Fish and Noodle Soup

Serves 4

180 g dried noodles

2 cm piece fresh ginger chopped finely

1 litre vegetable stock

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

3 green onions (spring onions) thinly sliced

brown or red onions will be ok

1 large carrot, peeled, cut into matchsticks or thinly slices

300 g flathead fillets, cut into 1.5 cm thick slices

(any white fish will be fine)

frozen sweet corn

In a large saucepan, stir fry onion, carrot and ginger, when softened add the stock and bring to the boil, add soy sauce and sesame oil.

Cook noodles as per packet instructions.

Add about a cupful of the noodle water to the saucepan and bring back to the boil.

Reduce heat in saucepan to medium, add sweet corn and fish and simmer for 1 minute or until fish is cooked through.

Divide the noodles between bowls, ladle vegetables on top. then put the fish on top and ladle the stock into the bowls.

You could use any vegetables.

Lemon Chicken Tagine

Serves 4

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 tablespoons Moroccan seasoning

8 chicken legs or thighs

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 red onions, halved, sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup chicken stock

1 lemon

150 g green beans

1/3 cup pitted green olives, halved

couscous, toasted slivered almonds and fresh coriander leaves, to serve

Place flour, seasoning and chicken in a large snap-lock bag. Seal. Shake to coat. Heat half the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over high hear. Cook chicken in batches, turning, for 3 - to 4 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-high heat. Heat remaining oil in pan. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Return chicken to pan. Add stock and 1/2 cup cold water. Cover. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Peel strips of rind from lemon. Juice lemon. Add rind, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, beans and olives to pan. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove lid. Increase heat to medium-high heat. Simmer for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens. Serve with couscous, almonds and coriander.

Moroccan seasoning can be bought in supermarkets but to make your own mix together half a teaspoon of each of these spices

ground cumin, sweet paprika, ground ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, ground coriander

Chops In The Pot (Navarin of Lamb)

Serves 4-6

1 kg lamb chops trimmed of excess fat
or shoulder or fillet of lamb cut into large cubes
2 heaped tbs plain flour
2 tbs olive oil
50 g butter
4-5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
6-8 small onions, peeled and whole
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cups stock
1 tbs tomato puree or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
sprig of rosemary
1 cup peas (frozen are OK)
salt
pepper

Toss the meat in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper, shake off the excess and save any flour left over. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and fry the meat until golden on all sides. Remove the meat and set aside.

Add butter and vegetables (not the peas) to pot and fry until just brown. Sprinkle the left over flour and cook gently for about a minute. Gradually stir in the stock, tomatoes, herbs and seasoning. Bring to the boil, constantly stirring until the sauce has thickened and is smooth.

Return the meat to the pot, cover and reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 1 hour or until the meat is tender. Add peas and cook them - about 30 mins if frozen.

This can be cooked on the stove if the metal (cast iron) pot is good and heavy with a well fitting lid. Other wise cook in the oven at about 200 deg C. You can use a earthenware pot if you use an oven.

Serve with potatoes, rice, couscous or pasta.

Potatoes, Eggs and Cumin

(Serves 2-3)

500 g small potatoes, unpeeled
0.5 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp very finely chopped/grated root ginger
oil
black pepper (in grinder)
2 tbs chopped coriander leaves optional for garnish
Cook potatoes and drain. Peel if old. Cut into 2cm chunks.
4 hard boiled eggs, halved

Fry cumin seeds in v hot oil for about 10 secs.
Add potatoes, ginger, ground cumin and black pepper to pan.
Stir gently and fry for about 10 mins.
Add eggs and gently fry for about 1 min.
Option: stir in chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Mushroom and Pea Curry

(serves 2-3)

Oil
0.5 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chopped garlic
400 g medium-sized mushrooms, cut lengthways into quarters
2 tsp finely grated/chopped fresh root ginger
1 small hot chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbs tomato puree
150 g peas (frozen will be fine)
2 tbs finely chopped fresh coriander - optional garnish
2 tbs plain yogurt
300 ml water

Fry cumin seeds in v hot oil for about 10 secs. Add garlic and stir a couple of times.
Add mushrooms, ginger and chilli. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms turn silken.
Add ground coriander and garam masala and stir for about half a min.
Add tomato, peas and water.
Stir well and bring to the boil.
Cover and simmer gently for about 5 mins.
Stir in yogurt and simmer for about 1 min.
Serve with chopped coriander garnish if wanted.

