Sri Lankan Mustard Greens with Coconut (Suitable for Any Greens)

Winter is the time for Mustard Greens, and we love them. This recipe, with its origins in Sri Lanka and the South of India, treats them very simply without a lot of spice, and ensures that the flavours of the Mustard Leaves shine through. In fact, any greens can be used in this recipe – spinach, kale, chards and any local greens that might be in your area. Try it with cabbage too, its delicious.

Similar recipes include Mustard Greens with Mooli (Daikon), and Turnips with Mustard Greens in a Creamy Sauce.

Browse all of our Mustard Greens dishes, and all of our Sri Lankan recipes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Early Winter recipes.

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Insalata di Radicchio e Rughetta | Salad of Rocket and Radicchio with Parmesan

It is time to increase the presence of wonderful greens in our kitchen and we begin with a quick salad of Rocket (Arugala) and Radicchio. These are tossed with parmesan and a vinaigrette and topped with toasted nuts. There, you have the recipe already. We are so lucky that our Italian brothers and sisters believe in simple dishes and have a wealth of vegetarian dishes packed full of flavour.

It is a wonderful way to begin a meal. I recommend serving it before your main course, and wait for the oohs and aahs from your eating companions. It is the parmesan that makes all the difference in this salad. Oh, and my special trick with the dressing.

Similar recipes include White Fig and Rocket Salad, Rocket Salad with Penne and Parmesan, and Grilled Radicchio with Shallots and Dill.

Browse all of our Rocket dishes and our Radicchio recipes. All of our wonderful Salads are here and Italian dishes here. Or browse our Early Winter collection of dishes.

Burghul and Cauliflower Salad with Hazelnuts

Winter brings more substantial salads – no more Summery cubes of tomatoes tossed with cubes of cucumber and a layer of red onion rings. Enter salads with noodles, grains, lentils, dried beans. Barley, freekah, chickpeas – all perfect during winter.

Today’s salad uses Burghul. I really recommend you exploring your local Middle Eastern shop for their varieties of Burghul – there are at least half a dozen. Select one type that you want to experiment and play with.

Are you after other Burghul dishes? Try a Quick Burghul Salad, Cauliflower and Burghul Kitchari and Mung Bean and Burghul Kitchari.

Or perhaps Cauliflower recipes? Try Rice and Cauliflower Pilaf, Pasta with Cauliflower Sauce, and a Plate of Cauliflower.

This is a Bittman Salad. For the past three years we have had a project of cooking through his 101 salads, and we are now in the 90’s. The end of this fantastic journey is in sight. We have made all of the vegetarian ones and modified as many of the non-vegetarian ones that was possible. After making so many salads, we are now committed daily salad eaters.

You can check all of our Bittman Salads here (more are scheduled for publishing, so check back in the future). All of our Burghul dishes are here, and all of our many many Salads. Or eat seasonally and explore our Early Winter dishes.

Fava Bean Salad with Garlic and Dill

This classic Egyptian Salad is wonderful, if you are a lover of dried broad beans (fava beans). It cooks the small dried fava until just done, or just a little over-done and beginning to disintegrate, and then mixes them with herbs, spices and olive oil. The result is a wonderfully flavoursome salad or side dish.

The recipe makes a fair amount, so you are likely to have some salad left over. Left overs make great spreads (try on sour dough bread with sliced tomatoes, cucumber and radish) and it is wonderful in salad wraps.

Similar recipes include Fava Bean Mash, Fava Bean Soup with Roasted Garlic, and Fava Bean Puree.

Browse all of our Fava Bean recipes and all of our Egyptian dishes. Or browse all of our Mid Winter dishes.

We use Australian measurements: 1 tspn = 5ml; 1 Tblspn = 20ml; 1 cup = 250ml.

Velouté d’asperges | Cream of Asparagus Soup

This soup, so they say, is reminiscent of the creations of the 18th century French grande cuisine. Asparagus was introduced by the Italians during the Renaissance, and was part of a change in eating habits that saw vegetables introduced into grande cuisine. Previously they had been considered the food of peasants.

