A few interesting facts about tomato sauce AKA tomato ketchup ....

(This little cupboard is definitely full!)

Call it what you will it had concentrated fluid texture with a salty, sour and sometimes sweet taste.

Mushroom ketchup predates the tomato variety and was popular in Britain in the 1800s

The word 'ketchup' comes from the Chinese 'ketsiap' meaning a fermented fish sauce. In Malay the word 'kicap' means soy sauce. It's thought that the word was brought to Europe by Dutch traders.

Ketchup, America's national condiment, was first produced commercially during the 1830s.

In 1876, Heinz tomato ketchup was advertised as a "Blessed relief for Mother and the other women in the household". Hmm I ask you!

I have posted some twists on this age-old condiment and some other delish sticky condiments! (Just enter a search term in the Search Tool near the top right of this blog to find the recipes)

• Basic yummy tomato sauce
• Basic BBQ
• Lemony BBQ
• Worcestershire
• Peach + plum BBQ
• XO mushroom sauce
• Plum BBQ
• Chinese five spice plum sauce
• Peach and chili chutney
• Green tomato and apple chutney
• and not forgetting Christmasy Gastrique 

Simply Tomato Sauce

This is Matt Preston’s recipe, thank you Matt it’s simply yum!

 

Ingredients

2.5kg ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped 

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

10 whole cloves

10 whole allspice berries

1 Tbsp sweet paprika

1 clove garlic, sliced

1/2 cinnamon stick

2 Tbsp salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups (clear) white malt vinegar or cider vinegar

Method

Place tomato, onion, cloves, berries, paprika, garlic, cinnamon and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until the tomato breaks down and is tender.

Add the sugar and vinegar. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for a further hour or so until mixture reduces, thickens and is of a saucy consistency. Adjust seasoning.

Strain mixture through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, in batches, pressing down strongly to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Pour hot mixture into sterilised bottles. Seal. Store in a cool, dark place until ready to use. Once opened, store in the fridge.

Chook’s note:  rather than strain it, I simply blitzed it (after removing the cinnamon stick and allspice berries rather than straining it), I was feeling lazy.

Lemony BBQ sauce

This is burst-in-your-mouth tangy and is so quick and simple.  Use it to marinate pork ribs or chicken or whatever you fancy. Or simply serve is as a condiment with BBQed meat or vegge. Lindsay is jealously guarding it and won’t let me give any away but .....

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp grated ginger

½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

1 Tbsp sweet paprika

½-1 tsp chilli powder (I use ½ tsp hot paprika)

½ lemon including the peel finely chopped

2 Tbsp cider or white wine vinegar

¼ cup lemon juice

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp mustard powder

400 gm crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Method

Heat oil in large heavy-based pan over low heat and fry onion until soft. Add the ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika and ‘chilli’ and fry gently for 5 mins or until fragrant – be very careful not to burn the spices.

Add all the other ingredients and simmer gently for a further 15 mins, stirrng occasionally. Slightly longer cooking will produce a richer sauce but watch that the pan doesn’t dry out; if it’s looking a bit dry add a Tbsp or 2 of water. 

Bottle and seal. Enjoy!

Chook’s note: here’s when those little packets of minced ginger and citrus juice you have cunningly squirrelled away in the freezer come in handy. I always have a selection – different citrus zests and leaves, lemongrass, ginger (which I use a lot), garlic cloves, even grated turmeric root when I get a hold of it.  Those and tomatoes are terrific items to have on hand.

Basic BBQ sauce

This is a quick and simple sauce to prepare.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

1 onion diced

250ml sherry vinegar

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp cinnamon

3 tsp salt

1 whole star anise

1-2 Tbsp smoked paprika

2 Tbsp tomato paste

200g tinned tomatoes

Pinch of chilli or hot paprika (optional)

Method

The original recipe says to add all ingredients to a pot and simmer ½ hour. Next time I’d sauté the onions and spices in a little oil to release the flavours and then add the rest of the ingredients before simmering. If you do this, try using bruised cumin seeds and perhaps ¼ of a smashed stick of cinnamon or cassia instead of ground. The aromas will be worth it and I suspect the flavour will be rather enhanced.

Once cooked, puree - first put on an apron! and remove the star anise and any cinnamon stick if using). Pour into bottles or jars and seal. 

Use to marinate your meat before cooking on the BBQ.

