CHICKEN AND LEMON STIR FRY

Make a marinade , combining 125 ml of Chinese cooking wine .
The zest and juice of 1 large lemon.
2 tbs of rice bran oil
Season with salt and pepper
Cut 3  chicken breasts into strips
Mix marinade and chicken together .
Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Slice 375gm of courgettes sliced in lengths.
Add I sliced  green capsicum
1 tbs of rice bran oil
250 gm of baby sweetcorn ( this is corn on the cob , picked when not fully grown . It is often used in oriental dishes , it should be just heated through  to retain  its sweetness )
place the vegetables in a fry pan over high heat for 2 minutes .
Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and place in a warmed dish  in a warm oven.
Remove the chicken from the marinade  and cook for 3 minutes or until tender .
Return the vegetables  to the pan add the left over marinade  and heat through ,
Serve on a bed of brown rice .

MINESTRA ALLA VERONESE

Firstly  boil 50 gm of broken vermicelli  noodles in salty water for 5 minutes .
Drain the noodles well , otherwise  they will make the stock cloudy and starchy .
In another pot heat 600 ml of clear chicken stock  ,
 ( use your own clear stock or a commercial version in a box ,avoid the stock cubes which are full of msg and overpowering in flavour )
Add 200gm of peas to the broth
Then the twice rinsed pasta
Cook gently until the peas are tender .
Meanwhile clean and chop 5 small chicken livers , fry them gently in a small pan with a dsp of butter .
Add them to the soup .
Stir in 1 tbs of grated parmesan cheese just prior to serving.

MASCARPONE AND PASTA

Mascarpone is a pure , double cream cheese originating from northern Italy.
Mascarpone can be  served with sugar and strawberries , the same way as French Cremets  and Coeur a la  Crème .
Mascarpone also makes a subtle sauce  for pasta.
To your serving dish melt a lump of butter  and 180 gm of mascarpone , it must be heated gently and not boiled .
Add your prepared choice of pasta and turn it around and around to mix adding 3 tbs of grated parmesan and  a handful of roughly chopped walnuts .
Serve a small bowl with more grated parmesan separately to the serving dish .
This dish is filling and rich so small serves are recommended.

STIR FRIED PORK WITH PEPPER AND GARLIC

Heat  2 tbs of rice bran oil in a pan over a medium heat ,
Add 4 large chopped garlic cloves and 2 fresh sliced  red chillies including seeds .
Cook till the garlic is golden .
Add  450gm of sliced  pork fillet ( tenderloin ) , heat through till almost cooked . ( about 4 minutes ).
Add 2 tbs of freshly ground black pepper
3 tsp of fish sauce .
A handful of chopped  coriander leaves .
Continue cooking to heat through for 2 minutes.
Serve over a bed of red rice .
 

CARROT HALVA

Put a kg of grated carrots and 1 litre of milk in a saucepan over a low heat and bring to a simmer.
Cook,  stirring until the carrot softens and the milk evaporates.
This must be done slowly or the mixture will burn.
Add 100gm of ghee
Cook gently until the carrot starts to brown.
Add 230gm of castor sugar
Cook until the mixture is thick and dry.
Add 80 gm of raisins
1 tsp of ground cardamom.
50 gm of slivered almonds .
Serve hot in small bowls with thickened cream
Sprinkle with ground cardamom

SPAGHETTI ALLA BOLOGNESE

This would have to be the best known of all Italian pasta dishes .
The recipe for this dish varies  and is often not cooked as it should be .
Allow 125 gm of long spaghetti per person .
For 250 gm  of spaghetti bring 4.5 litres of water and 2 tbs of salt to a rigorous boil .
Put your spaghetti in the water unbroken.
Bring the water back to the boil.
Cook steadily for 12 minutes.
The spaghetti will swell to 3 times its original volume .
Stir once to make sure that pieces of pasta are sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Take a little piece out and taste it .
When it is tender but still firm to the touch , it is done .
Drain it in a colander.
Place it in a warmed dish , with a little warm oil .
turn your spaghetti over  and pile on your hot sauce.

