ZUCCHINI SOUP

Zucchini soup has to be made with a fish stock , you will need 1 litre of  fish stock .
Soften a finely chopped onion and a large peeled tomato in a pan with a tbs of rice bran oil .
Add 4 large chopped zucchinis along with the litre of fish stock and a handful of fresh dill or 2 tbs of dried dill .
season with salt and cracked black pepper .
Simmer gently till the zucchinis begin to break down .
Allow to cool so you can process the soup till smooth .
Serve with a knob of crème fraiche and a sprinkle of finely chopped dill .

CHILLED AVOCADO SOUP

Puree 2 and 1/2 avocados and then stir in 100ml of thick cream and 6 cups of chicken stock .
Season with 1 tbs of  lime juice and 2 tbs of dry white wine .
Stir to mix .
Now place in the refrigerator to chill.
Just before serving add the remaining 1/2 avocado finely diced .
Garnish each bowl with a swirl of cream and a dusting of nutmeg .

THE FEAR OF FAT

The fear of fat has become an obsession .
Low fat foods are making people fatter ,low fat foods  lack taste and essential nutrients .
The people who eat low fat foods are doing so because they believe they contain less kilojoules , but restricting or taking fats out of your food means there is no signal to tell the body it has had enough to eat .
Fat has 3 vital functions : it promotes saliva , it carries flavour , and it is the indicator which says to the stomach `that it has had enough `
We should really think about our sugar intake .where possible in my meal preparation I use stevia.

PORK TENDERLOIN

If you are looking for something special for your next dinner party , offer a pork tenderloin marinated in rum , molasses and fresh root ginger overnight in the refrigerator .
Pan fry whole or as I prefer thinly sliced and serve with a cream and ginger sauce ...
Very Classy .

PORK LOIN CHOPS

Next time you are at the butcher`s order your pork loin chops cut with the kidney still attached .
Your butcher ( mine is Norm Oliver`s Midvalley , Morwell  ) , cuts them so the fat and ligaments hold each slice of kidney in place on the chop .
The slices of acrid kidney goes superbly with the sweetish pork .
 

COOKING CLASSES 2016..

The classes will continue at Churchill Neighbourhood Centre and I will hold  an evening class at Castle Garden  on Thursday nights 7.00pm _9.00pm.PH 040 7561192  to book , numbers limited .

COOKING CLASSES 2016 ...TERM 1
It`s all about health , flavour and convenience

WEEK 1
SPANAKOPTA BURGERS & BASIC FOCACCIA

WEEK 2
COCONUT CHOCOLATE TART

WEEK 3
PALAK PANEER

WEEK 4
MINI BERRY COCONUT CHEESECAKES

WEEK 5
JAPANESE AUBERGINE LAMB STIR FRY

WEEK 6
PISTACHIO - GREEN TEA CUP CAKES

WEEK 7
CABBAGE & BEEF STUFFED CAPSICUMS

WEEK 8
COURGETTE NOODLES WITH BACON SQUASH & TOMATO MEDLEY .

TERM 2 COOKING CLASSES  2016
Term 2 will  find us using a different iconic ingredient every week to make either a savoury or sweet dish

TERM 3 COOKING CLASSES 2016
Term 3 will be all about making 3 in 1 cakes ,
There will be different cake each week , some sweet , some savoury .

TERM 4 COOKING CLASSES 2016
Term 4 will be of 5 week duration and over these weeks we will prepare a traditional Christmas cake .
A classic  Christmas Pudding
I will teach you to make your own savoury cheese .



 

AVOCADO CHIPS

I was sceptical at first , but I was asked to prepare these .........
........1 avocado per serve .....
.You will need arrowroot powder , back sesame seeds , white sesame seeds ,
Peel and deseed the avocado , slice into wedges . .
Lightly sprinkle arrowroot flour on a board .
Then roll in a mix of white and black sesame seeds .
You have two options  to cook ..
(1) bake in a preheated oven 200 deg C till lightly tanned .

