French Mussels

Moules Marinieres

Ingredients
1kg mussels. (The Creel Fishmonger at Sherwood gets live Mussels every Tues)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 French Shallot, finely diced
4 cloves garlic
1 cup wine
1 cup cream
2-3 tbsp chives
Crusty bread

Method:
In a pot (with a lid) large enough to take all the mussels:

Add the olive oil over a medium heat.
Add the finely diced French shallots and cook for a minute or so until translucent, stirring often.
Add the white wine, mussles, garlic and cream
Cover with lid and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes or so until the mussels are open.
When the mussels are all open, remove mussels to a large bowl and cover with alfoil
Reduce the remaining stock on medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Taste the stock for saltiness and when at appropriate level pour over mussels.
Remove pot from heat, add chives.

Enjoy with crusty bread and the remainder of white wine.

Serves 2
For a tasty touch, add 100g diced smoked salmon with the chives.

Spanish Mussels

Hola amigos!
This recipe is a favourite of all who have tasted it. Its very simple to make, and a treat to eat. Is there a better use for smoked paprika? Simple food at its best.

Ingredients
1kg mussels. (The Creel Fishmonger at Sherwood gets live Mussels every Tues - $13.00kg)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 chorizo sausage
1 French Shallot, finely diced
1 – 1.5 tbsp smoked paprika
4 cloves garlic
1 cup wine
2 truss tomatoes diced (remove skin and seeds if you so desire)
2-3 tbsp chivesCrusty bread

Method:
Skin the chorizo and break into smallish chunks (or slice into 4 pieces lengthwise and chop).
In a pot (with a lid) large enough to take all the mussels:
-Add the olive oil over a medium heat.Add the chorizo and leave for 1-2 minutes to get some colour.
-Add the finely diced French shallots and cook for a minute or so until translucent, stirring often.
-Add the smoked paprika and garlic, stir for 30-45 seconds
-Add the white wine, mussles and tomato
-Cover with lid and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes or so until the mussels are open.
-When the mussels are all open, remove mussels to a large bowl and cover with alfoil
-Reduce the remaining stock on high heat for 5 minutes.
-Taste the stock for saltiness and when at appropriate level,m remove from heat, add chives, stif and then pour over mussels.

Enjoy with crusty bread and the remainder of white wine.
Serves 2

This dish can be made with pasta. When mussels are removed from pot, add pasta that is almost cooked. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add mussels back to pot, mix and serve.

Tasty Lamb Burgers

This is one of my favourite dishes from my Auntie Bernie. She uses left over roast lamb, but I’m not in the habit of roasting great hunks of meat just for little old me, so I generally use lamb mince. Let your guests work out the secret ingredients that make these burgers so special.

60g day old multi-grain bread
1 onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ cup mint leaves
500g lean lamb mince
3 tbsp plain yoghurt
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp paprika
Sea salt and pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Process bread into crumbs. If using a food processor (or equivalent) add onions, garlic, and mint leaves and pulse a little longer. If using a bowl, ensure all ingredients are chopped finely and mix well.
Add mince, yoghurt and spices and mix till well combined. If using left over lamb, a food processor will mince this to a nice consistency.
Shape mixture into 8 patties, refrigerate if you have time.
Grill, barbeque or bake in the oven.
Serve with your favourite bread and burger fillings.

Source: Jules’ Auntie Bernie

Bhel Puri

WARNING: Consume at own risk. Enclosed below is the recipe of a highly addictive, and totally more-ish snack from India. Never make ‘just a little bit’ as it will induce a ‘supermarket run’ for more ingredients within moments as supplies are ravenously depleted… some reports indicate that people have actually broken into stores after hours to attain the ingredients… YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

This is essentially a make at the last moment, lest it go soggy, dish. Don’t worry about left overs going soggy… there won’t be any left. Prep all the ingredients, and mix into a large bowl just before taking to the table. Essentially, this dish is made of Sev, which is a chickpea flour and spice based fried noodle and puffed rice. Tamarind chutney is added for a sweet, sour and spiciness and salad items are added to add a cooling effect. You can try a variety of salad items, experiment! Think of salsa and go along those lines… semi ripe mangoes would be nice, as would raw sweet corn, pomegranate seeds. You get the picture…

What you’ll need to get….
1 large packet of Sev approx 500g
500g puffed rice… rice bubbles will do. NOT Coco-pops.
Pappadums fried/microwaved/bought ready to eat (whatever)
2-3 tomatoes (ripe) seeded and finely chopped
1 large telegraph cucumber seeded and finely chopped
1-2 large red onion finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons Greek Yoghurt (see note below)
1-2 bunches of coriander and mint chopped finely
1 packet of roasted nuts of whatever sort you like. Peanuts and cashews will work best
Some sort of non flavoured cracker to serve… Sakata, small ready to eat pappadams, or none. Just serve in small bowls, or one big one with lots of spoons in it.

Tamarind chutney:
1 quantity of Tamarind available from any Indian/asian supermarket
sugar
garam masala
cumin

HOW TO SECTION:

Firstly, it is VERY important to seed any salad items. The reason is that the seed/pulp area contains lots of water and it will make your dish go soggy. Also, chop everything in small pieces… about 5mm pieces. This allows all the ingredients to mix evenly, and makes scooping onto a cracker easier.

Then, make the chutney. Now, most of you haven’t probably ever tasted this thing. What you’re looking for is a sweet and sour flavour, with a spiciness to it. If my mom was making this chutney, there are certain key things to do… but to make it easy, what you need to do is..

