Not your usual fish pie

 Each winter I get a strong craving for a piping hot, potato topped fish pie. When I started searching for a recipe it was hard to find one free of white sauce, so in the end I had to make up my own!

This one is gluten-free and can be made with a dairy-free mash if required. It has got me through the last half dozen winters so I can promise you it tastes delicious.

Gill’s Fish Pie

(serves at least 4 but this recipe halves well to make two individual pies)

2 tabs olive oil for sautéing
600g blue eye (or similar firm white fish) fillets, in approx. 8mm chunks
600g leeks, washed trimmed and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Additional vegetables as desired, diced (e.g. zucchini)
75g green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
45 g of small capers (if using the ones in salt soak for 1 hour, then drain)
1 tablespoon lemon peel, finely chopped or grated
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

For the mash

4 large or 6 medium sized potatoes 

salt

butter/olive oil

Mashed potato – enough to cover your pie dish (boil about 4 large or 6 medium sized potatoes til tender, drain well, mash with olive oil, dairy-free margarine or butter and a dash of salt) I use a mix of butter and olive oil and never add a milk substitute Prepare the mash in the usual way. I like to bake potatoes in their skin and scoop out the flesh, or simply steam if in a hurry. 

Cook cubes of fish in olive oil. Do this in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Just 1 minute per side (to seal rather than cook through). Put aside. Now saute the leeks and then add the garlic, cook til soft. If you want to add more vegetables (zucchini, silverbeet etc) toss them in now too. Mix the fish and vegetables with lemon peel, capers, olives and parsley. A splash of white wine or brandy if you have it can be be good but not a deal breaker if you don't want to.Give it a quick toss then pour into a large ovenware dish, or individual pie dishes.

Don’t overfill the dishes or it might overflow. It’s a good idea to place dish(es) on a baking tray just in case.

Top with generous amounts of mash. Bake in a hot oven, around 200 C for about 20-30 minutes, til the mash is golden on top.

Roasted pumpkin and tomato soup

 

Recipe: Roasted pumpkin and tomato soup

This soup has been in high rotation this winter and each time I love it just a little more! It was inspired by Stephanie Alexander’s latest cookbook Home. I’ve simplified the method but roasting the vegetables is non-negotiable, as it’s what gives this soup its rich umami flavour.

 

Roasted pumpkin and tomato soup

1 kg pumpkin, peeled and cut into 6 cm chunks
1 small potato, peeled and halved (optional, to thicken the soup)
1 onion, peeled and thickly sliced
4 medium-large ripe tomatoes, halved
6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1.5 litres vegetable stock (I prefer homemade or Marigold bouillon powder)
1 – 2 tsp smoked paprika
1/3 cup olive oil
Sprig of rosemary (optional)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat the oven to 220c (200c fan-forced).

Cut the pumpkin, potato and onion as directed above. Toss in a bowl with olive oil, herbs, garlic and a pinch of salt. When covered in oil, lay out in a single layer in your baking dish. Ideally use a large baking dish big enough to fit all the vegetables without overcrowding, that’s safe to use on the stove top, if it’s not big enough, use two.

Roast vegetables for 40 minutes, give the tray a shake and stir halfway through this time. It’s ok for the vegetable to get crisp and a little scorched (but not burnt) as this deepens the flavour.

Remove from the oven and throw away the rosemary stem. Take out the tomatoes and discard the skins. Do the same with the garlic. Both should be easy to slip off when cooked. Add these along with the rest of the vegetables to a large pot.

Place the baking dish, with the delicious stuck-on goodies, on the stove top on medium heat.  Add a cup or two of your stock and stir with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan. Once the bits have come away from the pan, pour the deglazing liquid into your pot with the vegetable. Add the remaining stock and whizz with a hand blender until smooth. Alternatively you can use a blender or food processer.

Put the pot on the heat and bring to a simmer. Taste before adding salt and pepper. If using a commercial stock it mightn’t need much. If the soup is thicker than you’d like add more stock. If a bit thin, just simmer on a low heat til you have your desired consistency.

