May12

Nigella’s Chocolate Pavlova

Posted on by
Standard

My friend Amy put me onto this recipe about 8 years ago and since then it’s become one of my favourite dessert options for catering. It literally only takes a couple of minutes measuring and mixing and then it’s into a low oven for an hour and a quarter – allowing me to get other things done. I generally make it in the morning and leave it to cool in the switched off oven for the rest of the day. From there it’s ridiculously easy to whip cream and top it with whatever you like. Nigella suggests fresh raspberries on top but I’ve often used frozen ones and actually we all like it best with bananas, strawberries and a handful of maltesers dumped on top. Also, when cooking other desserts that call for egg yolks only, I keep the whites and freeze them in zip lock bags. They thaw out beautifully and this often means I don’t have to use new eggs – another money saver. This low fuss dessert will set you back about $8 and serves 10.

  • 6 egg whites
  • 300g caster sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sieved
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
  • 50g dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 300-500ml double cream
  • 500g raspberries
  • 2-3 tablespoons coarsely grated dark chocolate
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
  2. Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle over the cocoa and vinegar, and the chopped chocolate. Then gently fold everything until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in. Mound on to a baking sheet in a fat circle approximately 23cm in diameter, smoothing the sides and top. Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 150°C/gas mark 2 and cook for about one to one and a quarter hours. When it’s ready it should look crisp around the edges and on the sides and be dry on top, but when you prod the centre you should feel the promise of squidginess beneath your fingers. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly, and let the chocolate meringue disc cool completely.3.
  3. When you’re ready to serve, invert on to a big, flat-bottomed plate. Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter over the raspberries. Coarsely grate the chocolate so that you get curls rather than rubble, as you don’t want the raspberries’ luscious colour and form to be obscured, and sprinkle haphazardly over the top, letting some fall, as it will, on the plate’s rim.
May11

Donna Hay’s Simmered Tomato & Basil Chicken

Posted on by
Standard

I first tried this recipe when a lovely friend provided us with this meal after the birth of our daughter. I’ve adapted it a little and added beans for a little extra nutrition. This is a quick recipe to make and costs around $7. Serves 4+ and is really easy to adapt for bigger groups by allocating 100g of chicken per person (thanks for this maths tip, Cynth!). This recipe is also dairy, egg and gluten free if you go with white wine instead of stock.

  • 2 chicken thigh fillets or 1 large breast fillet (total 400g), thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 400ml can crushed tomatoes
  • 60ml white wine or chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
  • handful fresh green beans, head and tailed
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • shaved parmesan cheese (to serve on top)
  1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 mins until soft.
  2. Add the chicken and cook until brown in colour. Add the tomatoes, wine/stock and sugar. Simmer over low heat for around 10 mins so chicken cooks all the way through.
  3. Add a handful of green beans and simmer a further 5 minutes.
  4. Just before serving, throw in the basil and olives. Season with salt & pepper.
  5. Serve on rice or mashed potato.
May11

Anzac Slice

Posted on by
Standard

I’ve recently decided that as much as I love baking biscuits, I just can’t pull them off without stress in my current stage of life. Steve loves Anzac biscuits, but the thought of rolling little balls, arranging them on trays and then rotating them around the oven is enough to stress me out before I start. This terrific recipe from my childhood solves the problem for less than $2. Makes 32 slices.

  • 140 grams butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons golden syrup
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 cup self raising flour
  • 1 cup coconut
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees

2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl

3. Melt butter in a heatproof jug in the microwave, stir in golden syrup and milk.

4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the butter mixture. Mix well.

5. Press into a lined 16 x 26 cm slice tin and cook for 15 minutes until golden brown.

May10

Grandma Fragar’s Scones

Posted on by
Standard

A few years ago my Mum gave me her mother’s scone recipe, and now it’s the only one I ever use. These scones are just so simple and easy to get right. There’s no rubbing butter and flour together and no surprising secret ingredient. The only thing I would say is your oven has to be nice and hot, so if yours tends to be on the cool side, maybe consider putting it up 5-10 degrees for this recipe. Scones are a wonderful option for large group catering because they make people feel special but aren’t too labour intensive. These ones won’t cost you more than a couple of dollars or much energy in the kitchen. This recipe makes 20.

