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Roasted Winter Vegetables with Bay Leaves

Monica's Tomato Salad in Fethiye

Lentil and Feta Salad

Lettuce Salad with Mushroom Dressing

Jamila's Potato Salad

Tomato Salad with Fried Feta (Domatosalata me Feta)

Parsnip Puff

Hot Potato Salad

Gratin of Pumpkin

Almond Beans

Salad of Griddled Garfish Fillets with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Fennel Seeds

Winter Vegetable Gratin

Risoni, Zucchini, Mint and Lemon Salad

Radicchio, Pancetta and Pecorini Salad

Beetroot, Pumpkin and Spinach Salad

Carrot with Mint and Garlic

 

Turkish Potato Salad

Potato Salad with Bacon and Sour Cream

 

Türlü | Baked Summer Vegetables

Savoury Cabbage and Savoury Cabbage Roll

 

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Bay Leaves

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: "Australian Gourmet Traveller" June 2002

Serves 4

  • 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1cm-thick slices
  • 1 bulb of fennel, trimmed and cut into 1cm-thick wedges 
  • 1 large onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
  • 200g desiree potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 fresh bay leaves
  • 1/2 lemon, sliced
  • 1 red capsicum, cut into 3cm pieces
  • Char-grilled fish or chicken, to serve

 

Place carrot, fennel, onion and potatoes in a large bowl. Add olive oil, bay leaves and lemon, then season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and combine well. Transfer vegetables to a large lightly oiled roasting pan and roast at 200C for 15 minutes. Add capsicum, toss to combine, then cook for another 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are golden and tender.
Serve warm roasted vegetables with char-grilled fish or chicken.

Katina's Comments:

Lettuce Salad with Mushroom Dressing

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: "A taste for All Seasons" by Beverly Sutherland Smith

  • 1 lettuce

Dressing
 

  • 6 firm mushrooms
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 spring onions, chopped finely
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 6 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 clove crushed garlic

Remove stalks from mushrooms and slice wafer thin. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and sugar, lemon juice. Add spring onions and sour cream. Mix together oil, vinegar, garlic and season with salt and pepper. add the mushroom mixture to this and leave aside for an hour. Break the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and toss with dressing just before serving.

Katina's Comments:

 

Parsnip Puff

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: "A taste for All Seasons" by Beverly Sutherland Smith

Peel 4 large parsnips and cut into pieces. Cook in salted water until tender. Drain well, put through a moulin or blend until a puree.
 

  • 60 g (2 oz) butter
  • 3 tbsp. cream
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper

While the puree is warm add the butter cut in small pieces, cream, nutmeg, egg, and salt and pepper. Spoon into a buttered ovenproof dish.

Topping

  • 1tbsp bread crumbs, made from stale bread
  • 30 g (1 oz) melted butter

Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top, then lastly the melted butter. Reheat in moderate oven, 180-190C (350-375F), for 20 minutes. This can be prepared in the morning and reheated at dinner time.
The parsnips become very delicate in flavour when served this way.

Katina's Comments:
 

Almond Beans

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: "A taste for All Seasons" by Beverly Sutherland Smith
 

  • 500 g (1lb) beans
  • 60 g (2 oz) butter
  • 1 bunch spring onions, chopped in small pieces
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp slithered almonds
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tsp lemon juice

Top, tail and string the beans if necessary. Either leave whole or cut each bean into about 3 pieces. Cook them in a pan of salted water until just tender. Drain well. Melt the butter, add the spring onions, garlic and cook until the onions are tender. Add the almonds and cook until they are golden. Add beans, season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. The beans can be cooked beforehand and heated through again with the spring onion and almond mixture.

Katina's Comments:

 

 
 

 

Monica's Tomato Salad in Fethiye

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: Monica

  • Ripe tomatoes - finely chopped
  • Cucumber - cut into cubes
  • Parsley - quite a lot

Mix and serve on shallow dish. Sprinkle with paprika, lemon juice and a little bit of olive oil.

