GRILLED LEMON PEPPER PORK STEAKS

Warm up your grill.
Combine 1 chopped onion ,
1 dsp of dried thyme
1/4 tsp of ground black pepper
1/4 tsp of ground red pepper
1 tbs of minced garlic
1/2 cup of olive oil
Thoroughly blend all the ingredients .
You will need 6 thickly sliced pork steaks , pat the steaks dry with paper towelling .
Squeeze 1/3 of a cup of lemon juice over the steaks .
Preheat a pan over a high heat .
Brush both sides of the steaks with some of the onion and pepper sauce .
Grate 1 and 1/2 tsp of lemon peel .
Briefly heat the pork steaks in the heated pan and sprinkle with the grated lemon .
Remove the steaks to the heated grill in the pan and add the remaining sauce .
Cook 10 minutes each side .

R.I.P.......ROBERT HIGGS

My friend , Laufa and I attended the funeral of Robert  Higgs today at St Thomas ' Church Bunyip..Victoria , Australia .
Father Ken Parker , asked everyone who attended the service to take away something from the service to make ourselves better .

The words form Robert`s brother Daniel , bought me to tears .
His was a story .... one  that has  to be told ... , his brother Robert was born to an unmarried aboriginal woman in Melbourne 1965, the story went  his mother walked out of the hospital without her child .
What really happened , was horrific and was happening throughout Australia ...
I can`t put into  words the journey that was  Robert Higgs`s  , but I mourn his death and support  the  family  he has left .
Australia , past and present  you need to hang your head in shame .
 

LACE BISCUITS

Mix together 90 gm  ( 3 cups ) cornflakes , 65 gm ( 3/4 cup )of desiccated coconut and 2 tbs of melted butter in a bowl .
Beat together 165 gm ( 3/4 cup )of castor sugar and 2 stiffly beaten egg whites in another bowl .
Add to the coconut mix .
Drop spoonfuls onto a greased baking tray and bake in a preheated oven 180 deg C , for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden in colour .

TUESDAY 29TH COOKING CLASS

Today we will be using quail and  preparing a stuffing made with liverwurst , rice , quinoa , eggplant and teriyaki caponata .....
We will also be deboning a chicken and using a balsamic dressing , carrot and chia salad as a stuffing ..

TOASTED EGGPLANT

Slice eggplant lengthways .
Brush slices with minced garlic and spray liberally with rice bran cooking oil .
Sprinkle with cracked black pepper .
Preheat a toasted sandwich maker and line with baking paper
Place prepared eggplant slices, topped with thinly sliced onion and capsicum in the sandwich maker and close down lid .
Cook for 8 minutes .
Serve with slices of crispy bacon and or sautéed mushroom slices .
 

TIM TAM CHEESECAKE

I processed 14 Tim Tam biscuits until they were a fine crumb
I then added 80 gm of melted butter ./ margarine  .
I pressed the crumb mixture into a lined base of a baking pan .
Placed it in the refrigerator while I prepared the chocolate  cheesecake filling .
Place 500gm of cream cheese ( room temp ) into a processor and beat till smooth .
Add 1/2 cup of cream and a 1/3 of a cup of castor sugar and continue to beat till sugar is dissolved .
Microwave 375gm of white chocolate melts in increments until smooth .
Then slowly add this to the cream cheese mix beating constantly .
Pour onto the Tim Tam base , smooth over the top and sprinkle with crushed Tim Tams or fresh strawberries .

I finished off the cheesecake with a border Tim Tams .
Place in refrigerator till you are ready to serve .

 

ITALIAN WATER ICES

Water ices are made of equal quantities of syrup ( allow for 600ml water to 450gm of sugar ) and fruit pulp boiled down ....Lemon water ice needs no pulp , but it has 2 egg whites beaten stiffly  added the lemon water is half frozen ( 600 ml of lemon juice to 600ml of water ).
Water ices are never completely frozen , and should be served before the roast meat course at dinner .
The difference between water ice and sorbet is the texture.....water ice can be shaved as it is never fully frozen .