  • 4 cups self raising flour
  • 2 dessertspoons icing sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 heaped dessertspoons butter
  • 2 cups of milk

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees

2. Place flour, sifted icing sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

3. Melt butter in a heatproof jug in the microwave, top up the butter with milk to the 2 cups mark on the jug.

4. Make a well in the flour mixture, add the milk/butter mixture and gently combine using a butter knife. Combine using cutting actions through the middle and scraping the outside mixture to the centre. Don’t over mix, you want everything only just combined.

5. Tip the mixture onto a floured bench top and put more flour on the top of the mound of mixture. Pat the whole thing down until it’s about 4cm thick and evenly spread out.

6. Cut rounds using a floured scone cutter or an appropriate sized glass. Place each one on a biscuit tray lined with baking powder so that they are close together but not touching. Brush the top of each scone with a little milk.

7. Bake for around 10 mins until they’ve risen and are golden brown.

8. Serve with jam and cream.

May10

Homestyle Quiche

Posted on by
Standard

I love quiche, but am not such a fan of the really fancy ones (you know the ones with artichoke hearts, asparagus and marinated eggplant etc…). I just like homestyle ingredients in my quiche, which is good I suppose, because it keeps the cost down. When I make the following quiche for my family, it gets totally demolished. This recipe is easy to do in large quantities using rectangular pie tins (see discussion in Serving Up) and makes 5 dinner sized portions. Total cost less than $6.

  • 5 eggs
  • 200 grams bacon, diced finely
  • 1 onion, diced finely
  • 1 cup grated cheese
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 red or green capsicum
  • 1 1/2 pieces ready rolled puff pastry
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • chopped parsley (if you have it)

1. Get pastry out of freezer to thaw on the bench while you make the quiche filling. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2. Combine diced onion, bacon, capsicum, grated cheese and parsley in a medium sized mixing bowl.

3. In another smaller bowl, lightly beat the eggs, add milk and mix.

4. Grease the inside of the tart tin (I use olive oil or canola spray) and fit the pastry into the tin tightly, making sure all the pastry joins up.

5. Fill the tart tin evenly with the filling mixture and then pour egg and milk mixture gently over the top. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Cook in the oven at 180 degrees for 25 mins (though I would start checking earlier).

May10

Nigella’s Chocolate Brownies

Posted on by
Standard

This is the best recipe for Brownies I’ve ever found. Unlike so many brownie recipes, the whole thing cooks evenly with no drying out of the edges. It makes a whole large roasting dish worth of Brownie which makes 25 dessert sized pieces or 40+ slice sized serves. Originally from How to be a Domestic Goddess, I think this is one of Nigella’s best. Total cost is about $9, but it makes LOTS. To decrease the cost, I pretty much always leave out the walnuts.

  • 375 g soft unsalted butter
  • 375 g dark chocolate
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 500 g caster sugar
  • 225 g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 300 g chopped walnuts
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Line your approximately 33 x 23 x 5 1/2cm roasting dish with foil or baking paper.
  3. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large heavy based saucepan.
  4. In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla.
  5. Measure the flour into another bowl and add the salt.
  6. When the chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit before beating in the eggs and sugar mixture, and then the nuts and flour.
  7. Beat to combine and then scrape out of the saucepan into the lined brownie pan.
  8. Bake for about 25 minutes.
  9. When its’s ready, the top should be dried to a paler brown speckle, but the middle still dark and dense and gooey.
  10. Keep checking the brownies as they cook; remember that they will continue to cook as they cool.
May10

Quick Fruit Slice

Posted on by
Standard

My precious friend Debra made this slice to help out with catering during the busy start to university year and it was an absolute hit. Steve was totally into it and so I asked her for the recipe. It’s so simple and fast to make. Makes 24 small slices and costs less than $2.50 to make. Thanks for sharing, Deb!