Mussaman Beef (or Chicken) Curry - Version 2

Serves 6-8

Best made the day before required

1 kg of beef (not good steak; blade, stewing or other similar cuts)
4 cups coconut milk
1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts (optional)
2 tbs fish sauce
15 cardamon pods
1 stick cinnamon
2 tbs mussaman curry paste (will vary with type of paste so check jar for amount)
3 tbs tamarind liquid (I use the paste and add 1 tbs at a time; can be over-powering)
2 tbs lime juice
1-2 tbs palm sugar
extra fish sauce if necessary

Cut beef into large chunks and put into saucepan with the coconut milk, peanuts (if used), fish sauce, cardamon pods and cinnamon stick. Bring slowly to simmering point, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Turn heat low and allow to simmer, uncovered until meat is tender. This should take at least an hour (probably more) depending on cut of meat. DO NOT COVER AT ANY STAGE OR THE COCONUT MILK WILL CURDLE. Stir occasionally during this initial cooking.

When the meat is just tender lift it out and simmer the coconut milk a little longer, until it is reduced by about a third. If it has already reduced considerably, do not give it this further cooking. Stir in the curry paste, tamarind paste, lime juice, sugar. Return beef to pan and continue simmering until the gravy is thickened slightly. Taste and add more fish sauce if necessary. You should be able to taste the sourness of the lime, the saltiness of the fish sauce, the sweetness of the palm sugar, and the heat of the chilli in the curry paste.

Serve with rice and steamed vegetables.

Vegetable Tempura - That Always Works

Serves 2 (very well!)

Vegetables - the most suitable ones are:

Potatoes
Onion
Carrot
Capsicum (green, red, orange, yellow)
Eggplant
Zucchini
French Beans
Asparagus

How much? Guess! For two people, I have about 3-4 large handfuls when sliced vegetables are mixed in a bowl. (We like vegetables!)

Vegetables NOT suitable are those with a high water content, for example, Tomato, Cucumber, Cabbage and Lettuce.

Tempura Batter

2 eggs
1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cornflour
Oil for deep frying (I
like sunflower oil)

Cut all vegetables to the size of French fries - about 5-6 cm long.
Combine vegetables in a large bowl and mix well, Add one egg and mix well. At this stage the mix should be a little dry.
Add another egg and mix well.
Add 1/4 cup cornflour and mix through, then add the plain flour and mix well.
If the mixture is too moist, add more cornflour and plain flour until the mixture is slightly dry. It should be just sticky, not thick and heavy. Lumps are OK. DON'T mix any more than is nessecery to just coat the vegetables.

Heat oil in deep fryer or deep pan.

BE VERY CAREFUL AND HAVE A LID READILY TO HAND IF YOU ARE USING AN OPEN PAN. IF THE PAN CATCHES FIRE QUICKLY COVER IT - DO NOT SPRAY WITH WATER!!

Using a wet wooden spoon scoop up enough mixture to make bite size pieces and deep fry until BARELY coloured.
Tip: I use my hand and don't make patties, just leave the bite size piece untidy.
When cooked remove from oil and drain thoroughly on absorbent paper.

Continue until all vegetable mixture is used up.

Dipping Sauce

2 cups water
1 tbs Bonito flakes
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs mirin
1/4 cup
soy sauce
2 or 3 dry shitake mushrooms

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and boil for 3-5 minutes. Use when cool.

Rolled Sushi - Simple

Makes 12 rolls or 72 slices

6 - sheets yaki-nori seaweed
2 cups Japanese rice
Sushi vinegar

Commercial vinegar is OK but if you prefer to make your own you will need
50 ml (3 and a bit tbs)rice vinegar
1 tbs sugar

Wasabi (if you like it - strong mustard taste)
Fillings - you can use anything that slices easily:

Tuna (good quality tinned tuna in slices works well)
Avocado
Cucumber
Cooked chicken
Salmon (smoked or otherwise)
Capsicum
Raw fish - most types BUT ABSOLUTELY FRESH

Cook the rice as per packet directions for Sushi - ONLY use proper sushi rice.

