I’ve always been a little unclear of the correct terminology for lentils and peas and their friends. So I thought I’d take the time and look it up.

Apparently the legume family includes alfalfa, clover (no wonder sheep love it), peas, beans, lentils, lupins, soy, chickpeas and peanuts. According to Wikipedia legumes are the only types of plant that are able to take in nitrogen from the atmosphere and turn it into protein. So they tend to have a higher protein content than other non-legume plants, which makes them an excellent option for anyone looking to boost their protein intake without relying on animal sources.

It also makes them a perfect addition to salad, particularly if you are looking to serve it as a main course.

The stonesoup recipe index is a testament to my love of legume salads particularly lentils and chickpeas. I’m planning on doing a highlights tour of stonesoup salads at the end of this series but for now let me point your attention in the direction of two of my easiest and favourite legume salads.

First is a simple dish of chickpeas with parmesan cheese – simple enough to be able to be made with just a teaspoon. The other uses canned lentils – a new addition to my pantry. If you’re a lentil fan, I highly recommend my warm lentil salad with beets and ricotta.

Or there’s always a brilliant little number inspired by my current obsession – Nigel Slater. A combo of some of my all time favourite things – puy lentils, BBQ zucchini and proscitto or jamon. Just the thing for a long lovely Monday lunch with a dear old friend who is also currently free from corporate commitments.

lentil salad with BBQ zucchini & proscuitto
serves 2

Inspired by Nigel Slater from Tender Volume 1. A cook and his vegetable patch.

Well washed, drained canned lentils could substitute in if you didn’t feel like cooking your own. About half a can would work in place of the dried lentils.

75g (3oz) small green lentils
1T red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed but still mostly whole
2T extra virgin olive oil
3 medium zucchini, finely sliced lengthwise into ribbons
2T olive oil
3 sprigs flat leaf parsley, leaves picked
100g (4oz) proscuitto, finely sliced to serve

Place lentils in a small saucepan. Cover with water and simmer until lentils are tender. Approx 15 mins. Drain.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, oil and garlic and season well. Toss the drained lentils through the dressing.

Preheat your BBQ or a char grill pan. Toss zucchini ribbons in the oil and season. Cook over a medium high heat until soft and well marked. Fish out and discard the garlic and toss the zucchini through the lentil mixture and add parsley.

Divide salad between two plates and serve with proscuitto passed separately.

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The stonesoup definitive guide to salad.
Part 1 – Leaves
Part 2 – Dressings
Part 3 – Grains, Nuts & Seeds
Part 4 – Bread
Part 5 – Legumes

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Don’t you just love when you discover a new author, especially a food writer with an impressive back catalog.

You may think I’ve been hiding under a rock, but until recently I wasn’t aware of the food writing brilliance of Mr Nigel Slater. Sure I’d seen cookbooks written by a guy called Slater. I actually distinctly remember seeing a volume called Real Fast Food on the shelf of a guy I worked with in a winery in Mudgee. I also remember thinking to myself ‘wow even cricketers are writing cookbooks now’ and completely dismissing the whole idea.

Of course what I didn’t realise was that it was Michael Slater who played for Australia and that Nigel Slater was not only a completely different person from a different country. He was and is a food loving wordsmith with a passion for vegetables that makes my own heart beat a little faster. I’m so grateful to the lovely Jacqui Lewis who not only did a stellar job if designing the logo for stonesoup, but more importantly gave a rave review of the kitchen diaries and got me rethinking about his mysterious cricketer/author. I owe you one Jac.

It goes without saying that I am totally loving Tender Volume 1. A Cook and His Vegetable Patch. It’s one of those books that I find myself savouring every word rather than rushing to get to the end. So far I’ve lingered through the asparagus patch, aubergine, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli and the sprouting greens, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower. I already know I’ve found a new go-to book when it comes to vegetables.

One of the most pleasant surprises was a ‘great minds think alike‘ moment I had in the aubergine field. A week or so before I started reading the book, I made a vegetarian dinner for my Dad and brother with very positive reviews. Particularly given that they are serious country carnivore types. It was a simple dish of aubergine halves baked until tender in a tomato sauce served with a generous mound of pesto. And what did I find in amongst Mr Slater’s many aubergine recipes? You guessed it baked aubergine with pesto. A man after my own heart.

three simple steps to cooking aubergine

i. preheat oven
ii. halve aubergine lengthwise and score into chunky diamonds on the cut side.
iii. drizzle with oil and bake until super soft.

stonesoup tips for cooking aubergine

i. salting is optional
In the old days aubergine used to have a bitter flavour which required salting to purge. Modern aubergine varieties have been bred without the bitterness. If you are frying your aubergine the salting step helps to start breaking down the cells of the flesh which reduces the amount of oil absorbed during cooking. To be honest I hardly ever salt my aubergine, but then I also rarely fry it. Definitely not required if you’re charring it whole over the flame of a BBQ to make babaghanoush.

ii. never undercook
One of the least appealing things in the world is aubergine that doesn’t melt in your mouth. Always err on the side of overcooking. I have a theory that people who don’t like aubergine have had a bad experience with an undercooked specimen.

iii. choose smooth shiny firm aubergine
Just as in people, wrinkles in an aubergine are a sign of old age, or seriously hard living. Same goes for a dull appearance.

iv. avoid frying
Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, I’d advise caution around anything that calls for fried aubergine slices. It takes ages and always uses an alarming amount of prescious olive oil (although maybe I should learn to do the salting thing). If I’m making something that calls for fried aubergine slices I brush very generously with olive oil and either BBQ over a lowish heat or bake in the oven.

vi. charring is fun
One of my favourite cooking jobs is charring aubergine flesh for making babaghanoush mentioned above. Although lots of recipes, including our friend Mr Slater recommend baking it in a hot oven until blackened, I find that you never get that authentic smoky flavour unless there’s a naked flame involved. My favourite method is to take the hotplates off my gas BBQ and balance the eggplant directly on the burners turning until it’s charred all over and soft to the touch. Failing that I have been known to use the gas flame on the cook top but be warned – it makes a terrible mess of your kitchen.

v. baking is the best
Pop it the oven and come back later to silky soft goodness. No more to say really

simplest baked aubergine (eggplant) with tomato & pesto
serves 4

If you are looking for a simple pesto recipe that doesn’t require a mortar and pestle or even a food processor, there’s one in the stonesoup archives. Or for something a bit different try my beetroot pesto.

