Sydney St West Spicy Sausages

Spicy Sausages

 

For 4 servings:

about 2 tsp oil

460g (6) precooked sausages, sliced diagonally

2 rashers bacon

1 medium onion

¼ cup tomato or barbecue sauce

2 tsp prepared mustard

about ¼ cup water

 

Heat oil in a large frying pan.  Cut each sausage into about six diagonal slices.  Cook these over moderate heat, turning them at intervals so all the cut surfaces brown.  While they are browning, cut the rind from the bacon and chop the rashers into 1 cm pieces.  Peel and chop the onion finely.

 

Add the bacon and onion to the browned sausages and saute until the bacon is cooked and the onions have browned slightly.  Stir in (bought or homemade) sauce, the mustard, and the water.

 

Bring to the boil, turn the sausages until they are coated with the glaze, sprinkle generously with chopped parsley if possible, and serve.

Roast Sirloin with Mustard and Balsamic Crust

Roast Sirloin with Mustard and Balsamic Crust

 

1.5 kg beef sirloin

oil

2tsp Dijon or grain mustard

2t balsamic vinegar

2t olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2T chopped herbs

½ c fresh breadcrumbs

Heat a large frypan over medium-high heat.  Add a splash of oil and the beef and cook until golden brown on all surfaces.  Remove from heat and allow to cool. Mix the mustard, vinegar, 2 tsp oil, salt, pepper and herbs to form a smooth paste.  Add enough breadcrumbs to hold the paste together.  Spread the paste on top of the sirloin and press firmly to ensure that it sticks to the meat’s surface.

Preheat oven to 180C. Place the beef in a roasting dish and cook in the preheated oven for 45 mins.  To check if it is done, insert a small kitchen knife into the centre of the roast.  Count to five.  If the knife feels warm (tepid), the meat is rare.  If it feels bearably hot, the meat is medium.  You’re aiming for medium to medium-rare. Remove from the oven, wrap in foil and rest in a warm place for 10 mins.  Carve into thin slices and serve immediately.  Serves 6.  Everyday Cooking.

 

Roast Eye Fillet with Chilli and Garlic Marinade

Roast Eye Fillet with Chilli and Garlic Marinade

2-3 small red chillies, de-seeded and diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

oil

1.5 kg eye fillet.  Allow 200g per person

Mix the chillies, garlic, pepper, salt and enough oil to combine into a smooth paste.  Rub over the fillet and marinate for at least 20 mins.  Preheat oven to 220C.

Place the fillet in a baking dish and roast in the preheated oven for 30-40 mins, or until cooking to your liking.  To check if it is done, insert a small kitchen knife into the centre of the roast.  Count to five.  If the knife feels warm (tepid), the meat is rare.  If it feels bearably hot, the meat is medium.  Remove from the oven, wrap in foil and rest in a warm place for 10-15 mins.  Carve into 1 cm slices, allowing 2-3 slices per person.  Serves 6.  Everyday Cooking.

Dad's Kofta Beef or Lamb Patties

Dad’s Kofta Beef or Lamb Patties

 

500g minced meat

½ medium onion, 2 cloves garlic and 2-3 cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped in food processor

 

Mix above with:

1 t each ground cumin, coriander, garam masala, dried mint and salt

½ t chilli powder, ground cloves and cinnamon

 

Thoroughly mix all the above togher.  Divide and shape into small patties and fry in lightly oiled pan.

 

Serve with rice and/or naan (or other flat bread) and a salad.  Spoon a herbed yoghurt sauce over the patties.

Dad's Carbonades a la Flamande

Carbonades a la Flamande

 

500 gm beef cut into bite sized cubes

2 large onions thickly sliced

2 garlic cloves crushed

1 tbs brown sugar

2 tbs red wine vinegar

quarter cup chopped parsley

1 small bay leaf

1tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup beef stock

1 can beer

flour and cooking oil

Dredge beef in flour and brown a few at a time in hot oil in a frying pan. Put into an ovenproof casserole.  Add onions and garlic to pan and brown lightly - add more oil if necessary. Put in casserole.  Add sugar, vinegar, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper to meat mixture and stir a couple of times.

