When I was sent a review copy of Delicious Food Editor Valli Little’s new book Quick Smart Cook I flicked through it eagerly and my gaze fell upon one dish in particular. You know I love quirky and putting a twist on anything and this dish put a twist on one of my favourite dishes, the Caesar Salad. It was a Caesar Salad Soup. Like a lot of Modern Australian cuisine Quick Smart Cook borrows spices and flavours from different cultures. There’s Moroccan style fish with chermoula, Blue eye with Spanish crumbs, Baja Fish Tacos, Baked Whole Salmon with Wasabi Tartare, Salmon with tomato and coconut sambal, Salmon baklava with dill butter – and that is just the fish section. Other sections use Scandinavian, Egyptian, Thai French, China, Italian and there is even a recipe for verrines which are very now.
Then there are the items I have bookmarked like prawns with bacon mayo (you know me and bacon), Instant Fondue with roast vegetables, Thai Lobster curry, salt and pepper squid and chips (the long matchstick chips are very cute), Lavender Panna cotta with Lavender shards, White chocolate mojito cheesecakes and probably my favourite named tart: the Forrest Gump tart for Mr NQN who loved the movie.
Forrest Gump tart. Life is like a box of chocolates no?
One thing that is different with this cookbook is that every single recipe has a large picture right next to it. You’ve probably heard me gristle about photos and I’m a visual person and the first thing that sets off my food lust is photographs. It’s a very simple process for me: if it makes my mouth water, I want to make it and I post it note it straight away. So fellow food porn afficianados this is good stuff indeed. Photos have clean, clear styling which is simple.
A Summer pizza
Chapters are organised by ingredient e.g. eggs, cheese, pasta, fish etc although there is a separate chapter for starters, breakfasts, vegetarian, low fat , desserts and ices. There aren’t any cooking or prep times though all recipes are designed to be quick and easy (hence the name). For ideas and quick ones at that and ones that are entirely doable and don’t require extraordinary cooking skills, this is a fantastic book.
Lobster curry
Back to the soup (recipe at the end), because I know you’ll be rather fascinated by it. It was easy to make indeed and I do happen to love anchovies in moderation so I was sure to add some. For those of you familiar with Chinese cuisine, cooked lettuce is no big deal at all and is in fact rather good but the idea of cooking an ingreident that is usually eaten raw can be mystifying to others. It’s a moot point really, the lettuce flavour was relatively mild in it and the soup resembled more of a delicious pea and ham soup with some sour cream. I found that I enjoyed it with more sour cream (although that’s no surprise is it as I love sour cream).
Summary:
Achievability: 4.5 out of 5
Usability: 4 out of 5
Degree of difficulty: Easy-Medium
Food porn score: 4.5 out of 5. Oh joy to have a large photo of every single recipe!
Post it note tabbed recipes: 16
Gift book: Yes, especially for the time poor but stylish Modern Australian home cook
And Valli has signed 4 copies of her new book and I am giving them away! All you need to do is tell me what is your quickest or smartest recipe.
**THE LUCKY WINNERS OF THE QUICK SMART COOK GIVEAWAY ARE:
ANNE C.
NATALIE D.
JENNIFER L.
JACKIE W.
CONGRATULATIONS AND ENJOY YOUR BOOK!**
The giveaway ends midnight January 16th 2010 AEST. Enter as a comment on this story and this giveaway is open to Australian residents only.
Quick Smart Cook by Valli Little is published by ABC Books and retails for $39.99
Scroll down for the Caesar Salad Soup recipe.
Menu For Hope
I received an email from the dapper Ed from Tomatom asking if I’d like to take part in this year’s Menu For Hope. I had joined in a couple of years ago and it’s a great cause. It’s an international campaign which relies on the generosity of food bloggers sourcing or donating prizes that will be used to sell virtual raffle tickets. Over two weeks, the general public have the chance to buy virtual raffle tickets for the prize of their choice for US$10 each. You will be able to purchase tickets between December 14 – 25. Any donations after this date will not qualify for entry into a prize raffle so do get in quick 
All donations will be collected by a third party, the online fundraising company First Giving.