This dish is great to make ahead and reheat when you’re ready to eat. A good one for vegetarian entertaining. Lovely with my brown rice and almond tabbouleh.

1 jar tomato passata (700g or 1 1/2lb)
2 large aubergine (eggplant), halved lengthwise
8 anchovies, optional
2 cloves garlic, peeled & very finely sliced
1/3C everyday extra virgin olive oil
1/2C pesto, to serve

Preheat oven to 220C or 425F (that’s 200C or 400F for fan forced ovens).

Pour the tomato passata into the base of a baking dish large enough to hold the aubergine halves in a single layer. Score the cut side of the aubergine in a chunky criss cross pattern. Slice a think cheek off the round side of the aubergine so it will sit flat in the dish. Place aubergine in the dish and top with anchovies if using and garlic slices. Drizzle over olive oil.

Bake until meltingly tender, about 50minutes to an hour. Serve warm or hot with a generous dollup of pesto on top.

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pick up a copy on fishpond.com.au or amazon.com

I’m on track for my reading goal of 26 books for the year. To see my progress so far have a look at my now reading page.

reviews on eat|shop|drink.net:
revolver cafe annandale
north bondi italian

It may seem a bit much to devote a whole chapter of the definitive guide to salad to bread but what can I say. I LOVE them.

Whoever first thought of tearing bread into chunks and tossing them with the salad dressing, rather than serving a slice on the side is a genius. Mystery bread salad inventor we owe you a big THANKYOU.

I still remember my first encounter with bread salad in the famous Caesar salad. It was years ago on a water skiing weekend at my dear mate Missy Helgs’ place at Wyangla Dam. While I struggled unsuccessfully to get the skis to go on top of the water, I didn’t struggle to enjoy the ‘exotic’ salad made by Missy Helgs’ long since ex-boyfriend. At the time I thought it was the height of sophistication – crunchy cos lettuce, shaved parmesan, crispy bacon and crunchy croutons smothered in a creamy dressing out of a bottle. So good.

My next encounter with bread salad was during my Claudia Roden obsession. I’ve had a few people mention Lebanese Fattoush to me recently – a salad of toasted (or fried) pita bread – a crunchy contrast to fresh tomato, cucumber with a little red capsicum (pepper) and mint or parsley. Simple, fresh and good.

An extension of the fattoush, is a little number I invented by accident – crispy salad of flat bread with zucchini and tuna. Fried ribbons of pita bread spiced with baharat (a Lebanese spice blend) and tossed with grated zucchini and canned tuna. It’s one of those dishes that seems so much more than the sum of its parts.

Then there came the Italians with their sublime tomato & bread combo – Panzanella. Something I blogged about on stonesoup in the early days, before I’d invested in my camera. More recently I gave this delicious salad a minimalist twist with a Catalan inspired tomato bread salad.

Although I don’t like to play favourites with my food, especially my salads, if I was forced to choose my favourite bread salad, I’d have to go with a roast chicken and bread salad. Inspired in equal parts by Skye Gyngell from London’s Petersham Nursries and Judy Rodgers from San Francisco’s Zuni Cafe, my first stonesoup version was delicious, but not exactly minimalist. So I’ve pared the concept back to the basics with a shop bought BBQ chook, some rustic bread, dressing, a few leaves and a not-essential-but-nice-to-have handful of toasted pine nuts. Perfect for a casual Summer dinner.

No doubt my affair with the bread salad will continue. Any time I feel like beefing up a salad, I think about tossing in a few chunks of bread. I did this just the other night for an impromptu dinner with my ski patrolling sister who took a little time away from the slopes to come home for our littlest sister’s wedding. Leftover cooked cauliflower, radicchio, sourdough chunks, balsamic dressing and a little shaved parmesan – a surprisingly delicious dinner.

tips for bread salad goodness

- A great way to use up stale bread
- If you’re using fresh bread, toast it or pop in the oven to dry out for a while so it will absorb the dressing
- Allow enough time for the dressing to soak into some of the bread
- Don’t leave it for more than an hour or you run the risk of soggy salad
- Look for natural sources of juices like tomatoes or roast chicken

BBQ chook & bread salad
serves 4

If you have stale bread this is a brilliant way to use it up. Just skip the toasting step.

1/3 medium loaf sourdough or other rustic bread (approx 250g or 8oz)
2T red wine vinegar
1T wholegrain mustard
4T extra virgin olive oil
1 small BBQ chook (that’s a chicken for readers outside of Oz)
2T pine nuts, toasted, optional
4 handfuls mixed salad leaves

Trim the base and side crusts from the bread and tear into bight sized pieces. Toast under and overhead grill or in the oven for a few minutes until just starting to brown. You want some crispy bits but others still nice and soft.

Combine vinegar, mustard and oil in a large salad bowl and season well. Toss through the bread.

If there are any roasting juices from your chicken, drain and add to the bread mixture. Tear chicken from the bones into bight sized chunks, resisting the urge to pick and nibble as you go. I like to leave the skin on but for the more health conscious feel free to remove it.

Toss chicken through the bread and allow to stand for at least 5 minutes. Toss through the pine nuts and leaves and serve.

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The stonesoup definitive guide to salad.
Part 1 – Leaves
Part 2 – Dressings
Part 3 – Grains, Nuts & Seeds
Part 4 – Bread
Part 5 – Legumes (tune in next Tuesday)

A big THANKYOU to everyone who came to hear me talk about my cookbook ‘and the love is free’ at the Yass library in rural NSW. You made my first day of self employment seem a lot less scary.

If you’re looking for an excellent simple roast chicken recipe, my Mum’s roast chook features in the book. For more details or to order a copy click HERE.

Tomorrow is my last day as a wage slave.

I’m so excited but to be honest I’m not sure I’ve really got a grip on just how much my life is about to change. And it’s not just the big things like commuting each day. It’s the little things too. Like not having to be organised and pack my lunch every day.

I love taking my lunch to work and unless I’m catching up with someone, I pretty much take my own every day. It’s usually much healthier and cheaper and not to mention more tasty than the bought lunch options from many work canteens or food halls.

