Perfect Cheesecake Recipe | Simply Recipes

Perfect Cheesecake Recipe | Simply Recipes

Meatloaf cups

Ingredients

6 slices multigrain bread
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 brown onion, grated
100g Primo shortcut rindless bacon, finely chopped
250g beef mince
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons barbecue relish
2 cherry tomatoes, halvedMethod Notes

Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease four 3/4-cup capacity (180ml) texas muffin pan holes. Using a rolling pin, roll 4 slices of bread flat. Use bread slices to line base and side of greased muffin holes (sides will not be completely covered). Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until firm to touch.

Step 2
Place remaining bread in food processor. Process to fine crumbs. Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 3
Combine mince, egg, parsley, relish, breadcrumbs and onion mixture in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Using 1/3 cup of mixture per meatloaf, spoon mixture into bread cases. Press 1 tomato half, cut side up, into each mince top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool in pan.

How You Can Make Crispy Hash Browns like the Diner: Includes Crispy Cheddar Hash Browns

What’s the secret to those crispy hash browns down at the diner?  It’s the water.  You have to get the water out.

You can make hash browns at home just like at the diners.  They are really quite quick and simple—or they wouldn’t be standard dining fare wherever you go.

The best hash browns are fried until they are golden and crispy on the outside and cooked through.  In our quest to make the best hash browns, we tried several methods.  We cooked raw potatoes and parboiled potatoes.  We varied the heat.  We added more butter.  We tried different varieties of potatoes.  Finally we pressed the water from grated, raw potatoes.  Then they worked.

Salty old cooks in diner kitchens place grated, raw potatoes in a kitchen towel and twist the towel to wring the water out.  It works.

You don’t think of potatoes as being high water content but they are.  So when you cook them, you’re creating a ton of steam which softens the potatoes—no crispy hash browns.  Once you get the water out, it’s easy to get them crispy.

Wringing the water out with a kitchen towel seemed crude so we looked for a different method.  A potato ricer presses the water out of grated raw potatoes easily and quickly and gets more water out than a kitchen towel.

Whether you use a towel or a potato ricer, get the water from the potatoes and you’ll make great hash browns just like at the diner.

Perfect Hash Browns

3 cups raw shredded russet potatoes (2 large potatoes)
2 tablespoons sweet onions, grated
2 teaspoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

DirectionsPeel potatoes and coarsely grate them. Rinse them in a strainer with cold water.  Then using a potato ricer compress the water from the potatoes. You may also wring the potatoes in a cloth towel and then pat them dry.

1. In a two-quart bowl, combine the potatoes, onions, and salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes to evenly distribute the ingredients.
2. In a ten-inch frying pan (nonstick works best), melt the butter over medium-high heat. When it is bubbly, add the potatoes and reduce the heat to medium low. Press the potatoes evenly with a large spatula. They should be no more than a half-inch thick. Cook for ten minutes. Then with a spatula, cut the hash browns evenly in to four wedges for easy turning. Turn them over and cook the other side for another seven or eight minutes until the potatoes are tender. Serve hot.

   
   

   Cheddar Hash Browns

   To make cheddar hash browns, add one cup of grated cheese and toss with the other ingredients.  Reduce the salt.

Butternut Snap Rudolph chocolate tartlets

Adults and kids alike will love these festive butternut snap Rudolph chocolate tarts.

• Ingredients

• 250g packet Arnott’s Butternut Snap Cookies
• 65g unsalted butter, chopped
• 1/3 cup cream
• 200g milk or dark chocolate, chopped
• 10 vanilla marshmallows, halved horizontally
• 2 tablespoons vanilla ready-made frosting
• 20 jaffas
• 20 mini vanilla marshmallows, halved crossways
• Rich choc fudge writing icing
• 40 mini star pretzels
  
  • Method
  • Notes
  1. Step 1
     Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Place 1 biscuit over each hole of a 12-hole, 1 1/2 tablespoon-capacity round-based tartlet tin. Bake for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven. Using a small ladle or a lime, carefully press softened biscuits into tin to mould into a cup shape. Allow to cool. Remove from tin and transfer to serving plate. Repeat with remaining biscuits.
  2. Step 2
     Place butter, cream and chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir constantly for 7 minutes or until melted and smooth. Pour into a clean, dry bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until cool but not set.
  3. Step 3
     Fill biscuit cases with 1 heaped teaspoon of chocolate mixture. Place in refrigerator for 20-25 minutes, or until set.
  4. Step 4
     Using the picture as a guide, gently press 1 marshmallow half, cut-side down into each tartlet. Attach 1 jaffa to each marshmallow with ready-made frosting to form a nose, then attach 2 mini marshmallow halves above nose, cut-side up, to form eyes. Use a drop of writing icing to form pupils. Cut pretzels in half to form antler shapes. Place 2 pretzel pieces above eyes. Press to secure. Serve.