My last prize was a set of Nigella Lawson cooking utensils and I always feel like a prize or gift should reflect the giver and recipient. Since I don’t know the recipient I thought that it should at least reflect me. The first thing I thought of food-wise was Afternoon Tea, something that I love to do and I recently went to the Sir Stamford’s Pink High Tea in October which was full of lovely little morsels, tea and a wonderful atmosphere and the Sir Stamford Hotel has kindly donated a Traditional Afternoon Tea for Two lucky people worth $80!
Prize code: AP11
Prize detail: A Traditional Afternoon Tea for Two at the Sir Stamford, Circular Quay.
The above is the Pink High Tea which is slightly different as it was a one off High Tea but please see my previous story on the regular Sir Stamford Traditional High Tea
To Donate and Enter the Menu for Hope Raffle
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Choose a bid item or bid items of your choice from our Menu for Hope main bid item list.
2. Go to the donation site at Firstgiving and make a donation.
3. Please specify which bid item you’d like in the ‘Personal Message’ section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per bid item, and please use the bid item code. Each US$10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a bid item of your choice. For example, a donation of US$50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02 – 2xEU01, 3xEU02.
4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match. (This isn’t relevant to Australian bidders)
5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we can contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.
Read more: http://www.tomatom.com/#ixzz0ZwZYF6IS
Caesar Salad Soup
Serves 4-6
- 6 pancetta slices (I used bacon)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1-2 anchovy fillets, chopped (optional)
- 1 potato (about 200g), peeled, chopped
- 3 cups (750ml) chicken stock
- 200g frozen peas
- 1 cos lettuce, outer leaves discarded, thinly shredded
- 1/4 cup (20g) grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
- 2 tablespoons sour light cream
- Toasted Sourdough croutons, to serve
1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Lay 4 slices of pancetta on a baking tray, then cover with a sheet of baking paper and top with another tray to keep it flat. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until crisp, then break into shards and set aside for serving.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Chop the remaining pancetta and add to the pan with the onion, garlic and anchovy and cook for 2-3 minutes until onion has softened. Add the potato and stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until potato has softened.
3. Add the peas and lettuce and simmer for 2 minutes until the lettuce has wilted. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Stir in the parmesan and season, then use a stick blender to puree the soup until smooth (or cool slightly, then puree in batches in a blender and return to the pan). Warm through over low heat or serve chilled. Divide among bowls, drizzle with sour cream, then serve with crisp pancetta shards, croutons and extra parmesan.
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104 Comments | Add your own
what an interesting way of transforming a traditional salad! great colors!
What a fabulous looking book! I love the idea of a Caesar salad soup.
I love that soup! What did you hear about Texas? I’m so curious!
Oh I have been eyeing off that cookbook.
My quick and easy recipe? Toast. With vegemite.
Perhaps I need that cookbook more than I think!
Quickest recipe? Greek burgers.
- Take minced beef
- Slice up olives
- Crumble feta
- Combine ingredients, grill
- Add to your favourite bread, a salad, and lose your mind.
My favourite quick smart meal is something I make almost every week after work. I make pizzas on wholemeal wraps, with pasta sauce for the base, and my favourite topping is currently asparagus, mushroom, rocket, capsicum and goats cheese. Soo tasty and also insanely easy and fast. I just put it on baking paper to cook so it gets crispy fast, which also means less washing up
Loving the sound of the recipes from that book, the fish ones alone sound wonderful.
I’m excited to bid in the auction too, what a great prize for such a worthy cause!
Caesar Salad Soup!!!!! With crispy bacon!!! Oh my gosh I’m salivating. But that Forrest Gump tart had me at hello……. very very interesting dish! And good on yah (and everyone else!) for partaking in the Menu for Hope!
