Beef Teriyaki

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Beef Teriyaki is one of my favourite stir fry recipes. There are other stir fries I’ve made once or twice, but I’ve made this one dozens of times. It’s quick, easy and adaptable – just as delicious at room temperature as it is hot.

With the addition of lots of veggies, a small amount of beef goes a long way. Use Singapore noodles, Hokkien or similar. We find the amount of soy sauce is about right, but soy sauces vary from brand to brand. If you find it’s a bit too salty make a note and next time use less soy sauce and make up the difference with water.

Beef Teriyaki500g beef – I use 2-3 thick rump or topside steaks
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 large onion, halved and sliced
1 large red pepper, sliced
4 medium zucchini (courgettes) sliced or cut into sticks
2 medium carrots, cut into sticks
250g mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 Tbs sugar
¼ cup dry sherry
450g packet of fresh, pre-cooked Chinese egg noodles (omit for a Low Carb meal)

If you have time you can freeze steak for an hour or so, to make it easier to slice thinly. Slice downwards into paper thin strips. Dry well on paper towels. Heat oil in wok or large frying pan. Add meat and garlic and stir fry for 1-2 minutes over high heat or until browned. Remove meat from pan, leaving the oil behind. Add onion and stir fry 2 minutes, then add remaining vegetables except mushrooms and stir fry for 5 minutes or until al dente. Add soy sauce mixed with sugar and sherry. Meanwhile cook noodles in boiling salted water according to packet instructions. Return meat to pan with mushrooms and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Fold through drained noodles and stir fry for about a minute.

Note: if using dried noodles you will need only 125g and they will take longer to cook. If liked you can always add a touch of fresh chilli and substitute other vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, cauliflower or asparagus.

Serves 4

Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake

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This easy recipe, combining the flavours of a chocolate brownie and a cheesecake, appeared in my Facebook feed.

A little tweaking, including halving the amount of icing sugar in the cream cheese layer, resulted in a delicious dessert I will definitely make again.

The recipe makes 12 small servings but can be cut into 8 or 10 larger portions. You can see in the photo that I’ve cut 9 of the 12 slices and yes I know, I should have used a knife dipped in boiling water, but I was in a hurry! Everyone at my French conversation lunch said it was delicious.

Brownie Layer:
2 eggs
80g plain flour, sifted
60g sugar
40g cocoa, sifted
1 tsp baking powder, sifted
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup milk
Cheesecake Layer:
300g cream cheese at room temperature
200 ml cold cream
100g icing sugar, sifted
Ganache layer:
200 ml cream
200g dark chocolate

Grease an 8 inch (20cm) springform pan and line the bottom with a circle of baking paper. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place ingredients for brownie in food processor, adding the dry ingredients through a sieve. Mix well, stopping halfway to scrape down the sides. Or mix in a bowl with electric beaters. Scrape into the baking pan and smooth the top with a knife. Bake for 15 minutes or until just firm to touch. Cool.

With electric beaters, mix the cream cheese, cream and icing sugar until thickened. Leaving the chocolate layer in the tin, spread evenly with the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for an hour or two. For the ganache, heat cream in a saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, broken into squares. Mix until smooth then allow to cool a bit before pouring over the cream cheese layer and spreading evenly.

Refrigerate overnight or for several hours. Run a knife around the edge then remove the sides and the bottom of the springform pan. Cut the cake into 12 pieces to serve. It’s probably gilding the lily, but I think this goes well with a dollop of thick pouring cream as I love the contrast between the sweetened cake and the unsweetened cream.

Serves 12

Note: if preferred halve the ganache recipe which will give a thinner chocolate layer on top.

Mum’s Lamb Casserole

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When our kids were in their teens we had a dinner roster. I still did most of the cooking, but once or twice a month each of the kids was responsible for the feeding the clan. It didn’t have to be elaborate – just something tasty which I had taught them how to make.

I’m a great believer in this roster approach to dinner time. It gives the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer the occasional night off and means that when the kids leave home – and eventually they do – they won’t starve.

Working on the same principle, my Mum taught me to make this casserole when I was in my early teens. The fact that I still make it is testimony to its success. Served with creamy mashed potatoes and peas it’s still one of my favourite “comfort foods” in winter.

