Red wine lamb shanks with herb mash

Recipe found at Fig and Cherry

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup plain flour

sea salt and black pepper

4 lamb shanks, frenched

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 brown onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 cups full bodied red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon)

1 cup beef or chicken stock

2 bay leaves

For the mash

4 large Desiree potatoes, diced

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup hot milk

1 tablespoon chives, chopped

1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

sea salt and black pepper


METHOD:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Place the flour, salt and pepper on a plate and stir to combine. Roll each of the lamb shanks in the flour and shake off the excess.

Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, deep heavy based fry pan. Add two of the shanks and brown on all sides. Set aside on a plate, then repeat with another tablespoon of oil and the other two shanks.

In the same pan, heat the remaining olive oil, add the onion and saute for 5 minutes until just starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute further.

Add the wine, stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 2 minutes then remove from the heat.

Place the lamb shanks in a single layer in an oven proof casserole dish with a lid.

Pour the red wine mixture over the shanks, cover with the lid and bake for 2 1/2 – 3 hours or until the flesh comes away easily but isn’t actually falling off the bone. Check once during the cooking time to make sure there is enough liquid. If becoming too dry add a little more stock or water.

Meanwhile, make the mash.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough cold tap water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain and mash with the hot milk, butter and herbs. Taste and season, then serve with the lamb shanks.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE (Aussiebear)

(WARNING - VERY DANGEROUS)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons Self Raising Flour
4 tablespoons Sugar
2 tablespoons Cocoa
1 Egg
3 tablespoons Milk
3 tablespoons Oil
3 tablespoons Chocolate Chips (optional)
Small splash of Vanilla Extract

1 large coffee mug

Method:

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

Why is it Dangerous??

Because now you are only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake any time of the day!

Faux Chicken Curry (from Chardy)

Ingredients:

1 Roast Chicken
1 tin of Cream of Celery soup
1 small Tub of Cream
1 Onion (chopped_
2 teaspoons of Curry Powder (add accordingly to hot how you like it)

Method

Simply pull the chicken apart into shredded pieces and place in a casserole dish.

Heat the soup in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and slowly mix through the cream. Finally add the curry powder to taste.

Pour over the chicken in the casserole dish and cook for about 30-40 mins on medium heat.

Best served over pasta or rice but you can even have with roast vegies or similar.

Tip: Mix a couple of Teaspoons of the cream with the Curry Powder - that way the Curry Powder will blend in to the Soup mixture with no lumps.

Chicken Lasagna (Chicken Potato Slice)

Ingredients

750gr Potatoes

1 B.B.Q Chicken

6 Green Ecshallots

1 Chicken Stock Cube (crumbled)

1/3 Cup Water

1/3 Cup Dry White Wine (I use red wine if I don't have white...either is
okay as long as it's not sweet)

1/2 Cup Cream (pure is better because lite thickened can separate when it
boils sometimes)

2 Teaspoons French Mustard ( can use the seeded one....or a bit of both if
you like)

1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise

2 Cloves of crushed Garlic (or 2 rounded Teaspoons bottled garlic)

30gr Butter (1 1/2 - 2 rounded Tablespoons)

2 Tablespoons Plain Flour

1/2 Cup grated Mozzarella Cheese

Paprika (optional)

Method

Peel Potatoes and cut in to quarters. Boil in lightly salted water until
cooked through.

Measure out and place liquid ingredients in to a jug. Add crumbled stock
cube, mustard and mayonnaise to the jug as well and stir it all together
well.

While the potatoes are boiling remove chicken from bone and break in to
bite sized pieces. Cover and set aside with jug of liquid ingredients.

Melt butter in saucepan on low to medium heat - add in the crushed garlic
while it is melting.....you want it to melt and foam without burning it or
the garlic.

When the butter is melted and the garlic is becoming a little brown, remove
saucepan from heat and add the flour - stir in well.

Once the flour and butter have blended this is called "Roux".

Place saucepan back on to heat and stir the roux for about a minute - it
should be like a really thick paste (anywhere between thickened cream and
peanut paste constancy is okay). As it heats it will thicken and probably
want to "ball" up. If you think the mixture looks too dry (sort of crumbly)
add a little more butter.

Remove from heat again and pour in liquid ingredients - stirring really well
the whole time you are pouring. It's best to use a whisk but if you don't
have one, a wooden spoon is okay - you'll just have to stir harder and
faster.

Once roux and liquid ingredients have blended, place it back on the heat
and bring it to a slow boil (slow thick bubbles)...probably less than five
minutes.......very important to stir the whole time and keep an eye on it
not sticking to bottom of saucepan. If it starts to do that, keep stirring
and take the saucepan off the hotplate for a little bit - then put it back
on.

