Pumped for Pumpkins.

It's the time of year for pumpkins and they are everywhere. Having grown up in Canada, pumpkins always remind me of the fall, the time of the year when the leaves change and it's get colder.  And it’s the cold outside that invites us to eat more warming, hearty dishes.

This is one of them.

These pumpkin and apples are cooked with plenty of woodsy herbs like rosemary, sage and bay leaves. The sweetness of the roasted pumpkin and apple marries so well with the earthy tastes of these herbs. I add one of my favourite aromatics – garlic, a good pinch of sea salt and drizzles with chili infused oil (you must stock this!). 

I finished off the dish with a favourite cheese of mine – chèvre or goat’s cheese.  This soft creamy accompaniment adds an indulgent little twist to a healthy dish.  A delicious meal that’s perfect for a cozy night at home.  Enjoy!

roasted pumpkin with apples and chèvre

serves 4

1/2 Small Kent Pumpkin (about 500g), sliced with skin

3 organic apples, sliced with skin

1/4 cup/60ml white wine

plenty of fresh herbs – lemon thyme, sage, rosemary

a few garlic cloves, crushed

good pinch of sea salt

chilli oil

180g chèvre, crumbled

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  Place all the ingredients except cheese into a roasting tray and bake for about 1 hour (covering the pan for half the time).  Take out and drizzle with more oil and crumbled chèvre on top.  

**Beautiful handmade ceramic plates from Golden Brown Fox.

It's a date.

Oh finally. Finally, another post! I'm sorry my loyal friends but I finally got myself together to do a post and it's on a subject near and dear to me - cookies. I have, on many occasions, rambled on to friends that I have not been able to find a delicious cookie here in Australia (sorry Aussies!). Cookies, often called biscuits here, are simply not cookies. Biscuits are awfully hard and crunchy. While I too enjoy a good crunchy biscuit now and then, it's the lovely softness of a cookie which brings a smile to my face. To me, the quintessential cookie is one that is soft and chewy and perhaps a bit crumbly too.

These cookies are the real deal. A simple recipe made with dates and plenty of peanut butter (au naturel of course) - these wrinkly little balls of goodness are great to have with your next cup of tea. Not too sweet, but just a touch of sweetness added by the dates, and full of nutty flavour, these cookies are a winner. Not perfect looking but pretty darn good.

peanut butter and date cookies
makes about 12-16 cookies

2/3 cup peanut butter (use organic/natural, no additives)
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup brown sugar 
1 tbsp honey 
2 whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup organic plain flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
10-15 dates, pits removed and chopped roughly

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2. In large bowl mix peanut butter, coconut oil, honey, eggs and vanilla.
3. Add dry ingredients - flour and baking powder and mix. At this point the batter might look a little strange and crumbly but just mix until combined.
4. Add in date pieces and mix a touch further.
5. Scoop out on lined baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes or until just cooked through.
6. Take out to cool and enjoy.
**note these are not very sweet cookies so if you like them sweet, eat with some fruity jam!

That time of year - again!

Hello my lovely friends. How are you? I've been so preoccupied with other projects this year that I've let things slide - I know excuses, excuses...
I hope you've been able to check up on my latest collaboration with a few friends - Artisan Magazine - a great source for beautiful and delicious food, filled with recipes and other visual treats. Check out Issue 2 here.
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I wish you all a very happy holiday - whether you celebrate or simply enjoy a few days with family and friends - I do hope you make it a beautiful and delicious day! See you all in the new year. bx

Something to stew...

A little bit of this and a little bit of that...that's all it takes to make a flavourful and delicious stew for your next dinner. The only effort this fragrant seafood stew requires is a trip to the nearest fish market or seafood counter.

When cooking with seafood it not only makes a huge difference to buy it as fresh as possible but also to cook it as fast as possible. In this particular stew I used fresh king prawns (a favourite here in Australia), black mussels and squid. In addition to the salty and briny flavours of the sea, I added some classic aromatic accompaniments like plenty of white wine, chopped garlic, fresh and tinned tomatoes, a touch of chilli and handfuls of herbs such as bay, fresh lemon thyme, rosemary and basil.  

