Leek and Potato Soup

When choosing potatoes for this soup, select those that have the flavour you like most. We served this thick, creamy soup with toasted pane di casa bread. If the soup is a little too thick, you can add some extra stock or cream when reheating.

Serves 3.

2 large leeks (about 570g total)
30g butter
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
650g potatoes, peeled and diced (we used Desiree potatoes)
500ml (2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
60ml (3 tablespoons) cream
Extra cream, for serving
Chopped herbs, for serving

Remove the dark green tops from the leeks and discard. Slice the leeks in half lengthwise and wash to remove any grit between the layers. Finely slice leeks.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and onion and stir to coat with butter. Cook for about three minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened but not browned.

Add garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook for one minute. © exclusivelyfood.com.au

Add potato and stock and stir to combine.

Increase heat to high and bring mixture to the boil. Cover saucepan and reduce heat to low so that the mixture is simmering. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft, stirring occasionally.

Puree soup. If you are using a blender to puree the soup, allow the soup to cool for about 15 minutes before pureeing. When pureeing hot soup in a blender, we don't have the blender more than one third full. We also cover the lid with a clean tea towel and hold the lid down while pureeing.

Store soup in the refrigerator until required, or return soup to saucepan to reheat.

Add cream to soup and reheat over low heat without boiling. When soup is hot, pour into serving bowls, top with a swirl of cream and a sprinkle of herbs.

Mussaman curry

INGREDIENTS

1.5kg diced lamb
2x400ml cans coconut milk
1 ½ (375ml) cups chicken stock
2cm cassia bark or cinnamon
2 star anise
8 dried long red chillies, deseeded
1 teaspoon shrimp paste
2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground white peppercorns
½ teaspoon ground cloves
4 eschalots, chopped
5 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, chopped
2cm galangal, chopped
1 teaspoon tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons warm water
¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
palm sugar, to taste (approx 2 tablespoons)
fish sauce (approx 1 tablespoon)
2 large potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
2 green onions, sliced thinly

METHOD

Place lamb, coconut milk, stock, cassia bark and star anise in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, about 1½ hours or until lamb is tender.

Meanwhile, place chillies in small heatproof jug, cover with boiling water; stand 15 minutes, drain, chop finely.

Toast the shrimp paste by wrapping in a small amount of foil and dry-frying foil parcel in a hot wok, tossing occasionally for about 2 minutes (or waving over a naked flame for 30 seconds using tongs to hold the parcel); cool.

Dry roast ground spices in a dry wok until fragrant; remove to a plate and set aside. Add eschalots, garlic, lemongrass and galangal to the same wok and toast over high heat; tossing often until lightly browned and fragrant.

Transfer fragrant vegetables and toasted spices, chillies and shrimp paste to a mortar and pestle or small blender. Pound or process until a smooth paste forms; set aside until ready to finish curry.

Combine tamarind pulp and water in a small bowl stirring well. Strain through a small sieve - the brown liquid is tamarind water.

Heat vegetable oil in wok. Add curry paste and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add lamb and its poaching liquid, 2 teaspoons of the tamarind water, sugar, fish sauce and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.

Sprinkle with peanuts and green onions, serve with rice.

Pancake batter

2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c. milk
3 tbsp. oil

Mix all together. Pour 3 tablespoons batter in skillet. Brown on both sides until batter is done.

Baked Pears in Puff Pastry with Molasses Sauce

Ingredients

Serves 2

2 Beurre Bosc or Packham pears
250ml water
250ml white wine
250g sugar
1 vanilla bean scraped
1 cinnamon stick
Zest ½ orange
Zest ½ lemon
1 star anise

Ready made puff pastry
Molasses sugar, about a handful

Method

To poach pears: Peel and core pears. Combine all other ingredients (except pastry and molasses) in a saucepan then add the pears. Heat slowly until sugar is dissolved. Bring up to a simmer, reduce temperature then cover with a piece of baking paper. Cook until pears are tender about 30 to 60 minutes. Remove pears and allow to cool.

Cut the pastry into strips, joining at the ends to make strips about 50cm long. Place a pear on the end of a pastry strip, the wrap the pears with the pastry spiralling towards the top. Brush a little egg and milk mixture over the pastry then bake at 200C until golden (about 20 minutes).

For the sauce,
Use molasses sugar to make a dry caramel. Heat a saucepan and slowly add the sugar a little at a time stirring as you go, ensuring the sugar has melted each time before adding more and being really careful that it doesn’t burn. Time and temperature is critical. Keep stirring, reducing the heat until it changes and becomes caramel.

chicken enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped (about a cup)
• Vegetable oil - grapeseed or olive
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted if you can get it
• 2 Tbsp red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup to a cup of water
• 12 corn tortillas
• Grapeseed oil, peanut oil or canola oil - a high smoke point vegetable oil
• 2-3 cups of cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
• Salt
• 2 cups grated cheese (about 1/3 lb)

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 Prepare the sauce. Coat a large skillet with oil and sauté the onions on medium heat until translucent, a few minutes. Add the garlic for a minute more. While the onions are cooking, purée the canned tomatoes in a blender. Add the tomatoes to the onions and garlic. Bring to a low simmer. Start adding the chili powder, one teaspoon at a time, tasting after each addition, until you get to the desired level of heat and chili flavor. For us that's around 2 Tablespoons. But it depends on your taste and how strong the chili powder is that you are using. Note that the tortillas and chicken will absorb some of the heat, so allow for that and let it be a little bit spicier than what you want in the finished dish. Add a teaspoon of sugar if necessary to cut down on the acid from the tomatoes. You want more of the taste of the chili and less of the tomatoes for this sauce. As the sauce simmers, dilute it with water to keep it from getting too thick as it simmers. Remove from heat.

Alternatively, use a prepared canned enchilada sauce, which can be perfectly fine.

3 Mix in 1/4 cup of the sauce with the cooked chicken, and a 1/4 cup of the cheese. Sprinkle with a little salt. Set aside.

