MEMORIES OFTHE WEEKLY STEW

I lived with my Aunty Ruby,Uncle Allan and cousin Bill Newton from the age of 2 till 9 years of age. So many memories ... The family house in Fleming St, Morwell had a combustion stove, a wood heater over the bath, which you lit if you wanted water warmed for your bath. An ice box for refrigeration , the ice was delivered weekly by a man on a horse and the ice block was deposited in the top part of the ice chest with an ice pick leaving just enough room for the brick of ice cream , that came in a cardboard box. ( ice cream was'nt an essential , a rare treat ). The milk was delivered by a man handling a horse and cart filled with milk bottles and cream if you had left a note on your front porch to pre order the cream ,( another treat ). The ingredients for the stew were placed on the kitchen table , a pile of potatoes, a large slice of pumpkin and a cheap cut of beef that was best served slow cooked. My Aunty Ruby told me that the trick to making a stew flavoursome was all in the timing . First was to cook the beef in an iron pot with salted water, pepper and leave it to simmer most of the day on the combustion stove. Then add the potatoes until they are strating to sweat, which meant they had to be boiling for 5 minutes . If you added the pumpkin sooner , it would just go to mush . The stew would be served as every main meal at 6.00pm (?) each night while we would listen to Dad and Dave on the wireless. Memories are priceless.

APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE

Ingredients for the cake....170gm butter/ marg, 170gm of castor sugar, 2 eggs lightly beaten,225gm of self raising flour, 4 apples, peeled cored and sliced, 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract. Ingredients for the crumble.....110gm of self raising flour, 85gm of butter/marg, 2 tbs of castor sugar, water. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease a 7"(18cm) square cake pan with baking paper. Beat the butter/marg and sugar together with your electric mixter until pale and fluffy. Now add the eggs, vanilla extract and flour alternatively , beat until just combined. Place the prepared batter into the pan. Scatter the apple slices over the top of the cake mixture and gently press them into the batter a little. Crumble.... Put the flour into a medium bowl and rub in the butter/marg until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and 1-2 dsp of water, until the mixture sticks togethewr in small clumps. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the apples. Bake for 35 minutes or until the crumble is lightly golden and the cake is cooked through. Cool in the pan and sprinkle with icing sugar when cold. Slice into squares to serve.

SWEET POTATO WEDGES

Ingredients .....6 sweet potatoes (kumara ), (yams) cut into wedges, 5 tbs of olive oil, salt and cracked black pepper. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Toss the wedges in the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the wedges in a large greased baking pan in a single layer and bake for 40 minutes or until tender.

CRANBERRY CHEWS

Ingredients.....60gm of flaked almonds, 3 egg whites, 110gm of castor sugar, 1tbs of cornflour, 1 tsp of finely grated lemon rind,105gm of dried cranberries, 1 tbs of icing sugar. Preheat youroven to 160 deg C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form , using your electric beater . Gradually add the castor sugar in tbs increments , beating after each addition until the sugar has dissolved. Now fold in the cornflour , lemon rind , cranberries and nuts in two batches. Drop heaped tbs of mixture onto the trays about 1 and 1/2 inches apart. Bake in the the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with sifted icing sugar .

BAKED PUMPKIN WITH SAUSAGE MEATBALLS

Ingredients.....1 large Kent/Japola pumpkin, 500gm of sausage mince (you can use half sausage mince and half premium beef mince to reduce fat), the sprigs of rosemary from 3 rosemary stems from your garden or 3 tbs of dried rosemary, 1/2 bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped, 1 tub of cherry tomatoes, 1 x 400gm of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp of chilli flakes, 3 tbs of minced garlic, 1 onion peeled and finely chopped. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Take a whole Kent pumpkin, slice off the top and scoop out the seeds and a little of the flesh making a hollow like bowl. Place the trimmed pumpkin on a large baking tray lined with baking paper. In a separate bowl combine the mince with the parsley and rosemary. Use your hands to roll the mince into golf sized balls , place the mince balls inside the pumpkin cavity, adding the cherry tomatoes. Finally mix together the garlic, chilli, chopped onion and diced tomatoes and pour over the contents in the the pumpkin cavity and place the pumpkin lid over top. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked through. I serve the baked pumpkin with steamed potatoes and fresh spinach. ENJOY.

