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Di’s Baby Spinach & Mushroom Salad with Curry Dressing
Baby Spinach Salad with a poached egg

Baby Spinach Salad with a poached egg

This recipe was made for me recently by my good friend Di Mace of Word Swords and in the following week I’ve made it twice as it is very simple and addictive.

On the spectrum of Salads through to Vegetables as preferred accompaniments, I fall quite firmly within the Salad camp. I’ve always been uninspired by vegetables, especially as most of them are simply steamed or roasted and then dumped on the side of a dinner place. Salads however offer an entire new dimension of creativity to cooking, as a side to another dish or (as I’ve come to prefer) as the main affair.

Salad prior to serving

Salad prior to serving

Sadly, most people think of salad as “Iceberg lettuce, a few slices of tomato, and if we’re feeling creative some sliced raw carrot” – which is almost like thinking that eating a bread stick is experiencing French Cuisine. Do yourself a favor and try one of the more creative salads such as this one – you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Ingredients
Di’s Baby Spinach & Mushroom Salad with Curry Dressing (Serves 2-4)
  • 200g Baby Spinach Leaves
  • 200g Rindless bacon
  • 150g thickly sliced Brown Mushrooms
  • 1 Red (Spanish) Onion
  • 1 Packed Melba Mini Toasts (Or other croutons)
  • 1-4 Poached Eggs (one per person)
  • 1.5 Tsp Curry Powder
  • 3/4 Tsp White Sugar
  • 1 Tbs White Wine Vinegar
  • 100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Tsp Crushed Garlic
  • 1.5 Tsp Grated Ginger
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • Butter for cooking mushrooms

Directions:

  1. Dressing Ingredients in Jar

    Dressing Ingredients in Jar

    In a salad dressing mixer (or a jar with a lid) combine the Curry Powder, White Sugar, White Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil, Garlic, Ginger and some ground salt and cracked pepper and shake well to emulsify.

  2. Trim the rindless bacon into small strips and then cook to taste (I prefer chewy, some prefer crunchy). After it has cooked set it aside to dry on some paper towel.
  3. Melt approx one Tbs butter into the pan and slightly saute the mushrooms until they have only just changed colour. Don’t overcook them otherwise you’ll lose the firm texture.
  4. Thinly slice the red onion and separate the pieces.
  5. Mix the baby spinach and red onion in the salad dish.
  6. Sauted Brown Mushrooms

    Sauted Brown Mushrooms

    Poach the eggs either properly (in simmering water) or the lazy way with an egg poacher (as I’ve done in these pictures). Properly poached eggs are much better if you have the tenacity!

  7. Mix the bacon, mini toasts/croutons, and mushrooms through the leaves and then add the curry dressing
  8. Serve the salad topped with one of the freshly poached egg (make sure the yolk is runny as it combines with the dressing!).
  9. Enjoy!

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Soft Pecan & White Chocolate Cookies
Pecan & White Chocolate Cookie

Pecan & White Chocolate Cookie

Soft cookies really are the ultimate comfort food – best consumed straight out of the oven so that they are still warm. This is an extremely simple recipe for a basic cookie mix with my favourite combination of ‘pieces’ – white chocolate, pecan nuts and maple syrup.

Vanilla Bean Paste

Vanilla Bean Paste

This recipe uses Vanilla Paste which is essentially true vanilla pods (including seeds) in a thick syrup. It can be quite expensive but the flavour it adds to foods like this isn’t comparable to extracts and worse – essences. If you don’t have access to vanilla paste you can substitute vanilla extract.

Pure Maple Syrup

Pure Maple Syrup

Maple syrup bought from the supermarket comes in two varieties – the cheap “maple flavoured syrup” that is used on pancakes or the real (and significantly more expensive) 100% natural maple syrup. Don’t bother with the flavoured syrup – they are overly sweet and lack the caramel flavours than subtly make these moreish cookies irresistible.

The most important step when making soft cookies is the length of time they are in the oven. A few minutes either side will result in undercooked or crunchy cookies (still edible, but entirely not the point!)

Ingredients
Soft Pecan & White Chocolate Cookies
  • 1 Cup diced butter
  • 1 Cup Caster Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 Cups Plain Flour
  • 1 Tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 Tsp Vanilla Paste (or 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract)
  • 1 Tbs Real Maple Syrup (*not* maple flavoured syrup)
  • 1 Tbs Milk
  • 1/2 – 1 Cup Pecan Nuts
  • 1/2 – 1 Cup White Chocolate Bits

(The pecan nuts and white chocolate can be substituted with other additives)

Directions:

  1. Diced Butter & Sugar

    Diced Butter & Sugar

    Preheat oven on convection to 180*C

  2. Dice one cup of butter and put it into a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave slightly on medium (for about 30 seconds) to soften (but don’t melt!)
  3. Add one cup of caster sugar (plain would probably work just as well) and cream with electric beaters
  4. Add two eggs and mix it through with the beaters. Add some vanilla paste/extract and one tablespoon of *real* maple syrup (not the maple flavoured syrup – yuck!)
  5. Mix again with the beaters
  6. Flour & Baking Powder

    Flour & Baking Powder

    Add in two cups of sifted plain flour and ONE tsp of baking flour

  7. Mix with beaters again
  8. Add one tablespoon of milk, and whatever “mixins” you’d like. I usually use pecans and white chocolate bits cos they are *sooo* yummy. Mix with the beaters as it helps break up the pecans.
  9. Grab small handfuls and press them into rough balls (they will be slightly sticky from the milk). Squash them onto a baking/cookie tray. Don’t grease the pan as the cookies contain enough fats and oils to prevent sticking. If you’re cookware isn’t non-stick just use a sheet of baking paper.
  10. Soft Cookie

    Soft Cookie

    Bake them at 180*C for about 12 minutes. Time isn’t as important as colour, and remember they will continue cooking on the tray. Err on the side of caution and take them out when the edges only just start to brown but the rest of the cookie is still fairly moist. They will feel very undercooked when you take them out but they firm up as the cool. Worst case if they really are undercooked just put them back in for a few more minutes

  11. Enjoy!

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