Posted by kathryn in Vegetables and Winter

I get organic fruit and veg delivered once a fortnight from Lettuce Deliver, and this is my latest box. This isn’t enough to cover all the fruit and veg Richard and I would eat in a fortnight, but it does mean we have a base level of ingredients to draw on. For the next week or so, there will be vegetables in the fridge, so when we are home late or tired there will still be something to make …

Read more 15 June, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Salads, Vegetables, Winter and Recipes

I have a complex relationship with red cabbage. On one hand, it’s so pretty with it’s pinky/purpley leaves and shiny exterior, but I find raw red cabbage boring, a little too “healthy” tasting and I never know quite what to do with it. Oh I’ve done the braised with apple thang and that’s okay, but I just don’t get excited about it. About once a month, during the season, it appears in my organic vegie delivery. Surrounded by all …

Read more 26 June, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Winter

There have been whispers. Those of you who read Limes & Lycopene or follow me on Twitter will know I’ve been working with Lucy on a special project – all very secret squirrel. Well no more. Because today I’m pleased, proud and all round generally tickled pink to announce the launch of An Honest Kitchen. It’s a new e-magazine, authored by Lucy and myself. Today’s release is the winter edition, which has recipes using seasonal ingredients, articles and some …

Read more 25 July, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Eggs, Dinners, Recipes and Winter

What a cutie, this is a Barbara pumpkin and she appeared in my last Lettuce Deliver box. I was intrigued, as I’ve never heard of or seen Barbara pumpkins before. To me she looks like a cross between the shape of a butternut and the colour and markings of a jap pumpkin. On the inside she was a rich orange colour, much stronger than a butternut. Richard’s been calling her Barbarapapa since she arrived. I’m not sure I’d …

Read more 05 July, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegan, Legumes, Soups, Recipes and Winter

Since starting my blog I’ve only posted two recipes. It’s not like I haven’t been cooking, I just don’t feel I’ve been cooking anything particularly interesting. Then I was thinking, maybe that’s missing the point. There are plenty of places where you can get recipes for fancy and unusual food, stuff that takes time, lots of ingredients and skill to cook – the food we might make if someone was coming round for dinner. However it’s the normal, every …

Read more 07 July, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegan, Legumes, Dinners, Recipes and Winter

Since reading Jocelyn’s post about cabbage dal over at She Spills the Beans, I’ve been slightly obsessing about making this dal. I love, love, LOVE dal and we’ve always got a few tubs of it in the freezer. While I often include silverbeet in my dal and despite being a huge cabbage fan, I’ve never made dal with cabbage. After receiving reasurrances from Jocelyn about how good it was, I decided to make some over the weekend. This was …

Read more 11 July, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegan, Legumes, Soups, Recipes and Winter

I’ve had a rather strange time the last two days. It’s cold, wet and windy in Sydney, but I’ve been working on Christmas recipes for one of the magazines I write for. So while I’m planning and testing recipes using asparagus, mango, strawberries and other lovely summer foods, I’m also rugged up at home with the heaters on. The summer ingredients are beautiful, but all I want is soup. I’ve finished the batch of lentil soup I made the other …

Read more 20 July, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Winter and Recipes

A few posts ago I promised a recipe for home-made potato wedges. I make these a lot because I love potatoes, they’re super-easy and always work. Moreover, given that most potato wedges and chips are deep fried, these are a good low fat alternative, with only about 2.5g of fat per serving. I always leave the skins on, but you don’t have to. In this recipe I’ve tossed the potatoes in fresh rosemary, but you could use some paprika, or …

Read more 13 August, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Dinners, Dairy, Vegetables, Winter and Recipes

Australian bush foods are always something that have intrigued me, but I’ve never really known what to do with them. This month’s Spice is Right is about using a locally grown spice in combination with fresh and local produce, in a dish that reflects the flavours of home. This month I was in the mood for experimenting and thought it was time to try out something new – a native spice. Many of the bush foods and spices are …

Read more 16 August, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Vegan, Legumes, Soups, Recipes and Winter

Since Sydney has returned to winter weather over the last two weeks, I’ve been craving soups. I’m a big ginger fan and over the weekend I made this beautiful soup, which I’ve adapted from a recipe on the Fat Free Vegan database. It’s another good way of using split peas and is PACKED full of flavour and nutrition. I’ve had some chipotle chillies in my cupboard for the last couple of months, so this was also a good opportunity …

Read more 09 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Dinners, Grains, Vegetables, Winter and Recipes

We had risotto for dinner last night – this beautiful pumpkin and cinnamon risotto. I started with a recipe from Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers River Cafe Cook Book Green * and made a couple of tweaks. I’ve been quite intrigued by this recipe for a while and after my recent experiment with chermoula risotto, I decided to give it a go. The combination of cinnamon, chilli and oregano gives the risotto a beautiful, rich flavour. It’s not super-hot, with …