 

Lemony bliss balls

 Lemons (especially super juicy and fragrant Meyers) make an amazing guest star in this take on the traditional nut/fruit ball.  The recipe is super easy to make if you have a food processor and are the perfect healthy snack.

 

Lemony bliss balls

1 cup raw cashews (or your favourite type of nut)
10 – 12 Medjool dates, pitted (if dry, soak in warm water for an hour first and pat dry)
2 – 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
Zest of 1 lemon, unsprayed/organic
½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
½ tsp sea salt
1/3 cup desiccated or shredded coconut to roll balls in

Pulse all ingredients except the coconut, in a food processor or blender until the nuts are well chopped. Check the mixture’s consistency, it needs to stick together to form a ball. If too crumbly try adding another date or two, or a bit more juice, water or a dash of coconut milk.

Add the desiccated coconut to a small dish. With clean damp hands, form into balls (I used a heaped teaspoon per ball) and roll in shredded coconut.

Store between layers of baking paper, in an airtight container and keep in the fridge. I’ve seen fruit and nut ball recipes that suggest they keep for up to 3 months but in my house they’ve never lasted this long!

 

Variations

No lemons – try orange juice (and zest if unsprayed)

No dates – try dried figs, may need to be soaked first

No coconut – use sesame or crushed hemp seeds

This first published my professional website, now archiving recipes on blogger

Okonomilyaki waffles

Originally published on my naturopathic website 

Waffles are currently having a hot minute on social media. Preferring savoury over sweet, hash browns were my gateway to this new craze. Craving a one-dish meal with more veggies, I wondered if the classic Japanese pancake (okonomiyaki) could be wafflised. Spoiler alert: they do!

The recipe below worked perfectly. Though an old stovetop waffle maker like mine necessitates flipping them over to cook both sides, it’s still quicker than making okonomiyaki the usual way.

This version is adapted from Hetty McKinnon, to make one egg, single serves. It’s a flexible recipe and a great way to turn wilted end-of-the week veggies into a quick and tasty lunch. In this case it was cabbage and grated zucchini that had seen better days but tasted as good as new in waffle form, with a dab of mayo and a sprinkle of my homemade furikaki.

Okonomiyaki waffles

Quantities per person/about 2 waffles

1/2 cup plain flour
90 ml (just over 1/3 cup) dashi or vegetable stock
1/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt – depending on how salty the dashi/stock is (optional)
1.5 cups of finely shredded or grated vegetables, eg: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, potato, broccoli, zucchini, potato and/or cauliflower
1 spring onion finely chopped (if you have it)
1 egg, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil to grease the waffle iron.

To serve:
Mayonnaise
Furikake, toasted sesame or finely sliced spring onion greens

Slice or grate the vegetables finely. The waffles don’t cook for long, so the finer the better.

Mix together flour, stock (or dashi), baking powder and salt (if needed) in a large bowl, to form a batter. I usually add the egg at this stage, though Hetty suggests adding it with the vegetables.

Add the vegetable to the batter, mix well for at least 30 secs. Add the egg (if you haven’t already) and gently mix it in, until all the ingredients are combined without being over worked.

Heat your waffle iron and if it’s not non-stick, brush or spray on some vegetable oil. Once hot, add a tablespoon or two (depending on the size of your waffle maker) of the veggie batter and flatten a little with the back of the spoon. You want to get towards the edges without it overflowing when you put the top down.

Cooking time will vary on the type of iron. It’s worth checking after 2 minutes, to see if the waffle is brown. Once it's cooked, remove (or flip if it’s a stovetop iron).

To serve

Okonomiyaki are traditionally served with its own special sauce (found in some Asian grocery stores or DIY) and mayonnaise, topping the pancake in lines from a squeezy bottle. Often they are finished with bonito flakes, which wave or ‘dance’ on top with the heat of the pancake.

I’m not a fan of the sweet/tangy sauce, so I serve them with mayo and a sprinkle of furikake instead.

 

Variations

Hetty’s original Insta post includes kimchi – which sounds absolutely delicious!

The recipe can be veganised replacing eggs with ‘flax eggs’/ flax seeds or similar. Kewpie now make a vegan/egg-free mayo, or use your favourite plant-based brand. Be aware that som Japanese okonomiyaki sauces contain animal products.