This soup is thick, smooth and delicate as well as utterly delicious. It is simple to make with easily accessible ingredients. It is the perfect soup for year-round enjoyment, as it can be served cold in Summer and hot in Winter.  We’ve been making this soup since the early 2000’s.

The soup can also be made quickly and easily in any high speed blender that also heats foods as it blends. I have given the instructions for making it this way as well as the usual, stove-top method. In the blender it takes around 15 mins, including cooking the asparagus. When you are using the high speed blender (mine is a Vitamix), then there are no worries about stringy stalks on the asparagus – all is blended into a smooth, perfect soup.

Similar recipes include Chilled Asparagus Soup, Gentle Asparagus Soup, and Asparagus Raita.

Browse all of our other Asparagus Soup recipes, our Asparagus recipes, and our French dishes. Or explore our Late Autumn dishes.

Cauliflower Roasted in Olive Oil

I roasted cauliflower for my daughter one day and she was delighted. She was not a fan of cauli, but eating it roasted was another experience. It changed her cauli-eating life.

Roasted cauliflower has a sweet, intense, nutty flavour.

This is the barest of recipes, to give you the gist of roasting cauliflower. And then you can play with it in any way that you like. Add toasted hazelnuts. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses. Throw tons of herbs at it. Roast garlic with it. Make a herb oil and drizzle over it. Eat hot. Cool it to room temperature and make a salad out of it. Add to pasta. Put it on a mezze or antipasto platter. Put in a tomato sauce. Or, eat it just as it is.

Are you after other Cauliflower recipes? Try Aloo Gobi, Slow Cooked Cauliflower with Lime and Spices, and A Plate of Cauliflower.

You can browse all of our Cauliflower recipes and our roasted dishes. Or explore our Mid Winter dishes. Enjoy!

Chakotra, Laal Mooli and Ganth Gobhi Salad | Pomelo, Radish and Kohlrabi Salad with Tamarind Dressing

Pomelos are around for a while if you know where to look for them. As the season progresses they get bigger and bigger! As I write, they are so huge one considers bringing a ute to bring them home in. (I exaggerate of course 🙂 🙂 ).

This lovely salad combines Pomelo (or use Ruby Grapefruit) with Kohlrabi and Red Radish, and then bathes them in a spicy tamarind dressing before dusting with crushed peanuts. Who needs a better excuse to grab a Pomelo or two?

Are you after other Pomelo recipes? Try Three Citrus Salad with Ginger, Chilli and Crunchy Almond Salsa.

Or other Radish dishes? Try Cucumber and Red Radish Salad, and Radish Salad with Coconut Milk.

Browse all of our Pomelo recipes and all of our radish recipes. Our Kohlrabi dishes are here. Or explore our many many Salads. Our collection of Early Winter dishes are here.

Eggplant and Kale Pakora

Pakora are a favourite street food in India, and one that can easily be made at home. Recipes use a chickpea flour batter into which vegetables are dipped and then deep fried. I like to serve these Pakora with sea salt and lemon juice only, but they are commonly eaten with Indian sauces and chutneys.  One word describes them. Delicious. Incredibly delicious. Have a glass of chai with them – I also love them with a small cup of spicy rasam.

In frying the pakora (also called pakoda, bhajji and bhajiya) the aim is to cook the vegetable in the same amount of time that the batter takes to become crispy. It is about temperature, so it is a good idea to test-fry a few pieces before cooking the whole batch.

The types of vegetables that can be used include potatoes, onion rings, eggplant, sweet potatoes, softer pumpkins, lotus root, cauliflower and greens such as spinach, kale and amaranth leaves. Make sure that any greens are really dry before using.

Similar recipes include Red Onion and Green Chilli Pakora, Okra and Cauliflower Pakora, and Vegetable Fritters.

Browse all of our Pakoras and all of our Snacks. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Mid Autumn dishes.