4 Prepare the tortillas. There are 2 basic ways to prepare the tortillas - the traditional way of dipping them in the sauce and heating them individually, and my mom's way when she is trying to cut down on the fat.

First the traditional way. Heat a small light skillet on med-high heat. Add a teaspoon of oil (high smoke point oil as indicated above, we use grapeseed oil) to coat the pan. Dip a tortilla in the sauce to coat the tortilla with sauce on both sides. Place the tortilla in the skillet and heat for a few seconds, until the tortilla begin to show some air bubbles. Use a metal spatula to flip to the other side for a few more seconds. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Proceed to the step 5.

For my mom's low-fat method of heating up the tortillas, she places a small amount of oil in the skillet to coat the pan. Add a tortilla, flip it to its other side. Then add another tortilla on top of the first to soak up some of the excess oil. Flip them both together and add yet another tortilla. Keep adding them wherever there seems to be some excess oil. The idea is to heat the tortillas and soften them with the minimum amount of oil. As the tortillas become soft and heated, remove them to a paper towel to soak up even more excess oil. If you find you need more oil in the pan, add it. With this method, you do NOT get the chili flavor infused in the tortillas. It is a matter of preference. I prefer the first method, excess oil or not, because it has a much richer and spicier flavor. But as my mom says, "Anything goes. This is just a guideline; do what you want."

Note that because we made this batch the low-fat way, the following photos show tortillas not coated in chili sauce, but the method is the same for if you did.

5 Assemble the enchiladas. Use an 8x12 inch pyrex baking dish. Place a couple spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and roll it up. Place in the baking dish and repeat until all dozen of your tortillas are neatly placed in rows in the casserole dish. Cover the tortillas rolls with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Note that I recall often eating these chicken enchiladas with very little cheese on them. Instead we had probably 2/3 cup of chopped fresh onion that had been soaked in vinegar sprinkled over the top. (My mom, bless her soul, has no recollection of the chicken enchiladas without the sprinkled cheese. But she's in her 70s and sometimes doesn't remember these things. Or she remembers later and doesn't remember that she ever forgot them in the first place. But heck, I'm in my 40s and my memory isn't what it used to be either.)

6 Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Use a metal spatula to serve.

Serve with thinly sliced iceberg lettuce that has been seasoned with vinegar and salt (no oil), guacamole or avocado slices, and sour cream. Garnish with cilantro.

Serves 4.

Tomato fritters

10 to 12 small tomatoes, green or ripe, cubed or chunked into bite size pieces

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder or onion flakes, optional

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup crushed cornflakes

1 tablespoon crumbled crisp bacon

1/3 cup butter or corn oil

Mix well your cut tomatoes, flour, cornflakes, salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, onion, garlic, crumbled bacon and butter or corn oil. Take heaped tablespoons full of mixture.

Place into palm of hand to shape into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Place into medium preheated nonstick coated skillet.

Cook until desired golden brown. Turn only once. Serve hot as side dish or with honey or molasses.

Serves 4.

zucchini and corn fritters

Zucchini and sweet corn fritters

You need:
Zucchini, corn, cheese, flour, egg, parsley and mint.

• 400g small to medium zucchini, preferably a mix of green and yellow, and 1 or 2 zucchini flowers if available
• 1 freshly picked corn cob
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint and continental parsley (mixed according to preference). If you’ve washed the herbs, make sure they are quite dry before cutting them
• ½ cup cheese, chopped coarsely. We use marinated goats cheese such as Meredith Farm or marinated fetta from Yarra Valley Dairy because its easy to keep a jar of either of those in the fridge but you could buy a piece of fetta.
• ½ cup plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• olive oil for frying

Method:
Coarsely grate the zucchini without peeling it (the flecks of skin add texture and colour). Mix about ½ a teaspoon of sea salt into the zucchini and place it in a colander that you sit over a bowl for about half an hour. The zucchini will expel quite a lot of liquid and this stops the fritters becoming too watery. Discard the liquid.

Carefully peel the corn cob removing all of the silky threads and cut off the base so that it can stand flat on the table. Stand the corn cob on its base then, using a sharp knife, carefully cut the kernels from the cob. Twist the cob and repeat until most of the kernels have been removed. Warm about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the kernels and cook them for a few minutes, turning them all the time. They should quickly caramelise. Be careful. They might start to pop. Remove from the pan and allow to cool a little.

When you’re ready to make the fritters, squeeze the grated zucchini gently to remove excess fritters. Put the zucchini in a clean tea towel and roll it up. Twist both ends in opposite directions (it’s easier if two people do this) to remove more liquid. Now it should be quite dry. Add it to a clean bowl.

Add the corn, cheese, the chopped fresh herbs, chopped zucchini flower if using, and the egg. Stir the mixture gently to combine.

It’s a flexible recipe. Alone, or with a simple mint and yoghurt sauce and a few slices of ripe tomatoes or with slow-roasted tomatoes, it would make a great breakfast. With a salad, it can easily become a light lunch or dinner.

Eggplant Dip (Baba Ghanouj)

Ingredients

2 globe eggplants (about 2 lbs)
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp roasted tahini (sesame paste)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of one lemon - about 2 1/2 tablespoons
3/4 teaspoon salt
Cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Method

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet, cut side down, and roast until very tender, about 35 minutes. Place the eggplant in a colander to drain and cool for 15 minutes, then scoop the flesh out of the skin.

2 Combine the eggplant, remaining olive oil (about 2 Tbsp), tahini, garlic, cumin, 2 Tbsp of the lemon juice, the salt, and a pinch of cayenne in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the eggplant is somewhat smooth but retains some of its texture.

3 Allow the baba ghanouj to sit for an hour at room temperature, then season to taste with additional lemon juice, salt, and cayenne. Toss in cilantro and serve.

Serves four. Served traditionally with pita bread, and can also be served with crackers, toast, sliced baguette or celery.

