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Beef curry with yoghurt and black pepper
This recipe is one I contributed to a cookbook created by my playgroup as a fundraiser and community builder when my children were small. The book was called “Life made easy” and it was full of simple, delicious recipes and household tips for busy families with young children. Those playgroup days bring back a wash of happy memories; a group of delightful and caring mothers and fathers and our kids, who met together in a church hall and did life together, when it was easy, and when it was really tough. The curry is mild but full of flavour, and is a good way to introduce spice to the uninitiated. You can make it ahead of time, it freezes very well, and it is economical too – a winner on all fronts. Serves 4 – 6 1 kg chuck steak, cut into 4 cm chunks 2 large onions, diced 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 6 cloves finely diced garlic 1 teaspoon powdered ginger 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (you can add a bit more if you like heat in your curries) 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 400 ml natural yogurt 1/2 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped Preheat oven to 175 C. In a large, flameproof casserole dish with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat on the stove top and brown the beef in small batches until well caramelised, then put aside in a deep dish. Add the remaining oil and cook the onions and garlic over medium heat until they are soft and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile whisk the yoghurt together with the spices until well combined. Add the beef to the casserole dish and then stir in the yoghurt mixture. Bring to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Cover the dish tightly with foil and then the lid. Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Carefully remove from the oven, take off the foil and stir well (it looks not so appealing at this stage). Put the lid back on and bake for another 30 – 45 minutes, or until the meat is very tender, and the sauce a dark reddish brown. Stir well before serving sprinkled with the fresh coriander, with rice, poppadoms and maybe a sambal of green chilli, cucumber and some more coriander. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Nectarines, prosciutto, mozzarella and mint
I’ve been thinking a lot over the last week or so about what to feed my family this Christmas time, experimenting with ideas and recipes old and new. We need joyful, bright food this year, to counter the almost savage sadness of another empty place at the table. My sister-in-law Lesley died quite suddenly in August of this year, of melanoma, and the intensity of the loss is still fresh for all of us. She was brave and bright and funny, and fought hard to overcome numerous struggles with her health until cancer finally defeated her. She loved her family and especially loved Christmas, and it is hard to imagine the day without her. Somehow, doing things a little differently seems to be the best way to begin a new chapter for our family, while still honouring the traditions of our past. So this year there may not be her favourite pudding and no Earl Grey tea, but we will hang her ornaments, and carefully save one piece of Christmas wrap to be used over and over. We will be gentle and comforting to each other, and know deeply that although there is sadness now, joy will come again. I came home from work today to an unusually quiet house, which gave me time to put this salad together for dinner and trial it for a Christmas dish. It could be aptly named “Christmas on a plate”, both because of the flavours embodied in it and its jewel-like colours.The sweet, juicy nectarines, salty prosciutto and creamy fresh mozzarella, topped with piquant mint are a combination that really works well, and as an added bonus, it took no more than 5 minutes to make. I can see it as part of our Christmas Eve dinner, where we gather to eat the best of summer produce, drink champagne and play board games. We’ll remember Lesley as she was when well, be thankful she was part of our lives, and aspire to live with something of her enthusiasm and passion. Serves 4 4 ripe and juicy nectarines, sliced into wedges 8 very thin slices of prosciutto (ask at the deli for it to be sliced super thin) 150g of fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces handful of fresh mint leaves finely sliced zest of 1/2 lemon Arrange the nectarines, mozzarella and prosciutto on a serving platter and then scatter over the mint and lemon zest. Serve straight away with fresh bread, grilled meat or chicken, or just enjoy before dinner with a glass of sauvignon blanc, good friends and music. (I recommend The Idea of North Christmas album for this time of year)
Lemon and thyme shortbread
