Honeyed Baby Carrots

For some strange reason, I really like mini-sized food, and baby carrots are no exception.

They're sweet and tender all by themselves, but a small bit of honey gives them a nice glaze and the lemon and mustard punches up the flavour.

• 2 fistfuls of baby carrots, washed
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon butter
• Freshly ground black pepper and salt

Whisk together the honey, mustard, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Cook carrots in salted water until just tender. Drain and return to pot and add the butter, along with the rest of the seasonings and mix well. Serve with the spiced almond crusted fish.

Asparagus Pesto Pasta

This is most definitely a leftover mash-up. I have some pesto sitting in my fridge from the mozzarella and cherry tomato salad, week-old somewhat flaccid asparagus and a random assortment of pasta.

• 3 tablespoons pesto (you can make it yourself or use storebought)
• 1 bunch asparagus, washed and cut into 1.5 inch segments
• 2 servings pasta
• Grated parmesan reggiano
• Freshly ground black pepper and salt

In a large pot, cook asparagus in salted water till just tender. Scoop the cooked asparagus from the water and set aside. In the same water, boil pasta till al dente and drain.

Return the pasta and asparagus to the pot, add pesto and give it a good stir to mix everything up. There's no need to add more olive oil as the oil from the pesto should be enough. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with a sprinkle of parmesan.

Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

Butternut squash is just da bomb. Together with some leftover carrot and a few pieces of sundried tomatoes for extra oomph, it's a perfect lazy day dinner.

Serves 2 for a meal and 4 for an appetiser.

• 1/2 a butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 2 carrots, peeled and cubed
• 4 small red onions, sliced
• 3 sundried tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon of thyme
• 400 ml chicken stock
• 1/4 cup cream
• Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a pot over medium heat and saute onions till soft and translucent. Add squash and carrots and mix well. Add the stock, and top up with water if needed to cover everything. Throw in the sundried tomatoes, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are tender.

When the vegetables are tender, season with salt to taste, and add the cream. Pour the whole lot into a blender and whizz until you get a smooth creamy soup.

Lemon-Scented Broccoli

Hated by George Bush, loved by me. And since I'm no Bush fan, more power to me.

• 1 small head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized piece
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice and rind of half a lemon
• Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the lemon juice, rind, olive oil, salt and pepper until emulsified. Alternatively, you can use a jar with a screw on cap and shake well.

Cook broccoli in salted boiling water until tender, then drain and let cool slightly. Toss the broccoli in the vinaigrette and serve with the black pepper and mushroom steak.

Other healthy things:

• Spiced braised lamb shanks with grilled vegetables
• Crabmeat waldorf salad
• Spice-rubbed grilled chicken salad
• Garlic herb shrimp with a potato and french bean salad

Garlic Herb Shrimp with a Potato and French Bean Salad

It's a public holiday and the weather is sunny but cool. Perfect for a cold salad lunch.

Mrs O is cooking dinner today and I'm super excited for her. It'll be nice to get together and chit chat with all the peeps.

This serves 2 for an entree and 4 for an appetiser.

For the salad:

• 4 small potatoes
• A fistful of french beans, cut into 3-inch sections
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon roasted garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon Italian herb mix (you can get this at Cold Storage in tubes)
• Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
• 2 handfuls salad greens

Boil the potatoes with skin on until tender, then cut into bite-sized cubes. Do the same for the french beans and let them cool to room temperature.

To make the dressing, whisk together the creme fraiche, mustard, roasted garlic paste and herbs and season to taste with pepper and salt.

Chuck the cooled potatoes and french beans into the dressing, mix well and place in the fridge to chill while you make the shrimp.

• 8 large tiger prawns
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons Italian herb mix
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground salt and pepper

Peel and devein the prawns, and season with 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and stirfry the prawns, along with all the seasoning juices. Be careful not to overcook and remove the prawns from heat once they turn red. Let cool to room temperature.

To assemble the salad, place a handful of salad greens on a plate and spoon a mound of potato and french beans over. Arrange the prawns on top and drizzle with the leftover prawn juices.

Smelly garlicky deliciousness. Remember the mouthwash before kissing!

Other healthy things:

• Spiced braised lamb shanks with grilled vegetables
• Crabmeat waldorf salad
• Spice-rubbed grilled chicken salad
• Black pepper and mushroom steak with lemon-scented broccoli

Rosy Borscht

Man... I've been putting this off for ages and the beets and parsnips in the fridge are almost qualifying for senior citizen benefits.

This version is more vegetable based, with only the beef or chicken stock providing the meat factor. However, if you prefer a meatier soup, start by simmering a slab of stewing beef in the stock. When nice and tender, shred fine and set aside. Then follow the recipe below, making sure that the vegetables are finely diced and sliced. Skip the blending and add the beef strips at the end for a chunky meat and veggie soup.

