party sausage rolls

A barometer of how far we're progressing as a society can be assessed by the methodology of children's party games.  At my son's 5th birthday party I had organised the classic game of pass-the-parcel.  I made sure that there were multiple layers to guarantee at least 20 minutes of excited anticipation expressed with utterances of 'aah it's Nancy (or whoever was the fortunate holder of the prize within)' when the music stopped. And then all eyes would feast on the potential winner of the prize.   And then a look of whimsical disappointment from Nancy when it wasn't so, after unwrapping to reveal another layer.  This image would extend to foreseeing the rubbing of little fairy-bread stained hands when the music recommenced, faces aglow with the renewed hope that they would be the ONE. And of course, the scenario would end with a happy victorious participant who would dance with joy clutching their newfound prize much to the passing chagrin of the others. 

However, quelle horreur, one of the little darlings stridently declared after a mere 3 unwrappings that there was no present! And then another one joined in with 'this game is boring'  and swiftly there was a mass exodus.  Only my son and his dear friend Archie stayed till the bitter end.   This is a generation where everyone has to be a winner...

Well, I am glad to say that there is never a mass exodus from the party food table when I serve these sausage rolls at my children's parties.  Makes about 30.

 

500g minced beef
250g minced pork
1 brown onion (medium) diced finely
1 bayleaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup of breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 small zucchini, grated
1 small carrot, grated
1/3 cup plum sauce
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 tbs worcestershire sauce
2 tbs dried oregano
1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley
5 sheets of butter puff pastry
a handful of sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.  Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Saute the onion in the olive oil with the bay and garlic till golden and soft, about 10 mins on medium heat.  Remove the bay and then mix the whole lot with your hands.  Don't forget to season well with salt and pepper.   A good idea to test for correct seasoning, is to take a small amount and fry it in a little oil and taste it once cooked.

Place a 'roll' of mince meat mixture in the middle along the length of the pastry sheet.   Pinch the two ends together enfolding the mince meat mixture and tuck underneath. Dip the top of the roll in the sesame seeds and then cut into sixths.  Repeat until all sheets are used.

Place the little sausage rolls on baking tray.  Bake for 30 mins till golden and crisp on the outside.

Concubine crescents (kourabiethes)

My friend Anne absolutely loves these traditional Greek shortbread biscuits.   Anne is an artiste who makes the most exquisite mosaic art, using coloured glass, you've ever seen.   My son calls her home 'the house with the broken glass'.  Shimmering images of peacocks (her favourite bird), kookaburras and fish adorn her creations.  Her Chinese water paintings featuring Mongolian themes are marvellous too.  It's not likely you'll see her work because she refuses to exhibit  - quelle dommage!  When asked if there are other talented artistes in her family, apparently there is a famous painter in the U.S. who is her uncle and most interestingly of all, one of her descendents was a renowned poet in China.  He specialised in erotic poetry depicting his exploits with his favourite concubine.   This is my way of paying homage to this style of poetry!

As you'll notice there are few ingredients but the secret is in the technique.  The butter and sugar need to be creamed to within an inch of their life before the vanilla extract is added.  Makes around 30.

250g unsalted butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup of almonds, roasted and chopped coarsely
2cups self raising flour
1 cup of icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180degrees.

Beat butter and sugar until it all becomes white (probably 5 minutes with the mix master).  Beat in the vanilla extract.  Incorporate the flour and almonds.  Once combined into a very bumpy ball shape, pull off small pieces and roll into logs then bend slightly in middle to form a crescent shape.  Place on baking paper lined baking trays and bake in oven for about 10 mins.  Do not let them brown. 

Once baked dust extravagantly with sifted icing sugar (which also serves as an excellent way of concealing any odd shaped biscuits).  They're particularly hard to resist when eaten warm!