We were given a slow cooker called a Crock Pot as a wedding present and I used it for years. Every busy cook should have one. Somehow in a house move it disappeared and I really missed it, so when I saw one in a garage sale I snapped it up.

Slow cookers are great because you can leave dinner to cook in your absence. Switch it on Low as you leave, then when you get back check how its going. It just needs an occasional stir and you can turn it up to High if it’s not cooking fast enough, or down to Low if it’s cooking too fast.

I used to brown the chops before putting them in this casserole, but one time I was really pressed for time and skipped this stage. Honestly, you couldn’t tell the difference. Just make sure you cut off all visible fat.

It may seem strange to see a recipe which can take anything from 4 to 8 hours to cook. But that’s the whole point of a slow cooker – you can adjust the temperature to suit your timetable.

1.5 kg lamb chops (cheap cuts like neck or forequarter chops) trimmed of all excess fat
1 x 425g tin tomatoes, including the juice, chopped (or 500ml tomato passata)
1 cup water
2-3 carrots, sliced thickly
1 beef stock cube, crumbled (I use the Oxo brand my mother used)
1 large onion, chopped
3 Tbs dry sherry or red wine
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 bay leaves or a sprig of fresh rosemary
1 tsp sugar
S and P to taste
To serve:
Creamy mashed potatoes
Peas

Place chops in slow cooker with remaining ingredients, apart from the potatoes and peas. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hrs or on low for 6-8 hrs, until meat is very tender. Stir every hour or two if you are around – if not don’t worry, it can look after itself for quite a while. If the meat has fallen off the bones you might like to remove all the bones and just put the meat back before serving. Once ready the casserole will stay that way for a while if you switch it to Low. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and cooked frozen peas.

Serves 6

Variations: add a tin of drained chickpeas and 1-2 tsp cumin, then serve with couscous instead of potatoes and peas.

Notes: If you don’t have a slow cooker use a large heavy casserole with a lid and cook in the oven. It will take 3-4 hours at 160°C and will need a little more water – check and add as necessary.

Useful tip: Recipes usually call for a tablespoon or two of tomato paste, leaving you with the rest of the jar or tin which goes off in the fridge within a week or so. To avoid this, fill ice cube trays with leftover tomato paste. When frozen tip cubes into a plastic container to use when you need them.

Pasta with Leeks and Miso

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We’re not big pasta eaters but it’s on the menu a couple of times a month. I’m always looking for something a bit different and this recipe, adapted from one in Gourmet Traveller, ticks all the boxes.

250g shell pasta (or substitute another shape)
2 Tbs butter
1 large leek, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup white wine
1 rounded Tbs white miso paste
150ml cream
Topping:
1 Tbs butter
¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecan nuts
2 tsp sesame oil
Olive oil and snipped chives to garnish

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente then drain. Keep some of the cooking water. While pasta is cooking, prepare the leeks and the topping.

Heat butter in a large frying pan and add the leeks and garlic. Cook gently, stirring often, until soft but not browned. Add the wine and continue to cook, stirring, until almost evaporated. Add the miso paste and cream and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add the cooked pasta and a little of the cooking water if it’s a bit dry.

For the topping, heat the butter in a small frying pan and add the Panko crumbs, nuts and sesame oil. Cook, stirring for a minute or two then turn off the heat.

To serve, spoon the pasta into serving bowls, top with some of the topping and garnish with snipped chives or another herb (it’s just for a bit of colour) and, if liked a drizzle of olive oil around the edge.

Serves 2-3

Frico con Prosciutto

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We recently attended a special dinner at Agostini’s Italian restaurant, located in East’s hotel in Canberra. The set menu focused on the cuisine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the northernmost region of Italy and one of our favourites. This was the second such dinner and there will be another, focusing on a different Italian region, in about 3 months time.

Thirty-six guests were seated at three long tables for 12 and we all introduced ourselves to break the ice. We started off with a delicious potato dish called Frico con Prosciutto, followed by pasta with cinnamon. The main course was a typical dish of braised chicken with tomatoes and dessert was Tiramisu, served with a shot of Grappa which was guaranteed to put hairs on your chest!

