Freekeh with cauliflower, pomegranate and mint

Ingredients

• 300g freekeh
• 7 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 1/2 cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 400g tin lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup mint
• 1/3 cup coriander
• 1/3 cup basil
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

Method

Soak freekeh for five minutes, then drain. Heat one tablespoon oil in a medium pot, saute onion until softened, add freekeh then add stock and cook for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut cauliflower into small florets and place in a large bowl. Mix flour, cumin and coriander. Toss cauliflower in spiced flour to coat. Heat remaining oil in large frypan. Add spice-dusted cauliflower and fry over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until cauliflower is soft and golden. Add extra oil if required.

Toss with freekeh, scatter over drained lentils, pomegranate seeds, toasted walnuts and fresh herbs. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and pomegranate molasses and serve.

Baked portobello mushrooms topped with quinoa, feta and micro herbs

Ingredients

• 8 medium portobello mushrooms
• 50g unsalted butter
• A few sprigs of thyme
• 150ml dry white wine
• 150ml vegetable stock
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 320g jar marinated goat's feta
• Micro herbs for garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Place mushrooms in a large baking tray, dot with butter and scatter over thyme sprigs. Add wine, stock and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cover tray with foil and cook for 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring two cups water to the boil, add quinoa, reduce heat, cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork.

To serve, spoon the quinoa over the mushrooms, add a dollop of goat's feta and scatter over the micro herbs. Season with extra salt and pepper if required.

Chinese fluffy omelet

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• a few drops sesame oil
• 1/3 cup peanut or vegetable oil (I like the flavour of peanut oil in this dish, however, vegetable oil works well too)
• ½ cup snow pea sprouts
• ½ cup bean shoots
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

Method

In a bowl, whisk the eggs lightly with the fish sauce and sesame oil. Heat a wok with the peanut oil and when the oil starts to shimmer and is very hot, gently but quickly pour in the eggs (they will puff up).

Use a wooden spoon to loosen the eggs and move them around a little - this will allow more liquid egg to escape and cook. Cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown underneath and almost set inside.

Turn off the heat and push the omelet to one side and pour off the oil into a bowl. Add sprouts, shoots and spring onions to the middle of the omelet and fold over. Allow the omelet to sit for a minute to finish cooking inside and slide the omelet off onto a chopping board. You can serve it as is or, to make the neat shape shown, lift and tuck the top edge under as you roll the omelet to end up with the overlap underneath.

To serve 

Cut in half and place on two serving dishes, spoon over a little oyster sauce and serve.

Lentil and sweet potato curry

Ingredients

• 100ml olive oil
• 2 spanish onions, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 small eggplant, peeled, cut into small cubes and salted for 30 minutes
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 litre water
• 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 handful coriander leaves

Method

Heat olive oil in a saucepan and cook seasoned onions, garlic and ginger until soft - about 15 minutes.

Add spices and cook 2 minutes. Wash and drain eggplant, add to onions and cook 5 minutes. Add lentils, sweet potato and water and simmer gently until cooked - about 20 minutes. Add broccoli and simmer 5 minutes. Stir through baby spinach.

Serve with coriander, natural yoghurt and your favourite chutney.

Mushroom and tofu with beanthread noodles

Ingredients

• 5 dried mushrooms
• 4 pieces dried black fungus
• 1 bunch broccolini, cut into short lengths
• 250ml vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 5 cm knob ginger, cut into matchsticks
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
• 100g fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 2 small, slim eggplant, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 cm slices
• 100g beanthread vermicelli
• 100g silken tofu, diced
• 2 tbsp coriander sprigs

Method

Soak dried mushrooms and black fungus in hot water for at least 30 minutes, then drain, discard stalks and finely slice. Cook broccolini in simmering salted water for three minutes and drain.

Heat stock, soy, hoisin sauce and sesame oil with ginger, chilli, garlic, dried mushrooms, black fungus, fresh mushrooms and eggplant, and simmer for 10 minutes or until eggplant is tender.

Cook noodles in simmering salted water for one minute or until just tender, then drain. Add broccolini and tofu to mushrooms and heat through. Serve with noodles and top with coriander and your favourite chilli sauce.

