Savoury Dishes

This page is filled with the few savoury dishes, dips and muffins I have prepared.


Zucchini, Ham and Cheese Cups

Recipe from Recipes+
Photos by Yasmin

This is a very unique and clever idea. Essentially this recipe is just another form of mini quiche; however, instead of using pastry to hold the filling, you use ham! I didn't have enough ham for all the mixture this recipe makes so I used pastry cups as well as ham cups. This is the first of my real Easter recipes I'm posting, not because it looks like anything to do with Easter, but because on Easter my family shares a big and beautiful BBQ breakfast which will include this savoury snack. In this way it is linked to Easter. Feel free to share with me what you do on Easter. Do you have a nice breakfast too, or perhaps a special dinner, but more importantly what do you eat while enjoying you family or friend's company? I wish everyone a very happy Easter. Alleluia!
TIP: For something a little different, use pancetta or salami instead of ham or pastry. Also, to make this snack healthier, add other vegetables as well, such as grated carrot or thinly diced capsicum.

(Left side is ham, Right side is pastry)

Ingredients:

• 24 (200g) slices shaved leg ham (or pastry)
• 2 large zucchini
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup cream (I used skim milk instead)
• 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 4 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (or normal sized tomatoes cut into small slices)
• Mixed salad, to serve

Method:
Preheat oven to 160'C fan forced. Grease a 12 hole mini quiche tray (more if needed). Line each hole with 2-3 overlapping slices of ham to shape the nests. Coarsely grate zucchini; using hands, squeeze out excess liquid.

Whisk eggs and cream in a medium sized bowl. Stir in zucchini and cheese. Spoon mixture into prepared holes. Top with tomato. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked. Remove from oven. Stand for 5 minutes. Serve with salad.




Stir Fry with Fried Rice

Recipe by Louise and Yasmin
Images by Yasmin

Usually I am not fond of Stir Fry for dinner as it is a frequent dish at my house for dinner; however, this time was different and special because it was my first, actually solo made, dinner! I was very proud of myself. I have made many dinners before - mostly spagbol or pasties - but someone has always been hovering around to give me some pointers or tell me what to do next. As a result, this is a very basic, but delicious, version of Stir Fry made our family way. I hope you all enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 3 tblsp olive oil
• 1tsp chili paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• steak, cut into small chunks
• variety of vegetables (carrot, capsicum, cucumber, bok choy etc), cut into small chunks, soaked in water, drained
• 2 tblsp fish sauce, extra for taste if needed
• 3 tblsp oyster sauce
• 3 - 4 tblsp water
• Fried Rice, to serve (for recipe see Fried Rice post)

Method:

Heat 2 tblsp oil in a frying pan. Add chili paste, garlic paste and steak to pan and stir (watch out for spitting oil). Lightly brown meat until just turning brown (still some pink on the meat). Remove from pan and set aside on a plate. Wipe pan with paper towel. Heat pan again with 1 tblsp of oil. Add drained vegetables. Stir fry vegetables (keep tossing the vegetables) with fish sauce and oyster sauce until the vegetables are just soft. Return meat to pan (it usually is almost overflowing at this point!). Add water. Stir fry with lid on until vegetables are soft and meat is no longer pink. Add extra fish sauce to taste if needed. Serve with hot fried rice.

Spinach, Garlic and Fetta Dip

Recipe and Image from Coles

(makes 2 cups)

This combination of flavours is spectacular! All of the ingredients compliment one another; producing a wonderful dip.

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic
• 150g baby spinach leaves
• 200g fetta, crumbed
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• focaccia, to serve
• 1 tsp oil, for drizzling, optional

Method:
Bring a large saucepan of water to oil. Add garlic and simmer for 1 minute. Add spinach and blanch for 1 minute, until wilted. Drain spinach again, squeezing out excess water. Roughly chop. Place spinach and garlic in a bowl with remaining ingredients. Mix well. Drizzle with oil, if using. Serve with focaccia.



Zucchini Slice

Recipe from Karen and Yasmin

I love making zucchini slice for picnics or family lunches. My Aunty and I made this slice to share on Christmas Eve for a late lunch - very special and very tasty! For picnics this dish can be prepared in a slice dish and sliced to serve or it can be poured into individual quiche pans or cupcake pans - easy finger food but still yummy! However you serve it, this dish is meant to be shared and gobbled.

Ingredients:

• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup flour
• 4 small or 3 medium zucchini
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup cheese, grated
• 4 bacon rashers, remove fat, chunky square slices

Method:
Whisk eggs and oil in a large bowl. In a seperate large bowl combine all other ingredients. Add to the egg mixture. Mix well. Pour into a sprayed pie, slice or 12 cupcake pan dish. Bake in a moderate oven (150'C fan-forced) for approximately one hour. Serve hot or cold for lunch.



Mango Chicken Leaves

Recipe from Helen Gilmore


This is one of the many beautiful and exotic entrees that I was served when I visited some family friends. My family was treated like royalty and were showered with many delicate, little masterpieces before lunch. This is one of those pieces. It is so simple and easy to prepare, as well as being healthy too!

Ingredients:

• Chicken, cooked, cooled, cut into strips
• Cos lettuce leaves
• 1-2 tsp curry powder
• mango, chopped in small cubes
• 2-4 tspmango chutney
• 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
• paprika, to dust

Method:
Place small lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Spoon about 1 tblsp of mango cubes onto lettuce leaf. Place cooked chicken strip on top of mango base. In a bowl, combine Greek yoghurt, curry powder, and mango chutney. Spoon mixture in tblsps on to the chicken. Dust lightly with paprika. Serve as an entree.




Curry Egg Halves

Recipe and Images from Yasmin

I really enjoy making this little extra side dish when helping prepare our weekly family BBQ. This dish would take under 10 minutes to cook, prepare and serve. I love the different textures of egg and paste, combined with the different herbs and spices. A truly wonderful and fun, extra dish to serve.

Ingredients:

• eggs (as many as needed - half the quantity of the quests)
• mayonnaise (enough to make a smooth paste)
• 2-3 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 onion, diced
• chopped herbs (usually chives or parsley) (optional)
• pinch of salt (if needed)
• iceberg lettuce leaves to decorate (optional)
• paprika (to dust)

Method:
Hard boil eggs in a medium or large pot. When cooked, cool in cold water. Shell the eggs. On a cutting board, cut the eggs in half. Scoop the hard yolk into a bowl. Add about 2 tblsp mayonnaise and mash with the back of a fork. Add enough mayonnaise to make a smooth paste. Do not make the paste runny. Add the diced onion, cut herbs, curry powder and salt. Combine with fork. On the serving plate lay out the lettuce and position the egg halves. Spoon in the yolk paste, enough to overfill the eggs (there may be some left over). Dust with paprika. Serve as a side for dinner.