raspberry and white chocolate friands

what you need
125g fresh or frozen raspberries
185g butter, melted
6 egg whites
1 x 100g packet almond meal
1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
100g white chocolate, chopped

what to do
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 8 x 1/2 cup capacity loaf friand pans.
Crush 1/2 cup (75g) of the raspberries, place in large bowl with butter, egg whites, almond meal, flour, sugar and chocolate, and mix until combined.
Pour evenly among prepared pans. Scatter with remaining raspberries. Bake 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Stand 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar and serve with a little raspberry coulis, if desired.

italian sausage and cheese calzone

whay you need
400g plain flour
100g semolina
1½ cups warm water
60ml olive oil
7g sachet dried yeast
1 Tbsp salt flakes
Extra 1 Tbsp olive oil
300g spicy italian pork sausages, out of their skins
2 large brown onions, sliced
¼ bunch oregano, leaves picked
Extra salt flakes and pepper, to season
400g ricotta
200g cherry bocconcini
150g parmesan, grated

what to do
Preheat oven to 200ºC. Put flour and semolina in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Attach dough hook. In a jug whisk together water, oil and yeast.

Turn mixer on low and pour in yeast mixture. Once all liquid has been added, increase speed to high, add salt and mix for 5 minutes until dough is soft and silky. Remove dough hook and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Put bowl in a warm place and allow dough to prove for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

Heat extra oil in a frypan. Add sausages and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes or until brown. Add onion, reduce heat to low and cook for 25 minutes. Add oregano and season with extra salt and pepper.

Divide dough into 4 portions and roll out into rounds. Divide ricotta between rounds, tear over cherry bocconcini and drizzle with a little oil. Season with salt flakes and pepper. Sprinkle over parmesan and top with sausage mixture.

Fold over dough rounds to form half-moon shapes, then rope-twist the edges or press with a fork to seal. Put calzones on a heavy tray or preheated pizza stone and bake for 30 minutes or if your lucky as i am cook it in your wood fired oven..
Stand for 10 minutes, before serving

roasting meat

Roasting large pieces of meat to the correct doness can be fairly difficult at times and once the roast is too much done, there is no turning back anymore.

The easiest solution to avoid disappointment is to use a meat thermometer. I prefer this “scientific” approach much better than how i learnt many years ago by “poking” a meat fork into the meat and establishing the doness of the meat by trying to judge the cooking temperature by the color of the juice that sipped out of the whole where the fork was removed and/or the temperature of the needle held against the lower lip ( which if well done can burn). This might be the “old fashion method” but it still works just as well especially when one is experienced in using this method.

What you'll need
* Meat thermometer, digital or analog
* Meat fork or stainless steel needle


What to do
While one can leave the thermometer inside the joint/roast while roasting, this is not always advisable as, especially when roasting meat on a BBQ grill, due to the basting with liquid or marinate.

Stick you needle into the meat, so that the needlepoint reaches the middle of the thickest point of the roast. Depending on the type of thermometer used, ensure that you allow time for the needle to come up to the final reading.

All meat should be well rested after roasting.
This is done on a warm (below 60C or 140 F) place; 10–20 minutes depending on the size of the roast will be sufficient. This will help in equally distributing the juices throughout the meat and the meat will be equally done rather then very bloody on the inside and grey around the edge of the meat.

In general the meat will “heat through” a bit during the resting period, one should calculate approximately 10% additional “cooking” during the resting period.

As a general guideline to determine the doneness follow these temperatures:

Very Rare / 45C (113F) / blood of meat will be cold
Rare / 50C (122F) / deep red to purple, “bloody”
Medium Rare / 55C (131F) / dark red
Medium / 60C (140F) / pale red,
Medium Well / 65C (150F) / light red to pink, almost clear
Well Done / 71C (160F) and above / clear, no blood visible

beef and red wine jus

Ever wondered how to make that dark rick sauce that nearly every restaurant serves with their meat dishes, while it is best to make your own stock, there is nothing wrong with the good commercial ones you can by from the supermarket.

