Thursday 31 May 2018

BOSTON BUN ........A VERY OLD RECIPE .

This recipe for Boston bun incorporates a 1/2 cup of mashed potato.
You need to use a potato that is suited to mashing .....
Preheat your oven to 160deg C ( F/F )
Grease a 20cm round cake pan and line the base with baking paper .
Using your electric hand mixer cream together 1/2 cup (115gm) of cold mashed potato with 1/2 cup of castor sugar ( 110gm ).......making sure the mixture is free of any lumps .
Now add 1/2 cup of milk (125ml )
1 heaped cup of self raising flour ( firmly packed cup )
1/2 cup of sultanas (100gm )
A pinch of salt .
Stir until combined .
Place the mixture in the pan and bake for 30minutes or until golden .
ICING
Place 125gm ( 1 cup ) of icing sugar in a small bowl with 15gm ( 1 dsp ) of margarine /butter , then stir through 1 tbs of warm water ( or enough ) to make a smooth paste .
Once  the bun is cooked remove to a wire rack and cover the top of the bun with a cotton tea towel
When the bun is completely cold spread the icing over the top  sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or alternatively sprinkle with desiccated coconut .




Monday 28 May 2018

WHITE BEAN MASH

If you like cauliflower mash , you will definitely be a fan a white bean mash .
White bean mash is a nutritious, delicious , quick and easy side to any meal.
You will need 2 x 400gm tins of cannellini beans , drained and rinsed .
Now place the cannellini beans in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup of milk and 1 dsp of minced garlic .
Or alternatively replace the milk with 125gm of cream cheee .
Heat over a low heat till it starts to simmer , continue to cook for 5 minutes .
Season to taste .
Using a stick blender purée until smooth .

Sunday 27 May 2018

LATKES ......JEWISH POTATO CAKES

Latkes ...Jewish potato cakes.
Peel and grate 6 potatoes and 1 onion.
Squeeze out excess moisture.
Lightly beat 2 eggs and stir through the grated potatoes and onions in a large bowl .
Mix together 3 tbs of plain flour
1/2sp of salt
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of cracked pepper
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of turmeric
Stir thoroughly to combine .
Place heaped dessert spoon sized amounts into a frypan with a 1/2 cup of rice bran oil  and cook over a medium heat until golden brown on both sides .
Traditionally served with an apple sauce that has been infused with cinnamon and lemon rind .
These are so tasty and delicious .
 

COOKING CLASS TUESDAY 29TH MAY

Morning' everyone ....tomorrow you will be preparing chicken Valencia ,
You will need to bring along to class ...
slow cooker
500ml  packet of chicken stock
1 tub ghee
1 orange
1onion
4 medium chicken breasts
1 rasher of bacon ......
See you Tuesday
Noelene Marchwicki
 

Saturday 26 May 2018

CHICKEN VALENCIA

This recipe is a beautiful , delicate balanced combination of Spanish flavours .
First we need to make the stuffing ........
chop 60 gm of raisins and combine them in a bowl with 30 gm of shredded ham , 30 gm of butter / marg , 1 tbs of chopped parsley , the grated zest of 1/2 orange ...Set aside .
Now place 6 chicken breasts between 2 sheets of baking paper and use a rolling pin to flatten the breasts until they are about 1 cm thick .
Place some stuffing in the centre of each breast , roll the breasts over to enclose the filling , secure with twine .
Mix together on a plate 2 tbs of plain flour with 1 dsp of paprika , now completely coat the chicken .
Heat 2 tbs of ghee in a pan over a medium heat and brown the chicken on each side .
Transfer the chicken to your slow cooker .
Place 2 peeled and sliced onions in the pan with 1 tbs of minced garlic , 1 tsp of sriracha and cook until the onion is tender .
Transfer the onion mix to the slow cooker .
Add 1/4 cup of orange juice
2 tbs of orange blossom syrup
2 cups of chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbs of raisins
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or until chicken is tender .
Remove cinnamon stick to serve along with twine .
serve with steamed rice or zucchini noodles with carrots and mash .

