Bolognese sauce

Bolognese Sauce

Spaghetti Bolognese is one of Australia's comfort food.  Anything that resembles noodles entices my salivary glands.  This recipe from Ferran Adria's (from the legendary elBulli restaurant)  'The Family Meal' is my favourite.  It has a great depth of flavours.  Absolutely triple yum!  Howevever, I forgot to take a photo of the finished product. 

Ingredients
225 g butter
1.2 kg minced beef
350 g pork sausage meat
500 g onions
150 g celery
400 g carrots
150 ml extra virgin olive oil
12 g tomato puree
1.6 g chopped tomatoes
1 pinch sugar


Method:

Put a large pan over a medium high heat, then add the butter and let it melt.  Add the beef mince, fry until it has changed colour, then add the sausage meat.

Cook for a few more minutes, season with salt and pepper, then cook for 15 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until dark golden brown.

In the meanwhile, finely chop the onions and celery.  Finely chop the carrots.  Or if you have a thermomix, throw them together on speed 8, 30 seconds.

I had a big harvest of yellow bell tomatoes, so I processed them in the thermomix speed 8, 30 seconds.

Put another pan over a low heat, then pour in the olive oil.  Fry the vegetables gently until softened, about 12 minutes.

Add the meat to the vegetables and mix everything together well.

Add the chopped tomatoes with the tomato puree.  Season with salt, pepper and sugar.  Simmer the sauce for 1 1/2 hours until the meat is very tender.

This bolognese sauce will go well with spaghetti or lasagna.

Do try this.  It is very delicious!

Accountant's Choc Hazelnut slice

Accountant's Choc Hazelnut Slice

 

taken from "Rachel's Kitchen"

 

 

Need a slice in a hurry?  This recipe is from a very accomplished chartered accountant who is also CEO of her own company.  Always willing to share a slice, this is the 'go-to' recipe when she has 1 hour to get this slice to her next appointment. 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 block choc hazelnut

60 grams copha

1 packet Milk Arrowroot, crushed

125 grams butter

2 tablespoons golden syrup

125 grams flaked almonds

3/4 cup condensed milk

 

 

Method:

Melt butter, golden syrup and condensed milk on low heat until combined.

Add melted ingredients to biscuits.

Stir through almonds.

Press into lamington slice tin.

Refrigerate for 1 hour (or less in freezer).

Melt chocolate and copha together.

Pour over base and refrigerate until set.

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Orange Muffins

 

 

 

Orange Muffins

Do you need a no fail, no fuss, 'pass down from a great baking family' recipe?  Coming from a non-baking background (my grandparents did not bake), I count it a great privilege to come across friends who are willing to share family recipes with me.  This one is from a Castle Hill renowned baker, Joanne. 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

1 orange (skin included)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

125 grams butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

 

 

 

 

Heat oven to 200 Celcius.

Grease muffin tray.

Cut orange (skin included) into 8 pieces, and place into a food processor.

Add sugar and process until creamy.

Melt butter in the microwave.

Add to processor, the egg, milk and melted butter, and process well.

Add flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, the pulse (2-3 times) to mix through gently.

Bake for 15 minutes.

 

 

 Dust with icing sugar to serve.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Optional:

Add 1/2 cup sultanas (at the very end after the bicarbonate of soda)

or 1/2 cup dates (together with the orange)

 

 



Peking duck pancakes

  Peking Duck PANCAKES

 

My daughter was coming for dinner, I wanted to make something nice and different, so I took the duck out of the freezer.  Now, I had to look for a good recipe...

Billy Law, one of the contestants from MasterChef Australia had put out a book "have you eaten?"  (Darn, he stole my line, because that is the typical Chinese greeting.)  He is also from my hometown, so, I had to buy his book!

The pancakes..... absolutely delicious!  I did not take photos from the beginning, because I did not think they would be wonderfully successful.  My daughter started taking photos when she arrived.  I am never buying pancakes for Peking duck again.  This is such an easy recipe, and it works!!!!!

Makes 20

Ingredients

300 g plain flour

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons caster sugar

250 ml boiling water

sesame oil, to brush

Method

Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl.  

Make a well in the centre and pour in the boiling water.

Using a fork, draw in the flour until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until smooth.

(I placed all the ingredients in the Thermomix and kneaded for 5 minutes.  Fabulous!)

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a log about 2.5 cm thick.

Cut the log into 20 even pieces, then roll each portion into a ball.

Flatten each ball in the palm of your hand to a 6 cm round disc.

Brush the top of one piece of flattened dough with sesame oil, place another piece on top and press lightly to join them together.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 15 cm pancake, about 2 mm thick.

Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

Stack the pancakes between sheets of baking paper.

