Lime Curd Tart

Ingredients:

4 limes at room temperature

1-1/2 cups sugar

120 grams unsalted butter

4 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon salt

25cm baked tart shell

Thickened cream

Method:

Remove the zest of 4 limes with a zester or citrus plane, being careful to avoid the pith. Roll the limes on the counter with the palm of your hand, then microwave each one for 20 seconds. 

Halve and squeeze the limes to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside.

Finely mince the zest. Cream the butter with the sugar and lime zest. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the lime juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 10 minutes). Remove from the heat and set aside.

Fill the tart shell with lime curd and allow to set at room temperature. Before serving, softly whip more cream than you think you will need. Each slice of tart should have a generous drift of whipped cream.

Broccoli Kugel

Cornflake crumbs

500g broccoli, chopped into small pieces [or use frozen broccoli- 500g]
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, diced
4 eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease large baking dish with oil and coat with cornflake crumbs.  Shake to distribute evenly, including the sides of the pan.

Cook broccoli in salted water for about 5 mins.  Mash the cooked broccoli.

If using frozen broccoli, defrost and chop into smaller pieces, drain all water.

Sautee onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is caramelised. Set aside.
Beat eggs with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in broccoli and onion. Pour into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle generously with cornflake crumbs. 

Bake in the preheated oven for about one hour, test with a skewer.

Broccoli Salad

2 heads broccoli
3/4 cup craisins [dried cranberries]
3/4 cup sunflower seeds and/or
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
pepper

Cut broccoli into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine the shredded broccoli, craisins, red onion, and almonds.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir to combine.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes [or an hour in the fridge] so the flavors can mingle.

Poached salmon with dill and horseradish cream

Salmon fillets
1 large red onion, quartered
a few black peppercorns
one lemon, quartered
Some fennel, chopped
Carrot, chopped
celery heads with leaves
dill

Dill and horseradish cream
150g extra-light sour cream
21/2 tbs fresh lemon juice
11/2 tbs horseradish cream
1 tbs finely chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Place onion, fennel, carrot and any other aromatics you like, into a pot, cover with water, bring to boil. Reduce heat, add salmon and allow to simmer very gently until done.

To make the dill and horseradish cream, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, horseradish and dill in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Place in a serving jug and cover with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge until required.

Potato and cauliflower dauphinois

250ml cream
250ml full cream milk
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
Knob of butter
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
600g potato, sliced
Half a large cauliflower, sliced
Thyme (fresh is good, but dried is okay too)
Handful of grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 200C. Simmer milk, cream, garlic for five minutes. Remove from heat, then season with salt and pepper.

Butter an earthenware dish. Put a layer of potatoes on the bottom, sprinkle with thyme, and add a layer of cauliflower. Repeat, and finish with a layer of potatoes.

Pour over the infused milk and cream. Oil one side of a a piece of aluminum foil and cover the dish, oil-side down. Cook in oven for 1 hour, until potatoes are soft.

Remove foil. Sprinkle over the Parmesan. Return to oven, and cook for another 10 - 20 minutes until golden brown. You can keep this in the oven (turn to low) until you are ready to serve.

Beef Goulash

500g beef, trimmed and cut into small pieces

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

3 medium potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon paprika
1 can tomato puree

2-3 cups boiling water (you may not require all the water)

Place some flour in a bag and toss meat in flour until lightly coated.

In a large heavy-bottomed ovenproof casserole or saucepan (medium-high heat) heat olive oil and cook beef in batches, until browned all over. 

In the same casserole or saucepan, reduce heat (low-medium) and add an extra splash of olive oil and onions, season with salt and saute until softened (5-7 minutes). Add garlic, stir until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add carrots, potatoes and turn heat up to medium, cook until vegetables start to brown (3-5 minutes).

Add paprika, stir through until fragrant but not burning (1-2 minutes). Stir through tomato puree (1-2 minutes) and return the cooked beef and juices to the pan. Pour over enough water to completely cover the meat and vegetables (1-2cm), season with extra salt and pepper and add bay leaves. Cook for 1-2 hours.

Serve with rice.

Lemon Syrup Cake

125g butter
1 tblspn grated lemon rind
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1.5 cups SR flour
1/2 cup milk

Syrup:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup caster sugar
Stir together until sugar is dissolved.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line base of 20cm round cake tin.
Mix all cake ingredients together in large bowl.  If too dry add more milk.
Spread mixture into cake tin.  Bake for 35-40 mins or until skewer comes out clean.
Leave cake in tin and prick with a fork or skewer all over.
Gently spoon syrup over cake.
Allow to stand until completely cold before turning out.