OR

(2) deep fry in rice bran oil till heated through and slightly coloured .

These are amazing .

 

LET ME INTRODUCE PEACHES

Peaches is my beautiful ,opinionated cat .
Who arrived at my door in an empty stubby box .
 Peaches is a very fussy cat,   well look at the family she was adopted into  ...seriously .sometimes she eats wet  food , sometimes she nibbles dry food.
Peaches is all about  moderation .

MY APOLOGIES

My son Dale is obsessive to a high degree  about food and fitness , his food obsession led me in a new direction and understanding of grains  without compromising flavour of  local fresh or home grown  produce .
So please understand my complete surprise when my daughter Nicole  moved back home from the  Northern Territory , championing the benefits of a Keto lifestyle ....
Seriously , I was gobbed smacked ....Another twist in my learning curve .
The only `grain ` they agree on is chia ...
I have in the past  dismissed lifestyle changes such as Paleo , but without any qualified knowledge .
The books have been purchased and the reading is continuing ..... that`s how I learn .
As a parent all I want is for my adult children to be consuming all the essentials ....I try and
instil in them `we eat to live `, if we continually eat conveniently and badly their  life will be shortened .
My reading on KETO and PALEO has led me to produce some very healthy , flavoursome meals for both my daughter and my self .
My son`s choice of lifestyle sees him fit and healthy .
So apologies  for being so negative in the areas of  looking at renewing age old lifestyles .
My son and daughter are doing well with their life style choices .
As a cook and a mum ... I still run with moderation , but you know what is wrong with a little of everything in moderation ?
 It   is not trendy ....
Trends don`t save the world .
 I acknowledge change and change can only evolve from the tried and true .

 

ALTERNATIVES

I used a recipe which required  tapioca flour ...but I never had any .
So in the same position you can use cornflour  or arrowroot flour .. just halve the quantity needed .

ONE FOR THE CHEESE PLATTER ........SAVORY MEDITERRANEAN

OMG ...these are good ,
1 tub of full cream cheese ( 250 gm ) , 1/2 cup of ghee ( room temp ) , 4 tb s of dried oregano , 8 pieces of chopped sun dried tomatoes , 25 gm of slice black olives  , 2 tsp of minced garlic , cracked black pepper to taste .
Mix all these ingredients together .
Mix well .then roll into golf ball sized shapes
Roll each   ball into grated parmesan cheese .
Place on your cheese platter , pour a good red or white wine and enjoy ...

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2015

 

It`s 6.45am Friday morning the 25th Dec 2015  , and the house is silent , everyone is still sound asleep.

The best Christmas present for me is having all my family home .

I wish they would wake up , come on everyone get up !

 

CHICKEN COCONUT SOUP

Bring 3 cups of chicken stock, 2 stalks of lemon grass cut into sections , 1 small knob of ginger sliced thinly  to the boil over a medium heat in a pot .
Add 10 kaffir lime leaves .
Simmer for 10 minutes .
Remove from heat and strain removing lemongrass and lime leaves .
Add  3 cups coconut milk , bring to the boil for 1 minute
Add 1 chicken fillet sliced in thin strips , bring back to the boil .
Add 2 red chillies thinly sliced with seeds , along with 1 tbs of chilli flakes and 2 tbs of palm sugar .
Stir to combine over a low heat .
Add 1/4 cup of sliced button mushrooms
Simmer for 2 minutes .
Stir in 4tbs of lime juice and 3 tbs of fish sauce .
Garnish with fresh coriander and thinly sliced spring onion .

 

CHIA PUDDINGS

Mix 1 cup of chia seeds ( 32 gm ) with 60 ml of coconut milk , 1/2 cup of almond milk , 1/4 tsp of cinnamon , 1 tbs of stevia , 4 drops of vanilla extract .....using a blender until smooth .
Mix in 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen berries .
Refrigerate until ready to serve .

