5 Minute Food Fix

This is the second episode of 5 Minute Food Fix where Nagi and I celebrate yummy things that can make your regular (food) programming pop!

I find her inspiring and such an enthusiastic communicator when it comes to food. (Listen to her go off about peas on this ep! So good!)

When we spoke, her second cookbook DELICIOUS TONIGHT was just being launched. It went on to sell more copies than any other cookbook that year, won the ABIA at the end of the year for Best Illustrated Book, is still in print and can be purchased here.

NAGI's WHIPPER TAHINI DRESSING

1 cup plain yogurt

21/2 tbsp tahini*

11/2 tbsp lemon juice (substitute 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar)

1 garlic clove,* finely grated

1/4 tsp kosher salt*

Whipped tahini preparation—Place the ingredients in a heatproof bowl and whisk briefly to combine. Set aside.

Whip tahini—Once the roasted vegetables are done, microwave the tahini yogurt mixture

in the bowl for 20 seconds on High, then whisk vigorously for 10 seconds until it resembles softly whipped

cream. Use immediately.

Use for any vegetable. Especially great with asparagus, green beans, broccoli, broccolini, carrots, cauliflower,

pumpkin, sweet potato, and zucchini.

LEFTOVERS Whipped tahini will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Microwave for 20 seconds to warm gently then

re-whip. Not suitable

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Yumi was so stoked to speak with fellow Japanese-Australian, the utterly legendary Nagi from Recipe Tin Eats. She has so many great suggestions for what to do with the whipped ricotta - so listen to the episode for more, but in the recipe below, you serve it with delightful (and perfect for right now as the tomatoes ripen so beautifully) burst tomatoes.

WHIPPED RICOTTA WITH BURST TOMATOES

WHIPPED RICOTTA

1 cup full-fat,

good-quality ricotta, at room temperature

1/2 tightly packed cup finely grated parmesan*

2–3 tsp milk, if required

BURST TOMATOES

2 punnets cherry tomatoes

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp salt*

1/8 tsp black pepper

11/2 tsp dried oregano

TO FINISH

1 tbsp good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice, plus extra

to taste

12–15 small basil leaves

SERVING OPTIONS

Crostini or Crusty White Bread!

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Does cooking for one sound sad? Depressing? Lonely?

It's kind of okay - if you're armed with some hacks so you're not starting from scratch every meal.

YUMI'S ANCHOVY SALAD DRESSING (TO LEAVE IN THE FRIDGE FOR WHEN YOU JUST CAN'T BE BOTHERED)

60g anchovies

250ml olive oil

10g honey

25g tahini

20g best balsamic vinegar

50g white balsamic vinegar

juice of one lemon

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WHAT can be done with a BBQ chicken from the supermarket or hot chicken shop?

Today, Simon wants to use a pre-bought red curry paste to turn chicken into something magical, then adding it to the inside of a crunchy lettuce boat. You will need 1 good jar of Thai Red Curry Paste

Method:

Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a small saucepan on medium heat.

Toast off the 3 spoonfuls of Thai red Curry paste in the pan to awaken the flavours.

Scrape that off the pan and set it aside - you'll use it in a sec.

Then to the same pan add in a couple of spoons of Greek Yoghurt and a big squeeze of lime juice (3 tbs) plus 2tsp honey and a big pinch (1/2 tsp) of salt.

Add half a chopped red onion, a chopped celery stalk, 12 chopped cornichons and some coriander.

Add in 400g shredded leftover chicken. Add in the yoghurt-curry mixture and mix with a light touch.

Top everything with a handful of roasted peanuts and some coriander.

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When figs are plentiful, one must pounce! Like a hungry bear!

The beauty of figs is that they are seasonal. Nothing signals the *sigh* End of Summer like figs being plentiful and affordable.

On this episode, Yumi and Simon run through their favourite things to do with figs, including a fantastic recipe from THEIR COOKBOOK WHICH YOU CAN BUY HERE.

SIMON'S FREEFORM FIG TART

Pastry

Combine 200g diced cold butter with 250g plain flour in a food processor for a few short bursts until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add in 125g (half a cup) of sour cream. It shouldn't take long and when the dough forms a ball, wrap it up and pop it in the fridge to rest for at least 20 mins.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Trim and quarter the figs.

Roll out the pastry to a 35cm circle about 3mm thick.

Get it on the oven tray then spread the circle of dough with 1/4 cup of marmalade, leaving a border clear.

