Tag Archives: quick

Asian Style Kingfish Ceviche

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When we were in Newcastle recently we dined at a restaurant called Sprout. The Kingfish Ceviche ordered by one of our party was so good we all had a taste!  I decided to try and recreate it on return to Canberra. I added the pink peppercorns (see note below) which were a definite plus to the flavour and colour combination.

Asian Style Kingfish Ceviche

300g Kingfish fillets (or other firm white fish)
Juice of 1 lime or half a large lemon
1 small bulb of fennel, trimmed and thinly shaved
3-5 radishes (depending on size) thinly shaved
2 spring onions, very finely sliced on the diagonal
4 stalks asparagus, blanched and cut into 2-3cm lengths
2-3 tsp very finely sliced lemon grass
1 cup coconut milk
2-4 tsp fish sauce, to taste
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp finely chopped fresh chilli (or to taste)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbs vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To garnish:
Pink peppercorns

Cut fish into bit size slices and mix with the lime or lemon juice. If you like your ceviche very lemony add more lemon juice. To blanch the asparagus, cook them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes then refresh under cold water, drain and pat dry with paper towel.

Leave fish for an hour or so, stirring from time to time, then mix in remaining ingredients, keeping some fennel, radish and asparagus for garnish. Season to taste then arrange on serving plates and garnish with the reserved vegetables and a few pink peppercorns.

Serves 6 as a starter

Note: A pink peppercorn (baie rose in French) is the dried berry of the Peruvian Peppertree. They were so-named because they look like peppercorns. The flavour is aromatic and only slightly peppery. They go well with all kinds of fish dishes, including Gravlax and smoked salmon. Available at specialty shops such as The Essential Ingredient.

Latte Panna Cottas with Chocolate Hazelnut Chews

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The recipe for these little coffee desserts was given to me by the wife of a British diplomat. By the time we met, Mary and her husband had had several postings, including one to a remote African country where entertaining was something of a challenge. Finding the ingredients for a Western-style dinner party and explaining to the local staff exactly what she wanted had not been easy for Mary. Sometimes things were simply lost in translation.

Every time they entertained the food was inevitably served cold or at best lukewarm. Mary’s house boy Robert said that the cook was not to blame. The distance to the dining room was the problem. By the time the food had made that long journey along the hall from the kitchen, of course it was cold.

Mary persuaded the Embassy to fund the installation of a serving hatch, so the food could be passed directly from the kitchen to the dining room and hopefully arrive on everyone’s plates before it got cold.

In due course the hatch was installed. When the next dinner party was arranged Mary instructed Robert that from now on everything was to come through the new hatch. He seemed somewhat reluctant, but Mary said that it had cost a lot of money and her husband would be very cross if he didn’t use it. Robert was a likeable fellow in his twenties who tried hard to please.

When the guests sat down the cold starters were already on the table. Mary sat with her back to the serving hatch, while her husband sat at the other end of the long table. In due course the plates from the starter were cleared away. Polite diplomatic conversation continued as they waited for the main course.

Some of the guests began to giggle. Mary wondered if there was some joke that she had missed. People seemed to be looking at something behind her. She turned around to see Robert climbing through the hatch, a large serving dish balanced precariously in his free hand.

Mary wanted everything to come through the hatch and so it did.
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Panna Cottas:
250ml milk
300ml cream
¼ to ½ cup sugar (to taste)
2 shots Espresso coffee (see note below)
1 Tbs gelatine
4 Tbs water
Chocolate Hazelnut Chews:
4 large egg whites
3 pinches salt
1½ cups icing sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
150g blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped in food processor
Extra whole blanched hazelnuts
To serve:
Grated dark chocolate
Pouring cream (optional)

Place milk, cream, sugar and coffee in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile place gelatine and water in a small bowl then zap in the microwave briefly to dissolve. Mix gelatine mixture into coffee mixture then divide among 6 small ramekins, coffee cups or glasses. Chill for several hours or overnight.

For the Hazelnut Chews, preheat oven to 180°C. With electric beaters whip egg whites and salt until soft peaks, then gradually beat in the sugar until you have a thick, glossy meringue. Beat in the cocoa then fold in the chopped nuts. Line a biscuit tray with baking paper and place tablespoons of mixture onto the tray with a little space for spreading, though they won’t spread much. Top each biscuit with a whole hazelnut then bake for 15-20 mins. Mine were done in 15 mins and to be chewy you don’t want them overcooked. Makes about 15.

