The Family Christmas Cake - Customs, please let it through!

I'm posting this one for my Dad as this is the family christmas cake recipe.  Good luck making it Dad!  And here's hoping it makes it through customs for our Sydney Christmas!

Christmas Cake

Melt over hot water 1 tin sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 lb butter, and two teaspoons of Golden Syrup.  Add four eggs beating in one at a time.  Add 1 teaspoon each Vanilla, Almond and Lemon Essence.  Sift in two cups flour, pinch salt, 1/2 teaspoon each mixed spice, nutmeg and curry powder.  Add three pounds mixed fruit floured and 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1/4 cup milk.  Lastly add 1 16oz tin crushed pineapple drained.  Bake in 9 inch lined tin at 130-135 degrees celcius for four to five hours.  (Half a glass brandy or sherry will help it keep).

And the winner is...

...me!   Yay, Dunaden came in first in the Melbourne Cup, now how will I spend my winnings of $22.60???!!!

I didn't go to the Cup this year, but instead had a most pleasant champagne afternoon tea.  I made a selection of finger food and we watched the race on TV.  It was a nicely paced day - sleeping in, then heading out for a walk to buy the ingredients, and spending a few leisurely hours in the kitchen.  Oh god I just realised I wrote "paced" in an entry on racing, I'm making naff jokes without even realising it!  That's daytime drinking for you... 

Eggplant Rolls with Minted Goats Cheese

Makes 10-12 depending on the size of the eggplant

1 large eggplant
Olive oil
120g of soft goats cheese
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint
Salt and pepper

1. Cut the eggplant into thin slices (about 5mm).  Brush with olive oil and grill each side until golden brown (or you could use a BBQ grill or chargrill pan).

2. Crumble the goats cheese and mash the mint into it.  Season with salt and pepper.

3. Once the eggplant slices are cool, spread a spoonful of the minted cheese onto one end  of each slice and roll up.

Carrot Dip

This makes a pretty big batch - either halve it or keep half aside for another day!

500g of carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
60ml of orange juice
Salt and pepper

1. Cook the carrots until tender - you can either steam them for 15-20 minutes, or cook them in a covered pan in a couple of centimetres of boiling water for a few minutes. Drain once cooked.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low to medium heat. Add the onion and gently cook for a few minutes.  Add the garlic and cumin and cook for another couple of minutes until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant. 

3. Blend the carrot, onion mixture and orange juice until smooth, and season with salt and pepper.

4. Once cool serve with crackers or toasted bread.

Asparagus, Avocado and Salmon Tortillas

Makes 12 to 16 depending on whether you get a bag of 6 or 8 tortillas!

6 or 8 asparagus spears, ends trimmed and spears cut in half (or use 12 to 16 spears if you want each roll to feature a fancy spear end!)
1 large avocado or 2 smaller avocados
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
210g of canned salmon, drained
6 or 8 corn tortillas or mountain bread (get the square ones if you can) cut in half

1. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for one minute.  Drain and cool in iced water.  Drain again and set aside.


2.  Mash the avocado with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper.

3. Soften the tortillas by briefly heating in the microwave (wrapped in papertowels) or in the oven (wrapped in foil).

4. Spread each tortilla with the avocado mix, sprinkle some salmon on top, and place an asparagus spear on the end.  Roll up, and if needed secure with a toothpick.

Corn and Courgette Fritters

Makes 32 small fritters.

310g tin corn kernels, drained, or a cup of fresh or defrosted corn
150g courgette, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 of a cup of milk
1 cup of self-raising flour
1/2 a teaspoon of ground cumin 

Salt and pepper
Sweet chilli sauce (Mae Ploy brand preferably)

1. Whisk together the corn, courgette, eggs and milk. Switch to a spoon and  gradually stir in the sifted flour, cumin, salt and pepper.

2. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Using a soupspoon, place spoonfuls of the mixture in the pan and cook in batches. Turn them once and cook until golden and cooked through. Drain on a paper towel.

3. Serve with sweet chilli sauce as a dipping sauce. 

Big Dipper

I went to the Mediterranean Wholesalers on Sydney Road the other day for the first time... rows and rows of deliciousness... it was wonderful.  My purchases included pecorino cheese and jars of artichoke hearts which I turned into a baked dip that can be served hot, warm or cold. 

Baked Artichoke Dip

I served this with thin slices of french bread and carrot sticks.

One 400g jar of artichoke hearts
Half a cup of grated pecorino or parmesan
Half a cup of mayonnaise
1 clove of finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.

2. Combine the ingredients and spoon into a small baking dish (I used a terracotta tapas dish).

3. Bake for twenty minutes until bubbling and slightly browned.

 

The last of the winter dishes... surely!

