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AUSTRALIA DAY (26th January) ▹ Lamingtons ▹ Meat Patties ▹ Beer Infused Onion Rings ▹ Lamb Kebabs VALENTINE'S DAY (14th February) ▹ Oysters
Champagne Jelly Oysters
Red Bull Granita Oysters
▹ Oyster Shooters
Vodka and Lime Oyster Shooters
Gin and Lemon Oyster Shooters
Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters
▹ Lamb with Fig Compote and Chocolate Red Wine Sauce
▹ Hot Cross Buns
▹ Bundy and Pineapple Glazed Ham with Seeded Mustard Potatoes ANZAC DAY (25th April) ▹ Anzac Biscuits MOTHER’S DAY (2nd Sunday in May) ▹ Breakfast Pancakes ▹ Chocolate Ricotta Mousse FATHER’S DAY (1st Sunday in September) ▹ Scotch Steak, Truffle Infused Mushrooms, Home Made Wedges AFL / NRL GRAND FINAL DAY (September/October) ▹ Chicken, Bacon, and Cheese Sausage Rolls ▹ Party Pies
MELBOURNE CUP (1st Tuesday in November) ▹ Rosella in Champagne ▹ Fruity Champagne Punch ▹ Champagne Slushy ▹ Classic Champagne Cocktail
CHRISTMAS DAY (25th December) ▹ Turkey Breast Rolled with an Apricot, Fig and Sage Stuffing
▹ Bundy and Pineapple Glazed Ham with Seeded Mustard Potatoes
▹ Pavlova
▹ Fruit Smoothie Hangover Cure
Australia Day is mostly about barbeques, beer, friends/family, and enjoying a day off work. If you are one of those that do work on Australia Day then you probably don’t care much about any of this at all. Well the below continues with the standard barbeque fare however there are many other ways you can utilise these recipes without the need of an outdoor grill.
LAMINGTONS
Lamingtons have traditionally been the main ingredient behind fundraising for youth groups throughout Australia such as the Scouts and Guides. These events are called Lamington Drives and are made up of volunteers helping to make and distribute the Lamingtons. These days they’re readily available and often feature during holiday events and gatherings.
Traditionally they’re made using stale cake that’s cut into a 40mm cube which is covered with thin chocolate icing and rolled in desiccated coconut. But these days they’re produced using fresh sponge and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and flavour combinations and are commonly found with a jam filling.
There are several versions of how Lamingtons come about and the true origin is questionable. Many believe that it was first created between 1895-1901 by the Queensland Governor, Baron Lamington. Some have reported that he’d come up with the idea to use up and disguise some stale cake, while others have reported that he may have accidentally dropped the cake in some chocolate and then covered it in coconut to avoid people getting messy fingers. Baron Lamington was believed to have not been a fan of the dessert. However, several versions of these stories exist and the precise reasoning behind them are unknown.
Assembling the Lamington
1. Place the cake in the freezer for an hour or two before starting. This will make it easier to cut and easier to handle.
2. Prepare the icing mixture (recipe below) and pour into a bowl. In a second bowl, place a couple of cups of desiccated coconut.
3. Cut the cake into squares, or another shape that you desire.
4. Dip each side of the cakes into the icing mixture, then into the coconut, then place onto a cooling rack to set.
5. Once they have dried, place in an airtight container and let sit for a few hours before eating.
Sponge Cake
▹ ½ cup of butter ▹ 2 eggs
▹ 1 cup sugar ▹ ½ cup of milk
▹ 1 ½ cups self-raising flour
1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
3. Add flour and milk folding in carefully and alternating as you go.
4. Pour into a greased or lined rectangular cake tin and bake at 180ºC for 30-40 minutes.
5. Allow to stand for 5 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool.
Icing Mixture
▹ 4 cups icing sugar ▹ ½ cup milk
▹ 1/3 cup cocoa powder ▹ 2 Tablespoons butter
▹ 2 - 3 cups desiccated coconut
1. Combine the Sugar and Cocoa in a large bowl.
2. Heat the milk and butter in a saucepan until the butter is melted.
3. Add the milk mixture to the sugar/cocoa mixture and mix to a fluid yet not runny consistency.
MEAT PATTY’S
There are no major rules to follow and you can add and remove ingredients to your preferred taste. Some parmesan or small diced fetta is a good addition, as are some chopped mushrooms and capsicum. You can also flavour it up by adding ingredients such as mustard, soy sauce, tomato paste, spices, or different herbs.
