Little - Quick Smart Cook

delicious food without the fuss

Its funny how life has dictated that I become a quick smart cook. Quick, because with a busy family life and career, getting a delicious dinner on the table in a hurry every night became a priority. And smart, because over the years Ive learned the importance of being a savvy shopper. By buying wisely at the supermarket and adding some lovely fresh ingredients, Ive found its possible to cook uncomplicated, yet creative meals in no time at all.

For most of us, the big question at the end of each day is what to have for dinner, and its not always easy to come up with something new and interesting.

I have my tried-and-tested favourites that have served me well over the years, but I also enjoy adding a twist to everyday recipes to offer an element of excitement and surprise for family and friends.

Entertaining is much the same I try to keep the fuss to a minimum, and instead come up with relatively simple ideas that have a wow factor (the peanut butter ice cream with caramel popcorn, for example).

In this book, its a pleasure to share more than 120 brand-new recipes with you. My inspiration has come from my travels and from the chefs and cooks who I work alongside for delicious. magazine, but most of all from the wonderful array of fresh produce thats available to us here in Australia.

Whether youre a seasoned cook in search of inspiration, or a novice looking for easy techniques and time-saving recipes, I hope youll find it here in Quick Smart Cook. So pop on that apron, grab a pan and lets get cooking!

Make a big batch of this moreish toasted muesli so breakfast is at the ready it will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

2 cups (180g) rolled oats

2 tbs sesame seeds

cup (40g) sunflower seeds

cup (40g) almonds

cup (50g) walnuts, chopped

3 tbs maple syrup

3 tbs honey

cup (30g) chopped dried apricots

cup (55g) sultanas

Milk, natural yoghurt and fresh fruit, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place the rolled oats, seeds and nuts in a bowl and mix well to combine.

Place the maple syrup and honey in a saucepan and stir over low heat for 1 minute or until runny and combined (or heat in the microwave for 1 minute until runny). Pour over the oat mixture and toss gently to combine.

Tip the mixture onto the tray and bake, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes until golden all over. Set aside to cool, then fold through the apricot and sultanas. Store in an airtight container until needed.

Serve with milk, yoghurt and fresh fruit.

Keep things interesting by choosing a range of different mushrooms for this dish.

250g small Swiss brown mushrooms

30g unsalted butter

1 tbs olive oil

4 flat mushrooms, stalks trimmed

firmly packed cup (50g) brown sugar

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tbs chopped oregano leaves,

plus extra leaves to garnish

4 slices sourdough bread,

chargrilled or toasted

200g fresh ricotta

1 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley

Slice half the Swiss brown mushrooms.

Melt the butter with the oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add the flat mushrooms, cap-side down, and cook for 2 minutes or until starting to soften, then add all the Swiss browns. Season well with salt and pepper, then cook for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms have softened. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

Add the brown sugar, vinegar and oregano to the frypan and return to medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Return the mushrooms to the frypan and cook, turning to coat in the sauce, for 1-2 minutes until sticky and caramelised. Stir in the parsley, then serve mushrooms with toast and ricotta, garnished with extra oregano leaves.

3 ripe bananas

4 eggs, separated

1 cup (250ml) coconut milk

1 cup (150g) plain flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder, sifted

Melted unsalted butter, to grease

Creme fraiche, caramel sauce (see Basics, p 246), icing sugar and shredded coconut, to serve

Mash 1 banana in a bowl, then set aside.

Place the egg yolks, coconut milk and a pinch of salt in a bowl and whisk until combined. Gently fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and mashed banana until combined.

Whisk the eggwhites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form, then fold into the batter.

Heat a non-stick frypan over medium-low heat and brush with melted butter. Using a heaped tablespoon of batter for each pancake, add 3-4 spoonfuls to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes each side until golden and cooked through. Keep the pancakes warm while you continue with the remaining batter to make a total of 9 pancakes.

Slice the remaining bananas. Arrange the pancakes in stacks on serving plates, alternating each layer with banana slices and creme fraiche. Drizzle with caramel sauce, then dust with icing sugar and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

Scandinavians really know how to do breakfast with lovely breads, smoked fish, and cheeses that make a refreshing change to our regular weekend fare.

6 slices rye or multigrain bread, toasted