cook | vine leaves/grapes

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Grape, cinnamon & almond crostata

50g butter, at room temperature
¾ cup caster sugar
¼ cup ground almonds
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup flaked almonds
250g grapes, picked, washed
apricot jam, for glazing
thick cream, to serve
Pastry
1½ cups flour
125g butter, cut into cubes

1. To make Pastry, put the flour and butter into a food processor. Pulse, until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. With motor running, add ¼ cup iced water and process until dough comes together to form a ball. Place on a lightly floured board and, using hands, bring dough together. Flatten to form a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 50 mins.
2. Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan. Line a large baking tray or pizza tray with baking paper. Roll pastry between two sheets of baking paper to a 30cm round. Place on prepared tray. Combine butter, ½ cup of sugar, ground almonds and cinnamon and sprinkle over pastry, leaving a 5 cm border. Top with flaked almonds.
3. Arrange grapes over almonds and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Fold pastry edges over grapes, pinching edges as you go. Bake for 30 mins, remove from oven and brush grapes and pastry edges with a little warmed jam. Bake for another 5-10 mins, until pastry is golden. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of cream.

Serves 10

Tip…
Due to the high fat content of this pastry it will roll and handle much better if well chilled.

Try This…
Chicken with grapes & tarragon.
Mix together 50g softened butter and 2 tbsp chopped tarragon. Push under the skin of 4 chicken breast fillets. Season chicken well. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan on high. Cook chicken, skin side down for 2-3 mins, until skin is golden. Turn and cook for 1 min. Transfer pan to a moderate oven and cook for 8-10 mins, until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and rest for 5 mins. Reheat pan juices on medium, add 100g picked and peeled grapes and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Cook, swirling pan, for 1-2 mins, until grapes soften slightly. Serve chicken topped with grapes and pan juices.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | nectarines

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Nectarine & almond crumble slice

150g butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup icing sugar
1¾ cup plain flour, sifted
½ cup ground almonds
300g nectarines, halved, stones removed, cut into thin wedges
10 butternut biscuits, crumbled
Thick cream, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan. Grease and line base and sides of 20cm square pan, overhanging sides with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and icing sugar together until creamy. Add flour and almonds and stir until mixture forms a crumble.
3. Reserve 1 cup of crumble. Press remaining over base of prepared pan. Top with nectarine wedges. Add biscuits to reserved crumble and gently mix to combine. Scatter crumble over nectarine and bake for 35 mins, until golden. Cool in pan.
4. Cut into squares and serve with thick cream.

Tip…
use peaches in place of nectarines or a mixture of both.

Try This…
Maple glazed nectarines
Quarter 6 nectarines and remove stones. Melt 20g butter in a large frying pan on medium. Add nectarine wedges and cook for 3-5 mins, turning, until softened slightly. Add 2 tbsp maple syrup and simmer, swirling pan occasionally, for 1-2 mins, until golden and well coated. Serve nectarines drizzled with syrup and topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | tamarillo

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Tamarillo & mascarpone tart

2 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
1 tbsp demerara sugar
6 poached tamarillos (see recipe above)
½ cup mascarpone
½ cup thick cream
1 tbsp icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Cut 8 x 9cm rounds from pastry. Place on prepared trays and sprinkle over demerara sugar. Bake for 15 mins, until golden. Cool on trays.
3. Remove tamarillos from syrup, cut into quarters, lengthways and set aside. Simmer syrup for 5 mins, until thick. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
4. Mix together mascarpone, thick cream and icing sugar. Place one pastry disc onto each serving plate. Top with a dollop of mascarpone mixture and a couple of tamarillo pieces. Repeat layers finishing with tamarillo. Drizzle over syrup. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Tip
Take care when cutting and handling tamarillo’s as the juice will stain fabric.

Try This…
Deep fried brie with tamarillo cutney
Cut 150g wheel of brie into 4 wedges. Dip each into wedges in a little beaten egg then roll in panko breadcrumbs to coat. Repeat this process 3 times. Refrigerate for 1 hr. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan or deep fryer until a cube of bread sizzles on contact. Deep fry brie for 1-2 mins, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel. Serve with tamarillo chutney. (See recipe)

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | watermelon

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Watermelon bombe Alaska

23 sponge finger biscuits
1.5 litres vanilla ice cream, softened
1 cup watermelon puree, strained
Meringue
3 egg whites
¾ cup caster sugar

1. Line a 11cm x 23cm loaf pan with baking paper, allowing long edges to overhang pan. Lay half of sponge biscuits over base of prepared pan, breaking biscuits to fit if needed.
2. Mix together ice cream and watermelon puree. Pour half over sponge biscuits. Lay remaining biscuits over ice cream. Finish with remaining watermelon ice cream. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until firm peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1tbsp at a time, beating constantly, until thick and glossy.
4. Remove ice cream from pan and place on a platter. Working quickly, use a spatula to spread meringue over top and sides of loaf. Using a blow torch, brown meringue lightly. Alternatively, place under a preheated grill for 1 min, until meringue is golden.