What you'll need
2 litre Veal or beef Stock
1 litre red wine
2 shallots (eschallots) peeled and halved
4 sprigs tyme
3 bay leaves

What to do
Place all the ingredients except for the veal stock in a sauce pan over a low flame and reduce by ½ (I usually make a little pen mark on the outside of the pot, so I know when it is half).

Add the veal stock and reduce that amount by half again.

Strain, portion and freeze and use as required for your next dinner party.

A little more than a tablespoon is all that is needed per serving of beef, lamb etc; so you should have enough here for a few dinner parties.

prawn oil

Next time you prepare a dish that leaves you with a lot of left over shells do not throw all those wonderful bits out, instead make up this oil and you will regret every time you did throw them out. With this oil in your fridge you will be able to add a beautiful richness to a large range of dishes.

What you'll need
1 kg of any or all of the following: prawn, crab, lobster or bug heads & shells
1 brown onion (peeled and roughly chopped)
carrot (peeled and roughly chopped)
stalk of celery (roughly chopped)
2 bay leaves
A few sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp tom paste
1 litre (1 quart) virgin olive oil


What to do
Crack, break or chop the shells into pieces (approx the size of a thumb nail).

In a large heavy based pot over high heat add a few tbs of olive oil and sauté the carrot, onion and celery until soft.

Add the shells and tomato paste and continue to cook a further 5-8 minutes.

Carefully pour in the remaining oil, add the bay leaves and thyme, make sure that all the ingredients are covered in oil, you may need to add more than a litre depending on the shape and size of your pot.
* Leave on high heat for 5 minutes and then reduce to low and allow to cook for at least 3 hours.

Turn off and allow to cool for at least 2 hours.

Once cooled strain though a colander and allow solids to drain of all the oil.

Discard the solids and strain the liquid through a fine chinois (sieve) at least twice.

Once oil is completely cooled down transfer it to a bottle and it will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of months.

chefs tip
When using the oil in recipes you will need to remove it from the fridge about an hour before you need it so it can become liquid again.

Use it as the oil called for in any seafood pasta dish. Toss it through any al'dente pasta along with a little chopped parsley. Drizzle it on top of any soup. Cook scrambled eggs with salmon in it. Once you understand the flavours in it, let your imagination run wild.

parmesan and herb crumbed lamb

This dish, although inspired by the abundance of herbs in late spring, is a wonderful dish to have any time of year. I find it a great choice for entertaining, as you can crumb the lamb hours before. All you'll need to do when your friends arrive is cook the lamb, let the wine breathe and sit down to dinner.

what you need
12 lamb cutlets (ask your butcher to French, slightly tenderize and flatten them)
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
4 tablespoons grated parmesan
2 cups plain flour
4 eggs
1 cup milk

For the lamb
Lightly beat the egg and add the milk.

Place the flour into a wide bowl or dish and season with salt and pepper.

Place the crumbs, parmesan and herbs into a wide bowl or dish and mix in the pesto, (it may become lumpy but keep mixing it until you have an even texture.

Dust the cutlets in the flour, keeping the bone clean.

Then one at a time, moisten them with the egg and milk wash, again keeping the bone clean.

Allow the egg wash to slightly drain off and crumb them with the pesto bread crumb mix.

Place in the fridge if you are preparing ahead of time, or move right onto the next step.

Over medium-high heat, brown them off in a little butter mixed with extra virgin olive oil and transfer them to the oven for 5-10 minutes depending on whether you want well done or medium-rare cutlets.

I recommend a medium bodied red such as a Cabernet Sauvignon to go with the lamb.

Great as party food or serve as a meal with Caponata and mash potatoes and crusty bread.

peach and buttermilk muffins

what you need
2 cups rolled oats (regular oats not instant or fast cook)
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/4 cups self-raising flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
415g can peach slices in natural juice, drained, diced

what to do
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease three 6-hole, 1/3-cup capacity muffin pans.

Place oats, buttermilk, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.

Sift flour and cinnamon over oat mixture. Add sugar. Stir gently to combine. Fold in peach. Spoon mixture into muffin holes to completely fill (muffins won't rise much, due to the oats).

