Very Vegetarian

It was my intention this week to post pics of the housewarming lunch that we held last Saturday, however once the food was on the table I completely forgot to take photos of it before it was demolished. Sorry guys - you will have to close your eyes and imagine what it looked like! We enjoyed a starter of antipasto, along with italian style pork meatballs with a spicy tomato dipping sauce, a selection of cheeses and wonderful olive bread from Bourke Street Bakery. For mains, there was a selection of garlicky leg of lamb cooked over coals, stir fried garlic and chilli prawns, greek sausages, chicken, fetta and spinach sausages, grilled asparagus, tomato, basil and bocconcini salad, 2 vegetarian tarts - mint, pea and fetta and wild mushroom and a roasted pumpkin, rocket and pomegranate salad served with a pomegranate balsamic dressing. Our guests seemed to really enjoy it (special mention must be made of my lovely finacee's spectacular lamb - cooked over coals and so succulent and tender) but as always I over catered - we lived off the leftovers for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 2 days!

Today I thought I would share what we had for dinner last night. A nice vegetarian dish that is cheap and easy to make - zucchini and chickpea fritters. You can serve them as a main or a starter - or grab some nice rolls and turn the fritters into vege burgers. The accompaniment is a creamy horseradish and mint sauce which is a lovely tangy, creamy contrast to the nutty flavour of the fritters. The addition of mint gives a lovely fresh note to this dish. You could easily add other vegetables or herbs to the fritters - I think that grated carrot or some finely chopped spinach would work well. Make sure that you don't scrimp on the seasoning of the fritter mixture - plenty of salt and pepper please. Chick peas and other legumes can be a bit bland if you don't give them a boost with some seasoning. Salt and pepper will help bring out their natural flavour. These fritters are best eaten soon after making and are not suitable to freeze. My recipe will make about 12 large fritters.

Zucchini and Chickpea Fritters with horseradish and mint sauce

You will need:
For the fritters: 1 x 400g tin chick peas rinsed well and drained, 2 medium sized zucchini grated, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped mint, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 1/4 cups self raising flour, a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

For the sauce: 1 cup sour cream, 1 dessert spoon horseradish cream (buy this in the mustard/condiment section of the supermarket), 1 dessert spoon finely chopped mint, salt and pepper.

Method: Whisk together the eggs, milk, cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gradually add the flour, to form a smooth batter. You may use more or less flour depending on the size of the eggs - the mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter.

Mash the chickpeas. You can also use a food processor for this, but don't make the mixture too smooth - you want some texture there.

Fold in the zucchini, parmesan, parsley and mint into the batter. Season generously and allow the mixture to stand for 10-15 minutes.

To make the sauce, combine the sauce ingredients and mix well.

Heat a frypan and add some vegetable oil. Spoon the fritter mixture onto the pan and cook until golden. I make these fritters a bit larger than say, corn fritters. I used a couple of spoonfuls of mixture each and they come out the size of a hamburger patty. You can of course make them smaller if you like. Drain them on paper towels and serve right away with the sauce.

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Frittata - With a little help from my friends......

I'm heading off with my other Beatles obsessed friends to our mate Damon's house this afternoon to play the eagerly anticipated "Beatles Rock Band". Word has it that he has set up his attic to accomodate us (closest thing we have to "The Cavern"!) and I have no doubt it will be a riotously entertaining time for all. Lots of gin and tonics and bad singing will ensue, I'm sure. Now, even the real Fab Four must have had to stop for a snack break occasionally, so I cooked a few things this morning to make sure that we keep our strength up for those dodgy renditions of "I am the walrus". The recipe I'm posting today is one of the things I have made to take to Damon's.

Today's dish is a simple to make mushroom, leek and fennel frittata but I have given it a bit of a twist by serving it with a delicious, fresh tasting horseradish and mint cream. I will be serving small slices of it with a dollop of the cream on the top. Of course you can serve the frittata alone if you want to. This dish works as a finger food but would also be a nice spring entree or a vegeatarian main course. It would also be perfect for a picnic.
Either way, you'll love it. (Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!)

Mushroom, Leek and Fennel Frittata with Mint and Horseradish Cream

You will need: (For the frittata) 1 doz free range eggs, 1 cup cream, 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup grated parmesan, 1 bulb fennel sliced finely, 1 large onion sliced finely, 1 large leek sliced finely, 1/2 cup sliced spring onion, About 3 cups sliced mushrooms, 1 tablespoon finely chopped continental parsley, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, splash of olive oil, salt and pepper.

(For the topping) 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup natural yoghurt (I use an organic Greek style yoghurt), 1 tablespoon each of chopped continental parsley and fresh mint, 1 tablespoon horseradish cream ( You will find this in the mustard/condiment section of the supermarket)

Method: First, combine all of the topping ingredients well and then refrigerate until you areready to serve.

In a frypan, add a splash of olive oil, the spring onions,regular onion, fennel and leek. Cook on a moderate heat for about 5 minutes. You do not want the ingredients to brown, so keep an eye on it. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5-8 minutes, until the fennel and leeks are soft. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, cream, grated parmesan, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.

Line a baking dish with baking paper. Tip the leek/fennel mixture into the dish and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top and mix it in a little bit, so it doesn't all sit on the surface. Pour over the egg mixture and ensure it is evenly distributed.

Sprinkle with the parsley and cook in a moderate oven for about 20 mins, until the frittata is set. Let it cool for at least 10mins before cutting it into pieces. Serve topped with a spoonful of the horseradish cream mixture and some extra mint leaves.

This recipe will make around 40 small pieces or will serve 6-8 people as an entree or main course.

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