Carrot Cake with Lime Marscapone Icing

Preparation 20 minutes, Cooking 60 minutes








280g butter, softened
1 and 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown soft sugar
5 large eggs, separated
juice and zest of 1 orange
1 and 1/4 cups SR flour, sifted
1 slightly heaped teaspoon baking powder
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup chopped walnuts, plus a handful for serving
1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch ground cloves
a pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 carrots, peeled and coarsley grated

Lime mascapone icing
250g cream cheese
125g mascarpone
1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
juice and zest of 2 limes
a handful of walnuts, chopped
a handful of chocolate coated brazil nuts, smashed or chopped

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a 23cm square cake pan (see grublover comment)
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the egg-yolks one by one.
Add the orange juice and zest.
Stir in the sifted flour and baking poweder, and add the almonds, walnuts, spices and carrot.
Whisk the egg-whites with a pinch of salt until stiff, then fold them into the cake mix.
Scoop mixture into the cake pan and bake for about 60 minutes until golden and risen.
Leave the cake to cool in the tray for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a rack and leave until cool.

Lime Icing
When the cake is completely cool, make the icing by mixing all the ingredients.
Spread over the top of the cake, then sprinkle with the walnuts and brazil nuts before serving.

Grublover comment
I don’t have a 23cm tin so I used a 20cm tin and had enough mixture leftover to make a small loaf cake as well - this is great if you need a cake for a party, and you can still leave some at home for a midnight snack!

Tips for making the Perfect Cake

Preheat: You must preheat your oven, and make sure it is completely heated when you put the cake in - otherwise it won’t cook properly.
Baking Paper: It is a good idea to line the tin with baking paper. Then spray some cooking spray around the tin. This will prevent your cake from sticking.

Choosing your Pan: It is really important to use the right sized pans for the cake. If you do not have the right pan you will need to adjust the cooking time. If you need a springform pan do not use a normal one because you will need a springform to get the cake out - this is often the case with cakes like cheesecakes.

Don't Overfill: Do not overfill the tin with cake mix - it will bubble over and not cook properly. If you have too much cake mix make some mini cupcakes.

Testing: To check if your cake is cooked, insert a skewer into the middle of the cake. It should come out clean. If your cake looks like it needs more cooking, but it’s getting too dark on the top, cover it with foil so the rest of it cooks without the top burning.

Overspill: Before you put the cake in the oven, put it on a tray covered in baking paper. That way if the cake mix bubbles over it won’t ruin your oven.

Piemaker!!!!!!!

The Sunbeam piemaker is my latest investment and worth every penny.
For just $40 it makes the simple art of making a pie even simpler.
You can just make your mixture, put it in the piemaker and you will have a pie in 5-8 minutes. It saves time in heating the oven, blind baking etc etc, especially important if you have a temperamental oven like me.
The pies are perfect every time - I like to cook them for a little longer so the pastry is really crunchy and golden brown.
You can also use the piemaker for leftovers - think spaghetti bolognese pies, curry pies, custard and apple pies…use your imagination - the possibilities are endless!
See my recipe for chicken and leek pies - I made these on the weekend and they were a big hit.

Chicken and leek pies

Makes 4 large pies, 8-10 small piemaker pies








6 chicken thighs (or 3 breasts) chopped into cubes
1 rasher bacon, thinly sliced (optional)
1 leek, cut in half longways, and then thinly sliced
450g mushrooms (100g shitake, 200g button, 150g swiss brown), sliced
1/3 cup plain flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sheets puff pastry
butter

Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Grease 4 x ovne proof ramekins.
Melt 1 Tb butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
Cook chicken and bacon for 5-10 minutes or until cook through.
Add leek and mushrooms to frying pan and cook, stirring often for 4 minutes.
Add flour slowly and cook for about 2 minutes (you must cook it for 2 minutes so the flour taste goes away), keep stirring.
Add wine and cook for 1 minute, keep stirring.
Add milk and cook until thick (around 2 minutes), still keep stirring.