Prepare vegetables and cut into thin sticks/strips

When the rice is cooked add the sushi vinegar to the hot rice, stir well with spatula, at the same time fanning the rice constantly. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to cool. Do NOT put in fridge.
When cool divide the rice in half in its bowl, then mark each half into six making 12 portions.

Place a sheet of nori, shiny side downwards, on a bamboo mat on a chopping board.
Spread one portion of the rice over the nori with your fingers, leaving a finger wide space uncovered at the top of the nori - the edge furthest from you.

Spread a little wasabi (if used) in a horizontal line along the middle of the rice and lay a strip of filling on this.

Moisten (slightly) the edge of the nori furthest away from you. Holding the edge of the mat nearest to you, roll up the nori and rice into a tube with the filling in the middle. Use the mat as a guide - do not roll the nori into the food. Roll the rice tightly so that it sticks together and encloses the filling firmly.

Carefully roll the sushi off the mat. Make the remaining rolls in the same way, varying the fillings. Do not use wasabi with the cucumber.
Use a very sharp wet knife to cut each roll into six slices and stand them on a platter. Wipe and re-rinse the knife occasionally between cuts.

Serve with soy sauce.

Tips:

Cover the bamboo mat with cling wrap (cling foil) before you start.
Wash your hands after each roll.
Make sure your hands are a little wet before you start to spread the rice.
You can put more than one type of filling in a roll.
Don't make the rolls thicker than about two finger widths.
Cool the sushi until you are ready to serve it.
MAKE THE SUSHI ONLY A FEW HOURS BEFORE YOU EXPECT TO EAT IT.

Half the fun is eating the misshapen rolls before the guests come!

Fresh Fruit and Sweet Ricotta Tart

Serves 6

Pastry

1 2/3 cups plain flour
80 g butter, chopped
1/2 cup icing sugar
50
ml milk
1 egg

Ricotta filling

250 g fresh ricotta
1/4 cup caster sugar (less if you prefer)
1/2 tsp
vanilla essence
1/4 cup thin cream
fresh fruit (frozen berries,
defrosted work well)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Lightly grease 6 10 cm loose-bottomed tart tins.

To make pastry - process flour, butter, and sugar in food processor, or rub butter into flour using fingertips and then add sugar. Mix in milk and egg. Turn dough onto a floured board and form into a smooth ball, wrap in cling-wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Divide pastry into 6 equal parts and roll out pastry, line the tart tins with pastry, prick bases with fork and chill for 10 mins. Line the pastry shells with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice. Bake for 15 minutes, remove paper and weights and bake for a further 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the filling mix together ricotta, sugar, vanilla and cream until smooth, chill until required.

Before serving, fill each tart with ricotta filling and decorate with fresh fruit or defrosted berries.

Hot Cakes - My Way

Makes about 12 small pancakes.

4 heaped tbs self raising flour
25-30 g butter (melted and cooled)
1 tbs
sugar
1 egg
Few drops of Vanilla essence
Milk

Put flour into medium size bowl and pour melted butter into flour, stirring until mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Add sugar, egg, vanilla essence and enough milk to make a batter (not too thin and not too thick)

Heat a non-stick frying pan or several and place a large spoonful of the mixture into the pans and cook on medium heat until golden brown and turn over to brown other side.
Keep warm until all are cooked.

Serve with fruit and yoghurt. The fruit can be cooked by adding a knob of butter to a frying pan and gently frying the fruit (peaches, apples, bananas). I add a tsp of honey to help caramel the fruit.

Banana Bread

1 3/4 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
100 g chopped
walnuts
3 large over-ripe bananas
2 large eggs, lightly whisked
1
tsp vanilla essence
100 g butter, melted and cooled

Heat oven to 175 degrees C.