Baked apple cake with advocaat Baked apple advocaat cake

Ingredients

 
  Baked Apple VERPOORTEN Cake
(Ingredients for a 26 cm cake tin)
 Ingredients for the Baked Apple VERPOORTEN Cake Short crust Pastry

100 g Sugar
200 g Butter
350 g Plain Four
1 Egg
1 Pinch Salt
 Ingredients for the Baked Apple VERPOORTEN Cake Biscuit Base

4 Egg yolks
4 Tbsp Warm water
125 g Sugar
4 Egg whites
75 g Plain Four
50 g Corn flour / Cornstarch 
1 Tsp Backing Powder
50 g Butter
1 Pinch Salt
Zest of one lemon (untreated with pesticides), according to taste
 Ingredients for the Baked Apple VERPOORTEN Cake Filling

500 g Apples 
3 Tbsp Honey
50 g Butter
100 g Grated hazelnuts
50 g Raisins
Some lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves
 Ingredients for the VERPOORTEN ORIGINAL Advocaat Vanilla Cream

400 g Cream
400 g Milk
70 g Vanilla custard powder
150 g Sugar
7 Egg yolks
200 ml VERPOORTEN ORIGINAL Advocaat (the "Yellow Classic")
Shaved almonds to garnish

Preparation

Baked Apple VERPOORTEN Cake (Part 1 of 4):
Sift the flour onto a working area and press a well into the middle. Add the remaining ingredients to the well.
Make sure that the butter is cold! Mix the ingredients together by hand and quickly knead into a 
smooth dough. It is particularly important that the pastry dough is not kneaded for too long. If it is kneaded for too long, the hands' body temperature will warm the butter, causing the pastry to crumble. Wrap the finished short crust pastry dough in plastic foil and place in the fridge for an hour to cool.
 
 
Baked Apple VERPOORTEN Cake Biscuit Base (Part 2 of 4):

Grate the zest off one lemon (untreated with pesticides), according to taste. Whisk the egg yolks and warm water along with the lemon zest and approx. 1/3 of the sugar until fluffy. Beat the egg whites and the remaining sugar along with a pinch of salt until firm. Carefully stir the egg yolk mixture into the whipped egg whites and fold in the sifted flour/starch/baking powder mixture. Now fold in the warm, runny butter and fill the resulting mixture into a greased spring form (26 cm). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a fan-forced over at 180°C.
 
 
Baked Apple VERPOORTEN Cake Filling (Part 3 of 4):

Peal the apples, remove the core and dice, cutting into pieces of approx. 1 cm. Melt the butter and honey in a saucepan and let the apple cubes simmer lightly. Add the nuts and raisins to the cooled apple mixture. Add cinnamon, cloves and lemon juice to the apple mixture, to taste.
 
 
Baked Apple VERPOORTEN Cake VERPOORTEN ORIGINAL Vanilla Cream (Part 4 of 4):

Roll the pastry dough out until it is approx. 3 mm thin and lay across the bass of a cake ring or spring form. Line the sides of the cake tin with the pastry as well. Cut a slice from the biscuit base (approx. 1 cm thick) and lay in the lined cake tin. Spread the apple filling on the biscuit base.
 
Bring the cream, milk and sugar to the boil. Stir the custard powder and egg yolks together and gradually stir into the boiling mixture (as if making custard/a vanilla pudding/). Removed the finished vanilla cream from the stove and stir in the VERPOORTEN ORIGINAL Advocaat. Pour the hot advocaat vanilla cream into the prepared cake tin on top of the apple mass and spread until even. Sprinkle the almond flakes across the top and bake for approx 45 min at 170? (fan-forced).
 
