Throughout last term, our chef Vladimir Panevin was busy in our kitchen, cooking up a storm with visiting student groups. This season’s menu included a frittata packed with garden greens, and delicious carrot cake muffins topped with an oaty streusel — the students had a lot of fun rolling the oats themselves! Both are easy, nutritious recipes to try at home, with some handy substitutions to work with what you’ve got. Enjoy!

Leek, Silverbeet & Kale Frittata

For a 20 × 30 × 5 cm tin

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large leek, sliced
• 2 cups chopped silverbeet (stems removed, leaves shredded)
• 1 cup chopped kale (stems removed)
• 400 grams boiled potato, sliced
• 10 large eggs
• 150 grams milk
• 100 grams grated cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• Black pepper, to tasteOptional: herbs (chives, parsley, dill) or a pinch of nutmeg

Method

1. Preheat the oven to fan 160 °C. Line the tin with baking paper.
2. Cook vegetables:
   • Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
   • Add leek and cook gently until soft.
   • Add chopped kale and silverbeet, cook until wilted and most moisture has evaporated.
   • Season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.
3. Prepare egg mix:
   • In a large bowl, whisk eggs until smooth
   • Add milk, salt, pepper, and cheese.
   • Add greens and potatoes to egg mix, stir to combine
4. Assemble:
   • Pour eggs into lined tray
   • Tap tin lightly to remove air pockets.
5. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until puffed and golden, and the centre is just set (a knife inserted should come out clean).
6. Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Substitutions

• Instead of the leek you could use brown, white or spring onions
• Instead of the kale and silverbeet you could use tender spring vegetables such as spinach, spigarello, asparagus or green peas.

Carrot cake muffins

Dry mix

• 210 grams whole wheat flour
• 6 grams or 1 + ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2.5 grams or ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 grams or ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cake spice

Wet mix

• 2 large eggs
• 75 grams olive oil
• 170 grams brown rice syrup
• 240 grams plain Greek yogurt
• 220 grams grated carrots
• 75 grams currants or other dry fruit

Streusel topping

• 20 grams butter
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 3 tablespoons rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Method

• Preheat oven to 210c
• In a small bowl, combine the streusel topping ingredients with a fork or fingers- the mixture should be dry and crumbly
• Whisk the Dry mix ingredients together
• Whisk together the eggs, olive oil, brown rice syrup, and yogurt
• Stir in the grated carrots and dry fruit
• Tip wet mix into dry and gently stir to combine
• Fill muffin tins with the batter and top with the streusel
• Bake muffins for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean

Photography by Yasmin Mund