Today was a cold spring day here in Melbourne, and was definitely chilly enough to justify making a wintry soup, especially since I was cooking it for a friend recovering from illness - soup is the most restorative dish I can think of.  I am currently seeking out dishes that include the vegetables I've recently planted in my vege garden (in anticipation of the oversupply that will occur once it is time to harvest them!), so tonight's recipe includes lots of silverbeet.  It will be several weeks until my little rainbow silverbeet plants are ready, but I want to be ready so I can use it all.

Chickpea and Silverbeet Soup

Serves 4

2 cans of chickpeas
3 tablespoons of olive oil plus extra to serve
Juice of half a lemon
1 - 2 teaspoons of dried red chillis
5 cloves of garlic, crushed with the back of a knife and roughly chopped
3 sprigs of rosemary
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 litre of chicken stock (I use vegetarian "chicken" stock)
300g of silverbeet (1 bunch)
1/2 cup of grated parmesan or pecorino
Crusty bread

1. Drain the chickpeas and toss with one tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon juice.

2. Gently heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a stockpot, add the garlic, chilli and rosemary, and cook for a minute or so until fragrant.  Add the tomatoes and a good pinch of salt; bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for twenty minutes.

3. Add the stock and simmer for another ten minutes, and then add the chickpeas and simmer for forty minutes.

4.  Cut the silverbeet leaves from the stalk.  Trim the stalks into one centimetre chunks, and cut the larger leaves in half.  When the soup is almost ready, bring a pan of salted water to the boil; add the stalks and cook for two minutes, add the leaves and cook for another minute, and then drain.

5. Stir the parmesan or pecorino into the soup, then the silverbeet and a drizzle of olive oil.  Season as needed.

6. Serve with slices of bread that can be broken into chunks and added to the soup.

"...until they begin to splutter..."...and the foodie blues...

Thursdays are now firmly established as Experimental Cooking Nights at Dave and Tina's house.  Every week I get increasingly excited as we pick a new recipe, then Tina sources the ingredients sorted, and I turn up after work to assemble the dish.  These weekly dinner party dates have definitely lifted me out of my foodie blues - I completely lost my cooking mojo there for a while, burning this, oversalting that...   

We made this recipe a few weeks ago, and agreed it had an almost Indo-Thai taste, probably because of the inclusion of coconut.  You could of course serve it with plain rice but the pilau was easy to make and definitely gave the dish a lift.

Indian Green Fish Curry with Pea and Mushroom Pilau

Serves 4.

Pilau

2 1/4 cups of basmati rice
1 tablespoon of oil
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
2 black cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon of salt
1 medium tomato, sliced
2/3 of a cup of button mushrooms
1/3 of a cup of petits pois (peas)
3 cups of water

1. Wash the rice well and leave it to soak in water for 30 minutes.

2. In a medium heavy-based saucepan, heat the oil and add the spices, garlic and salt.

3. Add the tomato and mushrooms and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Drain the rice and add it to the pan with the peas.  Stir gently, making sure that you do not break up the grains of rice.

5. Add the water and bring to the boil.  Lower the heat, cover and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes. 

Curry

1/4 of a teaspoon of ground turmeric
2 tablespoons of lime juice
A pinch of salt
4 cod fillets, skinned and cut into 5cm chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 green chilli, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 of a cup of cashew nuts
1/2 a teaspoon of fennel seeds
2 tablespoons of dessicated coconut
2 tablespoons of oil
1/4 of a teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/4 of a teaspoon of ground coriander
1/4 of a teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 of a teaspoon of salt
2/3 of a cup of water
3/4 of a cup of plain yoghurt
3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh coriander

1. Mix the turmeric, lime juice and salt together and rub over the fish.  Cover and marinate for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, process the onion, chilli, garlic, cashew nuts, fennel seeds and coconut to a paste.  Spoon the paste into a bowl and set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan and fry the cumin seeds for 2 minutes or until they begin to splutter (with rage! Ha ha ha).  Add the paste and fry for 5 minutes, then stir in the ground coriander, cumin, salt and water and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the yoghurt and the chopped fresh coriander.  Simmer gently for 5 minutes.  Add the fish fillets and gently stir in. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes until the fish is tender.

I Demand More Oysters

Because you can never have too many recipes for oysters dripping in butter sauce... here is another version following on from my Oysters Rockefeller post! 

Oysters with Chilli Lime Butter Sauce

1 dozen oysters in the shell
50g butter
2 teaspoons of finely minced shallots or 4 teaspoons of finely chopped spring onions
2 teaspoons of finely chopped coriander
1/2 chopped red chilli or 1/2 teaspoon chilli paste

1 tablespoon of lime juice
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Rock salt or aluminium foil

1. Soften the butter and mix in the shallots or spring onions, chilli, lime, salt, and coriander. 

2. Put the rock salt or scrunched up foil on a baking tray and sit the oysters on top (the salt or foil will stop them from tipping over).

