Saturday, April 23, 2011

Anzac Biscuits

















These have been part of my life for as long as I remember. The name for most Australians/ New Zealanders comes from the name for soldiers in WW1. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corp, the biscuits were originally sent to troops overseas because they lasted so well in transit. Every Australian child grows up with them, I think. 


  • 1 cup (150g) plain flour
  • 1 cup (90g) rolled oats
  • 1 cup (85g) desiccated coconut
  • 3/4 cup (155g) brown sugar
  • 125g butter
  • 2 tbs golden syrup
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda




  • Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the oats, coconut and brown sugar

  • Put the butter, golden syrup and 2 tbs water in a small saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until melted. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda.

  • Pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.

  • Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on the trays, about 5cm apart.

  • Press with a fork to flatten slightly. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

  • Set aside on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack so it cools completely.









  • Friday, April 22, 2011

    Cincinnati Chili



    This is a different style of chilli to the texas style or chilli con carne as we call it in Australia. It is also served on spaghetti not rice.


    1tbs vegetable oil
    2diced onions
    1clove garlic , minced
    2tbs tomato paste
    2tbs chili powder
    1tbs dried oregano
      1 1/2tsp ground cinnamon
    Salt
    3/4tsp ground black pepper
    1/4tsp allspice
    2cups chicken stock
    2cups tomato puree
    2tablespoons cider vinegar
    2teaspoons dark brown sugar
    500gms beef mince


    1. 1. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until soft and browned around edges, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and allspice and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken stock, tomato sauce, vinegar, and sugar.
    2. 2. Add beef and break up meat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chili is deep brown and slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Season and serve on spaghetti, garnish with grated cheese. 

    Leek and Mushroom Frittata











    Slice finely 1 leek
    Saute in a little butter (make sure to add some oil to stop burning)
    Slice a mixture of mushrooms, I used swiss brown and oyster about 150gms
    Add to pan saute until soft

    Meanwhile mix together 6 eggs, 100gms of cream, 1/3 cup grated parmesan
    Grease a baking tin
    Place leek and mushroom mixture on the bottom
    Pour over egg and cream

    Oven bake for 30 minutes at 180c or until golden
    Serve with a fresh salad

    Thursday, April 21, 2011

    Vegan Conversations


    Like many interested in food I have considered the issues over many years. In a recent online discussion with a somewhat over the top Vegan I am once again thinking of these issues.

    Primarily I have a great deal of sympathy with the argument that not eating meat saves animals from suffering. I am of course very careful to choose free range meat and eggs.

    When it does come to Vegans I do not believe they hold the high moral ground. There are a number of ethical issues that Vegans for whatever reason are just plain unwilling to address.

    1. Factory farming using genetically modified crops is a disaster waiting to happen, what are vegans doing to combat this affront to our vegetable farming future?

    2. The use of animal products to fertilise vegetable crops seems a very obvious contradiction of basic principles, what are vegans doing to address this?

    3. Vegans offer no alternative to animal testing for most if not all medications, this is a central problem.

    4. There seems no viable alternative to using leather for so many products

    I don't raise these issues because I think there can be no answers, I raise them to highlight that we all have ethical issues to examine  when it comes to the production and consumption of food. It is just to easy to say eating meat is the problem and by doing that alienating a majority of the population.

    What I would like to see is a constructive dialogue about food production and consumption from all those who believe that food has an ethical dimension.

    Wednesday, April 20, 2011

    Eggplant and Tomato Curry



    Cut eggplant into 2cm chunks saute until browned and softened

    In a food processor combine
     2 onions
    2 tomatoes
    3 tsp of ginger
    2 tsp of garlic
    1tsp cinnamon
    Pinch of ground cloves

    Add tomato mixture to pan and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes

    Serve on basmarti rice with yogurt and coriander

    Spinach and Cheese Bake



    Ingredients
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1/2 onion (diced)
    • 2 spring onions (sliced)
    •  baby spinach (roughly chopped)
    • 1 tbs dill (chopped)
    • 1 tbs parsley (chopped)
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 cup milk
    • 3 eggs
    • 2 tablespoons flour
    • 1/2 cup feta (crumbled)
    • 1 cup grated mozzarella
    Directions
    1. Heat the oil in a pan.
    2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
    3. Add the spring onion and spinach and saute until the spinach wilts.
    4. Remove from heat and mix in the dill and parsley and season with salt and pepper.
    5. Pour the spinach mixture into a shallow baking dish.
    6. Mix the milk, eggs, and flour  and pour it on top of the spinach.
    7. Sprinkle the feta and mozzarella on top.
    8. Bake in a  180c oven until puffed and golden brown on top, about 20-30 minutes.

    Tuesday, April 19, 2011

    Cookbook Challenge

    Lots of people visit this blog during a week. I would like everyone to recommend one  cookbook you really like/find useful. Maybe we will end up with an interesting list.

    This is one of the reasons I started to cook. Keith Floyd showed me a world I did not know existed. (RIP)


    Far Flung Floyd by  Keith Floyd

    Saturday, April 16, 2011

    Friday, April 15, 2011

    Chicken Stroganoff











    I got the idea for this recipe from Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist. I have changed a fair bit so if you like this you might like to check the original recipe.

