When searching for something to make for dinner, I start by scanning the fridge. What I have and what needs to be used first starts the juices flowing in my brain.
Then I move on to my favourite section in the pantry, this holds the magic ingredients, the beloved nook, shelf or perhaps grand display which hosts the spice jars, rows of condiments and the extra bags, jars and trinkets of flavours that are busting to be used to bring the most humble ingredients to life.
When you think of pumpkin soup, stir fry and slaw you probably don't start salivating for dinner. These weeknight stalwarts have been around for donkey’s years, but the classics have lost their spark. They have served us before because they are quick and easy, so let's just stick with the quick and easy part and elevate them to become a new and improved version. Let’s just say they're getting a glow-up. Now these are versions you can know and love many times over.
I love this soup as it doesn't require blending; the pumpkin breaks down in the cooking process and the moong dahl just holds its shape enough to give this soup a little texture, along with diced tomatoes. The spices and coconut cream lift these very simple and mellow-flavoured ingredients, making it a whole meal in one. The coconut yoghurt and chilli oil on top adds another dimension of flavour clashing to fire up the taste buds and leave you wanting to come back for more.
Hoisin pork noodles is a street food style dinner with lots of added greens so you feel just as good at the end of the dish as the first bite. Street food can often be delicious but perhaps too rich and oily, leaving you feeling less excited about it than you did at the start of the feast.
This winter slaw is my saviour to balance out the slow-cooked meats, the hearty winter meals and the lack of juicy fresh summer produce that palette cleanses dinners. A creamy lemon tahini dressing adds a punchy dressing without using mayonnaise to coat the slaw. As always, I love to add extra textures to my salads, so pickled currants and toasted seeds or nuts make this slaw a little more exciting than your standard slaw.
Curried pumpkin & moong dahl soup
Gluten-free, dairy-free
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 Tbsp coconut oil
½ leek, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1½ Tbsp crushed ginger (6cm knob)
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 generous Tbsp mild curry powder
¼ pumpkin (700g), with skin removed and deseeded, cut into 2cm cubes
1 cup moong dahl* (washed and drained)
1 litre (4 cups) of hot chicken stock or bone broth
1 cup coconut cream
400ml can of diced tomatoes
1½ Tbsp runny honey
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat a large saucepan on medium to low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, once melted add the diced leeks and celery, and saute for 10-15 minutes until translucent and tender.
Scrape the cooked leeks and celery to the edges of the pot and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the centre of the pot with the ginger, garlic, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds, stirring the spices in the middle for 2 minutes to ignite the flavours.
Add turmeric and chilli flakes to the pot and then mix everything in the pot together, cook for a further minute before adding the remaining soup ingredients except honey and lemon juice.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice and honey. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with coconut yoghurt or unsweetened yoghurt and a drizzle of chilli oil.
Notes:
Moong Dahl is available at Indian grocers, specialty supermarkets and some international aisles of New World. I get mine from Indian Food Mart, St Andrew St Dunedin. Or, you could use yellow split peas.
Winter slaw with toasted seeds & creamy tahini lemon dressing
Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan
Serves 6
Slaw:
⅙-¼ green cabbage
½ broccoli
1 green apple
1 handful mint, parsley or coriander, roughly chopped
½ cup currants
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar (or other kind of vinegar)
¼ cup boiling water
½ cup seeds, your choice of sunflower, sesame or pumpkin
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp olive oil
¼ bag rocket leaves (30-40g)
Dressing:
⅓ cup hulled tahini
⅓ cup lemon juice (1 ½-2 lemons)
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ cup cold water
¾ tsp sea salt
Method
In a small bowl combine currants, apple cider vinegar and boiling water. Set aside to absorb.
Place a large frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, lightly toast the seeds and cumin seeds with olive oil for 4-5 minutes, tossing often.
In a small jar, combine all of the dressing ingredients, secure the lid tightly, and shake very well to combine.
Using a mandolin on a fine slice, or a large sharp knife, finely shred cabbage and broccoli and transfer to a large bowl.
Change mandolin to a fine grate, or using a handheld grater, grate the apple and add to the cabbage.
Strain the currants from the pickling liquid and add to the shredded salad along with the chopped herbs, rocket and toasted seeds and mix with clean hands or tongs to combine.
Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine, add more as desired.
Transfer salad to a large serving plate and serve alongside slow cooked meats, barbecues or with any winter meal.
Note: If you wish to use this salad across 2-3 days, leave dressing out and add as needed to your salad daily, this keeps the salad fresh and crunchy.
Ingredient Swaps
This is a great base recipe, you can also use any of the below vegetables in place of the above. Toasted nuts are a great swap for seeds, or perhaps a combination would be great.
Vegetables — red cabbage, carrot, fennel, beetroot, pear.
Seeds — walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pine nuts (all toasted).
Hoisin pork noodles with winter greens + chilli oil
Dairy-free
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g pork or mince
3 large garlic cloves, finely sliced
3 Tbsp peanut or sesame oil
2½ cakes of egg noodles
1 small broccoli, finely sliced into bite-size pieces
1 celery stalk, finely sliced on an angle
2 handfuls green beans, fresh or frozen, ends removed
Sauce:
⅓ cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp maple syrup/brown sugar
To serve:
Chilli oil, store bought
Fresh coriander leaves, optional
Method
Make the sauce, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl with a fork and set aside.
Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water following the packet for cooking instructions, and reserve a Πcup of cooking liquid for the sauce.
Heat a large heavy-based frypan on medium to high heat, and add the peanut oil, pork mince and garlic, and stir-fry with a wooden spoon, breaking the mince up and stirring often. Cook for 8 minutes or until browning occurs on the bottom and pork is cooked through.
Reduce the temperature of the pan to medium and add the finely-sliced broccoli, celery, and whole green beans to the pork mince and toss together to cook for 5 minutes until just tender.
Add the sauce and ¼ cup of the noodle cooking liquid to the pan, and stir to combine.
Add drained noodles and mix with tongs until the noodles are well coated in the hoisin sauce mix.
Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Drizzle with chilli oil and a scatter of fresh coriander and serve.
• Pork Alternative: Replace with chicken mince.
• Gluten-free Alternative: Replace egg noodles for 125g flat rice noodles, follow packet for cooking instructions.