RAGU BOLOGNESE

For 4 people the ingredients are 180gm of good quality lean minced raw meat .
90 gm of chicken livers
60 gm of uncooked ham
1 carrot
1 onion 
Small stalk of celery
2 tsp of concentrated tomato paste
Small glass of white wine
2 small glasses of beef stock or water.
Season with salt, pepper  and nutmeg .
15gm of butter.
heat the butter in a small saucepan , add the chopped ham and when the fat starts to run put in th finely chopped onion , carrot and celery .
When they have browned a little add the minced beef , stir it around so it browns evenly .
Add the chopped livers
Tomato paste
Add the white wine
Simmer for 5 minutes
Add the stock  ? water
add the seasonings
Cover your pan and simmer for 40 minutes .
I like to add  a cupful of cream before serving , this makes for a thicker and richer sauce.
 

KANGAROO STEAK WITH FRESH BASIL AND BEANS .

On monday night I made this dish .
All you will need is 200gm of green beans , which have to be trimmed  but not sliced .
Heat a tbs of rice bran oil a large frypan 
Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic
Add 450 gm of sliced kangaroo steak and fry till coloured on both sides.
Add 30 fresh basil leaves  and the trimmed beans .
Add 2 tbs of fish sauce  along with 2 tbs of water  and fry for another 2 minutes.
Serve with steamed black rice.

FISH IN SOY SAUCE

Tonight at Castle Garden I served barramundi in soy sauce .

I heated 2 tbs of rice bran oil in a pan .
Then added 1 large onion sliced ,
1 small red chilli sliced with seeds,
2 garlic cloves finely sliced ,
1. dsp of crushed ginger ,
I cooked these together  till the onion softened .
Then I added 1 tsp of nutmeg along with a tsp of freshly ground black pepper.
Stir to combine.
Add 1 dsp of tamarind paste  and 1 crushed cube of palm sugar ..stirring to mix..
Its was then time to add the steaks of barramundi to the pan along with slices of a small yellow capsicum  and 3 dsp of kepac manis .( dark soy sauce )
Depending on the thickness of your steaks  cook for 6 minutes each side, or until just cooked through.
The barramundi steaks and sauce were served on a bed of black rice and garnished with the green rings of spring onions.

GROW YOUR OWN TOMATOES

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED ......

1. Choose a tomato that you really like the flavour of ...

 Slice  the tomato , and scoop out the seeds

 Place the seeds on kitchen towelling

 and let the seeds and towelling to dry out completely in dry air on a cake rack . Allow  10 days for this process.

Place the dried sheet with the seeds in a brown paper bag .

Store in a dry place until ready plant out in a seedling tray.

 

I will continue with instructions and photos when my seeds dry out.

 

8 / 11 / 2014

The seeds have dried out , and  my sheets are now ready for storage .

I live in Churchill , ( Latrobe Valley part of the greater Gippsland , Victoria . Australia .) and this year `s crop of tomatoes have just been planted out , using the seeds collected from last seasons crop.

 

1. Place the sheets in a paper bag in a dry position  till mid July 2015  when we will  commence the activation process for planting out next Nov ( 2015 )

2. You will need a seedling tray ......

3. Seed raising mix ...( a  fine textured soil  )

4. Line and 3/4  fill the tray with the soil mix

5. Place the seed sheets on the soil and cover with a layer of soil.

6. Keep moist with a light spray of water.

7. Your trays should be kept protected and if you don't have a hot house make sure the trays are placed where they will get sunlight  ..eg , a window sill , patio , verandah .

8.Between 10 and 12 days your seeds will germinate and little green tips will push through the soil surface .

9.Continue to keep the trays moist.

10. Leave the seedlings develop to about 45mm

11. Your seedlings are now ready to be potted up into small pots to allow the immature plants develop root structure .

12. The plants still need protection and sunlight is  vital for their development .

( Tomato plants will not tolerate frosts. )

13. The plants will develop rapidly , support the stems as the grow .

14.Tomato plants can be planted out into garden beds as the temperatures warm up or can be grown successfully in tubs good sized tubs in a sunny position on patios or courtyards.