Serve panna cottas sprinkled with a little grated chocolate, with the hazelnut chews and pouring cream in a jug.

Serves 6

Note: if preferred use 125ml hot water and 1 Tbs instant coffee granules

Plum Puddings with Vanilla Ice Cream

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Cooking classes were part of the weekly schedule at the all girls Grammar school I attended in the UK. In the first lesson, when I was 11, we made cheese on toast which we polished off immediately and in the second we made cauliflower cheese. After that they all blur into one. Each week I headed off on the school bus with the ingredients packed into my school bag and returned home with what was often destined to be the family’s evening meal, sitting precariously on my knees.

When I left school 7 years later I had covered all the basics – pastries, breads, sauces and cakes, roasting, steaming, braising and more. We also learnt about nutrition, planning meals for people on special diets such as the elderly or diabetics, writing shopping lists and sticking to a very tight work schedule. Finishing on time with the table set, the food ready to serve and all the washing up done was a requirement when we had practical examinations. I often wonder what happened to my somewhat unpredictable classmate Janet Richardson. She could produce a great meal or a clean kitchen, but not both. Her work station looked as if a bomb had hit it when we were told that time was up.

I now realise how lucky we were to have this training. A surprising number of kids leave home these days with few cooking skills. This means they spend a fortune eating out or survive on takeaways. Small wonder that obesity is on the increase. When a friend of one of our offspring got married he and his new wife wandered around a supermarket for half an hour studying the shelves and came out with a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, a packet of spaghetti and a jar of Paul Newman’s spaghetti sauce. Neither of them felt confident to buy anything else which needed cooking.

When I see blood plums in the shops I get the urge to make a recipe by Stephanie Alexander which she calls Mieze’s Plum Cake. It makes quite a big cake, so here I’ve fiddled around with the quantities to end up with about half the original recipe (but not exactly) and used it to make 8 individual puddings.

At school we were taught that once self-raising flour has come into contact with liquids the dish needs to go into the oven immediately, because the baking powder starts to work. However, I left these little plum puddings on the side, ready to bake, for an hour or two before they went in the oven and they were perfect. I didn’t want to be mixing cakes once our guests had arrived.

Plum Puddings with Vanilla Ice Cream

Cake:
4 large blood plums (dark red or purple inside)
125g butter at room temp
½ cup sugar
1 cup walnut or pecan halves
2 eggs
1 cup self-raising flour, sieved
2 Tbs milk
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
Topping:
1 egg
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
To serve:
Icing sugar
Vanilla ice cream

Butter 8 individual pudding dishes and arrange on a baking tray. Or you can use large non-stick muffin tins, buttered well. Pre-heat oven to 180°C. For cake place butter and sugar in food processor and mix until light and fluffy. Add the nuts and eggs and process until the nuts are coarsely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides. Add flour, milk and vanilla and process just enough to combine, stopping again to scrape down the sides. Divide mixture evenly between the dishes or muffin tins.

Cut plums in half and remove stones. Place one plum half in each cake, cut side up. Press down on the plum so the cake comes up level with it. Place topping ingredients in food processor (no need to wash it out) whiz till smooth, then divide among the cakes and spread over. Bake cakes for 25 mins or until well risen and golden. If you have made them in muffin tins, cool for a minute or two then carefully remove from the tins but if they are in dishes serve them as they are. Dust with icing sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Serves 8

ANZAC Apple and Rhubarb Crumble

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Each year on the 25th of April, Australians and New Zealanders remember those who lost their lives fighting for their country.

Over the ANZAC Day long weekend we had a house full, so I decided to make a fruit crumble because everyone loves them. The latest edition of Australian Gourmet Traveller featured a recipe called Apple ANZAC Pie which used the same ingredients you use to make ANZAC Biscuits, so I adapted it slightly to make an ANZAC Crumble.

ANZAC biscuits were sent by Australian and New Zealand wives to soldiers who were fighting abroad. They were popular because they kept well during naval transportation.

Rhubarb grows like a weed in our garden so I often mix it with apples. If preferred just leave it out and increase the number of apples by 2 or 3. The fresh ginger was a great addition to the fruit layer, but some of the smaller kids didn’t like it. If preferred just leave it out. And if you’re concerned that it will be too sweet, leave out the brown sugar.