Top with the figs in whatever pattern you want. Sprinkle with 1tbs caster sugar, then fold the edges of the dough in to shape a freeform crusty tart.

Brush the edges and top of the crust with beaten egg.

Bake for 45 - 50 mins until the tart crust is lightly browned and the fruit is bubbling. Serve with creme fraiche and strong tea.

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In this reheated episode, Yumi gets excited about a couple of upcoming races she's got planned (please don't look up my times!) and how she's basically trying to gain as much muscle as she can.

Nagi Maehashi's recipe is a huge inspiration, and is the one that Yumi mainly talks through in the episode.

But as you'll hear in the intro, since recording this episode, Yumi has made it 30+ times and has brought in her own variations. It's basically swapping the 310ml of fresh cream for 450g Greek yoghurt, and compensating for the greater volume with a little more sugar.

YUMI'S TRIBUTE: BURNT BASQUE CHEESECAKE

Pre-heat the oven to 200C and line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper, going quite high up the sides.

Get 750g cream cheese at room temperature (Lactose-free cream cheese is now available!) into a mixer, add in 240g caster sugar and whizz to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Add in 220g lightly whisked egg, 2tsp vanilla paste, mix, then use a tea strainer to sift in 30g plain flour. Mix. For the final step, add in 450g Greek yoghurt and mix until combined. (There is no need to overdo this step. Stop when it is done.)

Scrape the whole lot into your prepared tin then bake for 45 minutes.

Licking the bowl/spatula is encouraged.

Allow it to cool before serving. Best eaten within 4-5 days.

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This time of year it's VERY HARD to get motivated in the kitchen!

That's why we thought we'd revisit this recipe from Adam Liaw.

Use Springwater Tuna, drained well

1/4 cup good olive oil

dried oregano

basil leaves

5 really lovely tomatoes

check if you need salt and pepper

REMEMBER to make good toast! Actually toast it, don't just warm the bread.

To serve, drizzle with olive oil, check the seasoning and add salt and pepper. YUM

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At the time of recording, Simon had been working on some incredible-sounding cookbooks including the one from Masterchef Winner Natty Wolf, which is out now.

It inspired him to cook up the SATAY recipe you've always needed!

SIMON'S EASY HOME SATAY

1/2 bunch coriander

1 fresh red chilli

1/2 clove garlic

3tbs crunchy peanut butter

lug of soy sauce

2cm nub of fresh ginger

juice and zest of 1 lime

WHIZZ IN THE BLENDER AND TASTE! What does it need more of? Taste and create! Thread chicken thigh fillet chunks onto skewers, coat well in the satay marinade, and bake in the oven at 180C until cooked through. Serve on rice. Yum!

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NOT ONE TO BRAG, our humble food expert Simon Davis has spent a number of days hanging out at Australia's Best Restaurant in his day job as a cookbook publisher.

You'll hear more about the restaurant on today's episode of the food fix but the link is here if you urgently need to make a booking!

We've also got the sauce he's inspired by. It's not the restaurant version, it's one us mere humans can probably get going on our home stoves.

Agrodolce sauce

Small saucepan, into 2 warmed tablespoons of olive oil, add 2 chopped garlic cloves, one chopped shallot, sautee them down for about 5 minutes until golden brown

1/2 cup red wine balsamic vinegar

1 tsp capers

1/4 raisins

1/4 cup pine nuts

stir to combine along with 3tbs honey, simmer down for 4 mins

To finish the sauce, add 2tbs butter and season with salt and pepper.

Serve on radiccio or grilled steak!

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THERE IS NO CACTUS IN THIS RECIPE!

Nik Sharma is a pretty inspiring UK cook and his book that Yumi talks about can be found here.

This pasta is really worth trying though - almost everything in it probably already exists in your pantry, and it's absolutely packed with flavours.

Orecchiette Pantry Pasta

Get a big pot of salted water on the boil and add in 500g of orecchiette pasta.

While that's cooking, warm up 3tbs good olive oil and to it, add 1.5 tsp smashed up cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, a clove of finely grated garlic and a teaspoon of Aleppo, Maras or Urfa red pepper flakes.

Scoop out a half cup of pasta water from the pot when your orecchiette still has a couple of minutes to go.

Dissolve 3tbs white miso into the pasta water. Pour that into the frying spice mix. Add 285g frozen peas to the pasta water and bring it back to the boil. Drain well once your pasta timer sounds. Combine the pasta+peas with the oil and spices. 

Then add an absolute ton of grated parmesan cheese and some snipped chives.

Serve immediately.

(This also makes great leftovers!)

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