Bake muffins for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve muffins warm with cream cheese.

tomato dust

This is perhaps the simplest of recipes and one of those that sound so fancy on a restaurant menu
But, tomato dust or powder is a handy thing to have around the kitchen. Use it as simple decoration sprinkled on the rim of plates or dust a little on top of the mascarpone that I like to top a creamy pasta with or to sprinkle on a savory souffle.

The same process can be applied to slivers of beetroot or carrots, citrus peel (peel only, all the white pith needs to be removed) and slivers of sweet potatoes to achieve different flavors and colors.

What you'll need

Tomato peel - the peel that is left and dis-garded when peeling tomatoes



What to do

Spread out the tomato peels on a baking paper lined sheet pan, or rack and dry in an oven at 80 C (175 F) for approx 2 hours, until the tomato skins are completely dry and crisp.

Place the crisp tomato peel into a coffee grinder or blender and turn it into a fine dust.

Store in a dry shaker for usage anytime when needed.

rich chocolate brownies

What you'll need
500g butter
1Kg flour

120gr Sugar
8 Eggs
70g Cocoa Powder
50g Dark Chocolate
250g Roasted Hazelnuts (Chopped)

What to do
Heat the chocolate and butter until melted, don't boil. Pour into a large bowl and whisk in the sugar, adding the eggs one at a time, then sift in the flour and cocoa and chopped hazelnuts.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper and pour in the mixture, Bake at 150*c (302 F) for 35 minutes.

Remove the brownie from the baking tray, trim the edges off and cut into portions.

Top with some vanilla bean ice cream and a rich chocolate fudge sauce.

braised duck tagliatelle

what you need
duck marylands
1 large onion and 1 carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup (70g) tomato paste
1 tbs plain flour
2 cups (500ml) dry red wine
300ml chicken stock
2 bay leaves and 2 tbs thyme leaves
Pared rind and juice of 1 orange
500g tagliatelle or any wide pasta
2 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley

what to do
Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Place a large flameproof casserole over medium heat. Add duck, skin-side down, and cook for 6 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 4 minutes. Remove duck and drain fat, leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the onion, carrot and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a further minute.

Sprinkle with the flour and stir to combine. Add the wine, stock, herbs, rind and juice. Bring to the boil and season. Return the duck to the pan, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours.

Remove the duck from sauce, skim as much residual fat from the surface as you can. Place casserole over medium heat. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until sauce has reduced slightly. When duck is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and shred meat. Return meat to casserole.

To serve, cook pasta in boiling salted water according to packet instructions, then drain. Return to the pan, add the sauce and toss to combine. Divide pasta among plates and serve sprinkled with parsley and grated parmesan, with a watercress, fennel and orange salad.

Note :
You can use ready made pasta, or you will find a recipe for fresh pasta on my site.
A maryland is the leg and thigh of the duck

pumpkin and date mufins

what you need
2oz butter or margarine
6oz brown sugar
125mls water
1 egg (well beaten)
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
100gr cooked and pureed pumpkin
6oz pitted dates cut into thirds and soaked in hot water

what to do
Preheat oven to 180f
Melt butter and brown sugar in the water and place into fridge to cool.
Grease muffin tray with butter or margarine
Beat the egg well and add pour the sugar/butter/water mix in and stir well
Sieve the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl make a well in the center and
pour the liquid in and stir until smooth add dates and spoon into tray and bake for 25 to 30 minutes

warm pumpkin and goats cheese salad

what you need

1/2 small jap pumpkin (skin on), cut into thin wedges
100ml olive oil
1 tbs thyme leaves
150g firm goat's cheese, cut into rounds
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 cups mixed baby salad leaves

what to do
Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Toss pumpkin with 2 tablespoons of the oil and thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, turning once, until cooked and lightly caramelised. Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, brush the cheese rounds with 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil and coat in the breadcrumbs. Place on a separate greased baking tray and chill until just before you're ready to serve the salad.

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the goat's cheese in the oven for 5-6 minutes until crumbs are golden.

