Simple Things - A Great Cup of Coffee

Not a meal - merely a delightful cup of coffee!  Sometimes the simple things . . . .

Sweet Lamb Stew!

Sweet lamb chops stew (4-quarters)!  Yummy in the tummy!  
Recipe below!

Ingredients

4 Lamb chump chops (can use 4-quarter or neck chops to equal amount), 3 large brown onions chopped, 1 teaspoon of raw sugar, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 2 teaspoons vinegar.  

Method

Use a heavy based fry pan add a tablespoon of oil and brown meat in small batches so it doesn't 'stew'.  When meat is browned cook the onions in the same pan until soft .  Put meat and onions aside.  Make a gravy in the same pan using the browning and juices.  To make gravy add one heaped tablespoon of flour and mix to paste with juices and remaining oils and any lamb fats. Slowly add one cup of water and blend well to avoid lumps.  Cook until simmering and allow to thicken.  If it seems very thick add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup water then add sugar, tomato sauce and vinegar and mix well.  Return meat and onions to same pan and bring to a very low simmer with lid off.    Slow cook until the lamb is falling off the bone - about one and 1/2 hours.  You can allow stew to continue cooking to thicken and reduce the sauce.  Serve with steamed vegetables - potato, carrot etc.  You can add the cooked vegetables to the stew for the last 20 minutes to warm through.  Serve with peas, spinach, broccoli or your favorite greens.

Orangey Food Week! Home Cookin'!

Fresh local Mackerel in paprika flour and pan fried- delicious!

Fresh tomato pasta

Baking Fail then Success!

Tried some baking and had a massive Muffin Fail!  Made my own recipe and used ginger marmalade as the wet ingredient - must have become molten hot and turned to toffee so though muffins looked OK they were hard and almost burnt in the middle.  So went out on a limb - everyone has always said I can cook great fruit cakes but not sponge cake as too heavy handed.  So tried the ol' corn flour sponge recipe.   Yummy!

Corn Flour Sponge and ginger jam and cream!

Ginger Jam Muffins - try having a bite - extra crunch in the middle - toffee!

 

See the browning - toffee leaking through to top!

Even the wildlife won't eat them!

Beef Rissoles and Gravy

500g mincemeat (ground beef)
4 eggs
2 onion chopped finely and microwave 3 Min's then cool (can dunk in ice water and drain)
1 cup breadcrumbs or more if needed to combine
1/3 cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon dried herbs (or fresh mixed Italian style herbs such as marjoram, sage, parsley, thyme or what ever you have in the garden)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
2 tablespoons plain flour, for dusting the rissoles
2 tablespoons oil, the rissoles (for frying, you may need more oil. I use as little as possible - can use oil spray but need to spray each side as turning to brown so coated

Optional additives depending on preference
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Chili's
Spicey pastes
Grated cheeses (don't overdo this or rissole can break apart - Parmesan is good as dry and full of flavour)

Gravy
I use a gravy I have frozen from roast beef dinner but you can use a packet gravy of choice or make gravy in pan - remove rissoles and take pan off heat - add 2 tbsp plain flour and mix well with juices and fat in pan - slowly add cold water - around a cup or cup and half - mixing as you go - don't need lumps! - place back on pan and cook until thickened to your liking - add salt and pepper to taste.   Return rissoles to pan and simmer until done.  Serve.

Directions:
Mix all the wet ingredients together gently so as not to over compact the mixture - use a fork or your hands.  Then add bread crumbs until a mixture that will form rissoles is obtained - that is loose but will hold shape if formed into a ball.  Shape into 4 or 6 round balls and dust with the flour. Heat oil on high in a heavy based frying pan until the oil is hot. Place the Rissoles in the hot oil but don't over crowd your pan or they will stew instead of browning. Make sure the Rissoles do not burn or will taste awful. Keep watch and turn the rissoles over when one side is browned and slightly crispy (make sure they don't burn!). Depending on the thickness of the pan and the size of the rissoles, it may take about 3-4 minutes to cook the Rissoles on each side. Cook all sides the same way so rissoles are brown all over then turn the heat down to medium and add the gravy - need to have a pan deep enough for gravy to almost cover rissoles.  Cook until done but not overcook or will become dry and not pleasant to eat.  Need to be cooked through but still moist inside. Time similar to cooking burgers. Serve with gravy and mashed potatoes and baby peas.

