hetty mckinnon

Brussels sprouts are the hero of this hearty and nutritious bowl. This recipe is an edited extract from Community: Salad Recipes From Arthur Street Kitchen by Hetty McKinnon (Plum/Pan Macmillan, $39.99).

Roasted spiced brussels sprout and chickpea bowl with fennel salad recipe

garlic clove, finely chopped

tsp coriander

tsp cumin

milliliters extra virgin olive oil

brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved

cooked chickpeas, drained

Greek yoghurt

mint leaves

fennel bulbs (about 1kg), trimmed, fronds reserved

green chilli,

tbs toasted sesame seeds

lemon

olive oil

Intensify the flavours of your next caprese salad by slow roasting tomatoes and making a quick lemon and basil sauce.

Caprese salad with slow-roasted tomatoes, rocket and basil gremolata

mixed tomatoes

garlic,

thyme

extra virgin olive oil

(70 grams) baby rocket leaves

mozzarella (you could

Sea salt and black pepper

garlic

fennel seeds

(15 grams) basil leaves

Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven 150°C. Cut the tomatoes into a variety of similarly-sized shapes and place on a baking tray. Add the garlic, thyme, and season well with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil all over the tomatoes — the amount of oil depends on how big your tray is, but about ⅓ cup should be enough. Place in the pre-heated oven and roast for 60-90 minutes, until the tomatoes are shrunken, sweet and full of flavour. Once ready, set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, prepare the gremolata. Place the garlic and fennel seeds on a cutting board and carefully chop until very fine, mixing them together as you chop. On the same board, add the basil leaves, and finely chop, adding this to the garlic and fennel as you go. Then add the basil mixture to a small bowl, stir in the lemon zest, season with sea salt and black pepper and add the olive oil. Stir to combine. If you have a mortar and pestle, you can use this to make the gremolata too. 

To serve, arrange the rocket leaves on a serving plate. Place the mozzarella balls on top of the rocket, either whole or torn. Spoon over the roasted tomatoes, along with some (or all) of the fragrant oil. Top with the gremolata and serve with crusty bread, on top of pasta, or as a side.

These spanakopita rolls are incredibly adaptable. They make a satisfying dinner, served alongside a tangy tomato, chickpea and dill salad. You can eat the rolls alone and leftovers are great for kid's' lunch boxes.

Hetty McKinnon's spanakopita rolls with tomato, chickpea and dill salad

English spinach,

red onion, finely chopped

(about 25 grams) mint, leaves

Greek feta cheese

eggs

puff pastry, thawed completely

garlic, grated

(1 punnet) cherry tomatoes, halved

(about 250 grams) chickpeas, drained

Place a large pot on medium-high heat. Heap all the spinach into the pot, add a splash of water and cover with lid. Cook for about two minutes, stirring once or twice, until wilted. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much moisture as you can (this will make sure your puff pastry doesn't get soggy later). Place on a chopping board and chop it finely. Place all the spinach in a medium mixing bowl.

To the spinach, add red onion, garlic, mint, and dill. Crumble in the feta (I just squeeze it with my hands until it crumbles into small pieces) and using clean hands or a large spoon, mix until very well combined. Add about one teaspoon of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. When you are happy with the seasoning, add one egg and mix again until combined.

Line two baking trays with baking paper. Preheat oven to 200˚C.

Make an egg wash by adding the remaining egg into a small bowl. Add one tablespoon of water and whisk until combined. Set aside.

Place one piece of puff pastry on a clean surface. If your pastry is super soft and is sticking, dust the bench with a little flour. Cut the pastry in half, into two equal sized rectangles. Spoon one quarter of the spinach mixture along the long length of pastry that is closest to you, moulding it into a sausage shape (see image above). Brush the beaten egg along the pastry edge furthest from you, then fold the pastry over to enclose the filling, pressing it into the egg washed edge. Turn it over so that the seam is on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling, until you have four long rolls. Cut each roll into three equal pieces.

Place the rolls on the prepared baking tray, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with nigella or sesame seeds. Bake for 2025 minutes, or until golden. Refrigerate leftover rolls in an airtight container for up to four days.

Prepare the salad by placing the garlic, lemon juice, zest, dill, olive oil and about ½ teaspoon of salt into a medium serving bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the tomato and chickpeas straight into the dressing and toss to combine. Taste and check if you need more salt. Season with black pepper.

Serve spanakopita rolls alongside the tomato and chickpea salad.

The genesis of this recipe is unmistakably the great Indian dish saag/palak paneer, writes Hetty McKinnon. However, it's not faithful to the traditional recipe, taking an unexpected diversion with the help of store-bought Indian simmer sauce.

Spinach and chickpea curry with paneer

English spinach leaves

Indian simmer sauce,

milliliters (½ cup) coconut milk,

Sea salt

paneer cheese,

cooked chickpeas (from 1 can), drained

Basmati rice

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the spinach leaves — they might not all fit straight away, but as the spinach on the bottom wilts, you'll be able to add more leaves. Once all the leaves are in the water, blanch for 60–90 seconds until just wilted and bright green. Drain and run under cold water until completely cool (alternatively, you can plunge the spinach into an ice bath). Drain and squeeze out all the liquid.

In a blender or food processor, add the spinach, simmer sauce, and ½ cup (125ml) coconut milk. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and add ½–1 teaspoon of sea salt (this will depend upon how salty your simmer sauce is) and blend again.

Heat a medium-large deep frypan on medium-high. When hot, add 1–2 tablespoons of oil, then add the paneer cubes and fry on each side for about 1 minute, until golden on all sides (if the paneer starts to burn, reduce heat to medium).

Pour the spinach puree into the frypan with the paneer and add the chickpeas. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until it's warmed through, stirring every now and then. 

Serve the curry with rice and top with a drizzle of coconut milk. 

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