Toss the salad leaves and pumpkin in half the vinaigrette and pile onto plates. Add the warmed goat's cheese and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.

note: you can substitute panko crumbs for dry breadcrumbs

orange and poppy seed muffins

what you need
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/3 cup extra-light olive oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly whisked
2 large oranges, rind finely grated, juiced
100g cream cheese
1/4 cup pure icing sugar


what to do
Preheat oven to 200°C. Place twelve 1/2-cup capacity extra-strength muffin cases on a baking tray (see note).
Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in sugar and poppy seeds. Make a well in the centre.

Whisk oil, buttermilk, egg, 2 teaspoons orange rind and 1/2 cup orange juice in a jug.

Pour into well. Gently fold until just combined. Three-quarter fill muffin cases with mixture. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand muffins on tray for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Place cream cheese and icing sugar in a small bowl. Using a wooden spoon, beat until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind and 1 teaspoon orange juice and stir until well combined. Spoon mixture on top of muffins.

pumpkin, ricotta and sage lasagne

what you need
1.2kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tbs chopped sage, plus 12 whole leaves to serve
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
350g ricotta
1 egg
1 cup grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
8 fresh lasagne sheets
100g unsalted butter
2 tbs chopped walnuts

what to do
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Place the pumpkin on a baking tray, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with chilli flakes and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with foil and roast for 25 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Allow to cool slightly.

Puree pumpkin in a food processor with the chopped sage and nutmeg. Set aside. Clean processor, then process the ricotta, egg, parmesan, salt and pepper.

Lightly grease a 24cm-square baking dish. Lay 2 lasagne sheets over the base and spread with half the pumpkin. Add another layer of lasagne sheets, then spread with half the ricotta. Repeat process, then sprinkle final layer of ricotta with extra parmesan. Lay a sheet of baking paper over surface, cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden. Stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the butter, sage leaves and walnuts in a pan for 1-2 minutes over medium heat until the butter starts to foam. Remove from the heat.
Serve the lasagne drizzled with sage butter, scattered with extra parmesan.

ricotta and blueberry muffins

what you need
75g butter, softened
175g reduced-fat ricotta
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/3 cup milk
150g fresh or frozen blueberries

what to do
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12 x 1/3-cup capacity muffin pan with paper muffin cases.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, ricotta, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift flour over butter mixture. Add milk. Gently fold in flour and milk until just combined. Fold in berries.
Spoon into muffin cases. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.
Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

chicken and chorizo rolls

what you need

1 cup (70g) fresh breadcrumbs
500g chicken breast mince
i chorizo sausage,finely chopped/minced
1 egg, plus 1 extra lightly beaten egg
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 onion, grated
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 sheets frozen puff pastry, just thawed
good homemade Tomato to serve with

what to do
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
Process crumbs, chicken and unbeaten egg in a food processor until well combined.
Place in a bowl, mix well with all other ingredients, then season to tase.
Place 1 pastry sheet on a floured surface and halve.
Spoon an eighth of the mixture lengthways along centre of each piece. Fold 1 edge of pastry over and tuck in beside filling, then fold over other side to make a roll, pressing down lightly to seal. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.
Cut rolls into 3cm pieces and cut two small incisions into each roll to prevent splitting.
Place on baking sheets, cover and chill for 30 minutes. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the rolls are lightly browned and cooked through.

Serve with sauce on the side

Lime, Chilli and Gin Jelly Oyster Shots

what you need
10 rock oysters
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons gelatine
zest of one lime
juice of one lime
60ml gin
1/2 red chilli finely chopped
tabasco sauce to taste
1 lime, sliced into thin wedges

what to do
Divide oysters between 10 shot glasses.
Bring stock to the boil, remove from heat. Add gelatine and stir until gelatine has dissolved. Stir in all other ingredients. Cool to room temperature.

Pour mixture evenly over oysters. Top with lime wedges.

Chill for 1-2 hours until set.

chicken stock

A good Chicken Stock is the building block of many a good soup, sauce and stew. Quality home made stock is to the Chef as much a staple as good olive oil, butter, salt and pepper. Although there are many retail varieties of stocks now available, many of them I find too salty and contain a lot of unwanted additives. Plus I find something very enjoyable and therapeutic about making stocks for my kitchen. Not only can you claim to your quests that the entire dish is made from scratch but you will know exactly what is in the food you are eating.

What you'll need
6 chicken carcasses approx 1.5-2 kilos (4 lbs)
2 medium onions (peeled & quartered)
2 celery stalks (washed & roughly chopped)
2 peeled carrots (peeled & roughly chopped)
3 bay leaves
5-6 black peppercorns
Cold water

Makes approximately 3 litres of stock

What to do
Place all the ingredients in a large pot and cover with water.
Bring it all to the boil.
Once boiling immediately reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 4 hours.
Every hour skim the foam off that accumulates on top and discard.
Strain the stock.
Discard the solids (if you used meaty carcasses, feel free to pull any of the meat off and use as desired).
Strain the stock through a fine strainer to remove any fine solid particles.
Refrigerate over night, (the following day remove and discard they layer of hard fat that has solidified on top overnight).

The stock can now be used as required, refrigerated for 2-3 days, or portioned and freeze to be used at your convenience for up to a few months.

Note:
If a very clear broth is desired, leave out the carrots and simmer for only 2-3 hours.
If a richer, darker stock is required brown the bones first in a 200 degree oven (400 Fahrenheit) and simmer for 6-8 hours (this may require adding more water during the simmering process to prevent the stock drying up).

Focaccia

what you need
310ml (1 1/4 cups) warm water
2 tsp (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
2 tsp caster sugar
3 1/2 tbs olive oil
450g (3 cups) plain flour
2 tsp sea salt flakes
1 1/2 tbs fresh rosemary leaves
20 pitted kalamata olives

what to do
Combine the water, yeast, sugar and 2 tablespoons of oil in a small bowl. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 5 minutes or until frothy. Place flour and half of the sea salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in yeast mixture. Use a wooden spoon to stir until combined, then use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Brush a bowl with oil to grease. Place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Brush a 20 x 30cm Swiss roll pan with 2 teaspoons of remaining oil. Punch down centre of the dough with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes or until dough is elastic and has returned to original size. Press into the prepared pan. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm, draught-free place to prove for 20 minutes or until doubled in height. Use your finger to press dimples into the dough. Brush with remaining oil and sprinkle over rosemary and remaining salt. Press the olives into the dough.
Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and focaccia sounds hollow when tapped on base.
Serve warm or at room temperature with good olive oil for dipping or filled with a variety of continental meats and marinatd vegetable and a little aoili

Margherita Pizza

Margherita is a pizza prepared according to a recipe of the Italian chef Raffaelle Esposito. The pizza was first made in 1899 when Queen Marghereta visited Napels to escape a cholera epidemic in the north of Italy. The ingredients used to make a Margherita pizza, tomatos, mozzarella cheese and basil, imitate the colors of the Italian flag. Queen Margherata liked the pizza so much that she wrote a thank you letter to Esposito, who decided to name the pizza after the Queen.

what you need
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. plum Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 12" uncooked dough crust
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 fresh basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese

what to do
Combine 2 Tbls. olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and salt in bowl.
Allow to marinate while making dough.
Brush dough crust lightly with olive oil.
Top with cheese, then tomatoes.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake in preheated 480F oven on pizza stone for 8−10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
Remove from oven and top with parmesan cheese, then basil.

Cool on a for 2−3 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

pecan pie pizza

I tried this pizza the other night for a group of friends and while they all only took one slice, to be polite of course, deep down i know they all wanted more, nice and warm straight from the oven and topped with vanilla bean ice cream. it wa so good.

what you need
10-12 inch basic pizza base
caramel sauce
110 gr caster sugar
1 cups pouring cream

what to do
Place sugar in a deep heavy-based frying pan and place over low-medium heat and stir until sugar just begins to dissolve. Cook without stirring, but shaking pan occasionally, until a golden-amber caramel forms. Meanwhile, heat cream in another saucepan until almost boiling, then gradually add to caramel, taking care as mixture will spit violently. Return mixture to heat and stir until well combined and smooth. Serve sauce immediately or cool to room temperature. Sauce will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 1 week. Sauce will thicken once refrigerated, warm to achieve the desired consistency.