15.Tomato plants respond well  to blood and bone or chook manure.

 

 

 

CASTLE GARDEN.......FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW

25TH OCTOBER 2014

CASTLE GARDEN IS IN FULL BLOOM......

BIANCO - MANGIARE .......COLD CHICKEN PATE

This is a manuscript recipe , written in note form  , for Elizabeth David`s friend Lesly O`Malley .
The recipe is brief and to the point , ingredients , directions , temperatures and cooking times are precise .
Most importantly the recipe results in a very good cold chicken pate .
Place in a food processor
375 gm of cooked chicken  ( skinned and deboned )
2 tbs of rosewater
Scant tsp of crushed ginger ( 3 tiny slices of green ginger )
1 tsp of sugar
Pinch of salt.
Preheat your oven to 170deg C

Process to smooth
Stir in 60gm of almond meal
Beat in 2lightly beaten eggs
Fold in 150 ml of thickened cream , check for seasoning .
Place mix in a lined ( baking paper ) loaf tin .
Cover with top with foil.
Place the loaf tin inside a larger tin and fill the larger tin with warm  water .
Cook for 50 minutes on a rack below the centre of your oven .
Remove and cool.
Place the loaf tin in the fridge overnight..
Next day turnout.
Stick  pine nuts upright all over  , like a hedge hog.


 

LEMON AND GARLIC SAUCE FOR PORK FILLET ( TENDERLOIN )

An excellent Lebanese marinade , used for marinating pork to be grilled over charcoal , under a grill or on a barbeque.
For 500 gm of pork fillet you will need...
 15 gm of crushed garlic
Add 4 tbs of lemon juice
Stir in 2 tbs of a fruity olive oil.
Mix the sauce until well combined ..

You may be thinking that 15 gm of garlic is excessive , by the time the sauce has been distributed among the meat , it is by no means too strong.

Cube your pork fillet and marinate in the sauce for 2 hours and grill on skewers for 20 minutes.

This sauce also makes a great marinade for chicken that is to be grilled especially chicken breasts that have a tendency for dryness. The chicken breasts benefit by the combination of flavours as well as the action of the constituents of the marinade ....

This marinade was taken from an extract of an  unpublished paper by Elizabeth David  (1970 `s )
 

COOKING CLASS FOR TUESDAY 28TH OCTOBER

Good Morning Churchill Cooking Class ,

I have  given some thought to the butter chicken recipe for next week.
Indian food and recipes can vary greatly depending on the origin and  ingredients particular to the region .
So my decision...................
On Tuesday we will combine 2 popular Indian dishes in 1.
Singharas  ( Bengali version of Samosa ) with a butter chicken filling.

You will need to bring your JAR OF GHEE , a KNIFE and a FRYPAN .
A CONTAINER to take your samosas home , ( aluminium trays can be purchased in the Cheap shop next door to the Churchill newsagency . 4@ $2 ).
 500gm of chicken mince
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tin of diced tomatoes
Chopped almonds
garam marsala ( spice )
ground tumeric
ground cardamom
ground cloves
chilli powder.
1 . large onion.
In class Tuesday we spoke about purchasing spices .
There is a shop on the corner of Buckley  and Hoyle Street , Morwell which stocks a great selection of whole and ground spices....

Don`t forget your homework
What is the difference between a red onion and a Spanish onion ?

DEMONSTRATION......GOODNESS PIE

See you Tuesday @ 10.00 AM
Noelene
 

GOODNESS CAKE ... ( VEGAN & VEGETARIAN )

Put the ingredients listed into a food processor...
1/4 cup of goji berries
1/2 cup of macadamia nuts
1 tsp of maca powder
1/2 cup pistachio nuts
1/2 cup of almonds
3/4 cup of dates

Pulse until all the ingredients are finely chopped and resemble a fine crumble,
Line  a spring form pan with baking paper , and press the mixture into the base of the pan with your hand and then place in a freezer to set.

