Rio Palace Waffles

Posted on 2 February 2013 by Linda Peek

Many moons ago when we were holidaying in Brazil our kids decided that the Rio Palace Hotel in Rio de Janeiro made the best waffles. I asked the chef for the recipe and somehow managed to write it down. Communication was hampered by the fact that he only spoke Portuguese and while I do speak Spanish, it’s similar but not quite the same!

His recipe started off with a dozen eggs and would have made enough waffles to feed an army, so I divided it by six. It wasn’t long before the kids had weekend waffle making down to a fine art, doubling the recipe if they had friends staying … and sometimes even when they didn’t. I was always amazed at how many they could demolish.

They’re great for breakfast with honey or maple syrup. For dessert try them with quartered strawberries sweetened with a little sugar and a dash of white balsamic vinegar, caramel sauce and whipped cream, as shown in the photo. The kids never bothered, but if you have time separate the eggs and fold in the lightly whipped whites at the end, by hand, which makes the waffles even lighter. You can use milk instead of cream and water, but the results are crunchier with cream.

2 tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs
200g or 1¾ cups plain flour, sifted
½ cup cream
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar or honey
½ to ¾ cup water

Using electric beaters or a food processor mix all the ingredients for the waffles, adding enough water to make a thick batter. Preheat an electric waffle iron, butter it and cook the waffles according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Serves 8 for dessert (3 pieces each) or 2 hungry kids for breakfast

Tri-Colour Coleslaw

Posted on 27 January 2013 by Linda Peek

At our rural property we had a good crop of cabbages until the earwigs found them. Matthew went up there for a couple of days earlier this week to water the new trees and brought a cabbage back with him. As I started to remove some of the outer chewed leaves out jumped a million earwigs! They were everywhere and it was easy to see what they had been eating. I had to throw away about about half the cabbage before I got down to virgin territory.

I’ve been reading up on the internet about tried and tested earwig traps and saving empty containers with lids. Vegetable oil with the addition of something attractive to earwigs, such as a dollop of peanut butter or the oil/juice from a can of tuna, is said to do the trick – it lures them in and they drown. We’re going to the property the weekend after next and those b***** earwigs had better watch out!

Coleslaw when I was growing up was pretty standard – cabbage, carrot and bought mayonnaise – or Heinz salad cream – sometimes with a tin of crushed pineapple thrown in for good measure. This is a more modern version.

About 4 cups shredded white cabbage
About 4 cups shredded red cabbage
About 1 cup thinly sliced celery
About 1 cup coarsely grated or julienned carrot
About ½ cup thinly sliced green (spring) onions
1 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise, preferably home-made
½ cup thick Greek yoghurt or sour cream
½ cup French dressing (see below)

Prepare salad ingredients and place in a large bowl. Place dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously to emulsify. Add enough dressing to the salad to moisten to your liking – you may not want to use it all. Taste and add more salt if you think it needs it.

Serves 6-8

French Dressing
1 cup oil (sunflower, canola)
¼ cup cider or white wine vinegar
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbs honey (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic peeled and halved

Place all ingredients in a jam jar with a lid and shake vigorously to emulsify. Keeps in the fridge for up to a month. I usually make double or triple in a very large jar so it’s always on hand when I need it. If you like a sweet dressing add the honey. Otherwise just add about half a tsp of sugar.

Quick Fish Curry

Posted on 25 January 2013 by Linda Peek

I love a good curry, even in the middle of summer. You can’t eat salads all the time, even in a heatwave. Anyway they were invented in a hot climate, the theory being that by making you perspire you cool off.

We eat a lot of ginger in our house so I buy at least half a kilo at a time. I try to choose fat evenly shaped tubers because they’re easier to peel, although I have to confess that if I can find someone ensconced in front of the TV watching cricket or rugby, I get him to do the peeling. My wonderful unpaid sous chef! Once peeled, process the ginger in a food processor until very finely chopped, then freeze in ice cube trays. They hold about a tablespoon and that’s how much I use in most recipes – stir fries, curries etc – even if the recipe says to use less! If you don’t like so much ginger, fill them only half full. Once frozen tip into a plastic container and keep in the freezer to use as needed. Zap very briefly (20-30 secs) in the microwave to thaw, or throw them straight into a stir fry as they are.