pecan filling
150gr butter softened
150gr castor sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 eggs
150gr self raising flour, sifted
200gr roughly choped pecans

what to do
place sugar, butter, vanilla bean paste and eggs in mixer and beat till light and fluffy
add sifted flour and mix thoughly
fold through pecans.

to put together
roll out pizza dough and place on a oiled tray
spread half the caramel sauce once cold over dough leaving a rim around the edge
gently spread the pecan filling over the caramel sauce
bake for approx 10 minutes on 220c or until the centre springs back when touched.
Drizzle withthe remaining caramel sauce and serve hot with vanilla bean icecream

cheat tip... you can always buy the caramel sauce, and use sweet pastry if you prefer over pizza dough.

Spicy cashew nuts

These spicy cashews are great to serve at a party or when friends come over for drinks you can also toss a few into a salad to give some extra crunch

What you'll need
1 kg Raw Cashews
30 grams Sea Salt flakes
50 grams Cajun Spices )
2 Egg Whites Lightly whisked

What to do
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, rub the mixture together with your hands to get a good coating over the cashews

Place on a lightly greased tray and dry at 120degC (250F) for 40 minutes
Once cool keep in an airtight container. They will last for a couple of weeks and you can crisp them up again in an oven at about 100degC (230F) for about ten minutes

Olive, goats cheese & chargrilled vegetable tarts

what you need
Olive oil, to grease
12 60gr short pastry tart cases
120g goats cheese
50g char grilled eggplant, coarsely chopped
10 semi-dried tomatoes, halved length ways
10 pitted black olives, halved lengthways
20 small fresh basil leaves


what to do
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly brush a baking tray with oil to grease. Place the tartlet cases on a prepared tray.

Divide the goats cheese among the cases and top with the eggplant, tomato, capsicum and olive.

Bake in oven for 5 minutes or until just heated through. Top with basil leaves. Arrange on a serving platter to serve.

corn blini with avocado and salmon roe

what you need

1 x 425g can corn kernels, drained
100g (2/3 cup) plain flour
3 eggs
2 small ripe avocados, halved, stones removed, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 tbs fresh lime juice
2-4 drops red Tabasco pepper sauce
Olive oil spray
40g salmon roe
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves

what to do
Reserve 40g (1/4 cup) of the corn. Place the flour, eggs and remaining corn in the bowl of a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, for 3 minutes or until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the reserved corn.

Place the avocado, lime juice and Tabasco in the clean bowl of a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Process for 1 minute or until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

Spray a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil spray to grease. Heat over medium-high heat. Place five 1-tablespoon quantities of the batter into the pan, allowing room for spreading. Cook for 30 seconds each side or until golden. Transfer to a baking tray lined with paper towel. Repeat, in 5 more batches, with the remaining batter, reheating the pan between batches, to make 25 blini.

Spoon the avocado mixture among the blini. Top with salmon roe and coriander leaves to serve

eggplant bruschetta

bruschetta
Bruschetta (pronounced "brusketta") is a traditional italian antipasto, where ‘bruscare’ means ‘to roast over coals’. it is then rubbed with fresh garlic and drizzled with olive oil. Most people think the word ‘bruschetta’ refers to the topping itself and not the dish.

what you need
2 large eggplants sliced
2 gloves garlic crushed
170ml olive oil
juice of one small lemon
salt and cracked pepper to tatse
4 slices bruschetta
grilled dense bread that has ben rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil

what to do
Heat a char grill or pan and place a few pieces of eggplant at time and cook till browned and soft. repaet till all egplant is cooked.
Place egplant in a bowl and combine with all other indredients, season to taste.
Top four slices with the bruchetta mix and drizzle a little extra olive oil over.

panzanelle

what you need
1 loaf white Italian style bread
300ml extra virgin olive oil
100ml balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
capers to tase
5 ripe tomatoes
1 small red onion
½ bunch basil
Salt and pepper to taste

what to do
Remove the crust from the bread. Cut into even sized cubes and bake until golden brown and dry. Cool.

