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The perfect salad combination of apple, celery and cabbage with a creamy yoghurt and Dijon mustard dressing.
1 new season granny smith apple, diced
1 c shredded cabbage
1 stalk celery, diced
2 T yoghurt
1 t Dijon mustard
1 T lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 red onion, sliced (optional)
1 T parsley leaves (optional)
salt and pepper
Toss everything together and chill until serving. The salad goes well with pork sausages.
As Prince William weds Kate Middleton, the rest of the world dreams of fairy tale weddings and happily ever after.
On the other side of the TV screen, what about "Kaga" John of home stadium kitchen fame? Let's rewind the tape back to 23 October 2010.
As John walks excitedly past the jeweller on a very busy Saturday in a local shopping centre....
John: How would you like a wedding ring?
Noodle: That would be really nice!
John: We have to wait a bit longer, for the boys to adjust ...
Noodle: Oh, out of respect for the boys ...
On Christmas Day 2010, a box appears under the Christmas tree, wrapped with a picture of a pink "Argyle" diamond. Excitement runs high...
John: Here's a present!
Noodle: Here's something for you...
Dramatic drum roll while the gift wrappers rip.... and then ....
.... the ring is no where to be found. OK, it's customary for diamonds even if it is under 1 mm under 0.5 mm in a pendant. In the end it's the thought that counts... an "I.O.U" cruise and a lovely injet-printed pink diamond say it all .... and much more.
It's the eve of a Royal Wedding! Once again Royal Wedding fever is in the air as home cooks flurry around the kitchen cooking up the foods to eat while watching the greatest event on TV, the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Royal Weddings are few and far in between. Even the local supermarkets join the fever.
For example, ideas from Coles Autumn 2011 magazine, available free from the supermarket:
Princess Punch
Mini Strawberry Tarts
Tomato Pesto Palmiers
Potted Prawns with Melba Toast
Mini Lemonade Scones
Apple Teacake
Waldorf Finger Sandwiches
White Chocolate Creme Cones
Quick and Easy Toffee Fig Cheesecake
Here are the picks that make use of new season apples from the Southwest, and easy enough for the kids, while parents stay glued to the TV ...
Apple Teacake
Adapted from Coles Autumn 2011 magazine
80 g butter
1/2 c sugar, milled
1 egg, beaten
1 t lemon zest
1 t lemon juice
1 c SR flour
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 c milk
2 small granny smith apples, cored and sliced
20 g butter, melted
1 T raw sugar
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Use an electric beater. It takes 20 minutes by hand with a wooden spoon.
2. Beat in egg, lemon zest and lemon juice.
3. Fold in sifted flour, cinnamon and milk until just combined.
4. Pour batter into a greased and lined cake tin.
5. Arrange apple slices over the batter. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with raw sugar.
6. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 35-40 minutes until skewer comes out clean.
Waldorf Finger Sandwiches
Adapted from Coles Autumn 2011 magazine
1/2 c walnuts, roasted, finely chopped
1 granny smith apple, finely diced
1 t lemon juice
1/2 celery stalk, finely diced
1 x 425 g tinned tuna in oil, drained & flaked (or 1 c cooked chicken in original recipe)
1/4 c mayonnaise (see below)
12 slices white bread
1. Mix sandwich filling with aioli and season with salt and pepper.
2. Spread filling to make 6 sandwiches.
3. Trim off the crust and cut each sandwich into 3 fingers.
4. Cover and keep in the fridge until ready for serving
Mayonnaise
Oil drained from 1 x 425 g tinned tuna in oil
1 egg yolk
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t lemon juice
salt
Whisk with a stick blender until creamy. Season to taste.
Mini Lemonade Scones
Adapted from Coles Autumn 2011 magazine
2 c SR flour
1/2 t baking powder
150 mL lemonade
150 mL cream
milk for brushing
whipped cream and jam to serve
1. Sift flour with baking powder.
2. Add cream and lemonade. Mix to a soft dough with a wooden spoon. Do not overwork.
3. Place dough on a floured surface. Using floured hands, pat dough out to 2 cm thickness.
4. Cut into 5 cm rounds.
5. Place on buttered baking tray.
6. Brush with milk.
7. Bake at 220 degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes until golden and bottoms sound hollow when tapped.
Mini Victoria Sponge Sandwiches
Check out the post on Victoria Sponge Sandwich.
To make mini Victoria Sponge Sandwiches, bake the batter in 10 cm ramekin. Allow 100 g batter for each ramekin. To fill the sponges, split in the middle. Spread 1 T sour cream and 2 t jam on the bottom half. Place top half over. Dust with icing.
ANZAC Day came and went on the 25th of April. These muesli biscuits, modelled after ANZAC biscuits, are lovely as afternoon tea biscuits or a lunch box addition.
