Baked Corned Beef

This recipe is GOLD.  Very, very tasty and absolutely delicious when served with the potatoes recommended.  (I didn't use kipfler ones though - they were unavailable at the time.)  I also served this with cooked cabbage which really set the meal off.  The meat was really, really tender and the sauce from the potatoes mixed extremely well with the meat.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Cooking at Home', page 162, published 2008*

Ingredients

1.5 kg piece corned beef

2 bay leaves

2 tbs black peppercorns

2 carrots, sliced

3 celery sticks, sliced

2 leeks, trimmed and sliced

1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley

1 whole bulb garlic, unpeeled, cut in half length ways and cloves separated

4 sprigs thyme

For the Mustard Kipflers

8 large kipfler potatoes, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

200ml pouring cream

4 tbs Dijon mustard

3 tbs seeded mustard

sea salt and freshly grounded black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Place the beef in a large ovenproof dish and cover with cold water.  Bring to the boil over high heat, then remove the beef and drain the liquid.  Return the beef to the dish, add the bay leaves, peppercorns, carrots, celery, leeks, parsley, garlic and thyme and cover with boiling water.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until tender.

Meanwhile, to make the mustard kipflers, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water for about 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain and place in a large bowl.  Add the onions, cream and mustards, then season.

Remove the beef from the dish ans discard the other flavourings.  Cut the beef into slices and serve with the mustard kipfler potatoes.

Serves 6

Polenta-encrusted Fried Chicken with Sweetcorn Mash, Fried Bananas and Green Tomato Relish

I have made this a couple of times and both times I have enjoyed it. Loads of flavours (the bananas are a nice addition) and really different too, however there is a lot of ingredients in it and it does take a bit to make...

*Taken from Jamie Oliver's 'Jamie's Kitchen', page 206, published 2002*

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast fillets
200g flour
1 tbs allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chilli powder
2 eggs
200g polenta
2-3 tbs butter
2 bananas
-for the mash-
8 medium potatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
255ml milk
4 cobs of corn
1 bunch of finely sliced spring onions
-for the relish-
100ml vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 shallots
400g green or red tomatoes, chopped
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 handfuls of fresh mint, chopped

Method
Carefully cut each fresh corn cob in half and strip the kernels off by sitting each cob on its end and slicing down the sides. To make the mash, boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked. Drain and return them to the hot pan with the milk, corn kernels and some salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, then turn off the heat. Thrown in the spring onions. Mash up with a masher, season and keep warm.

To make the relish, put the vinegar, sugar and sliced shallots in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook until reduced by half. Add the chopped tomatoes and warm through. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and add the olive oil. The herbs are added just before serving.

Take each chicken breast and make 2 slices into the meat lengthways so that the breast fans out into 3 'prongs'. Mix the flour with the spices and salt and pepper and spread it out on a plate. Now beat the egg in a bowl with a fork and pour the polenta on to another plate. Place the 2 plates and the bowl next to one another. Dip the chicken breasts in the flour first, shaking off any excess, then in the egg and finally in the polenta. This will give you a lovely polenta crust.

Heat a large frying pan and gently fry the chicken in 2 tablespoons of the butter for about 5 minutes on each side, turning it half-way through. When the chicken is cooked and golden brown, remove it from the pan and keep warm. Peel the bananas and cut it in half lengthways. Fry in a little more butter until tender and golden.

To serve, spoon a mound of mash on to each serving plate with a piece of banana on top. Place a piece of crispy chicken on top. Stir the parsley and mint into the relish and put a big dollop on top of the chicken.

Serves 4

Baked Potatoes filled with Salad

These were delicious and made very 'light' eating. Felt rather healthy too believe it or not. I added just a little grated cheese to the baked potato after cutting it and instead of prosciutto I used bacon. I didn't make the dressing due to a lack of red wine vinegar in my cupboard (I forgot I had run out!) so instead I made a dressing of balsamic vinegar, mixed with a little olive oil.