In a bowl place the oil, vinegar and garlic. Add the bread and toss.

Remove the core from the tomatoes and roughly chop. Thinly slice the red onion and add both to the bowl. Pick the basil leaves and tear into small pieces, add the capers. Season to taste and serve immediately.

panettone french toast with mixed berries

what you need
3 eggs 1/3 cup (80ml) thin cream
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
2 tbs caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Two 1.5cm-thick rounds of panettone* (cut across horizontally), quartered
250g frozen mixed berries, thawed
2 tbs icing sugar, plus extra to dust
40g unsalted butter
Thick cream or yoghurt, to serve

what to do
In a wide, shallow bowl, beat eggs, cream, milk, sugar and vanilla. Add the panettone, turn to coat and leave to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down from time to time to ensure it soaks up the batter.

Meanwhile, place half the berries in a blender with icing sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Blend until smooth. Combine with remaining berries and set aside.

Heat half the butter in a non-stick frypan over medium heat. Drain excess egg mixture from half the panettone slices and cook for 1-2 minutes each side until golden. Keep warm while you repeat with remaining butter and panettone.

To serve, place two slices on each plate, dust with icing sugar, and top with berry compote and a dollop of cream.


chefs tip... you can substitute panettone for and dense fruit bread...

seafood stew

with easter now upon us, seafood is the prefered option for many reasons,this great seafood stew is both light and filling, and the flavours you get from really fresh seafood will make all the difference.

what you need
½ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
600g medium green prawns, peeled and butterflied
500g squid, cleaned, sliced into rings
1 fillet anchovy, chopped
½ cup white wine
400g can Italian chopped tomatoes
½ cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley
500g firm white fleshed fish fillets, such as cod or grouper cut into thick strips
600g black mussels, cleaned
extra parsley, to serve

what to do
Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof dish over a medium heat. Add garlic and prawns, cook until prawns are golden brown all over, remove prawns from dish and any garlic slices which are over-browning.

Add squid to dish and cook until golden, remove from pan and set aside. Stir in anchovy, wine, tomatoes and parsley and then bring to boil.

Scatter prawns, squid and fish over sauce in dish. Arrange the mussels standing up-right around edge of pan. Cover with foil, simmer gently for 10 minutes or until mussels have opened and seafood is just cooked through.

Season with salt and pepper, serve with lot of crusty bread

stuffed baby squid

what you need
50g fetta, crumbled
½ chorizo (75g), finely chopped
1 tomato, diced
grated rind of ½ lemon and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup (70g) fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
6 squid tubes, cleaned
1 tablespoon olive oil

what to do
Preheat barbecue or fry pan
Combine fetta, chorizo, tomato, lemon rind, breadcrumbs, parsley and oregano in a bowl. Season with pepper. Spoon into squid tubes and secure with toothpicks. Brush with oil.

Cook squid for 2 minutes each side. Drizzle with lemon juice and cook for another 2 minutes, until opaque and well browned. drizzle with some good olive oil, Serve with lemon wedges."

Ce careful not to overcook or the squid will become very tough

grilled polenta with proscuitto

what you need
3 cups (750ml) chicken stock
1 cup (250ml) milk
1 cup instant polenta
50g unsalted butter

6 slices proscuitto
1 tbs olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
1 red and 1 yellow capsicum, roasted, seeds removed, sliced
1/2 cup small black olives
2 cups wild rocket leaves
Balsamic vinegar, to drizzle

what to do
Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan with 2 cups (500ml) water.
Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to very low. Slowly add the milk, then the polenta, whisking continuously. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, then add the butter and season with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into a 20cm x 30cm shallow baking tray. Allow to cool, then place in the fridge for about 1 hour until firm.
Place a chargrill pan over very high heat or heat a BBQ. Cut the polenta into 6 triangles, wrap with the proscuitto and use the tablespoon of oil to lightly brush both sides. Chargrill for 3 minutes each side until charred and crisp.

To serve, place a wedge of grilled polenta on each plate, top with slices of roasted capsicum, a few olives and some leaves. Drizzle with extra olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar.