Taste

In honour of St Patricks Day this Thursday, 

we thought we'd share Irish Stew and Irish Coffee with you this week!

Irish Stew

1.8kg beef chuck cut into cubes

1/4 cup plain flour

170g tomato paste

1.2kg baby potatoes

2 medium onions

2 cups beef stock

2 cups Guinness or Kilkenny Irish beer

10 garlic cloves sliced

salt and pepper

300g frozen baby peas

Heat oven to 180.  In a heavy based pan, toss beef with flour, stir in tomato paste.  Add potatoes, onions, beer, stock, garlic and season with salt and pepper.   Cover and bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Transfer pot to oven covered, and cook for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.  

Stir in peas and check seasoning.

Irish Coffee

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

3 cups strong hot coffee

1/2 Irish whiskey

Whisk cream and sugar together in a bowl until stiff peaks form.  

Divide coffee and whiskey among 4 coffee cups, then top each with 1/2 cup whipped cream. 

 Serve immediately.

Taste

I've been inspired to make my yearly effort of pear pie!

Although I struggle to fry an egg properly - 

pastry is one of my loves and is surprisingly simple once you get into it.

Here's the recipe for my pear pie - 

and don't you just LOVE all these ideas for decorating...

I'm going to do the honey-comb-like one this time!

Pastry

3 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
250g cold butter, cut up

Mix all together, add 1/2 cup iced water and mix until it form a ball.  Divide in half, wrap in cling wrap and chill in fridge for 1/2 an hour.

Filling

7-8 pears, sliced
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cloves

Mix all together.

Method

Roll out pastry 1/2cm thick and place in greased pie tin.
Add apple mixture and brush edges of pastry with a wash of egg yolk and water.
Roll out pastry top and place over pie.  Decorate as you wish,
but crimp the edges and leave a hole or two for steam.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle a little extra caster sugar over the top.
Bake in a hot oven (220) for 10 mins, then reduce heat to 180 and bake for 50 mins,
cool for 1/2 hour and serve with vanilla icecream!

Taste

pasta with broccoli & pinenuts
serves 4

This is one of those great one bowl week night dinners that takes as long to cook as the time required to boil the water and cook the pasta. Any short pasta will work with this dish. I love casereccia pictured above but orecchiette (little ears) or shells are lovely, as is penne.

The beauty of this dish, apart from the speed to plate, is how the broccoli takes on the lightly creamy, cheesey sauce. I find myself always wishing there was more broccoli and less pasta when I eat it.

The pinenuts provide little flavour bursts with some textural contrast. But if you prefer to have meat with your pasta, you could replace the pinenuts with 150g chopped bacon or speck. Just allow a little longer for it to brown in the pan.

400g (14oz) short pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 handfuls pinenuts
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 bunches broccoli, cut into florettes
1/2 cup pouring cream
2 large handfuls grated parmesan cheese
additional parmesan, for serving

Bring a very large saucepan of salted water to the boil.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium low heat. Add pinenuts and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until golden.  Add cream and allow to bubble. Remove from the heat.

Check the cooking time for your pasta on the pack. Set your timer to go off three minutes before the pasta will be done. Cook pasta and when the timer buzzes, pop in the broccoli and continue to cook for the remaining three minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli bright green and cooked through. Reserve a cup of the cooking water then drain immediately.

Put the frying pan back on a low heat and add pasta and broccoli. Toss to combine then add cheese and toss again until the cheese has melted. If it looks a little dry, add some reserved pasta water until the sauce is too your liking. Taste and season.

Taste

I'm in the mood for some sweet biccies...

Caramel Biscuits

60g unsalted butter

115g golden syrup

60g brown sugar

225g SR flour, sifted

8 soft jersey caramel lollies, halved

Heat oven to 180.  Place butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Set aside to cool.  Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms.  Roll tablespoonfuls into balls and place on lined baking trays.  Press to flatten and top each with half a caramel.  Bake for 10-12 mins or until golden.  Cool on trays.  Makes 16.

Getting to know...

Harvest Breads and Preserves

John and Sharon Somerville produce an all natural hand made range of organic artisan breads and gourmet condiments.  From sourdough, ciabatta and specialty loaves through to caramelised balsamic dressing, chilli pepper jam, raspberry conserve and organic muesli's, theirs is food to be enjoyed, 

shared around a dinner table with friends and family, 

to nourish not only our bodies 

but also our sense of wellbeing and pleasure.  