CHRISTMAS CAKES ALL DONE , PACKED AND READY TO GO

 

 

Place 3 cups of mixed fruit in a saucepan along with 1 cup of mixed peel , 1 &1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of boronia or pomegranate molasses , 2 cups of brown sugar , 220 gm of margarine 2 tsp of bi carbonate of soda .
Bring these to the boil .
Simmer for 1 minute .
Then cool and add 2 tbs of cacao, 1 cup of plain flour , 3 cups of self raising flour and 4 eggs lightly beaten .
Bake in a moderate oven 160 deg C for 3 hours .
Check with a skewer before removing from the oven it  should come out clean .

PANPEPATO ..........A SPICY ITALIAN DAIRY FREE CHRISTMAS SLICE

Preheat your oven to 170deg C
Line a slice tray with coconut cooking spray and baking paper .
Place ....
 100gm of whole cashews
100gm of silvered almonds
2 cups of soft and juicy semi dried figs , coarsely chopped
1/2 cup of mixed peel
....into a bowl
Sift 150gm of plain flour along with 2 tbs of Dutch cacao , 2 tsp of ground cinnamon , 1/2 tsp of ground cloves , 1/4 tsp of nutmeg , 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper .......in to the bowl with the fruit and nuts.
Stir to combine .
Bring to the boil in a small saucepan
1 cup of honey 
80 gm of dark chocolate , chopped
110gm of castor sugar
Pour the mix over the nut and flour mix , this is very dry but keep stirring it to form a dark sticky paste .
Use a  spoon to press it in the prepared slice tray
Bake for 30 minutes or until just set .
Cool slightly and then turn out on to a cooling rack .
Cut into slices and store in an airtight container at room temperature .
Will keep for up to 4 weeks .

 

Sauerkraut Salad with a Wholegrain Mustard Crusted Chicken Fillet

 

Chicken fillet sliced in 3 .

Make a mix of 3 tbs of wholegrain mustard and 2 tbs of chinese cooking wine

Brush each fillet slice with the mustard mix and grill to cooked through .

SALAD

1 jar of rok zatozenia pasturised sauerkraut strained and placed in a bowl along with

4 bacon rashers cooked and finely chopped ,

1 dsp of cumin seeds

1 carrot finely sliced

1 dsp of minced garlic

1 dsp of minced ginger

1 red capsicum finely sliced

sliced spring onion finely chopped

1 dsp of cracked blk pepper

Mix well to combine .

Serve a bed for the  sliced chicken fillets .

CACAO CRACKLE COOKIES

Preheat your oven to 160 deg C
Beat 2 egg whites till soft peaks form
Make a dry mixture of 
1/4 tsp of rock salt
3 tbs of cashew nuts
3tbs of chia seeds
1 dsp of maca powder
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 dsp of coconut flower nectar
Process till you get a crumb mix

Melt 25 gm of cacao chocolate
Mix the dry ingredients into the melted cacao
Fold the egg whites into the mixture
Roll the mixture into small balls
Place balls onto a baking tray
Bake for 13 minutes
Remove from oven

and allow  to cool until crispy.

TORTA DI RICOTTA ...VEGETARIAN

 

SHORTBREAD

CHRISTMAS SHORTBREAD

 

Preheat your oven to 150deg C .

Grease a baking tray .

Combine  225gm of sifted  plain flour ,  115gm sifted rice flour , 115gm of sifted  castor sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl .

Rub in 225gm of  butter or margarine ( room temp ) and knead gently until a smooth dough forms .

Transfer onto a floured surface and shape as desired .

Place on a greased tray and prick with a fork .

Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown .

Allow to cool .

 

MARINADES .......

