Tartare Sauce Recipe

I came across this in my mums recipe folder and thought I would put it on my site as it is such an easy and quick recipe to make. Mum used to cook a lot of fish when we were growing up as dad had a great boat and used to always be out catching fish. Our favourite was jewfish and then king george whiting which were always available in the indian ocean near our home in the south west of western australia. When using tartare sauce on fish, never use too much as you don't want to overpower the flavour of beautiful fresh fish when cooked.

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons good mayonnaise
1 - 1.5 gherkins - finely chopped
approx 10 capers
1/2 teaspoon grated white salad onion or 1 spring onion - finely sliced
little finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon gherkin juice

METHOD:

Mix all ingredients together in a small jug and serve on the side with freshly cooked fish or seafood.

Seafood Cocktail Sauce Recipe

My husband David and myself love cruising and have recently returned home from one. We flew over to Melbourne and cruised back around the bottom half of Australia to Perth on the Sun Princess. What a truly awesome ship and definitely one of our favourite liners to cruise on. Everyone from the crew to the amenities onboard and of course, the wonderful food. David developed a love of the prawn cocktails they served and so I am going to share my own seafood cocktail sauce recipe that you can make for when you want to serve them at your dinner parties. Prawn cocktails seem to come and go in fashion and whenever you have one, you wonder why they are not always in vogue as they are so easy to make and always taste great.
This recipe was one my mum used to make many years ago and I haven't change a thing about it as I think it is a great one.

INGREDIENTS:

1 dessertspoon fresh cream
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 - 4 tablespoons tomato sauce (ketchup)
2 - 3 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon grated onion (optional)
few drops tabasco sauce

METHOD:

Mix all ingredients together in a jug or small bowl.
Put some lettuce leaves in small glass bowls. Lay a row of fresh medium size prawns over then pour enough sauce over to just cover prawns. Pipe a small dash of whipped cream on top of sauce and garnish with a sprig of parsley and a small wedge of lemon on the side.
You can use a combination of shell fish if prefered. Lobster or scampi also are great.

Rocky Road Recipe

My sister Mandy is a fabulous cook and is always being asked to cater for friends parties as well as cooking for huge groups of people at her church camps. You can be sure that when you go to a dinner or social party at her place, you will get the most wonderful dishes served up to you. Mandy also is good at seeking out really easy recipes to make and this is one of them. She always make this to add to her christmas array of goodies and once you have made it you will love it as much as I do. It is simple to make and one that you can use generic brand ingredients for.

INGREDIENTS:

200g pkt unsalted peanuts
2 x 200g blocks cooking milk chocolate
1 large (or 2 normal) size pkt pink and white marshmallows
2 bars of Frys turkish delight

METHOD:
Line a slice tin with some baking paper.
Melt chocolate in top of a double saucepan, set over bottom pan of simmering water. Do not get any steam or water in the chocolate or it will go grainy and be ruined. Even a wet spoon will ruin it so make sure it is completely dry.
While chocolate is melting, roughly choc up marshmallows and turkish delight bars. Place all other ingredients into a large bowl and pour over melted chocolate and mix through.
Pour into slice tin and smooth over with a large spoon.
Set in the refigerator and chill until set. Remove and roughly break up into bite size pieces.
You can also add some dessicated coconut to the chocolate if you like it in the rocky road.

Hash Brown Pancake Recipe

When I was on holidays in the states my girlfriend in Chicago made these interesting pancakes. I make something similar to this but my mum used to call them 'Mock Kingfish', even though they only contained grated potatoes, eggs and seasoning.
Anyway this recipe is slightly different in that she used hash browns instead of potatoes in them. I tried them and really enjoyed them so have decided to add this version to my recipes. She served them with applesauce where as my mums recipe, you just poured tomato sauce (ketchup) over them to serve.

INGREDIENT'S:

1 cup SR flour
1 cup milk
3 large or 4 med eggs
3 tablespoons butter - melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
some chopped fresh parsley
1 small brown onion - finely chopped
2 1/2 cups hash browns (can buy frozen)
1/4 teaspoon bi-carb soda

METHOD:

In a large bowl combine everything apart from the hash browns and mix toghether with your hands or a large wooden spoon.
Add the hash browns and mix through with your hands until well combined.
Let the batter sit for several minutes. Meanwhile, heat a frypan on medium heat and add some butter to it. Just enough to stop batter sticking to base.
Put heaped tablespoons of batter in pan and cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes then turn over and do the other side.
Serve with applesauce.

White Christmas Recipe

Another one of those all time favourite christmas recipes that everyone loves. I am sure that you have a recipe for this, but just in case you haven't this is one that is easy and I love.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups rice bubbles
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup full cream milk powder
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup dried mix fruit
1/4 cup chopped red glace' cherries
1/4 cup chopped green glace' cherries
1/2 cup white cooking chocolate bits
250g copha - chopped

METHOD:

Grease and line a 19cm x 29cm slice tin, taking baking paper up both sides as well.
Combine rice bubbles, coconut, milk powder, icing sugar, fruit and chocolate in a large bowl. Mix well together.
Melt copha in a small pan over low heat. Add to the rice bubble mixture and stir until well combined.
Press mix into the prepared tin, making sure you smooth it over with a spatula or large flat spoon.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours till firm before cutting up into small squares.
This can be stored for 5 - 6 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Christmas Pudding Truffles Recipe

I love christmas cooking and remembering recipes that my mum used to make for us over the christmas period. I think my sister Mandy actually gave us this recipe as I can remember her always making them at christmas time. These are a delicious way to make little mini puddings, although they are made out of fruit cake and not a pudding recipe. Once you have served these up you will keep making them as everyone loves them. They also look delicious. The recipe uses rum but I make them using either brandy or sherry and they are equally as good. It is all a matter of preference really.

INGREDIENTS:

1 x 800g dark fruit cake - crumbled (I buy the Woolies home brand)
2 tablespoons brandy (or other alcohol)
1 x 180g white cooking chocolate - melted
some glaze cherries - chopped (for decoration)
few spearmint leave lollies - chopped (for decoration)

METHOD:

Place crumbled cake into a large bowl and stir in the brandy. Using your hands, mix all together well.
Roll level tablespoons of mixture into small balls and place on some trays, lined with baking paper.
Using a fork or skewer, dip the balls into the chocolate mixture, then drain off any excess chocolate.
Spoon warm white melted chocolate over the top of the balls, then decorate with the a piece of the cherry in the centre of each and a piece of mint leave on either side to give it a christmas look.
These are best left in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to serve. They will keep for 5 - 6 days this way.

Brandy Butter Recipe

I love christmas time and all the wonderful things that we make to have a really enjoyable christmas. One of my favourite recipes is the traditional christmas pudding with either brandy sauce or brandy butter. I will share the sauce recipe as well but this is such an easy butter to make and a great alternative to the traditonal sauce. Just pour a little cream on top when you have this over your pudding and you will love the taste.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup icing sugar - sifted
250g softened butter (do not use margarine)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon brandy (can use whiskey)

METHOD:

Place all ingredients into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for around 8 - 10 minutes or until mixture is a lovely cream consistency.
Serve over the christmas pudding.