CHRISTMAS JARS OF JELLY BEANS

CHRISTMAS JARS OF JELLY BEANS

3 Bags of jelly beans = 1 bag of red beans , 1 bag of yellow beans , 1 bag of red beans and a packet of green smarties ...
A cheap set of jars 
A browse through your $2 shop to purchase assorted jar decorations , the $2 hair scrunchies work a treat along with a set of Christmas bells ,12 for $2.
I chose jelly beans to fill the jars because here in Australia where temperatures soar at Christmas time , chocolate melts and flows like water .......and invites ants to join your festivities ......
These are a really pretty practical gift that adults and children enjoy receiving ...

DONNA WOOD'S TOBLERONE CHEESECAKE

You will need to crush 1 packet of butternut snap biscuits and add 80 gm of melted butter to form the biscuit base , just press into the bottom of a lined spring form cake pan .

The next step is to make the filling ,
You need to bring 500 gm of cream cheese to room temperature , then beat it with an electric mixer until smooth .
Then add 1/2 cup of cream along with 1/3 rd of a cup of castor and continue to mix until smooth
Melt a large Toblerone block  ( approx. 375gm ) in increments in the microwave , stir and allow to cool a little .
Slowly pour in the melted Toblerone beating until smooth .
Pour this over the biscuit base and chill for at least 4 hours .
Serve with strawberries and cream .
Thanks  for the recipe and tasting Donna .


 

LIPTAUER CHEESE

Mix together 450gm cream cheese and 115gm of softened butter .
Rinse 6 anchovy fillets and chop into fine pieces .
Stir in the cheese add 1/4 of grated onion , heaped tsp of capers and 1 tsp of cayenne pepper .
Season with salt and place on a serving dish .
Dress lightly  with  chopped parsley and serve with radishes and crackers .

LIVERWURST TIDBITS

Mash 225gm of liverwurst to a paste , then mix in 1 egg yolk ( room temp ) , add 80 gm ( 1 cup ) of  breadcrumbs , and 80gm ( 1/2 cup ) of cubed green capsicum .
Now slowly add enough tomato sauce to the mixture to form a dough .
Add cracked pepper to taste .
Beat the egg white until it is stiff and fold through the liverwurst dough .
Deep fry or pan fry dessertspoonfuls of the mixture in batches until golden brown .
Drain on paper towel and serve hot ....
Delicious !

CHRISTMAS CANDY CANE AND CHOCOLATE MINT BARK

Measure out 1 and 1/2 cups of rice bubbles and mix together with 1/3 rd of a cup of shredded coconut .
Melt 375 gm of chocolate melts until smooth .
Quickly add the chocolate to  the rice bubbles and coconut , mix with a wooden spoon .
Smooth over prepared flat tray in a thin layer .
Lightly press chopped candy canes and rainbow pearls over the top .
Refrigerate till set .
Break into pieces to serve  .

 

ORANGE ,GINGER CARROT AND COCONUT SALAD

Place together in a large bowl 2 cups of cooked black quinoa ,
4 medium carrots grated
1/2 cup of raisins
3/4 cup of shredded coconut
juice of 1 orange
1 tbs of minced ginger
2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs of lime juice
cracked black pepper to taste
Mix to combine and refrigerate for at least an hour
Toss well before serving ...
Delicious !

 

SUPRISE LASAGNE

Surprise lasagne is all about what you have in your fridge ...
In place of lasagne sheets you can use eggplant slices , capsicum , silverbeet , spinach or even layers of salad mix .
The base is whatever leftovers you have in the fridge , if you like spaghetti or baked beans ..open a couple of tins and use them as your base then top with lasagne sheets or vegetable alternative and top each layer  with shredded cheese and 8 cherry tomatoes halved .repeating the layering twice , finishing with a layer of cheese .....if your base doesn`t have any liquid in it  ( ie ..cooked chicken , beef  or tinned  tuna )add 1 tin of diced tomates mixed with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce  to the base prior to layering with a some fresh basil , garlic and a tsp of sugar .
Bake in a preheated oven till golden on top and bubbling around the sides .