I haven’t always been so diligent but during my time as a winemaker, I quickly cultivated the BYO lunch habit. When it’s a choice of eating grapes or nothing. You learn quick.

So to celebrate my last packed lunch I thought I’d share with you one of my favourite packed lunches and a few tips on how to cultivate the habit yourself.

calculate the potential savings
Depending on your situation. Buying lunch every day can have a big impact on your finances. have a think about your usually daily spend and then calculate this as an annual figure. I won’t be surprised if the results might be just the motivation you need to start cultivating the lunch habit.

invest in some decent containers
Just because it’s lunch doesn’t need you have to slum it in the food appearance (and appeal) department. Since I invested in a heap of glass pyrex containers with blue lids, I’ve been much more excited about my lunch packing and eating experience. The other bonus is not having to microwave your soup in dodgy plastic.

make some effort
If you just slop some random leftovers in a container, like I have done on occasion, there’s no way you’re going to enjoy your lunch nor are you likely to be keen to cultivate the lunch habit. A little bit of effort can make all the difference to your enjoyment the next day.

make extra at dinner
When you’re often cooking for one like I am these days, there’s no need to start halving all your recipes. Just make enough for 2 or 4 and then serve up into your lunch containers when you serve your dinner so you’re not tempted to eat more than your normal portion. Too easy. Of course if you’re feeding a family, it’s a great idea to double or even triple some recipes when you can.

plan in the evenings
If you’re anything like me there is never any time in the mornings to do something crazy like make your lunch. If it is going to happen it has to be the night before. Get in the habit of thinking about your lunch while you’re planning your dinner and it will soon be part of your routine.

freeze your favourite bread
I always have some sliced rustic sourdough in the freezer and some individually bagged pita bread ready and waiting. It’s amazing that when you think you have nothing at all to take for lunch, the thought of some bread can spark all sorts of creative sandwich ideas.

toast it
I’m not sure I would have survived my university days without the toasted sandwich. It’s almost magical how a few dinner leftovers between 2 slices of bread can taste so satisfying. Especially during the colder months when a cold salad or sandwich doesn’t sound so appealing.

If you don’t have access to a sandwich press at work, ask for one. Or bring your own and share with your co workers.

little by little
If you’re new to the lunch habit, don’t expect to make yourself do it 5 days a week. Just commit to a few days or even one day a week at first and ease yourself into it.

butter bean & tuna salad
serves 2

before I was introuced to butter beans, I used to make this with cannellini or borlotti beans or even chickpeas. All are delicious so by all means mix it up.

One of the best things about this salad, apart from how fresh and tasty it is, is that it keeps well for a few days. If you happen to get to work and the team is going out for yum cha, you can just leave your lunch in the fridge for the next day and have fun with your colleagues.

2T lemon juice
2T extra virgin olive oil
400g (14oz) can butter beans
185g (6oz) tuna in oil, drained
1/4 small red onion, finely diced
handful mixed salad leaves

Combine lemon juice & olive oil in a salad bowl and season.

Drain beans and rinse well under the hot water tap. Add beans to the dressing. Flake tuna into large chunks on top of the beans. Add onion and leaves and toss. Divide between 2 lunchoxes and pop in the fridge.

Remember to take with you to work.

If you think salad is all about leaves and dressing, prepare for your world to change for the better.

rice
I’m a big fan of brown short grain rice. Something about it’s subtle nuttiness and healthy connotations.

In general I don’t cook rice frequently but with my latest supermarket discovery that may change. I’ve been experimenting with par cooked rice pouches that just need to be microwaved for 90 seconds for perfect steamed rice. Significantly more expensive than cooking your own – definitely one for the time poor.

Since becoming a minimalist, I’ve sold my microwave and pretty much don’t miss it except for when I want to defrost. You can heat the rice in the bag in a pot of simmering water but I haven’t tried that just yet. What I have discovered is that you can soak it in boiling water for 30 seconds and it’s all ready to dress and turn into a rice salad.

Am sure it’s not as nutritious as cooking your own, but so much simpler and just as tasty.

barley
If I had to choose between rice and barley I’d pick barley more often than not. I just LOVE it’s chewy unique texture. For salad use it anywhere you’d normally use rice. Also brilliant in soups and hearty slow cooked dishes.

couscous
I used to cook couscous all the time and couscous salads were always on high rotation during Summer. It’s been way too long. Super simple to cook and flavour – just pour over boiling water or stock and a little oil or butter then stand for 5 minutes or so before fluffing with a fork and dressing.

freekeh / bulgur
I’ve grouped these together as they are both types of cracked wheat and can pretty much be used interchangeably. Freekeh differs in that the wheat is picked green which apparently means superior health benefits. For more on freekeh see super freekeh. Both require soaking or simmering. Bulgur is the traditional grain for Lebanese tabbouleh.

pasta
Not technically a grain, but seems to fit in best here. I don’t think I’ve ever made a pasta salad. Must be something to do with scarring from those terrible supermarket deli salads smothered in mayo. But please don’t let my prejudice infect you. I do remember seeing Jamie Oliver make a picnic pasta salad that was fresh tomato based and looked delicious. Would love to hear if anyone has a pasta salad recipe they recommend.

nuts
I love nuts. They’re wonderful for adding some flavour and crunch and beefing up your salad to make it more substantial.

There are pretty much three decisions when it comes to nuts and salad. Which nut to use? Roasted or raw? Chopped or whole? Pinenuts are a big favourite, but I’m also very fond of pistachios and almonds. Roasting enhances the flavour.

seeds
I rarely think to put seeds in my salads but they can be lovely. The Japanese are big on sesame seeds. Pretty much everything I’ve said about nuts applies here.

brown rice & almond tabbouleh
serves 3-4

I’ve used short grain brown rice. By all means use whichever rice or grain you like best.

I was too lazy to toast my almonds last time I made this and I actually really liked the subtle sweet nutiness. Feel free to toast if that’s your preference.

2C cooked brown rice (approx 250g / 9oz)
I bunch mint, leaves picked
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4C lemon juice
1/4C extra virgin olive oil
1C whole almonds (approx 100g)
pita bread, to serve, optional
natural yoghurt, to serve, optional

If using precooked rice, place in a bowl and pour over boiling water. Allow to stand for about 30 seconds then drain and rinse well with cold water to cool.

