Warm up this autumn with ham hock and barley soup

This soup is super-easy, made in the slow cooker and retains the gorgeous salty flavours of the hock.

Ham Hock and Barley Soup. Recipe from Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull Picture: Melanie Jenkins

I am a busy mum of two young boys so I always design my recipes to take the stress out of feeding a family. I try to keep the recipes as simple as possible – using everyday ingredients that you probably already have in the pantry or fridge – and make things that will appeal to kids. Feel free to swap out any of the ingredients or vegetables in these dishes here; for instance, use split peas instead of barley in the ham hock soup if you prefer. These recipes are super-versatile.

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Ham Hock and Barley Soup

This soup is super-easy. It’s all made in the slow cooker and has the gorgeous salty flavours of the hock.

Ingredients

800g ham hock

1 onion, finely sliced

1 cup barley

2 litres water

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

2 bay leaves

Salt and cracked black

pepper, to taste

Italian parsley, chopped

Method

Place the ham hock, onion, barley, water, carrots, celery and bay leaves in the base of a large slow cooker. Cook on high for 6-plus hours until the meat is cooked through and falling off the bone. Remove the hock from the slow cooker and place on a chopping board. Shred the meat, discarding any skin and bones. Place the shredded meat back into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Remove the bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls with parsley on top.

Serves 4-6

Note: this recipe can also be made on the stovetop in a large saucepan; just reduce the cooking time by about half.

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Lamb & Spinach Filo Pie

This pie was inspired by the beautiful food we had on a recent holiday to Greece. The spiced lamb goes well with the spinach and ricotta mix and is further complemented by the crunchy filo pastry on top.

   

Although this pie requires a little bit of time and effort to make, it is sure to impress your family and guests.

Ingredients

Spiced lamb

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

400g lamb mince

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons plain flour

400g can crushed tomatoes

Spinach and ricotta layer

300g frozen spinach

1 cup grated cheese

250g ricotta

Salt and cracked black pepper, to season

Filo topping

5 sheets filo pastry

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Method

To make the spiced lamb, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add the mince and cook until brown. Add the cinnamon, cumin, mixed herbs, sugar, salt and pepper and cook while stirring. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to combine. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.

Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull

Preheat the oven to 180C (fan forced). To make the spinach and ricotta layer, place the spinach in a microwave-proof bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Transfer to a sieve and squeeze out the excess water. Add the spinach, cheese and ricotta to a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Spoon the spiced lamb into a baking dish. Spread out to the edges. Spoon the spinach and ricotta over the top and spread out to the edges.

To make the filo topping, brush a sheet of filo with melted butter and scrunch it up softly. Place on top of the pie filling. Repeat with the remaining filo sheets until the filling is completely covered. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and crispy. Serves 4-6

This is an edited extract from Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull (Allen & Unwin NZ, $39.99). Photography by Melanie Jenkins (Flash Studios).