Dinner Time!

Tempura Asparagus

2005-10-14T13:05:00.000+10:00

Servings:
2 - 4

Preparation Time:
0.25 hours

Ingredients

* 2 bunches asparagus
* 50 gram plain (all purpose) flour
* 50 gram cornflour
* 175 ml soda water - cold
* sesame seeds
* pinch salt
* oil for deep frying

Cooking Instructions
1. Set oil to heat in a suitable heavy duty saucepan while preparing the other ingredients.
2. Trim asparagus to desired length. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, combine plain flour, cornflour and salt. Mix ingredients to ensure they are well combined.
4. Add in sesame seeds and stir.
5. Pour in soda water and mix the batter well. A few lumps are nothing to be worried about.
6. Dip asparagus into the batter, trying to coat the entire peice and carefully lower into pre-heated oil.
7. Allow to cook until the batter is golden in colour or 1 minute has passed. Use your judgement on this.
8. Drain on paper towels and set somewhere to keep warm while cooking the remaining asparagus.

Notes
You can cook multiple peices at a time, depending on the size of your saucepan and depth of your oil.

Choc Hazelnut Cream

2005-09-25T19:08:00.000+10:00

Servings:
8

Preparation Time:
0.25 hours

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup ground hazelnut
* 2 tbsp cocoa powder
* 2 cups cream
* 1/2 - 1 cup white chocolate

Cooking Instructions
1. Put all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the simmer.
2. Simmer and stir until all ingredients are combined.
3. Refridgerate
4. Serve with hazelnut meringues, ice cream or fresh strawberries

Notes
The more chocolate added, the firmer the cream will become.

Strawberry Sauce

2005-09-25T18:59:00.000+10:00

Servings:
2
Preparation Time:
0.25 hours
Ingredients

* 1 tbsp butter
* 1/2 - 1 cup sliced strawberries
* 1 tsp chinese 5 spice
* 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
* 3 tbsp caster sugar

Cooking Instructions
1. Melt butter in a small saucepan
2. Add in remaining ingredients and bring to the boil.
3. Adjust flavour to suit (more sugar or vinegar if needed).
4. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with pork or chicken

Caramel Slice

2005-09-10T16:04:00.000+10:00

Very Simple and very delicious

Ingredients
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dessicated coconut
6 tbsp butter, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp golden syrup
1.5 tbsp butter
150 g dark chocolate
Method

Combine flour, brown sugar, coconut and melted butter. Once combined, press into a greased/lined lamington tin.
Bake in a moderately heated oven (180 degrees celcius) for 10 minutes
In a small saucepan, add condensed milk, golden syrup and butter.
Once the butter is melted, increase heat till simmering(slow boil) and cook for 5 minutes.
Pour onto baked base and put back into the oven for another 10 minutes.
Allow to cool.
While base is cooling, melt dark chocolate (either in the microwave or over hot water, bain-marie style).
Once melted, spread over caramel slice and place in the fridge to set.
Cut up once set, and enjoy

Chicken Pot Pie

2005-08-14T17:31:00.000+10:00

This is delicious and should even appeal to kids tastebuds. You could almost eat the filling before it get put into pie form.

Preparation time - 20 mins
Cooking time - 20 minutes or until golden
Serves - 4 large pots or 8 small pots (or 1 large pie)

Ingredients

1kg - 1.5kg of boned chicken thighs, diced
1 can of creamed corn (approx 1 cup)
1 can of asparagus tips and cuts (reserve the juice)
1 cup of milk
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp olive oil
seasonings
2 sheets of puff pastry

Method

Heat olive oil in a pan and once hot, add the chicken. Cook until meat has browned.
Add flour and seasonings, stir until chicken is coated.
Mix in milk and reserved asparagus juice. Continue to stir until the liquid thickens.
Add in asparagus and creamed corn. Mix well.
Spoon chicken mix into pots. Top with puff pastry and trim. Make sure you cut a hole for steam to escape.
OR, grease and line a pie dish with puff pastry, add in chicken and top with the other layer of puff pastry. Cut a hole to allow steam to escape.
Cook in a miderate oven until pastry has browned.

