pots & vans

We've got three go-to soups ... ones that we have made countless times because they always deliver. But they are all meat based, so this original recipe is an attempt to do a simple but satisfying veg soup. It will be nothing like it, but there is some inspiration from Tiamo 's lentil soup (not on the menu anymore from what I can tell), that was a favourite. One of the advantages of this soup will be not having to cook it for as long as we do with chicken, lamb or beef based soups. Recipe will serve 4-6 depending on serving size. Equipment chopping board and knife Decent size pot Ingredients Veg leek, 1 chopped celery, 2 sticks chopped carrot, 2 diced peas, 1 cup green lentils, 300g Spices minced ginger, 1 heaped tbsp minced garlic, 1 heaped tbsp garam masala, 2 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp bay leaves, x4 parsley, handful, chopped pepper and salt liquid olive oil tomatoes, 1 400g tin veg stock, 1 litre Method sauté onion, celery, carrot in oil, wit...

A few months ago, on the spur of the moment we decided to drive to Ballarat for the day. We found ourselves at Racers Cafe for lunch and decided to try Janine's salad. I've never committed to understanding and making good salads, but this simple lunch inspired me to have a crack. Since then, I've tried a few variations on the original. Never the same because you go with the available ingredients, but the basic idea is retained. Today on the drive home from Lismore, we agreed we needed something vegetable-y for dinner, After we cycled through baked veggies and a veggie lasagna, we decided to stop in at FoodWorks in Bangalow to pick up some ingredients to make what I'll now call our Ballarat Salad. I love the textures, flavours and colours in this mixture. The halloumi adds saltiness, the beetroot and sauerkraut some acidic bite. The avo and humus offer some creaminess, the nuts and seeds some crunch and the fritters some warmth and substance. Ingredients mixed lettuce le...

I love curry. Maria is less enthusiastic, so I enjoy getting some spices brewing when I get a chance. We had some chicken thighs from Kunara organic butcher and some veggies in the fridge that I wanted to use before we head to the farmers market again on Sunday. And I wanted to experiment and make up my own flavour too .... I also had the chance to be around the van late afternoon so I could baby sit the pot while it brewed away. Servings 4 Time 2½ hours, most of that cooking time. Equipment (main) Chopping boards and knife Wooden spoon caste iron enamel pot saucepan for stock and couscous Ingredients ghee 1x onion, chopped 1x tbsp minced ginger 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced / finely chopped 1 heaped tsp of the following spices for depth cumin coriander seed (ground) turmeric plus a few dried bay leaves ½ tsp of the following for 'brightness' cinnamon cloves (4) grated lemon rind (½ lemon) then the following for heat (although I mede this one very mild) paprika dried chilli c...

Today was Noosa Farmers Market Day and Johanna introduced us to her favourite stalls. Noosa is one of those markets that has a vibe. It is more than a row of stalls, it generates a local community feeling that  encourages people to slow down and make a morning of it, rather than get in and out to 'get the job done.' It's not quite Mullumbimby but it's good. We spent a few hours around the beach and after some exercise in the ocean we opted for a carby lunch, so on the way back the van we agreed something light and fresh was the go. We had enough other stuff to put together this broth, using mostly produce we'd picked up at the farmers market.  Servings 2 Equipment Chopping board and knife pot for broth pan for frying ladle for serving and tongs for stirring noodles Ingredients 3x stock cubes (we used some freeze dried 'bombs' from the market) 1x sachet of instant miso soup (if I had it I would have used a table spoon of miso paste) Splash of soy sauce peanut...

When Maria suggested risotto for dinner tonight I felt bored with the flavour combination that has become my default. So I tried a new set of flavours and very happy with the end result. We were cooking for 4 tonight but obviously halve the quantities for 2. A keeper for sure. Servings 4 Time Time to chop and prepare ingredients, then ~ ½ hour cooking time. Equipment (main) Deep pan Large saucepan (for stock) Chopping boards and knife Spatula and wooden spoon (I find I use two stirrers with risotto because the rice tends to stick.) Grater for parmesan \ Strainer for olives Ingredients olive oil 1x leek, chopped 1x green capsicum, chopped 1½  cup arborio rice cup of cheap wine wine chicken stock, ~700ml (2 x cubes) 5x free range chicken thighs 6x medium size handful of Swiss brown mushrooms, chopped 1x jar of pitted Sicilian olives 1x cup of chopped parsley parmesan, small pile grated (for a bit of punch) butter, 2 x knobs (for creaminess) pepper to taste Method Cooking risotto requ...

