If you would like to book in for a class please call me 02 9976 3372 or email us

25th July- Pizza Class 10am-2pm - 4 spaces left
24th July Gourmet Vegetarian Class 10am-1pm - 4 spaces left
27th July Veggie Express 7pm-9:30pm - 3 spaces left
8th August Dough & Pastry 10am-pm - 3 spaces left

8 sheets filo pastry
50g butter, melted

Filling
300g fresh spinach
200g fresh ricotta
1 garlic clove
½ onion, finely diced
30g grated parmesan
½ tsp ground nutmeg

To make the filling blanch the spinach in a pan of boiling water for 30seconds or until wilted, drain, rinse and squeeze out all of the excess liquid. In a frying pan cook the onion over a medium heat for 5 minutes, add garlic and continue to cook for a few more minutes until the onion is soft.  In a medium sized bowl add the spinach, onion and remaining filling ingredients, season and mix thoroughly.

Take 1 sheet of filo pastry and cut into quarters. Take one piece and brush with melted butter, place a second sheet of filo pastry on top and pat down, repeat with 2 more pieces of filo so that you have 4 layers in total. Place a spoonful of the spinach & ricotta mix on to the bottom 3rd of the pastry and roll up half way. Brush the remaining edges of the pastry and fold in the sides, brush edges with butter and continue to roll up the pastry ensuring that it is stuck down.

Place the strudel on to a baking tray and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds if desired. Cook in oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Is it good for me?
Turnips improve appetite so is great as part of a convalescent diet.  Turnips are also high in dietary fibre which is great for constipation, lowering cholesterol and cardiac health. Beta-carotene (changes to Vitamin A in the body) is also found in turnips in rich amounts.
As discussed earlier, the leaves of turnips (turnip greens) can be eaten.  They are a cousin to other health-protective giants including kale, collards, cabbage and broccoli and therefore have many nutritional qualities.  If you are a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, it is important to make vitamin A rich foods, such as turnip greens, part of your healthy way of eating.  This is because research has shown that cigarette smoke induces Vitamin A deficiency.
Vitamin E is a great antioxidant and supports cognitive function.  Turnips and turnip greens are a good source of this Vitamin.  Also, if it is consumed with a little fat, such as olive oil, the body’s ability to absorb vitamin E is increased.  As well as being high in Vitamin E, turnip greens are rich in the other important antioxidants namely Vitamin A and C.  Both are great supporters of the immune system.

How to Store?
If it comes with greens attached, remove the greens before storing the turnip in the crisper compartment of the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. Store greens in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to three days.

There are plenty of wonderful walnuts available at the moment and I’d highly recommend you get some as they are at their freshest during the early winter months.

You can store fresh walnuts still in their shells in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months, once they are shelled it is best to use them within a couple of months or freeze them for up to 12 months.

There are a few ways to get in to the shells however one easy method is to use the end of a spoon and insert it in to the part where the stem was attached then twist it so that the shell comes apart and you can get to the 2 halves.

15g porcini mushrooms
175g risotto rice
600ml vegetable stock
50g butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
200g chestnuts, cooked peeled and chopped
75g Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
50g instant polenta
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
Mixed salad leaves & lemon wedges to serve

Cover the dried mushrooms with boiling water and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the rice and stir well to coat the grains. Add the hot stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, part cover and simmer stiring occasionally for 12-15 minutes until tender and the stock absorbed. Transfer to a bowl.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and gently cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Drain and chop the mushrooms, then add them to the rice with the onions, chestnuts, parmesan and egg. Mix well and season.
Divide mixture into 12 pieces. Pat each one in to a cake and roll in polenta. Heat the vegetable oil and fry the cakes for 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and mixed salad leaves.

Are they good for me?
Bananas are called the wonder food.  As well as being a favourite and easy to eat fruit for all age groups, they have many health benefits.  Bananas are rich in potassium which is an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function and therefore a banana a day proves very beneficial for hypertension. Bananas are a good source of vitamin B6. This vitamin is needed for the nervous system, for healthy skin and to produce energy in the body.  Also great for the immune system and supporting collagen, bananas are an excellent source of Vitamin C.  Overripe bananas provide the most antioxidants.  Under ripe (slightly green) bananas ferment in the stomach and provide Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) which are favourable to probiotics.

How to Store?
While bananas look resilient, they’re actually very fragile and care should be taken in their storage. They should be left to ripen at room temperature. Unripe bananas should not be placed in the refrigerator as this will interrupt the ripening process to where it will not be able to resume even if the bananas are returned to room temperature.

If you need to hasten the ripening process, you can place bananas in a paper bag or wrap them in newspaper, adding an apple/avocado  to accelerate the process.  Ripe bananas that will not be consumed for a few days can be placed in the refrigerator.  While their peel may darken, the flesh will not be affected. For maximum flavor when consuming refrigerated bananas, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to come back to room temperature.

Very overripe bananas can be peeled and wrapped in a plastic wrapper/bag and placed in the freezer until needed.

For delicious banana ice cream, take banana out of the freezer and mash!

When purchasing chestnuts look for nuts that are heavy for their size and if they rattle when shaken put them back as it’s a sign they are bad.

There is a little preparation involved when using chestnuts as they have 2 layers of skin, a hard outer layer and a thinner inner layer around the chestnut. Before cooking, lay the chestnut down on its flat side and cut a small cross through the outer and inner layer of skin.

You can cook chestnuts a variety of ways:

Roasting – Place on a tray with the cut side facing up and bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes

Boil – Place in a pan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Barbecue – You can place them on the barbecue plate and lower the lid. The skins may blacken so turn them regularly and cook for 20 minutes.

Once the chestnuts have been cooked let them cool slightly for 3-4 minutes then peel off both layers of skin. They must be peeled warm as when they are cold its impossible to peel off the skins.

Once they are peeled they are ready to use.

If you would like to book in for a class please call me 02 9976 3372 or email info@simplysumptuousfood.com.au I’d love to see you there.
16th May 10am Healthy Cooking - 4 places left
18th May 6:30pm Dough and Pastry - 4 places left
23rd May 10am Gourmet Vegetarian - 2 places left
27th May 7pm Veg Express - 1 place left

View our class schedule here.

150g unsalted butter, softened
200g brown sugar
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scrapped
2 eggs
150g natural yoghurt
75g self raising flour, sifted
60g almond meal
1 red apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
70g raspberries
80g flaked almonds
250g mascarpone cheese
Additional raspberries for decoration - optional

Preheat oven to 180°. Grease and line a 23cm spring form cake tin.

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla seeds with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Add eggs, one at a time beating well between additions. Beat in yoghurt to just combine. Stir in flour, meal and apple with a spoon. Fold in berries and all but 2 tbsp flaked almonds. Spoon into tin, smooth batter and sprinkle with reserved almonds. Bake for 40 minutes, cover with foil and bake for a further 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan, turn out on to cooling rack to cool completely.

Split cake, spread with mascarpone, then replace top, scatter raspberries on top if desired and sprinkle with icing sugar then serve.