Cooking Class with George Birron, Sunnybrae Restaurant

As you may have noticed, I live for food. So you can imagine my joy when my husband gave me a cooking class for my birthday last year. Some women may take this the wrong way, but I know Aaron loves my cooking, and am sure his intention was for me to learn some new tricks to come home and tempt him with.
So, with the clock ticking down (quickly) on the arrival of our baby, I recruited my usual partner in crime for any cooking related caper, my mum - Jen, and off we headed to Sunnybrae Restaurant for the day.

I had not had the pleasure of going to Sunnybrae before, but I have heard it's superb reputation for fresh ingredients and long, lazy lunches. Situated about 45 minutes from Geelong, Sunnybrae is a lovely homestead just outside the quiet town of Birregurra. I couldn't help but be both jealous and inspired as we meandered up the driveway past the immense veggie patch and orchard.

We were greeted with a coffee and a smile from owner and head chef, George Birron, who would be our culinary guide for the day. As we chatted with the other attendants, we were 14 in all, we drank in the peaceful surroundings of the rural property, while awaiting George to return and discuss what we would be cooking for the day.
Based on seasonal produce, largely taken from their own property, the menu we would be cooking was as follows:

Farmhouse bread

Fresh garlic and sage cheese with radish and capers

Seared kingfish with taramasalata, cucumber and samphire

Lemon gnocchi with tomatoes and basil

Smoked paprika cured turkey

Tomatillo, eggplant and aptenia salsa

Apricot soufflé with nectarines and plums in a cardamon and honey liquer

And so the day unfolded as a combination of some observation and some participation, beginning with setting the bread to rise, making the cheese from scratch, curing the turkey before roasting it in the wood fired oven, and scouring the garden for some last minute ingredients. 

I was excited to experience some new ingredients (such as the samphire and aptenia - both edible varieties of the succulent, and tomatillo - an odd little morsel with a savoury flavour not too dissimilar to parmesan cheese), and new cooking techniques, like curing, cheese making and the soufflé.

 

  Clockwise from left: Tomatillos, bread making, collecting the ingredients for lunch, George and his never fail soufflé's, lunch begins

By about 1.30 all the talking and playing with food had made us restless and we sat down to lunch... which ended about 4pm.  

The food was beautiful. Great combinations of fresh ingredients cooked using a variety of techniques. 

The highlight for me, was the soufflé. George's fail safe recipe, that even allows for the oven door to be opened on occasion, was devine and paired beautifully with the stone fruits. 

I was also allowed a peek at the menu from the weekend before and it really looked incredible. I can't wait to bring Aaron back to share the Sunnybrae experience, though next time it will be to purely indulge in a leisurely lunch. 

This was a beautiful way to spend a day. Sunnybrae cooking classes run on Monday's. For more information see their blog http://sunnybraerestaurantandcookingschool.blogspot.com.au/ 

xx

Beer Can Chicken

I have been intrigued for some time about the phenomenon of 'beer can chicken'. I have not had a lot of experience with whole poultry and the idea that it can be cooked simply on the BBQ, with minimal fuss, was very appealing. I was chuffed to find this recipe in the February 2012 edition of 'delicious.' magazine, and it coincided perfectly with the in-laws coming for Sunday night dinner.

You need a barbecue with a hood for this one.

Ingredients:
1.8kg whole chicken
50gm butter, melted and cooled
1 tbs honey
1 tsp smoked paprika
3 garlic cloves
375m can Australian lager
1/2 lemon cut into wedges

• Preheat BBQ to medium-high.
• Rinse chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towel
• Combine butter, honey, paprika, and two thirds of the garlic in a bowl
• Pour a third of the beer from the can (reserve for drinking if you are so inclined) then push the lemon wedges and remaining garlic inside the can
• Place the beer can upright on the bench, then sit the chicken on top so that the can is inside the cavity. 
• Baste the chicken with the honey marinade and transfer to the barbecue. I stood it in a disposable foil tray so it would sit upright and not drip directly onto the BBQ.

• Close the lid and cook, basting occasionally, for one and half hours or until cooked through (juices  should run clear when thigh is pierced with a skewer). You may beed to rotate it around and adjust a bit too, depending on how and where it is browning the quickest.
• When cooked, remove from barbecue and allow to cool slightly before removing and discarding the can (it will be really hot)
• Rest the chicken under foil for 15 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.

While I initially a little disturbed at the prospect of spending my afternoon violating a chicken, this was a really easy and very tasty dinner. The  meat was really succulent and juicy, and was teamed perfectly with roast potatoes, a green salad and a mustard dressing.

For mustard dressing, combine:

1 tbs wholegrain mustard

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs honey

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbs sherry vinegar

1/3 cup whole egg mayonnaise

1/4 cup pure cream

Chicken and dressing recipe from delicious. magazine, February 2012

Zucchini - 7 ways in 7 days.