One thing that can make or break it is the onion. If you like the taste and texture of onion you can dice it a little bit bigger and add it to the mix raw. It will cook through but will still maintain a bit of texture. Otherwise you can dice it smaller for it to blend in better. Further to this it can be cooked off first in a pan with the garlic and a little oil before adding to the mix.
Makes 9 medium-sized patties:
▹ 500g mince beef ▹ 1 carrot, peeled and grated
▹ 1 onion, diced ▹ Cracked black pepper
▹ 2 cloves garlic, crushed ▹ 1 egg
▹ 3 Tablespoons of Chopped parsley ▹ Salt
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Alternatively:
a. Cook onion in a saucepan until it turns starts to turn a very light brown.
b. Add garlic and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
c. Then add carrot and cook for a further 2-3 minutes then allow to chill in the fridge.
d. Now add this mixture to the remaining ingredients and mix in well.
2. If the mix is quite wet you can add a small sprinkle of breadcrumbs until combined.
3. Roll into medium-sized balls then flatten with the palm of your hand. They can be stacked on top of each other by using plastic wrap or baking paper in between each layer.
Tip: Wetting your hands before rolling will prevent the mix from sticking to your hands and will make it easier to form even shapes.
4. Cook for approximately 4-5 minutes each side depending on thickness. Placing a slice of cheese on top about 10-15 seconds before removing will melt the cheese into the top.
BEER INFUSED ONION RINGS
To accompany your beef patty, a guaranteed winner is some beer flavoured onion rings. Just cut up some onion rings and throw them on the BBQ with a little oil and some salt and cracked pepper. Allow to cook about half way through then tip some beer over the top. It will steam up a fair bit which will assist with the cooking. Give them a good stir around until the beer has evaporated and then remove.
MARINATED LAMB SKEWERS
These marinades will also work well with beef or chicken.
1. Simply combine all ingredients.
2. Dice up some lamb into about 2-3cm cubes and either submerge the cubes into the marinade or rub the marinade all over the meat. Allow to stand for around two hours.
3. Remove the meat and brush off any excess then thread onto skewers. If desired you can add another ingredient in between each piece of meat such as pineapple, capsicum, zucchini, eggplant, etc. Or you could even marinate two different kinds of meat, such as lamb and chicken, and alternate them on the skewers.
4. Sear all sides on a hot grill plate and serve straight away.
Tip: With the exception to the red wine one, extra marinade can be made up and used as dipping sauces if desired.
Simple Satay Marinade Red Wine and Rosemary Marinade
1 cup peanut butter 250ml cup red wine
1 cup coconut milk 125ml cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons sweet chilli sauce 1 large sprig rosemary 4 garlic cloves, smashed but still whole 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon crushed garlic 30 peppercorns
Basil Pesto Marinade Tandoori Marinade
300g basil leaves 600ml natural yoghurt
75g fresh garlic 1 Tablespoon coriander powder
150g shaved parmesan 1 Tablespoon garam marsala
100g roasted pine nuts or cashews 1 Tablespoon Turmeric
500ml olive oil 20g ground ginger
Juice from ½ large lemon 1 Tablespoon ground garlic
Salt and pepper to taste Lemon juice
Tip: Try replacing the basil with sun-dried tomatoes (oil included)
for a Sun-dried Tomato Pesto.
OYSTERS
Champagne Jelly Oysters 1 gelatine leaf
100ml champagne
1. Warm the champagne up in a saucepan and then add the gelatine leaf.
2. Remove from heat and stir until dissolved.
3. Pour into a mould, and chill for 3-4 hours. Any mould will work. Even just a cup.
4. To make different colours add a shot of liqueur such as Midori, Blue Curacao, etc.
5. Roughly mix together some different colours with a fork. Don't over mix though as the colours will start to blend.
6. Place a teaspoon of the jelly onto the fresh oyster and serve immediately.
Red Bull Granita Oysters Granita is an easy and tasty treat that doesn't require any special equipment and is perfect for the warmer days .
