Borscht

The beautiful colour of this soup is much enhanced by suspending some raw grated beet in it after cooking. It is a classic cold soup, but in some countries it is served hot to departing guests to keep out the cold. Tastes great when accompanied by sour dough bread.

Borscht

Ingredients:

450g raw beetroots
2 large onions, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp olive oil
25g butter
1.5litres of boiling water
juice of 1 lemon
seasoning, to taste
1 raw beetroot, grated
sour cream or yoghurt for garnish

Method:

1. Peel the beetroots and cut into a small dice. Place them with the other sliced begetables in a large saucepan with the bay leaves, olive oil and butter. Add a pinch of salt and saute over a low heat for 10 minutes.

2. Add the boiling water then cover and simmer for about 2 hours, or until all the vegetables are tender.

3. Add the lemon juice and a little black pepper and leave to cool.

4. Remove the bay leaves and blend the soup into a puree. If it is too thick, add a little vegetable stock.

5. With the soup still off the heat, place the raw beetroot in a muslin/cheesecloth bag and suspend it in the soup. Remove after a few hours and stir the soup well.

6. Reheat it gently (if desired), or serve chilled with yoghurt, or swirls of sour cream.

Source: Spencer, C. (1992). The New Vegetarian: The ultimate guide to gourmet cooking and healthy living. Gaia Books: London

Serves: ????

Rating: 4

Creamy Honey Citrus Sauce

Good on a soy-schnitzel, or just on vegies! It's incredibly easy and tastes great hot or cold. The sauce will keep for a couple of days.

Creamy Honey Citrus Sauce

Ingredients:

Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1-2 lemons
3 Tbsp sour cream
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp cornflour
1 Tbsp water

Method:

1. Juice the orange and lemon/s so that you have approximately equal quantities of each. Pour the juice into a saucepan and add the sour cream and honey. Slowly heat.

2. Meanwhile, mix cornflour and water together to form a paste. When sauce is warm enough, add cornflour mixture to thicken it. DO NOT boil the sauce or it will separate.

3. Serve warm.

Rating: 5!!!

Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potato (Kumara)
1/2 tsp curry powder
3 spring onions (shallots), chopped
salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/4 sour cream

Method:

1. Cook sweet potato in boiling, salted water until just tender.

2. Drain and leave to cool. Cut into 2.5cm cubes.

3. Combine sweet potato and spring onions in a serving bowl.

4. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder, and salt to taste.

5. Pour this over sweet potato. Toss to coat.

6. Garnish with walnuts.

Rating: 4

The Best Potato Salad Recipe Ever

The exact quantities for this recipe are a bit difficult to say as it depends on your tastes. You can always add more or less.

BUT, what is not difficult to say is that you'll love this recipe!

The Best Potato Salad Recipe Ever

Ingredients:

1.5kg Waxy Potatoes (Kipfler & Dutch Cream are great) roughly chopped
4-5 free range eggs
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
4 Tbsp light sour cream
Small bunch of shallots (spring onions), chopped
Sea salt flakes
Fresh dill (optional), roughly chopped
pinenuts (lightly toasted)

Method:

1. Cover the potatoes with cold water, adding 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the water. Bring to the boil and cook just until tender. Drain and allow to cool. Place in a large bowl.

2. Boil eggs until hard (about 3 mins), remove shell and cut in quarters.

3. Lightly toast the pinenuts in a little oil (be careful not to burn them), drain and set aside to cool.

4. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, cooled pinenuts and fresh dill. Mix well, and pour over cooled potatoes. DO NOT POUR OVER HOT POTATOES. Toss gently, then add egg and shallots and ensure mixed through lightly.

5. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving.

NOTE: this recipe tastes even better the day after!

Variation: You can add a little whole-seed mustard to the sauce, if you'd like to vary the taste. Also, this salad tastes amazing if you add a little sweet potato in place of some of the potato.

Serves: 4+

Rating: 5!!

Vege Filo Parcels

Filo pastry is great! This is just one recipe you can use with it. This is something that is made for two people, so you will have to adapt it to your needs.

Vege Filo Parcels

Ingredients:

half a small spanish onion, chopped
1/2 cup snow peas chopped into small strips
1/4 each of yellow, green and red capsicum, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup each of brocolli and cauliflower, sliced
1 cup of shredded cabbage
salt & pepper
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1/4 tsp crushed ginger
1/2 tsp sun-dried tomato pesto (bought ready made)
50 ml sour cream (can use light sour cream)
8 sheets filo pastry

Method:

1. Spray frypan or wok with cooking spray. Put all veges into pan and gently stir fry. Add seasonings and stir until combined.

2. Fold in sour lite cream through mixture.

3. Place 1/4 of the mixture onto 2 sheets filo and wrap into a parcel. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

4. Place parcels onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Spray parcels with cooking spray and bake at 180 deg C. for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden.

Serves: 2

Rating: 4