After the cake has cooled, you can remove it from the baking tin and dust the finished cake with powdered sugar.

Apple & hazelnut stuffed pork

Barbecuing this nutty, apple-filled pork is not only easy, it takes the flavour to a new level.


Preparation Time
20 - 25 minutes


Cooking Time
90 minutes


Makes
6


Ingredients
1 large Granny Smith apple, halved, cored, coarsely grated
55g (1/3 cup) dry-roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1.5kg-piece pork scotch fillet
1 tbs olive oil
Mashed potato, to serve

Method
Preheat an enclosed barbecue to 200°C. Place a wire rack in a roasting pan or foil barbecue tray. Combine the apple, hazelnut, mint and lemon rind in a small bowl.
Use a long sharp knife to cut the pork horizontally (don't cut all the way through). Open the pork to lie flat. Spread the apple mixture over half the pork. Roll up the pork to enclose the filling. Use unwaxed kitchen string to tie the pork at 2cm intervals. Insert a meat thermometer, if using.
Place the pan or tray in the centre of the barbecue. Switch off the burners located under the pan or tray and switch the burners on either side to low. Close the barbecue.
Roast for 1 1/2 hours or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest. Slice the pork and serve with mashed potato.
Notes
Cook's tip: Using the barbecue is a great way to avoid dry pork - its indirect heat helps keep large cuts of meat moist and tender. Plus, your pork dish becomes infused with a delicious smoky flavour.


Getting started: For the best results, follow these barbecue roasting tips. Preheat your barbecue by turning on all the burners then closing the hood until the desired temperature is reached.


Switch the burners to low to maintain the temperature.


Turn off the burners directly under the tray, as this can overcook or burn the meat.


Don't lift the hood too often during cooking - this lets the heat escape and extends the cooking time.

Sausage rolls with spicy tomato sauce

These home-cooked, chutney-flavoured sausage rolls will make a grand final party great!


Preparation Time
25 - 40 minutes


Cooking Time
40 minutes


Makes
20


Ingredients
1 x 250g jar tomato chutney
1 x 400g can Woolworths Select diced Italian tomatoes
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
2 sheets (25 x 25cm) frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed
500g pork or sausage mince
70g (1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbs poppy seeds

Method
Reserve 70g (1/4 cup) of the chutney. Combine the tomato, chilli powder and remaining chutney in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Stir in the basil leaves. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Transfer the sauce to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Place in a small serving bowl.
Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Cut pastry sheets in half. Combine the mince, breadcrumbs, onion, thyme and reserved chutney in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Divide the mince mixture into 4 portions and shape each portion into a 25cm log. Arrange sausage logs along the centres of pastry sheets.
Brush 1 long side of the pastry with the egg. Roll up to enclose the filling. Cut each roll evenly into 5 pieces. Place rolls, seam-side down, on the lined trays.
Preheat oven to 220°C. Brush the rolls with the remaining egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until golden. Serve with the spicy tomato sauce.
Notes
You can prepare this recipe to the end of step 3 up to 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Continue from step 4 up to 30 minutes before serving. To freeze ahead, store the cooked sausage rolls in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat, preheat oven to 180°C and bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Smoky pork ribs with coleslaw

Dust off your barbecue for this fabulous smoky pork ribs favourite!


Cooking Time
75 minutes


Ingredients (serves 4)
3 racks (1.5kg) American-style pork ribs
2 medium carrots, peeled, grated
1 small white onion, quartered, thinly sliced
1/2 small red cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/3 cup coleslaw dressing
Smoky barbecue marinade
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

Method
Make smoky barbecue marinade: Combine garlic, paprika, sugar, golden syrup, vinegar, oil and barbecue sauce in a jug.
Place ribs in a large glass or ceramic dish. Pour over marinade. Cover. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat a covered barbecue on high. Drain ribs, reserving marinade. Place ribs in a large foil disposable baking dish. Cook ribs, using indirect heat (see note 1), for 1 hour or until browned and cooked through, basting with reserved marinade every 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine carrot, onion, cabbage, dill and caraway seeds in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Serve ribs with coleslaw.
Notes
Note 1: To use indirect heat, light burners on one half of barbecue. Place baking dish on other half. Always check manufacturer's instructions.


