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Eggplant and Zucchini Baked with Chickpeas and Harissa Sauce

Oh the flavours of Morocco! And this lovely dish brings a memory of them to the table with the use of Harissa.

Harissa is a wonderful, fiery chilli and capsicum paste from Morocco and other parts of North Africa. Traditionally it is used as a condiment, and added to dishes according to taste. Used in small amounts, it enlivens stir-fries, stocks, sauces and vegetable casseroles, braises etc.

Harissa can be found in good supermarkets or Middle Eastern and North African providores. But it is also easy enough to make your own, with the advantage that you can adjust the heat level to your taste.

The dish itself is easy to make and tastes great with buttery couscous or even quinoa. We made it on a Summery day that was cooler – blessed relief from the intense heat, and a day where we were not afraid to turn the oven on. It takes 40 mins to cook, but can take longer depending on your cookware – we used terracotta and that always takes a bit longer.

Similar dishes include this Zucchini a la Grecque – a cold dish, perfect for heat waves, Steamed Eggplant and Zucchini with Chilli Paste, and a Baked Eggplant and Tomato Pasta Sauce.

For Eggplant dishes with Middle Eastern flavours try Saffron and Rosewater Scented Aubergine, Eggplants, Sultanas and Pinenuts with Yoghurt Dressing, and Fragrant Eggplant with a Garlic Yoghurt Sauce.

All of our Eggplant dishes are here, and our Zucchini recipes here. Browse our Moroccan recipes. Or spend some time exploring our easy Mid Summer recipes.

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Cutting Chai | Ginger and Cardamon Chai

That quintessential roadside chai from Mumbai and throughout South India

Ah, how I miss the road side stalls in India and their piping hot Cutting Chai. Cutting is the transliteration of the Hindi word for half – Cutting Chai is served in half glasses (or smaller, often) as it has a strong flavour, and half a cup of this strong sweet liquid is enough to get you moving for the day! You have to buy it from the road side stalls – restaurants and hotels do not get the same taste.

The flavours are predominantly ginger and cardamon, simmered for some minutes with sugar so that the maximum flavour is extracted. The black tea, too, breaks every Western tea-brewing rule and is simmered for 5 or 6 minutes for the flavour extractions. Then milk is added to create this addictive drink.

Are you looking for similar Chai recipes? Try Chai Masala for Relief of Colds, Cardamom Chai and Peppery Chai.

You might like to browse all of our Chai recipes, or our general Tea recipes. All of our drinks can be found here, and our Indian Recipes here. You might also enjoy our Mid Autumn recipes.

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Garam Chai | Chai Masala

Warming spices combined with tea – a classic Indian Chai

What a wonderful, warming drink this is! Pure relaxation – a cup of Masala Chai and allowing your mind to empty and drift across the universe.

Chai is an Indian spiced milk tea that is generally made up of a rich black tea, full cream milk, various spices and jaggery or other sweetener. The spices used vary from region to region in India, and even amongst households. The most common are cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper. Because of the spices, Chai produces a warming, soothing effect and gives one a wonderful sense of well being. Chai must have a sweetner added or the spices can’t share their full robust flavours. The sweetness brings out an intensity of flavour.

Are you looking for similar Chai recipes? Try Yogi Chai, Chai Masala for the Relief of Colds, Cutting Chai, and Peppery Chai.

All of our Chai recipes are here, and our general Tea recipes here. Please try our other Teas and Coffees, and explore our Indian Recipes. You might also enjoy our Mid Winter recipes.

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Georgian Coriander and Walnut Sauce or Dip

Coriander and walnuts – who would have thought the zingy freshness of coriander would pair well with the earthy brown flavours of walnuts? It seems they do, with a plethora of recipes around for pastes and sauces containing the two ingredients.