Makes 36-40 biscuits
1 c plain flour, sifted
1 c raw muesli
3/4 c (165 g) raw sugar
1/3 c (60 g) almond meal
1/2 c desiccated coconut, omitted
125 g butter
2 T golden syrup, see below
1 T water
3/4 t bicarbonate soda
1. Combine flour, muesli, sugar, almond meal and coconut in a mixing bowl
2. Combine butter, golden syrup and water in a saucepan. Heat until butter is melted.
3. Add bicarbonate soda. Allow to foam.
4. Add the foam to the dry ingredients. Mix to a dough with wooden spoon.
5. Shape dough into 2 cm ball. Place on greased and lined baking tray, 5 cm apart.
6. Bake at 170 degrees Celsius for 15-25 minutes until golden.
7. Cool on baking tray until hard enough to move to cooling racks.
Golden Syrup Substitute
180 g (3/4 c) raw sugar
60 mL (1/4 c) boiling water
1/8 t cream of tartar
1. In a glass basin, dissolve sugar in boiling water by heating in a microwave using 30 s bursts. Avoid stirring. Wash down sugar crystal with a wet pastry brush if necessary.
2. Add cream of tartar.
3. Continue to boil in the microwave in 30 s bursts until the sugar is syrupy with frothy bubbles. Be careful not to scorch. Allow around 5 minutes.
The classic pavlova is easier than it looks. You need a good electric mixer like a KitchenAid for perfect whipping.
2 (60 g) egg whites (from 2 x 50 g eggs)
1/4 t cream of tartar
125 g (1/2 c) sugar, milled
1 t cornflour
1 t lemon juice
1. Line a baking trace with a piece of greaseproof paper. Grease and flour the paper. Mark a 18 cm diameter circle in the flour with the aid of a saucer.
2. Place egg white in a bowl over a basin of warm water if the weather is cold.
3. Whisk to soft peak. Add cream of tartar
4. Slowly add sugar, 1 t at a time while beating until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Allow about 10 minutes
5. Beat in cornflour and lemon juice.
6. Spread mixture carefully into the 18 cm circle on the baking tray. Hollow out the centre to form a nest if prefer.
7. Bake at 100 degree Celsius for 90 minutes. Cool in the oven with the door open.
Serve with whipped cream and seasonal fruit like banana, kiwi fruit and passionfruit pulp. This combination is typical for an ANZAC Day dish which celebrates the Australian virtue of "mateship" as experienced at Gallipoli where soldiers from Australia and New Zealand relied on one another for survival. Such mateship was seen in recent floods and Cyclone Yasi in Queensland. So it's appropriate to throw in some bananas or pineapple from Queensland, and drizzle with lemon and ginger jam to complete the dish.
Check out this easy recipe for all-in-one method.
Roast lamb is Australia's national dish according to diehards like controversial Aussie football legend Sam Kekovich. This is the dish for which family members stay home after sacrificing a chance to meet famous actors like Tom Cruise.
The roast can be cooked as is, or perhaps with a sprinkle of salt and a splash of olive oil, and a choice of herbs like rosemary and marjoram. Place the roast in a roasting pan, and brown at 220 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes, before turning down the heat to 180 degrees Celsius to finish cooking to your liking. Allow 20 minutes for every 500 g. All up, it takes around 2 hours to complete the roast to well done. In the last 40 minutes, add roasting vegetables like turnips, pumpkin, potatoes and onions.
For rare roast, roast at 250 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes or sear in a hot pan. Finish off at 150 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes. Rest for 15 minutes in a warm oven.
Slow roasting at 120-150 degrees Celsius gives a nice pink interior. Allow 2.5-3 hours cooking time. Finish off by turning up the oven to 220 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes to brown the surface.
Gravy
Decant the oil from the pan juices. Place pan on the stove. Add 2-3 tablespoon of flour to the pan. Allow to brown and then slowly add 2 cups (or more) of hot stock or water while stirring. Simmer for 10-20 minutes minutes until thickened. Season to taste.
Alternatively, start the sauce in the microwave. In a microwave-safe jug, mix 2-3 tablespoon of flour to a smooth paste with equal amount of warm water. Add 1/2 t of herbs like thyme, rosemary or marjoram, pinch of paprika, and season with salt and pepper. While stirring, pour enough boiling water to make 2 cup. Cook in a microwave in 30 seconds intervals until the sauce thickens. When the lamb is ready, decant the oil from the pan juices. Place pan on the stove. Add some water to deglaze. Pour in the sauce. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
The internet abounds with variations of this recipe for a butter cake containing equal weight of sugar, butter, egg and flour. It is made using the creaming method to whip air into the butter. It is often baked in shallow sponge tins, filled with jam and dusted with icing.
