Unfortunately there is no photo to show off this quick and scrumptious dish, but I’m sure I’ll be able to redo this soon and put one up.

This recipe came about after having quite a few hydroponic tomatoes needing to be used.  In this new house, I cannot stand to waste any food and when I saw the tomatoes, a simple pasta dish came to mind.

The actual tomatoes aren’t really cooked, they are added in to warm them through and to be honest, they don’t really need to be cooked.  The tomatoes have so much flavour and I find that cooking these, can sometimes loose all the delicious fresh taste you can get when you bite into a fresh tomato!

Adding the tapenade just adds another dimension to the dish and if you get some home-made tapenade it’s even better! A note to vegetarians and vegans - always make sure you check the ingredients for the tapenade.  Some traditional versions do include anchovies.  Always ask if you are unsure.

The pasta is your simple bought variety, it doesn’t need anything more as it allows the tomatoes and tapenade to shine through.

Makes:

• 2 serves

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tbs good quality extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic mince
• 2 tbs olive tapenade
• 4 ripe tomatoes, diced
• pinch salt
• pinch pepper
• 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped fine
• 2 serves spaghetti

Instructions:

1. Boil your spaghetti and drain, leaving a little bit of water in the bottom.
2. Keeping the pasta in the pot and on a low heat, mix through your seasoning and garlic.
3. When the garlic has cooked through, mix in your olive tapenade.
4. Take the pot off the heat and add your parsley, olive oil and tomatoes.  Stir through thoroughly and serve!

In Australia, we are not as fortunate as vegetarians in the UK or US.  We do have a little variety of vegetarian mock meats and processed foods, but when it comes to special items such as a Kiev or or Wellingtons, we are out of luck.

Fortunately, I’ve manage to come up with a handy make-do recipe which is right on the money for taste and is very easy to make.

It’s based on the Vegetarian “Schnitz” I created using a very similar mixture for the “meat.”  The insides are a butter rub which is carefully placed in the middle of the “meat” before being moulded together.

The rub does stay in the middle allowing the butter to softly pour out on the first cut through the middle – just like a normal kiev should!

The best thing about this is the rub can be changed based on your favourite flavours!  It would definitely work with some fresh chilli or whatever takes your fancy!  Give it a go!

Makes:

• 2 kievs

Ingredients:

• 4 tbs gluten flour
• 6 tbs rice flour
• 0.5 tbs chicken salt
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 30 grams oats
• 1 tsp dill
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• just enough water to create a firm mixture
• panko breadcrumbs to coat

Rub

• 1 tsp fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic mince
• salt
• pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C or 360 degrees F.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients (minus the breadcrumbs together).
3. Mix in the soy and water.  Only put enough water to allow the dough to be firm.
4. Mix the rub ingredients together.
5. Split the dough in two and flatten it out in your palm.
6. Place half the rub into the middle and fold the schnitzel together firmly.
7. Repeat with the other kiev.
8. Place in the oven and cook until golden brown and firm in the middle.
9. Serve hot.

I have an Aunt who is from Russia and I remember how in love I was with her potato salad.  For some reason, I always thought it was a German potato salad but I’ve only just realised that it is in fact a Russian potato salad.

What got to me about this salad was the intense flavour and how delicious it was to have cooked carrots and also peas included in it.  The salad itself is quite simple, but every single ingredient seems to star in this dish and I’d have to say it’s one of my all time favourites because of this.

My take on this wonderful salad includes some home-grown ingredients which I’m extremely proud of – my spring onions and dill.  I do have beetroot growing and it is almost ready, but I bought some from a farmer’s market which needed to be used first.

You’ll see also in the background that there is another salad.  It’s a basic green salad with hydroponic tomatoes.  The greens are all home grown also – lettuce, spring onions and garlic chives.

Making use of your home grown vegetables and herbs makes cooking even more worthwhile!

Other salad recipes you may be interested in:

• Tomato and Onion Salad
• German Potato Salad
• Wrapped Falafels
• Warm Chickpea’d Tempeh Salad

Makes:

• 6-8 serves

Note:

• I cooked my potatoes and beetroot the day before to ensure they were cool.  It’s not necessary but I do think the flavour is much better by doing so!

Ingredients:

• 6-8 large potatoes
• 3 beetroots
• salt
• pepper
• 3 tbs egg mayonnaise
• fresh dill – handful
• 2 spring onions

Instructions:

1. Dice your potatoes, leaving the skin on.  In some boiling water with salt add the potatoes and allow to cook.
2. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C or 360 degrees F.  Roughly wash the beetroot, chopping the ends and leaves off.  Wrap in some foil and place in your oven for an hour and a half.
3. Cool both of these ingredients by placing in the fridge overnight.
4. Unwrap the beetroot from the foil and peel the skin off.  By leaving overnight, it will slip right off.
5. Dice the beetroot and add to your diced potatoes.
6. Season quite liberally with salt and pepper (I use white).
7. Dice the spring onions and tear the dill and add to your bowl.
8. Add the mayonnaise and stir through lightly.  The dye of the beetroot will change the colours instantly.
9. Enjoy!

To every reader, I wish everyone a very Happy 20-10!

2009 was a very big year for me in terms of moving into my own house.  There has already been quite a few dinners here in my house with my new LARGE oven, and, I have quite a few more planned.

With this in mind, expect some very new and exciting recipes.  There’s already a bit of a queue to post these and I’m hoping that from next week, recipes will be more consistently posted on this site.

I’m also hoping to review and promote some other blogger’s recipes throughout the year.  If you have any that you think you would like to see (or you want yours reviewed), please feel free to comment here.

I look forward to sharing my recipes in 20-10 and look forward to hearing from you!

HAPPY 20-10 once more!