Sophisticated Rocky Road

One of my favourite childhood memories was a family holiday to Cyprus over an entire summer visiting multitudes of relatives.  We borrowed my pappou's dilapidated baby blue Volkswagon (beetle) traversing the south of the island from Limassol to Paphos, sometimes with up to 10 people inside.  We sat lap upon lap, faces pressed against the window.  It was a perilous adventure!  Another enduring memory of that trip was the scent of rosewater.  My dear late maternal giagia loved spritzing it on herself before making the ascent to the village church in her Sunday best or taking the 4 a.m. bus into the poli (city).  She used it liberally in her desserts and would drink it as a cordial and serve it to her guests.  It came in a pretty clear glass bottle.  I detested it, thinking it too perfumey.   I would ask for orange cordial instead and refuse her sweets.  Quelle dommage!

But with the passage of time, our palates thankfully change and become more sophisticated (well at least they should!).  And I now love rosewater, particularly in Turkish Delight.  It features in this recipe for Rocky Road.  If you want to give it a yuletide look, use pistachios instead of walnuts.  This is also for Nat, my son's kinder teacher, who has been hankering for it since Christmas last year!

200g milk chocolate, broken up into pieces
100g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, broken up into pieces
150g combination of marshmallows and Turkish Delight
100g walnuts, roasted and coarsely chopped
100g roasted, shredded coconut
40g glace cherries, chopped

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.  Remove from heat once melted and add all other ingredients, mixing thoroughly.  Spread onto greased lamington tray smoothing surface with a spatula.  Chill in fridge till set (about an hour).  Once set cut into shapes approximating squares.   Give liberally to the lovely teachers of your children!

Bulgarian cheese pastries

Currently swooning over Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.  A saga about a consuming passion against the backdrop of Belle Epoque Russia.  Images are conjured of grand balls with princesses dancing the mazurka, cuckolded husbands, horse racing,  jealous lovers ...and of course, the ultimate tragic ending.  But one of my favourite lines in the whole book which made me laugh uproariously  was after Count Vronsky had acted as a tour guide for a foreign prince showing him quintessential Russian amusements over the course of a week, "he felt like he was attending a lunatic and afraid for his own reason too'.

So, in the Eastern European spirit, here is a very easy recipe which hails from Bulgaria.   It is adapted from a book called Rilka's Feasts, which has no photos at all but is filled with family anecdotes and simple recipes.  These are a particular hit with children and excellent for adults too served hot with a tipple or two.  Makes 20 -30.

260g plain yoghurt
1tsp bicarb of soda
150g crumbled fetta
200g cheddar cheese
300g plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
10 mint leaves chopped up
1/3 cup vegetable oil
extra 50g of cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 180degrees.  Mix yoghurt with the soda in a large glass bowl.  It will effervesce, such is the effect of the soda when combined with moisture.

Add all the other ingredients (except extra cheese) and mix with your hands till you have a sticky dough (careful not to overwork the dough).  Moisten your hands with a little oil and pull off a pieces to form round 2cm balls.  Flatten the tops slightly and sprinkle with extra cheese and place on greased baking trays.  Bake for 15 - 20 mins till pastries are golden and cheese has melted. 

If I have sesame seeds I combine a handful with the extra cheese and sprinkle over the top for a nice crunch.

Ricotta hotcakes

I bought some ricotta at a very popular Oakleigh Greek deli the other day.  Only because it looked so tantalisingly fresh! The only problem is that it doesn't store well, so it needed to be used within days of purchase.  So I decided to whip up some pancakes using the wedge of ricotta and served these for my children after school.  They're so hard to resist when served hot with a drizzle of golden syrup.  Makes about 10.

300g ricotta
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 cups self raising flour
30g melted butter
1 tsp bicarb of soda
corn oil for smearing the fry pan for frying

Beat the ricotta, egg, bicarb of soda and milk with vigour until light and aerated.  Incorporate the flour and butter until a batter is formed of a pouring consistency.

Heat the frypan over medium to high heat.  Once hot add a smidgeon of oil, just to coat the frying pan.  Then pour in batter to make circles 8cm in diameter.  I could fit 3 in at a time.  Once the top is bubbled and edges are firm, turn over and cook for about 2 mins.  Repeat until all batter is used.   Pile on a plate when cooked and serve with the sweetening unguent of your choice!