Enjoy!

Taste

I have to admit I'm a bit bored with the whole breakfast thing lately...

tired of fried eggs every weekend, I've been searching for something new to try 

- and this is it!!

Puffed Cheese Omelette

1/4 cup mascarpone

1 tbsp chopped chives

2 eggs, separated

2 tbsp cream

salt and pepper

30g butter

1 tbsp grated parmesan

1 tbsp grated cheddar

extra grated parmesan, to serve

Combine the mascarpone and chives, set aside.  

Place egg yolks, cream, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine.  

Whisk the eggwhites until stiff peaks form and fold through the egg yolk mixture.  

Melt the butter in a 20cm non-stick pan over medium heat.  

Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook for 5 mins.  

Sprinkle with the parmesan and cheddar.  

Spoon the mascarpone mixture onto one side of the omelette and carefully 

fold over to enclose the filling.  Cook a further 1-2 mins.  

Sprinkle with extra parmesan to serve.  Serves 2.  

Lovely served with roasted tomatoes and wilted spinach.

Retailer Spotlight

Perfect!!
Authentic French Macarons...
get in early as they have been known to be completely sold out before lunch time...
or pre-order your Valentine gift box here.

Boutique Markets, this Sunday, Portside Wharf 8am - 1pm

Taste

Following on from yesterday....
what to have for dessert?...
too many choices and gorgeous ideas to decide just yet!

Taste

Our local school had a fundraiser for the floods last Friday - so I made up a few batches of these delicious morsels of heaven - and my favourite biccie of all time ...

Monte Carlos

Biscuits

1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup caster sugar, 1 egg, 1 dessertspoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 

2 1/2 cups self-raising flour.

1. Cream butter and sugar, add egg and beat until well blended.  

2. Add honey and vanilla, mix and then add sifted four.  

3. Roll into small balls and flatten slightly with a floured fork.  

4. Place on lined trays and bake at 170 degrees for 10-15 mins or until just set.

Filling

1 tablespoon butter,  1 cup icing sugar, 1 dessertspoon strawberry jam, vanilla.

1. Cream butter with icing sugar, add jam and vanilla.  

2. Sandwich biscuits together with filling and dust with icing sugar.

Gourmet Wednesday

Happy Australia Day everyone!!

I'm having guests over later for the traditional BBQ, so with that sorted, I'm making some lovely lamingtons to have afterwards - they're not hard so why don't you join me?

Lamingtons

Ingredients

• Melted butter, to grease
• 75g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour
• 75g (1/2 cup) plain flour
• 70g (1/2 cup) cornflour
• 6 x 59g eggs, at room temperature
• 215g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 1 tbs boiling water
• 170g (2 cups) desiccated coconut

Chocolate Icing

• 300g (2 cups) icing sugar mixture
• 35g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
• 60ml (1/4 cup) milk
• 60ml (1/4 cup) boiling water
• 
  

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C.

Brush a 19 x 29cm (base measurement) lamington pan with melted butter to lightly grease.

Line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang slightly.

Sift the combined flours together into a large bowl. Repeat twice.

Use an electric beater to whisk the eggs in a large clean, dry bowl until thick and pale.

Gradually add the sugar, 1 tbs at a time, whisking well after each addition

until mixture is thick and sugar dissolves.

Sift the combined flours over the egg mixture. Pour the boiling water down the side of the bowl.

Use a large metal spoon to gently fold until just combined.

Pour mixture into the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Turn cake onto a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel and set aside overnight to cool.

Trim the edges of the cake and cut into 15 squares. Spread the coconut over a plate.

To make the chocolate icing, sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Add the milk and water and stir until smooth.

Use 2 forks to dip 1 cake square into the warm icing to evenly coat. Allow any excess icing to drip off. Use your fingers to roll the cake in the coconut to evenly coat, then place on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining cake squares, icing and coconut. Set aside for 1 hour or until icing sets.

Notes

• Tip: When adding the flour, fold it in with a balloon whisk -it distributes the flour through the egg mixture more quickly then a metal spoon. Overworking your mixture makes for a leathery sponge.

Gourmet Wednesday

Today I thought it might be a good idea to share a meal with you that uses tinned food -

if you're like us, it's hard to get fresh food due to the floods at the moment,

so anything that can be made from the pantry is great!