NEW POTATO , BABY SPINACH AND BABY BOCCONCINO SALAD

A simple salad that is a feast for the senses , this proved very popular at the Community Celebration day in Moe .
Steam 250 gm of  small new potatoes till tender .
Allow to cool .
 Slice potatoes into spoon sized chunks and place in a serving bowl along with 100gm of baby spinach leaves and 120 gm of strained baby bocconcino .

DRESSING .....
Combine .... 4 tbs of extra virgin olive oil , with 1 tbs  of lemon juice , 1 tsp of wholegrain mustard , 1/2 tsp of minced garlic and a pinch of sugar ........and mix together till well combined .
Pour this over the salad and toss to gently combine

 .

CELEBRATION BREAKFAST

1 served the breakfast tastings in short black ( take away ) coffee cups .
1 packet of lemon low sugar jelly crystals ...I placed one sachet of lemon  jelly crystals in a bowl with 2 tbs of chia seeds , poured in 250ml; of boiling water , stirred till crystals are dissolved .
Then I poured in 250 ml of coconut milk , and allowed it to cool .
I filled the 1/4 sized coffee cups with fresh green grapes and poured the jelly chia mix over the top of the grape filled cups .
I repeated the process with strawberry low sugar crystals and added 1 cup ( 250 ml ) of boiling water along with 2 tbs of chia seeds , stirring till dissolved .
In the meantime I  place 1 cup of frozen mixed berries into a pot with 1/2 cup of ( ' no sugar ' ) a sugar alternative and allow to heat until the berries are softened ....remove from heat and allow to cool .
Place in a measuring jug and add water or coconut milk till you have 250 ml .
Pour into the cups and allow to semi set ......
I then topped the cups with a sprinkle of a cranberry , hazelnut , pepitas  and whole grain oats .

TUESDAY 22ND NOV COOKING CLASS

Continuing with our festive theme ...
Please bring along 1 jar of fruit mince 410 gm ,1 egg ,375 gm of white chocolate melts , 75 gm of candy canes ,
We will be making .......................

RUDOLPH FRUIT MINCE MUFFINS
                &
WHITE CHOCOLATE MINT CANDY CANE BARK
See you all Tuesday
Noelene Marchwicki

COMMUNITY CELEBRATION DAY ..SUNDAY 20TH NOV ..MOE SERVICE CENTRE AND LIBRARY

Let`s get together and have fun at the Community Celebration Day at the Moe Service Centre and Library in George St .
A great family day has been planned , there are activities for the kids , demonstrations , food tastings from recipes designed for  busy families , summer school box lunch ideas and some suggestions for cooking for one .Come along and say hello to Laufa ,myself  and  Olivia our assistant for the day .
See you there Sunday  10 - 2.00pm , Food demonstrations will be at 11.00 am , 12 midday and 1.00pm.
We will also be doing a live interview on Gippsland FM 104.7 on Saturday morning at 10.00am .

WATERMELON , ALMOND , FETA , ONION , MINT AND ROSE WATER SYRUP SALAD

Place 1 cup of rose water syrup together with 1 cup of castor sugar .
Gently bring to a simmer , allowing to reduce a little and slightly thicken .
Leave to cool and place in refrigerator to chill.
Remove skin from 1/4 of a seedless watermelon and cut into large chunks .
Arrange watermelon in a serving bowl and mix in 1 thinly sliced onion , crumble over 100gm of feta cheese , 3/4 cup of freshly torn mint leaves and scatter over 1/2 cup of almond flakes .
Drizzle  with rosewater syrup ( to taste ) .
Serve chilled .

CARROT TZATZIKI DIP.