Serves 2 for a meal and 4 as an appetizer:

• 500ml beef or chicken broth
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 beetroot, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 parsnip, diced
• 1 potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Sour cream
• Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic till soft and translucent.

Add beets, carrots, parsnip, potato and bay leaf and mix well.

Add the beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 50 minutes to an hour until vegetables are tender.

Add the cabbage, leek, dill and vinegar and continue to simmer for another 10 - 15 minutes till cooked through. Season with freshly ground salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the bay leaf and pour the contents of the pot into a food processor and blend till thick and smooth. If you prefer a chunky soup, skip the blending and serve as is.

Dot with a glob of sour cream for some flavour and contrast and serve hot.

More for the last meal:

• Buttermilk pancakes
• Perfect scrambled eggs
• Saffron-scented pumpkin and apple soup
• Panfried foie gras with a balsamic raspberry reduction
• Crabmeat pasta in a creamy tomato sauce
  
• Shrimp paella
• Triple chocolate cake
  
• Lemon meringue pie

Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

I'm giving gnocchi another chance, and trying out Cuz from Canada's suggestion.

Panfried in butter, then finished off with some lemon juice at the end, the sauce is a classic French brown butter sauce. The green zucchini and mushrooms should make for a nice light complement.

I'm making this as a side, so have ready 2 small portions of gnocchi for this recipe.

• 1/2 zucchini, diced
• 5 mushrooms, sliced
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper and salt

Cook gnocchi in a large pot of salted water until they float to the surface.

In the meantime, saute zucchini and mushrooms with 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan until tender. Remove from pan and set aside.

When the gnocchi are cooked, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and saute gnocchi until the butter browns slightly. Add the cooked zucchini and mushrooms and toss well. Add the lemon juice right at the end, along freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste and serve immediately.

Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables

Zucchini is in season it seems. Saw some super fresh fat green and yellow ones at the supermarket, which means grilled veggies is the order of the day.

This stuff is fabulous. Simple, but the freshness and flavour of the vegetables come through so well. It makes a great side on it's own, or as a salad tossed with a bit of balsamic vinagrette. You can even stack them up, scatter some of your favourite cheese and tomato sauce in between the layers and grill in a hot oven till cheese melts for a mixed vegetable parmagiana.

I like to make up a big batch and store it in the fridge because they're even yummy cold.

• 1 green zucchini
• 1 yellow zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 eggplant
• 5 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• Freshly ground black pepper

Cut the vegetable into 1cm slices and toss with olive oil, oregano, salt and black pepper. Toss until the seasoning and oil evenly coats the vegetables.

Heat a grill pan on high heat. Start with the peppers because they take the longest to cook, 5 minutes on each slice. Then grill the zucchini and eggplant, 2 minutes on each side. Resist the urge to move the vegetables or flip them around constantly, so that you get nice clean grill marks.

Saffon-Scented Pumpkin and Apple Soup

Seeing how the weather has been lately, hot soup on a cold day in front of the TV sure sounds like a plan to me.

That said, it's freakin' hard to get skin off a pumpkin. Vegetable peelers are too wimpy, you'll need to wield a big-ass knife for the job. I haven't figured out an easier way to do it, except to bake or boil the whole damn thing then scoop out the soft flesh afterwards. But that requires more pots and pans and hence more wash up, so I'm sticking with the big-ass knife and some elbow grease.

For this recipe, I've added some red apple for a hint of sweetness. And because I have such a shitload of saffron, I'm going to pimp this out with a ton of the stuff.

Serves 4 (meal) or 6 (appetizer):

• 600g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 red apple, peeled and diced
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped (can be replaced with 1 tablespoon roasted garlic paste)
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 3 tablespoons hot water for 30 minutes
• 1/2 cup cream
• Freshly ground salt and black pepper

In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute onion and garlic till fragrant and translucent, then add the pumpkin and apple and mix well.

Add the chicken stock, saffron water and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 1 hour until the pumpkin is cooked through and tender.

Add the cream and mix well, then pour the entire contents of the pot into a blender and hit frappe! You should get a fine texture and creamy consistency. Ladle into bowls and top off with a little swirl of cream for a pretty finish.

More for the last meal:

• Buttermilk pancakes
• Perfect scrambled eggs
• Rosy borscht
• Panfried foie gras with a balsamic raspberry reduction
• Crabmeat pasta in a creamy tomato sauce
  
• Shrimp paella
• Triple chocolate cake
  
• Lemon meringue pie

Mozzarella and Cherry Tomato Salad with a Basil Pesto Dressing

A classic combination that never goes wrong. This is like a quickie Vegas wedding with a twist - fast and easy, but with no regrets.

Use fresh buffalo mozzarella, or to amp up the cute kawaii factor, try bocconcini, which are basically baby-sized balls of the same thing.

