Beer-battered Fish Tacos with Native Spices

Mexican-inspired meals are always popular at our place, and one of the few dinners that makes everyone happy - mostly because it's so easy for each person to customise their own dish! This particular recipe is a riff on Baja-style fish tacos, with four different native Australian spices or spice blends used in my version.

This delicious and lightly spiced batter could be also be used for other seafood and served with chips and salad.

Ingredients

Beer-battered Fish

500 grams of firm white fish fillets, in 2.5cm slices
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Outback Pride Saltbush Flakes
1 tsp Outback Pride Native Pepperleaf Flakes
1 tsp Outback Pride Tanami Fire
1 cup Corona beer + 1/3 cup if needed
Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Dressing

1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp Outback Pride Lemon Myrtle Flakes

Tacos

1/4 small cabbage, chopped (green or red is fine)
1/2 small red onion, sliced
1 lime, halved, and one half cut into quarters
Corn or flour tortillas, warmed to serve
Chopped fresh coriander
Sliced avocado (optional)

Method

1. Place the chopped cabbage and red onion in a bowl and squeeze one half of the lime all over. Stir to combine and set aside.
2. To make the dressing, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, crushed garlic and lemon myrtle flakes in a small bowl. Cover and place in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, saltbush flakes, tanami fire and native pepperleaf flakes to a mixing bowl, and stir well. Whisk the mixture while adding 1 cup of beer, and continue whisking until smooth and kind of pancake consistency. Leave to rest for 10-15 minutes or so. If the batter is too thick at this stage, add the extra 1/3 cup of beer and whisk to combine.
4. Place vegetable oil for deep-frying in a deep frypan or saucepan, and heat over medium-high.
5. Lay out the fish strips and pat them dry. Test if the oil is ready by dropping a little batter in - if it bubbles around the edge immediately then the oil is hot enough.
6. In the meantime, wrap the tortillas in foil and warm in the oven. Alternatively, you can microwave them right before serving.
7. Dredge the fish strips in the batter and place in the hot oil to cook, in batches so that the pan doesn't get too crowded. When golden brown all over, use tongs to remove and drain on paper towels.
8. To serve, place a warmed tortilla on your plate and add some of the cabbage onion mix. Lay a strip of battered fish over the cabbage, and then sprinkle fresh coriander on top. Drizzle or dollop the creamy lemon myrtle dressing all over.
9. Fold the tortilla in half to enjoy!

Slow Roasted Pork with Native Pepperleaf and Fennel Seeds

Slow roasted pork is one of my favourite indulgences, and fills the house with incredible aromas as it spends hours cooking away in the oven. This version was created when I had about 5 hours available, though I will take as long as I have - if you have 8 hours, for instance, reduce the temperature even further after the initial blast of heat, and cover it with foil if you're concerned about the edges getting overcooked. I love the soft, falling apart result of pulled pork, and really enjoy adding native Australian pepperleaf to this version.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp Native Pepperleaf Flakes
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pork shoulder cut, about 1.5-2kg

METHOD

Remove the pork shoulder from the fridge a couple of hours before you want to cook it (ideally, though an hour should be enough) so that it can come to room temperature. If you love a crispy skin on your roast, dry it out by keeping it uncovered in your fridge overnight before cooking. Score the skin with a sharp knife, either in parallel lines or criss-crossed over the top.

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celsius.

Combine the pepperleaf flakes, fennel seeds and salt with the olive oil, and rub the oil and spice mix all over the pork shoulder roast. Place on a rack in a roasting dish, and place in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 160 degrees celsius, and roast for a further 4 hours. Take the roast our of the oven, cover with aluminium foil and allow to rest for about 20 minutes before serving.

Feeds 6 ish

Enjoy!

Lamb, Eggplant and Lemon Myrtle Meatballs

Lamb has a great flavour, and I just love combining it with mediterranean ingredients like roasted eggplant, hummus and feta cheese. These meatballs use lamb mince and are inspired by a Donna Hay recipe, with some tweaking and improv (the way that I cook most days!) as well as the addition of a native Australian herbs Sea Parsley and Lemon Myrtle Flakes.

These make amazing finger food, part of a buffet spread or appetisers. When you serve them at a party or gathering, grab one quickly, they won't last!