Cooktown Butcher Rump Steak

Left Overs for Dinner! Mm Yummo!

Left over vegetables (beetroot, potato, kumara, pumpkin, carrots, tomato and cabbage - reheated and two eggs added - salt and pepper - this was delicious!

Simple Vegetable Platter! Yum!

No Knead Bread - Easy Peasy!

Recipe - 4 cups plain flour (or 3 and half plain and half cup wholemeal) 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast powder, 1 & half teaspoon salt, 2 cups warm water. Mix together - forms a sticky dough - cover with foil and leave 18 hours at room temperature. flour bench and place dough on flour - shape into a slipper shape to fit your tray, sprinkle with flour (he uses corn meal), cover with tea towel and leave 2 hours to rise. Place in a hot oven 220 degrees for 35 - 45 mins until cooked. DONE!

Tasty Beef Stew Recipe

Ingredients: 3 tbsps vegetable oil, 1 kg cubed beef, seasoned flour to coat beef, whole baby onions, 3 chopped onions, 3 stalks chopped celery, 2 chopped carrots, 2 tabsp tomato paste, 3 anchovies, 3 cloves garlic finely chopped, 1/2 cup port, Worcestershire Sauce, 2 cups chicken stock, 2 tins crushed tomatoes, 4 potatoes chopped, 1 tbsp dry oregano,1 tbsp dry basil, 4 bay leaves, 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper.
HINT: Don't add SALT as already salty ingredients!

Heat oil in heavy pan over moderate heat - coat beef in seasoned flour and brown beef in batches - don't overcrowd pan or will stew instead of browning - place aside. Brown onions first then add celery and carrots to colour slightly, put all aside. Add tomato paste, anchovies and garlic to pan and cook off for a minute, add port to deglaze pan.

Place beef and vegetables in a large stock pot, add Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, tinned tomatoes, potatoes, dry herbs, pepper and pan liquids (port etc) - liquid should only just cover the meat and vegetables - if not covering add a little water. Bring to a simmer (don't boil or meat will get dry and stringy!) and cook 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours - check tenderness of beef and remove when vegetables and beef cooked to your liking. If on very low heat can cook longer and when beef tender will be ready to serve. Often tastes better the day after so can cook ahead and serve the next day if the smell doesn't make you want to eat it the same day!

Pan Seared Salmon Fillet

Crab and Avocado Spring Rolls

Crab and Avocado Spring Rolls
12 spring roll wrappers
Vegetable oil for frying
FILLING
1 avocado chopped, 1 cup crab meat, 100 grams of camenbert cheese chopped, 2 tablespoons creamed cottage cheese, 1 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, ½ cup of tomato (no seeds), 4 Chopped spring onions, half cup chopped spinach, Salt and cracked pepper

Mix together and place a heaped desert spoon full onto each wrapper and fold into roll - dip your finger in a bowl of water, and wet the edges of the wrapper, as though you were licking an envelope to seal it - roll it like a burrito, tucking up first the corner nearest, then the left and right corners in, and finally roll into the familiar cigar shape. Don't over fill! Fill a deep fry pan halfway with vegetable oil, and heat it on medium until small bit spring roll wrapper sizzles. Fry gently until crisp and golden - about 4 to 5 mins - remove and drain on paper towels. Serve with the cooling Cucumber Avocado Dip and mixed fresh chopped Salad,

Cucumber Avocado Dip
Mix together in processor 1 cucumber - no seeds, 1 avocado, 1 tbsp finely chopped onion, 1 tbsp green bell pepper (finely chopped), 2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, half cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 clove Russian garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Can garnish with sprinkle of paprika and mint sprigs

