The best stuffed tomatoes - ever!

One of my favourite blogs is Orangette written by a gorgeous woman called Molly. I have probably told you about her before, she takes wonderful pictures and every recipe I have made has become a favourite - like the eggplant curry.

I have a new favourite which Molly demanded everyone make, and if I may be so bossy, I think you all should as well! Rice stuffed tomatoes adapted from Luisa Weiss.

The photo isn't terribly exciting but the flavour (and the ease) of this recipe make them perfect! Yum. I made them a lot before it turned really hot over here in Adelaide. Now, I try to avoid using the oven as pregnancy + heat doesn't mix!

4 large, good-tasting tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
Olive oil
1/3 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup water
5 fresh basil leaves
Salt
Breadcrumbs
baby potatoes, sliced into rounds

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Cut the tops off the tomatoes. Holding them over a bowl, scoop out their insides – flesh, seeds, and juice – and let it all fall into the bowl. Set the tomatoes in a lightly oiled 9”x13” baking dish. Then fish the flesh out of the bowl, and chop it. Return it to the bowl with the juice and seeds.

In a medium saucepan, warm a glug of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent. Add the rice, and continue to cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Add the tomato flesh, juice, and seeds – it may look like a lot, but add it all – as well as the water. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces, and add them too. Add a generous pinch or two of salt. Reduce the heat slightly, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste, and if needed, add more salt.

Spoon the par-cooked rice mixture into the tomatoes. Top them with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Arrange the potato slices around the tomatoes in the pan. Give everything a good drizzle of olive oil. (You might want to flip and rub the potatoes a bit, to make sure that each has a nice coat of oil.) Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The tomatoes should shrivel a bit and release some of their juices, and the potatoes should cook through.

Cool for 15 minutes or so before eating, so that the tomato juices have time to settle.

Sathya-rating *****

Haloumi, Roast Tomato and Warm Bean Salad

This is a gorgeous warm salad I have made a few times over the years. People always go nuts for it. I found it many years ago on Jill Dupleix’ site when our family had a Greek feast and it’s remained in my repertoire.

Everyone I know loves Haloumi, if you don’t know it, please try it. Just slice it and fry it for a few seconds either side and serve with a lemon wedge. This cheese from Cyprus is delicious and salty, and is perfect for cooking as it holds its shape.

Then come the soft, sweet roast tomatoes, the crispy warm green beans and the dressing brings it all together perfectly.

8 tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and pepper
sprigs of thyme
400 g green beans, topped
400g haloumi
1 tsp olive oil
1 lemon, quartered
Dressing:
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 tbsp chopped parsley

You need start off by roasting the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 180C. Cut tomatoes in half and arrange on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and thyme and bake for 30 minutes.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the green beans for 3 - 5 minutes till just cooked.
Rinse the haloumi, and cut into slices approx 1 cm thick. Heat the olive oil in a non stick frypan, and when hot, fry the haloumi slices until golden brown. Turn briefly and fry the other side.

Vigorously mix the lemon juice, olive oil, capers and parsley together. Drain the beans and toss in some of the dressing.

Arrange tomatoes and beans on large serving platter and top with haloumi. Drizzle the dressing on top and serve with lemon.

A

S

Potato Bake

For Xmas this year Andy and I were kindly invited to share the day with the Bradley Family. We were xmas orphans as my family had headed up to Queensland for the festivities with my brother and his wife. Laura's fabulous idea for xmas lunch was for everyone to bring a different dish. We were treated to so many different flavours. Marinated lamb, chicken curry, Moroccan beef Tagine, Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni, and fabulous seasonal veg and salad. We sat outside in the sun under a big gum tree and ate until we were moaning in pain! We then retired to our homes for a nap and returned for trifle, cheesecake and a cheese platter! It really was a fabulous day.

And so, the point of my story... as well as preparing half of the cheese platter I decided to do a potato bake to accompany the mains. I had never cooked a potato bake and so I consulted with Sathya, mum, Laura and many many cookbooks and websites as I wanted to make an unforgettable bake!