INGREDIENTS

1 medium-large eggplant, finely diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
500gm lamb mince
3 small-medium cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese (alternatively, use feta cheese)
Outback Pride Sea Parsley
Outback Pride Lemon Myrtle Flakes
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, to taste
Extra 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Toss the finely diced eggplant in 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and spread on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Cook in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (will vary depending on your oven and how finely the eggplant are diced, so keep an eye on them toward the end to prevent burning). Allow to cool.
2. In a bowl, mix the lamb mince with the crushed garlic, Australian native herbs, salt and pepper, crumbled goat cheese and cooled roasted eggplant. 
3. Scoop a heaped teaspoon of meatball mixture and roll into a ball. Repeat until the mixture is all used up. If you have time to keep the meatballs in the fridge for an hour or two, this will help them keep their shape when cooking.
4. Warm up the second tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, and then brown the meatballs in batches, cooking for about 5 minutes.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees celsius for 5 minutes or until meatballs are cooking through. If making ahead, allow to cool after step 4, and then finish cooking in the oven right before serving.
6. Serve as they are, or accompany with a tasty dip such as Tzatziki or Hummus.

Native Pepper, Chicken and Veg Sausage Rolls

These mini sausage rolls were a big hit for dinner a few weeks ago! With plenty of hidden vegies and some fantastic native flavours, I was thrilled that the kids were happily munching away, and I was able to whip them up with ingredients I had in the freezer and pantry.

I served them up with Outback Pride's Lemon Myrtle and Chilli Sauce on the side.

INGREDIENTS

500gm chicken mince
1 tin lentils
2 stalks celery
1 onion
3 carrots
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5-6 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 tablespoon Outback Pride Native Pepper Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried Sage Leaves
1 egg, beaten, for glazing

METHOD

Preheat your oven to about 200 degrees celsius. Mince the celery, onion, carrots and garlic together in a food processor. Stir in the drained tin of lentils and the chicken mince. Add the dried sage and Native Pepper Seasoning, and combine well.

Cut each piece of puff pastry in half, and spread a 'sausage' of filling along one of the pieces. Fold one side of the pastry over the filling, and then moisten the edge of the other side before folding it over and gently pressing together to join. Cut into four pieces. Repeat with the other half of the puff pastry sheet, and then with the rest of the pastry sheets, until the filling has been used up.

Place the mini sausage rolls on baking trays lined with baking paper, seam side down. Use a pastry brush to glaze the tops of the sausage rolls with beaten egg. You may like to sprinkle a little extra Native Pepper Seasoning on top. Pop the trays into the oven and cook until the pastry is golden and the meat is cooked through, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Serve with your favourite native sauce.

Makes about 40 mini sausage rolls.

Fennel, Goat Cheese and Native Pepperleaf Salad

While simple, this is a tasty warm salad that is easily adaptable depending on the ingredients you have on hand. You can swap out - or add to - the fennel for another veg that suits grilling, such as pumpkin. There's also room for additional ingredients, if you'd like to turn it into a more substantial meal.

Garnishing in this way is also a great method of becoming familiar with the flavours of native herbs and spices.

Ingredients

2 bulbs fennel, chopped into wedges

Extra virgin olive oil

Rocket or mixed salad leaves

Meredith Dairy goat cheese

2 teaspoons dried native pepper flakes

Step One

Heat a grill pan or bbq grill on high for five minutes, then brush with olive oil. Place the wedges of fennel bulb evenly across the grill. Reduce the heat to medium.

If you are using a grill pan on your stove top, you can speed up the cooking time by pouring in a half cup of water to steam the fennel at the same time. Turn the heat back up to high for this method.

Step Two

Turn the fennel over to chargrill the other side. Prepare the salad leaves on a plate, and then add the warm chargrilled fennel wedges.

Step Three

Crumble goat cheese across the salad, and then sprinkle with the native pepperleaf flakes. Serve immediately. As you eat the warmth from the fennel will melt the goat cheese into a dressing. Serves 4-6 as a side.

Creamy Cauliflower and Sea Parsley Soup

This is a tasty, creamy vegetable soup with a touch of native flair - perfect for these chilly nights :) I love to serve soup with crusty bread or pita. The kids love it!

The Winter issue of Junkies Magazine Australia included this recipe in its feature about the native herb Sea Parsley. 



Ingredients

2 onions, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 litre organic chicken stock
½ cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Sea Parsley flakes
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste 

Method

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and add olive oil. When hot, add the onion and garlic to the pan. Saute gently for five minutes, and then add the cauliflower florets.

Toss the cauliflower florets in the onion, garlic butter and oil mixture before turning the heat down to low. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, letting the cauliflower turn golden brown at the edges and caramelise a little. 