Ricotta and tomato pasta

Ingredients

• 400g orecchiette (or any small pasta)
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
• sea salt and black pepper
• 150g ricotta
• large handful fresh basil leaves, torn

Method

Cook pasta in a large pan of lightly salted water according to packet instructions until al dente. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a frying pan over low heat and fry garlic and chilli until fragrant.

Add tomatoes and cook gently for 2-3 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to soften. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat

Drain pasta, toss with sauce and place in a large serving dish. Sprinkle with chunks of ricotta and basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Quinoa, red rice and black lentil salad with spicy cauliflower

Ingredients

Quinoa and red rice salad with spicy cauliflower and black lentils.Photo: Marina Oliphant

• 200g quinoa
• 200g red rice, rinsed
• 50g black lentils, rinsed
• 100ml olive oil and 3 tbsp extra
• 2 brown onions, thinly sliced
• 100g dried cranberries
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 200g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• 1 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• For the dressing:
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt and pepper

Method

Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling, lightly salted water for 12-14 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside. Cook red rice and lentils in a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat frying pan, add 100 millilitres of oil and onions, cook over low heat for 10 minutes until well caramelised. Soak cranberries in orange juice for 10 minutes until plump. Mix cumin, coriander and flour in a small bowl.

Toss cauliflower in flour mix. Heat three tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan, add cauliflower and fry over low heat for 10 minutes, until soft. Toss with drained quinoa, rice and lentils.

Add caramelised onions, with any extra oil from the pan. Add cranberries with orange juice, pistachios and fresh herbs. Make dressing with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine, taste and adjust if necessary.

Add to salad and mix well.

Middle Eastern lentils and rice with blackened onions

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 6 onions, halved and finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 5 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cups brown lentils, washed and drained
• 1 cup long grain rice, washed and drained
• 1 cup plain yoghurt, drained through muslin-lined colander for 30 minutes
• Fresh mint sprigs, to garnish

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium heat.

Add one onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and allspice and saute for four minutes until onion is softened and lightly coloured.

Add water (or stock) and lentils and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in rice, return to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid has been absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in pan and cook remaining onions until soft, well coloured and beginning to caramelise and blacken at the edges, about 30 minutes.

Arrange rice and lentils on a platter and sprinkle with caramelised onion. Serve with yoghurt and mint.

At its simplest, this traditional Lebanese dish is made with lentils, rice, onion and water. I have added spices. The onions should be cooked really well with lots of blackened, crunchy bits. To make a creamy, thickened yoghurt, drain through a colander or sieve lined with muslin or a new Chux kitchen cloth.

Warm roast veggie salad with lemony lentils

Ingredients

• 4 kipfler potatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 red onions, unpeeled, quartered
• 8 baby carrots, peeled
• 500g cauliflower, cut into florets
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 8 sprigs thyme
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 400g canned lentils, drained
• 2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Sea salt and pepper
• 100g baby spinach leaves
• Half a lemon, finely sliced

Method

Heat oven to 200C. Toss potatoes, onions, carrots, cauliflower, garlic cloves and half the thyme in two tablespoons of olive oil and arrange in a roasting pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes until tender.

Heat lentils in a pan with half a cup of water until boiling, then drain and toss in remaining olive oil, lemon juice, honey and cumin, and season with sea salt and pepper.

Arrange potatoes on each dinner plate, scatter with spinach leaves and top with baby carrots and cauliflower. Peel the ''petals'' away from the onions and scatter over each plate.

Spoon the lentils on and around the vegetables and serve with lemon slices and remaining thyme sprigs

Yellow miso eggplant with tofu dressing

Ingredients

4 medium-sized eggplants

3 tsp dashi powder *

1 1/2 tbsp yellow miso paste

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp light soy sauce

4 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced

10cm fresh ginger, finely diced

300g silken tofu

3 spring onions, sliced in rounds

* Some dashi (Japanese stock) is not vegetarian and may include fish.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C, fan forced.

2. Place the eggplants on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Peel off the skin, cut the flesh into one-centimetre strips and arrange in a serving dish.

3. In a jug, add 100 millilitres of water, the dashi, yellow miso paste, sesame oil, soy and half the sunflower oil. Process with a stick blender. Pour a third of this over the eggplant strips.