Roasted Smoked Glazed Ham on the Bone

Roasted Smoked Glazed Ham

HINT: Soak ham overnight in cold water if very salty. 
Preheat the oven to 250°C.  Remove the ham rind. Score across the fat in diamond pattern and stick cloves on.  In saucepan melt 1/2 cup English marmalade, 1/2 cup port, 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, 1/4 cup honed, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 cup dark sugar, and 1 tbsp Dijon mustard on low heat to form a thick paste. Put ham on a rack in baking dish and brush with glaze.  Put in oven.  After 10 mins baste with glaze and reduce temp to 200.  Keep basting with glaze every ten mins.  Done when the glaze is well browned.  Remove and allow to rest before carving.
Sauce to go with ham - cut up 4 Granny Smith apples - add a pat of butter, 2 tbsp brown sugar and 1/2 cup lemon juice - wrap in 2 layers of alfoil, allowing space and place in oven with ham. 
Vegetables: Cut up potato, pumpkin, turnip, beetroot, sweet potato, carrots and some sweet onions (red onions or eshallots).  Steam until starting to go tender.  Coat in olive oil, sea salt, cracked pepper, dry herbs of choice.  Put in small uncovered baking tray and cook with the ham.  Don't put in with ham as juices in pan can be too salty.  You want nice crispy vegetables. 
Serve with steamed greens of choice.

Roast Pork Crackle - Mmmm!

Vegetable Bake!

Recipe: 

Mixture of vegetables - chopped large onion, chopped shallots - about 4, include root veg such as sweet potato / pumpkin / potato etc and other veg as on hand - about 4 cups full of vegetables in all, cut into small bits. Add in a large handful of grated cheese - I used half parmesan and 1/2 cheddar, 6 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1 cup SR Flour, chopped parsley and any fresh herbs you like, salt and pepper to taste, can add cayenne pepper if you like it a little more spicy and I added 2 rashers of bacon chopped. Mix it well. Sprinkle top with paprika and bake in 180 degree oven for 3/4 to 1 hour depending on when cooked and brown on top. I use a large flat glass dish or use a deeper dish which will take a little longer. Have a go!

Local Butcher - Yummy Easy Cook Meats

Chicken Maryland's marinated in tomato & garlic from the local Cooktown butcher CTQ Meats - delicious!

Yummy Hamburger from Cooktown Cafe!

Cooktown Food Connect! Yummy!

Well with our first order to Cooktown Food Connect we've been looking forward to the organic fresh picked local fruits and vegetables.  

We have not been disappointed!

Smoked Cod with Food Connect Vegetables

Tropic Tomatoes - Sweet

Served simply - salt and pepper is all I need!

Ginger for Stir Fry's

Chopped Asian Vegetables, spring onions, carrots etc - Soup, Stir Fry's and Spring Rolls

Becky's mixed salad greens -buttercrunch, cos, tatsoi, endive, red corals, rocket and marigold. 

Vegetarian Spring Rolls - Asian Style

Indian Butter Chicken - Comfort Food!

Oil, 2 tbsp real butter, 1 large onion chopped finely, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp garlic paste, I tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 cup tomato puree, pinch cayenne pepper (more to taste) pinch salt and black pepper, 500g chicken pieces (on bone tastes better)

Heat butter and oil in pan to medium heat and saute onions until soft and translucent.  Stir in all spices and lemon juice.  Stir for a minute then add tomato and cook a few Min's - keep stirring.  Stir in cream and yogurt and lower to simmer 10 Min's.  Set aside.  Brown chicken in oil over medium heat.  Season with extra garum masala (a teaspoon) then stir in a few tablespoons of sauce and simmer until liquid reduced then add to sauce and cook until chicken cooked.  Serve with rice.

Ever Tasted Green Ants!

FROM GUURRBI TOURS
Cooktown, With Nugal-warra Elder, Willie Gordon

Yangga, green ants, have many medicinal uses and are still widely used to combat coughs and colds. They are either eaten alive, or crushed and inhaled like a vapour rub to open up the sinuses. They can also be rubbed into the skin, or taken as a drink with water.

