Author: Simplebutsplendid

Mushroom mac and cheese

Mushroom mac and cheese
Mushroom mac and cheese

Some Mondays just call for the ultimate comfort food… mac and cheese. What makes this an even better Monday essential is that it is totally meat free and can be made all in 1 pot and the addition of mushrooms elevates a simple childhood dish to the next level.

Let’s get cooking…

Melt some butter in a heavy based pot and throw in your sliced mushrooms, salt and thyme. Allow the mushrooms to sauté on medium heat until most of the water has evaporated. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and use the remaining liquid in the pan or add more butter if needed to make your roux. Whisk in the flour and stir around until the flour is cooked out and no longer raw.

Add in the milk and whisk until the sauce is starting to thicken. Stir in the paprika and the dry pasta along with 1 cup of water and cook for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is al dente.

Stir constantly while the pasta cooks as you don’t want it stick. Add ½ cup of water at a time if the sauce gets too dry.

Once the pasta is cooked add in the cheese and pepper, mix thoroughly to combine. Taste and add salt as needed. At this point you can top with breadcrumbs and parmesan and bake until golden. Serve while piping hot!

Mushroom mac and cheese

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 250g pasta, I used gluten free penne

  • 250g cheese, I used hard style goat cheese or cheddar

  • 1 ½ cups milk

  • 2 tblsp butter

  • 2 tblsp flour

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • 1 tsp paprika

  • 4 tblsp heavy cream, optional

  • 2 cups of water

  • ¼ cup parmesan

  • 1 punnet of chestnut mushrooms, sliced

Directions

  • Melt some butter in a heavy based pot and throw in your sliced mushrooms, salt and thyme. Allow the mushrooms to sauté on medium heat until most of the water has evaporated.
  • Remove the mushrooms form the pan and use the remaining liquid in the pan or add more butter if needed to make your roux.
  • Melt the butter and whisk in the flour
  • Stir around until the flour is cooked out
  • Add in the milk and whisk until the sauce is starting to thicken. Stir in the paprika and the dry pasta
  • Mix in 1 cup of water and cook for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is al dente
  • Stir constantly while the pasta cooks as you don’t want it stick
  • Add ½ cup of water at a time if the sauce gets too dry
  • Once the pasta is cooked add in the cheese, mushrooms and pepper, mix thoroughly to combine
  • 10. Taste and add salt as needed
  • 11. At this point you can top with bread crumbs mixed with parmesan and bake until golden. I generally leave out the bread crumbs and just top with Parmesan.

Simplebutsplendid

Gluten free Pizza- Coconut and chia

Coconut and chia gluten free pizza base
Coconut and chia gluten free pizza base

As part of my gluten free journey I have tried to convert some of my favourite dishes into gluten free options. This has been largely successful, however, my most challenging task has been to convert bread-like dishes due to suit my satisfaction. Often using gluten free flour blends to bake bread rolls, pizza doughs and bread loves often result in dense, doughy, flavourless items.

But after many, many trials I have achieved success with this pizza dough recipe. I have used suggestions from multiple sources to get to a perfectly crisp thin pizza base. And the best part is that is a cinch to put together.

It is a long list of ingredients but many are pantry staples and can often be found in gluten free households.

Let’s get cooking…

Start off by blending the chia seeds and coconut until fine, the add in the rest of the ingredients and mix to form a soft dough.

Tip onto a lined baking sheet and form into the shape of a pizza base with your hands. You could try using a rolling pin but I find this works best.

Bake at 180 for 20 minutes until golden. Remove form the over, top with cheese and your favourite toppings and bake for another 20 minutes.

Lastly enjoy your pizza!

Gluten free Pizza- Coconut and chia

Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 egg

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 1/3 cup warm water

  • 1 cup tapioca flour (cassava)

  • 3 tblsp coconut flour

  • 3 tblsp flax or chia powder

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp garlic powder

  • ½ tsp Italian seasoning

  • Pinch salt

Directions

  • Blend the chia and coconut until fine, the add in the rest of the ingredients and forma soft dough
  • Tip onto a lined baking sheet and form into the shape of a pizza base
  • Bake at 180 for 20 minutes until golden
  • Top with cheese and toppings and bake for another 20 minutes
  • Enjoy

Simplebutsplendid

Vegetarian Savoury mince Pies

Vegetarian savoury mince pie
Vegetarian savoury mince pie

Some days meat free Mondays just needs to be simple and uncomplicated. For days like this i always have a roll of gluten free puff pastry ready in my freezer, ready to be transformed into something delicious!