If you don't have time or can't be arsed to make your own dressing, just use any pre-made pesto thinned out with a little olive oil to get the right consistency.

Serves 2:

• 1 large ball of mozzarella or 10 bocconcini
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• A large handful of fresh basil
• A handful of pine nuts, toasted
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground salt and pepper

In a food processor, whizz the pine nuts until finely and evenly chopped. Add basil leaves and continue to whizz until it's a fine even paste. Add olive oil to thin out until it's a thin pouring consistency and season to taste with salt and pepper. Empty into a salad bowl.

Tear the mozzarella into bite-sized cubes or halve the bocconcini. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and dump everything into the salad bowl with the dressing. Toss until mixed evenly and serve.

Other items on the Red, White and Ooohhh menu:

• Grilled red pepper and sundried tomato pasta
• Boeuf bourguignon with mashed potatoes
• White chocolate and cherry cupcakes
• Red rubies in coconut milk  
• Raspberry macarons with a buttercream filling
• Cream scones with homemade raspberry preserves and freshly made whipped cream

Grilled Red Pepper and Sundried Tomato Pasta

Homemade roasted peppers are just the bestest of the best. I occasionally make large batches of these and store in jars with olive oil. They keep well and make great additions to salads, pasta and just generally everything.

To roast the peppers, simply grill them whole over the stovetop until the skins have blackened in the fire. In my case, since my stovetop is a hotplate, I'm just placing them on the hotplate till they get as blackened as possible, then using my butane torch to finish off the job.

Pop the peppers into a plastic bag for a few minutes. This lets the steam loosen the skins from the peppers. Then remove them and peel skins off, slice them to remove the stem and seeds, and you're ready to rock and roll.

Serves 2:

• 1 roasted bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 2 pieces of sundried tomatoes, sliced into strips
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• A pinch of chilli flakes or 1 teaspoon finely diced red chilli
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Splash of white wine
• Freshly ground salt and black pepper

Heat olive oil in a saucepan and saute garlic and chilli till soft and fragrant. Add peppers and sundried tomatoes and mix well. Add a splash of white wine and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Throw in the cooked pasta and toss till well coated, and sprinkle your choice of crumbled feta or grated parmesan reggiano over before serving.

Other items on the Red, White and Ooohhh menu:

• Mozzarella and cherry tomato salad
• Boeuf bourguignon with mashed potatoes
• White chocolate and cherry cupcakes
• Red rubies in coconut milk
• Raspberry macarons with a buttercream filling
• Cream scones with homemade raspberry preserves and freshly made whipped cream

Mediterranean Salad

This brings the best of everything mediterranean into one big-ass bowl.

The tartness of the tomatoes is complemented with the milky saltiness of the feta cheese and enhanced with the smokiness of the olives and sundried tomatoes.

You can use ready made italian dressing or any of your favourites. But if you have time, home made dressing is always the yummiest.

Here's what you need for 8 people:

• 10 - 12 ripe roma tomatoes
• 10 basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup olives
  1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 block greek feta cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Italian herb mix (Chop or pound basil, oregano, thyme and parsley into a superfine mix, almost resembling a paste. Alternatively, you can buy the paste in tubes at Cold Storage.)

To make dressing, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, tomato paste and Italian herbs until emulsified. If you don't have a wire whisk, shaking the ingredients in a jar with a screw-on cap works just as well.

Toss all the ingredients in a large bowl, pour on the dressing and mix well with your hands.

That's pretty much it. Hassle-free and utterly deliciouso!

See the rest of the BBQ Bonanza menu here:

• Roasted garlic hummus
• Mussels in white wine broth
• Singaporean BBQ chicken wings
• Fish in lemon, butter and dill sauce
• Honey, mustard and herb beef kebabs 
• Mediterranean salad
• Roasted garlic mashed potatoes

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes

I'm a carb junkie. No carbs and I'm as cranky as a menopausal 50 year old refusing hormone replacement therapy. I tried the Atkins Diet a few years ago... and made it for a grand total of 2 days before I broke down, and ate an entire baguette slathered in butter and chased it with a tub of Ben and Jerry's. 'Nuff said.

It's one of favourite comfort foods, and I confess I used to eat a whole pot of this while sitting in front of the TV. Needless to say, I gained 16kg, but that's a whole other story altogether.

For 1 serving, 1 potato per person:

• 1 russet burbank potato, peeled and cut into half
• 1/3 cup fresh cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon roasted garlic paste (you can replace this with 1/2 clove finely minced raw garlic)
• Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

Boil potatoes until soft and tender. You'll know when it's done when a fork slides easily into the potatoes.

Drain and place into a bowl. Mash using a masher or fork, leaving a few chunky bits of potato for some texture. Chuck in roasted garlic paste and butter, mixing well. Pour in cream until the texture is smooth and season with pepper and salt to taste.

