Weekend Australian Recipes Saturday 19 March quick suppers

A few quick suppers

As much as I like spending time in the kitchen, it is also a thrill to get decent food on the table with a minimum of time and fuss. Readymade gnocchi is a great standby; try frying it rather than boiling it. When fried, it puffs up slightly and becomes a bit crispy. The curry is a delicious mild curry suitable for vegetables like sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut pumpkin, potato or cauliflower. Taste as you go and add extra chilli if you like a little more bite.

Fried gnocchi with tomatoes and olives

1 tablespoon olive oil

pinch dried crushed chilli

1 clove garlic, crushed

500g homemade or bought gnocchi

100g semi dried tomatoes, chopped

150g good quality black olives, pitted

Zest half lemon

Handful fresh basil leaves, torn

100g small fresh mozzarella balls, torn in half

50g freshly grated parmesan

extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the chilli and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the gnocchi, and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until slightly puffed and golden. Add the tomatoes, olives, lemon zest and basil and warm through.

Stir through the mozzarella and parmesan. Serve, drizzled with a little oil and garnish with extra basil leaves, if desired. Serves 3-4

Simple sweet potato and pea curry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 onions, sliced

600 g sweet potato, cut into 2.5 cm chunks

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried chilli

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon grated ginger

3 tablespoons tomato paste

500 ml vegetable stock (or water)

150 g frozen peas

3 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander leaves

Heat the oil in a large frying and saute the onion, sweet potato and cumin seeds for about 8 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Stir in the turmeric, chilli, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender.

Add the peas and simmer for 3-4 minutes until just cooked.  Season to taste and sprinkle with coriander. Serve with steamed rice. Serves 4

Baked bream with tomatoes

olive oil

3 tablespoon chopped herbs (use a mixture of parsley, basil and thyme)

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 large bream or two individual sized fish, gutted and scaled

4 vine ripened tomatoes

1 unwaxed lemon

Preheat the oven to 200C. Brush a roasting tin with a little oil. Combine the herbs and garlic and use it to stuff the fish. Transfer to the roasting tin. Drizzle with a little oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Quarter the tomatoes and the lemon and place them around the fish. Roast for 15-20 minutes until the fish if tender and cooked. Serve with the toasted tomatoes and lemon quarters. Serves 2