Kick back at the end of the week with an easy, on-the-knee dinner that friends will love
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Menu
Thai Green Curry with Prawns
Chorizo & Bread Sticks with Cheddar Dip
Baked Potatoes with Chilli Mince
Speedy Margherita Pizzas
Hot Bananas with Caramel Peanut Sauce
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Thai Green Curry with Prawns
This delicious curry is quite mild so add more curry paste if you know your friends can stand the heat. Otherwise let them adjust the flavour to suit, using the various garnishes.
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- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon green curry paste (or to taste)
- 1 large potato, peeled and diced
- 500ml fish stock
- 400g firm white fish, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 500g raw prawn cutlets
- 400ml coconut cream
- White rice to serve
- Garnishes: coriander, chilli, lime wedges, purple basil (optional)
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Heat oil in a medium saucepan and sauté red onion and curry paste for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add potato and fish stock and simmer until potato is tender, about 10 minutes.
Add fish and prawns and simmer very gently for 4-5 minutes until fish is cooked and prawns are pink. Stir in coconut cream, check seasoning and heat through (avoid boiling mixture as the cream can “split”). Serve curry over steamed white rice and add garnishes to taste. Serves 4
Baked Potatoes with Chilli Mince
This is great comfort food on a cool evening. The mince mixture can be made the night before if preferred.
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- 6 large potatoes (agria or baking), scrubbed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 cup grated tasty cheese
Mince:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 500g beef mince
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 400g can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons sweet chilli or real chilli sauce (to taste)
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Preheat oven to 190°C. Rub potatoes with oil and salt, place on a baking tray and bake 40-50 minutes until skin is golden and crisp and flesh feels tender when pierced.
Allow potatoes to cool 5-10 minutes before slicing off top third and scooping out about half the flesh (save this and the top slices for another meal).
Mince: Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan or deep frying pan and sauté onion, garlic and beef until browned, 4-5 minutes. Add beef stock, bay leaf, tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce and chilli sauce and simmer until rich and thick, 20-30 minutes.
Spoon chilli mince into potato jackets and top with grated cheese. Bake until bubbling and golden, about 10 minutes. Serve with a green salad. Serves 6
Chorizo and Bread Sticks with Cheddar Dip
Rather like a fondue – only better.
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Cheddar dip:
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1 cup cream
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1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
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½ teaspoon smoked paprika
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1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons water
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½ cup grated tasty cheese
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12 skewers (if wooden, soak in cold water for 10 minutes) |
Preheat oven to 190°C. Cut chorizo, ciabatta loaf and courgettes into bite-sized pieces. Combine oil with garlic, salt and thyme.
Thread tomatoes, courgettes, chorizo and bread alternately on to skewers and brush with flavoured oil. Place on a lined baking tray and cook 8-10 minutes, turning once, until bread is golden and vegetables tender.
Dip: Mix cream, mustard and paprika in a small saucepan and heat to near boiling. Stir in cornflour paste and simmer 2 minutes until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Season to taste.
Serve skewers with the warm dip. Makes 12, serves 4
Speedy Margherita Pizzas
Using a yeast-free base and a tasty tomato sauce that’s quickly whizzed up in a food processor means you can have wonderful home-made pizza in less time than it takes to arrange dial-and-delivery.
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Base:
Topping:
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2 large ripe tomatoes
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2 cloves garlic
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¼ cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for sprinkling
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1 teaspoon brown sugar
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¼ cup tomato paste
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1 cup grated tasty cheese
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1-2 large balls fresh mozzarella, sliced or torn into bite-sized pieces
To serve:
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Preheat oven to 190°C and place a heavy oven tray or pizza stone on the middle shelf to heat.
Base: Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add grated cold butter and blend with fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Using a knife, stir in oil and enough water to make a firm dough. Divide in half and roll out thinly on a floured bench into 2 circular shapes about 26cm in diameter. Place on sheets of baking paper.
Topping: Halve tomatoes and squeeze out seeds. Place tomatoes with garlic, basil, sugar and tomato paste in a food processor, season with salt and pepper and pulse until finely chopped.
Spread bases with tomato mixture, scatter over grated cheese and dot with mozzarella and extra basil leaves.
Slide baking paper on to hot tray and bake pizzas 15 minutes or until crusts are golden and topping bubbly and melted.
Serve pizzas with olives, cured meats and fresh basil leaves. Makes 2 large pizzas, serves 4-6
Hot Bananas with Caramel Peanut Sauce
These caramel and nut sundaes, served in the blackened skins of the baked bananas, are to die for.
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Sauce:
- 1 cup each: sugar, water
- 200ml cream
- ¼ cup crunchy peanut butter
Bananas:
- 6 large bananas
- Vanilla ice cream to serve
- ¼ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts
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Sauce: Place sugar in a medium saucepan and gently pour in water around the outside. Bring to the boil and simmer without stirring until the liquid begins to colour, 10-12 minutes. Swirl pan to prevent burning and cook until a golden caramel colour. Remove from heat and carefully add cream (the mixture will bubble up).
Return to heat and simmer 1-2 minutes until sugar has re-melted and sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in peanut butter. Sauce can be made 2-3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. (Makes about 1½ cups.)
Bananas: Preheat oven to 180°C. Bake bananas until black, soft and puffed, 8-10 minutes. Cool 2-3 minutes then split lengthways and fill each one with small scoops of ice cream. Drizzle with warm sauce and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve immediately. Serves 6
Story: Jo Wilcox
Photographs: Kieran Scott
Stylist: Claudia kozub
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