Lightly grease loaf pan and line base and 2 long sides with baking paper
Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, brown sugar and nuts in large bowl.
In another bowl mash bananas, stir in eggs, vanilla essence and cooled melted butter.
Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined.
Put into loaf pan and bake for 3/4 - 1 hour. Cool in loaf tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling tray.

Almond Crumble with Fresh Fruit

Serves 6-8.

3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup blanched almonds
90 grams butter

Preheat over to 180 degrees C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Put the flour, sugar and nuts into a food process and pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Add the butter and pulse again until mixture starts to clump.
Spread in a single, thin layer on the sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crispy.

When cool break into large pieces and store in an airtight container. When ready to serve break into smaller pieces and serve with fruit (I like the frozen berries, defrosted of course). Add a dollop and creme fraiche, cream or yoghurt.

Basil Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/3 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts

Place in food processor and process until finely chopped.
With motor running slowly add 1/3 cup olive oil and process until it forms a smooth paste.

Store in jar in the fridge.

If you make a large quantity it can be frozen in small amounts, such as a tablespoon size blobs on a baking tray. You can use ice cube trays, but they are time-consuming to wash up!
Also if you are planning to freeze the pesto it is best to leave out the parmesan cheese at this stage and add it when you use the pesto (just a small amount to each blob when it is defrosted).

Chicken in Red Wine

Serves 4.

Oil
2 kgs chicken thigh fillets
8 small onions
500 g Swiss brown
mushrooms ((quartered if large)
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
2 tbs Dijon mustard
2 tbs chopped parsley
1 tsp cornflour and water

In a wide frying pan, heat the oil and add chicken and onions. Cook uncovered over medium heat until chicken and onions are well browned on all sides (about 20 minutes). Lift out and set aside.
Add mushrooms to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are lightly browned. Lift out and add to chicken and onions.
Pour stock into pan, scraped browned bits free and boil over high heat until reduces to 1 cup.
Return chicken, onions, and mushrooms to pan, stir in wine and mustard. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until meat near bone is no longer pink when slashed (about 30 minutes). Stir in parsely and return to simmering.
With a slotted spoon, lift out meat and vegetables and arrange on a serving dish. Combine cornflour and water and add to cooking juices. Bring to a boil, stirring, pour over chicken and serve.

Goes with with Potatoes Gratin

Minestrone Soup

Serves 4-6.

AS LONG AS YOU USE ALL THE VEGETABLES LISTED, EXACT QUANTITIES ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY

2 onions
3 carrots
3 sticks celery
250 g potatoes
2 zucchini
90 g green beans (frozen whole baby beans are good)
250 g cabbage (a must have)
1/2 cup oil
45 g butter
1 1/4 litres stock (or 1 1/4
litres water and beef stock cubes, refer to packet for number of stock cubes to
1 1/4 litres of water)
2 x 400g cans peeled dices tomatoes
310 g cannellini beans of similar(I prefer pasta to beans, such as spaghetti broken
into small pieces and rissoni)
salt, pepper

Peel and finely chop onions and carrots, string and finely chop celery, peel and dice potatoes, dice zucchini, shred cabbage.

Heat oil and butter in large pan, add onions, cook over medium heat until they are golden brown. Add carrots, cook 2 - 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, add the potatoes and celery stirring occasionally. Stir in stock, or crumbled stock cubes and water and undrained tomatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until vegetables are cooked and liquid has reduced slightly. Add the zucchini and cabbage and the frozen beans. Cook for another 15 minutes then add the cannellini beans (or pasta). Season with pepper and serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Potatoes Gratin (Gratin Dauphinois)

Serves 6-8.

1 clove garlic, halved
2 1/2 tbs butter or margarine
3 tbs lemon juice
6 cups water
5 (about 1 kg) medium thin-skinned potatoes
Salt,
pepper and ground nutmeg
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (shallots)
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 1/2 cups light cream or milk
1 egg yolk

Rub a shallow baking dish liberally with garlic, then generously coat with about 1/2 tbs of the butter
In a large bowl, combine lemon juice and water. Peel potatoes if you want, cut into paper-thin slices, submerge in lemon-water until all are slices.
Drain potatoes well. Arrange about a quarter of the slices in an even layer in dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and nutmeg; top with a quarter of the onions and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Repeat layers 3 more times, ending with the cheese.
Heat the cream or milk to scalding, pour slowly into egg yolk, beating constantly until blended. Pour egg mixture over potatoes. Dot with remaining 2 tbs butter.
Bake uncovered, in a 180 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are fork tender.