Pour in the chicken stock, and turn up the heat to bring it to the boil. When it reaches boiling point, reduce the heat again and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft. 

Stir in the sea parsley flakes and dijon mustard. Remove the saucepan from the heat and use a stick-blender to puree the soup. After blending, return to the stove over a low heat and pour in the cream.

Add salt and pepper to taste, about half a teaspoon of each is a good guide. 

Serve the soup with an optional extra swirl of cream and a sprinkle of sea parsley flakes.

Another delicious idea is to crumble Persian feta cheese over the soup, and stir it in to melt. Yum :)

Serves 4

Lamb Chop and Bush Tomato Curry

Everyone in the family from the age of 3 to 35 finished their bowl of this new and tasty curry tonight, so I figure that's a recommendation :) With the scent of cinnamon and subtle smokiness of bush tomato, it is a mild curry in layers of flavour. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

Olive oil spray
6 lamb chops (I use free range bbq chops)
1 tbsp ghee
2 onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp Outback Pride Bush Tomato Seasoning
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Outback Pride Tanami Fire (more for additional spice)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
Natural yogurt, to serve (optional)
Fresh coriander, to serve (optional)


Method:

Spray a large non-stick frying pan lightly with olive oil spray. Heat over high heat and brown the chops on each side, in batches. Put the browned chops in the base of a casserole dish.

Melt the ghee in the frying pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook the onion gently for ten minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, Bush Tomato Seasoning, turmeric and Tanami Fire and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the cinnamon to the tin of tomatoes and pour into the pan. Bring to a simmer and then pour it over the chops in the casserole dish. Pour in the chicken stock and lightly stir.

Bake at 160 degrees for 1.5 hours for the best, soft lamb that falls off the bones. Use tongs to remove the bones and pull away any fatty strips. Serve with rice, and garnish with natural yogurt and fresh coriander. Serve!

Native Pepper and Leek Carbonara

Technically, this isn't a carbonara sauce. It's been hacked and rearranged and added to, so that the Italian reference is a bit upside down. Apparently, a carbonara shouldn't have cream. This one does. And I've added leek, because it's so nice, and a few mushrooms to increase the veg content.

That said, adding Native Pepper Seasoning to a more traditional carbonara would also be awesome!

Ingredients

Penne, to serve 4
5 eggs
300ml cream
4 rashers bacon, cut into small strips
1 leek, halved and finely sliced
A handful of mushrooms, halved and sliced
1 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp Native Pepper Seasoning, plus extra to garnish
Salt, to taste

Method

Add the penne to a large saucepan of boiling water. After 1 minute, stir to separate the pasta and leave to cook a further 12 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan over medium heat, fry up the bacon pieces. When a bit of the fat from the bacon has started to grease the pan, add the leek and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, Native Pepper Seasoning and salt. Add the parmesan and combine.

Drain the pasta and return it to the saucepan. Add the cream and egg sauce, and stir through the hot pasta. Add the leek and bacon mixture. Serve with an extra sprinkling of Native Pepper Seasoning on top.

Warrigals and Saltbush Tart from Simon Bryant

It has been a few weeks between recipes, here, and not because I don't have any. I have a few just waiting to be typed up and shared, so they will be coming soon enough!

In the meantime, here is another tasty recipe that Simon Bryant has kindly let us share here on the blog, though you can find this and other inspiring recipes on the technique section of his own website as well.

This recipe uses fresh Outback Pride herbs and vegetables, which are newly available at selected grocery outlets, such as at the Henley organic & sustainable market in Adelaide.

Short pastry (fits 25 cm tart tin)

280 g four leaf milling organic 85% light flour, plus a little extra for dusting
½ teaspoon table salt
180 g chilled B.-d.Farm Paris Creek butter, diced into 1 cm cubes and then allowed to come up to room temp
80 to 100 ml cold soda water

Filling

1 big leek, white part roughly sliced
20 g B.d Farm Paris Creek butter
30 ml organic extra virgin olive oil
3 medium-sized Scarfo Organic waxy potatoes, unpeeled, thinly sliced
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
1 fresh bay leaf
2 tablespoons cold water
sea salt and cracked black pepper
200 ml B.-d.Farm Paris cream
30 g B.-d.Farm Paris cheddar, grated
3 organic free-range eggs
200 g B.-d.Farm Paris fetta, cubed
2 cups lightly packed each Outback Pride warrigal greens and saltbush leaves
6 sprigs Outback Pride sea parsley picked and finely chopped

Method

To make the pastry, pop the flour into a large bowl, then add the salt and mix through. Rub in the butter cubes using your fingertips. When combined add the soda water and bring the dough together with the absolute minimum of mixing again trying to only use your finger tips to avoid the heat in your hands affecting the dough. The dough should be a little crumbly still and definitely not one cohesive mass. A few visible lumps of butter here and there are not a major issue and will actually make it flakier and nicer. Very roughly gather the dough into a ball.

