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.

 

Lasagne

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Everyone has a recipe for lasagne. This is mine.

When we had a houseful of kids I made it regularly. Now that there’s just the two of us I don’t make it very often, but it always goes down well.

If you don’t like mushrooms leave them out or maybe add another tin of tomatoes to the bolognese sauce. This lasagne keeps in the fridge for several days and can be frozen. You could also make it in two smaller dishes.

Bolognese Sauce
80g butter
80g plain flour
5 cups milk (1.25 litres)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
2 cups grated cheese (Parmesan or cheddar or a mix)
About 8 sheets oven ready fresh lasagne sheets
(or dried ones cooked according to packet instructions)

Click on the link above and make the bolognese sauce.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease an oblong lasagne dish about 22x33cm.

Make white sauce: melt butter in a non-stick saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring, with a wooden flat-ended spatular, until cooked – 1-2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, a little at a time, mixing well to remove any lumps. Lumpy sauce is the result of adding the milk too quickly. When all the milk has been incorporated and sauce is thick and smooth add the seasoning, nutmeg and grated cheese. Some people prefer to use a balloon whisk but I like a spatular.

Spread a third of the bolognese sauce evenly over the base of the dish. Arrange lasagne sheets in one layer over the meat, cutting as necessary to avoid leaving any gaps. Cover with a third of the white sauce.

Repeat twice, ending with a layer of white sauce. You need a good layer of white sauce on top, so it’s best to use a little less than a third for the other two layers. If you don’t think you have enough left when you get to the top layer, mix in a bit more milk and grated cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes or until golden. Stand for 15 minutes before serving. Keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheats well. Serve with a mixed salad.

Serves 6

Roasted Sweet Potato with Pineapple Dressing

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We’re big fans of sweet potatoes. Thickly sliced, brushed with olive oil and seasoned, then cooked in an air fryer or a hot oven, they make a delicious change from ordinary potatoes. Aldi sweet potato chips are one of our favourite side dishes.

Serve any leftover Pineapple dressing with chicken, pork or sausages.

800g to 1 kg sweet potatoes thickly sliced
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups mixed salad greens such as rocket and radicchio
Salad dressing
Pineapple Dressing:
½ a fresh pineapple
2 Tbs vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 Tbs honey
¼ cup lemon juice
1 finely chopped shallot or spring onion

Peel the sweet potato if you like. I don’t because we like the skin. Mix with the olive oil and season, then cook in an air fryer or on a tray in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes or until cooked and starting to brown. Turn them over halfway through cooking.

Peel the pineapple, remove the core then cut it into pieces then blitz them in a food processor until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients and mix briefly. Tip into a saucepan, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce a bit.

When the sweet potato is cooked arrange it in a baking dish in one layer, slightly overlapping. Drizzle with some of the sauce – you may not need it all – then put the dish in a hot oven for 20 minutes, or until the dressing turns starts to colour and become a bit sticky. If your air fryer is big enough you can do this stage in there, but the sweet potato needs to be in a single layer, not too crowded.

Arrange sweet potato on a bed of greens, lightly dressed with your favourite salad dressing. Serve hot, or at room temperature.

Serves 4-6

Substitutes: use a drained can of pineapple instead of fresh pineapple

Pear and Ginger Cake

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Using a food processor, this delicious cake is ready to go in the oven in the time it takes for the oven to heat up. I cooked it in a ceramic quiche dish, but you could use any cake pan, either springform or paper-lined. You want the pears to be ripe but not overripe.

Served with a cuppa, or as a dessert, with a dollop of creme fraiche or whipped cream, this recipe is a winner. Pears and ginger go very well together.

5 or 6 large ripe pears, peeled and cored
2½ cups self raising flour (300g)
180g butter, cut into cubes
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 or 3 tsp ground ginger (to taste)
½ tsp salt
½ cup chopped preserved (glacé) ginger
To serve:
Creme fraiche or whipped cream

Preheat oven to 170°C and prepare the cake pan or dish.

Place flour, butter, sugar, ground ginger and salt in food processor. Process until mixture starts to stick together into clumps. Add the egg and chopped ginger and process just enough to form a soft dough. Scrape out onto the counter and divide into two balls – one of one third and the other of two thirds.

Using your fingers, break pieces off the two thirds ball and press them over the base and about 3cm up the sides of the cake pan. Cut the peeled pears into halves or quarters and arrange them over the pastry base. I cut four into halves and one into quarters, which I used to fill in the hole in the middle, but you might prefer to cut them all into quarters. I used 5 large pears altogether.

Crumble remaining dough over the pears so it looks like an apple crumble. Bake for 50-60 mins or until golden brown and cooked in the middle.

Serve warm or at room temperature with crème fraiche or whipped cream.

Serves 12

 

Sticky Pork with Noodles

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Most stir-fry recipes use strips of meat. This one is different because it uses minced or ground meat. If you don’t want to use pork, substitute ground chicken, turkey, beef or lamb.

A quick and easy mid-week dinner which is very tasty. It’s also a good way to use up any veggies you have sitting in your fridge.

1 Tbs olive oil
500g lean pork mince
200-400g ready to heat noodles (Hokkien, udon or whatever: I used 200g)
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups mixed shredded vegetables (carrot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, zucchini, capsicum)
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs oyster sauce
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
To garnish:
2 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
1 Tbs sesame seeds, preferably black
Crispy Chilli oil or Sweet Chilli sauce (optional)

Prepare noodles according to packet instructions, drain and set aside. The ones I bought were ready to heat and just needed to be covered with boiling water for 2-3 mins then drained.

Heat oil in a large frying pan or work over high heat. Add mince and cook, breaking it up and stirring, until browned. Add the onion and garlic and continue to stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the mixed vegetables and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or they’re al dente.

Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar and cook for a minute or two, stirring. Lastly add the cooked noodles and mix until well-coated and sauce has reduced a bit and become a bit sticky.

Garnish with the spring onions and sesame seeds. If liked, serve with some Crispy Chilli Oil on top. This is available from Asian Grocery stores or in the Asian section of your supermarket.

Served 4