Serve with vegetables or salad.

Strawberry Cheesecake

2005-08-11T19:32:00.000+10:00

Servings:
8

Preparation Time:
0.75 hours

Ingredients

* 1 sheet of premade puff pastry
* 500grams strawberries - washed, hulled and sliced
* 250 grams cream cheese
* 250 grams cottage cheese
* 1/2 cup coconut cream powder (optional)
* juice of 1/2 lemon
* 2 tbsp gelatine powder
* 1/2 cup icing sugar
* 1/4 cup water

Cooking Instructions
1. Trim puff pastry to fit the container that the cheesecake will be set in.
2. Bake puff pastry in a moderate oven for approximately 20 minutes. Once cooked, set aside to cool.
3. Place sliced strawberries, water, and icing sugar in a small pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer until fruit is softened and sugar is dissolved.
4. Remove fruit pulp and set aside. Add gelatine to still hot liquid and whisk quickly to avoid getting lumps.
5. In a bowl, place cream cheese, cottage cheese, lemon juice and coconut cream powder. Mix well with an electric beater.
6. Gradually add strawberry syrup, while beating the cheese mix.
7. Once the strawberry syrup is mixed through, add in the strawberry pulp. Fold through to evenly disperse.
8. Place cooled pastry in the designated container and then pour over the cheesecake mix.
9. Allow to set in the fridge for a minimum of two hours.

Notes
Serve with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Ice-cream Sundae

2005-07-22T19:23:00.000+10:00

This is a delicsiously simple. Can be altered to suit tastes and quantities altered to suit the number of people it is feeding. The sauce is very rich so you will not need a large serving. There are no set quantities for the ingredients as it is a case of add as much or as little as you want.

Ingredients
strawberries, hulled and quartered
bananas
ice-cream
macadamias roughly chopped
chocolate sauce

Chocolate Sauce Ingredients
marshmallows (approx 2 handfuls)
cooking chocolate (approx 1/2 block)
cream (1/2 cup)

Method

Place chocolate, marshmallows and cream in a small saucepan. Heat (do NOT boil) and stir until ingredients are melted and combined.
Place ice-cream, strawberries and banana in a bowl, top with sauce and chopped macadamia nuts.
Enjoy.

Strawberry Stack

2005-07-14T14:42:00.000+10:00

This is a delicious, simple dessert best made close to serving.
You could change the strawberries for fruit that is in season, tinned fruit or frozen fruit. You can use vanilla beans instead of the paste that I used, or just a simple dash of vanilla essence is just as good.

Ingredients

2 sheets ready made/rolled puff pastry
600ml pure cream (can substitute with thickened cream)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 punnets strawberries (or 1 large punnet), hulled
2 tbsp icing sugar
1/2 cup white sugar

Method

Pre-heat oven according to the packet directions.
Cut each sheet of pastry into 4 peices each and place on a greased tray (you can use grease proof paper or a non-stick tray)
Bake according to the packet directions. Once cooked, take out and allow to cool.
While the pastry is cooking, wash 1/2 strawberries and place in a saucepan.
Place white sugar in the saucepan and gently bring to the boil. Strawberries will be ready once the sugar has dissolved and the fruit has softened.
Place cream, icing sugar, and vanilla into a bowl, beat until soft peaks are formed.
Wash, hull and slice remaining strawberries.
Split cooked pastry in half.
Place one peice of pastry on the plate, followed by a spoonfull of cream, and then some strawberry slices. Repeat. Place a third peice of pastry on top, a spoonful of cream and then pour the strawberry syrup over it.
Serve immediately.