The verdict on this recipe was that it’s the best crumble ever. Actually the topping isn’t very crumbly, it’s more like a fruit cobbler. Sorry it wasn’t published in time for ANZAC day, but I’m confident it will go down well any time of year.

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Fruit layer:
5 large Granny Smith apples or cooking apples
About 10 sticks of rhubarb, washed and cut into 2-3cm lengths
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger (optional)
6 Tbs water
Topping:
185g butter
¼ cup each treacle and golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 cups plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut (preferably coarse flakes)
To serve:
Vanilla ice cream or cream

Peel and slice apples and place in a saucepan with the rhubarb, sugar, ginger and water. Cook for 8-10 minutes until slightly softened then spread into a greased 25cm pie dish.

In a large bowl melt butter, treacle and golden syrup in the microwave then mix in the bicarbonate of soda, flour, oats, sugar and coconut. Spoon all over the apple and rhubarb mixture, using a fork to cover any gaps. Refrigerate until serving time.

Pre-heat oven to 180°C then bake the crumble for 25-30 mins or until crisp and golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cream.

Serves 12

Notes: if you don’t have any treacle, double the amount of golden syrup. If you don’t have either use honey or maple syrup instead.

Salmon with Anchovy Garlic Butter and Broccolini

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On their own, I’m not a big fan of anchovy fillets. But when they’re mixed into a sauce it’s a different matter. The creamy dressing which goes with Caesar Salad contains anchovies and it just wouldn’t be the same without them.

Salmon is on the menu about once a week in our house. It’s so quick and easy – dinner can be on the table in under 15 minutes. So when I saw this recipe for Salmon with Anchovy Garlic Butter I thought I would give it a try and we weren’t disappointed.

Salmon with Anchovy Garlic Butter and Broccolini2 salmon fillets, approx 180g each
1 Tbs capers
Juice from ½ lemon
Chopped parsley
1 small bunch broccolini, or substitute broccoli
Anchovy Garlic Butter
30g butter (at room temp)
2 anchovy fillets in oil (drained, rinsed and patted dry)
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl place all ingredients for the Anchovy Garlic Butter and mash together thoroughly with a fork. Place about half in a small non-stick frying pan and when hot add the salmon fillets, skin side down and cook for 2-3 mins or until the skin is crisp, then turn and cook for 1-2 minutes on each of the other three sides. This will result in salmon which is still a bit pink in the middle. If you like it more well done just increase the cooking time. Towards the end of the cooking add the capers to the pan, so they warm up.

Meanwhile steam broccolini until done then arrange with salmon on serving plates. Put a small amount of the remaining Anchovy Garlic Butter onto each salmon fillet, put the rest into the pan and mix with the pan juices, then spoon over the salmon and broccolini. Squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle the salmon with parsley.

Serves 2

Boris and the Barbecue

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Early in our marriage we were posted to Israel where we lived in the leafy suburb of Herzliyah Pituach, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. It was one of the few times in our lives that we didn’t have a dog, but our neighbours had a boxer called Boris. They travelled a lot and Boris got lonely, so he spent as much time at our house as he did at theirs. When he felt the need for company he’d just turn up and we were always pleased to see him. Well, almost always.

A Minister was visiting from Queensland with his wife and secretary, so we invited them to join us for a very informal barbecue lunch. Matthew headed off late Saturday morning to pick them up, wearing jeans and an open-neck shirt.

Our guests arrived dressed to kill in white linen suits or similar attire. We sat in the garden sipping a glass of wine while Matthew lit the barbecue. Within five minutes Boris had arrived, his little stubby tail wagging excitedly as he sniffed the air in anticipation of things to come. He could smell a barbecue from a mile off.

Boris was a friendly soul and his usual way of greeting new friends was to slobber his way along their knees. As Matthew tried to stop him and apologise Mrs Minister said through clenched teeth “It’s okay we don’t mind dogs.” Her face said differently as she studied the remains of Boris’s breakfast, now smeared all over her white pants.

Matthew poured more wine, everyone relaxed and we moved to the table for lunch – barbecued lamb cutlets and salad, followed by apple strudel. Boris was starting to be a pain, snuffling under the table looking for scraps. Matthew escorted him home twice, but he kept coming back. We decided to give him a couple of chop bones at the far end of the garden, to keep him quiet.

Suddenly the sound of Boris choking interrupted the conversation. Matthew leapt up, rolled up his sleeve and thrust his hand down the dog’s throat to retrieve the bone. Our guests looked on in horror.