Chook’s note: once you’ve made this sauce, or any other, adapt the recipe to suit your own taste – a little extra of this or that, hold back on other ingredients if you want to tone it down or add to spice it up. It's your kitchen and palate!

Homemade Worcestershire Sauce

The recipe for Worcestershire sauce, pronounced "Wust ta sheer," dates back to colonial India, when the British Lord Sandys brought it back from travels in Bengal. In 1835, he commissioned a pair of chemists back in his English hometown of Worcester to try and replicate the flavour. John Lea and William Perrins gave it a go but were disappointed by the results. They stuck the jars in the cellar and forgot about them.

After a few years, they rediscovered the bottles under a thick layer of dust and decided to give the sauce another chance. During the unintentional aging process, it had developed a rich and savory flavor identified by modern foodies as umami. The partners bottled more, and a taste for Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce spread across the world - and into our fridge!

Lea & Perrins closely guards its original recipe, but the main ingredients include vinegar, anchovies, tamarind, molasses, garlic, and onions, along with sugar and undisclosed spices and seasonings. While not the same as that famous sauce, this version tastes pretty yum.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 large sweet onions (roughly chopped)

1/2 cup tamarind paste 

2 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp minced ginger

2 jalapeños (seeds removed and minced)

1/4 cup anchovies (chopped)

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 whole cloves

2 Tbsp freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 cup golden syrup

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

3 cups white vinegar

1 cup dark beer

1/2 cup orange juice

2 cups water

1 lemon (thinly sliced)

1 lime (thinly sliced)

Makes about 1 litre

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onions until soft, about 7 mins. Add the tamarind paste, garlic, ginger, and jalapeños. Cook over medium-low heat for another 5 mins.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 hours.

The sauce is done when it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Strain the sauce into glass bottles or jars and seal (refrigerate if you're concerned about it 'going off' - it will definitely go off in our household, straight onto the plate!). I like aged sauces and chutneys and I think this recipe will improve with age - if you give it a chance.

Chook's notes: I have tweaked the original recipe as some of the ingredients were not available locally. Next time I would increase the anchovies and tamarind but put in less of the jalapenos (the ones I used were quite large).

Although the original recipe claims that this will keep in the fridge for several weeks, I suspect,  like a jam, it would last longer in or out of the fridge. Or you could preserve it in the usual way (not something I'd be bothered doing). Of course once opened you should store it in the fridge to be on the safe side. 

Marmalade and nut biscuits

(This recipe is adapted from a Maggie Beer recipe)

Ingredients

50g butter

100g butter at room temperature

1/3 cup caster sugar

175g plain flour

30g rice flour

70g blanched almonds, chopped

3 Tbsp Seville Marmalade

1 Tbsp mixed peel (optional)

Method

Preheat oven 190C; line a couple of baking trays with baking paper.

Melt 50g butter in a small saucepan and continue to cook until nut brown, set aside to cool slightly.

Beat the remaining 100g butter and caster sugar together until creamy. Sieve the flour and rice flour together and add to the butter mixture, mixing well by hand.

Stir in the almonds and Seville Marmalade, adding the cooled nut brown butter.

Stir to combine, then divide the mixture in two and roll each half into a cylindrical shape on a lightly floured surface. Make sure that there are no cracks then roll up tightly in cling-wrap or baking paper and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight until ready to use.

Slice the biscuit dough into even rounds about 1-1.5cm thick and bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. 

Chook's note: Maggie's original recipe used macadamia nuts.  I’ve tried it with both macadamias and almonds and prefer almonds.

The original recipe called for unsalted butter but I use salted butter. I think it definitely needs the salt.

*It is essential that you brown the butter well as this gives the biscuits a rich caramelly flavour.

If you are in a hurry, pop the dough in the freezer for a little while until its set and cold - 1/2 to 3/4 hour.

The marmalade needs to be a rich tangy one. I have made them with Seville and blood orange, both batches were delicious. A little added peel would give it an extra zing. Try it! 

Tomato Rasam made simple

A delicious, simple and quick spicy-sweet-sour soup.  It’s similar in flavour to the dhal recipe I posted on 22 December 2019 but much simpler. Prep 5 mins. Cooking 20-30 mins. Perfect for lunch or an easy weekend dinner. 