This week there was actually very little cooking involved, I had a portion of already cooked spicy vegetarian mince in the freezer. A quick defrost of the pastry and mince and I had a batch of really delicious effortless savoury mince pies ready for the oven. The recipe for the mince couldn’t be simpler but if you’d like to steer away from soya than finely diced mushrooms or lentils would be great substitutes also.

Let’s get cooking…

Start by frying the onions in oil until soft. Add in turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder and curry powder and fry for a few seconds then add ginger and garlic paste and fry until fragrant. Add in tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, the oil should look like it is bubbling to the top, mash the tomatoes so that it forms a paste like consistency and stir in the mince with the garam masala and salt.

Allow to saute for 5-10 minutes then add in ½ cup water and handful of peas. Simmer on low-medium heat until almost all the water has dried up. Garnish with coriander and allow to cool.

Once the filling has cooled or been fully defrosted if it was already prepared, you can roll out the puff pastry and cut it into 12 equal rectangles.

Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling into the centre of each rectangle then fold the short edge over and crimp with a fork to seal. Bake at 180 until golden, approximately 30 minutes. Enjoy with a side of chillli sauce to dip into.

Vegetarian Savoury mince Pies

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

50

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 portion of plant based mince

  • ½ onion, finely sliced

  • 1 small tomato, pureed

  • 1 tsp ginger and garlic past, or you can crush ginger and garlic separately

  • ½ tsp garam masala

  • ¼ tsp turmeric

  • ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

  • 2 tsp curry powder, depends on heat preference

  • 2 tbsp oil, coconut or vegetable oil

  • Salt to taste

  • 1 tsp coriander, chopped

  • Handful of frozen peas

  • 1 sheet puff pastry

Directions

  • Fry onion in oil until soft
  • Add in turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder and curry powder and fry for a few seconds then add ginger and garlic paste and fry until fragrant
  • Add in tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, the oil should look like it bubbling to the top
  • Add in mince salt and garam masala and stir thoroughly
  • Allow to saute for 5-10 minutes then add in ½ cup water and peas.
  • Simmer on low-medium heat until water has evaporates.
  • Garnish with coriander, allow to cool
  • Once the filling has cooled or been fully defrosted if it was already prepared, you can roll out the puff pastry and cut it into 12 equal rectangles.
  • Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling into the centre of each rectangle then fold the short edge over and crimp with a fork to seal. Bake at 180 until golden, approximately 30 minutes. Enjoy with a side of chillli sauce to dip into.

Simplebutsplendid

Indo-Chinese chilli chicken

Indo-Chinese chilli chicken
Indo-Chinese chilli chicken

The most fun part about fusion cooking is using taking the best of each type of cuisine and molding them together to form masterpieces. That is exactly the case with this Indo-Chinese chilli chicken, it is the perfect combination of sweet and savoury with a delightful kick of chilli at the end.

I love serving it up with veggies for a lighter option or for a more filling and Indian inspired twist, rolled into soft garlic naan breads and dipped into a little raita. This dish is a favourite from one of the restaurants we visit and I’ve tried to recreate it at home so that we may enjoy it at any time. Besides the time taken to marinate, it is a very quick dish to cook.

Let’s get cooking…

To start, marinate the chicken and allow to sit in the marinade for minimum of 4 hours or overnight if possible. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking, heat a small amount of oil in a pan and add chicken pieces, fry for 4 minutes per side and drain properly once cooked. Do not crowd the pan otherwise the chicken will not get crisp.

While the chicken is frying, combine all the ingredients for the sauce and allow to simmer, add chicken to the sauce and toss thoroughly to coat

Serve with charred broccoli and sweet potato wedges for a light option or go full blown Indian and serve in warm, fluffy garlic naan breads. It is delicious either way!