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ cans of red bull
1. Bring the water and sugar to the boil and cool to room temperature.
2. Stir in the red bull and then pour into a small baking pan and place into the freezer.
3. Every twenty minutes take the pan out and scrape the frozen mixture with a fork until all the frozen pieces are broken into small shavings and mixed well with the remaining liquid.
4. Continue to freeze, scraping every twenty minutes until no more liquid is in the granita.
OYSTER SHOOTERS
Vodka and Lime Oyster Shooters 100ml vodka
Juice from 1 lime
Gin and Lemon Oyster Shooters
100ml gin
Juice from half a lemon
Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters 200ml tomato juice
80ml vodka
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 3 drops tobasco sauce Combine indredients and pour 5ml in a shot glass.
Cracked black pepper Add oyster and top up with more liquid. Garnish
Celery stick with lime, lemon, or celery & cracked pepper.
WATTLESEED CRUSTED LAMB WITH FIG COMPOTE AND CHOCOLATE RED WINE SAUCE
The flavour and texture combinations of this dish will blow you away. The Red Wine Chocolate Sauce should be slightly on the bitter side so it can balance the sweetness of the fig compote. The Wattleseed crust provides an interesting texture and also a connection to the other components of the dish. Then the meat adds a savoury component which is welcomed in by the red wine undertones. The original dish is with kangaroo but lamb works just as well, and if you can't get hold of wattleseed it can be eliminate and the dish will still be amazing. For the full recipe see our post on Wattleseed here.
HOT CROSS BUNS
There are mixed stories behind the history of the hot cross bun but in many historically Christian countries, the buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, with the cross standing as a symbol of the crucifixion. These days, they are enjoyed all through the Easter period.
The Buns 4 cups plain flour
2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
¼ cup caster sugar
1½ teaspoons mixed spice
Pinch of salt
1½ cups currants
40g butter
300ml warm milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1. Preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Combine flour, yeast, sugar, mixed spice, salt and currants in a large bowl.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and then add milk.
4. Pour into the combined dry ingredients and add beaten eggs.
5. Using a flat-bladed knife, mix until dough almost comes together then finish off mixing with your hands to form a soft dough.
6. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth.
7. Place into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until dough doubles in size.
8. Punch dough down to its original size and knead again on a lightly floured surface until smooth. 9. Divide into 12 even portions then shape each portion into a ball. Place balls onto a lined baking tray about 1cm apart. Cover with plastic wrap.
10. Set aside again in a warm place until the buns double in size.
11. While waiting for this step the Flour Paste can be made.
Final Steps
1. Once the buns have had time to prove for the second time, pipe the flour paste over the top to form crosses.
2. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated 190°C oven until the buns are cooked through.
3. The Glaze can be made while waiting for the buns to cook.
4. Once cooked, remove from oven and brush the warm glaze over the hot cross buns while the buns are still warm.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Flour Paste
½ cup plain flour
4 to 5 tablespoons water
1. Mix flour and water together in a small bowl until smooth.
2. If it becomes too thick add a tiny amount of water to adjust.
3. Spoon into a piping bag with a fine nozzle.
Glaze
1/3 cup water
3 Tablespoons caster sugar
1. Place water and sugar into a small saucepan. 2. Heat gently and stir until sugar dissolves. 3. Once dissolved, increase the heat and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes.
BUNDY AND PINEAPPLE GLAZED HAM WITH SEEDED MUSTARD POTATOES
A simple dish with loads of flavour perfect for either Easter or Christmas day.
This is a bumped up version of the traditional baked ham with lashings of bundy to add an interesting twist on a great dish. While it’s designed to be a hot dish for four people, it can also be eaten cold. You could even dice up chunks of the ham and toss through the potatoes to use as a side dish.
Bundy and Pineapple Sugar Syrup
¼ pineapple and 3 of cups water
OR A small tin of pineapple
150ml Bundaberg Rum
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1kg of Ham
1. Roughly chop up the pineapple ensuring the core and skin is removed. Add to a saucepan with 3 cups of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes then puree it in a food processor. Return the puree to the saucepan and gently simmer for another 3-5 minutes to thicken.
Alternatively, you can use the tinned pineapple and puree that instead.
