recipe | pork & macadamia nut stuffed mushrooms

Pork and macadamia nut stuffed mushrooms
Ingredients 8-10 large cup mushrooms 250 grams lean pork mince 1/4 onion, diced finely 1-2 cloves garlic, diced finely a few sprigs of chives, chopped 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped finely 1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika salt and pepper, to taste olive oil for pan frying 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated 2 strips bacon, chopped finely olive oil for bacon (don’t need much – or use none at all) extra chives, chopped – for topping (yes there is a lot of “dicing finely” in the prep work)
Directions De-stem and peel mushrooms. Set mushrooms aside and dice the stems into fine pieces. Set aside also. In a fry pan, heat up some olive oil. Add onion and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes until they soften and brown. Add mushroom stems and continue frying for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Add pork and fry until almost cooked (about 5-6 minutes). Sprinkle with paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chives and macadamia nuts, remove from heat and pour mince mixture into a large bowl to cool. When the mixture is almost cool (not so hot that you can’t touch it), sprinkle parmesan cheese and stir through until well mixed. Pre-heat oven to 180°C/355°F. Lay aluminium foil or a baking sheet on a baking tray and coat with some spray oil or a teaspoon of oil. For each mushroom, take a spoonful of mixture and pack it tightly into the base, finishing with a little mound. Place on tray. When all mushrooms are ready, bake in oven for about 15-20mins, until tops are crispy and mushrooms are soft. While baking, heat a tiny bit more oil (or none at all as bacon has its own oil) and fry the bacon bits until crispy. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Once mushrooms are cooked, remove from oven. Sprinkle with bacon and chives to serve.

Source: http://www.thecattylife.com/

Chicken satay salad

Here's a flavoursome salad based on the popular Asian dish of satay kebabs. Marinated strips of chicken are threaded onto skewers and grilled, then served atop a rice and crunchy vegetable mixture drizzled with a spicy peanut dressing. The chicken can be served on or off the skewers.

Quantity: 4 SERVES

Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus at least 3 hours marinating

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Nutrition Facts:

Each serving provides 2403 kJ, 574 kcal, 47 g protein, 17 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 65 g carbohydrate (6 g sugars), 2 g fibre

Ingredients

550 gram (1.25 lb) skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets
2 tablespoon sunflower oil
3 tablespoon salt-reduced soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 1⁄4 cup (250 g) basmati rice, rinsed
1 cup (100 g) sliced snow peas (mangetout)
  finely grated zest of 2 limes
  freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
3 cup (225 g) shredded Chinese cabbage (wombok)
1⁄4 telegraph (long) cucumber, diced
4 4 spring onions (scallions), sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoon salt-reduced crunchy peanut butter 1 long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

100 (3.5 fl oz) low-fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar

Preparation

1. Cut the chicken breasts into long strips about 1 cm ( 1/2 inch) thick.
2. In a bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of the sunflower oil, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the fish sauce, garlic and ginger.
3. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
5. Cook the rice in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until almost tender.
6. Add the snow peas and cook for a further 2 minutes.
7. Refresh immediately in cold water and drain well.
8. Set aside.
9. Combine the lime zest and juice with the remaining oil and soy sauce in a large bowl.
10. Add the rice, snow peas, coriander, cabbage, cucumber and spring onions, and toss together until well combined.
11. Arrange on a serving platter.
12. Preheat the grill (broiler) to high.
13. Lift the strips of chicken out of the marinade, reserving the marinade, and thread onto metal skewers.
14. Grill for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through, turning once so the chicken cooks evenly.
15. To make the spicy peanut dressing, put the onion, peanut butter, chilli, coconut milk, sugar and reserved marinade into a small saucepan.
16. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly - add 2-3 tablespoons water if the dressing is too thick 3/5 Remove the chicken from the skewers and arrange over the salad.
17. Drizzle the dressing over the top and serve the salad warm or at room temperature.

