Recipes: Five dinner winners as voted by you

THESE recipes were voted on by the public in Taste's Great Australian Dinner Debate, and have been declared the best! Check them out for yourself.

taste nov 19 dinner winners

THESE recipes were voted on by the public in Taste's Great Australian Dinner Debate, and have been declared the best!

From the humble rissole to an Asian-inspired salmon, the recipes show that we are a nation of diverse cultures and tastes, with a strong family-oriented and budget-conscious approach to what we cook. Enjoy.

Syrie Wongkaew, taste.com.au

SALMON, SESAME GREENS & GINGER-SOY DRESSING

- Serves 4

- Preparation time: 10 minutes

- Cooking time: 10 minutes

- Skills needed: Intermediate

** 

4 skin-on salmon fillets

Olive oil spray

1/4 cup salt-reduced soy sauce

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

3 tsp sesame oil

1 bunch gai lan (Chinese broccoli)

Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

--

Heat a large non-stick frypan over high heat. Spray both sides of the salmon with olive oil spray. Add salmon to the pan, skin-side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until crisp.

Turn and cook for a further 1-2 minutes for medium or until cooked to your liking.

Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, sugar, ginger and half the sesame oil in a small bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Cook gai lan in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds or until bright green and tender crisp. Drain. Divide the gai lan and rice among serving dishes. Drizzle over the remaining sesame oil and sprinkle with half the sesame seeds. Top with salmon. Drizzle over soy sauce mixture and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds.

Recipe: Chrissy Freer, Good Taste

PASTA WITH PUMPKIN & ROCKET PESTO

- Serves 4

- Preparation time: 10 minutes

- Cooking time: 30 minutes

- Skills needed: Basic

** 

600g butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 2cm pieces

375g fettuccine

100g Persian feta, crumbled

80g baby rocket leaves

- ROCKET PESTO

1 bunch rocket, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup basil leaves

2 garlic cloves, chopped

50g pine nuts

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan

1/2 cup olive oil

** 

Preheat oven to 200C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Place the pumpkin on the tray and drizzle with oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until golden and tender.

Meanwhile, to make the rocket pesto, place the rocket, basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream and process until well combined. Season to taste.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.

Add half the pesto to the pasta with the pumpkin, feta and baby rocket leaves. Gently toss until just combined. Divide among bowls. Drizzle with remaining pesto. 

Recipe: Sarah Hobbs

PIZZA MARGHERITA

- Serves 4

- Preparation time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour proving time)

- Cooking time: 10 minutes

- Skills needed: Intermediate

** 

100ml tomato passata (sieved tomatoes) or roasted tomato sugo

2 tbsp chopped basil leaves, plus small leaves to garnish

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

4 bocconcini, sliced 1cm thick

2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

- PIZZA BASES

2 cups strong (baker's) flour, plus extra to dust (see note)

7g sachet dry active yeast

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to grease

** 

To make the pizza bases, sift flour into a large bowl. Stir in yeast, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Make a well in the centre and add 200ml warm water with the oil. Bring together with a wooden spoon or your hands, then turn out dough onto a floured surface.

Knead for 5 minutes by hand (or electric mixer with a dough hook) until dough is smooth.

Clean the bowl and lightly grease with a little oil, then add dough and cover with a tea towel. Set aside in a warm place to prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 240C. Knock back the dough by punching it to remove air and divide into two balls. Roll dough out on a floured surface until you have two very thin, 25cm-diameter pizza bases. Carefully transfer to 2 lightly floured baking sheets.

Combine passata or sugo with basil and garlic, then spread over pizza bases leaving a 2cm border. Divide the bocconcini between bases, then scatter with parmesan and cherry tomatoes (cutside up). Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 8-10 minutes until cheese has melted and the pizza bases are crisp and lightly golden around the edges.

Drizzle the pizzas with a little more olive oil, garnish with basil leaves then serve immediately.

Recipe: Valli Little, delicious

LEMON, CHICKEN & PARMESAN RISSOLES

- Serves 4

- Preparation time: 15 minutes

- Cooking time: 12 minutes

- Skills needed: Intermediate

**

500g chicken mince

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 tbsp fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

1/4 cup plain flour

1 tbsp olive oil

Antipasto salad, to serve

** 

Combine mince, egg, garlic, breadcrumbs, basil, lemon rind, olives and parmesan in a bowl. Place flour on a plate. Shape into eight 2cm-thick rissoles. Roll in flour to coat lightly. Place on a large plate. Cover. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Heat oil in a frypan over medium heat.

Cook rissoles, in batches, for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a greased baking tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with antipasto salad. 

Recipe: Claire Brookman, Super Food Ideas

CHICKEN FRIED RICE

- Serves 4

- Preparation time: 10 minutes

- Cooking time: 10 minutes (plus rice cooking )

- Skills needed: Basic

** 

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp peanut oil

600g chicken breast fillets, trimmed, thinly sliced

1 brown onion, cut in thin wedges

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups cold cooked rice (see tip)

1 cup Thai basil leaves

4 green onions, sliced diagonally

1/4 cup fried shallots

**

Combine soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and oyster sauce in a small bowl. Set aside. Heat a wok over high heat until hot.

Add 3 teaspoons oil and swirl to coat. Add half the chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with oil and remaining chicken.

Add 2 teaspoons oil and onion to wok. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and fry for 30 seconds.

Add egg and rice and cook for 2-3 minutes or until egg is well combined with rice. Return chicken to wok.

Add soy sauce mixture, basil and green onions. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Spoon into bowls. Sprinkle with shallots and serve.

Tip: Make the rice the night before to save on time.

Recipe: Alison Adams, Super Food Ideas