Sauteed Mushrooms with Thyme

·         2 ½ cup mixed mushrooms

·         3 tbsp butter

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         1 tbsp tarragon leaves

·         4 sprigs of thyme

·         1 garlic clove, sliced

·         2 tbsp lemon juice

1.       Use a damp cloth to wipe away any dirt from the mushrooms; then slice.

2.       Place the butter and oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 10 – 12 minutes; or until tender and beginning to brown.

3.       Add herbs, garlic and lemon juice and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Drizzle with balsamic and serve warm with crusty bread.

Thai Beef Salad

·         3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

·         4 coriander roots, finely chopped

·         ½ tsp black pepper

·         3 tbsp oil

·         400g rump or sirloin steak

·         1 small soft leaf lettuce, leaves separated

·         200g cherry tomatoes, halved

·         1 lebanese cucumber, thickly sliced

·         4 spring onions, sliced diagonally

·         ½ cup fresh coriander leaves

Dressing

·         2 tbsp fish sauce

·         2 tbsp lime juice

·         1 tbsp soy sauce

·         2 tsp red chilli, finely chopped

·         2 tsp soft brown sugar

1.       Finely grind the chopped garlic, coriander roots, black pepper and 2 tbsp of the oil in a mortar and pestle, food processor or blender. Spread evenly over the steak.

2.       Heat the remaining oil in a large heavy based pan or wok over a high heat. Add the steak to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes each side (for medium) turning once only during the cooking time. Remove and allow to cool.

3.       Meanwhile, combine the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and spring onions on a serving plate.

4.       To make the dressing, stir together the fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, chopped red chilli and brown sugar until the sugar has dissolved.

5.       Cut the steak into thin strips. Arrange over the salad and toss together gently. Drizzle with the dressing and scatter the coriander over the top.

Peanut Beef Stir-fry

·         200g dried rice stick noodles

·         1 tbsp peanut oil

·         3 cloves garlic, crushed

·         2 tsp grated fresh ginger

·         550g beef mince

·         ¼ cup ketjap manis

·         2 tbsp soy sauce

·         1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

·         1 bunch baby bok choy, chopped

·         4 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally

·         ¼ cup finely chopped peanuts

1.       Soak noodles in boiling water in a large heatproof bowl for 5 minutes, stirring to separate strands. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Drain.

2.       Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add garlic and ginger; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add mince, stir-fry, breaking up lumps, for 5 minutes or until browned.

3.       Combine sauces in a small jug. Add a third of the sauce mixture to mince; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add bok choy and green onion; stir-fry for 1 minute or until tender. Add noodles to wok with remaining sauce mixture; stir-fry for 2 minutes or until heated. Spoon into serving bowls.

Almond, Pea and Coriander Pilaf with Chicken

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         4 chicken breasts, bite sized pieces

·         1 onion, finely chopped

·         1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

·         1 fresh long green chilli, seeded & chopped

·         2 tsp ground coriander

·         1 tsp cumin

·         8 curry leaves

·         1 ½ cups basmati rice

·         2 ¾ cups chicken stock

·         1 ½ cups peas

·         1 ½ cups toasted slithered almonds

1.       Heat half the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add half the chicken and cook, turning occasionally for 2 – 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

2.       Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add onion, ginger, garlic and chilli and cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add ground coriander, cumin and curry leaves and cook, stirring for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add chicken stock; bring to the boil. Reduce to a low heat and cook, covered for 12 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat; sprinkle with peas, cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

3.       Add the almonds and use a fork to fluff the rice, stir the almonds and peas through.

Mandarin and Walnut Tart with Chocolate Glaze

·         1 quantity sour crème pastry

·         250g walnuts

·         1 tsp ground cumin

·         2 tbsp brandy

·         125g unsalted butter, softened

Candied Mandarins

·         10 small imperial mandarins

·         440g caster sugar

Chocolate Glaze

·         175g dark chocolate (70%)

·         60ml pouring cream

·         50g unsalted butter

·         1 tbsp brandy

1.       To make candied mandarins, cut 6 mandarins into 8 wedges each (leaving skin on). Remove pith from the inner edges of the wedges. Juice remaining 4 mandarins. Place sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Add mandarin wedges and simmer over low – medium heat for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until syrup is thick and mandarins are slightly translucent. Cool slightly. Reserve 125ml of syrup for filling and 1½ tbsp syrup for the chocolate glaze. Roughly chop 4 mandarin wedges and reserve for filling. Place remaining mandarin wedges and syrup in an airtight container in the fridge until needed, or for up to weeks.

2.       Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200c. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface until 3mm thick and use to line a 24cm tart pan with removable base. Trim edge to extend 1cm beyond the rim. Using a fork prick base, then freeze for 10 minutes.