Purslane Salad with Tomatoes

Purslane is that lemony tart succulent-leaved plant that is considered a weed. In fact, for many years, I hounded it from the gardens that I had the pleasure to work in. But, well hello!, the leaves are beautiful in salads and even in cooked dishes.

This is a very simple salad, but delightful. It features Purslane, whereas we usually just added it to other salad ingredients. It also makes a great substitute for rocket and sorrel in your salads, if you don’t have any of those ingredients at hand.

Similar recipes include Purslane Salad with Radish, Peas with Purslane and Mustard, and Purslane Salad with Burrata.

Browse all of our Purslane dishes, and all of our Salads. Or explore our Early Autumn dishes.

Roasted Butternut with Chilli Yoghurt Sauce and Coriander Garlic Oil

Another cold winter morning, another zero degree morning, and another excuse to turn the oven on and get the butternut pumpkin out. We classify butternut as a pumpkin although elsewhere it may be called a squash.

Simply made, this is an easy recipe – the butternut is roasted and some pumpkin seeds are toasted in the residual heat of the oven. Yoghurt is mixed with chilli sauce and some coriander is whizzed with oil – both are drizzled over the cooked pumpkin. Quick and easy. It can be made early in the morning while the coffee is brewing the porridge bubbling on the stove, and then left until lunch time.

The toasted pumpkin seeds (the green inner ones, not the hard shelled, large pumpkin seeds) are wonderful – crispy and light. Make more of them and keep some for snacking during the day.

A dish to celebrate two of Turkish cuisine’s great gifts to the world, yoghurt and chilli.

By the way, the Chilli Yoghurt Sauce in this recipe is a winner. It is simply chilli sauce mixed with yoghurt (I used one of my slow cooked chilli jams). The truth be told, I could not stop eating the left overs. It was stirred into rice, dolloped on soup, and drizzled over steamed vegetables. The last spoonful was smeared on buttery bread and eaten with delight. I really advise you to make double recipe, and keep the remainder in the fridge.

This is an Ottolenghi dish from Plenty More – we are cooking our way through this book. We feel free to substitute ingredients that are not readily available in our local area.

In fact it is Ottolenghi Cooking the Books Day on the blog – one of two days per month where we publish the latest recipes we have tried in our project of cooking from Ottolenghi’s books – those we have cooked directly and those we have been inspired by. Currently we are cooking from Plenty More, but not ignoring his other books completely. Note that I often massage the recipes to suit what is available from our garden and pantry. For the original recipes, check his books and his Guardian column.

Similar dishes include Butternut with Buckwheat Polenta, Roast Pumpkin with Miso Sesame Dressing, and Caramelised Roast Pumpkin.

Our Ottolenghi dishes from Plenty More are here. We have written about our experiences cooking through this book. Or explore our Early Winter recipes.

We use Australian measurements: 1 tspn = 5ml; 1 Tblspn = 20ml; 1 cup = 250ml.

Grilled Zucchini and Fennel with Saffron Crumbs

Grilled vegetables are commonly used in our kitchen to make simple and quick salads. Veggies are sliced thinly or cut into chunks and then grilled, usually on the BBQ, or inside on a ridged grill pan. Simply dressed with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt, they make a flavoursome salad or side dish.

So trust Ottolenghi to take grilled vegetables to the next level by adding “crumbs” or croutons that have been soaked in saffron water then fried with garlic. These are scattered over grilled vegetables for a salad that has visual impact and tastes delicious. The crumbs have many uses, so make them in bulk and use them often.

The vegetables that Ottolenghi uses in this dish are zucchini and fennel, but don’t restrict yourself to this combination. Also, try scattering the crumbs over roasted vegetables too. And onto soups in place of croutons. My goodness, they are good.

The fried saffron crumbs in this add colour and a luxurious crunch to an otherwise simple looking dish. Make more than you need, and omit the garlic – they’ll keep in an airtight jar for a week or so.

