Shepherd's Pie

One of my nieces once remarked that she hates shepherd's pie! How can anyone hate shepherd's pie? It is the ultimate winter comfort food and this recipe, adapted from Gordon Ramsay's dish, is a firm family favourite.

I've used beef in this dish but you can substitute any mince you like. Gordon Ramsay uses lamb in his and according to some traditionalists, that's what makes it a shepherd's pie. Whether you call it a shepherd's pie or a cottage pie, all I know is that it tastes delicious. The dish is said to have originated in Northern England and was a means of using up leftover chunks of roast meat. 

You don't need as much mince as I have used, however I just find that 500g isn't enough with everyone going back for second helpings! When there are leftovers, I just pack them for lunch the next day.

I make various elements like the mashed potato in my Thermomix, simply because it is easier, however you can still make this dish without a Thermomix. For those with a Thermomix, you may like to try the shepherd's pie recipe out of the Everyday Cookbook. I tried it but prefer this one. I find the Thermomix grinds or cooks the meat too coarsely, giving it a texture that I don't really like. However, this is purely a personal preference. I know people who love the EDC recipe.

Note: It is one of those dishes that's difficult to photograph well, especially when you have my limited food styling skills, but I assure you it is very yummy!

Shepherd's Pie

Serves 5-6

Dash of olive oil

Sea salt and ground pepper

700g mince

1 onion, finely grated*

2 carrots, finely grated*

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons BBQ sauce

Thyme (either fresh or dried)

250ml red wine

300ml chicken stock (or 1 teaspoon Thermomix stock in 300ml water)

Parmesan cheese (optional)

1kg potatoes

250g** milk (or 1 cup)

30g butter

50g Parmesan cheese (or 2 Kraft singles)

Sea salt and ground pepper

* Thermomix owners can roughly chop onion and carrots, add to TM and blitz for 3 seconds, Speed 6.

** Thermomix measures in grams

1. If you are lucky enough to have a Thermomix, start by getting your mash potato going according to the EDC recipe. I don't always have Parmesan cheese handy, so I sometimes add two torn up pieces of Kraft singles cheese in the final step. 

If making your mash on the stove top, chop up your potatoes into cubes (they'll boil faster this way) and once cooked, drain and season with salt and pepper. Then heat up milk, melt butter and cheese and add to potato, mashing until at desired consistency. I heat the milk, butter and cheese in one bowl in the microwave (only takes about a minute - the heat of the potatoes will do the rest). If wanting a smoother consistency, you can try blending or passing through a fine sieve. Then set aside whilst you finish the rest of the dish.

2. Whilst your potatoes are cooking, you can begin on the rest of the dish. Heat your oil in a large pan or if possible, in a large ovenproof dish (this will save you some washing up)! I used a Bessemer pan. Then add your mince, season and cook it until browned all over. It's a good idea to keep mixing it around and breaking up the chunks so that you have a nice evenly cooked mince, ready for your dish.

3. Once the mince is browned, stir in the finely grated onions and carrots and the minced garlic.

4. Add the Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce and a sprinkling of thyme. If using fresh thyme, remove the stems and only use the leaves. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.

5. Pour in the wine and reduce until almost evaporated.

6. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and then simmer until the sauce has thickened. This doesn't take long at all.

7. If your dish isn't ovenproof, transfer your mince mixture to an ovenproof one and then proceed.

Spoon the mash onto the top of the mince, carefully spreading it out so that it covers the entire surface. You need to be gentle in this step so that the mash potato isn't pushed down into the mince and remains on top. Run a fork gently over the mash potato in whatever pattern you choose, to make it look pretty.

8. If you have some Parmesan cheese handy, you can grate some over the top of the potato but it's not essential. Place dish in a preheated 180 degree Celsius fan forced oven and cook for about 25 minutes or until heated through and top has started to brown.

9. Serve with a salad, crusty bread or other vegetables. I made some pan roasted carrots - just seasoned and lightly roasted in some butter. Yes, I was being a little indulgent!

Afternoon Tea Buffet, InterContinental Hotel, Sydney

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of experiencing a Valrhona Chocolate Afternoon Tea Buffet at the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney. Held in the hotel lobby's Cortile Lounge, the ambiance was warm and inviting from the outset. Nestled in the centre of the lobby, away from the noise and distraction of the outside world, it really did feel like a peaceful escape. With unobtrusive live music playing and gorgeous surrounds, it was the perfect afternoon. I was there for a 30th birthday celebration and I can assure you that everyone left impressed and suitably full! 