*Taken from the Murdoch Book 'Australian Family Favourites' and 'Tossed'*

Ingredients
4 large baking potatoes
4 prosciutto slices
310g tinned corn kernels, drained
2 celery stalks, sliced
100g baby English spinach leaves

-for dressing-
2 1/2 tbs tomato juice
1 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Thoroughly scrub the skins of the potatoes and prick them several times. Transfer to a roasting tin and bake, uncovered, for at least an hour, or until tender when pierced with a sharp knife.

Meanwhile, whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Season and set aside.

Put a frying pan over high heat. Add the prosciutto and dry-fry for a few minutes on both sides, or until crispy. Break the prosciutto into small pieces and set aside.

Sit the potatoes on a chopping board and make two deep incisions crossways over the top so they open out into quarters - be careful not to cut all the way through.

Put the corn, celery and spinach in a large bowl, pour over two-thirds of the dressing and toss well. Sit the potatoes on four serving plates and spoon a little dressing into each potato. Spoon the salad mixture into each potato, letting it spill over a little. Top with prosciutto and serve at once.

Serves 4

Warm Roasted Potato with Spicy Sausage

We have a bit of a 'thing' here for chorizo sausage and when I spied this recipe in my new cookbook I had to make it. It was very delicious and very easy so I will definitely be making it again in the not too distant future.

*Taken from the Murdoch Book 'Tossed'*

Ingredients

800 g small waxy potatoes, unpeeled

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

4 small chorizo sausages (about 500 g), cut into 1 cm slices

100 g rocket, leaves trimmed and roughly torn

100 g semi-sundried tomatoes

crusty bread, to serve

seeded mustard dressing

3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs seeded mustard

2 tbs white wine vinegar

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Scrub the potatoes and pat them dry. Put them in a roasting tin without any oil or seasoning and bake for 20 minutes, or until they start to soften. Remove from the oven and gently squash each potato using a potato masher, until the skins burst and they are slightly flattened. Lightly drizzle the oil over each potato, sprinkle with the sea salt and gently toss to coat. Roast for a further 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden.

Meanwhile, put a frying pan over high heat. Add the chorizo and dry-fry for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Transfer to a serving dish with the rocket and tomatoes.

Put all the seeded mustard dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well and season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the crispy potatoes to the salad, pour the dressing over and toss well. Serve hot or warm, with crusty bread.

Serves 4

Tuna Fritters with Whipped Fetta

These would have to be the tastiest tuna fritters I have ever tasted. Repeat. Ever tasted. They were delicious and if Lyndon liked them, well, that is really saying something. I think it is the combination of Tabasco sauce and lemon zest which really 'lift' them. Very simple to make with cheap ingredients. Try them.

Since I don't own a food processor, I used my Bamix with the 'mincer' attachment. I also find it better to place the uncooked fritters in the fridge to 'set' for at least 20 minutes before frying.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients

100 g fetta

100 g ricotta

50 ml pouring cream

185 g canned tuna in springwater, drained

2 tsp lemon zest

2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped

3 splashes Tabasco sauce

2 eggs

250 g potatoes, cooked and mashed

3 spring onions, sliced

3 cups (210 g) fresh breadcrumbs

1/2 cup (75 g) plain flour

olive oil, for frying

lemon wedges, to serve

watercress sprigs, to serve (optional)

Method

To make the whipped fetta, place fetta, ricotta and cream in a food processor with 3-4 tbs water and blend until smooth and light.

To make the fritters, place the tuna in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add lemon zest, parsley, Tabasco sauce and 1 egg and process. Add potatoes and process until combined. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in spring onions and 3 tbs of the breadcrumbs. Use your hands to shape mixture into small fritters about 6cm in diameter.

Beat remaining egg. Dip fritters in flour to coat. Dip into beaten egg, then in remaining breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry fritters for 2 minutes on each side or until cooked, then drain on kitchen paper. Serve with whipped fetta, lemon wedges and watercress if desired.

Double Potato and Halloumi Bake

This is a very simple dish to make and would be delicious served with anything. To be honest with you, I could of just eaten a whole plate piled high of this. It was very yummy. And besides, I have a thing for roasted garlic...

You can replace the halloumi cheese with feta if you wish and I also added a carrot to the dish.