The key to this dish is to let things stew - but not the seafood! Sounds funny, I know. First cook everything except for the seafood together on a slow heat, stir the pot a little and then, when all the tastes have come together you add the star.  Fresh prawns, mussels and squid cook in just a few minutes and they don't need any more handling than that. Follow the recipe and you'll have perfectly cooked seafood every time! So lovely and delicious...

fragrant seafood stew
serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves
1 sprig of rosemary
2 sprigs of lemon thyme
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tin of tomatoes (use a good brand if you can!)
1 cup white wine
1 red chilli, seeds removed and chopped
1 tsp sugar
sea salt and cracked black pepper
water (about 1/2-1 cup)
6 large prawns (like king prawns or similar), cleaned
8-10 large mussels, scrubbed
1 squid (cleaned, skinned and sliced into pieces)
handful basil leaves
fresh lemons, quartered

Place a large pot on medium heat and once hot add oil, shallots and stir for a few minutes. Then add garlic, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme.  Sweat for about 5-10 minutes and then add tomatoes and white wine. While simmering add chopped chilli, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. At this point add some water because it will evaporate while cooking. Let stew for about 20-30 minutes on a low heat and add a bit more water if too dry. At this point increase heat to medium and place seafood in - prawns first - let cook 1-2 minutes with lid on, then stir in mussels and squid, place lid on pot.  Wait just a few minutes until mussels are open.  Turn off the heat and serve right away in bowls with fresh basil leaves and a quick drizzle of olive oil to mellow things out- serve with fresh bread and lemon.

*credit: stoneware bowls in grey (with prawns) and green (with basil) by Golden Brown Fox Ceramics.

A nutty day.

Quinoa (pronounced 'keen-wah') is considered a superfood. While I can't speak much on the reasons why this is the case, I can tell you that quinoa is actually an ancient seed and that it's quite delicious too.   It's packed with protein and a perfect substitute for folks with wheat and gluten allergies. I know it's on the list of many healthy food eaters but even the more indulgent eaters of the world would love this dish.

Combining simple ingredients - toasted quinoa, crunchy raw almonds, fresh vegetables like red capsicum, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, along with sweet sultanas and fragrant fresh mint leaves - make this quinoa dish the perfect lunch. I won't leave out the dressing: made with a touch of garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon, balsamic and a touch of honey and chilli - it's the best accompaniment to bring out all the flavours of the food.

Make this tonight and leave in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch - a great way to get something simple, fresh and delicious onto your plate. Enjoy!

nutty quinoa salad
makes 3-4 servings

salad
3/4 cup quinoa 
1/4 cup raw almonds, chopped roughly
1 small cucumber, quartered and chopped
1 small red capsicum, chopped
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped 
1/4 cup organic sultanas/raisins
1/2 bunch fresh mint leaves, torn


dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1.5 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp crushed dried chillies 
good pinch sea salt and fresh pepper

To make quinoa: place medium size pot on medium heat - add washed quinoa grains and stir consistently until grains become toasted (about 5-7 minutes, depending on heat). Once toasted, add almonds and enough water to cover quinoa. As quinoa cooks, keep adding a little bit of water at a time (about 1/3 cup) until fully cooked. Let cool.
While cooking quinoa, in a separate bowl mix vegetables, sultanas and mint. Make dressing by combining all ingredients (garlic is meant to impart flavour to the dressing, discard after letting it sit for a few minutes). Once quinoa is cooled, mix all elements together and adjust seasoning. Eat right away or place into fridge for a great lunch the next day!

A few things...

Hello friends! I have been meaning to post but it's been a hectic month so far! I do, however, have something to show for all the busy work.

A cover issue of Sunday Life Magazine! Photography: Katie Quinn Davies Food Preparation: Caroline Marson and food and props styling by yours truly. The cover featured a delicious fish and prawn pie  (trust me, I ate it!). This recipe was part of the magazine's food issue where I styled a number of different dishes. Look here for recipes and more shots!