Read more 28 November, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Winter

News from Science Online of links between our mood and emotions, and our health. It seems happier people are less likely to suffer from colds and positive emotions stimulate our immune system. As one of the study authors states: bq. “We need to take more seriously the possibility that a positive emotional style is a major player in disease risk.” The effects of emotions and stress on our health are a growing area of research, uncovering more and more evidence …

Read more 18 December, 2006

Posted by kathryn in Winter

You know the signs. You start feeling a bit more tired than usual, maybe a bit achey. You may be off your food. There’s a tickle in your throat and your nose just won’t stop running. These are all sure signs your body is fighting something and a cold may be on its way. Cold and flu season can be a horrid time for many people. If everyone around you is coughing and spluttering, what can you do to keep …

Read more 12 April, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Dinners, Vegetables, Recipes, Dairy and Winter

I recently asked the question what’s your perfect mid-week meal and received some interesting and useful responses. I had assumed everyone would be after speed and minimal preparation, but readers also commented they were looking for ways to use up leftovers, meals to freeze and how to recycle last night’s dinner into something new and fabulous. I’m still mulling over these answers, but they have persuaded me I need to tweak my recipe categories, as well as alter how …

Read more 30 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Winter

Time for the regular monthly list of what’s in season in Sydney at the moment. For the latest list of seasonal fruit and vegetables see the What’s in season category h3. Fruit * Apples (many varieties including fujis, granny smiths, red delicious, pink ladies, jonathons and golden delicious) * Avocadoes * Bananas (although they’re going up in price) * Chokoes * Custard apples * Dates * Grapefruits (the ruby grapefruits are especially beautiful at the moment) * Kiwifruit * Lemons …

Read more 05 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Soups, Eggs, Legumes and Winter

Rain, rain, rain and more rain made cooking on the weekend very attractive. My nephew’s fifth birthday party was washed out, so Sunday was an unexpected free day and an opportunity to cook some meals and ingredients for the week ahead. h3. What I cooked Lentils: I cooked three cups of lentils in my rice cooker. I used half of them to make Quick Lentil Soup and the other half has gone in the freezer. Barley: I also cooked …

Read more 18 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Winter

One of the questions I answered yesterday was about eating heavier, more starchy foods during winter. This is a common trend and it’s one of the reasons many people gain a few kilos over the winter months. While I talked about the food side, I didn’t say anything about other aspects of health. h3. The things we do differently in winter If you compare your lifestyle at the moment, to what it’s like in summer, I think you’ll find there …

Read more 29 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Vegan, Dinners, Nuts & seeds, Recipes, Vegetables and Winter

I’m finally getting back to my dinner party menu. On the night I had twelve people for dinner, including one person who can’t eat wheat (but is okay with spelt) and another friend who is lactose intolerant. For the main course I made two of these tarts. They’re vegan and I used spelt flour for the crust. I’d love to say I came up with this recipe, because it’s inventive, full of flavour and really adds to the total …

Read more 04 January, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Vegan, Legumes, Soups, Winter and Recipes

I’ve posted lentil soup recipes before (basic lentil soup and lentil & barley), it’s one of my favourite meals. I usually make it on the weekend, use dried lentils and make enough for that night and the freezer. While we were on holiday and cooking on a small camping stove, I made up a quick and easy version. This soup takes me about 20 minutes from start to finish. I’ve recently discovered the McCormick’s Middle Eastern spice blend and …

Read more 09 May, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Legumes, Dinners, Winter and Recipes

After my weekend cook-fest, I have a fridge and freezer full of ingredients. Last night, instead of using the roasted pumpkin in a risotto, I decided to combine it with some of the beans and barley. All the ingredients were cooked, so they just needed to be warmed in a saucepan with a small amount of water. I then made a quick dressing and dinner was ready in minutes. h3. Roast pumpkin with white beans and barley These quantities …

Read more 19 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Grains and Winter

In this week’s Q & A Thursday Lindsey asks: bq. I find I REALLY crave different things in winter, so I’ve been eating lots of potatoes, creamy/cheesy things, thick soups, etc. All in moderation of course! But I am a bit concerned about the heaviness of these foods. I was wondering whether you’ve got a few ideas about giving the body what it wants in winter without compromising my health? I also I want different foods in winter. The salad …

Read more 28 June, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Winter

I know that most of you are headed into Spring and Summer. I read enough Northern Hemisphere blogs to know you’re excited about asparagus season and the onset of warm weather. Here in Australia though, we’re moving rapidly into winter. And . . . the cold and flu season has already kicked off. Stephanie, Patrick and Helen have all asked about beating winter illness. So I’m going to combine all the questions into one answer. Beating a cold, flu …