3. Top each oyster with a teaspoon of the butter.

4. Grill for 5 minutes or so until the butter is bubbling.

The Cake

I recently spent some time helping my Dad sort through Mum's things... it was a difficult but cathartic process.  However one thing I was looking forward to was going through Mum's recipes, and I intend to scan and type out some of them over the next few months.  Her handwriting was so beautiful, such elegant cursive script, and reading and using these recipes is a lovely way bring back some really nice memories of her.

The most "important" recipe I had to find first of all was for Mum's Apple Raisin Cake - it is the King of Cakes in our family, and was the most requested of all of her recipes for birthdays or special occasions! 

Mum - thanks for all of the thousands of meals you cooked for us.  I have many happy kitchen memories of us cooking together and I will treasure those forever xxx

Apple Raisin Cake

Mum always diced the apples, never added the walnuts, and often served warm slices with icecream. 

2 cooking apples
¾ of a cup of brown sugar
1 ½ cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
½ teaspoon of allspice
115g of melted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ a cup of walnuts (optional)
½ a cup of raisins

1. Peel and grate or dice the apples. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the brown sugar.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Add the butter and egg, stir, then add the walnuts (if using) and raisins.

3. Bake in a round tin for 50 to 60 minutes at 180 degrees celcius. Sprinkle with icing sugar once cold.

I Hart Alice

Although I will soon be packing my things and heading to a new house, I ended up buying yet another thing to pack today... Alison Hart's cookbook simply titled "Vegetarian".  There are lots of things I am looking forward to cooking from this book.  Her style reminds me a bit of Heidi Swanson, so I made a dinner tonight inspired by a dish from each person: Fried White Beans and Spinach (thanks Heidi) with Parsnip and Rosemary Bread Rolls (thanks Alison).  Here is the recipe for the rolls, which had a sweet nuttiness to them that made them ever-so moreish. 

Parsnip and Rosemary Bread Rolls

Makes six rolls.

1 large parsnip (around 250g)
275 grams of self raising flour
1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary plus six sprigs
1 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs beaten lightly
2 tablespoons of milk
Olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Line an oven tray with baking paper (or instead oil the tray).

2. Coarsely grate the parsnip and mix together with the flour, chopped rosemary and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and milk.  Mix quickly with a knife to form a rough dough; be careful not to overwork it.

3. Divide the dough into six portions and shape each into a roll.  Slash the top of each with a sharp knife and press in one of the rosemary sprigs.  Drizzle with olive oil.

4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden.  Eat while warm, or warm before eating!

Spanish Meatballs: Aussie Style

Since I finally bought my Spanish terracotta dishes the other week I've been inspired to try making some Spanish recipes... with an Aussie twist.  As I still don't really like beef, I substitute with other gamey meats instead.  So here is my Spanish Kangaroo Meatballs recipe.

Oh but before I start typing the recipe I need to record the incredible meal my friend Liz and I had at Mamasita's last night.  Thank goodness we were only a table of two, as at 6.15pm walk-ins of three had a 2+ hour wait and walk-ins of four had a 4+ hour wait.  Whereas we were sipping magaritas by 6.30pm!  We shared 8 dishes and every single one was amazing:

• Elotes callejeros - grilled corn with chipotle mayonnaise, cheese and lime
• Crab meat tostaditas
• Fish taco
• Prawn taco
• Ceviche in coconut milk
• Salmon ceviche (with a hint of mustard)
• Chipotle-braised goat with a roasted sweet corn puree
• A quinoa salad with corn, spinach, coriander, chilli & ‘pico de gallo’

We then went to Red Bennies for some great cocktails, crazy circus acts and electroswing (so excited to have found a place that plays it in Melbourne, yay).

Spanish Kangaroo Meatballs

Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as an entree. 

250g of kangaroo mince
3/4 of a cup of fresh white breadcrumbs (perhaps get some french bread and use the rest to serve with the dish)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
3 cloves of finely chopped garlic
2 finely chopped spring onions
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme
1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons of red wine (which leaves about 720ml of wine for dinner, excellent)
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh basil 
2 teaspoons of chopped fresh rosemary

1. Mix the kangaroo mince, breadcrumbs, tomato paste, garlic, scallions, egg, thyme, turmeric, salt, and pepper (food prep gloves are a big help here). Using your hands, shape the mixture into 12 balls.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized frypan over a medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for several minutes or until browned on all sides.

3. Add the tomatoes, wine, basil, and rosemary. Simmer gently for around 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve hot with slices of bread to mop up the sauce.

