Minestrone

2 Tabs olive oil                                                            2 onions chopped

4 cloves garlic crushed                                               2 sticks of celery chopped

250g bacon chopped                                                  2 sml bacon bones

1 tabs Tomato paste                                                   1 dsp pesto (sundried tomato or basil)

2 cans crushed tomatoes                                           2-3 carrots chopped (large dice)

3-4 potatoes chopped (large dice)                             2 sliced zucchini

1 sml pkt filled pasta                                                   5lts beef stock

2 tsp oregano                                                              1 tabs dried basil (2 tabs fresh)
cracked pepper                                                           1 cup frozen peas

Salt to taste (when finished cooking)                        

OPTIONAL: 1 can kidney beans, ¼ chopped cabbage

To Serve: Parmesan cheese

Method:

In a large saucepan or boiler saute onions, garlic, celery and bacon till veggies are transparent. Add Tomato paste and stir. Add stock, pesto, bacon bones, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and herbs.

Cook until vegetables are tender, add pasta, zucchini and peas, (add optional  kidney beans and cabbage at this stage if desired). Cook until pasta is done.

Remove bacon bones, adjust seasoning and serve with parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

Not suitable to cook in slow cooker but can be successfully reheated so long as pasta and green veggies are not overdone.                                                             

If pasta has used up too much liquid, more water or beef stock may be added.

Old Fashioned Jam Drops

Ingredients:

6 x 20ml spoons butter

½ cup caster sugar

1 egg

Vanilla

1 ¾  cups SR Flour

Pinch salt

½ cup plum jam 

Method: 

1. Beat butter and sugar to a cream,


2. Add the egg (room temp) and beat well. Add vanilla.


3. Gradually add sifted flour and salt.


4. Mix into a stiff paste.


5. Take small pieces of mixture and roll into balls.


6. Place on greased trays, or trays lined with baking paper.


7. Make a hollow in each with the floured end of a wooden spoon.


8. Place a little jam in each biscuit.


9. Bake in a moderate oven (180 C) until golden brown. Approx 10 -12 mins.

Home made Chicken Liver Pate

This recipe was given to me by my good friend and former neighbour Anne...Ooh it is delicious. Thanks Annie 😊

1/2kg fresh Chicken Livers (floured)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
s & p to season
2 tabs brandy
2 tabs fresh cream
1 dsp French mustard
nutmeg
Butter

Fry the floured chicken livers in butter. Remove from pan, drain and keep juices.
Increase the heat and fry off the onion and garlic until transparent. Season.
Add the brandy (I had Cognac) over high heat (WATCH OUT, IT MAY IGNITE - WOOHOO) and add the juices from the livers. Stir and thicken slightly, pour in the cream, mustard and a little grated nutmeg. Cook till thick.
Turn off the heat and add 3/4 cup of butter, stirring.
Place in blender and blitz until you like the consistency. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed.
Line tin with foil and pour in the pate, seal with melted butter. Refrigerate so that it sets nicely.
Serve with fresh French bread or little toasts and a good wine. Bon appetit.

I often fill little pots or jars with this pate, seal with melted butter and give as presents as Christmas time. Make sure you remember to sterilize the jars before adding the pate. An easy way to do this is to put them in a hot oven together with the lids...obviously not plastic jars or lids.

Chickpea and Lentil Salad

2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 stick celery chopped
1 tsp minced chilli

2 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp ground coriander
1.5 tsp sweet paprika
1.5 tsp tumeric
1.5 tsp Moroccan spice

1 red capsicum (bell pepper) chopped
1 tomato diced
1 can brown lentils
1 can chickpeas
2 dsp coconut chips
Nuts and seeds:
sliced almonds, macadamias, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds......whatever you like
fresh coriander
greek yoghurt (optional)

In a little olive oil saute the celery, garlic, ginger and chilli, add the spices and release the flavours.
Add the nuts and seeds and let them fry a little in the spice mix (a small handful of each is sufficient). Add tomatoes and capsicum and fry off.
Add 1 can each of brown lentils and chickpeas well rinsed and drained.
Mix well and serve hot or cold with rice. Garnish with Greek yoghurt and coriander.

To add a Moroccan touch, I add it to Couscous and throw in a few chopped dried apricots and some sultanas...delicious. Serve with lamb, chicken or seafood and garnish with Greek yoghurt and coriander.

This is a variation on a recipe given to me by Marguerite Stone.
She served it cold with rice and it was delicious.

Couscous with roasted vegetables

250gms (1 cup) couscous
1 cup boiling water

Vegetable (vegeta gourmet) stock

Olive oil
3 tsp butter

1/4 pumpkin
2 carrots
1 onion
1 red bell pepper (capsicum)

1 orange sweet potato (Kumera)

1 zucchini

a small amount of diced apricots and sultanas (are a nice option)

I add some roasted vegetable. Peel and cut into chunks some pumpkin, carrots, onions, sweet potato, Zucchini and Red Capsicum (Bell Pepper), put into a plastic bag together with a little olive oil (about a tsp or two). Shake and put on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake @ 200 for about 30 mins depending on the size of the pieces.

