Basil and parsley pesto dip
Combining basil, parsley and a handful of nuts into a dip is nothing revolutionary, but the result complements the crisps and crackers so very well.
Kabak mucveri
These deep fried balls of zucchini goodness have been a favourite restaurant menu item for longer than we’ve been married. Their kabac mucveris are bigger, fluffier and deeper-fried than ours, but you can’t expect miracles from a small home kitchen that doesn’t do deep frying at all. We do shallow frying and baking with an unhealthy amount of oil, and they’re all good.
A curry sauce for mung beans
When this idea of a mung bean curry first came to light, it seemed too good to pass by. We had our partly sprouted mung beans, and now we have a curry sauce to dress them up. It’s a great little alternative to a heavy meat and rice curry.
Spinach (silverbeet) curry
There’s spinach, and then there’s silverbeet, which is also called chard. Our Indian cookbook has this delightfully named dish called saag (spinach) bhaji, which we use alongside our favourite lentils and rice. We use silverbeet instead of spinach, but does it really matter?
A Georgianesq walnut and coriander sauce
This walnut and coriander sauce is something we’ve used it for all sorts of things—as a filler for celery sticks, a sauce for those Turkish aubergine meatballs, or even a dip with these biscuits for something different. Just once, we used it for its purpose as a dressing for a chilled green-been salad.
Dukkah
Dukkah is a wonderful mix of coarsely ground spices. The idea is to have crunchy bits in there rather than a smooth powder, or even worse, a paste. It’s used as a dip for olive-oil covered bread, or a light seasoning.
Guacamole
Avocado is a bit of a luxury here, and guacamole is an absolute delicacy. Because of its specialness, our guacamole is really just mashed avocado with seasonings added: lemon juice, salt and pepper, and sometimes onion. That’s about it. If we have a few people, then it becomes a full-blown appetiser with some celery and tomato to…
An easy cheesy cauliflower
Why would anyone need a recipe for cauliflower cheese I hear you ask. Well, why not? This site is a bit of a family notebook for our favourite recipes, and this certainly is one of those. It’s also not quite a normal cauliflower cheese. It’s not just the broccoli, but it’s also the lack of a white sauce. We just use a sprinkle of Parmesan and mozzarella, and everyone’s happy.
Chilli beetroot chutney
Chutney is one of life’s little pleasures. This recipe for beetroot and chilli chutney has become a real winner in the chutney-loving side of the extended family. It’s surprisingly not-too-hot given the amount of chilli, and even my chilli-averse sister loves it.
Coleslaw two-ways (vegan)
It’s time for coleslaw. And not just any old coleslaw. This one comes with two options for dressing: one option is a recipe we’ve been using for years, uses a deliciously creamy, yet vegan mayonnaise, and everyone prefers it; the second one is now a new favourite and uses some much-loved ‘Asian’ flavours. Our new favourite is pictured here.
How to preserve zucchini
We’ve preserved zucchini by drying it (sun drying and in the dehydrator), ready for use in winter stews, and by this wonderful pickling method I found on an Italian vegan website: zucchini, salt, vinegar and oil. The Italian author says this dish will make the winter ‘lick his moustache’: what an excellent way to describe…
Quick roasted chickpeas and cauliflower
Roasted garlic, baked chickpeas, crispy cauliflower, sweet roasted capsicum: what a combination. Best of all, if you have chickpeas ready to go, it’s a good quick dish to bake; and it’s perfect for someone dining alone. I guess it could be a side dish in a main meal, but I think it’s far too good for that. So we make it for lunch or even brunch.
Garlic and preserved lemon with tagliatelle
Once you discover how easy it is to make your own preserved lemons, you’ll then be on a mission to find ways to use them. We have two recipes in one here: both use garlic, parsley and preserved lemon, and one adds in dried mushrooms and cashew cream to fill out the flavour. You could also use normal…
How to preserve lemons
Preserved lemons are super easy to make and ridiculously overpriced in the shops. All you need is lemons and salt and, if you want, some cloves and cinnamon. Selma makes it even easier and says you just need olive oil and lemons. We’ve made both this year, thanks to a very generous neighbour with a lemon tree and an agenda of wanting more salted lemons from us.
Hot grated beetroot
Beetroot as a side dish for chops? Or mushrooms if you’re vegan? We’d usually bake them if we were having a roast, but for something you grill or fry, like chops, an ideal side dish is to grate the beetroot then lightly fry it in olive oil and stir in a few capers just as you serve the meal. It is really satisfying, and the deep red colour really livens up your plate!
Tabouleh
I first met tabouleh when it appeared in a local bistro many years ago. Served as part of a chicken and tabouleh sandwich, it quickly became my favourite bought lunch. I’ve since learned how to make it, and it appears a few times over summer, especially at barbecues and parties.
No-bake Brussels sprouts with caramelised onion
Brussels sprouts aren’t everybody’s favourite dish, but I love them. The beauty of this dish is that you can enjoy them with the sweetness of caramelised onions, and there is no need for oil. You can also cook it all on the stove top, which is great if you don’t want to fire up the oven.
A deliciously light and naturally sweet kale salad
If you’re on the search for a kale salad then look no further. This one is perfect, with the flavours of orange and fennel balancing the kale. They’re naturally sweet, so there’s no need for any kind of extra sweetener: you can leave your honey and maple syrup in the cupboard and just enjoy.
Spinach and rice and pumpkin slice
This rice and spinach based slice is an excellent way of serving up these two ingredients as a tasty side supporting act for ratatouille or a casserole. There are no eggs, so the pumpkin adds a layer of flavour and colour, and it holds this slice together long enough to transfer it from baking dish to plate, just.
Our tasty rice: spicy cauliflower with peas
Cauliflower is a serious substitute for rice and even mashed potato for some people in our family. But this Indian-derived dish is not only a substitute, it is delicious in its own right. We’ve moved from it being a pragmatic and lesser replacement for rice, to a side dish worthy of its own place at the table.
Mermaid's tresses 