Note 2: If you don't have a covered barbecue, you can cook ribs in the oven. Preheat to 200C/180C fan-forced. Cook ribs for 1 hour, basting with marinade.


Allow overnight refrigeration time.

Malt 'O' Milk ice-cream sundae

Crushed biscuits dress up this festive sundae treat - share it with your loved ones!


Ingredients (serves 8)
1.5 litres vanilla ice-cream
250g packet Arnott’s Malt ‘O’ Milk biscuits, halved
1/2 cup mini pink and white marshmallows, halved
1/2 cup raspberry lollies, halved
200g milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup thickened cream
Hundreds and thousands, to serve

Method
Transfer ice-cream to a large bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes or until softened, but not melted.
Place biscuits in a food processor (see note). Process until roughly chopped. Add biscuits, marshmallows, and raspberry lollies to ice-cream. Stir until well combined. Spoon mixture into a 7cm-deep, 10cm x 20cm (base) loaf pan. Smooth surface. Cover surface with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight or until firm.
Place chocolate and cream in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50%) for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds with a metal spoon, or until smooth. Set aside for 20 minutes to cool.
Remove ice-cream from freezer. Stand for 5 minutes. Place scoops of ice-cream into bowls. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and sprinkle with hundreds and thousands. Serve. You could reserve 4 Malt ‘O’ Milk biscuits to crush and sprinkle over sundaes before serving.

Bacon and cheese burgers

These yummy burgers are wrapped in bacon, topped with cheese and ready quicker than a trip to the drive-through.

Cooking Time

30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

400g beef mince

45g (1/2 cup) dry seasoned stuffing mix

1 egg, lightly whisked

1 brown onion, finely chopped

4 bacon rashers, rind and excess fat trimmed

Olive oil spray

80g cheddar, thickly sliced

4 bread rolls, halved horizontally, toasted

1 tomato, thinly sliced

1/2 large avocado, stone removed, peeled, cut into 8 slices lengthways

2 tbs tomato chutney

 

Method

Place the mince, stuffing mix, egg and onion in a bowl. Use your hands to mix until well combined. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a patty. Wrap a slice of bacon around each patty.

Spray a large frying pan with olive oil spray to lightly grease. Heat over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 6 minutes each side or until cooked through. Top with the cheddar and cook until the cheddar starts to melt.

Place the patties on the roll bases. Top with the tomato and avocado, and season with salt and pepper. Divide the chutney among the remaining rolls. Serve immediately.

Notes

With a twist: Hawaiian bacon and cheese burgers: Replace the beef mince with pork and veal mince. Replace the tomato with 4 drained canned pineapple slices.

Avocado and lime with bacon on toast

Layer smokey bacon and lime-infused avocado on rye for a triumphant breakfast idea.


Ingredients (serves 4)
2 just-ripe avocados
2 tablespoons lime juice
175g thin bacon rashers
8 thick slices rye bread
Butter or margarine, for spreading
Flat-leaf parsley sprigs, to serve

Method
Halve, deseed and peel avocados. Slice lengthways into 1cm-thick slices. Place in a large bowl. Drizzle with lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat in lime juice. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat grill on medium-high heat. Cut bacon rashers in half. Remove rind. Place on grill tray in a single layer. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels.
Grill bread for 1 to 2 minutes each side or until golden and toasted. Spread lightly with butter. Place toast on plates. Top with avocado, bacon and parsley. Serve.

Chicken, ricotta and lemon pie

Set up the midweek meal challenge with a handful of ingredients and a few pantry staples.


Preparation Time
15 minutes


Cooking Time
30 minutes


Ingredients (serves 6)
250g baby spinach
650g chicken breasts, thickly sliced (see note)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp chopped rosemary leaves
80ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
7 sheets filo pastry (see note)
1 lemon, zested
6 eggs
1 1/2 tbs plain flour
200g ricotta