This recipe is a little different than most. I first saw in The Guardian newspaper. It includes dried apricots. The sauce is both slightly sweet from the apricots, a little peppery and fragrant from the herbs with a pinch of heat from the chilli and, well, garlicky. This sweet, pungent sauce is a mainstay of Georgian national cuisine. It works beautifully as a marinade – try rubbing it on vegetables before baking or BBQing. Stir into cooked red beans. Marinate some tofu in it. Glaze cooked carrots with it. Put it in your soup. And it is rather good with roasted summer vegetables too. It is great included in your salad dressing. Spread it on your salad sandwiches. You will constantly find more and more ways to use this glorious paste.

My most favourite way to eat it is as a dip. It is non-traditional, but I have to let you into a secret. This is very good with some Middle Eastern flatbread. Put it on your next mezze or tapas plate.

According to Georgian legend, God took a supper break while creating the world. He became so involved with his meal that he inadvertently tripped over the high peaks of the Caucasus, spilling his food onto the land below. The land blessed by Heaven’s table scraps was Georgia.

Georgian of course refers to the country in the Caucasus rather than the southern U.S. state or the period of time when knights roamed England.

Are you looking for other coriander recipes? Similar recipes include Coriander Paste, Zhoug, the Middle Eastern Coriander Paste and Dip, Coriander Pesto, and Coriander and Coconut Chutney. Also similar is an Apricot Chutney that can be made with dried apricots.

Or try these: Carrots and Green Peas with Green Coriander, Coriander and Lemongrass Vichyssoise, Pudla with Green Coriander, or Urad Dal with Tomato, Coconut and Green Coriander. Coriander Fritters are pretty good too.

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Sweet Onion Salad with Roasted Red Peppers

I am on a mission – each day in the warmer months, I make a salad which we take to have with our lunches, or eat at home if we are home, and leftovers are used for snacks or with the evening meal.

The salads vary from day to day, and I get inspiration from all sorts of places. As I have mentioned before, I do love Bittman’s 101 salads, and am gradually working my way through the vegetarian ones. Others can often be adapted, leaving out or substituting the non-vegetarian ingredients. This is my second Summer using his beauties, and I am probably about half way through.

Today’s salad is an onion salad, with some roasted peppers. It is simple, but glorious on this 36C day (as I am writing this), and at those sorts of temperatures, all you want is simple. To make the salad, sometimes I have charred, roasted eggplant and capsicums that were cooked on the BBQ, and other times I slice the capsicums lengthwise into straight pieces which I grill on a grill pan on the stove. That is what I have done today, as I used the fully roasted ones to make Harissa.

Try some other Bittman Salads. There is a Glorious Five Bean Salad, Wombok and Radish Salad with Peanut Dressing, and Tomato and Strawberry Salad with Basil and Balsamic.

Or explore other Onion Salads. Try Sweet Onion Salad with Coriander Spice, Cucumber and Red Onion Salad with Mustard, and Kachumber.

You can browse all of our Salad recipes here, all of our Bittman Salads, and our Onion dishes. Or simply take the time to explore our easy Mid Summer dishes.

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Roasted Parsnip Soup with Spices

I love a good parsnip, but I don’t eat enough of them. This recipe maximises the flavours of the parsnip by roasting them before using them to make a soup with spices. It is another beautiful, warming Winter soup. Dollop Thick Thick Yoghurt on top, or some home made Creme Fraiche.

Are you looking for similar recipes? Try Parsnip and Barley Soup with Garlic and Sage, Spicy Parsnip Soup with Crispy Garlic, and Spicy Roasted Carrot and Apple Soup.

Browse all of our Parsnip recipes, and all of our yummy Soups. Or take some time to explore our Mid Winter recipes.

This is a recipe from our first blog, which was in existence from 1995 – 2006. Feel free to browse other recipes from our Retro Recipes series.

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Potatoes and Cheddar Gratin

As Winter marches on, we want dishes that we can cook in the oven, to add another source of heat to warm the kitchen. Baked dishes are also usually hearty, so they warm and nourish the body in a way that we only seek in Winter. Gratin dishes are so perfect, ticking every box.

