Winter Vegetable Gratin

I had a pile of winter root vegetables on hand and a mother-in-law coming to dinner at short notice. Just roasting them didn't seem quite fancy enough, soup didn't seem substantial enough so I googled sweet potato and parsnip and found my solution - gratin. I found a recipe which inspired me - then I made one up with what we had on hand.
Everybody (including me) loved it, and most had seconds (not including me).
Here's how I made it.


Ingredients
4 small Sweet Potatoes
2 Parsnips
3 Small Potatoes
1 large Carrot
2 brown onions
100ml cream
400ml milk
Salt & Pepper
Few sprigs of Thyme
a long stalk of Rosemary
a little butter for greasing pan
150g gruyere cheese


Method
1. Finely slice all 5 vegetables (a mandolin makes this much easier if you have one.)
2. Combine Cream, Milk, a good grind of salt and pepper and the leaves from the thyme in a jug and stir well.
3. Start layering into a large baking dish. I went sweet potato, onion, a little cream, parsnip, onion, cream, potato, onion, cream, carrot, onion, cream and then repeated til I ran out of things.
4. Top it all with gruyere and sprinkle the rosemary leaves over the top.
5. Bake in a moderate oven (180C or 350F) for about 50 min. - I needed to cover in foil for the last 15 min to stop the browning.


I served this with a salad of cos lettuce, cucumber slices and avacado dice with a lemon mustard salad dressing. (lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey and extra virgin olive oil). They were good together as the lemon and freshness of the salad balanced the richness of the gratin.


 I used Heirloom Purple Carrots in my gratin. They looked beautiful when I sliced them (like little tie-dye splotches) but the colour permeated the whole gratin in a slightly odd way. I think I would use orange carrots next time.


Enjoy
Nicola

Around the World in 18 Fridays- Middle East- Couscous Salad

Today we're visiting the middle east with a salad for Autumn.

Yes, I know it's not Autumn yet.

But it sure does feel like it!

This beautiful Middle Eastern Couscous salad is perfect for this unusual weather- not too hot and not to cold!

It's amazingly fast and easy- just what we need now schools back!

The only thing that takes a while is the roasting of the vegies, but once they're in you can do whatever you like for half an hour- homework, housework, blogwork!


Warm Roast Vegetable and Couscous Salad


Based on: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/26536/warm+roast+vegetable+couscous+salad

Serves 4

• 6 carrots, peeled
• 2 parsnips, peeled
• 2 sweet potatos, peeled
• 2 red onions, quartered
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup (200g) instant couscous
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/4 cup (40g) sultanas
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Handful each flat-leaf parsley and coriander leaves
• 
  

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Cut carrots, parsnips and sweet potatoes into even sized chunks, and, along with the red onion, place on the tray. Drizzle with oil and vinegar, season, then toss to coat. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender and browned.
2. Meanwhile, toss couscous in a heatproof bowl with spices, sultanas and salt.
3. When the vegetables are almost done, stir 400ml boiling water into the couscous until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
4. Add oil, lemon juice, garlic and herbs and lightly toss. Stir through veggies and serve.

Enjoy!

Mia xo

Sweet Potato and Feta Filo parcels

The other day I was cooking these Sweet potato and feta filo parcels for dinner.

I was little bit lost for whatever reason though, and so I kept forgetting things or putting in the wrong amounts etc.

I don't think I've ever managed to err this far  from a recipe by accident before.

Never mind!

They say you should learn from your mistakes, so I've rewritten the recipe to include (most) of the things that changed.

Some of the changes:

- because I forgot to halve everything but the sweet potato, I added a cob of corn

- I used a tablespoon not a teaspoon of fennel seeds

- I left out the chilli (this one was on purpose, my younger sister isn't so big on chilli)

- I didn't oil and poppyseed the triangles prior to baking (I might  do this next time….)

- I completely forgot the garlic (really wish I'd remembered!!!)

Please don't completely write of any competency in cooking you thought I had. I don't know what it was but I wasn't functioning at full that night :)

Anyway… they were still yummy and a big hit! 

I'll certainly be making them again!

Though perhaps when I'm slightly more alert!

Sweet Potato and Feta Filo parcels

(slightly adapted from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/9613/sweet+potato+and+feta+filo+pastries)

Ingredients (served 4, with leftovers)

• 500g evenly-sized orange sweet potatoes, unpeeled, washed, dried
• 1 cob of corn, kernels removed (or 1/2 a cup of thawed, frozen corn)
• 200g cow's milk feta, crumbled
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 1 birdseye chilli, seeded, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 10 sheets filo pastry
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1 tbs poppy seeds

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place sweet potato in a roasting pan. Roast for 50 minutes or until just tender. Allow to cool, then peel and place in a bowl. Using a potato masher, mash coarsely. Add corn, feta, fennel seeds, chilli, garlic and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper then mix gently to combine.
2. Lay pastry on a work surface and cover with a clean, damp tea towel. Working with 1 sheet at a time, cut pastry in half horizontally. Brush half 1 piece lengthways with oil. Place a heaped tablespoonful of sweet potato filling on right-hand bottom corner of pastry strip. Flatten slightly to form a triangular shape then fold diagonally across filling to other edge, to form a triangle. Continue folding to end of strip, retaining a neat triangle shape. Brush finished triangle with oil and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Repeat with remaining pastry, oil, filling and poppy seeds (note that each piece of filo makes two pastries). Pastries can be made up to 4 hours in advance up to this stage then covered and refrigerated in a single layer until ready to bake. 
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Perfect served with salad, all on their own or as a delicious appetiser!

*Sorry for the lack of photography. I completely forgot, so these are just a couple of photos Mum took on her phone!

Mia