COOKING CLASS TUESDAY 22ND MAY 2018...SALMON TERRINE

Lightly oil / spray a 4 cup mould or a 22cm x 11cm loaf pan
Line with a hangover of cling film .
Place 420 gm of  skinless salmon with 2 tbs of ghee .
Cook each side for 6 minutes .
Then remove from heat .
Place in a large bowl and pull apart / flake with a fork .
Now add 2 tbs of white wine vinegar and mix thoroughly
Dissolve 1 tbs of powdered gelatine in 1/4 cup ( 60 ml ) of boiling water .
When dissolved add 1 tbs of castor sugar , 1 dsp of mustard powder , 1/2 tsp of salt , 1 tbs of horseradish cream 1 dsp of mayonnaise , cracked black pepper and salt to taste .
Finally add 3 tbs of white wine vinegar .
Add the combined gelatine mixture to the flaked salmon .
Stir in 1 cup of finely chopped celery , 1 dsp of capers , 3 spring onions finely chopped .
In a separate bowl ,lightly whip 1/2cup of cream , then fold the cream through the salmon mix .
Pour into the prepared pan
Cover securely with cling wrap over hang.
Refrigerate for 8 - 12 hours until set .
Then uncover and invert onto a serving plate .
Slice and serve with  crisp cracker , crusty bread and a salad .
This is special .

OATMEAL HERMITS ...BREAKFAST COOKIES

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
Spray a baking tray with cooking oil and line with baking paper .
In a large bowl combine 2 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of sultanas or raisins
1/2`cupof chopped nuts
2/3rds of a cup of castor sugar
2`cups of S.R flour
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of nutmeg
Lightly beat 2 eggs in a separate bowl with 220 gm of melted butter
Dissolve 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda in 1/2 cup of milk .
Mix egg and milk mixtures together .
Add the combined mixture to the dry ingredients .
Drop dessert spoonful balls on to the baking tray
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden in colour .
Allow to cool on the baking tray and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

BUTTER CHICKEN

This is my version of butter chicken .....
I use the filleted meat from chicken drumsticks  ( 4 drumsticks per serve )
Once the drumsticks have been skinned and filleted place the meat in a large bowl .
In a separate bowl prepare the butter chicken marinade combining ......( per 750 gm of chicken )
1/4 cup of plain yoghurt  , 1 tbs of lemon juice , finely chopped rind of 1/2 lemon ,1 tsp of turmeric powder , 1 dsp of  garam masala, 1/2 tsp of cayenne powder ,1 tsp of cumin 1 tbs of minced garlic , 1 tbs of minced ginger .
Mix the marinade ingredients together and  pour over the chicken meat making sure it is well combined .
Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours
To make the sauce
Sauté 2 peeled and chopped onions with 1 chopped capsicum , 1 tbs of minced garlic , 1 tbs of turmeric, 1 tbs of minced garlic , 1 x 400gm tin of diced tomatoes , 1x 400ml of coconut cream , juice and finely chopped rind of 1 medium lemon ,     1 small red chilli chopped , salt and cracked pepper to taste , chopped florets of 1/2 cauliflower  and 2 stalks of celery trimmed and chopped .
Place the sauce in your slow cooker and stir through the marinated drumsticks.
Place on low for 4 hours until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens .
Steam a mix of brown rice ,  quinoa  and red rice .
Serve in  heated bowls and spoon over the butter chicken ..and dress with fresh coriander leaves .



VOLUNTEERS DINNER ...24TH MARCH 2018

SOUP.......
THE MANOR 1ST HARVEST TOMATO SOUP.

MAINS........
BUTTER CHICKEN

DESSERT......
BERRY MERINGUE


Sunday 20 May 2018

OSSO BUCCO

As soon as the words osso bucco are spoken , people reply in terms of it being so hard to make .
The truth is ....it is a full flavoured , easily prepared ,slow cooked meal .
Osso bucco is Italian and it is the knuckle or shin of veal cut in steaks across the bone sautéed on the bone and then slow cooked with garlic , onions , grated lemon rind , tomatoes , celery and carrots .
Served with spaghetti , rice or well mashed potatoes ..
Bulk packs of osso bucco can be purchased from Tasman Meats ,Traralgon.