Croissant

Baking the perfect croissant--golden and astonishingly light for its size, with crisply defined layers of flaky pastry--may seem beyond the reach of home bakers,

But success is at hand when you borrow secrets from professional baker Jean Lapuyade and associates at the Fabrique Delices Bakery, San Mateo, California.

For distinctive, crisp layers and high, light croissants, you need to fortify bread flour with a touch of glutten flour (both flours are available in supermarkets); this gives the dough just a little more stretch and strength. The pros also careful to keep the dough relatively moist, adding as little flour as possible when handling it; they also prefer to mis by machine rather than knead by hand to develop elasticity.

The croissant recipe given here is one of more than 190 excellent recipes for the home baker in Sunset's newly revised 128-page Breads (lane Publishing Co., 1984; $5.95). Many of the 24 color pages are devoted to clearly presented how-to-do-it instructions. Five of the seven chapters deal with yeast breads, including sourdough; one is devoted to griddle and fried breads, and one to quick breads. Special features include a troubleshooting guide, a discussion of flours and grains, and a section on baking in quantity. Croissants

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (about 110[deg.]) 3/4 cup warm milk (about 110[deg.])

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup gluten flour

2-1/4 cups bread flour

1 cup (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

Almond or fruit filling (optional)

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, sugar, salt, and gluten flour . Gradually add 2 cups of the bread flour; beat with a heavy-duty mixer for 5 minutes on high speed (or beat vogorously by hand for 15 minutes) until dough is elastic and pulls away sides of bowl in stretchy strands. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1-2 hours.

Srape dough out onto a lightly floured baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate untol very cold, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut butter into 1/8-inch-thich slices and place in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with waxed paper. Chill until very cold.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour on a cool surface (a board or smooth counter). Roll out dough to form a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Arrange butter slices, slight Roll out dough to form a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Arrange butter slices, slightly overlapping, in center third of dough rectangle (step 1). Fold each extending side over butter and roll out again (step 2) until rectangle is about 3/8 inch thick. If necessary while rolling, turn dough over occasionally, flouring the surface lightly to prevent sticking; use as little flour as possible.

Fold dough in thirds again to make a squarish rectangle (step 3). Roll and fold dough again the same way. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.

Two more times, roll and fold dough as directed above, then wrap and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.

Roll dough into a rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Cut into triangles about 6 inches at base and 8 inches at sides (step 4). If filling (recipes follow) is desired, center a 3-inch log of almond filling or 1 tablespoon fruit filling along base of eacg triangle. Roll triangles up from base to point (step 5) and place, point down, on 2 ungreased 14-by 17-inch baking sheets; croissants should be about 1-1/2 inches apart all around. Curve ends inward to form a crescent shape. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise in az warm place until doubled and very puffy, about 2 hours.

Brush each croissant gently with egg yolk mixture. Bake in a 400[deg.] oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot, or transfer to racks and let cool. Makes about 16 croissants.

Almond filling. In a blender or food processor whirl 1/3 cup unblanched whole almonds until finely ground. Stir in 1/3 cup each all-purpose flour and powdered sugar. Using food processor or a fork, work in 1/3 cup firm unslated butter and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.

Fill each croissant with 1 tablespoon filling rolled into a 3-inch log. After brushing croissant with egg yolk mixture, sprinkle with slice almonds.

Fruit filling. Fill each croissant with 1 tablespoon canned fruit pie filling (such as apple, cherry, blueberry, or peach). Bake as directed; if desired, sift powdered sugar over tops while still hot.

The Ultimate Croissant

To make larger, more dramatic-looking croissants, follow preceding directions, but cut 8 triangles instead of 16. Make the triangles 8 inches at the base and 10 inches on the other two sides (you'll need to piece together 2 of the croissants).

Continue as directed.

To fill with almond filling, prepare half the filling as directed, using 2-1/2 tablespoon each whole almonds, all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and unsalted butter. Use 1/8 teaspoon almond extract.

Serve croissant hot or cool. To reheat, place them on a ungreased baking sheet (11 by 14 in.) bake, uncovered, in a 325[deg.] oven until warm, about 10 minutes.

double choc muffins

Split in half and spread with raspberry jam for a desserty experience.

2 cups flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda, pressed through a sieve to remove lumps
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (miniatures work great!), divided
1 1/3 cups milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. In a separate bowl, combine the liquid ingredients and whisk until smooth. Fold into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Don't overmix. Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake at 400°F. for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before removing from the pan.

Banana Bread

The best recipes come tried and true from friends who begged them from other friends and so on and so on. That's the wonderful thing about sharing recipes - the more good recipes we share, the better we all get to eat! This banana bread comes from my friend Heidi who years ago begged this recipe from a ski friend's mother - Mrs. Hockmeyer (parents of friends are always Mr. and Mrs. no matter how old we get). Mrs. Hockmeyer passed away years ago, but her simple but perfect banana bread lives on for all of us to enjoy.

Banana Bread Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Yield: Makes one loaf.

Croissant

Recipe Croissant #1 -- Basic 1 cup milk 1 tbsp butter (first amount) 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 pkg dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water 2 1/2 cup unbleached flour 1 cup cold butter (second amount) Combine milk, first amount of butter, sugar and salt in a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. While mixture is cooling, dissolve the yeast in the water and add it to the milk. Place the liquid in a mixer and add the flour. Using the dough hook, mix until the dough is elastic and sticky. Place in a bowl, cover and let rise until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Place in refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes. While recipe croissant dough is chilling, soften the remaining cold butter by pounding with a rolling pin. Roll the dough on a floured board to form a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Spread the butter over 2/3 of the rectangle closest to you. Fold the unbuttered third over the center third. Then fold the bottom 1/3 over the doubled portion. Swing the dough around a quarter turn. Roll it again into a 1/4-inch thick oblong. Fold again in thirds. Cover the dough and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more. When the dough is chilled, remove from the refrigerator and repeat the folding and turning twice more. Then roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness once more. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares then cut the squares on the bias to form two triangles. Roll each triangle beginning with the wide side, then shape the rolls into crescents. Place on baking sheets such as the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Baking Sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave enough room for each croissant to triple in size. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before baking. Preheat oven to 400F. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and continue to bake another 15 minutes. Remove recipe croissant from the oven. Cool and enjoy.