Pesto Pasta, Salmon and Avocado Salad

This was so yum........  I hope I've got the ingredients right:

Pasta shells - cook as per instructions on packet, allow to cool

Pesto sauce [make it or buy it]: [olive oil, pine nuts, basil].

Smoked salmon - cut into very thin strips

Avocado - diced into small cubes

Fresh salmon [just a small piece] - cook it any way you like, and allow to cool, flake into very small pieces

Feta cheese - flaked - optional

Green beans - blanched and cooled - optional



Mix all ingredients together, gently.

Chocolate Brownies

300g butter or margarine
300g dark chocolate
4 eggs
2 cups caster sugar
6 tablespoons SR flour
2 cups chopped walnuts

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over a low heat.
Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat until it becomes pale and thick. Add the flour and nuts and mix, and then fold in the chocolate mixture.

Pour into a large greased baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes at 180 degrees C, or until it is firm to the touch.

Allow to cool, then cut into squares.

Store in an airtight container.

Greek Salad

Ingredients (serves 12)

4 egg tomatoes, halved, each half cut into 4 wedges
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced
1 red onion, quartered, each quarter cut into thin wedges
Flat parsley, shredded
250g kalamata olives
300g Greek feta, cubed


Red wine vinegar dressing
60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins

2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
50g butter, melted
1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
180g good quality white chocolate, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190 C. Place 12 large patty cases into a muffin pan. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and sugar.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, milk and butter. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients along with the raspberries and chocolate. Using a large spoon, mix until just combined.

3. Distribute the batter between patty cases and bake for 20-25 min, or until a skewer comes out clean and muffins are golden.

Debbie's Mushroom Soup

500g mushrooms, peeled and sliced
1 leek, sliced
1 potato, diced into small cubes
3 sticks celery, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 parve chicken stock cubes [Massel]
1 tablespoon olive oil
20g butter [optional]

Saute onions and garlic in some olive oil and a knob of butter [butter optional but it does make a difference].
Add chopped leek and celery.
Saute for a few minutes.
Then add mushrooms, potato, stock cubes, salt and pepper and enough water to just cover.
Bring to boil and simmer for about 40 minutes.
Blend and serve.

Hedy's Honey Cake

500g honey
3 eggs
One and a half cups raw sugar
3/4 cup oil
vanilla essence
3 cups SR flour
One and a half cups black coffee [not hot]
3 tablespoons of cocoa

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl of electric mixer.

Pour into one or two large pans and bake at 180 degrees until firm and skewer comes out clean. If making two cakes out of this recipe, cooking time is approx 35 mins.  Allow extra time for one big cake.

Smaller Cake Quantities:
400g honey
3 small eggs
1 1/4 cups raw sugar
1/2 cup lite olive oil
vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups SR flour
2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/4 cups water

Green Eyes: A Song For Me Because I Feel Like It

Potato and Spinach Gratin

2 lbs small white potatoes, scrubbed and sliced THIN (about 7 cups sliced)
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/8-1/4 cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups cream
2 tablespoons butter melted
1 1/2-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat over to 375, grease a 13"x 9"baking dish, set aside.
Place potato slices in a large bowl, add spinach, onions, garlic, toss well to evenly distribute.
In a separate bowl combine cream, melted butter, cheese, salt, and pepper, stir together well; pour this mixture over potato mixture and stir well to evenly combine.
Pour into the prepared baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 375 for 50-60 mins or until potatoes are tender.
Uncover and continue to bake for additional 20 mins.
Serves 8.

Fennel, Blood Orange and Sunflower Seed Salad

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper

2 medium fennel heads thinly sliced
3 blood oranges, peeled and segmented
1 cup sunflower seeds


In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the sliced fennel, toss to combine and chill for at about 1 hour.Add the orange sections to the fennel mixture and sprinkle with the sunflower seeds.
Toss very gently to combine. Arrange salad on a platter.

Fish Meuniere

[Recipe by Neil Perry]

4 fish fillets [200g each], skin off - [suggest John Dory]

clarified butter [melt 250g butter over a medium heat, then strain off and discard the milk solids]

1/2 cup milk

1 cup plain flour

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

125g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

2 lemons, quartered

2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

[Serves 4]

Place a large stainless steel or non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat and pour in enough clarified butter to cover the base of the pan. Heat the butter to hot.

