Sauce

1/2 fresh pineapple, finely chopped

200g shitake mushrooms, finely chopped

100 preserved ginger, finely chopped

1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced

2 tbsp sesame oil

4 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp raspberry vinegar

1 tbsp chilli sauce

4 tbsp soy sauce

250ml chicken stock

2 tbsp cornflour

Croquettes

2 onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 egg

400g minced meat

1 piece fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 stalk lemon grass, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp fish sauce

flour to dust

80g desicated coconut

oil for deep frying

Method

1. For sauce: Heat sesame oil and sweat pineapple, mushrooms, spring onions and ginger. Add brown sugar, vinegar, chilli sauce and soy sauce. Pour over stock and reduce. Add cornflour to thicken sauce.

2. For croquettes: Mix onions, garlic, meat, egg with chopped ginger, lemon grass and spices; cumin, mustard powder, ground coriander and fish sauce. Form croquettes by rolling mixture into oval shaped balls. Dust with flour and roll in coconut. Deep fry until golden. 

reference: Asian Cookery and Insider Tips, pg 148

300ml chicken stock

salt

10 ripe tomotoes, deskinned

1 onion

1 clove garlic

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cloves

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped

1 tsp cane sugar

butter for frying

1 tsp parsley, chopped

Method

1. Plunge tomatoes in hot water and remove skins. Chop and add to chicken stock.

2. Process onion and garlic. Add pepper, cloves, ginger, salt and sugar. Mix to combine.

3. Saute onion mixture in saucepan and then add stock. Blend mixture together. Return to heat. Serve with chopped parsley.

1 kg fish fillets, finely chopped

1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon ground pepper

1 egg

100g flour

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

4 green chilli's

3 tablespoons garam marsla

1 large onion, chopped finely

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3-4 tablespoons clarified butter

4 tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoons turmeric

1 tablespoon cardamon, ground

1 tablespoon cumin, ground

1 tablespoon coriander, ground

8 fresh curry leaves

2 tablespoons lemon juice

5 tablespoons desicated coconut

1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds, crushed

500ml fish stock

4 tablespoons yoghurt

fat to grease the dish

basil to garnish

What to dao

1. Finely chop fish fillets.

2. Mince the spring onions and garlic in a food processor. Add lemon juice, fish, egg, fish, salt and pepper. Deseed green chillis, chop finely and add to the mixture. Add flour and breadcrumbs. Combine all ingredients. 

3. To make sauce; finely chop onion and garlic and saute in the clarified butter. Add all the spices, curry leaves, lemon juice, coconut and fenugreek seeds. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Pour in the stock and reduce liquid somewhat. Stir in the yoghurt one tablespoon at a time, taking care not to boil the mixture.

4. Roll fish mixture into balls and place in grease shallow baking dish. Pour sauce over the top and bake in 180oC oven for 12-16 minutes. Serve with rice and garnished with basil.

Reference: Asia: Cookery Basics and Insider Tips, p174

500g beef, diced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

10 fresh curry leaves

1 green chilli

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup canned coconut milk

1 tablespoon tamarind pulp

1/4 cup hot water

3 cups water

Dry Spice

1 tablespoon raw white rice

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 stick cinnamon

5-6 cardamon seeds

Roast dry spices on a hot pan and then grind into powder using a mortar and pestle. In a large saucepan heat oil. Add curry leaves, green chilli, onion and turmeric and fry for 3 minutes. Add beef and salt and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, until meat is browned.

Add reserved dry spice powder and coconut milk. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes to infuse flavours.

Add tamarind pulp to 3 cups of water. Add liquid to the pot and simmer for at least an hour, leaving the lid off the pan and until liquid reduces. Serve with rice and side dishes below.

Hot and Sweet Onion Date Chutney

3 dried red chillis, stemmed

2 tablespoons raw sesame oil

1 large white onion, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped dates

Place red chilli's in hot water and soak for 10 minutes. Heat oil in saucepan, add onions and salt and cook for 10 minutes. Drain chilli's and place in food processor with dates. Add onion mixture to food processor and process until ingredients are chopped.

Spiced Eggplant

4 long purple eggplants

1/3 cup raw sesame oil

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon cayenne 

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed coarsely

2 tablespoons minced green chilli's

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1/4 cup fresh coriander

Preheat oven to 220oC. Prick eggplant over with a fork and rub with oil. Place on a roasting pan in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Cool eggplant. Heat 1/4 cup oil in saucepan. Toss in onion, garlic, cayenne, turmeric and cumin and stir to mix well. Lower heat and cook onion until transperant (approx 10 minutes). Add chilli's to onion mixture and stir fry for a minute.Scrape pulp from eggplant and place in a bowl. mash eggplant pulp with a fork to break it up. Add eggplant pulp to onion mixture, adding salt and warm through. Mix the minced shallots through and serve with coriander.