Lentil and burghul fritters with yoghurt sauce

I have a slim Family Circle recipe book which looks so unpromising, it's a plain Jane amongst a collection of beauties, and yet is filled with recipes I turn to time and time again.  Back in the day where I was part of the paid working masses I had an Italian colleague who loved to cook and once taught me to make arancinis.  We had very little in common but our shared love of food provided a point of commonality between us.  So we often shared recipes, regaled each other with details of the meals we prepared  the night before or the dishes we served on the occasions we entertained guests.  And sometimes, we'd bring in our favourite books and photocopy recipes.  When she brought in this book, I perused it's pages and realised a photocopy of a recipe or two won't do.  I needed the entire book!  This was before the time of Amazon and Bookworld,  so after relentless searching in various book shops, I located a copy in a newsagency and bought it for a song.

This is one recipe which corroborates why all the effort to source it was worth it.  It's great when you feel you need to add more pulses in your diet.  The accompanying yoghurt sauce is not optional because it really give these fritters a lift.  Makes 35.

3/4 cup brown lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup course burghul
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plain flour
salt and pepper

Yoghurt sauce
1 small Lebanese cucumber, grated
1 cup or 250g Greek style plain yoghurt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 sprigs of dill or fennel fronds finely chopped

Place the lentils in a saucepan with 625ml water.  Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 mins till tender. Turn off the heat and pour water to just cover the lentils.  Add the burghul, cover and stand until the burghul has absorbed the moisture and expanded (about 30 mins).  Transfer to a large bowl.

To make the yoghurt sauce, strain the cucumber by placing in the middle of a clean teatowel and wring until the excess moisture has been strained.   Place the semi desiccated cucumber in a small bowl.  Strain the yoghurt (of it's whey!)  in the same way.  Once strained, place in the bowl with the other ingredients and mix well.  Keep in the fridge till needed.

Heat half the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Cook the onion and garlic with the bay leaf,  until soft and translucent.  Add the cumin and coriander, as well as salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the bay leaf and add remaining ingredients.  Combine until the mixture is thick enough to drop spoonfuls into the pan.  If the mixture is too wet, add a little extra flour. 

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  working in batches,drop heaped tablespoons into the pan.  Cook unil browned on both sides.  Drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and serve hot or at room temperature with the yoghurt sauce.

bougatsa (Greek custard pie)

Although I do have a penchant for the complex and the sublime sometimes it is practical, indeed it is necessary, to bow to simplicity.  And this sweet, vanilla custard pie duly pays homage to the very essence of simplicity.  My fellow bibliophiliacs aka the brown paper bag book clubbers enjoyed this pie as we discussed Fforde's Shades of Grey.  As my dear friend Sally knows I didn't enjoy the book but I did the bougatsa!

This recipe is adapted from one given to me by Maria, a family friend from Sydney.

150g unsalted butter
1 packet of  fillo pastry
1 tin of evapourated milk + enough full cream milk to make 2.5 cups
4 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 sachet vanilla sugar from continental delis)
icing sugar
cinnamon powder

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Line a baking dish (approx 30 x 22 cm) with melted butter.  Scrunch up all the pastry sheets individually and place in one layer on baking dish.  Melt butter and pour it over the pastry.  Place dish in oven and cook till pastry is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes.

Bougatsa is in the background alongside the lilac

In the meantime, use an electric mixer to beat the milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla till light and frothy.  Reduce oven temperature to 180 degrees.  Pour mixture over hot pastry and return to oven.  Bake for 30mins till custard has set.  Sprinkle magnaminiously with icing sugar and cinnamon whilst still hot.  Serve cut into squares warm or cold.

chocolate and walnut tart with salted caramel sauce

It was a night suffused with the vibrancy of young love and tales of adventures to farflung destinations.  In honour of Arthur's niece's recent graduation (bravo Anastasia!) and another's return from medical training in Cape Town and Berlin I hosted a soiree. It consisted of bringing out a range of shared plates.  Anastasia's handsome beau attended too and periodically took time out from his state of ardour to exclaim that it was 'amazing'.  Which was endearing and humbling for moi.  But I suppose I wasn't humble enough not to chronicle it!