Read more 08 May, 2008

Posted by kathryn in Blogging, Summer and Winter

It’s been a busy, busy last couple of weeks. Lucy and I are cracking along with An Honest Kitchen and there will be more about that tomorrow. In the meantime I have some gift ideas/suggestions for you: h3. And the Love is Free Jules Clancy from Stonesoup self-published her first book earlier in the year. It’s called And the Love is Free and is a collection of the recipes her mum cooked. Not everything is healthy, but it’s a …

Read more 07 December, 2009

Posted by kathryn in Vegan, Winter, Easier eating and Dinners

Among the ingredients I find immensely useful in the kitchen are a group I’ve named the Flavour Boosters. These ingredients add huge amounts of taste, richness and / or complexity to a dish. And they do this without requiring complicated or long-winded cooking. They make cooking easier, because you can count on them to make your dinner interesting and tasty. Mid week, when I want good food fast, I rely heavily on these ingredients. They add heaps of flavour, …

Read more 13 January, 2010

Posted by kathryn in Winter

Paula Goodyer has also posted about echinacea on her Chew On This blog and she shares an excellent sounding brew from Professor Marc Cohen at RMIT: bq. He heats about five cups of water with two to three large cloves of chopped garlic, an equivalent amount of fresh ginger, half a lemon and one tablespoon of echinacea root, adds honey and keeps it in a vacuum flask to drink through the day. If you use echinacea extract instead of the …

Read more 03 July, 2007

Posted by kathryn in Fish, Vegetables, Salads, Winter and Recipes

I’ve been surrounded by fennel recently. I’ve been buying fennel, cooking with it and eating it. But also clients and friends have been asking me for tips on using the stuff. I’ve included fennel recipes in recent cooking classes. It’s appeared in my weekly vegetable box. And I keep on spotting amazing fennel recipes. While I love cooked fennel, one of my favourite uses is in a simple salad. This dish is easy and yet packs a superb flavour …

Read more 14 July, 2010

Posted by kathryn in Spring, Salads, Winter and Recipes

I’ve been making variations on this salad for several weeks now. It’s absolutely delicious and seems perfectly suited to the half winter, half spring, in-between weather we’re having in Sydney. The salad has four basic elements, each of which I tweak and change depending on what’s in the fridge. # Roasted cauliflower – usually tossed in this spice mix and then roasted in the oven until soft and just starting to brown around the edges. # Couscous – your basic …

Read more 15 September, 2010

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Legumes, Recipes, Grains, Autumn and Winter

I made a wonderful dinner last week – polenta covered with greens and chickpeas and then topped with tahini sauce. It was an experiment, and I wasn’t actually expecting it to be as beautiful as it actually was. I have a small polenta fixation, but I rarely cook it as you seem to need so much fat and dairy in order to make the stuff tasty. My normal method uses milk, butter and cheese, so I’ve been wanting to …

Read more 30 May, 2011

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Soups, Winter and Vegan

Down here in the Southern hemisphere we’re moving into winter. In this weather I find myself wanting soup a lot. Whereas in summer my regular lunch is a big bowl of salad, in winter I’m more likely to have a big bowl of soup. I’m still having plenty of vegetables and something which fills me up, but soup is so warm and comforting. A few years back I invested in a good thermos flask, which means I can take …

Read more 06 June, 2011

Posted by kathryn in Easier eating and Winter

There was a time when I regarded it as a personal failure to run out of garlic. When mum and I would laugh when describing our cooking to each other, at the predictability of starting the meal by sauteeing onions and garlic together. Then I realised garlic was a seasonal crop and there was a period each year, when the garlic in the shops travelled from overseas, usually South America or China. Wherever possible I eat in-season and choose …

Read more 03 August, 2011

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Recipes, Winter and Vegan

I know the words “cabbage” and “lentils” don’t get everyone excited, but don’t let this put you off. Home alone for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been cooking this recipe a lot. It’s quick, tasty, filling and very satisfying. My starting point was this excellent recipe from Michael of Herbivoracious. It’s a lovely side, which I’ve coupled with dhal and other beany things. However, as I mentioned, at the moment I’m cooking for one and not in the …

Read more 17 August, 2011

Posted by kathryn in Vegetables, Breakfast, Baking, Snacks, Summer, Winter and Vegan

There haven’t been any Friday Quicklinks for ages, but I’ve spotted some good stuff on the ’net this week, so here goes: * The Great Muffin Makeover: Harvard School of Public Health have a great piece on making better-for-you muffins, as well as recipes and a comparison of their muffins vs coffee shop ones. * Chilli Kaffir Tamarind Tofu: Via @Ganga108 comes this delicious looking recipe for stir fried tofu marinated in chilli, kaffir limes and tamarind. I think …

Read more 20 January, 2012