Caesar salad SOUP???? How interesting indeed! I had to doubel check to make sure that I read the title correctly
Hmm one of my ‘quickest’ recipes would have to be omlettes packed with protein and vegies! Simple, quick yet delicious!
What a brilliant concept,,, I adored the thought of a Ceasar Salad Soup and the promise of finally having a cookbook that also presented some scandinavian recipes is a delight,,,
The Caesar soup is a wonderful idea, and it looks great. The new delicious book also looks fantastic, and there’s nothing better than large pictures in a book to drool over, especially when you are planning to make the dish.
OMG, the bacon! That is definitely an interesting twist on one of my favourite things.
I do love recipe books with pictures. I actually choose my recipe books with the amount of pictures in them. The books need to be pleasing in order to get your mother salivating, otherwise there is no need to even browse
Another great and hungry-making post!
Quickest and smartest? I’ll have to enter one of my partner’s recipe. Since he’s never been shy about cooking lettuce, I think it’s appropriate to offer one of his recipes, though no lettuce in this one.
Art’s Thai French Toast
Add a splash of soy sauce, some chopped coriander and a bit of salt and pepper to beaten eggs. Make French toast usual way, serve with sweet chilli and lime. Bread can be replaced with slices of vegie, such as sweet potato or pumpkin. It’s fantastic!
awwww you beat me to making this recipe!
I love the book =)
and I know my boyfriend will love this soup, as he is obsessed with caesar salad… i might have to add chunks of chicken though
‘Forest Gump Tart’, lol! Make a nice chocolate tart and plonk some expensive chocolates on top. Why hadn’t I thought of doing that before?!
Caesar Salad ….soup? Wow!
Must try to put it together!
Already drooling thinking about it and seeing the colourful photos – that’s what your pics are doing to me….
Time poor? That’s me. But oh how I love cooking! I’ve bought “quick” recipe books before, but they all have the same old, same old. It would be nice to have some different options to choose from.
Valli Little Cookbook Comp.
My favorite quick recipe:
Spicy citrus salmon:
2 salmon cutlets
2 tablespoons yellow curry paste
3 tablespoons marmalade
Olive oil for cooking
Blend marmalade & curry paste together until mixed well, coat fish and leave for 30mins to marinate.
Cook fish on the bbq or grill pan until cooked to liking.
Serve with Asian greens.
Note: if you use a chucky marmalade you will end up with yummy pieces of caramelized peel on top of the fish.
I cook this lot and always get rave reviews.
My quickest easiest recipe is a Taco Salad, you cook chicken Mince as you would for tacos adding taco seasoning, set aside to cool.. chop up a salad of lettuce, tomato, avacado, spanich onion, red capsicum, a lebanese cucumber..drizzle with a bit of lime oil (Or just a lime if you don’t have lime oil), crunch up a abag of original cornchips and toast gently in the over, combine the chicken mince, salad and cornchips and serve in bowls topping with grated cheese, taco sauce and sour cream…looks disgusting, tastes devine and soo easy to make!
I love any recipes that are quick and tasty. My favourite one was given to me by my Mother.
Salmon Fillet with Wholegrain Mustard
Spread each salmon fillet with a good French wholegrain mustard (I use Maille) and grill. Serve on top of mashed potato or with stir fried veggies or salad. Delish!
Hooray for Delicious.
Quickest? Baked beans on toast, with a sprinkling of cheese on top!
Smartest AND quickest? Sardinas a la plancha. This is a smart dish because fish oils are so good for your brain
The Forrest Gump cake is genius. I am going to have to remember the idea of putting glorious chocolate truffles on top of a chocolate cake like that. Talk about gilding the lily. And worth every calorie to boot.
Hey.. I’m a huge fan of forest gump.. hehe have you ever been to the chain restaurant? I love, love tarts….. oh my oh my.. would you say tarts resemble a cookie type recipe?