Katina's Comments:
A very refreshing salad - probably because of the parsely.  

 

 

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Jamila's Potato Salad

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: Jamila

  • 250 g ham chopped
  • 4 boiled potatoes - chopped into small cubes
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 granny smith apple
  • 6 gherkins
  • mustard
  • worcestershire sauce
  • mayonnaise

 

Katina's Comments:
Serve on yummy fresh bread.

 

Hot Potato Salad

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: ?

  • 2 lb small new potatoes, preferably red-skinned
  • lb sliced bacon
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tbsp medium dry white wine
  • 3 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 11/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
  • salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

 

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until just tender. Drain well. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes if desired and cut them into thick slices. Keep hot.

Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp and browned. Drain the bacon on paper towels, then crumble. Set aside.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons bacon fat from the skillet. Lightly beat the egg with the wine, vinegar, sugar, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Add to the bacon fat in the skillet and cook very gently until just thickened, whisking constantly.

Add the dressing to the potatoes with the scallions and toss gently. Sprinkle the bacon on top and serve.

Katina's Comments:
 
 
 
 
 
 
  

 

 

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Salad of Griddled Garfish Fillets with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Fennel Seeds

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: ?

Serves 4

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp chopped thyme
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
  • a pinch of dried chilli flakes
  • 4 x 275-350 g (10-12 oz) garfish, mackerel or gurnard filleted
  • 25 g (1 oz) rocket
  • 25 g (1 0z) prepared curly endive
  • 15 g (1/2 oz) flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 15 g (1/2 oz) chervil sprigs
  • 4-6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  1. Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, 1/2 tsp of salt and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Brush a little of this mixture over both sides of the garfish fillets and set aside for 5 minutes.
  2. Toss the rocket, curly endive, parsley and chervil together and divide between 4 plates.
  3. Heat a flat or ridged cast-iron griddle over a high heat until smoking-hot. Add the garfish fillets, skin-side down, and cook for 1-11/2 minutes, turning them over half-way through. Transfer them to a plate to stop them cooking further. Break them into 7.5 cm (3 inch) pieces.
  4. Arrange the pieces of fish and the strips of sun-dried tomato in amongst the salad leaves, taking care not to flatten the leaves too much.
  5. Add the remaining marinade and the sherry vinegar to the pan and swirl it around briefly. Spoon a little over the salad and the rest around the outside of the plate and serve straight away.

 

Katina's Comments:

 

Lentil and Feta Salad

From the Kitchen of Katina

Cook 1 kg lentils in oil with onion, carrot, celery, parsley and thyme. Cover to 2 cm with water after adding puy lentils. Cook till tender.

Drain and discard herbs. 

Add lemon juice and oil to lentils. Season with cayenne, salt.

Add feta, coriander and tomato. Sprinkle with lemon zest.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tomato Salad with Fried Feta (Domatosalata me Feta)

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: Food of the world, GREECE, Susanna Tee

The addition of fried feta turns this popular Greek salad into a light lunch or supper dish. Make it when tomatoes are at their best.

SERVES 4

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
  • pinch of sugar
  • pepper
  • 12 plum tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 very small red onion, sliced very thinly
  • 1/2 oz/15 g arugula leaves
  • 20 Greek black olives
  • 7 oz/200 g authentic Greek feta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2tbsp olive oil
  1. Make the dressing by whisking together the extra virgin olive oil, the lemon juice, oregano, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. Prepare the salad by arranging the tomatoes, onion, arugula, and olives on 4 individual plates.
  3. Cut the feta cheese into cubes about 1-inch/2.5-cm square. Beat the egg in a dish and put the flour on a separate plate. Toss the cheese first in the egg, shake off the excess, and then toss in the flour.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the cheese and fry over a medium heat, turning over the cubes of cheese until they are golden on all sides.
  5. Scatter the fried feta over the salad. Whisk together the prepared dressing, spoon over the salad, and serve warm.