Preheat oven to 160 deg C
Heat 2 tbs of ghee in a frypan over a medium heat .
Add 2 onions peeled and chopped
2 celery sticks trimmed and chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 tbs of minced garlic .
Cook the veggies through till just tender .
Remove from pan and set aside .
Add an extra 2 tbs of ghee to the pan and place over a low heat .
Now it is time to season 1/4 cup of plain flour with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of cracked black pepper in a medium bowl
Coat both sides of the  Osso bucco steaks in the seasoned flour.
Shake off excess flour .
Brown both sides of the osso bucco in the pan over a medium heat .
Transfer  each osso bucco steak to the bowl of your slow cooker  spoon over the veggies .
Deglaze your pan with 250ml of white wine  mixed with 250ml of beef stock .
Stir in all the juices and bits from the pan and add a 400gm can of diced tomatoes and the finely chopped lemon rind from 1small lemon , simmer and bring to the boil
Pour this over the meat and vegetables in the slow cooker .
Cover and cook for 4 and 1/2 hours on high or 8 hours on low , until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens .
A great winters night meal .

Friday 18 May 2018

BEEF , MUSHROOM AND GUINESS PIE

My son Paul Mersey makes a beef , mushroom and guiness pie . I use my pie maker to make 8 small pies .
Paul was good enough to share his recipe with me
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C .
To make the filling , melt 1 tbs of butter in a pan and add 1 peeled and chopped onion , 1 tbs of minced garlic , cook over a medium heat till the onion is tender , then add 120gm s of sliced mushrooms and cook through about 5 minutes .
Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside .
Now add to the same pan 500gm of cubed and trimmed chuck beef with another tbs of butter .
Saute the beef for 7 minutes or until browned .
Return the onions and mushrooms to the pan with the beef .
Season with salt and cracked black pepper and add 200 ml of beef stock , 200ml of guiness stout and 2 tbs of Worcestershire sauce .
Cover the pan and place in the oven on a preheated temp of 180deg C for 60 minutes or till the meat is tender .
For the pies ....I use a pie maker ....
I always use short pastry for the pie base  and puff pastry for the pie topping .
Brush with a lightly beaten egg mixed with a dsp of water ... bake in the oven until the pastry is golden brown or follow pie making machine instructions
Thank you Paul for the flavoursome pie recipe ....
Mum x

BAMI......SHAUN MERSEY YEAR 9 COOKING CLASS 1994 KURNAI COLLEGE , CHURCHILL.

When  a my youngest son Dale Murphy was born I started to document the main meal of the day that I prepared .
Today looking back over the budget menus that fed  my young family and myself ,I found the menus my second son Shaun Mersey made in his year 9 and 10 cooking classes at Kurnai College , Churchill.
Let me share an Indonesian dish he prepared in year 9 which  became a staple at dinner time in our house in Churinga Drive , Churchill.
Remember it was 1994 .........( this supposedly served 4 ?)
Cook one packet of 3 minute instant noodles according to directions .
Strain and set aside .
Dice 1 carrot , 1 celery stick , 1 onion  , 1 garlic clove .
Chop 1 whole bacon rasher and shred  2 cabbage leaves .
In a separate bowl lightly beat 1 egg with 1 tsp of water .
Lightly brush a small pan with oil and heat over a med heat and quickly scramble the egg , remove from heat and set aside .
In the same pan add the chopped onion and bacon till coloured and crispy , remove and set aside .
Now add the garlic and fry over a medium heat for 45 seconds , then add 100gm of mince , the carrots and shredded
cabbage , saute till tender then add the egg , bacon and onion .
Serve over noodles.
# For a filling meal for 4 double the ingredients #
Thanks for the memories Shaun .
Mum x

Wednesday 16 May 2018

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“ Once the toothpaste is out of the tube , it’s awfully hard to to get it back in “
R.R Halderman ...on the Watergate Affair .