The Cortile Lounge, Intercontinental Hotel, Sydney. Image found here

The buffet had a splendid array of both savoury and sweet foods. The savoury sometimes gets forgotten at high teas, represented only by a couple of sandwiches - but not at The Cortile. From the Sandwich Selection, I sampled the Tasmanian Smoked Salmon Wrap with Preserved Lemon, Cucumber and Capers and the Chicken, Mayonnaise and Pesto Finger Sandwich. I could easily have eaten more of both, the flavours and textures melding perfectly together in each. Teamed with a glass of sparkling white wine, they were the perfect start to afternoon tea.

From the Hot Canape Selection I had the mini Olive Oil and Feta Muffins - surprisingly light and delicate in flavour. I also had the Aussie Beef Pie because I can never pass on a pie, and this one didn't disappoint. No party pack pie by any stretch of the imagination, the crisp pastry was filled with a delicious blend of meat, vegetables and herbs.

Between the savoury and the sweet, there are also a number of "Extra Delights" and from here I had some cheese, crepes with Nutella chocolate sauce, scones with Hibiscus strawberry jam and Chantilly cream and waffles with maple syrup. I really wanted to go back for another scone or waffle (both had great texture) but I knew I had yet to tackle the sweetest section of the buffet.

I braced myself, ordered a tea and then proceeded to load my plate up from the Dessert Selection. I didn't quite sample everything but I tried my very best. The things I do for this blog! Where do I begin with this tasting plate? Each delicate dessert was obviously made with care and tasted heavenly. From the gooey Caraibe Chocolate Coconut Macaron and the Tim Tam Chocolate Macaron to the tiny sprinkling of candy that I added to the creme brulee, everything was exquisite.

The Dark Chocolate Winter Spice Creme Brulee was deliciously warm and enticing, and different to most brulees you find on menus across Sydney. The cone shaped dessert, a mix of cream and chocolate, was light and provided some respite on a plate laden with rich and heavy flavours (not that I'm complaining). The most decadent piece on the dessert table was definitely the Valrhona Guanaja Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar - so rich I almost thought I wouldn't be able to finish it, but I powered on! The ganache atop that bar was simply a chocolate lover's dream. Before all this, I also managed to taste a small piece of the fruit and nut bark that sat grandly on the dessert buffet - also a wonderful treat. Thus, you can imagine how very full I was by afternoon's end and the reason I was able to skip dinner that night!

The service, atmosphere and food were all worthy of a five star hotel and I would definitely recommend an Afternoon Tea with friends at the InterContinental in Sydney. The Afternoon Tea Buffets are held over two sittings on both Saturdays and Sundays (1pm-2:30pm and 3-4:30pm). On weekdays the Cortile offers tea stands between 11am and 5pm. High Coffee is also available Monday to Sunday between 11am and 5pm. The Afternoon Tea Buffet Menu is $60 per person with a glass of sparkling wine included or $75 per person with a glass of champagne included. Bookings are recommended as they do sometimes get quite busy.

Menus are seasonal. Before this gorgeous Vahlrona Chocolate  menu in celebration of winter which you can see in full here, they had a menu highlighting Malfroy's Honey for Autumn and coming up they have a menu centred around fresh berries for Spring - I may just have to go back and sample that!

        

The 3 photos above courtesy of Rosanna Velardi. 

The centre photo shows some of the lovely chocolate bark behind the coconut macarons.

Tim Tam Macarons

More macarons and Valrhona Dark Chocolate Raspberry Drink

            

Spaghetti Marinara (Spaghetti with Seafood)

Today's recipe is a classic that appears on menus everywhere. It can be made on the stove top or in the Thermomix - both versions are delicious. The key of course is fresh ingredients. Find a seafood store that you trust - one that is busy and has a high turnover is what you are after. Apart from the fish markets in Sydney, I travel to Penrith Seafood at Wetherill Park in Sydney's south west when I want seafood because I know that it's fresh and of a high quality.

The Thermomix recipe is in the Everyday Cookbook that comes with the machine. I use a bottle of Italian homemade sauce in place of the tinned tomatoes and it's wonderful. A copy of the recipe can be found here.
The stove top version is below.