    Cut chicken thighs into bite sized pieces
    Slice 4 spring onions and 1 leek

    Pan fry both until chicken is golden

    Remove chicken

    Deglaze with 1 cup masala and add 1 cup chicken stock
    Reduce by half

    Switch off heat

    Add tarragon leaves
    1tsp Dijon mustard

    Return chicken to pan
    Stir through .25 cup of sour cream (I used a lot more)

    Heat on low, do not boil

    Serve on rice or with thick noodles

    Thursday, April 14, 2011

    Veal Fajitas










    Take some beef strips about 250gms per person and marinate for 3 hours

    Marinade:
    .3 cup of beer
    .3 cup of apple cider vinegar
    Dash of tabasco
    2tbs oil
    Juice of half a lemon
    Salt and pepper

    Cook on high temperature in fry pan until done

    Serve with pan roasted capsicum and onion on a bed of rice

    Garnish with sour cream, salsa and shredded tasty cheese.

    Could also be served with tortillas.

    Tuesday, April 12, 2011

    Vegetable Stack



    I got the idea for this from Good Chef Bad Chef Janella Purcell came up with the recipe and I simply adapted it.




    Ingredients
    1 sweet potato, cut in 1 cm rounds
    1 tbls olive oil  
    1 pinch sea salt
    1 large tomato, cut in half
    2 tsp olive oil
    1 tsp balsamic vinegar
    1 tsp white wine vinegar
    Sea salt and cracked pepper
    1/3 cup each of parsley and basil, chopped finely
    1/2 cup olive oil
    2 cloves of garlic
    1 tsp Sea salt
    Capers, washed and chopped


    Bocconcini

    Basil leaves to garnish
    Swordfish Steak

    Method
    Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the tomato on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic and seasoning. Bake for 20 min or until softenedPan fry the sweet potato with olive oil and salt over a medium heat. Cook evenly on both sides until tender. Set aside. In a bowl mix together the herbs, oil, salt, garlic and capers. To assemble, layer the potato, tomato and bocconcini then pour over dressing and garnish with basil. 

    To accompany lightly cook a sword fish steak in olive oil and dress with the remaining dressing.

    Sunday, April 10, 2011

    Eggplant Dahl


    Brenda loves eggplant and she loved this. Pinched the recipe from here

    http://www.taste.com.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18100

    2 tblsp medium curry powder
    4 tblsp olive oil
    2 large eggplants cut into cubes
    3 sprigs fresh or dry curry leaves
    1 brown onion halved finely sliced
    1 clove garlic crushed
    1 tsp chili flakes
    2 tblsp tomato paste
    1 carrot halved and sliced

    3stalks of celery sliced thinly
    500g dry red lentils rinsed
    1-2lt vegetable stock
    270ml coconut milk
    1 cup roughly chopped fresh coriander or basil
    sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
    cooked rice to serve
    pappadums to serve
    roti paranthi to serve
    plain yoghurt to serve

    1. preheat oven to 180[0]
    Combine 1tblsp of the curry powder and 2 tblsp of the oil in a large bowl. Add eggplant and toss to coat. Arrange eggplant on an oven tray and bake for 30min or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

    2. heat remaining oil in large heavy based pan over a med heat. Add curry leaves, onion, garlic and chili flakes, and cook, stirring with a wooden soon for 3 min. Add tomato paste, remaining curry powder and carrot,celery, and cook stirring for a further 2 min. Stir in lentils and 800ml of the stock then bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30min. Add remaining stock then bring to a simmer. Add eggplant, coconut milk and coriander. Season with salt and pepper then cook for 3 minutes or until hot.

    3. serve dhal with rice and pappadums, roti , condiments and yoghurt if desired. Oh and if your not a vegetarian you might slip in some tandoori prawns.

    Saturday, April 9, 2011

    Eggplant Rolls











    Take 1 eggplant cut into thin strips and chargrill

    Mix ricotta cheese, goats cheese and marinated artichoke hearts
    Season with salt pepper and cayenne pepper.

    Place a large spoonful of cheese filling on each strip and roll up

    Place the eggplant rolls in a baking dish, cover with a pasta sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese

    Oven bake for 30 mins at 180c

    Saturday, April 2, 2011

    Red Thai Atlantic Salmon











    I would call this a deconstruction but that sound pretentious. It is instead a fusion of asian vegetables with a Thai red curry paste. combined with a pan roasted Atlantic salmon fillet. The salmon needs nothing added to it in my opinion as the textures and flavours work perfectly for themselves.

    Vegetables
    Saute
    1 sliced onion
    2 Pak Choy sliced stems
    1 sliced red chilli
    1 sliced yellow capsicum
    Finally add the Pak Choy leaves at the very end and cook only a little

    Sauce
    Coconut milk
    Thai red chilli paste

    Salmon
    Pan fry starting with skin side down turn only once

    Place curry sauce in base of plate and top with molded rice
    Place vegetables with care around the rice
    Then place the salmon fillet beside the rice

    The flavours work well and enhance the salmon without overwhelming it. On the left is the compromise for a teenager who will not eat vegetables, and corn and peas don't work with this, but....