Chicken Cacciatore

 

This recipe came originally from Gary Rhodes across Italy.  Sadly Gary Rhodes died just after he completed the series, where he was able to get Italian chefs to show him the 'root' recipes of classic dishes.  

The recipe has no tomatoes in it, and it is important to use chicken on the bone.  I usually make this with chicken legs.  I keep an herb jar with the mixture of dried herbs, with salt and chilli added and use it for lots of recipes.  I also usually add some black kalamata olives to the dish before the end as well as at the end.  Use a dry white wine, not a sweet one.

Christmas Biscotti - Cranberry and Pistachio

 Whoa be it for me to upgrade an Aust. Women's Weekly recipe because they have been a standby for me and many others (including my mum) for many years.  Why?  Because they work, EVERY TIME.  But....

Hmm, (embarrassing pause) however I recently misread this recipe and used baking powder instead of bi carb and used coconut sugar instead of castor sugar because I had none.  -  The result was better than the original, so if you want to substitute castor instead of coconut, and bi carb instead of baking powder go ahead!

You can also substitute any nut or fruit combination you enjoy, and instead of vanilla use any delicious essence (e.g. almond) you like.

One tip - chilling is a MUST. You could even chill overnight if that suits you better.

30 Minute Easy-Peasy Chocolate Cake.

Imagine this: your husband casually mentions that someone is coming over for coffee at the last minute. Panic sets in as you realize you don't have any dessert prepared. Don't fret! I have just the recipe for you—the 30-Minute Easy-Peasy Chocolate Cake. As the name suggests, this delightful cake can be whipped up in just 10 minutes of mixing and takes a mere 30 minutes to bake. It's the perfect solution for those unexpected guests, and the best part? The ingredients are likely already in your pantry!

Choc Banana Bundt Cake

 So, what do you do when you have 3 bananas that have gone all black and a packet chocolate cake that you did not use at Xmas in the cupboard?  You make Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake.

I'm not the biggest fan of banana cake, although I do like my Perfect banana cake but mostly I find them too dense and rich.  Last Xmas I was going to make a chocolate cake to take to a friends house but eventually decided on something else, so I had a packet in the cupboard, and I had a function coming up and wanted to make a big cake.  I had not used my bundt pan for a while, so I also wanted to use that, and it will feed 12 easily.  Now one choc cakemix will not fill a bundt pan, but two cake mixes will, so I made this Chocolate Banana Bundt cake and it was a real hit.  I think because the chocolate cake just adds a nice lightness when added to the banana cake.  

Try to use a good quality chocolate cake mix, one that uses oil not butter as the crumb will be better.  This banana cake was a slight adaptation from Jamie Olivers banana cake, adding almond meal to  both cakes it ties the two together.  If you like spice, you can add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and mixed spice to the banana cake, walnuts chopped would also work as an extra in the banana cake.

About icing/ topping the cake - you can make up your own favourite chocolate icing and drizzle over the cake, or simply top with some melted butter and chopped nuts.  This is also very nice served warm with a caramel sauce.  I leave it plain.

Christmas Rocky Road.

 This is Christmas rocky road because I never make it any other time.  Its great as a small gift to friends at this time of year.

Amoretti biscuits

 When you make biscotti, there will be egg whites left over, this is how to use them up - (tip - pop egg whites into a zip lock bag and into the freezer until you want to use them.)  The recipe is for 1 egg white, just increase the amount of each ingredient according to how many egg whites you want to use.

Milanese Anchovy Sauce.

This is Aldo's (from masterchef) recipe for  anchovie sauce, use it with pasta, asparagas, fish, anything really.

10 cloves of garlic
500 ml milk
15g anchovies
3 tbs capers
olive oil
black pepper

In a small saucepan add milk and garlic. On low heat cook the garlic making sure that the milk does notl burn, stirring occasionally every 3 minutes. The all cooking of the garlic should take more then 20 minutes ( the garlic must be soft to touch)
In a mortar and pestle add anchovies and capers with a drizzle of olive oil and start to pound on the ingredients until achieving a pesto consistency if required a bit more of olive oil add a bit at time.
Once the garlic is cooked add it to the anchovies pesto and keep pounding until becomes a thick sauce if required add a bit more of olive oil to smooth the sauce. Season with pepper.

Mary Berry’s lemon and lime cheesecake

 I needed a dessert for a dinner party, one that was easy, relatively quick and could be made the day before as I did not want to be fussing around on the day.  This was perfect!

I have changed the recipe slightly, taking out the sugar in the crust, instead using choc coated biscuits, and increasing the lime a little..  But - you can really make it with any biscuits and you dont need to use limes, you can just make it with lemons if you like.  I don't worry about taking the crust up the side either, just do a bit at the bottom - works either way.  I make this in a spring for pan with a bit of parchment paper on the bottom to make it easy to remove from the pan.

