Author Archives: Linda Peek

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

 

Chicken and Carrot Salad

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This delicious salad can be served in wraps or sandwiches, on a bed of lettuce leaves or as a dip – with crusty bread, crackers or vegetable sticks.

As you can see in the photo, I served it as a  light supper on a bed of lettuce, drizzled with Japanese roasted sesame dressing and sprinkled with a few pine nuts. This salad is quite rich, so to lighten it up you could add 2 cups cold cooked rice.

2 cups cooked chicken, finely chopped
1 cup grated carrots
1 Tbs finely chopped fresh dill + extra to garnish
¼ red onion, finely chopped
1 pot cream cheese (Philly or similar) about 200g (at room temp)
¼ cup mayonnaise, home-made or bought
2 Tbs softened butter (optional)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Good pinch of ground nutmeg
To serve:
Crackers or baguette or dark bread
Veggie sticks such as carrot, cucumber, celery

Place chicken, carrots, dill and onion in a salad bowl. In another bowl place cream cheese (at room temp), mayonnaise and butter. Mix well with a balloon whisk until smooth. Add mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Scrape into the bowl with the chicken and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Leave at room temperature for 15 mins before serving. Garnish with extra dill fronds. Serve as a dip or in sandwiches or wraps with lettuce leaves.

Makes 4-5 cups

Lancashire Hot Pot

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Lancashire Hot Pot originated in the north west of England and was a popular winter dinner throughout the British Isles when I was growing up. My mother, who didn’t have a large culinary repertoire, made it regularly and we loved it.

It’s basically a lamb stew covered with crispy sliced potatoes. In the old days it was made with mutton, something we don’t see in the shops these days because the animals are killed much younger. My mother fried the onions and meat in dripping or lard, but I prefer to use butter or canola oil, or a combination.

2 Tbs butter or oil or 1Tbs of each
1 kg stewing lamb, cut into 2cm cubes
2 Tbs plain flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 large or 2 smaller onions, diced
500g carrots, peeled and cut into slices or chunks
2 cups beef stock (or water and 2 beef stock cubes)
3 Tbs sherry or red wine (optional)
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
750g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbs melted butter or oil, for brushing
1 tsp dried thyme

Preheat oven to 170°C. Mix lamb with the flour, salt and pepper. Heat butter or oil in a large frying pan and cook the meat over high heat, stirring, until browned. Place in a casserole dish. Add onions to the frying pan and cook, stirring from time to time, until softened. Add to the casserole with the carrots, stock, sherry and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Cover and cook on the stove top for 30-60 minutes, or until meat is almost tender. Keep it at a steady simmer, not boiling.

Remove lid and cover the meat with the sliced potatoes, starting from the outside and overlapping them slightly. Brush with melted butter or oil, sprinkle with thyme then cover with the lid or a piece of foil. Return to the oven for 45 minutes  or until potatoes are tender. Turn oven up to 200°C. Remove lid or foil and cook casserole until potatoes are browned and crisp. Serve with a green vegetable.

Serves 6