Ingredients

3 tbsp oil

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic crushed

A few curry leaves (if you have them)

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp rasam marsala*

1 tsp cumin

Black pepper ground

400g chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)

1 tsp tamarind paste (or 2 limes zest and juice)

1L stock or ½ stock and water

1 cup split red lentils

¼ cup chopped fresh coriander or parsley

Salt & pepper

½ cup natural yogurt

Method

Heat a large saucepan, add oil and cook onions for 4-5 mins to soften but not colour. Add spices and curry leaves and cook for a further 1 min to release flavours.

Add tomatoes, water/stock and lentils and bring to the boil, then simmer hard for 15 mins, stirring regularly until lentils are soft to the bite but still firm; add more water if soup becomes too thick. Add coriander/parsley, season and serve topped with yogurt.

Serves 4-6

Chook’s note: *if you don’t have rasam masala use garam masala and add some black pepper.

Use semi dried herbs if you don’t have fresh. Add chilli powder and bump up the spices if you like hot spicy. 

Biryani

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white long-grain rice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp ground chilli

1 tsp ground cumin

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

6 fresh curry leaves (optional)

150ml thick plain yoghurt

1 tsp white sugar (optional)

3 Tbsp sultanas

3 Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted

1/3 cup roughly chopped coriander leaves

Method

Cook the rice in salted water for 8 minutes, then drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frypan over medium heat, add the onion and cook for 1-2 mins or until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and cook, stirring, for 3 mins. Add the spices, curry leaves, yoghurt, sugar and sultanas, stir for 1 min, then reduce heat to very low.

Place the rice on top of the sauce and cook for 10 mins. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. 

Remove lid, add nuts and half the coriander and stir well to combine. Garnish with the remaining coriander, and serve with chutney, sliced tomatoes and onions.

Chook’s note:  you could add chicken, lamb, or pork while it is cooking or do as I do sometimes and simply serve it on its own or as a side dish for grilled meat.

Add 2-3 cardamom seeds if you like that flavour but this tastes delish as is. I didn’t have enough almonds so added toasted cashews. I also prefer raisins to sultanas so I did a mix; next time I will add some currants I like their dark taste. 

The original method said to cover the top of the pan with a folded tea towel after adding the rice and then place the lid on top of the tea towel. That sops up moisture but it’s fine without.

Kedgeree

A simple favourite with an interesting history. According to ‘Larousse Gastronomique’ (encyclopedia of gastronomy) what we call kedgeree originated from a concoction of spiced lentils, rice, fried onions and ginger known as ‘khichiri’ dating back to C14th eaten widely across India. The early British colonists developed a taste for it and soon both khichiri and fish became mainstays of the Raj breakfast table and, in time, their Indian cooks integrated the two. Eggs, believed to have been introduced to the Indian kitchen repertoire by conquering Mughals centuries earlier, were later added as a garnish. When the dish travelled back to Edwardian country homes, via letters and regiments, the lentils were usually left out and flaked smoked haddock added in thanks to the Scots. [The Economist]

Ingredients

4 large eggs 

180gm rice

500 gm smoked cod

200ml milk

60gm (2Tbsp) butter

2 large onions (peeled and finely sliced)

4 tsp curry powder

6 cardamom pods (bash them a little to help release the flavour)

2 bay leaves

1/2 lemon (juiced)

Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

To serve:

Parsley (finely chopped)

lemon wedges

Chutney

Method

Hard boil the eggs then cool and peel.

Cook rice in salted water with the lid on for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and keep it covered for an additional 10 minutes. 

Place the fish in large pan and poach in milk (add water if milk doesn’t cover the fish) until cooked.

Remove any skin and bones. Flake into large chunks. 

In a large pan, melt the butter, add the onions and cook gently stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft approx 10 mins.

Add curry powder, cardamom, and bay leaves to the onions and cook for 2 minutes then add the rice and fish.

Quarter the cooked eggs and add them to the rice, and gently stir the mixture.

Add the lemon juice, season with a little salt and pepper, and stir again.

Serve with chopped parsley and garnished with the remaining eggs and lemon wedges.

Chook’s note: I add some of the fish-infused poaching milk when cooking the rice. It adds a creaminess and more flavour.

Lemon and garlic chicken

This is a simple dish to prepare and delivers every time. Its simplicity lends itself to lots of modifications.  We’d gobbled it up before I could get off a shot.

Ingredients 

6-8 chicken thigh fillets cut into serve size chunks

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 preserved lemon

1 Tbsp baby capers to taste, drained 

1/2 onion sliced

Rosemary and/or your favourite herbs - tarragon, lemon thyme

Method

Brown chicken pieces in a little olive oil then add the rest of ingredients. Cover and cook till meat is tender.