Strain 300 ml of natural Greek yoghurt over night , discard liquid .
Preheat your oven to 200deg C and place 3 unpeeled cloves of garlic wrapped in foil into the oven and bake until softened approx. 15 mins .
Meanwhile place a cup full of grated fresh carrots in a medium bowl with 1 tbs of honey , 1/2 tps of cayenne pepper OR 1 tsp of cracked black pepper ,the finely sliced zest of 1 lemon , the juice of 1 lemon and add the thickened yoghurt .
Mix together with a wooden spoon .
Peel and mash the roasted garlic cloves then add to the dip
OPTIONAL ....Top with finely sliced rounds of Lebanese cucumber .
Serve with crackers , flatbread , celery sticks or wedges of capsicum .
 

CHRISTMAS TART

Preheat oven to 200 deg C ..

TART BASE
Process 500gm of precooked brown rice with 50gm of sesame seeds and 60gm of grated parmesan cheese .....until finely chopped .
Add 1 egg and 1/2 tsp of salt .
Mix to a coarse dough .
Spray pan and dust lightly with fine breadcrumbs
Using wet hands , press dough over base of the tart pan and around side .
Bake for 25 minutes or until dry and golden .

TART FILLING
Meanwhile process 500gm of ricotta cheese with 150gm of feta cheese , 1/4 cup of milk  , 1 tbs of wholegrain mustard , 1 dsp of minced garlic , 60 gm of parmesan cheese , 2 eggs ( lightly beaten ) , 1/4 tsp of salt and 1 dsp of chia seeds .
Process till smooth .
Pour mixture into the warm tart crust .
Reduce oven to 180 deg C and bake for a further 35 minutes .
Place a sheet of baking paper loosely over the top of the pie if it starts to colour too early .
When the tart is set , remove from the oven .
Top the tart with tomato topping , slice and serve .

TART SALAD TOPPING
Slice 300gm of cherry tomatoes , mixed with 1 cup of torn basil mint leaves , drizzle with a little olive oil and 1 tbs of balsamic  vinegar .
Arrange freely over top of tart .

 

COOKING CLASS ...FESTIVE FOOD SUGGESTIONS

CHRISTMAS TART WITH A RICE AND NUT CRUST

CARROT TZATZIKI DIP

WATERMELON , FETA , ONION , MINT AND ROSEWATER SYRUP SALAD

CARROT CAKE

CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE

 

ROASTED BEETROOT, CHIA AND YOGHURT SALAD

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
Place whole unpeeled beetroots ( 600gm ) on a baking tray and scatter with dried thyme and 1/2  HEAD  of garlic with skin on .
Drizzle with vegetable oil , cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until beetroots are tender .
Remove from oven and cool , then peel and cut into rough dice
In a small bowl combine 2 tsp of dried cumin seeds , 40ml of olive oil  and 20 ml of balsamic vinegar
Pour over beetroots
Mix 1 tbs of thick natural  Greek yoghurt through the beetroot mix .
Season with salt and pepper .
Stir through 2 tbs of finely chopped coriander

Place 2 tbs of chia seeds in a small pot with 4 tbs of water , bring to the boil and allow to the chia to absorb the liquid , Then stir through the beetroot and yoghurt mixture .

CHRISTMAS MESS MADE EASY ...

I'm using a large shallow baking tray for my orange blossom green tea infused jelly.
I placed 2 sachets of jelly with 500ml of boiling water  in a mixing bowl , stir  until dissolved then I added 200ml of orange blossom syrup and 300 ml of cold water and continued to stir till combined .
I poured the jelly liquid into the shallow  baking tray and allowed to cool before placing in the refrigerator to set .

You need to  whip 300ml of thickened cream with 1 tsp of vanilla seed paste until thick .
I do not have the 3 hours to prepare a home made meringue , so I'm using a store bought package of meringue drops .




I placed 500gm of frozen mixed berries  in a saucepan with 3/4 cup of pomegranate molasses  over a low heat , stirring until berries softened  , remove and allow to completely cool .

 

 

To assemble
Layer meringue drops and cubes of jelly with dollops of thickened cream and a light drizzle of berry coulis  in individual serving jars .

This will yield 8 serves of Christmas Mess .

BREAD CRUMB ICE CREAM

Preheat your oven to 200 deg C.