This dish layers potatoes with cheese, covers them with milk and cream, and bakes it until bubbling and golden. Delicious!

Are you looking for similar dishes? Try Gratin of Potatoes and Zucchini, and Gratineed Sweet Potatoes.

You can browse all of our Gratin dishes and all of our Potato recipes. Or simply explore all of our Early Winter dishes.

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Barley and Red Kidney Beans

Hearty and filling

Another addition to our Barley recipes is this dish with either Red Kidney Beans or Cannellini Beans. Hearty and filling, this is served piping hot as an accompaniment to your other dishes. It goes very well with vegetable dishes, for example, Stir Fried Vegetables with Red Chilli Paste.

It is definitely a Winter dish, with beautiful flavours of sage and onion and the heartiness of the beans and barley. There is nothing better than this simmering on the stove on a wet and cold Winter afternoon.

Are you looking for similar recipes? Try Barley with Crispy Tofu, White Bean Soup, and Kidney Bean Sundal.

We have other Barley recipes that you might like to browse, and other Red Kidney Bean recipes. Or explore our easy Late-Winter recipes.

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Sweet Pepper and Rice Salad

I have had 2 revelations this week – firstly, how good rice salad is. It is a salad that my Mother made a lot in Summer but some how it has never ever made it onto my radar. Perhaps we ate too much of it as we grew up, perhaps hers never inspired me to make them myself (sorry Mum).

In this 42C (107F) heat, I made a rice salad on a whim, because all I had to do was turn on the rice cooker – no other hot steamy cooking steps required. And the salad was so good, we are now converted.

The other revelation is, how good idli rice is for both stir-fried rice, and for rice salads. Idli rice is the type of rice used in India for making idli, dosa and the like. It is rice with attitude – separate, independent grains, that retain some bite even after cooking (think al dente rice), and that have a bit of swag. Yeah. It is perfect for rice salad.

But any other medium to long grain rice will do – don’t use rice that is sticky when cooked. You are looking for separate grains.

Are you looking for more rice recipes? Try Rice and Cauliflower Pilaf, Eggplant Pilaf, and Mung Sprouts Rice.

Or are you after some Capsicum recipes? Try How to Dry Capsicums, Pasta Sauce with Aubergine, Red Peppers and Tomato, and Roasted Red Pepper Salad. Elizabeth David has a couple of Red Pepper Salads.

Perhaps you are looking for other Salad Recipes. Try Pasta or Couscous Salads, A Quick Burghul Salad with Olives, Pomegranate and Hazelnuts, and Thai Lettuce Wraps. Our Mid-Summer Salads are here.

Or browse all of our Capsicum Recipes, all of our Rice Recipes, and all of our many stunning Salad recipes. Or take a while to explore our easy Mid Summer recipes.

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Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Puree | Dip, Sauce and Spread

Cauliflowers were so cheap and I bought a huge one, three times bigger than others. After making the Green Pea Soup (which has cauliflower in it), I estimated there were still 6 more dishes possible from this one cauliflower!

Today’s cauli dish is a beautiful puree of roasted cauliflower with cannellini beans. You can also use chickpeas.

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

What about some other Purees? Try Fava Bean Puree with Dill and Olive Oil, Spiced Tomato Puree, Georgian Coriander and Walnut Spread and Home Made Tomato Paste.

Or browse all of our Cauliflower dishes and all of our Purees. Or take some time to explore our Early Winter dishes.

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Celery Quick Pickle with Chilli

I am always looking for celery recipes to fill that void that a lack of celery dishes creates. An unassertive vegetable – it always plays second fiddle to other vegetables rather than feature in its own right – it deserves much more prominence.

This is a quick pickle is a perfect accompaniment to meals (I like to have a pickle with each meal, it balances the other flavours), and a perfect ingredient in other salads or even sandwiches. It keeps well in the fridge, so make a double batch. I like to add chilli and spring onions to the mix.

