Pan-fried haloumi with roasted tomatoes

Marie Claire fresh and fast: simply delicious healthy food, 256pp.
by Michele Cranston
Murdoch Books, Millers Points NSW, 2008
Cooking on page 32

I’ve cooked from several Marie Claire cookbooks written by different authors. This is a companion to Michele Cranston’s Fresh and easy. A while back we enjoyed a beef and potato curry from that book.

My friend, Chloe, loaned me this book. She’s done a couple of guest blog posts here including a moist buttermilk cake with strawberries and a tomato and bread salad with anchovies and capers.

Pan-fried haloumi with roasted tomatoes

Ingredients
2 branches of truss cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
400 g (14 oz) tinned white beans, drained
2 small zucchini (courgettes), finely sliced
a handful of parsley leaves
2 handfuls of rocket (arugula) leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
250 g (9 oz) haloumi cheese, sliced

Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6).

Cut the truss tomato branches into two so that you have four sections of tomatoes. Place them onto a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the skins are beginning to split. 

Put the white beans in a bowl with the zucchini, parsley leaves, rocket leaves, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to combine before dividing between four serving plates. 

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Pan-fry the haloumi slices until golden brown on both sides. Arrange the haloumi slices over the salad and top with the baked tomatoes. Serves 4.

How it played out
I had my first taste of haloumi in Egypt in 1976 and I have loved it ever since. I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for ages, but some of my herb plants got trampled by workmen in the backyard. 

Luckily a friend has a good supply of parsley and I grabbed the supermarket’s last packet of rocket. Made as written using butter beans and extra lemon juice.

Verdict
I’ll always love haloumi in any way possible. Go on, try it. Hope you’ll love it too. 

Travel
We’re finally back to travelling—this time 54 days in Arabia with camping and hotels. Feel free to check out our rocky campsite in Oman.

Albanian walnut cake with lemon glaze

Sunday at Moosewood Restaurant: ethnic and regional recipes from the cooks at the legendary restaurant, 736pp.
by the cooks of the Moosewood Collective
Simon and Schuster/Fireside, New York, 1990
Cooking on pages 232–33

For almost 50 years, cookbooks from Moosewood Restaurant have been a global guide to eating vegetables, introducing generations of people to mostly vegetarian diets that include fish and seafood.

They’ve sold more than five million cookbooks and I own three.  This is the first one of their recipes that I’ve posted.

Albanian walnut cake with lemon glaze

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup buttermilk (or additional 1/3 cup yogurt)
2 cups unbleached white flour (all purpose or plain flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp freshly grated lemon rind
1 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Ingredients for glaze
3/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground allspice
dash of ground cloves

Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F. For the cake, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and then mix in the eggs. Blend the yogurt with the buttermilk. Sift together the dry ingredients and add them alternately with the yogurt mixture into the egg mixture. Stir in the lemon rind and walnuts. Pour the batter into a buttered 9 x 13 inch baking pan and bake for 30–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. The cake should still be moist.

Meanwhile, make the glaze by simmering together all the ingredients, covered, for about 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick (if used).When the cake is done, remove it from the oven, turn the oven off, pour the glaze over the hot cake, and return it to the oven for about 10 minutes. Cut the cake into squares and serve it warm or cool.

For the rich at heart, a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream may add just the right touch. Serves 12–15.

How it played out
I started making more cakes during the pandemic. It seemed a thoughtful and nourishing thing to do. I’ve made this one three times, following the ingredients and instructions (using buttermilk and ground cinnamon).

Oh wait, that’s not quite true. The second time I cut back on the glaze by one-third. That was a mistake—it needs all the glaze.

Also, I always weigh flour, so for me 2 cups of flour is equal to 250 grams or close to 9 ounces.

Verdict
Oh gosh, I guess we liked it because Poor John asked for it a second time. The family thought it was one of the best recipes of the pandemic ‘season’, so I guess I’ll be making it for a fourth time again soon. 

Travel
We haven’t done a lot of travel since the rise of Covid (more planned later this year), but I fondly remember the divine wedding cakes we saw in Germany.

Chilli eggs

Delia Smith’s complete cookery course: a new edition for the 1990s, 640pp.
by Delia Smith
BBC Books, London, 1992
Cooking on page 32

Delia Smith is a goddess of English cooking. The first edition of this important book came out in 1978. Fourteen years later she decided it was essential to update and revise recipes, and include new ones where needed.

One big change she noted was the widespread availability of ingredients such as good olive oil, fresh herbs and diverse cheeses.

