Recipe - Chicken Shepherd's Pie

 

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         2 onions

·         2 cloves garlic

·         1kg chicken mince

·         2 tablespoons plain flour

·         2 tablespoons tomato paste

·         1 stick celery, diced

·         1 thin carrot, diced

·         1 cup chicken stock

·         2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

·         1 bay leaf

·         2 tablespoons chutney

·         2 cups tomato passata

·         1 tsp dried oregano

·         Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

·         tasty and parmesan cheese

·         1 kg small waxy potatoes

·         80g butter

·         150ml warmed milk

 

Method

1.       Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan or saucepan, on a medium heat and cook onions until are almost softened

2.       Add garlic for about 2 minutes until onions and garlic are soft

3.       Add chicken mix and cook, stirring, breaking up the mince until browned.

4.       Add flour and tomato paste and cook stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes.

5.       Add sliced celery and carrots and cook for 2 minutes

6.       Add stock, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, chutney, passata, dried oregano

7.       Bring mixture to the boil then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

8.       Stir through parsley

9.       Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

10.   Peel potatoes and cut into 2.5cm pieces. Rinse potatoes under running water until water runs clear. Place potatoes into a large saucepan and cover with cold water and some salt. Cover and bring to the boil over a high heat. Once boiling remove lid and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender and a skewer can be inserted easily. Drain potatoes well.

11.   Place potatoes back into the dry saucepan and gently shake the potatoes in the saucepan over a low heat for 1 -2 minutes to remove excess moisture. Remove from heat. Transfer potatoes to a straight sided bowl or mash in saucepan.

12.   Mash potatoes until smooth.

13.   Stir through the butter and warm milk. Season to taste.

14.   Spoon pie mixture into an oven proof serving dish and top with potatoes.

15.   Sprinkle a combo of tasty and parmesan cheese over the top

16.   Bake in moderately hot oven (200°C) for 20 minutes or until golden.

 

Recipe - Dark Chocolate, Pear And Pistachio Cake

 

Chocolate Lovers Unite! This is one rich and delicious recipe – have the cream handy for those that don’t love the intensity of a good chocolate hit. On this note, only use a thin layer of icing – I did go overboard!

You'll need

·         200 gm dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped

·         70 gm (¾ cup) pistachio kernels, plus extra to serve

·         150 gm softened butter

·         150 gm caster sugar

·         3 eggs

·         150 gm (1 cup) plain flour, sieved

·         1 tsp baking powder

·         1 Packham pear, cored and coarsely chopped

 Chocolate Ganache

·         150 gm dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped

·         150 ml pouring cream

Method

1.       Preheat oven to 160C. Process chocolate and pistachios in a food processor until coarse crumbs form, set aside. Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating until well combined, then stir in flour and baking powder. Stir through pistachio and chocolate mixture, then pear, pour into a 22cm-diameter springform cake tin greased and lined with baking paper. Bake until an inserted skewer withdraws clean (30-40 minutes), cool in tin for 10 minutes, turn out and cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

2.       Meanwhile, for chocolate ganache, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Heat cream in a saucepan over medium heat to just below boiling, add to chocolate, stand until chocolate melts (3-5 minutes), then stir until smooth, set aside until slightly thickened (5-10 minutes). Smooth over top and sides of cake, scatter with pistachios, set aside to set (20-30 minutes), then serve. Cake will keep, stored in an airtighter container, for 3 days.

This recipe is from the April 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

http://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/recipes/recipe-search/fare-exchange/2010/5/dark-chocolate,-pear-and-pistachio-cake/

 

 

Recipe - Anzac Biscuits

Ingredient
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
¾ cup coconut
125g  (4 oz) butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon boiling water to start ... then add more if you need

Method

Combine oats, sifted flour, sugar and coconut. Combine butter and golden syrup and melt.

Mix bicarb soda and boiling water and add to butter/syrup mix. Stir into dry ingredients.  

Lightly mould each biscuit by hand then place on lightly greased oven trays – allow room for spreading.

Cook in slow oven (ie set at 150) for 25 to 30 minutes.  Loosen while warm then cool on trays.   They will feel soft, but will harden as they cool.