Thanks Angus and Robertson...

I hate seeing bookstores close : (  I know we can get books for incredibly cheap on-line, but I like to linger in stores mulling over my potential purchases, especially for recipe books...  it's not as fun browsing on-line.  But I did benefit from some heavy discounting at Angus and Robertson on the weekend (as a result of their decision to downscale operations).  I went straight for the food and wine section, and decided to get a Moroccan recipe book to broaden my horizons a bit.  I still remember the goat tagine I had in Marrakesh a few years ago, and the intensity of everything in Morocco: the flavours, the sun, the colours, the people.  Would this new recipe book live up to that?  So far I say yes; I've cooked one recipe and am waiting for my second experiment to cook as I write this (my dinner guest Kate is on her way)... exciting, can't wait to take it out of the oven!  And while I wait, here is the first recipe I cooked.  And some photos from Morocco.

Tagine of Chickpeas

I used canned chickpeas but you can of course use dried ones too.  The recipe says you can skin the chickpeas just before adding them to the pot but I didn't bother.

3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of harissa or 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of cinnamon   
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon of caster sugar
2 x 420g tins of chickpeas
3 tablespoons of chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons of chopped coriander
Salt and pepper
Bread (or couscous) to serve 

1. Add the olive oil and onion to a stockpot or large saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 7 minutes or so until softened.  Stir in the garlic, the harissa or cayenne pepper, and the spices and cook gently for 2 minutes or so until fragrant.  Add the tomatoes and sugar and season to taste.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Stir the chickpeas into the tomato mixture; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, adding a little more water if necessary.  Stir in the parsley and coriander and season to taste.  Serve with crusty bread or couscous. 

New kitchen items, yay :)

I've been meaning to try some baked egg recipes ever since first having some of Birdman Eating's fabulous ever-changing variations on this theme.  Last weekend I finally I got around to buying the ceramic dishes I've been meaning to buy from the Chef's Hat and so tonight was attempt number one.  It has been a cold day (11.8 degrees - I was going to say very cold but I do remember colder days from New Zealand...) and piping hot individual dishes straight from the oven to the table was just what Dad and I felt like for dinner.

Baked Eggs with Spicy Tomato and Feta Sauce

Serves 2 - I'll be halving the recipe for an easy dinner for one some time soon too. 

2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 small or 1 medium onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoon chopped fresh red chilli
4 medium diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 handful chopped parsley
1 cup crumbled feta
4 eggs
A few slices of fresh bread

1. Heat the oil in a pan.  Add the onion and saute gently until tender and clear.  Add the garlic and chilli and saute for about a minute until fragrant.

2. Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.

3. Remove from the heat and mix in the fresh herbs and feta.

4. Divide between two individually sized baking dishes, indent each twice with a spoon and crack the eggs into the indentations.

5. Bake in a preheated 220 degree oven until the sauce is bubbling and the egg whites have just set.  Serve with slices of bread to soak up the gooey egg yolks and the delicious sauce...

"Rich Enough For Rockefeller"

My Dad prides himself on successfully having convinced me for years as a child that oysters were “horrible”. Unfortunately for him I tried my first oyster in Brighton in England a decade ago and now he cannot hide the truth from me anymore, ha! I know oysters are not to everyone's taste, but now I agree with Dad – that is just fine as that means there are more for me. I found this recipe after searching for a Creole starter for the post-South America dinner party I had for Dad, my brother and his lovely wife Bel. The Creole/afro-peruvian food I had in Lima during my trip has inspired me and I will be seeking out some more recipes this winter.

Oysters Rockefeller
Serves 3 to 6 – depends on your level of oyster addiction and how much butter you can eat in one sitting!  I haven't used Pernod and capers in it yet but I will try these ingredients next time I make it.

Two dozen oysters on the half shell (liquor reserved)
2 T flat leaf parsley
4 spring onions
4 T celery leaves
1 t fresh tarragon
1 t fresh chervil
½ cup dried fresh breadcrumbs (use French bread)
1 T capers
250g unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Tabasco sauce
2 T Pernod
1 kilo rock salt (the chunky stuff)

1. Finely mince together the parsley, spring onions (including the green parts), celery leaves, tarragon and chervil.

2. Mix the herbs, breadcrumbs, capers and butter in a blender. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat the grill and lower the top rack to the middle of the oven. Spread the over a large baking sheet and moisten it slightly. Place the shells in the salt making sure they are level. Place one oyster in each shell and add a little oyster liquor. Divide the butter sauce amongst the oysters.

4. Grill until the butter is bubbling and is starting to brown on top (about 5 minutes). Serve immediately with slices of French bread to mop up the extra sauce.