Lemon Delicious Dessert

2005-06-16T19:13:00.000+10:00

Ingredients
3 eggs, seperated
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/4 cup self raising flour

Method

Beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl until creamy
Add butter, lemon juice, milk and flour, mix well until combined
Beat egg whites till soft peaks
Gradually add remaining sugar (1/2 cup) to the egg whites until disolved and peaks form
Fold egg white mix and lemon mix together until well combined
Pour into a greased baking dish/4 individual sized dishes
Bake in a moderate oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Serve immediately with ice cream, cream or just by itself.

Note: You could add more flour if you wanted a firmer dessert with less 'sauce' down the bottom.

Corned Beef

2005-05-17T09:47:00.000+10:00

This is great eaten both cold or hot, in sandwiches or with a salad. It looses a lot of it's saltiness and is very tender.

Ingredients
1 corned beef - uncooked
4 cloves (whole)
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 discs of palm sugar
1 onion roughly chopped
water

Method

Place corned beef in the bottom of a large pot, one that is ideal for stewing.
Place all ingredients in the pot, taking care to crumble/grate the palm sugar.
Fill with water till it just covers the corned beef.
Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour per kg of corned beef, but as a general rule the longer you cook it the more tender it will become.

Note: When I cooked one recently, it was 2kg in size and it was cooked for about 3 hours in total and the meat holds it's shape but just flakes off when it is required.

Online Metric Conversions for those who need it.

Porcupines

2005-03-07T21:31:00.000+10:00

Type : Meat dish, savoury

Ingredients
500 grams beef mince
2 tbsp plain flour
1 egg
1/4 cup rice
dash of soy sauce
1 cup tinned diced tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 cup water
1/2 onion, finely chopped

Method

Mix mince, flour onion and rice together in a bowl.
Add the egg and mix well.
Form into balls and place in a baking dish. Set aside.
Combine the tomato puree, diced tomatoes and water in a jug. Mix well.
Pour over the top of the meatballs.
Cover the baking dish (either with a lid or aluminium foil) and bake in a moderate oven for 1 hr - 1hr 30mins.
Serve with vegetables.

Marinated Roo Steaks

2005-02-16T19:56:00.000+10:00

Ingredients
500 grams Kangaroo steaks
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 - 2 cups red wine

small amount of butter/olive oil
1/2 onion, finely sliced
1/2 red capsicum, finely sliced
4 medium mushrooms, finely sliced
red wine marinade

4 thick slices Zucchini slice

Method

In a bowl, place garlic and red wine. Stir around then place in the roo steaks. Leave to marinade for up to one hour.
Prepare Zucchini slice and bake
Prepare vegetable and the dressing/sauce.
Sautee onion, capsicum and mushrooms in butter until the onion is transparent.
Pour most of the red wine marinade (from the roo steaks) into the pan and bring to the boil.
Allow it to reduce to half quantity then lower the temperature and place a lid over the pan and let it simmer/slowly cook until dinner is ready.
Cook vegetables according to how you want them.
Heat the bbq and cook the roo for approx 5 minutes per side (the steaks can be cooked according to taste but due the marinade they may take less time to cook)
Assemble meal and enjoy with a nice glass of red wine.

Zucchini Slice

2005-02-16T19:51:00.000+10:00

Ingredients
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1 - 2 grated zucchini (liquid squeezed from the grated zucchini)
1 handful chopped bacon/ham
4 eggs
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1 tsp sesame oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 celsius.
Mix zucchini, flour, cheese, ham, salt and pepper together.
Add oils, and eggs. Mix well until combined.
Top with grated cheese.
Pour into a greased/lined loaf tin and cook for 40 minutes.
Serve cold or hot with your favourite meal.