Spoon the chicken mixture into the ramekins. Cut pastry discs 2cm larger than the ramekin from each pastry sheet.
Brush the rim of the ramekin with water and top with pastry disc. Press to secure. Brush pastry with egg wash.
Cook for 25-30 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Grublover comment
You can also add some fresh thyme or marjoram for extra flavour.
It always creates a richer flavour if you use a variety of mushrooms, but my local supermarket only had button mushrooms, and it was still just as good.
I bought a Sunbeam piemaker and it is fantastic for this - you can just put the mixture straight into the piemaker and your pie will be ready in 2 minutes. It is also great for using up leftovers.

Spaghetti alla Norma

Serves 4

2 large firm aubergines
extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a large bunch of fresh basil, stalks finely chopped, leaves reserved
1 teaspoon good herb or white wine vinegar
2 x 400g tins of good-quality chopped plum tomatoes, or 565ml/1 pint passata
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g dried spaghetti
150g salted ricotta, pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated

• optional: 1 dried red chilli, crumbled

First of all, get your nice firm aubergines and cut them into quarters lengthways. If they’ve got seedy fluffy centres, remove them and chuck them away. Then cut the aubergines across the length, into finger-sized pieces. Get a large non-stick pan nice and hot and add a little oil. Fry the aubergines in two batches, adding a little extra oil if you need to (but you don’t want to make it too greasy). Give the aubergines a toss so the oil coats every single piece and then sprinkle with some of the dried oregano – this will make them taste fantastic. Using a pair of tongs, turn the pieces of aubergine until golden on all sides. Don’t undercook them because this is where all the flavour comes from - they should be coloured all over. Once you’ve done the first batch, remove to a plate and do the same with the second batch.

When the aubergines are all cooked, add the first batch back to the pan – at this point I sometimes add a sneaky dried red chilli, but that’s my addiction coming through so feel free to ignore this! Turn the heat down to medium and add a little oil, the garlic and the basil stalks. Stir so everything gets evenly cooked, then add a swig of herb vinegar and the tins of tomatoes, which you can chop or whiz up so they’re not too chunky. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. Tear up half the basil leaves, add to the sauce and toss around.

Cook your spaghetti, Get your spaghetti into a pan of salted boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. When it’s al dente, drain it in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water, and put it back into the pan. Add the Norma sauce and a little of the reserved cooking water and toss together back on the heat. Taste the pasta and adjust the seasoning, then divide between your plates by twizzling the pasta into a ladle for each portion. Any sauce left in the pan can be spooned over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining basil leaves and crumble the ricotta over the top and drizzle with olive oil.

Grublover comment
At least one person ordered this everytime we dined in Sicily - it is their specialty or national dish and is absolutely delicious.
This recipe is another Jamie classic - you can see I am a big fan of his - his recipes are just always winners! This is from his book ‘Jamie’s Italy’.
For two of us I used 1.5 eggplants (I like extra because that is where all the flavour comes from), 1 jar of passata and 2 cloves garlic. I served it with Rigatoni which was delicious because it is such a robust pasta, perfect for this kind of chunky sauce.

Cooking Pasta

Cooking pasta sounds easy but it’s not easy to get it just right unless you know how. Follow these simple steps to perfect pasta.


Add the spaghetti to boiling salted water.
Do not add oil to the water - it is a myth that this stops it from sticking, and by adding oil you will make the pasta all slippery so the wonderful flavours of the sauce are not absorbed into the spaghetti or pasta.

The best way to avoid your pasta sticking is to cook it in a really big pot and stir it for at least the first minute, and then give it the occasional stir as it cooks.

Check on the pasta a couple of minutes before the required cooking time is up, and taste it to see if it is al dente.
Al dente means ‘to the tooth’ and so it should be a little firm to bite.

Fresh pasta (fettuccine, tagliatelle, lasagna) cooks quickly, 3-5 minutes.
Thin dry pasta (spaghettini, shells, rotini) cooks in 6-9 minutes.
Thick walled pasta (penne, ziti, spaghetti, tortiglioni, etc.) cooks in 12-15 minutes.

I like to use fresh pasta because it just tastes that much better, but dry pasta is still delicious.

Belissimo!