Our veggie patch has been bountiful this summer, although we seem to be getting bumper crops of one thing at a time. At present, it is zucchini (courgette). Not only are they coming in what feels like the hundreds, they are sizable specimens to say the least. It is not uncommon for this sight to greet me on my return home from work each day...

So, after we had already exhausted the old faithful 'zucchini slice' and 'zucchini and mushroom pasta sauce', and with the zucchini's taking over every usable surface in our fridge and kitchen, it was time to get creative. Here a few a ideas recipes I tried or created for dealing with the abundance.

Ribbon Zucchini Salad
This fresh summer salad can be made a few hours early, as the dressing softens the zucchini as it sits and waits for you.

3-4 medium zucchini (smallest and freshest you can find, and if you can get a few different varieties that adds to the aesthetics)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup shaved, good quality Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp Fresh herbs, finely chopped (whatever you have handy, I used chives and mint-basil)
Pine nuts/ pistachios to garnish

1. Thinly slice the zucchini, lengthwise, into ribbons (I use a vegetable peeler, but you could use a mandolin. I cut the zucchini in half and do shorter ribbons, as I like a little green on either side).
2. Whisk together oil, juice, zest and season with salt and pepper
3. Stir half the cheese, herbs, and dressing through the zucchini (use your hands is easiest).
4. Garnish with remaining cheese, herbs and lightly toasted nuts.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

This has actually been the dark horse of the week. This cake turned out so delicious that I've just made it for a second time in 5 days. It makes an immense amount of cake mix, so I have had some slight mishaps in sizing the tin correctly (thus resulting in a very small chocolate volcano in my oven on one occasion) but I now have it sorted... I think. Despite the little overflow, this is one of the yummiest chocolate cakes I have had.

Recipe courtesy of thehillcountrycook

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 ¾ cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup cocoa

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup soured milk (add 1 tsp vinegar to milk and let sit for 10 min)

2 cups peeled, grated zucchini

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 175°C
2. Cream butter, sugar and oil 
3. Stir in eggs and vanilla
4. In a separate bowl mix together dry ingredients
5. Alternate by adding the dry mix and the soured milk to the butter mix
6. Gently fold in zucchini
7. Pour into a greased and lined tin. What the hillcountrycook recommends equates to 23cm x 30cm, but having had two slight mishaps myself due to poorly misjudging my tins, I would say a 22cm spring-form tin would be a good way to go.
8. Sprinkle with choc chips
9. Bake for 35-40 min, or until a skewer comes out clean (do not be deceived by melted choc chips masquerading as uncooked batter!)

Zucchini and Haloumi Fritters

2 cups grated zucchini 

1 corn cob (kernels only)

2 tbs fresh herbs (I used mint-basil and oregano)

2 spring onions, finely sliced

90gm haloumi cheese diced small or grated

1 cup SR flour

1 egg beaten with 1/2 cup of milk

Salt and pepper

Butter and oil for frying

1. Combine zucchini, corn, cheese, herbs, onions and flour in a large bowl.
2. Add the egg and milk to form a batter.
3. Season well with salt and pepper. 
4. Leave stand for about 10 minutes.
5. Fry in batches in a large frying pan with a little butter and olive oil, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (2-3 min each side). 
6. We had them with avocado, bruschetta mix (fresh tomato, spring onion and basil) and a green salad.

Zucchini and Sun-dried Tomato Muffins

1 ¾ cups self raising flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 milk

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Tbsp each fresh chopped chives and oregano

1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Mix all dry ingredients (flour, cheese, zucchini, tomatoes, herbs) in a large bowl
3. Lightly beat eggs and milk in a jug and season with salt and pepper
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients
5. Pour into well greased 12 hole muffin tray.
6. Bake for 25 min

Yummy with butter, or cream cheese and chives.

Salmon and Potato Cakes

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

400gm tin of pink salmon

1-2 spring onions, finely sliced

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 med zucchini, grated

1 slice preserved lemon (rind only) very finely diced (discard flesh. 1 piece is usually about a quarter of a lemon, if you don't have these lemon zest would do)

2 eggs, beaten

Tartare Sauce

Mix together:

1/3 cup Mayonnaise

1 tbsp capers, finely diced

1 tbsp gherkins, finely diced

1 tbsp parsley

1. Boil the potatoes for 10-12 min/ unit tender, drain them and then mash slightly and set aside
2. Gently combine salmon, zucchini, onions, parsley and lemon in a large bowl.
3. Stir through potato and season well with salt and pepper
4. Stir through eggs.
5. Form mixture into palm sized patties (will make about 10) and refrigerate for 30 min.
6. Fry in batches in butter or oil until cooked through. (The first batch I cooked fell apart a bit, so I cooked the rest between two sheets of baking paper in the George Foreman Grill, then fried them off briefly prior to serving to brown them up and this was much more successful).
7. tartare sauce.