Lightly sprinkle your benchtop with flour and roll out the dough into a circle about 33 cm in diameter by pinning from the centre out in all directions. (This will give you an extra 1.5 cm overhang on a 25 cm tart tin to allow for shrinkage when baking.) Grease a 25 cm tart tin and pop the dough in. Leave in the fridge for 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190°C fan-forced . Line the tart shell with baking paper and add at least a cup (200 g) of baking beans. Blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes until it is firm to the touch. Remove the baking beans and paper and return the tart shell to the oven for a couple more minutes to crisp and colour. Leave the tart shell in the tin and set it aside.

Reduce oven temp to 180 C

Meanwhile, for the filling, melt the butter and oil in a heavy-based medium-sized frying pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the leek and saute for a few minutes until softened, then add the potatoes, thyme, bay leaf and water. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and a good few twists of pepper (although I often omit the salt if the feta is heavily brined to prevent the dish becoming a little over-seasoned).

Reduce the heat to low and pop a lid on the pan. Cook the filling mixture for about 10 minutes, turning the potatoes a few times, until they are just tender to the touch. (They will cook a tiny bit more in the baking of the tart but they do need to be virtually ready to eat at this stage.) Remove the bay leaf and set the pan aside.

In a hot pan with a smidge of oil sauté the waragal greens and saltbush until wilted and add to the potato mixture

Mix the cream, parmesan and eggs together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the leek and potato mixture into the tart shell. Pour over the egg mix and drop cubes of feta over the top and sprinle with crumbled cheddar.

Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes until just set. Insert a skewer into the tart - a little goo on the skewer is okay as the tart will continue setting when it is removed from the oven. However, the mixture should definitely not wobble when you shake the tin. The tart top should also have patches that are coloured up nicely.

Serve the tart hot or cold with a simple leaf salad.

Easy Cheesy Margharita with Saltbush

I make these as an afternoon snack for the kids sometimes, they are quick, easy, healthy and yum! They also make a good light meal, and pizzas are a fun way to try out different native flavours.

This recipe makes enough for a snack, 2 tortilla pizzas, but can easily be multiplied to make more.


1 wholemeal tortillas
2 large tomatoes
1/3 cup grated cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 shakes of Saltbush Flakes
1 shake of Native Pepper Seasoning

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Spread tomato paste lightly over the tortillas. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly on top.

Slice the tomatoes and place the slices all over the tortilla bases.

Sprinkle with the native herbs. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Note: Let the pizzas cool down before serving to kidlets, the tomato gets really hot!

Simon Bryant's Roo with Macadamia Satay Sauce

In December last year, Mike Quarmby's eldest son got married and brilliant South Australian chef Simon Bryant designed an exclusive menu for the reception using Outback Pride produce and a range of native Australian foods. Simon has been friends with the Quarmbys since meeting them when Outback Pride featured on Simon Bryant and Maggie Beer's ABC tv show The Cook and the Chef a couple of times.

Staff preparing platters at the reception

The food at this wedding reception was, in short, incredible. So so good. I didn't even get to try (or photograph) everything as some of the food disappeared so quickly into the mouths of guests - including these satays! Simon kindly agreed to share some of his recipes with us, and this is the first.

Roo with Macadamia satay sauce

Makes 10 satay by 40 g satay

2 large dried red chillies, finely chopped, seeds and all
20 ml white vinegar
20 ml rice bran, grapeseed oil [rice bran, grapeseed, soybean?]
2 clove crushed garlic
80g macadamia nut
20 ml light soy sauce
20 ml  kecap manis
20  g palm sugar
250  ml tinned coconut CREAM
1 g lemon myrtle ground (plus a little for satay meat)
2 g ground kutjera( plus a little for satay meat)
Salt flakes
500 g of roo saddle . trimmed and large dice ,skewered

Roast macadamia in oven for 10 mins at mod heat.
Place the chilli in bowl, splash over the vinegar and leave it to soak for 15 minutes. Preheat a small heavy-based saute or frying  pan over medium heat. Add the oil and when it is hot, add the garlic and saute it until softened, then add the chilli and vinegar mix and fry for a few seconds, stirring. Add all other ingredients, reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10–15 minutes until the nuts suck up the coconut cream and the sauce becomes thick. Set aside.

