Peach Salsa
Preparation time 10 mins, plus resting
This salsa is great with cold Christmas ham, or with prawns or barbequed or grilled fish. Experiment with different flavours and herbs, swap the mint for basil, or add two tomatoes such as rosa bruno chopped into 2cm cubes.
Ingredients
3 cups yellow peaches, chopped into 2cm cubes (approx 6 peaches)
1/2 red onion finely diced
Juice of one lime
2 tspn finely diced long red chilli, seeds removed
½ tsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbspns cider vinegar, we suggest Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (stocked at Wiffens)
2 tbspns finely chopped mint
1 tspn finely grated ginger
large pinch salt
Method
Mix all ingrediants together gently, leave for flavours to develop for at least 20 mins at room temperature and up to 4 hours in the refrigerator. After resting taste and adjust seasoning.
Poached Apricots with Panettone
Preparation time 15 mins, plus cooking
Serves 4.
Poaching is a great way to add flavour to apricots. Poached apricots are good by themselves, with pannacotta, icecream in a pudding or with yoghurt. Increase the quantities and store leftover apricots in the fridge for up to a week. Toasted pannetone makes a delicious breakfast or dessert with any fruit either fresh or cooked. You could substitute the panettone for brioche or french toast.
Ingredients
Poached Apricots
1kg apricots
300ml water
100ml white wine
200g caster sugar
1 cinnammon stick
1 vanilla bean
4 slices panettone
marscapone
Method
Place all ingrediants, except apricots in a saucepan heat gently until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Add apricots to liquid, cut baking paper to the same size as the saucepan and cover the apricots with this (this is called a cartouche) which helps keep the apricots in the liquid.
Poach fruit for approximatly 8 minutes, until apricots are soft but still keeping their shape. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the syrup. Remove when cool gently peel skin off (optional) and open gently to remove the seed without halving the apricots.
Toast the panettone, spread with the marscapone and top with cool or reheated apricots, a little syrup and garnish with mint.
Pineapple and Lime Salsa
Preparation time 10 mins.
Serves 4.
We are so lucky in Australia to have great tasting pineapples for much of the year. As different areas have different pineapple seasons. This tropical salsa is delicious with bbqued prawns, pork or a thick meaty fish steak such as marlin. Please play around with the ingrediants to this salsa.
Ingrediants
2 cups of diced pineapple (ask your greengrocer for help choosing a tasty pineapple
1 long red chilli, seeds removed and finely diced
1/4 red onion finely diced
1/4 tspn grated ginger
1 tbspn fresh lime juice
1 tbspn brown sugar
1 tbpsn fresh mint finely chopped
1 tbpsn fresh coriander finely chopped
Method
Fry pineapple in a hot dry non stick pan until lightly caramalised.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and taste for balance. Adjust with lime juice, and sugar if necessary.
Blueberry Hotcakes
Preparation time 15 mins.
Serves 6.
Ingrediants
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup milk
4 large eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tbsn. sugar
dash of salt
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. baking powder
1 – 2 cups blueberries or other berries, if desired
Method
Pour the milk into a mixing bowl, then add the egg yolks; mix until combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt and mix well. Add the lemon zest and mix.
Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry peaks form. Gently fold throughout the batter, leaving some streaks of white.
Add the ricotta and mix gently (take care not to overmix as you want it to be slightly chunky).
Heat a non-stick or cast iron pan over medium heat, then grease lightly with butter or oil. Pour 1/2 cup of the batter (per hotcake) into the pan.
Sprinkle the top of the hotcake with a few berries. Cook on one side until little bubbles appear, about 2 minutes, then flip over and cook on the other side for about 1 minute.
Serve with fresh berries and icing sugar or maple syrup if desired
Apple Pancake
Preparation time 15 mins, plus 30 mins resting plus cooking.
Serves 6.
This is a German-Austrian dish. One of the reasons I got fatter when I lived in Austria! A fun dish to make with kids.
Ingredients
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup milk (can use buttermilk for a different flavour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered and sliced
Icing sugar
Method
Preheat oven to 225C.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, milk and vanilla.
Add the the baking powder to the flour, mix together and then continue to whisk into the milk mixture until smooth.
Set aside for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
Meanwhile, toss apples in lemon juice. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to coat.
Heat butter in a 9-inch cast iron pan until melted and move around with a spatula so it greases the sides. Add the apples and cook until slightly soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Pour the batter over the apples and place the pan in the oven. Bake until the edges are puffy, about 16-18 minutes.(Resist the urge to open the oven. Just turn the light on to check.) Serve directly in the pan (careful not to touch the sides) or slide the pancake onto a cutting board or serving platter. Generously dust with icing sugar. Serves 6.
Kipfler Potato Salad
Preparation time 10 mins.
Serves 4.
This salad is great warm or cold. It it perfect for entertaining as you can make it ahead of time and take out of the refrigerator in enough time to come to room temperature. Serve with grilled or roasted meats or a selection of salads. Add different herbs including parsley, chives, mint, basil or nuts and experiment with different vinegar’s. Use finely chopped red onion or shallots instead of the spring onion. Swap the creme frache or sour cream or yoghurt for a healthier option. You can also substitute the kipflers for cocktail or chat potato, then you don’t need to peel or cut the potatoes.
Ingrediants
1 kg kipfler potatoes, washed
3 tbspns creme fraiche (or to taste)
1 tbspn red wine vinegar
1 tspn dijon or seeded mustard
1 tbspn olive oil
2 tbspns dill chopped
2 spring onions finely sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Cook the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender.