Chop off and discard about half of the parsley stalks. Then finely chop the remaining bunch with the rest of the stalks and leaves. Chop mint. In a large salad bowl stir herbs and onion through drained rice.

Combine lemon juice and oil and season well. Dress salad and toss though nuts.

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The stonesoup definitive guide to salad.
Part 1 – Leaves
Part 2 – Dressings
Part 3 – Grains, Nuts & Seeds
Part 4 – Bread
Part 5 – Legumes (tune in next Tuesday)

elsewhere
sake restaurant & bar review eat|shop|drink
5 ingredients. 5 minutes. 5 meals. Simple Noodles at Zen Family Habits

Australia Day is one of my favourite public holidays. It’s not that I’m super patriotic (although I do get a little teary eyed whenever I hear ‘I still call Australia home’) it’s more that it’s a time to celebrate what I love about being an Aussie.

Our beautiful beaches, our countryside, our outdoor lifestyle, our irreverrence and love of ‘taking the piss’, our sense of humour, our fabulous meat and produce, our willingness to embrace the new food cultures of our migrants, and of course our obsession with the Great Aussie Barbie.

I’m not sure what I’m doing this Januray 26th but I hope it will involve family and friends, good Aussie vino and a barbie in some form. Happy Australia Day everyone.

stonesoup 10 essential BBQ tips

i. don’t cook cold meat
If you’re only going to change one thing about your BBQ habits, make sure you always bring your meat back to room temperature before cooking. The biggest struggle with cooking on the barbie is to get the heat from the outside of your steak into the middle without burning the surface to a cinder. The warmer things are in the middle before it goes onto the fire, the easier it is to win the battle.

ii. preheat properly
If you’re going to get a good crust on your food and that lovely BBQ flavour, you need your barbie to be hot before you start cooking. This also helps if you’ve been a bit slack in the cleaning department.

iii. thin is in
The thinner your meat, the less far the heat has to travel to cook the middle, so the easier it is to get the inside right without burning the outside. I like to start with steaks about 1cm (1/2 in) thick then push them out with my hands to about 1/2cm (1/4in). This mechanical action also tenderises the meat and increases the surface area for more BBQ flavour.

If you really must have 2 inch thick steaks, think about starting them on the barbie to sear and get the flavour and then finishing them in the oven.

iv. don’t poke & prod
It takes time for your caramelised BBQ crust to develop and this won’t happen if you’re continually flipping your steaks or burgers. Only turn once or twice. And definitely don’t squash everything down as this forces the juices to run out and leaves you with sad dry meat. Sausages are also best left alone – piercing the skins dries them out.

v. don’t fuel the fire with fat
I used to pour the marinade over my meat on the grill and wonder why the flames flared up and turned everything to charcoal. It took me a while but I finally figured it out. Now I make sure my meat is well drained of excess marinade or I cook it on the hot plate. For fatty meat like chops it’s best to either trim or cook them on the hotplate and finish them off on the grill.

vi. remember food hygiene
It’s funny how the outdoors can make some people forget the basics. Always put your cooked food on a clean plate or chopping board and never add marinade that was used for raw meat to cooked meat. Simple.

vii. rest
I recently saw a website comparing meat that had been barbequed and then rested for varying amounts of time. The ‘unrested’ sample had juices running out everywhere whereas the sample that had sat for a while before being cut looked lovely and juicy on the inside without any juices on the plate. It’s all about letting the muscle fibres relax and take back the juices after the intensity of the heat.

viii. clean your BBQ
I am completely guilty of being lazy when it comes to cleaning and my poor BBQ shows the results with rusted out grill bars and a very skankey hotplate. I used to subscribe to the theory that if you just left the BBQ to burn off any food scraps for a few minutes after cooking then you don’t need to clean. Wishful thinking Jules.

ix. earn the right to be BBQ queen (or king)
If there’s one thing that drives me crazy about Australian BBQ culture it’s when people who wouldn’t be seen dead in the kitchen think they have the divine right to commandeer the barbie. BBQing = cooking people. If you can’t make a salad, or a sauce you certainly shouldn’t be put in charge of the waguy beef. Earn your stripes.

x. expand your BBQ repetoire
A few years ago I was working in a winery in Northern Victoria. One of my fellow winemakers was building a new house. In the mean time, he and his wife were living in the ’shed’ and all they had for cooking was a gas BBQ. Bruce was amazed at how creative his wife became. He even rocked up to work one day with a batch of delicious cookies made on the barbie.

You don’t have to go to that extreme but it can be great fun to play around with dry rubs, pre and post cooking marinades, skewers, cooking in parcels, slow cooking and even smoking.

minimaist BBQ steak
serves 1

When you’re serving steak straight up like this, it’s super important to have fully flavoured good quality beef. I prefer grass fed as I find it more balance in flavour and moister and more tender in texture. My Dad tells me it’s higher in omega 3 fats or something so it’s better for you.

Of course it’s all about personal preference. If you haven’t ever done a side by side comparison I highly recommend picking up a grass fed and grain fed steak and doing a little tasting experiment. While you’re at it you could also branch out and try different cuts.

1 scotch fillet steak approx 1cm (1/2in) thick
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Remove your steak from the fridge at least an hour before you’re ready to cook.

Preheat your BBQ until very hot. Using your palms, push steak to flatten out to about one and a half times the original diameter. Rub steaks with a little oil and season well on both sides.

Cook steaks turning once, about 2 minutes each side for rare or longer if you prefer.

Place steak on a warmed dinner plate, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes but preferably 10. Serve with a well dressed green salad and if you’re feeling adventurous, the toasted breadcrumb salsa below.

toasted breadcrumb salsa
serves 2

Inspired by Judy Rodgers from the Zuni Cafe cookbook.

I was worried about the breadcrumbs going soggy in the dressing but trust me they don’t and you get a lovely crunchy textural contrast to your steak. When the dressing mixes in with the meat juices as it rests you’re in for beefy BBQ nirvana.

1/2C sourdough breadcrumbs
1T olive oil
2 anchovies, finely diced
3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
1 large brown shallot, peeled & finely diced
1-2T red wine vinegar
1/3C extra virgin olive oil.

Combine breadcrumbs and 1T oil in a small bowl then toast under the grill (broiler) stirring regularly until crunchy and deep golden brown. Allow to cool.