Preparing and serving plates of different dishes admittedly is time consuming for the host however I've always adhered to the adage that 'variety is the spice of life'.  And this style of eating is, I've noticed, becoming increasingly popular in Melbourne.  There were a couple of meat dishes like pork and fennel meatballs, Cypriot loukanika and turkey fillets saturated in port, figs and star anise and Bulgarian cheese pastries (recipes of which will be duly posted).   But by far the dish that inspired the most acclaim was this dessert which I composed from various recipes.   The salted caramel sauce is from a free food magazine from Woolworths.  The sweetness of the salted caramel complements the intensity of the chocolate tart.  If I had it my way, I would have used just 85% cocoa rather than a combination of milk and ultra-dark chocolate.  But this combination suits most tastes.....

For the walnut pastry
100g shelled walnuts
55g sugar
150g plain flour
125g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
1 egg yolk

Chocolate filling
150ml thick cream
150ml milk
220g chocolate, chopped (100g dark choc and the rest milk)
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract

Salted caramel sauce
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
125g unsalted water
1/2 cup thickened cream
2 tsp sea salt flakes

To make pastry, process walnuts, sugar, flour and 1/2 tsp salt until finely ground.  Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.  Combine egg yolk and 2 tbs iced water in a bowl, then add to walnut mixture and process until mixture is just incorporated.  Form into a ball, shape into a disc and cover in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30mins.

Preheat oven to 180degrees.  Grease a fluted tart tin and roll pastry disc onto a lightly floured surface till it reaches a diameter where it can line the tin with extra pastry extending over the edge.  Chill the pastry case for at least 20 mins before baking.  If you choose to freeze the pastry, it can still be baked when frozen.  Line the pastry case with foil and fill this with dried beans or chick peas.  Bake for 15 mins then remove the foil and weights and bake for an additional 5 mins.

While pastry case is baking make the chocolate filling.  In a saucepan, bring the cream and milk to the boil.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate and leave until the chocolate melts, then add the yolks and vanilla and beat until mixed.  Pour into the warm tart shell (according to Stephanie Alexander pouring warm or hot liquid into a warm pastry case prevents liquid seeping).  Bake for a further 20 mins and let rest for at least 1 hour before serving.   It is tres magnifique serve chilled with the hot caramel sauce poured over.  A quenelle of home made vanilla icecream placed artfully on the side is an optional extra!

Concoct caramel sauce by heating sugar and water in a medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Add butter and slowly bring to the boil.  Simmer until caramel is  a rich, golden brown.  Remove from heat and carefully stir in cream.  Return to low heat, then add salt.  Whisk until smooth.  Keep warm.

grilled chicken in a fig bath

Here's a simple recipe that takes no time at all to prepare and is delicious.  My children loved it too!  This can also be barbecued.  Inspired by Maggie Beer's Spatchcock in a Fig Bath.  Enough for 4 with leftovers for the next day

4 chicken marylands
2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano
salt and pepper
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
5 dried figs, halved length ways
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, crushed

Slash the chicken 4 times in the fleshiest sections with a sharp knife.  Make a dry rub by combining the oregano, salt and pepper and massage into chicken. 

Place chicken, breast-side up, on a hot grill and after 10 mins of cooking, juice a lemon over the chicken.   Let it colour to a dark brown (perhaps another 10 mins) then turn over.   Cook for another 15 mins.

