Guava Pie

This would work well with fresh figs.


3 tbsp plain flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
pastry for a 22 cm (9 inch) crust
4 cups guava, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp buttter, cut in small pieces


Mix together the flour, sugar and salt.  Set aside.  Line a 22 cm (9 inch) pie plate with pastry.  Fill with sliced guava, slightly mounding in the centre.  Sprinkle the flour and sugar mixture evenly over the guavas.  Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter.  Cover the top pastry and flute the edge.  Cut several vents into top crust to allow steam to escape.  Bake in a preheated 230 C (450 F) oven for 10 minutes, then reduce to 175 C (230 F) and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes.

Steamed Lemon Pudding

Serve this light lemon pudding with cream or custard.  Lemon curd could be added as well.

150g (5 oz) butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 large lemons, rind finely grated
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
cream or custard to serve

Grease a 6 cup capacity pudding basin (I use canola oil spray).
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and lemon rind until light and creamy. 
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift flour over the mixture.  Add the lemon juice.  Fold until just combined.
Spoon batter into basin, smooth the surface.  Cover the basin with foil, and secure with string.
Place the pudding into a large saucepan.  Pour boiling water into the saucepan so it comes halfway up the side of basin.  Cover saucepan and simmer pudding over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours, adding more boiling water if needed.
Lift pudding out of saucepan.  Remove foil and string.  Turn pudding onto a warm plate.  Cut into wedges and serve with cream or custard.

Sticky Date Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Cream Topping

180g (6 oz) dates, pitted and chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence
180g (6 oz) self raising flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
80g (3 oz) unsalted butter
150g sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Salted Caramel Cream
125g caster sugar
80ml (3 fl oz)double cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
       
Preheat oven to 180 C fan forced ( 350 F).
Pour 180ml boiling water over the dates in a heatproof bowl and leave to soak for 20 mins.  Use a fork to break up the dates.  Stir in the vanilla essence.
Sift the flour and bicarb soda into a bowl and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar for 5 mins until very light and creamy.  Add eggs gradually, beating between each addition, and adding 1 tbsp flour about halfway through to prevent curdling.
Lastly, fold in the remaining flour and then the date mixture.
Place paper cases into a 12 hole muffin pan.
Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 20 to 30 mins.  The tops should spring back when pressed with a finger.  Remove and leave to cool.

Salted Caramel Topping
Dissolve the sugar and 60 ml water in small solid saucepan over a gentle heat, then increase the heat to a boil.  Wait a few minutes, leaving the pan undisturbed but watching it carefully.  As soon as it changes to a wonderful caramel colour (like strong tea) and is thicker, remove immediately from the heat, stand well back, and add the cream.  It may splatter a little.  Keep stirring, and add the salt and vanilla.  Leave until cold.

Sticky Date Pudding

 250g (8oz) pitted dates, chopped
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups self raising flour, sifted

Caramel sauce
1 cup brown sugar
300 ml (10 fl oz) double cream
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
60g (4 1/2 oz) butter

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Grease and line the base of a 22 cm (9 inch) cake tin.
Place dates and bicarb soda into a bowl, and pour over the boiling water.  Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition.  Using a metal spoon, fold through date mixture until well combined.
Spoon mixture into the prepared cake tin.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the
centre comes out clean.  Turn onto a plate.
Make the sauce.  Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce comes to the boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 2 minutes.
Pierce pudding all over with a skewer.  Pour 1/2 cup of warm sauce over the warm pudding.  Stand for 10
minutes.  Serve in wedges with the remaining sauce.

Deep Fried Pork Balls

 

I use a stand alone deep fryer with a lid and temperature control.  I have it ready with a base heat, and when I am ready to cook the dish, I raise the heat to the required level and away I go.   Be careful to have the temperature at the right level.  Too high and the meat balls cook a little too much. They should be a lighter colour than in the above photo, it was a little too high.  They were gobbled up but I knew they weren't quite perfect!

Makes approximately 24

500g (1 pound) minced pork

2 water chestnuts

1 onion

1 clove garlic

1 slice fresh ginger

1 egg

2 tablespoons cornflour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

oil for deep frying

Chop the water chestnuts properly.  Chop and mince the onion, garlic and ginger.  Beat the egg lightly.  Mix them with the minced pork, cornflour, salt and soy sauce until well blended.  Form into balls about the size of walnuts.

Heat oil in a deep fryer.  Fry the meat balls about 6 at a time.  Deep fry each lot for about 3 minutes at a time, and put aside.  Finally, put all the meat balls together and give them a final deep fry for 1 1/2 minutes.  Drain thoroughly and serve.  Serve them plain or dip them into the following Salt and Pepper Mix.

