Kelly Lowdon knows her way around the kitchen and has a passion for inspiring others to get creative with their cooking. She shares her passion through these amazing summer recipes.
Food blogger Kelly Lowdon loves to entertain family and friends all year round, yet in summer with hot nights and amazing seasonal produce, she has inspiration in abundance.
Living in Jan Juc with her husband and three children, Kelly found that her passion for creating amazing food at home was more than just a hobby.
Kelly decided that she needed to share her creations with the world, so she launched her blog, My Beach Kitchen, a little over a year ago. My Beach Kitchen is filled with inspiring recipes, stunning images and a light hearted approach to cooking.
Amazed with the positive response and strong following Kelly threw herself into the world of home wares and is thrilled to launch her first, limited edition range this summer. The My Beach Kitchen range is made up of enamel serving ware and wooden chopping boards and spoons. The range has been designed locally in Torquay, is unique in its design and comes in a range of coastal inspired colours.
The process of designing, creating and launching this incredible range has come with some lessons: Kelly’s advice is to “be patient, don’t rush and take time every now and then to step back and look at where you are at, where you have come from and if you are headed in the right direction”.
Kelly knows that throwing a beautiful long lunch or a dinner with friends can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here Kelly shares her top tips and a few of her favourite summer recipes.
• On warm nights, keep the food simple! Guests will be happy with a simple fare, finger food served in the garden, sparkling drinks and savoury bites.
• Set up a pretty table with lots drinks and glasses, which will help keep the party flowing and guests hydrated on hot days.
• Use buckets and interesting containers filled with ice to keep dips and other cold products fresh.
• When thinking about summer entertaining, think light, alfresco style dining. Use fresh, local, seasonal produce whenever possible.
• If you’re having a formal sit down affair, always set your table early – that way if you’re running behind when your guests arrive you will always look organised.
• If you’re having a backyard party set up tables in different areas, drinks in one area, desserts in another. This will encourage guests to roam and mingle.
• Create ambiance with lots of fresh flowers and when the sun goes down make use of candles or paper lanterns. A string of backyard lights also creates a fun relaxed vibe.
The My Beach Kitchen range is now available to purchase directly from the website or at local stockists.
For more information about the range or to find a stockist please head to mybeachkitchen.com.au, @mybeachkitchen and facebook.com/mybeachkitchen.
HALLOUMI AND ASPARAGUS SPEARS
INGREDIENTS
12 asparagus spears, ends trimmed and cut in two
300 g halloumi
Extra – virgin olive oil for brushing
½ tsp each dried chili flakes
Pinch of sea salt
To serve: fresh mint leaves and lemon wedges
METHOD
1. Take the haloumi and slice to approximately the same length as your asparagus spears. Thread your asparagus onto your skewers, alternating with your haloumi. Set aside.
2. Heat a char-grill pan (or barbecue) over medium-high heat. Brush asparagus and haloumi with olive oil and char-grill, turning occasionally, until haloumi is golden and asparagus is tender (3-4 minutes). Scatter with chilli, fresh mint, drizzle with extra olive oil, and serve with lemon wedges.
ROSEMARY CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH SAFFRON DIPPING SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
1 kg skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp saffron threads
16 rosemary sprigs or wooden skewers
Dipping Sauce
200 g natural yoghurt
½ cup sour cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
½ tsp saffron thread (soaked in a little hot water)
METHOD
1. Cut chicken into even sized pieces (about 2cm). Place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
2. Thread the chicken onto the skewers (if using rosemary make sure they are fresh straight pieces) and place aside.
3. To make the dipping sauce whisk together the yoghurt, sour cream, juice and mint. Place in a serving bowl and top with pre-soaked saffron threads.
4. Cook the chicken skewers on a barbecue or a char grill pan for around 10 minutes or until cooked through and golden all over.
