Amanda’s Top 5 Entertaining Recipes

Recipes to make entertaining simple and enjoyable, giving you less time in the kitchen and more time at the table with your guests

Easy whole-baked pumpkin.

Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins | Prep time: 15 mins | Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 1 small butternut pumpkin, whole

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, extra to drizzle

  • 1 whole garlic bulb

  • 1 cup plain Greek yoghurt

  • 60g wild baby rocket

  • 1 pomegranate, deseeded

  • 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze, to drizzle

  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, optional

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 200ºC fan (390ºF). On a baking tray, lay foil and baking paper on top. Place the pumpkin in the center of the baking paper. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. Wrap baking paper and foil tightly around the pumpkin to seal.

  2. Repeat foil and baking paper with whole garlic clove and 1 talespooon of olive oil. Place onto the baking tray with pumpkin and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, until pumpkin is fork tender.

  3. Unwrap pumpkin and let cool for 15minutes. Place baked pumpkin onto a serving platter. Cut lengthways through the centre. Scoop out the seeds. Cut the top of the garlic and add the garlic into the pumpkin flesh.

  4. Gently mix through, careful not to pierce to pumpkin skin as this is the vessel to hold the filling. Use a spoon to do this.

  5. Add dollops of yoghurt in the centre of the pumpkin. Top with wild rocket, pomegranate seeds, sunflowers seeds, salt and pepper, add a drizzle of olive oil, drizzle balsamic glaze and sprinkle over chilli flakes.

Amanda’s Go-to leafy salad.

Cook time: NA | Prep time: 15 mins | Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup whole egg aioli, store-bought

  • 2 (80 ml) lemons, juice

  • 1 butter lettuce, wash, dry, torn into smaller pieces

  • 1 telegraph cucumber

  • 1/4 cup pepitas

  • 1/4 cup fresh dill fronds

  • 2 tablespoons (40ml) extra virgin olive oil

  • sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Method:

  1. To make the dressing whisk the aioli and lemon juice together. Set aside.

  2. On a serving tray, add butter lettuce. Peel half the amount of skin off the telegraph cucumber. Skin can be rather tough. Using a mandoline, thinly slice through the telegraph cucumber straight onto the butter lettuce.

  3. Drizzle 3/4 of the dressing over salad. Lightly toss through to coat lettuce and cucumber.

  4. Drizzle over remaining dressing. Sprinkle over pepitas and dill fronds. Add extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper to serve.

Baked ricotta and tomato tart.

Cook time: 35 mins | Prep time: 20 mins | Serves: 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed, 36cm x 28cm. I use Careme pastry

  • 1 cup ricotta, drained. Can use low fat

  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, with 1 tablespoon sun-dried olive oil

  • 2 lemons, zest

  • 500g (6-7 small) heirloom tomatoes, slice into 0.5cm rounds

  • 2 tablespoons basil pesto, store-bought

  • sea salt and cracked pepper

Garnish:

  • 12 fresh basil leaves

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180ºC fan (356ºF). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.

  2. In a food processor, blend the sun-dried tomatoes for 1-2 minutes until you get a coarse paste. Add the ricotta and pulse until combined.

  3. Lay puff pastry onto the lined baking tray. Spread the sun-dried tomato and ricotta mixture, leaving a 4cm space from the edges.

  4. Add the zest of 1 lemon. Make 3 rows of sliced tomatoes. Each row overlapping 1/3 of the tomato underneath.

  5. Fold over the 4 edges, pressing down lightly. Season with sea salt and cracked pepper. Bake for 35 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

  6. Slide tart onto a chopping board. Mix basil pesto with olive oil and drizzle over tart. Zest the remaining lemon on top. Serve with basil leaves and season.

Barramundi with leek, and lemon butter.

Cook time: 35 minutes | Prep time: 15 mins | Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1 x 800g barramundi fillet.

  • 1 leek, white and light green part only. Halve and slice thin

  • 100g butter, unsalted

  • 1 lemon, zest and juice

  • 3 tablespoons (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil

  • salt and pepper to season

    Garnish:

  • fresh dill fronds

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (356°F). Line a large baking tray to fit the barramundi fillet.

2. Lay barramundi fillet, skin side down, on the tray and cover fish with sliced leek.

3. Place portions of butter on top, add lemon juice, drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover with parchment paper and foil. Bake for 25 minutes.

4. After 25 minutes remove parchment paper and foil from fish.

5. Return fish back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Test the fish is cooked in the thickest part of fish. It will be white, not translucent and fall away easily.

6. Spoon over tray juices. Add dill, salt and pepper to serve.

Flourless chocolate and raspberry cake.

Cook time: 35 mins | Prep time: 25 mins | Serves: 8

Ingredients:

  • 200g 70% dark chocolate, chopped

  • 4 free range eggs

  • 140g caster sugar

  • 250g almond meal

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened

  • 1 cup frozen raspberries

To serve:

  • fresh raspberries

  • whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C fan (320°F). Grease and line a 23cm spring form cake tin.

  2. Place chocolate pieces into a double boiler. Melt and stir gently. Once melted, set aside to cool slightly.

  3. Add the eggs into a stand mixer and whip on high for 1 minute. Add the sugar in 2 lots. Beat for another 4-6 minutes. You will end up with a creamy thick consistency.

  4. Gently fold the almond meal, baking powder and cocoa powder into the egg mixture until combined.

  5. Add the melted chocolate down the side of the bowl and fold gently. Add 1/2 cup (125ml) of warm water and fold in.

  6. Pour into the greased cake tin and place on the bottom shelf of the oven for 20 minutes.

  7. Remove cake from the oven, add the frozen raspberries on top of the cake and press them lightly into cake. (Must be frozen so you can push it into the cake easily.)

  8. Cook for another 10 minutes. Cool on bench for 15 minutes before removing springform cake tin.

  9. Serve with with extra fresh raspberries and cream or ice cream.