Gluten-free – sub GF flour or try rice flour (don’t forget the baking powder).

Well hello, it's been a while

While winding down my 34 year naturopathic career, I'm left with that small business owner dilemma of just how long will I hang onto my business website. Those hosting fees add up over time.

Step 1 is adding recipes to this old blog. Seriously, it's my cooks journal and I don't want to be left going "how did I make okonomiyaki waffles?" I know a couple of old blog friends still follow my feed - so here's why it's active again.

Enjoy the drip feed and occasional deluge of recipes on this blog again.

PS: Yan, Wolli Creek Sydney - what are 'Chinese olives' and how can I make this amazing fried rice?

out of the closet

It's not as if it's a secret, but I thought it was time I came out.

No longer just another outspoken female, I'm Gill. A first wave blogger who got lost in the twitterverse and finally washed up at Instagram.

In recent years this blog has become collateral damage, that comes from too much time spent developing recipes, writing articles and hanging out on social media - under my own name.

I'm a naturopath who has been in the game for more than 26 years (gasp!). Most of my time has been spent in Melbourne, running my successful CBD clinic City Natural Therapies. I also hung out at 3RRR as the voice behind Health Trip for twenty years, with occasional appearances elsewhere on the grid talking about food on Eat It!

Since 2014 I've been a Sydney-sider hanging out in the Inner West, eating vegan pho, sushi and the rare pescatarian feast at Tetsuya!

I believe that healthy food should taste great and be a delight to eat.

If you're interested, I have a free, monthly newsletter with health tips, and often an original recipe or seasonal food updates. I continue working with people to eat well and feel better - online, anywhere in the world. As a naturopath, food and herbal medicine are my great loves. But like this blog, it's often the simplest remedies and lifestyle tweaks that can make the biggest difference to how you feel.

Though the odd travel-related post might creep back in here, all new recipes are on my naturopathy website. Check out the resources section for my recipe archive.


I love the friendly, inclusive world that blogging opened to me way back when. The delicious friendships made over so many meals remain a lasting legacy.

Jerusalem artichoke soup

I used to avoid buying these odd-looking tubers because I didn’t know what to do with them. But they are a versatile winter vegetable that can be roasted, blended or, if particularly fresh, thinly sliced and eaten raw.

Neither an artichoke nor from the Middle East, this vegetable has a distinctive, though relatively mild flavour that is perfect for a winter soup. Despite being a low-starch vegetable, when blended the soup has a luscious creamy consistency.

Naturally creamy, vegan Jerusalem artichoke soup recipe.


All new recipes are on my naturopathy website, check out the resources section for my recipe archive.

Tomato and quinoa soup

Quinoa is a versatile grain (that's really a seed). It’s light enough to add body and protein to a soup without making it stodgy. A little goes a long way, so only add more if you’d prefer a stew rather than soup.

This seedy-grain comes in different colours, but they all taste pretty much the same. Always rinse quinoa well before using.

Tomato & quinoa soup recipe.

All new recipes are on my naturopathy website, check out the resources section for my recipe archive.

non-boring non-alcoholic drinks

Goddess save me from yet another cranberry juice, at an exorbitant price, sipped on in a stylish bar! There are so many other booze-free options on offer.

Whether you’re signed up for FebFast, Dry July,  OcSober, are pregnant or just want to take a break from the booze, you don’t need to feel like you're missing out or have to rely entirely of sugar laden drinks. I’ve bought together the best of my booze-free resources into one neat package so you never need to thirst again.

Get (alcohol-free) drinking!

A good bar person can whip you up something special. This was "citrus, fruity and not too sweet thanks"

All new recipes are on my naturopathy website, check out the resources section for my recipe archive.

Latergram - Tetsuya's

In March I got to tick off a culinary bucket list experience - a long lunch at Tetsuya's.

No review, just suck it in and imagine. I managed to get a shot of most of the courses but not all. Life is too short to document every mouthful but I did want a lasting memory of the day.

It was a very special afternoon in a calm room, overlooking the manicured traditional garden. It did cost an arm and a leg (and probably a few other body parts) but it certainly was an experience to be savoured.