MOROCCAN VEGETABLES SLOW COOKED (V)

Can,t wait for tea tonight, the house is full of warm aromas coming from the slow cooker, that has been slow cooking tonights meal for 8 hours. Ingredients.....2 tbs of oil, 1 onion peeled and chopped, 4 carrots washed and chopped, 1 red capsicum, deseeded and chopped, 4 tbs of minced garlic, 4 large sweet potatoes, washed and roughly chopped, 400gm of can of diced tomatoes, 1 dsp of chilli flakes, 1 tsp of ground turmeric, 500ml of vegetable stock, cracked black pepper, 3 zucchini thickly sliced, 400gm can of chickpeas(drained), 1 tbs of sumac, chopped mint leaves for the garnish. Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray . Heat the oil in a frypan and cook the chopped onion until tender. Now add the sweet potato ( kumara ), carrots, capsicum, tomatoes and garlic to the slow cooker bowl along with the softened onion, chilli flakes and turmeric. Pour in the vegetable stock and season with cracked black pepper. Finally add the zucchini and chickpeas. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours until the vegetables are tender. Serve garnished with chopped mint leaves. Tonight I am serving Moroccan vegetables as my main course with a steamed mixed grain mix. Tomorrow I will serve the leftovers with chorizio sausage. Absolutely delicious....

BAKED POTATOES WITH TUNA

Ingredients....4 large potatoes ( all rounder),( washed and unpeeled), enough oil to coat the potatoes( to make this dish special , I use peanut oil ), you can use canola or olive oil, it's your dish, make it your own. 4 spring onions whole ( green and white parts), chopped. 400gm can of tuna, drained, 3 tbs of plain yoghurt, 1 tbs of mayonnaise , cracked black pepper to taste. Heat your oven to 200deg C. Rub the washed and paper towel dried potatoes with oil and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Prick the potatoes with a skewer and bake in the preheated oven for 75 minutes or until tender. Mix together the remaining ingredients until well combined in a sepaarate bowl. Split the baked poatatoes open and divide the filling evenly between them.

POTATO TORTILLA

Ingredients ....2 tbs of olive oil,500gm of baking potatoes, peeled or washed and diced, 1 onion peeled and diced,1/2 tsp cracked black pepper,4 eggs lightly beaten, 4 tbs of sour cream, 3 tbs of minced garlic,1 dsp of chilli flakes (optional), 1 tbs of chopped parsley, 200gm of canned red kidney beans ( when drained ),100gm of canned corn kernals ( when drained), 100gm of cooked chicken pieces, sliced into strips. So let's get started. Preheat your oven to 200 deg C. Heat the olive oil in a large frypan and fry the diced potatoes for 10 minutes. Add the onion and fry gently for a further 5 minutes, until the potatoes soften and the onions are tender. Season with cracked pepper. Whisk together the eggs, sour cream,minced garlic , chilli flakes and parsley in a separate bowl. Stir in the corn kernels and the kidney beans, season with cracked black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and finally add the chicken strips on top. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the tortilla is firm and brown on top. Cut into triangles and serve garnished with a green leaf salad.

MERINGUE NESTS WITH RASPBERRY CREAM

Ingredients ...100ml of cream, 1 dsp of castor sugar,1 tsp of vanilla extract, 40 gm of fresh or frozen raspberries, 4 ready made meringue nests,extra raspberries and icing sugar to serve. Pour the cream into a bowl with the castor sugar and vanilla extract , using an electric whisk , whisk until soft peaks form. Put the raspberries in a food processor / blender and process until smooth . Fold the raspberry puree through the whipped cream until just combined. Place the ready made meringue nests on serving plates and top with the raspberry cream . Garnish with extra raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar. Serve immediately.