Chook’s note: dried or semi dried fresh Herbs work OK but fresh gives just a wee extra je ne sais quoi! Any extras left over can be frozen - I Usually make double and freeze half . Next time I’m going to try this with lemongrass, ginger and chilli. I’ll let you know how it turns out. 

Fried onion and potato patties

I woke up one morning wanting fried onion patties. No I’m not pregnant but dream in colours and tastes. Go figure! So here’s the end result - a delicious lunch that day. 

Ingredients 

2-4  med potatoes peeled and shredded 

1  onion finely chopped 

1 egg lightly beaten

1 Tbsp flour 

1 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper black or white which ever you like best. 

A sprinkle of cayenne 

Splash of milk if needed 

Oil to fry

Method

Squeeze out excess moisture from shredded potatoes. 

Combine all ingredients except oil. 

Drop in dollops into hot oil and flatten. Fry until golden turning once. 

Drain on paper towel. 

Serve with a good relish or chutney. I had some coriander chutney and that was a sensational accompaniment. (I’ll post a recipe fir that soon)

Chook’s note: the original recipe was heavier on the potato but I upped the onion for obvious reasons - I hankered after onions! The recipe will take what ever you throw at it! 

Caravan Pot roast

I have made this in my DreamPot but it would go equally as well in a slow cooker or on stove top. 

Ingredients 

2 Tbsp oil

1 kg veal or pork

1 onion sliced

1 tsp minced or 2cm fresh ginger finely sliced 

1 tsp garlic minced

A good dash of worchestershire sauce

1/2 to 1 cup water if needed 

Method

Heat the oil and brown the meat week on all sides. Put aside to drain them add the remaining ingredients add a splash or more of water if you using stove top to cook. 

Cover and just let it soak up all the juices until it is tender and succulent. 

Chook’s note: if using a slow cooker let it take its time. I have cooked this the slow way but I have a heavy based frying pan with a tight sealing lid. It was just perfect in that - crispy outside but succulent in the centre plus the juices had caramelised to perfection.  

Serve with home-made Relish or chutney particularly my peach chilli chutney. 

We ran out of stores weeks ago so had to make more. Wasn’t perfect but packed with zingy flavour and a wee bite. 

Seafood paella plus plus ....

It's been a bit of a seafood week which started with paella overflowing with mixed seafood (recipe this blog 3 April 2020). Normally I include chicken but this time it was all seafood - mussels, calamari, prawns, chunks of white fish and salmon - oh and half a chorizo. Delicious! fortunately we made enough for 2 meals so we had it again a couple of  night later with steamed green beans.

And later we lapped up Prawns and vongoli followed by Turmeric fish one of our favourite curries. And we've had other delish curries. We normally make our own curry bases but when we're on the road it's great to have fall backs. I can recommend Five Tastes curry shots they come in meal size pots. We had the Thai Red curry made with a little chicken but lots of veggies. We've also tried their stir fry shots - the Vietnamese lemongrass and kaffir lime was zingy and more-ish!

Seafood heaven - O Sole Mio with Vongole

It really isn't a sunny day but it's lovely for all that! What’s on the menu tonight? Turmeric fish - well it was to be tonight but it's been bumped to tomorrow night as we just picked up some prawns which need to be eaten sooner rather than later. So tomorrow we'll be cooking Turmeric fish (see recipe this blog 3 Feb 2020) after a long period curing in lemon juice, grated ginger, fish sauce and lots of turmeric (powder not fresh). This time I’m using Ling fish - a solid white flesh perfect for curries. I love flake but at current prices Ling will be absolutely fine and we'll save the flake for pan frying in butter - yum. Turmeric fish is our favourite fish curry so we’re looking forward to having a good nosh-up - tomorrow!  

But tonight? we’re having vongoli, prawns and spaghetti. This will be an adaptation from the recipe below - you work with what you have and what leaps out at you from the fridge. 

Vongole with onion and pancetta

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion finely diced
200g pancetta finely diced or bacon
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 cup white wine
2kg vongole
½ cup flat leaf parsley finely chopped
Pepper
Optional
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
Serves 4

Method
Heat wok or frying pan over mod heat and add oil. Add the onion and pancetta and cook 3-4 mins or until onion has softened.
Stir in paprika (if using) and simmer for about 1 min.
Add the white wine and simmer for ~2 mins
Add the vongole, cover and cook over high heat 3-4 mins or until vongole have opened.
Stir in the parsley, season with pepper and serve with lots of crusty bread or over spaghetti.