About 10mins before you’re ready to BBQ combine all the salasa ingredients with the toasted crumbs. Taste and season and allow to stand.

Serve spooned over your BBQ of choice.

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More in the mood for eating out?
Hop on over to my new restaurant review blog eat|shop|drink for some simple ideas of places to try.

Hands up any fellow acid addicts out there?

No I haven’t gone back to the 60s and started experimenting with tripping. I’m talking about being a vinegar junkie. Anyone else like to sneak a bit of vinegar straight up on a spoon?

If there’s one part of my pantry – apart from my spice box, that is completely non-minimalist, it would have to be my vinegar collection. Balsamic, sherry, red wine, white wine, tarragon, rice wine, champagne, chinese black vinegar. They’re all there. Sitting on my shelf.

I could make do with one vinegar, like I did in Spain – a lovely sherry vinegar. But to be honest I was itching for some variety in my salad dressings by the time I headed home. If I was staying for any longer I’m sure I would have caved and picked up a nice little old balsamic. I won’t be going minimalist on my vinegars any time soon.

I’m usually a bit more restrained with my oil. At the moment I have some inexpensive extra virgin for cooking with, a peanut oil for whenever I don’t want the flavour of olive or for frying, a good quality extra virgin for salad dressings and an expensive super intense peppery olio for drizzling.

stonesoup salad secrets – part 2 dressing

- mix in the bottom of the bowl
Occasionally I make up a jam jar of salad dressing and keep it in the fridge but mostly I’m a made-to-order gal. I generally mix my dressing in the base of whatever bowl I’m planning to toss it in. Then I add the leaves gradually so I get the ratio of dressing to leaves right. If it’s a casual meal I’ll serve the salad in the mixing bowl. But if I’m feeling a bit posher, I’ll transfer everything onto a platter.

- use a teaspoon for dressing for one person and tablespoon for more
When I started making salads for one I found myself always having way too much dressing. Not so good. Then I had the bright idea to use a teaspoon to measure things out. The simple things.

- fresh is best
Most dressings taste best when freshly made. Although a week or so in the fridge won’t be the end of the world. Just remember to let it warm up a little before you use it so the flavour is more pronounced.

- season the acid part first
Add salt to the vinegar or lemon juice and stir so it dissolves. The salt will then mix more evenly with the oil and be better dispersed through your salad.

- taste (!)
There are so many variables in salad dressing that I find the most important step is tasting and adjusting as required. A little more oil if it tastes too acidic and sharp or a bit more vinegar / lemon juice if it tastes flat and oily. It takes a bit of practice but just trust your judgement and you’ll get there. Remember that it will be diluted on the leaves so it needs to taste quite punchy on it’s own. If you like it can help to use a leaf to dip in the dressing so you get the whole experience.

- match your dressing to the leaves
Strongly flavoured, bitter leaves like radicchio demand intense dressings. I also find a little sweetness is good to balance the bitterness so caramelised red wine vinegar or balsamic are ideal. A salad of fresh herbs, on the other hand would be best with a simple white wine vinegar. Likewise I vary the amount of dressing depending on the type of leaves.

- match your salad to the rest of the meal
A delicate fish will be best served with a fresh, light salad. A BBQ steak on the other hand demands a big beefy salad like rocket dressed with vinegar and mustard. A rich piece of pork belly is best with a really sharp crunchy salad. You get the picture.

- don’t forget the garlic
I don’t often use garlic in salad dressings but sometimes I roughly squash a clove and leave it to infuse in the dressing for a while. The other evening I had people over for dinner and crunched down on something pungent in my salad. Discreetly removing the offending article I was so so relieved that I had been the recipient of me forgetting to fish out the garlic, not one of my guests.

the top 9 stonesoup salad dressings

Top 9? Why not round it out to top 10? Well I thought through my favourite dressings and this is what came up. I could have stretched it to one more but I liked the sound of 9.

I vary my ratios of oil to vinegar etc all the time. The recipes below should be taken as a guide only. Unless otherwise indicated they should make enough to dress a bag of prewashed leaves. But again it’s all up to you. As I mentioned in the intro, I usually use a mid range olive oil for salad dressings. You want good flavour but not to overpower everything.

i. caramelised red wine vinegar & wholegrain mustard
This is my favourite dressing at the moment, especially for a salad to accompany a big fryup for breakfast / brunch. I’ve been getting my caramelised red wine vinegar from Norton St Grocer. If you can’t find any regular red wine vinegar with a teaspoon of honey makes a good substitute.

1T caramelised red wine vinegar
1T wholegrain mustard
3T – 4T extra virgin olive oil

ii. aged balsamic & olive oil
An oldie but a goodie. I love the sweetness of balsamic that is so well combined with the vinegar during the aging process that it seems to be almost savoury. I should have ‘fessed up earlier. I actually have 2 balsamics on the go at the moment, an 8 year old for everyday and an old old vinegar which I think is 40 years old for special occasions and drizzling. I have been known to make a 1:1 oil:balsamic dressing if I’m in the mood for something really punchy. But the 1:2 below is more common. Classic to dress peppery wild rocket.

2T aged balsamic vinegar
4T extra virgin olive oil

iii. tarragon vinegar & dijon mustard
I love tarragon vinegar, it tempers the flavour of fresh tarragon and gives an interesting twist. To make your own, just shove 1/2 bunch tarragon in a bottle of white wine vinegar and allow it to sit for a few weeks. It will keep for ages. This dressing is also lovely with a regular white wine or Champagne vinegar.

1T tarragon vinegar
1T dijon mustard
4T extra virgin olive oil

iv. lemon juice & white wine vinegar
If your’e in an indecisive mood, this is the dressing for you. Sometimes I find lemon juice dressings to be a bit too ‘lemony’ without being sharp enough, this is where the wine vinegar helps.

1T lemon juice
1T white wine vinegar
4T extra virgin olive oil

v. onion & wine vinegar dressing
This is a lovely hearty, almost meaty dressing. I love it to dress a salad of warm lentils but it’s also good on leaves. This one keeps well in the fridge which is just as well since it takes a while to make. I LOVE how the onions soak up the vinegar and give little acidic bursts of freshness.