Mothers with infants rub green ants on their breasts to make the milk flow, and many believe that, taken in high concentrations, green ants act as a contraceptive. 

The ants make their nests - Gambul yangga - by folding up leaves and fixing them together. The picture (right) shows a nest in the early stages, but if you look up when you're in the bush you can usually spot their nests in the trees, like large balls of leaves.

Each nest has several queens, which are many times larger than the worker ants. You can see the difference in sizes in the photo.

" Information and images from Guurrbi Tours, Cooktown - http://guurrbitours.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/yangga-amazing-green-ant.html "

Finger Lickin' Faye-tucky Fried Chicken!

Well sometimes ya need a little fry and I don't mean Stephen - though he is also a comfort!  This is easy to make and is moist chicken with a crunchy coating!

How to:

Chicken pieces, flour mixed with your favorite dry spice flavours - eg: paprika (smoked), cumin, pepper, chilli, coriander, garlic, cayenne (scant), onion,tumeric (good for colour) and salt (use a vegetable salt for extra flavours) and can use dry herbs - basil, sage, marjoram, parsley).  For health the super spices with antioxidants are  Cinnamon, Ginger, Oregano, Paprika, Rosemary, Thyme and Turmeric though in fried dish maybe not so healthy!  

What I do is get a large freezer bad and add the flour and then spices and dry herbs and taste - you can get a good idea of the final flavour this way and over time develop your perfect flavour combination so take note of amounts.  Now soak the chicken pieces in buttermilk (I just make up powdered skim milk that is stronger than normal and add vinegar or lemon juice to 'sour' it instead of buying buttermilk and it works very well).  Leave in fridge overnight.  When ready to cook remove chicken pieces and place in bag of flour - have oil heating ready - to medium heat not smoking! - so once chicken is coated well you can place in oil - I test oil is ready by dropping a little flour in and if sizzles without 'boiling' which is too hot - it is ready - then place chicken pieces in - do not over crowd pan or you will not get crunchy chicken coating- fry until golden turning once - remove and drain on a wire rack over paper towels.  Serve and enjoy!

Cooktown Discovery Festival Fast Food!

When the festival is on I give in and get some fairy floss, a hot dog on a stick some home made tropical ice-cream, some delicious home made preserves and sauces to take home!  Good days!

Tropical Feasts

Sometimes living in the tropics is so good!

Farm Soup with Lamb Shanks

Have shown this recipe before but can't resist posting latest pic of a delicious Farm Soup -  the last one I pasted with video was very rich and used ham hocks - this one is with lamb shanks - so follow the previous recipe but with lamb!

Fish for dinner?

Hoping for fresh fish!

These Were Delicious!

The wish for fresh isn't always fulfilled but a gourmet meal can come in a tin!

Check out this excellent blog example of how to eat sardines in style - http://tinyurl.com/6osl2s9 showing sardines, with caramelised eschallots and red wine vinegar on sourdough toast - garnished with coriander, served with Eggs (of course).  Yummy!

What I had was just as delicious!  I always make sure they are bristling sardines in olive oil and have found the King Oscars the best!

Prawns / Shrimp in Creamy Coconut Curry Sauce!

Prawns in yummy Creamy Coconut Curry Sauce! Easy to make.

In two tablespoon of peanut oil fry of some thinly sliced onions (2 medium onions) over moderate heat until soft (not browned) add in one large grated carrot and greens of choice - I used thinly sliced silverbeet (about 2 cups full) .  Add one tablespoon of favorite curry powder (I use Clive of India) and stir for couple of minutes to release flavours (don't burn).  Pour in one tin cream of coconut and 1/2 cup chicken stock (can use stock powder or cubes) stir through until combined add in good amount (depends on size) of green prawns and stir until pink (eat one to test doneness).  

Don't overcook - as will continue to cook in hot curry sauce even off the heat.  Prawns should have a crunchy bite, be juicy and tast of the sea!  If prawns are overcooked they are terrible and rubbery without much taste.