Make a thick tamarind paste. If using tamarind pulp, add a chunk to some warm water and mix with your fingers. Squeeze and squish it about. If you have too much water, add more tamarind and likewise if you have too thick a paste. You need to be able to drizzle the chutney. Next, add sugar. Add as much as you think is needed to balance the sourness of the tamarind for you. To do this, taste the tamarind only paste, and a word of warning, it will make your mouth pucker up with the sourness. So, keep tasting to see if you have enough sugar. Then, add a teaspoon of garam masala to the thing and stir. What you are looking for is just a little more than a hint of spiciness. In the end, you end up with a very tasty chutney, which is about as thick as honey. With my recipes, close enough is good enough as long as you are happy eating it yourself, and serving it to others. Just as an aside, you could bring this to a boil with come curry leaves and it will amalgamate a lot better. But only required if you want to keep for a long time. My mom’s tamarind chutney will usually keep for 1-2 years, so you could make up a large batch and store it. Maybe I’ll put a proper recipe up later for this.

Ok, so now that you have your salad stuff prepared, and the chutney nice and cool and ready to go, all you got to do is throw the Sev and puffed rice into a bowl with the pappadums in small crushed pieces (not pulverised to a powder please!!!). Add the salad stuff and add the chutney and yoghurt. You should end up with a crumbly mixture, not runny by any means. When tasting it, you should be able to taste a sweet/sour spiciness along with a cool refreshing taste. Throw in your herbs and nuts in as well.

To eat, either go medieval and just put it all in a big bowl and give everyone a teaspoon each, or serve in small bowls or serve as a dip with some plain crackers. Anyway you do it, this will move fast!

HOT TIP! Anytime there is a need to use yoghurt in any Indian recipe, use Greek yoghurt. It works the best.

Serves: 4
Source: Rudesh Prasad

Rudy's Wings (No.1)

The first time I met Rudy, he came over to my house, and cooked about 2 dozen wings on the BBQ. They were scrumptious and we became firm foodie friends. He is also responsible for the ceviche recipe on this site. These wings are great for a party or an entree . They store well, becoming even more delicious after some time in the freezer.

12 chicken wings

2 tbs of cumin seeds

1 tbs of mustard seeds

4 tbs of garam masala

2 cloves garlic

2 tbs of fresh ginger

1 tbs oil

1 tsp of chilli flakes

Method:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees (hot). Discard the smallest end of the chicken wing and cut the remainder into two to that you have 24 pieces of chicken. Coat lightly with the oil (or water if you prefer). Add all the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. until all the spices stick to the chicken. Place the wings in a single layer on a baking tray and cook for atleats 30mins. Rudy assures me youcan't over cook them. Wait until they are crunchy looking. Serve with lime wedges and raita (homemade w/ yoghurt, cucumber, carrot, cumin, mint).

Serves: 4

Source: Rudesh Prasad

Viv's Sensational Pineapple Rice

I am not sure if this recipe originated in Malaysia, but it comes to The Mixing Bowl via Vivianna Usang. I made it on a late Saturday afternoon - expecting there to be left-overs - there wasn't. It is simple to make and delicious and looks way better in reality than it does in this photo.

20g sultanas

15 med. Fresh cooked prawns

2 tablespoon cooking oil

½ medium ripe pineapple

1 tablespoon curry powder

4 gloves garlic (chopped finely)

20g cashew nuts

2 bowls of cooked jasmine rice

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

Method:

Sauté garlic until slight golden brown

Add all the ingredients, not including the rice, and stir fry for 2 minutes

Add cooked rice and stir fry for a further 5 minutes.

Serves 4

Source: Vivianna Usang

Good Quality Cocoa

Okay, it's time to let people know that they no longer have to rely on Cadbury's cocoa for their chocolate-y needs. Perhaps it was my time in Germany, where they use the real stuff, or my Dutch heritage, but I cannot buy anything other than German or Dutch cocoa now. It is as dark as real chocolate, is smooth, smells divine and is almost oily, from the amount of cocoa solids in it. Any other cocoa powder is a pale imitation!

There are a number of brands you can try. The latest one I bought was Blooker (Dutch I think)from IGA Milton, for $5.99, but the deli at Cat and Fiddle was selling a different one, same number of grams, for $16.00. You work it out. Schmidt (German) is awesome and The Rosalie Deli used to sell it but doesn't seem to anymore. Jocelyn's Provision's at New Farm was selling 1kg bags of cocoa, the quality looked pretty good, but I couldn't find a price.

The best thing about this cocoa is the results you get from using it. The Sunday Afternoon Chocolate Cake is just a melt and mix recipe I learnt at school, but using good quality cocoa means you don't have to put real chocolate in the mix and it still comes out rich as anything. Also this sort of cocoa makes a lovely rich hot chocolate - give up on those fake 'hot chocolate' drinks and try the real stuff.

Jules

Annalisa Canned Tomatoes

These are purely a personal favourite. Canned tomatoes are generally an excellent staple to have in the pantry as so many evening meals can be created around them, crossing many cultural boundaries. As with fresh tomatoes, the quality of the actual tomato can affect the entire dish. These are from Italy and every can I have ever used has been tasty and sweet, unlike other brands that are bland and tasteless.
For some bizarre reason, Coles stocks other products in the Annalisa brand, but not these diced tomatoes - you have to go to Woolworths. Give old Annalisa a go - I also love the packaging!

