Pea and Leek Crostini

 

I'm going out on a limb here to say that I prefer this over avocado on toast, it's fresh and green with a subtle mint flavour and the parmesan cheese gives a slight savoury sharpness to the blended peas... although I am tempted to replace the parmesan cheese with blue cheese or vigorously crumble blue cheese over top and have the slices of radishes on the side. I have also made this using green onions instead of leeks and it still captures its remarkable taste and flavour.  

Pea and Leek Crostini

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serves 8

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 leeks, white and pale green parts, thinly sliced

1/4 cup (60ml) water

salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup (150g) frozen peas

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup (25g) grated parmesan cheese

4 mint leaves, chopped

baguette slices or bread, for toasting

sliced radishes, for serving 

extra mint leaves, for serving

Heat oil in a non-stick frypan on medium heat. Add slices of leeks and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add water and reduce heat to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the pan becomes dry and the leek is not yet soft add another 1/4 cup (60ml) water. Cook until water has evaporated. 

Meanwhile, blanch the peas for 3 minutes in boiling water, until bright green but softened. Drain, then add to the pan with the leek and stir.

Spoon leek and pea mixture into a food processor. Add the tablespoon of olive oil and pulse until coarse. 

Add the parmesan and mint and process again. The mixture should remain a little chunky. Toast the baguette or bread slices. Spread the pea and leek mixture onto hot toast. Garnish with radishes or mint leaves.  

Dill Pickle Hummus

This is a slight departure from traditional hummus recipes due to the fact that it doesn't use tahini paste and relies on the juice of pickle brine... although on second thought you could add a tablespoon or two of Tahini if you wish to enhance the texture. As is, it has a more clean, sharp tangy taste and using fresh dill is a must. A perfect dip that is even better as a sandwich spread.  

Dill Pickle Hummus

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1 can (540ml) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup pickle juice brine

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons fresh dill

dash of salt and pepper

1/3 cup chopped dill pickles

Place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Add the 1/3 cup chopped dill pickles and process a bit more. 

Serve with pita bread, crackers, corn chips and sliced vegetables. Can be also used as a sandwich spread.

 

Lima Bean Soup

 

Lima beans seem to be an underrated bean however after making this recipe I believe that will change. This is one of those late summer gearing up to autumn soups that is just pure and simple and within a matter of minutes and some pantry essentials you can have a low fuss hearty soup.  

Lima Bean Soup

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serves 2 to 4 

1 can (398ml) lima beans

3 cups vegetable stock

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried nettle tops, optional 

1 - 2 tablespoon dried raw onion flakes

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse and drain the lima beans in a sieve.

Add the vegetable stock into a large pot. Add the lima beans.

Gently whisk the flour and paprika together in a bowl. Blend butter with flour mixture and add to the pot. Add the thyme, nettle tops and dried onion flakes and stir until well combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and place two bay leaves in the pot and cook on medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Serve with rustic crackers or croutons.  

Notes: if you want to use freshly diced onion instead just sauté about 1/2 cup of onion in the pot before adding all other ingredients.  

Stir-fry Sauce

 

This is quite simply the easiest stir-fry sauce you will make. You can adjust the crushed red pepper flakes depending on your level of heat or leave them out all together and replace them with a good dose of sriracha sauce or sweet chilli sauce. It has that combination of elements... sweet, salty, sour and spicy which delivers a flavourful stir-fry.  

Stir-fry Sauce

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1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar or honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 - 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until fully combined.

Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To use stir-fry sauce:

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok.

Add your protein of choice (cubed chicken, slices of beef, tofu or shrimp) and cook until browned and almost cooked through. 

Transfer the protein to a clean plate. Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok or skillet and approximately 4 to 6 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice (onion, carrots, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, edamame beans). Stir-fry until tender and crisp. Return the protein to the pan with the vegetables and add the stir-fry sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened, stirring to evenly distribute the sauce. Serve over cooked rice or noodles and sprinkled with sesame seeds. 

Blueberry Lavender Cobbler

 

This absolutely sums up summer for me. The hint of fragrant lavender, luscious heaps of sweet blueberries with a sunny golden cake-like crust. Although cobblers are served warm this one I most enjoy served cold during the summer months with an ample dollop of vanilla ice cream.   

Blueberry Lavender Cobbler

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4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup sugar

grated lemon zest of 1 lemon

1 1/2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender buds, crushed

6 tablespoons of butter

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

3/4 cup white granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

Lavender sugar, to sprinkle on top 

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

Using a mortar and pestle, place the dried lavender buds into the mortar and using the pestle grind until finely ground. 

Place the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and ground lavender buds into a bowl, stir to combine and set aside allowing the ingredients to slightly mellow while getting on with the rest of the recipe. 

Cut the butter into pieces and place in a 9 x 13 inch rectangle baking dish. Place the pan in the oven while it preheats to allow the butter to melt. Once melted, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and place on a heat proof surface. 

In another bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and whisk together. Stir in the milk until just combined. 

Pour the blueberry mixture over the melted butter in the baking dish and spoon the batter over top. Sprinkle with lavender sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. 

Serve warm or chilled with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.