This goes great with meats... steaks, roast chicken or lamb. Or you can eat it out of the pot in front of the TV and get fat and happy.

See the rest of the BBQ Bonanza menu here:

• Roasted garlic hummus
• Mussels in white wine broth
• Singaporean BBQ chicken wings
• Fish in lemon, butter and dill sauce
• Honey, mustard and herb beef kebabs 
• Mediterranean salad
• Roasted garlic mashed potatoes

Bruschetta with roma tomatoes and mozzarella

There's something about bruschetta that's so simple, yet so tantalising. It's probably the combination of crisp and moist textures, with tart and rich flavours all going on at the same time.

Serves 2:

• 6 slices of a crusty rustic white bread, toasted
• 4 basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 large roma tomato, diced
• 1 piece of fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into small cubes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

While the bread is toasting, combine tomatoes, basil and mozzarella in a bowl. Drizzle on just enough olive oil to coat the mixture lightly, along with a wee splash of vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then heap onto each slice of toast. Before serving, drizzle liberally with olive oil and garnish with grated parmesan reggiano.

See the rest of the Italian Idyll menu here:

Entree: Pasta Carbonara
Dessert: Tiramisu
Drink: Summer Berry Sangria

Roasted Garlic Hummus

As the Zohan would say "Hummus is the answer to every problem". It doesn't look like much, but it sure is tasty. Simple to make and packed with protein, it's my favourite dip ever.

Here's my take on a classic hummus. The roasted garlic adds a caramelly and mellow note to the dip, while the raw garlic gives it a little zing. Variations include additions of sundried tomato, black olives or even marinated artichokes.

Now for the hummus. You'll need:

• 1 can drained chickpeas, set the liquid aside
• 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste) with some of its oil, optional
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling
• 3 tablespoons roasted garlic paste
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika, plus a sprinkling for garnish 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Sprigs of fresh parsley leaves for garnish

 Put everything except the parsley in a food processor and whizz. Add the chickpea liquid until you get a smooth puree. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Spoon a heaping mound onto a pretty serving dish and make a well in the centre. Drizzle with olive oil, filling up the well and sprinkle on some paprika for colour. Top with a sprig of parsley and serve with flatbread, raw veggie sticks, crackers or chips.

Potatoes Dauphinoise

Creamy. Buttery. Cheesy. Carb laden. Not for the calorie-watching or faint-hearted.

Serves 2

• 2 large or 3 medium Russet Burbank potatoes, washed, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1.5 - 2 cups cream
• 1 cup grated cheese (Any hard cheese like gruyere or cheddar)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 160C.

Arrange the potato and garlic slices in an ovenproof baking dish. If you want to make sure you get laid, then arrange in a pretty overlapping pattern. If bedroom-boom-boom is out of the question, then just make sure it's evenly distributed, with about a half-inch of clearance to the top of the dish.

Season whipping cream with salt and pepper and pour over potatoes. The liquid should come to just under the top of the potatoes and not completely cover them. This is because the liquid will boil while in the oven and you don't want it to bubble over. Sprinkle a generous layer of grated cheese on the top and this potato puppy is ready to hit the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender, liquid has been absorbed and cheese is golden brown.

The rest of the Table for Deux at a Parisien Bistro menu here:

Appetizer: Pork Rillettes with Baguette and Cornichons
Entree: Steak with a Shallot and Red Wine Sauce
Dessert: Creme Brulee

Baby spinach salad

This is really quick to throw together, and makes for a great side dish, or even as a light meal. Tender baby spinach leaves and buttery baby portobellos, dressed in a homemade dressing and topped with crunchy bacon bits and creamy feta cheese. Veggies never tasted quite so sinful.

Made this last night, only to discover that GBF isn't a big fan of spinach. Ah well, c'est la vie. Will give him something else next weekend then.

Serves 2

• Couple of handfuls of baby spinach, washed and dried
• 4-5 baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• Knob of butter
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• A few rashers of bacon
• 2-inch cube of feta cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Cut bacon into strips, fry till crisp, drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a pan, melt a knob of butter and saute mushrooms till soft. Set aside in a bowl with juices. If you like your salad a little wilted, you can start on the salad right away so that the heat from the mushrooms cook the leaves slightly. For crunchier leaves, let the mushrooms cool completely.

To make the dressing, whisk oil, vinegar and mustard until it emulsifies (becomes thick and gel-like). If you don't have a whisk, put the ingredients in a jar with a screw-on cap and shake the living crap out of it.

Add spinach leaves to the mushrooms and toss with dressing. Sprinkle on the crispy bacon and crumble feta over. Add pepper and salt to taste.

A great add-on to this is a poached egg. Break through the yolk and let the creamy oozy yolk mix in... Sinfully delicious.