Jules

Maldon Sea Salt

This is a tremendous ingredient to have on hand. The salt is in flake form and can be crushed easily with the fingers into food as you are cooking or to season at the end. The natural process that is still used to produce the salt means it is cleaner and has a purer, stronger flavour. As a result, you don't need to use as much Maldon Sea Salt as you would a normal table salt. Salt, like butter, is used not only to flavour foods, but to draw out their natural flavour. Tomatoes sprinkled with some of this stuff have the sweetest taste.In Brisbane it is getting much easier to find Maldon Sea Salt. It sells for around $10 a packet and I find it at IGA Milton, Rosalie Deli, Tognini's Deli and Coles Toowong.

Jules

Chicken Goujons with Lime Cherry Tomato Relish

I found a recipe for 'Blackened Blue-eye with sweet tomato relish' in an AWW recipe book, but wasn't that into fish and had some chicken in the fridge so used that instead. This is a delicious main meal served with steamed green beans and cuscus, but the last time I made this, I adapted it to a party palate, and served the chicken with individual relish pots. The relish is absolutely divine and could be used with any meat.

400g chicken tenderloins, cut in half
2 tbsp Cajun spices
2 punnets cherry tomatoes
1 ½ cups water
½ cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp grated lime rind
Juice of one lime
½ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds

Combine halved chicken tenderloins and Cajun spices in enamel bowl or dish, allow flavours to develop.
In a small saucepan, combine the rest of the ingredients and allow to simmer for approximately 30 minutes or significantly reduced in volume. Keep a close eye on the relish, stirring occasionally to ensure the heat is not too high and burning the bottom.
Fry goujons in a small amount of oil in fry pan (or alternatively oven bake), spear with a toothpick and serve with relish.

Source: Jules, relish adapted from WWW BBQ Seafood

Gourmet Chicken Sausage Rolls

I wanted to do fancy party food recently, but wanted to use old fashioned favourites at the same time. So I adapted Mum's traditional sausage roll recipe and added some chicken mince and other goodies. Feel free to add any herbs you love, semi-dried tomatoes would be great, as would olives in the mixture.

4 sheets of puff pastry, each divided into six rectangles
500g chicken mince
175g sausage mince
4 small rashers streaky bacon, chopped
6 large button mushrooms, chopped
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Saute bacon and mushrooms in fry pan over medium heat until bacon is crispy and mushrooms are soft. Allow to cool.
Defrost four sheets of pastry.
Combine chicken and sausage mince in bowl with parsley, 1 egg and sauces. Add cooled, cooked mixture and use hands to ensure mixture is well combined.
Divide mince mixture between 24 small rectangles of pastry, roll up from the short side and place on oven trays covered in baking parchment.
Break an egg into a bowl and lightly beat. Brush sausage rolls with egg wash and place in hot oven (200+) for at least twenty minutes. You may need to swap trays over halfway through cooking. Pastry should be golden brown when done.
Serve on a platter with tomato ketchup.

Source: Jules

Gourmet Home-made Pizzas

Pizza Base:
1 tsp of instant dried yeast
300 ml of luke warm water
500g of unbleached strong flour
2 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil

Method:
Combine the yeast and warm water and allow to froth. Place the flour onto a clean benchtop and create a crater-like shape. Pour the yeast mixture into the center of the crater and the olive oil and salt. Combine slowly as in the video. Once fully combined (add more water if necessary) begin kneading the mixture on the floured benchtop for about 8 - 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. See the second video. Place the pizza dough in an oiled saucepan, closing the lid , leave for about 3 hours. The dough should triple in volume. Knock back the dough by kneading it agin and then separate into about 3 portions.




Toppings: Use good quality tomato paste and put most of the mozarella next, then add the toppings...the fewer the better. Combinations could be...

• pumpkin, blue cheese and walnuts (thanks Tori)
  
• spinach, garlic, green olives and cherry tomatoes
• bocconcini, tomato, basil (and toasted pine nuts)
• prosciutto, potato, rosemary
• pesto and smoked salmon

Carrot Cake

I love a slice of carrot cake in the afternoon with a coffee. I think it is the cream cheese icing that I really love or perhaps the carrots make me feel less guilty about eating this one. Considering the amount of oil and sugar this should be cooked with caution. The recipe makes a very large cake.

4 eggs, lightly beaten

250 g caster sugar

185 ml light olive oil (I use less)

300 g of plain four

3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp of ground cinnamon

400 grams of carrots (3 large) , grated

55 g of chopped walnuts

Icing

180 g of butter, softened

250 g (2 cups) of icing sugar

180 g of cream cheese

3 drops of vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and line a 24 cm cake tin with baking paper.

Whip together the eggs and sugar until creamy, then whisk in the oil. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate and cinnamon. Add to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Add the grated carrots and walnuts and mix quickly using beaters to make sure it is all properly combined. Bake for about an hour, or until a skewer comes out clean. The cake should rise up impressively high. Cool a little before turning out onto plate.

To make the icing, whip together the butter and icing sugar, mashing it together at first. Quickly beat in the softened cream cheese and vanilla to just combine.

Ice the cake thickly and roughly (don't smooth) once it has cooled.

Seves: 10

Source: Tara from Falling Cloudberries

Fattoush

This would have to be my favourite salad. I first tried it at Mecca Bar in Fortitude Valley and ever since I have been obsessed with sumac. This salad is fresh, colourful and aromatic. It is always a hit and I make it at least once a week!