You will be relieved to know that Boris survived the ordeal and went on to attend many more barbecues, although bones were strictly off the menu. In honour of our dearly departed four-legged friend here’s a barbecue recipe without bones. It was given to me by an Australian friend in Israel and is very simple but always a winner. The quantities are flexible – if you use more pork just add more soy sauce, garlic and ginger!

Candy’s Barbecued Pork Rashers Candy's Barbecued Pork Rashers

800g to 1 kg pork belly rashers/slices
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbs grated or very finely chopped fresh ginger

If the pork slices have skin, remove it. If they’re very thick slices hammer them out a bit with a meat hammer. Mix soy sauce, garlic and ginger in a shallow dish. Add the pork and turn to coat thoroughly. Leave to marinate for a couple of hours or overnight. Cook for about 15 minutes or so on a hot barbecue, turning a couple of times, or until well cooked and crispy.

Serves 4

Pork Fillets with Crunchy Potatoes and Mango Salsa

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Roast Pork with apple sauce is a marriage made in heaven, but pork also goes well with other fruit. This mango salsa can be made in a jiffy and goes well with pork or chicken. If preferred just serve it with some grilled or pan-fried pork chops. Instead of mango try using fresh peaches or nectarines.

I’m a bit old-fashioned when it comes to pork, because (unlike beef) I like it cooked until it’s no longer pink, as you can see in the photo.

Pork Fillets with Crunchy Potatoes and Mango Salsa

4 medium potatoes, peeled
1 large or 2 smaller pork fillets (about 600g total)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil to spray or drizzle
1 Tbs butter
Salsa:
1 mango, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbs fresh coriander, chopped
1 Tbs white wine or cider vinegar
1 Tbs olive oil
To serve:
A green vegetable such as steamed asparagus

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until almost cooked. Drain then place on a baking tray lined with foil. Spray or drizzle with olive oil on both sides, then squash them a bit with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat butter in a frying pan with a metal handle that can go in the oven. Season pork all over then brown on all sides in the butter. Place potatoes in the top of the oven and 10 minutes later place the pork on the shelf below. Cook pork for 10-15 mins, by which time the potatoes should be nice and crispy. After ten minutes pork will still be a bit pink in the middle (except at the very thin end) whereas by 15 mins it should be more medium.

Meanwhile cook the asparagus and make the Salsa. For the Salsa mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Slice pork and serve on a bed of crispy potatoes garnished with the asparagus and the salsa.

Serves 4

Mustard-Glazed Salmon with Zucchini Ribbons

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Apart from being quick and easy salmon is versatile, light and full of goodness, so I serve it about once a week.

We’re growing yellow and green zucchini in the garden. If they grow too big – which they seem to do very fast when you’re not looking – I use them in this delicious recipe for Zucchini with Tarragon. If I catch them when they’re smaller (10-15cm in length) they’re ideal for making into ribbons.

There were some tomatoes which needed using up, two pieces of salmon thawing on the side and a fridge overflowing with zucchinis. The result was this colourful recipe which was simple, but delicious. Great for a mid-week dinner for two, but snazzy enough to make when you have guests – just increase the quantities. If you don’t have any yellow zucchinis use all green ones. If you find English mustard too strong use a milder one such as Dijon.

Mustard-Glazed Salmon with Zucchini Ribbons2 green zucchinis (courgettes)
2 yellow zucchinis (courgettes)
1 Tbs olive oil
3 medium tomatoes, cut into small dice or equivalent in baby tomatoes
1-2 Tbs chopped fresh basil (or parsley or coriander)
2 salmon fillets with skin, about 180g each
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp made English mustard
2 tsp olive oil, extra
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
Extra virgin olive oil
Cracked Pepper

Wash and dry zucchinis and trim the ends. With a vegetable peeler cut them into ribbons. Cut about 4 on one side, then turn the zucchini and cut another 4 and keep going round till you’re left with the core which is mainly seeds, which you can throw away. Place ribbons in a covered microwave dish with 1 Tbs water and cook on High for 3 minutes then drain thoroughly.

Heat the tablespoonful of oil in a medium-sized frying pan and cook tomatoes, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add basil, salt and pepper to taste and the zucchini ribbons. Mix gently then turn off heat.