In the meantime, prepare the fig bath.  Reconstitute dried figs in warm water.  Once soaked, place in a large bowl with olive oil, the rest of  the lemon juice, garlic and bay.  Transfer hot, cooked chicken to the fig bath and leave to rest for 15 mins, loosely covering with foil.  Serve chicken with some of the fig bath juices and figs spooned over as a dressing.

very tarty lemon tart

One of the hallmarks of a good cook in my mind, is the use of seasonal ingredients.  Lemons are in abundance right now.  I've seen boxes of them outside, on nature strips marked 'free'....clearly they are in season!  My favourite way of using them is in a lemon tart.  This recipe is adapted from Stephanie Alexander's Cook's Companion and is noticeably tart.  In  fact, so tarty you can almost hear the trill of wolf whistles as you bite into a slice!  You need to make your own pastry though to get sublime results.  So get your food processor out!   Serves 8 - 10.

Pastry:
1.5 cups (225 g) plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
125g cold, unsalted butter cut into chunks
1/4 cup iced water

Filling:
3 large lemons
4 eggs
250g caster sugar
250 ml cream
pure icing sugar

Whiz the plain flour and salt in the food processor.  Add the butter and whiz again till the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.  Pour in iced water while motor is still whirring and process it until it forms a ball around the blade. 

Tip the pastry out onto a chopping board and shape it into a ball.  Flatten it into a disc and wrap it tightly in plastic film.  Chill the pastry in the fridge for about 40 mins or until its firm but supple enough to roll.  It keeps well in the fridge for 3 days if you want to make it ahead but it needs to come to room temperature before it can be rolled out.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry into a large round about 2mm thick.  Roll the pastry over your rolling pin.  Carefully lower it over a 24cm loose- bootomed deep flan tin.  press it into the edges of the tin well, leaving an overhamg all around the edge.  Place a baking tray underneath (easier handling)  and then chill for about 30 mins until the pastry is firm.  Preheat oven to 200degrees.  Completely cover the pastry with a big sheet of foil or baking paper, presssing it gently down into the corners.  Spread pastry weights, dried beans or rice over the base to weigh it down so base stays flat.

Bake for 20 mins then remove the foil and weights and bake for another 5 mins.

Reset oven to 160 degrees.  Zest and juice lemons.  Combine eggs and sugar until well amalgamated, then add zest and juice and stri well.  Add cream and mix well using electric beaters or a balloon whisk.   Pour into just baked pastry case and bake for 35 - 45 mins until almost set.  Cool in tin for at least 30mins before serving.  Serve dusted liberally with icing sugar and a big dollop of thick cream.

zucchini and feta fritters

When a couple of vegetarian friends popped in for  a visit  I wasn't sure what to serve as a light supper.  I couldn't whip up a pizza using pitta bread and ham...But I had zucchinis and feta in the fridge.  So I turned to my beautiful Middle Eastern cookbook by Claudia Roden,  Arabesque.  And within it's sublime pages I found this recipe, which I hasten to add, have made before.  It is one of the best ways I know to transform this rather bland vegetable to something quite delicious.  This also proved popular with the youngsters in our troupe!  Serves 4


1 large onion, chopped coarsely
3 tbs corn oil
500g zucchini, grated coursely
3 eggs
3 tbs plain flour
black pepper
2 - 3 tbs finely chopped fresh mint
2 - 3 tbs finely choppef fresh dill
200 g feta cheese, mashed with a fork
extra corn oil for shallow frying

Fry onion in 3 tbs of the oil over a medium heat until it is soft and golden.  Put the grated zucchini in a teatowel, you may need to do this twice, and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible.  I usually get my husband to do this, because you need muscle!  Anyway, he likes to contribute in some way to the cooking process...Add the strained zucchini to the onion and continue sauteing until they too are soft.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the flour until well blended.  Add pepper and herbs (there's no need to add salt because the feta is salty enough). Mix well.  Fold the mashed feta into the eggs, together with the cooked onions and zucchini.

Film the bottom of a frying pan with oil and ladle in 2 tbs of mixture for each fritter, making a few fritters at a time. Turn each over once, and cook until both sides are browned a little.  Drain on absorbent paper.  Can be served hot or cold.