Indo-Chinese chilli chicken

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 500g chicken thigh, large dice

  • 1 tblsp vinegar

  • 2 tblsp soy sauce

  • 1 small egg

  • 8 tblsp cornflour

  • 4 tblsp flour

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • Oil to shallow fry

  • Sauce

  • 1 large onion, finely diced

  • 2 tblsp ginger and garlic paste

  • 4 chillies, finely chopped

  • 2 tblsp vinegar

  • 4 tblsp soy sauce

  • 1 tsp sugar

  • Oil

Directions

  • Marinate the chicken and allow to sit in the marinade for minimum 4 hrs or overnight if possible
  • Allow it to come to room temp, heat oil in the pan and add chicken pieces, fry for 4 minutes per side and drain properly once cooked. Do not crowd the pan otherwise the chicken will not get crisp
  • Add chicken to the sauce and toss thoroughly to coat
  • Serve with charred broccoli and sweet potato wedges

Simplebutsplendid

Braised Duck with Tamarind

Duck with a tamarind sauce
Duck with a tamarind sauce

Duck braised with a light tamarind sauce is slightly different but very delicious take on an Indian curry. Typically tamarind is paired with seafood dishes but in this instance the tart tamarind really helps to cut through the richness of the duck providing a light tomato based sauce that is best mopped up by fragrant coriander rice.

This is definitely a weekend dish as the duck needs time to slowly breakdown and absorb all the delicious flavour of the spices and tamarind.

Let’s get cooking…

As always the base for a good curry starts by gently frying onions and whole spices in oil until soft. Add in turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder and curry powder and fry for a few seconds then add ginger and garlic paste and saute until fragrant.

Add in tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, the oil should look like it bubbling to the top and tomatoes should form a paste. Next toss in the duck, add salt and ground spices and toss to coat in the spices.

Simmer on low to medium heat until the duck is soft and fully cooked through (you should be able to easily break a piece with a spoon). Stir regularly and add water as needed to allow the duck to cook. This should take 1- 1 ½ hours if your duck is free range.

Once the duck is cooked there should still be a saucy, thick gravy, add in the tamarind paste and stir into the gravy. Allow this to simmer for 5 minutes then turn off the heat.

Garnish with coriander and serve with steamed coriander rice and a carrot salad to cut through the richness.

Braised Duck with Tamarind

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 500g duck, chopped into a large dice

  • 2 large tomatoes, finely diced

  • ½ onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 tsp ginger and garlic past, or you can crush ginger and garlic separately

  • 3 cinnamon stocks

  • ½ tsp fennel seeds

  • 2 cardamom pods

  • 1 black cardamom pod

  • 1 star anise

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 4 cloves

  • ½ tsp ground cumin

  • ½ tsp ground coriander seed

  • ½ tsp garam masala

  • ¼ tsp turmeric

  • ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

  • 3 tsp curry powder, depends on heat preference

  • 2 tbsp oil, coconut or vegetable oil

  • Salt to taste

  • 1 tsp coriander, chopped

  • 1 tsp tamarind paste

Directions

  • Fry onion and whole spices in oil until soft
  • Add in turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder and curry powder and fry for a few seconds then add ginger and garlic paste and fry until fragrant
  • Add in tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, the oil should look like it bubbling to the top
  • Add in duck, add salt and ground spices and toss to coat in the spices
  • Simmer on low-medium heat duck is soft and fully cooked through (you should be able to easily break a piece with a spoon). Stir regularly and add water as needed to allow the duck to cook. This should take 1- 1 ½ hours if your duck is free range
  • Once the duck is cooked there should still be a saucy gravy, add in the tamarind paste and stir into the gravy.
  • Garnish with coriander and serve with steamed coriander rice and a carrot salad to cut through the richness.

Simplebutsplendid

Lemon butter chicken

Lemon butter chicken
Lemon butter chicken

Sometimes weekdays call for something delicious but not so time consuming to cook. I tried this recipe out on a whim because I had the ingredients laying around and it has turned into quite a keeper. Simple ingredients but big on flavour and very easy to make.

I like to make the lemon butter sauce whenever I have leftover cream and freeze it for days just like this.

