Italian Bean and Vegetable soup

Ingredients

·         500gm of JC’s Italian Soup Mix

·         2 onions, finely chopped

·         2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

·         2 carrots, peeled and diced

·         2 sticks of celery, chopped

·         400gm can of crushed tomatoes

·         2 tablespoons tomato paste

·         1 liter chicken stock

·         Olive oil

·         Salt & Pepper

Method

1.       Soak beans overnight in a generous amount of fresh water, they will double in size.

2.       Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy based stock pot and when hot sauté the onions until transparent.

3.       Add the garlic, carrots and celery, combine, lower heat and cover pan to allow the vegetables to sweat for 5 minutes.

4.       Add the drained beans, canned tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken stock, mix well and bring to the simmer and cover.

5.       Continue to simmer for 2 hours or until a large bean can be easily crushed against the side of the pot with a spoon.

6.       Taste and adjust seasoning with Salt & Pepper.

7.       Serve with toasted crusty bread and a drizzle of fruity olive oil.

1 week ago

Dinner for One?

  Often The Vicar eats alone, dreadful table manners, But cooking for one is a whole other story. Tune in for a few ideas…..

3 weeks ago

 You’ve read the recipe, now let the Vicar talk you through it….

3 weeks ago

Gravlax, Easy and fun

1 Salmon filet, a whole side

4 tbsp. salt

4 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. chopped dill

2 tbsp. cracked black pepper

2 tbsp. tea leaves

2 tbsp vodka

zest of 2 lemons

Method, Combine all elements, except the salmon, and mix well.

lay muslin in a dish, cover with half the cure and spread evenly, place fish, skin side down on mixture and cover with the remaining half. Wrap snugly in the muslin, leave wrapped fish in the dish and place in the refrigerator.

Leave for 48 hours, turning every 12hours and draining off any liquid that forms. Unwrap and quickly rinse filet of any salt sugar mixture, pat dry with paper towel and place skin side down on a serving plate. Slice finely and serve.

1 month ago

  Lazy Sunday night, simple Tuesday or Easy Tea as we say in Australia. The Vicar explores the clever ways of avoiding time in the kitchen while creating satisfying meals, tune in for the solution.

1 month ago

     The best deals and the tastiest tomatoes are in the markets right now, so try this quick and spicey tomato sauce recipe, and bottle the goodness.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, take 2 kilos of very ripe tomatoes and cut a shallow cross in the bottom of each fruit, plunge 1/2 the tomatoes into the water. Have another bowl of ice water ready and when the tomatoes have been in the boiling water for 2 minutes remove them to the cold water with a slotted spoon, then repeat the process with the remaining toms. Now you can easily peel the skins from the tomatoes, discard the skins and roughly chop the flesh.

   In a large pot saute, in a generous amount of olive oil, 2 peeled and chopped onions, 6 crushed garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes until the onions become transparent. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot, stir well and cover, simmer for 20 minutes. Now taste and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt and pepper, add a few torn basil leaves and simmer for a further 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.

   Puree the mixture in batches in a blender, food processor or use a stick blender to remove all the lumps until a smooth even coloured sauce is achieved, use a funnel to ladel the mixture into individual bottles. Use the sauce with pasta or add to soups and casseroles as you would a commercial passata, give a few bottles to you friends they will appreciate the gift.

2 months ago

   Listen to me rant at the stupidity and injustice of contemporary Australia on ABC 1233 Newcastle.

I’ve got a platform and I’m not afraid to use it! Look out!

2 months ago

  The Vicar is homeless no more, unfortunately the new abode is uninhabitable, so stay tuned for renovation adventures.