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's 'Nigella Bites'*

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato

1 large Desiree potato

1 red onion

1 yellow pepper

1 red pepper

1/2 head of garlic

4 tbs olive oil

black pepper

125g halloumi cheese, sliced as thinly as you can

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6

Cut the sweet potato into rough 4cm cubes and the Desiree slightly smaller (2 1/2 cm) as the sweet potato will cook more quickly. Halve the red onion, then cut each into 4 to 6 segments, discarding any tough outer skin. De-seed the peppers and cut into 2 1/2 cm squares, and separate the cloves of garlic. Put everything into a large roasting tin and using your hands, give the vegetables a good coating of olive oil. Season with black pepper, but no salt as the cheese will make it salty. Cook for 45 minutes, by which time the vegetables should be cooked through and here and there tinged with brown. You'll need to turn the oven up to a maximum or light the grill for the endgame: so place the thinly sliced cheese on top of the bake, and put it back in the very hot oven or under the grill until the cheese has melted and turned slightly brown on top, about 5-10 minutes. Serve straight out of the roasting tin.

Serves 2-3

Sauteed Potato and Chorizo

This is a very simple potato side dish to make. It is soooo tasty (trust me) and I will surely be making it again soon.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients

1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil

200g hot chorizo sausage, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely sliced

4 golden shallots, halved and sliced

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp sweet paprika

2 fresh bay leaves (I used dried)

800g small desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm thick slices

salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup (125ml) white wine

1 cup (250ml) water

4 sprigs oregano

Method

Heat a little of the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add chorizo, garlic, shallots, cayenne, paprika and bay leaves and stir for 1 minute. Add potato slices and remaining oil and stir. Season to taste and add wine. Bring to the boil, then add water and oregano sprigs. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is almost evaporated and the potatoes are caramelised on the bottom of the pan. Adjust seasoning if necessary and serve.

Serves 4

Genovese Salad

You can probably see by this blog that I have this 'thing' for potato salad. I was never a big fan of potato salad when growing up, I'm not sure why. I guess I am on a quest to find the perfect potato salad. This one is yummy and pretty different from the 'usual'. It's a good cross between both Potato salad and Pesto Pasta salad - Lyndon thought it was delicious. I did find with this one, that I seemed to use a hell of a lot of dishes. Someone buy me a dishwasher and I'll stop complaining here. Hehe...

*Taken from Karen Maritin's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
6 small Desiree potatoes (I used Golden Delight)
50ml extra virgin olive oil
50ml red wine vinegar
200gm green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
200gm lasagnette pasta
100ml pesto
1 cup spinach leaves, shredded
30g pine nuts
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Cook potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Slice potatoes thickly and toss with 2tbs of the olive oil and the vinegar.

Cook beans in lightly salted boiling water for about 3 minutes or until just cooked. Drain. Cook peas in reserved cooking liquid for 1 minute. Drain. Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water until just past al dente. Drain, then transfer to a bowl and stir through the remaining oil and half of the pesto. Add shredded spinach to hot pasta and stir through until wilted. Add potatoes, beans and peas and remaining pesto and pine nuts and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4-6

Roast Chicken with Lemon, Thyme, Garlic & Smashed Potatoes

Sometimes I crave a good hearty roast. I like them because they are easy to do and I never really follow recipes to prepare a roast. I did last night though. It was different from our usual roasts but oh so yummy... And yes, it is another Karen Martini recipe - I sure am getting my monies worth out of her cookbook!!

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients

8 medium Desiree potatoes

1 x 1.3 to 1.6 kg free-range chicken

60g butter, chopped

8 sprigs thyme, crushed

salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

200ml extra virgin olive oil (I didn't use that much!)

1 lemon, halved

3 bulbs garlic, unpeeled and separated into cloves

1 brown onion, sliced into thick rings

1/2 cup (125 ml) water

green salad to serve

Method

Place unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan of lightly salted water over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then cook for 25 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Preheat oven to 240C. Gently separate skin from the chicken breasts. Slide knobs of butter and half the thyme under the skin. Rub chicken with salt and pepper. Pour half the oil over the chicken. Squeeze half a lemon over chicken then place squeezed lemon inside cavity. Use the back of a large knife to lightly crush about a quarter of the garlic, then place crushed garlic in cavity. Scatter onion rings over the base of a baking dish and place the chicken on top. Slice remaining lemon half. Scatter lemon and remaining garlic around the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining thyme over chicken and into cavity.

