Hi Everyone, sorry on my late update. A few weeks ago I went through the extreme work out of preparing a beef wellington, and because it was for a school asighnment, it had many complex processes. This extended the preparation and cooking time immensely. You will fined throughout the recipe that there are some short cuts you can take and other ingredients you can use if you cannot purchase some ingredients. But the wellington was well worth the wait, along with the delicious salad. 

Hope you enjoy. :)

Ingredients:

Beef Fillet

• 500gbeef fillet
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Crepes

• 2 cups (300g) plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 625ml (2½ cups)full cream milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped tarragon
• 50g butter, chopped

Mushroom filling

• 40gdried porcini mushrooms (shiitake mushrooms if porcini are unavalable) 
• 40ml olive oil
• 30g butter, chopped
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 200g Swiss brown mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Puff Pastry

•  

  2 cups flour plus extra

•  

  Pinch salt

•  

  180 g butter

• 2/3 cup iced water

To assemble

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4-5 slices Iberico Ham
• 3 egg yolks

Preparation: 40 minutes, plus 20 chilling, 40 resting

Cooking: 1 hour 30 minutes

Method:

1. Add water and mix, finally bring in together with fingers. Once it resembles dough turn out onto a lightly floured bench and kneed till smooth. Then shape into a rectangle. Role out till rectangle is approximately 20x30cm.
2. Soften the remaining butter so it is pliable, then halve the remaining butter. Cut into small pieces. Dot half of the remaining butter (45g) on top of two thirds of the dough. Fold the bottom third of the dough up and the top third down. Seal edges lightly with a rolling pin. Turn the dough round at right angles so that the top edge flap is to your right as if you were to open a book.
3. Flour the bench and roll dough into a rectangle 5 millimeters thick. 
4. Repeat the folding process. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in freezer till needed. (you can use pre made puff pasry.)
5. For beef fillet, preheat oven 200°C fan forced. Rub oil into beef fillet and season with salt and pepper. Place a large frying pan over high heat. Add beef and cook until all sides are browned. Set aside to cool.
6. For crepes, sift flour into a bowl, add a pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour, while whisking slowly pour in eggs and 2/3 of the milk. Whisk vigorously from the centre, incorporating the flour to form a smooth thick batter. Whisk in the remaining milk and melted butter to form a loose smooth batter the consistency of thick cream. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes. Stir in herbs. Add extra milk if required to thin the batter.
7. Melt a little of the butter in a large (25cm base) non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Ladle some of the crepe batter into the pan and quickly swirl around to cover the base to create a thin crepe. Cook until the crepe is a slight golden brown, turn over and cook a further 30-45 seconds until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat using the remaining crepe batter. You will need at least 4 crepes.
8. For mushroom filling, place dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and add just enough boiling water to cover, stand for 15 minutes and drain. Rinse under running water to remove grit and press to squeeze out any excess fluid. Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Add shallots, Swiss brown mushrooms and garlic, cook until soft and golden. Stir in re-hydrated porcini mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Tip the mushroom mixture into a sieve to drain any excess liquid and spread out over an oven tray to cool to room temperature. Roughly chop mushroom mixture to 0.5mm-1cm dice and stir through parsley, tarragon and mustard.
9. Place an oven tray into oven to preheat.
10. To assemble, brush the beef fillet with Dijon mustard to cover. Lay a piece of cling wrap on the bench in front of you. Lay the Iberico ham slices vertically away from you and slightly overlapping on the cling wrap. Spread an even layer of mushroom mixture over the ham slices, place beef fillet on one end horizontally and roll up to encase the beef tightly.
11. Lay crepes on a large piece of cling wrap, slightly overlapping to create a square on bench top. Remove cling wrap from beef and place the beef roll in the centre of the crepes and cut away the corners of the crepes to create a cross shape/plus sign allowing 1cm gap between the beef and the cut corner. Roll to encase tightly and wrap tightly in cling film. Rest in the freezer for 10 minutes, making sure it is cool and firm making it easier to handle.
12. Remove cling wrap from beef, place beef in the centre of the pastry sheet seam-side up. Cut four corners out of the pastry (reserving the cut outs) so the pastry resembles a cross shape, ensuring it is long enough on all sides to enclose the fillet completely. Carefully lift side flaps of pastry up over the beef roll so they just overlap, trimming as necessary.  Mix the egg yolks and salt together and brush over pastry to seal edges.
13. Trim the pastry piece closest to you to just cover half the base of the roll and roll firmly to encase. Trim the pastry edge so they just overlap, press and seal with egg wash. Place seam-side down on a sheet of baking paper on a non-stick roasting tray and ensure all edges are completely sealed.
14. With un-used pastry, cut three 4cm discs and place in a line down the centre of the beef roll. Cut a 1cm hole in the centre of each pastry disc to allow excess moisture to escape.  Brush top and sides of pastry evenly with egg wash removing excess with the pastry brush and place in freezer for 10 minutes to chill the pastry.
15. Place chilled beef wellington on a sheet of baking paper seam side down. Transfer to the preheated tray and bake for 30-35 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the fillet inside. It should be around 46°C. Allow to rest for 20-25 minutes before carving.
16. To serve, carve beef wellington into thick slices and serve with the sauce on the side.

Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 Small packet of salad rocket 
• 130g wall nuts shelled 
• 1 pear sliced
• 1 lemon juiced
• 100g parmesan cheese shredded
• 30ml reduced balsamic dressing 
• 1 pomegranate

Method:

1. Wash the rocket and place on a serving plate.
2. Dress the slices of pear with lemon to stop it from going brown, then scatter over rocker with wall nuts, cheese, parmesan and pomegranate. 
3. Dress salad with the balsamic and oil to taste

Source:  https://www.masterchef.com.au/recipes/beef-wellington.htm

Omg! Today I made the most amazing pork and veal ravioli with a burnt butter and sage sauce. And it was amazing. Again I have used this for my food tech folio. It is so yummy I made it again. It isn't to hard and it is really easy to cater for extended amounts of people. The filling of the ravioli can be adapted to anything you're little heart desires. You can change the mince, change the onion, even add in extras. :) Enjoy. 

Dough:

• 2 cups plain white flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/3 cup water

Filling:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 4 spring onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 250g pork and veal mince
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Sauce:

• 60 g butter
• 1 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/3 cup almond slivers

1. To Make Dough: Place flour, eggs, oil and water in a food processor bowl. Process for 5 seconds or until mixture comes together in a ball. Leave covered in plastic wrap in refrigerator 15 minutes. If food processor is unavailable, combine ingredients in large mixing bowl, using your fingertips.

2. To Make Filling: Heat oil in heavy-based pan, add finely chopped spring onions and crushed garlic, stir-fry over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add mince, stir-fry over high heat for 4 minutes or until well browned and all liquid has evaporated. Use a fork to break up any lumps as mince cooks; cool, stir in egg.

3. Roll half the dough out very thinly (about 1mm) onto a lightly-floured surface. Use a large sharp knife to cut dough into 6 cm squares. Brush half the squares very lightly with water, place a teaspoonful of filling onto each. Top each with another square, (on the diagonal), press down firmly to seal filling inside. Place in a single layer onto well-floured oven trays. Repeat with remaining Dough and Filling.

4. To Make Sauce: Melt butter in medium pan, add mascarpone cheese, stir over medium heat until melted. Add Parmesan and chopped sage and heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Cook ravioli in a large pan of rapidly boiling water for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain, serve with Sauce, sprinkle with toasted almond slivers.

Last Friday I made and prepared a Trio of dips with a hand made rustic turkish bread for my food tech folio. The dips weren’t to complex and the bread recipe was easy to follow. 

I did however make the mistake of thinking that the 400g can of chick peas did not include the liquid. So if you try this recipe, ensure you weigh the chick peas instead of following the weight on the can. 

This recipe makes about a cup and a half of each dip. And two small loaves of turkish bread.

Turkish bread recipe: 

• 250g plain flour, sifted
• 1/2 tsp (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 190ml (1 1/2 cups) warm water
• Olive oil, to grease
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 egg yolk
• 1/2 tbs olive oil

Method:

1. Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add water. Use a wooden spoon to stir until combined, then use hands to bring the dough together in the bowl.
2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 15 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Brush a bowl with oil to grease. Place dough in the bowl and lightly coat with oil. Cover with a damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1-1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
3. Place a baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven. Preheat oven to 230°C. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Flatten slightly with hands. Place each half on separate pieces of floured, non-stick baking paper. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 15 minutes.
4. With floured hands, stretch each piece of dough into an 18 x 40cm rectangle. Leave on non-stick baking paper. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 10 minutes. Combine sesame and nigella seeds.
5. Whisk egg yolk and oil in a bowl. Brush the top of each pide with egg mixture. Use floured fingers to make indentations on top and sprinkle with seeds. Remove tray from oven and slide 1 pide onto tray. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat with second pide.