5. Serve on a platter with your saffron dipping sauce.
VERTICAL PEAR SALAD
INGREDIENTS
50 g (1/2 bunch) rocket, trimmed
Handful snow pea tendrils
50 g piece Parmesan, shaved
40 g (1/3 cup) walnut pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 to 3 (about 300g) ripe pear (depending on how many pears you wish to assemble
DRESSING
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
METHOD
1. Take your pears and cut then into three even sized pieces. In the base of the pear, carefully hollow out a small section, where your salad will sit. For the middle layer, carefully cut a ring out of the centre. Leave the top layer as is.
2. For your salad combine all your ingredients in a bowl. Mix dressing ingredients together and lightly dress your salad, just before you are ready to assemble.
3. To assemble your pears, carefully fill the bottom layer of your pears with the salad, gently place the next layer on top and fill with more salad. Gently pop the last piece of your pear on top and serve.
NOTE: This salad is a bit of a balancing act, but it is well worth it for the wow factor!
ROASTED HAZELNUT, CITRUS AND SUMMER BERRY CAKE
INGREDIENTS
7 eggs
¾ cup caster sugar
⅓ cup caster sugar
150 g finely ground roasted hazelnut meal
½ cup desiccated coconut
Finely grated zest 2 oranges and 1 lemon
FOR THE TOP
1¼ cups cream, softly whipped
1 cup homemade lemon curd (optional)
1 punnet fresh raspberries
1 punnet fresh blueberries
½ punnet fresh strawberries
Icing sugar, to dust
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a 22 cm spring form tin with baking paper.
2. Separate the eggs and put the whites and yolks in two separate large bowls.
3. Beat the egg yolks with the ¾ cup of caster sugar until very thick and pale. Stir in the nuts, coconut and all the zest. The mixture will be very thick.
4. Beat the egg whites until frothy then gradually beat in the ⅓ cup of caster sugar until thick and glossy. Use a large metal spoon to stir a large spoonful of the egg whites into the nut mixture to loosen it. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites in 3 batches.
5. Pour the mixture into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the side of the tin and is golden and firm to the touch. Set aside to cool.
To assemble: Spread a layer of lemon curd on the top of the cake. Next dollop the cream over the top and spread evenly. Scatter over the raspberries, blueberries and strawberries and dust with icing sugar.
SUMMER SEMIFREDDO
INGREDIENTS
8 egg yolks
250 g caster sugar
250 ml (1 cup) passion fruit juice (see note)
Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Juice of 1 lime
300 g double cream
150 ml pouring cream, lightly whipped
Pulp of 2 passion fruit, plus extra to serve
METHOD
1. Whisk egg yolks in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (5-7 minutes). Meanwhile, stir sugar, passionfruit juice and vanilla seeds in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, then simmer until syrupy (4-5 minutes) and add to egg yolks with lime juice, whisking continuously until mixture is cold (5-6 minutes).
2. Combine creams in a bowl, whisk until soft peaks form. Fold into passionfruit mixture, fold in pulp, spoon into an 8cm x 22cm plastic-lined rectangular cake tin, smoothing top (there may be mixture left over), freeze overnight until firm. Slice thickly and serve with extra pulp spooned over.
3. Note To extract passionfruit juice, process pulp in a food processor, then strain through a sieve (discard solids). Eighteen passionfruit yield about 250ml juice.
WATERMELON, BASIL PUNCH WITH WATERMELON ICE
INGREDIENTS
½ seedless watermelon, cut into chunks
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
Ice cubes, gin, soda water and basil leaves, to serve
BASIL SUGAR SYRUP
110 g (½ cup) caster sugar
Handful of basil leaves
METHOD
For the watermelon ice, place half your watermelon in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain, then pour into ice cube trays of your choice. Freeze.
For the basil sugar syrup combine 250 ml water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Allow your syrup to sit for a few hours so the basil flavour infuses into the syrup. You can store your syrup in an airtight container or jar until required.
Next place your watermelon, vinegar and 60 ml basil sugar syrup in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain your liquid into a pouring jug.
Fill a glass, jar or even half a watermelon that has been hollowed out into a punch bowl with a few pieces of your watermelon ice. Fill a third full with your watermelon mixture, top up with soda water, gin to taste and top with fresh basil leaves.
