This would be a lovely menu for a light lunch on a bright Spring day. I created it for a cooking demonstration at Narrabri’s annual Nosh Food & Wine festival. There’s lots of flavour, texture and love in these recipes, I hope you try them soon. Sophie x
Yogurt flatbread stuffed with chorizo, feta and herbs
These might look and sound like a bit of a faff, but honestly, they’re quite easy and so yummy. Plus, they’re ready in under 30 minutes and are just as good when cooked un-stuffed and topped with the chorizo mixture or, as we’ve done here, with it tucked up inside.
Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 10 mins
Makes 4
For the flatbread
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Good pinch of salt
2 tbsp dukkah or 1 tbsp nigella seeds or toasted sesame seeds
150g full-fat natural yogurt
For the filling
1 tbsp olive oil
2 chorizo sausages, finely chopped
1 cup halloumi cheese (or similar), crumbled or grated
1 handful mint, roughly chopped
1 handful parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
For the garlic oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper.
For the flat breads, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and dukkah in a bowl. Add in the yogurt and stir to combine, then turn mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and bring together into a sticky dough. Divide into four, and shape these into balls. Cover with a tea towel while preparing the stuffing.
For the stuffing, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the chorizo for a few minutes or until beginning to crisp up. Transfer to a plate lined with a kitchen towel to soak up any excess oil. Leave to cool for five minutes. Meanwhile, combine the cheese, mint and pine nuts in a medium bowl. Add the chorizo and stir to combine.
Roll out one of the four balls of dough, dusting the work surface as necessary; you want it to be a fairly big round, then place about a quarter of the chorizo mixture in the middle and gently bring the edges of the dough into the middle to create a little pouch. Press to seal, then turn the stuffed flat bread over so it sits seam side down. Repeat with the remaining dough and stuffing.
To cook, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan on medium-high. Cook the flatbreads for about 2 minutes on each side or until puffed and golden, then transfer to a board, brush each side with the herby garlic oil and keep warm while you make the rest.
You can cook these a little ahead of time and keep them warm in a low oven or reheat them when needed.
Trout and blood orange salad with almond sauce
This lovely light salad from my first book Local is Lovely is perfect for this time of year. If you can get blood oranges, then they add a little extra tang and, of course, always look so gorgeous! Also, the almond sauce is good not only here but also with roast chicken and/or roasted fillets of firm white fish.
Serves 4-6
Prep time 20 mins
Cooking time 45 mins
For the almond sauce
50g good white bread (about two good slices)
3/4 cup (about 110g) blanched almonds
2 garlic cloves
Pinch of sea salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
1/4 cup milk
For the salad
3 good handfuls of salad greens
300g smoked trout (ideally from Arc-en-Ciel)
2 blood oranges, peeled and segmented, pith removed
1/4 cup flaked and toasted almonds
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Lemon wedges to serve
For the sauce, start by removing the crusts and soaking the bread in a little water for about a minute. Place the almonds, garlic and a little sea salt in a food processor and blitz to combine. Remove the bread from its soaking water, squeeze it out and add the bread to the almond mixture with the lemon zest and juice. Add the milk and blitz until you have a smooth sauce. Thin out with a little more milk or water if you like.
For the salad. Arrange your greens on a nice, flat platter or divide them across your serving plates. Flake the fish gently on top, then add the blood orange and scatter with the toasted almonds. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with lemon wedges and the almond sauce on the side.
Chocolate, macadamia and sour cherry panforte
I love making this for a few reasons; firstly, it’s quick to make. Secondly, it’s delicious and thirdly, because a few squares of the stuff, packed up nicely in a jar or box, makes a great gift and/or dessert (plate up with some seasonal fruit, maybe some caramels, shortbreads, other goodies). And while I appreciate the ingredients together aren’t super cheap, a little of this pan forte does go a long way, and it lasts for ages.
Prep time 10 mins
Cook time 40 mins (plus overnight chilling time)
Serves many!
3/4 cup plain flour
30g good cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
200g dried sour cherries (or dried cranberries)
350g toasted macadamias (or almonds, or a mixture of your favourite nuts?)
200g honey
75g brown sugar
75g caster sugar
2 tbsp water
Preheat oven to 150C and grease and line a 20cm square cake tin (up the sides too).
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon and pepper in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the chocolate, dried fruit and nuts and toss to combine.
In a medium saucepan, combine the honey and sugars. Stir on low until the sugar dissolves, and then simmer for five minutes. Pour into the flour and dried fruit mix and, working quickly, stir everything together, then press the mixture firmly into your prepared cake tin. Place a square of baking paper on top and press down with a glass to ensure it’s evenly and firmly in one layer.
Pop in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, then cool completely in the pan. Remove from the pan, then leave overnight to fully ‘settle’ before cutting into wedges or squares.
This should last well for up to a month in an airtight container.
Leave a Reply