While the potatoes are cooling mix oil, vinegar, mustard 1/4 tspn salt and pepper with the sliced spring onions.
Drain potatoes allow to cool slightly before peeling and slicing into large slices. Don’t allow to cool too much or the potatoes won’t absorb the dressing.
Add dressing to potatoes mix then add creme frache and dill, reserving a little to garnish. Mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve garnished with a little of the dill.
Tri Do’s Vietnamese Pork & Beef Noodle Salad.
Serve by itself or as part of an Asian meal.
Ingrediants
1 tblsp peanut oil
250g thick rice noodle
2 tblsp shredded ginger
500g pork and/or beef mince
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup hoisin sauce
½ cup chopped coriander leaves
1/3 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tblsp brown sugar
¾ cup chopped basil leaves
Method
boil water and pour over noodles in a boil. Stir until tender
drain and drizzle with oil to avoid sticking (optional, or do at last minute)
heat peanut oil in fry pan/wok, add ginger, cook 1 minute
add mince, cook until browned, add fish sauce, lime juice, hoisin sauce, stock, sugar and cook for 3 minutes.
Toss the basil, coriander, pork / beef mixture and noodles together in wok.
Serve with lemon wedges.
Roasted Capsicum Hummous
Hummous is so easy to make, if you want a healthier version omit the tahini. Lasts for up to a week.
Ingrediants
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
200g roasted capsicum (see recipe)
1/4 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs tahini
2 tbs water
1 tspn cumin
Method
Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. season to taste.
Tri Colour Cabbage Salad
Preparation time 10 mins.
Serves 6.
This is such an easy salad that even converts cabbage haters! Serve with grilled, roasted or crumbed meat or as part of a selection of salads. There are any number of great adaption to this salad. Use only one type of cabbge, add parmesan or feta, use dill or another fresh herb instead of chives, or change the vinegar to balsamic or white wine. The dressing is just a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil so make as little or as much as you need. You could also omit the mustard, capers and sugar for a more simple salad. This salad benefits from being made 20 mins in advance and given time to rest.
Ingrediants
1/2 red cabbage finely shredded
1/2 savoy cabbage finely shredded
1/2 green cabbage finely shredded
bunch of chives finely chopped
2 tbsns Red wine vinegar
6 tbspns olive oil
1/2 tspn salted capers chopped
1 tbspn seeded mustard
1/2 tspn sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Place cabbage in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Add mustard, vinegar and sugar to a small bowl, whisk in oil.
Add 3/4 of the dressing to the cabbage, taste and add more as needed.
Christmas Pudding Icecream Cake with Peach Salad
Preparation time 1 hour, plus freezing.
Serves 6-8.
This is adaptation of an Andrew and Matt McConnell icecream recipe into a cake which can be made without an icecream machine.
Ingredients
12 egg yolks
500ml double cream (we suggest Gippsland double cream)
500ml single cream (we suggest country valley organic cream)
75gm (1/3 cup) brown sugar
75gm (1/3 cup) white sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
Finely grated rind of ½ a lemon and orange.
3 cloves, cracked
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
90gm brown bread, broken into small pieces (we suggest Berry Bread wholemeal sourdough)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon pure icing sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped candied orange, clementine or lemon peel (visit Deli Planet to purchase good quality candied fruit)
1 tablespoons brandy
35gm, toasted hazelnuts, peeled and coarsely chopped (we suggest Master of Spices brand)
75gm raisins
80gm sultanas (we suggest Tabletop’s sulphur free naturally dried sultanas and raisins-you can taste the difference)
Method
At least half an hour before (overnight is bettter) add raisins and currants to a small pan with 3 cracked cloves, three tbspn brandy. Heat until warmed. Add candied fruit, and zest, then allow to cool.
Grease a 3 litre mould (ideally a silicon star or Christmas shaped mould but alternatively a terrine or cake mould) if using a terrine or cake tin mould line with plastic wrap, leave enough wrap overhanging to cover the top.
Place sugar and 2 tbspns cold water in a small saucepan pan over low heat. Stir once or twice until sugar dissolves, then increase heat to high and cook for approximately 5-7 mins, do not stir at this stage, using a pastry brush brush down the sides of pan to stop sugar crystals forming. Cook until sugar syrup reaches 120C or is at the hard ball stage. This occurs when you place a ball of the syrup in a glass of cold water it forms a firm, clear ball, or. Mixture should not darken to caramel.
While the sugar syrup is cooking beat the egg yolks until doubled in volume.
Slowly trickle just cooked sugar syrup into the egg yolks while beating continuously. Continue beating until mixture increases considerably in volume and becomes thick and foamy. This is a basic Pate a bombe base for making parfait and semifreddo’s.
Halve vanilla bean and scrape out seeds. Add to cream and beat until soft peaks form.
Preheat oven to 180C. Place bread on a baking tray and cook for 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden, drizzle melted butter over and dust with icing sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg then return to oven and cook for 3 minutes or until caramelised (take care not to burn bread). Cool.
Add fruit, nuts and bread into the pate a bombe.
Gently fold cream into the pate a bombe.
Pour into mould and freeze overnight and up to three weeks in advance.
To unmould dip into warm water for a few seconds and invert onto a serving platter.
Peach and Berry Salad
Prep time 10 mins (plus macerating)
Adapt this recipe with other seasonal fruits, whatever suits your fancy.
Ingredients
3 yellow peaches, finely diced,
1 punnet strawberries finely diced
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon mint leaves, thinly sliced, plus extra to garnish
Method
Combine ingredients in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand for 1 hour to macerate. Garnish with extra mint leaves.
© 2011 WIFFENS
