Cherries are abundant this time of the year

Hope everyone had a few busy days. I did. I had problems with my blog and couldn't get out my Xmas wishes to everyone. That's modern technology for ya. Anyway, it's all been sorted out and I can write about one of my favourite fruits. Cherries. They are everywhere this time of the year here in Australia. Juicy, dark red and full of flavoursome goodness. It's funny because as a child I had never tried one of these beauties fresh. They were either "glace" in some hideous dessert or deep in maraschino liquer. The first time I tried one I was hooked. I served them the other day as a sweet treat after lunch. Simply dipped in a good couverture dark chocolate and cooled in the fridge. Better than strawberries any day.

I had a few spare after xmas lunch the other day and was wandering how to use them. I scanned my trusty cookbook collection and found a recipe for poached cherries. Very easy and delicious. It's basically 500g of cherries with their stones removed, 1/2 a cup of sugar, the juice of one lemon and a dash of your favourite liquer or port all left to simmer on a low heat in sauce pan for 10 mins. This allows the cherries to soften and release all their wonderful juices. Once the poached cherries had cooled, I put the next part of my plan into action. I grabbed some left over Pandoro (that famous Italian xmas cake) and sliced it thickly. I then toasted it and placed the poached cherries on top. The final touch was to use some left over mascarpone. A good dollop of that and I had a quick and easy dessert.


Try this...you won't be disappointed

This was a real winner and a perfect way to use up leftovers. By the way, best wishes to all this holiday season.

Pete

Tags:quick recipes Sweet Treats recipes desserts Cherries

Soba noodles in chinese spoons

I do hope everyone is enjoying this series on party foods. These little morsels may seem a little labour intensive but I guarantee you your guests will walk away impressed. Another simple yet effective (and tasty!) option is serving canapes in chinese spoons. The spoons are fantastic as they hold a bit of depth and can be easily filled with a number of ingredients to create that perfect mouthful. I love soba noodles and they are quite versatile because they can be eaten hot or cold. They're wonderfully refreshing served as part of a cold salad on a hot day. Once they've cooked and cooled down, dress them in an asian inspired dressing and you have instant gratification. This is another easy recipe to prepare and serve at the last minute at your next function. Go ahead! You'll create instant impact.

SOBA NOODLES
I bought mine at the local Asian deli in Chinatown. They don't take long to cook at all. Bring some water to the boil, throw in your noodles and once the water begins to come to another boil, place in a cup of cold water. Leave for another few minutes and then drain in colander. Rinse them under cold running water and let them drain again. Let them cool down.

DRESSING
This is the fun part. I love Japanese flavours, so I chose those to go with the soba. I mixed about 1/4 cup of Japanese soy with some finely minced ginger, garlic and chili. To that I added a few drops of toasted sesame oil and a good splash of Japanese rice vinegar. I then tossed this mixture through the noodles and let it do its magic. A very flavourful result. At the last minute I added some toasted sesame seeds for garnish.

Make the dressed noodle mixture the day before and leave it in the fridge overnight. Take it out about 30-45 mins before you serve it and drain the dressing. Twirl the noodles around a fork and gently palce on the spoon. Top with tosted sesame seed garnish and serve. Expect to hear "oohs and aahs" from your guests.

Tags:party foods recipes Canapes

Mushroom on Crostini with Ricotta

Continuing in my series of xmas party foods, I present another simple, delicate creation. Mushrooms on crostini with ricotta. Crostini are basically pieces of sliced bread that have been toasted. You can use a baguette to do this and each piece is perfect for your guests to pick up with their fingers. You can also get creative with the toppings. Just be mindful about flavours and not sticking too many items on the toasts.

I use sourdough for my crostini because I love the flavour of that bread. For the mushrooms I make a basil paste in the food processor by whizzing up a bunch of basil leaves with some olive oil and a little garlic. The mushrooms I use are a combination of swiss brown,button and shitake. I fry them in a mixture of olive oil and butter and add the basil paste at the end. The mushrooms take on a different character once they have been married with the basil paste. They get all glossy, shiny and sexy! And you should smell them! The basil does wonders. For the ricotta, I simply squeeze a little lemon juice with salt and pepper to taste. I give it a good stir and let it rest in the fridge.