Next up is a collaborative project created by myself and two friends and colleagues - Artisan Magazine. A magazine created exclusively for iPads, Artisan focuses on stories that speak to the local, personal and unique. It combines our love for all things simple, beautiful and handmade. You can learn a bit more about the magazine here, and you can download the magazine here for free. We'd love for you to share our work with anyone you might think would be interested. We hope you enjoy our stories as much as we loved creating them!

Will be back soon with more foodie posts! x0b

A memorable muffin.

There is a cafe in an area of Toronto called Kensington Market.  When I lived there I used to spend my Saturdays getting a deliciously hot and strong cappuccino and walking from stall to stall to see the various fruits and vegetables grocers had to offer.  My morning was finished with a snack or lunch at an amazing vegan food spot called Urban Herbivore.
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Now this is the type of cafe I would want to run -- if I wanted to run a cafe, that is.  The place works because it offers a simple and fresh menu, often using overlooked ingredients that add that perfect little touch.  They even make their own bread for sandwiches -- it's those little details that make a place like this so memorable.

One of my favourite items from this cafe is a sweet potato muffin.  This is a serious muffin -- not one of those cake-like, sweet and fatty offerings drummed up by many bakeries and cafes.  In addition to using sweet potatoes, these muffins have whole grains and just enough sweetness.

This is my version of their muffin -- sweet potatoes, ripe bananas, sweet crimson raisins, wholegrain spelt oats, wholemeal flour, olive oil and agave syrup.  Definitely try this recipe out and if you're ever in Toronto, definitely visit Urban Herbivore - you won't be disappointed!

*side note: this blog does not advertise -- I am not paid to write about or recommend any of the restaurants or food products mentioned here -- I simply provide my opinion or take on things.

sweet potato muffins**
makes 12 muffins

1 cup spelt oats

1/4 cup crimson raisins (or any other kind)

2 ripe bananas, mashed 1/3 cup olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten 
1/4 cup dark agave syrup
1 and 1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
1 and 1/4 cup sweet potato, cubed, cooked and cooled

Preheat oven to 175 degrees C.
Place oats and raisins in a medium bowl and add enough boiling water to cover. Let soak about 10-15 minutes.  For wet ingredients, mix mashed bananas, olive oil, egg and agave syrup in a large bowl.  For the dry ingredients, place flour, baking soda and spices in a bowl and mix.  Strain soaked oats and raisins (rinse with cold water until cooled) and add to wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix carefully - don't over-mix!, then add in cooked sweet potatoes.  At this point if mixture is too dry, add either 1/4 cup yoghurt or 1/4 applesauce.

Place batter into muffin tin and bake about 30 minutes or until knife inserted comes out relatively clean (because you're using bananas you want to keep some moisture) Take out and let cool - serve with cream cheese - enjoy!

*note this is not a vegan muffin but if you want to make it so, just remove egg and replace with apple sauce.

Back to bananas

It's amazing that just a few ingredients can create such a delicious treat.  Banana bread is one of those baking staples for when you are lacking time or patience. It's not just easy to put together but even when you mess up the recipe a little it often still turns out wonderful and moist!
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This recipe combines the sweet and creamy textures of overripe bananas (there are many in this recipe - I've used 4!), wholemeal and plain flour, olive oil (yes, I bake with this!) eggs and a touch of brown sugar. The perfect accompaniment to your morning or afternoon tea. Enjoy!

banana bread
makes 1 loaf

4 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup olive oil 
1/4 brown sugar
2 whole eggs
1 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 cup plain flour
pinch sea salt
1 tsp baking soda


Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.
Grease a loaf tin.
In a large bowl mix together bananas, olive oil, sugar and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients: wholemeal and plain flour, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix - don't overmix! Place batter in loaf tin and bake on middle rack for about 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Take out of oven and lest rest before slicing