2 teaspoons dried yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

* Optional herbs

Combine salt, yeast and sift flour in bowl. Gradually stir in the oil and water. Knead on floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large oiled bowl and stand in a warm place for 30 minutes until dough doubles in size. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth. *Add herbs at this stage. Divide into two balls and roll out.

Topping

mozerella cheese

four medium strips of bacon

salami

4 eggs

tomato paste

salt & pepper

Smother tomato paste over pizza base. Sprinkle mozerella to lightly cover. Add semi large strips of bacon. Add left over salami to compliment the bacon. Crack four eggs over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in 220oC (hot oven) until eggs are done and cheese melted (15 minutes).

Serve with fruit salad.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups flour

¾ cup sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or mixed berries)

Crumb Topping: *optional

¼ cup sugar

3 tbsp flour

2 tbsp butter

¾ tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 200⁰C. Grease muffin or friand tins. Sift flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Place vegetable oil in a one cup measuring cup and add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in the berries. Fill muffin cups to top. Add crumb topping*(optional) and bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Reference: www.themealplanner.blogspot.com

350g soft brown sugar

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

2 eggs, lightly beaten

310g plain flour

60g cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoon sea salt

350g dark chocolate, chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 180oC. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add vanilla and eggs. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined. Fold in the chocolate. Place large spoonfuls on mixture onto greased and paper lined baking tray, leaving room for spreading. Cook in batches for 15-20 minutes, until bases are cooked. Cool on trays. makes about 30

Reference: 'Simply Bill' Bill Granger, p 150

60g butter

2/3 cup icing sugar

2 egg yolks

grated zest of 2 oranges

3/4 cup desiccated coconut

300g fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries

juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp cornlour

strawberry and mint salad to to serve

POLENTA PASRTY

1 1/4 cups (185g) palin flour

1/4 cup fine polenta

grated zest of 1 lemon

115g chilled unsalted butter

1 egg, lightly beated with 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

TOPPING

60g butter, melted

3/4 cup plain flour

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1 vanilla bean, split & seeds scraped.

* I processed left over macaroons and mixed this with melted butter

1. Make pastry by adding flour, polenta, lemon zest and butter in a food processor. Whiz to make breadcrumbs and add beaten egg and oil. Shape into a ball and refridgerate.

2. Make topping by adding melted butter, flour, caster sugar, coconut and vanilla seeds.

3. Roll dough and blind bake at 160oC.

4. Beat butter and 1/3 cup icing sugar until thick and pale. Add egg yolks beating well after each addition. Then add orange zest and finally, desiccanted coconut.  Pour into tart shell.

5. Combine blueberries, lemon juice, cornflour and remaining 50g icing sugar in a bowl. Pour over tart.

6. Bake for 45 minutes at 170oC, until top is golden.

7. Cool in pan. Dust with icing sugar. Serve with strawberries and mint.

reference: delicious  may 2010 p 104

1.6kg chicken, butterflied

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

lemon thyme

1 red cilli, finely chopped

8 marinated artichoke hearts

200ml white wine

method

Place chicken, skin side up in an oiled roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and lemon juice, garlic, chilli and lemon thyme. Add artichoke to pan then pour over wine. Roast chicken at 170oC for one and a half hours, until skin is golden and juices run clear when thickest part is pierced.

reference: adapted from delicious May 2010, pg 110

240g plain flour, sifted

180g unsalted butter, roughly chopped

2 tbsp iced water

Chocolate Filling

300ml thickened cream

1 tbsp castor sugar

100g unsalted butter

400g dark chocoalte, roughly chopped

100ml milk

1. Preheat oven to 200oC. Grease 26cm non-stick loose bottom flan tin.

2. To make pastry: Rub butter and flour together. Add water. Roll into a ball and chill for 30 minutes.

3. Roll pastry into tin. Patch areas that break. Chill again.

4. Blind bake with weights for 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake a further 5 minutes.

5. Place cream and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil. Take off heat immediately and add the butter and chocolate. Mix to combine. Cool slightly.

6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the pastry shell. leave to cool. Do not refridgerate!

7. Serve with cream or ice cream.

Delightful, Delicious, Decadent !!!

reference:  epicure chocolate, edited by Kylie Walker, Janes Chocolate Tart, pg 114