1 large brown onion, finely chopped
250mL (1C) olive oil
60mL (1/4C) sherry or other wine vinegar

Heat oil in a small saucepan and add onion. Simmer over a low heat until onion is soft but not brown. Remove from the heat and add vinegar and season. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes for the onions to soak up the vinegar.

vi. tahini lemon dressing
Inspired by Sam & Sam Clarke of Moro Restaurant and CookbookCookbook fame. I originally discovered this dressing for a roast pumpkin and chickpea salad but it’s lovely as a sauce for fish or even to dress a salad with lots of crunchy greens like snowpeas or fresh asparagus. Haven’t yet used it to dress normal leaves.

1 clove garlic, finely pounded
4T lemon juice
4T tahini
3T water
2T extra virgin olive oil

vii. simple lemon juice
This is easily my most minimalist salad dressing. Forget about the oil and just squeeze lemon juice over. Good with a simple salad of tuna and mixed leaves.

viii. the token creamy dressing
I’m not the biggest fan of creamy salads. Something about the way the dressing doesn’t look right on the leaves. On potatoes it’s another story. This dressing also doubles as a sauce for fish or chicken. Again the quantities below make a bit over a cup of dressing which will be way more than you need to dress a bag of leaves.

2/3C whole egg mayonnaise
1/3C natural yoghurt
1 -2T lemon juice
1/2 small clove garlic, crushed, optional

ix. caper dressing
Another cooked dressing, this is great for main course salads that have fish or cheese starring in them. Adapted from a salad that appeared ages ago in Australian Gourmet Traveller. I’ve made it with and without the chives and both are good. IT might feel a bit weird t o be cooking the parsley but it adds a whole different difficult-to-articulate-dimension to the salad.

¼ C extra virgin olive oil
½ bunch flat leaf parley, leaves picked
½ bunch chives, finely chopped
1T capers in salt, well washed
2T lemon juice, or to taste

Place parsley leaves in a strainer and pour over boiling water to blanch. Refresh under cold water then squeeze dry and chop finely. Place in a small saucepan with capers and remaining oil and heat until it starts to sizzle. Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice and chives and season.

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Elsewhere – Cafe Sopra Potts Point on eat|shop|drink

It’s getting to the time when the resolutions of the new year are starting to waiver. Most people are back at work. The holidays seem like a distant memory. Old habits are creeping back in. But it doesn’t have to be like that. And I’ve found just the thing to help.

If this is sounding a little bit too ‘personal development’ for you. Don’t worry. Stonesoup will return to normal next week. In the mean time I’ve made you some new years muffins. So skip down to the bottom and enjoy.

It’s something called 6 Changes – a method developed by Leo Babauta of my favourite personal development blog Zen Habits. If there’s one thing Leo knows it’s how to change habits. The man has quit smoking, started excercising, run multiple marathons, got out of debt, quit his job and become self employed to name a few. And all this while fitting in time to have 6 children.

What Leo recommends is to choose 6 habits that you want to form or kick during the year. He then recommends the following process to implement these changes in your life – I’ve adapted it slightly, Leo’s a vegan and wouldn’t be into my buttery muffins – but we won’t hold that against him.

1. Choose your first habit
2. Publicly commit to starting or stopping this habit in 2 months
3. Choose a trigger for your habit. For habits that you want to break, you need to observe what the triggers are and assign a new habit to resolve that trigger. For more on kicking bad habits read HERE.
4. Break the habit into up to 8 baby steps, with a super easy step to start.
5. Do your first step for the first week. Then move on and repeat until you have completed 8 weeks.
6. Celebrate your new habit by making some muffins.
7. Start again with the next habit on your list.

The first habit that I’ve chosen is to read for an hour at lunch time to meet my goal of reading 26 books this year. I used to be a massive reader when I was little but these days I only tend to read when I’m on holidays – something I want to change. So in the spirit of the 6 changes method I’ve set up a page on stonesoup to chronicle my reading list for the year. I’ve decided to allow cookbooks as long as I read them cover to cover like a novel but expect to see all sorts of topics covered.

If you’d like to make some changes to your habits and life, I highly recommend reading Leo’s post – The Definitive Guide to Sticking to Your New Years Resolutions or checking out the 6 Changes website that he has set up as a one stop guide to habit change.

Just in case you’re thinking about starting a new habit of baking something new and delicious from scratch each week, I have my new favourite muffins from the boys at – you guessed it – Bourke Street Bakery.

new years raspberry & dark chocolate muffins
makes 9

Adapted from my go-to baking book – Bourke Street Bakery – The Ultimate Baking Companion. If you like to bake or are thinking about getting into it and haven’t got yourself a copy I highly recommend heading over to fishpond.com.au to remedy the situation.

While the longish ingredient list makes these muffins look not-so-minimalist, they’re really quite simple. Just melt the butter and combine with the other liquid ingredients, stir through the dry ingredients and then fold through the flavourings. You don’t need a fancy stand mixer or food processor or even a whisk so from an equipment perspective they get a minimalist tick. I haven’t tried it but I’m sure that if you didn’t have a muffin tray or papers you could bake them in well greased tea cups and they’d still be lovely.

250g (9oz) plain flour
1 1/2t baking powder
200g (7oz) caster sugar
200g (7oz) unsalted butter
3/4C natural yoghurt
1/2C water
2 eggs
100g (3 1/2oz) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
150g (5oz) raspberries, fresh or frozen
2T raw granulated sugar or demerrera

Preheat oven to 190C (375F). For fan forced oven reduce temperature by 20C or 40F. Line 9 holes of a large muffin tray with papers.

Combine flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl and make a well in the centre

Melt butter then remove from the heat. Stir through yoghurt and water and then add eggs, stirring well afterwards.

Pour butter mixture into the well in the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Don’t stress if there are a few flour lumps. Fold through raspberries and chocolate and spoon into prepared muffin papers. Sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake for 30 – 45 minutes or until muffins are lightly golden and feel firm and spring back when you push them gently on the top. Allow to cool in the tray. Especially good while still warm and the chocolate is all molten but will keep for up to a week in the fridge.

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Why not decide to develop the habit of reading each installment of stonesoup? Sign up for the email updates HERE and your first step of your first habit is done.