Gently press potatoes with a potato masher until skins burst and they are about 2 cm thick. Place around chicken in baking dish, drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Pour water into baking pan. Roast chicken for 1 hour or until the juices run clear when flesh is pierced with a skewer. Remove from oven and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Carve the chicken, drizzle with the pan juices and serve with roast potatoes and garlic and a dressed green salad.

Serves 4

Warm Potato, Dill, Caper and Mustard Salad

This is a quick and easy potato salad recipe, that I whipped up last night. Different from traditional potato salad but delicious all the same.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where the Heart Is'*

Ingredients
8 Desiree potatoes (4 peeled, 4 scrubbed) (I used Golden Delight)
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs seeded mustard
4 tbs white-wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced and zested
3 red shallots, peeled and sliced
3 tbs tiny capers
2 sprigs dill, chopped (I used dried)
2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (I used curly-leaf)

Method
Cut potatoes diagonally into 2 cm-thick slices. Place in a medium-sized saucepan of boiling water and cook over medium heat until tender. Drain well.

Mix oil, both mustards, vinegar, lemon juice and zest and shallots in a large bowl. Add hot potatoes and stir to coat. Add capers, dill and parsley and toss gently to combine.

Serve warm.

SERVES 8

Potato Salad with Crispy Bacon

I made this tonight and it was delicious and very, very tasty. I did not add any chives (for lack of them), nor did I have any flat parsley! (Next time, next time!!), but instead added dried dill in place. I highly recommend this recipe next time you plan on making a potato salad. Trust me. *wink wink* It will be a hit.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where the Heart is'*

Ingredients
8 medium Desiree potatoes, cut into 1 cm thick slices (I used Golden Delight)
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, halved and sliced
1/2 cup (140g) mayonnaise
1/2 cup (120g) sour cream
salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
8 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
4 large eggs
1/2 bunch chives, finely chopped
6 sprigs tarragon, leaves picked and coarsely chopped (I used dried)
6 rashes bacon, fried until crisp, then broken into pieces

Method
Place the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted water over medium heat and boil for 15-18 minutes or until tender. Drain. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes, then add onion.

To make the dressing, mix mayonnaise and sour cream in a small bowl. Season well and stir through the parsley.

Boil eggs, covered, over medium heat for 6 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water for 1 minute.

Add mayonnaise dressing, chives and tarragon to the potatoes and toss gently to combine, then top with the bacon. Slice off the pointy end of the soft-boiled eggs and scoop eggs out onto the salad. Finish with a grind of black pepper and scatter salt flakes over.

Serves 6-8

Sarah's Yummy Potatoes

This recipe was given to me from my sis-in-law, Sarah. I tried it last night and it was delicious! A cross between scalloped potatoes and a nachos topping...

Ingredients
4-5 potatoes, (depending on number of people), peeled and cubed
200g bacon pieces
200g shredded ham
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300ml sour cream
tasty cheese - grated
mozzarella cheese - grated

Method
Boil the potatoes in a saucepan until soft. Fry together the bacon, ham, onion and garlic until the bacon is cooked and the onion is soft. Place the potatoes in a casserole dish and top with the bacon mixture. Spread the sour cream on top of bacon and then cover with cheeses. Place in 180C oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Delicious.

Salmon and Dill Potato Patties

I make these when there isn't much in the cupboard. I substitute the fresh dill for dried... Try these in a burger bun with mayonnaise. Mmmm....

*Taken from 'Fast Food', a Murdoch book*

Ingredients

400g potatoes, suitable for boiling, cubed

1/4 cup mayonnaise

425g can salmon, drained, bones removed

1 tbs chopped fresh dill

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 egg

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/4 cup oil

Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well and cool.

Transfer the potato to a large bowl, then mash roughly with the back of a spoon, leaving some large chunks. Stir in the salmon, dill and spring onion and season. Mix in the egg and mayonnaise. Divide the mixture into eight portions, forming palm-size patties. Press lightly into the breadcrumbs to coat.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the patties, turning, for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with mayonnaise and rocket leaves.

Serves 4