Recipe Croissant #2 -- an Easy Recipe

1 cup warm milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp yeast
1 cup flour
3/4 cup milk at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar (second amount)
1 beaten egg
1/2 cups melted and cooled butter
4 cups flour
1 cup cold butter (second amount)
1 egg beaten with cold water for wash

Stir warm milk and sugar together. Add yeast then let stand 10 minutes. Stir well. Add flour; beat well. Add milk, sugar and egg. Beat until smooth. Add butter; beat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, place the 4 cups of flour and the chilled butter. Cut butter into flour until pieces are the size of beans (not too small). Pour the liquid batter into the flour mixture; stir until moistened. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Remove from refrigerator. Press into a compact ball on a floured board and divide into 4 parts. Roll each into a circle 12" or 16". Cut each circle into 6 or 8 pie-shaped wedges. For each croissant, roll a wedge towards the point. Shape into a crescent and place on ungreased baking sheet. Let rise at room temperature until doubled. This could take in excess of two hours.

Brush each with egg beaten with cold water. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place croissants in oven. Lower temperature to 350 F and bake recipe croissant for 15 - 20 minutes until golden.

Recipe Croissant #3 -- Whole Wheat

2 tbsp yeast
1 1/2 tbsp honey
3/4 cup warm water (first amount)
2 cup butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 egg
1/2 cup water (second amount)
1 tbsp water

Combine yeast and warm water, stirring to dissolve yeast. Let sit about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 of flour; add water and honey; whisk until smooth. Cover bowl and let stand 1 1/2 hours.

Combine remaining flour with butter, and flatten butter pieces. Pour yeast batter into flour mixture; fold together with spatula; just moisten flour without breaking butter pieces.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Pat dough down and roll into a 18" x 12" rectangle; if too sticky, sprinkle with flour. Use a metal spatula to fold 1/3 of dough toward center; then fold from other side, 1/3 of dough over first 1/3. Lift folded dough off work surface, and scrape surface clean. Sprinkle work area with flour and repeat, rolling and folding 3 more times. Dough must be hard; if not, freeze for 45 minutes.

Pat dough into rectangle. Cut into 6 equal parts. Each part will make 4 croissants. You will work with one piece at a time, and hold others in refrigerator until ready to use. Roll each piece individually into 5 1/2" x 14" rectangles. Cut into two 5 1/2" x 7" pieces. Cut each piece diagonally to form 4 triangles; roll from wide end to point. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Curve ends to crescent shape.

Beat egg with water to form a wash; brush croissants with this and set them aside 1 hour. Wash again with the egg/water mixture. Bake at 375 degrees until puffed and brown. Let cool and serve.

Toasted bircher style museli

1/2 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
250g plain yoghurt
2 tbsp honey
2 cups good quality toasted museli
1/4 cup craisins
160ml apple juice
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp ground cinamon
2 green apples, cut into matchsticks
150g blueberries, halved
extra plain yoghurt to serve
extra honey to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Put hazelnuts on an oven tray and roast for 5 minutes or until slightly golden. Allow to cool completely on tray.
2. Combine yoghurt, honey, museli, dried fruit, apple juice, lemon juice and cinnamon in a med bowl and set aside. Put apple and hazelnuts in a small bowl and mix well.
3. Divide museli between small serving bowls and top with spoonfuls of apple mixture and blueberries. Serve with extra yoghurt and honey.

Yoghurt pannacotta with raspberries and home made honeycomb

250ml of milk
400ml pouring cream
130g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 leaves of gelatine
280g thick greek style yoghurt
125g fresh raspberries
100g home made honeycomb

1. Put milk, cream and sugar in a med pan over low heat and cook until gently simering (do not boil). Remove from heat, then add vanilla.
2. Put gelatine leaves in a bowl, cover with cold water and soak until soft. Remove from bowl, squeeze out excess water, then add immediately to mixture. Stir to dissolve. Strain mixture into a clean bowl and let cool.
3. Stir in yoghurt, then pour into 6x 150ml dariole moulds. Refrigerate for 4 hours until set.
4. To serve, quickly dip moulds, 1 at a time, into hot water and turn out onto serving plates. Put raspberries in a bowl and bruise slightly with the back of a spoon. Scatter raspberries over panna cotta and sprinkle with crushed honeycomb.

Home-made honeycomb

3 tbsp water
50g raw sugar
250g caster sugar
100g glucose
4 tbsp honey
15 g bicarb soda, sifted

1. Line a 40x60x4cm tray with baking paper. Set a large stainless steel heavy-based pan over a low heat. Add water, sugars, glucose and honey, and cook until sugars dissolve. Increase heat to medium and cook for 8 mins or until liquid reaches 150C on a sugar thermometer ant turns a medium caramel colour with no large bubbles.
2. Remove pan from eat and quickly whisk in bicarb (the toffee will swell like molten lava). Pour quickly into prepared tray and allow to set for 20 mins.
3. Crack honeycomb into shards to serve. Store in an airtight container or freezer.

Mango chutney

1 tbsp olive oil
1 oinon, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3cm piece of ginger, finely grated
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
4 mangoes, cheeks removed and chopped
2 granny smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored and sliced
2 small red chillies, seeded, finely chopped
salt and pepper to season

1. Heat olive oil in a deep heavy based pan over a medium heat. Add oinon and cook for 4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 minute. Add sugar and vinegar, then stir until sugar is dissolved and mix comes to the boil.
2. Add mango, apple and chilli. Stir until combined and mix comes to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until mix thickens and is reduced by a third. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from heat and cool. Spoon chutney into sterilised jars and process.

