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.

Guavas in Syrup

My neighbour has a guava tree but does not like guavas. She gives them to me and I cook them up in this simple syrup. Don't forget the tot of rum or other liquor, it seems to round off the flavour. This is delicious with vanilla ice cream.

About 1 dozen medium guavas, peeled and sliced
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
A tot of rum or other spirits

Slowly bring the water and sugar to the boil in a pan, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Add the guavas and the rum.
Gently poach until the fruit is soft.

Baked Pears in Syrup

This is a perfect dessert: easy to make, delicious to eat. I enjoy these pears just on their own, but they are also good with ice cream.


8 to 10 firm large Bosc pears
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
juice of one lemon

Peel and core the pears, and cut them into quarters. Make the syrup by combining sugar, water and lemon juice in a pan on the stove top. Cook for about five minutes, and then pour the syrup over the peeled pears. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place pears in shallow baking dish, and pour the syrup over them. Bake for about one hour or until the pears are tender. The syrup will reduce and thicken. Turn pears when half done.

Indian Melon Curry

2 tablespoons oil
1/2 brown onion, finely chopped
2 thin slices fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/4 to one chilli pepper, minced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cardamon seeds, crushed
pinch of salt
3 cups rock melon or honeydew melon, cubed
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons honey

Heat oil. Fry onion, fresh ginger, chilli pepper until soft.
Add turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin and crushed cardamon. Stir and fry for one minute.
Add melon cubes, and stir to combine with spices.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add the lemon juice and honey. Mix well, bring to boil over medium heat.
Simmer one or two minutes to heat the melon.
Serve hot or cold.

Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 thin slices laos, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh chilli, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon blachan shrimp paste
1 cup cooked meat, finely sliced
1/2 cup cashew nuts
3 to 4 cups cooked rice
spring onions or fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Heat the oil. Add onions, garlic, fresh chilli and laos, and gently fry until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add coriander, cumin and blachan and stir for about one minute.
Add nuts and cooked meat.
Add the cooked rice, and gently heat.
Serve garnished with spring onions or fresh coriander leaves.

Note: laos, a spice much like fresh ginger, can be found in oriental shops or some vegetable shops. If you cannot obtain it, you may leave it out.

Mushroom and Onion Quiche

This beautiful recipe makes good use of the wild mushrooms I collect in the Australian autumn, usually in May. Depending on the weather, I sometimes find them as early as February. I chop them, cook them simply in olive oil, and then freeze them.

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
3/4 cup milk
1 small onion, chopped very finely
2 large eggs
250g (1/2 lb) fresh mushrooms, sliced
125g (1/4 lb) bacon, fried and drained
250g (1/2 lb) cheddar cheese, shredded
one 23 cm (9inch) pie shell, baked

Saute onion in butter 3 to 4 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat; drain and cool slightly. Sprinkle crumbled bacon into pie shell. Cover with onion-mushroom mixture. Cover with grated cheese. Lightly beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 230 degrees Celsius (450 degrees Farenheit ) f0r 12 minutes. Reduce oven to 150 C (300 F) and bake for 25 to 40 minutes until set.


This recipe comes from a website called "the Kitchen of Babsonline", but it appears to have vanished from the online world.

Mocha Frosting

This quick and simple recipe makes enough frosting to sandwich two layers. Or save half the quantity for another single layer cake.

1/2 cup butter, softened
5 cups icing (powdered) sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup strong coffee
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
milk (optional)

Cream butter at medium speed in an electric mixer. Add sugar, cocoa, coffee, and vanilla, beating until fluffy. Add enough milk, if necessary, to make frosting a spreading consistency, beating well.

Onion Tart 2

This onion tart is simple to make, and less rich than the earlier one featured in this blog. It is best if left until the following day.

4 tablespoons olive oil or butter
6 medium onions (about 900 g/1.9 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced
3 thyme sprigs
salt
one sheet shortcrust pastry for 23 (9 inch) cm flan tin or ceramic dish

Heat the oil or butter in a low-sided heavy-bottomed pan. Cook the onions over medium slow heat until soft and juicy. This will take about 30 minutes. Add salt and cook a few minutes more. Put into a bowl to cool. If the onions are very juicy, pour them into a strainer over a bowl to drain. Remove the liquid.
Roll out the pastry into the flan tin or ceramic dish.
Spread the onions over the dough (removing the thyme sprigs as you go).
Bake on the bottom rack of a preheated 190 C/375 F for 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown on the bottom. Slide the tart on a rack to cool. Serve warm.

Note: You may add some black olives and anchovies for more flavour, if desired.

This is an adapted recipe from Alice Waters' book, "The Art of Simple Food: Recipes, Notes and Lessons from a Delicious Revolution", 2007.

Pavlova

This classic Australian dessert looks good and tastes even better, and my guests said recently it was the best pavlova they have ever tasted!

Serves 6 to 8.

6 egg whites, at room temperature
pinch salt
2 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
whipped cream for filling
fruit or other topping of your choice

If you have a gas oven, preheat it to very hot (230 C/450 F) before starting to mix pavlova. If you have an electric oven, preheat it to slow (150 C/300 F).

Beat egg whites with salt at high speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop beating when all sugar has been incorporated and fold in vinegar and vanilla.

Pile mixture into a greased 20 cm (8 inch) china flan dish and lightly smooth top.
OR pile mixture into a greased 20 cm (8 inch) springform tin and lightly smooth top.
OR cover a baking tray with greased foil, mark a 20 cm (8 in) circle; mould up sides with a spatula and make a slight depression on top.

If using a gas oven, turn heat to lowest temperature, put pavlova in and bake 1 1/2 hour or until crip on top and a pale straw colour.

If using an electric oven, put pavlova in and bake 45 minutes, then turn oven off and leave with door shut for 1 hour.

When pavlova is cooked, remove from oven and cool completely. Remove sides of springform tin, if using. Fill pavlova generously with whipped cream, then with your choice of topping.

NOTE: The meringue may be sprinkled with blanched, slivered almonds before baking. They will toast to a golden brown.

This recipe comes from Margaret Fulton's "Encyclopaedia of Food and Cookery", 1983.