Chilli eggs

Ingredients
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon hot chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
a few drops of Tabasco
14 oz tin Italian tomatoes (400 g)
4 oz Cheddar cheese (110 g), grated
salt and freshly milled black pepper

to serve
chopped parsley

Method
Heat the oil in a heavy, medium-sized frying pan and fry the chopped onion, green pepper and garlic gently for about 10 minutes until they’re nicely softened. Then stir in the chilli and cumin powders and add the oregano along with a few drops of Tabasco. Mix thoroughly and then add the contents of the tin of tomatoes.

Turn up the heat a bit and let the mixture cook (uncovered) for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced to a thick pulp, then season with salt and freshly milled pepper.

Now carefully break the eggs into the pan on top of the mixture. Then sprinkle the cheese over all the eggs, cover the pan with a close-fitting lid or a suitably-sized plate and, lowering the heat, simmer very gently for about 10–15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Alternatively, you can place the pan under a hot grill until the cheese is browned and bubbling and the eggs just set (7 minutes for soft eggs, 10 for well done). Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lots of bread or toast to dunk into the juices.

How it played out
I’ve made this twice recently. The first time I used a fresh chilli in place of powder. The second time I used chilli powder. I used dried oregano and then fresh basil. One time I used red peppers in place of green.

The timings are fairly accurate. Keep an eye on the eggs so they cook to your liking.

Verdict
This is an amazing recipe for a quick, delicious and reasonably healthy meal. I almost always have the ingredients on hand so I expect to make it frequently, especially on busy days. I might make it again this weekend.

Travel
If you have a moment, please check out my travel blog. Here’s a post about the famous Fabergé eggs.

Prawn and grapefruit cocktail

Perfect entrees, 90pp.
edited by Julie Gorrick
Select Magazines, Gordon NSW, no date given
Cooking on pages 32–33

A collection of more than 40 recipes for entrées that were popular, I suspect, in the 1970s and 80s. They cover soups, pastries, crepes, seafood, pasta, grains and vegetables. Every recipe has step-by-step instructions, accompanied by colour photos.

Prawn (shrimp) and grapefruit cocktail

Ingredients
500g small cooked prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined
2 medium grapefruit
1 small head of lettuce

Dressing
⅓ cup cream
2–3 teaspoons bottled chilli sauce
¼ cup egg mayonnaise
1 tablespoon brandy
½ teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
sprigs of fresh dill

Method
Cover and chill prawns. Remove skin and pith from grapefruit. With a small, sharp knife, cut between each membrane to remove segments. Cover and chill.

Shred lettuce finely, discarding core. Cover lettuce and chill.

Make dressing just before serving. Whip cream until stiff and fold in 2 teaspoons of bottled chilli sauce. Add mayonnaise, brandy, sugar and salt. Taste and add more chilli sauce if desired.

Place prawns, grapefruit and lettuce in a bowl. Pour dressing over, and gently toss to combine. To serve. Spoon mixture into individual dishes and garnish with a spring of dill. Serves 4–5.

How it played out
I made a half a batch using my homemade mayonnaise (scroll down for recipe), larger prawns and a grapefruit from the tree in our backyard. The biggest challenge was cleaning the membrane off the grapefruit. Otherwise a breeze to make.

Verdict
It is definitely from the 1970s, but it translates well enough to today. It works as an entrée or a salad.

I will make again as long as I know that all dinner guests can eat grapefruit (sometimes it’s a no-no ingredient with certain medications).

Baked halloumi with lemon, wild thyme and honey

Persiana everyday, 240pp.
by Sabrina Ghayour
Amber (Octopus Publishing Group), London, 2022
Cooking on page 32–33

Six years ago, Poor John and I spent about a month in Iran (present-day Persia). Restaurant food was mostly chicken and kebabs, and we longed to try some home-cooking and traditional recipes.

Thank goodness, Sabrina Ghayour has written six cookbooks showcasing Persian and Middle Eastern food.

Baked halloumi with lemon, wild thyme and honey

Ingredients
250g block of halloumi cheese
2 tablespoon garlic oil
1 heaped tablespoon clear honey
finely grated zest of 1 large unwaxed lemon and juice of ½
1 teaspoon dried wild thyme
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon pul biber chilli flakes
flatbread, to serve

Method
Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan), Gas Mark 7. Set out a square of foil large enough to generously accommodate the block of halloumi, line it with a square of baking paper and place the halloumi in the centre. Scrunch the paper tightly around the block, leaving only the top surface exposed.

Mix all the other ingredients together in a small bowl until evenly combined, then pour over the halloumi.

Scrunch the foil round the halloumi to form a sealed parcel. Place in a small overproof dish or on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately with flatbread.

How it played out
The whole family was at the beach house for a holiday and our son-in-law, Daniel, volunteered to make this as an appetiser.