To cook the pancakes, heat a large frying pan over low-medium heat (do not add any oil to the pan).

Cook each pancake gently for 30 seconds on each side until it is puffed up slightly and starting to colour on a few spots.

It should be cooked but still soft and malleable.

Remove from the pan and, using your fingers (take care as the pancakes are hot), peel to separate the pancakes.

Place the cooked pancakes on a plate and cover with a clean tea towel to keep them warm and prevent them from drying out.

Repeat with the remaining pancakes.

To eat with roast duck: slice the skin off the duck into thin strips, then shred the duck meat into bite-sized pieces.

Place the skin and meat on a platter with the cucumber strips and spring onions.

To serve, smear a spoonful of hoisin sauce on a pancake, top with duck meat and skin, garnish with cucumber and spring onions, then wrap up like a crepe.

Enjoy!

Roasted Pears with brie wrapped in proscuitto

 

 

Roasted Pears with brie wrapped in prosciutto

This deliciously easy recipe is from Easy Recipes for Families.  Check it out for more recipes!

 

I love pears.  I love brie.  I love prosciutto.  What a combination!

 

This is such an easy recipe, but the contrast in flavours is delightful! Oh Yummmm....

 

  

Ingredients

18 small pears - not quite ripe and still a little hard

3 tablespoons sugar

1 cup rice bran or olive oil

 

80 grams of brie cheese

80 grams blue vein cheese

5 slices of pancetta or prosciutto

18 sprigs of parsley leaves

 

Preheat the oven to 200C.
Halve the fruit and toss them in a bowl with sugar and oil, till pears are well coated.
Roast in a paper lined roasting tray for 20 minutes till lovely and golden brown. Allow to cool.

Using a pair of scissors, cut each slice of prosciutto into 4 then halved again , so that there are now 36 to 40 ribbons of pancetta.
Tear the parsley so you have a supply of 36 small sprigs. Lay the leaf onto each roasted pear half.

 

Using a small knife slice the cheeses into small half teaspoon sizes. Lay the tiny serve onto the leaf so that it sits elegantly on the roasted fruit.  Repeat.

 

Wrap the ribbon of pancetta/prosciutto around the cheese and pear tucking in the ends at the base of the fruit.

 

Enjoy!

 

Banana Cake

" The best banana cake in the world" by Poh Ling Yeow

 from "poh's kitchen, my cooking adventures"

 According to Poh Ling Yeow, who was runner-up of MasterChef (Australia) 2009, this is the fluffiest, most moist banana cake, you'll ever taste.  Paired with lemon icing and a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts (I used pecans).

It was my sister's birthday, and she is the queen of banana cakes, and has her own food blog! No pressure! I'm either stupid, or courageous!

 

 Cake ingredients

125 g unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup (115g) brown sugar, firmly pressed down

1/2 cup (115g) caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or natural vanilla extract

2 large free-range eggs

1 1/2 cups (185g) plain flour, sifted

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, sifted

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), sifted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60ml) full cream milk

3 overripe bananas, mashed

Icing ingredients

50 g good quality salted butter, softened

1/2 cup (60g) icing sugar

2-3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

1/4 cups (35g) roasted pecans, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 Celcius (150 C fan forced).  Line a 20 cm round cake tin with baking paper or grease and flour your tin.
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter, both sugars and vanilla until pale and fluffy.  
3. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing thoroughly each time.   
4. Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, and fold in with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.
5. Add the milk and banana, and fold in.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake on the middle shelf for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before running a knife around the tin to release.
8. Cool on a wire rack.  If you have used baking paper for the base and sides of the tin, the cake will easily fall out.

 

1. To make the icing, combine butter, the sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.  
2. Spread over the top of the cake. (It won't seem much, but it is the perfect amount) and sprinkle with the pecans.
3. Enjoy!
   

 

 

Lots of biscuits

Lots of Biscuits

 This is a great basic biscuit recipe, from my very dear friend, the late Mrs Pat Newey.  To make different flavours, add choc bits, corn flakes, ginger, sultanas or whatever grabs your fancy.   This is our all time family favourite choc chip cookie recipe.

Ingredients

500 g butter

1 1/4 cups caster sugar

1 tin condensed milk

5 cups self raising flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

500 g choc chips/MMs/smarties/leftover choc slabs

Method

Heat oven to 180 Celsius.

Grease oven trays or use baking paper.

Cream butter and castor sugar till light and creamy.

Add condensed milk and beat well.

Mix in self raising flour, vanilla and salt.

Mix in choc chips.

 

Roll into balls (or using a ice cream scoop, scoop up a ball of dough, and roll into balls).

Decorate with hundreds and thousands or MMs. Place on oven tray.

Cook for 20 mins.

Enjoy!