Mix 175 gm of breadcrumbs with 65 gram of soft brown sugar .

Now spread this mix over a lined baking tray

Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes , stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon , they need to be crispy and LIGHTLY coloured .

Remove and allow to cool .

 

Using an electric mixer beat together 300ml of mascarpone cheese with 300ml of thickened cream until light and slightly thickened .

Add to the cream mix ....... 2 lightly beaten egg yolks and 60 gm of soft brown sugar ., beat until sugar is dissolved and mixed through .

Tip in the breadcrumbs and mix through thoroughly .

 

In a separate bowl beat 2 egg whites until stiff .

Then fold through the prepared mixture .

 

Yes you can use your ice cream machine and follow machine instructions   OR place the prepared mix in a serving dish and freeze overnight  ( this ice cream does not need to be stirred or churned while it's freezing ), remove from the freezer and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow it to soften a little .

STICKY MARMALADE SAUSAGES

 

Line your oven tray with foil as this makes for easier cleaning .....
Preheat your griller to 190 deg C .
Separate all sausages . ( 500gm of your choice of sausages )
In a medium bowl mix together ....
4 tbs of marmalade
2 tsp of wholegrain mustard
2 tbs of orange juice
Mix these ingredients to combine , now with clean hands make sure all sausages are coated with the marmalade mix
Place on the prepared oven tray then under the heated griller , cook for 20 minutes turning and basting half way through .

 

FIZZY JELLY

You choose the jelly flavour of your choice ....
Then  dissolve one packet of jelly  crystals in 150 ml of boiling water ., stir until dissolved .
Leave the mixture to cool , but do not let it set .
Now pour in 420 ml of really cold aerated soft drink into the cooled jelly mixture .
Pour it slowly down the side of the bowl to keep all the bubbles in .
Pour into glass jars and let set in the refrigerator for two hours .
 

COOKING CLASS TUESDAY 15TH

Continuing with our FESTIVE THEME   ......

Homework ...
You will need to strain natural yoghurt ..place the yoghurt  (I would use 300gm of natural yoghurt )in the centre of a thin clean  tea towel or a square of muslin , bring the corners together to secure and tie with a string .
Then place in a sieve over a bowl to catch the excess liquid .
Leave in fridge to drain overnight .Discard the liquid and bring the strained yoghurt to class Tuesday .
Bring along 200gm of grated carrot and 1 large unpeeled garlic clove .
We will also be making a surprise salad and a mess for dessert ...
See you all Tuesday
Noelene Marchwicki ..
 

REMEMBERANCE DAY AUSTRALIA...VETERANS DAY USA

'On the 11th day of the 11th month at 11o'clock ...we shall remember them '.
Today at 11 o'clock , 1 minute of silence shall be observed as a matter of respect for  those who have served in all wars , and we will remember those who gave their lives fighting for their country alongside their army mates .
My grandfather Francis ( Frank ) Joesph Armstrong , VX33027 .
 Served with the 2/ 24 th Battalion , my grandfather lost his life in battle at the siege of Tobruk , in Libya 1941.

THEIR SERVICE ---OUR HERITAGE , " LEST WE FORGET " 

MAHA RESTAURANT.....Melbourne , Victoria , Australia .

My son Paul Mersey and I enjoyed the Sunday Spice Soufra at Maha restaurant , Melbourne .
Paul and I declined the wine pairing  and chose a bottle of Pipers Brook Riesling  to accompany our meal .
Our meal was amazing .....
Humble ingredients infused with Middle Eastern flavours , each course served with inviting simplicity ....
The service was professional and not  at all intrusive .
Thank you Maha , we will return .

 

Thank you for the Maha gift vouchers Paul....

 

INVITATION ACCEPTANCE

 Leonidas . D . Vlahakis  , I accept your invitation to join you in Greece , I guess I could do a' Shirley Valentine ' .The world as we know it , is about to change .
Poor showing Hilary , not to appear and thank everyone who supported you ...'rich girl /lady syndrome '

Comrades forever Leo

Noelene Marchwicki

FOOTNOTE
The invitation proposed and my acceptance was an attempt to be light hearted about the serious consequences now facing Australia due to the outcome of the American election .