Made mostly according to the recipe, using ordinary chilli flakes and plenty of fresh thyme from the neighbour’s garden.

Meanwhile, Libby (our daughter and Daniel’s wife) made a flatbread recipe from the same cookbook (not on a page 32).

Verdict
Both recipes were lovely, but we all agreed that pan-fried halloumi, simply dowsed in lemon juice is still our favourite. This is a tasty way to make it—grilled haloumi.

Travel
It would be great if you pop over to my travel blog. Here’s a post about cheese and other ingredients in the Bhutanese market.

Sumac, onion and mint salad

Salad days, 120pp.
Australian Women’s Weekly Test Kitchens
ACP Books, Sydney, 2008
Cooking on pages 32–33

Women’s Weekly cookbooks are available the world over. I have bought them in Australia, Lebanon, the USA, Kazakhstan and New Zealand. Can’t remember where I bought this one, but it gets a lot of use.

As an aside, I grew up eating salad. My mother, who studied home economics and nutrition at university, served a salad every night of the week. I eat some sort of salad almost every day.

Sumac, onion and mint salad

Ingredients
4 small red onions (400g), sliced thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil (8 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint (8 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (4 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon sumac (4 teaspoons)

Method
Combine ingredients in medium bowl. Any small mint leaves can be left whole, rather than chopped, if you like.

How it played out
I made this exactly as written for a neighbourhood gathering.

Verdict
I especially love onion and sumac, so loved this recipe. My mother always hoped I would give up loading up sandwiches with raw onions, but I never have. This made a lot, so there were leftovers, but they kept well in the fridge and were enjoyed over a couple of days.

Oat and raisin cookies

First, cream the butter and sugar: the essential baking companion, 408pp.
by Emelia Jackson
Murdoch Books, Sydney, 2022
Cooking on page 32

Growing up I was the family baker, probably because I was the oldest. This book would have been tremendously helpful.

Emelia Jackson also grew up baking and her skills landed her in the sixth season of Australian MasterChef. She didn’t win then, but she did win the first MasterChef Australia: Back to Win in 2020.

Jackson says the recipe on page 32 is her all-time favourite cookie recipe.

Oat and raisin cookies

Ingredients
225 g (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
200 g (7 oz) light brown sugar
100 g (3½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
200 g (7 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
180 g rolled oats
130 g (4½ oz) raisins or sultanas

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line two baking trays with baking paper or silicon baking mats.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until pale and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine, scraping down the side of the bowls and the beater to ensure the egg is completely incorporated and there are no streaks of batter.

Gently stir in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and sea salt until just combined. Add the rolled oats and raisins and stir until just combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out even-sized balls of the dough and place them on the baking trays, leaving plenty of space for the cookies to spread.

Bake the cookies in batches for 12–15 minutes or until the edges are a perfectly golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the trays before transferring to your plate. Makes 20.

How it played out
I made these as a treat for my daughter’s cricket team when they played their grand final this month. In the end, my main change was to leave out the raisins/sultanas. The packaging said ‘may contain traces of nuts’ and one person is extremely allergic to all nuts.

I also made the cookies slightly smaller so they would go further and feed a crowd. The recipes says makes 20 and I got 33. Some spread, some didn’t. They all baked within 10 minutes.

Verdict
I can see why these are Jackson’s favourite cookies. Whether they spread or not, these are wonderfully delicious. The players loved them and so does my nephew who is visiting from America. One day he ate three instead of lunch.

I will make these often. Luckily I almost always have all the ingredients on hand.

Baked oat cookies

Oeufs sur le plat (Eggs on a tray)

Meals on a tray, 83pp.
by Mrs C.F. Leyel
George Routledge and Sons, London, no date given
Cooking on page 16

Hilda Leyel wrote under the name Mrs. C. F. Leyel. She was an expert on herbalism and founded the Society of Herbalists in England in 1927, as well as a chain of herbalist stores called Culpeper House.

In addition to this volume, her books cover dishes such as puddings, cold savoury meals, drinks and cordials, salad, jams, and elixirs. Page 32 here is blank so I went for half of that. Some of her original volumes now sell for more than $100. I’ve given this book to our daughter, Petra. See below for why this book is part of a family laugh.

Oeufs sur le plat (Eggs on a tray)

Ingredients and method
Butter the little fireproof dishes into which the eggs are to be broken. Break them so that the yoke remains whole. Season it well with pepper and salt and put into the oven for about five minutes until the whites are set; just before serving add a spoonful of cream, and serve with a sprinkling of parsley.

How it played out
This recipe is part of Mrs. Leyel’s Menu 12 in the book. I doubt that it’s a breakfast menu as it includes sweet bread fritters and a decanter of claret.