So there you have it, a week of zucchini. If anyone is still reading at this point, thank you, and I have spared you the recipe for zucchini slice and the pasta as they are quite unexciting.

I also had the great pleasure of attending a preserving workshop last week with some amazing women from the Surf Coast area, where I reside. I was witness to, but not directly involved in, the making of a delicious zucchini pickle, but I will save that for another time. 

You can check out the GreenMums3228 blog for more details about this group of gals and their endeavours to make our corner of the world a brighter place. 

xx

Prawn and wasabi nibbles

This holiday season I was in charge of a 'prawn nibble'. These little treats would be ideally suited to using pre-cooked cocktail prawns, however I pan fried green prawns in a little garlic and olive oil and served them warm so I could indulge in them as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Seaweed or Black Sesame flavoured rice crackers 
• Cocktail prawns/ Green prawn meat (depending how many you want to make get between 250-500gms) - your need as many prawns as crackers
• Half a ripe advocado
• 125gm Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1 - 2 teaspoons wasabi paste
• Good squeeze of lemon juice
• Few tablespoons good quality mayonaise

The wasabi dip is best made at least an hour before hand so it can sit in the fridge for a bit for the flavours to develop.

For the dip: Mash the advocado with a fork, and combine with the cream cheese, wasabi, lemon juice and mayonaise. The dip may need more or less wasabi, lemon and mayo, so make it up to your personal taste. 

If cooking the prawns yourself, fry them in a hot pan (they'll only need a minute or so each side) with a dash of olive oil and a clove of diced garlic and set aside to cool slightly, otherwise they'll melt your wasabi mix a bit.  

To serve:

Spoon, or pipe if you are a fancy type, a teaspoon sized dollop of wasabi mix onto each cracker and top with a prawn.

A very easy and flavoursome summer starter.

xx

Foodie Christmas Gift Idea - Cookies in a Jar

This year has been all about making gifts for our loved ones. These 'cookies in a jar' were a great solution for my baking inclined foodie friends, and looked beautiful all done up in their jars.

For full instructions and the yummy recipe see http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/22549/abbys+cookies+in+a+jar 

xx

Gingerbread

Gingerbread

125gm unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup golden syrup

1 egg yolk

2 and 1/2 cups plain flour

1tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

• Preheat oven to 180°.
• Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until thick.
• Beat in syrup and yolk, then use a spoon to fold in flour, ginger, spice and soda until a smooth dough forms.
• Form dough into a disc, cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Bring dough back to room temperature, then divide into 2 pieces. Roll dough out between two sheets of baking paper to about 5mm thick. 
• Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, then space out on baking tray (you may need to do a few batches).
• Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden.
• Cool on wire racks.

Decorate with a stiff icing (eg. 1 cup icing sugar to 2 tbsp warm water) and piping bag or, if are lazy like me, get some icing pens from the supermarket and use these as an easy, mess free alternative.

xx

Strawberry and Rhubarb Jam

We are blessed to have so many amazing friends in our life, and at Christmas it is nice to be able to show those people how much they mean to us. Unfortunately, with starting a new business and a new baby on the way, we need to find some resourceful ways of making gifts.
This is the third Christmas I've made this jam, and I love how beautiful and festive it looks in the jars. I collect the jars during the year, so come Christmas I have enough to do a few batches.
This recipe is delicious, as the lemon juice and the rhubarb cut the sweetness a little. I particularly love it on a croissant Christmas morning.

Christmas Strawberry and Rhubarb Jam

1kg white sugar

1kg strawberries, hulled, quartered

2 cups (250gm) coarsely chopped rhubarb

1/3 cup lemon juice

50g packet jamsetta

1. Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan forced). Spread sugar in a shallow baking dish, warm in the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. This will help the sugar dissolve quickly, giving a clear conserve/ jam.
2. Meanwhile, combine strawberries, rhubarb and lemon juice in a large saucepan (fruit and sugar mixture should not be more than 5cm deep). 
3. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 5-10 minutes or until the fruit is soft, stirring occasionally. 
4. Add jamsetta and sugar, stirring until dissolved.
5. Bring conserve to the boil; boil vigorously, uncovered for 5-10 minutes or until mixture jells, stirring occasionally. When mixture falls heavily from the spoon test if it is ready by placing a spoonful on a clean plate in the freezer for 1 minute; if it wrinkles when pushed with a finger, it is ready.
6. Skim any scum from the surface.
7. Pour conserve into hot sterilised jars; seal while hot.
8. Decorate lids with fabric and ribbon if giving as gifts.

This amount generally makes about 5 jars of jam.

(Australian Women's Weekly, 'Christmas & Holiday Entertaining', 2007)

For sterilising the jars, I wash them in warm soapy water then dry in the oven for 15 minutes at about 110°. Metals lids are fine to go in the oven too.

For more information on sterilising jars see: www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/572/how+to+sterilise+jars+and+bottles 

Happy holidays xx