The recipe comes from Plenty More – we are cooking our way through this book. We feel free to substitute ingredients that are not readily available in our local area. In fact, it is Ottolenghi Cooking the Books Day on the blog – one of two days per month where we publish the latest recipes we have tried in our project of cooking from Ottolenghi’s books – those we have cooked directly and those we have been inspired by. Currently we are cooking from Plenty More, but not ignoring his other books completely. Note that I often massage the recipes to suit what is available from our garden and pantry. For the original recipes, check his books and his Guardian column.

Similar dishes include Marinated Zucchini, Zucchini in Oil with Mint, Chilli and Garlic, and Grilled Fennel with Fresh Mozzarella.

Browse all of our Zucchini dishes and all of our Fennel recipes. Our Ottolenghi dishes from Plenty More are here. We have written about our experiences cooking through this book. Or explore our Early Winter recipes.

We use Australian measurements: 1 tspn = 5ml; 1 Tblspn = 20ml; 1 cup = 250ml.

Yummy Zucchini Dip with Yoghurt Sauce and Buttery Chilli Pinenuts

Just when you had thought you had seen everything, charred/burnt zucchini crosses your path. In the same way that you would char eggplants for dishes like Babaganoush, zucchinis can be roasted and turned into delicious dips and spreads. After charring, the flesh is slippery, silky, smoky and delicious.

Then, in Middle Eastern Style, the mashed zucchini flesh is topped with a sauce made with yoghurt and Roquefort cheese. In the original of this Ottolenghi recipe, the sauce uses an egg to thicken it. As we do not cook with eggs, we use the age old trick of adding besan (chickpea flour) to the cheese-yoghurt mix, and let it cook out to produce the most beautiful sauce. It is tangy and intriguing, this sauce.

THEN, over the top of what already feels like a whole dish, chilli buttery pinenuts are drizzled, and that is scattered with za’atar. Divine. Inspired. Gorgeous. It challenges Baba Ganoush for deliciousness.

As mentioned (you could guess anyway, right?) this is an Ottolenghi dish from Plenty More – we are cooking our way through this book. We feel free to substitute ingredients that are not readily available in our local area.

It is Ottolenghi Cooking the Books Day on the blog – one of two days per month where we publish the latest recipes we have tried in our project of cooking from Ottolenghi’s books – those we have cooked directly and those we have been inspired by. Currently we are cooking from Plenty More, but not ignoring his other books completely. Note that I often massage the recipes to suit what is available from our garden and pantry. For the original recipes, check his books and his Guardian column.

Similar dishes include Babaganoush, Baingan Pora, and Smoky Aubergine with Tahini and Pomegranate.

Browse our Dips and our Spreads, and our Zucchini recipes. Our Ottolenghi dishes from Plenty More are here. We have written about our experiences cooking through this book. Or explore our Early Winter recipes.

We use Australian measurements: 1 tspn = 5ml; 1 Tblspn = 20ml; 1 cup = 250ml.

Black Barley with Mushrooms and Roti-Style Yoghurt Flatbreads

Black barley is a terrific find, it is nutty and dark in flavour and cooks easily in 35 – 45 minutes. I came across it at Goodies and Grains in Adelaide Central Market while I was stocking up with a few items. It is an African barley just becoming available more locally. It is excellent in soups, salads, vegetarian “stews” (let’s call it a ragout) like this one and even with tostadas and such like. As a base for other ingredients, it is excellent – try Black Barley with this Charred Okra dish.

Today we are using it to replace pearl barley (you can do that in any recipe). Ottolenghi has a recipe for Barley and Mushrooms in his book Plenty. We first made this around 2011, when my daughter and her family came back from London. There was much celebration. Barley and mushroom is a soothing combination. It’s mainly a textural thing, with the barley both gently breaking and enhancing the mushroomy gloopiness. The recipe uses 3 types of mushrooms, and today we used porcini, shiitake and pearl mushrooms, as I had pearl mushrooms left over from making a Soba Noodle and Mushroom dish.