4. In a small pot, not heated, add the garlic, ginger and remaining sunflower oil, then bring to medium heat. Fry for three to four minutes until just golden and fragrant, but take care - too brown and the garlic will be bitter. Drain on a paper towel.

5. Dice half the tofu and distribute it over the eggplant. Add the remaining tofu to the remaining dressing and blitz with the stick blender until frothy. Pour over the eggplant. Sprinkle over the spring onion and the crispy ginger and garlic.

Shakshuka (baked eggs

Ingredients

2 red capsicum, chopped

1 yellow capsicum, chopped

1 medium eggplant, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

400g canned tomatoes, chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp harissa sauce (optional)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp sugar

Sea salt and black pepper

4 to 6 good eggs

Yoghurt and coriander leaves for serving

Method

Before starting: Workshop the right pan, the right heat and the right timing, so that you end up with a spicy, thick stew and eggs with set whites and runny yolks.

Cook the base stew in advance, then you can divide it among small heatproof pans before adding the eggs. The number of eggs depends on the size of the pan.

1. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan, and cook the capsicums and eggplant for 10 minutes over medium heat, tossing well, until softened.

2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, harissa, cumin, paprika, sugar, sea salt and pepper and 150 millilitres water and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until thick and saucy.

3. Make four hollows in the top, slip in the eggs, cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until cooked.

4. Scatter with coriander and serve with yoghurt.

* Shake things up by adding feta, haloumi, chorizo or yoghurt.

Zucchini and Haloumi Fritters

Ingredients

6 medium zucchini

1/4 tsp salt flakes, plus extra for salting the zucchini

200g plain flour

50g cornflour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 large eggs

2 spring onions, sliced

1 clove garlic, very finely chopped or grated on a Microplane

250g haloumi cheese, chopped into 1cm dice

1/2 bunch mint, half chopped, half whole

300ml vegetable oil or olive oil

tzatziki, to serve (see tip)

1 lemon, quartered

Method

1. Coarsely grate the zucchini, sprinkle with salt and let sit for five minutes before squeezing out excess moisture. You will need about three cups of zucchini after salting.

2. Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and cumin into a large bowl. Add the salt and combine. Make a well in the centre.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then mix in the zucchini. Gradually add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until you have a smooth, lump-free, but quite stiff, batter.

4. Fold in the spring onions, garlic, haloumi and chopped mint.

5. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium heat then drop in two tablespoons of batter for each fritter. Cook about four fritters at a time, depending on the size of your pan, but don't overcrowd them.

6. Cook fritters for two minutes or until the underside of each one is golden. Cook the other side for two minutes then drain on crumpled paper towel.

7. Serve with tzatziki, mint leaves and a squeeze of lemon.

Tip To make your own tzatziki, grate some cucumber, vigorously squeeze out the water with your hands, and mix through thick plain yoghurt with a pinch of salt and a bit of finely grated garlic.

Vegie burgers - 2 flavours

Ingredients

200g firm tofu

200g okara* (or substitute 200g bread crumbs or 200g tempeh)

100g tapioca starch

2 eggs (or 20ml mirin for vegan option)

Besan flour to coat burgers (chick pea flour)

* Okara is cooked, ground soy beans and is a byproduct of tofu and soy milk production. It has a fluffy, slightly moist texture. Andrews likes to use it in burgers because of its binding properties, good texture and high protein content (about 28 per cent). However, it can be difficult to source (see Andrews' tips on sourcing okara at bottom of this recipe).

** Use mirin instead of eggs for vegan version, and tempeh or okara instead of bread crumbs for gluten-freeversion.

For Mediterranean-flavoured burger:

50g tomato paste

3 tsp minced garlic

10g mushroom stock

3 tsp minced basil

Salt and pepper to taste

For Asian-flavoured burger:

100g carrot

100g sweet potato

20g mushroom stock

50g peanut butter

50g ground ginger and garlic

3 tsp chilli sauce (hot or sweet)

10g arame (mild seaweed)

Method

Blitz the tofu, okara (bread crumbs or tempeh) and tapioca starch in a food processor until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

Combine with remaining ingredients by hand in a mixing bowl.