Spaghetti alla Vongole

Serves 4










200g Spaghetti (I like to use a linguine or a spaghetti - don’t use a larger one as they are delicate flavours)
500g vongole (clams) washed and cleaned
2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
3 large red chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 hot birds eye chilly (optional) crumbled
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Bottle of white wine 100 mls for the pot the rest for the chef
100 mls extra virgin olive oil

Bring a pot of water to the boil.
Place spaghetti in to cook (only as long as the directions 7 minute spaghetti is a good option)
In a hot pan add half the oil followed by the chilies and garlic cook till garlic is opaque (not brown) Add the clams and 100 mls of white wine. Once the clams are opened toss in parsley.
Drain the cooked spaghetti and add to the clams toss with the remaining oil add a pinch of salt and serve.
Serve with the remaining wine.

Grublover comment
This is a quick and delicious dish and just happens to be my all time favourite. So simple yet so scrumptuous, I cannot avoid ordering it if I see it on a menu.

Dan's favourite herb mix

3 parts parsley
3 parts coriander
1 part chives
Chop until very fine (or put in the mixmaster if you are doing a large quantity)

Grublover comment
This herb mix is fantastic for all purposes. I tossed it through my scrambled eggs this morning, and Danny sprinkled it on his tomatoes. It would be great chopped a little rougher and thrown on a curry right before serving.

Jamie’s Penne with tomatoes, basil, olives and pecorino

750g pomodorino tomatoes
olive oil
sea salt and freshly . ground black pepper
good-quality balsamic vinegar
500g penne
200g black olives, stoned and halved
a small bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked
a chunk of pecorino cheese, to serve

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.

Throw the tomatoes into a large roasting tin, drizzle them with olive oil, season with some salt and pepper and pop them in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Once they’re roasted, squash the tomatoes with a fork to get the juices going and drizzle over some balsamic vinegar.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the pack instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and add the roasted tomato sauce and the olives. Tear over most of the basil leaves and toss everything together. Season and serve with the reserved basil leaves scattered over and some freshly grated pecorino.

Grublover comment
This is another Jamie Oliver classic. All of his recipes are so simple and so delicious and rely on having the freshest ingredients. Again, this dish can be modified to suit your tastes and stock on hand - swap the pecorino for another strong cheese like Parmesan; add some capers.

Jamie’s Oven-baked Rigatoni with Wild Boar Salami

a good glug of extra virgin olive oil
½ a wild boar salami, sliced (or use Napoli salami)
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
400g tin chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons crème fraîche
a large bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
300g rigatoni
a ball of buffalo mozzarella, sliced

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, and fry half the salami until quite crisp. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly until the onion is soft. Add the balsamic vinegar, chopped tomatoes, crème fraîche and basil. Mix together, season to taste, and simmer for a few minutes.

Cook the rigatoni according to the packet instructions until ‘al dente’. Drain, and drizzle over a little olive oil and seasoning. Tip into a baking dish and pour over the sauce.

Lay the mozzarella over the top with the rest of the salami. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until golden. Delicious.

Grublover comment
This is a great dish for when you’ve got mates coming round as it’s easy to make and looks fantastic. The wild boar salami tastes great, and as well as cooking with it you can use it in sandwiches.

Jessica Mary Anderson's German Potato Salad

2 large potatoes (or 4 smaller ones)
Spring onion (optional)
White Vinegar
1-2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 rashers bacon - cut into strips
1 brown onion, sliced

Cut the potatoes into nice bite sized pieces and put in a pan of cold water. Put on the heat and cook until water is boiling. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, cook the onion and bacon in a pan until it is just browned.
Once it is browned add 1-2 Tablespoons of sugar and a good splash of vinegar.
This becomes the sauce so don’t cook it down too much, just for about 30 seconds to take the edge off the vinegar.
Chop the spring onion and toss through at the end.
Delicious as a side with some nice red meat.

Grublover comment
This salad is so easy and delicious. I love it with a barbeque. Always a winner.

