Yogurt cake with honey syrup 

I bake this quantity in smaller pans 

This is absolutely delicious, a family favourite. My recipe is on a scrap of paper daubed with ‘who knows what’ from repeated use. It’s a winner.
Ingredients
200g butter softener
220g caster sugar
1 lemon, rind finely grated
3 eggs
260g plain Greek-style yogurt
300g SR flour

Honey syrup
160ml water
75g  sugar
80ml honey
1 cinnamon stick
Rind of two lemons removed with peeler in strips

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 22cm springform pan.
Beat butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and creamy.  Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Fold in the yogurt alternately with the flour in two batches until just combined.
Spoon mixture into pan and smooth with back of spoon. Bake for 50 mins or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Meanwhile to make the syrup, combine ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 10 mins.
Remove cake from oven, pour over hot syrup and arrange rind on top. Set aside for 10 mins.
Remove cake from pan and transfer to wire rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of thick cream or Greek-style yogurt on the side.

Chooks note: this can be made in small pans also and frozen along with serving size quantities of the syrup. Simply blitz in microwave when ready to serve.
I haven’t tried this but try substituting some of the flour with almond meal or spelt flour for a denser cake. 
Freeze the lemon juice for other dishes.

Beef bone broth

Apart from the obvious advantages of making your own stock, bone broth advocates say it can relieve joint pain and osteoarthritis, detoxify the liver, aid in wound healing, prevent aging skin, support digestive health, balance hormones, increase energy, strengthen bones, improve quality of sleep, alleviate symptoms from certain autoimmune conditions, and boost immune function.
You simply must make this!!

Ingredients
2 kg beef bones, preferably a mix of marrow bones and bones with a little meat on them, such as oxtail, ribs, or knuckle bones (cut in half by a butcher)
2 medium unpeeled carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium leek, end trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, quartered
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp black peppercorns
1 Tbsp cider vinegar

Method
Preheat oven to 235°C. Place beef bones, carrots, leek, onion, and garlic on a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Toss the contents of the pan and continue to roast until deeply browned, about 20 minutes more.
Fill a large (at least 5-6 L) stockpot with 12 cups of water. Add celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, and vinegar. Scrape the roasted bones and vegetables into the pot along with any juices. Add more water if necessary to cover bones and vegetables.
Cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to a very low simmer and cook with lid slightly ajar, skimming foam and excess fat occasionally, for at least 8 on the stovetop (the longer you simmer it, the better the broth will be). Add more water if necessary to ensure bones and vegetables are fully submerged.
Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly. Strain broth using a fine-mesh sieve and discard bones and vegetables. Continue to cool until barely warm, then refrigerate in smaller containers overnight. Remove solidified fat from the top of the chilled broth

Chook’s note: the broth can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer.
If you don’t have all those vegies, use whatever you have but root vegies such as carrot are good and especially the onion. I saved the meat and vegies, added some tomato puree and voila a delicious pasta sauce.

XO Mushroom sauce

XO Mushroom sauce

Got lots of mushrooms? Then turn them into mushroom XO sauce. Typical ingredients of Chinese XO sauce include dried scallop and shrimp with lots of chili but I found a recipe that uses mushrooms. I did use chili and some dried shrimp as well as star anise.
Ingredients
500 gm shiitake mushrooms (or used mixed, whatever you can get your hands on)
2-3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 tsp tamari
2 Tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed and mashed
4 tsp Sriracha (hot chili sauce)
2 tsp rice vinegar
Splash of Shaoxing wine
2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp shredded ginger
1 Star anise crushed
Optional 1/2 cup dried shrimp

Method
Preheat the oven to 230° C and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
Soak dried shrimp in just enough hot water to cover; reserve the water to add later.
Chop mushroom stems and caps finely. Place in bowl and toss with the sesame oil. Spread the mushrooms out on the baking sheets and roast for 15-30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until dried and lightly browned. Cook it longer if necessary; they need to be dry.
Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and stir in all of the remaining ingredients.
Jar and seal straight away or let stand for 30 minutes if you are  serving immediately.

Chook’s note: I used both big dark field mushrooms and a few shiitake. If you don’t have fermented black beans simply use a couple of Tbsp of black bean sauce.  I like the depth that the shrimps impart. Add a little fresh chopped chili if you like it super hot but these are really a matter of personal taste. As an alternative and if you like your sauce hot, use a little crushed szechuan pepper in place of star anise .
It is simply delicious on triple cream brie, in toasted sangers, on vegetables.

