Lemon Lime and Bitters

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Carrot and Pineapple Cake

Ingredients (serves 8)
2 cups (300g) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 eggs
200ml safflower or sunflower oil
2 cups grated carrot
400g crushed canned pineapple, drained
1 1/2 cups golden caster sugar*
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Icing:
250g unsalted butter, softened
250g cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups (750g) icing sugar, sifted
Dried pineapple slices, to garnish*
Method
Preheat the oven (not fan-forced) to 170°C. Grease a 23cm springform cake pan and line the base.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Add the eggs, oil, carrot, pineapple and sugar. Stir to combine, then add walnuts. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, place the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and soft. Add the sifted icing sugar and beat until you have a smooth, light icing. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the icing.
Place the pineapple slices in a microwave on high for 15 seconds, then remove. While still warm, gently bend slices into a flower shape. When they are cool, decorate the cake.
Notes & tips
*If unavailable, use plain caster sugar.

Chile Con Carne

We made this with organic mince and beans and it was AMAZING

You need:
2 tspns olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
500g lean beef minced
¼-½ tspn ground chillies
½ tspn ground cumin
410g can peeled tomatoes in juice
290g can red kidney beans, drained
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tspns soft brown sugar

Method:
Sauté onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Brown mince on high in small batches. Stir well to prevent mince from forming lumps. Remove each batch before adding the next.
Return mince and onion to the pan. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce to low heat, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes, uncovered to thicken if necessary.

Serving Suggestion: Fill tacos with chilli con carne.
Stuff capsicums or potatoes with chilli con carne and a dollop of sour cream

Homemade hamburgers

If I can cook it, so can you.

Serves 8

Degree of difficulty: Low

You need:
1 kg premium/heart smart mince
3 carrots
2 medium sized whole beetroot
2 onions
1 lettuce
8 fresh soft burger rolls

Optional:
1 slice of cheese per burger
½ a rash of bacon per burger
Butter or hummus to spread

For Uncle Trev or cousin Hilary who doesn't enjoy meat.
Substitute the mince with a slice of tofu.
The tofu can be pan fried on a separate hotplate or grilled.
I like to add some salt and pepper if grilling.

Hummus

250 grams dried chickpeas
125mls lemon juice
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt and pepper
125mls tahini (sesame seed paste)
Soak the chickpeas overnight or for 24 hours in plenty of cold water. Drain at least twice during that time and refresh with clean water.

Method:
Burger:

Heat pan, make it very hot.

Add a little oil to the plate.

Roll the mince into balls, flatten in to patties. Keep the mince cold, it helps when rolling.

Cook mince patties for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Peel beetroot and carrot, grate by hand or by using a food processor.

(The beetroot gives a real crunchy texture to the burger.)

Spread hummus or butter, then place carrot, beetroot and lettuce on a toasted bun.

Flip the beef burger on.

It doesn't require sauce but mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce is worth a try... if you can't live without a sauce.

If you want to create the monster burger, you can add either or all, a slice of cheese, bacon and egg but it really doesn't need it - and I've tried it!

Hummus:
Put the peas, lemon juice, garlic and a tablespoon of water in a food processor and puree to a smooth consistency.
Add the tahini, puree again and a little salt and pepper to taste.
If needed, put in some more water to even out the consistency.

Gus's Sausage Casserole

Somerset sausage and potato casserole

Serves 4

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour

Ingredients
15ml/1 tblsp vegetable oil
8 large Cumberland sausages
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 leek, sliced
1 large waxy potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 onion, chopped
15ml/1 tblsp plain flour
300ml/ 1/2 pint Somerset dry cider
1 red skinned eating apple, quartered and chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper



Method
1. Heat the oil and fry the sausages for 5 minutes.
2. Using a slotted spoon transfer the sausages to a casserole dish.
3. Add the celery, onion, leek and potato to the oil and fry for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the flour and continue to cook for 1 minute.
5. Gradually add the cider then pour over the sausages with the apple. Season to taste.
6. Cover and cook for 50 minutes.
7. Serve on apple mash.

Rack of Lamb

Carre di Agnello (Roasted Rack of Lamb with Rosemary Crust)

Cooked at Al's April '07

Great w. Charmaine Solomon's herby peas + roast jacket tatties w/ sour cream + chives

In Italy, spring lamb is highly prized and indeed more expensive than fillet steak. Lamb and rosemary are soul mates.