2. Add 1 cup of water, the sugar and the bundy to the mix and simmer lightly for 10 minutes until it resembles a syrup.
3. Score the ham into diamonds then generously rub a quarter of the syrup into the ham.
4. Place into a 180ºC preheated oven and set a timer for about 15 minutes. 5. When the timer goes off, add another quarter of syrup using a brush or a spoon. Continue this until there is no syrup left. Leave in the oven until it turns a golden colour.
Seeded Mustard Potatoes
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 Tablespoon Butter
300ml thickened cream
2 Tablespoon seeded mustard
800g Chat Potatoes
1. Cut the potatoes in half then cook in boiling salted water until the potatoes hold no resistance when poked with a small knife.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan then add the flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add the cream.
3. Whisk until the cream comes to the boil then remove from heat. The sauce will have thickened by now.
4. Add the seeded mustard and a little salt then toss through the potatoes.
To Serve
Slice generous portions of the ham and arrange onto a plate with the potatoes Serve with your favourite vegetables or salad.
ANZAC BISCUITS
It’s been said that the ANZAC biscuit come about during the First World War by the wives and families of the soldiers. They were concerned with the condition and nutrition of the food being served as it was carried on slow travelling ships with limited refrigeration for upto two months. So the families come up with a biscuit that contained ingredients that didn't spoil and binded it with golden syrup instead of egg. It was then named after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) that were established during that period.
These days ANZAC biscuits are still a popular choice and are found on supermarket shelves all across the country. Around ANZAC Day, these biscuits are often used by veterans' organisations to raise funds for the care of aged war veterans.
1 cup rolled oats 1 cup plain flour, sifted 1 cup caster sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
125g butter, chopped
1 Tablespoon golden syrup
2 Tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda
1. Preheat oven to 160ºC
2. Combine oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a large bowl.
3. In a small saucepan, combine butter and golden syrup on a low heat until melted.
4. Combine water and bi-carb soda then pour into butter mixture.
5. Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients and combine well.
6. Roll small balls about the size of a golf ball and arrange onto a greased tray, leaving about a 4cm space in between each one, then flatten with the palm of your hand.
Tip: Wetting your hands before rolling will prevent the mix from sticking to your hands and will make it easier to form even shapes.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Stand for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
Makes approximately 35 biscuits.
Mother’s day is all about spoiling your mum and letting her know how much you really do appreciate all the special little things she does throughout the year. I remember when I was a kid I used to give my mum breakfast in bed, and she pretended to like it every time. So why not do up a bunch of pancakes for breakfast before heading out to lunch. Then after lunch you can both enjoy a guilt-free chocolate mousse for afternoon tea.
PANCAKES
Treat you mum to breakfast before taking her out to lunch. Pancakes are really easy to prepare and just as easy to cook. There are endless ways that they can be served, both sweet and savoury, therefore they’re suitable for any time of the day and are a perfect choice for breakfast.
Maple syrup is a traditional topping and there are reports dating back as early as the mid-1500s of French settlers boiling the sap into syrup which they had learned from local indigenous tribes.
If maple syrup isn’t your thing then they can simply be topped with fresh lemon juice and sugar, or a warm chocolate or caramel sauce, stewed or fresh fruit, ice cream, or whatever you like.
The sugar can be removed from the pancake mix and then used with savoury toppings as well. You could even experiment with the batter itself and add different flavourings. You could grate some chocolate into it before cooking or even substitute a third of the milk with something like orange juice.
Pictured Above: Served with fruit compote. Pictured Below: Topped with smoked salmon, rocket, and dill sour cream.
½ cup Plain Flour
½ cup Self-Raising Flour
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1½ cups milk
1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add the egg and half of the milk and mix to a batter-like consistency. Add the remaining milk until the desired consistency is achieved.
3. The batter can be made thin which will allow it to spread out and create a thin and flexible pancake, or it can be made thicker which will spread out less and be a higher pancake (pikelet).
4. Pour a small amount of the pancake mixture into a hot oiled or buttered pan.
5. Once bubbles start to appear evenly across the surface it’s time to flip it over. It’s common that the first one doesn’t turn out very well so don’t be put off if this is the case.