When baked in a loaf tin, as shown here, the name commonly becomes "pound cake" since traditionally, the cake uses 1 pound each of sugar, butter, egg and flour.
For one 18 cm sponge sandwich or small loaf:
100 g sugar
100 g butter
2 x 50 g eggs
100 g SR flour
1 t vanilla, optional
3 T jam for filling, optional
icing sugar for dusting, optional
1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Use electric beaters or allow 20 minutes by hand if using a wooden spoon.
2. Beat in egg, one at a time, with a spoonful of flour to prevent cuddling in hot weather.
3. Fold in sifted flour.
4. Pour into a greased and floured tin.
5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
For a sponge sandwich, bake in 2 tins, by scaling half the weight of the batter into each tin. Otherwise, bake in one tin and split. Spread jam on one sandwich half and top with the other half. Dust with icing.
Since Queen Victoria enjoyed cake with cream and jam, and a cup of tea, the cake was named in her honour.
Tip:
In cup measurements, the quantities are 1 c flour and 1/2 c each of the other ingredients.
Delicious, creamy raspberry ice cream with a hint of lemon. Smooth and luscious.
125 mL (1/2 c) whipping cream
3 egg yolks (from 3 x 50 g eggs)
85 mL (1/3 c) milk
20 mL (1 T) raspberry cordial, or 1/2 t vanilla + 10 g sugar
20 mL (1 T) lemon curd, optional
50 g sugar
pinch salt
1. Make a custard with yolks, milk and sugar by stirring over a pot of simmering water until thickened. Do not over cook as it will curdle. Cool.
2. Add raspberry cordial, lemon curd, and a pinch of salt. Chill for 2 hours
3. Whip the cream to soft peak.
4. Stir cream into the chilled custard.
5. Churn in an ice cream machine or pour into shallow tray and stir every half hour while freezing. Allow 2.5 hours.
An alternative recipe using jam instead of cordial:
125 mL (1/2 c) whipping cream
2 egg yolks (from 2 x 50 g eggs)
85 mL (1/3 c) milk
60 mL (3 T) raspberry jam
20 mL (1 T) lemon curd, optional
30 g sugar
pinch salt
An egg-free peach melba variation
125 mL (1/2 c) whipping cream
250 mL (1 c) thick yoghurt
60 mL (3 T) apricot or peach jam
20 mL (1 T) raspberry cordial
50 g sugar
pinch salt
A fragrant fried rice with the exotic taste of Chinese pork sausage combined with coriander.
For 2 adults
Rice
1/2 c basmati rice
1 c boiling water
1 t olive oil
1/2 garlic finely diced
Dressing
1 T soy sauce
1 t fish sauce
1 t caramel soy sauce
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t Tabasco pepper sauce
1/2 T olive oil
Meat and Vegetables
1 Chinese pork sausage (lap cheong), sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 garlic, smashed
2 c chopped vegetables (carrot, capsicum, peas, cabbage)
1/2 t salt
1 T olive oil, as needed
For serving
2 T chopped coriander
1 sliced chilli
1/2 t seasame oil
1. To cook the rice, fry the garlic in oil until golden and then add the rice. Fry until the rice turns chalky. Add boiling water. Reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Toss the rice in the dressing and cool. Chill while preparing the meat and vegetables.
3. Gently render the sausage slices. Use some olive oil as needed. Remove the sausage when crisp on the outside.
4. Add the garlic and onion to the rendered fat. Add some olive oil if needed. Saute until garlic starts to brown.
5. Add vegetables, starting with the one that takes longest to cook. Stir fry until cooked, but still crunchy. Remove.
6. Add some olive oil. Toss chilled rice in the pan and fry until heated through.
7. Add cooked sausage and vegetables to rice.
8. Add coriander, chilli and sesame oil. Remove from heat and serve.
A superb raspberry flavoured chiffon baked in a 8 cm x 20 cm bread tin. Moist, featherlight and spongy with great flavour. It is often difficult to scale such a small cake, but this recipe produces a great result, with minimal collapse.
Batter
30 g potato starch
30 g plain flour
3/4 t baking powder
25 mL raspberry cordial
2 egg yolks (24 g from 2 x 50 g eggs)
25 mL oil (sunflower)
Foam
3 egg whites (96 g from 3 x 50 g eggs)
1/8 t cream of tartar
50 g sugar, milled
5 mL (1 t) lemon juice
1. Combine the wet ingredients for the batter. Fold in sifted potato starch, plain flour and baking powder.
2. Whisk egg white until soft peaks. Beat in cream of tartar. Gradually add icing sugar while beating. Beat until glossy and stiff. Beat in lemon juice.
3. Fold whisked egg white into the egg yolk batter.
4. Pour into an ungreased tube pan (small) or 8 cm x 20 cm loaf tin.
5. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 30-35 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
6. Invert the mould and cool completely.
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