See more at: http://www.readersdigest.com.au/

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

Serves: 4 

• 375g tri-colour fusilli
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 bacon rashers, rind removed, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, about 250g, halved
• 3 2/3 cups firmly packed baby English spinach leaves, about 180g
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• lettuce leaves

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Directions

Preparation:15min  ›  Cook:17min  ›  Ready in:32min 

1. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 10–12 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the bacon, onion and garlic. Sauté for 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden.
3. Add the tomatoes to the frying pan and cook gently for 5 minutes until the tomatoes are beginning to soften but are still holding their shape.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Pour the water over the tomatoes in the frying pan and bring to the boil. Season with black pepper.
5. Place the spinach in a large serving bowl, pour over the hot tomato mixture, add the pasta and parmesan and toss to combine. Serve immediately on a bed of lettuce leaves.

Source: http://allrecipes.com.au

Damper

Ingredients

Serves: 4 

• 2 cups self-raising flour
• Pinch of caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon butter or dripping
• About 1 cup milk
• Extra self-raising flour, for dusting

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Directions

Preparation:15min  ›  Cook:40min  ›  Ready in:55min 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Sift the flour, caster sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter or dripping into the flour mixture with your fingertips.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour and gradually add the milk, using a round-bladed knife to mix it in. Continue adding milk until the mixture forms a soft dough.
4. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead gently until the surface is smooth. Shape the dough into a round about 14 cm in diameter. Using a sharp knife, slash a cross in the dough about 1 cm deep.
5. Dust a baking tray generously with flour and place the damper on the tray. Dust the top of the damper with a little more flour and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until it is golden and cooked through when tested with a skewer.
6. Serve hot with butter and golden syrup.

Source: http://allrecipes.com.au/

Black Forest trifle

3:20 To Prep

0:14 To Cook

13 INGREDIENTS

CAPABLE COOKS DIFFICULTY

10 SERVING

Ingredients 

2 tbs cornflour

2 x 680g jars morello cherries, drained, 1/2 cup (125ml) juice reserved

1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar

1/3 cup (80ml) kirsch (see note)

300ml thickened cream

2 tbs icing sugar, sifted

1 basic chocolate cake (see related recipe), chilled

Grated chocolate, to garnish

Custard

2/3 cup (160ml) milk

200ml pure (thin) cream

3 egg yolks

2 tbs caster sugar

2 tbs cherry jam

Method Related Recipes Notes

Step 1

Mix cornflour with 2 tbs of the reserved cherry juice. Place remaining juice in a pan with sugar over medium-low heat and stir for 2 minutes to dissolve sugar. Add cornflour mixture and stir for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens. Stir in the cherries and kirsch, then remove from heat and cool. Chill until needed.

Step 2

For the custard, heat milk and cream in a pan over medium heat to just below boiling point. Remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until well combined. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return to a clean pan over medium-low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir gently but constantly, for 4-5 minutes, reaching the base and corners, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (when you run a finger along the spoon, it should leave a trail). Remove from the heat. Strain through a fine sieve into a container. Cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the jam, cover and chill.

Step 3

Whip the cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks. Slice cake horizontally into 3 even rounds. Place 1 cake layer in a 2-litre serving bowl, trimming to fit if necessary. Spread with half the custard, then top with one-third of the cherry mixture. Repeat this process, then top with the final layer of cake. Top with the whipped cream, then arrange the remaining cherries on top. Chill for at least 2 hours for flavours to develop, then serve garnished with grated chocolate.

Source: http://www.taste.com.au/

Creamy bacon spaghetti with poached eggs

0:20 To Prep

0:25 To Cook

8 INGREDIENTS

EASY DIFFICULTY

4 SERVINGS

Recipe by Michelle Southan

Ingredients 

• 400g dried thin spaghetti pasta
• 2 tbs white vinegar
• 4 fresh eggs
• 4 bacon rashers, rind removed, cut into thin strips
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 250ml (1 cup) thickened cream
• 3 shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
• 2 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley

Method

Step 1

Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Drain. Return to the pan.

Step 2

Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Add vinegar. Crack 1 egg into a small bowl. Use a large spoon to stir water to make a whirlpool. Carefully pour the egg into the centreof the whirlpool. Cook for 4 minutes for a soft yolk or until cooked to your liking. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

Step 3

Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add cream. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the shallot and parsley.