Chook’s note: try mild paprika if you don’t have smoked. Purge vongole (pippies, clams, cockles - what’s in a name) by placing in cool water for 30-45 mins. Incidentally these were pippies which come from ‘Coorong Cockles’.

For a quite different taste substitute lemongrass, chili and coriander or ginger for the pancetta and paprika. We made it this way over a camp fire when we were bush-camping at Cockle Creek, Tassie in 2017. We had collected the cockles ourselves along with mussels and huge oysters. Sigh!!! we will definitely go back it was so wonderful - tranquil and the solitude perfect for us hermits (see hwheat8.blogspot.com 10 April 2017)

Lindsay gathering cockles in the old way that the birds and aborigines do find them by doing the cockle shuffle in the sand. 

Of course they had to be cleaned . Lucky Lindsay 

Huge oyster shells

The oysters were way to big to simply give a couple of chews then swallow. They would have been awesome battered and fried. 

This was where we did most of our cooking - prawns  this time. Tranquility. Sheer heaven. 

Returning to you with Pork larb with mint & coriander

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything to this blog. Where did those months go?! We’re in iso in Warragul having left Melbourne 7 weeks ago bound for the outback via a fossil dig this week in Lightning Ridge. Sadly we’ll have to wait till next year. In the meantime ....... I’m back with some tried and true yummys for you. The first with an Asian flavour. 

Pork larb with mint & coriander

Ingredients

150g dried rice noodles

2 tsp olive oil

1 stem lemon grass, pale section only, finely chopped

4 cm fresh ginger cut into matchsticks
1 fresh long red chili, finely chopped
500g pork mince
250ml chicken stock
1 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lime juice
2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
3/4 cup fresh coriander sprigs

In this batch I used half red and half white onions - you work with what you have. The lime juice was frozen which I’d brought with us. And in place of fresh herbs I used semi dried. 

Method
Place the rice noodles in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 10 mins or until tender. Drain. Return to the bowl.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the lemon grass, ginger and chilli and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the mince and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, for 3-4 mins or until the mince changes colour.
Add the stock and simmer for 5 mins or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Stir in the onion, lime juice and fish sauce.
Add half the mint and coriander to the noodles and toss until well combined. Divide the noodle mixture among serving bowls and top with the mince mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining mint and coriander to serve.

Chook's note: I have substituted chicken mince for pork this time but I prefer the taste of pork. I added ginger to this dish but it doesn't need it. Ultimately the final taste should be what you like.

I added too much stock last time. If you find it is too wet add a little roasted rice powder*.  

I was preparing this  dish to eat later so I added most of the herbs to the meat and when I reheat and cook the noodles I'll add more then and squeeze over more lime juice. 

The original recipe called for vermicelli rice noodles but I prefer the wider flat ones. In the end you should always adapt recipes to your own taste.

 *Roasted rice powder is used in Thai dishes for its delicious nutty flavour and also to help runny dressings stick to salad ingredients. To make roasted rice powder, heat ¼ cup of uncooked glutinous rice (or whatever you have) in a fry pan on medium heat (not hot or rice will be uncooked on inside and burnt on outside). Keep stirring or tossing to prevent burning, until golden. Allow to cool completely before grinding in an electric spice grinder or mortar and pestle. If pounding with mortar & pestle, pound 2 Tbsp at a time or you will trouble reaching each grain. The grains should be like the size of course cooking salt. Store unused powder in an airtight glass jar in fridge. 

Garry Slice - buttery oaty coconut slice

I don't make pretty biscuits as you might have gathered by now, but as Rick Stein says "A sweet disorder in the dress kindles ... a wantonness" Robert Herrick C17 lyric poet. A man well actually 2 men after my own heart,