If for any reason you need to walk away from the sauce you are making....(to
deal with potatoes etc.)....take the saucepan off the hotplate while you are
away. It will burn.

Drain the potatoes....Chop up the Eschallots.

Place the potatoes in to the bottom of an ovenware dish.

Spread chicken bits over the top.

Sprinkle Eschallots all around.

Pour Sauce over it all.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top.

Then the Paprika if you are using it - just lightly....it's really on there
for colour.

Place dish in oven.....I set the dial at just under 200 deg....if you are
using a fan forced oven, 180 should be fine.

It doesn't have to cook....just heat through and melt and brown the cheese.

Not sure how long for....check it at 15 mins, then probably every five
minutes or so. I think half an hour should be heaps.

Comet's Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Pick fresh parsley from your garden, it doesn't matter if it's flat or curly, fresh is the important factor here.

One mandolin and a super clean cutting surface (I use a glass chopping board), chop your washed and dried parsley to a very fine consistency, something similar to tobacco. Set aside.

Beat 6 x 50 gram super fresh organic eggs with 2 decent sized teaspoon dollops of Gippsland Double Cream, in a glass bowl using a metal whisk, don't over beat.

One largish teflon coated frying pan, heat it while chopping the parsley, then add a piece of pure salted butter about 30 grams in weight and let melt to just bubbling, not changing colour. Turn the heat down very low and add the egg and cream mixture. Use a plastic spatula or wooden spoon to gently move the egg mixture around the pan every so often. Once the egg mixture starts to look creamy in texture and starting to set, turn the heat off and remove the pan from the heat source, allow the eggs to cook a little further in the heat of the pan, this is when I put the toast on.

Butter the toast, tower the scrambled eggs on top, sprinkle with parsley and serve with crispy bacon, fried haloumi cheese and thickly sliced oven roasted vine ripened tomatoes sprinkled with a little fresh oregano.

Poached Eggs

Step 1: Fill a deep frying pan almost to the top with water. Bring to a simmer (when small bubbles break the surface). Using eggs at room temperature, crack 1 egg into a ramekin. Check for freshness (odourless, with a thick white and whole, rich-yellow yolk).

Step 2: Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar (don't add salt). Using a metal spoon, stir water to create a whirlpool. This prevents egg from sinking and sticking to the base.

Step 3: Allow whirlpool to slow slightly. Hold ramekin as close to water as possible and gently slip egg into whirlpool.

Step 4: Cook, stirring the water occasionally, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with remaining eggs (you can poach up to 4 eggs at a time).

Step 5: Using a slotted spoon, remove 1 egg at a time from water. Gently press the yolk to test if cooked to your liking. Hold egg over paper towel to drain.

Step 6: Place eggs on toast. Season with 4 salt and pepper. Serve.

Recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/
Photography by Ben Dearnley

Jack the Lad's Hot Toddy

There are a few variations, have fun making them up and trying them out!

Two fingers of whisky, a teaspoonful of sugar, a teaspoonful of lemon, or more, to taste, add hot water, drink and sleep.

Repeat as required

Extras to add:

Sprinkling of Cinnamon
Several Cloves
Honey to taste

Chocolate 'Yogo' Recipe

Ingredients:

40g cocoa powder
40g cornflour
120g sugar
800ml milk

Method:

Sift the dry ingredients in to a bowl.
Stir 300ml of the milk in to dry ingredients.
Heat the remaining 500ml of the milk in a saucepan until almost boiling.
Remove from heat and pour the chocolatey bowl mixture into the hot milk stirring with a whisk as you pour.

Place saucepan back on to the stove and continue whisking until the mixture thickens (a whisk must be used or the mixture will go lumpy)

Remove from heat and pour into a bowl that you can place cling wrap over securely. The plastic wrap must touch the surface of the pudding with no air trapped beneath, otherwise a skin will form.

Chicken Pesto Pasta (Jassmyn)

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast, chopped in to bite size pieces (One breast per two people)
Pesto (Black Swan "Light" Pesto,Chili & Pine Nut)
Large Red Onion
Garlic - 2 or 3 cloves crushed
Mushrooms - sliced
Cherry Tomatoes - halved
Baby Spinach - around about 3 cups
Cream - small carton (Pure Cream otherwise it will curdle when it simmers)
Pasta (Penne or Fettuccine)
Macadamia Nut Oil (or Olive) - just enough to fry onion, garlic and chicken

Method:

Put water on to boil and cook Pasta.

Heat oil in frying pan and lightly brown onion and garlic over a medium heat.
Add chopped chicken breast to frying pan and lightly brown as well.
Add sliced mushrooms - stirring them in well. Cook until they just start to collapse a little.

Lower heat of frying pan (in between Low & Medium)

Stir through Pesto, Chili & Pine Nut....add about half the container....then adjust to taste by adding a little more and stirring in well.