It's great when you serve the crostini because you can make them earlier and then top them with your favourite ingredients at the last moment. Voila! Instant party food.

Heres the recipe and instructions. (play around with the amounts to your liking. You may want less basil and more mushrooms etc...)

CROSTINI
Slice up a sourdough baguette. Each slice should be about 2cm. Place them on an oven tray and spray them using an olive oil spray. Bake them in a 180 deg C preheated oven for about 5-7 mins. Once they have toasted take them out and let them cool. Once cooled you can store them in an airtight container for later use.

MUSHROOMS
Slice up one kilo of your favourite mushroom combination. Remember they do shrink when cooked so always buy more than you think. Fry them in a combination of olive oil and butter. At the last moment toss through some basil paste (basil, olive oil and garlic whizzed in a food processor). Once the mixture has cooled you can store it in a container in your fridge.

RICOTTA
Simply squeeze some lemon juice into some fresh ricotta. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When you're constructing these for your guests make sure you're organised. Have your oven heating at 180-200 deg C. Pop the desired amount of crostini in and warm them up a little. This will ensure you bring back some life into them! Zap (yes zap!) your mushroom mixture in a microwave oven for about 45 secs to 1 min. Once they have warmed through a little they're ready. Take your crostini and dollop some ricotta over it. Top with some mushrooms and serve immediately.


Delightful, delectable morsels...

Tags:party foods mushrooms ricotta Canapes

Prawn Ceviche in Mini Tortilla Cups

It's that crazy time of the year again. Shoppers scramble to find presents for loved ones in crowded shopping centres. Children draw up lists of presents hoping that Santa will deliver them on Christmas morning. And more importantly, passionate foodies plan mouth watering menus to feed their guests. This year I have opted for a quiet Christmas day but am attending a big party on the night itself. A few days before the 25th of December I will be hosting a Xmas cocktail party. With that in mind I thought I would run through some of the canapes and other goodies I will be serving up. Each day I'll be posting a different recipe. You may even choose to serve some of these very easy party foods with drinks, to settle your guests.

In this part of the world we have hot Christmases. It's very hard for folks on the other side of the world to fathom that there will be no snow or cold weather to enjoy a "traditional Christmas". But here in Australia, we're used to it. So we tend to enjoy "festive" foods much suited to the warmer climate. Hot turkey and gravy? No thanks! I'm thinking cool, calm canapes to enjoy with my champagne. I came across this recipe a few years ago on the internet. It can be prepared a day before and just served on the day. I love it and its extremely easy. Prawn or shrimp "ceviche" in mini tortilla cups. Its not a traditional ceviche in the South and Central American sense. But it's pretty close and tastes mighty good and looks cute too. The recipes cater for about 10 or 12 guests.

For the Ceviche

250-350 grams of finely chopped raw prawns, cleaned and deveined
1/4 of a finely chopped red onion
1or 2 finely diced red chillies
a bunch of coriander leaves finely chopped
a squeeze of half or a whole lime
a good splash of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together and let it marinate for a few hours or even better leave it overnight. Watch the lime juice do its magic as it cooks the prawns and they absorb the wonderful fresh flavours.

For the Mini Tortilla Cups

6-8 large tortillas. The corn variety preferably
olive oil spray
6 inch cookie cutter
mini muffin pan

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. In a hot pan warm the tortillas on each side making sure not to overdo them or burn them. Whilst they are still hot place on a flat surface and begin to cut them using the cookie cutter. Once you have a circle cut place it in the mini muffin pan that has been pre sprayed with the olive oil. Push the mini tortillas into the pan ensuring they are covering the sides and fit snugly and neatly. When the mini muffin pan is full, place it in the oven and let them cook for a further 5-6 minutes. Remove them when done and let them cool on a wire rack. This process may seem a little fiddly but it's really quite easy. You just have to be a little fast.

Before you plate them up make sure that the ceviche has come to room temperature. Fill the mini tortilla cups with the prawn mixture and serve. You may wish to garnish them with a small coriander leaf. Sip champagne and enjoy!


Tasty canape treats...