1/4 loaf of turkish bread
2 tbs olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
500 g of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 lebanese cucumbers, finely chopped
1.5 cups of parsley
1.5 cups of mint (can substitute coriander)
4 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
5 shallots or 1 small red onion
1 red capsicum (optional - I prefer it without)
2 chopped avocadoes (optional - I prefer it with)
1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
1 tbs sumac

To make the croutons, tear up the turkish bread into small pieces. Place these on a baking tray and drizzle with combined olive oil and crushed garlic. Bake in the oven turning once for about 5 - 10 minutes on 180 degrees. It is easy to burn these so keep and eye on them. Once the turkish bread pieces are golden remove them from the oven and allow them to cool and get crunchy.
Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, mint, radishes, shallots, (capsicum and avocado). Dress the salad with red wine vinegar, sumac and salt to your liking. Add the croutons at the last minute.
Note: Do not add the croutons until you are ready to eat as these are best still crunchy.

Serves: 4

Source: Tara's adaptation of a recipe from Gourmet Traveller - Modern Salads

Roast Pumpkin and Couscous Salad

I have made this often. I love it as side to lamb or chicken. The yoghurt dressing is especially delicious and the salad itself is surprisingly very filling.

500 g of pumpkin
olive oil
salt
1 cup of couscous
1 cup of boiling vegtable stock
125 g of snow peas
1/3 cup of mint leaves
1/2 cup of natural yoghurt
2 tsp of cumin
2 tbl of chopped mint
1 tbs honey

Slice pumpkin into large slithers and coat with olive oil and salt. Bake in a pre-heated oven 200 degrees for 30 minutes.
Place couscous in a bowl and pour over boiling stock and cover for 5 minutes. Blanch the snow peas and drain and cool.
Combine the pumpkin, snow peas, coucous and mint and toss. To make the dressing combine the yogurt , cumin, mint and honey and then pour over salad.

Serves: 4

Source: Adapted from Marie Claire Cooking

Caramelised Onion and Goat’s Cheese Tarts

I have a recipe already on the blog for a salad using the same ingredients, but this one tells you how to make the caramelised onion. I made up a batch and kept it in the fridge in a jar for about two weeks. It is great for any toasted cafe-style sandwich or burger, and can also be added to a gravy for added oomph.

2 puff pastry sheets, each divided into 16 squares
100g fresh goat’s cheese
100g rocket
Caramelised onion
6 large brown onions, sliced thickly
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white vinegar

A few hours ahead of time, prepare caramelised onion. Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat, add onions. Sweat for ten to fifteen minutes, but do not allow onions to brown. Add sugar and vinegar and reduce heat. Place lid on saucepan and simmer mixture for approximately 20 minutes or until shiny and slightly sticky. Allow to cool.
Place 16 pastry squares on an oven tray lined with parchment paper.
Place a teaspoonful of onion of each pastry square, top with a small amount of goat’s cheese. Do all 32 squares with each ingredient to ensure you are even handed.
Bake in a hot oven for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until pastry is lovely and golden. You might want to swap the trays ten minutes in to ensure they are receiving an even heat in your oven.
Arrange tarts on platter and top each with a small amount of rocket.

Source: Jules

Pork Spring Rolls with Trio of Dipping Sauces

This is a very old recipe of mine from when I was living out in Ispwich in my first year as a teacher. I had just discovered Thai food and was playing around with the essential flavours that you will find in the mince mixture. This is a fun one to prepare with your friends or family.

20 spring roll wrappers
600g pork mince
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 lime, juice of
½ carrot, julienne
2 spring onions, julienne
20 medium sized bok choy or choy sum leaves
200g bean sprouts
100g rice vermicelli
1L cooking oil
Dipping sauces
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup Thai satay sauce
1/3 cup sweet chilli sauce

Gently sauté pork mince with garlic and ginger till cooked. Add sweet chilli, fish and soy sauces, sugar and lime juice. Set aside to cool.
Place noodles in a large noodle bowl and pour enough boiling water in to cover noodles. Place a lid or side plate on top to keep in the steam. Leave for approximately ten minutes, or until noodles are tender. Drain and put aside.
On your work surface, arrange pork and noodles in bowls, sheets of spring roll pastry under a dampened tea towel and the julienned carrot, spring onion, bok choy and bean sprouts on a divided platter.
Gently peel off a spring roll wrapper and place one bok choy leaf on the bottom left hand corner. Place a dessertspoon of mince mixture on leaf and then layer a small amount of the rest of the ingredients on top. Roll short corner of pastry over filling, bring in either sides and roll up. Repeat for rest of wrappers and ingredients.
Heat oil in a large wok til a square of white bread turns a golden brown when dipped in. Cook spring rolls in batches of three to four, drain on absorbent paper.
Arrange spring rolls on a platter with trio of dipping sauces.

Source: Jules

Variations: feel free to use chicken mince or prawns as an alternative to the pork. You can also add any other vegetable to the filling mixture. If you are feeling super adventurous, home made satay sauce is so much better than the bought stuff. Will endeavour to find my recipe.

Tri-colour Salad

This has always been a favourite of mine at parties because it is so easy to prepare and is so delicious. You can also use larger balls of fresh mozzarella and vine ripened tomatoes, sliced and served as a side salad with meat.

175g small bocconcini
1 punnet ripe, small tomatoes
Basil leaves
Best olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Maldon sea salt, cracked black pepper

Slice each bocconcini and cherry tomato in half, place a basil leaf between them and secure with a toothpick. Repeat.
Arrange salad on a platter and drizzle with your best olive oil, balsamic vinegar. Season. Allow salad to sit for at least half an hour for flavours to develop.

Source: Italy?

Glazed Meatloaf

Okay, I am aware that meatloaf wouldn't cut it in a fine dining restaurant, but I made this for the last State of Origin this year, following a theme of Mum's of casual food. It was an absolute hit, the glaze is the key I think. Serve with mashed potato and steamed greens.