While the vegetables are cooking prepare the couscous:

In a bowl put 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp vegeta gourmet stock, 250ml boiling water.

Add 250 gms couscous, stir and let sit for 2 mins. Add 2-3tsp butter and separate with a fork to make it fluffy.

Toss the vegetables through the Couscous.Garnish with Coriander, greek yoghurt and lemon.

I served this with some lamb...but you can eat it as it is.
For the lamb: just roast a small piece of leg meat or shoulder or cook a couple of chops.

Fried Rice

 

6 Cups Cooked Rice   = (1 cup raw rice)                        

1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed                        

4 rashers bacon chopped
3 eschallots chopped (save some for garnish)
1 stick celery chopped                        

1/4 cup peas
3 eggs beaten                                         

2dsp oil (peanut is good)

1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt,
1 tsp sesame oil

Method:

I cook my rice in the microwave.
In a large microwaveable bowl put in 1.5 cups of raw rice ( I like really good quality basmati). Rinse the rice under cold water by filling up the bowl that you have the rice in and then tipping it off, stirring the rice around with your hands occasionally. Repeat this step about 4 -5 times until the water runs clear. Add enough cold water so that the rice is covered...there should be just enough water so that when you put your index finger on the top of the rice the water will reach up to the first knuckle on your finger. Don't put your finger through the rice down to the bottom of the container but have it gently resting on top of the rice to get the right measurement. I know it sounds strange but it doesn't seem to matter what size bowl you use the same ratio of water to rice works when you measure it this way. Also, use a good size bowl not a small one or you'll have starchy water all over the inside of your micro.
Put the bowl with rice and water into the microwave and cook on high for 15mins. Take it out and put a lid on it. This will finish steaming it and your rice should end up fluffy. If it's still a bit damp just cook it for another
3 mins lid off.Heat a little oil in pan, cook eggs while stirring, remove from pan and put in the same dish as the rice.

Add a little more oil, the sesame oil, onion, garlic, celery, eschallots and bacon and then fry off.  

Add frozen peas to the rice. Add rice, peas and eggs to fried ingredients, add salt and sugar and stir through. Allow to heat through and then serve topped with some chopped eschallots. 

NB. If your rice is gluggy don't try to make fried rice. It won't be nice.
If your rice is a little damp and not totally fluffy you can dry it out in the fridge overnight and this may help.
Cooking it in the microwave or steamer is the best for Fried Rice.
 

                    

 

WONTON

Wontons are delicious little parcels that you can fill with a number of things.
In this recipe I have used pork mince but why not try raw prawn meat minced with garlic, coriander, soy and ginger. Chicken mince with ginger, sesame oil, soy and shallot is also delicious. They can be cooked in a variety of ways:
Steamed, deep fried or dropped into a clear chicken soup for a nice alternative.

  

Pork Wonton

250 gm Pork Mince
1 clove garlic crushed
1 small knob ginger grated
1tsp soy
1 tsp sesame oil
1 shallot diced finely

a slurry of cornflour and water (about 1 tsp cornflour to 2 tabs water)
1 pkt wonton wrappers (available from Chinese/Asian supermarkets)

Mix all the ingredients together and place about a teaspoonful of mixture onto a Wonton wrapper. Put a little of the slurry on two edges of the wrapper then fold over the opposite sides to form a triangle. The slurry will hold the two sides of the pastry together. Seal the triangles, getting the air out and bring the two long edges of the triangles together. Overlap one under the other and then turn it in on itself. If you can't manage it just bring them up into a neat package.
Steam, deep fry or drop in a soup.
If you deep fry them, serve with Sweet and Sour sauce or make up this one that we generally use as a dipping sauce. 2 tabs tomato sauce and 2 tsp Worchestershire sauce. It can be a little spicy but it's nice.

Soft Almond Biscuits - Pasta di Mandorla

Pasta di mandorla 

(soft, almond biscuits)

300g ground almonds
200g pure icing sugar, not icing mixture (plus extra for dusting)
tsp vanilla
the zest of a large unwaxed lemon
2 medium-sized eggs gently beaten with a fork

Mix the ground almonds, icing sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add the beaten egg and vanilla then using a flat bladed knife bring the mixture together into a soft sticky dough.
Using the knife turn the mixture out onto the on the bench covered with  icing sugar.
Dust your hands with icing sugar and then form into a roll then cut into even pieces. Makes 12.
Gently shape into an oblong and add a half a glazed cherry on one end.
Put on a tray lined with baking paper.
Bake 12 -16 mins @ 160      
Cut in half on the diagonal to serve