Let’s get cooking…

If you don’t have some already made start off by making your lemon butter sauce, melt the butter with garlic, spices and lemon juice, once the butter is melted, remove from the heat and stir in the cream. The sauce should thicken immediately and will be ready to serve.

Season your chicken with salt, pepper and some peri-peri spice. and place into a heavy bottomed pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Brown the chicken and then pour over half of the lemon butter sauce. Allow to simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with fluffy mashed potatoes.

Lemon butter Sauce

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

  • 125g butter

  • 1 tsp ground garlic

  • ½ tsp black pepper

  • 1 tsp parsley

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 2 tblsp lemon juice

  • 125ml fresh cream

Directions

  • Melt the butter
  • Add garlic and spices and lemon juice
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the cream
  • The sauce should thicken
  • Place into ice cube trays and freeze, ready to use when you need it

Simplebutsplendid

Grilled prawns with chipotle bourbon butter

Chipotle bourbon butter prawns
Chipotle bourbon butter

Grilled prawns have to be one of my favourite semi-splurge meals but I am always looking for new ways to make it more interesting by changing up the flavours or swapping out the side dishes. The inspiration for this particular dish is from a TV show where this compound butter was being served on top of grilled oysters and I thought it might work perfectly on prawns. I am happy to report that this experiment was a glorious success!

I changed out the flavours on the prawns so decided to keep the side dish quite traditional, prawns and savoury rice have always been a thing and for good reason, they make the perfect combo with the rice just delicate enough to mop up the amazing chipotle juices.

Let’s get cooking…

Start off by melting the butter, bourbon, garlic, sugar and chipotle paste on a low heat and keep warm. I use a tiny copper saucepan to melt everything on the stove top but this can also be done in the microwave. While this is melting, season butterflied prawns with salt and pepper while a cast iron pan is heating up to medium heat with a tablespoon of oil. Place prawns flesh side down for 3 minutes, the turn over and brush with the seasoned butter. Allow to cook until done, this should take another 5-7 minutes but be very careful not to overcook the prawns. You’re looking for the prawns to just turn opalescent and easily lift off the shell. Serve with savoury rice and a drizzle of the leftover melted compound butter.

Grilled prawns with chipotle bourbon butter

Servings

2

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 kg prawns, butterflied

  • 50g butter

  • 1 tsp chipotle chilli paste

  • 1 tblsp bourbon

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 tsp brown sugar, if using honey jack the omit sugar

  • Lime wedges

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • Oil

Directions

  • Melt butter, bourbon, garlic, sugar and chipotle paste on a low heat and keep warm
  • Season butterflied prawns with salt and pepper while a cast iron pan is heating up to medium heat with a tablespoon of oil
  • Place prawns flesh side down for 3 minutes, the turn over and brush with the seasoned butter
  • Allow to cook until done, this should take another 5-7 minutes but be very careful not to overcook
  • Serve with savoury rice and a good squeeze of lime

Simplebutsplendid

Simple potato curry

Potato curry
Potato curry

One of my greatest meat free Monday pleasures is a simple potato curry. This dish is so versatile and can be enjoyed as part of main meal or as the star of the show.

Served with rice and a spicy vegetable pickle, folded into puff pastry for hand pies on the go, wrapped up in a roti or toasted within 2 slices of bread there isn’t a shortage of ways to enjoy this cost effective and delicious curry.

Let’s get cooking…

Braise onions in oil until translucent, then add in the turmeric, chilli powder and curry powder and cook out for a few seconds. Once fragrant add in the potatoes and salt to taste, stir well to combine, add in ½ cup of water to allow the potatoes to cook on medium heat. Check regularly and top up water if the potatoes are still too firm. Once it is soft, most of the water should have dried out by now, turn off the heat. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and then enjoy with rice or roti.