Ottolenghi’s recipe also has some roti-like flatbreads made from wholewheat flour and mixed with yoghurt. These are rolled out and cooked on a tawa, flat griddle or frying pan. They are super easy to make and go with any dish similar to this one. You can also use any Mexican or Middle Eastern flatbread to compliment the barley if you are out of time to make your own. Or some frozen roti from your Indian Grocery.

It is Ottolenghi Cooking the Books Day on the blog – one of two days per month where we publish the latest recipes we have tried in our project of cooking from Ottolenghi’s books – those we have cooked directly and those we have been inspired by. Currently we are cooking from Plenty More, but not ignoring his other books completely. Note that I often massage the recipes to suit what is available from our garden and pantry. For the original recipes, check his books and his Guardian column.

It is a very wintery dish – perfect for brisk Autumn days through to Winter.

Similar recipes include Charred Okra with Barley, Barley and Porcini Risotto, and Barley Pilaf with Mushrooms.

Browse our Black Barley recipes, all of our Barley dishes and our Mushroom recipes. Our Ottolenghi dishes from Plenty are here. We have written about our experiences cooking through his Plenty More book. Or explore our Early Autumn dishes.

We use Australian measurements: 1 tspn = 5ml; 1 Tblspn = 20ml; 1 cup = 250ml.

Clove, Cardamom and Cinnamon Rice

Everyone loves fragrant rice – basmati and jasmine rice are two of the best known. There are others too, you might see them occasionally or search some out. Currently I am working with the short grain fragrant rice called Ambe Mohar.

This recipe adds warming (not hot) flavours to the rice with cloves and cardamom. It is a simple recipe, and many slight variations of it abound. It is also in Ottolenghi’s book Nopi, so I will claim it for inclusion in our Ottolenghi Cook from the Books project. I have adjusted his recipe a little. For the original recipes, check his books and his Guardian column.

Similar dishes include Black Cumin and Pepper Rice, Persian Saffron Rice, and Broad Bean and Dill Rice.

Browse all of our Rice dishes, and the dishes from Nopi. We have written about our experiences cooking through Plenty More. Or explore our Mid Winter recipes.

We use Australian measurements: 1 tspn = 5ml; 1 Tblspn = 20ml; 1 cup = 250ml.

Pea and Mint Croquettes in Chickpea Flour Batter

You will adore these green croquettes – how spectacularly coloured they are, especially for Winter when foods can be darker hued. They make great snacks, dipped into the creamy sauce. They will become a favourite, I am sure, and the croquette mixture can be made and shaped the day before you want to cook them. Keep them in the freezer to help with the shaping of the croquettes, and bring them out 30 – 60 mins before cooking.

This is sort of an Ottolenghi dish from Plenty More – we are cooking our way through this book. But his recipes use eggs and we do not cook with eggs. So the recipe has been altered significantly. Yet we still credit Ottolenghi with the inspiration. We replaced the eggs with chickpea flour and used a chickpea flour batter. It is a change that worked extremely well, and the result is amazing. We have not crumbed our croquettes, but you can do that. We did use a little polenta on some to give extra crispness.

Untypically, these taste healthy and fresh, yet still have that addictive, moreish streak of all fried things.

It is Ottolenghi Cooking the Books Day on the blog – one of two days per month where we publish the latest recipes we have tried in our project of cooking from Ottolenghi’s books – those we have cooked directly and those we have been inspired by. Currently we are cooking from Plenty More, but not ignoring his other books completely. Note that I often massage the recipes to suit what is available from our garden and pantry. For the original recipes, check his books and his Guardian column.

Similar recipes include Broad Bean and Mint Vadai, Maddur Vadai, and Kothimbir Wada.

Browse all of our Snacks here and our Pea recipes. Our Ottolenghi dishes from Plenty More are here. We have written about our experiences cooking through this book. Or explore our Mid Winter recipes.

We use Australian measurements: 1 tspn = 5ml; 1 Tblspn = 20ml; 1 cup = 250ml.