How to make spaghetti and meatballs, focaccia, baked eggplant and brownies at home
As we all bunker down at home, three Melbourne chefs share their favourite winter warmer recipes that’ll please the entire family — including spaghetti and meatballs, focaccia and chocolate brownies. 30 DAYS TO GO
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Six weeks stuck at home seems like a lifetime right now, but we’ve got you covered for daily entertainment.
Lockdown Life, a digital subscriber special, will give you a five minute brain break each day from coronavirus and arm you with some handy tips as well on keeping the family busy with movies to watch and bike rides to enjoy, and the adults well stocked with wine and recipes ideas — just to name a few.
So keep an eye out each lunchtime online.
Today Melbourne chef’s share their favourite home cook meals that’ll please the whole family.
SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS
By Joseph Vargetto, Mister Bianco head chef and Giuseppe’s Cooking School
Prep time: 45 min
Ready in: 1hr 5 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
Sauce
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves, garlic finely crushed
150ml olive oil
10 ripe red tomatoes, chopped fine and salted
¼ bunch chopped basil
Meatballs
500g minced beef
500g minced pork
200g finely minced pancetta
110g dry breadcrumbs
140g grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch dried chilli
2 eggs lightly beaten
½ bunch chopped flat leaf parsley
¼ bunch rosemary, chopped fine
Salt and pepper, to taste
500g spaghetti
Method:
To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a large base pan, then add onions and garlic.
Allow this to gently fry, then add the tomatoes to cook for about 20 minutes to reduce excess water. Near the end of the cooking add the basil, salt and pepper to taste.
Finish off with extra virgin olive oil.
For the meatballs, combine the mince meat, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, eggs, herbs, chilli, olive oil and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Roll into one inch balls.
Heat a large fry pan over medium heat with olive oil.
Brown the meatballs on all sides, before adding to simmering pasta sauce and cook for about 10 minutes until the internal temperature of the meatballs is cooked through.
Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in spaghetti and return to a boil. Cook pasta for 12 minutes until ‘al dente’ and still firm to bite. Drain spaghetti.
Serve the meatballs in sauce over the spaghetti.
FOCACCIA WITH ROSEMARY OIL AND SEA SALT
By Joseph Vargetto
Prep time: 30 mins
Ready in: 20 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Rosemary oil
4 sprigs rosemary, chopped roughly
50ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
20ml (1/8 cup) hot water
Dough
1kg flour
550ml water
70ml (3/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
20g (4 tsp) plain salt
40g (1 ½ tbsp) dry yeast
10g (2 tsp) honey
40g (1 ½ tbsp) sea salt- to sprinkle on as crust
Method
To make the rosemary oil, combine all ingredients and set aside.
Place all the dough ingredients, except the salt, in a bowl. (Add salt near the end of mixing to avoid harm of yeast growth).
Mix together all ingredients for at least five minutes and all ingredients are consistent and smooth.
Leave to rest for 30 minutes at ambient temperature (28C)
Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it onto a well-greased baking tray and poke your fingertips into it to achieve a ‘crater’ effect.
Brush the dough with rosemary oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
Let the focaccia rest again at ambient temperature and allow yeast to rise.
Bake in the oven at 220C for 20 minutes, or until golden brown, and serve with your favourite pasta dish, preserves or salamis.
EGGPLANT WITH QUINOA AND TAHINI
By Marwa Makool
Prep time: 20 minutes
Ready in: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
One large eggplant
1 tbs rice bran oil
Filling:
100g cooked quinoa.
50g diced capsicum.
1 tbs chopped-flat-leaf parsley
1 tbs pomegranate molasses
1 tbs garlic Dip
1 pinch chermoula
1 pinch cumin
Sauce:
1 red onion, sliced
2 tbs tahini
2 tbs lemon juice 2 cups water
1 pinch sea salt 1 tbs coconut oil
Garnish:
1 tbs barberries
1 tbs pumpkin seed kernels
Method
1. Cut the eggplant lengthways into long slices (about 2 cm thick), rub these with salt and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Heat the rice bran oil in a pan and cook the eggplant for 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.
3. Cook the onion in coconut oil, stirring, until caramelised.
4. Mix 2 cups water, lemon juice, salt and tahini until smooth.
5. Add the tahini sauce to the onion, stir and remove from heat.
6. In a bowl, combine the quinoa, capsicum, parsley, pomegranate molasses, garlic dip, chermoula and cumin.
7. Spread the quinoa mixture on the cooked eggplant and place the eggplant on top of the tahini sauce in the pan. Return to the heat and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
8. Sprinkle barberries and pumpkin seed kernels over the eggplants.
9. To serve, scoop out the flesh with the tahini sauce.
GOLDELUCK’S LOADED BROWNIE
By Phillip Kuoch
Prep time: 15 minutes
Ready in: 25 to 30 minutes
Serves: 8 or 16 bite sized pieces.
Ingredients
225g unsalted melted butter
3 eggs
2 cups of sugar
1 cup flour
70g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
150ml thickened cream
Your favourite toppings.
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 175C.
2. Mix wet ingredients together.
3. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients.
4. Combine wet and dry mixtures in a big bowl until smooth.
5. Bake in lined tray for 25 to 30 mins.
6. Once ready to add toppings, heat 200g of chocolate chips and 150ml of thickened cream in a microwave until combined smoothly. Check regularly to make sure chocolate doesn’t overheat.
7. Using a spatular, layer the choc ganache on top of the cooled brownie and add all your favourite toppings on top.
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