My brother-in-law gave me this recipe. It’s simple and simply delicious with a cuppa.
Ingredients 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup SR flour - try it with wholemeal or spelt for extra depth of flavour 1/2 cup desiccated coconut 1/2 sugar (I use brown but white is fine) 150g butter 2 Tbsp honey or a blend of honey and golden syrup 1/2 cup sultanas 1/2 cup currents Method Melt butter, add honey and cool a little and mix it into the rest of the ingredients. Spoon into a 28 x 18cm tray, press down and smooth the top. Top with a sprinkling of sesame seeds or just leave as is. Bake at 170 C for 20-30 mins. Cool a little before cutting. This makes delicious biscuits! Just roll Tbsp (or tsp for bite size) amounts into balls, pop on a tray then flatten slightly. Keeps well if it lasts!! Chook’s note: you could try substituting some of the dried fruits. I added candied peel to the last batch - a nice little surprising zing in the mouth occasionally. Maybe use dried apricots or craisins or raisins or a combination. But try the recipe first to see how and if you’d like to change it. I recommend NOT to use a butter substitute.

Hortopita – mixed greens pie (Spanakopita - spinach pie)

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bunch shallots (spring onions), finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1.2k greens – silver beet, chard, spinach, rocket
2 Tbsp chopped dill and/or parsley, basil and mint
250g feta cheese, crumbled
150g full-fat ricotta cheese*
3 Tbsp grated kefalotyri cheese or Parmesan cheese
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
4 sheets flaky pastry

Method
Preheat oven to 185°C.
Heat oil in a frypan, then add onion, shallots and garlic. Cook for 1 minute until softened, then add greens (I use the lot, stalks and all). Cook, stirring, over low heat for 1-2 minutes or until wilted.
Drain in a colander and cool, then combine with cheeses, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper (I use fresh ground white pepper because it has a dark earthy spiciness).

Brush a baking dish with butter or oil or simply line with baking paper. Lay sheet/s of pastry on the bottom and sides when spoon cheese mixture over top. Cover with remaining pastry and tuck edges in. Brush top with butter or egg wash and score.

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Chook’s note: if you have a reliable source for Greek-style wild greens, use these: you once could buy them at the Richmond Saturday street market. They can include nettles or bitter greens like chicory, dandelion, sorrel. But if you can’t source these use a good mixture of whatever is available to get a depth of flavour. 
I don’t get too fussed about the cheese except for the feta which is a must.  Instead of ricotta I use cheddar and/or mozzarella.
The original Hortopita calls for filo but I rarely have this on hand (and I can’t be bothered making it) so I use frozen flaky pastry.

Paella

There are numerous versions of Paella, this is mine and it's yum!

Ingredients
100 ml Olive oil
150g chicken thigh
1 chorizo sausage
2-3 Bay leaves
2 red onions diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
1-2 red capsicums or 100g roasted peppers
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 sm red chilies finely sliced
Pinch saffron
1 tsp cumin
2-3 Roma or other tomatoes diced
100ml dry sherry or white wine or add in a very good splash of sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
300g Arboria rice
1L chicken stock (maybe add a splash of fish sauce)
200-300g mixed seafood – calamari, scallops, green prawns, mussels, etc
½ cup peas
Handful each coriander, mint and basil leaves
1-2 lemons cut into wedges

Method
Heat half the oil in lg flat pan and brown/par cook the chicken and chorizo.
Remove from pan and add remaining oil. Sweat onions and garlic with bay leaves.
Add paprika, chili, saffron and cumin heat through, take care not to burn it. Add peppers, tomatoes and sherry and simmer gently.
Add the rice and coat with the mixture then pour in warmed stock, stir thoroughly and simmer. When part cooked add the seafood and chicken and chorizo mixture and cook over very low heat till liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked – add more liquid if necessary. Resist stirring so that you get a crust on the bottom. Finally add peas and seasoning if needed.
Scatter with herbs, stir through lightly and serve with lemon wedges.
Serves 4 - my size servings!

Preserving garlic

I got a mass of garlic back in January when poor farmers from east Victorian were practically giving it away - I call it my bush fire garlic. Rather sad. I finally got around to preserving it.  I've never done it before so I have used 3 different methods - freezing, preserving in cider and oil.
Freezing
Simply separate the cloves, peel, wash and bag in zip-lock bags.
They  should keep for a few months.

Preserving in Cider vinegar
Separate the cloves, peel and wash.
Place the whole cloves in jars leaving 1-2 cm space from the top.
Pour apple cider vinegar to cover the cloves. You can add herbs or spices to make more flavoursome - I added fresh thyme and a small bay leaf.
Close the lid and leave the garlic at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, then move it to a cool storage place - dark cool cupboard or the like or the fridge. You may need to “burp” the lids a few times over the first couple of days to release any built-up pressure in the jars.
Evidently there is a process of interaction between the garlic and vinegar that will turn the cloves a green color over the course of the first several days. This is a normal part of the process and eventually, the cloves will turn back towards their original color. That's what they say - I'm still experimenting.
Leave to pickle for 2-3 weeks before eating.

