I always make my mum's trifle recipe at christmas and also for our Australia Day barbecue. Last night I made this to go with mum's hamburger recipe. It is such a simple recipe and a definite aussie favourite. I made such a huge amount. Double the normal size and it still was all eaten by the end of the night.
PREPARATION:
1 swiss roll (jam sponge roll)
1 tin of pitted black cherries or strawberries (any fruits would do)
1/2 cup sweet sherry
2 pkts port wine jelly (jello) I use the sugar free one and any flavour would do
600 - 750 mls home made thick custard - see recipe below
Make up jelly as instructions on pkt and when slightly cool, place in refrigerator to set firm. Slice up the swiss role and line bottom of a deep sided bowl or dish. I always take the roll about half way up the sides. Sprinkle the sherry all over the swiss role, making sure they are well covered. You can always use more sherry if you need to. Drain the fruit and spread over the top of the swiss role. Pour custard over this while still hot as it helps to spread easily and keep the roll from drying out. Place plastic wrap over bowl and when custard is cool, place in fridge. When the jelly is slightly firming, pour over the chilled custard and return to fridge. When jelly is really set, remove from fridge and decorate with whipped cream. Serve chilled with either or both, whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. I used a vanilla and raspberry ripple low fat ice cream and it was a great winner.
Custard:
600 - 750 mls full cream milk
2 heaped tablespoons custard powder (not sure if available in USA)
1 egg
2 heaped tablespoons sugar - can use splenda (I often use half sugar and half splenda)
1 dessertspoon butter
1 tablespoon cream
few drops vanilla essence
Blend the custard powder with a little of your milk to make a runny paste. Then add the sugar and the rest of the milk, vanilla essence, cream and egg. Using a bamix or mixer, mix this well as you want the egg to be thorougly blended. Pour into a microwave safe bowl, (I always use a china one) and cook on high for a couple of minutes and then stir. Keep doing this about a minute at a time until custard begins to bubble and is very thick. Remove from microwave and stir in the butter. You can cook the old fashioned way, in a saucepan on top of the stove if preferred. By adding an egg cream you will have very smooth and velvety tasting custard. The egg also helps to thicken it as you need it to be very thick for trifle.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Australia Day Hamburgers
Last night we celebrated Australia Day (26th Jan) and we had our usual aussie barbecue with family and friends here at our home. Everyone arrived early so they could go for a swim first in the pool before the fireworks display began. Adults groaned about having to supervise the children but they were having just as much fun as the children were, splashing about on a very hot australian summer night. Soon it was time to crank up the barbecue so David and the men did the cooking, some drinking and a lot of talking and laughing while us girls brought out the salads, buns, etc and waited for the master chefs to do their stuff. I always make my mum's recipe for hamburgers as they are a much requested item. I know most people have their own favourite version of this great aussie icon but this recipe has been handed down through my family and is a definite winner. If you want them to taste as good as my mum's then please don't change the recipe at all. Make sure you make enough for several hamburgers per person as you will need them and copies of the recipe to hand out for the requests you will get. This is even better if you make the mixture up the night before and leave, covered in the refrigerator overnight. This makes the flavours really blend through.
PREPARATION:
1 kg good minced steak
2 large onions
2 very ripe tomatoes - organic are best
4 thick slices of fresh white bread made into rough breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of good hamburger seasoning
cracked black pepper or if available, aust outback mountain pepper (my favourite)
sea salt to taste
plain flour
Chop up the onions and the tomatoes first. Do not peel the tomatoes. Then place all the ingredients except flour into a very large mixing bowl and mix in with your hands. I always crack the eggs on top of the breadcrumbs and mix them a little through this first and then mix all together. Using your hands is a much better way than using a spoon or mixer and you have the warmth from them which helps the mixing. If your mixture is a little too sloppy, add some flour to it, a tablespoon at a time, until it is the right consistency. Line a large plate with plastic wrap and shaping your mixture into hamburgers, dip them in some more flour and place on the plate. If you need to layer them, place plastic wrap between each row so they won't stick together. Cook on a hot barbecue plate to your cooking preference and serve on buns with some salad and cooked onions.