Clean out the food processor

Place the following ingredients into the processor to make the filling ....
3 ripe avocados
1/2 cup of coconut cream
1/2 cup of rice syrup or 1/2 cup of raw honey
2 tsp of vanilla bean paste
3/4 cup of raw cacoa powder.

Blend until smooth and creamy.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan and smooth over the base.
Sprinkle a mix of 3/4  cup of goji berries with 3/4 cup of pistachio nuts over the top of the pie .
Place the pie back in the freezer to set for a couple of hours .
Remove and store in the refrigerator in an air tight container.

PISTOU BARRAMUNDI

This was served on Monday night at Castle Garden ..................
 (Italian ....pesto / French...pistou .......made from basil, garlic , oil , nuts  and gruyere cheese . I omitted the cheese this time )
I combined 1/3 cup of fresh mint basil , 1 tbs of rice bran oil , 1/2 tsp of sea salt , 1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper , 2 fat garlic cloves ( peeled ) , 1 tbs of panch phoran  ( spice mix ) in a food processor.
 Set aside..
Spray a fry pan with cooking spray and heat over a medium heat.
Rub the pistou on both sides of the  barramundi fillets  .
Place fillets in the prepared pan , cook for 3 minutes each sides .
the fillets will flake easily when tested with a fork .
Serve with lemon wedges , fresh uncooked spinach leaves and  cashew nuts.
 

GOUGH WHITLAM .....R.I.P. TUESDAY 21ST OCTOBER 2014.

Gough Whitlam Australia`s 21st Prime Minister died this morning in Sydney.
He was a visionary , who tapped into the social consciousness of Australia.
Gough Whitlam contributed to public welfare more than any other political leader.
I was able to attend a tertiary institution thanks to free tertiary education that was offered to all Australians .
He put an end to conscription.
He appointed a woman to oversee  health issues affecting women's health.
He recognised women`s rights.
He introduced Medicare a true  universal health system .
He wiped out the White Australian policy .
He initiated land rights for the true owners of Australia.
Wherever you are reading this blog , don`t dismiss the importance of the passing of this man , he knew the true meaning of reconciliation ...... down load the song by Paul Kelly ... " From little things big things grow. "
Thank you Gough Whitlam .
R.I.P.

TUESDAY COOKING CLASS.......

Today...we are making FISH CAKES..........

These fish cakes can be made with any firm fish ..
Over the years I have used ....salmon , barramundi , whiting , basa  , cod , snapper , mulloway ,  for  fish cakes.

Season the fish fillets  ( 500gm ) with salt and pepper.
Saute the fillets in 3 tbs of oil over a low heat until lightly coloured on both sides , approx. 2 minutes on each side .
Remove from pan .
Cool .
Shred and set aside.
In the same pan   ...saute 2 finely sliced scallions using the white and green tops . heat until softened.
Remove and cool.
Into a large bowl
Place 2 tbs of chopped dill pickles ( finely chopped )
2 eggs ( lightly beaten )
2 tbs of finely chopped basil mint leaves
1 cup of mashed potatoes
1 cup of breadcrumbs ( if not using potatoes ..increase breadcrumbs to 2 cups )
1 tbs of lime juice
1  dsp of fish sauce.
Add the sauteed scallions and shredded fish fillets.

Stir to combine.
Shape into patties.
Roll in extra breadcrumbs .
Heat some oil in a non stick pan .
Cook the fish cakes in batches , until golden .
Serve with wedges of lemon.

My Demonstration...

PISTOU SALMON

1/3 cup of  fresh basil mint
1 tbs of rice bran oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves of fresh garlic
1  tbs of panch phoran.
Fillet of salmon

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a processor .
Add the panch phoran to the mix
Rub the mix on both sides of the fillet.
Cook in a non stick pan coated with cooking spray , for 3 minutes on each side.
Serve with asparagus spears and lemon wedges .

BOOKINGS FOR COOKING CLASSES  PH.... CHURCHILL HUB 51222995

JERK KANGAROO FILLET WITH BLACK RICE SALAD

Castle Garden, Sunday 19th Oct ....I served
JERK KANGAROO FILLET WITH BLACK RICE SALAD .