Method
Preheat oven to 220C. Place spinach in a bowl, pour over boiling water and stand for 1 minute or until spinach has wilted. Drain, then refresh under cold water. Squeeze dry and chop finely.
Place chicken in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, rosemary and 2 tbs oil, and combine.
Heat a 26cm ovenproof or regular frying pan over high heat. Cook chicken, in 2 batches, for 1 minute each side or until browned. Transfer to a bowl and reserve pan if using an ovenproof one.
Brush reserved pan or a 26cm springform cake pan with 1 tbs oil. Working quickly, fold 6 sheets of filo pastry in half, then arrange in the pan so they overlap, covering the base and extending 2cm beyond the rim. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tbs oil. Cut the remaining sheet of filo pastry into shreds and scatter over the base (this helps to keep the base dry). Add the chicken, reserving juices in the bowl.
Add lemon zest to chicken juices, then add eggs and flour. Whisk to combine. Pour over chicken. Scatter with spinach and ricotta. Scrunch overhanging pastry to form a rim.
If using an ovenproof pan, place over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes, then transfer to oven and bake on the lowest shelf for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and the filling has set. If using a cake pan, bake for 20 minutes on a heavy-based oven tray. Serve straight from the pan.
Notes
We used Lilydale Free Range Chicken Stir Fry. The Pampas brand of filo is available from the freezer section of most supermarkets. Antoniou Fillo Pastry is from the refrigerated section.


Tips: Don't brush pastry edge with oil, as it will brown too quickly.


If the pastry turns golden before the filling sets, cover the top of the pie with baking paper.

Chipolata sausage pasta with rocket and parmesan salad

Chipolata sausages give a spicy kick to this family friendly pasta dish.


Preparation Time
10 minutes


Cooking Time
35 minutes


Ingredients (serves 4)
5 tbs (100ml) olive oil
8 small chipolata sausages
2 red onions, halved and finely sliced
4 large gourmet tomatoes (about 800g), chopped
1 cup (125ml) white wine
500g pkt angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti
1 x 80g pkt baby rocket
1 cup shaved fresh parmesan cheese

Method
Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a fry pan and cook sausages for 10 mins, turning regularly until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towel and slice into rounds.
Heat 3 tbs olive oil in same pan over a moderate heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally for 10 mins or until soft.
Add tomatoes and wine to pan and cook for 15 mins or until thick. Add sliced sausages and simmer for another 5 mins. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.
Cook pasta according to packet directions, drain and serve with the sausage sauce. Toss baby rocket and parmesan together with remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and serve with the pasta.

Bacon macaroni bake

Crispy bacon, tasty tomatoes and melted bocconcini make this bake so bellissimo. We can't decide what tastes better on a cool night - the piping-hot pasta and sauce or the golden cheese on top.


Cooking Time
30 minutes


Ingredients (serves 4)
250g dried macaroni pasta
1 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
8 middle bacon rashers, coarsely chopped
1 x 410g can chopped tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley
Olive oil, to grease
180g bocconcini, drained, sliced

Method
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until onion is soft. Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until crisp. Stir in the tomato and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Stir in the parsley.
Preheat grill on medium-high. Brush four 375ml (1 1/2-cup) capacity baking dishes with oil to lightly grease. Divide the pasta among the dishes. Pour over the tomato mixture. Arrange the bocconcini on top. Place under grill and cook for 5 minutes or until the bocconcini melts.
Notes
Freezing tip: At the end of step 3, set aside to cool. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat, covered, in oven preheated to 180°C.


Cook's tip:To make a large bake, use a 1.5L (6 cup) capacity baking dish in step 3.


With a twist: Mushroom macaroni bake: Replace the bacon with 200g mushrooms, thinly sliced.


Tomato, olive & feta macaroni bake: Replace bacon with 250g cherry tomatoes. Replace tomato paste with pitted black olives. Replace bocconcini with crumbled feta.

Super-quick pesto pasta

Make it easy on yourself with this six-ingredient pasta main in under 30 minutes!


Ingredients (serves 4)
200g jar sun-dried tomato strips in oil
375g dried shell pasta
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (see note)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

Method
Drain tomatoes, reserving 1/4 cup oil. Finely chop. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions, until tender. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons cooking liquid.
Return pasta to pan. Add garlic, tomato, pine nuts, basil, parmesan, reserved oil and reserved liquid. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
Notes
To toast pine nuts, preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Place pine nuts on a baking tray. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden.

Asian-style coleslaw with grilled fish

Put a healthy spin on weeknight dinners with this grilled fish and coleslaw meal.