CHOCOLATE RICOTTA MOUSSE
200g ricotta cheese
2 eggs, separated
2 Tablespoons icing sugar
200g dark chocolate, melted
1. Melt the chocolate. This can be done a couple of different ways.
The Double-Boiler Method – This is the safest way to melt the chocolate (safest for the chocolate that is). You’ll need a small saucepan and a bigger heat-proof bowl that will curve slightly into the saucepan without going all the way in. Fill the saucepan with water to about a quarter or a third of the way up then bring to the boil. Add the chocolate to the bowl and then place the bowl on the pot making sure that it’s not making direct contact with the water. The steam will gently melt the chocolate (and also heat the bowl so be careful when touching it). Stir continuously until all lumps have dissappeared and the chocolate is smooth.
Microwave Method – Place the chocolate in a bowl and heat in thirty second intervals stirring in between. One important thing to note is that the chocolate will hold its shape as it melts. It may look like nothing is happening, and it’s tempting to leave in the microwave for longer, but it’ll get to a stage where it’ll start to burn and become unusable. You may not see much progress on the first couple of 30 second intervals but all of a sudden it will change quickly.
2. Place the ricotta, egg yolks and icing sugar in a food processor and blitz until smooth and light.
3. Now add the melted chocolate with the motor still running until well combined.
4. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks then carefully fold through the choc/ricotta mixture.
5. Spoon into serving glasses and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
6. Decorate however you wish. You could use fresh strawberries, or crushed hazelnuts, shaved or grated chocolate, biscotti, wafer sticks, or maybe some whipped cream. You could even run some strawberry coulis, or chocolate/caramel syrup around the inside of the glass before filling it with mousse to create a swirling pattern. Because of the darkness of the mousse a sprig of mint always looks good.
Serves 4.
BEEF SCOTCH FILLET WITH TRUFFLE INFUSED FIELD MUSHROOMS AND HOME-MADE POTATO WEDGES
What better way to treat you dad on Father's Day than with a nice big Scotch Fillet steak. This is a good filling tasty dish perfect for all the father's out there and it goes great with a cold beer or glass of red.
This dish calls for a beef scotch fillet however you can get the same cut with the bone left on which will be even better and more impressive. If you scrape the bone clean with a small sharp knife then it will stay nice and white when cooked. Look for a scotch fillet around 300g or a bone-in ribeye just over 400g.
You don’t rush out and buy a whole bottle of truffle oil just for this one dish either. If you don’t have any handy then the mushrooms can still be done.
TO SERVE
Have the wedges and mushrooms ready to go so you can serve once the steak is cooked. You can have them sitting on a tray then just run them through the oven for a few minutes to heat up again. You can arrange on the plate however you wish. If you have the bone-in option then pile the wedges just off centre and lean the steak onto them with the bone sticking straight up. This not only highlights the steak but it creates height to the dish which makes it appear bigger than it is. You can make your own gravy (or Jus) from scratch but there are some good products in deli’s and IGA’s these days that surely outweighs the effort required in making a one at home.
COOKING THE STEAK
1. If the steak is quite thick or you’re cooking it to a well done stage then preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Season the steak each side with salt then sear off in a hot pan with a little bit of oil. You only need to turn it once and you want to see a nice dark brown ‘crust’ on each side. The best way to cook a scotch fillet is medium-rare in my opinion but not everyone is going to like it that way. Medium-rare will be soft and spring back when pressed. If you’re cooking it further than that then it’ll become more and more firm when pressed. There’s several different ways all over the internet about determining how well the steak is cooked but it really just takes practice to get a good feel for it.
TIP 1: If you have a good crust on each side but it’s still not cooked enough then you can finish it off in the oven for 10-20 minutes. This will prevent the outside drying out too much.
TIP 2: If you’re serving the steak Medium or under then it’s best to let the steak ‘rest’ for a few minutes before it gets cut into. When meat is heated it tenses up and then it relaxes after it’s removed from the heat. If you cut the steak while it’s still tensed up then all the juices will quickly drain out leaving the steak dry. Look at your hand when it’s open and relaxed, then clenched into a fist. Then think what might happen if you had a deep cut on your hand and then clenched your fist.
POTATO WEDGES
The wedges can be fried or baked. I personally prefer baked because they taste better, they’re easier to cook, you can add flavour to them during cooking, and they are healthier.
Baked Wedges
1. Preheat oven to 200°C 2. Cut potatoes lengthways into 6 or 8 wedges and put into a large bowl. 3. Drizzle with some oil and add some salt and pepper. 4. You can also add some fresh chopped rosemary and/or thyme and even some garlic at this stage if desired. Toss them around in the bowl so they all get covered evenly with oil and any other ingredients that have been added. 5. Place onto an oven tray and bake for around 30 minutes. You want them to crisp up and you can easily test whether they’re cooked by simply breaking one in half.
Fried Wedges
Heat a pot of oil to 180°C. If you don’t have a way to measure the temperature then throw a cube of bread in the oil and if it turns golden brown within 10 seconds then you’re right to go.
1. Cut potatoes lengthways into 6 or 8 wedges and prepare a tray lined with paper towel.
2. Carefully place wedges into the oil making sure not to over-load the pot as this will cool the oil down too much and the chips won’t cook properly or become crispy. Carefully stir occasionally to prevent the chips from sticking to the pot and to themselves.
3. Cook for 15-20 minutes until wedges are golden brown. Remove the wedges and drain off the excess oil back into the pot then place onto the paper towel lined tray.
4. Before adding more to the pot ensure the oil has reached the required temperature first.
FIELD MUSHROOMS
Truffle oil is an amazing addition to foods adding a great aroma and a tasty background flavour. It goes well with mushrooms, beef, potato, egg, dressings, etc. It even works well drizzled over dishes such as risotto or pasta just before serving.
With the Truffle Oil: Remove stalk from mushrooms and place onto an oven tray.
Lightly sprinkle salt over the mushrooms and drizzle with truffle oil.
Bake in the oven at 160°C for 8 minutes.
Without the Truffle Oil: If you’re not using truffle oil then you can replace with finely crushed garlic and some freshly chopped thyme and use whatever oil you have available instead. Mushrooms also love salt, so a sprinkle of that too.
PARTY PIES
This recipe is for plain beef mince pies however there's no reason why you can't experiment with them and add other ingredients to the mix such as some small cooked bacon pieces, or sautéed mushrooms, cheese, spices or herbs, top with mashed potato, or anything you can come up with really. The pastry sheets are readily available from supermarkets. Makes approximately 30 party pies.
▹ 500g onion, finely diced ▹ 50ml cold water (for the cornflour)
▹ 1kg beef mince ▹ salt and pepper to taste
▹ 70g tomato paste ▹ 1 packet of frozen short crust pastry sheets
▹ 50ml Worcestershire sauce ▹ 1 packet of frozen puff pastry sheets
▹ 900ml water ▹ 2 egg yolks for brushing on top of pies
▹ 50g cornflour
1. Sauté onions with a little oil until soft and little colour.
2. Add beef and cook until brown, stirring occasionally to break up the mince.
3. Add tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes stirring regularly.
4. Add Worcestershire sauce and water and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper.
6. Combine cornflour and water then stir into the mix. Bring to the boil then remove from heat to cool completely. Leaving it to boil is an important step because cornflour doesn’t actually achieve a lot until it reaches boiling temperature. From there its thickening capabilities are the most effective.
7. Cut out circles of the short crust pastry and push into a greased party pie tray or small muffin tray. To help work out the size of the cut-outs, turn the tray upside-down and measure the width of one of the pie moulds. Turn it back over and measure down the side (the depth). Multiply the depth measurement by two and add that to the width of the bottom and you then have the approximate diameter of your circle cut-out.
8. Place a spoonful of the mix into the pastry 3/4 to the top.
9. Cut out circles of the puff pastry large enough to fit on top of the pies without being too big.
10. Brush with a little water and place wet-side-down onto the pies, pressing edges firmly to help them stick together. Brush a little egg yolk on top.
11. Bake at 190ºC for 20-30 minutes until top is golden brown.
CHICKEN, CHEESE AND BACON SAUSAGE ROLLS
These are quite easy to prepare and simple to cook. They can even be made well in advance and frozen until needed. The're packed full of flavour and guaranteed to be a hit.
