Geni's Spinach Dip

I don't know many people who don't like spinach dip. It always seems to be a winner at parties, and I've heard more than one person declare that they could just sit there and eat the entire bowl. I'm definitely in the fan category and so I have tried many different versions of this dip. This is my friend Geni's recipe and I can honestly say it is by far my favourite version of spinach dip! I see people devouring other spinach dips, and I think "you really need to try Geni's version!" This dip can be eaten cold but oh my goodness, when served warm, it is heavenly! So, without further ado, here is Geni's Spinach Dip!

Geni's Spinach Dip

Butter (I use a couple of good sized chunks)
2 small onions, chopped finely
2 packets of frozen spinach, defrosted (or fresh spinach, chopped finely)
1 packet of French Onion soup mix
1 packet of Spring Vegetables soup mix
2 cartons sour cream
1 cob bread
Extra bread (optional)*

* If it's a large party, I sometimes buy an extra cob bread or some bread rolls so that there is extra dipping bread available :)

1. Fry onions in a saucepan with the butter until soft and opaque.

2. Add spinach and stir until all broken up and mixed with onions and butter.

3. Sprinkle the packets of French Onion and Spring Vegetable soups over the spinach and stir to combine.

4. Pour in the sour cream and mix to combine. Bring to the boil and then let simmer for a minute or two.

5. In the meantime, cut off the top of the cob bread and pull out the centre crumb in the base, leaving a thick enough shell to serve your dip from.

6. Chop the top of the cob bread and the centre crumb part into bite size pieces and place around the base in an oven proof dish.

7. Pour the dip into the cob bread base and then place dish in a preheated oven (150-180 degrees Celsius) until bread and dip are slightly toasted or beginning to brown.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy :)

BLACK by Ezard at The Star, Sydney

 

As you all know, I love to eat...and truth be told, I love to eat out more than I love to cook. Discovering new restaurants with delicious food would have to be one of my favourite hobbies. This was our first visit to BLACK by Ezard, even though it has been a fixture amongst The Star, Sydney's fine eateries since 2011. What took me so long?

 

Part of Teage Ezard's stable of restaurants, BLACK encapsulates the spirit of Sydney - sophisticated yet comfortable. The plush interior with its 30 chef show kitchen is visually appealing and so is the view from many of its tables. We had an early pre-theatre show booking and were seated next to the large windows overlooking the harbour, making not only for an amazing view (and some interesting people watching), but also great lighting for food photography - a rare treat!

 

We started off our dining experience with a complimentary, delicious, warm mini brioche loaf and butter. Surprisingly, we were brought a second loaf after we downed the first...and we just couldn't refuse!

 

Following is a visual feast of the rest of our food. My husband likened these dishes to those at the 6 star Wolgan Valley Resort in terms of presentation. They were pretty amazing in terms of flavour combinations as well. Not surprising, considering BLACK by Ezard was awarded Three Chef's Hats in the 2014 Gault & Millau Sydney Restaurant Guide ​​​​​​​​and One Chef's Hat in the SMH Good Food Guide 2015.

 

We decided to share a couple of starters. The first was the Tomato Vine Ripened Salad which included a variety of tomatoes, buffalo cheese, green kalamata olives, white balsamic and basil dressing. It sounds deceptively simple yet tasted amazing and looked pretty as well. With added mousse, the saltiness of parmesan and the crunch of pine nuts, it delivered as an entrée to a great menu.

 

We also enjoyed the King Prawns with seaweed butter. I can't say that they slid out of their shells effortlessly but they were worth the cutlery struggle. Again, the presentation looked clean and fresh.

We could have chosen something from the wood burning grill for our mains but we couldn't go past the two following dishes! They sounded too good to pass up - and our deal was that we had to share with each other!

I ordered the handmade Potato Gnocchi, which I must say leave mine for dead! They absolutely melt in the mouth and teamed with crispy zucchini flowers, hazelnut dressing and ricotta cheese, they are undeniably delicious. I would never think to add whole hazelnuts to a gnocchi dish but the nutty flavour worked so well with the ricotta and zucchini flowers. I found myself scraping the bottom of the plate with my fork, trying not to leave any drop of deliciousness behind. I highly recommend this stunning dish.