Are you looking for similar recipes? Try Celery Yoghurt Salad, Spicy Celery Salad, and Simple Celery Salads.

You might see our other Celery Dishes. Or browse all of our Salad recipes here. And explore our easy Mid Spring recipes.

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Barley Pilaf with Mushrooms

An easy, nutritious and warming dish.

A simple barley pilaf with mushrooms is a nutritious and warming accompaniment to a meal. Dark and hearty, it is definitely a winter dish. A sweet note is added with the sultanas and texture with the walnuts. Easy to cook, it can be made beforehand and gently warmed when you need it. It also makes a great breakfast dish if, like me, you prefer to explore savoury breakfast items rather than sweet options.

Are you after similar recipes? Try Barley and Root Vegetable Soup, Barley and Red Kidney Beans, and Parsley and Barley Salad with Feta.

You might like to browse all of our Barley Recipes here, and other Mushroom Recipes. Our easy Mid Winter Warmers are here.

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Quince Paste

Quince paste is as old as the hills, being made in the Middle East and slowly spreading across Europe and indeed into Australia, primarily through our foodie icon, Maggie Beer. It must be one of the best uses of quinces.

You will find quinces in the green grocers in Autumn and again in Spring. They are long-keeping, so the appearance in the shops in Spring is a bit of an artifice, I am afraid, as their fruiting time is Autumn. I have such a love of this fruit – perhaps they remind me of my Grandmother. Years ago, I knew of a wonderful, neglected quince tree in the Clare Valley in South Australia, and each Autumn I would spend a weekend in this delightful region and come home with a bucket of quinces. One year, the tree had been removed, and I was devastated.

Since then, I have found that one of my friends has a quince tree, and every Autumn I still get my bucket of quinces. I feel blessed at this time of year, there is such an abundance of produce. It is as though nature is also preparing for Winter.

There are many recipes for quince paste. I use this one. I like the way that the long cooking intensifies the flavour. Serve with the creamiest of cheeses, or eat on its own as a sweet – sneak some for your midnight snack.

We have other Quince recipes too. Try Quince Jam/Jelly, Indian Quince Pickles, and Slow Cooked Sweet Spiced Quinces.

Other recipes that use the dehydrator include Sweet Potato Crisps, Beautiful Dried Capsicum, and Dried Mango.

Or browse all of our Quince recipes, and you might like to read about Autumn Preserving. Also, explore our Mid Autumn collection of dishes.

This recipe is one of the vegetarian recipes from our first blog which was in existence from 1995 – 2005, and is part of our Retro Recipes series.

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Sweet Potato Crisps

TV snacks are always needed, especially on those nights after long, hard days. The good news is, you can make your own crisps. We have begun making them from sweet potatoes. They are especially easy to make, and store well in airtight containers.

Are you after other dried snack recipes? Try Spicy Dried Okra, and Dried Capsicum Snacks. On the sweeter side, there is also Dried Mango and Quince Paste.

Why not browse all of our Snacks and all of our Sweet Potato recipes. Have a look at our Dehydrated recipes, or take some time to explore our Early Winter dishes.

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Jerusalem Artichoke and Cumin Salad

A salad for Summer or Winter

A gorgeous, unusual crunchy salad for winter or summer. Jerusalem artichokes have a bad wrap and don’t appear as often as they might on the kitchen table. This is an easy salad – peel and grate the artichokes, mix with dressing and serve.

Are you looking for other Jerusalem Artichoke recipes? We don’t have any at the moment, but check back here as we have more scheduled.

Try these other Salad recipes, though: Fennel Salad with Orange Vinaigrette, Spinach Stem Salad with Pine Nuts and Sweet Raisins, and Vermicelli and Green Mango Salad.

Please browse our extensive set of Salad recipes. Or perhaps check our Late Winter recipes.

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