Chef Francesco (Frankie) Balestrieri, introduced each dish and came to chat with diners throughout the evening. He explained that everyone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia has their own recipe for Frico. I asked him to explain how he made it and while it was fresh in my mind I put it on the menu at home this week, as a light supper, with a mixed salad. It’s very easy to make and turned out perfectly.

A small drizzle of olive oil
About 4 heaped Tbs finely grated cheese (Italian Montasio if you can find it; I used Gruyere)
1 medium potato, peeled and very thinly sliced with a Mandolin
1 Tbs finely chopped fresh sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 slices Prosciutto or Jamon Serrano

Lightly oil a small non-stick omelette pan. Sprinkle with about one third of the cheese. Top with half the potatoes, slightly overlapping. Season with salt, pepper and sage. Sprinkle with half the remaining cheese, then top with another layer of potatoes, salt and pepper and finally the remaining cheese.

Cook over moderate heat until you can see that it’s starting to brown underneath around the edges. The potatoes should be softening – check with a sharp knife. Use a spatular to turn the frico which should be golden brown all over. Cook on the other side, then slide out onto a plate. Cut in two to serve as a light supper or into four to serve as a small appetizer. Top with prosciutto or jamon serrano.

Serves 2

Variation: instead of Prosciutto, serve the Frico with smoked trout or smoked salmon and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and some chives.

 

Chilli Garlic Ginger Prawns with Rice & Green Beans

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This delicious dinner for two is easy to double and quick to make.

1 Tbs vegetable oil
250g peeled and deveined raw prawns (500g unpeeled)
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp grated or finely chopped fresh ginger
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
¼ cup water
1½ Tbs sriracha chilli sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbs brown sugar
To serve:
Steamed rice
Steamed green beans
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
1 spring onion, finely sliced
1 Tbs sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan and add the prawns in a single layer. Cook for about 45 seconds each side, or until light golden. Add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger and chilli flakes and cook, stirring for about 30 seconds. or until the prawns are coated. Add the water, sriracha, soy sauce and brown sugar. Continue to cook on medium high heat, stirring and turning the prawns, until the sauce has thickened and looks sticky, as in the photo.

Spoon some steamed rice onto two serving plates. Arrange a few steamed green beans on top, then the prawns. Garnish with the chilli, sesame seeds and spring onion.

Serves 2

 

Smoked Salmon with Cucumber & Herb Salad

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Every two or three months we meet up with three other couples for dinner. We take it in turns to host the dinner and cook the main course. The other three couples bring nibbles, the starter and dessert.

It was my turn to bring the starter so I decided to adapt a favourite recipe which uses fresh salmon, by using smoked salmon instead and adding a touch of sweetness with some julienne apple. This recipe serves 8, but it’s easy to halve.

8 slices smoked salmon or trout
6 small Lebanese cucumbers
¾ cup each fresh mint leaves, basil leaves and coriander leaves
1 apple, skin on, cut into thin slices then thin julienne sticks
Dressing:
½ cup olive oil
4 Tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbs finely grated ginger
1½ Tbs soy sauce
4 Tbs Thai sweet chilli sauce
To garnish:
½ cup fried Asian shallots (from Asian shops)
A few pink peppercorns (optional)

Using a vegetable peeled, cut the cucumbers into long ribbons, discarding the first one which is all skin. When you get to the seedy centre of the cucumber switch to the other side. Discard the centres or add them to a salad for lunch as I did.

Place all ingredients for dressing in a jar and shake well.

Arrange smoked salmon in the centre of 9 serving plates, two slices per person. Mix the cucumber ribbons with some of the dressing, then arrange around the edge of each plate. Mix the herbs with some of the dressing and pile on top of the smoked salmon. Top with a few pieces of apple. Scatter some Asian shallots and pink peppercorns (if using) around each plate. You will have some dressing leftover.

Serves 8

Take a jar of Nutella

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With a jar of Nutella chocolate spread you can easily whip up a few quick recipes which will be popular with kids, grandkids and chocolate fans generally.

Chocolate Sauce
½ cup Nutella
½ cup cream or evaporated milk
pinch salt (optional)

Place ingredients in a small saucepan and heat, stirring, until smooth. Serve with ice cream, waffles or pancakes. If sauce is too thick add a bit more cream or evaporated milk. Makes 1 cup.