Caramel Fudge

2005-02-12T14:20:00.000+10:00

Ingredients
6 tbsp butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 can condensed milk
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 - 1 cup white chocolate

Method

Grease and/or line a tray for the fudge
Melt butter in a saucepan
Add golden syrup, brown sugar and consensed milk. Stir continually
Allow to come up to the boil then reduce to simmering.
Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring all the time.
Remove from heat and add white chocolate. Mix until smooth and combined.
Pour into tray and allow to set. You may quicken this process by placing it in the fridge.
Cut into squares, once set.
Store in the fridge.

Easy Fudge

2005-02-12T14:13:00.000+10:00

Ingredients
1 tin of condensed milk
6 tbsp butter
2 cups sugar

Method

Grease and/or line a tin for the fudge to set in.
Melt butter and sugar together over a low heat. Stir continually.
Add condensed milk and allow to simmer, stirring continually for 20 minutes.
Pour into greased/lined tin and allow to cool.
Cut into squares and enjoy.

Note : You need to continually stir or the sugar may burn.
Note : Cooling will take a few hours if left on the bench. This process may be sped up by placing fudge in the fridge.
Note : You can alter this recipe to suit your tastes. I added 2 tbsp cherry jelly to the mix as the condensed milk was added and then poured half out, put down a layer of choc chips and poured teh remaining mix over top.

Banana Choc Chip Muffins

2005-02-12T14:03:00.000+10:00

Ingredients
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups self raising flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
5 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup choc chips or chopped chocolate

Method

Preheat oven to 220C
Combine eggs and milk then slightly cooled melted butter, in a jug.
In a bowl mix flour, sugar, and choc chips.
Mix mashed bananas, dry ingredients, and wet ingredients. Mix until well combined
Spoon into a greased muffin tray or individual patty cake papers.
Cook for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. It may take less time depending on the size of the muffins being made.
Store in an airtight container in the pantry or in the fridge (for longer storage you can freeze them successfully)

Chicken Thai Curry

2005-02-07T13:15:00.000+10:00

Ingredients
1 large red chilli
2tsp lemon grass, chopped
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
1 tin lychees, drained
2 carrots, sliced or julliened
parsley/corriander, roughly chopped
1-2 cups coconut cream (reduced fat if you watching your fat intake, or it can be omitted for a dry curry)
2 chicken breasts, sliced thinly
1 small tin water chestnut, sliced and drained
beans, chopped into bite size peices
capsicum, sliced into thin strips

Method

Slice and de-seed chilli (only remove the seeds if you want a milder curry)
In a mortar, combine chilli, lemon grass, fish sauce and brown sugar. Pound until it makes a paste consistancy. Set aside.
Prepare vegetables, then meat.
Brown meat then add the vegetables and cook for a further 2 minutes
Add chilli paste and allow to cook until fragrant.
Add coconut milk and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. (Note : This can cook for as long or as little as you want. The longer you leave it the more the flavour will develop)
Stir through corriander 2 minutes before serving.
Serve with rice

Note : You can substitute the chicken for duck, or any other type of meat you want. Coconut milk can be ommitted for a low fat meal or substituted with reduced fat coconut milk. You can also substitute the curry paste for a pre-prepared one from the shops. Every recipe is changable.

Salmon with Lime & Sweet Chilli

2005-01-24T08:09:00.000+10:00

Ingredients

2 salmon cutlets
1 lime, sliced
3 tbsp lime juice
small amount of olive oil
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 sweet chilli
2 small or 1 large tomato
1/4 red capsicum

Method

Dice tomatoes and capsicum. Slice sweet chilli into rings. (this is mainly for presentation)
In a small saucepan, place 2 tbs lime juice, tomato sauce, tomato, sweet chilli and capsicum. Place on the stove and bring to the boil (with the lid on)
Once the sauce is boiling, reduce it to a simmer and stir occassionally.
Heat olive oil in a frypan.
Once oil is hot, place in the salmon cutlets, searing them on both sides. Sprinkle remaining lime juice over the cutlets and top cutlets with slices of lime. Place lid on frypan and reduce heat.
Check the salmon after 5 minutes to test for readiness (it may take longer then this, or less then this, it all depends on the thickness of the cutlet)
Once the fish is done, the sauce is done also.
Serve atop pasta.