ADULTS ONLY DESSERT ..BERRIES IN CHAMPAGNE JELLY

Ingredients ....1 litre of Champagne, 1 and 1/2 tbs of gelatine, 250 gm of castor sugar, 4 strips of lemon rind, 4 strips of orange rind, 250 gm of fresh, small and halved strawberries, 255gm of fresh blueberries. Pour 500ml of the Champagne into a bowl and let the bubbles subside. Sprinkle the gelatine over the Champagne in an even layer and leave until the mixture is spongy, DO NOT STIR. Place the remaining 500ml of Champagne in a medium large saucepan with the 250gm of castor sugar , lemon and orange rinds. Heat gently over a low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and stir through the gelatine mixture until thoroughly dissolved. Leave the jelly to cool completely, then remove the orange and lemon rinds. Mix the fresh berries together and divide between 8 x 125ml glasses , now gently pour the jelly over top. Refrigerate till the jelly has fully set ( approx 6 hours). Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving at room temperture.

CHOCOLATE RICE PUDDING

Ingredients....1 cup of medium grain rice, 500ml of boiling water, 750ml of milk, 125gm of 70% cocoa chocolate, broken into small pieces, 2 tbs of castor sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, thickened cream to serve. Place the rice in a saucepan with 500ml of boiling water and stir until well combined. Boil, stirring ocassionally until the water is nearly absorbed. Now add 750ml of milk and bring to the boil over a medium heat , then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked and the pudding is thick and creamy. Add the chocolate and vanilla extract, stir until the chocolate has melted and well combined. Add to 2 tbs of castor sugar. To serve , spoon the rice between 4-6 ramequins topped with thickened cream.

CHICKEN WITH FETA CHEESE AND COUSCOUS.

This is a favourite dish of mine , it is easily prepared , moorish and always welcomed when served at The Manor . Ingredients ...4 chicken breast fillets, 150gm of feta cheese crumbled, 150gm of semi dried tomatoes, roughly chopped, 3 tbs of finely chopped fresh basil, 185gm of couscous,1 tbs of lemon juice, 1 tbs of olive oil, lemon wedges to serve. Slice a pocket lengthways into the thickest part of the chicken breast, without cutting all the way through. In a medium bowl mix together the crumbled feta cheese,chopped tomatoes and 2 tbs of chopped basil. Divide the mixture into 4 and press into chicken breast pockets. Secure the filled chicken breasts with toothpicks. Place the olive oil in a heavy based pan and heat over a medium heat. Add the filled chicken breasts and cook over the medium heat for 10 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through. While the chicken is cooking , place the couscous into a heatproof bowl , add the lemon juice and 1 cup of boiling water (250ml). Leave to stand for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork and add the remaining chopped basil. Now slice the chicken breasts on the diagonal. To serve place the chicken slices on a warmed platter of couscous along side the lemon wedges. Enjoy....

A LIGHT AND AIRY CHOCOLATE SPONGE

I found this recipe written on lined writing paper and folded inside an old cooking book , which I purchased from Churchill Lifeline shop. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. ( the recipe says a moderate oven and use 2 round pans ) I suggest you use 2 medium cake pans, greased and lined with baking paper). Ingredients ...4 eggs lightly beaten, 3/4 cup of castor sugar, 1 tbs of plain flour, 1 dsp of ground ginger, 1 tsp of cocoa, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp of bi carb of soda, 1 tsp of cream of tartar, 1/2 cup of cornflour and 1 tbs golden syrup ( warmed to room temp). There was no list of ingredients as I have listed for you ( taken from the written recipe). ....the following is what was hand written on the lined paper. Beat together 4 eggs with 3/4 cup of castor sugar until creamy ( the writen recipe says 20 minutes). Mix together in a bowl 1 tbs of plain flour, 1 dsp of ground ginger,1 tsp of cocoa, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp of bi carb of soda, 1 tsp of cream of tartar, 1/2 cup of cornflour. Fold the dry mixture into the egg mixture and mix together. Lightly fold in 1 tbs of room temp golden syrup. The written recipe says bake in 2 round cake tins , I suggest you divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes ( I suggest you test the cakes with a skewer for doneness , if the skewer comes out clean , the cake is done.) Cool the cakes on a wire rack and spread with raspberry jam and top with whipped cream, as per the written recipe. There is no mention of any icing , so maybe a light dusting of sifted icing sugar to finish it off.

