Apple and Pecan Cake

I have had this recipe in my book for so many years now and every time I decide to make it, I wonder why I don't cook it more often. It's one of those recipes that both the men and the ladies love and due to the requests I get for copies of it, I know you will pick it as a winner just like I did. This will make into 2 loaf tins or 1 square cake. I prefer the loafs as it is easier to slice and tastes great with a little fresh butter spread on it when cooled. Serve this at afternoon tea parties and you will always be a winner.

PREPARATION:

125 grams melted butter
2 cooking apples
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups SR flour
1 teaspoon bi carb soda
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice or mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg

Peel, core and cut apples in chunks and mix in the sugar to them. Beat the egg into cooled butter and then add to the apples. Sift flour, bi carb, spices, salt and mix in the nuts. Add the flour mix to the rest and stir through thoroughly with electric beater. Spoon into a greased 20 cm square tin or two small loaf tins and bake at 175 gas or 180 in an electric oven for 45 - 55 minutes or until springs back when lightly touched in the middle.

Marshmallow Roll

This is another recipe that was given to me by Mrs Edwards. It is just so yummy and so very easy to make. I always have it as part of my christmas goodies that I make each year. Every year I pick out my favourite decadent recipes suitable to put on a platter to hand out at christmas time. This not only tastes wonderful but it has beautiful colours through it that add to the lovely look of this recipe.

PREPARATION:

250 grams butter - softened
1/2 tin Nestles condensed milk
1 pkt crushed sweet biscuits ( I always use Milk Arrowroot)
1 pkt white and pink marshmallows - cut into fours
1 teaspoon marsala (wine)
dessicated coconut

Cream the butter then add the condensed milk and marsala. Mix in the crushed biscuits and marshmallows. Turn out onto clean surface and form into a roll and coat all over with coconut, pressing to it firmly. Set in the refrigerator until set and firm. Cut into thin slices and serve with tea or coffee as a special afternoon or evening treat.

Green Tomato Pickle

This was another recipe that I found in my mum's handwriten recipe book. I know that she gave it to me probably about 30 years ago and I used to make it every year from the abundant tomatoes that we grew every season. It is very addictive to lovers of pickles and I know you will enjoy this as much as I always have.

PREPARATION:

1.5 kilos of green tomatoes
3 large brown onions
1 kilo sugar
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon tumeric
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 tablespoons mustard powder
pinch cayene pepper
1 litre spiced vinegar
1/2 cup cooking salt
3 litres water

Slice tomatoes and onions and sprinkle with salt, pour water over and let stand over night. Put in a large stock pot and heat enought to scald then strain off the water. Put vinegar and sugar in a pan, then the vegetables. Mix flour and other ingredients to a smooth paste with a little vinegar and water, then add to vegetables and simmer for approx 15 minutes. Bottle, label and store in cool pantry. Pickles will keep very well if well sealed.

Judy's Tomato Sauce

This is another favourite sauce recipe. A little bit more to it than the one I got from Cheryl. This was given to me by my friend Judy who is renowned for her fabulous cooking. It make a really lovely thick sauce and once again, if you can get organic tomatoes for this you will get an even greater flavour to it.Always use very ripe tomatoes.

PREPARATION:

3 kilos ripe tomatoes
1 kilo brown onions
1 kilo granny smith apples
1 kilo brown sugar
4 capsicums (green or red will do)
1 litre spiced vinegar
2 tablespoons salt (can use less if desired)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon groun cloves

Boil all together for approx 3 hours in large stock pot. Bottle and keep in cool pantry.

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.