Serves 10

Tip
Add a couple of drops of red food colouring to watermelon ice cream if you prefer a richer colour.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | banana

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Never-fail banana bread

2 cups plain flour, sifted
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
¾ cup milk
2 eggs
2 large very ripe bananas, mashed
1 apple, peeled, grated
1 tsp pumpkin seeds (pepetas)

1. Preheat oven to 190C or 170C fan. Grease and line 14cm x 24cm loaf pan.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Stir in sugar and walnuts. Whisk together milk and eggs. Add to dry ingredients with banana and apple and mix until just combined.
3. Fill prepared pan and scatter over sunflower seeds. Bake for 45-50 mins, until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 mins before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve with butter.

Serves 12

Tip
Banana bread can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks after baking. Cut into slices and lightly toast when ready to serve.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | ginger

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Mushroom & ginger pot stickers

¼ cup vegetable oil
600g button mushrooms, very finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 long red chilli, finely chopped
3 green onions (shallots), chopped
½ cup chopped coriander, plus extra leaves, to serve
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
250g pkt fresh wonton wrappers
Dipping sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp finely shredded ginger
2 tsp white sugar
1 tsp sesame oil

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan on high. Cook mushrooms for 5 mins, until soft and dry. Add garlic, ginger and chilli. Cook for 1 min, until fragrant. Add onion, coriander, fish sauce and soy and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
2. Working with one wonton wrapper at a time, place 1 tsp of mushroom mixture into centre. Moisten edges of wrapper with a little water. Fold wrapper over and pleat edges together to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
3. Heat ½ of the remaining oil and ¼ cup of water in a large frying pan on medium. Add half of the wontons and cook, covered, for 5 mins. Remove lid and cook for another 2 mins, until water is evaporated and wontons are golden and crisp on base. Repeat process using remaining oil, another ¼ cup of water and cook remaining wontons.
4. To make dipping sauce, mix together all ingredients. Serve wontons with dipping sauce and garnish with extra coriander leaves.

Makes about 30

Tip
Assemble the wontons up to 4 hrs ahead of time. Place on a lined baking tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.

try this …Ginger poaching broth

Place 6 cups of water in a stock pot or large saucepan. Add ¼ cup fish sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, 6 green onions, cut into 5cm lengths, 2 tbsp chopped ginger and 2 peeled garlic cloves. Heat on medium and simmer for 10 mins.
Reduce heat to low and use to poach chicken, fish, prawns or vegetables.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS

cook | radish

By MANDY SINCLAIR

Radish & salmon salad

1 tbsp olive oil
4 salmon fillets
150g green beans, trimmed, blanched, sliced diagonally
150g baby rocket
4 radish, thinly sliced
1 bunch chives, cut into 4cm lengths
creamy dressing
¼ cup light sour cream
1 tbsp horseradish cream
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

11. Drizzle oil over salmon and season well. Heat a large frying pan on high. Cook salmon, skin side down, for 3-4 mins, until skin is crisp. Turn salmon and cook for another 2-3 mins, for rare or until cooked to your liking. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
2. Whisk together dressing ingredients. Place beans, rocket, radish and chives in a large bowl. Break salmon into pieces and add to salad with dressing. Gently toss to combine. Serve.

Serves 4

Tip
Use a mandolin to get paper thin slices when cutting radish.

try this…
Salmon confit with daikon salad
Preheat oven to 80C or 60C fan. Place 2 cups grapeseed oil, 2 chopped garlic cloves and ¼ cup basil leaves in a large baking dish. Add 6 salmon fillets. Cover with plastic wrap and bake for 40 mins. Remove from oven and set aside until at room temperature. Meanwhile, shave 1 bulb fennel and 1 small peeled daikon. Toss together with 1 cup coriander leaves, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and juice of 1 lemon. Remove salmon from oil and transfer to a serving plate. Serve topped with daikon salad and plenty of cracked black pepper.

Photography by SUE STUBBS | Blog designed by RED PEPPER GRAPHICS