Lets start with the kitchen……

3 months ago
3 months ago
Garlic and Chilli Squid Ingredients ·         600gm whole squids, about 3 medium ·         100ml olive oil ·         2 cloves of garlic crushed ·         2 tsp dried chilli flakes ·         4 spring onions, finely sliced ·         ½ lemon Method 1.       To clean the squid, reach inside the tube and pull out the tentacles and contents of the body, careful not to burst the ink sack. Cut the tentacles away from the head and remove the beak, halve the tentacles into 2 pieces with 4 legs on each and reserve, discard the guts and beak. Remove the wings from the body and peel away the fine skin from the tube, rinse the tube inside and out. 2.       Lay the tube on a work surface and run a knife up the length of the body, open the squid out like a book, wipe clean with paper towel. 3.       Now working on the squid tube score the flesh  on a 45% angle, careful not to cut right through the flesh, score at 5mm intervals, the length of the tube then repeat on the opposite 45% angle to create a cross hatched pattern. 4.       Cut the tube in half vertically then cut the halves into 2cm pieces and combine with the reserved tentacles. 5.       Now for the easy part! Heat the oil in a wok or fry pan, when very hot but not smoking add the squid and wok toss for a minute. 6.       Add the garlic, the dried chilli  flakes and ¾ of the spring onions and continue to cook over high heat for about 3 minutes no longer. 7.       Remove from the heat, season with salt, cracked pepper and remaining spring onions, squeeze the lemon over the squid and serve with rice and steamed Asian  greens dressed with a little oyster sauce and a dash of sesame oil, serves 2.

Garlic and Chilli Squid

Ingredients

·         600gm whole squids, about 3 medium

·         100ml olive oil

·         2 cloves of garlic crushed

·         2 tsp dried chilli flakes

·         4 spring onions, finely sliced

·         ½ lemon

Method

1.       To clean the squid, reach inside the tube and pull out the tentacles and contents of the body, careful not to burst the ink sack. Cut the tentacles away from the head and remove the beak, halve the tentacles into 2 pieces with 4 legs on each and reserve, discard the guts and beak. Remove the wings from the body and peel away the fine skin from the tube, rinse the tube inside and out.

2.       Lay the tube on a work surface and run a knife up the length of the body, open the squid out like a book, wipe clean with paper towel.

3.       Now working on the squid tube score the flesh  on a 45% angle, careful not to cut right through the flesh, score at 5mm intervals, the length of the tube then repeat on the opposite 45% angle to create a cross hatched pattern.

4.       Cut the tube in half vertically then cut the halves into 2cm pieces and combine with the reserved tentacles.

5.       Now for the easy part! Heat the oil in a wok or fry pan, when very hot but not smoking add the squid and wok toss for a minute.

6.       Add the garlic, the dried chilli  flakes and ¾ of the spring onions and continue to cook over high heat for about 3 minutes no longer.

7.       Remove from the heat, season with salt, cracked pepper and remaining spring onions, squeeze the lemon over the squid and serve with rice and steamed Asian  greens dressed with a little oyster sauce and a dash of sesame oil, serves 2.

4 months ago

   What culinary memories have been left to you by your grandparents?

The Vicar goes in search of his and others early influences.

6 months ago
Basil Pesto Ingredients ·         2 cloves of garlic, peeled ·         3 anchovy fillets ·         1 cup JC’s Pine nuts, lightly toasted ·         1 bunch flat leafed parsley, leaves only ·         2 bunches basil, leaves only ·         1 – 2 cups light olive oil you need enough oil for the Pesto to blend easily with the pasta. ·         1 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese Method 1.      Combine garlic, anchovies, pine nuts, all the leaves from the parsley and basil in a food processor. 2.      Pulse until roughly chopped and well combined. 3.      Slowly add olive oil with the motor running until desired consistency is achieved. 4.      Add a good handful of grated cheese and stir through. 5.      Taste and adjust seasoning. Combine pesto with cooked pasta and serve

Basil Pesto

Ingredients

·         2 cloves of garlic, peeled

·         3 anchovy fillets

·         1 cup JC’s Pine nuts, lightly toasted

·         1 bunch flat leafed parsley, leaves only

·         2 bunches basil, leaves only

·         1 – 2 cups light olive oil you need enough oil for the Pesto to blend easily with the pasta.

·         1 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

Method

1.      Combine garlic, anchovies, pine nuts, all the leaves from the parsley and basil in a food processor.

2.      Pulse until roughly chopped and well combined.

3.      Slowly add olive oil with the motor running until desired consistency is achieved.

4.      Add a good handful of grated cheese and stir through.

5.      Taste and adjust seasoning.

Combine pesto with cooked pasta and serve

7 months ago

    Why are supermarket carrots so clean, how can you tell if traders at Farmers Markets are genuine growers? How much salt is in that cereal? The Vicar answers all you questions, with certainty if not accuracy.

7 months ago

   The Vicar is full of opinions.

A friend of mine once said…. Opinions are like arseholes, everybody’s got one.

Makes you think..

9 months ago

This week the Vicar gets a pie in the face from Paul

9 months ago