Anzac Biscuits

I was sitting shivering in the aircraft hangar that is my daughter's venue for learning circus skills, when I was offered a treat by another bystander.  This nanny to two youngsters who hail from a rather affluent inner eastern suburb, kindly offered me organic popcorn flavoured with manuka honey.  It came in a small foil package.  I tasted one and laughed when I read the packaging.  In fact, I couldn't stop chuckling, thinking about how brazen this type of marketing aimed at parents who are perhaps time poor but want their children to eat 'healthy' snacks which are conveniently packaged.  I was actually appalled.  And besides being poor value for money and environmentally unsound, they were so bland!

If you want a healthy snack, make it.  Anzac biscuits are easy to make, moorish and provide fuel for growing children so they can engage in energetic activities like swinging on trapezes and walking on stilts.   I would be untruthful if I said that they are convenient because one batch doesn't last more than 2 days in our household!

This recipe is from one of my favourite cook books, Belinda Jeffery's Mix and Bake.   These are the chewy kind not the crunchy, just the way I like them.  The only point of difference in the recipe is that I added more coconut.  Makes 24 - 30.

1 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking oats)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup plain flour
3/4 cup castor sugar
125g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiing water
1.5 tsp bicarb of soda
1 tsp vanilla extract


1. Preheat oven to 160 degreesC.  Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper and set aside.  In a large bowl, thoroughly mix oats, coconut, flour and sugar.

2. Put the butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan and warm them over a medium heat, stirring occasionally till the butter has melted.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Add the boiling water and bicarb of soda and stir them in briefly as the mixture froths.  Pour this buttery liquid into the dry ingredients adding the vanilla.  Quickly stir the two together until they are thoroughly combined.

3. Roll the resulting sticky dough into walnut-sized balls, then flatten them slightly and sit them at lest 5 cm apart (as they spread quite a bit) on the prepared baking trays.  You might need to bake these in batches. 

4. Bake for 16 - 20 minutes or until the biscuits are deep golden brown but still soft, then remove them from the oven.  (To ensure the bisuits cook evenly, rotate the trays from shelf to shelf halfway through the baking time.)  Leave them to cool on the trays for a few minutes, then carefully transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Potato and leek soup

Our beautiful Vulcan Magnolia in the front garden is in bloom.  Vivid purple flowers on bare branches ....a glorious reminder that spring is just around the corner.  Hooray!!  But the harsh reality is Melbourne in August it's still frightfully cold.  Well, you can seek much- needed succour by making a creamy leek and potato soup using your delicious homemade chicken stock.

I was quite lucky the other day, visiting  Healesville, ostensibly to go to the sanctuary with my little darlings, and stumbled across their monthly farmers' market.  Of course,  I bought beautiful organic leeks and potatoes.  This recipe is adapted from Stephanie Alexander's original Cook's Companion.  Serves 4.

30g butter
2 tbs olice oil
3 large leeks, washed and sliced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into medium sized cubes
1 large onion
1 stalk celery
2 cloves garlic
500ml chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme
2 tbs finely chopped parsley
1 tbs chopped chives
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat  butter and oil on medium heat till melted in  a medium sized saucepan.  Add vegetables and garlic and saute for 5 mins.  Lovwer heat and cover till leeks have softened, making sure to stir from time to time, about 10 mins.  Tie bay, parsley and thyme with kitchen string (effectively making a bouquet garni) and add to concoction along with stock and enough water to barely cover.  Simmer for about 20 minutes till potatoes are tender.

Remove herbs and puree/blend soup .  Season well.  Reheat to boiling point, when ready to serve, and scatter with herbs.  This soup is so creamy that the addition of  cream is superfluous.  But, if you must.....

TIP: Wash leeks by cutting in haf legnthwise , keep attached to root end and fan leaves under cold running water like a pack of cards.  Cut about 2cms off the the green tops of the leeks for this recipe.