Tags:party foods Canapes Seafood

Steak with Pea mash

I answered my friends challenge the other day by providing a "hearty" recipe. I thought why not continue with my carnivorous rampage? Bring it on I say! Off I went to the butchers again in search of that perfect meat morsel to cook. I noticed the scotch fillets on display and I gave into my caveman urges once again. They were plump, soft and full of that good ol' marbling that makes it taste that little bit better. Of course, the marbling is fat but its definitely needed in a steak. Without it, we would end up with something dry and similar to cardboard. And I provided the perfect side dish. Minted pea mash. This is another favourite of mine and I tend to cook it more than mashed potatoes. Especially in the winter time. Even though its not winter here in Sydney Australia, the steak and peas are another one of those perfect marriages no matter what the weather is. Add a good Australian shiraz to the mix and you have another easy, fantastic meal.




FOR THE STEAK

Make sure you obtain good quality meat. Eye fillet will do but I just happened to fall in love with the scotch fillets that day. Look for marbling in the meat. It shows that the animal has been grazing on good pastures and has been looked after well. The marbling is essential for the flavour and taste. Simply season them with salt and pepper and sear them in a hot pan on a mediumish heat. Once they have been seared I place the pan with the meat in a hot oven and let it continue to cook for about 10 or so minutes. This will yield a medium temperature. If you must have them well done (sacrilege!) keep them in for an extra 5 minutes. Once they are out of the oven, place them in a separate plate, cover them with foil and let the meat rest. This will ensure the steaks remain juicy and tender. Don't start cleaning that frypan just yet. We're going to use it to make a lovely sauce to accompany the meat.

FOR THE SAUCE

See all those lovely burnt bits at the bottom of the pan? These are going to help us make a nice sauce. You can add a number of things to make a sauce for the steaks. Mushrooms, garlic, peppercorns, wine. Any of those will do. Just don't get too complex. I basically chopped up a few eschallots finely and placed them into the pan with the juices of the steak and the burnt bits. Once they had fried a little I poured in some readily bought beef stock and let the sauce reduce on a high heat. You can add wine here as well and it would really add a lot more depth to the sauce. To thicken the sauce slightly I added a knob of butter. (An old trick I had learnt from my restaurant years). Once the sauce has thickened, its ready. Pour it over your meat and enjoy heartily.

FOR THE PEA MASH

I can ramble on for hours about the reasons to purchase fresh peas and how "fresh is always best". Yes, it's a mantra I definitely stick by. But who has the time to bother with all that? Especially with hungry carnivores circling the kitchen like sharks. The quick and easy way to make the pea mash is to buy frozen minted peas form the freezer section of your supermarket. Place the amount of desired peas in a bowl with a god knob of butter and zap it for a couple of minutes on high in your microwave. Once the peas have been warmed through add them to a food processor. Season with salt and pepper and here's the secret ingredient. Brought to you by the sultry Domestic Goddess Nigella. Add some sour cream or creme fraiche and whizz them until you have a chunky consistency. Don't over process them because you'll have baby food on your hands!

And that my friends is how you bring all these fine ingredients together and make the perfect steak meal. And don't forget the red wine....

Tags:recipes Steak peas

Dukkah Crusted Lamb

A friend noted the other day that I had been cooking a fair few salads here on my blog. He said it would be good if I could do some more meals with "bite". I interpreted that as meaning he wanted some meals that were a little more "filling". So I gave into my caveman instincts and decided to whip a meal fit for any carnivore. With a little flair of course! I had actually been craving lamb since my return from Greece. A quick visit to the local butchers had netted me some beautiful organic lamb fillets. Another visit to the deli and I noticed some freshly prepared dukkah for sale. "Great flavours" I thought. The lamb and the dukkah were a marriage made in heaven. Dukkah is that exotic Middle Eastern blend of ground hazelnuts, toasted sesame seeds, ground cumin and coriander. Traditionally served with bread and olive oil, it's quite versatile and can be used to flavour just about anything. I love its simplicity versatility.