Tuna with Spinach and Spirali Pasta

Spirali or other small pasta
8 stalks spinach
1 tin tuna
1 small
clove garlic
1/2 red pepper
small onion
oil
small red chilli
(fresh or dried)
cooked peas
grated parmesan cheese

Wash spinach and remove stalks if very big, cut finely. Chop pepper, peel onion, chop finely. Remove seeds from chilli and chop finely.
Cook pasta as per packet instructions
Heat oil in pan, add crushed garlic, pepper, onion, chilli and tuna.
Add spinach, if using stalks add them first, and after about a minute and remaining spinach.
Add cooked peas and cooked pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Spicy Chickpea and Potato Pasty

Serves 4/6 as a starter

The "pasty"

Equal parts of chickpeas and mashed potatoes (I used a tin chickpeas and an
equal quantity of mashed potatoes)
1 tbs olive oil

The filling

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1tbs olive oil
1
tsp pine nuts
1 tsp currants, soaked in water
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp
ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kirmizi biber (its a thick
paste made from red peppers)
1 tbs tahini (I didn't use this)

Mash the chickpeas and stir in the mashed potato (or use a blender). Bind with the oil to make a smooth, pliable paste. Mould it into a ball and put aside.

Make the filling by softening the onion with the garlic in oil. Stir in the pine nuts, currants and sugar and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the spices and bind with the tahini if used.

Roll the potato and chickpea paste into a rectangle. Spread the filling down the middle (lengthwise) and fold the sides into the middle (a bit tricky but give it a go) shape it as best you can, pinching the edges together. Wrap in foil and place in the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight. Cut into slices.

Mine, when cut into slices looked OK???, but it tasted good.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Serves 4.

1 kg of lamb, diced 2cm cubes (or chops)
2 1/2 tbs olive oil
175 grams butter
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 tbs finely chopped fresh ginger
1/8 tsp saffron
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
4 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs fresh coriander
1 litre meat stock
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3 cm fingers
3 medium
tomatoes, coarsely chopped, (or 440 g tin of dices tomatoes, partly drained)
1/4 cup dark/strong honey
1/2 cup raisins or sultanas
2 medium zucchini, cut into 5 cm fingers
1 440 g tin of chickpeas, drained and washed under cold water
chopped fresh coriander for garnish

Sprinkle the meat with pepper. Using a large frying pan, heat 2 tbs of the olive oil over a medium-heat. Saute the meat a few bits at a time until well, browned - about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a large heavy pot/casserole, with lid.

Add 100 grms of the butter to the lamb. Over medium heat, add 2/3 of the chopped onion, the ginger, saffron 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, turmeric and nutmeg. Tear the coriander and parsley into bits and add to pot. Stir in the meat stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-60 minutes (until the meat is soft to eat). Add the carrots and cook covered for 20 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, heat the remaining 1 tbs of oil in the frying pan and over a medium heat stir in the remaining onion and cook until golden. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, add the chopped tomatoes, honey raisins or sultanas. Raise heat slightly and cook until all the excess liquid has evaporated. About 15 minutes.

Stir the tomato mixture into the lamb, add the zucchini and chick peas. Heat to boiling and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook 25 minutes with lid on.

There will be a lot of liquid in the pot which, if not served with the lamb, is a great soup.

Serve with couscous or some form of rice pilau. This should have a sweet spicy taste, cinnamon, cumin seed, onion, sultanas, sunflower seeds or similar sorts of thing.

Hummus (Quick and Tasty!)

Tin of chickpeas
garlic
cumin
lemon
yoghurt

Wash chickpeas under running water to remove salt and drain well. Place chickpeas in blender or food processor with garlic, cumin, olive oil and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Adjust to own taste and stir in yoghurt.