Spaghetti Marinara

Serves 4-5 people

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

3 garlic cloves crushed

1 cup white wine

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 x 410g tins of crushed tomatoes (or homemade sauce)

salt and pepper

500g spaghetti

500g marinara mix

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat, then add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes (or until soft).

2. Add the garlic and wine and simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Pour tinned tomatoes or sauce, along with tomato paste, into saucepan. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Once it has been boiling for a few minutes, turn heat down and continue simmering for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. When I use homemade sauce, I actually simmer for a few hours. However long you choose to cook your sauce for, just ensure you keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn. The less sauce, the less simmering time.

4. When sauce is almost done, cook your spaghetti in salted water to your preference. 

5. Meanwhile, add your marinara mix to the sauce, keeping lid on and cooking for 4-5 minutes. Having the lid on will allow any mussels in the mix to open. Discard any that do not open. The actual seafood (marinara mix) doesn't take long to cook so make sure you don't add it until almost ready to serve.

6. Add sauce to drained pasta and stir through fresh parsley.

Slow Cooked Oriental Pork with Mandarins

The other day, a follower of this blog's Facebook page, enquired about whether I had any slow cooker recipes I could share. Unfortunately, I don't own a slow cooker although I think the concept is brilliant. I thought I would do a search amongst some food bloggers I follow and simply share a link if I found a dish that looked appealing. However, I ended up finding a recipe that had both the traditional and slow cooker methods listed so I decided to test it out.

Before I made it, I was concerned with the amount of onion and garlic involved, and wasn't entirely convinced about the pork and mandarin combination. However, I can honestly say it was delicious - and I will definitely be making it again!

The original recipe, along with the slow cooker instructions (and tips) can be found over at Cook Republic. The dish looks completely different, probably due to the fact that Sneh, the talented woman behind Cook Republic, is a food photographer, stylist and designer!

The only ingredient I substituted was the tamari, as I couldn't find any in my local supermarket. Since Google told me that tamari is similar to soy sauce but not as salty, I decided to use ketjap manis, a sweet soy sauce in its place.

Slow Cooked Oriental Pork with Mandarins

Serves 4

750g pork loin, roughly cubed or chopped
6 small brown onions*
10 cloves of garlic, whole and peeled
2 seedless mandarins, peeled and segmented
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
3 tablespoons ketjap manis
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup spring onions, sliced
boiled rice for serving

* My onions weren't tiny so I actually quartered them rather then adding them whole.


1. Heat oil in a saucepan. Once heated, add pork and season with salt and pepper. Cook until starting to brown. If you find the pork is starting to stew in the liquid rather than brown, pour some of the liquid out.

2. Add onions and garlic to the pan and saute until they begin to soften.

3. Add the mandarin, tomato sauce, white pepper, five spice powder, ketjap manis, vinegar and water. Stir everything together so that ingredients are well combined.

4. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes.

5. Serve on top of boiled rice and garnish with spring onions.

Apple Crumble with Mixed Nuts

Today's recipe is quick and delicious - perfect for cold Winter nights when you are craving a treat but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen whipping something up. It's also great as a last minute dessert if you have unexpected guests. Of course, you can use fresh apples and prep them for this dessert but since this is a cheat's version, I've just used tinned apples.

I created the crumble in my Thermomix, however you can easily combine the ingredients in a food processor.

Apple Crumble with Mixed Nuts

Serves 4

40g butter, cubed
50g self raising flour
1/2 heaped teaspoon of cinnamon (plus a little extra for sprinkling)
40g brown sugar
50-60g mixed, unsalted nuts*
Cooking oil spray
400g tin of pie apple slices
Pure/double cream for serving

* If you prefer a certain type of nut, you can use that exclusively rather than using the mixed nuts.

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius fan forced.

2. Place butter, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar and nuts in Thermomix. Pulse 3-4 times using the Turbo function with setting to lid closed.

3. Grease 4 small ramekin dishes using cooking oil spray and then divide the tin of apple between the four dishes.

4. Sprinkle the apple lightly with a little cinnamon.

5. Spoon crumble mixture into each dish until full. You will probably have leftover crumble, depending on size of dishes.

6. Place dishes on an oven tray in preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. You may see bubbling around edges towards end of the cook.

7. Be careful not to burn yourself on hot dishes once ready to eat. You may want to wait a few minutes for them to cool slightly. Serve with a generous dollop of cream.