PREPARATION:
1 kg good minced steak
2 large onions
2 very ripe tomatoes - organic are best
4 thick slices of fresh white bread made into rough breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of good hamburger seasoning
cracked black pepper or if available, aust outback mountain pepper (my favourite)
sea salt to taste
plain flour
Chop up the onions and the tomatoes first. Do not peel the tomatoes. Then place all the ingredients except flour into a very large mixing bowl and mix in with your hands. I always crack the eggs on top of the breadcrumbs and mix them a little through this first and then mix all together. Using your hands is a much better way than using a spoon or mixer and you have the warmth from them which helps the mixing. If your mixture is a little too sloppy, add some flour to it, a tablespoon at a time, until it is the right consistency. Line a large plate with plastic wrap and shaping your mixture into hamburgers, dip them in some more flour and place on the plate. If you need to layer them, place plastic wrap between each row so they won't stick together. Cook on a hot barbecue plate to your cooking preference and serve on buns with some salad and cooked onions.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Chicken with Curry and spices
I can't remember who gave me this recipe but think it may have been my cousin Sue. I know that I have been making this from before my son Scott was born and he is now 36 so it have been in my recipe book forever it seems. It is a different variation of most chicken curries, has a little preparation to do but is still very simple to make and very tasty.
PREPARATION:
1 whole fresh chicken or fresh chicken thigh fillets
3/4 cup of peanut or olive oil
3 onions chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayene pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
Cut chicken up into small pieces. Bring the oil to the boil in a large pot and quickly add the chicken to it. Add all other ingredients and turn down and let simmer for approx 30 minutes for until cooked through. Serve with steamed rice and vegetables.
PREPARATION:
1 whole fresh chicken or fresh chicken thigh fillets
3/4 cup of peanut or olive oil
3 onions chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayene pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
Cut chicken up into small pieces. Bring the oil to the boil in a large pot and quickly add the chicken to it. Add all other ingredients and turn down and let simmer for approx 30 minutes for until cooked through. Serve with steamed rice and vegetables.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Brown Onion Soup
This is one of those simple soup recipes that you keep making over and over again. Whenever I serve this soup, everyone asks me for the recipe. It was given to me about 26 years ago by Judy, a friend of mine who now lives in Melbourne. Whenever we had dinner at her home, she would always try out a new recipe and they usually turned out great. This is one of my favourites that she made one cold winter night when we were over there. It is such a tasty soup I know that you will be making it often. I will be sharing some of her other recipes with you later on.
PREPARATION:
4 brown onions
2 - 3 large rashers of bacon
2 beef stock cubes
4 cups of water
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
2 slices fresh bread with crusts removed
Roughly chop up the onions and bacon. In a stockpot, brown them in the butter over a medium heat. When onion is quite brown but still soft and bacon cooked, add the crumbled stock cubes and quickly add the water and black pepper. Turn the heat up until it boils and then reduce heat and cook for approx 20 minutes. Turn heat off and take pot off stove to slightly cool. Add the bread to soup and blend with either a hand held blender such as a Bamix or else pour soup in batches into a bench blender and blend until smooth. When finished blending, taste the soup and if needed add a little salt for prefered taste. I often find that it doesn't need any salt as it gets enough from the bacon and the stock cubes flavour. Serve this with some fresh crusty bread sticks, either cold or heated for several minutes in the oven.
PREPARATION:
4 brown onions
2 - 3 large rashers of bacon
2 beef stock cubes
4 cups of water
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
2 slices fresh bread with crusts removed
Roughly chop up the onions and bacon. In a stockpot, brown them in the butter over a medium heat. When onion is quite brown but still soft and bacon cooked, add the crumbled stock cubes and quickly add the water and black pepper. Turn the heat up until it boils and then reduce heat and cook for approx 20 minutes. Turn heat off and take pot off stove to slightly cool. Add the bread to soup and blend with either a hand held blender such as a Bamix or else pour soup in batches into a bench blender and blend until smooth. When finished blending, taste the soup and if needed add a little salt for prefered taste. I often find that it doesn't need any salt as it gets enough from the bacon and the stock cubes flavour. Serve this with some fresh crusty bread sticks, either cold or heated for several minutes in the oven.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Spicy Chicken
This was given to me by old family-in-law members who came from Holland. Every time I make this delicious simple dish, I think fondly of Henk and Marianne. It is quite rich and they always make it with this simple salad which helps with the richness and tastes great. The salad has beautiful colours and sets off the colour of the chicken dish.