Katina's Comments:
Use Dodonis feta cheese; it is the best. We had the salad with steak for a main course. It was a perfect combination. Use baby spinach, rocket or mesculin or something like that.

 

Gratin of Pumpkin

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: This is from Maggie Beer's Tuscan Cookbook

SERVES 4

  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • freshly ground pepper and salt
  • 3 tbs freshly ground parmesan
  • 1 kg peeled pumpkin, cut into 3cm cubes

Preheat oven to 190. Put all ingredients into a bowl. Toss the pumpkin until well coated. Choose a shallow dish into which the pumpkin will fit snugly and brush with olive oil. Pile in the pumpkin and bake for about 40-60 minutes. If cheese browns before pumpkin is tender, cover the dish with foil for the last 15 minutes of cooking. I added some cloves of garlic - couldn't resist! She also suggests some leftover tomato sauce can be stirred through the pumpkin  and, as well some caramelised onions. 20 small pickling onions, peeled and quartered, 1/2 cup good olive oil, bay leaf & rosemary. Put all ingredients into a heavy-based frying pan. Cook, covered over a moderate heat for 15 minutes until onion has begun to soften, stirring frequently. Don't worry if they look very dark. (I have used sliced Spanish onions an added some balsamic vinegar to it)

I often cook these different vegetables while I am doing something else in the kitchen. It's fun seeing what's in the fridge or freezer and using it a suggested above.

Katina's Comments:
 

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Winter Vegetable Gratin

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: Australian GOURMET Traveller, August 2001

SERVES 6

  • 2 parsnips, peeled, halved crosswise, then thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 1 sweet potato (about 500g), peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 celeriac About 300g), peeled and thinly sliced
  • 80g butter, finely chopped
  • 50g (⅓ cup) pine nuts
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup pouring cream
  • 125g (1 cup) finely grated gruyere
  • Pear and spinach salad, to serve

Place sliced parsnip over base of a buttered 12-cup-capacity baking dish, then top with a layer of sweet potato, fennel and celeriac, finishing with a layer of potato, scattering each layer with a little butter, and some pine nuts and seasoning with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Combine nutmeg, cream and milk and whisk well, then pour over vegetables. Scatter gruyere and any remaining pine nuts over potato. Bake at 200c for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and top is golden. Serve with a pear and spinach salad.

Katina's Comments:
 

 

Risoni, Zucchini, Mint and Lemon Salad

 

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: Australian Gourmet Traveller 'Food for Friends'

 

SERVES 4 or 5

 

Ingredients

  • 11/2 cups (330 grs) risoni (rice pasta)
  • 4 small zucchini (courgette) about 360 g, thinly sliced
  • 1 large Spanish onion, about 330 grs, thinly sliced into rings
  • 2 teas balsamic vinegar
  • olive oil
  • 2 tbs thinly sliced mint
  • grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

 

Cook risoni in a large saucepan of boiling water, salted water for 8-10 minutes or until al dente, then drain well.

 

Meanwhile, layer zucchini and onion in a colander, sprinkling each layer with sea salt. Stand for 30 minutes, rinse under cold water, then pat dry with absorbent paper. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large frying pan and cook half the zucchini and onion and half the vinegar, turning frequently over medium/high heat for 5 minutes or until tender, then transfer to a bowl. (I cook it until it caramelizes). Repeat with the remainder of the mixture.

 

Combine the mixture with risoni, 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon rind and juice and mint, then season to taste.

 

Katina's Comments:
I thought this was a really interesting salad, especially to have with fish. It is nice enough to have on its own.

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Radicchio, Pancetta and Pecorini Salad

 

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: Australian Gourmet Traveller 'Food for Friends'

 

SERVES 4 or 5

 

Ingredients

  • 125 g piece of pancetta, finely chopped
  • 2 radicchio leaves separated and torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 11/2 tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 80 g pecorino, shaved

 

Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot and cook pancetta, stirring frequently until fat is rendered and pancetta is crisp and browned, then drain on absorbent paper and cool.

