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Savoury

sausage rolls 011fixW

Ingredients:

560g beef sausage mince

1 small brown onion, finely chopped (you can use red onion)

2 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled, finely chopped (optional)

2 medium potatoes, cut into fine little cubes

1 large carrot, cut into fine little cubes

3 tbs Moroccan seasoning

1 egg, lightly beaten (for egg wash)

3 1/2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 tbs poppy seeds

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line  2 baking trays with baking paper. Place potatoes and carrots in a bowl with water and cook in the microwave for 4-5 minutes or until tender but firm. Drain and pat dry.

2. Cut pastry sheets in half. Combine the mince, carrot, potatoes, onion and spice. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the mince mixture into 7 portions and shape each portion into a log. Arrange sausage logs along the centres of pastry sheets.

3. Brush 1 long side of the pastry with the egg. Roll up to enclose the filling. Cut each roll evenly into 4 pieces. Place rolls, seam-side down, on the lined trays. Brush the top of the rolls with egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

4. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Serve with tomato chutney.

 

 

pull apart bread 006fixWpull apart bread 011fixWpull apart bread 003fixW

Ingredients:

2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

60g butter, chopped

3/4 cup milk

2 tbs pizza tomato paste

1/4 cup sundried tomato, roughly chopped

100g stuffed green olives, roughly chopped

1 tbs rosemary, roughly chopped

1 cup tasty cheese, grated

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease a 22cm springform pan.

2. Place sifted flour in a large bowl. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the centre. Add milk. Use a round-bladed knife, stir until mixture forms a soft dough, adding extra milk if necessary. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until smooth. (don’t over knead)

3.Using a rolling pin, roll dough out until 1cm-deep, 35cm x 25cm rectangle. Spread tomato paste over dough. Sprinkle with tomato, olives, rosemary and cheese. Roll up and trim ends. Cut roll into 10 equal pieces. Place cut-side up in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Stand for 2 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

spring rolls 015fixWspring rolls Wspring rolls 006fixW

Ingredients:

1/3 cup rice bran oil or any cooking oil

1 brown onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled, chopped

500g minced beef

350g green beans, topped, cut diagonally into 3cm

1 cup carrots, julienned

1 cup celery, thinly sliced

3 large potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes

40 mls soy sauce

3 tbs kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)

250g bean sprouts, ends trimmed

40 spring roll wrappers, thawed

 

Method: Makes 40

1. Heat 2 tbs. of oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Saute onion and garlic on medium-high heat  for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add minced beef, cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, 3-5 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Add the beans, celery and carrots, cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, soy sauce and sweet soy sauce. Cook for 1 minute stirring occasionally. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are soft but firm. Add the bean sprout and cook for a further 1 minute. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

2. Transfer filling to a colander to drain all the juices and let cool.

3. Place 1 spring roll wrapper onto a flat surface with one corner pointing towards you. Place 2 tablespoonful of filling onto corner of wrapper. Fold corner over filling, then roll up firmly, folding edges in. Brush final corner with cold water to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

4. Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan. Cook spring rolls, in batches on medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack with a slotted spoon. Serve with sweet chilli sauce or kecap manis.

 

Note:

There are so many variations of spring rolls. This is my version…

This dish is quick and easy to prepare. It can be enjoyed  more when dipped in your favourite dipping sauce.

Spring rolls  can be enjoyed as an appetizer, a snack, and a side dish. I like to dip it in my favourite spiced vinegar with chillies.

shakshuka 008 psW

Ingredients:

2 Tbls olive oil

1 x small red onion, thinly sliced

1 x medium red capsicum, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled, roughly chopped

1 x small red chilli, chopped

2×400 g cans diced tomatoes

2 tspn sugar (optional)

4 x eggs

1/4 tspn caraway seeds, crushed

1/2 tspn cumin seeds, crushed

1 tspn sweet paprika

1/2 tspn ground coriander

20 g spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 tspn dried chilli flakes (optional)

 

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and wilted. Add the garlic, capsicum, chilli, the salt, pepper, sugar and spices. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly, to release their fragrance.
2. Add the canned tomatoes and reduce the heat to medium and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the chopped spinach.
3. Make 4 indentations in the sauce. Crack an egg into each indentation, careful not to disturb the yolks.
4. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Serve with crusty bread.

curry puffs 003fixW

Ingredients:

1 large brown onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed, peeled, finely chopped

2 tbs. rice bran oil

500g minced beef

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup corn kernels

1 red capsicum, diced

600g potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes

60 mls. soy sauce

50 mls. water

3 tsps. curry powder (I used Keens curry)

1 tsp. chilli powder (optional)

1 tbs. sugar (optional)

12 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped

 

Method:

Makes 48

1. Heat oil in a large non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic for 2 minutes or until soft and aromatic. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 6-7 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until just tender.

2. Combine soy sauce, water, curry powder, chilli powder and sugar in a mug. Add to mince mixture. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the peas, corn and capsicum. Simmer, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes or until liquid has almost evaporated. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add coriander and stir.  Set aside to cool completely.

3. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Use a 10cm-diameter pastry cutter  to cut 4 discs from each sheet of pastry.  Place 1 tablespoon of the beef mixture on each disc. Fold in half and press edges together. Place on a tray lined with baking paper. Brush top with egg.

Bake, 1 tray at a time, for 15-20 minutes or until golden and puffed. Serve with tomato chutney or sweet chilli sauce.

 

Note: (if you don’t have a pastry cutter, use a bowl or small plate of the same measurement and cut around it)