Salt and Pepper Mix

2 tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Heat the salt and pepper in a small, dry frying pan over a low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly until there is a strong smell of pepper.  This is best prepared fresh.

Vegetable Curry with Potato, Pumpkin, Carrot and Peas

You can vary the vegetables in this curry dish.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large brown onion, finely chopped

1/2 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 or 2 red chillies, finely chopped

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 medium potatoes, cut into small uniform-sized cubes

2 large carrots, cut into small pieces

1 medium size wedge of pumpkin or 1 butternut pumpkin, cut into small uniform-sized cubes
1/2 to 1 cup peas

1 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons garam masala

Heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions, chillies and ginger.  Stir and fry 5 to 10 minutes until onions are softened.

Add the turmeric and salt.  Mix well.

Add the potatoes, pumpkin and carrots. Mix well and cover.  Simmer over medium heat until vegetables are just tender. 

Add the salt and garam masala to the vegetables.  Mix well.  cook for 1 or 2 minutes.  

Serves 4 to 6.

Dhal

Nutritious and inexpensive, Dhal is a marvellous accompaniment to meat and / or vegetable curries. 

 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

250 g (8 oz) red lentils

1 or 2 red chillies, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

4 1/2 cups boiling water

3 tomatoes, quartered

2 onions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped

Put lentils, chilli and salt into a saucepan with boiling water, and cook until tender.  Puree lentils in a blender or food processor or push through a sieve.  Fry tomatoes and onions in oil until golden.  Add to lentils with ginger and cook for 5 minutes.  The Dhal should have a thick consistency.  Serves 4 to 6.

Kofta Curry

A Kofta Curry is an Indian Meatball Curry.   One of my favourite Indian dishes, it is pictured below with some Vegetable Curry.

Meatballs

500g (1 lb) of finely minced beef

1 onion, finely chopped

1 or 2 red chillies, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons of fresh coriander leaves

1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon chilli powder

flour

oil for frying

Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon garam masala

1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Meatballs

Mix beef with onion, chillies, coriander, garlic, salt, garam masala and chilli powder.  Mix together until stiff and smooth( you can use a food processor).  Roll into medium size balls and dust lightly with flour.  Fry in shallow oil until golden on all sides. Set aside to drain.

Sauce

Fry the onion and ginger in oil until soft.  Add turmeric, salt, garam masala and chilli powder and stir for a minute, then add tomatoes.  Cook while stirring for a minute.  Stir in lemon juice and water.  Add meatballs and stir to coat with sauce.  Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce is thick.  Serves 4.

Hokkien Noodles Stir Fried with Satay Beef

600g hokkien noodles
350g rump steak, finely sliced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1 medium red capsicum, finely sliced
150g broccoli florets
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup satay sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1/3 cup thin soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketjap manis
150g snow peas, topped and tailed
1-2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

Soak the noodles in hot water for 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
Heat oil in wok, and stir fry the beef and ginger, in batches, until browned. Remove the beef and set aside.
Heat oil in wok, then stir fry the onion, capsicum and broccoli until just tender.
Return the beef to the work, add the juice and sauces, stir fry until it boils.
Add the noodles and snow peas, stir fry until hot.
Add coriander leaves, and stir fry until combined.
Serve sprinkled with the chopped peanuts.

La Ribollita - Tuscan Bean and Vegetable Soup

A month in Tuscany, and what better Italian dish to enjoy than La Ribollita, the Tuscan Bean and Vegetable Soup? On returning home, I was determined to make this for family and friends. Some of the recipes I have seen don't include the second cooking, but this seems to be a necessity. This soup is so thick you can stand a spoon up in it.

2 1/2 cups of dried haricot beans, soaked overnight and drained
2 tablesp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 leeks, finely chopped
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
small piece hot chilli pepper
1 ham bone
salt and pepper

Garnish:
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
1 sprig thyme, finely chopped
8 slices bread, toasted
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and gently fry the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, leeks, rosemary and the piece of chilli until they begin to turn brown. Add the beans and ham bone. Cover with water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 1 to 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Remove the ham bone and process half the beans in a blender or food processor, then return to the soup.
Heat 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil and gently fry the the crushed garlic cloves and thyme until golden. Strain half the oil into the soup, discard the garlic. Stir the soup well.
Arrange the slices of toast at the bottom of a wide casserole dish, sprinkle with half the parmesan cheese and pour the soup over the top. Cover with the onion slices and add the rest of the oil and grated parmesan cheese. Cook in a moderate oven (375 F, 180 C) for about half an hour.