Caramelised Onion and Haloumi Tarts

I have seen a lot of recipes around for onion and goat's cheese tarts. As I am not keen on goat's cheese, I decided to try one and use haloumi instead.

With respect to the caramelised onion itself, I wanted to use a combination of spices in order to enhance the flavour. I decided to use a combination of coriander seed, lemon myrtle, wattleseed and akudjura (bush tomato). Once combined, these spices were so deliciously fragrant I decided to use this same combination with the crumbed flathead I was serving as the main meal. The caramelised onion tasted wonderful - I had to quickly put it in the fridge to stop myself from constantly eating bits of it. It would also be lovely served with steak.

These tarts are easy to prepare. I caramelised the onion in advance and then stored it in the fridge until I was ready to put the tarts together. Just before Renee and Todd arrived I cut out the pastry rounds and placed them on the baking tray and then a bit later topped the pastry with the onion and haloumi and popped them in the oven. Very simple!

Ingredients (Makes 18)

Olive oil for frying

3 brown onions peeled and sliced

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon lemon myrtle

1 teaspoon wattleseed

1 teaspoon ground akudjura (bush tomato)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 sheets puff pastry thawed

250g haloumi cut into 18 slices

Olive oil for drizzling

Method

Combine the spices in a mortar and pestle and grind to combine. Set aside.

Cover the bottom of a medium sized saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and stir to cover with the oil. Add the garlic. Cook for 30 minutes or so until the onion is very soft and has caramelised. The quantity will look quite a lot smaller.

Add the spices and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Close to serving time, preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Use a cookie cutter to cut 8-10 cm round from the pastry. Use a slightly smaller cutter to cut partway through each round to that a border is formed.

Use a teaspoon to divide the onion evenly among the rounds. Top with a piece of haloumi. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden. Serve immediately.

Twice Baked Feta and Chives Souffle

I was hesitant to serve a cheese based souffle as an entree when we were having a fish main. It just didn't seem to "match" to me. But, Renee told me that she had never had a savoury souffle, and I knew how much she would love it given how much she loves cheese, so I decided to make it anyway. And I take it back - it did "match".

Because souffles are made with whisked egg whites they normally cannot be made in advance. When entertaining I like to make as much as possible in advance, so decided that a twice baked souffle would be the best option. This recipe is really very easy, and very tasty.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

15g butter (as well as extra butter for greasing)

30ml milk

55g plain flour

5 eggs separated

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

150g creamy feta (such as Danish feta) cut into small cubes

100g parmesan cheese grated

1 bunch chives chopped

150ml thickened cream

Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Grease 4 ramekins with butter. Place the milk, flour and butter in a small saucepan and heat slowly, whisking, until the mixture thickens and boils. Let the mixture simmer for about a minute and then remove from the heat. Beat in the egg yolks, feta, 3/4 of the parmesan, dijon mustard and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir about a third of the egg whites into the milk and cheese mixture. Carefully fold in another third of the egg whites until combined and then repeat with the remaining third.

Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting tray and half fill the tray with water. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

After cooking, remove the ramekins from the roasting tray and allow to cool on a wire rack. The souffles will fall - this is normal. Once cool, the souffles can be placed in the fridge until ready to serve.

About half an hour before you want to serve, preheat the oven again to 200 degrees. Run a knife around the edge of the ramekins and remove the souffles. Place each souffle in a baking tray. Sprinkle with parmesan and thickened cream. Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden. Serve immediately.

Spiced Crumbed Flathead with Cauliflower Puree, Salsa Verde and Sauteed Spinach

When Mark and I went to a seafood cooking class about a year ago, one of the dishes involved pureed cauliflower - and it was amazing. Because I wanted to create a really special fish dish for Renee and Todd, I decided to try out the pureed cauliflower, and even if I do say so myself, it was fantastic.

With the fish, because the pureed cauliflower is so creamy, I thought that crispy, crumbed fish would be an interesting contrast. And I am really happy with how that turned out also. I mixed a few spices with the crumbs to contrast with the sweetness of the cauliflower. The flathead crumbed and cooked really well.

I made the cauliflower puree a few hours in advance. To keep it warm, I placed the puree in a glass bowl and placed the bowl in a large saucepan with a few inches of water in the bottom. I placed the whole lot over a low heat and the steam kept the puree hot as well as moist.

Just before serving, I preheated the oven to about 140 degrees. After frying the fish, I placed it in the oven to keep it warm while I sauteed the spinach and blanched the beans I served the dish with.

So, the salsa verde is not really salsa verde, but it is delicious all the same. Dill is not ordinarilly used in salsa verde, but I really like the combination. The recipe makes a large quantity of salsa verde. I used the rest on Easter Saturday (lamb recipe to be posted shortly).

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon lemon myrtle
1 teaspoon wattleseed
1 teaspoon ground akudjura (bush tomato)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups breadcrumbs
1/2 cup plain flour
3 eggs lightly whisked
700-800g flathead fillets
1 1/2 heads of cauliflower cut into florets
600ml thickened cream
1 litre milk
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch dill
1 bunch mint
2 tablespoons capers

45g tin anchovies
2 cloves garlic
2-3 teaspoons dijon mustard (to taste)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil

2-3 tablespoons butter (extra)

2-3 tablespoons olive oil (extra)

1-2 tablespoons butter (extra for spinach)

150g baby spinach

Green beans to serve

Method

First, crumb the fish. Place the coriander seeds, lemon myrtle, wattleseed and akudjura in a mortar and pestle and grind well. Place the egg, plain flour and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Mix the spices with the breadcrumbs.

Coat the fish in the flour, shaking off any excess. Then dip the fish in the egg and coat well with breadcrumbs, pressing down firmly to ensure the breadcrumbs stick. Place the crumbed fish in the fridge until ready to cook.

To make the cauliflower puree, combine the milk, 450ml of the cream and cauliflower in a large saucepan. The cauliflower needs to be completely covered, so add a little extra milk if necessary. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft. Drain and place the cauliflower in a food processor. Heat the remaining cream in a small saucepan until hot. Puree the cauliflower in the food processor. Add the heated cream, butter and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve.

So, now we'll prepare the salse verde. Place all ingredients, except the olive oil in a food processor. Process until well combined. Slowly add the olive oil until the desired consistency is reached. Store in the fridge, but remove from the fridge at least an hour before serving to bring it back to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 140 degrees. When you are ready to eat, place the extra butter and oil in a fry pan and melt over medium heat. Once hot, fry the fish on each side until crisp. If the pan becomes dry, add a little extra butter or oil. Place fish in the oven to keep warm.

Wipe clean the fry pan and melt extra butter. Add the spinach and saute until wilted (this only takes a few minutes).

Serve fish with the pureed cauliflower and sauteed spinach. Seave some blanches greens (such as green beans) on the side.

Tomato and Spinach Breakfast

If I feel like something really healthy for breakfast, I make this dish. I always feel like I have started the day well when I eat this with a big glass or orange juice and a cup of tea.

Okay, garlic for breakfast is not for everyone - the garlic is optional of course, but it does really enhance the flavour. You could also add white beans or cannellini beans for an extra dimension. I also like to serve it with grilled ham or bacon.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic crushed

100 - 125g cherry tomatoes halves

A few handfuls baby spinach

Buttered toast to serve

Method

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant, but not browned. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until soft (you can cover the pan to speed up the process). After a few minutes, add the baby spinach and cook for a minute or so until the spinach is wilted.

Serve immediately with buttered toast.