As I search for that elusive work/life balance, I have to constantly remind myself that even after what appears to be the longest work day ever, I must still try to prepare a (somewhat healthy) home cooked meal, to help me re-fuel for the stresses of my work life and it also doesn't hurt to have a gorgeous boyfriend to cook for, who so far likes anything I make (even the slightly experimental meals).
Here are a few of our favourite recipes from the past few weeks...
Smashed Potatoes
What You Need:
12 to 15 baby red or yellow potatoes (about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter)
2-3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
What To Do:
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan (preferably in one layer) and cover with at least an inch of water. Add 2 tsp. kosher salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook the potatoes until they are completely tender and can be easily pierced with a metal or wood skewer. Make sure they are cooked through but don’t overcook. The total cooking time will be 30 to 35 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, set up a double layer of clean paper towel on your countertop. As the potatoes finish cooking, remove them individually from the water, and let them drain and sit for just a minute or two on the paper towel..
Fold another paper towel into quarters, and using it as a cover, gently press down on one potato with the palm of your hand to flatten it to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Repeat with all the potatoes. Don’t worry if some break apart a bit; you can still use them.
Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; put a sheet of non stick baking paper on top of the foil. Transfer the flattened potatoes carefully to the baking sheet, sprinkle the minced garlic over each of the potatoes and let them cool completely at room temperature. (If preparing ahead of time, you can boil and flatten the potatoes up to 8 hours ahead. Let potatoes cool completely, and store them on the pan, lightly covered, in the fridge until read to cook).
Remove the pan of potatoes from the refrigerator, if prepared ahead. Heat the oven to 200C. Sprinkle the potatoes with about 3/4 tsps salt and pour the olive oil over them. Lift the potatoes gently to make sure some of the oil goes underneath them and that they are well coated on both sides. Roast the potatoes until they’re crispy and deep brown around the edges, about 30 minutes, turning over once gently with a spatula or tongs halfway through cooking. Serve hot.
Sweet Potato Hash Brown
What You Need:
2 cups grated sweet potatoes
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
What To Do:
In a bowl, combine potatoes, onions, salt, and pepper. Separate mixture into 4 patties.
In a sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, and cook potato mixture for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Carrot Mash (used as a spread on Hamburgers or served as a side to quinoa coated lamp chops)
What You Need:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
6 large carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp peppercorns
What To Do:
Place the carrots in a saucepan of salted water, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender. Drain and mash. Add the honey, lemon juice, parsley, peppercorns, olive oil and a pinch of salt, then beat well until mixture is smooth. Serve warm.
Individual Beef Wellingtons
What You Need:
2 scotch fillet steaks (about 180g/6ozs each)
125g mushrooms
1/2 onion, cut into quarters
a pinch of thyme leaves
2 tsps butter
2 tsps garlic oil
1/4 cup red wine
2 sheets puff pastry
1 egg yolk mixed with 2 Tbsp milk
What To Do:
Firstly make the mushroom duxelles. In a food processor, whiz up the mushroom and onion until it is in small pieces. Heat a frypan on medium heat and add butter and garlic oil. Fry the mushrooms and thyme until fragrant and add red wine and cook this off (about 8-10 minutes total). Then drain the mushroom mix in a sieve lined with paper towels to get rid of all of the excess liquid. You can save and use this liquid at a later time as stock, in a soup, or as a sauce base.
Preheat oven to 220C and line a baking tray with non-stick paper. Take out puff pastry from the freezer and allow to thaw. Season the beef fillets with salt and pepper. In a clean frypan heat on medium to high and sear the edges of the steak only. Place the beef fillet on the puff pastry and top with the mushroom duxelle mixture. Seal it up at the ends cutting off any corners that you don’t need. If you are making this ahead of time, at this stage of the preparation you can cover these with cling wrap and refrigerate them for a few hours until needed.
Brush the top of the Wellingtons with the egg yolk and milk mixture. Pop the pastry in the fridge for a little bit to chill, as puff pastry always tastes better when baked from chilled in a super hot oven. Bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden. Serve immediately, with or without sides.
Honey Mustard Chicken Pot Pie
What You Need:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 small sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small onion, peeled & chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 Cup milk
2 Tbsp honey mustard
1 Tbsp mustard, brown or dijon would work great
1/4 Cup frozen beans or pees
1 large cooked chicken breast, cut into small cubes
salt & pepper
2 sheets puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
What To Do:
Preheat oven to 200C. In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add all the vegetables except the beans & cook until the onions are translucent & the other vegetable are starting to get tender. Add the butter. Once the butter has melted sprinkle in the flour. Cook while stirring for 1 minute. Slowly add the milk, about 1/3 cup at a time, while stirring. Continue to cook & stir until thickened & bubbling. Stir in the mustard, beans & chicken. Divide the filling between two large single serving ramekins.
Cut two circles from the puff pastry sheets about 1/2 to 1-inch bigger around than the diameter of the ramekins. Gently place one circle on top of each ramekin, pressing around the sides. Brush the crust with the beaten egg. Place on a baking sheet & bake for 25- 30 minutes until golden brown (you can also place a sheet of pastry in the ramekin, as a base to the filling of the pies).
Wholemeal Sweet Potato Gnocchi
What You Need:
Gnocchi-
1 medium sweet potato
3/4 - 1 cup wholemeal flour or almond meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
Brown Butter-
1/4 cup butter
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
2 tsps maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste
What To Do:
Preheat oven to 200C. Pierce sweet potato with a fork, wrap in foil, place in oven, and bake for 30-40 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and let cool slightly and unwrap.
Cut sweet potato in half, scoop out insides, and mash. Measure out 1 cup to use and save the rest for another time. Stir in salt, pepper, cinnamon, and 1/4 cup of the flour. Continue to stir and add flour until the mixture forms a soft dough (the dough might be sticky, just use more flour on your hands and surface). Place onto a surface covered in flour. Divide dough into three balls and roll each out into 1″ ropes and cut gnocchi 1″ at a time. Indent gnocchi with the tines of a fork. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place half the gnocchi in the boiling water and let cook for 5-6 minutes. I let the gnocchi go for a minute or two after they float to the top.
While gnocchi is cooking, melt butter in a skillet and add rosemary. Continue to cook butter until the foam stops and the butter begins to brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Once gnocchi are done, toss with brown butter and serve.
Enjoy!
