Recipe #36 Rhubarb Strawberry Pudding

This is a combination of several ideas taken from different desserts. The strawberry pudding is from Lotte, a mother of a friend we had growing up, from a German fruit pudding recipe she shared. Lotte mixed it with an instant strawberry pudding packet for the starch. The base is a typical cheesecake biscuit base and the ganache just had to be added for texture. The less sugar in the fruit the better as this will make it more tart compared to the rest of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 cup raspberry juice

2 Pint baskets of Strawberries 

2 cups Diced Rhubarb

8-10 Digestive biscuits

50g Corn flour

225g Butter

1/2 cup Sugar

100g 70% Chocolate

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup Double cream

Whipping cream

Method:

Melt the butter in a small pan

Place the digestives in a food processor and chop until a fine crumb.

Mix melted butter with the biscuit crumb and press into a pie dish and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

In a double boiler melt the chocolate until smooth add the sugar and gradually add the double cream to thicken

Pour the ganache over the cooled biscuit base and return to the fridge to cool

Slice and arrange the remaining strawberries over the chocolate  

Pour half of the raspberry juice and sugar into a saucepan and add half of the chopped strawberries and all of the diced rhubarb and simmer until soft.

In a cup add the corn starch to the remaining raspberry juice and pour into the pan stirring until it thickens.

Pour mixture on to the sliced strawberries cooled ganache and return to the fridge for 15 minutes

Use the remaining strawberries to decorate the top of the pie and return to the fridge until time to serve

Whip and pipe whipping cream on the top of pie and serve

 

Recipe #35 Pizza Dough & Tomato Sauce

 This makes 8 x 12" Pizzas so you could half it for smaller portions or freeze the remaining dough.

Ingredients:

1k Strong Bread Flour

20g Semolina [durum wheat]

1/4 cup Olive oil

1 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Sugar

17g Instant or Active Yeast 

600ml Warm water

2 tbsp Sourdough Starter*

*Optional

Kitchen Mixer with dough hook

Method:

In a measuring jug add the sugar to the warm water and dissolve.

Add the yeast and allow to settle to the bottom before stirring.

In the mixer and the flour, salt, semolina and oil.

Add the yeast to the flour mixture and start the mixer on low.

Mix the dough for 20 minutes minimum until the gluten has formed and the dough does not break easily when stretched.

Tip out the dough and knead for 5 minutes and form into a ball.

Rest dough in a large oil-lined bowl under cling film for several hours until the dough has doubled in size.

Knock back the dough and cut into 8 segments and let rest.

Shape or roll dough into pizza pies for baking.

Tomato Sauce:

2 tins chopped or crushed tomatoes

1/2 Red pepper

3 tbsp Tomato Paste

2 tbsp Spices; basil, oregano, ground fennel, 

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Sugar

Method:

Cook all ingredients in a pot and season to taste.

Puree with a hand blender and let stand to room temperature before spreading on pizzas.

Recipe #34 Mike's Irish Wheaten Bread

 This recipe is adapted from one I read on the Interwebs. I added margarine to soften the final texture.

Using less margarine makes for a firmer, dryer bread. Too much margarine makes a crumbly bread.

Ingredients:

350g wholemeal flour
100g strong white flour
300ml buttermilk
60g margarine
1 heaped tsp bicarbonate of soda (not baking powder)
1-2 tsp salt to taste
1-2 tsp sugar to taste
50g porridge oats (optional)

 Method: Prep:10min  Cook:30min  Ready in:40min 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees C.
2. Sift flours, salt, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and half the oats (if using) together in a bowl.
3. Add buttermilk and mix into a dough (you need to use your hands, don’t over knead or it will produce a tough loaf, you just want to mix the ingredients together).
4. Form into a ball.
5. Place onto a greased baking tray.
6. Create an indentation half way through the middle of the loaf with the palm of your hand or a finger. This splits the bread into crusty sections.
7. Sprinkle the rest of the oats over the surface of the loaf [this helps to prevent the loaf from scorching]
8. Cook for 30 mins, if you don't like your bread very crusty cover with foil for the last 5 minutes or so. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped.
9. Let it cool on a wire rack for 10-15 mins.

Recipe #33 Mike's Italian Sausage

 

This recipe takes a good part of an afternoon to make so give yourself enough buffer time to prep and clean up.  You will need a mincer and sausage extruder for this recipe.

Yield: 16-18 large portions

Ingredients:

2.5 kl [4.5lbs] Pork Shoulder, for meatiness

1 kl [2.205 lbs] Pork Belly or Streaky bacon, for fat [make sure there is a 3:1 ratio of fat]

Large Sausage Casings [ask butcher to give you enough casings to cover the weight/volume of meat bought]

Spices:  

1 tbsp Salt, 

1 tbsp Sugar, 

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp dried basil, 

1 tbsp dried oregano, 

1 1/2 tbsp toasted ground fennel [toast and grind in mortar and pestle]

1 tbsp chilli pepper or flakes [smoked chipotle is preferable]

2 tsp cayenne pepper [or to taste]

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tsp olive oil [ for the extruder lube ]

Instructions:

Meat Prep:

Cut meat into segments and trim any skin or grizzle off. 