Many years ago I had an office in Lonsdale St. On one cold day I ventured into a Chinese restaurant near China town to grab some lunch. I stood at the counter and looked at the colourful pictures of the meals on the wall behind it and ordered something called a laksa because the colours looked so good. I'd never had a laksa before that day and my (taste bud) world changed. Since that lunchtime surprise, I have been on the hunt for really good laksas and mostly end up being disappointed. The bar was set pretty high by that first encounter. Early on in my quest I bought one of those laksa packs you get from the supermarket. A mistake, say no more. I'd glanced at recipes every now and again but never really had the inclination to try a proper one having convinced myself I'd be disappointed. And they all looked so complicated.  For my birthday, Maria bought me a wonderful cookbook from a great little book and gift shop in Bangalow; The Chicken Soup Manifesto . It has authentic ...

We had a fillet of deep sea bream which I was going to use last night for dinner but we went out and had burgers instead (!) so had to use for lunch today. It's been raining constantly this morning, so we felt like bunkering down and having something nourishing and warm. Servings 2 Ingredients sesame oil (couple of glugs) dollop of minced ginger decent handful of finely sliced red cabbage decent handful of finely sliced kale 1 litre of miso stock (about a dessert spoon of miso paste) few glugs of soy sauce few dashes of fish oil about 300g of fish (bream), cubed Method sauté the ginger, cabbage and kale in the sesame oil for a few mins add the stock, soy sauce and fish sauce and bring to a simmer add the fish and cook for few mins until the fish is cooked but still tender garnish with sesame seeds and dried shallots

I read somewhere once that paella was party food. Not in the same way party pies and frankfurters are, but in the sense that when you put a paella dish on the table, its invites a celebratory mood. Indeed it does. I've got my good mate Gavan to thank for getting me onto paella, and the sofrito he shared with me is the key to this recipe ... magic juice. Some recipes integrate the sofrito into the dish. I like this approach because we make enough of it to store in small containers in the freezer (sometimes twice the recipe below), so when the the occasion calls for paella, the preparation effort is drastically reduced. We keep a paella dish in the van, so when we leave home for a decent stint, the sofrito from the freezer comes with us. Perhaps like no other dish, I was determined to figure out how to cook paella properly, and in particular, how to end up with socarrat, one of the most important parts of an authentic paella, and for me, an indicator that I was getting the hang of it...

One evening, and long time ago at home, Maria decided she wanted pasta, but something fresh and light ... so what we refer to as 'pasta with greens' was born. At home we eat it almost weekly, but until tonight, it hasn't been done in our little kitchen in the van. It's uncomplicated. Green veggies, with the classic flavours of olive oil, garlic, pepper and lemon, and then we break up some Meredith  marinated goat cheese over the top. Easy, quick, tasty ... what's not to like? Servings 2  Time about 30mins  Equipment saucepan for boiling pasta pan for sautéing greens knife and chopping board colander for draining pasta Ingredients Oil 2x garlic cloves, diced chopped green veggies: we used 5x kale leaves, 1 x zucchini, 1 flower of broccoli  juice of ½ lemon  Pepper 2 squares of goats cheese 200g penne pasta Method Bring (at least) 1½ litre of water to the boil Heat oil a few glugs of oil in the pan and add the garlic (careful not to burn it) Add the veggies, the c...

Pasta with a tomato based sauce can be comfort food, but for us it is more. It is more like centring food. We don't have pasta when we can't think of anything else, we have it when we need it. Maria will say, "I think I feel like pasta tonight," which is code for saying, let's have food that reminds us who we are. When we left Barwon Heads over two months ago we loaded the van freezer with some goodies from our chest freezer at home, which included some pork mince from Koallah Farm  from where we regularly order meat. Yesterday at the Mullum Farmers' Market, Maria spotted a stall with some good looking fresh tomatoes, so the pieces came together ... In our delineation of duties in our relationship, tomato based pasta is Maria's portfolio :-). Servings 6 (for the sauce, 2 for now and 4 to freeze or give away) Time about 2 hours.  Equipment I used (main) Pan Chopping boards and knife Saucepan for pasta Wooden spoon, tongs for serving Grater (for parmesan) In...

It's hard to make a pureed soup look inviting, but this was yum. Soup. When we are wondering what to make up for dinner, putting together a soup with what's in the cupboard or fridge is always an option. Today it was potatoes and cauliflower, but we cranked it up with some Italian sausage and some trusty spices. The Sicilian olives worked well too ... I pulled a bottle out of the cupboard for my second helping! Servings 4  Time about 1 hour.  Equipment I used (main) Saucepan Pan (for sausages) baking dish Chopping boards and knife Wooden spoon, tongs for turning sausages and ladle for serving Measuring 'cup' for stock Bowl (for chopped cauliflower) Blender Grater Ingredients Oil 1 onion, diced (I would have preferred a leek if I had one on the fridge) 2x garlic cloves, diced 1 tbs cumin 1 tbs ground coriander 1 x cinnamon stick  3 x small potatoes 1 x small cauliflower Chicken stock (1 litre) 2 x Italian sausages (or small bottle of pitted Sicilian olives) Pepper and sa...