Form patties about 15mm thick by hand, then coat with besan flour. (Besan flour is available at Indian grocers. It will give the burgers a nice crust and will not discolour the pattie.)

Fry on a well-oiled hotplate or frypan on a low heat.

Cook for about five minutes on each side until patties are golden brown.

Tip: After the first 10 seconds of frying, slide a spatula under the burger to release it from the pan and to prevent it sticking.

Notes on sourcing okara:
Fresh okara is not typically sold in retail grocery stores. To buy fresh okara you will have to find a soy milk producer, or a tofu producer (Melbourne's Tofu Shop International in Richmond will give okara to customers who buy their tofu). You could also try asking for leads at an all-natural grocery store or, call a local restaurant that serves tofu and ask if they make their tofu in-house.

Buying dried okaraOkara has a very short shelf life (much like tofu and soy milk). If you do find okara in a retail market it will most likely be dried. Look for dried okara in Japanese or Asian food markets. Okara (a Japanese name) goes by many different names - soy pulp, kirazu, unohana, douzha, ampas tahu - so be patient and persistent in your search. Dried okara can be easily reconstituted for recipes that call for fresh okara.

Black Forest Cheesecake

Choc Crumb Crust:

250g plain choc biscuits
125g butter

Filling:

1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp gelatine
250 g cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
300ml thickened cream, whipped
1 tbsp lemon juice
425g pitted cherries

Topping:

1 Tbsp cornflour
1 Tbsp rum
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup cream, extra

Crumb crust:
Crush biscuits finely, add melted butter, press mixture onto sides and base of greased 20cm springform pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling

Filling:
Beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Sprinkle gelatine over warm water, dissolve and cool. Add to cream cheese mixture, beat well and fold in whipped cream. Drain cherries, reserving 3/4 cup of their syrup.

Spoon 1/3 of filling over the crumb crust, arrange half the cherries over the filling. Cover with another 1/3 of filling and repeat with remaining cherries and filling. Refrigerate until firm.

Topping:
Place sugar and cornflour in saucepan, gradually stir in reserved syrup. Stir until boiling, remove from heat, add rum. Continue stirring for a few minutes to allow mixture to cool slightly. Spread topping over cheesecake, swirl lightly into mixture with a spoon. Refrigerate until set. Pipe around the edge of the cheesecake with whipped cream.

Choc-caramel slice

Base:

4oz butter
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cocoa
1 egg
1.5 cups flour

Cream butter and Sugar, add egg and mix in sifted dry ingredients. Halve mixture and roll or press out into a lined lamington tin. Spread with the caramel topping and cover with the second half of the base. Bake for 30 mins in a moerate oven for 30 minutes and cool in tin. Spread with chocolate icing or melted chocolate, while still warm.

Caramel:

1 Tbsp golden syrup
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tin condensed milk

combine caramel ingredients for filling in a saucepan and stir over heat until just boiling.

Apricot Loaf

1 cup milk
1 cup All Bran
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
125g chopped, dried apricots
1 tbsp honey
1 cup SR flour

Put milk, bran, brown sugar, chopped apricots and honey into bowl, mix well. Cover, stand overnight. The next day add sifted flour, mix well. Put mixture into an 8x4 greased and lined loaf pan. Bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour or until cooked.

Any dried fruit can be substituted for the dried apricots, for example dates.

Date Slice

4 oz butter
2 Tbsp golden syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup SR Flour
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup coconut
1/2 tsp salt

Melt butter and golden syrup. Mix dry ingredients, then add butter and syrup. Press into lamington tin lined with baking paper. Bake in a moderate oven for 25 mins.

Peanut Biscuits

125g butter
1/3 crunchy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup of whole salted peanuts
1.5 cups of SR flour

Cream butter and sugar, add peanut butter and sugar and mix. Add egg, then peanuts and flour and mix until combined. Place teaspoons full on a greased tray and bake in a moderate oven for 20 mins or until golden brown. Cool on trays.

Makes approx 40 biscuits.

Banana Butter

4 Bananas
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 eggs
60g butter

Process banana and lemon juice, add eggs, butter and sugar. Cook and stir til it coats the back of a spoon.  Store in sterilised jars in the fridge.