[ Segments should be small enough to fit in to the mincer so the sinew doesn't clog the blade.]

Spice Prep:

Toast the fennel and mix in other spices to taste.

Grind the meat into a large bowl using the medium chop for a coarse mix [insuring no dark grease enters the mix].

Thoroughly mix in all the dry ingredients by hand until evenly blended.

Testing:

Take a small ball of meat and fry it in a pan until cooked to test the seasoning balance suits your taste.

Add more of what is lacking...to taste. [eg. more cayenne pepper]

Repeat the testing until you reach desired result in flavour.

Sausage Extrusion:

When satisfied with the mix it's time to make the sausage.

Remove the cutter blade from the mincer and add the extruder to the machine. 

Use the olive oil to moisten the extruder and slide the casing onto the nozzle.

Load meat into the hopper and start the machine up and feed and press the meat through.

This is a two person job; one person feeds the machine and another must keep tension on the casing as it fills while also managing the continuous coil of sausage onto a tray or clean tub.

Repeat this process until all the meat is used. 

The last portion of meat will need help to pass all the way through the process by adding a moist slice of bread or two through the machine until it is seen in the casing.; this ensures there is no waste.

TIP: Let the sausage sit in fridge overnight before freezing to allow spice to infuse.

Recipe #32 Special Guest Chef: Jamie Whitney

Lamb Chops with Sweet Potato served with 2 cold salads  

 Thanks to Kelly Kincaid for the video! 

 Lamb Chop Recipe: 

 Marinade over night: 

 2 lbs lamb shoulder ribs cut into chops 

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 

1/4 cup tamarri sauce 

2 cloves of minced garlic 

1 tsp ginger 

1 tsp cumin 

1 tblsp dried coriander salt & pepper to taste

 Place all in preheated oven at 400ºF for 35 minutes turning once during cook. 

Spicy Sweet Potato Mash:

 Peel and cut into even pieces 4 large sweet potatoes.

 Boil until inserted fork can be removed easily. 

Mash and add;

 2 tblsp Maple Syrup 

1-2 tsp chilly pepper or cayenne pepper 

 Cabbage Salad:  

Prepare;

 2 cups coarsely chopped white or red cabbage and season with salt to soften for an hour. 

 Mix and Dress with: 

2 tsp soured cream 

2 tsp Mayonnaise 

1/3 cup of white wine/cider vinegar 

1 tsp brown sugar salt & pepper to taste 

 Beet Salad:

 Blanche peeled sliced beets in boiling water for roughly 1 minute or until water starts to turn pink. 

Drain and cool under cold running water to stop cooking process.

 Cut beets into julienne style pieces [sticks] 

 Dress with: 

1 tblsp Maple syrup 

2 tblsp Cider vinegar 

1/4 cup pieces of goats cheese 

2 tblsp toasted almond slices

Recipe #31 Mike's Spaghetti Bolonaise Sauce

This sauce is an adaption of Joan's recipe that I have made to suit the tastes of children that do not like a chunky sauce. It has two parts separated by assembly and maturing time.

Ingredients: 

1/2 pound of ground pork 

1/2 pound of ground beef 

2 Italian sausages, cooked and chopped [optional] 

1 large white onion [or 3 shallots], diced fine 

1 medium sized carrot, peeled and diced fine 

1/2  a red pepper diced fine 

4 cloves of minced garlic

4 tins of chopped plum tomatoes 

1 cup of hot chicken or beef stock [to bulk up liquid]

2 tbsp tomato paste 

Small handful of caster sugar [to taste]

2 tsp salt [or to taste]

3 bay leaves [optional]

1 tsp ground cloves 

2 tbsp oregano 

2 tbsp basil 

a pinch of ground cloves

2 tbsp roasted and ground fennel *

2 cups red wine 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

  

*Optional: 

Pour fennel seeds into a hot dry pan and agitate while they darken and toast then grind using a mortar and pestle

1 cup of chopped and fried mushrooms 

[ NOTE: this may add moisture you may not need to add with wine or stock]

                     

Instructions: 

Part One:

Brown meat in a pot and drain away the oil and water by putting it in a sieve over a bowl. 

Put the meat in another bowl and pour a cup of wine on it. Let rest.

Now, in the pot you cooked the meat in, put in the chopped onion, red pepper, carrots and the olive oil and cook until clear. Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic and spices to the pot. Simmer for 20min with lid on.

Part Two:

Remove lid. 

Blitz the sauce with a hand blender and let reduce for as long as possible allowing sauce to thicken.

Add sausage, and the meat mixture. 

Add tomato paste to thicken. 