Over New Years I was lucky enough to have some fabulous house guests from Melbourne for a couple of days: my gorgeous mate Missy Helgs and her beau ‘The Jackyl’. And I was even luckier because when I came home from a tough first day back in the office in 6 weeks, submitting my resignation, they had a celebratory bottle of Sparkling wine chilled and dinner all under control.

You have to love house guests that take over your kitchen. And you have to love house guests that make you a really lovely salad and when you compliment them on the dressing, thry credit it back to you. It’s so good being reminded of old favourites especially by dear old friends.

It got me thinking about how much I love salad. How versatile it is. How healthy and fresh it can be. How it’s usually so quick to prepare. Which gave me the bright idea to have a stonesoup salad extravganza with a weekly salad post in which is going to look something like this:

Part 1: leaves
Part 2: dressings
Part 3: grains, legumes & nuts
Part 4: protein based salads
Part 5: stonesoup all time favourite salads

So if you have any burning salad questions, or suggestions please share them in the comments and lets discover the answers together.

stonesoup salad secrets – part 1 leaves
i. wash
With all that surface area there’s plenty of space for dirt or even worse chemical residue which means it’s important to wash your leaves and herbs. While the number of options of prewashed packaged salad leaves is ever expanding, not everything that is in a packet has been washed so make sure you read the label.

ii. dry
You’ve heard about oil and water not mixing right? Well if you want your tasty oil based dressing to stick to your leaves, you need to make sure they’re nice and dry which brings me to point number (iii).

iii. invest in a salad spinner
I highly recommend investing in a salad spinner, even though there are more and more prewashed leaves on the market. It’s the easiest, quickest way to get leaves clean and most importantly dry (see point ii). And means that you don’t have to rely on the expensive packaged lettuce.

iv. explore new leaves
If you’re feeling a bit uninspired it’s time to branch out and try some new leaves, or even reconnect with some old favourites. A soft butter lettuce will be a fraction of the price of a bag of wild rocket (arugula) ($1.75 vs $3.85 at my veggie shop) and makes for a very different salad eating experience.

Or try some bitter crunchy witlof or endive to spice things up. And don’t forget about herbs. With their beautiful fragrance they can lift a salad to a new level. Or better yet, try a salad made solely from mixed soft herbs like parsley, coriander (cilantro) and mint.

v. shave it
I remember the first time I tried Karen Martini’s shaved fennel salad with ricotta and peas. I couldn’t believe how wonderful and crunchy and refreshing it was. It opened up a whole new world of salad possibilities. If you’re into shaved salads investing in a mandoline or v-slicer makes it super easy to get delicately thin slices, but a sharp knife and a steady hand can be fine if you want to stick to minimalist kitchen principles.

vi. fruit
I used to think fruit in salad was a bit weird when I was a young country gal but these days I’m a big fan. Black figs with proscuitto, orange or ruby grapefruit segments with shaved fennel, pomegranate, shaved pear with rocket (arugula) & parmesan, crispy apple cut into matchsticks, grapes, even watermelon. The possibilities are endless. I’ve found smaller pieces of fruit work better as big sweet bits can overpower your dressing and ruin the sweet / savoury balance.

vii. veg
Pretty much if it’s a vegetable it can go in a salad. Some, like potatoes, eggplant (aubergine) squash and parsnip are better if they’re precooked but others like fennel, zucchini, snow peas, beets, capsicum (peppers) just need to be finely sliced and they’re good to go.

viii. storage tips – prewashed leaves
These days most prewashed packaged salad have gas flushed into the packaging to remove the oxygen and keep the salad fresher for longer. This only works of course until you open the pack. Once it is open make sure you close it tightly as possible when you put it back in the fridge to stop the leaves drying out.

ix. storage tips – whole lettuce
I tend to store whole lettuces sealed in a plastic bag in the crisper section unwashed. But if you are wanting the leaves to last longer I find it’s best to separate the leaves. Wash and spin dry then wrap in paper towel and seal inside a plastic bag. I haven’t yet experimented to confirm this makes the leaves last longer but will put it on my list and report back.

crispy chilli squid salad.
serves 2

I have Missy Helgs to thank for introducing me to frozen squid hoods. I’d always a bit of a calamari snob and insisted on cleaning my own fresh from the fish market. But there is a definite benefit to having all the messy prep work done for you and the squid on call in the freezer for a last minute dinner. And the texture is surprisingly tender, apparently the freezing and thawing process actually helps with that.

If you aren’t a fan of frying, you could BBQ the squid instead. In that case skip the flour and make a little marinade with some olive oil and the chilli and toss the prepared squid through that instead before cooking on a hot BBQ plate.

1 – 2 squid hoods
2T plain flour
1/2 – 2t chilli flakes
peanut or veg oil for shallow frying
150g (5oz) snow peas (mange tout)
1 bunch mint, leaves picked
1 bunch corriander, leaves picked
1 head green oak leaf or butter lettuce, leaves picked
for the dressing:
1T dijon mustard
2T lemon juice
2T extra virgin olive oil

In the base of a large salad bowl combine dressing ingredients until creamy and season.

Cut the squid hoods down one side and open them out like a book. Score the flesh in a diamond pattern making sure you don’t cut all the way through. Cut into rough triangle shapes about as big as 2 mouthfuls. Pat dry with paper towel.

Combine flour chilli and some salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Add prepared squid and shake to coat in the flour. If you’re using 2 squid you may need a little more flour.

Cover the base of a large drying pan with a shallow layer of oil and heat until very hot. Add a piece of squid. If it sizzles rapidly add the remaining squid. If it doesn’t pull the squid out and wait until the oil is hotter. Shallow fry until squid is crispy and golden on each side. Drain on paper towel.

Toss leaves, herbs and peas through the dressing then top with the squid. I like to serve this in a big bowl in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves.

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A big THANKYOU to everyone for the support with my big career change. I need to work on my sales skills but if you’d like to support stonesoup and help keep me off the streets, you can order a copy of my cookbook ‘And the Love is Free’ HERE. Happy to ship it anywhere in the world.

I’m not very good with keeping secrets so I’ll start with the news.

On Monday I quit my day job to focus on my writing and photography (!)

I know. I know. I can still hardly believe it either, but beginning next month I’m going to be a full time blogger and writer. Every time I think about it I find myself grinning like an idiot and fighting the urge to do a little dance. I’m so excited I feel like I could teach Big Kev a thing or two about the meaning of the word.