Drain any remaining oil from pan, put in stock and bring to the boil, loosening browned bits. Pour over meat mixture. Add enough beer to cover.  Cover casserole and bake in oven at 150 C. for 2 hours. Check after an hour that it hasn't boiled dry - if necessary add water. If not thick enough at end, thicken with cornflour.

Crunchy Herb Roasted Fish

Crunchy Herb Roasted Fish

4 firm white fillets

herb topping:

2 c fresh breadcrumbs

2 t finely grated lemon zest

1 red chilli, seeded and chopped

2 T chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 T chopped dill

60g butter, melted

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.  To make the herb topping, combine the breadcrumbs, lemon, chilli, parsley, dill, butter, salt and pepper.  Place the fish fillets on a tray lined with baking pepper.  Press the herb topping over the fish.  Bake for 12-15 mins or until the fish is just cooked through and the herb topping is crisp.  Serve with lemon wedges and a simple green salad.  Serves 4.  Donna Hay – The Instant. Cook.

Lemony Fish with Couscous Crumble

Lemony Fish with Couscous Crumble

 

4 skinned and boned fish fillets

¼ c lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

250g pot light sour cream

1-2t grated lemon rind

¼ c couscous

½ c boiling water

70g packet roasted blanched almonds

2t chopped fresh thyme leaves or ½ t dried thyme

1t grated fresh root ginger

 

Place fillets in a single layer in a flat ovenproof dish.  Pour over lemon juice.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Mix sour cream with lemon rind and spread over fillets.  Soak couscous for 5 minutes in the boiling water.  Chop almonds roughly and mix with thyme, couscous and ginger.  Sprinkle over fish.  Bake at 220 degrees C for 15 minutes or until fish is cooked and crumble golden.

Peter Gordon's Baked Salmon Fillet with Sweet Chilli and Kecap Manis

Baked Salmon Fillet with Sweet Chilli and Kecap Manis

The salmon in this incredibly quick and easy recipe can be either baked as a whole side or portioned and grilled on the bbq.  Top with fresh coriander or Vietnamese mint.

1 side of fresh salmon, boned

4T sweet chilli sauce

4T kecap manis (Asian sweet chilli sauce)

juice of 1 lemon

2T chopped coriander or Vietnamese mint

Combine the sweet chilli sauce, kecap manis and lemon juice, and spoon over the salmon.  For oven baking, use a whole salmon side.  Place the salmon on a greased baking sheet, skin side down, and bake at 180ºC for 7-9 minutes for rare, 13-15 minutes for well done.

BBQ – to chargrill or BBQ, cut the salmon into portions approximately 2 cm wide, place the salmon skin side down on a bbq hot place to sear the base, then turn over onto the grill to achieve the blackened line effect and cook for approximately 5-7 minutes.  To serve place the salmon on a platter and garnish with the chopped coriander or mint.  Serves 8-10.  Peter Gordon.

Helen Clark's Machchi Kari

Helen Clark’s Machchi Kari

 

500g fish steaks or fillets

2T oil

6-8 curry leaves

1 medium onion, finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1T finely grated fresh ginger

1T ground coriander

2t ground cumin

½ t ground turmeric

½-1t chilli powder

1/2t ground fenugreek

2c coconut milk

1 & ½ t salt or to taste

lemon juice to taste

Wash fish well.  If small fish are used, clean and scale them.  If large steaks or fillets are used, cut them into serving pieces.  Heat oil and fry the curry leaves until slightly brown, then add onion, garlic and ginger and fry until onion is soft and golden.  Add all the ground spices and fry, stirring, until they smell aromatic.  Add the coconut milk and salt and bring to the boil, stirring.  Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then put in the fish, ladle the liquid over it and simmer until fish is well cooked.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice to taste.  When I did this I omitted the curry leaves, as I didn’t have any, and used quite a bit of lemon juice.  Very nice.

Mum’s Mayonnaise

Mum’s Mayonnaise

 

1/4 tin condensed milk

1/4 cup approx. malt vinegar

2 large teaspoons dijon mustard

pinch salt

Stir all together until well mixed. Taste and add more vinegar if necc. etc. Add milk if it needs thinning at any stage e.g., to go over boiled eggs later. Remember, however,  that it needs to be thick before you can use it for stuffed eggs.