Ingredients (serves 4)
1/4 green cabbage, core removed, finely shredded
4 red radishes, washed, dried, stems and roots trimmed, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled, coarsely grated
65g (1 cup) bean sprouts
50g snow pea sprouts, halved
4 green shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
1 long fresh red chilli, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced lengthways
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander
1/4 cup finely shredded fresh mint
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs fresh lime juice
1 tbs finely chopped palm sugar
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp vegetable oil
8 small (about 100g each) white fish fillets (such as bream)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges, to serve

Method
Combine the cabbage, radish, carrot, bean sprouts, snow pea sprouts, green shallot, chilli, coriander and mint in a large bowl.
Whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, ginger and sesame oil in a small bowl.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Cook the fish for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden brown and just cooked through.
Drizzle the coleslaw with the soy sauce mixture and gently toss until just combined. Divide the coleslaw among serving plates. Top with the fish and serve immediately with lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
Preparation and cooking time: 20mins

Asian pork salad

Tender roast pork is teamed with fresh Asian ingredients in this delicious salad main.


Preparation Time
130 minutes


Cooking Time
15 minutes


Ingredients (serves 4)
1/3 cup salt-reduced light soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
500g pork fillet, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
100g packet baby Asian greens
1 red capsicum, deseeded, cut into thin strips
100g shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 nashi pears, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
1/2 cup coriander leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves

Method
Combine soy sauce, garlic and Chinese five-spice in a shallow ceramic dish. Add pork and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Drain pork, reserving marinade. Place pork in a shallow roasting pan and roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in oil. Set aside to cool.
Thinly slice pork across the grain. Combine Asian greens, capsicum, mushroom, pear, coriander and mint in a large bowl. Add pork and dressing. Toss to combine. Serve.
Notes
Note: You will find packets of baby Asian greens mix in the fruit and vegetable section of your supermarket.

Chicken pasta bakes

Easy chicken pasta bakes will have kids and adults cleaning their plates!


Preparation Time
15 minutes


Cooking Time
40 minutes


Ingredients (serves 4)
2 large (about 500g) chicken breast fillets
1 1/2 cups (175g) small dried penne pasta
260g butternut pumpkin, seeded, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes
1 cup (150g) frozen peas
1 cup (70g) broccoli florets
1 1/4 cups (310ml) tomato pasta sauce
1/2 cup (40g) coarsely grated light cheddar

Method
Preheat grill on high. Cook the chicken under grill for 6-7 minutes each side or until cooked through. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Coarsely chop and place in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta following packet directions until al dente.
Cook the pumpkin in a large saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes. Add the peas and broccoli and cook for a further 1 minute or until tender.
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Combine the chicken, pasta, pumpkin mixture and pasta sauce in a large bowl. Divide among four 2-cup (500ml) capacity ovenproof dishes. Sprinkle the cheddar over each dish. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Beef wellington

This week's food fight recipe is something tender and delicious to impress family and friends with at your next dinner party


Preparation Time
40 minutes


Cooking Time
80 minutes


Ingredients (serves 6)
750g beef fillet
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 sheets (25cm) ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg yolk
Crepes
1 egg, lightly whisked
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
Butter, to grease
Mushroom filling
300g dried porcini mushrooms
50g butter
1 brown onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
250g Swiss brown mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon

Method
To make the crepes, place the egg in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to combine. Gradually add the milk and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes to rest.
Meanwhile, to make the mushroom filling, place the porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 15 minutes to soak. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until foaming. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add the Swiss brown mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 8-10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
Drain the porcini mushrooms and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the Swiss brown mushroom mixture and tarragon and process until finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a large sieve and using the back of a spoon, gently press to remove as much liquid as possible.
Heat a little butter in a 20cm (base measurement) frying pan over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the crepe batter and working quickly, angle the pan so the batter evenly covers the base. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the edges of the crepe curl slightly. Turn the crepe over and cook for a further 30 seconds or until lightly golden underneath. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter to make 8 or more crepes. Set aside to cool.
Season beef well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the beef and cook for 2 minutes each side or until brown all over. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 200C. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean work surface. Layer the crepes, overlapping slightly, over the plastic wrap. Spread the mushroom mixture over the crepes, leaving a 2cm border. Spread the mustard evenly all over the beef. Place the beef on one end of the crepe stack. Using the plastic wrap as a guide, roll the crepes around the beef fillet to enclose. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
Line an oven tray with baking paper. Cut one of the pastry sheets in half. Place one and half of the pastry sheets on a clean work surface, overlapping slightly. Unwrap the beef from the plastic wrap and place on the pastry. Roll the beef in the pastry to enclose filling, folding in ends. Place on the lined tray. Brush the egg yolk evenly over the top and sides of the pastry. Use a small sharp knife to gently score the pastry. Use a small sharp knife to cut the remaining pastry into leaf shapes and arrange on top of the pastry. Brush with egg and season with sea salt flakes. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes for medium-rare, or until cooked to your liking. Remove from oven and loosely cover with foil. Set aside for 15 minutes to rest.
Place on a serving platter. Use a large serrated knife to cut into thick slices to serve.