Wow ceasar salad soup! My quickest recipe would have to be a fave of the boy – spaghetti bolognese! just make a huge batch of the sauce, freeze and keep handy. Then you just need to reheat and boil pasta!
hi dear, caesar salad’s also my utmost fave salad choice! n how interesting to have it in soup form! thanks for sharing, this is really interesting
n the hightea platter looks yummy! i had hightea @ the Hotel Windsor in melb & at Langham Hotel – pretty yummy and really prettily presented on a 3-tiered platter too!
I recently went highteaing @ TWG Tea Salon & Cafe in Singapore. N its really fun to see the no. of tea choices! i chose their Darjeeling Princess tea. scones were pretty good too
Cooked lettuce always makes me think of feeding tadpoles, but this looks far too classy. It’s nice and quirky too.
The soup and book look great (as does the menu for hope). My quick meal would have to be vodka pasta – it’s my first choice for a lazy night’s dinner.
I just love the Forest Gump Chocolate Tart…what a great way to make a simple cake or tart into a truly decadent dessert YUM!!
My quickest recipe: “Sum Chow Mein” – some mince browned with some rice, some Indian curry powder, and some onion. Add some shredded cabbage and chicken noodle soup pack and some soy sauce and some water. Cook and eat some. It’s awe-some!
Loving the post it note review guide!!! Have you ever thought of adding number of pages with food splash… A sign of a well loved cook book!
Wow – this looks fab. I totally agree about the 1:1 ratio of recipe to photos. My fastest meal is a Spinach and Walnut Pesto Pasta dish. The time-limiting step is the cooking of the pasta! Can be made while the kids are in the bath.
Ha ha, you know it took me quite a while to figure out that my favourite stir-fried vegetable dish (I think mum calles it yau mak) was actually baby cos? This soup looks fabulous, might even get the kids to eat it without realising what’s in it
My favourite quick dish is fresh tomato pasta – fresh tomatoes marinated with lemon juice, garlic, chilli, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, srved over hot pasta and topped with slivers of parmesan cheese (from a Bill Grainger recipe). Yum!
We cook lots of Asian meals in our home so my fave would have to be my quick Kung Pao chicken with peanuts and fluffy white rice, its actually really easy and everyone loves it!
marinate chicken thighs in cornflour and shaoxing
cook chillies in oil until they are dark
remove chillies from oil and the pop in chicken garlic ginger splash of light and dark soy sesame oil and a splash of dark chinese vinegar add half a cup of chicken stock if you like it soupy, then just sprinkle with peanuts and chopped spring onions.
My favourite quick and smart dish is a chilli tuna penne pasta from the Jamie Oliver iPhone app. It’s devine and oh so quick … And smart
My quickest meal is from the Marie Claire Fresh and Fast cookbook. It is risoni with tuna and pesto
Tin of tuna
100g risoni
100g rocket
Few spoonfuls of store bought pesto
Tablespoon lemon juice.
Quick, quick, quick and so delicious!
My quick and smart recipe would be making plain scones or scones with a twist. Too easy!
Quick meals demand great ingredients.
Peal the skin from the best sausages you can afford and roll filling into small balls. Fry chopped onion and garlic in a pan with olive oil. Add meatballs and brown. Then add canned tomatoes,fresh coriander and a splash of brandy (optional). Boil pasta al dente and toss through sauce. Yum!
Recipe books with photos for every recipe are the best! My smartest recipe is actually Nigella’s, za’atar chicken. Just mix some za’atar with oil and throw in some thigh fillets. Marinate overnight then roast, almost effortless and fabulous with fattoush which is also quick and easy.
pasta with a quick sauce:
anchovie with garlic sauteed in olive oil throw in chopped tomato and toss in some torn basil leaves, salt and pepper and your done- yummo
My quickest meal – beans on toast!
i have to say, that summer pizza is just beautiful. this soup isn’t too hard on the eyes, either…but maybe that’s the sight of bacon talking.
Interesting twist on a favourite caesar. Scrambled eggs with garlic mushrooms is a good quickie for me.
This looks like such a great cookbook. Caesar salad soup is a great idea, since I love new twists on classic recipes! And that Forrest Gump tart is so much fun! I’ve never heard of Menu for Hope until now…it sounds like a great cause…I’m off to check it out!
How fascinating is the idea of the caesar salad soup! I definitely have to try it!
This book looks fantastic I have been trying to get into salads maybe this will help me along,
My quick and easy recipe is a one bowl chocolate cake! Hardly any washing up, quick and yummy! And all of it always gets eaten!
I agree. I hate cookbooks without pictures! Is that pink flower pot thingy a cake?? What a cute idea!
How creative. That Ceasar Salad Soup looks wonderful.
oh wow, the Caesar Salad soup actually looks really appealing to me. I love the traditional caesar salad, I love soup and HELLO I love lettuce in soup (I know this sounds weird but my mum used to soak lettuce in stock and I’d eat the whole pot LOL)… right up my alley
I must admit that I did a bit of a double-take when I saw the title pop up on my Google Reader! But this is worlds away from the lettuce soup my mum used to serve up. It looks so thick and delicious–yum!
I am also loving the Forrest Gump tart. Very clever!
My quick-smart recipe is apple enchiladas which are a great dessert or snack when people pop by unexpectedly.
You get a can of apple (what is sold for pie-filling) and mix it with a little cinnamon and sugar. Then you spoon it onto some wheat tortillas and roll them up.
Lay the roll-up enchiladas in a pan and spoon a little melted butter and sugar over the top and bake in the oven until lightly browned.
These are perfect served with ice cream and cream.
P.S I secretly read cookbooks in the bath and just lust over the glossy photographs. It’s vicarious eating!
My quickest and easiest recipe is Broccoli & Cauliflower Soup. Just steam broccoli and cauliflower and blend with warm vegetable stock. Season and serve with a dollop of greek yoghurt & a sprinkling of dukkah.
Total yum.
Yum! What a great idea! I make a ‘garden salad soup’ when there’s leftover salad that’s gone soggy. It works a treat! I’ve never thought to make one form scratch though, Valli Little always comes up with clever ideas.
Love your presentation with the bacon draped around the bowl – yum!
Caesar Soup, brilliant!
My quick recipe?
Either lavosh bread spread with pizza bases sauce cheese and anything else you love, popped in the oven till the cheese bubbles.
OR
A bed of brown rice topped with chopped tomatoes- this then warmed in the microwave. Then topped with diced spanish onion, corriander and caesar dressing. YUM
Caesar Salad Soup – now that caught my eye! It looks really interesting, even though I’m not convinced on the soggy lettuce (then again, I can’t eat cereal for the same reason, so it could just be me!)
Loving the caesar salad soup.
When Mr Mélanger ‘allows’ me to cook dinner during the week (read: typically his domain!), I will make my favourite weeknight dish. Chicken Piccata. Chicken breast scaloppine, pan fried in butter, then returned to the pan in a reduced sauce of capers, lemon, and white wine. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with pasta. Delicious!
Wow great looking cookbook. My favourite quick recipe is simply boiled pasta with butter and parmesan cheese. Yum and super quick.
My favourite quick smart dish is simply white fish fillets poached in a pan with orange juice. Serve with homemades wedges and salad. Too easy!
my detox dinner – blanched spinach, brown rice, and instant miso soup with tofu and seaweed. U dont even have to turn the stove on. Best ever.
i tried this in new york a few years ago… it a great idea…keep up the great work.. i love you food blog
I keep the freezer stocked with curries, pasta sauce and stews so in a hurry I can just cook rice, pasta or cous cous for a quick healthy dinner.
I love all the Delicious series books – they are so home-cook friendly! And what a great looking and sounding soup! I love caesar salad so surely I’ll like this soup too!