Shortbread is a traditional Christmas-time treat and always makes an appearance at our place. I wanted to try something a little different this year, so I added lemon zest and some fresh thyme to my usual recipe and sprinkled the shortbread with demerrara sugar before baking. The thyme and lemon might seem odd flavours to add, but they work surprisingly well, and the crunchy, slightly molasses flavoured demerrara sugar provides a satisfyingly crunchy contrast to the flaky biscuit. There really is no reason not to eat shortbread anytime of the year. It’s much too delicious to only eat at Christmas. All that is needed is a good cup of tea and a good friend to share it with. Makes 24 squares 250g butter, cut into small cubes 1/3 cup soft icing mixture 2 cups plain flour grated zest of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves 1 tablespoon demerrara sugar Preheat oven to 160 C. Grease a rectangular slice tin, 19 x 29 cm. Place all the ingredients, except for the demerrara sugar in a food processor and process until the mixture comes together into a soft dough. Press gently and evenly into the tin and sprinkle with the demerrara sugar. Place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes, until lightly golden. While still quite warm mark into squares or rectangles. When cool, carefully take out of the tin and place on a cake rack until cold. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. It also freezes very well, so if restraint is not your forte you can put half in the freezer for another day. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Wicked salted caramel pecans
Salted caramel seems to be the flavour of the moment and there’s a reason why – it tastes so astoundingly good. If you have never tried it before you simply must, although it is really addictive and you might not be able to resist once you acquire a taste for it. These salted caramel pecans take only a few minutes to make, but will win you rapturous praise, guaranteed. If you are looking for a Christmas treat for friends or family they will fit the bill admirably, chopped into chunks and presented in a glass jar. I also like to break them up into small pieces and serve over vanilla ice cream. However, the sexiest way to eat them is with a bitter, dark chocolate mousse (recipe coming soon). Salt really enhances the flavour of chocolate which is why I think the salted caramel pecans with their sweet, nutty and salty notes go so well with it. 100g pecan nuts 100g caster sugar 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (Maldon is my preferred brand) Put the sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat and warm it gently, without stirring, until it caramelises and turns a rich golden brown. Add the sea salt and swirl in the saucepan until it is well mixed in. Quickly put in the pecan nuts and stir until coated. Immediately pour onto a tray covered with a piece of silicon paper and spread out with a flat bladed knife. Leave until cool and the caramel hardened. Break into smallish pieces to serve. Store in an air tight container if there is any left over. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Potato, leek and apple soup
In a couple of weeks two colleagues of mine are walking 100 kilometers non-stop in the Oxfam trailwalker challenge. They need to walk the 100 km within 48 hours as a team of four, and the money they raise will help to overcome poverty and injustice around the world through Oxfam’s programs and services. Their team is named “Keen Beans” and you can donate to their team here. I helped them out last week by cooking soup for a soup kitchen at work, which was lots of fun, except that I had a very busy week in the lead up and ended up cooking 120 serves of soup the night before! My valiant oldest son stayed up to help me chop up ingredients but it was a very late night (actually 2 am, if the truth be told). However, I loved every minute of it and soup has not palled at our place, even after that experience. This potato and leek soup, with a hint of apple and topped with spicy chorizo and pepitas was on the menu this weekend. The apple gives a faint undercurrent of sweetness and the crunchy toppings were a perfect foil to the smooth and creamy soup. Hearty and warming, it’s just what a hiker needs at the end of a chilly walk in the bush. Serves 4 1 large leek, white part only, finely sliced 1 kg potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 Pink lady apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into small cubes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1L chicken stock 2 bay leaves 1 sprig rosemary 300 ml light cream sea salt 125 g chorizo, diced 4 tablespoons pepitas 1 teaspoon coriander powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon olive oil, extra In a large saucepan, saute the leek, potato, garlic and apple in the olive oil until the leeks are softened, about 5 minutes. add the chicken stock. bay leaves and rosemary and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for around 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft. Heat oven to 180 C. While the soup is cooking toss the pepitas with the coriander, cumin and olive oil in a small bowl until they are well coated. Turn on to an oven tray lined with silicon paper and cooking the oven for around 10 minutes. The pepitas will become crispy and infused with the spicy oil. In a small non-stick pan, cook the chorizo until it is crispy . When the soup is done, remove the bay leaves and rosemary and process the soup using a stick blender or food processor, until it is really smooth. If you want to be a bit fancy you can pass the soup through a sieve to get a super smooth final result. Return the soup to the pot and add the cream. Bring almost to boiling point, check the seasoning and add salt to taste. Serve at once with the chorizo and pepitas sprinkled over the top. Printable version: Potato, leek and apple soup
Sweet potato wedges with thyme salt