Once the Pesto is to taste and stirred through well with other igredients, add cream - start with just over half the carton....then add more if wanting more sauce.

5 minutes before serving add Cherry Tomatoes - stir through well.

Just before serving....sprinkle Baby Spinach Leaves over the top and cover the frying pan with a lid. When the Spinach has collapsed a little....stir through well in to the other ingredients.

If Black Swan Pesto, Chili & Pine Nut is unavailable, I use Pesto Dip, Chili Dip and a handful of Pine Nuts.

Mock Chicken - Sandwich Filling

Ingredients:

1and 1/2 Dessert Spoons Butter (around about)
I and 1/2 Medium Tomatoes - Chopped
1 Smallish Onion -  Chopped (or half a medium one)
3 Eggs -  Beaten
1 Cup Grated Cheese
1 1/2 - 2 Teaspoons Mixed Herbs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Melt Butter in Frying Pan on a Medium heat.

Add in Onion and stir.

Fry until it starts getting soft (starts to look transparent).

Add in Tomato to fry with the Onion and stir it all together.

Stir occasionally to make sure it's not sticking and everything cooks fairly evenly.

Remove frying pan off the heat and stir in Grated Cheese.  Once it starts looking like it's melting and mixing in - put it back on the heat.  Continue stirring until the cheese is all melted.

Stir in Beaten Egg.... Mixed Herbs and Salt & Pepper.

Cook while stirring until the mixture gets thick and the egg looks like it is cooked.

Spread on bread once it's cooled down.

Creamy Garlic Prawns

Ingredients:

500 grams large peeled Green Prawns
25 grams Butter
2 Cups Cream
4 Cloves Garlic finely chopped
1 Chicken Stock Cube
1 cup sliced Spring Onions
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Method:

Put Cream, crumbled chicken stock cube and half the diced garlic into a saucepan, bring to the boil then turn the heat low and simmer until cream thickens.

Heat a frying with butter to high, add the other half of the garlic and all of the prawns. Stir prawns until cooked (there should be a little or no moisture at this stage.

Pour thicken cream over prawns, add spring onion and mix together.

Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Serve with either rice or pasta.

This recipe comes from the Secret Man's Business Cookbook - which is one of the best "simply explained" cook books I have ever seen (pretty pictures and all!). So far I have bought three, kept one and handed two on - fabulous book!

NB: I use this recipe as a steak topper - using only one cup of cream (same amount of everything else though...especially the prawns!)

Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding

Pudding Ingredients:

1 cup SR flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa (or more!)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter

Sauce Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup boiling water (or more)


Method:

Sift all dry ingredients in an oven ware dish. Add milk, vanilla and melted butter. Stir until smooth.

Mix all together and pour over uncooked pudding. Bake in moderate over for 35 minutes.

The Perfect Pimms (Brian)

This recipe makes just over two litres (3.5 pints to those of you who prefer old money). Should a greater or lesser quantity be required adjust the volumes accordingly but keep the ratios the same.

Liquid
Pimms - 50cl
Lemonade - 150cl
Gin - 15cl

Fruit & Veg
Apple - 1 sliced
Orange - 1 sliced
Lemon - 1 sliced
Celery - 2 sticks chopped finely
Cucumber - 10 slices, quartered
Mint - one stalk

Other fruits - Peach, Nectarine, Strawberries, Cherries, Kiwi (Optional, according to taste).

Put the Pimms in a tall, ideally straight, jug. Add the fruit & veg, do not miss out on the celery, it is the secret ingredient, then add the lemonade. Add some, but not too much, ice then stir gently. Splash the gin on top of this.

Serve in a tall glass with one or two lumps of ice, some of the fruit & veg from the jug and a leaf of mint near the top. Enjoy!

Nana's Chocolate Roll

Ingredients for Cake:

4 Eggs
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Plain Flour
4 Teaspoons Cocoa
I Teaspoon Cornflour
1/2 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1/2 Teaspoon Bicarb Soda
I Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Warmed Syrup


Method for Cake:

Pre-heat oven to 210 degrees (fan forced)

Line a Slice Tin with Baking Paper; if not using Baking Paper, grease the tin then line with Grease Proof Paper, grease the paper and flour it as well.

Sift flour, cocoa, cornflour, Cream of Tartar and Bicarb Soda together and set aside.

Combine syrup and butter and warm until butter melts.

Separate eggs.

Beat egg whites and sugar with an electric mixer until stiff.

Slowly add yokes to egg white mixture and continue beating until all blended in.

Lightly fold combined flour etc. into the egg mixture using a wooden spoon or spatular - do not beat. Beating will remove the "air" and the sponge will turn out flat. The flour and egg just need to be blended together gently.

Lastly, fold in melted butter and syrup....again, folding gently so as not to disturb the "air" in the mixture too much.