  • 1 cup self-raising flour
  • 1 cup coconut
  • 1 cup mixed fruit
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 120g butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees (170 degrees fan-forced)

2. Mix dry ingredients in medium sized mixing bowl, add butter and beaten egg. Mix well.

3. Press into 16 x 26cm slice tin. Bake for 20 mins or until light brown.

May10

Chicken with Onion Sauce

Posted on by
Standard

Once, before Steve and I were married he made this for me and some friends for dinner and it has become a winter staple in our family. To this day the recipe we use is from Steve’s Year 9 Food Technology project book, complete with hand-drawn pictures for presentation and all the processes highlighted in different colours. Originally a Woman’s Weekly recipe, it’s one of those recipes that would be considered very 80’s these days, but I kid you not- everyone always comes back for more. It uses chicken drumsticks which are so very affordable and all the other ingredients are standard pantry items. These quantities makes enough for 4 people, but I always double or triple it depending on numbers. To increase the nutritional value, I will often add some long green beans into the pot to simmer just at the end. This recipe can easily be cooked in a slow cooker. Just follow the steps exactly and replace the oven for the slow cooker. The slow cooker tends to give you a tender ‘shank’ type finish while the oven will keep the structure of each drumstick. With the measures provided this dish will set you back no more than $5. You can serve it on rice but our family likes it best on mash potato.

  • 1kg chicken drumsticks
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 brown onion, sliced
  • 400g can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 packet french onion soup mix
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 teaspoons cornflour
  • 1 tablespoon water, extra

1. Heat oil and half the butter in frying pan, add drumsticks and brown.

2. Drain fat from the pan, add remaining butter and sliced onion, cook until tender

3. Add the undrained crushed tomatoes, soup mix, soy sauce and water. Heat through.

4. Place chicken in oven-proof dish, pour the sauce over, cover and bake in a moderate oven for 34 mins.

5. Remove chicken, pour sauce into pan, stir in blended cornflour and extra water, stir until sauce boils and thickens. Pour over chicken.

May9

Passionfruit Slice

Posted on by
Standard

Every time I make this very easy slice, someone asks for the recipe. It’s great for morning or afternoon teas, but can also be served with a dollop of cream or ice-cream for dessert. I tend to keep a few small tins of passionfruit pulp in the pantry so that I can make this quickly and easily without a trip to the shops. I also use lemon squeeze from the fridge if I don’t have fresh lemons. All this means that it’s one of those recipes that I have everything I need to make it in the pantry already. Originally from Good Taste magazine. Serves 12. Costs less than $6 to make.

  • Melted butter, to grease
  • 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
  • 85g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
  • 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
  • 100g butter, melted
  • 1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbs passionfruit pulp
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 16 x 26cm (base measurement) slab pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base and 2 long sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing the sides to overhang.
  2. Use a wooden spoon to combine the flour, coconut, sugar and butter in a large bowl. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Transfer to the prepared pan. Use a metal spoon to press firmly over the base. Bake for 12 minutes or until light golden. Set aside to cool.
  3. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C.Use a balloon whisk to whisk together the condensed milk, lemon juice and passionfruit pulp in a large bowl until smooth and well combined. Pour into the pan and spread evenly over the base. Bake in oven for 15 minutes until just firm to the touch. Set aside to cool completely. Cut into slices to serve.
May9

Cauliflower Soup

Posted on by
Standard

My recent soup craze began on Sunday as the weather well and truly turned cold. I had a go at making this recipe, originally from Delicious Magazine and I really couldn’t believe how easy it was. To make it go further, I doubled the recipe and in total, it cost less than $7 to make. My non-soup loving husband confessed (with a smile) that even though serving him cauliflower soup was “pushing it”, he actually quite liked it! The quantities in this recipe serves 6.

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
  • 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 potatoes (about 400g), chopped
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large (about 1kg) cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream
  • 1 cup (80g) finely grated parmesan
  • 3 bacon rashers, chopped
  • 4 bread rolls
  • Grated nutmeg and finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line 2 baking trays with foil.
  2. Heat 2 tbs oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onion and garlic, then cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the potato, chicken stock, bay leaf and three-quarters of the cauliflower, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until cauliflower and potatoes are tender.
  3. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir through the cream and 1/2 cup (40g) parmesan. Season to taste.
  4. Meanwhile, place the bacon and remaining cauliflower on one of the lined baking trays. Season with pepper, then drizzle with remaining 1 tbs oil and sprinkle with 2 tbs parmesan. Roast for 10-12 minutes or until crisp. Put the bread rolls on a separate tray, sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup (25g) parmesan and bake for 2 minutes or until golden.
  5. Divide soup among 4 bowls, then top with crispy cauliflower and bacon. Sprinkle with nutmeg and parsley, drizzle with oil and serve with bread rolls.