Pearl Barley & Smoked Paprika Minestrone Soup

Warm, hearty and healthy soup

Recipe adapted from taste.com.au, April 2014

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, diced into 1cm cubes
1 carrot, diced into 1cm cubes
1 zucchini, diced into 1cm cubes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2x400g cans diced tomatoes
1.5L-2L vegetable stock
⅓ cup pearl barley
400g can barlotti beans, rinsed, drained
½ bunch kale, shredded
flat leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped, to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add onion, carrot, zucchini and garlic. Cook stirring for 5 minutes or until onion softens.
2. Add paprika and stir to combine. Add tomatoes, stock and barley. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes or until barley is tender. Add beans and kale. Stir until kale wilts. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. Divide soup among serving bowls. Sprinkle with parsley to serve. 

Thai Prawn & Pumpkin Curry

Recipe adapted from Super Food Ideas magazine, May 2008 edition, page 37

Serves 4

Ingredients

Olive oil spray
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 large brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
400g butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
1 tablespoon fish sauce
270ml can light coconut milk
1 long red chilli (or 2 Birdseye chilli), deseeded, thinly sliced
¾ cup cold water
800g medium green king prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact
100g green beans, trimmed, cut into 4cm lengths
1 small broccoli, cut into florets, steamed or microwaved
steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Arrange the pumpkin in a single layer, in a large roasting pan. Spray some olive oil and toss to coat. Bake in oven for approx. 8 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a wok over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is softened. Add curry paste. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Add pumpkin, fish sauce, coconut milk, half the chilli and cold water. Simmer for a few minutes or until pumpkin is just tender and sauce has thickened slightly.
4. Add prawns, broccoli and beans. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until prawns are cooked through and beans tender. Top with remaining chilli. Serve with rice.

One Pot Pasta with Pancetta & Ricotta

Wave goodbye to mountains of washing up with this recipe that just uses one pot to create a meal that is hearty and full of flavour but leaves you with a bare minimum of cleaning up!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
200g pancetta or prosciutto diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
½ cup white wine
400g dried rigatoni pasta
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup passata (tomato pasta sauce)
100g bought baked ricotta, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh continental parsley leaves

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the pancetta, garlic and chilli and cook, stirring until pancetta is golden.
3. Add the wine and cook until wine reduces by half. Add the pasta and stir to coat.
4. Pour in the stock and tomato passata. Season with salt. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the liquid has reduced and thickened.
5. Divide pasta mixture among serving dishes. Top with the baked ricotta and parsley. Season with pepper and serve.
   

Donna Hay's Lemon Salmon Pasta

This dish is very easy to whip up, with very little time needed for preparation and even less for cleaning up! For all you time poor people out there, this dish is for you :)

Recipe adapted from Donna Hay, No Time to Cook, page 106

Serves 2

Ingredients

200g thin spaghetti
¼ cup light cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon roughly chopped dill
1 tablespoon salted capers
180g smoked salmon fillet, flaked

Method

Cook spaghetti in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 10-12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and return to the pan.

Add cream, lemon juice and mustard to pasta, toss to coat.

Toss through dill, capers and salmon, and serve immediately.