Serves 4 generously

You need:

Rack of lamb 1.5kg (approx. 8 ribs)
3 cloves of garlic crushed
30g fresh breadcrumbs
Small bunch of Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 sprigs of rosemary finely chopped
1 small egg lightly beaten
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper



Method:

Preheat oven to 220 degs. C.
Season the rack of lamp with salt and pepper and place it meat side down in a lightly oiled roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, rosemary, beaten egg and some salt and pepper to taste.
Turn the rack meat side up. Spread the meaty side with the Dijon mustard. Using fingers press the breadcrumb mixture onto the meat.
Roast for a further 15-20 minutes depending on preferred doneness.
If breadcrumbs look as if they are beginning to brown too early, tent the rack loosely with oiled aluminium foil.
Rest rack for 10-15 minutes before carving.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with roasted potatoes and lemons.

Kedgeree

Kedgeree is traditionally a breakfast dish, also makes an ideal supper dish.

Ingredients
350g packet of smoked haddock fillets
175g American easy cook rice, rinsed
1-2 teaspoons mild curry powder
half a green pepper, deseeded and chopped
125g sweetcorn
150g carton of natural yogurt


To garnish
lemon wedges

1. Put the haddock fillets in a jug or a shallow dish and cover them with boiling water.
2. Put the rice in a pan, cover with 450ml water and add the curry powder.
3. Bring to the boil, cover tightly and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the pepper and sweetcorn and simmer for a further 10 minutes, when all the water should have been absorbed.
5. Skin the haddock, and fork the flesh into the rice.
6. Stir in the yogurt.
7. Turn onto a warmed serving plate and garnish with lemon wedges


Sainsbury's - one we used to cook in London..

Alex's Chicken Casserole

We cooked it without the water chestnuts and it was fine. You could up the brocolli to make up for it if you wanted to..

Cooked at Uncle Sam's

Ingredients
For the casserole
4 chicken breasts
2 onions, 1 roughly chopped, 1 thinly sliced
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 stick celery, roughly chopped
6 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
water, to cover
55g/2oz butter
30g/1oz plain flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 220g/7¾oz can water chestnuts, drained
1 small head broccoli, cut into florets and blanched
1 free-range egg yolk, lightly beaten
2-3 tbsp double cream
squeeze lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to serve



Method
1. Place the chicken breasts, the roughly chopped onion, the carrot, celery, peppercorns and bay leaf into a large pan and add enough water to cover the ingredients.
2. Bring slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside in a warm place. Reserve 450ml/16fl oz of the cooking liquid and set aside.
4. Heat half of the butter in a large pan and add the flour. Stir over a low heat until the mixture forms a smooth paste which leaves the sides and base of the pan cleanly. Gradually add the reserved cooking liquid to make a sauce. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Add the water chestnuts and broccoli to the sauce.
6. In a bowl, mix the egg yolk with the cream and slowly add this mixture to the sauce. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and stir.
7. Cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir into the sauce.
8. In a separate pan, heat the remaining butter and fry the remaining thinly sliced onion until soft and golden.
9. To serve, sprinkle the onion over the casserole and garnish with parsley.

Hoppy's Lamb Souvlaki

Right... the lamb is really easy
1. Chopped lean lamb
2. LOADS of crushed garlic
3. LOADS of Rosemary
4. LOADS of Parsley
5. Some salt

Serve with some salad + yoghurt + lebanese bread

Tomato and Passionfruit Jam

As tried at Uncle Sam's - still need to get Lita's original recipe!

1 kg ripe tomatoes
175 ml passionfruit pulp (approx 12 passionfruit)
6 passionfruit skins
1.1 kg sugar
Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, drain and skin them.
Finely chop tomatoes and place in preserving pan.
Add passionfruit pulp. Boil passionfruit skins for 1 hour - until pith is very soft.
Drain passionfruit skins, scoop out all pith and add to preserving pan.

Heat oven to 150* (C) - Heat sugar in oven for 5 minutes.

Add sugar to preserving pan, stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.

Boil fast 30 - 35 minutes.

Bottle in hot sterilised jars and seal.

Shaved fennel, pea and ricotta salad

90g fresh or frozen peas
150ml extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved and green tops reserved
5-6 sprigs mint leaves, torn
4 tbsp lemon juice
300g ricotta

Blanch peas in lightly salted boiling water. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season to taste. Slice fennel very finely and place in a bowl with mint and fennel sprigs. Whisk lemon juice and remaining oil and add to fennel mixture. Toss to combing. To servce, divide ricotta evently between each salad and season generously.

Serves 4.