Also, I just use the bung it in method for the filling, bung everything into a bowl and mix with a hand held beater, it works perfectly.  As for decorating the toop, I don't use the Mary Berry method, I just cover the top with whipped cream and some lime zest if I feel fancy.  You do need the whipped cream though, it tastes better.

Ingredients:

• 10 choc coated digestive biscuits, crushed
• 50g  butter, melted
• 
  
• 150ml double cream
• 397g can full-fat condensed milk
• 175g  full-fat cream cheese (room temperature)
• grated zest and juice of 2 small lemons
• grated zest and juice of 2 limes
• 
  
• 150ml (5fl oz) double or whipping cream, and 1 lime sliced thinly to decorate

Method:

• To make the crust: place the crushed biscuits, together with the butter and sugar, in a medium bowl and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

• Turn the crust mixture out into a 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed tart tin and press firmly and evenly over the bottom (and up the sides if you like) using the back of a metal spoon. Chill for 30 minutes until set.

• To make the filling: place the double cream, condensed milk, and cream cheese in a bowl with the lemon and lime zests. Mix thoroughly. Using a balloon whisk, gradually whisk in the lemon and lime juices and continue whisking until the mixture thickens.

• Pour the lemon and lime filling into the crumb crust and spread it evenly. Cover and chill overnight.

• Up to 6 hours before serving, whip the cream, as shown below, until it just holds its shape. Decorate the top of the cheesecake with swirls of whipped cream and slices of lime, then return to the fridg

Lemon and Elderflower Cake (or pudding!)

This is a recipe from Nigella Lawson - and its wonderful.  You cake make this as a pudding or a cake depending on the size of the dish you use.  One of the reasons I love this cake is that it uses the bung it in method.  All you do is put everything into a mixer or food processor and turn it on for a few minutes.  What could be easier?

If you want a pudding serve warm and  use a smaller, deeper dish, if you want a lovely cake use a dish size aprox 8'x12"  The time it takes to cook will depend upon the dish so keep an eye on it after about 12 minutes.  It is cooked when slightly brown around the edges and bounces when touched.  Elderflower cordial is available in Australia at large liqour outlets and usually at the larger supermarkets.

Now, about the yoghurt, I ran out so I used sourcream - worked perfectly.  Nigella suggests processing everything except the yoghurt and lemon and cordial and putting that through the funnel.  Too much work for me, I just put it all in together.  Use the usual rule about drizzle - hot cake cold drizzle.

My Pot Au Feu

 Recently someone on a Facebook group I am part of posted that she cannot cook, does not like to cook, wants to learn to cook, and did anyone have an easy recipe.  That got me thinking, and I posted back to her, learn how to chop, then make a casserole recipe where you bung (technical term, see below) everything into a pot and put it in the oven.  Technically, this is not a family recipe, it my adaptation of a French classic and I doubt any of my ancestors ever made it.

The easiest choc tart ever!

 This is called a "hot chocolate tart" and I saw it on Adam Liaw's TV show and is an Elizabeth Hewson recipe..  It's so easy you could make it on holidays, you don't even have to melt the butter for the crust.

Special Occassion (like Xmas and Easter) Biscuits.

 This recipe is for biscuits that hold their shape and icing that sets hard!   Note: using PURE icing sugar not icing sugar mixture for this.

Sugar Biscuit Dough

Preheat over to 180C

Beat 125g soft butter and 110g caster sugar and 1 egg until JUST COMBINED (do not overbeat).

Add 225g Plain Flour and 1tsp vanilla bean paste.  

Beat until it just comes together, then kneed until smooth.

Cover with clingwrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll out about 3mm thick and cut out shapes.

Bake in preheated oven, rotating positions of baking sheets halfway through, until cookies are light golden brown around edges, 10 to 12 minutes. 

Let cool on sheets 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Royal Icing

Whisk 1 egg white and 1teaspoon of lemon juce in electric mixer.

Slowly add 240g pure icing sugar, increase speed to high for 5-7 minutes until it is a thick paste.  Cover with clingwrap until it is being used.

Add colour as required and decorate biscuits as simply or complicated as you like.

Strawberry sponge roll - for 12

 I made this cake for a xmas gathering, and it was perfect, special but light.  You could serve it with a strawberry sauce to make it even more special.  the recipie originally came from one of Adam Liaw' weekend newspaper page, but I accidently made it a bit differently, and I ran out of plain flour, so I had to improvise.  Anyway my was is so easy anyone can do it.  So, apologies to Adam.

The cake serves 12 - 14, and if you do not have a large tin, just make 2 and squish them together.  The larger the strawberries are, the more impressive it is, but you could easily use raspberries or blackberries.  You do need a mixer for this, it is not a cake that can be whipped up by hand.  You do need to use the thickened cream that has gelatin in it to ensure the whole thing stays together, and you do need to roll it in cling film and chill it for at least 2 hours.  I made it the day before, which turned out perfectly.