Chicken and pumpkin stir fry

Serves 4

2 Tb peanut oil
2 onions, sliced
2 small red chillies, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
4 chicken breast fillets, sliced
600g pumpkin, peeled and thinly sliced
3 Tb fish sauce
1/4 cup small basil leaves

Heat the oil in a preheated fry pan or wok over medium to high heat.
Add the onions, chillies and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes or until browned.
Add the pumpkin and fish sauce, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is just soft.
Stir through the basil and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Grublover comment
This is taken from Donna Hay’s ‘Off the Shelf’. It is a great book full of recipes like these where you are likely to have the ingredients on hand.
We added about 1-2 cups of frozen peas right at the end and it was a great addition (but maybe cut the amount of pumpkin if you’re going to do this).

Cheesy Twists

This is a great recipe if you have leftover puff pastry and a lot of drunk friends at your house.

Time: 5 minutes
Cost: $2
Ingredients:
- Puff pastry
- Cheese: I like to use some grated parmesan and cheddar, but you can vary this. It is good to use strong cheeses.

Method:
1. Lay some baking paper on a tray
2. Heat oven to 200 degrees
3. Cut thawed pastry into thin strips, about as thick as one of your fingers
4. Twist each strip lengthways so it is like a spring
5. Sprinkle grated cheese over all of the spring
6. Put in the oven until all the cheese is melted and the spring of pastry is delicious and golden and crunchy
7. Don’t burn the roof of your mouth, try to share.

Ruocco’s Pizzeria and Restaurant

213 South Tce South Fremantle 6162
(08) 9335 6939

Have you ever left a restaurant and found yourself licking your fingers in the car ride home because the food was so good?

That is what I caught myself doing after dining at Ruocco’s Pizzeria and Restaurant.
The night started out with the typical Tuesday night dilemma. Tired, hungry, cold, and desperate for something warm and delicious to fill the void. Limited time to choose a restaurant before the man gets impatient and decides to throw it in.
Not willing to settle on an average bowl of pasta which I could cook better myself for a ridiculous $32 in the Claremont area, we headed south to the hidden gem of South Terrace, Fremantle. South Terrace is pocketed with casual, warm restaurants, full of people from all walks of life.

Ruocco’s epitomises the traditional family Italian restaurant. Kinda kitsch, walking in you are flooded with the warmth and smell of pizza cranking in the woodfired over; look around and see Frescos of the Amalfii coast, and homemade tiramisu and sticky pudding in the dessert cabinet.

The menu is simple which is what I love in an Italian restaurant. All the classics: pizza, pasta, carne. And the prices are very reasonable: average around $15 for a pasta or pizza, $19 for steak.

The food was sensational: unassuming, uncomplicated and simply delicious.
Had to wait for a while to order –service was slow, but Danny and I chatted and took in the warm, relaxed atmosphere while enjoying a glass of the Outboack Chase Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra in south Australia. Not bad for only $4.50 a glass

We started with some garlic bread ($3.50 for 4 slices).
Sometimes we get the bruschetta which is great - lots of galic, roughly chopped tomato, parsley. Drizzled with olive oil. Yum.
The mains arrived and were more than generous. I had a large chilli mussels ($13 small, $19 large), and Danny had the penne picante ($14). An entrée would have been ample for both.

The mussels were exactly what I was craving – tasty, traditional tomato sugo, freshened with some finely chopped parsley. Not trying to complicate things by adding too many ingredients. Just enjoying the taste of the local Fremantle mussels and the fresh tomato. The mussels were served with a crusty thin loaf don’t know what its called but it was warm and delicious.

The penne picante was fresh but a little overpowering with the sausage. It was demolished very quickly though and Dan sat and watched me as I ate every last mussel, savouring every mouthful.

No room for dessert we paid only $44.50 for this most enjoyable evening.

Of course, Ruocco’s is famous for its pizzas and I have tried the calzone on another occasion and it certainly lives up to the expectations. Very large, beautiful dough, full of meat. Yum!

Food: 3.5 stars
Wine: 2.5 stars
Service: 2 stars
Ambience: 3 stars
Price: 5 stars
Overall: 3.5 stars

Unfortunately since this review I have revisisted Ruocco’s and the chilli mussels were a little watery - I like it when they are served in a thick, rich tomato sugo. I will visit again soon and let you know if the good mussels are back..

