 Greater than the sum of its simple parts, this vegan-friendly, kid-friendly, quick as a flash to make soup may well become a staple for your midweek dinner or weekend lunch.
I use red lentils as they're quick to prepare for starters: no soaking, and they cook in just 10 minutes making them a favourite with many of our customers. Another factor in their popularity is flavour - they're milder and sweeter than other varieties of lentils, making them suitable to a broader palate. The addition of garlic, turmeric and ginger makes this a practically weaponised bowl of goodness as we head into the colder months, while the lemon and gremolata give it an unexpected twist and a fresh, light sparkle for your taste buds.
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 I love ghee. Its rich flavour, high smoke point and shelf stability (i.e. it lasts for ages in the pantry) make it the secret weapon to so many dishes. Use it for frying, roasting, baking, & smothering corn on the cob, asparagus, baked potatoes and popcorn. Recently I was horrified to see a 300g jar of ghee selling for about $20 and I thought: it's time to share another great thing about ghee, which is just how easy it is to make yourself! If you have a block of butter, a small saucepan, a strainer, a piece of kitchen towel and 30 mins, you can make a jar of ghee.
So let's get started. Make a jar for yourself, and one for a friend…homemade ghee makes a fantastic gift for your keen cook friends.  Pasta salad is a crowd favourite, so we thought it high time we added one to our Village Wholefoods recipe collection. This one is a cracker.
The best thing about a Pasta salad is it's versatility. You are only limited by what's in your fridge and pantry. Feel free to use this recipe as a springboard, and make it your own! When I created this recipe I wanted to tick all the boxes, and I think I've done that. It's a hot weather food in that it's full of crunchy, raw veg and zesty flavours. But it's also comfort food due not only to the starchy, cuddly nature of pasta itself but also the creamy dressing. I even gave it a nod to retro pasta salads of the 1970s and 80s, by adding a little sugar to the dressing. Trust me, it works! You may notice another quirk in my recipe - there's no uniformity in the sizes I chop the different ingredients. The carrots are finely diced, the tomatoes and cucumber get a medium dicing, the olives are halved and the fresh herbs are coarsely chopped. There is a method to my madness. I like the woodier, fibrous ingredients like carrots cut in smaller pieces so their flavours more readily combine with louder, showier ones. But really, none of it matters. If you've no patience for fine-dicing carrots, go chunky and call it rustic! Or you can even use a potato peeler to make some thin carrot ribbons. More about the dressing: I use greek yoghurt mixed with mayonnaise. I think it makes for a lighter, more 'grown up' flavour. But sometimes the mood calls for all mayo, or even sour cream. Much like the salad vegetables I included in this recipe, let your mood - and fridge - decide!  It's days till Christmas! Come Saturday, some of us will be brimming over with holiday spirit, others will be counting the minutes til it's over. To be frank, I think I have a foot in both camps!
If you're hosting a get-together or looking for inspiration for your Bring-a-Plate event, I hope I can give you a recipe that will be crowd pleasing in every way. Sweet Potato with Pecans and Maple Syrup ticks so many boxes: it's a modern, lighter twist on a time-honoured Northern Hemisphere favourite - Candied Yams. It's vegetarian and gluten free. The ingredients make it feel festive to the max - once you inhale the scent of the cinnamon, maple, butter & sweet potato you'll want to dive in. It's an easy recipe too, with very few ingredients. Make extra. You'll want to dig into the leftovers right up until New Year's eve!  This week I had a play with our new product, cassava flour. What a revelation it is for gluten free cooking and baking! No more mixing 3 or 4 different types of gf flour substitutes to try to get that elusive wheat flour feel and behaviour. Cassava needs no co-workers - it does the job of a regular wheat flour all on its own!
When I decided to make cassava flour Crepes, I knew that the perfect accompaniment would be our own Kelly's strawberry chia jam. When I tried it, it was a revelation to me. The chia seeds thicken the jam naturally, meaning you use way less sugar, and don't have to worry about the jam setting. It's quick (15 mins!), simple and utterly delicious. |
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