Meanwhile heat the extra oil in a small non-stick frying pan. Season salmon and place skin side down in the pan and cook until skin is crispy. While skin is crisping, mix the brown sugar and mustard and spread over the salmon on the three exposed sides. When skin is crisp turn salmon and cook on the underside for a minute or so, then very briefly on the other two sides so they are nicely glazed. When salmon is almost ready reheat the zucchini and tomato for a minute or so. Serve salmon on a bed of zucchini ribbons, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some cracked pepper.

Serves 2

Note: I used 8-10 baby tomatoes instead of bigger ones. There’s no need to peel the tomatoes, but you can if you prefer.

Chilled Almond Soup

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We’ve all tried Gazpacho, but this traditional Spanish chilled soup, made with almonds and garnished with delicate slivers of fresh grapes, is less well-known. The first time I tried it was at a Spanish cooking demonstration hosted by my friend Jill. Sometimes it’s known as White Gazpacho.

You could be forgiven for thinking it has a lot of cream in it, but the creaminess comes entirely from the almonds. The perfect way to kick off lunch on a hot summer’s day.

Chilled Almond Soup1 cup milk (or soy or almond milk)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup blanched almonds (or raw unsalted cashews)
1 tin cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
2 tsp white wine or white balsamic vinegar
A few red grapes
Coarsely ground black pepper

If you have time soak the almonds in the milk for several hours or overnight, then drain, keeping the milk.

Place three of the garlic cloves in a saucepan with the milk and simmer for 10 mins or until soft. Tip into a blender with remaining clove of garlic and the rest of the ingredients except the grapes. Blend until smooth, although this soup does have a nutty texture, so it won’t be completely smooth. You could sieve it, but you would lose a lot. Chill soup for several hours or overnight.

To serve, check for seasoning and if too thick add a little extra milk. Serve garnished with thin slices of grapes and some cracked pepper.

Serves 4

Rhubarb Syrup Crumb Cake

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Rhubarb grows like a weed in our garden, so I’m constantly looking for new ways to cook it and giving away what we can’t eat.

This recipe by Annabel Crabb is so good you simply have to try it. I’ve adjusted the method slightly and cut down a bit on the sugar in the rhubarb. The cake would go well with other poached fruit, such as quinces, pears or figs and instead of almonds you could use walnuts or other nuts.

If you don’t like the acidity of sour cream or crème fraîche, serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, but I think sour cream provides a perfect contrast to the sweetness of the cake.Rhubarb Syrup Crumb Cake

Cake:
100g almond meal (or make from whole or slivered blanched almonds)
1 heaped cup stale coarse breadcrumbs (preferably sourdough but any kind will do)
75g whole un-blanched almonds
1 cup caster sugar
4 eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ tsp baking powder
Rhubarb:
400g rhubarb (as red/pink as possible)
½ cup water
3-4 Tbs sugar
To serve:
Sour cream or crème fraîche

Preheat oven to 170°C and grease a 20cm cake tin. If tin is metal line with baking paper, but if it’s silicone just spray with oil.

If you don’t have almond meal make your own: place blanched almonds in food processor and process till fairly fine, then tip into a bowl. Blitz bread in the processor until you have coarse crumbs then tip onto a baking tray. Add whole un-blanched almonds to the processor and chop coarsely, leaving some bits the size of a pea. Add to the breadcrumbs on the baking tray and spread out evenly. Place in the oven for about 5 mins or until golden then remove and cool. Watch carefully as they burn easily.

Place eggs and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl and whip with electric beaters until thick. Continue to whip while gradually adding the oil. With a spatula, fold in the almond meal, toasted breadcrumbs/almonds and baking powder, sifted. Tip into cake tin and bake for 45 mins or until golden, risen and firm to touch. Remove from the oven and when cool remove from tin. If cake has puffed up leaving a big air pocket underneath (mine did) just flatten it down gently with your hand.

Wash and trim rhubarb and cut into 4cm lengths. Place in a bowl with the water, mix to wet them all, then tip into a baking dish with the water and spread out in a single layer. Sprinkle evenly with sugar then bake for 10-15 mins or until tender but still holding its shape.

An hour or so before serving, drain rhubarb and keep the syrup. Pierce cake all over with a skewer and drizzle with the syrup. Serve each slice of cake with a pile of poached rhubarb and some crème fraîche or sour cream.

Serves 10

Useful Tip: don’t throw stale bread away. Make breadcrumbs in the food processor and store them in the freezer to make this cake or to use in a stuffing for roast chicken.