Chewy fruit and nut bar

1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup malt powder
100g dried mangoes (or other dried fruit), roughly chopped
100g dates, roughly chopped
1 tbsp wholemeal flour
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup hot water
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 21cmx21cm slice tin with baking paper. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, water, honey and oil. Pour over dry mix and stir thoroughly until combined.
2. Spoon mix into tin and press down firmly all over. Bake for 25 mins or until golden. Stand to cool for 1 hr.
3. Trim edges and slice evenly into bars to serve.

Slow roasted eggplant with chermoula rub and moghrabieh salad

2 med eggplants, cut in half lengthways
150ml olive oil
30ml cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp mayonaise
salt and pepper
150g greek style yoghurt to serve

Chermoula rub
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp preserved lemon, finely chopped
150ml olive oil
salt and pepper to season

Mograbhieh salad
200g mograbhieh*
600ml of water
50g raisins
4 spring oinions, sliced diagnoally
1 handful of mint leaves, torn
1 handful of flat-leaf parsely, roughly chopped
60g almonds, roughly chopped, roasted
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1. To make chermoula rub, blend all ingredients in a food processor or combine with a mortar and pestle. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 180C. Line baking tray with baking paper. Score eggplant flesh to make a diagonal criss-cross pattern. Spread chermoula liberally over eggplant halves then put on prepared tray. Bake for 40 mins or until tender.

3. To make dressing, combine oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard and mayo in a small bowl. Season and set aside.

4. To make salad, put moghrabieh in a medium pan, add water and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 mins or until tender (top up with more water if needed). Strain into medium bowl and cool. Add raisins, spring oinon, herbs, almonds and tomato. Pour over dressing.

5. Allow eggplant to cool slightly. Top each half with moghrabieh salad and dollop of yoghurt to serve.

*Moghrabieh is also known as pearl or giant couscous. It can be found in middle eastern supermarkets or Greek delis

Pastry Cream

Pastry cream is used to fill many varieties of pastries including eclairs.

Preparation: 20 minutes

Cooking: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Pastry Cream

• 300ml milk
• 1 vanilla pod
• 2 egg yolks
• 60g caster sugar
• 30g corn flour
• 30g butter

Method

1. Place the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla pod. Place the saucepan over a moderate heat and bring it to the simmer. Then remove it from the heat.
2. Place the egg yolks, sugar and corn flour in a bowl and whisk them together until well combined.
3. Add the milk to the bowl and whisk the ingredients together until well combined. Return the mixture to the saucepan and return it to a moderate high heat. Whisking it constantly bring it to the boil (be thorough with the whisking or you will end up with lumps and burnt pastry cream). When the pastry cream is thick remove it from the heat and mix in the butter.
4. Remove the pod from the pastry cream and place the pastry cream in a large bowl to cool. When it is warm cover it with cling film and leave it to cool. When it has cooled refrigerator until ready to use.

corn fritters

Ingredients:

• 2 cups corn, fresh or canned
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon melted butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• powdered sugar

Preparation:

Chop corn very fine and add salt, pepper, well beaten egg, melted butter, milk, flour and baking powder. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into deep hot fat (360 to 370°) Fry two to three minutes, until golden brown. Drain onto paper towels.

Three bean salad

• 1 can (15 to 16 ounces) cut green beans, drained
• 1 can (15 to 16 ounces) cut yellow beans, drained
• 1 can (about 16 ounces) red kidney beans, drained
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup sliced purple onion
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

Directions for three bean salad
Rinse beans; drain. Combine beans, green pepper, and sliced onion. whisk together remaining ingredients; pour over bean mixture. Toss three bean salad well and chill for at least 4 hours. Store three bean salad in refrigerator.
Three bean salad serves 10 to 12.

Rhubarb Crumble

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 large bunch of ripe Rhubarb (1.5 kg.)
1/4 cup castor sugar
1 orange zested to yield 1 dessertspoon
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
125g plain flour
140g unsalted butter cut into cubes and chilled
80g dark brown sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C.
Remove the leaves from the rhubarb and trim any brown parts off the stalks. Wash the stalks, stringing only if necessary, and cut into 4 cm to 5 cm pieces. Spread the rhubarb out onto a flat baking tray on baking paper. Sprinkle with castor sugar and bake until tender (about 15 minutes).

To make the crumble, mix all ingredients by hand rubbing the butter into the flour with fingertips. In a buttered soufflé mould (or 4 individual ramekins) place cooked rhubarb in the base, sprinkle with crumble mixture and bake 15-20 minutes (or up to 25 minutes) until golden.

Serve with rich cream.

Celeriac, Apple and Walnut Salad

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a salad

2 small bulbs celeriac (softball size)
Juice of a lemon
2 small granny smith apples, cored and sliced
80g toasted walnuts

Dressing: (makes 200ml)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoon walnut oil
2 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated horseradish
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Parsley for garnish

Method

Cut top and bottom off celeriac bulb then cut down the sides to peel.
Using a strong good grip style potato peeler, take thick peelings off the bulb, dropping the pieces into the bowl and toss with lemon juice so it doesn’t discolour.
Add apple to the celeriac so as not to discolour.
Make dressing by combining sour cream, Dijon mustard and extra virgin olive oil to emulsify. Add fresh horseradish to sour cream mix followed by walnut oil.
Toss celeriac & apple through the dressing and finish with the walnuts and some fresh parsley.

Creme Brulee

Ingredients

Serves 3

50 ml Milk
300 ml Cream
3 Egg yolks
15g Sugar
20 ml Honey
1/5 Vanilla bean

Method

Cream egg yolks & sugar
Add cream to milk in small saucepan, slit vanilla bean & pop into pot, bring mixture up to about 80 C (below simmer) to infuse flavours. Slowly whisk this mix onto the egg yolks & sugar.
Fold honey into mix, and pour into ramekins. Place in a PREHEATED water bath, cover and bake at 140C for 35 - 40min until custard is formed, chill well for 3 hours

To Brulee, sprinkle sugar onto brulee and caramelise with blow torch.

Tofu Mii Grop / (crispy noodles)

Tofu Mii Grop / (crispy noodles)

Ingredients

1 large serve

120 g rice vermicelli
100 g Tofu puffs (deep fried puffed tofu)
1 tablespoon Big green chilli
2 Orange (for zest)
200 g Bean sprout
Bunch Spring onion (greens)
3 Shallot (for fried chips)
Bunch Coriander
1 litre Peanut oil

Method

Soak noodles in warm water for 8 mins, drain. Put the peanut oil into a cold wok, peel shallots and slice lengthways very thinly and put into cold oil on medium flame, bring up to about 120C & fry shallots until golden & remove from oil (about 6 mins from cold)
Place on paper towel to drain, these will be the final garnish for the dish
Turn temp up to get oil to 180C in preparation for noodle frying

Mean while cut the garnishes as follows:
Cut tofu into strips
Cut 1 or 2 big green chilli into 1 mm thick long strips
Zest half the orange& cut into 1 mm wide strips (keep the flesh for juicing to add to the sauce if desired)
Cut spring onion (greens only ) into match sticks
Cut coriander so you have leaves & long stems

Mii Grop Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chopped coriander roots.
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic
pinch salt
50g light palm sugar
2 eggs whisked
150g preserved white or yellow soy beans pureed (yellow bean paste)
1 tablespoon tamarind extract
Juice from 3 limes

Method

Make a paste from salt, coriander root and garlic.
Fry in hot oil. Add in pureed preserved soy beans and continue frying
Add palm sugar, remove from heat and fold in eggs gradually whisking as you do. Put back on heat. The eggs will thicken but try and avoid scrambling eggs with excess heat. Add tamarind and lime juice and orange juice if desired
Pour sauce over crispy fried noodles (see Tofu Mii Grop) and enjoy.

Southern fried chicken

1 size 18 free range chicken
1 whole egg
200ml milk
100g cornflour
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamon

Method:
Either buy a whole chicken and joint it into eight pieces or buy four marylands and cut each in half.

Dry fry the spices and combine with cornflour, sugar and salt.

Whisk the egg and mix with milk.

Dip the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then into the egg mix and then back into the flour again.

Shallow fry in vegetable oil until each piece is golden brown all over. Place chicken pieces on a baking tray and cook in preheated oven at 200º C for 20 minutes.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with lemon wedges.

Autumn salad of mushroom and oinon

Salad of Mixed Greens, Roasted Portobello Mushrooms
and Red Onions with Sherry Vinaigrette

When autumn arrives, green salads tend to be more assertive. This one, composed of roasted vegetables and a boldly flavored vinaigrette, is just right before the pasta main course. Use other vegetables, if you prefer, such as roasted beets, eggplant or potatoes.

Ingredients:

VINAIGRETTE :
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pinch of dried tarragon
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

SALAD :
• 8 large portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 red onions, peeled, halved and cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups torn salad greens, such as mesclun mix, red leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce,
• Bibb lettuce or green leaf lettuce (see Note)
• Shaved Parmesan or pecorino cheese, for garnish

Method:
1. To prepare the vinaigrette, combine the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk well. Season to taste with salt, pepper and tarragon and whisk again. Slowly add the olive oil, pouring it in a steady stream while whisking constantly to emulsify the vinaigrette. Taste and correct the seasoning, if necessary. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. To prepare the salad, place the mushrooms in a shallow baking dish lined with aluminum foil, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss gently.
4. Spread the onions in another foil-lined baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss gently.
5. Roast the mushrooms and onions for about 1 hour, until very tender. Stir them a few times during roasting. Set aside to cool.
6. To serve, put the greens in a large bowl and toss with about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and then arrange on 6 salad plates.
7. Put the mushrooms in the bowl and toss with about 2 more tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Spoon these over the greens. Put the onions in the bowl and toss with about 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette. Spoon these over the mushrooms. Top each salad with the shaved cheese and season with freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Note : Use the freshest salad greens available. Many supermarkets and green grocers sell mesclun mix, a mixture of specialty lettuces, which adds lovely flavor, texture and color to any salad. Mix it with other soft, buttery greens.

Serves: 6

Chinese plum sauce

suitable for jarring/canning

8 cups plums, pitted, halved (3 pounds/1.5 kg)
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup water
1 teaspoon gingerroot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup rice vinegar or 1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cloves

In large heavy saucepan, bring plums, onions, water, ginger and garlic to boil over medium heat; cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until plums and onions are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Press through food mill or sieve and return to clean pan; stir in sugar, vinegar, coriander, salt, cinnamon, pepper and cloves. Bring to boil, stirring; reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture reaches consistency of applesauce, about 45 minutes.

Fill and seal jars; process in boiling water bath for 30 minutes.

Makes about 4 cups

Plum sauce

Suitable for jarring/canning

8 c chopped fruit (can be Italian plums, or combo of plums, apricots, peaches, etc)
1 c chopped onion
1-1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c yellow raisins
1/2 c dark molasses
1/2 c rice vinegar
1/2 c orange juice
1/2 c water
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c teriyaki sauce
1 lemon, juice and zest of
2 T minced garlic
2 T minced ginger
1-1/2 T Chinese 5 Spice
1 to 2 tsp salt, to taste
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all in pot, bring slowly up to simmer, stirring frequently to prevent from sticking to bottom of pot. Simmer 45-60 minutes, uncovered, stirring; mixture will be reduced by nearly half. Cool slightly and put mixture in blender (working in batches if necessary) to puree. Can put through food mill or sieve instead. Return mixture to pot and bring back up to low simmer and test for desired taste. Add more salt, chili powder, white pepper at this stage if needed to balance to your tastes. Fill sterilized desired size jars, leaving about 1 inch headspace. Adjust lids and process jars in pressure canner. 20 minutes at 11 pounds for pints and half-pints.

Quantity will depend upon juiciness of fruit, how much you reduce your sauce, etc. I got about 9 half-pints total. I've been making half-pints to give away and pints for me to keep. :) Can be used for duck, chicken, pork, dipping sauce for eggrolls, chicken drummettes, a dollop in homemade salad dressing, you name it and the sky's the limit.

Strawberry Tarts

Strawberry tarts are delicious, for dinner parties, afternoon teas and on picnics. These tarts are easy to make and all the ingredients can be prepared in advance but the final assembly of them is best left up to an hour in advance as the pastry can become moist.

Wine Recommendation: Champagne springs to mind but if you don’t want to push the boat out our Sieur d'Arques Cremant from Limoux will do nicely. See The Mixed Case for details.

Portions: 8 individual tarts

Preparation: 20 minutes plus 1 1/2 hours resting of the pastry

Cooking: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Sweet Pastry

• 500g plain flour
• 250g unsalted butter
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 large egg

• All ingredients should be at room temperature.
• For convenience you may use a commercial pre-made sweet pastry

Tarts

• pastry cream (see recipe)
• 250g small strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced in half

To Glaze

• 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly

Method

1. Sweet Pastry Method 1 (Creaming): Place the butter and sugar in mixing bowl and beat them together until they are light and fluffy. On a low speed slowly add the egg to the butter mixture and mix it until combined. Add the flour slowly at a low speed until combined then mix it briefly at a higher speed so that it forms a dough. Place the pastry in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to rest.
2. Sweet Pastry Method 2 (Rub in): Place the flour in a bowl or on a clean work top and rub in the butter until you have a bread crumb consistency. Make a well in the centre of the flour. Mix the egg and sugar together in a bowl until well combined. Pour the mixture into the well in the flour. Mix the egg mixture into the flour to form a dough. Place the pastry in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to rest.
3. To Cook: Remove the pastry from the fridge 10 minutes before you need it. Roll it out on a well floured surface until it is around .5-.75mm thick. Lightly grease 8x10cm tart tins (or nearest equivalent size, any leftover pastry can be frozen for future use). Line the tart tins with the pastry. Place the lined tin in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Blind bake the pastry for 8-10 minutes until they are firm and with a little colour. Remove the pastry from the oven an allow it to cool.
5. Strawberry Tarts: Distribute the pastry cream evenly among the tart bases so that they are half to two thirds full. Place the strawberry halves cut side downwards on the cream in circular fashion until they are filled.
6. Glaze: Melt the raspberry jam in a saucepan for a couple of minutes. Brush the melted jam over the tops of the strawberries with a pastry brush. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve. They are best served within a couple of hours of making.

coconut icecream

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla

In a medium saucepan combine the milk, cream and coconut milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let it sit for at least 1 hour. Return the saucepan to low heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add the warm milk mixture while constantly whisking. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and heat over low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the mixture from heat and let it cool. Add the vanilla and chill thoroughly.

Freeze in a ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions.

Hollandaise sauce

Classic Hollandaise Sauce

[HOL-uhn-dayz] A rich egg based sauce flavored with a bit of lemon or vinegar, butter and a hint of cayenne pepper. The sauce is served over vegetables, fish, or Eggs Benedict.

The most important aspect of a successful sauce is to use a double boiler and make sure not to allow the water in the bottom of the double boiler to boil, just remain, hot and lightly simmering. You can add a tablespoon of cold water if needed to reduce the heat of the water if it starts to boil.

The sauce should be served immediately upon completion.

Yield: 1 Cup

User Rating:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons white-wine or tarragon vinegar or fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons boiling water
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Melt the butter and keep it warm.

Heat the vinegar or lemon juice until just warmed. Have small saucepan with boiling water and a measuring tablespoon ready.

Place the top of a double boiler over (not in) hot water. (This means the bottom of the top of the double boiler sound not make contact with the water heating in the bottom half of the double boiler.)

Place the egg yolks in the top of a double boiler and whisk until they begin to thicken. Now add 1 tablespoon of the boiling water. Continue to beat the sauce until it begins to thicken. Repeat with the remaining water, one tablespoon at a time, beating the mixture after each addition.

Now add the warmed vinegar or lemon juice. Remove the double boiler from the heat. Beat the sauce briskly with a wire whisk. Continue to beat the mixture as you slowly pour in the melted butter. Add the salt and cayenne and beat the sauce until it is thick. Serve immediately.

Your Sauce Separated, Now What?

1. If the sauce starts to separate, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of cream and beat the sauce with a wire whisk until it is smooth once again.

2. If the sauce has curdled, you can put it in a blender and blend it. This will alter the texture a bit.

History of Hollandaise
Alan Davidison states one of the earliest recorded versions of the sauce dates back to 1758 "sauce a la hollandoise" from Marin's Dons de Comus. This recipe included butter, flour, bouillon, and herbs; no egg yolks. Davidson also quotes from MeGee (1990) who explains eggs are not needed at all and proper emulsification which can simply be done with butter. He also states that if one does wish to use eggs they are not needed in quantities normally called for in traditional recipes.

Other Sauces derived from hollandaise include:
sauce aux capres - add drained capers
maltaise - add blood organges
mousseline or chantilly - addition of whipped cream
moutarde - with Dijon mustard

Chocolate and coconut peaches with gelato

4 yellow or white peaches, halved, stone removed
1 cup shredded coconut, toasted
1/3 cup pistachio kernels, finely chopped
1/4 cup demerera sugar
100g white chocolate, finely chopped
1 Tbsp sweet sherry
500ml mango sorbet

1. Preheat oven to 200C or BBQ to medium. Line an oven proof dish with baking paper. Put peach halves, cut-side up, in prepared dish.
2. Put coconut, pistachios, sugar, chocolate and sherry in a large bowl and stir to combine. Spoon mix onto each peach half, then cook for 6-8 mins or unti ltender and golden. Serve warm with mango gelato.
Can use Dark choc instead of white and icecream instead of gelato.

