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.