Maya Indian Restaurant

75 -77 Market St Fremantle 6160
(08) 9335 2796
http://www.mayarestaurant.com.au/









The Maya is hands down my favourite restaurant in Perth. I have been there many times, with many different groups of people, and everyone has enjoyed the food immensely. I don’t think I have seen a single plate with food left on it after a meal at the Maya.

The Maya is found right at the beginning of the cappucino street in Fremantle at the end of Market Street. It is beautifully decorated, with my favourite area downstairs in the booths, and a great function area upstairs which is fun if you are dining in a larger group.

We always start with a tasting plate - which has some lamb kafta and the most delicious deep fried eggplant in a dark, sesame sauce. Love it.
After that we always get about 2 curries between 3. We never miss the butter chicken - Matt Milner’s personal favourite, and an absolute winner. The sauce is rich and buttery, the chicken perfectly delicate and falling apart in your mouth. We always make sure we get extra naan (I like plain, but the boys love the garlic) to mop up all the delicious sauces at the end.

The best thing about Maya is that when they rate a dish as ‘hot’ they are not kidding. There is nothing worse than being all amped for a spicy indian meal and getting mild, medium at best. The _ at the Maya is hot and goes down nicely with some raita (a yoghurt dip mixed with cucumber and mint).

We have never had room to try the desserts at the Maya, but I am sure they will not disappoint. Please comment if you have tried them.

The prices are a little more at Maya, but I have never heard a complaint after the amazing dining experience. It usually costs us about $70-80 for two curries, an entree, rice and naan. Dishes start at around $16.

The Maya is so famous for its tandoori chicken that the Prince ordered and had the chicken flown over for the celebration of his birthday (hence the title).
It has won many awards, and a restaurant in Northbridge has even named itself after the Maya (Maya Masala), and as a consequence the Maya has a disclaimer in its menu that it has absolutely no association with the Northbridge rip-off.
A great night out, not to be missed, will definitely be back.

Duende

662 Newcastle St Leederville 6007
(08) 9228 0123
http://www.duendetapasbar.com.au/

Duende is owned by the same people who own Balthazar but it has a much more casual feel. The sleek modern fit out is an interior design award winner.
The dishes at Duende are quite small, and served in a tapas style way.
To start we each ordered one of the tapas to share. This way you get a tiny flavour filled morsel of each one.

We ordered:
- char-grilled calamari tentacles with balsamic ($9)
- sweetcorn and manchego frittas, red pepper jam ($9)
- merguez sausage, caramelised onion ($9)
- buffalo mozzarella, basil, tomato balsamic dressing ($15)
- fresh shucked oysters, jamon shallot dressing ($3.5 ea)

My favourite of these was the sausage - it was a lamb sausage flavoured with middle eastern spices served with a plum flavoured onion jam.
The caprese style dish had the softest, creamiest buffalo mozzarella which always tastes great with the sweetness of the balsamic and acidity of the tomato.

For racione (translates as ‘ration’) I ordered a slow roast lamb, romanesco sauce ($27). The sauce was a rich tomato, capsicum sauce. The lamb was very tender, just a little pink.
Daniel ordered the seared kingfish, with silverbeet and saffron potato ($26). The fish had a crispy skin and the mash was so soft and creamy.
Eve ordered the braised duck leg, with date lime chutney, and carrot salad ($25).

Winsome ordered the most amazing dish for her main. The petite washed rind fondue, puff pastry ($14). It was a piece of camembert which they cut the top off and put a small piece of a very strong italian cheese inside. This was then rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried.
It was served with the top taken off to reveal a sort of mini fondue. The cheese inside was all melted and delicious and it was served with breadcrumbs to dip.

Dessert was equally as fantastic. Again we shared some homemade icecream ($4), the most scrumptuous poached pears and quince served with mascarpone and honeycomb ($14). The quince was lovely with the pears, adding just the right tartness against the sweet of the pears. It was really nice having mascarpone instead of icecream, much richer.
We also had Duende’s signature dish which is churros (doughnut things) that you dip into melted dark pedro ximinez chocolate ($14). Absolute decadence.

All in all a fantastic night, and a lovely experience to share and savour these tasty treats together.
The only thing that let Duende down tonight for me was the wine. I had a Shiraz from the Heathcote region and it was very soft, almost like a merlot. I prefer a Shiraz with more body, like those from the Coonawarra region. But the white was very nice.
Service was excellent, Food top notch. Quite expensive:
Entree: $8-$17
Mains: $18-$27 (Menu)
Dessert: $3.5-$14
but definitely worth paying for..
This grublover will be back.

Easy Beef and Bacon Burgers

Time: 10 minutes prep, 5 minutes cooking
Makes: 4 burgers








400g beef mince
1/2 a brown onion very finely chopped
2 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup fresh soft bread crumbs
1 egg
fresh herbs - I used a handful of parsley and chives, but any herb will do. Oregano would be nice.
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
Combine mince, onion, bacon, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, egg, herbs, salt, and pepper.
Mix with hands until blended.
Shape into 4 burgers and coat lightly with the flour.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and fry those babies.
Fry, or grill the burgers for 7 to 10 minutes on each side, or until cooked to desired doneness. Serve in toasted buns.

Grublover comment
This recipe took me about 10 minutes to prepare, and all the ingredients are on-hand, or very cheap at the supermarket. I like to serve it with some mushrooms fried in some butter, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and some tomato sauce and mustard. YUM!

If you want to make them really really special, get some white castello cheese and take a small cube of it and squeeze it into the middle of the burger when you are making them. As it cooks the cheese melts and it is absolutely delicious! I didn’t have any white castello on hand so I just added some cheddar and it worked just as well.

Jamie's Best Lamb Cutlets

Serves 4







12 lamb cutlets
a small handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g mushrooms, brushed clean and torn
a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon
2 handfuls of pinenuts
2 large handfuls of fresh basil
3-5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Slap the cutlets with the heel of your hand to flatten them slightly. Then bash up your thyme in a pestle and mortar and add a little olive oil. Mix together, then rub the oil over the cutlets and season both sides of them. Put to one side.

Cook the mushrooms dry on the bars of your hot griddle pan. This is quite an unusual way to do it, but it gives you a nutty flavour that you wouldn’t get otherwise. Just grill them on both sides to mark them and put them into a large bowl.

Once the mushrooms are done you can put the lamb on the barbecue or griddle pan. If the cutlets are about 1.5cm/¾ inch thick, just give them 3 or 4 minutes on each side until they’re really golden. This should cook them medium. (To be honest, I’m really into rare lamb cutlets, so I cook for a little less time.)

When cooked, put the lamb cutlets into the bowl with the mushrooms and drizzle with a little olive oil. Tear over the parsley, in quite large pieces, and add a good squeeze of lemon juice. Season lightly and toss around. Place to one side to rest, to allow all the lovely juices to get sucked up by the mushrooms.

Meanwhile you can make a really quick sauce. It looks a bit like pesto, but although it contains basil and pine nuts it has no similarity in flavour. In a pestle and mortar pound up the pine nuts until you have a mushy pulp – this will give the sauce a creamy flavour and texture. Remove the mixture to a bowl, then use the pestle and mortar to bash the basil up into a pulp. Add this to the pine nuts and loosen with extra virgin olive oil so that the sauce easily drops off the end of a spoon. Now you need to balance it with quite a lot of balsamic vinegar to give it a good zing, almost like a mint sauce, but add it to taste. Give the lamb and mushrooms a final toss. I like to serve this up on a big platter and let everyone help themselves. Have the sauce and a simple watercress salad on the side.

Grublover comment
This dish is fantastic and you can literally have it ready in just over 5 minutes. Use either wild mushrooms that are in season, like girolles, trompettes de la mort and pieds de mouton, or more readily available farmed mushrooms like field, chestnut or oyster, as these are really tasty when cooked properly. These lamb cutlets are best cooked on a hot barbecue with wood or charcoal, to give you a wonderful smoky flavour. Otherwise use a preheated ridged griddle pan.