750g premium mince

375g sausage mince

1 egg, lighly beaten

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, grated

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

3 tsp worchestershire sauce

2 tsp mustard

1 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Glaze

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup tomato ketchup

1/3 cup worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp malt vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

40g butter

3 tbsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients for meatloaf in large bowl, use your hands!

Use a large piece of baking sheet and flatten mixture over it in a large rectangle (to fit your roasting tray). Roll up as for a swiss roll or piece of sushi. As you roll, pull the paper away. Place in tray, seam side down. (If this is too fiddly, you can simply bake in a loaf pan, and the glaze will sit on top.)

Bake uncovered in a moderate oven for 30 minutes; remove from oven, pour off excess fat and discard. Pour glaze over meatloaf and bake, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes or until firm and cooked through, brushing occasionally with glaze. Serve hot or cold.

Glaze: combine all ingredients in a jug and microwave in one minute bursts for about five minutes, are until all ingredients are cohesive.

Serves 8-10

Source: Jules, AWW Picnics

Sambal Oelek

Sambal Oelek is a staple in Malaysian and Thai cooking. Oelek means grinding so sambal oelek means ground chilli sambal! This can also be frozen. We froze this in small batches of about 4 tbs each and have simply fried prawns, added the sambal oelek and then served over brown rice. It was delish and an excellent entree.

450 g red chilies
150 g garlic, peeled and chopped
150 g tender young ginger, peeled and chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, thinly sliced (white part only)
180 ml vinegar
225 g sugar
Salt, to taste
15 ml lime zest, chopped


1. Blend the chillies, garlic, ginger and lemon grass in a food processor or mortar and pestle.
2. While processing gradually add the vinegar.
3. Place the pureed mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
5. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
6. Add the salt and lime zest. Remove from the heat, cool and bottle in sterilised jars.

Source: Scott made this from a recipe he found on the internet.

Kokoda (pronounced like Coco-wanda)

A pacific island fish dish, this being a fijian recipe. Essentially a no cook recipe, where fish is cured in lemon juice and served cold in coconut milk/cream. Similar recipes found throughout the Pacific. The Spanish/Peruvian would call this a ceviche, and the Italians a carpaccio of sorts.

1 large FRESH fish fillet such as snapper or mackeral steak (~300g).
3 cloves of garlic. Finely minced.
2 really juicy limes
1 red onion finely chopped.
1 medium green chilli finely chopped (de-seed if you want to limit heat).
1 bunch of chopped coriander
1 large can of coconut milk
extra lemon/lime wedges
salt and pepper to taste

Stage 1: This has to be done at least 5hrs before serving time. Prepare the fish first... give it a wash and pat dry with some paper towel. Then remove any skin, bones or blood lines. Chop it into ~1cm small cubes. Keeping it small will let fish cure quicker... larger pieces mean that you can cure over a longer time. Also, don't use a metal bowl.... anything but. Add the garlic, ginger and lemon juice. Mix well and place in fridge for about 5hrs. Stir occasionally. What you are looking for here is for the fish pieces to turn a 'cooked white' or opaque from a translucent colour. Once you get this throughout the fish, then you are done with this stage.
HOT TIP! Leave one piece of fish slightly larger than the others and test this one. If this is cured, then the smaller ones should definetly be done.

Stage 2: Simply drain the fish and get rid of the excess juices in the bowl (no need to wash.. everything is edible!) Keep the ginger and garlic!! Add the chopped onion, coriander, chilli and stir. Have a taste and adjust salt and pepper. Add a bit of extra garlic if you want. This stage can be kept as is for a while in the fridge. 10mins before serving, add enough coconut milk/cream so you end up with a thick dish. Almost as if someone has put too much mayo in your salad. Put in fridge for about 10mins... but keep in mind that the coconut will solidify if chilled too much. If this happens, just leave outside for a while.

This dish is usually eaten in bowls as a starter with lime/lemon wedges... but use yor imagination.

Variations
Once you've got the basic fish curing thing down, you can add essentially anything to this.. try for shredded cabbages, carrots, chopped capsicum etc.. anything summery salad will usually go well in here. There is also a Malaysian version which cures the fish with limes, but also adds to the final dish the fish sauce, sugar, chilli, soy ingredients usual to all malay dishes. Try adding some finely shredded kaffir lime/ordinary lime leaves to the final dish. Alternate using lemons and limes.. they gives subtly different flavours.

Source: Mr Rudesh Prasad

Thai Pumpkin and Carrot Soup

With all the cold weather we have been having lately, I couldn't resist making this warming soup. I had a big bunch of coriander in the fridge, so decided instead of the usual nutmeg in pumpkin soup, I would use some green curry paste. Serve this spicy soup with some lovely home made or turkish bread.


1 brown onion, chopped finely
2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp green curry paste
half a butternut pumpkin, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 litre vegetable stock
large handful of fresh coriander, chopped



Lightly saute onion in saucepan until translucent. Add garlic, ginger and curry paste and cook off for approximately one minute. Add pumpkin, carrot and stock. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Process soup in batches. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in large bowls with coriander.



Source: Jules

Caramelised Onion and Goat's Cheese Salad

I like to visit the Mitchelton Farmer's Markets every fourth Sunday with my sister and I nearly always get a huge lump of the freshest goat's cheese for under ten dollars. This beautifully scented white stuff is far superior to what you can buy in the big supermarket chains. You only need a little to go a long way, and it is possible to freeze it, so I make use of my tiny little Glad bags and put a few packets away for later. Goat's cheese has such a strong, salty taste, it is important to balance it with something sweet. I have started to make caramelised onions which I keep in the fridge in a big jar. The saltiness and creaminess of the cheese marries perfectly with the onions.

