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culinary journeys COOKSCHOOLSummer Burgers with fresh Passionfruit and Nectarine SalsaFresh Passionfruit & Nectarine Salsa Pacific Roasted Kumara with Passionfruit glaze Risotto with Lamb & Olives Beancurd with spicy pork & mushroom sauce Grown-Ups Ham & Cheese Toasted Sandwich Little Lamb & Mint Koftas with spicy tomato sauce & garlic dip STUFFED CRUST - Muffuletta & Pan Bagna Porcini and Mushroom Broth Summer Burgers with fresh Passionfruit and Nectarine Salsa (makes 10-12 mini burgers or 6-8 medium sized burgers) 500g lean beef mince ½ medium sized onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce 1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon sugar freshly ground black pepper Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. With clean hands, shape the mixture into burger patties and place on to a tray or plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to cook. Burger patties may be cooked on a barbecue hot plate, in a frying pan or under a hot grill. Cook each side for 3-5 minutes or until evenly browned and the centre of the patty is cooked. © Jennifer Yee/Food Concepts & Design Ltd 2000 Back to the top of the page Fresh Passionfruit and Nectarine Salsa This tropical salsa is great with other barbecued meats such as lamb or chicken. Try it also with fresh fish cooked in foil. 2 ripe passionfruit 1 large nectarine, stoned and chopped 1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped dried or fresh red chili, finely sliced (to taste) Remove the pulp from the passionfruit and combine with the remaining ingredients in a deep serving bowl. Chill for ½ - 1 hour before serving to allow the flavours to blend. To serve: Butter soft fresh white or wholemeal buns or baps, and fill with crisp, fresh lettuce, ripe tomato slices, a cooked burger patty and top with the Passionfruit and Nectarine salsa. Enjoy! © Jennifer Yee/Food Concepts & Design Ltd 2000 Back to the top of the page Pacific Roasted Kumara with Passionfruit glaze The colour and flavour of golden or orange Kumara works well with this recipe. It can be served cold as a salad or warm as a side dish. 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary sprigs 600g (approximately 3 large) Kumara, peeled 3 ripe passionfruit 1 tablespoon brown sugar ½ teaspoon salt freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 200\xb0C. Pour the olive oil into the base of a heavy roasting pan, add the rosemary and place in the oven to heat. In the meantime, slice the kumara thickly into 1cm rounds. Remove the pan from the oven to add the kumara and toss to coat the kumara with the olive oil. Return the pan to the oven and bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until the kumara is fork tender and lightly browned. Hint: Gently turn the kumara over with a spatula half way through the cooking to ensure even browning. Glaze To the cooked kumara in the roasting pan, add the pulp from the passionfruit, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Toss to combine, then transfer to a serving dish. Serve cool or warm. Serves 4-5. © Jennifer Yee/Food Concepts & Design Ltd 2000 Back to the top of the page Risotto with Lamb and Olives (serves 2-3) 1 - 2 lamb fillets splash of extra virgin olive oil splash of balsamic 2 tablespoons (approx.) extra virgin olive oil ½ onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 cup Ferron rice 2 cups stock ½ jar Possenti Midnight or Roaring Lady sauce handful of Crespi olivelle salt and pepper parmigiano, grated Marinate the lamb fillets in a splash of oil and balsamic. Heat the oil in a pan large enough to contain the cooked risotto. Saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add rice, and 'toast' for a few minutes, tossing to coat the grains with olive oil. Meanwhile, bring the stock to a rolling boil in a separate saucepan. Pour the boiling stock over the rice. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring half way through. While this is cooking, sear the lamb fillets and keep warm. To finish the risotto, stir the hot pepper sauce and olives through the risotto. Cover and sit for 4 minutes. Slice the lamb fillets and toss through the risotto. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parmigiano. Serve in warmed bowls. Any leftover risotto can be mixed with a little beaten egg to bind, shaped into a fritter, dusted with polenta and pan fried until golden. Kindly supplied by Jacqui Dixon, Sabato Back to the top of the page Beancurd with spicy pork & mushroom sauce (Ma Po Doufu) (Serves 4) 8 dried Chinese mushrooms or ½ cup drained straw mushrooms 500g fresh, soft beancurd 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons grated root ginger 1 large shallot, peeled and sliced 1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely sliced 300g lean minced pork 1 - 2 teaspoons Lee Kum Kee chilli bean sauce 1 tablespoon Lee Kum Kee black bean sauce 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with ¼ cup cold water ½ cup chopped fresh coriander Soak the Chinese mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes until softened then drain. Remove the stems, slice and set aside. If using straw mushrooms, cut these in half. Cut the beancurd into 2cm cubes and drain on paper towels. Heat the oil in a large frypan or wok until hot. Add the garlic, ginger, shallot and chilli and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the pork and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Stir in the mushrooms and sauces and cook for a further 2 minutes and then blend in the cornflour and water mixture. When the sauce has thickened, slip the beancurd into the pan and heat through, spooning the sauce gently over to coat the beancurd. Sprinkle over the coriander. Spoon the beancurd and sauce into deep bowls and serve with rice and lightly cooked Chinese greens. Note: the straw mushrooms and sauces can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets. Look for dried Chinese mushrooms at your Asian grocery store. Fresh shiitake mushrooms can be used although these have a much milder flavour. © Jennifer Yee/Food Concepts & Design Ltd 2000 Back to the top of the page Take a ripe, yielding piece of GREAT NZ CHEESE Add some delectable morsels to accompany good cheeses and breads from the your favourite Deli (see culinary journeys recommended list of stockists), GRAB a picnic basket, a favourite wine and head for a view. Just do it! Grown-Ups Ham & Cheese Toasted Sandwich (Serves 4) 8 slices of good toasting bread (such as a French farmhouse loaf or ciabatta) melted butter Zarbo Citrus or Honey Mustard 4 generous slices of ham off the bone Zarbo Cherry, Quince or Spicy Pear Chutney 4 slices of Karikaas Vintage Gouda or Parkerfield Mt Richmond Red or Neudorf Place the bread onto a baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Grill until golden and flip over. Spread half the toasts with mustard, then a layer of ham, a spread of chutney, a slice of cheese, then top with a slice of toast and press together firmly. Brush the top of the sandwich with butter and place under the grill to brown. Serve with a delicious glass of Pinot Noir or Cabernet Merlot, turn out the lights and watch the flickers of a winter fire. © Jennifer Yee/Food Concepts & Design Ltd 2000 Back to the top of the page SAVOUR THE INTOXICATING SCENT OF CUMIN, CINNAMON & CORIANDER and transport your senses to a far away Middle Eastern corner Little Lamb and Mint Koftas with fresh spicy tomato sauce and garlic yoghurt dip Makes about 50 little koftas or 32 walnut-sized ones. 500g lamb mince 1 onion, finely chopped ½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley 2 tablespoons chopped mint 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground coriander 2 teaspoon Maldon salt pepper oil for frying In a large bowl, mix the lamb, onion, herbs and seasonings together well. The mixture should be mixed or kneaded until it is pasty and binding together. Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a frying pan. Roll the mixture into cherry tomato sized balls and put these into the hot oil. Fry these in batches, shaking the pan to turn them until they are golden brown all over, but still moist and juicy. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm. To serve, place the bowls of sauces on a platter with the lamb and mint koftas around the sides. Allow each person to help themselves to koftas and spoonfuls of the sauce of their choice. © Jennifer Yee/Food Concepts & Design Ltd 2000 Fresh Spicy Tomato Sauce 500g tomatoes, peeled and chopped (see below) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 onion, finely chopped ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon cinnamon pepper ½ cup chopped parsley Place tomatoes in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Wait 30 seconds, then drain. Using a vegetable knife, remove the core and slip off the skins. Halve each tomato and chop roughly. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, then add the garlic and onion. Cook until the onion has softened, but do not brown. Add the tomatoes, salt, sugar and spices. Simmer until the tomatoes are soft and pulpy. Season with pepper to taste. Stir through the parsley and spoon into a bowl. © Jennifer Yee/Food Concepts & Design Ltd 2000 Garlic & Mint Yoghurt Dip 1 clove garlic, crushed good pinch of salt 1 cup unsweetened yoghurt 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint sprig of mint Mash the garlic and salt into a paste. Blend in a small bowl with the yoghurt and mint. Garnish with extra mint. © Jennifer Yee/Food Concepts & Design Ltd 2000 Back to the top of the page STUFFED CRUST - Muffuletta & Pan Bagna Superb Spring Picnic Fare. The following recipes look and taste stunning. Use your favourite deli ingredients for cramming into a sourdough, rye or 5-grain cob - great for Sunday lunch, with soup, or for an easy supper. Why not celebrate the change in season, make a date and pack one for a mid-week picnic in one of our inner city parks! Muffuletta (Italian style stuffed bread) Note: the number of serves and the quantity of filling depends on the size of the loaf. Generally a 25cm diameter cob will give 6-8 servings and you will need 4-5 cups of filling ingredients to fill this large loaf. Vary the choice of fillings to suit what is in season and what you will enjoy eating. Your choice of 5-grain, rye or sourdough round or cob extra virgin olive oil fresh Parkerfield fromage blanc or mozzarella or Gladstone Chèvre Zarbo roasted tomato relish handfuls of mesclun or rocket pancetta, parma, salami or thinly sliced cooked chicken or rare beef thinly sliced tomatoes roasted orange or yellow capsicums Slice the top 1/3 of the cob horizontally. Hollow out the loaf by pulling out most of the crumb, leaving no more than 1.5cm of bread under the crust. Brush the inside and the hollowed lid with olive oil. Spread both sections of bread with the cheese and then the relish with the back of a spoon. Layer the other ingredients one on top of the other into the base, replace the lid and press together. Wrap the cob firmly with cling film and weight with something heavy (a bread board is good). Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before unwrapping and cutting into wedges with a very sharp knife. You can wrap this tightly in greaseproof paper and then knot it in a large clean linen tea towel for a real picnic hit. © Jennifer Yee/Food Concepts & Design Ltd 2000 Pan Bagna (French style pressed bread) Again, the guideline for filling ingredients is your imagination and the flavours you like to combine. 1 French stick or baguette Zarbo green olive and caper or sundried tomato tapenade chopped or sliced hard boiled egg baby salad leaves such as spinach thinly sliced mature edam or cheddar Zarbo honey or citrus mustard ham off the bone or roasted Meadows flat mushrooms Slice the bread lengthwise leaving a hinge along one side. Spread each side with the tapenade, then layer the other ingredients on top. Press the bread halves together firmly and wrap tightly with cling film or greaseproof paper. Weight with something heavy and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before unwrapping and cutting into slices with a very sharp knife. The pan bagna is ideal pass around food or easily portable for outdoor eating. © Jennifer Yee/Food Concepts & Design Ltd 2000 Back to the top of the page Porcini and Mushroom Broth (Serves 5-6) This is adapted from a recipe by Julie le Clerc from her superb book Simple Café Food: Secrets from the Garnet Road Foodstore (Penquin). Scented with porcini mushrooms and Marsala Fine, this mushroom soup will take you to a faraway place. Serve with a small glass of lightly chilled Pellegrino Marsala Fine, sit by the fire and don't expect any leftovers. Toast generous slices of ciabatta or pane Pugliese to eat with this and .think of Italy! 500g flat field mushrooms Pellegrino Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed 250g button mushrooms, chopped 15g porcini, soaked in 2 cups of hot water until softened 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock 1 small glass Pellegrino Marsala Fine 1 tablespoon cornflour, mixed to a paste with a little cold water (optional) 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley Sicilian sea salt to taste Place half the flat mushrooms in a food processor and puree to a paste. Slice the remaining mushrooms finely. Use a large stock pot to heat a little olive oil, sauté the onion and garlic until softened, add the pureed mushrooms and cook until the liquid has evaporated (the pan should just start to sizzle). Add the rest of the mushrooms, the porcini, soaking liquid, stock and the wine. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until all the mushrooms are very tender. Stir in the cornflour mixture (if using) to thicken the soup slightly. Lastly, sprinkle in the parsley and season the soup to taste. Serve in warmed bowls. Back to the top of the page cookschool | read | ingredients | gift cards | links | e-bookings |