Balinese Ginger Chicken

Serves 4








1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces - or use thigh fillets if you would prefer
1/2 cup honey
2 Tb garlic, crushed
1/2 cup grated ginger
1 red chilli, chopped, or to taste
1 stalk lemon grass, very finely chopped
1/2 cup light soy sauce

If you are using a whole chicken, slash each of the pieces through to the bone in the thickest places two or three times. This will allow the marinade to penetrate better and also allow the chicken to cook more quickly.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a baking dish, into which they most neatly fit.
Combine the rest of the ingredients for the marinade and pour this over the chicken pieces.
Using your hands, work the marinade into the chicken. Roast the chicken in a 200 degree oven until richly browned because of the honey.
OR you can barbeque the chicken, but watch the heat because of the honey.
Tonight I cooked the chicken in a wok - I let it marinate and then using tongs added the chicken to a hot wok. I boiled the marinade and drained it to serve as a sauce with the rice. Make sure you boil the marinade if you are using it to get rid of any bugs from the raw chicken.

Grublover comment
This dish is a simple, very typical Balinese family meal. Adjust the chilli level to your personal taste. With the ginger, use the paler, thin-skinned ginger because this is a sweeter, less hot flavour. I like to serve this with a green asian style salad and rice.

Mini Quiches

Makes 144

3 packets of shortcrust pastry
1 dozen eggs
600 mL whipping cream
1 bunch spring onion, finely sliced
1 packet of ham, finely sliced
Grated cheese

Whisk together eggs, cream, salt and pepper.
Cut pastry into circles and place in well-greased muffin tins.
Sprinkle ham, cheese and spring onions into pastry.
Fill with egg mixture.
Cook at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

Grublover comment
These are great because they are quick, easy and impressive. They are nice served hot or cold so you can make them on the day of a party and not worry about serving them hot.
Mix it up - other fillings include:
- smoked salmon and dill
- sun-dried tomatoes and basil

Osso Bucco Milanese

Serves 4

1 kg shin of veal sawn into pieces 2 inch thick (you can get osso bucco pieces from most good butchers)
125ml white wine
125ml stock
500g fresh tomatoes
parsley
1 lemon
1 clove garlic
butter

Brown veal in butter. Arrange in bottom of a pan tightly packed so marrow
wont fall out. Pour in white wine, cook for 10 minutes, then add tomatoes.
Let them reduce then add stock. Season, cook for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Prepare 1 handful of chopped parsley, 1 clove of garlic, and grated peel of lemon, sprinkle thickly over the veal just before serving.

Grublover comment
I just love osso bucco - it's one of those warm comforting foods that is good to eat when you need a big hug.
This dish is fabulous served with some risotto milanese, or risoni (pasta that looks like rice), or some mash. Yum!

Jamie’s Tender and Crisp Chicken Legs with Sweet Tomatoes

Serves 4

4 chicken legs, jointed (I like to use marylands because then you get the fleshy bit and the leg. don’t use breast - it’s not strong enough)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
a big bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
2 big handfuls of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved; and ripe plum tomatoes, quartered (2 punnets if just cherrys)
1 whole bulb of garlic, broken into cloves
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
olive oil
1 x 410g tin of cannelini beans, drained

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (350 F).

Season your chicken pieces all over and put them into a snug-fitting pan in one layer. Throw in all the basil leaves and stalks, and chuck in your tomatoes, and drained beans.

Scatter the garlic cloves into the pan with the chopped chilli and drizzle over some olive oil.

Mix around a bit, pushing the ingredients underneath and the skin facing upwards.
Place in the oven for 1.5 hours, turning the tomatoes halfway through, until the chicken skin is crisp and the meat falls off the bone.
Squeeze the garlic out of the skins before serving.

Grulover comment
This is a fantastic recipe, taken from Jamie Oliver’s book, Jamie’s Dinners. It is so easy and great to make if you have guests because it is always a winner. It literally takes minutes to put together, but requires slow, gentle cooking.
If you prefer you can make it into a pasta dish - simply remove the meat from the bone and then toss it through a bowl of spaghetti.

Jamie’s Sausage and Super Mash with Onion Gravy

Serves 4

2 long, curled Cumberland sausages
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a bunch of fresh sage, leaves picked
olive oil
bunch of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
2kg potatoes, peeled
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
300ml milk
115g (4 oz) butter
4 Tb freshly grated horseradish (or jarred)
4 medium red onions, peeled and finely sliced
5 Tb balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 beef or chicken stock cubes

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees (400 F).
If you’re using traditional round cumberland sausage, tuck the garlic and most of the sage leaves between the layers of sausage. If you’re using normal sausages, untwist the links and squeeze the meat through, rolling them into a tight circle and pushing in the garlic and sage as you go.