Meanwhile bbq  the roo with a pinch of salt flakes and myrtle/ kutjera (whatever takes your fancy)  when just seared drown in the above sauce.

My favourite native pepper stuffing

I have a vastly unreasonable love of stuffing. OK, not all stuffing. But yummy, creative stuffings. I don't even eat a lot of bread normally, but whizz it up and make a stuffing - ooh, tasty! My daughter has also cottoned on to the delicious tastiness of this stuffing recipe and will request spoonfuls as her reward for eating her vegetables ;)

Roast chicken features in our home at least once every couple of weeks, and this is my favourite stuffing recipe. That I made up. Because I love the things that are in it, so it was bound to be good. And it totally is!

It's hard to photograph stuffing and make it look appealing though. Just a little disclaimer there.

Make this while your oven is pre-heating for the roast.

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pistachios (natural, not salted),
2 rashers bacon, diced
1 brown onion, quartered and sliced thinly
1 cup breadcrumbs (I just throw whatever I have in the food processor - this one used pita bread)
1 tsp Outback Pride Desert Flakes
1/2 tsp Outback Pride Native Pepper Seasoning
1/4 cup water, or enough to combine

Method

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and onion and cook until onion is clear and bacon slightly crispy.

2. Turn off the heat and throw into the saucepan your breadcrumbs, pistachios, Native Pepper and Desert Flakes. Stir well, and then add enough water to combine it well, so that it sticks together when pressed with a spoon.

3. After patting the chicken cavity dry with a paper towel, squish the stuffing in. If there is too much or inside the chook isn't your stuffing style, you can also wrap it in aluminium foil and cook to one side of your roast. When your roast is done, spoon out the yummy stuffing and enjoy!

Pumpkin and Wattleseed Gratin

400g butternut pumpkin, grated
1 tbsp ground wattleseed (combine with pumpkin in baking dish)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp plain flour
1 cup milk
⅓ cup light cooking cream
⅔ cup grated cheese (colby)
1 tsp ground mountain pepper







1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Combine grated pumpkin and wattleseed in a baking dish.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, stir and gradually add milk. Bring to a simmer and then stir in the cream over a low heat. 

3. Pour the white sauce into baking dish over pumpkin, sprinkle with cheese and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes in moderate oven. Makes a great side dish for a main meal.

Chicken and Desert Flakes Burgers

Ingredients

500g chicken mince

1 egg

1 garlic clove, crushed

Small or 1/2 brown onion, diced

1 cup breadcrumbs

1.5 tbsp Outback Pride Desert Flakes

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Preheat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

2. Shape into patties and fry lightly over low-medium heat and then increase to medium-high heat once halfway through cooking.

3. Serve on turkish bread with green leaves and top with mayonnaise.

Warm pumpkin, lentil and desert flakes salad

I love this warm salad, the pumpkin is beautifully flavoured with Desert Flakes and the goat cheese melts to dress the salad leaves... yum! I make this, or some sort of variation, quite often. I also have a warm chicken salad that I'll share soon for the meat-eaters out there!

Ingredients

1/4 medium butternut pumpkin, seeded & cubed

2 tablespoons Outback Pride Desert Flakes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 400g tin lentils, rinsed & drained well

100gm goat’s cheese or Persian Fetta

Mixed lettuce leaves

1 tablespoon pepitas

Method

1. Steam or microwave pumpkin until lightly cooked.

2. Heat oil over medium heat in a non-stick frypan. When hot, add pumpkin and Outback Pride Desert Flakes, tossing occasionally until browned on edges.

3. Place washed mixed leaves in a salad bowl and add pumpkin. Throw in the drained lentils and
goat’s cheese or fetta. Toss gently so that the cheese melts slightly and creates a dressing.

4. Scatter the pepitas (pumpkin seeds) over to
serve.

Serves 3-4.

Desert Flakes Roast Vegetables

I'm having a super busy week, with a headcold on top of it, and am heafing off this weekend to Newcastle for a photo session and workshop. So I've decided to share one of my regular sides that I make to accompany all sorts of meals - especially when I'm in this busy / poorly kind of mood! Roasting anything speaks of comfort food for me, and this is pretty much a toss-in-the-oven dish, which I also love.