Preserving in extra virgin olive oil
Separate, peel and wash cloves. Place these with 1 tsp each of salt and sugar into a medium saucepan and pour over just enough apple cider vinegar to cover.
Bring to the boil and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic is just tender but still firm - don't overcook.
Drain well and pat the garlic dry on paper towels. When cool, pack into sterilised glass jars, add herbs and pour over EV olive oil to cover completely. Seal and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 months. Use the leftover garlic-infused olive oil for dressings.

Good luck!

Seeds and dried herbs

We went away in February with a small harvest of sprigs of herbs and rocket and onions hanging around the kitchen. The onions, which came from our community garden, have now all been used, and the seeds gathered from the bunches of rocket seed pods, these will go back to the community garden down on the corner.
The herbs out of our garden - mint, thyme, sage - have dried and been stripped with some ending up in a salt cellar with dried lemon zest, salt and pepper. Coriander seeds harvest from our balcony pots are being successively planted to give me ongoing coriander - well that's the plan! our families of birds love to help me in the garden - say no more! Also packed away in jars are dried bay leaves from the Bay tree in the community garden. So much from our inner city pots.  I love our 'urban farm'.

Luxury with left-overs - Savoury pancakes

Incidentally this is my old Tupperware jug from the early 70s. It's still my favourite mixing bowl

A favourite breakfast or lunch in our house is savoury pancakes made with left overs. I use Mum's drop scone recipe (see post 8 June 2017) and throw in whatever left-overs look OK in the fridge - usually vegetables but also rice or pasta.  Add a chopped onion and voila! served hot with butter, salt and pepper, it's yum.
Lately I have been substituting half the wheat flour with chickpea flour. It's best to make it ahead and let it sit for an hour or so.  And I also add a couple of Tbsp of oat bran. Try also adding some ground turmeric or cumin for a little extra piquance.
The term Luxury with left-overs is a bit of a giggle really. It came from my 1960s edition of the  PWMU (now held together with a rubber band) which my Mum gave me when I got married - you might have something just like this. It's a bit of a standby for basic stuff but also rather a nostalgic trip into the past. For instance in the Luxury with left-overs section they have included fish salad, kedgeree (which I love made with smoked cod), and a strange number called Empire Puffs. There's also an Invalid Food section and Odds & Ends which is intriguing - how to make soap, pickle ham, a remedy for constipation, boiled starch - ugh! remember scratchy school shirt collars?
The back page is devoted to Weights & Measures. Do you know what a gill is? no I didn't either. It listed as equivalent to 7 Tbsp or a teacup, not a breakfast cup mind! it seems that the gill was introduced in the C14th to measure individual servings of whiskey or wine.
Enough ..... lets eat!

Green tomato and apple chutney

Ingredients
1Kg green tomatoes, chopped
500g cooking green apples, peeled and chopped
200-300g green capsicum
500g shallots (or onions) chopped
225g seedless raisins
450g demerara sugar (I use brown sugar for a richer taste)
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground mixed spice
2 -3 tsp salt
600ml malt vinegar

Method
Put all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until well reduces stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Ladle into jars and cover.
Makes about 3kg.

.

Waldorf Caesar salad

A delicious combination of ingredient

Ingredients
2 eggs
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 rashers of bacon, finely sliced
½ cup whole-egg mayonnaise
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice, plus a little extra
¼ tsp black pepper (or less to taste)
1 red apple, finely sliced + tossed in little lemon juice
2 celery stalks, finely sliced
2 baby cos lettuces, leaves torn
½ cup toasted walnuts
1 sm red onion cut into fine rings
½ cup grated Parmesan

Method
Boil eggs for 8 mins, then transfer to ice water. Peel when cool and cut into quarters
Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and fry bacon till crisp.
In a large bowl, add the mayo, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, pepper and the remaining 1 Tbsp oil and mix to combine. Add the apple. Celery, lettuce, walnuts, egg and red onion and toss to coat in dressing. Transfer to serving plate.
Pour the bacon and any rendered oil over the salad and scatter with Parmesan. Grate some black pepper over the top and serve.