 

Combine pancetta, radicchio, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a bowl, season to taste and toss gently to combine. Ass pecorino shavings and toss gently to combine.

 

Katina's Comments:
I didn't actually make this salad but it sounds nice and would complement the other salad and the fish. You could use cos lettuce. Radicchio would add colour and would be more bitter.

 

Beetroot, Pumpkin and Spinach Salad

The Advertiser Food and Wine section (Oct. 27, 2004)

SERVES 4

  • 200g fetta cheese, crumbled
  • 10 small (600g) beetroots
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 700g peeled pumpkin, diced into 4cm pieces
  • 150g baby spinach leaves
  • 3/4cup (75g) toasted walnuts, chopped coarsely

Walnut vinaigrette

  • 2 tbsp walnut oil
  • 1/4cup (60ml) olive oil
  • 1/4cup (60ml) lemon juice

Discard beetroot stems and leaves; quarter unpeeled beetroots then place in large shallow baking dish; drizzle with half of the oil.
Roast, uncovered, in moderately hot oven 15 minutes.
Add pumpkin; drizzle with remaining oil.
Roast, uncovered, in moderately hot oven about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Make walnut vinaigrette.
When cool enough to handle, peel beetroot. Place in large bowl with dressing; toss gently to combine.
Add pumpkin, spinach and nuts to beetroot mixture; toss gently to combine with:
Walnut vinaigrette
Combine ingredients in screw-top jar; shake well.

Serve with wedges of grilled polenta.

Katina's Comments:

The vinaigtrette can be made without the walnut oil. Also the walnuts can be omitted from the recipe. You can substitute pine nuts for the walnuts. I sometimes add grainy mustard to the dressing.

I often roast pumpkin and beetroot when I am using the oven for something else and then refrigerate it. It's then on hand if I feel like using it in a salad or whatever. The fetta goes really well with this salad but if you don't have it, don't worry about it.

This salad really compliments grilled or barbequed food.
 

 

 

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Carrot with Mint and Garlic (Jazar Bil Na'na)

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: Claudia Roden "Arabesque"

SERVES 4

These minty carrots are tasty and aromatic. Serve them hot or warm as an appetizer or to accompany grilled  or roast meat or chicken.

  • 500g carrots
  • salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tbsp crushed dried mint
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Peel or wash and scrape the carrots and trim off the tops and tails, then cut them into 1-cm slices. Put the carrots into a pan and barely cover with water. Add salt and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until almost tender. Then uncover to let the liquid reduce, and cook for about 10 minutes more.
Add the garlic, mint and oil, and more salt to taste if necessary, and cook for a further few minutes.

Katina's Comments:
It was different and interesting.

feral-olive-label.jpg

For the last few years we have been picking feral olives with Syd and Jane's and friends at their property on the way to Clarendon. It is bloody hard work, but well worth the effort. We make a party of it of course! Enough excellent (priceless) oil to last till the next harvest.

 

Potato Salad with Bacon and Sour Cream

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: Stephanie Alexander: The Cook's Companion

SERVES 4

Of several excellent waxy potato varieties now available for potato salads, nicola, desiree, pink fir apple and bintje would all work well here.

  • 500g waxy potatoes
  • 125g bacon, diced
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons seeded mustard
  • 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh chives
  • freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Boil potatoes until tender, then peel and cut into 3cm cubes and set aside. Fry bacon gently until crisp. Retain fat in pan and drain bacon on kitchen paper. Combine sour cream, mustards, vinegar and salt, then tip into pan containing bacon fat, along with bacon, stirring to mix. Quickly add potato, lifting and stirring, and scatter with chives. Season with pepper, if you wish. Serve at room temperature.