Buying ginger as you need it usually means throwing away what’s left over – when you eventually find it at the bottom of the fridge or all dried up in the vegetable basket! So I find it very convenient to always have it on hand – peeled, chopped and ready to go. I also have a jam jar of small whole red chillies in the freezer and another containing chopped lemongrass. We grow it and it’s all ready at the same time, so I have to freeze it, but you could buy some and freeze it. Using frozen ginger, chillies and lemongrass is probably not quite the same as using fresh, but once cooked you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference. In case you’re worried, jam jars won’t break in the freezer.

If you want to try growing your own ginger here are some tips.

Ginger is very good for you and I always thought you couldn’t eat too much. However, according to Wikipedia “an acute overdose of ginger is usually in excess of about 2 grams of ginger per kilogram of body mass, dependent on level of ginger tolerance, and can result in a state of central nervous system over-stimulation called ginger intoxication or colloquially the ginger jitters”. Maybe that’s my problem.

3 cloves garlic
1 small onion, peeled
1 Tbs grated or very finely chopped ginger
2 stalks lemon grass
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbs palm sugar or brown sugar
2 Tbs fish sauce
1 small red chilli, seeds removed (or less if you don’t want it too hot)
1 400g can coconut milk
4 kaffir lime leaves (see note below)
About 500g firm white fish cut into 2-3 cm chunks
Juice ½ lemon or 1 lime
Chopped fresh coriander and steamed rice to serve

Place garlic, onion, ginger, lemon grass, turmeric, paprika, sugar, fish sauce, chilli and coconut milk in food processor. Process till smooth then tip into a heavy based frying pan. Add kaffir lime leaves, crushed with your hand. Bring to the boil then simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Add fish and cook gently for 4-5 minutes or until cooked. Add lemon juice and check for salt – you probably won’t need any as the fish sauce is salty. Tip into serving bowl and top with coriander. Serve with steamed rice and an Indian pickle or chutney.

Serves 3-4

Note: in Australia kaffir lime leaves are sold in most supermarkets, but if you can’t find them just leave them out. If you can buy them you usually have to buy quite a few, so freeze the surplus. If you can’t find lemongrass add some lemon rind removed with a vegetable peeler and very finely chopped. Not the same, but quite a nice addition.

Lemon Curd

Posted on 22 January 2013 by Linda Peek

When I moved from the UK to Australia I was amazed to see lemon trees growing in most Canberra gardens. While night time temperatures in winter can be several degrees below freezing, the days warm up sufficiently to allow citrus trees to flourish in a sunny, sheltered spot. So the soil isn’t frozen solid for several months, as it can be in northern Europe.

We have a large lemon tree in the courtyard just outside our kitchen and it’s always laden with fruit. At about this time of year it’s important to pick the remaining lemons, otherwise we won’t get a new crop next season. They will keep for a while in the fridge, but it’s always a good time to make some Lemon Curd or Lemon Butter, as it’s sometimes called.

In the UK where I grew up it was much too cold in winter to grow lemons, so my mother bought them. We could hardly wait for her to finish making this deliciously tangy spread which we devoured on fresh buttered bread or in small pastry tartlets. Try a dollop on some thick Greek yoghurt for a delicious snack. Or swirl it decoratively through the yoghurt in a tumbler then top with a few fresh raspberries when you need to come up with a last minute dessert. Or make this delicious and quick Blueberry Parfait.

Adding a little salt really makes a difference and brings out the flavours. A Queenslander once told me you should eat fresh pineapple with a light sprinkling of salt, for the same reason.

4 large juicy lemons
4 eggs, beaten
450g (2½ cups) sugar
125g unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt

Finely grate the rind of the lemons and remove the juice. Place all ingredients in the top half of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until butter melts, sugar dissolves and mixture thickens to the point where it coats the back of the spoon.

Heat clean jars (remove lids first) in microwave on High for 2 minutes. Pour the hot lemon curd into the hot sterilized jars and seal with lids. When cold store in the fridge.

Makes about 2 jars

Mangoes in Ginger Wine

Posted on 17 January 2013 by Linda Peek

If you want to be sure to get every bit of flesh off the stone the best place to eat a mango is in the bath.

My mother in law once attended an official lunch at Government House in Hong Kong. For dessert the waiter passed round a platter of whole fruit. She was tempted by the mangoes, but knew that this would not be a good idea. Eating a whole mango delicately with a knife and fork is not easy and you wouldn’t want it to shoot across the table and land on another guest’s lap. Experienced guests like my mother in law played it safe and took a banana or an apple. One lady, through lack of experience or perhaps without thinking, chose a mango. Everyone finished their fruit quite quickly then sat back to watch this poor woman struggle with her mango. It took forever, but to give her credit she persisted and finished the task. Perhaps a round of applause would have been a nice gesture.

