Instructions
HONEY, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE SALAD – IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: nil
Serves: 4
¼ cup pesto
¼ cup aioli
1 head cos lettuce, quartered
1 cup baby nasturtium leaves
1 cup baby green beans, blanched and halved
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
2 Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted
2 radishes, finely sliced
1 Tbsp black olives, finely diced
1 boiled egg yolk, crumbled
micro red sorrel, to serve
1. Mix the pesto and aioli, then spread on plates. Arrange the cos and nasturtiums alongside. Toss the green beans in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then arrange on top with the almonds, radish slices, olives and yolk. Garnish with sorrel leaves.
SMOKE AND MIRRORS – LOST IN A PINE FOREST
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
4 slices pumpernickel bread
1 Tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
silk of 1 ear of corn
8 sage leaves, very finely sliced
8 slices venison prosciutto
1 cup chrysanthemum leaves, picked
2 Tbsp mache leaves
1 Tbsp avocado oil
2 tsp pine bud vinegar
sea salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
2 tsp fresh lavender petals
1 handful dried pine needles
1. Preheat oven to 110° Dry the pumpernickel bread for 1 hour, until crisp, then grind to a powder with the dried porcini mushrooms. Place a 10cm ring on each plate and scatter the powder within. Dress with the corn silk and sage. Arrange prosciutto slices on top.
2. Toss the chrysanthemum and mache leaves. Mix the oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper, then drizzle on the leaves. Arrange on top of the prosciutto with the lavender petals.
3. Put the pine needles in a smoker and ignite to smoulder. Puff smoke at the table while diners are eating.
THE HOOK-UP – SHARK-BITE WHITING
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
4 plate-size whiting
sea salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oilfinely-grated zest and juice of 2 limes
1 juniper berry, finely chopped
2 tsp fine salt
2 tsp caster sugar
1 Tbsp finely chopped dill
½ cup roasted red capsicum
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried mint
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground chilli
1 tsp red wine vinegar
¼ cup seaweed salad
1. Preheat oven to 220° Use a sharp knife to cut off the tail end of the fish, then make a series of cuts into the sides and bottom of the top sections. Season with salt and pepper, rub with 2 Tbsp olive oil, then bake on a roasting tray for 15 minutes, until just cooked.
2. Meanwhile skin, fillet and dice the tail sections, then mix with the zest, juice, juniper, salt and sugar. Stand for 7 minutes, then drain well and stir in the dill.
3. Combine the capsicum, spices, remaining oil and vinegar in a blender and purée until smooth.
4. Place an oversize stainless steel fishing hook with some line attached in the mouth of each fish then arrange on plates. Smear the capsicum sauce at the cut end. Spoon the cured fish into small moulds and top with seaweed salad.
THAT TIME YOU DROPPED DESSERT – THE BUSTED CHOCOLATE TART
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: nil
Serves: 4
½ cup best-quality chocolate sauce
1 Tbsp hot chocolate powder
4 x 10cm sweet pastry tartlet shells
2 Tbsp raspberry jam
1 cup chocolate mousse
200ml whipped cream
2 Tbsp mixed chocolate shavings
½ cup meringue pieces, crumbled
1 Tbsp micro mint leaves
2 Tbsp raspberry sauce
1. Smear chocolate sauce on plates, then dust with hot chocolate powder. Spoon the cherry jam into the tartlet shells and top with chocolate mousse, then whipped cream, then chocolate shavings.
2. Drop the tarts onto the plates to crack and splatter, then top with meringue pieces and mint. Finish with puddles of raspberry sauce.
TOUCHY-FEELY – ROCKY ROAD WITH A FRIEND
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: nil
Serves: 4
¼ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
¼ cup crisp chocolate pearls
2 Tbsp popping candy
16 marshmallows
2 ripe bananas, sliced 3cm thick
200g melted dark chocolate
¼ cup freeze-dried raspberry powder
1. Mix the walnuts, chocolate pearls and popping candy then set aside. Thread a marshmallow onto each of four metre-long skewers, followed by a slice of banana. Continue to alternate, finishing with marshmallow. Coat in chocolate, crust with the walnut mixture, then dust with raspberry powder.
BACON-WRAPPED MEATLOAF
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6
1 chorizo sausage, crumbled
500g pork mince
1 cup wholegrain breadcrumbs
1 red onion, finely diced
6 cornichons, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ bunch thyme leaves, chopped
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
sea salt flakes and freshly-milled
black pepper
12 rashers rindless bacon
½ cup smoky barbecue sauce
mixed leaf salad, to serve
1. Preheat oven to 180° Combine the chorizo, mince, breadcrumbs, onion, cornichons, garlic, fennel seeds, Worcestershire sauce and thyme in a large bowl, then knead briefly. Add the eggs and buttermilk, then mix again. Season with salt and pepper. Form into a log 30cm long on a greased oven tray and wrap in bacon. Bake for 30 minutes.
2. Brush with barbecue sauce, then bake for a further 10 minutes. Stand for 10 minutes, then serve with mixed leaf salad.
PERFECT PORK ROAST
Preparation time: 5 minutes + refrigeration overnight
Cooking time: 4 hours
Serves: 6
1.4kg pork shoulder, bone in
1 Tbsp sea salt flakes
cooking oil spray
1. Preheat oven to 230° Score the pork in affine parallel lines, then arrange on a tray and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
2. Massage the salt into the scoring lines and all over the meat, then sprinkle with cooking oil spray. Place the pork on a wire rack over an oven tray then bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 150°C then bake for 3 hours. Remove from the oven and increase temperature to 240°
3. Once the oven reaches temperature, bake for 20 minutes, rotating once. Set aside to rest for 20 minutes, then carve and serve.
BACON-PECAN PRALINE
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6
4 rashers streaky bacon, cut into fine dice
1 cup pecans, toasted
1 cup caster sugar
2 Tbsp glucose syrup
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp freshly-milled black pepper
½ tsp chilli flakes
¼ bunch thyme leaves, picked
1. Fry the bacon in a pan over a moderate heat for 10 minutes, until very crispy. Once completely crunchy, transfer to a sieve and set aside to cool and drain. Rub with kitchen paper to remove surface oil, then set aside.
2. Chop the pecans into small pieces, then set aside. Cook the sugar and glucose syrup in a small saucepan until a medium-dark caramel forms. Working quickly, mix in the salt, pepper, chilli, thyme and bacon pieces, stir well, then pour out onto a sheet of non-stick baking paper. Top with a second sheet of paper, then roll to 3mm thick. Allow to cool completely, then chop into pieces.
PIGS MIGHT FLY
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes: 12
400g plain flour
500g icing sugar
1 tsp fine salt
250g unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp milk
1 egg white
juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp apple essence
pink and black food colouring
helium balloons and string, to serve
1. Preheat oven to 160° Sift the flour, 100g icing sugar and salt into a large bowl, then add the butter and rub gently with fingertips. Add the milk and mix until a smooth dough forms. Roll between two sheets of non-stick baking paper to 4mm, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Cut out shapes with a pig-shaped biscuit cutter, then arrange on a lined oven tray half facing left and half facing right. Make a small hole using a chopstick just behind the pig’s head, then bake for 18-20 minutes, until pale golden. Allow to cool completely.
3. Sift the remaining icing sugar into a bowl, then whisk in the egg white and lemon juice until very smooth. Tint three-quarters of the mixture to a deep pink colour, then pipe around the edges of each biscuit and allow to dry. Pour the remaining pink icing on top of the biscuits, tilting to coat, then allow to dry.
4. Tint most of the remaining icing a paler shade of pink a pipe ears, snout and tails on top, as well as some dots on the sides of the pigs. Allow to dry. You will have some pink icing left over. Tint the final icing black and pipe eyes on.
5. Once completely dry, sandwich pairs of pig biscuits together using the leftover pink icing, then tie a string through the holes. Attach to a helium balloon.
CAULIFLOWER, SPINACH AND CHICKPEA MAC-AND-CHEESE
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6
3 cups cauliflower pieces, steamed until tender
1 cup ricotta
1 cup evaporated milk
¼ cup finely-grated Parmesan
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground sage
½ tsp celery seeds
sea salt flakes and freshly-milled white pepper
250g wholemeal elbow pasta, cooked al dente
2 cup baby spinach leaves
400g can chickpeas
½ cup semi-dried tomatoes, chopped
baby leaf salad, to serve
1. Preheat oven to 200° Combine the cauliflower pieces, ricotta, milk, Parmesan and spices in a food processor and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with the pasta, spinach, chickpeas and tomatoes, then spoon into a 2½L baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden on top. Serve with leaves.
Cook’s notes: Classic mac-and-cheese recipes contain around 414 calories per serve and 12.4g of fat. This recipe is approximately 205 calories and 5g of fat.
MOCHA FRAPPUCINO
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: nil
Serves: 4
2 cups strong black coffee, cooled
1 cup low-fat milk
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp natural vanilla extract
½ tsp almond essence
½ cup powdered Stevia
2 Tbsp liquid from canned chickpeas
1. Combine all ingredients with 2 cups ice in a power-blender and purée until smooth and frothy. Dust with hot chocolate powder to serve.
Cook’s notes: Starbucks original recipe for this contains 410 calories and 62g of sugar. This version has approximately 62 calories and 1g of sugar.
MISSISSIPPI MUD CAKE
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 8
¾ cup powdered sweetener
½ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
400g can black beans, drained
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp natural vanilla extract
½ cup strong black coffee
low-fat yoghurt and berries, to serve
1. Preheat oven to 170° Sift the sweetener, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, then stir in the flour. Combine the beans, buttermilk and sugar in a blender and purée until smooth. Mix with the egg, egg white, oil, vanilla and sugar in a second bowl.
2. Fold the liquid into the flour mixture. Pour into a greased and floured 24cm ring tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a skewer can be inserted and removed cleanly. Cool on a wire rack, then serve with low-fat yoghurt and berries.
Cook’s notes: A serves of traditional Mud Cake has 450 calories and 35g of sugar. This version has approximately 105 calories and 5g of sugar.