Mexican Casserole

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
400g cubed skinless, boneless chicken breast meat
1/2 package taco seasoning mix
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can sweet corn, drained
3/4 cup salsa
water as needed
2 cups shredded cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed plain tortilla chips

In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute chicken, onion and garlic in oil until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Add taco seasoning, beans, corn, salsa and a little water to prevent drying out. Cover skillet and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 175 degrees C.
Transfer chicken mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with 1 cup of the cheese and crushed tortilla chips.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup cheese and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Perfect served with rice and a lovely fresh green salad!

Gourmet Wednesday

Simple but simply stunning!

Add a dash of colour to a glass of granita or a plain bowl of sorbet or icecream over the holidays by mashing fresh or frozen raspberries and freezing the strained pulp in star-shaped ice trays.

Makes a cool treat instantly posh for entertaining or great fun for children -

try different colours - green kiwi fruit, mango...get creative and freeze some today!

Seasonal Friday...

Gourmet Alley sponsor - Smirnoff

Smirnoff will be at both December markets

offering tastings of their fabulous new range!
Friday (tonight!!) 5pm - 9pm and
this Sunday 8am - 3pm.

Expertly entertain with the latest drinks innovation from Smirnoff.

Entertaining with bar-quality drinks is more convenient than ever with the launch of a unique range of premium vodka and quality adult mixers from the makers of Smirnoff, the world’s number one vodka brand.This exciting new product innovation is available in two classic combinations, Smirnoff Vodka and Ocean Spray® Cranberry and Smirnoff Vodka and Blood Orange. They are expertly mixed then boxed, making it a breeze to serve authentic, bar quality drinks with minimum fuss at home.

With increasingly busier lives, Australians are now spending more time socialising at home and seeking quality, convenient solutions to casual entertaining. The crisp, slightly tart flavours of both variants have been perfectly mixed by experts and are available in a practical, multi-serve format. These products are a great drink alternative for entertaining with friends, whether it’s an impromptu catch up after work, a casual weekend get-together or a relaxed Sunday BBQ at home.

Simply place in the fridge or chill in a cooler bag and you’re set to entertain anywhere, like an expert.Best served chilled over ice in a long glass, these bar quality serves can be enjoyed in two classic combinations:

Vodka and Cranberry – The premium quality of Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka expertly mixed with the crisp tartness of Ocean Spray® cranberries. For an added touch, why not garnish with a wedge of lime.

Vodka and Blood Orange – The premium quality of Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka expertly mixed with sharp Blood Orange. Slip in a slice of Blood Orange for extra citrus.Best savored in the company of friends. Sip slowly and enjoy!

The range is available in a convenient multi-serve 2L pack from August 2010 at all leading bottle shops in Australia. RRP $26.99. ABV 6.4%.

Expertly Mixed then Boxed.

Drink Intelligently.

http://www.smirnoff.com/

Seasonal Friday...

Can you possibly believe schools are finishing up for the year all over the country!!
My children have had a week of classroom parties, breakup parties and end of year events.
Of course, I'd like to say I baked treats like these for them to take...but that would be fibbing, as with so much on during this time of year I had to settle for bakery-bought goods.

Happy summer holidays!

Gourmet Wednesday

Wake up wake up!! It's the first day of summer and we want to know
what's the best treat to have with your coffee?

a crisp biscuit...a chocolatey treat...citrus tart...rocky road...
tim tams...shortbread...lamingtons...caramel slice...
I could go on all day!!

So what do you have -
or do you enjoy coffee all on its own even?

Gourmet Wednesday

Basic risotto

Serves 4

Cooking Time Prep time 15 mins, cook 40 mins

30 ml	olive oil
60 gm	butter, coarsely chopped
1	onion, finely chopped
4	garlic cloves, finely chopped
250 gm	vialone nano rice
100 ml	dry white wine
750 ml	(3 cups) simmering chicken stock
40 gm	finely grated parmesan

1	Heat oil and half the butter in a wide casserole over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and stir occasionally until very soft (8-10 minutes).
2	Add rice, stirring to coat, and cook until just toasted (1 minute).
3	Add wine and stir occasionally until almost evaporated (2-3 minutes).
4	Add hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously until stock is absorbed before adding more. Cook until rice is al dente (20-25 minutes), remove from heat, stand 1 minute.
5	Beat in parmesan and remaining butter until combined and creamy. Season to taste and serve immediately. This really goes with anything, but I had mine recently with lightly roasted cherry tomatoes, and a rocket, pear, red onion and peccorino salad on top!