3.       Line the frozen tart shell with baking paper then fill with dried beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is dry and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.

4.       To make filling, place walnuts on a baking tray and roast for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool, then process in a food processor until finely chopped. Reduce oven temperature to 180c. Combine walnuts, cinnamon and reserved chopped mandarins in a bowl, then stir in brandy, butter and reserved 125ml of syrup. Spoon mixture into tart shell, spreading evenly, then bake for 25 minutes or until dark golden. Cool for 15 minutes.

5.       To make chocolate glaze, place all ingredients and reserved 1½ tbsp syrup into a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Turn off heat and stir gently until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool for 5 minutes, then pour glaze over the top of the tart and leave to set at room temperature. Serve with remaining candied mandarins.  

Maggie Beer Recipe

Turkish Lamb Pilaf

·         400g lamb mince

·         2 tbsp breadcrumbs, dried

·         ¼ cup rice bran oil (peanut oil)

·         1 medium onion, finely chopped

·         ½ eggplant, cut into 1cm pieces

·         2 garlic cloves, crushed

·         1 tsp ground cinnamon

·         2 tsp ground cumin

·         1 ½ cup basmati rice

·         3 cups chicken stock

·         ½ cup currents

·         ½ cup shelled and roughly chopped pistachios

·         ½ cup Greek style natural yoghurt

·         1 ½ tbsp tahini

·         ¾ cup chopped coriander

·         1 medium tomato, finely chopped

1.       Combine mince and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and shape mixture into 16 meatballs. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Cook meatballs, in batches, for 4 – 5 minutes or until brown and cooked. Transfer to a heatproof plate and cover.

2.       Heat remaining oil in a pan. Increase heat to moderately high. Add onion and eggplant; cook and stir for 3 – 4 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and spices and cook; stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add rice; cook and stir for 1 minute or until coated in spices. Add stock; bring to the boil, reduce heat to low; cook covered for 10 – 12 minutes or until stock is absorbed. Remove from heat.

3.       Add half the meatballs, currents and pistachio to the rice, mix well. Stand covered for 10 minutes.

4.       Whisk yoghurt and tahini in a small bowl. Add ½ cup of coriander to the rice; stir to combine. Serve pilaf topped with remaining meatballs and tahini yoghurt. Garnish with remaining coriander and tomato.

Korean Style Beef

·         500g beef strips, trimmed

·         4 cloves garlic, crushed

·         2 tsp freshly grated ginger

·         2 tbsp sesame oil

·         2 tsp sugar

·         ¼ cup sherry

·         ¼ cup reduced salt soy sauce

·         2 tbsp cooking oil

·         200g snow peas, halved

·         200g sugar snap peas

·         1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

·         4 spring onions, finely sliced

·         1 small red chilli, sliced

1.       In a bowl, combine beef strips with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, sugar, sherry and soy sauce.  Marinate for 30 minutes. Drain beef, but retain the marinade. Coat drained beef with half the cooking oil.

2.       Heat wok. Stir-fry beef strips in 3 batches, reserving each cooked batch. Reheat wok between each batch.

3.       Add remaining oil and heat, and then add snow peas and sugar snap peas. Stir-fry for 1 – 2 minutes.

4.       Return beef to the wok, pour reserved marinade over all ingredients and toss to combine.

5.       Add sesame seeds, spring onions and chilli. Serve with fluffy rice.

Fig, Watercress and Prosciutto Tarts

·         1 sheet frozen ready rolled puff pastry

·         1 egg, slightly whisked

·         2 tbsp hazelnut oil

·         1 tbsp red wine vinegar

·         2 tsp honey

·         1 tsp Dijon mustard

·         6 slices prosciutto, coarsely torn

·         6 figs, cut into wedges

·         ¼ bunch watercress, sprigs picked

·         50g baby rocket leaves

·         100g goats curd/ feta

·         2 tbsp toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

1.       Preheat oven to 220c. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Cut the pastry into ¼ ‘s and place onto the lined tray, use a small sharp knife to gently score a 1cm boarder around the edge of each square, use a fork to prick inside the pastry boarder, lightly brush with egg. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes or until pastry is well puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Use the back of the fork to press down the centre of the square.

2.       Meanwhile, combine the oil, vinegar, honey and mustard into a screw top jar and shake well until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

3.       Loosely wrap a strip of prosciutto around each fig wedge. Place the watercress and rocket into a large bowl. Drizzle with half the dressing and gently toss to combine. Divide the leaves among each pastry case, top with figs and a dollop of goats curd or feta. Drizzle the remaining dressing and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Chilli Blue Swimmer Crab

·         1kg raw blue swimmer crabs

·         2tbsp peanut oil

·         2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

·         2 tsp finely chopped ginger

·         2 small red chillies, sliced

·         2 tbsp hoisin sauce

·         ½ cup tomato sauce

·         ½ cup sweet chilli sauce

·         1 tbsp fish sauce

·         ½ tsp sesame oil

·         4 spring onions, finely sliced

1.       Pull back the apron and remove the top shell from each crab. Remove the intestines and grey feathery gills. Segment each crab into four pieces. Crack the claws open with a crab cracker to allow the flavours to enter the crab meat and also make it easier to eat the crab.