You can decorate the cake with sliced strawberries or chocolate shards to make it even more special.

Chicken, Orange and Fennel.

When a husband says "We should have this again" you know its a winner!  This will become a family favourite, and so easy.  Thanks to the wonderful Nigella for the original.

Impressive Mango Cheesecake for a crowd

I made this at Christmas when mangoes are at their peak.  Delicious, and not too heavy for summer.    Thank you Woolworths for the idea.  The cheesecake portion of this makes a light, simple summer dessert, so this is quite a versatile recipe.  Serves 12.

Green Tomato Relish

Recently one of my tomatoes was damaged in the wind, and I had a whole lot of green tomatoes.  This is also something that happens at the end of the season when the plants need to come out.  How to use them up?  Make a pickle, similar to the relishes used on hot dogs.  This is easy as anything to do.

The amount of capsicums you use can be varied, as also to onions.  If you want to keep it for  a long time leave out the garlic to avoid poisoning.  I used old pickle jars that I sterelised, but you can use canning jars also.

Hazelnut and coffee freezer biscuits

These are great to have in the freezer for any time someone comes over and you something when friends drop in.  They make a crispy biscuit that is perfect with a cuppa.

 The nuts can easily be swapped for pecans, walnuts or whatever takes your fancy.  And you can change the coffee to dried cranberries or orange/lemon zest.  You can even make a desiccated coconut and lime zest version.  When using coffee, try using a mixture of coffee beans ground up and instant coffee, and the cinnamon and aniseed could be any spice you like. (try cardamom).

When freezing, I use a small ice cream scoop so that each one is the same size, but you could roll the mixture into two logs and cut off each biscuit roughly 1cm thick.

Lemon sultana slice

This is a great recipe for a picnic or a road trip as it keeps well in an airtight container.  It is very easy to make, simply put together the dry ingredients, melt the butter and add.

When you make the mixture it will look like there is not enough, but trust me, there is!  I make a very runny icing, by juicing the lemon first, then adding the icing sugar a spoon at a time.  Drizzle the icing on the cake and you will notice it seeps into the cake a bit like a drizzle cake.  This makes the slice more lemony and delicious.

You could easily change  the lemon to orange or lime, the sultanas to chopped dried apricots or apples, or dates or even choc chip, so it is quite versatile.  You could also leave out the lemon all together if you like.  Cut the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven to make life easier later, then transfer the cake on its paper to a wire rack to cool.

For a chewier slice, cook at 160C fan forced for a little longer, until it springs back when touched.  You will find it looks a bit browner, but tastes great.

I make up the dry ingredients in an air tight container, then when I want to make the slice, just melt butter and honey and bake.  While it is baking I make the dry ingredients for another batch and store.  You could also use maple syrup instead of honey, and add a few pecans to the mix for a more Canadian style.

Lemon Thyme Drizzle Cakes

This is my drizzle cake recipe that has been cobbled together from experience and other recipes.  It makes exactly 12 little cakes.  They are delicious!

DONT be tempted to put in more thyme however, as this makes them too savoury.  Taste the syrup as this will be the predominant flavour of the cakes, it should have a subtle thyme flavour and be really lemony.  You can easily 1/2 the recipe if you want to make just 6 little cakes. You could change the recipe by substituting about a tablespoon of lavender for the thyme and make lemon - lavender cakes.

If you want to be fancy and ice the cakes, I suggest you leave them for at least an hour to absorb the drizzle, then ice with a lemon glaze (just icing sugar and lemon juice). Or you can just dust with icing sugar.  I don't think they need it though.

You MUST follow the instructions for greasing the tins on this one!  I have tried several ways, and this is the only one that works.  Papers don't work, just greasing does not work etc. etc.  You have to
spray with oil and then dust with plain flour. 

Delicious update!
After Meagan and Harry's wedding lemon and elderflower is the flavour of the day.  To turn these into that flavour, simply :

1. take out the thyme completely
2. use only 180g sugar in the mix
3. Take a tablespoon of lemon juice from the mix and substitute a tablespoon of elderflower cordial.
4. Add 2-3 tablespoons of elderflower cordial to the syrup mix.
5. Make an elderflower icing of 1 tablespoon butter, 1tablspoon cordial and enough icing sugar to make the consistency you like.  Ice the cakes.

 

Sticky Chicken Wings for a Crowd

This recipe has been adapted from one by Matt Sinclair.  I buy 2-1/2 Kilos of chicken wings, then take off the tips and chop it into 2 pieces.  That gives me about 2 kilos of actual wings to cook.  The first time you cook these, maybe back off the chili flakes to 1 tbsp. if you have some chili-phobes in the family!  These are also good served with lime wedges.