I work on  500 gm of fillet per person  and 1/2 cup of  uncooked  black rice per person .

Firstly steam your rice and add  1 red chilli pepper with seeds  while cooking .
Thinly slice a small red capsicum and chop 3 spring onions and place in a dish with basalmic vinegar .
Set aside .

Slice your kangaroo fillet  and add
1 long green chilli pepper finely sliced
3 spring onions finely slicely
2 garlic cloves crushed .
1 tsp of allspice
1 tsp of dried thyme
1 tsp of castor sugar
1 tbs of soy sauce
1 tbs of lime / lemon juice.

Mix together and cover with cling film while you prepare your pan.

In your pan add the following ingredients over a med / high heat.
A good slug of oil
2 large red onions  chopped finely
3 fat cloves of garlic sliced
1 tsp of cumin
2 tbs of red wine vinegar
2 large fresh tomatoes peeled and chopped .
1/2 cup of  fresh coriander leaves .
2 tbs of lemon / lime juice.
Stir till onion softens
Then add the marinated fillet and cook till the meat browns on each side ...but do not burn .
( Roo fillet  cooks quickly as the meat is very lean )

Add the basalmic capsicum and spring onion mix to the black rice and serve with the jerk kangaroo fillet.

FIVE SPICE KANGAROO WITH VEGETABLES

Tonight at Castle Garden I offered five spice kangaroo with vegetables .
You will need  500 gm of kangaroo fillet .
Slice the fillet paper thin .
Mix the fillet slices with
1 tsp of crushed garlic
1 tsp of crushed ginger
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of cloves
1 tsp of nutmeg
Set aside .

Place 1 .5 cups of freekeh and 1 small red chilli with seeds  in 3 cups of water in a rice steamer and press start .
Wait 20 minutes and the prepare the vegetables

Into a heated pan place 1 cup of broccoli florets
1 large red capsicum sliced
3 spring onions sliced diagonally
1 dsp of sesame oil
1 tbs of soy sauce
1 tbs of oyster sauce
Heat through and then add the coated kangaroo fillet .
Increase the heat and turn the fillet slices till coloured on both sides .

Serve the kangaroo fillet over the freekeh .

WHOLE ORANGE SYRUP CAKE

This cake is an orange version of the Baklava cake  which was published on my blog on 28th Sept 2013.  ( same but different )
This cake can be made successfully with mandarins  or cumquats ..( use the equivalent weight of 2 medium oranges.)
This cake is literally made with whole oranges .
It is delicious .Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
Prepare your cake tin... 24 cm spring form pan ...( I use a 30cm loaf tin ).
Wash 2 medium oranges ( unpeeled ) and place in a saucepan of water .
Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 1 hour .
Cool.
Slice oranges ( unpeeled ) and place in a food processor  and puree until smooth.
Now in a large mixing bowl place........
 4 lightly beaten eggs
200gm of softened butter
1 cup of castor sugar
2 cups of plain flour
1. tsp of bi carb soda
1. cup of buttermilk
2 tsp of vanilla essence
1 cup of ground almonds
Beat with an electric mixer on medium for 12 minutes.
The batter will be light and fluffy .
Now fold in lightly 1/2 cup of slivered almonds.
pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 60 minutes .
( if the cake top starts to darken too early , lay a piece of baking paper over the top of the tin and continue cooking )

FOR THE SYRUP
Heat 1 cup of castor sugar with 1/2 cup of orange juice , stir till sugar is dissolved .
Slowly bring to the boil.
Add 2 tbs of orange marmalade , stir to dissolve .

The cake is cooked when it is golden brown and bounces back when gently pressed in the centre .
Spoon the syrup over the top of the cake while it is still in the tin .
Remove cake from the pan .

Freezes beautifully.



