Bunya Pine Nuts with Sauerkraut and Pasta

Get
650 g organic Sauerkraut
500 g pasta (Spirali, Spiralini or Rotini)
300 g Bunya Nuts 
or chestnuts 
2 onions
1 red capsicum
150 ml cream (optional)
Olive oil
300 ml stock/water
A pinch of caraway
6 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
Parsley

Bunya Pines, Araucaria bidwillii

Do
Chop the onion finely, and fry in olive oil till golden. Drain sauerkraut and add together with some hot stock/water. Add the caraway, juniper berries and bay. The kraut should be covered with liquid. Add the peeled bunya nuts, stir and cook for 30 min.

Bunya 'nuts' with lost cowrie shell

Cook the pasta al dente. Chop the capsicum in small thin strips and add to the dish, keeping a few bits for decorative purposes. Add some of the parsley. Cook for another 15- 20 min.
When the pasta is done, take the sauerkraut off the heat and stir in the cream. Decorate with chopped parsley and the remaining capsicum.

Serve with a rucola salad and slices of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Baked penne with tomatoes

This dish is a favourite with leftover pasta and tomato sauce from the day before, but can be done from scratch too.

GET
500 g Penne
1 cup of tomato sauce
1 cup of cherry tomatoes
Some basil leaves

Optional
2 cups of cream
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup rennet-free cooking cheese 
1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 Mozzarella cheese


DO
A)  The leftover option:
The pasta and tomato sauce have been already mixed the day before. Now add the small tomatoes and if you like the cream and cheese mixture. Heat the oven. Grate some of the cooking cheese over the dish and cook till the pasta is hot and the cheese has melted. Decorate with basil.

B)  Without the leftovers
Boil the pasta al dente and drain. Mix all cheeses, cream in a bowl. Mix pasta, dairy and the small tomatoes and place on shallow baking dish. Grate some of the cooking cheese over the dish. Cook till the cheese has melted. Decorate with shredded basil leaves.
   

Butternut Pumpkin Soup

Get
2 butternut pumpkin
8 carrots
10 yellow button squash
4 cloves of garlic 
Some ginger
1 bunch of coriander
Some parsley
4 chillies
6 peppercorns
Olive oil
Stock

Do
Peel and gut pumpkin. Put 1 l of filtered water in a pot and add the pumpkin offcuts. Add the chilies and peppercorn. Peel the carrots, wash the parsley and add to the stock.

Heat some oil in the soup pot. Fry the sliced carrots and ginger. Cut the pumpkin into large chunks (keeping 1/4) and add. Cover all vegetables with the hot (sieved) stock and simmer for 40 min. The cut the remaining pumpkin into mouth-size pieces and the red chili into thin strips. Cut each yellow button squash into 8 parts.  Simmer for another 10 - 20 min. Sprinkle with chopped coriander.

Some people use coconut milk or put the lot through the mixer. It is nice to not have machine noise or tins in the kitchen.

Sweet potato carrot turmeric soup

Mushrooms with pesto

Get
250g large open field mushrooms
100g spelt flour
5 tbsp olive oil
Lemon thyme

1 bunch of basil
200g macadamia nuts
2 large cloves of garlic
1 cup olive oil

Do
Clean and remove the stems from the basil. Chop finely.
Medium grate the macadamia nuts and add to the basil in a bowl. Mix.
Crush the garlic and add.
Add oil bit by bit while stirring until a thick paste forms.
Press into the bowl. Dribble a little oil on top and cover.

Clean the mushrooms, dry them, cut a little off the stem and discard. Cut into thick slices.
Put the flour on a large plate and roll the mushrooms in it. Do this in 2 lots if there are too many mushrooms. Leave for ½ hour so the mushrooms collect lots of flour. Turn from time to time.
Heat olive oil in a stainless steel frying pan and add enough mushrooms when the oil is hot so that they do not touch. Turn when golden.
Push the mushrooms to the side of the pan when they are golden on both sides and fry the remaining mushrooms.
Sprinkle with lemon thyme.

Can be served with potatoes and a salad or with noodles and tomato sauce.