Smashed Pav

Again, awe and wonder as Looby threw this one together. So simple, but so delish!

For 7 people

1 small meringue base per person

2 packs muscarpone

1 pack creme fraiche

fresh fruit- blueberries, strawberries and passionfruit (whatever really)

Optional- dark chocolate

Throw it all together and smash it!

Deconstructed Nicoise

I just watched in awe as Looby constructed this magnificent deconstruction- the flavours were amazing!

Ingredients

Tuna steaks - bbq-ed with olive oil, salt and pepper

new potatoes

beans

olives

soft boiled eggs

anchovy mayonnaise

Una's

Well I felt really let down by this Sydney institution- everything was oily, nothing was particularly tasty, and I like roesti crispy- not just ginormous- a real disappointment! OK if your filthily hungover I guess, but if you just want to eat, pretty dull.
And if you don't like stuffing yourself stupid, consider the kids portion schnitzels- plenty for any whale...
372 New South Head RdDouble Bay 2028 NSW
Phone: (02) 9327 7287

Lemon Meringue Pie

This was my favourite as a kid- and though this recipe is a bit of a hodge podge of different ones, it sure is delicious (and not that hard to make)

Lemon Meringue Pie
Pastry
2 cups plain flour
¼ cup icing sugar
150g butter chopped
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. water
½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Filling
2 lemons
¾ cup caster sugar
½ cup cornflour
Cup water
3 egg yolks

Meringue
3 egg whites
1/3 cup caster sugar

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Sift icing sugar and flour together.
Add butter- rub in with your fingers till the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs
Add yolk, water and vanilla. Mix lightly. Pastry should form a ball
Wrap in plastic wrap. Rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes
Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface, to fit a 25cm flan tin. Ease pastry into tin, then trim edges.
Blind bake for 10 – 15 mins in a 200 degree oven.
Allow pastry to cool
Turn oven down to 180 degrees
Finely grate the rind of 1 lemon. Juice lemons- you need ½ cup. Combine the sugar and cornflour in a medium saucepan and gradually stir in the lemon juice and water until smooth. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon rind and egg yolks, and mix quickly to combine. Allow to cool.
To make the meringue, use clean and dry electric beaters to whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking each addition till glossy.
Spread the lemon base in the pie base, the top with meringue.
Bake for 10 mins or until brown.
Set aside for at least 30 minutes to cool.

Spice I Am

It's not a secret any more, but this place has to be the best Thai food outside Thailand. Hot as hell, fresh flavours beautifully combined. The queues say it all- ten out of ten for this hot spot.

Try the green pawpaw salad- guaranteed the best you've ever eaten.

Hubby loves the crispy pork belly...mmmm....crispy!

A recent trip to Sydney confirmed standards have not fallen!

90 Wentworth Ave.Surry Hills Sydney 2010

Beetroot curry with onions

I am obsessed with beetroot- I just love it. I know that's not the case for everyone- but if you like beetroot and like curries- you'll luuuurve this! Could be an accompaniment to another dish (we had it with the Spicy Baked Beef)- or could be good just with rice (I'm having it that way for lunch today!). Pretty spicy, so you might want to add a dab of yoghurt/ raita.

Serves 3

Ingredients

350g raw beetroot (weight without stems and leaves)

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 small onion peeled and coarsely chopped

1 tsp plain flour

1/2 tsp cayenne

225 g (8 oz) tomatoes finely chopped

1 tsp salt

300 ml water

Peel the beetroot and cut into even wedges

Heat the oil in a medium sized pan. When hot add the cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for 5 seconds.

Add the garlic, stir and fry until it turns golden.

Add the onions and stir and fry for a minute.

Add the flour and cayenne- stir and fry for a minute.

Now pop the beetroot in with the tomatoes, salt and water.

Bring to a simmer.

Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove lid, turn heat up to medium and cook uncovered for 7 minutes- the sauce should be thickening up nicely by then.

This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated.

Beef baked with yoghurt and black pepper

Well the Indian tour is over as of last night- we watched the final game with yet another meal courtesy of my Indian week- this baked beef with the wonderful beetroot recipe that I'll post separately. We were happy to see India win- Australia have been such bad sports this season...and of course this series of meals has put us in a distinctly subcontinental frame of mind.

PS I know my food styling skills need alot of work- this definitely tastes better than my crummy photo would have you believe!

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 tbsp of vegetable oil

900g stewing beef cubed

2 small onions, peeled and finely chopped

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/2 tsp of cayenne

1tbs of paprika

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

300ml natural yoghurt

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 F/ gas 4)

Put the oil in a flameproof casserole-type pan (preferably one with a lid) and set over medium - high heat.

Brown the meat in batches. Put the brown meat in a separate bowl

Put onions and garlic in the same pan and turn the heat down to medium. Stir and fry this mixture till it has browned.

Return the meat to the pan.

Add the ginger, cayenne, paprika, salt and black pepper- give it a quick stir to coat the meat and onions nicely with the spices.

Add the yoghurt. Bring to a simmer.

Cover tightly with foil and then the lid and bake in the oven for 90 minutes.

Stir gently and serve.

This is quite a dry dish, so goes well with a saucy vegetable dish (was great with the Beetroot with Onions) or nice moist rice. A dab of yoghurt works well- if you're feeling like it, whip up a quick Raita.

My first Rogan Josh

I've always wanted to make this as it's one of my favourite dishes at Indian restaurants. Again armed with the Madhur Jaffrey classic "Indian Cooking" I had a go and was surprised how simple this was. The only messy bit (assuming you get your butcher to cube the lamb) was making the paste.

Rogan Josh
Serves 4
Ingredients
5 cm (2 inches) knob of ginger peeled and coarsely chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled
4 tbsp + 300 (10 fl oz) water
10 tbsp vegetable oil
900g cubed lamb

10 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
6 cloves
10 peppercorns
2.5 cm (inch) cinnamon stick

200g onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp. paprika
¼ to 1 tsp of cayenne pepper (depending how hot you like it- I use a full tsp)
1 ¼ tsp salt
6 tbsp natural yoghurt
¼ tsp garam masala
Freshly ground black pepper

Use a barmix to blend the ginger garlic and 4 tbsps of water into a smooth paste.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over medium-high heat.
Brown the meat in batches and set aside.
Put the cardamom pods, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon into the oil and stir.
Add the onions- stir fry for around 5 minutes or until the onions are a medium brown colour.
Put in the garlic-ginger paste and stir for 30 secs.
Then add the coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne and salt. Stir and fry for another 30 seconds.
Add the meat with all the juices, mix well so its coated with the paste in the pan. Now add in 1 tbsp of yoghurt- mix well- and gradually add the rest of the yoghurt. Stir and fry for around 3 minutes.
Now add 300 ml water- bring to the boil, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan into the sauce.
Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for an hour- stirring every 10 minutes.
If there is still liquid left after an hour, turn to high and boil off as desired- the sauce should be nice and thick.
Spoon off the fat.
Sprinkle with garam masala and black pepper and mix them in before serving.
Ideal with rice.