Approximately:
a bag of freshest rocket
100g goat's cheese
1/4 cup caramelised onions
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
S&P

Place washed and dried rocket on a flat, white platter. Gently crumble goat's cheese over the top. Dribble onions over the top again.
In a small jar with a lid or with a small whisk, mix up remaining ingredients to make a dressing. Drizzle over the salad.
Serve with any of your favourite meats, it worked rather well one evening with pan fried whiting fillets.
This combination, without the dressing also makes an awesome pizza topping, on a very thin base. Put the onion and cheese on top of a basic napoletana sauce, place in oven for a very short time and then place rocket on top.

Source: Jules

Afghans

Whenever Mum used to ask me what I felt like baking, I would reply "Afghans!". These were always my favourite biscuit as a child, and I think they were the first evidence of my taste for bittersweet chocolate - the high ratio of cocoa to sugar gives these biscuits a slightly bitter taste, and are a welcome change to the overly sweet offerings from store-bought packets. These are traditionally served with chocolate icing and a walnut on top, but I prefer them plain.

200g butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa
2 cups cornflakes

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees (moderate). Grease two large oven trays or cover with baking parchment.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift flour and cocoa into creamed mixture and combine. Fold in cornflakes.
Using a teaspoon, spoon mounds of mixture onto trays and bake in oven for 15 minutes or until set. Remove biscuits to a cooling rack.

Source: Jules, Edmonds

My Favourite Pasta

This is great for a quick pasta dinner when you want some goodness, but don't have time to make a napolitana sauce. It's also great for lunch the next day, but watch the garlic...

120g penne pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
S&P
2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
bunch of basil, chopped
80g smooth Tasmanian feta
two handfuls of rocket, torn

Boil pasta.
While waiting for pasta to cook, grab two large noodle bowls and pour approximately a tablespoon of your best olive oil in each. Crush half a clove of garlic into each bowl, sliced cherry tomatoes and chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir. Smell the heady fragrance of fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil and oil. Add the feta, crumbling into the bowl.
Drain pasta and divide into the two bowls. Add rocket to the top and use a fork to mix all the ingredients through.
Serve with a nice red.

Source: Jules

Roasted Lamb Shanks with Cumin and Tomatoes

This takes time, but is worth it. It is an all in one meal, which is perfect on a cold winter's evening. Try to serve with something green - brocolli or beans. Here it is pictured with the chickpea, feta and herb salad.

4 lamb shanks
6 potatoes, quartered
1 red onion, chopped
5 ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced
3 tsp of cumin seed
1/3 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Place the lamb shanks, potatoes and onion in a large baking dish and add the cumin seeds and olive oil. Use your hands to rub the olive oil and cumin seeds into the meat. Place slices of tomato over the meat and potaoes in single even layer. Add half a cup of water to the sides of the baking dish.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 2 hours.

Remove the foil and bake for a further hour. Turn the meat and pototoes occasionally and baste with the juices.

Serves 4

Source: Falling Cloudberries

Chickpea, Feta and Herb Salad

This is quite a delicious mix of ingredients....and you can't go wrong with lovely fresh herbs and good quality feta.

400 g of tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 tbs olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
1 red chilli, chopped
250 g of crumbled feta
4 shallots, green part only
1/2 cup of chopped coriander
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
juice of half a lemon

Using a frypan, gently heat the olive oil and red onions until they are cooked through and lightly golden. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for only a few more minutes. Do not brown the garlic.
Allow the oil mixture to cool.

Combine the chickpeas, feta, shallots, coriander, parsley and lemon. Add the cooled oil mixture and mix well. Serve at room temperature with marinated lamb or chicken.

Serves 4

Source: Falling Cloudberries

Choc Brownie Cheesecake

Oh my lordy, how good were these? No-one has ever complained about this little slice...

125g butter
150g 85% Lindt chocolate
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar
¾ cups Plain flour
¼ cups Self-Raising flour

250g cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup cream

Pre-heat oven to moderately slow (160º).
Place baking paper in 19cm square cake tin on base and sides.
Melt chocolate and butter together in microwave on medium heat.
Beat egg and sugar in mixer till thick and light.
Mix in chocolate mixture and flours.
Pour into tin, bake for ten minutes.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and extract till well combined.
Add egg.
Stir in cream.
Pour cream cheese mixture over brownie and bake for a further twenty minutes (at least – bake till top is set, but not cracked. Don’t test with a skewer because it will come out wet).
Leave to cool in oven for up to three hours.
Refrigerate overnight.

Tip: Before baking second instalment, place one fresh or frozen raspberry on top of brownie in each sixteenth of tin. Pour cheesecake mixture carefully over. Cut carefully and your guests will enjoy a little surprise!

Source: Jules, Australian Women's Weekly (?)

Cardamom Biscuits

Cardamom is well known in savoury dishes but it also makes a delicious spice for biscuits and is often used in Scandinavian baking. These biscuits are scrumptious!

1/2 cup slivered almonds
125g cubed butter at room temp
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essense
3/4 cup SR flour
2/3 cup plain flour
2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp milk
icing sugar to dust

Caramel Filling
125g butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup thin cream
1 Tblspn golden syrup

- Preheat oven to 160C
- Spray 2 trays
- Brown almonds
- Beat sugar, butter and essense till fluffy
- Mix in flour, cardamom with wooden spoon
- Add milk and almonds, knead into consistent dough
- Roll out and cut with biscuit shapes or glass
- Bake for 16 mins swapping trays halfway
- Make filling, sandwich together and enjoy!