Anyone who knows me, knows I can't go past a delicious sounding pork dish - which is exactly why I convinced my husband to order it hehe... I must admit that when it first arrived at the table, it wasn't what I was expecting. I wasn't sure how tender the pork would be but one mouthful and I was in heaven. The Spice Crusted Pork Tenderloin was teamed with blood plum, fennel and witlof, cider, mustard emulsion and puffed pork crackle. An almost perfect dish. The pork was extremely tender and the flavour combination was spot on! The puffed pork crackle looked great for presentation but in this respect, I'm a traditional girl - give me a piece of pork crackling any day - I want the real deal! Don't let this put you off this dish though. It's still worth every cent of the asking price.

 

Part of my aim in making an early booking was to ensure we had time for dessert before rushing off to watch the show. This dessert does not disappoint! It's not far off being described as orgasmic! Butterscotch Crème Brulee with green apple and toasted pistachio, a sorbet that lent a touch of bitterness and a smooth mango puree. The crème brulee was silky smooth and melted in the mouth, as a good brulee should. It could stand alone as a dessert and still impress, however set with the other elements on this dish, this dessert is lifted to a whole new level. I'm sitting here salivating as I type - a definite winner and another dish that I highly recommend. It had everything - great taste, great texture and great looks!

 

All in all, we could not fault our first experience at BLACK and will definitely return to taste more from this European and American grill inspired menu.

Crumbed Haloumi with Cranberry Sauce

This is a delicious starter to any meal, and makes for a nice snack as well when you are feeling like indulging. Not quite finger food, as the cheese can tend to break when dipping it into the sauce - best to eat it with a fork and knife. Really yummy and definitely a flavour combination I love!

I made the cranberry sauce using my Thermomix but you can do so on the stove top or even cheat and buy some ready made cranberry sauce.

Crumbed Haloumi with Cranberry Sauce

Makes approx. 16 pieces

Cranberry Sauce

100g dried cranberries

10g caster sugar

85g water

Crumbed Haloumi

180g block of Haloumi cheese

1-1.5 cups of breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 eggs

Oil

1. To make the sauce, combine cranberries, sugar and water in Thermomix and cook for 8 minutes/100degrees/speed 2. Scrape down sides.

2. Mix for 10 seconds/speed 6. If you feel it needs more water, you can add some more and cook again for 1 minute/100 degrees/speed 2. When happy with consistency, set aside to cool.

3. Beat eggs in one bowl and set aside.

4. Pour breadcrumbs into another bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper.

5. Slice Haloumi into approximately half centimetre pieces.

6. Dip Haloumi pieces into egg and then into breadcrumbs to coat.

7. On medium heat, shallow fry Haloumi pieces until a light golden brown in colour.

Minestrone con Lenticchie e Fagioli (Vegetable Soup with Lentils & Beans)

Sydney's cold spell called for an old favourite - Minestrone con Lenticchie. Minestrone is a traditional Italian vegetable soup that usually includes rice or pasta. You can mix this recipe up as much or as little as you like. Add more, less or different vegetables. Add rice instead of pasta. Add beans instead of lentils. The combinations are endless, but you are guaranteed a delicious and hearty soup that is the perfect comfort food on a cold winter's night. My boy's weren't overly keen on this dish, however in their own words, they "struggle with vegetables" lol! My husband and I loved it and there was plenty for lunch leftovers which is always a bonus! Next time, I think I'll add extra lentils and make it even thicker :)

Minestrone con Lenticchie

Serves 6-8

1 clove garlic, crushed
2 potatoes, chopped into small cubes
2-3 baby carrots, sliced thinly
1 stalk of celery, sliced
3-4 silver beet spinach leaves, sliced/shredded
Light olive oil
1 cup dry green lentils, pre-soaked for approx. 2 hours
3/4 x 400g tin Borlotti Beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste/homemade tomato sauce
1 vegetable stock cube/vegetable paste
Approx 3.5 litres of water
250g short pasta
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Place garlic and chopped vegetables in a large saucepan. Add a dash of olive oil and stir over medium heat for a few minutes so that vegetables become coated in oil and the smell of garlic starts to permeate.

2. Add drained lentils to the saucepan, along with tomato paste and crushed stock cube. I use vegetable stock paste made in the Thermomix. My current batch is quite salty so I put less than I normally would.

3. Fill saucepan with water (approximately 3.5 litres) and bring to the boil.

4. Once the soup is boiling, turn down the heat and let it simmer gently for at least 1 hour. The longer it is left, the better it tastes.


5. Add pasta along with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until pasta is to your liking.

6. Garnish with a  drizzle of oil and some shaved Parmesan. It's delicious served with some crusty bread!