Orange marmalade

I’ve made marmalade with grapefruits, cumquats and limes, but this is the first time with oranges – it is delicious! I used Seville oranges, but this recipe would work with Navel oranges also.
Ingredients
1.2 kg oranges, scrubbed, halved length ways, thinly sliced cross ways
8 cups water
8 cups white sugar, approximately

Method
Place orange and water in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to stand overnight.
Transfer to a large saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hr or until reduced by about one-third.
Cool slightly, then measure the mixture and add 1 cup of sugar per cup of fruit mixture. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Cook, skimming any dense froth from the surface with a large metal spoon, for 45 mins or until setting point is reached (see below).
Spoon into warm sterilised jars and seal and label.
Store jars in a cool, dark place for a month, then store unopened for up to 12 months. Once opened, store in fridge for up to 6 weeks – yeah right if it lasts that long!

Chook’s Note:  Before you start place a couple of saucers in the freezer. To test setting point, place a tsp of mixture on cold saucer, then return to freezer for 1-2 mins to cool. If it doesn't crinkle when pushed with your finger, cook for another 5 mins, then repeat. 

Zingy carrot soup

Photo: www.bbcgoodfood.com

Ingredients
2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch chili flakes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 leek or large onion, halved length ways, thinly sliced
A couple of rashers of streaky bacon, chopped
600 g carrots, peeled, chopped
4 cm piece ginger, peeled, grated
Zest from a small orange
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
Fresh dill or coriander, light sour cream or plain yogurt, to serve

Method
Dry-fry cumin seeds and chili flakes in a large saucepan for 1 min, or until they start to release their aromas. Reserve half cumin seeds and chili to serve.
Add oil to pan over medium heat then add bacon, leek/onion, carrots and ginger. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 mins, or until onion starts to soften.
Add stock and water, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender.
Remove from heat, cool slightly then blitz soup until smooth. Return to saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Season with salt and pepper.
Top with cumin seeds, yogurt or sour cream and dill or coriander leaves.
Chook’s note:  Carrot soup is quite versatile. Play around with the ingredients to suit your taste of the day; the above recipe is a blend of a number of recipes and includes what appealed to me from BBC Good Food and Taste.

Madras Fish Curry

We were plating up before I thought to take a photo! 

 We've been looking for a good fish curry for years. This one of  Rick Stein's and it is simply delicious. It's his favourite and now it's our favourite fish curry. Thanks Rick!
Ingredients
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
30 fresh curry leaves (from ethnic shops)
2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp turmeric
400 g fresh tomatoes (or 400g can chopped tomatoes)
100ml tamarind water
2 green chilies, each sliced lengthways into 6 pieces, with seeds
1 tsp salt
700g snapper fillets, or other white fish, cut into 5cm chunks
Serve 6

Method
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and fry for 30 secs, then stir in the onion and garlic, and fry gently for about 10 mins until softened and lightly golden. Add the curry leaves, chili powder, coriander and turmeric, and fry for 2 mins, then stir in the tomatoes, tamarind water, green chilies and salt. Simmer for about 10 mins until rich and reduced. Add the fish, cook for a further 5 mins or until just cooked through, and serve with plain rice.

Chook’s note:
If making for 2 people, halve the fish quantity but make the full quantity of sauce and freeze half. Then simply thaw it and use with fresh fish or goat or chicken.
If you can’t get fresh curry leaves either leave out or put a tsp of good old Clive of Indian curry powder as a substitute. 
Kashmiri chili powder is very mild so if you don’t have any substitute with 3:1 sweet paprika to cayenne chili powder.  
Rather than bother with starting from scratch with tamarind, buy a small jar of tamarind paste and mix 50-50 with water. Tamarind adds the essential sourness to the dish. Lime or vinegar could be used instead  
The recipe calls for 2 green chilis but if f you don’t like too much heat reduce that amount. 
I have used flake instead of snapper and it worked very well. Just make sure it’s a firm white fish.

The most delicious sausage rolls

Not pretty but totally scrumptious

Ingredients
4 sheets ready rolled puff pastry
500g veal mince, or beef mince
500g sausages (or sausage mince)
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
A little (or big!) squirt of hot chili sauce
1/4 cup (60ml) Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp white pepper
½ cup breadcrumbs
Glaze
Whisk 1 egg and 1 Tbsp milk

Method
Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan-forced. Line large baking trays with baking paper. Thaw puff pastry.
Combine veal mince, sausage mince, onion, carrot, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs and sauces in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Divide mixture into 8.
Lay a sheet of pastry on a flat surface. Cut sheet in half horizontally. Spoon 1/8 of the mince mixture down along the long side of one pastry half, shaping mince into a long sausage shape. Brush opposite long edge with a little egg mixture
Roll up pastry to enclose filling, finishing seam side down. Cut into 6-8 short pieces. Place pieces, seam side down on prepared tray, 2 cm apart. Repeat with remaining mince mixture and pastry.
Brush tops with egg wash.
Bake for 30-40 mins or until golden and cooked through.
Chook's note: try to buy meat low in fat as these produce a lot of fat - tasty but sooo bad for you!