Tomato Sauce

This was given to me about 22 years ago by Cheryl who was a neighbour of mine when I lived in Gelorup which is a little community about 10 klm south of Bunbury where I grew up. When our children were growing up, there was not the takaways that are around today and as we lived away from a town or shopping centre, we always did our own cooking as well as sharing favourite recipes. I do not like commercially made sauces, pickles etc so when I got this easy tomato sauce recipe, I would always make it each year when our home grown tomatoes were nice and ripe. Organically grown tomatoes always taste better but make sure they are very ripe for this recipe.

PREPARATION:

3.5 kilos ripe tomato
750 mls spiced vinegar
1 teaspoon cayene pepper
900 grams sugar
2 tablespoons salt

Boil all together for 3 hours and bottle.

Pork Fillets in Burgundy Cream Sauce

This was a recipe I found in my mums handwritten recipe book. I cannot remember her ever making this dish so I decided to make it and to my delight it is a really great but different way to serve pork. Port is such a great meat to have as nowadays it is so lean and healthy. As this is quite a rich tasting dish, it goes well with steamed rice and green vegetables such as broccoli, brussel spouts and/or green beans.

PREPARATION:

500 g pork fillets
1 tablespoon green peppercorns
1/2 cup burgundy
2 egg yolks
70 - 100 mls cream
1 chicken stock cube
125 g butter
sea salt to taste

Melt butter in heavy based pan ( I use a Scanpan) then add the pork fillets and simmer. Add chicken stock cube to the burgundy in a saucepan and boil until it reduces to about half. Beat the egg yolks and cream together and add to burgundy mix. Still until it becomes thick but keep lifting off and on the heat to stop it from boiling as this will ruin it. Add peppercorns to pork which has been turned and cooked thorough. Add a little sea salt to taste and then arrange pork onto a serving dish and pour the sauce over then serve.

Tantalising Chicken

I cannot remmeber who gave me this recipe but it may have been Judy a girlfriend of mine who now lives back in Melbourne. She was always turning out great dinner parties and I usually came home with the recipe as it was always good. If not Judy, then whoever it was, thanks a lot as it is a great dish.

PREPARATION:

4 chicken breasts
1 fresh mango
1 apple sliced into strips
200 g macadamia nuts
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup white wine - such as chardonay
1/2 carton cream
plain flour

Lightly flour the chicken breasts and gently fry in a little oil and butter over a medium heat.\ until nearly cooked through. Add the apple strips, nuts and mango flesh and gently simmer until golden brown. Drain off excess oil and add wine and orange juice and simmer a few minutes more. Add the cream and stir through. Serve with broccoli, fresh beans and potato au gratin.

Green vegetable mix

A friend of mine, Margy is always coming up with easy inovative ideas to serve vegetables and this is one of those ones that you keep making over and over again. The colour and flavour of this one is great and I know you will love it.

PREPARATION:

Broad beans
green peas - fresh are best
spring onions
pancetta
butter

Cook pancetta first until crispy. Melt enough butter in a large pan for frying and then add the vegetable to this. Over a low - mod heat cook through then add the crumbled pancetta over the top and serve. This is great with pasta dishes as well as a side dish with a barbecue or any other cooked meat, chicken or fish dish. Use enough vegetables to allow for enough for each serving.

Tropical Chicken Salad

This was given to me years ago when I was in Real Estate by a girl I worked with. I often make this up when I want something light and easy on a hot summer night, sitting outdoors around the pool area. It is great to take on picnics as well. If you turn up with this at a friends place, they will love you for it.

PREPARATION:

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
4 cups chopped fresh tropical fruit (bananas, pineapple, mango's etc)
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 1/2 cups chopped celery

Prepare and stir through and then add the dressing - as below

Dressing:
1 carton plain yoghurt ( I use greek style)
1 pkt thai chicken & coconut soup
1 tablespoon honey

Cheesy Salmon Vol-au-vents

This is another one of those recipes that you try out at someones party and just have to ask for the recipe to make them yourself. I got this off a next door neighbour named Yvonne when I lived in Gelorup, a sleepy little community not far out of Bunbury. It is so simple to make and another one that when you do make it you wonder why you don't make them more often.

PREPARATION:

1 210 g tin of salmon or tuna
1 310 g tin of corn kernels
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 spring onions sliced
250 g grated cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
6 med size vol-au-vent cases

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl and spoon into cases. Heat in a moderate oven for approx 15 minutes. Serve hot with a nice salad on the side. You can also use the little cases and double the mixture if making for a party. Of you want a little spicier just add a dash of cayene pepper to the mixture.

Savoury Muffins

I cannot remember who passed this recipe on to me but it is one that has been around for a long time with some variations. I often serve these at breakfast time, especially if I am doing a cooked breakfast with bacon and eggs etc. You can always add some chopped bacon to these for added taste.

PREPARATION:

1 cup SR flour
1 cup grated tasty cheese
1 cup milk
fresh parsley
1 small finely chopped onion or else onion flakes
sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Mix ingredients all together and drop in spoonfuls into patty tray or small muffin trays. Bake in moderate oven until cooked through and golden brown. Serve hot, split in half with fresh butter.