Oh – ceasar salad soup – this is where I go “ner ner ner ner ner”. Soup was devised by a Japanese New York Chef 10yrs ago (?) Noriyuki Sugie. The recipe was promptly picked up by the Japanese Chefs who I think now work at Galileo Restaurant at the Observatory Hotel before they went to the Hotel and were running 7 restaurant at 7 Bridge St. and I had it there as the apertif in 2002. The way I found this post is because I am making this very recipe for all my christmas guests tonight! (although the Noriyuki version)
quick and smart recipe – simple stir-fry. I use any leftover chicken or veg but always use onion and coriander. I stirfry a little ginger, garlic and add tofu; splash a little soy, sherry or oyster sauce and add vegies. sometimes even throw in cooked 2 minute noodles! very easy and healthy.
LOVE THE LOOK OF THIS BOOK!
When the pictures are delicious makes you want to cook them
My quick smart recipe? Japanese silken tofu with oyster sauce and fragrant garlic oil. All cooked in the microwave! I always have a box of silken tofu in my fridge and whenever I run out of dishes to make or when I’m too lazy, I always make this dish. It’s simple and healthy.
I’d just like to win because January 16 is my birthday.
Wow, thanks for the opportunity to win Valli’s book. I’m a new reader to your blog and I’m really enjoying it. The interview with Valli was great for this long time Delicious reader.
Lisa G
sorry, forgot to add my quick recipe. At the moment I’m making a tomato and basil quiche quite often – great for summer and quick to mix up with the help of my 3 year old
Lisa
My favourite quick smart recipe is an entree of roasted pear with proscuitto and blue cheese…. Peel,halve and core pears. Spoon of creamy blue cheese in core hole then wrap with strip of proscuitto. Place on baking tray and bake at 180 for approx, 12 mins. Serve on wild baby rocket leaves and drizzle with a mix of warmed honey and evoo.
Never fails to impress!!!
Sphaghetti Bolognaise as it’s quick and easy to cook and even quicker to eat.
My smartest recipe is the one I use when I’m in and out of the house; ie playgroup in the mornings, gymnastics at lunch with a 1 hour break to get dinner together before school pick up, 1hour break before swimming and the kids are a hungry horde then. Cheat’s Hainanese Chicken Rice. I boil up stock ( Campbells and add extra water and add more Massel’s stock powder). Rub ginger powder and salt over chicken ( whole and about 1.4 kg) and cavity. Insert some ginger slices and spring onions in cavity. Pop bird in breast side down. Simmer for 20 minutes, Switch off, leave bird in stock and forget about it for about a couple of hours. Take bird out, chop up later. Fry garlic, ginger and use some stock to cook rice. Pop veggies in the rest of stock and boil. A relatively healthy dinner with not that much preparation needed and do not need to hover over the stove. Serve with store bought chilli sauce or if you’re lucky like me, my mum in law’s home made chilli sauce.
Yum! Lots of delicious recipes to try out.
Perfect for a summer BBQ.
My own quick and easy recipe is french onion dip! An 80’s classic
Phili cheese, packet of french onion soup & a halved scouped out pineapple to serve. Always a winner!
My favourite quick and easy dinner is pasta with a simple tomato, garlic and basil sauce.
You simply cook the pasta, while that’s bubbling away, fry some pancetta or bacon pieces with some chopped garlic, throw in a tin of diced tomatoes and let it reduce slightly while draining the pasta and then mix everything together, add some chopped basil and serve. It’s delicious and fresh.
I’m always on the lookout for quick, gorgeous looking and delicious recipes. I lead a very busy lifestyle and have two young boys. My quick meal is a boiled egg with toast. I’d love the chance to win this book.
My *really* quick recipe is my emergency office lunch:
½ packet of microwave brown basmati rice + tin of tuna and if it’s a special day (haha) I add a little can of corn.