2.       Heat a wok until very hot, add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir-fry for 1 – 2 minutes.

3.       Add the crab pieces and stir-fry for 5 – 7 minutes or until the meat turns white. Stir in the hoisin, tomato, sweet chilli and fish sauces, the sesame oil and ¼ cup water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 6 minutes or until the crab flesh is cooked through and flakes easily. Garnish with spring onion, serve with rice and finger bowls.

Cranberry and Port Jelly

·         1.5kg cranberries

·         1 cinnamon stick

·         A few juniper berries

·         2 cloves

·         Strip of orange zest

·         Preserving sugar

500ml ruby port

1.       Put the cranberries, cinnamon stick, juniper berries, cloves, orange zest and port into a large pan or preserving pan. Add enough water to barely cover and bring to the boil. Simmer over a gentle heat for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the cranberries have burst and become tender. Mash well, using a potato masher, to extract as much juice as possible.

2.       Strain through a jelly bag or muslin-lined nylon sleeve set over a large bowl. Do not be tempted to press the fruit or squeeze the bag, this will cause the jelly to become cloudy. Leave overnight.

3.       Next day, when the dripping has stopped, carefully measure the resulting liquid and return it to the pan along with 275g of preserving sugar for each 600ml of liquid. Stir well over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved completely. Add the port.

4.       Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 10 – 15 minutes before testing for a set. If necessary, boil for a further minute then test again. Continue testing at 1 minute intervals, as necessary, until the jelly has reaches setting point.

5.       Remove the pan from the heat, skim off any scum and allow the jelly to cool briefly. Carefully pour the jelly into hot sterilised jars. Seal the jars and allow the jelly to cool completely before labelling and storing.

Beetroot and Horseradish Chutney

·         750g raw beetroot, trimmed, peeled and finely diced

·         1 onion, chopped

·         1 dessert apple, cored and chopped

·         2 tbsp freshly grated horseradish

·         200g golden granulated sugar

·         300ml white wine vinegar

·         2 tsp salt

1.       Put all the ingredients into a large pan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring often, until all the sugar has dissolved.

2.       Cook gently for a further 1 – 1½ hours, stirring from time to time to stop the chutney sticking to the pan.

3.       After the shortest cooking time, start checking if the chutney is ready by dragging a channel through the mixture so that the bottom of the pan is visible. If the channel fills immediately with liquid, the chutney is not ready. Cook for a further 15 minutes and check again. The chutney is ready when the channel does not fill and the mixture is very thick.

4.       Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand briefly. Carefully pour into hot sterilised jars and seal. Allow the chutney to cool completely before labelling and storing in a cool, dark cupboard. Store for at least 2 months before eating.

Five Spice Beef with Asian Mushrooms

·                     ¼ cup soy sauce
·         ¼ cup mirin
·         ¼ cup sake
·         2 tbsp soft brown sugar
·         3 tsp five spice powder
·         1 tsp sea salt flakes
·         4 fillet steaks
·         600g sweet potato, cubed
·         1 tbsp butter
·         1/3 cup sour cream
·         2 cloves garlic, crushed
·         1 tsp ground ginger
·         1 tbsp peanut oil
·         2 tsp butter
·         1 tsp grated ginger
·         1 clove garlic, crushed
·         100g shiitake mushrooms, pulled apart
·         100g shimeji mushrooms, pulled apart
·         100g enoki mushrooms
·         Toasted sesame seeds

1.         Place the soy, mirin, sake and sugar into a small saucepan and boil over a high heat for 5 minutes or until reduced and thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and cool.
   2.       Rub the combined five spices powder and sea salt into the steaks.
   3.       Boil the sweet potato for 12 minutes or until soft. Drain well, and then add the butter, sour cream, garlic and ground ginger and mash together until smooth and creamy. Season, cover and keep warm.
   4.       Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. When very hot, cook the steaks for 4 – 5 minutes each side for medium rare, or until your liking. Remove from the pan, cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes.
   5.       Melt the extra butter in a frying pan over a medium heat until just sizzling, then add in the ginger and extra garlic. Add the shiitake and shimeji mushrooms and stir for 5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the enoki, remove from the heat, cover and keep warm. Reheat the sauce and sweet potato mash and serve with steaks. Top with the mushrooms and sesame seeds.