Simple potato curry

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 medium sized potatoes, cut into small cubes

  • ½ onion, thinly sliced

  • ¼ tsp turmeric

  • ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

  • 1 tsp curry powder

  • Oil

  • Salt

Directions

  • Braise onion in 2 tablespoons of oil until translucent, then add in the turmeric, chilli powder and curry powder and cook out for a few seconds.
  • Once fragrant add in the potatoes and salt to taste, stir well to combine, add in ½ cup of water to allow the potatoes to cook on medium heat.
  • Check regularly and top up water if the potatoes are still too firm. Once it is soft, most of the water should have dried out by now, turn off the heat. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
  • Serve with rice or roti
  • Also makes great leftovers when rolled up into a roti cigar

Simplebutsplendid

Spaghetti aglio e olio

Aglio e olio
Spaghetti aglio e olio

This dish is 1000% inspired by the movie Chef… there’s the epic scene where Chef Carl cooks and serves up a delicious bowl of spaghetti alio e olio and that has probably made every person watching the movie want to make this pasta instantly.

I find it perfect for a meat free Monday, it’s such a joy to cook and prep with only 5 ingredients all of which are pantry staples. And there is zero compromise on flavour.

If you haven’t yet watched the movie, watch it! Then you will understand the obsession with a simple plate of pasta.

Let’s get cooking…

Start by thinly slicing an obscene amount of garlic and frying it in olive oil until golden. This step really needs to be done low and slow to caramelize the garlic without burning it. While the garlic is cooking, boil your spaghetti according to the instructions. Add the chilli flakes and parsley to the pan once the garlic is golden. Stir in the spaghetti, squeeze over some lemon juice, crack in a good amount of black pepper and enjoy! That’s it, super simple and delicious.

Spaghetti aglio e olio

Servings

2

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

  • 250g spaghetti

  • ½ head garlic, thinly sliced

  • ½ cup parsley, chopped

  • ½ lemon, juiced

  • 1 tsp chilli flakes

  • ½ cup olive oil

  • Salt

  • Pepper

Directions

  • Heat olive oil in a pan, add in garlic and allow to cook until soft and just turning golden
  • Add in the chilli flakes and parsley, allow to simmer for a minute then add in the pasta with ¼ cup of pasta water
  • Squeeze over the lemon and toss to coat.
  • Serve immediately

Simplebutsplendid

Seafood Paella

Seafood paella
Seafood paella

My first memory of cooking a seafood paella at home was at my parents house, in the middle of a screeching hot summer, for a family gathering. Everything about that day brings back the most wonderful memories but the food was the star of the show! A paella that could feed 30 people packed to the brim with seafood and boy was it delicious. Ever since then I have associated Paella with summer and family.

Family reunion type of paella

Fast forward many years later, my dad was turning 60 and shortly before his birthday he had randomly mentioned to me that he loves a good paella, a light bulb immediately went off in my head and it was settled that I would throw my dad a paella party for his 60th birthday…

These were the glorious paellas from that party.

Now seeing how this is a dish that I absolutely love it only made sense that I come up with a recipe to make it myself.

Let’s get cooking…

Fry onion and bell pepper in olive oil until soft, add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add tomato paste and fry for 1 minute, add squid and fry for a further minute. Add pureed tomatoes, paprika, saffron, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes.

Pour in stock and when it boils add in the rice and distribute even across the pan. Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes uncovered. Then add in peas prawns and fish and simmer for a further 15 minutes without stirring. At the end of this most of the liquid should be absorbed.

Switch off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges and icy cold sangria!

Seafood Paella

Servings

4

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 prawns, deveined and cleaned

  • 2 fillets of fish, cut into chunks

  • 300g calamari tubes

  • 1 ½ cups of Arborio or paella rice

  • 3 cups fish stock

  • 1 small onion, diced

  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

  • 4 tblsp olive oil

  • Salt pepper

  • ½ tsp paprika

  • Few strands of saffron or 1 tsp saffron powder

  • ½ cup peas

  • 1 tblsp tomato paste

  • ½ cup/ 3 small tomatoes, pureed

Directions

  • Fry onion and bell pepper in olive oil until soft, add garlic and saute until fragrant
  • Add tomato paste and fry for 1 minute, add squid and fry for a further minute
  • Add pureed tomatoes, paprika, saffron, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes
  • Pour in stock and when it boils add in the rice and distribute even across the pan
  • Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes uncovered
  • Then add in peas prawns and fish and simmer for a further 15 minutes without stirring
  • At the end of this most of the liquid should be absorbed
  • Switch off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes
  • Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges

Simplebutsplendid