Donna Hay shares her 4 new foolproof summer recipes.

November 23, 2024

Risoni and chilli-honey haloumi salad.

Every spoonful of this salad is deliciously good. Tender risoni, peppery rocket, sweet pops from currants and toasty almonds… just top with molten chilli-honey haloumi and it's simply perfect!

Two bowls of Risoni and chilli-honey haloumi salad on a wooden board. Risoni and chilli-honey haloumi salad. Image: supplied.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

350g (12½ oz) dried risoni

⅓ cup (80ml/2½ fl oz) lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

sea salt and cracked black pepper

100g (3½ oz) rocket (arugula) leaves

1 cup (16g/½ oz) mint leaves, torn

½ cup (80g/2¾ oz) toasted almonds, chopped

½ cup (50g/1¾ oz) currants

Chilli-honey haloumi

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

440g (15½ oz) haloumi, cut into chunks

⅓ cup (120g/4½ oz) honey

1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

Method:

Cook the risoni in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain the risoni and refresh under cold water. Set aside.

To make the chilli-honey haloumi, heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the oil and haloumi and cook for 3 minutes or until golden. Remove from the heat. Add the honey and chilli and stir to combine. Set aside.

Combine the lemon juice, oil, mustard, salt and pepper.

Place the risoni in a serving bowl. Add the rocket, mint, almond, currants and lemon mixture and toss to combine.

Top with the chilli-honey haloumi and serve.

2. Smashed pea and prosciutto salad with haloumi crisps.

Move over croutons… haloumi crisps are the new super-easy way to add cheesy, salty crunch. They transform this clever salad of humble frozen peas into the most elegantly irresistible dish.

A plate of the smashed pea and prosciutto salad with a bowl of haloumi crisps. Smashed pea and prosciutto salad with haloumi crisps. Image: supplied.

Donna Hay

November 23, 2024

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Serves: 4

Ingredients:

300g (10½ oz) haloumi, shaved using a vegetable peeler

60g (2 oz) unsalted butter

500g (1 lb 2 oz) frozen peas

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

sea salt and cracked black pepper

1½ cups (24g/1 oz) mint leaves

150g (5½ oz) rocket (arugula) leaves

8 slices prosciutto

toasted bread slices and lemon wedges, to serve

Method:

Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F).

To make the haloumi crisps, spread the haloumi on a large tray lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 10–12 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter and cook until melted. Add the peas, lemon rind, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 2–3 minutes or until the peas are heated through.

Using a fork, roughly smash half the peas. Add the mint and rocket and toss to combine.

Divide the bread slices between serving plates. Top with the smashed peas, prosciutto, haloumi and serve with lemon wedges.

Cook's note: To ensure a crispy haloumi, it needs to be sliced super thinly — a vegetable peeler does the job easily. You can change up the prosciutto for rashers of crispy bacon if you prefer.

Watch: Not done with salads? Try the viral TikTok salad that has over 40 million views. Post continues below.

Video via TikTok/@violet.cooks

3. Spaghetti with lemon pesto.

This recipe will blow your mind! It's super zingy and zippy from the lemons while the parmesan and pine nuts add a decadent creaminess. Throw in the pop of freshness from the basil, and I could eat this on high rotation forever.

A plate of spaghetti with lemon pesto and a green garnish on a wooden board. Spaghetti with lemon pesto. Image: supplied.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

400g (14 oz) dried spaghetti

Lemon pesto:

2 lemons

⅓ cup (80ml/2½ fl oz) lemon juice

¾ cup (80g/2¾ oz) pine nuts, toasted

½ cup (125ml/4 fl oz) good-quality extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

1¼ cups (100g/3½ oz) finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

⅓ cup (8g/¼ oz) basil leaves, plus extra to serve

sea salt and cracked black pepper, plus extra to serve

Method:

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup (125ml/4 fl oz) of the pasta water and return the pasta to the pan.

While the pasta is cooking, make the lemon pesto. Wash the lemons under very hot water, then dry. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the lemons, ensuring to peel away the yellow part only and not the white pith. You should have about 35g (1¼ oz) lemon peel.

Place the lemon peel, lemon juice, pine nuts, oil and garlic into a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the parmesan, basil, salt and pepper and process until you have a smooth paste.

Add the lemon pesto and enough of the reserved pasta water to the pasta to make a saucy consistency. Toss to coat.

Divide between bowls and top with extra parmesan and extra basil to serve.

4. Chewy almond cookies.

If you love an almond croissant as much as my boys do, you'll understand why they begged me to make a cookie version. (And these are a situation on social media apparently!) I can confirm they are crazy delicious — you should bake a batch immediately.

A tray of chewy, almond cookies. Image: Supplied.

Makes: 22

Ingredients:

250g (9 oz) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup (240g/8½ oz) firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup (220g/8 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

1 cup (120g/4½ oz) almond meal (ground almonds)

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups (300g/10½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1¼ cups (135g/5 oz) flaked almonds

pure icing (confectioner's) sugar, for dusting

Method:

Combine the butter, brown sugar, caster sugar, almond meal, egg and vanilla in a bowl. Sift over the flour and baking powder and stir to combine.

Place the flaked almonds on a plate. Roll 2 tablespoonfuls of the cookie dough mixture into balls and roll each ball in the flaked almonds to coat. Place on a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and freeze for 30 minutes or until firm.

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

In batches, place the chilled cookie balls on a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, allowing for spreading. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on the tray.

Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Donna Hay's new cookbook, Too Easy, is available now with all the simple shortcuts you need, for all the delicious food you want by Donna Hay. Published by HarperCollins, RRP $45.00. Available at all good bookstores and online retailers.

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Tags: food , health , lifestyle