Step 4

Add the cream mixture to the pasta and toss until well combined. Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Top with the poached eggs to serve.

Article Source: http://www.taste.com.au/

Mashed Banana French Toast

French toast is even better with the addition of mashed banana. For a full on brunch, garnish with fresh strawberries, icing sugar and maple syrup.

Ingredients

Serves: 4 

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 8 slices white bread
• 1/2 cup (125ml) skim milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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Directions

Preparation:5min  ›  Cook:10min  ›  Ready in:15min 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease a cast iron or other ovenproof frying pan with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat.
2. Spread mashed banana on top of 4 slices of bread. Place remaining four slices on top.
3. In a bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon. Dip bread in egg mixture for 45 seconds on each side then place in frying pan.
4. Cook bread for two minutes on each side and then bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until golden. If you don't have an ovenproof pan, bake on an ungreased baking tray. Serve immediately.

Tip:

French toast is best made with slightly stale bread. It's a great way to use up bread that might otherwise find its way to the bin!

SOURCE: allrecipes.com

Twice-cooked Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Icecream

Ingredients

350gm unsalted butter
350gm 64% chocolate
5 large eggs
1 vanilla pod, split in half and seeds scraped out
450gm caster sugar
200gm plain flour
1 teaspoon of salt
250gm pecans chopped or maccadamia nuts

To Serve

Vanilla ice cream
Icing sugar

Method

1. Combine the chocolate and the butter in a bowl large enough to sit suspended over the top of your saucepan without touching the water.
2. Bring the pot of water to the boil. When boiling turn it off and place the bowl over the top.
3. Combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a mixing machine and whisk until light and fluffy.
4. Combine the melted chocolate and whisked egg mixture; add the salt, flour and chopped nuts and combine.
5. Grease and line a tray with parchment paper and lightly grease the inside. Pour in the brownie mixture and spread evenly.
6. Place the tray into a pre-heated oven at 160 degrees and bake for 35 minutes.
7. When cooked the brownie should feel just firm.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
9. You can eat this straight away but for a great dessert I like to reheat in a bamboo steamer for 5 minutes so that it becomes soft and gooey served with vanilla ice cream and dusted with icing sugar.

SOURCE: Lifestylefood

Carrot cake with cinnamon frosting

Ingredients

• zest and juice 1 orange
• 50g sultanas
• 150ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
• 2 eggs
• 140g soft light brown sugar
• 85g wholemeal self-raising flour
• 85g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp each ground cinnamon and ground mixed spice
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 140g carrots, coarsely grated
• 50g walnuts, chopped, plus a few halves to decorate

For the icing

• 200g soft cheese
• 50g butter, softened
• 85g icing sugar, sifted
• pinch ground cinnamon

• Method

  1. If you have time to do it the night before, put the orange zest and juice in a bowl with the sultanas. If you don’t have time, on the day simply stir the zest, juice and sultanas together and microwave on Medium for 1-2 mins.
  2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease and line the base and sides of a 2lb loaf tin. Whisk together the oil and eggs. Mix together the sugar, flours, mixed spice, cinnamon and bicarb in your largest mixing bowl. Add the sultanas with any juice and zest left in the bowl, grated carrot, walnuts and whisked egg mixture into the dry ingredients, then thoroughly mix with a wooden spoon. Tip into the loaf tin and bake on the middle shelf for 1 hr, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin.
  3. Once cool, remove from the tin and make the icing. With an electric whisk, beat together the soft cheese, butter, icing sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Spread over the top of the cake and decorate with walnut halves.
  Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2010

  Article from: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com

Banana Cake

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Walnut halves, for decorating (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the bananas, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely.

Spread the frosting thickly on the top of the cake and decorate with walnut halves, if using.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (1/2 pound)
Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until just combined. Don't whip! Add the sugar and mix until smooth. Yield: frosting for one 9-inch cake.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com

Maple-Bourbon Banana Pudding Cake

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup(s) superfine sugar
• 1 overripe banana, mashed
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup(s) whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
• 1 pinch(s) salt
• 3/4 cup(s) pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup(s) light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon(s) bourbon
• 1/4 cup(s) finely chopped pecans
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

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Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a deep, 2-quart baking or soufflé dish, melt the butter in the microwave. Whisk in the superfine sugar and banana, mashing until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the egg and milk.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk into the baking dish until combined (the batter will be pretty loose).
3. In a microwave-safe cup, heat the maple syrup, light brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of hot water at high power until hot, 1 minute. Add the bourbon. Drizzle the syrup mixture over the batter; it will seep to the bottom. Do not stir. Scatter the pecans on top.
4. Set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, until the cake is golden. Let cool for 5 minutes, then scoop into bowls, and serve with ice cream.

