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.

Recipe - Donna Hay's lemony peach cake - with a punnet of raspberries added

Donna Hay's lemony peach cake - with a punnet of raspberries added

• 175g butter, softened and chopped
• ¾ cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
• ¼ cup (70g) natural yoghurt
• 3 peaches, sliced
• icing (confectioner's) sugar, for dusting
• double (thick) cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Place the butter, sugar and lemon rind in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 6–8 minutes or until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, baking powder and yoghurt and beat until just combined.
Spoon into a lightly greased 25cm-round cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Top with the peaches and bake for 1 hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream. Serves 6.

Recipe - Steak with 2 Sauces (That takes 15 minutes to cook - total)

Recipe – The Perfect Steak

I don’t think I’ve actually cooked a steak before, not being a non-red meat eater myself, but I did for my partner tonight and apparently I nailed it! N.B I did repeatedly ask if he was just being polite …

Ingredients

·         steak

·         salt and pepper

·         Olive oil

·         Butter

·         4 sprigs of fresh thyme

·         2 cloves garlic, cut in half and in half again

·         ¼ of a cup stock (can use beef or chicken)

·         1 tsp of seeded mustard

·         a handful of parsley

·         juice of ½  a lime (could have used lemon)

·         a whole chilli

The Steak

1.       The steak was about 3cm thick so I took it out of the fridge approx. 30 mins before cooking, as it helps when the meat is room temperature

2.       I seasoned it with salt and pepper (both sides)

3.       Heated enough of a 50/50 oil/butter mix to ensure the fry pan was coated in a  thin layer

4.       Sautéed thyme and garlic till fragrant then threw out the thyme but kept the garlic

5.       Placed the steak on the oil and worked with a 3:1 ratio. In this case, because of the thickness it wasn’t quite 3:1 – rather 8 minutes on one side then 3 minutes on the other – this achieved medium- rare

6.       Took steak off the heat onto a plate and covered in with alfoil, resting it for 3 minutes while I did the following …

Steak sauce

7.       Poured in stock (can use beef or chicken) – approx. ¼ of a cup

8.       Added 1 tsp of seeded mustard

9.       Deglazed the frypan on high heat till sauce thickened slightly

Extra flavour

10.   Into a small food processor added

·          garlic (from the first stage)

·         a handful of parsley

·         juice of ½  a lime (could have used lemon)

·         a whole chilli

·         salt

·         pepper

·         just enough olive oil to moisten the ingredients

To serve

·         alfoil came off the plate

·         I spooned the sauce (mustard and sauce) over the steak ensuring that as it cascaded over the edges, the base of the plate was coated with a thin layer

·         I spooned the garlic and parsley flavour on top (just a little) and popped the remains in a small service dish so he could use as much or as little as he pleased.

Review - Glebe Point Diner

We were a party of 8 celebrating a birthday. The restaurant was kind enough to do a set menu for us and on it was a great selection – we were really happy.

I had the pate to start with. It tasted like it was 50% butter and 50% pate – you’ll see from the picture how unusual the texture was. It also had a funny after taste – when the 3 of us (one of which is a chef) explained we weren’t happy with it there was no hesitation to take it back so either their customer service is exemplary or there had been other issues.

Main was Mulloway – it was wonderful and dessert was nougat – also terrific!

It was a great restaurant to try – if someone suggested to go back there I’d happily tag along but I wouldn’t initiate to others that it’s a “must go to”

Recipe - Slow Cooker Chicken with Tomato, Spinach and Chick Peas

 

Ingredients

·         1 bunch of English Spinach, chopped

·         2 garlic cloves, crushed

·         1 onion, diced

·         1 bunch of shallots, chopped

·         2 ripe tomatoes or 400g tomato passata

·         1 small red chilli (seed removed), thinly chopped

·         1 cups of chicken stock

·         400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed

·         1kg chicken – combination of thigh fillets and skinless legs

 

Method

1.       Preheat slow cooker on high

2.       Add to slow cooker the garlic, onion, shallots and chilli and leave it for 20 minutes (i.e. when these ingredients have softened)

3.       Add spinach and leave it for 10 minutes (i.e. when the spinach has wilted)

4.       Add tomatoes, stock and chickpeas (in their juice) and leave for 20 minutes (i.e. when the mixture is warm)

5.       Immerse chicken pieces in the liquid

6.       Pending on your slow cooker the cooking time will be anywhere from 4 hours – 6 hours. So, allow maybe 7 hours cook time as you can switch the slow cooker off at any time beforehand and resting (for even multiple hours) won’t affect it. In fact, it will make it better J

7.       Serve with rice or even risoni

 