Beef-maki with spring vegetables

In Japanese, maki means 'to roll'. To make these delicious beef rolls, ask your butcher to freeze the scotch fillet then thinly slice it on a meat slicer.


Ingredients
1/2 (100g) large carrot, cut into sticks the size of green beans
100g green beans, trimmed
5 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups lukewarm water for 20 minutes
400g beef scotch fillet, very thinly sliced
2 tsp vegetable or canola oil
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs cooking sake
1 tbs mirin (rice wine)

Method
Cook carrot and green beans separately in a saucepan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Refresh under cold water, then drain. Drain shiitakes, reserving 100ml soaking liquid. Discard stems and thinly slice caps.
Place 3-4 slices scotch fillet, horizontally and overlapping by 1cm, on a piece of plastic wrap to from a rectangle without gaps, then season with salt. Place carrot, beans and mushrooms horizontally in lines, a quarter of the way up from the bottom of the rectangle. Using plastic wrap as a guide, roll up tightly to enclose filling, then wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining scotch fillet and vegetables to make a total of 4-5 rolls. Refrigerate rolls for 1/2 hour or up to 4 hours.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over meduim-high heat adn brown beef rolls on all sides. Add reserved shiitake miquid, soy sauce, sake and mirin, cover pan with a lid and steam for 5 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Remove rolls from pan and simmer sauce until reduced to a drizzling consistency. To serve, cut each roll into four and place, cut-side up on a plate. Drizzle with sauce. Serve.

Pasta Alla Norma

Ingredients

• Serves: 4
• Preparation time: 30 minutes
• Cooking time: 30 minutes
• Total time: 1 hour
• 500ml/17 fl oz tomato sauce
• 400g/14 oz Garofalo Mezze Maniche
• 200g/7 oz salted ricotta (A 50/50 mix of parmigiano and pecorino romano can be used as substitute)
• 150ml/5 fl oz olive oil
• 12 fresh basil leaves
• 2 medium aubergines/eggplant
• 2 shallots
• 2 garlic gloves
• 20ml/⅔ fl oz extra virgin olive oil

 

This Pasta Alla Norma recipe was written by Sara Danesin, a Finalist in the 2011 MasterChef UK TV programme.

Pasta Alla Norma is a classic Sicilian recipe blending the flavours of aubergines, tomatoes, basil and ricotta. The term Norma seems to refer to the lady who developed the dish to a standard which was deemed as high as Bellini’s opera “La Norma”.

Preparation

Slice the aubergines width-wise, and sprinkle them with rock salt as you layer them to ‘sweat’ in a colander. Place a weight on top of the colander and allow at least half an hour for the excess water to drain from the aubergines. Pat the slices dry afterwards and fry them in olive oil.

Rest the fried aubergines in absorbent paper and slice in strips (½cm/¼in width).

Method

1. Slice two shallots and sauté in a pan with 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, add the tinned tomato and let the sauce reduce to a jam like consistency.
2. When the tomato sauce is ready, add the aubergines, mix well, add the finely chopped basil and the grated ricotta (or parmesan /pecorino). If the sauce is a little too dense, add – before the cheese - half a ladle of boiling water and mix well.
3. To cook the pasta, use a large capacity pan and bring to the boil 4 litres of water, add salt and then the pasta.
4. Drain the pasta and plate up by pouring over the sauce, and sprinkle with a little parmesan.
5. ENJOY.