By Grace Parisi

Source: http://www.delish.com/

Polka-dot strawberry cake

Ingredients

By Mary Cadogan

• 1kg strawberries, hulled, except for 8 berries
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• juice ½ lemon
• butter, for greasing

For the polka dots

• 1 large egg
• 25g golden caster sugar
• 25g plain flour
• few drops pink food colouring
• few drops red food colouring

For the cakes

• 8 large eggs
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 200g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 50g butter, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling

• 500g mascarpone
• 5 tbsp icing sugar
• 300ml double cream

To finish

• 3 tbsp apricot jam
• icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Slice 300g of the strawberries. Put in a pan with the icing sugar and lemon juice. Gently heat until the juices start to run, then cook, uncovered, for 2 mins. Tip into a food processor or mini blender and whizz to a purée, then press through a sieve to remove the seeds.
2. Grease and line the base and sides of a 23 x 33cm Swiss roll tin. Grease and line the base of a deep 20-21cm round cake tin. (You will also need a deep 23cm round cake tin for later.) To make the polka dots, whisk the egg and sugar using a hand-held electric whisk until thick, pale and the mixture leaves a trail when the whisk blade is lifted. Sift in the flour and fold in using a spatula until well mixed, then fold in 1 tbsp of the strawberry purée and a few drops each of the pink and red food colouring.
3. Spoon small dots of the mixture randomly over the base of the Swiss roll tin, leaving a little space between each dot. Place in the freezer for 20 mins until the pink dots are firm to the touch.
4. To make the cakes, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. If you have a tabletop mixer, you can make the whole quantity in 1 batch. If using a handheld electric whisk, it will be easier to make the cakes in 2 batches of 4 eggs each. Whisk the eggs and sugar until the mixture is light and pale, and the whisk blades leave a trail when they are lifted – this will take 5-8 mins. Sift in the flour and baking powder, drizzle in the butter and vanilla, and fold everything together using a spatula until all the flour is incorporated.
5. Pour half the mixture into the prepared cake tin and the other half over the Swiss roll tin, spreading it out evenly. Bake the rectangular cake for 15 mins and the round cake for 25 mins. Turn out each cake onto a tea towel, then remove the paper and invert onto a wire rack to cool.
6. To make the filling, beat together the mascarpone, icing sugar and remaining strawberry purée. Chop 200g of the remaining strawberries into small pieces. Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold into the mascarpone with the chopped strawberries.
7. Line the base and sides of the 23cm round cake tin with cling film. Trim the edges of the rectangular cake, then cut into 2 x 9cm-wide strips lengthwise. Fit around the sides of the tin, trimming to fit if necessary. The cake should butt together fairly tightly.
8. Cut the round cake into 3 layers (you could cut it into 2 layers if you find it easier, and divide the following filling accordingly). Place the bottom layer in the base of the cling film-lined tin. Reserve 3 rounded tbsp of the filling in a small bowl, then spoon half the remainder over the cake, smoothing it flat. Place a second cake layer on top and add the remaining filling, smoothing it flat. Top with the last cake layer. Cover the cake with cling film and chill for 24-48 hrs, along with the small bowl of reserved filling.
9. Carefully remove the cake from the tin and peel off the cling film. Slide the cake onto a serving plate. Slice the remaining hulled strawberries. Spread the reserved filling over the top of the cake and fill with sliced berries, adding in the 8 whole ones.
10. Warm the apricot jam with 2 tbsp water in a small pan, then press through a sieve. Brush liberally over all the strawberries. Dust the top edge of the cake with icing sugar. Chill until ready to serve.

Recipe from Good Food magazine

Source: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/