Baklava

If  love is directly proportional to the degree of effort required to produce a dish, then making baklava for someone is akin  to telling them you love them madly!  To make a fabulous baklava, it takes time.  For me, the secret is using whole nuts and roasting and grinding them myself.  I always buy walnuts in their shells, because they do go rancid tres vite, once shelled.   I've used only walnuts and almonds but pistachios are wonderful too, speckling the baklava with vivid green.  And in the spirit of the dalliance, why not use other whole spices like cardamon pods and star anise in the syrup??  Makes 30 pieces.
............................

2 cups shelled walnuts
1 cup almonds
3 tsp cinnamon powder
375 g filo pastry
180 g melted unsalted butter

Syrup
2 cups  sugar
1.5 cups water
3 thinly peeled strips of orange rind
6 cloves
1 cinnamon quill

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.  Place nuts on baking tray and roast till golden, about 10 mins.

Reduce heat to 170 degrees.  Finely chop nuts using a food processor.  Be careful not not to grind them to a powder though.  Combine with cinnamon in a bowl.

Butter base and sides of a 33x23x5 cm baking tray.  Cover base with a single layer of filo and brush lightly with the melted butter.  Continue to layer the filo, brushing with butter between each new layer until 10 sheets have been used.  Keep the rest of the filo pastry under a damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out.

Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the pastry and pat down evenly.  Repeat the layering and buttering of  five more filo sheets and then sprinkle with the rest of the nuts, keeping the layer relatively even.  Layer and butter remaining filo sheets and finish by brushing top layer with butter. 

Cut the top layers of the baklava with a sharp knife into diamond shapes.  Flick a little  water onto the top layers to prevent them from curling upwards,  Pour any remaining butter evenly over the top.   Bake for one hour.  If it is browining too quickly, cover loosely with foil.  Pastry must be allowed to cook thoroughly.

Once cooked, immediately cut through the original diamond markings and let cool.

In the meantime, make the syrup.  Place all ingredients into a medium saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 mins.  By this time the syrup will have thickened slightly.  Pour hot syrup uniformly over cooled baklava.    Step back and inhale the ambrosial aromas of the East!

Chicken Stock

Winter heralds ruminations of risottos, soups, hearty pies, tagines, stews....And all these wintry dishes require the addition of  a flavoursome stock.  I make chicken stock right throughout winter and keep freezer bags of it in my freezer.  Some recipes call for the chicken bones and vegies to be roasted first, for a deeper flavour.  I find this recipe with everything thrown in with aplomb, produces a decent stock.  Regardless, however you make it, home made stock is always going to taste infinitely better than the stock powder or the vacuum sealed liquid packs from the supermarket.  So pick up your favourite book, a glass of wine and inhale the delicious aroma as your stockpot of liquid magic bubbles away for the next couple of hours. Makes about 2 litres


2 kilos of chicken carcasses
500 grams of chicken necks
about 10 stalks of parsley
2 bay leaves
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, chopped up roughly
2 celery stalks, cut up
10 peppercorns

Put all ingredients into a large saucepan or stockpot and cover by up to 7 cm with water.  And just let it simmer, covered, for about 2 hours. I don't skim or worry about the fat whilst it's cooking as according to my guru, Maggie Beer, it removes the flavour.  After this period of simmering, strain the stock through a sieve into a bowl.  Let cool before placing in the fridge.  Once cold, you'll notice a fatty layer has collected at the top.  Remove with a spoon and pour the liquid into a measuring jug.  I usually measure out 500 ml and put into 4 labelled freezer bags.

Lentil and Spinach soup

Being in the dead of winter, a homemade, nourishing soup is just what the doctor ordered, I believe.  And having your own home made stock makes it extra wholesome.  I was lucky enough to have secured some fresh English spinach from a neighbour, so this only multiplies it's nutritional allure!

I came across this recipe from the fabulous food blog, Love Bites, who in turn sourced it from Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food. This makes enough soup for 6 people.

- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 sticks of celery, sliced
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.8 litres vegetable/ chicken stock
- 300g red lentils
- 1 thumbsize piece of fresh root ginger, sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes halved
- 200g spinach leaves
- salt and pepper, to taste

Saute carrots, celery, onions and garlic in oil for 10 mins on medium heat, or till softened and golden. Then add stock.  At this point, add the lentils, ginger and tomatoes and cook for another 10 mins by which time the lentils should be cooked. Finally, add the spinach and cook for a short  while, till wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with a thick dollop of Greek yoghurt and some crusty bread.

Tunisian Tomato and Capsicum spicy relish

This is a rather piquant capsicum and tomato relish, adapted from Joanne Weir's Tunisian Sweet and hot pepper tomato relish.  I always roast my own capsicum with olive oil, oregano and salt.  If it's in season, I tend to have a containerof roasted capsicum in the fridge.  It's excellent with the Moroccan spiced beef and mushroom pastries, and if you can keep a bowl of it in the fridge you'll find yourself slathering it on meatballs, grilled fish, chicken or in a steak sandwich.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, sliced finely
1 bay leaf
1 tin of tomatoes (400g) or 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon* Harissa
3 large red capsicums, roasted and sliced into strips
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

Fry the onion, garlic and bay leaf in the oil until softened for about 8 mins, on medium heat.  Add the tomatoes andt spices and cook for 10 mins till thickened.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook for a further 2 mins.

* Harissa is a fiery hot condiment made from chillies, especially common in the Magreb.  It's available in tubes and keeps well in the fridge.  Found in Greek and Middle Eastern delis.

Moroccan spiced beef and mushroom pastries

I  do get a little obsessive about food and sometimes I'll attempt to recreate a dish I tried at a restaurant, or celebratory event where obtaining a recipe can be tres difficile.  Last Saturday night, we danced, ate and drank ourselves away at a relative's Engagement party by the sea.  Cocktail - style food was served and it was  absolutely delicious!  Tender, moist beef skewers, salt and pepper calamari with rocket and balsamic reduction served in noodle boxes, pea and saffron arancinis.....Being a Greek event, there was a cornucopia of food.  Interestingly enough, there was one dish I didn't try, only because I ate too many of their pumpkin and pesto wood fired pizzas!  It was the  beef and mushroom pastries served with a tomato salsa that my husband waxed lyrical about the most.  As I hadn't tried them, I asked him to describe the flavours.  Was there any cinnamon, a hint of cardamon perhaps, parsley??  Anyway, he retorted, in his typical fashion, that he just enjoyed them and didn't stop and analyse the components.  Where is DI Henry Crabbe  (from the wholesome BBC1 series 'Pie in the Sky') when you need him?

Anyway, after trawling through some of my precious cook books, I came across a recipe from Joanne Weir's 'From Tapas to Mezze', titled Baked phyllo triangles with lamb and moroccan spices.  I've altered it considerably and this is my version:

500 minced beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons Ras el Hanout blend (if not available, replace with 4 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon each of ground ginger, cinnamon, coriander, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper)
300 grams sliced brown mushrooms
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
salt and pepper
24 sheets of fillo pastry
125 grams unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

In a frypan, fry onion and garlic over medium heat until softened, about 8 mins.  Add all the other ingredients and continue cooking for another 10 mins till meat is browned.  Savour the aroma of the spices mingling in the heat!  The moisture should have completely evapourated at this stage.  Set aside.

In meantime, preheat oven to 180 degrees.    With a knife, cut the fillo the long way into 3 strips.  Place the strips on top of each other to form a single pile and cover with a slightly dampened tea towel.   Take one strip and brush with butter. Top with another sheet of fillo and butter again.  Place a heaped teaspoon of filling at one end. Fold 1 corner over the filling to meet the other side and continue to fold as you would a flag, until the whole strip is folded into a small triangular parcel.  Repeat with the rest of the fillo and filling.  Brush remaining butter on the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Place on a greased baking sheet  and bake until golden, 15 mins.

Serve immediately, warm or at room temperature.