My family fell in love with sweet potato wedges long before they became a cafe staple, principally because roast sweet potatoes were also a family favourite. I wanted something that was a little more healthy, and these oven baked wedges were perfect. They only use a little bit of olive oil, are seasoned with salt infused with fresh thyme, and dipped in tangy greek yoghurt for a smooth and creamy finish. Serves 4 – 5 as a snack or a side 1 kg small orange, fleshed sweet potatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon sea salt (Maldon is my favourite) 5 – 6 sprigs of fresh thyme 4 tablespoons greek yoghurt Preheat oven to 195 C. Peel the sweet potato and cut lengthwise into quarters, or even sixths, if they are fatter. Toss in a medium sized bowl with the olive oil until well coated and then place in a single layer on a baking tray that has been lined with silicon paper. Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes, until the sweet potato wedges are cooked and crispy and slightly caramelised on the edges. Meanwhile, in a pestle and mortar, grind the salt with the thyme sprigs. The leaves with disintegrate and you can pick out the stems. You’ll be left with a pale green finely ground powder that smells heavenly. When the sweet potato is done, turn onto a serving plate and sprinkle with some of the salt. Serve immediately with the yoghurt on the side. The left over salt will keep if kept in an airtight container. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Kale and farro salad – superfood extravaganza
I have been very reluctant to jump on the kale bandwagon, which seems to have exploded in my part of the world in recent times. Evangelists of green shakes full of pureed kale and other greens are everywhere, but I have failed to be compelled by their vocal praises of kale. However, after trying it a number of times in other ways, I have decided this ancient green is really delicious and I want to try to cook with it more. I won’t bore you with information about its nutritional qualities, except to say it is really good for you. I was interested to discover that it was one of the most common green vegetables is Europe up to the end of the Middle Ages, and some cousins of kale, like the Italian cavolo nero, have been known and cultivated since 600 BC. My friend Toss makes a kale and quinoa salad, so I have her to thank for the genesis of this recipe. I thought I would mix it up a bit and use farro, my current favourite grain. If you can’t get farro, brown rice is nearly as good. The salad is nutty and chewy and has a little sweetness from red grapes and crunch from the fresh kale and almonds, plus sharpness from the simple lemon dressing. I eat it on its own for lunch, as it is filling and oh, so tasty, but it also goes really well with all sorts of grilled meat and fish for dinner. Serves 8 – 12 1 bunch curly leafed kale 500g farro 2 cups red seedless grapes, cut into halves 1 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper Dressing: 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard pinch salt 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Freshly ground black pepper to taste Bring 1 L of lightly salted water to the boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the farro and boil for 20 – 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until the farro is cooked, but still retains some resistance. Add the olive oil and butter, stir through, and cover the saucepan for 5 minutes. All the liquid should be absorbed. Meanwhile, finely slice the kale, halve the grapes, and chop the almonds. Take the lid off the farro and let it cool a little. Make up the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small jar with a tight lid, and then shaking vigorously. In a large bowl, combine the kale, farro, grapes, almonds and dressing and toss well. Turn onto a serving platter and serve straight away. If you want to make the salad a little ahead of time, it works well. Just toss through the dressing as you are serving the salad.
Tomato and bocconcini salad with beautiful basil dressing
Summer is the absolute best time to eat tomatoes and basil and I think I have a little bit of a food crush on them. This salad uses both; fresh tomatoes and a basil dressing which is both sweet and sharp. The addition of little soft and squishy bocconcini takes it to another level with the creamy chewiness of the cheese a perfect foil for the tomatoes and basil. On top of that, it takes all of five minutes to put together. Who wouldn’t love it, love it, love it?!! Serves 4 – 6 400g mixed smallish tomatoes (try to get a variety of colours, there are heaps available in most supermarkets) 125g small bocconcini About 1 cup of lightly packed basil leaves (1 really good handful) 1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil sea salt and black pepper 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar Slice the larger tomatoes in half, and leave little ones whole. Do the same with the bocconcini; tear some carefully in half and leave others whole. Blend together the basil, olive oil and white wine vinegar until it is a quite smooth and bright green dressing. (I use a small blender) Season with the salt and black pepper to your taste. Put a good tablespoonful of the dressing on a serving platter and use the back of your spoon to spread it evenly. Place the tomaotes and bocconcini on the platter and then spoon over the dressing. Grind over a little more black pepper and serve to your soon-to-be-wildly-enthusiastic lunch or dinner guests. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Egg sandwiches and being a little kid in the 1960s