Pasticcio of farfalle - comfort food

Ingredients
500g farfalle pasta
3 Tbsp olive oil (plus extra)
300g veal or beef mince
Salt + pepper
1 brown onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
1 tsp grated nutmeg
½ cup peas (fresh or frozen)
200g grated *grana padano cheese
350ml pouring cream
4 eggs
3 Tbsp extra grated grana padano cheese

Method
Preheat oven to 170C
Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Heat oil in large pan over medium heat, add mince and cook until brown. Season then remove from pan.
Add onion and garlic to pan and cook over high heat for 4 mins. Add cooked mince, parsley and nutmeg, stir to combine.
Place cooked pasta in large bowl and add mince mixture, peas, cheese, cream and eggs. Season then add extra olive oil to taste and stir to combine.
Spoon into a large baking dish and press with back of spoon,
Sprinkle with extra cheese and bake, covered with foil, for 30 mins. Remove foil and back for 20 mins or until golden.


Chook’s note: This is a very forgiving recipe so tweak it to your taste or to what you have available. I usually cut into serving size pieces, wrap in foil and freeze. It can be eaten cold so good for a picnic.  It’s a solid meal and real comfort food – for pasta lovers. 
*Grana padano cheese is similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, what we usually call parmesan. They’re both hard, crumbly cheeses made from cow’s milk 

A perfect way to idle away an afternoon!

(Sorry no pix and I can't find where Google spirited them away to) 

You know me and food! Well just before Christmas Lindsay and I did a Vietnamese cooking Master class with Otao Kitchen in Richmond. We had a great instructor Dylan who showed us how and then let us make Spring Rolls, Beef in Betel leaves, fish sauce dipping dressing, char-grilled pork skewers, fragrant pork patties with rice noodles and pickled vegetables. All washed down with champers and topped off with coconut tapioca pudding with fresh mango and passion fruit. It was lots of fun and of course you get to eat what you prepare. Absolutely scrumptious! What a way to spend the afternoon - and there was loads left over to bring home.

We were quite impressed with our efforts making spring rolls - chicken and prawn with lots of herbs. And also Betel leaf bundles of marinated beef. We dry-fried them till they were charred. A little cuddly bit absolutely delicious. 
We’re now thinking about a cooking/foodie trip to Vietnam - travelling with an expert to his home town. Would be a yummy trip!

Plum BBQ sauce

Ingredients
10 whole allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
10 whole cloves
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1.8kg plums, pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup apple-cider vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp molasses, golden syrup or honey
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes, or 2 fresh hot chili diced
1 Tbsp salt, or to taste
Optional
A generous splash of Worcestershire, fish or soy sauce
3Tbsp Chinese black vinegar

Method
In a large, heavy, nonreactive pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add onions and cook until golden and just beginning to brown. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute or two.
Add plums and cook, stirring frequently, until fruit has collapsed and softened into a chunky puree. Add vinegar, sugar, molasses, mustard, hot peppers, and salt. Put whole spices in a cheesecloth/spice bag and drop into the plum mixture. Add about a tablespoon of Worcestershire or other sauce, if desired.
Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and cook, stirring often, until mixture is thick and smooth. Be careful not to let mixture scorch or stick to the pan. Taste for seasoning, adjusting with more vinegar, sugar, molasses, or salt as needed. Remove and discard spice bag.
Pour into clean glass jars. Let cool, then refrigerate.

Chook's note: add more chili if you like it hot. These sorts of recipes are very forgiving so knock yourself out adding other aromatics or tweaking quantities. It's all about personal taste.
I made half quantity and ended up with 2 bottles of sauce (I sterilised the bottles in the dishwasher -so much easier).
I have still to try out a couple of other BBQ sauce recipes.  Watch this space!

Thank you Bay Area Bites for the idea.

Chinese five spice plum sauce

Pix from my favourite food site - taste.com.au

Ingredients
1kg any kind of plums, stoned and halved
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Chinese five spice
1/2 tsp chili flakes

Method
Place all ingredients in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, for 30 minutes or until plums collapse.
Use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Pour hot sauce into sterilised bottles. Seal, label and date.

Chook's note: this sauces should be \tweaked to your own personal taste - more or less bite. I made half quantity and that produced one 330ml bottle - I've been used beer bottles with ceramic stoppers but you might to try something smaller.
I sterilise my bottles and jars in the dishwasher on 'Quick + Dry' setting.