Meanwhile dip the fish fillets in the milk, then the flour, and sprinkle with sea salt. Place the fish fillets in the hot pan and cook for about one minute. Turn and cook the fish for another minute.

Place a fish fillet on each of 4 plates, squeeze a little lemon juice over the fish, sprinkle with parsley and sea salt and give a good grind of pepper.

Add the unsalted butter to the pan over high heat. As the butter turns a nut-brown colour, spoon it over the fish. The butter, parsley and lemon juice will mingle to create the meuniere sauce. Serve immediately.

[Serve the fish with boiled new potatoes tossed in butter or olive oil, and peas]

Flat bread Salad (Fattoush)

[A slight variation on the regular Fattoush]:

2 flatbreads, toasted, cut into bite size pieces
Lettuce
Cucumber
Purple Cabbage
Cherry tomatoes
Spanish onion

Slice vegetables and layer in a large bowl.

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
dash of pepper

Shake all together and pour over salad then add the flatbread.

Meat Loaf

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

500g lean ground beef
1 egg

3/4 cup cornflake crumbs

half cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper

3 semi-boiled eggs [optional]

Preheat the oven to 180°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, eggs, bread crumbs, ketchup, garlick powder, salt and pepper. Use your hands (covered with disposable gloves) to mix everything together.

Transfer 1/3 of the mixture to the center of the baking sheet and form into a flat square shape.  Arranged the 3 hardboiled eggs down the centre.  Cover with the remaining 2/3 of the mince. Shape into a square, don't worry about perfection, the rustic look is good.

Bake for 45 mins (depending on the shape of your loaf), until the meat loaf is firm and slightly crispy on the outside.. Let set for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

3 tbsp. cider vinegar
3 tbsp. honey
6 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. onion, finely minced
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup salad oil

 

Heat vinegar and honey in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until honey dissolves. Pour into bowl. Cool. Whisk in all other ingredients except oil. Mix well. Gradually whisk in oil. May be prepared 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature. Mix well before dressing salad.

 

Good with avocado and watercress salad.

Options: Make a salad with finely chopped capsicums (red, green and yellow), finely chopped snow-peas, finely chopped radicchio lettuce and baby spinach leaves.

Spicy Pumpkin and Parsnip Soup

Olive oil, knob of butter
3 onions, roughly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium butternut pumpkin, peeled and chopped
2 Massel parve chicken stock cubes
half tsp Cayenne Pepper
Salt

Fry onion in olive oil/butter for a few minutes, add sliced parsnip and garlic, saute for another minute.  Add pumpkin, stock cubes, salt and cayenne pepper.  Cover with water. Bring to boil and allow to simmer for about half an hour, until vegetables are cooked through.  Puree until smooth.

Onions Never Make Me Cry....

...because I keep them in the fridge.  Cut them when they are cold, and you will never cry over an onion again.

Macaroni Cauliflower Cheese

1 small head of cauliflower
200g macaroni pasta

Cheese Sauce:
600ml milk
50g butter
50g flour
100g grated cheese
1 tablespoon English mustard

Preheat oven to 190c. Cut the cauliflower into florets, and boil with the pasta for 10 mins.

In the meantime, to make the cheese sauce, heat the butter in a pan then add the flour gradually to the melted butter. Stir vigorously for a minute. Remove pan from heat and stir in the milk. Place back on the heat and increase temperature, whisking the milk mixture continuously as it thickens. Bring to the boil, by which time it should have thickened, then stir in the cheese and mustard. Season to taste. Drain the pasta and cauliflower,   then tip them both into a baking dish. Top with the cheese sauce and grate a little extra Parmesan over the top. Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.

Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks butter, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Using a kitchen whiz, beat all ingredients slowly at first until everything starts to come together. If you go too fast you will get powdered sugar all over your counter. Let whip for approximately 5 minutes, until frosting is light and fluffy. Spread on cake as desired.

* Tip – the trick to getting smooth frosted cakes is to frequently scrap off excess frosting and dip your spreader into a cup of warm water, then continue spreading. It will look a bit wet as you go along, but the frosting will harden up beautifully.

Gluten free Chocolate Cake

450g chocolate  you can use half dark/half milk-  or whichever you prefer

225g butter chopped into squares

8 large eggs (cold)

 

Method

Grease an 8inch round cake tin and preheat your oven to 160degrees.

Whisk the eggs until they're very fluffy, about 5 mins. Melt the butter and chocolate together and allow to cool slightly.

Slowly fold in the melted butter-chocolate mix into the whisked eggs, trying to keep as much air in as possible (If you feel that your batter is too runny at this stage you can add a bit of cocoa or flour)

Scrape the mixture into the prepared form, fill a roasting pan with water halfway up the sides, and place your cake tin in the water bed. Bake for approx 25-27 mins, the cake should have a crust like a brownie, but still look quite wobbly in the middle. Leave it in the tin to cool, once cool cover it and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Take the cake out of the fridge 30mins before serving. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Bok Choy Salad



Baby bok choy (about 6), finely chopped
Shallots, finely chopped
Pepitas
Craisins
Long Sippets (crunchy noodles)


Dressing:  In a blender, mix
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Salt and pepper

Arrange bok choy and other ingredients on a large platter. Cover with dressing.

The Best Minestrone Soup

1 tblspn olive oil
2 onions
2 carrots
4 sticks celery
3 cloves garlic
1 can chopped tomatoes
Broccoli, green beans....whatever you want
1 can cannelini beans (rinsed)
2 Massel chicken stock cubes (parev)
2 cups baby spinach leaves

1 cup pasta shells
Salt and pepper

Finely chop onion and saute in oil for a couple of minutes. Add finely chopped celery, carrot and garlic. Saute for five minutes.
Add can of tomatoes, broccoli chopped into florets, green beans, stock cubes, salt and pepper and enough water to 3/4 fill the pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes, then add pasta shells and cannelini beans, and cook a further 10 minutes.
Finally, add the baby spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Jamie Oliver's Spinach and Feta Filo Pie

Ingredients
100g (3½oz) pinenuts
5 free range or organic eggs
300g (10½oz) feta cheese
50g (1¾oz) Cheddar cheese
Dried oregano
1 lemon
A knob of butter
400g (14oz) prewashed baby spinach
1 x 270g pack of filo pastry

Put the pinenuts into the dry ovenproof frying pan to toast, tossing occasionally. Keep an eye on them. Crack 5 eggs into a mixing bowl and crumble in 300g (10½oz) feta. Grate in the Cheddar.

Add a pinch of pepper, a couple of pinches of dried oregano, zest of 1 lemon and a glug of olive oil. Once the nuts are light golden, add them to the egg mixture and mix well.

Put the empty frying pan back on the heat, add a little olive oil and a knob of butter and pile in half of the spinach. Gently push and move it around and add more as it wilts down. Make sure it doesn't catch on the bottom and, when there's room, start adding the rest, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, take the pastry out of the fridge.

Lay a large sheet of greaseproof paper, approx 50cm (20in) long, on the worktop, rub a little olive oil all over it, then scrunch it up and lay it out flat again. Arrange 4 filo pastry sheets in a large rectangle, overlapping at the edges, so they almost cover the paper. Rub some olive oil over them. Sprinkle over a good pinch of salt and pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Repeat until you have 3 layers. Don't worry about any cracked bits. Remember to keep stirring the spinach.

Once the spinach is really nice and dense, take the pan off the heat. Add the wilted spinach to the egg mixture and grate in ½ a nutmeg. Mix well. Carefully move the greaseproof paper and filo into the empty frying pan so the edges spill over. Push it down into the sides of the pan, then pour in the egg mixture and spread it out. Fold the filo sheets over the top and let them fall where they will (for more help go to www. jamieoliver.com/how-to-filo-pie).

Put the pan back on a medium heat for a couple of minutes to get the bottom cooking, then put the pan into the oven on the top shelf to cook for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Fish, Potato and Corn Chowder

Ingredients (serves 6)

1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
3 (750g) potatoes, peeled, roughly chopped
4 cups (1 litre) parve chicken stock  - use pareve stock cubes dissolved in water according to packet instructions
2 corn cobs
500g flathead fish fillet, cut into cubes
200ml cream
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbs chopped fresh chives
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

Method
Place carrot, celery, potatoes and stock in a large pan. Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Process mixture until smooth. Return to pan.

Cut kernels from corn cobs and add to soup. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until corn is tender.

Reduce heat and add fish pieces and cream. Stir, without boiling for about 3 minutes or until seafood is cooked and chowder is hot. Season to taste.

Stir through chives and parsley. Serve immediately with fresh crusty bread.