For me, being a little kid in 1960s country Australia was idyllic, and I don’t think it’s because nostalgia has crowded out more sober or disturbing memories. It was just a safe, secure and happy childhood, untroubled by violence or poverty or strife, and full of love from parents who nurtured and cared for me – what we all hope and dream of for our children. I come from a family of five siblings, very close in age, so we had a ready made gang and a pretty free-range childhood. Things that today’s parents would not dream of allowing their children to do were just a part of everyday life; we walked to and from school from the very first day, rambled unsupervised in the paddock behind our house, clambered over rusty tractors and among the hay bales in the shed of our friend’s farm, and scared each other witless playing Spotlight and Bogeyman in the darkness of our sprawling acre of garden. Sunday drives, picnics at the seaside, family parties and church fellowship teas always included sandwiches, and mum’s specialties were ham and pickles, roast beef and mustard, and curried egg. I have made egg sandwiches my own over the last few years, especially as I have catered for a number afternoon tea weddings, where finger sandwiches are always on the menu. I make them with rye bread or a dark multi grain loaf in contrast to the filling. Needless to say the 1960s version was always soft white bread. Enjoy these sandwiches next time you picnic with friends, or want something a little fancy for afternoon tea, Makes 12 finger sandwiches 6 eggs 15 cm piece of celery, very finely diced 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted 1/4 cup finely chopped chives 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons sour cream or natural yoghurt salt and freshly ground black pepper 8 slices bread, rye or wholegrain are best Place the eggs in a medium sized saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and pour off the water. When cool enough to handle peel the eggs. In a glass bowl and using a fork, mash the eggs until the the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the celery, nuts, chives, mayonnaise and sour cream and season to your taste with salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Place the mixture in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes. divide the mixture between 4 slices of bread, making sure that the filling goes right to the edge of the crusts. Top with the remaining slices of bread and press gently together. Using an electric knife carefully cut the crusts off the sandwiches and then slice each sandwich into three fingers. If not serving right away cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
BBQ corn with lime, chilli and coriander
This is a killer recipe, full of the big, bold flavours of chilli, lime and coriander combined with sweet, fresh corn. It’s exactly the sort of food I wanted to try and highlight when I started this blog. It doesn’t have any bells and whistles in either ingredients or technique, but tastes fantastic and is viscerally satisfying to eat. I used a griddle pan to cook the corn but you could easily add this to a BBQ lunch and cook it on the grill; the vegetarians in your life will call you blessed, and the meat eaters will fight to add some to their plate. Resist the temptation to add butter. With the other flavours it’s not necessary and your arteries will thank you. Serves 4-6 4-6 cobs of corn, husked and de-silked 500 ml milk 1 heaped teaspoon dried chilli flakes 1 large lime, cut into 8 wedges 1 bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped a little olive oil 1 long, red fresh chilli, finely sliced sea salt Place the corn in a large saucepan and pour over the milk. Add the dried chilli flakes. Cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and then take off the heat. Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan, or the grill on your BBQ. Using tongs, remove the corn from the milk and gently pat dry using absorbent kitchen towel. Drizzle over a little olive oil and rub into the outside of each cob of corn. Cook on the griddle for about 5 minutes, turning frequently, until some of the corn is nicely charred. Sprinkle over the chilli and coriander and serve at once, with some slices of lime for each person to squeeze generously over the corn before eating. It’s great straight from the grill , or served warm. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
The sisterhood of scones
As I was making these scones I remembered with love all the women who have had input into my scone recipe over many years. I thought of my grandmother who made a beautifully light pumpkin scone and taught me how to use just the right amount of flour when cutting out scones. I saw my friend Lyndal showing me how to use my hands to plump up and create perfect scone circles. I recalled my mother showing me how to use a knife to mix them together. I gave thanks for my friend Trish who first introduced me to lemonade scones. I also thought of the many, many times I have made them with friends – for afternoon teas, school fetes, wedding showers and church camps, sometimes hundreds at a time. I am so grateful for the women who have shaped not only my cooking, but who I am, through their influence, guidance, knowledge and love. Thanks to you all. Makes 12 scones 300g self-raising flour 2/3 cup pure cream 2/3 cup lemonade Jam and whipped cream, to serve Preheat oven to 200 C. In a large bowl place the flour, the cream and the lemonade. Mix very quickly with a knife until just combined. Scatter your benchtop with about 1 tablespoon of extra flour and turn out the scone dough on the bench. Very lightly knead until the dough is smooth and then press out with your palms to a thickness of about 3 cm. Use a scone cutter to cut out the scones, and then gather up the extra bits of dough, pat them together and continue cutting out until all the dough is used up. You should get about 12 medium sized scones. Place in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, until golden. Serve warm or cold with jam and dollops of whipped cream. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation