Recipes from <i>Moving Out ... Eating In</i>

Crunchy bread, tomato and basil salad

This is a cross between two classic Italian salads – panzanella and caprese. Italians waste nothing and this recipe is a great use for stale bread. I find it the perfect summertime side dish with grilled fish or just on its own for a lovely light lunch.

Try to find a mixture of different varieties and colours of tomatoes – large, small, cherry, roma, heirloom, grape – as this adds flavour and texture.

PS. You can prepare this ahead of time but add the bread at the last minute so it doesn't become soggy.

½ loaf day-old bread

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove

½ cup (about ½ bunch) oregano leaves

600 g tomatoes (mixture of colours and varieties), halved or quartered depending on size
sea salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

¼ cup drained capers

1 cup (about 1 bunch) basil leaves

180 g large bocconcini balls (fresh baby mozzarella cheese, available from supermarkets)

Preheat the grill to high. Tear the bread into large 
2cm chunks and throw onto a baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and crush the garlic over the top. Sprinkle with the oregano leaves. Toss the bread until well coated. Place the tray under the
 grill for 5 minutes or until the bread is golden and crisp. Keep a close eye on it as it burns quickly. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, sprinkle the tomatoes with salt. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes. (Salting tomatoes accentuates the balance of sweetness and acidity and brings out their flavour.)

Toss the tomatoes with the remaining oil, balsamic and capers, and scrunch together with your hands. Tear the basil leaves and bocconcini balls and toss through with the cooled bread. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Snappy prawn and leek stir-fry

Prawns are great for stir-fries because they cook in no time. The juiciness of the prawns combined with the snap of the sugarsnap peas gives a lovely texture.

Note: 20 minutes marinating required.

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2-3 fresh red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
600g peeled uncooked (raw) prawns
200 g dried vermicelli noodles
1 leek, thinly sliced

2 cups sugarsnap peas or snow peas
4 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine 2 tablespoons of the oil, the garlic, chilli and prawns in a medium bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes.
Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring, for
 2 minutes or until soft then remove from wok. Add the prawns to the wok and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until they turn a light shade of pink.

Return the leeks to the wok, add the sugarsnap peas or snow peas, fish sauce and sugar. Cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat.

Add the noodles to the wok and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Coconut Eton Mess with Sesame Snaps

This is my tropical spin on one of England's best-loved desserts. If mangoes aren't in season I recommend using bananas. The cream can be whisked with electric beaters to speed things up.

500 ml (2 cups) thickened cream

2 teaspoons coconut essence

2 tablespoons icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla paste (concentrated vanilla paste, available from supermarkets in the baking aisle)
8 store-bought meringue nests

2 mangoes, sliced

¼ cup shaved coconut

2 x Sesame Snaps bars, crushed

In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk (or electric beaters) to whisk the cream, coconut essence, icing sugar and vanilla paste until soft peaks form. You want it to hold its shape but still be fluffy.

Crumble the meringue nests into the cream mixture, leaving a variety of sizes of chunks. Add half your mango and gently fold it through the cream.

Arrange the meringue mixture in a medium round glass serving bowl or in six individual serving glasses, top with the remaining mango and sprinkle with the shaved coconut and crushed Sesame Snaps.

Serves 6-8

Moving Out ... Eating In, by Elizabeth Hewson, Roc-Hin, $34.95, movingouteatingin.com