Ready in 2 minutes and the second half of the rice freezes really well and I just keep a second tin of tuna in my desk draw. I’ve now got 3 others in my office doing it too!
My quickest recipe is grilled cheese on toast. Yep its easy and quick and delicious – not exactly gourmet. But really tasty with cayenne pepper sprinkled on top!
Ohh. Cheese on a plate and put under the grill. Quick but the plate is hard to clean.
My quick & smart recipe has to be my prawn saag (prawn and spinach curry). Its a storecupboard special. Fry a roughly chopped onion in a little oil for a few minutes, add 2 tablespoons of Pataks Madras curry paste (cheating I know) and stir. Then add 1 defrosted pack of frozen spinach or two bags of baby leaf spinach and as many prawns as you like. Cook until spinach is heated and prawns are cooked. Add a squeeze of lemon. All finished by the time your rice is cooked!
I love mixing a little butter through some hot spaghetti, and then topping it with some good parmesan, salt and ground pepper. It is the ultimate comfort food, and easy and quick to boot!
my quick & smart recipe would be crispy skin salmon –
- cut into skin (like this: http://theocdisorder.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/salmon.jpg ) [not my pic!]
- rub some salt
- oil in pan
- put salmon skin side first for around 4mins & then turn over, cook for 3mins
- drizzle with lemon / olive oil / balsamic vinegar
- serve with salad / veges
soooo easy & fast to make if I finish late from work!
What do you do with left over schiaffoni pasta and chilli sin carne? Rustle up a grill lasagne. Cut up the tubes of pasta to make 2 sheets,and alternate pasta, chilli and grated cheese (in place of bechamel) to make two layers. Top with cheese, pop under a grill and let brown. Enjoy with some basil….super delish
My quick and smart recipe is:
Chop up fresh tomato, basil and garlic and combine with some basalmic and olive oil, let sit for 10 minutes , then toss with pasta and sprinkle with parmesan sheese. Tastes of summer!
Looks like a great cookbook!
One of my favourite quick and easy recipes that still tastes really quite special, is from Donna Hay, and is basically a baked chicken breast on a slice of eggplant, with sliced tinned tomatoes mixed with balsamic vinegar and brown sugar with capers.
That soup looks delicious.
Can I cheat and link my favourite easy meal? It’s all about the quality of the ingredients, and is ready in as long as it takes to boil water and cook pasta.
It’s called Lemony Ricotta Pasta:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/pasta/recipe-lemony-ricotta-pasta-with-basil-057215
Chinese Pear and Grilled Cheese Sandwich is my family favourite. Mum used to make them while we we young.
Heat frying pan over medium to low heat. Spread butter on 1 side of each slice of sourdough bread. When pan is warm, add 1 bread buttered side down, then top with 1 slice natural cheese, followed by Chinese pear slices and finally another slice of Cheese. Close with second bread, buttered side up. Cook until bread is toasted and cheese melted, about 5 minutes per side. Nice and easy. Yummy!
I even have a little “cheesy” poem to go with this recipe.
Chinese pear gives the perfect crunch,
Natural Cheese guarantees a yummy munch,
Quick, healthy snack that packs a punch,
There’s no excuse to skip brunch!
Cheers…
My quickest and smartest recipe is a crab pasta that I learnt at the Sydney fish market seafood school. Red onion, sambal olek, crab and preserved lemon. Delicious and oh so impressive.
I love Delicious – it’s the only mag I buy.
Here’s my quick’n easy pasta:
1 drained jar pitted kalamata olives
1 drained jar char grilled capsicum
4 rashes bacon, crisply fried in chilli oil
Toss it all together with a tin of crushed roma tomatos
cook down while the pasta is cooking
Throw the sauce into the drained pasta with some freshly shaved parmesan
YUM
My quick, easy meal would be fridge pasta.
Make a sauce of everything left over in the fridge. If I have olives and feta I’ll do Greek spices. Mushrooms and mince would turn into spag bol or a cheaters stroganoff. Carrots and snow peas I’d do a sesame peanut dressing. Super quick, delicious and never the same twice, its a definite go-to meal for us at least every other week.