We were out and about today, and our lunchtime toasties were a bit average, so we were keen for something wholesome. One of the things in the fridge was a bag of gourmet mushrooms from the farmers market; we were keen to use them so we ended up building the meal around them. Potatoes and carrots (both also from the farmers market) baked with onion, garlic and some mixed herbs. The kale and mushroom, and some char grilled brussel sprouts) were pan fried in butter, oil and a drizzle of white balsamic glaze. So good and satisfying.

Up the hill from Ballina is a little town called Alstonville that is home to a great little deli and butcher . When we called in recently one of the things that caught my eye were a couple of the plumpest looking lamb shanks I'd ever seen. We don't cook red meat that often but these shanks were calling out to me, so here we go.  Slow cooked meat is pretty simple really, some fry-able veggies, some liquid and some flavour enhancers and you're good to go. This recipe, as is typical for me, gleans ideas from a few sources and is constrained by what we've got in the fridge or what we can buy easily. Servings 2 (Normally I'd say 1 shank per serve, but these were huge, so we cooked both and plan to share one, and use the other for a pasta sauce tomorrow :-)) Time Time to chop and prepare ingredients, then at least hours 2½ cooking time. (2½ hours is the magic number if you want soft tender meat.) Equipment (main) Cast iron enamel pot Saucepan (for potatoes) Tongs (for bro...

Inspired by a lunch dish Johanna had in Maleny a couple of days ago, I decided to have a crack at a style of chicken soup a bit different to my 'go to' traditional chicken soup. The lighter tasting broth seasoned with some soy sauce and the pickled ginger make this a flavoursome and deeply satisfying soup. Very happy. Servings 2 (generous)  Time about 2 hours.  Equipment I used (main) Pan (with simmer pad) Saucepan (for rice) Chopping boards and knife tongs and ladle for serving Measuring 'cup' Bowls (for chopped ingredients) Ingredients Sesame oil, couple of glugs ½ onion, diced 2x garlic cloves, sliced Chicken thighs (1 per person / serving) Vegetable stock (500mls) Water (1 litre) Soy sauce (couple of splashes) Vegetables (I used 6x brussel sprouts, finely sliced because I had some, but soem finely sliced cabbage would be perfect too; and some baby broccoli, cut / sliced into match stick size)  Rice (I used brown jasmine, ½ cup) Pickled ginger (Japanese style, I used...

We bought some fresh halloumi from a local producer at the New Brighton Farmers Market earlier in the week so decided it was time to find a good use for it. We were going to concoct some halloumi burgers but ended up having bagels and a burger from Elwood Cafe for lunch, so needed an alternative. We haven't done much with halloumi before so had to ask the internet. The recipe below is an adaption from Half Baked Harvest  which had some great looking food. As always, we used the veggies we had in the fridge. Servings 2 (generous)  Time Time to chop and prepare ingredients, then about 30 mins cooking time.  Equipment I used (main) Pan Simmer pad & saucepan (for rice) Chopping boards and knife Wooden spoon Strainer Grater Measuring 'cup' Bowls (for chopped ingredients) Ingredients Olive oil 150g halloumi, chopped into 1cm cubes 1x 400 can of chickpeas 1x onion, diced 4x garlic cloves, finely chopped Ginger (I used 1½  tablespoon of minced) Veggies: I used 1 cup of...

I first made a variation of this for a family gathering when we lived in Launceston about 5 years ago. There was something about the rich deep flavours and the spice mix that left my mouth singing. It has been a favourite ever since although it varies naturally depending on what is available. Tonight I have decided to experiment by adding some cardamon to the 'usual suspects'. (Yep, it was a successful experiment. It'll be a staple from now on.) There is no doubt that the spices are the stars of this show! Servings 4  (2 for now and 2 to give away or for the freezer) Time Time to chop and prepare ingredients, then about 2- 2½ hours cooking time. (could do with less, but it takes that time for the lamb to get really soft) Equipment (main) Cast iron enamel pot Simmer pad Chopping boards and knife Wooden spoon Measuring jug Strainer Ingredients olive oil 1x onion, diced (I used 2x small ones tonight) 4x garlic cloves, finely chopped ~500g diced lamb. (I used 3x leg chops I got...

Today was New Brighton Farmers Market day which meant we had a little container of smoked mushrooms from Wollumbin Gourmet Mushroom. Time for some mushroom risotto we reckoned. Of course you don't need these special mushrooms to make this recipe, but if you are lucky enough to be able to jag some, then they will add a stack of flavour to this simple but layered risotto. Thanks Gav & Jules for the tip to try these mushrooms when we were here last year. As is becoming our custom, we wandered out along the breakwall before dinner and were treated to a gorgeous sunset. We had been awake early this morning and decided to get to the beach to see the sunrise, but were foiled by the clouds - all was forgiven. It was nice walking back to the van, starting to think about this dish and anticipating the smells and tastes.  Servings 2 Time Time to chop and prepare ingredients, then ~ ½ hour cooking time. Equipment (main) Deep pan Large saucepan (for stock) Chopping boards and knife Spatula ...