Marinade was originally a brine for preserving fish and it still means `to pickle in brine `.Marinades are the beauty baths of cheap cuts of meat ,but let`s face it there are no cheap cuts of meat anymore .
Marinades will work just as well on expensive cuts of meat .Marinades will make any cut tender and they also season food in a pleasant way , for example the expensive and tasteless fillet of beef will have its flavoured enhanced with a marinade .
A marinade is a combination of oil, acid and spices . As the meat stands , or marinates in the mixture , the acid breaks down the fibers  , the oil enters and smoothly carries with it the savoury flavours of the seasoning .
Letting food stand for some time in a marinade  makes meat tender , to add flavour to uninteresting food , to create new dishes from leftovers , to bring out certain flavours , to unify a flavour of several ingredients such as stews . or simply add interest to a menu .
All kinds of foods are appropriate for marinating , meats , fish , poultry , vegetables and fruit .The type of marinade .........light or heavy , cooked or uncooked ........the seasoning is chosen according to the food being used and the depth of flavour you are seeking .

MARINATED VEGETABLES
Marinated cooked vegetables are delicious , whole string beans , zucchini cut into strips ,asparagus either alone or mixed together drizzled  with a  simple French dressing , they will absorb more flavour if dressed while hot .

MARINATED CAULIFLOWER
Cook cauliflower lightly ; drain well , cut into pieces  in a serving dish .
Dress with 3 tbs of oil , 1 tbs vinegar , 1 tsp of Dijon mustard , 1/2 tsp of salt , 1/4 tsp of cracked pepper , pinch of sugar , 1 shallot and 1 tbs of chopped parsley.

FRUIT FILLED AVOCADO
You will need 3 avocados.
Place 1 cup of diced fresh pineapple and 2 oranges peeled and diced into a bowl .
In a separate bowl mix 1/4 cup of olive oil , 1 tbs of white wine vinegar , 1 tsp of of lime juice , 1/2 tsp of salt , 1/8 tsp of black cracked pepper , 1/4 tsp of cumin , 1 tsp of brown sugar .
Mix well to combine .
Slice avocados in half , remove seed and scoop out a little of the avocado and place in with the pineapple and orange mix .
Fill avocados halves with the diced fruit : drizzle with remaining dressing .
In another bowl
 

SPICE AND HERB BLENDS

CHILLI POWDER
It contains cayenne pepper , red pepper ,cumin ,oregano ,garlic , clove, allspice  and onion .

JAMAICA MASSALA OR CURRY POWDER
Coriander , anise seed ,allspice ,turmeric , cardamom , cinnamon , black peppercorns , mustard seeds , garlic ,onion  and red pepper .

BOUQUET GARNI
Thyme , parsley , bay leaf , other herbs can be substituted ; marjoram , rosemary .
In India , a bouquet garni is cinnamon , cardamom and bay leaves .

FINES HERBES
The true meaning is finely chopped herbs .
Minced parsley, with chopped chives ,mint, basil , tarragon , chervil , savory or any combination of them , depending on the herbs availability and the desired flavour .

FAGGOT ..
Is an English term for a bunch of herbs used for cooking .
A clove of garlic and hickory for turkey and steak.
Sage , thyme and garlic for liver and spareribs .

RAVIGOTE
A French term meaning to strengthen .
A combination of finely chopped herbs ; tarragon, chives , chervil ,parsley burnet to be used in salad ,sauces and ravigote butter .

MIREPOIX
A collection of herbs and vegetables used for seasoning stews and braises .
it should consist of 2 carrots , 2 onions , each  studded with a clove , a sprig of thyme  2 bay leaves , a clove of garlic and 250gm of bacon fat .

BATTUTO
An Italian combination of chopped up carrot, parsley , onion, garlic , celery and pork fat .

SOFFRITO
Italian meaning under frying , is the same group of vegetables and herbs , chopped and sautéed for a few minutes in olive oil , in preparing soups , pasta , sautees and sauces .

COURT BOUILLON
A combination of herbs , usually thyme , parsley, bay leaf , onion, garlic peppercorn , salt ,sometimes carrot , a slice of lemon , wine or vinegar and water .
I don`t put salt in the cooking process as I believe it toughens delicate fish .
 

THE BEST BAKED CHEESECAKE

I am continually asked what is the best baked cheesecake and  without hesitation I always say a classic Russian cheesecake ....Zapekanka iz Tvoroga .
The recipe for this baked cheesecake was posted on my blog....on the 17th Sept 2014.