I made two eggs, and skipped the cream and the claret. It took longer that 5 minutes for the whites to set.

Verdict and why I bought the book
Yet another way with eggs, but it was the reference to a tray that caught my eye. My husband was with the Australian foreign service. Back in the 1980s we were posted to Burma (Myanmar).

Our girls were under the age of 3 when we arrived and they spent a few years being on the receiving end of servants. Drop a fork and the bearer would bring a fresh one—on a tray.

Not long after we returned to Australia, Petra, our younger daughter, asked for a glass of water. Poor John poured it and plonked it on the table. She looked horrified and said ‘But you didn’t bring it on a tray’.

That’s when she learned that tray days were over. Except for this recipe.

Beef bourguignon

Tasmanian trail: from passion to plate, 208pp.
by Ben Milbourne
New Holland Publishers, Auckland, 2014
Cooking on page 132

Tasmania is Australia’s smallest state and one of the country’s most thriving food paradises. In producing this cookbook, Ben Milbourne travelled the state meeting the owners, farmers, fishermen, chocolatiers and brewers whose love of fresh, locally made products have established them as purveyors of fine food.

The book showcases the various produce available in the state from beer and cider to seafood and lamb to berries and cheese. Page 32 introduced Ashgrove Dairy but had no recipe, so I moved on to 132.

Beef bourguignon

Ingredients
1 kg (2.2 lbs) casserole steak, roughly chopped into large chunks
¼ cup plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
150 g (5 oz) smoked bacon, cut into batons
8 eschalots, peeled
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 leeks, white part sliced
2 carrots, diced
750 ml (3 cups) red wine
500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
5 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
2 bay leaves
8 button mushrooms, halved
8 chat potatoes, cut in half
¼ cup picked parsley leaves, finely chopped, for garnish

Method
Preheat oven to 140°C.

Toss the beef in the flour, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish. Fry the beef in small batches, adding extra oil if needed, until browned all over. Remove the beef and in the same pan, fry the bacon and set it aside.

Fry the eschalots, garlic, leeks and carrots in the oil for 5 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the wine and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the stock, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and the reserved beef and bacon. Cover with the lid and place the dish in the oven for 2 hours.

Remove the casserole dish from the oven and add the mushrooms and potatoes and cook for another 30 minutes. If the sauce is a little thin, leave the lid off.

Scatter over the parsley leaves just before serving.

How it played out
I made this towards the end of a pandemic lockdown when shopping opportunities were limited, so I had to improvise a bit. I had 700 grams of gravy beef in the freezer. Given there was just two of us, I decided to make half a batch with a little less beef and the full amount of bacon.

Had 2 eschalots on hand and added 2 small red onions. Luckily I have parsley, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves in the garden, and had mushrooms and smallish red potatoes on hand.

Followed the instructions exactly and the timings were perfect. I wanted to serve over mashed potatoes, but had run out, so made steamed rice.

Verdict
Oh yum, oh yum, oh yum! Easy to make and full of flavour. My modifications worked well, which goes to show the recipe is versatile. Perfect for chilly days. And the leftovers are even better.

Crunchy herb roasted fish

The instant cook, 192pp.
by Donna Hay
Fourth Estate, Sydney, 2004
Cooking on page 132

Donna Hay is a well-known Australian cook, food stylist, author and magazine editor. This cookbook, which was her eighth, focuses on home-cooked meals that can be made quickly, using fresh and simple ingredients. Page 32 is a chapter divider so I moved on to page 132 and a collection of four fish recipes.

Crunchy herb roasted fish

Ingredients
4 firm white fish fillets

herb topping
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped dill
60g (2 0z) butter, melted
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). To make the herb topping, combine the breadcrumbs, lemon, chilli, parsley, dill, butter, salt and pepper. Place the fish fillets on a tray lined with baking paper. Press the herb topping over the fish. Bake for 12–15 minuses or until the fish is just cooked through and the herb topping is crisp. Serve with lemon wedges and a simple green salad. Serves 4.

How it played out
I had three ling fish fillets (weighing just over a pound), so was keen to try this recipe.

However, I didn’t have all the exact ingredients. My fillets were small, so I halved the topping ingredients. I used 1 cup of dried panko breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of dried dill (in place of fresh), a generous teaspoon of lemon zest, a half teaspoon of chilli flakes (in place of fresh) and a little more than 30 grams of melted butter. Baked for 12 minutes, which was perfect.

Served with baked potatoes and a pickled cabbage salad.

Verdict
Delicious recipe with a great crunch, and so versatile. It reminds me that recipes are just a guide and that you can be flexible. Will make again and will feel free to swap around and substitute ingredients. If you like chilli, then add more.