Mix in the wine [if you didn't add it to the meat] and simmer ensuring the alcohol has burned off. This will darken the sauce to an appealing colour and help enhance and combine the flavours. 

Simmer sauce on low heat for as long as you can, making sure it does not burn or dry out. 

Boil pasta.

Pour sauce over any pasta dish and watch how fast it disappears off your guest's plates! Enjoy!

Recipe#30 Turkey Stuffing [meat based]

Ingredients:

1/2lb of lean ground pork

sausage meat [package]

1 large onion diced

3 large celery stalks diced

1 plain loaf made into bread crumbs

1 cup of raisins

3 apples diced

1 cup of chopped parsley

ground cloves to taste [ two pinches]

4 tblsp pine nuts

1 tsp celery salt

pepper to taste

Instructions:

Fry pork and sausage meat and cook through. Remove meat from the pan and let sit in a bowl making sure most of the fat is left behind in the pan.

Remove all but 2 tblsp of the fat from the pan.

In the same pan, fry onions and celery in a knob of butter until almost clear

Add apples and raisins and simmer for 5 minutes

Pour pan contents into the bowl with the meat.

Add bread crumbs, parsley and the rest of the dry ingredients and mix well.

[Hint]: Keep a cup of chicken stock handy to add any desirable moisture at any point of the process.

Recipe#29 Michael's Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1/4 cup melted butter

2 cups of ginger nut (snap) biscuit crumbs

250g soft cheese [Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese] 

250g ricotta cheese

1 cup of pureed pumpkin

1 can of sweetened condensed milk 

3 eggs 

2 tsp (10 ml )vanilla 

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

[pinch of mace, option]

Method:

Preheat oven to 300ºF (150ºC)

Mix the ginger nut crumbs and butter till all the crumbs are coated with butter

Spread the biscuit base evenly into a 9" spring-form pan and then refrigerate for 20 minutes

In a large mixing bowl cream the cheese and condensed milk until fluffy

Add eggs and vanilla and mix

Pour into cooled pan and bake for 1 hour or until a spaghetti noodle inserted is clean when removed

Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle with shaved chocolate flakes

Recipe #28 Mike's Pumpkin Pie

I usually buy a fresh culinary pumpkin and prepare it in advance of making the pie. 

Split and clean the seeds and innards from the pumpkin. 

Place the halves on a cookie sheet facing down and bake in 400ºF oven for 30 minutes. 

The pumpkin is ready when you can easily peel the skin off the flesh. Leave to cool. 

Scoop all the pulp away from the skin and place in a food processor and chop until puréed. 

If you have more pumpkin than you need for the pie, freeze the purée to add to a soup at a later date. 

Ingredients: 

3 eggs 

1/3 cup granulated sugar 

1/3 cup brown sugar 

2 cups puréed pumpkin [1 small culinary pumpkin] 

1 tsp ground ginger 

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground cloves 

1/2 tsp allspice [mixed spice] 

1/4 tsp ground cardamom pinch of salt 

3/4 cup heavy cream [double cream] 30% milk fat 

3/4 cup light cream [10% milk fat] 

3 tbsp of dark rum 

1/2 recipe pie crust Optional: pecan halves [for garnish] 

  

  Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 450º F 

Beat eggs and both sugars together until light 

Stir in pumpkin purée, spices and salt and mix thoroughly. 

Stir in light cream and double cream. 

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured work surface and line a 9-inch pie pan with it; trim and crimp edges. Pour in the filling. 

Bake the pie at 450ºF for 8 minutes, then reduce heat to 325ºF and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes, or until filling is set. 

[A spaghetti noodle inserted into the middle should come out clean] 

Optional: Arrange pecan halves decoratively around the edge, pressing them lightly into warm filling. Arrange another 5 pecans in a flower pattern in the centre of the pie. Cool completely before cutting. Serve with sweetened whipped cream

Recipe #27 Edna's Banana Nut Bread with Chocolate Chips

This is an Edna Staebler recipe from her Schmecks Appeal cook book. 

She say's "Can anything be better than the best? 

Try this and prove it. 

It will stay moist for a week." 

 Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter 

1 cup sugar 

3 bananas, mashed 

2 eggs, beaten 

1/4 cup buttermilk 

1 tsp baking soda 

2 cups flour 

1/2 cup chopped nuts [pecans] 

3/4 cup of chopped chocolate pieces or chips 

 Instructions: 

 Cream the butter and sugar, then stir in the mashed bananas. 

Add eggs and mix well. Blend buttermilk and soda, then add to creamed mixture alternately with flour. Stir in the nuts and chocolate and turn into a large buttered loaf pan or 2 small pans. 

Bake at 350ºF for 1 hour, or until a spagheti noodle inserted into the centre come out clean. 

If you want to, you could add chopped maraschino cherries as well. 

*You might find, depending on your flour, that you need to add another 1/2 cup of flour to get the right consistency of batter. 

This comes with experience of making this cake a few times with cake flour or plain flour.