Pour in to prepared Slice Tin and bake for 12 minutes (approx. time - depending on oven)

While the cake is baking, wet a clean tea-towel and wring out until just damp in preparation to roll the hot cake in.

Have a little bit of extra flour sitting in the sifter (not much....about a Dessert spoon or so)

Remove cake from oven, sprinkle sifted flour lighty over the top of the cake (very lightly), lay damp tea towel over the top, carefully turn the cake over and out so that it is laying on the damp tea-towel.

Carefully peel off Baking Paper, then slowly and again carefully, roll the cake up in the tea towel and leave sit for about a minute.

Unroll it, carefully removing the tea towel.....then re-roll the cake without the tea towel.

Leave to cool before unrolling and adding mock cream.

Ingredients and Method for Mock Cream:

4 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Castor Sugar
Small splash Vanilla
A little warm milk

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until white and creamy looking - the sugar graduals will still be slightly visible. Slowly add warmed milk, about a teaspoon at a time while still beating until sugar is dissolved.

Balsamic Roast Veges (Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients:

10 medium sized potatoes
6 medium sized carrots
2 Parsnips
3 red onions (they look purple to me though!)
a generous amount of olive oil
1/2 - 2/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
salt

Potatoes, carrots, parsnips peeled & quartered - par boiled for around 5 mins (until they are just starting to soften)

Onions peeled and cut in half then each half quartered into wedges.

Place the onion in the bottom of a roasting pan - "undo" them from the wedges so they aren't in big chunks.

Pour the generous amount of olive oil over them and mix it through.
Place well strained par boiled veges on top.
Sprinkle salt over.
Pour in the balsamic vinegar.

Give it all a good mix around
Pop in an hot oven and bake for around 40 minutes - giving it a good stir around a couple of times during cooking.

The onions become caramalised (almost burnt but yummy!).

Jamie uses more balsamic vinegar because he uses the baked juices as a sauce - I don't, I prefer to make a gravy from the meat juices.

Raelenes Nuttie Biscuits

Ingredients:

1/2 Block Fairy Margarine (or cooking margarine)
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Cup Self Raising Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Dessert Spoon Cocoa
1 Cup Cornflakes
1 Cup Unsalted Peanuts/Macedamia Nuts

Method:

Cream butter and sugar.
Add egg and beat well.
Stir in sifted (combined) flour, cocoa, salt.
Fold in Cornflakes and peanuts.

Drop spoonfulls (teaspoon) on to greased biscuit tray/s and bake in Moderate oven.

Nana's Pumpkin Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2/4 Block Fairy Margarine (or cooking margarine)
I Cup cold mashed Pumpkin
1 Packet Mixed Fruit
2 Cups Self Raising Flour
Vanilla

Method:

Beat sugar, butter and vanilla until creamed.
Add eggs, then cold pumpkin, sifted flour and floured fruit.
Mix together well using wooden spoon.

Pour in to greased and floured cake tin - or cake tin lined with Baking Paper.

Bake in Moderate oven for 1 1/2 hours.

NB: Before sifting the flour, coat the dried fruit with it (that stops the fruit from sinking).

Nanas All in One Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 Block Fairy Margarine (or cooking margarine)
1 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Self Raising Flour
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Milk
Vanilla

Method:

Combine all ingredients in to a bowl and beat for 6 minutes.
Pour in to well greased and floured cake tin (or one that is lined with Baking Paper)
Bake in Moderate oven for about half an hour.

NB: For Patty Cakes use 1 3/4 Cups Self Raising Flour

Pickled Onions (Sue)

1.5kg small pickling onions peeled

60g (1/4 cup) salt dissolved in each 600ml water

1½ tablespoons
added, to each 600ml vinegar

Place onions in a bowl, pour over sufficient brine to cover completely.

Set aside for 12 hours. Pour off brine, pack onions into sterilised jars. Cover onions with Ezy sauce mixture.

Sterilise at about 72 Celsius for ¾ hour using suitable sterilising equipment.

Now the longer you leave these sit in the jar the nicer they are.

NB: Wild's Ezy Sauce comes in a brown stubby-like bottle and is made by Cerebos. It's available mainly through Coles Supermarkets and can be found on the shelf near the dried herbs & spices. It quite often sells out about a month before Christmas - so if you are wanting to make your Pickled Onions as a Chrissy gift....get in early.

If you can't find it on the self ask the store Grocery Manager about it.

Product I.D. Code 128376

Mulled Wine

1 bottle red wine

½ cup strong earl grey tea

4 Tbsp dark rum, brandy or grand marnier

1 orange, quartered, each quarter stuck with a clove

2 cinnamon sticks

2 Tbsp brown sugar ( more to taste)

Put all ingredients in a large saucepan, bring almost to the boil then turn down to the lowest possible heat before serving in glasses.