BLUEBERRY COOKIES

Ingredients...150gm of plain flour,1 and 1/2 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon, 55gm of butter/ marg, 85 gm of castor sugar, 100ml of milk, 150gm of fresh bluberries. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a baking tray with baking paper . In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, use your fingertips to rub in the butter/ marg, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, finally stir in the castor sugar. Now stir in the milk and blueberries until JUST combined. The dough will be sticky. Spoon 8 mounds spaced well apart on the lined baking tray, spaced well apart . Cook for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack .

POTATO OMELETTE

Ingredients .....3 boiled potatoes, 3 tbs of butter/ marg, 125gm of chopped ham, 1 leek (white part)) finely chopped, 5 eggs lightly beaten, 5 tbs of cream ,1 tbs of minced garlic, 1 dsp of chilli flakes . To begin cut the cooked potatoes into cubes . Melt the butter/ marg in a medium large frypan, adding the potatoes , leek and ham continuing to cook over a medium heat for 4 minutes . In a separate bowl mix together the beaten eggs , cream , minced garlic, chilli flakes. Pour the wet mixture over the ingredients in the pan . Cook over a medium heat until set . Complete the dish with chopped chives sprinkled over .

GOLDEN SOUP

An early version of pumpkin soup. Ingredients .......4 potatoes peeled and cut into pieces, 2 carrots cut into slices, 1 large onion peeled and and sliced, 1 tbsp of curry powder, 30 gm of butter/ marg, 1 litre of chicken stock, 3 tbs of minced garlic, 2 tbs of chopped parsley, cracked black pepper. Place the peeled and sliced , potatoes carrots and onion in a large saucepan with the curry powder and fry in the butter/ marg for 3 minutes . Now add the chicken stock and cover the pot with a lid , simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Puree the soup in batches in a food processor . Season with cracked black pepper and sprinkle with the chopped parsley , serve with crusty buttered bread .

EASY SEAFOOD SOUP

Ingredients.....500gm of white fish fillets, 2 onions peeled and sliced, 15 gm of butter/ marg,200gm jar of mussels drained, gm can of diced tomatoes including the liquid, 500ml of chicken stock,2 tbs of minced garlic,1 dsp of dried chilli flakes, 1 tbs of tomato paste, cracked black pepper. Cut the white fish fillets into pieces . Fry the onions in the butter/ marg until tender in a large pot. Add the fish pieces , drained mussels, tomatoes and liquid, chicken stock and tomato paste, chilli flakes and garlic. Simmer for 10 minutes over a medium heat or until the fish is cooked . Season with the cracked black pepper. Serve with crusty bread .....this is seriously good .

PRAWN OMELETTE

Ingredients... 4 eggs ( room temp ,lightly beaten), 250gm of cooked prawns, peeled and deveined, 80 gm of shredded cabbage, 1 onion peeled and thinly sliced, 1 cup of bean sprouts, 4 spring onions chopped (green part only), 2 tbs of minced garlic, 2 tbs of water, 1 small carrot grated,1 tsp of canola oil and 1/4 tsp each of pepper and salt. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Combine all the ingredients( except the canola oil, salt and pepper), in a large bowl. Line a medium to large frypan with baking paper , drizzle in the canola oil. Now pour the omelette mixture onto the baking paper lined pan. Cover with a loose sheet of aluminium foil. Cook until set in the preheated oven. When the omelette is set, slice into 4 portions and turn each portion over , season to taste. Cover and cook for a further 2 minutes .