Here in Australia the mango season is in full swing. I’m always tempted to buy a case of 12, but there are just the two of us and after a few days the mangoes have ripened to the point where the remaining few need to be used immediately. Mangoes in ginger wine is a delicious solution and will keep in the fridge for a day or two. I think this recipe will appeal to my friends at the Sarojin Resort in Thailand and I’m sure they could cut up the fruit more decoratively than I have. Perhaps the chef can give me a lesson next time I’m there.

4 large fresh mangoes
¾ cup Stone’s ginger wine
2 Tbs chopped glace ginger or ginger preserved in syrup

Peel and slice mangoes and place in a serving bowl. Heat ginger wine with ginger and pour over. Chill and serve very cold.

Serves 4-6

Julie Bishop’s Prawn Risotto

Posted on 15 January 2013 by Linda Peek

The other evening I switched onto the ABC and watched Kitchen Cabinet. In this series political journalist and commentator Annabel Crabb visits a politician in their home for a chat about politics and life in general. The conversation takes place over a meal – Annabel takes the dessert and the politician cooks one of their favourite recipes for the main course.

In this episode Deputy Leader of the Opposition Julie Bishop produced what looked like a delicious prawn risotto. Having made a mental note of the main ingredients (prawns, rice, celery, coriander, Cinzano, pine nuts and Parmesan) I decided to recreate it this evening.

For dessert Annabel brought Eton mess, which is basically whipped cream with pieces of meringue and berries folded through. A sort of deconstructed Pavlova!

2 Tbs oil or 25g butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely sliced
350-400g peeled raw prawns
1/3 cup Cinzano or other white vermouth
2 cups Arborio rice
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To serve:
Lightly toasted pine nuts
Chopped fresh coriander
Grated Parmesan cheese
Steamed and buttered asparagus

Heat oil or butter in a large heavy-based pan and cook onion and celery until soft but not brown, stirring. Add rice and cook stirring until translucent. Add prawns and cook stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add Cinzano and cook, stirring to evaporate some of the alcohol. Slowly add stock, about a cup at a time, simmering until absorbed and continue cooking and adding more stock until the rice is tender. Risotto should be wet and slightly soupy, not dry like paella or pilaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper and if liked add a final drop of Cinzano.

Serve risotto garnished with the pine nuts, coriander and Parmesan and the asparagus on the side.

Serves 4

Garlic butter

Posted on 3 January 2013 by Linda Peek

As I made a batch of garlic butter to have in the fridge over the holiday season I thought to myself that it’s one of those recipes which has become “retro”. Popular in the seventies and eighties, we used it in garlic bread, on steaks and grilled fish and in Chicken Kiev. But then it went out of favour, along with prawn cocktail, beef bourgignon, steak Diane and all the other dishes we enjoyed before gastronomy took off. Suddenly these recipes weren’t posh enough.

Whenever I serve garlic bread to a crowd – fresh from the oven and oozing home-made garlic butter – it always disappears. And a dollop of garlic butter on a freshly barbecued steak, piece of fish or succulent prawn is delicious. So here’s the recipe. Oh and it’s probably a good idea to label the container so the kids don’t ask why the butter’s gone green!

3 heaped Tbs fresh parsley leaves, stalks removed
3 Tbs snipped chives or the green ends of spring onions
1-2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 250g tub spreadable butter
pinch salt

Place herbs in food processor and process till finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides halfway through. Add garlic, butter and salt and process till mixed. Return to the plastic butter container and refrigerate. Keeps for 2-3 weeks in the fridge, but much longer in the freezer. Just thaw long enough to use what you need then put back.

Garlic Bread: make diagonal cuts in a French baguette, not quite through to the bottom. Spread each slice with garlic butter. Wrap the loaf in foil and refrigerate or freeze till needed. Thaw if frozen then bake in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Fish ‘n Chips

Posted on 30 December 2012 by Linda Peek

I grew up in the UK in the 60s when there were almost as many fish and chip shops as there were pubs. As the fish and chips came out of the hot oil they were put into grease-proof paper bags, then wrapped in old newspapers. This created an unforgettable aroma as you ran home with the hot package and it didn’t detract at all from the flavour. They were delicious! Sixpenny worth of chips was an after school treat, doused with dark malt vinegar and sprinkled with salt. Now everything has to be wrapped in pristine white paper, prices have shot up, the batter on the fish seems thicker and many of the fish and chip shops I remember as a child have closed.