Monday 14 May 2018

DEVILLED SHOULDER OF LAMB

Tonight in the Valley there  will be kitchens full of hearty aromas and fall off the fork lamb ready to be served with whatever the cook chooses to serve it with .
I will be preparing this meal for Wednesday Night dining @ The Manor .
DEVILLED SHOULDER OF LAMB ...
1. Season your  deboned shoulder of lamb with salt and cracked pepper , inside and out .
2. Wash the lamb shoulder with apple cider vinegar inside and it .
3.Using a small bowl,place 3 tbs of breadcrumbs , 1 medium onion peeled and sliced 1 tbs of fresh mint ( I am using a combination of fresh mint , Thai basil and Vietnamese mint ...from my garden )
4. Now add a good drop of sharp chutney ( I used my egg plant relish with a good swig of sriracha )
And the chopped rind of 1/2 lemon ( better still if you have your own preserved lemons from Christmas ).1 tbs of minced garlic .
5.Stir in 1 lightly beaten egg and 2 tbs of milk to bind .
6.Mix to combine thoroughly .
7. Now stuff the lamb shoulder and roll up and secure with string .
8. Sprinkle all over the top with sumac .
9. Place in your slow cooker with 4 tbs of ghee .
10. Cook on high for 4 hours and let the aromas fill your kitchen ...
11. Serve with really well mashed potatoes, creamy cauliflower mash or even better a white bean mash , with broccolini.
12 .Now enjoy.....with a good red wine .







Sunday 13 May 2018

COOKING CLASS TUESDAY 15TH MAY.

This Tuesday we will be preparing devilled shoulder of lamb  and a Viennese loaf ...
You will need to bring your jar of ghee .
Slow cooker.
1 egg
1 onion
A deboned shoulder of lamb ......let your butcher know how many people you are cooking for , he will cut to the required size .
See you tomorrow
Noelene Marchwicki 

LEMON DELICIOUS

Preheat your oven to 180deg C
Cream together 60 gm ( 2tbs ) of margarine with 3/4cup of castor sugar , until thick and creamy .
Add 2 egg yolks ( lightly beaten ) along with the finely cut rind and juice of 1 lemon .
Slowly add 1/4 cup of S.R flour and a pinch of salt .
Now beat in 1 cup of milk .
In a separate clean , dry bowl beat the 2 egg whites till stiff
Fold the egg whites into the batter .
The batter will be very loose ...it’s supposed to be .
Pour the batter into an between 4 greased ovenproof ramequins and bake in your preheated oven for 35 minutes .
Enjoy hot or cold with thickened cream and or ice cream .

COUNTRY STYLE BAKED BEANS

Drain and  2 tins of beans ( 1x cannellini , 1x kidney beans ).
Place beans in a large bowl .
Peel and chop 2 onions slice and chop 3 rashers of bacon and mix these through the beans .
Add 1 cup of water .
3 tbs of passata
1dsp of sriracha
1 tbs of Worcestershire sauce
1 tin of condense tomato soup
2 tbs of brown sugar
1tbs of minced garlic
Mix all ingredients together well.
Pour into your slow cooker and cover with a lid .
Place on high and cook for 1 and 3/4 hours .
Half an hour before ready to serve and the beans are bubbling crack 4 eggs into  mixture cover and continue to simmer until the eggs are set. You have now turned your country baked beans into a shakshuka

Spoon over toasted crusty ciabatta .
Enjoy.

Friday 11 May 2018

GELATINES

Gelatine is a setting agent , a soluble protein obtained by boiling bones and connective tissues in water and purifying it.
Gelatine is produced in a powder form and as a purer sheet or leaf .
5 gelatine leaves =3 tsp of gelatine powder , enough to set 2 cups of liquid .
Gelatine is used for gelling and setting jellies , aspic and mousses and adding body to sauces and soups .
A vegatarian  alternative to gelatine is Agar agar ( sea weed based ) , carrageenan  ( Irish moss),
Xanthum gum ( vegetable based ) 

SUGAR

The sweet tasting water soluble monosaccharides and disaccharides crystallised from plant juices ( sucrose, fructose ) or obtained usually as syrups, by breaking down starch ( glucose, maltose )
1 tsp sugar ( any type of sugar regardless of colour or name  ) = 68kj ( 16 cal ).
There are very few benefits of sugar other than to sweeten .
Raw sugar , white sugar  , rapadura sugar lump sugar and coconut sugar are all suitable to sweeten tea and coffee or as a sweetener as required in recipes .
The difference between brown and white sugar is the amount of molasses retained during processing which gives it the colour and flavour
Brown sugars , Jaggery and palm sugar are suitable for baking and desserts where a richer flavour and darker colour are required , such as brownies , fruit cakes , chocolate cakes and caramel based desserts .
Fortunately there many healthy alternate options to sugar .
We have made sugar the enemy by our over use of it .