COOKING CLASS FAVOURITES

Trudy Norris shared her  all time , no fail favourite Carrot cake recipe with the  cooking class today ......

TRUDY"S CARROT CAKE
Preheat oven to 180 deg C
Sift together 1 cup of plain flour with 1 tsp of baking powder , 1 tsp of baking soda , 1 tsp of ground cinnamon .
Stir in 1 cup of castor sugar .
Add 2 lightly beaten eggs whisked with 1/2 cup of rice bran oil .
Stir to combine ...
Now add 2 and 1/2 cups of grated carrot ,   stirring to combine .
Pour the batter into a 20 cm round tin which has been sprayed with cooking oil .
Before baking let stand for 5 minutes .
Bake in the  preheated oven for 30-35 mins .

ICING
Place 50gm of room temp butter , along with 150gm of cream cheese , 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence  and 1 cup of icing sugar in a mixer and beat till smooth ....
I will be making this on the weekend ....and adding photos

Without a DOUBT...the best carrot cake EVER !



 

COOKING CLASS TUESDAY 8TH NOV .....

On Tuesday we will be preparing a Christmas tart made with a rice and grain crust .
You will need to do some preparation at home ...
Please cook /steam  brown rice ,( using 250gm of dried rice ) , you need 500gm of steamed rice for this recipe .
You then need to slightly cool the rice , and place it in a processor along with 50gm of sesame seeds ( find these in the spice selection at woolworths ) and 60 gm of finely grated parmesan cheese  ( woolworths  in the tinned tomato and pasta sauce aisle  approx. $1 a packet ) , until the mix is finely chopped .
Then add 1 egg and a pinch of salt .
Continue to process until the mixture forms a coarse dough .
Wrap the dough into a ball , wrap in cling wrap and keep in the refrigerator to bring to class.

INGREDIENTS  TO BRING ALONG
Your dough
 Remaining parmesan
500gm of ricotta  ( or make your own )
150 gm of feta cheese

We will use aluminium trays from the pantry and CNC will  supply the other ingredients needed .
See you all Tuesday .
Noelene Marchwicki
 

COOKING CLASS........CHEESEMAKING CONTINUED

Here is little homework to make up for the class we missed yesterday ....
LABNEH  /LABNA ..Middle Eastern
A cream cheese made from the solids remaining when natural yoghurt is strained through a clean thin tea towel or muslin .
It s then formed into 3cm balls which are coated with olive oil and paprika .
The labneh balls will keep up to 3 months in oil .

Let's start..........
Place 1 litre of whole milk in a saucepan and bring this slowly to the boil .
Remove from the heat and allow to cool to body temperature , or until you can tolerate to touch the milk .
Stir in 2 tbs of natural whole milk yoghurt into 1/2 a cup of  the warm milk , allowing the yoghurt to fully dissolve
Now add this to the rest of the milk mixture and stir well ..do not beat , stir .
Cover this mixture and  let stand in a warm room for 24 hours .
Next day (24 hours later ) place a clean , thin tea towel or muslin in a large strainer Season the yoghurt mix with a little salt ( to taste ) and pour into the strainer over a bowl .
Now tie the material at the top to enclose the yoghurt mix , leaving it in the strainer over the bowl .
Now place the bowl with the strainer in the fridge for 12 hours . The longer you leave the mix at this point the firmer the texture ..12 hours should be sufficient..
Now ( 12 hours later ), discard the whey and place the labneh into a bowl , dip your fingers into olive oil and form the labneh into into small balls .
Place the balls into glass jars with sunflower oil and sprinkle with ground paprika OR for a bit of added excitement add dried chilli flakes to the oil.

Alternatively just place the prepared labneh onto a serving plate sprinkle with Middle Eastern herb mix ( supermarket spice aisle ) or Zaatar and drizzle  with sunflower oil .

Serve with Turkish bread .
Enjoy .