COCONUT COOKIES

Ingredients .....125gm of butter/marg, 170gm of soft brown sugar, 1 tsp pf vanilla extract, 1 egg lightly beaten,125gm of plain flour,60gm of self raising flour, 90 gm of rolled oats, 45gm of desiccated coconut, 1 dsp of grated lime rind, 2 tbs of lime juice. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Place the butter, sugar, vanilla extact, egg, and the combined flours, rolled oats, coconut, lime rind and juice in a processor and mix until well combined. Now drop heaped tsps of the mixture on to the baking paper lined oven trays.and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to coolong racks to cool . These coconut cookies are delicious , it is because of the combination of the lime juice and texture of the lime rind, combined with the coconut .. These are the best .

BEEF WELLINGTON LOAF

Ingredients ..... 30gm of butter/marg,1 onion, finely chopped, 420gm can of sliced mushrooms in butter sauce ( drained ),500gm of minced steak, 3 tbs of minced garlic, 2 tbs of El hanout spice mix, 1 cup of breadcrumbs, 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry,( thawed), 1 egg lightly beaten. Preheat your oven to 200deg C . Heat the butter/ marg in a frypan adding the chopped onion, drained mushrooms, mince steak, seasonings and breadcrumbs. Shape the meat mixture into a roll. Lay the sheet of puff pastry out on your work bench and place the meat roll in the centre of the pastry. Dampen the edges of the pastry with water, bring the pastry over the beef and join in the middle and tucking in the ends . Place the loaf on a baking paper lined oven baking tray. Glaze with the beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown . I like to serve this with mashed potatoes, carrots and peas, but it's your dish !

BAKED RICE CUSTARD

Ingredients ....1/4 cup of short grain rice, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 1/4 cup of castor sugar, 1/2 cup of powdered milk, 2 cups of water, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 tsp of ground nutmeg, 1/4 cup of sultanas (optional). Preheat your oven to 160 deg C . Spray a 20cm round casserole dish with cooking oil. Cook the rice in a medium pot of boiling water, until just tender and then drain. Whisk the lightly beaten eggs , sugar, powdered milk and essence in the bowl of your electric mixer for 2 minutes. Fold in the rice and sultanas ,( if using). Pour the combined mixture into the oiled casserole dish . Sprinkle with nutmeg . Place the prepared casserole dish in a larger baking dish and pour in cold water to come up 1/2 way up the sides. Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven or until the custard is set and when a skewer inserted comes away clean when inserted in the middle. Remove the casserole from the waterbath and leave rest for 5 minutes before serving with cream . Enjoy , an oldie but one to keep sharing .

POTATO PUFFS

Ingredients....3 medium potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed, 3/4 cup of water, 50 gm of butter/ marg, 3/4 cup of plain flour, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 1 cup of grated tasty cheese, 2 spring onions, chopped (white part only), 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg, canola oil. Place the water and butter/ marg in a pan and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and add the flour, stir over a low heat. Allow the mixture to cool slightly , beat in the beaten eggs and transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Now combine the mashed potatoes and egg mixture, grated cheese, spring onions and nutmeg. Make balls of heaped tbs of the potato mixture. Heat enough oil in a deep fryer or pan to cook over a high heat until the potato mixture is puffed and golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve immediately, these are so light and fluffy .

PEACH ,PINEAPPLE AND COCONUT CRUMBLE

Ingredients ........1 x 825gm can of peach halves, 1 x 450gm can of pineapple pieces, 2 tbs of orange marmalade.. Topping ......90 gm of breadcrumbs, 2 tbs of plain flour, 1/3 rd of a cup of shredded coconut, 90 gm of butter, 1 tbs of honey. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Drain the cans of fruit, reserving 1 cup of the juice. Place the fruit in a shallow ovenproof dish. Combine the reserved dish and marmalade over a low heat in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Now pour this mixture over the fruit. To make the topping , mix together the breadcrumbs , flour and shredded coconut in a bowl. Heat the butter and honey in the small saucepan until melted and then stir in the dry ingredients until combined. Spoon the mixture over he fruit. Bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden. Serve warm with custard and or cream.