Chocolate Icing
250g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup Nutella
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla essence

Place butter and Nutella in a mixing bowl an beat until smooth. Gradually add icing sugar and when incorporated add vanilla. Use to ice a chocolate cake or cup cakes.

Microwave Chocolate Pudding in a Mug
2 Tbs self-raising flour
2 Tbs brown or white sugar
2 Tbs cocoa powder
2 Tbs milk
1 Tbs oil
1 egg
2 Tbs Nutella

Place all ingredients except Nutella in a mixing bowl and mix well with a balloon whisk. Spoon into one large (approximately 435ml) mug, or two smaller coffee cups, buttered. Spoon the Nutella into the middle of the mixture and push it to submerge. Cook in Microwave on High for 70 seconds, or until risen. Serve with cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce.

Nutella Hot Chocolate
1¼ cups milk
6 level tsp cornflour
1 Tbs cocoa powder
¼ cup Nutella
Sugar to taste
Whipped cream and grated chocolate or some marshmallows

Mix cornflour and cocoa with a small amount of the milk until smooth. Heat the remaining milk in a saucepan, then add the cornflour mixture and the Nutella and cook, stirring, until thick and smooth. Taste and see if it needs any sugar.

Divide between two mugs and serve topped with whipped cream and grated chocolate or marshmallows.

Serves 2

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

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Roasting vegetables before making them into soup makes a real difference to the flavour. Roasting caramelises the vegetables’ natural sugars, creating a sweeter, richer and more intense flavour.

This hearty pumpkin soup is perfect for the wintery weather we’re currently experiencing in Canberra.

2 kg pumpkin, seeded, peeled and cut into 3-4cm chunks
1 large onion peeled and cut into 8 wedges
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1½ tsp ground cumin
4 cups (1 litre) chicken or vegetable stock
1 can (about 400ml) coconut milk
To serve:
Fresh herbs
Cream or extra coconut milk
Fresh bread or toast

Preheat oven to 220°C. Line two shallow baking trays with baking paper. Place pumpkin, onion and garlic in a large bowl with the olive oil and mix to coat well. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cumin and mix again. Spread out on the oven trays in a single layer then roast for 35 minutes or until tender and caramelised. Transfer the vegetables to a large saucepan. Add stock and coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes then allow to cool enough to handle and whiz in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return to saucepan and reheat. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Garnish with herbs and cream and serve with bread or toast.

Serves 4

Tomato Kasundi

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Sometimes you make a recipe regularly and it’s everybody’s favourite. Then for some reason it falls off the radar and you don’t make it any more. I used to make a batch of this delicious Indian chutney every year, but haven’t made it for a very long time.

As you can see in the photo, I have a cupboard where I store my home-made preserves. While sorting through the contents recently – to see what needed to be used up – I came across one lonely jar of Tomato Kasundi, hiding at the back. It must have been several years old, but that’s one of the good things about making preserves – properly sealed while hot they keep for years. If you open them and there’s no mould, they’re still okay.

That lonely jar disappeared in just over a week, so I decided it was time to make another batch. It should keep us going for a few months, in sandwiches and wraps or with curries, cold meats and cheese.

1½ Tbs mustard seeds
1½ cups cider vinegar
¾ cup finely grated fresh ginger
20 cloves garlic, peeled
4 long green chillies, seeds removed
4 long red chillies, seeds removed
1¼ cups vegetable oil
2½ kg ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1½ Tbs turmeric powder
4 Tbs ground cumin
1 cup sugar
3 tsp salt

Soak mustard seeds in vinegar overnight. Place in food processor with the ginger, garlic and deseeded chillies and process till chunky-smooth. Heat oil in a preserving pan or large heavy-bottomed pan until almost smoking. Add turmeric and cumin and stir-fry for a minute. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thick and oil floats on top. This takes between 30 and 60 minutes. Check and stir often to prevent sticking.

Heat jam jars in microwave (without the lids) for 2 minutes. Fill the hot jars with the hot Kasundi and seal immediately with the lids. Store in a dark cupboard and refrigerate after opening.

Makes 6-8 jars

Note: if you like things hot, leave the seeds in the chillies.