Sunday 6 May 2018

COOKING CLASS TUESDAY 8TH MAY 2018

In class tomorrow  will be preparing Country Style Baked Beans and a Lemon Delicious Pudding
Please bring along to class 2 x 400gm of haricot beans......... ( 1 x can for each person you are cooking for, if you are cooking for 4 you will need 4 tins .)
1x 420gm of condensed tomato soup............. ( if you are cooking for 4 you will need 2 tins of condensed  tomato soup
3 rashers of bacon ( 1 and 1/2 rashers per person )
2 onions  ( 1 onion per person )
2 lemons
2 eggs
You will need to bring along your slow cooker or an oven proof casserole for the beans and your electric hand beater .
See you tomorrow at 10am
Noelene Marchwicki
 

Saturday 5 May 2018

BEER SOUP

This German beer soup is unusual and creamy an is best served with fried croutons or French bread .
Place 4 cups of lager  or light beer into a large saucepan ver a medium heat .Using a wooden spoon stir in 2 tbs of sugar until dissolved nd then slowly bring to the boil .
Then remove the saucepan from the heat .
Place 4 egg yolks in a small bowl and beat them lightly with a fork now add 4 tbs of sour cream ( one tbs at a time ) stirring continuously .
Add 4 tbs of hot beer to the egg and sour cream mix and stir well .
Beating continuously add the contents of the bowl to the beer the saucepan .
Sprinkle in 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2tsp of cracked black pepper ...stir to mix .
Return the saucepan to a very low heat and cook till the soup thickens
Do not allow to boil .
When ready to serve warm the  soup bowls and serve hot .

FARMERS CHEESE SOUP

This recipe is from the Netherlands ...Boerenkaas  Soep , it is an unusual cheese and vegetable soup topped with grilled bacon , fried bread and cheese .
A very filling starter , main dish or excellent Sunday brunch .
In a medium sized saucepan melt 1/4 cup of ghee over a medium heat .
Add 4 cups of grated carrots
1large potato peeled and grated .
1 leek ( white part only ) finely sliced .
1 small cauliflower , trimmed and separated into florets .
2 celery stalks trimmed and finely sliced .
Fry the vegetables for 10 minutes  stirring frequently .
Add 4 cups of chicken stocks he vegetables and bring slowly to the boil , then reduce heat and simmer till the vegetables are tender ( approx 20 mins)
While the vegetables are cooking , fry 8 bacon rashers in a medium fry pan until the bacon rashers brown and crispen around the edges .
Remove the rashers to paper towelling to drain .
Now add 4 slices of trimmed bread to the bacon fat and fry on each side till crisp and  golden .
Remove  bread to paper towelling .
Pour the soup into an oven proof tureen .
Place a layer of bacon rashers on top of the soup , followed by a layer of fried bread and then a layer of sliced Edam cheese
Place the tureen under the grilled in your oven and cook till the cheese melts and begins to brown. Serve immediately .

BOBOTIE



Bobotie is a South African dish of baked minced meat , seasoned with herbs and curry .
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
Grease a large , deep dish with cooking spray and a tbs of ghee.
In a frying pan , melt 1 tbs of ghee
Add 2 peeled and sliced onions and 2 tbs of minced garlic ..fry until the onions are lightly browned.
Remove the onions and garlic from the pan and place them a large bowl .
Sprinkle 2 tbs of curry over the onion and garlic
Add 1/2 cup of slivered almonds
2/3 cup of sultanas,m
1dsp of all spice
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp of salt
1 tbs of sugar
1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
1 dsp of cracked black pepper
1 kg of ground beef mince
Mix well with a wooden spoon .
In a separate bowl soak 3 slices of whole meal bread in 1and 1/4cups of milk, squeeze the milk from the bread and mash the bread with 1 egg ..( retaining excess milk )
Combine the bread and meat mixture together .
Turn the mixture into the prepared dish and press down with the back of the wooden spoon .
Beat 1 egg into the excess milk and then pour over the mince mix in the tray .
Bake for 1 hour or until the top of the bobotie is golden brown and set .this is a quick and easy meal to prepare with heaps of flavour ..
Enjoy with a steamed grain , a simple green salad or sweet  potato mash .