Caramel Filling
- Melt all ingredients together slowly, until boiling and slightly thickened, cool.

Source: Vikki, Australian Good Taste Magazine

Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

Another old family favourite, but with the addition of a little dark chocolate in the cake, it is a very special dessert for a wintry evening.

50g good quality dark chocolate, broken
60g butter
2 tbs cocoa
2/3 cup (160ml) milk
1 cup (150g) SR flour
½ (110g) caster sugar
½ cup (100g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
Fudge Sauce
1 cup (250ml) water
50g butter, chopped
½ cup (100g) firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup (25g) cocoa

Preheat the oven to 180º (moderate). Grease a two litre capacity ovenproof dish or six 250ml ramekins or coffee cups.
Combine the chocolate, sifted cocoa and milk in a saucepan or jug and melt together on hob or in microwave.
Sift the flour into a large bowl, stir in the sugars; add chocolate mixture and egg mix well. Spread mixture into prepared dish/es. Pour the fudge sauce over the pudding. Bake in oven for an hour (about 30-40 min for individual) or until firm and sauce has reached the bottom.
Fudge Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small pan or jug and heat till all ingredients are combined.

Source: Jules, Australian Women’s Weekly

Butterscotch Apple Dumplings

As a kid, I always used to make golden syrup dumplings for the family for dessert. I used an old recipe from Edmonds and simmered them in Mum’s old enamel pot, but invariably they would stick and burn on the electric hob. Mum discovered this recipe from a cut-out from an AWW, from July, 1981, in one of her recipe folders. I tried it for the family, and it was a huge hit. I prefer crème fraiche or greek yoghurt to serve as the dumplings have an incredible cloying sweetness. Ensure you completely cover the quarters of the apples as this allows each little piece to steam in the dough. Using small apples is necessary. Double the recipe for a big gathering.

2 Granny Smith apples
1 cup SR flour
Pinch salt
2 tsp sugar
60g butter
2 tbs water, approx
30g butter (extra)
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1 tbsp golden syrup
1 ½ cups water (extra)

Preheat oven to 180º (moderate).
Sift flour and salt into bowl. Grate cold butter into flour, and rub in with your fingertips. Add water and mix till you have a soft dough.
Combine extra butter, water and the brown sugar in a saucepan and stir over a low heat till sugar dissolves. Bring the sauce to a boil and remove from heat.
Peel, quarter and core apples. Divide dough into eight equal portions. Roll each into a ball, then flatten. Place quarter of apple onto dough round. Bring edges of round up and over the apple and bring together, pinch till there are no holes.
Place eight dumplings in ovenproof dish (to fit – I use an oval one). Pour sauce over dumplings and bake uncovered 25-30 minutes or until dumplings are golden.
Serve warm with thick cream, ice-cream or crème fraiche. Serves four.

Source: Jules, Vintage Australian Women’s Weekly

Stuffed Chillies

I made this once only because my chilli plant had produced these huge chillies which were ready to eat all at once. They were so delicious that whenever I see large chillies at the market I have to buy them and make this dish. I usually serve this as a side dish to accompany lamb chops or with a salad as an entree.

1 tsp of cumin
4 large chillies
1 tbs oil
2 cloves of garlic
½ small red onion
½ cup of cream cheese
¼ cup of grated cheddar
2 tbs finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 tbs of fresh chopped coriander
1 tsp of finely grated lime zest
pinch of paprika
½ cup of dry breadcrumbs
2 tsp of lime juice
coriander leaves to garnish

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Whilst wearing gloves, cut the chillies length ways and remove the seeds and membranes. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the chillies and cook for 1 minute. Drain and rinse the chillies under cold water, then repeat this process using fresh boiling water.

Heat the oil, onions and garlic over medium-low heat until the onions are soft. Combine this with the cream cheese, cheddar, coriander, sun-dried tomato, lime zest, paprika, cumin and half the breadcrumbs, and mix well. Fill each half chill with the mixture, then lay flat on a baking tray and scatter with the remaining breadcrumbs.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Squeeze some lime juice over the top and garnish with coriander.

Source: Small Food by Murdoch Books

Ginger Cake

Occasionally I have a craving for this cake. I used to make it often as a teenager. Enjoy!


125g of butter
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup of golden syrup
1 cup of milk
2 cups of flour
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp of mixed spice
1 tsp of cinnamon

Cream the butter, sugar, eggs and golden syrup. Add the milk and the remaining ingredients. Pour into a large tin and bake for 40-50 minutes at 180 degrees.

SOURCE: Juliette's Auntie Annaliese

Volcanoes

Hmmm, these are my favourite, particularly with a dollop, or two, of creme fraiche, especially on a cold winter's evening. Invert these onto a plate and the pudding will explode like molten lava. Baking times are completely dependent on your oven, and puddings should look uncooked and jiggly in the centre.

200g Lindt 70% chocolate
125g butter
75g flour
175g caster sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Butter 6 small ramekins or 4 250ml coffee cups and place on a tray.
Melt chocolate and butter in a funky mixing jug in the microwave at one minute intervals on medium heat bursts. Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl.
Add flour and sugar to chocolate-butter mixture, then add eggs.
Spoon mixture into baking dishes. Bake in oven for approximately 12 minutes for six and 18 minutes for 4.

Source: Jules, House and Garden

Moroccan Beef with Couscous

This is an easy and tasty recipe. I have cooked this when camping as it pretty much only needs one pot on the stove which makes washing up easy too.