To be fair, it’s not like I hated my job or anything. I have been blessed with a super supportive and understanding boss and the most caring team ever. And on top of that I’ve been entrusted with designing new chocolate biscuits (cookies) for Australia’s most loved brand. Oh, and did I mention was part of my job to eat chocolate on a regular basis?

Working with chocolate has been more fun than I even imagined. Before I started, I was one of those people who liked chocolate but couldn’t see why some people got so excited about it. I get it now.

So to celebrate my news I thought I’d share with you some insights and insider tips to working with chocolate & my new favourite chocolate recipe – a super simple chocolate mousse.

15 insider tips to cooking with chocolate

i. chocolate requires patience
Without a doubt the number one thing I’ve learned about chocolate is that it doesn’t like to be rushed. It senses if you’re in a hurry and does exactly the opposite of what you want.

If you’re cooking with chocolate make sure you allow yourself and the chocolate plenty of time.

ii. chocolate hates the heat
Like my ski patroller sister, chocolate is sensitive to heat. When exposed to excessive temperatures chocolate splits and becomes grainy. Once this happens it is very difficult to go back to having a bowl of lovely smooth, glossy goodness. If it happens at work I just throw it out and start again. At home I apply point (iv).

iii. how to melt chocolate and avoid splitting
-chop chocolate into SMALL pieces before melting.
-keep chocolate away from high heat. If melting alone use a double boiler (saucepan of water with a bowl over the top) or microwave on low. Only use direct heat if you are melting the chocolate with another liquid.
-avoid allowing water or steam to come into contact with the chocolate as this increases your risk of splitting.

iv. how to rescue your chocolate if it does decide to split.
If you’ve reached chocolate crisis point, stir through a spoonful of vegetable oil. I’ve found that melted butter also works but this is more risky, given that butter contains about 18% water.

v. chocolate tastes best at room temperature.
One of my favourite chocolate industry stories was how at a confectionery conference, a colleague did a test to prove that you shouldn’t keep chocolate in the fridge. He got everyone to taste 2 different samples of chocolate and then asked which they preferred. Sample 2 won unanimously. The difference? Exactly the same chocolate but sample 1 was served straight from the fridge and sample 2 at room temperature. Unless you live in the tropics and your chocolate is melting all over the place, it’s far better to keep it at room temperature. You don’t want your chocolate getting a chill.

vi. the meaning of % cocoa solids
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans which are fermented and roasted. They are then processed to separate out the husks. The first product is cocoa liquor and it can be made straight into chocolate OR pressed to separate out the fat which is called cocoa butter and the solids that are left behind are ground into cocoa powder.

A chocolate that is labelled as 70% cocoa solids must contain 70% of either cocoa butter or cocoa liquor or a blend of the two.

vii. couverture
Couverture is high quality chocolate that contains at least 32% cocoa butter.

viii. chocolate is complex
There are 6 different types of crystal that cocoa butter can form when it solidifies. Only one of them is stable. To encourage the stable crystals, chocolate is heated then cooled in a process called tempering. Well tempered chocolate is glossy and smooth and has a loud ’snap’ when you break off a square.

ix. chocolate bloom
If chocolate isn’t well tempered, there are too many of the unstable crystal forms. This means that the cocoa butter squeezes out onto the surface and you get a white mouldy looking layer. This is called bloom and while it doesn’t look the greatest, it’s just cocoa butter so it’s still perfectly safe to eat.

x. origins chocolates
Cocoa beans are grown in Africa, Asia and South America. Just like grapes and wine, the beans from different parts of the world have different flavour characteristics. Traditionally chocolate is made from a blend of beans from different parts of the world. Recently some clever chocolateers have started marketing chocolate made with beans from one particular country, such as Madagascar or Ecuador. These are termed ‘origin’ chocolates.

xi. plantation chocolates
The latest thing is to narrow things down even further and produce chocolate from beans grown on a single farm. These are ‘plantation’ chocolates.

xii. not all chocolate is produced ethically
There is a dark side to cocoa bean farming. This is the use of child labour on some cocoa plantations in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Fortunately organisations such as the World Cocoa Foundation are working with farmers to irradicate child labour while at the same time helping farmers to adopt sustainable practices and improve their incomes. To learn more the World Cocoa Foundation website is a good place to start.

xiii. vanilla & salt are chocolate’s friends
Salt enhances the chocolatey flavour and balances the sweetness. Vanilla adds a lovely smooth rounded flavour. The best quality chocolates use natural vanilla from good quality vanilla beans. If you’re using less than perfect quality chocolate, a dash of real vanilla extract can improve things no end.

xiv. cocoa butter for frying
I’ve heard that cocoa butter is excellent for frying. The fact that is tends to be a solid block at room temperature makes it trickier than olive oil. Although I have seen cocoa butter powder in a chocolate supply shop that had me intrigued.

xv. chocolate is addictive
My friend Colette was right. Chocolate is addictive – at least I can (could) put it down to being an occupational hazard

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If you’re keen to learn more I highly recommend The Science of Chocolate by Stephen Beckett as a basic technical reference on Amazon or fishpond.com.au

super simple chocolate mousse
serves 4

I love this straight from the fridge when it’s more firm and icecreamy but my guests all agreed it was more light and moussy when it had allowed to warm up a little. So probably best to remove from the fridge an hour or so before you are ready to serve. The other option is to make it and serve straight away.

If you prefer to melt your chocolate in the microwave, by all means do so but I prefer this gentle method because it doesn’t matter if I get side tracked and forget about my chocolate for a while.

100g (3oz) dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70% cocoa solids), broken into small chunks
300mL ( 10 fl oz) whipping cream
1T icing sugar
1t vanilla extract
pinch salt

Place about 2cm (1in) boiling water in the base of a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Place a heatproof bowl on the saucepan and check to make sure that the base isn’t touching the water. Add the chocolate and leave for about 5 minutes to melt, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, whip cream with icing sugar and vanilla until soft and fluffy. You don’t want it to be too firm.

Stir the chocolate and when it is all smooth add chocolate to the cream and fold through. Divide between 4 small glasses or espresso cups and refrigerate.

Remove from the fridge an hour before you’re ready to serve.