Delicious magazine is always inspiring. I think it may have inspired my favourite quick cook recipe too.
2 ocean trout fillets
1 teaspoon of gluten free soy sauce mixed with one teaspoon grated ginger and 2 tablspoons of sweet chilli sauce
pour over fish and bake in oven for 10 minutes at 180 degrees
Serve with steamed rice and green vegetables
Ricotta and Leek Tarts
Make a mix of fresh ricotta cheese, grated parmesan cheese, egg, cracked pepper. Slice some leeks finely. Cut a sheet of frozen pre packed puff pastry into 4. Top with ricotta mix and leeks. Put into hot oven until pastry crispy.Top with fresh thyme. So quick and delicious and sensational with drinks. Everyone loves them
I leave for work early, and get home late with a hungry self and hungry husband to feed, my quick smart recipe is frittata. Beat some eggs add milk/cream/yoghurt (whatever I have) plus chopped bacon/ham/white cheese/pumpkin/tomato/leftover pasta etc (ie whatever is in the fridge) put in fry pan and cook 2-3 mins until mostly set then put under grill for 2-3 mins, serve with salad, bread, or just on its own if you are feeling really lazy!
I just love making my “quick” minestrone – the time goes into to chopping, so lots of rough chopping of veges.
quickly fry some chopped leek in olive oil with bacon, add a couple of litres of vege stock, chopped carrot, celery, some white tinned beans and whatever elese tickles my fancy, a jar of tomato puree and maybe a tin of whole tomatoes and simmer til I want to eat it!
This is THE quickest and most delicious!!!!!!
Grilled Asparagus with Poached Egg and Garlic Butter. YUM!!!!!!
Heat butter until browning, add garlic, anchovy, lemon juice, pepper. Poach eggs. Chargrill asparagus and baste with olive oil. Put asparagus on plate, top with poached egg, drizzle with garlic butter and shaved parmesan cheese on top. My mouth is watering now!!!!! I would love to win this gorgeous book
My quick meal is throw a steak on the grill for 3 minutes on each side. While the steak is on the grill. Whip up pepper sauce, with stock and peppercorn. And wash some salad. And that a delicious 10 minutes meal.
I have a quick nibbly ‘recipe’ that you can make when people arrive unexpectedly for a drink.
take a sheet of puff pastry, spread with pesto (i like to divide the sheet in half & use basil pesto on one half & sundried tomato on the other half). sprinkle with parmesan, fold and cut into palmiers and bake in hot oven.
everyone – even kids – loves these and they are so quick you can be chatting and pouring drinks while quickly whipping up a batch!
Love the book! The summer pizza looks great.
yummo!
I bought this for my son for christmas and he loves it – should have kept it!!
When your desperate for afternoon tea mix 3 cups SR flour, 2/3 cup cream, 2/3 cup cream 1 tbspn baking powder and 1 tspn salt. Mix till just combined and pat out till 2cm thick. Cut out 8 scones and bake 10-15 mins on 220C. YUM
I bought this for my son for christmas and he loves it – should have kept it!!
When your desperate for afternoon tea mix 3 cups SR flour, 2/3 cup cream, 2/3 cup lemonade 1 tbspn baking powder and 1 tspn salt. Mix till just combined and pat out till 2cm thick. Cut out 8 scones and bake 10-15 mins on 220C. YUM
My quickest recipe is one from my childhood – cooked white rice (normally from the freezer and heated up), topped with a fried egg, and a splash of soy sauce. Perfect for those evenings when I can’t summon up any energy beyond frying an egg!
SMOKED TROUT PATE/SPREAD
Smoked trout, cream cheese, lemon juice, chives, cayenne. Mix together…..Heaven, I’m in Heaven…….So good on crusty bread, crackers, toast…..going to make some NOW!!!!!
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