MYSTERY BOXES .......LAST WEEK OF TERM

Another great year of cooking classes .
  There  have  been mystery box classes all week .
The ingredients included a tin of potato and leek condensed  soup , white zucchinis , cottage cheese , lemons , parmesan cheese ,desiccated coconut , coconut milk , rice flour , spinach , salami, capsicums , mozzarella cheese , a tin of chicken and corn condensed soup , tomato paste ,butterscotch lollies.
I provided staples of sugar ,oil , milk and margarine , eggs, salt and cracked pepper .
So what did the ladies and gentlemen make ...
Stromboli
Coconut and lemon pie
Shortbread
Zucchini savoury cake
Butterscotch pull aparts
Wholemeal spinach quiche
Amazing results
Just want to say thank you for all the continued support .
It`s been a wonderful 2 years
A lesson well learnt today .....never say` this is such an easy recipe` ...really ? I hate that term and I do get a bit of the Gordon Ramsey`s .
Our classes are full of stories , food and families .....and better still new friends .
Thank you Lana for your attendance and  trip from Melbourne each week over the past  2 years , Anita , Louise , Jenny ,Heather ,Christine  Julie , Kath , Debbie .,Meagan , Geraldine,,Andrea,,Cedar,  Rodney who was with us for 18 months , Robyn who interweaves classes when her works permits and has bought all her family to the classes , Justin , Lauren , Alex  , Samuel  and Robyn`s  husband Steve . Congratulations Robyn and Steve on your 25th wedding anniversary .
We have shared recipes , cooked up a storm in the kitchen  week after week and become friends .
To those who have come and gone .
I thank you all , it`s been a tough year for me and my family and I respect  that you have all allowed me my privacy.
It`s been so much fun , let`s do it again next year .
Merry Christmas everyone .
Noelene Marchwicki





 

I GOT MAIL

I received a letter  from Latrobe Regional Hospital , Chief Medical Officer Dr Simon Fraser.
The letter acknowledges that as a result of the meeting the issues  raised and discussed are being addressed by the hospital , the letter also goes on to extend their condolences and openly apologises for the distress caused to me and my family as a result of Ken`s end of life wishes not being carried out.
I really hope they reflect and learn from the information shared at the meeting ....but it angered me to read that Dr Fraser thanked my daughter Michelle and son Doug for taking the time to attend the meeting .I do not have a daughter Michelle nor a son Doug , just another oversight to detail ...is anyone accountable for anything at the Latrobe Regional Hospital .?
Noelene Marchwicki
 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAUFA 6/12/015

I took Nicole`s recipe for chocolate ripple cake , layered it with chocolate and vanilla flavoured cream , fresh pomegranate , sliced kiwi fruit and morello pitted cherries along with chocolate ripple biscuits .

At this point I grated a 200 gm block of dairy milk chocolate over the finished cake ....I let this then sit in the refrigerator for 12 hours to set and soften the biscuits .

 

 

I then added 44 small flake bars around the base of the cake .

Another 2 rows of fresh apricot halves and topped it of with fresh cherries with the stalks on .

 

 

I dressed the cake with green confectionary mint leaves

3 STEP LEMON & COCONUT PIE

This is the easiest and best version of a baked lemon and coconut  pie I have ever  tasted .

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 180 deg C

 

STEP 2

Place 4 eggs ( lightly beaten ), 225gm ( 1cup ) of castor sugar , 100gm of softened butter , 100gm of slivered almonds , 1 cup of desiccated coconut , 4 tbs of lemon rind , 1 cup ( 250 ml ) of lemon juice , 250ml ( 1 cup ) of coconut milk

1/2 cup of sifted plain flour ...in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon till well combined .

 

STEP 3

Pour into a sprayed ( coconut cooking oil spray ) 28cm pie dish .

Place in oven and bake for 1 hour until lightly browned .

Remove from oven , set aside to cool , then refrigerate 1 hour to chill.

 

Top with thickly  whipped cream  , slice and dress with a drizzle of passionfruit pulp.