Jeremy Edmonds’s Balsamic Vinaigrette

Jeremy’s Balsamic Vinaigrette

balsamic vinegar

malt vinegar

maple syrup

olive oil

½t – 1t Sherwood’s extra hot curry paste

Combine equal amounts of the balsamic and malt vinegars.  Add a similar amount of olive oil.  Add the curry paste and maple syrup to taste, and shake.  I believe Jeremy pinched this recipe off his mother. We had it a lot at at 225 Balmoral Rd.

Destitute Gourmet - Warm Orzo Salad with Chilli and Basil

Warm Orzo Salad with Chilli and Basil

 

1 cup orzo or risoni cooked and drained

1 double boneless breast of chicken thinly sliced or 1-2 cups roasted pumpkin

1 tbsp sesame oil

3-4 cloves of garlic

1 cup broccoli florets

½ tbsp fish sauce

½ tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

3 spring onions thinly sliced

½ cup chicken stock

Juice of ½ a lime

A handful each of basil leaves and coriander leaves

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan; quickly seal the chicken if using, then add the garlic and spring onions and toss cooking them quickly. Add the prepared broccoli and the chilli sauce and fish sauce. Mix through then add the stock. Simmer till the broccoli is tender then lastly toss in the fresh herbs and pumpkin if using. Tip the cooked orzo into the pan and thoroughly coat in the pan juices. Serve immediately as a warm salad or cool and refrigerate till required.  This stirfry/warm salad can be made with chicken or as a vegetarian dish. Orzo is a type of pasta also known as risoni as it resembles large grains of rice. It has a lovely silky texture.  Destitute Gourmet.

Julie le Clerc's Orzo with Spice-Roasted Carrots, Currants and Pinenuts

Orzo with Spice-Roasted Carrots, Currants and Pinenuts

 

1 cup orzo

½ t turmeric for cooking orzo

4 carrots, peeled

½ t turmeric, for roasting carrots

oil to roast

1 t ground cumin

1 t ground coriander

1 t paprika

½ c currants

½ c pinenuts, toasted

3T chopped fresh coriander

¼ c extra virgin olive oil

2 T spiced vinegar

salt and pepper

Cook orzo with ½ t turmeric added, until just tender.  Drain and set aside to cool.  Preheat oven to 180C.  Cut carrots in half lengthways then slice on the diagonal into 1 cm thick pieces.  Place in a roasting pan, drizzle with a little oil, sprinkle with spices and toss to coat evenly.  Roast for 30 mins, remove and allow to cool.  Mix orzo, carrots, currants, pinenuts, coriander, oil and vinegar together well.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serves 6. 

Mum's Orzo or Risone salad

Mum’s Orzo or Risone

 

250 g or 1/2 packet of Risone

1 1/2 litre water

oil

2 or 3 red onions

zest of 2 lemons + extra to garnish

purple basil (optional)

Bring 1 1/2 litres of water to boil and add 250 g or about 1/2 packet of Risone and let it boil for about 9 minutes. Add about 1 tablespoon oil and stir to stop sticking. Drain through sieve. Finely cut 2 or 3 red onions and lightly fry in about 1 tablespoon oil - just stir lightly until they are softish. Mix through pasta.  Stir zest of 2 lemons through and let cool.

Serve at room temperature. Add more lemon to top for a garnish. Mum also added a little purple basil - it matches the colour of the onion but isn't essential. Make sure that you have stirred the pasta thoroughly to the base - it is easy to get a solidified layer at the bottom.

Mum's Green Lentil Salad with Bacon

Green Lentil Salad with Bacon

 

1 cup lentils

1 large red onion

1 large handful of parsley

2 rashers of bacon

balsamic vinaigrette

1.         Rinse lentils in water with sieve.

2.         Put lentils in pot, add salt, well cover with water and simmer 20-30 minutes till soft but not mushy.  May need to add more water.

3.         Sieve lentils and wash if necessary. Put in a bowl.

4.         Cut onion finely and gently cook in a little oil in a frypan.

5.         Add onion to the lentils in a bowl.

6.         Add chopped parsley and mix.

7.         Cut bacon into little bits, cook crisply and place on top.  (Or lemon zest or half cherry tomatoes).

8.         Mix with large quantities of balsamic vinaigrette.

Keeps well in fridge.  Add more balsamic when serving.

Mum's Red Onion and Pine Nut Couscous Salad

Red Onion and Pine Nut Couscous Salad

 

1. Cook couscous in usual way. I think it is about 1/2 cup water to 1/2 cup couscous or 100 grams. I stir in oil at the end, not butter as the box says, as I seem to be able to get it fluffed up more satisfactorily. If you are making a large amount it is better to make it in 2 small batches and combine later - much less chance of getting a gluey mass at the bottom.

2. Fry 2 or 3 finely sliced red onions and 1 tsp cumin in a little oil until reasonably soft.

3. Add a covering of balsamic vinegar and cook over a fairly high heat until the majority has evaporated off.

4. Stir very thoroughly through the warm couscous.

5. When ready to serve, sprinkle with cut pistachio nuts and roasted pine nuts.

 

This salad is better made the night before as it gives the vinegar time to seep through the couscous and intensify the flavour.

Mum's Beetroot and Bulghur Wheat Salad

Beetroot and Bulghur Wheat Salad

1 c bulghur wheat

Just over 1 c water

Leave 30 mins, stir.

Juice ½ lemon

2 T curley parsley

2T coriander
3T oil
1t Dijon
2 cloves garlic

Mix until blended and add to wheat

About 2 c chopped beetroot

1 onion, finely chopped

Add to wheat mixture and toss.  Sprinkle with spring onion.

Wendy du Toit's Cheesecake

Wendy’s Cheesecake

 

This one has never failed and as Wendy says, "everyone loves cheesecake"

 

Base

250g wine biscuits crushed

125 g melted butter

 

Filling

250g cream cheese softened

250g ricotta

3 eggs lightly beaten

185 g castor sugar

2 T cornflour

250 g sour cream

2 T grated lemon rind

3 T lemon juice

Preheat oven to 160. Mix biscuit crumbs and butter in food processor and press into a 20 cm spring form tin and chill until required. Process cream cheese and ricotta until smooth. Add eggs, sugar cornflour sour cream lemon rind and juice. Process until smooth. Pour over base. Bake 50 mins or until firm. Refrigerate until cold.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup Caster Sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cups blueberries

Icing Sugar to dust

Preheat oven to 200°C. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until just combined and moistened. Don’t over mix or the muffins will be tough and not rise evenly.  Spoon into well greased deep muffin tins. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar to serve. Note: Blueberries can be fresh or if using frozen, use them straight from the freezer. No need to thaw. Canned blueberries need to be well drained. Makes 12 muffins

Cheese Muffins

Cheese Muffins

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup oil

1 egg

1 ¼ cups milk

1 generous cup (a good handful) of grated cheese

Preheat oven to 200°C. Spray a tray of 12 muffin tins with non stick baking spray.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until just blended together (don’t over work the mixture or the muffins will be too tough and chewy). Spoon into prepared muffin tins. Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool muffins on a wire rack. These can be eaten plain or filled like little bread rolls for a great lunch idea.Tip: For a lovely shiny cheesy topping, place a few shreds of grated cheese on the surface of each muffin before baking. A few extra tablespoons will be sufficient for the 12 muffins.

Mum's Scones with L&P

Mum’s scones with L&P

600 g selfraising flour

250 ml cream

1 can L and P

Mix together and turn out onto very well floured surface before kneading and flattening out. Cut into triangles/rounds etc and cook at 200 C for 12 minutes. This can be very wet and sometimes needs more flour on the board than I would normally use for scones.

Salad of Roasted Fruit

Salad of Roasted Fruit

Split stone fruit and remove pits, slice other fruits such as pineapple, pears or bananas, pick over berries and put all in a smallish oven proof dish squeeze over the juice of an orange and a tablespoon of brown sugar - (a dash of something alcoholic like Rum or Grand Marnier would also be good at this point). Roast in the oven at 180°C for 10 - 20 minutes until fruit is very tender. Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice cream and the pan juices or use roasted fruit in a grown up trifle. Great way of using left over fruit.