1 tbs oil
2 onions
3 cloves garlic, crushed
500g blade steak
800 g tin of tomatoes
1/3 cup of lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp of ground coriander
2 cups of beef stock
1 tbs oregano leaves

2 cups of couscous
2 cups of boiling water
1 tbs butter
1 handful of toasted pinenuts or almonds

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Addd onions and garlic and cook for 4 minutes or until golden. Add meat to pan and cook for 5 minutes until sealed. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, cinnamon, coriander, stock and oregano to pan and allow to sinner for 45 minutes.

Place couscous, water and butter in a bowl and allow to stand for 2 minutes. Add some toasted almonds (or pinenuts) if desired.

Serves 4

Source: A variation on a Marie Claire recipe

Lemon Delicious

2 medium lemons
3 eggs, separated
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1/4 cup (35g) SR flour
2 cups (500ml) milk

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Lightly grease four 250ml ramekins.
Grate the rind and squeeze the juice from the lemons; you will need two teaspoons of rind and half a cup of juice for this recipe. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until thick and creamy.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the sifted flour, rind, juice then milk until combined.
Beat the egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into lemon mixture in two batches. Pour mixture evenly into the prepared dishes. Place in a baking dish wiht enough cold water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes.
Bake in oven for about 45 minutes or until browned lightly. Stand puddings for ten minutes.

Source: Jules, My Cook Book

Chicken and Haloumi Burgers

These are easy and impressive at a barbie. I usually make mini burgers and let my guests serve themselves using slices of fresh frenchbread with a homemade aioli (or whole egg mayo if feeling lazy).

450 g of minced skinless chicken breast
50 g of haloumi (Olympus) , grated
1 tbs grated onion
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tbs finely chopped parsley
1 egg white (if necessary)
1 squeeze of lemon juice

Mix all of the ingredients together and add beaten egg white to bind if necessary. Form mixture into 4 burgers on a lightly floured board, brush with oil and cook on the barbeque for 7 minutes each side, or until brown and cooked through.

Serve with fresh breadrolls, aioli and mixed greens.

Serves 4

Source: A pamphlet from the Olympus Haloumi guy at the New Farm markets.

The Best Melting Moments

These biscuits ring true to their name - they literally melt in your mouth. Feel free to make them in gargantuan proportions (if you feel like pretending you are a cafe owner), but I prefer them in bite size pieces.

Biscuits
250g butter
1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (225g) P flour
1/2 cup (75g) cornflour
Butter Cream
80g butter
2/3 cup (110g) icing sugar
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to moderately slow (160 degrees). Line three baking trays with parchment.
Beat the butter, sifted icing sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until pale. Stir in the combined sifted flour in two batches.
With lightly floured hands, roll two level teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on oven tray about 3cm apart. Dip a fork into a little extra flour and press down lightly onto each biscuit to flatten slightly.
Bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until biscuits are a pale straw colour. Stand the biscuits on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool.
To make butter cream, beat the butter, icing sugar and rind in a small bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in the juice.
To serve, sandwich two biscuits with a teaspoon of the butter cream. Dust with a little extra sifted icing sugar.

Source: Jules, Australian Women's Weekly

Spicy Calamari Salad

This salad is great in summer, especially if you are trying to go light on carbs. My Mum found this recipe which also has a dressing, though we have found that it is not necessary. Try to use good quality calamari.

500 g of calamari
mixed lettuce
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp cayene pepper
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice
1/4 cup sweet chilli
2 tbs olive oil
tbs coriander

Cut the calamari in half and score the inside with criss-crosses. Marinate the calamari in the ginger, garlic, cayene pepper, Chinese five-spice, sweet chilli and coriander. Cook the calamari in batches in the olive oil in a very hot wok or fry pan. Serve over fresh mixed lettuce and eat immediately. You can add cherry tomatoes and cucumber to the salad if desired.

Serves 4

SOURCE: Rosie

Sunday Afternoon Chocolate Cake

1 cup SR flour
1/4 cup good quality cocoa
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
125g butter, melted
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup good quality cocoa, extra
20g butter, extra
Milk

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line an 18x18 cm tin with cooking spray and baking parchment.
Melt butter in mixing jug in microwave. Add sugar, combined cocoa and flour, milk, vanilla extract and eggs. Mix as thoroughly as you feel you need to (remember, it is a Sunday afternoon!).
Pour batter into tin and bake in oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until cake is cooked when tested with a metal skewer.
Leave cake to cool.
Wash your mixing jug, or get your other pretty one, and sift icing sugar and cocoa into it. Melt the small amount of butter in a smaller bowl. Add enough milk to make icing sugar and cocoa into a nice icing consistency. Add melted butter as the last step.
Ice cake when cool.

Tuna Steaks with Salsa

Dani first cooked this for me at a bbq at her place. It was so tasty, I bought the recipe book myself. Ever since, I have made it regularly and I have used many different types of fish, not just tuna.

Salsa
1 tbs olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
200g green olives
35 g currants soaked in warm water for 10 mins
1 tbs baby capers
1 tbs sherry vinegar
2 tbs shredded mint

4 tuna steaks (about 150g each)
olive oil, for brushing
sea salt

To make the salsa, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots for 2-4 minutes, or until they are softened, but not browned, then add the olives, drained currants and capers. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously, then add the vinegar and cook for 2 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about half. Remove the pan from the heat and keep the salsa warm until you're ready to dish up.

Preheat a barbeque chargrill late to medium-high direct heat. Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil, season them well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and grill for 2-3 minutes each side for medium-rare, or until they are cooked to your liking. Stir the mint into the salsa and serve it immediately with tuna and a garlic mash.

Serves 4

Source: BBQ Food, Murdoch Books