Blackberry Jam

Handpicked and homemade

Degree of difficulty: Medium

Preparation Time: 20 minutes (plus fruit picking time)

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

You need:
1.5 kilograms freshly picked* blackberries
1.5 kilograms granulated sugar
1 packet Jamsetta
Lemon juice

4 sterilised large jam jars (or 8 small)
1 packet jam seals (the plastic that goes on top with rubber bands)


* When picking blackberries, remember to wear your rubber boots, long pants, old long sleeved shirt and take an old sheet or rug with you to throw over the bush so you can lean in to pick the best berries. And watch out for snakes!

John from North Shields says it's a good idea to wear two pairs of jeans when picking to save your legs from the thorns.

Method:
Firstly put a freeze-safe saucer into the freezer, you will use this to test the jam is set later.

Pour the fruit into the sink (don't forget to put the plug in) and cover with cold water. This not only washes the fruit, but any leaves, insects or unripe fruit floats to the surface and can be removed easily.

Using your hands to drain the fruit, place the berries into a large saucepan. When boiling, the jam will triple in volume, and this will save you cleaning up a hot, sticky mess.

Add about 1/4 cup of water, a squirt or two of lemon juice (for added tang) and bring to the boil.

While the fruit is boiling, place the sugar into a microwave safe container and heat on high for around 2 minutes (I did it in two batches).

The sugar is heated so as not to lower the temperature of the jam when it is added, and it dissolves much quicker too.

Slowly stir (wooden spoon - metal will get too hot) the sugar into the fruit (you might have to lower the temperature so you don't get hit by exploding bubbles of hot jam).

Once the sugar is in, add the packet of Jamsetta and stir.

When the sugar and Jamsetta have dissolved, let the jam boil for about 10 minutes before testing if it has set.

There are two ways I know of to test if a jam is set:

1 - Get the saucer from the freezer and put a teaspoon of the jam onto it. Leave for 30 seconds and if it has set, take the jam off the heat. If not, put the saucer back in the freezer and leave the jam to boil for another 3 minutes before testing again.

2 - Take an old glass and half fill with methylated spirits. Add a spoonful of jam into the jar and slowly stir. If the jam is set, it should come together to make a ball of jam.

Once the jam is set, leave it to cool for about ten minutes before spooning the mixture into jars (otherwise you may break the glass jars).

Once full, clean the jar of spills and follow the instructions on the jam seals packet to seal it off, and pop the rubber band over the top to hold in place.

Leave the jam to cool for a few hours, before storing it in a cool, dry place.

Enjoy!

Bouillabaisse

There are may arguments about what constitutes “authentic” bouillabaisse. It is a soup of complex ingredients originating in the southern Marseille region of France. It is considered a hearty flavoursome filling dish.

Serves 4 hungry people

You need:
Olive oil
2 leeks, thinly sliced
2 small onions thinly sliced
1 fennel thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves
3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
900 g small fish (whiting)
700g snapper cut into 4 steaks
Bouquet garni
Peel of ½ orange
3 strands saffron
25 ml Pernod
8 small potatoes
450 g white fish
450 g yellow flesh fish
12 prawns

Method:
1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and add leaks, onions, fennel and garlic and sweat over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook a further 5 minutes. Add the small fish and cook for 15 minutes stirring regularly. Add water to cover, bouquet garni, saffron, and orange peel. Add half of the Pernod. Lower the heat and simmer for about an hour.
2. Crush the solid items in the pot with a heavy object and tip the whole pot full through a strainer.
3. Boil potatoes until nearly cooked.
4. In a casserole dish arrange the remaining fish. Remove potatoes from water, cut in half and spread among the fish. Sprinkle olive oil on top and tip in about half of the sieved liquid you made earlier. Add remaining Pernod. Bring to simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
5. A few minutes before the fish is cooked add the prawns and remaining liquid. Keep simmering.
6. Remove the solid ingredients and arrange on to serving plates or a serving platter. Ladel some hot liquid over the fish and serve the rest in a tureen or side dish.
7. Serve coutons and aioli on the side and dip into the liquid to eat.

For aioli
4 garlic cloves
Salt
3 strands saffron
1 egg yolk
50 ml olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

Puree the garlic and salt in a blender and then add saffron and egg yolk until smooth. Then with the blender running, add the olive oil in a slow steady drizzle and it will “bind” with the other ingredients to form a thick mayonnaise. Add the lemon juice at the end.

Make croutons by cutting up crusty bread and toasting in the oven.

Wine Suggestion: Rose