Everyone – well almost everyone – loves fish and chips. If you fall into that category then an electric deep fat fryer is a good investment. I keep mine in an old fridge in the garage, where we store wine and beer. I only use it for fish and chips so I leave the oil in the pan and use it 2-3 times over one or two months, before throwing it out and starting afresh.

This batter takes less than a minute to make and it’s very light and crunchy.

canola, sunflower oil or similar
3-4 medium potatoes (choose a variety suitable for chips)
400g thick, chunky white fish fillets, such as cod, hoki
1/3 cup self-raising flour
salt and pepper to taste
soda or sparkling mineral water
To serve:
Tartare sauce
lemon wedges
1-2 cups frozen peas, cooked

Heat oil in deep fat fryer. Peel and slice potatoes and cut into chips (fat or thin, as you like) then dry well with paper towels. Test oil and when a chip starts to sizzle as soon as you put it in, it’s hot enough. Cook chips until tender but pale, then lift the basket and let the oil get very hot again, before lowering for a final crisping. Tip chips into a dish lined with paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Cover loosely with foil so they stay hot.

While chips are cooking cut fish into long chunky sticks 2-3 cm wide. Mix flour with salt and pepper and enough soda water to make a very thick batter. Go slowly, you won’t need much. Add all the fish to the batter, then turn to coat thoroughly. When chips are done cook the fish for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Gently lower them into the oil one piece at a time. Drain on paper towels and serve with the chips, tartare sauce, lemon wedges and peas.

Serves 2-3

Note: if you don’t have a deep fat fryer a deep pan will do. The oil needs to be about 10cm deep.

Pasta with Smoked Salmon and Cucumber

Posted on 26 December 2012 by Linda Peek

Smoked salmon is much cheaper than it used to be, especially if you buy it in half kilo packets, so I usually have some “on the go” in the fridge. It’s handy for creating a quick salad or pasta dish such as this one, slightly adapted from a recipe in Delicious magazine.

Pink peppercorns, known as baies roses in French, are fragrant and only slightly peppery. According to Wikipedia, they are not real peppercorns but were so-called because they look like them. They go well with most recipes using smoked salmon or gravlax. You can probably tell from the photo that I only had chives and no dill, but it still tasted good!

400g spaghetti or fettuccine
1 Lebanese cucumber or half a telegraph cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and diced
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
1 Tbs white wine or white Balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbs capers, rinsed and drained
2 Tbs chopped dill
2 Tbs chopped chives
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon and juice of ½
200g smoked salmon, chopped
To garnish:
Extra chopped herbs
Pink peppercorns (the dry ones, see photo)
Or Salmon Roe

Sprinkle cucumber dice with salt and leave to drain in a colander for 30 mins then rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Cook pasta according to packet instructions, drain and mix with the oil. Mix sour cream, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice and rind, capers and herbs in a bowl. Then add pasta, cucumber and smoked salmon. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with extra herbs and pink peppercorns or salmon roe. The dish will be warm rather than piping hot.

Serves 4

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

Posted on 20 December 2012 by Linda Peek

Whenever I make oven-roasted vegetables I always think there will be lots of leftovers. But they’re so delicious, not to mention healthy, so everyone comes back for seconds and there’s none left.

You can use any combination of vegetables and there are some important rules. Cook the vegetables in a hot oven i.e. 200C or 400F in a very shallow baking tray in one layer – otherwise they will stew in their own juices rather than roasting. Also it’s important to cut vegetables which cook quickly, such as zucchini, into larger pieces than the rest. When cooked the vegetables should be slightly charred on the edges, while still maintaining a bit of crunch. The first photo shows them just out of the oven. The second photo shows them served on a bed of rocket, garnished with some soft goat’s cheese and toasted pine nuts.

2-3 large carrots, peeled
2 red or yellow peppers (capsicum) or one of each, seeds and membranes removed
4-6 small yellow squash (if available)
3 onions – red or brown
4-6 zucchini (courgettes)
6-8 whole garlic cloves
Olive oil, salt and pepper
Balsamic glaze or vinegar
Chopped fresh parsley or coriander to serve
Optional additions:
1 eggplant (aubergine)
1 sweet potato
parsnips or pumpkin

Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut vegetables into sticks or chunks, onions into quarters or eighths depending on size. Leave garlic cloves whole. Place all the vegetables in a shallow baking tray in a single layer. You don’t want them all on top of each other, so use two if necessary. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix well with your hands. Roast vegetables for 30-40 mins, turning a couple of times during cooking time. Serve at room temperature, drizzled with balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with chopped herbs.