Katina's Comments:
Everybody liked this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Savoury Cabbage

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: Beverley Sutherland Smith: A Taste for All Seasons

  • 1/2 cabbage
  • 60 g (2 oz) butter
  • 1 diced rasher bacon
  • 1 diced white onion
  • 2 hard boiled eggs
  • little extra salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tasty cheese grated

Remove the coarse outside leaves and any damaged ones from the cabbage. Shred, removing the core and wash. Place in a saucepan with a little salt (I add a couple of teaspoons of sugar near the end of the cabbage season to help take away any strong taste). Cook about 10 minutes or until slightly crisp. Shape the saucepan occasionally to prevent it catching. Drain any excess liquid away.

Meantime melt the butter and cook the bacon and onion in this until the onion is softened. Mix with the cooked cabbage. Roughly chop the hard boiled eggs and add, seasoning with salt and pepper. Butter an ovenproof dish and add the cabbage; cover the top with the grated cheese and brown in moderate oven, 180-190 (350-375F). It should take about 20 minutes to heat through.

Savoury Cabbage Roll

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: Beverley Sutherland Smith: A Taste for All Seasons

This is good served for lunch or as an entree.

  • 1 quantity of savoury cabbage
  • 1 large egg, or 2 small
  • 250 g (1/2 lb) puff pastry
  • 1 small egg to glaze
  • pinch salt

When preparing the savoury cabbage, instead of covering with grated cheese mix this through. When the cabbage is cold bind with the egg.

Roll puff pastry out very thinly to make a long oblong piece about the size of a Swiss roll tin. Spread down one side with the cabbage. Roll over to enclose and tuck in the ends. Brush all over with the small egg, beaten with a pinch of salt. Prick the top in several places and place the roll on a buttered scone tray. Refrigerate. It can be kept at this stage for 8 hours. Bake in a moderately hot oven, (190-200C (3753-400F), for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Serve cut in thin slices with a little melted butter or a jug of sour cream.

Katina's Comments:

Turkish Potato Salad

 

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source: Courtyard Kitchen

 

SERVES 4

·         1 kg boiling potatoes, peeled and chopped

·         125 ml olive oil

·         1 tbsp mild paprika

·         1 tsp ground cumin

·         2 garlic cloves, crushed

·         Juice of 1 lemon

·         1 handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

·         Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Cook the potato in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain.

 

Put the oil and spices in a large frying pan and stir over low heat until fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until soft. Add the warm, boiled potato and toss to coat well. Remove from heat, then stir in lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Stand for 20 minutes, to allow the flavours to infuse, then serve at room temperature.

Türlü | Baked Summer Vegetables

 

From the Kitchen of Katina
Source:

 

SERVES 6-8

·         2 large aubergines (about 500g), thinly sliced

·         1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

·         4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

·         2 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

·         4 large tomatoes, roughly chopped

·         4 green peppers, deseeded and sliced

·         6 courgettes, trimmed and sliced

·         1 tbsp dried oregano

·         1 tbsp dried mint

·         3tbsp fresh flat-leave parsley, including stems, roughly chopped

·         3tbsp concentrated tomato purée

·         6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

To serve

Slab of feta

Dried oregano

Olive oil for drizzling

 

Equipment

Baking dish about 30x30cm

 

Soak the aubergines in a bowl of salted cold water for 30 minutes to remove their bitterness. Drain them in a colander and place them in a large bowl.

 

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Add the onion, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, oregano, mint and parsley to the bowl of aubergines. Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

 

Put tomato purée in a measuring jug, add 300ml of boiling water and mix well. Pour this over the vegetables in the bowl, add the olive oil and mix everything well.

 

Transfer the mixture in the baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 11/2 hours or until the top has browned and the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. (Cover the dish with foil if it looks like the vegetables are burning but be sure to remove the foil again 30 minutes before the end). Leave to cool before serving warm or cold with feta dried oregano sprinkled over the top, and drizzled with olive oil.