Judy Shaw's Lemon Muffins

Judy Shaw’s Lemon Muffins

A tried and tested recipe from my mum's friend Judy Shaw.  Freezes well. 

1.    Mix together in bowl: 2 cups sifted self-raising flour = 300 g; 3/4 cup sugar = 200 g

2.    Beat well with a fork: 75 g lightly melted butter, 1 cup milk, grated rind 1 lemon

3.    Combine 1 and 2 together, mixing extremely lightly - flour can still be showing.

4.    Oil base of 12 muffin pan.

5.    Cook 200 o C about 12 minutes.

6.    When cooked but before lifting out of muffin tray mix together and spoon over: 1/4 cup lemon juice and  1/4 cup = 50 g sugar

7.    Heat in microwave for about 10 secs. before serving.

Nana Mawson's Pavolva

Nana Mawson's Pavlova

4 eggs at room temp.

1 cup sugar - ordinary or caster

1 rounded dessert spoon custard powder

1/2 teasp vanilla essence

1/2 teasp malt vinegar

Preheat oven to 150 C. Separate whites from yolks and place whites in an extremely grease-free bowl. Beat egg whites until peaks well established. Add sugar gradually whilst beating and continue beating until mix is thick and shiny; this will take a considerable time depending on your beaters - could be between 5-10 minutes, so get a book ready. It must be very shiny.  Add custard powder and beat slowly to mix in. Add vanilla and vinegar but, again, only beat to mix in thoroughly.

Spoon onto baking paper lined tray and shape with knife. There is little point in making it high because it will probably collapse in the centre as it cools. 150C (but check your own oven book) for about an hour. Keep checking at the end to make sure that it isn't browning too much. Also, it must be crisp to the touch, not sticky or soft.

When cooked shift by lifting the paper onto a cake cooler (or grill tray, or similar, if you haven't got one) and leave to cool. To shift onto final serving plate, put hand on top and turn it over so that you can peel off the baking paper. Reinvert over serving plate.

Add a rounded tablespoon of icing sugar to the cream, as well as 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, when you beat it - it always seems to take more cream than you predict.

Nana Mawson's Banana Cake

Nana Mawson’s Banana Cake

110 g butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 very ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp hot water

Cream butter and sugar (beat till they go a soft creamy thing and the sugar looks like it’s dissolving). Add egg and bananas and beat. Add flour, bp and beat lightly. Add hot water in which the soda has been dissolved, and beat lightly. Place in greased and floured ring tin. 180C for 30 -40 minutes.

Nana's Sweet Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder

Sweet Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder

1.    4 bacon rashers and 4 red onions chopped and fried in oil sprayed saucepan.

2.    Add 4 cups boiling water and 4 tsp vege stock (Maggi).

3.    Add 3 to 4 large, diced potatoes and boil for approx. 10 mins.

4.    Add more stock if nec.

5.    Add 2 x 410 g creamed corn.

6.    Garnish with parsley (not coriander or thyme)

Convert to fish chowder by adding some cooked mussels and chunks of cooked fish, as well as shrimps/prawns. 

Poppa's Curried Pumpkin Soup

This is a great soup by my Dad, Paul Etheredge.

Poppa's Curried Pumpkin Soup

25g butter

3-4 rashers of bacon chopped

1 onion peeled & chopped

1 apple peeled & chopped

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 litre of chicken stock

l kg pumpkin, peeled & chopped

grated rind of 1/2 orange

juice of 1/2 orange

salt & pepper

1/4-1/2 cup cream 

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onion and bacon. Add apple, curry and cumin and cook several minutes. Add stock, pumpkin, orange rind and juice, salt and pepper. Bring to boil then simmer until tender, 40-45 minutes. Cool slightly, puree. Add cream and reheat gently. To serve, sprinkle with a little crisp, crumbled bacon and finely chopped parsley. Tip - to make the pumpkin easier to cut up, microwave it for 10 mins.