When I got home I brainstormed and worked out this great quick recipe. The coriander or cilantro pesto was a last minute inclusion and added another dimension to the dish. Very simple, very quick and very tasty. I drizzled some extra virgin olive oil over the lamb and then sprinkled a liberal amount of the dukkah over it. I massaged the dukkah into the lamb making sure it was coated evenly. After letting it rest and marinate in the fridge for half an hour I threw it into a hot pan and seared it on all sides. I then placed the pan (with a stainless steel handle...not a plastic one!) into an oven that had been preheating at 200 deg C. I let it "bake" or cook for about 10 mins. Once it was out I placed onto another plate, covered it in foil and let it rest for about 5 mins. It's very important to let the meat rest as this allows it to maintain its juiciness and tenderness. Once I was ready to serve it, I thought it looked kind of naked. It was screaming for something else. So out came the coriander or cilantro to US folks and bang! Another marriage was born! I placed a bunch of coriander leaves and stems into a food processor, added some whole ground roasted almonds, a squeeze of half a lime, a good amount of extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper for seasoning. The "pesto" or salsa was just what the lamb needed. Even I was impressed!


Lamb and coriander pesto

Tags:quick recipes lamb Coriander

Bread Salad

With the warmer weather finally making an impact here in Sydney, it's only appropriate to be whipping up so many salads. I mean how easy and simple. Following the KISS principle and relying on good quality produce, you really can't fail. I had often heard about the Italian bread salad called Panzanella. While I'm not sure the version I tried was "authentic", the flavours were mesmerising and unforgettable. While I was scanning my local deli the other day, I came across a product I had never seen before. It was called Tanour Mountain bread and the packaging explained it was Afghan in origin. It was very similar to the Greek style pita bread and looked similar to a large cooked pizza base. Not one to shy away from trying new things, I quickly snapped it up and started thinking of ways on how to use it.

With so many ingredients left over from my Thai Beef Salad, namely the cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions, I came up with this recipe. I tore the tanour mountain bread up in small bite size pieces and threw it with the cucumbers, red onions and tomatoes. To "Greek" it up a little I used some dried oregano leaves and made a dressing out of extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. It was really refreshing. The vinaigrette had soaked into the bread, the cucumbers were crisp, the tomatoes were bursting with goodness and the red onion provided that extra sharp "sweetness". A perfect summer meal.

While there is no need to follow an exact recipe, its best to experiment sometimes. I just took the basic principles behind a Panzanella salad and applied them to what I had available. I'm sure this salad would work just as well if I had used a rustic style Italian bread. Maybe the addition of some fresh herbs would work wonderfully. Overall a fantastic result.

Tags:Salad recipes Greek

Fresh Thai Beef Salad

Everyone knows my love for Thai food. While I usually prefer to go out and eat it, I occasionally indulge in a bit Thai cooking at home. The flavours are strong but the key is always balance. The Thai version of Beef salad is an old favourite and the perfect summer dish. It really is a complete meal and quite healthy. Oh yeah! and very easy. Make sure you use a good quality beef steak, preferably eye fillet. Here is my version. Authentic or not.

FOR THE SALAD
2-3 pieces of good quality eye fillet
2 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
2 lebanese cucumbers deseeded and sliced
half a small red onion thinly sliced
small bunch of coriander leaves
small bunch of mint leaves
handful of dry roasted peanuts
handful of toasted sesame seeds
fried eschallots for garnishing

FOR THE DRESSING
1/4 cup of good extra virgin olive oil
juice of half a lime
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 small red chili finely chopped
a small portion of palm sugar

PUT IT TOGETHER
1. Pre heat your oven to about 180-200 deg C
2. Place the cucumber, tomato, red onion, coriander, mint, peanuts and sesame seeds in a bowl.
3. Sear your steak in a hot pan and sear it a few mins each side.
4. Place the pan (NOT WITH A PLASTIC HANDLE OF COURSE!) into the oven and leave the beef in there for about 10 mins. Whilst that is cooking, whisk up your dressing. Please note, the dressing is "a taste as you go along" thing. It may need more of one ingredient to find the balance. Remember the Thai mantra for cooking. Spicy. sweet, sour and salty. Have fun and experiment.
5. Take the beef out and let it rest for a few mins. Once rested, slice diagonally like they do in restaurants and toss it in with the salad ingredients. Give it a good toss!
6. Present salad with fried eschallots on top for garnish. (fried eschallots ca be readily bought at most Asian grocery stores)


Taste the fresh flavours

Tags:recipes Salad quick