washed baby spinach leaves
- 2 medium beetroot, cooked, peeled and diced
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Put the chickpeas into an oven dish with the garlic, cumin, paprika, chilli flakes and olive oil and toss well to coat. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes until they are golden.
Take from the oven and while the chickpeas are still hot, toss the spinach and beetroot through. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes to heat the beetroot and so the spinach starts to wilt. Turn this mixture onto a warmed serving plate. Meanwhile cook the pork so it is ready at the same time.
For the pork:
- 4 Freedom Farms pork medallions
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons flour
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons Village Press extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup fresh coriander leaves
- 2 tablespoons Mandy’s Horseradish
- 150g crème frâiche (Epicurean Dairy)
Cut the pork fillets into large diagonal slices. Dust with the cumin seeds, flour and the salt and pepper.
Heat a heavy frying pan, add the olive oil and wait until it reaches a high heat. Place the pork in the pan and allow to brown, (about 2-3 minutes, before turning and frying on the other side for a further 3 minutes.
Mix the horseradish with the crème frâiche
When the pork is cooked, arrange on top of the vegetables and tip any pan juices over.
Finally spoon a little of the horseradish crème over and finish with coriander
Serve at once with warmed Turkish bread. Serves 4.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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16 May 2010
One of my favourites, which I cooked at the Wellington Food show this weekend. The tart can be topped with all sorts of interesting seasonal things from the garden or lovely stuff from the store cupboard.
- 500g puff pastry
- 4 tablespoons Village Press extra virgin olive oil
- 3 fennel bulbs, sliced paper thin
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 150 g crumbly feta cheese (Blue River Dairy sheep feta cheese)
- ½ cup olives, stones removed (Salvagno recommended)
- 1 preserved lemon, flesh removed and rind cut into small dice
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
- Fresh Italian parsley, stalks removed
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
Roll out the pastry to fit a 30cm x 40cm oven tray. Allow the pastry to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes if possible.
Brush the oil over the surface of the pastry. Layer the fennel onto the pastry and scatter the seeds over. Crumble the cheese over the fennel next, and then dot the top with olives and preserved lemon dice. Season with pepper and salt.
Place the tart in the hot oven and turn the heat up an extra 10°C so the pastry really starts to cook. When the pastry is puffed and golden brown on the edges and underside (should take about 20 minutes, but this will depend on your oven) remove the tart from the oven. Scatter over the parsley leaves and cut into generous wedges to serve. Serves 4 as a meal with salad or makes up to 24 pieces as a pre-dinner snack.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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30 April 2010
ME’A KAI
The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific
By Robert Oliver, Published by Random House $75.00
I met Robert Oliver when his new and first book was only a seedling of an idea, but I was immediately excited at the possibilities for his vision of recording South Pacific cuisine. It was a story waiting to be told. Two years later I have a copy of Me’a Kai and it is everything and more than I dreamed it might be.
The vibrancy and beauty of the South Pacific islands has been captured in Shiri Ram’s stunning photos, and the personalities of the people shine from the pages. But it is the recipes that will make this an important work, one which showcases the foods, the farmers and the cooks that provide the backbone of the unique cuisines of each of the island nations. Delicious recipes with wonderful tropical flavours made from the fresh foods that abound on every island. And the recipes are backed up by a wealth of reading. There are stories and tales that will entertain and inform, and hopefully will be taken to heart by everyone who loves the islands of the South Pacific.
For too long tourists’ view of food in the islands has been of meals cooked with frozen food flown in from New Zealand or Australia, but hopefully the recipes of Me’a Kai will convince local café owners and tourists alike in the islands that there is rich local cuisine waiting to be discovered. And it’s also a book to bring home to our own kitchens, for all the ingredients can be found in the cities on the Pacific Rim. The book is beautifully produced, possibly with the boldest use of colour ever seen, and deserves a place on the shelves of every cook who values living in the South Pacific.
Lauraine Jacobs
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23 April 2010
A fabulous recipe from my friend Janie Hibler's book 'Dungeness Crab and Blackberry Cobbler'.
- 1kg waxy potatoes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 6 hard boiled eggs, chopped and discard 2 of the yolks
- 1/3 cup red onion
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise (home made or 'Best' brand)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to touch, peel them and cut into bite-sized cubes. Sprinkle with oil and vinegar and toss. Add remaining ingredients and carefully blend the mixture together. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serves 6.
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11 April 2010
A reliable and tasty recipe I have inherited from my mother, Patricia Stevens. This relish is fabulous on crackers with aged cheddar, or to serve with cold meats.
- 1.5kg tomatoes, skinned and chopped
- 750g onions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 litre vinegar (approx)
- 500g sugar
- ½ half teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
Put the tomatoes and onions in a bowl and sprinkle over the salt. Allow to stand for 12 hours. After this time, drain off the liquid and discard it.
Put the tomato and onion into a large saucepan with enough vinegar to cover the pulp. Ring this to a boil. Stir in the sugar, off the heat with the cayenne, mustard and curry powder.
Boil until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, (about 45 mins to 1 hour.) Bottle into sterilised jars. Fills 4-5 medium jam jars.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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2 April 2010
It’s amazing how the simplest of recipes can make such a delicious lunch. I used the Montebello organic penne rigate for this and even the husband, who usually turns his nose up at pasta, ate his plate clean. The addition of lemon zest from my own organic lemon tree lifts the dish to a new high.
- 1 cup dried penne pasta
- 1 large head broccoli, chopped (including the peeled stalks)
- 4 tablespoons high quality extra virgin olive oil
- Grated zest of half a lemon
- ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a saucepan of well salted water to a rolling boil, add the penne pasta and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain and return to the pan and toss with one tablespoon of the oil.
Meanwhile bring another pan of salted water to a simmer and add the broccoli. Simmer for about 6-7 minutes until tender. Place a sieve over a bowl and drain the broccoli, catching the cooking water in the bowl.
Reserve a few of the florets and put the rest of the broccoli in the food processor. Process the broccoli until smooth, adding a few tablespoons of the broccoli cooking water. You should have a lovely liquidy sauce.
Stir in the lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the oil and half the cheese.
Tip this over the hot pasta and stir well to coat all the pasta with this broccoli sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve at once, garnished with the reserved broccoli florets, a dash of olive oil and hand the extra cheese around. Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as an entrée.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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28 March 2010
This makes the best use of the lovely Autumnal produce and can be prepared ahead and chilled until ready to serve..
- 2 punnets raspberries or blackberries
- 1 cup port wine
- 12 ripe figs, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons Village Press extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 300mls Greek yogurt
Bring the wine to a simmer in a small pan and allow to bubble for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and tip the berries in. Allow to macerate.
Cut the figs into halves and toss well with the oil and honey.
Preheat the grill and place the figs under the heat for 1-2 minutes each side.
Gently combine the grilled figs with the macerated berries and wine.
To serve, place in small glass bowls and top with a good dollop of yogurt.
Serves 6.
(As seen in the Electrolux Celebrity Chef Theatre at the Christchurch Food Show.) Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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