Mushroom Fish Burger

A while back I was searching for a great fish burger recipe, thinking the key would be some delicious sauce. Instead, I stumbled across this amazing recipe on the Power of Mushrooms site, featuring a fish burger with mushrooms. I had never really thought about using mushrooms with fish but I gave it a try. It is now a favourite of my husband and I.

Whilst the original recipe is for an open burger, we have ours sandwiched between a whole bun. I also use ling fillets because they are quick to cook and very tender, however you could substitute your favourite fish fillet. Finally, I use baby spinach leaves in place of rocket.

Mushroom Fish Burger

Serves 2

300-350g ling fillets
Cajun spice blend
Cooking oil spray
2 large, flat mushrooms
2 hamburger buns
Approx 1/2 cup tartare sauce
Baby spinach leaves
Tomato

1. Start off my cutting up the ling into pieces that will fit your burger buns. Sprinkle each side of the trimmed fish with Cajun spice and set aside.

2. Remove stalks from mushroom and if need be, trim around edges to get them as flat as possible.

3. Spray a small fry pan with cooking oil and place the mushrooms in the pan. Cook on stove top at a medium-high temperature, turning over a few times as each side browns. Cook them to your liking. It probably only takes me 5-6 minutes to cook the mushrooms. Once cooked, turn off the heat and just leave in pan until ready to use.

4. Slice buns open and place them on a plate. Spread base of buns with half of the tartare sauce (or as much as you desire)!

5. Place baby spinach leaves on top of tartare sauce and then top them with a couple of slices of tomato.

6. Meanwhile, spray another fry pan with cooking oil spray and heat up. Once heated, cook fish fillets, turning them over midway through. Depending on thickness of fillets, this step doesn't take very long at all.

7. Once fish is cooked, add to your burger buns and then place the cooked mushrooms on top of the fish.

8. Finally, top with remainder of tartare sauce and enjoy :) I love burgers served with homemade chips.


A quick, easy and delicious burger that's perfect for those busy days!

Ricotta Gnocchi

There's something about gnocchi that makes them a great comfort food. If made correctly, they are soft pillows of deliciousness and when smothered in a rich, homemade sauce they're even better. This recipe is adapted from the Thermomix Everyday Cookbook and details how to make the actual gnocchi. You can add any sauce you like.

Ricotta is a great substitute for potato and helps to make the gnocchi light and not so heavy on the stomach. I would recommend buying the ricotta from a reputable deli. There's nothing quite like fresh ricotta. If you've only ever had ricotta from the supermarket (either prepackaged or from their deli), you are missing out on something special. 

Ricotta Gnocchi

Serves 6 people

1kg fresh ricotta

600-650g plain flour

pinch sea salt

2 teaspoons butter

1 egg

1. Place ricotta into a large bowl and mash up with a fork. This isn't strictly necessary but I like to break up the piece of ricotta before adding the flour, so it is easier to incorporate.

2. Add about half of the flour, the salt, butter and egg and knead until all ingredients are just incorporated. Try not to over knead the dough as this will result in the gnocchi being more tough. 

You can do this initial kneading in a Thermomix if you have one (35 seconds, lid closed, knead), however I found that unlike the potato recipe, you need to complete the kneading step about 3 times and in between each, you need to push the dough down a little with the spatula. 

3. Overturn your dough onto a lightly floured surface and start incorporating the rest of the flour. You want to end up with a workable dough that you can roll out without it being too sticky. I usually have extra flour on hand and I just add/sprinkle more over the top as needed.

4. Once you have a workable dough, tear off a small piece and roll out into a long strip about 2-3 cm in diameter. There's no hard and fast rule about the size of gnocchi so you can use your discretion here. 

5. Then cut the strip into approximately 3 cm pieces (see picture above, top left). You can leave the gnocchi like this if you wish and I've certainly done that before, especially when pressed for time. The shape won't make a big difference to the taste. Alternatively, you can shape the little pillows into a traditional gnocchi shape - either by using a special gnocchi board or the back of a fork like I have.

6. As you shape each piece of dough, place it on a lined baking tray and once the tray is full, lightly sprinkle with flour and then place in refrigerator until ready to use.

7. Cooking gnocchi is quick and easy. Simply place them into a pot of boiling, salted water. They will initially sink to the bottom and once cooked, rise to the surface. They can be left to boil for a minute or two once all risen, but if left too long, they will turn mushy. Once cooked, strain and mix through your favourite sauce. They are delicious served with grated Parmesan and some crusty garlic bread!