PREPARATION:
500 g skinless chicken breasts
2 onlions cut into quarters then quartered again
1 red capsicum sliced or chopped
250 mls cream
paprika powder - use as much as you like to give the dish a rich reddish colour.
cayene pepper - just a small amount to taste. More if you prefer a hot spicy flavour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
butter for frying - approx 1 tablespoon
Cut the onions and capsicum and fry in butter. Add chicken which has been sliced up then add the spices and simmer for 20 mins. Add cream and simmer another 10 mins or until well cooked through. Serve with steamed rice and salad recipe.
Salad:
2 kiwi fruit
1 pkt glazed ginger
4 celery stalks
approx 1 tablespoon mayonaise.
Chop ingredients and stir in the mayonaise.
PREPARATION:
500 g skinless chicken breasts
2 onlions cut into quarters then quartered again
1 red capsicum sliced or chopped
250 mls cream
paprika powder - use as much as you like to give the dish a rich reddish colour.
cayene pepper - just a small amount to taste. More if you prefer a hot spicy flavour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
butter for frying - approx 1 tablespoon
Cut the onions and capsicum and fry in butter. Add chicken which has been sliced up then add the spices and simmer for 20 mins. Add cream and simmer another 10 mins or until well cooked through. Serve with steamed rice and salad recipe.
Salad:
2 kiwi fruit
1 pkt glazed ginger
4 celery stalks
approx 1 tablespoon mayonaise.
Chop ingredients and stir in the mayonaise.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Cream Cheese Slice
This is another family favourite that we often used to take to any meeting or function that called for a plate of something for afternoon tea. So easy to make and keeps okay for several days in the refridgerator. That is if any is left over.
PREPARATION:
250 g cream cheese
250 g unsalted butter
200 g caster sugar
1 dessertspoon of gelatine dissolved in 3 dessertspoons hot water and let to cool
2 pkts lattice biscuits (raspberry waffles)
few drops vanilla essence
Cream the butter and sugar. Add cream cheese, gelatine mix and vanilla essence and mix well together. Sandwich mixture between two biscuits. Continue this way until all mixture and biscuits are used up. Place on tray or plate in the fridge and let to set firmly. Serve with tea or coffee for a yummy treat.
PREPARATION:
250 g cream cheese
250 g unsalted butter
200 g caster sugar
1 dessertspoon of gelatine dissolved in 3 dessertspoons hot water and let to cool
2 pkts lattice biscuits (raspberry waffles)
few drops vanilla essence
Cream the butter and sugar. Add cream cheese, gelatine mix and vanilla essence and mix well together. Sandwich mixture between two biscuits. Continue this way until all mixture and biscuits are used up. Place on tray or plate in the fridge and let to set firmly. Serve with tea or coffee for a yummy treat.
Bircher Muesli
Everyone loves muesli done this way and you make your own just as good as what you find served at the very best hotels on the breakfast menu. You can alter some of these ingredients to suit your own taste but I find that this one works well for me. You can halve mixture if this recipe is too much and it keeps well in the fridge for several days. Make sure you keep it sealed or with plastic wrap over the bowl.
PREPARATION:
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups fresh orange juice
2 x 200 g tubs plain light yoghurt or honey yoghurt
1/2 cup sliced dried apples
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup sultanas
1/3 cup honey
1 cup milk
3 small plums, chopped
1/3 cup slivered almonds - toasted
extra plums
Combine oats, juice and yoghurt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from fridge and stir in apples, sultanas, apricots, honey, milk and chopped plums and mix well. Cover and refridgerate for 30 minutes. Serve muesli topped with almonds and the extra plums.
PREPARATION:
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups fresh orange juice
2 x 200 g tubs plain light yoghurt or honey yoghurt
1/2 cup sliced dried apples
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup sultanas
1/3 cup honey
1 cup milk
3 small plums, chopped
1/3 cup slivered almonds - toasted
extra plums
Combine oats, juice and yoghurt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from fridge and stir in apples, sultanas, apricots, honey, milk and chopped plums and mix well. Cover and refridgerate for 30 minutes. Serve muesli topped with almonds and the extra plums.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