Ingredients

3 cups roasting vegetables, cut into even pieces (keep in mind cooking times when chopping veg to cook all together - for instance, cut carrots fairly long to accompany small-medium chopped potatoes).
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Outback Pride Desert Flakes
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius, with roasting pan inside.

Toss vegetables in the olive oil and Desert Flakes to combine. Add to the hot roasting pan and reduce oven to 180 degrees. Sprinkle pepper and salt over the top.

Roast for approximately 45 minutes.

Mushroom and Native Thyme Pizza

Homemade pizzas can be created in a myriad of ways, and the options for toppings are pretty much endless. One of our faves is the Broccoli and Salmon Pizza with Seafood Sprinkle.

This mushroom and native thyme pizza may well be my personal top choice from now on, though! I used fresh native thyme, as the plant I bought from Aussie Food Plants is very happy in my Dandenong Ranges garden, but dried native thyme would be awesome too.

Ingredients

200gm swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
1 large wholemeal pita bread
1/4 cup goat curd (I used Udder Delights goat curd, but a soft chevre would be great too, or even Persian Fetta)
1 tablespoon chopped native thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried native thyme
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.

2. Spread the pita bread evenly with the goat's curd.

3. Top with the sliced mushrooms and native thyme. Drizzle with olive oil.

4. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes.

Serves 1. Mmm, warm and tasty :)

Zucchini Pasta with Native Spices

Zucchini pasta is a great lunch or side-dish for those on a low-carb way of eating, or just for a way to get more veg into your day! The flavours are fairly simple here, enhancing the subtle zucchini flavour, but can be spiced up to taste.

Ingredients

2 zucchinis
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, crushed
1 tiny pinch chilli flakes, or you could also use Tanami Fire
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Native Thyme
1/4 tsp Ground Wattleseed

Method

Cut the zucchini into thin, long strips. Heat oil in a frying pan over high heat, reduce to medium-high and add garlic. Stir for about 20 seconds and then toss in the zucchini.

Stir fry zucchini until al dente (softened but still with a firmness to bite on) and then add the spices. Combine well and serve! Serves 1 as a meal or 2 as a side.

Salmon Salad with Lemon Myrtle & Chilli

This is a great option if you enjoy a light, fresh meal with a lot of yummy flavour!

Ingredients

Mixed lettuce leaves
1/2 avocado
200gm pink salmon, drained (tin)
Handful thai basil, shredded
1/4 cup coriander leaves, shredded
1/4 red capsicum, finely sliced
Handful pumpkin and sunflower seeds
2 tbsp Outback Pride lemon myrtle and chilli sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 small lebanese cucumber, quartered lengthways and sliced
1 spring onion (or 2 small ones), finely sliced

Step One

Combine salad ingredients and herbs.

Step Two

Top with salmon, sprinkle over the pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Step Three

Mix the lemon myrtle and chilli sauce with lime juice and dress the salad. If you have any fresh lemon myrtle leaves, slice half of one up finely to add to the collection. Enjoy :)

Chicken Lasagna with Native Thyme

Lasagna is such a versatile fish and I love to experiment with it. This chicken version features native thyme and native pepper.

Ingredients

500gm free range chicken mince
200g mushrooms, finely chopped
600gm passata
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bunch spring onions, approximately 8cm in length from the white end, chopped finely
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 zucchini, finely chopped
1 tsp Outback Pride Native Pepper Seasoning
1 tbsp Outback Pride Native Thyme
1/2 cup grated low fat tasty cheese
1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 packet lasagna sheets


Step One

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. In a large frying pan, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds before adding the spring onions. After 1-2 minutes of cooking the spring onions, add the zucchini to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes. Throw in the mushrooms and cook the vegetables until the mushrooms have softened. Remove from pan and set aside.

Step Two

Heat the rest of the oil in the frying pan. Add the chicken mince to the pan and cook, stirring to break up the meat evenly, until cooked through. Return the vegetables to the pan and pour in the passata, adding the native thyme and native pepper seasoning at the same time. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat, simmering for 10 minutes or so.

Step Three

In a baking dish, layer the lasagna sheets with the chicken and vegetable sauce. Top with the grated cheeses and freshly cracked black pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes, covering with aluminium foil if needed to prevent over-browning the top. Serve with a fresh green salad and bread.

Serves 6.