 

MUSHROOM GOUGERE

This is a savoury choux pastry ring .
Choux pastry is really easy to make , as no rolling out is required .
The secret of success is to let the flour and butter mixture cool before beating in the eggs , to prevent them from setting .
First preheat your oven to 200 deg C 
Grease an ovenproof dish , approximately 23 cm / 9 "round
To make the choux pastry ....
Sift 1/2 cup of plain flour and a tsp of salt onto a sheet of baking paper.
In a large saucepan , heat 75 gms of margarine /butter , 200ml of cold water until the shortening just melts ....Do not let the water boil.
Now fold the baking paper and let the flour and salt stream  into the warm water and melted shortening .
Stir with a wooden spoon over a low heat until the lumps disappear and the mixture becomes smooth .
Remove from heat once the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Cool for 10 minutes.
Now add the 3 beaten eggs slowly to the cooled  mixture , beat until it is smooth but still quite firm dropping consistancy.
You may not need all the egg .
Then stir in 75gm of  gruyere cheese .
Now spoon the mixture round the sides of the prepared dish .

THE FILLING ...
Saute a sliced onion , a grated carrot , 225gm of sliced mushrooms in 40 gm of margarine for 5 minutes.
Add 1 tsp of tikka
25gm of plain flour
Gradually stir in 300ml of milk.
Stir continually over a low heat until thickened
Add 2 tbs of freshly chopped parsley
Season with salt and ground black pepper .
Pour into the centre of the choux pastry.
Bake for 40 minutes until the pastry has risen and is golden brown.
Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES

In a large bowl combine combine all these ingredients ......

1. cup of cocoa
2 . cups of castor sugar
2. tsp of vanilla essence
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of rice bran oil
4 eggs
2 cups of flour
2 tsp of baking powder

Mix together , forming a dough .
Wrap in cling wrap and place in refrigerator for 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180 deg C
Tear off pieces of the dough and form into balls the size of golf balls .
Roll the balls in icing sugar
Place the balls on a lined baking tray and bake for 12 minutes .
Cool on a wire rack.

That was on 14 th October ...

THE PACKAGED ALTERNATIVE
Today 16th October I was stopped in the supermarket by a lady holding a red velvet cake mix package , asking me  how much batter in a patty pan , makes a perfect patty  cake .
The cake box product advertised red velvet crinkle cakes ....
The recipe used ...
butter in place of oil
lemon zest in place of vanilla essence
they used a thickening agent ..cornflour
1. box of cake mix ....( that`s bone big load of energy  11532 kj  without the other ingredients )

You choose .

COFFEE NUT BALLS

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
Heat a tbs of rice bran oil in a pan .
Add 1 sliced onion
2 cloves of garlic sliced
Fry till softened .
Remove from the heat  and add 1 cup of ground mixed nuts .
2 cups of wholewheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup of strong black coffee.
1 egg lightly beaten
1 dsp of dried sage
Salt and pepper to taste
Shape the mixture into balls  and coat in sesame seeds.
Place the balls on a greased baking tray .
bake in the oven for 40 minutes .....
Serve these with a mixed salad .
 

COFFEE NUT BEIGNETS

Savoury beignets are usually served as an appetiser , but can also be served as a canapé for a cocktail party .

In a pan heat 2 tbs of butter / margarine  and 3/4 of a cup of weak black coffee until the shortening has melted , then slowly bring to the boil.
Reduce heat
Add 1/2 cup of plain flour and beat till the mixture becomes smooth and leaves the sides of the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Beat 1 egg and I egg yolk together and slowly beat into the cooled coffee mixture .
When the egg and yolk are well incorporated  the paste should be smooth and shiny .
Now stir in 250gm of bacon pieces , 1/4 cup of chopped almonds , 1/2 cup of chopped parsley and 1 tsp of ground coffee , with salt and pepper to taste.
Drop teaspoonfuls into a deep fryer  of oil  and fry till golden brown  and crisp .
Drain on paper towels and serve hot with a sweet chutney.

POTATO BABKA .......kartopliana babka

Preheat your oven to 220 deg C  and grease a 9" round cake tin .
Place 2 cups of mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl and beat in 2 egg yolks.
Add 1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of cottage cheese
A pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
In another bowl beat the egg whites until stiff.
Then gently fold them into the potato mix .
Spoon the mixture into the greased pan and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and puffy .
Serve immediately