In the end I chose a Stephanie Alexander Potato Bake. It sounded very simple and had very few ingredients, but Stephanie Alexander has not let me down yet and so I decided to put myself in her hands..

I did a trial run 2 days before Xmas and it was delicious! I served it up for lunch for Andy and me. He agreed it was a complete success. I then ate the ENTIRE bake myself in about 10 minutes flat. I could have eaten more! It was such a flavoursome, crispy yet soft, melt in your mouth, nutty flavoured delicious treat! I think it will become my signature side dish!

And on Xmas day it also received quite a few comments and was eaten in its entirety. Even Laura's mum said she'd never tasted one so good! I was very pleased and I highly recommend it to all..... Merry Xmas!

9 waxy potatoes

freshly ground pepper

freshly ground salt

nutmeg

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

200ml cream

400ml boiling milk

1 teaspoon plain flour

50g butter

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Using 20g of the butter, grease a ceramic or glass dish. Slice potatoes thinly, about half a centimetre thick. Layer them overlapping in the baking dish. Sprinkle a layer of salt, pepper, nutmeg and some of the garlic. Do another layer of potato and the seasonings, then a final third layer.

Add the teaspoon of flour to the cream and mix well. Pour a small amount of the boiling milk into the cream and stir. The add the rest of the milk and stir really well. Pour over the potato making sure not to disturb the layers or move them about. Add another layer of salt, pepper, nutmeg and garlic. Place the rest of the butter over the top in small knobs. Bake in the oven for about an hour to an hour and a half until golden and crispy on top. Serve.

E.

Potato Wedges

I've made these babies a few times now, and they are a huge hit. The original recipe, from Chocolate and Zucchini uses flour, but they work much better with breadcrumbs. It makes them even crunchier!

Please make them, they're well worth the effort and I promise you will love them. I've been serving them with this fantastic new mayonnaise I discovered - Doodles Creek Wasabi Mayonnaise. Wow, my mouth is watering just writing this. This range of mayo's is perfect, its creamy and not sweet like the usual Australian mayonnaise. I guess that is the Dutchie in me.

PS. Today we hit the 10,000 hits on BCM. It took us 3 and a half months! Not bad huh?

Oil (I used vege, you can use whatever you like or butter)
approx 15 potatoes scrubbed but not peeled and cut into wedges
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
3 tbs parmesan, finely grated
2 tsp mustard seeds, crushed in a mortar
1 1/2 tsp chicken salt
1 tbs paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder, to taste
Fresh black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Oil a large baking sheet and place in the oven to warm it up.

In a freezer bag mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, mustard seeds, chicken salt, paprika, chilli and pepper.

Cut the potatoes into wedges and add to the bag and shake well to cover all the potatoes in the seasoning.

Next, remove the hot tray from the oven, put the wedges on the tray and bake for 30 minutes. After half an hour, turn the potatoes and bake for another 20-30 minute until nice and golden. Serve with whatever your heart desires or with a small bowl of sour cream and sweet chilli sauce or mayonnaise works great too.

S

Stuffed Potatoes

I'm unsure how this came up in conversation, and I'm unsure of where these yummy things come from (the US, maybe?) but I got the run down and had been itching to make them for ages, and finally did last night.

Although it took a little while, as the potatoes were so large, they were well worth the wait and tasty and creamy. Personally, I think they're the perfect, cos you get a little mash and little baked potato, all you need is fries. Heehee.

Here's what I did, but you can and or subtract as much as you like to make them to your taste.

4 large potatoes
2 large tbs sour cream
handful grated cheddar cheese
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tbs butter
2 bacon rashers, diced
Salt & pepper
Aluminium foil

Preheat oven to 200C. Wrap potatoes in alfoil and bake until cooked through.

Fry the bacon until crispy and drain on paper towels.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Slice off the top of the potatoes, scoop out the flesh, and mix with butter, sour cream, cheddar, and salt and pepper.

Spoon the potatoes back into their shells, and bake again for a few minutes, before serving garnished with the bacon and spring onions.

S