▹ 1 large onion ▹ 1 cup breadcrumbs
▹ 1 kg chicken mince ▹ Salt & Pepper
▹ 250g bacon ▹ 1 packet of Puff pastry sheets
▹ 250g cheese, grated ▹ Egg yolk for glazing
▹ 1 egg
1. Finely dice and cook the onion in a pot with a little oil until it becomes soft without browning up. Put aside and allow to cool.
2. Cut the bacon, including the fat, into small strips.
3. Combine all ingredients well then divide into 6 even portions.
4. Cut 3 pastry sheets in half, leaving the plastic still attached, to make 6 sheets.
5. Lay a sheet of pastry flat on the bench. Take one of the filling portions and work it into an even log shape the length of the pastry. Try not to leave any large cracks or indents as this will affect in the meat otherwise the pastry may not hold successfully.
6. Carefully pull one side of the pastry upwards over the meat and then brush some water across the top of the pastry at the end. You will need to pull the plastic away about 2cm and it’s easy enough to just wet your finger and swipe it over the top. Then roll towards the other end making sure the ends overlap slightly. Apply a small amount of pressure to encourage it to stick. Because the plastic was kept on, these can actually be put straight into the freezer for future use.
7. Cooking Methods.
Preheat oven to 190ºC. They’ll take approximately 15 minutes to cook depending on size.
I’d recommend cutting them up into quarters or eights to allow for a more consistent cooking result and they will present a lot better when served up.
For the quarters, remove the plastic and cut in half, then in half again. Place onto a baking tray with the join sitting on the bottom and leaving a 4-5cm gap between rolls. Brush the top with some beaten egg and you can also sprinkle it with dried herbs, or parmesan cheese, etc if desired.
For the eights you can actually cook them on their side and they make great finger-food style rolls. Place onto a baking tray leaving a 4-5cm gap between rolls. After they’re cooked you can even take it a step further and top them with something such as a garnish of some type or a dollop of chutney, or whatever you come up with. Then arrange on a platter for everyone to help themselves.
HINT: If you find that they’re difficult to cut because either the pastry tears away or they squash easily, then placing them in the freezer for about an hour beforehand will harden up the outside and keep it in shape while cutting.
When Melbourne Cup comes around we’re always dressing up ourselves so it’s about time we think of the champagne and dress it up as well.
ROSELLA IN CHAMPAGNE
Great for special occasions the rosella looks impressive at the bottom of the glass and adds a special finish to your champagne.
You can cook fresh Rosella’s in syrup yourself otherwise they’re conveniently available at many bottle shops in a syrup already done for you. They’re also available online should you find it hard tracking them down.
As they’ve been poached in syrup they’re on the sweeter side so it’s better to use a dry champagne. You can also add a few drops of the syrup to the champagne to adjust the dryness further.
FRUITY CHAMPAGNE PUNCH
▹ 375ml sparkling wine ▹ 1 lime, thinly sliced
▹ 375ml lemonade ▹ 100g frozen raspberries
▹ 80ml chilled vodka ▹ 125ml (½ cup) fresh passionfruit pulp
▹ 80ml Malibu ▹ Ice cubes, to serve
Combine the sparkling wine, lemonade, vodka, Malibu, lime, raspberries and passionfruit in a large jug. Add the ice cubes and serve.
Serves 4.
CHAMPAGNE SLUSHY
500g frozen sorbet
½ bottle champagne
Place the sorbet in a blender with the champagne. Process until well combined. Pour into 4 chilled glasses.
CLASSIC CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
4 Sugar Cubes
2-3 Dashes Angostura bitters
1 bottle champagne
60ml brandy
Strawberries or Glacé cherries to garnish
Place a sugar cube into each glass and drop some bitters onto it.
Divide brandy between the four glasses.
Fill with champagne and garnish with strawberries of cherries.
TURKEY BREAST ROLLED WITH AN APRICOT, FIG AND SAGE STUFFING
It’s turkey, it’s fruity, it’s Christmassy! ...and enough for four.
▹ 1 Large Turkey Breast
▹ 200g dried apricots, sliced
▹ 200g dried figs, thinly sliced
▹ 6 leaves of fresh sage, finely sliced
▹ 3 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
▹ 4 Tablespoon brown sugar
1. Clean the turkey breast of any excess scraps and remove the tenderloin.
2. Trim off any meat remaining on the scraps and clean the tenderloin and remove the tendon. Mince the meat through a food processor or chop it up really fine.