Leftover Lamb Wraps

2005-01-15T18:20:00.000+10:00

Ingrediants

leftover lamb roast
mint sauce
lettuce
tomato
cucumber
grated cheese
garlic yogurt sauce
lebanese bread/some type of wrap (commonly bought in shops)

Method

Prepare all salad items and garlic yogurt sauce prior to cooking meat.
Cut meat into bite size thin peices then fry over a medium heat with a generous splash of mint sauce. You can choose to cook the meat until it is heated through or fry it some more so it becomes crispier.
Serve and allow people to make their wraps according to their tastes

Note : You could serve this with bbq onions, fried up left over potatoes or anything you felt you wanted on it.

Apple Raspberry Juice

2005-01-12T13:54:00.000+10:00

Ingredients
1/2 punnet of fresh or frozen raspberries
400ml apple juice

Method

Blend rasperries and apple juice together.
Strain out seeds and pour over ice

Note : Rasperries can be substituted with blueberries or any other berries, or you can combine all berries together with a banana to make a thick smoothie.

Baked Tomatoes

2005-01-12T13:49:00.000+10:00

Ingredients
roma tomatoes
salt
basil
olive oil

Method

Slice roma tomatoes in half, lengthways. Place on grill plate
Sprinkle a little salt, and basil onto cut side of tomato
Drizel a little olive oil onto the tomatoes
Cook until heated through and soft

Chicken & Chilli Pineapple

2005-01-11T19:31:00.000+10:00

Ingredients
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp finely chopped chilli
2 tbsp pineapple juice/syrup
2 chicken breasts
1 pineapple

Method

Combine brown sugar, fish sauce, chilli and pineapple juice/syrup in a bowl. Set aside.
Top and tail pineapple, then remove skin. Cut lengthwise into quarters. Place in marinade.
Pre-heat a non-stick pan or pre-heat a little olive oil.
Score chicken breasts lightly.
Place chicken breasts in the hot pan and sear each side, turn heat to mid-heat and add pineapple slices.
Add remaining marinade once chicken is cooked through and allow to cook for an extra couple of minutes. (note: due to the sugar content of the marinade it will burn if left unattended)
Serve with salad or seasonal vegetables.

Under Maintenance

2005-01-10T22:12:00.000+10:00

This site will be up and running properly as soon as I figure out what I am actually doing!

Trifle

2004-12-27T21:30:00.000+10:00

Ingredients
1 premade sponge
2 cups of vanilla custard
2 packets jelly crystals
2 cups of boiling water
1 tin of peaches
2 cups of cream
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Method

Cut sponge to fit the bowl you are using. Cut sponge so that it is 1/4 inch thick.
Slice peach slices into thin bits, lengthwise, and lay across sponge.
Place another layer of sponge atop this then another layer of peaches.
Combine jelly crystals and boiling water and stir until crystals are dissolved.
Pour carefully over sponge and peaches.
Allow to set in the fridge (at least an hour).
Once jelly is set, pour over custard and place back in the fridge.
In a new bowl, whip cream, icing sugar and vanilla until it makes firm peaks.
Using a piping bag, pipe cream onto the top of the custard. (Note : A piping bag makes it easier to apply)
Serve with fresh fruits, or by itself. Enjoy.

Cheesecake Spread

2004-12-20T09:49:00.000+10:00

This is great on toast, piped onto biscuits or instead of cream.

Ingredients
1 tub of cream cheese, softened
1 small tub of double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar (or more if you want it sweeter)
2 tbsp jam of your choice (I used my peach vanilla jam for this)

Method

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, preferrably with an electric beater. Beat until firm.
Spoon, spread or pipe onto chosen base. You could also use it as a sweet dip.