Eggplant cheeseburger

1 large eggplant, cut into 4 slices
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup polenta
3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 large brown oinon, cut into 4 rounds
4 slices jarlberg cheese
4 sourdough rolls
2 large tomatoes, cut into thick slices
1/2 bunch basil
1 cup home made tomato relish

1. Brush both sides of each eggplant slice with oil. Put polenta, breadcrumbs and pepper in a bowl and toss to combine. Spread mix on a sheet of baking paper and coat both sides of each eggplant slice with mixture.
2 Preheat BBQ or hotplate and spray each side of eggplant sice with oil. Cook eggplant and onion rounds for 2-3 minutes on each side. Top each eggplant slice with a slice of cheese and cooke for 1-2 mins until cheese starts to melt. Cook rolls, split side down, for 1-2 mins until golden.
3. Top base of each roll with a slice of tomato, a cheese-topped eggplant slice, 2-3 basil leaves and an oinon round. Top with a spoonful of tomato chutney and serve.

Chocolate creme caramel

180g dark choc
650ml milk
250g caster sugar
120ml water
4 large egg yolks
extra 75g caster sugar

1. Preheat oven to 160C. bring milk slowly to boil and tip over choc to melt, stirring until smooth. Set aside for 5 mins.
2. Put sugar and water ina medium heavy based pan and stir over a low heat until sugar is dissovled. Bring to the boil and cook, without stirring, until mixture is a caramel colour. Pour caramel into a 20cm ceramic ovenproof dish and swirl around the sides to coat.
3. whisk eggs, yolks and extrea sugar in a medium bowl until well combined. Add chocolate mix and stir until smooth. Pour through a strainer into dish with caramel. Put dish in a roasting pan and carefully pour hot water into pan until it reaches halfway up sides of dish.
4. Bake for 1 hr 15 mins or until custard is just set. Remove from oven and stand to cool. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. To serve, run a warm dry knife around teh edge of the dish and invert onto plate.

dark chocolate brownies

80g butter chopped
200g good quality dark choc chopped
2 cups plain flour
6 tbsp cocoa
4 tbsp caster sugar
extra 200g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
8 eggs, separated
1/3 cup ground almonds
extra 1/2 cup caster sugar

1.preheat oven to 160C. Lightly grease slice tin with melted butter, then line base sides with baking paper.
2. Melt butter and 50g choc in a pan over a low heat, striring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Sift 1 cup flour and 2 tablespoons cooca together over mixture. Stir in sugar and mix until pastry comes together. Press into base of prepared tin. Prick dough with a fork, then refrigerate for 15 mins.
3. Melt extra butter and remaining chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in icing sugar and yolks. Sift remaining flour and cocoa together over mixture. Stir until well combined. Fold in almonds.
4. whisk eggwhites in teh large bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add extra sugar, 1 tblsp at a time, beating well after each addition. Carefully fold eggwhite mix into chocolate mix.
5. Spread mix over dough and bake for 40-45 mins or until cooked when tested with a skewer. cool completely in tin and slice into squares to serve.

Walnut caramel slice

350g butter
225g caster sugar
275g flour, sifted
395g condensed milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
200g dark cooking choc, melted

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a slice tin with baking paper. Put 225g of the butter and 100g of the sugar in a med bowl and beat with electric beaters until light and creamy. Add flour, stir to form a soft dough. Spread dough into prepared tin. Bake for 25-30 mins or until golden.
2. Put remaining butter and sugar in a medium heavy based saucepan and stir over a low het until buttter in melted. Add condensed milk and honey, and stir constnatly until mix is very thick and caramel. Remove from heat, add walnuts and stir to combine. Pour caramel mix over base. cool.
3. Pour over choc and spread to edges. Refrigerate for 3 hours, cut into squares to serve.

Oatmeal squares

200g oats
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
125g brown sugar
125g cornmeal
225g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
extra 375g brown sugar
180g honey
extra 180g butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
300g pecans, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a slice tin with baking paper. Put oats in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, baking powder, sugar, cornmeal, butter and egg, and stir util well combined. Put mixture in prepared tin and smoothe top. Bake for 10-12 mins.
2. Put extra sugar ina medium heavy-based pan and meilt over a medium heat until golden and caramelised. Stir in honey and extra butter and cook gently for 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla and pecans, then spread over base. Bake for 20-25 mins. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares to serve.

choc-cherry coconut slice

300g ground hazelnuts
300g plain flour
250g butter
150g caster sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1-3 tbsp water
extra flour for kneading
2 eggs
extra 100g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g dessicated coconut
200g glace cherries, chopped
70g craisins
300g dark cooking chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Line a slice tin with baking paper. Put hazelnuts, flour, butter, sugar and cocoa in a food processor and process until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add enough water to bring dough together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until dough comes together. Roll out to fit base of prepared tin. Put in tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
2. Put eggs and extra sugar in a bowl. Add vanilla and beat with electric beaters until thick and pale yellow. Add coconut, cherry and craisins. Stir until combined.
3. Spoon mix onto base and spread evenly to edges. Bake for 6-8 mins or until firm to touch. cool on wire rack.
4. Put choc in a heatproof bowl and stir over a pan of simmering water until smooth. Pour over filling, spread smooth, then use a knife handle to make grooves in top. Refrigerate for 30-40 mins or until choc is set. To serve cut into rectangles.

Coconut raspberry slices

300g plain flour
200g butter
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
300g flaked coconut
500g fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tbsp pure sifted icing sugar
extra 100g flaked coconut, toasted

1. Line a slice tin with baking paper. Put flour, butter, sugar, egs and 100g of the coocnut in a food processor and process until mixture comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hr or until firm.
2. preheat oven to 200C. Roll out dough between 2 pieces of baking paper to fit base of prepared tin. Put in tin, scatter over fruit and sprinkle with icing sugar and all the remaining coconut. Bake for 30 mins or until golden. cool on a wire rack and cut into rectangles to serve.