3. Combine the turkey mince, sage, apricots and figs.
4. Lightly beat out the turkey breast until reasonably flat and approximately 1-2cm in thickness. On the narrow end, butterfly a flap outwards to make the whole piece resemble a rough rectangle.
5. Place the stuffing on the breast in the middle and roll each end long end of the turkey over. Put onto some cling-film and roll into a log. Twist the ends to tighten and secure by wrapping with another piece of cling-film.
6. The turkey can be cooked in a steamer for approximately 30-45 minutes. Otherwise it can be wrapped in foil (while still in the plastic) and cooked in the oven for approximately 1 ½ hours at 180ºC.
7. Slice carefully while still in the cling-film to help maintain its shape and serve with your favourite roast vegetables and sauce.
PAVLOVA
The Pavlova is a meringue type dessert that is crispy on the outside but light and fluffy on the inside. It’s traditionally served with lashings of whipped cream and multiple pieces of mixed fresh fruit with sweet and tart flavours such as strawberries, kiwi fruit, passionfruit, banana and berries. It is frequently eaten during holiday periods such as Christmas day.
There has long been a debate between Australia and New Zealand of the true origin of this famous dessert but it is believed that it was created in Perth in 1935 to celebrate the visit of a great Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova.
The cooked Pavlova can be decorated however you wish but typically the top would be spread with whipped cream and then finished with sliced fruit. Passionfruit is a good one as it helps to fill gaps between the fruit making it look a lot ‘fuller’. One important tip is to include some fruits that have a bit of sourness as well as ones that are sweet. Because the Pavlova and cream are so sweet the sour fruit add a pleasing balance.
2 egg whites
1 ½ cups castor sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon cornflour
4 Tablespoons boiling water
1. Place all ingredients into a clean dry bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high for about 15 minutes until mixture is stiff and sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Line an oven tray with foil then brush with melted butter. Dust with cornflour and then shake off the excess.
3. Spread then mixture onto the prepared tray. This will make one 28cm Pavlova or you can make several smaller ones.
4. Bake at 180ºC for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 140ºC and bake for an extra
if using an electric oven bake for a further 45 minutes, or
if using a gas oven bake for a further 60 minutes, or
if you've made several smaller ones check after 15 minutes.
NOTE: Do not open oven during cooking process. When cooked turn oven off and leave Pavlova in oven until it has cooled down. It is also safe to leave in the oven overnight ready to decorate the next morning.
BUNDY AND PINEAPPLE GLAZED HAM WITH SEEDED MUSTARD POTATOES
See the Easter section for this simple dish that has loads of flavour and finished off with lashings of Bundaberg rum.
For a lot of us, New Year’s Day greets us when we’re at our worst. Waking up with a dry mouth, a thumping headache, feeling lightheaded, and extreme tiredness because we said goodbye to the previous year by showing it how much we like to drink.
Alcohol is a diuretic and what you’re likely experiencing, amongst other things, is severe dehydration. The liver also wants to focus on processing the alcohol instead of performing its main duty of regulating your blood sugar level, which is another contributing factor for the tiredness and feeling lightheaded.
While fried and salty foods seem like a great start to get you back on track, the salt content may actually make your dehydration worse. An easy and quick way to give your body the fuel it needs to recover is by combining several important ingredients together in the form of a large smoothie.
Here's what you'll need
1. A mix of fruits and vegetables for carbohydrates, nutrients, hydration, and energy.
2. A protein source to stabilise blood sugar levels such as an egg or Greek yogurt.
3. Liquid, such as water, coconut water, or milk.
4. Ingredients high in potassium such as bananas, coconut water, and avocado. 5. Avoid artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes as this can make it worse. Use sweet tasting fruit instead.
The choice of ingredients for your smoothie is really up to your own preferences and how experimental you like to be, but a couple of ideas for combinations include:
▹ Banana, Yogurt, Oats, Milk, Coconut Water, and Peanut Butter.
▹ Mango, Banana, Avocado, Egg, Ginger, and Milk.
▹ Banana, Mango, Oats, Coconut Water, and Milk.
Please Note: This isn't professional medical advice and it's not going to be suitable or effective for everyone.
This is a revised version of our post Smoothing Away the Hangover
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