apple tea-cake

Ingredients for 6 to 8 serves

bottom
1½ cups sifted self raising flour
60g butter
½ cup caster sugar
1 egg
5 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¾ cup grated apple (approx 2 medium apples)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
middle
6 grated (small to medium) apples
zest of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon cinnamon
top
180g unbleached flour
120g butter
60g raw sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Method

bottom
Cream butter and sugar together. Then gradually add the lightly beaten egg, sifted flour, grated apple, milk and lemon juice. Add cinnamon to taste. Do not beat too much.
middle
Grate the peeled and cored apples, add zest of one good sized lemon (this makes the flavour so be generous!) and cinnamon to taste.
top
Rub together all the ingredients and make a coarse crumble. This can be done in a processor but you will need to squash the crumbs together to get some bulk.
Spread the bottom on the base of a 25cm square cake tin, evenly cover with the grated apple mixture and cover with the crumble. Cook in oven preheated to 180 C for 30 to 60 minutes.

Serve warm, with heavy cream, as a pudding.
This was used at Schuss Lodge Mount Buller as a dessert on BBQ night. There was never any leftover.

microwave muesli

Ingredients

1¼ kg rolled oats
¾ cup wheat germ
¾ cup bran
¾ cup sunflower seeds
¾ cup sesame seeds
¾ cup slivered almonds
¾ cup shredded coconut
¾ cup pumpkin seeds
1½ cups Angas Park dried fruit medley
150 ml macadamia oil (or other vegetable oil or melted butter)
150 ml honey

Method

Microwave honey for 30 seconds or so to give a "watery" consistency. Meanwhile mix all dry ingredients except pumpkin seeds and fruit medley in a large microwave proof bowl. Stir in the oil and honey (avoid lumps). Microwave for 6 minutes. Stir in pumpkin seeds. Microwave for a further 4 minutes. Stir again then leave to cool. After ½ hour or so, while still warm (not too hot or the fruit will harden), stir in the fruit medley.

Note: This is a very flexible and forgiving recipe. Vary the quantities to suit your palate. Altering the time in the microwave controls how strongly toasted the outcome. Beware overcooking or patches of scorched and bitter mixture will result.

mushroom sauce

Ingredients

500 g finely choped mushrooms
3 finely chopped spring onions (or shallots)
200 ml cream
125 ml white wine
30 g butter
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tsp Dijon or whole-grain mustard and/or a pinch of nutmeg
a sprinkle of mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Melt the butter over a gentle heat in a medium sized saucepan.
Add the chopped spring onions (or shallots) and fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes.
Add the chopped mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms have softened and darkened in colour.
Turn the heat up and pour in the white wine.
Stir ingredients and cook until wine has reduced by 2/3.
Reduce the heat and stir in the mustard and/or nutmeg and mixed herbs.

Serve hot over a good steak or chicken breasts with crispy potato wedges and a fresh salad.
It will even add pizzaz to a humble sausage.

smoked salmon terrine

Ingredients

This recipe started out as a Salmon mousse made with canned salmon as tasted with Rossi's golfing friends during the trip to Scamander/St Helen's. This adaption is much simpler to prepare and at least as tasty according to all reports. I suspect it could also be made with smoked trout.

Ingredients

200 g hot smoked salmon (preferably from 41 South)
½ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon horseradish (Newman's)
1 or 2 teaspoons dill
1 or 2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 or 2 teaspoons sweet chilli sauce - optional if a bit of sweetness is preferred
cracked tasmanian native pepper berries to taste

Method

Place the salmon pieces in a medium-sized mixing bowl and break up with a fork.
Add all the other ingredients, except tasmanian pepper, to the bowl.
Mix vigorously until well blended - ie no lumps of salmon remaining.
Grind tasmanian pepper over and mix through. Taste.
Repeat the last step until the required "bite" is achieved (or the bowl is empty).

Serve with plain cracker biscuits or toast and a quality sparkling white, Tasmanian of course.

thai chicken salad

Ingredients

large salad with plenty of assorted greens
¼ cup chopped coriander
sauce
¼ - ½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
¼ cup white vinegar
½ tablespoon caster sugar (optional)

Method

Sauce: mix all ingredients in a saucepan and warm but do not boil.
Spread the salad over a large platter. Sit baked warm chicken (broken into large/medium sized pieces) on top.
Sprinkle all over with coriander (Thai basil & mint optional). Pour warm dressing over all ingredients.

Serve with crusty bread or rice.

Note: This salad also works superbly with lamb filets (BBQed) medium/rare then sliced crossways around 5mm thick.
Serve with baguettes. The real french article, of course.

tomato sauce

Ingredients per 1kg of tomatoes

1 kg vine ripened tomatoes
200 gn brown onions
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
1 cup white wine vinegar
10 g black peppercorns
6 g cloves
6 g whole allspice

Method

Quarter tomatoes (or halve if using cherry tomates). Peel and roughly chop the onions and thinley slice the garlic.
Put the oil in a non-reactive saucepan then add the tomato, onion and garlic and bring to the boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat and cook until all ingredients are very soft. Blend mixture until it is a semi-smooth pulp.
Sprinkle the salt, cayenne and paprika over the puree than add the sugar and vinegar and stir to combine.
Tie the peppercorns, cloves and allspice up in a small square of muslin, then put this into the pot and bring to the simmer. Simmer gently for several (up to 4) hours until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
Remove the muslin bag and pour the sauce into hot, sterilised bottles.

Serve whenever...

Note: For that special piquancy add some ground Tasmanian native pepper with the cayenne and paprika. Also powdered allspice seems to work OK.