Recipe - Red Velvet Cupcakes

You'll need

• 1 beetroot (from 200gm - 300 gm range works)
• 60 gm dark cooking chocolate
• 60 gm milk cooking chocolate
• 200 gm butter, grated
• 100 gm caster sugar
• 4 eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 tsp red food colouring (or more if you'd like really intense colour)
• 150 gm (1 cup) plain flour
• 25 gm (¼ cup) Dutch-process cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C
2. If the beetroot is fresh, cook beetroot in a saucepan of boiling water until tender (40 minutes to 1 hour), then set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel. Or skip this stage and use a Love Beets beetroot (give it a good rinse and soak for 5 mins)
3. Transfer beetroot to a food processor and blend to a smooth purée
4. Melt chocolate - either by cooking on 1 on induction, or in a bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly
5. Meanwhile, beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and creamy, then add yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition
6. Add beetroot purée and food colouring, sieve flour, cocoa and baking powder over and fold to combine
7. Add chocolate
8. Whisk egg whites in a separate bowl to soft peaks, then fold into chocolate mixture. 
9. Spoon into a 12-cup muffin tray lined with paper cases and bake until an inserted skewer withdraws clean (20-25 minutes). 
10. Set aside to cool.
11. I served mine with cream cheese icing and shaved chocolate

Recipe - Lamington Butter Cake

This would have to be one of the simplest, quickest and tastiest cakes you could make! Even a novice will nail it.

Ingredients - Cake

·         125g Butter or Margarine

·         ¾ cup caster sugar

·         1 tsp vanilla

·         2 eggs

·         2 cups self-raising flour

·         ½ cup milk

Ingredients - Icing

·         1 cup icing sugar

·         I tbsp coco powder

·         1 tsp butter

·         Desiccated coconut

Method - Cake

·         Preheat oven to 180

·         Cream butter, sugar and vanilla till light and fluffy

·         Beat eggs slightly then add to butter mixture. Beat to combine

·         Sift flour and fold into mixture alternately with milk. Beat well

·         Fold into square tin (that’s lined with baking paper)

·         bake for ½ hour

·         Test to see if cooked by pricking with skewer. If it comes out clean then cake is cooked

·         Let cool slightly then turn out onto wire rack to cool

·         Ice only when cool

Method - Icing

·         Sift dry ingredients

·         Add butter

·         Mix to paste with boiling water – a little at a time i.e. start with a tablespoon

·         Sprinkle liberally with coconut whilst icing is still wet

Review - Etica Ethical Pizzeria - Adelaide

Any restaurant that focuses on seasonal produce and ethics gets my vote any day!

Tucked away in one of the more quieter streets, this was a terrific find. The ingredients are truly the stars, which allows for decor to be understated with a bit of funk, and the open kitchen adds to the vibe.

If you don't feel like drinking ... go another time as you simply must have a signature cocktail.

If you only want a slice of pizza as you're not so peckish ... go another time as, if you order 2 pizzas, they bring them to you already half/half and you must must must try both.

And ... you also must try a side salad - all of them perfectly compliment the pizzas and with the produce being so fresh you can't not experience what a salad tastes like when it is the freshest of the fresh.

Desserts didn't excite me so much but everything else makes that very easily forgivable.

A must go-to.

http://www.eticapizzeria.com.au/

Check out what we ate in the attached pics.

Recipe - Ultra Moist Banana Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 Cloves

2 very ripe bananas

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan

1/2 cup dark-brown sugar

1 large egg

DIRECTIONS

1.       Preheat oven to 190 degrees.

2.       Line a loaf tin with baking paper

3.       Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until smooth.

4.       Add egg, and beat until well combined.

5.       Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, into the mixture

6.       Add buttermilk

7.       Add vanilla

8.       Chop the banana into the mixture and just lightly whisk so some little banana pieces still remain for texture

9.        Pour batter into pan

10.   After 20 minutes quickly take cake out and push the 6 cloves into the top, then quickly return to oven

11.   Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean

12.   When cooked, let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

13.   Flip cake to cool on wire rack.

14.   Eat hot or even cold

Review - The Bentley - Sydney

Oh … wow … this is a must for any foodie that wants to experience dishes that you just can’t get anywhere else in Sydney.

The décor is cool and a but edgy and the wait staff are extremely attentive and professional but still down to earth so if you do ask for a tip on how the dish is intended to be eaten you’re not looked down upon. Once word gets out about here … I promise you it will take months to get a booking … it’s THAT good.

We started with the Cured Kingfish + Coriander Vinaigrette & the Scallop + Fois Gras which you have to taste to believe … the closest I have experienced to this amazing sensation was the creations of Oscillate Wildly, Newtown.

For mains we had Mulloway + Baby Turnip + Jamon + Amaranth & Morton Bay Bugs + John Dory + Shellfish Broth … again sensational and second to none.

For dessert we had Aerated Chocolate + Fig Leaf Ice-Cream + Lemon Aspen & White Chocolate + Apple Sorbet + Fennel. You will not find this calibre anywhere else in Sydney, it’s just pure genius.

We had a bottle of Rose throughout the meal and the bill was $240. Really, I think the value is outstanding!

I can’t wait to go back and absolutely recommend here. Run ... don't walk ... you will need to make that booking as I said!!!

http://www.thebentley.com.au