Secure the sausages with a couple of skewers or some sharp rosemary stalks.
Place them on an oiled baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with rosemary leaves.

Cook in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until crisp and golden.
Five minutes before the sausages are read, remove the baking tray from the oven, place the rest of the sage next to the sausages, drizzle with olive oil, then return the tray to the oven. The leaves will go lovely and crispy.

While the sausages are cooking, chop your potatoes into rough chunks and boil them in the salted water until cooked. Drain well, then return to the pan. Mash until smooth, adding the milk, 70g of butter, and the horseradish (use more if needed). Season well to taste, then put the lid on the pan and keep warm at the back of the stove.

Making the onion gravy is simple. Fry the onions, really slowly, in a little oil, covered, for about 15 minutes or until soft. Remove the lid, turn the heat up, and as soon as the onions become golden brown pour in the vinegar and boil until it almost disappears. Turn the heat down again, add the rest of the butter, crumble in the stock cubes and 565ml of water and stir well. Let this simmer until you have a nice gravy consistency.

To serve, dollop some oozy potatoes on the plate, chop up the sausages (discarding the skewers), put them alongside the mash and spoon over the onion gravy. Scatter with the crispy sage leaves. Proper comfort food!

Grulover comment
We made this dish for my dad on father’s day and he loved it! Big hit with the boys.

Jamie’s Chicken and Sweet Leek Pie with Flaky Pastry

Serves 4

olive oil
2 knobs of butter
1kg boned and skinned chicken legs, cut into pieces (I like to use thighs because it’s easier)
2 medium leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced into 1cm (1/2 inch) pieces
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 sticks of celery, finely sliced
a small handful of thyme, leaves picked
2 Tb flour
1 wineglass of white wine
285ml milk
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
255g good pork sausages
1 x 500g pack of puff pastry
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 220 (425 F).
Take a large casserole pot and add a lug of olive oil and your butter. Add the chicken, leeks, carrots, celery and thyme and cook slowly on the hob for 15 minutes.
Turn the heat right up, add the flour, and keep stirring for a couple of minutes before adding the wine, wineglass of water, and the milk.

Season with a little s+p and then cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer very slowly for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Stir it every so often so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pot. The sauce should be loose but quite thick. If it’s a little too liquid, just continue to simmer it with the lid off until it thickens slightly (At this point you can let it cool and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days if you want to - it can also be eaten as a stew).

Pour the chicken mixture into an appropriately sized pie dish. Squeeze the meat out of the sausage skins, roll it into little balls, brown them in a little oil and sprinkle them over the stew.

Roll out your pastry to about 0.5cm thick. Egg-wash the rim of the dish and drape over the pastry, using a knife to trim the edge of the dish.

Egg-wash the top of the pastry to make it go golden while cooking, then pinch it to crimp it round the edges (there’s no need to do this, but I like to as it looks pretty). I use the back of a knife to lightly criss cross over the top - this allows the pastry to go crisp and flaky.

Cook the pie in the centre of the oven for about 30-40 minutes, until golden on top. Serve with sweetcorn and mash.

Pesto

Serves 4

1/2 a clove of garlic, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 good handfuls of fresh basil, stalks and all
a handful of pine nuts, lightly toasted
a good handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese
evoo
optional: small squeeze of lemon juice

Pulse the garlic, basil, and a pinch of salt in a food processor.
Add a bit more garlic if you like, but I usually stick to 1/2 a clove.
Add the pine nuts and pulse again.
Turn out into a bowl and add half the Parmesan. Stir gently and add olive oil - you need just enough to bind the sauce and get it to an oozy consistency.

Season to taste, then add most of the remaining cheese. Pour in some oil and taste again. Keep adding a bit more cheese or oil until you are happy with the taste and consistency. You may like to add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to give it a twang, but it’s not essential.

Grublover comment
Pesto is so useful. You can rub it on roast chicken, spread it on toast, add it to mussels, or fish, or just toss it through some freshly cooked pasta.