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/12772/turkish+pied

Roast Pumpkin dip recipe:

• 500g Kent pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 3cm pieces
• Olive oil spray
• 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbs ground cumin
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
• Chopped fresh continental parsley, to serve

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Method:Notes

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the pumpkin, in a single layer, on the prepared tray. Spray with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Set aside for 20 minutes to cool.
2.  
3. Process the pumpkin, chickpeas, garlic and cumin in a food processor until almost smooth. Add the lemon juice and process until well combined.
4.  
5. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin steady stream until smooth. Transfer the pumpkin dip to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crackers.

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/26025/roasted+pumpkin+cumin+hummus

Hummus dip recipe:

• 400g canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed
• 1 garlic cloves, crushed
• 80ml olive oil
• 1/2 tbs tahini paste*
• 1/3 tsp ground cumin
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
•  

Method:

1. Place the chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, tahini paste, cumin and lemon juice in a food processor and process until combined. Add 1/4 cup (60ml) of water and process again until quite smooth.
2. Place hummus in a bowl.

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/5103/hummus

Tzatziki dip recipe: 

• 3/4 cups Greek Yogurt
• 1 tbls lemon juice
• 2 tbls cucumber, minced and juices squeezed out as much as possible
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Combine all the tzatziki sauce ingredients into a bowl. Stir to combine and place in fridge until ready to serve.

https://www.amateurkitchen.tv/Greek_Chicken_Tataziki.html

The Most Dangerous cake recipe

When I was younger, I would go and stay with my grandparents during the school break. My Grandfather and I would always spend the afternoons preparing the dessert before my Nanna would come and prepare dinner. The dessert mainly consisted of the famous Airplane jelly that I persisted always had to be pink and a cake of some description. My Grandfather received an email from my Aunt containing the recipe for THE MOST DANGEROUS CHOCOLATE CAKE! And for me, now that I am older, it is very dangerous. Because it literally takes 5 minutes to make! It isn’t like a full blown cake, but it is a good quick fix. :)

Ingredients: 

• 4 tablespoons plain flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk 
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
• A small splash of vanilla extract 
• 1 large coffee mug

Method:

1. Add dry ingredients into the mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix in thoroughly.
2. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips if you are using them and the vanilla extract. And mix again.
3. Place in the microwave on high for three minutes. The mixture may overflow so place a plate underneath. Don’t stress if it does. 
4. Allow to cool, you can turn it out onto a plate if desired. But it looks quite rustic in the cup. 
5. If you want to ice the cake, that is up to you. Me being miss piggy, had some Nutella lying around, so used that as an alternative. It is also good with ice cream.

Enjoy!! 

Boeuf Bourguignon

My family will use any excuse to have a get together. This usually consists of lots of food, drinks, music and great company. On occasions we even put a theme to the occasion. A year or so ago we had a french theme dinner party. We all had to dress up as if we were in the 50's. I am absolutely mad on Julia child and the cook book Mastering the art of French cooking. Which you can probably tell by the photograph at the top of this site. We had dips for starters, as well as Julia Childs famous Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef stew in red wine, with bacon, onions and mushrooms) It was absolute heaven. The beef was perfectly cooked, it melted in your mouth!

I have converted this recipe into metric system so to make it easier to follow. Traditionally boiled potatoes are served with this dish. I coated my potatoes with butter and finely chopped parsley. Julia recommends the use of a young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaux-St. Émilion, or Burgundy.

Serves: 6  

Use a fireproof casserole dish with lid. I used a carts iron pot. 

• 170g bacon, solid chunk
• 1 tb olive oil
• 1kg lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tb flour
• 3 cups red wine (a full bodied wine like Bordeaux or Burgundy or Chianti)
• 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock 
• 1 tbl tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed (you may choose to add more)
• 1 sprig thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1 bay leaf 

For the braised onions:

• 18-24 small white onions
• 1 1/2 tbl unsalted
• 1 1/2 tbl olive oil
• 1/2 beef stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine or water
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp thyme tied in cheese cloth

For the Sauteed Mushrooms

• 450g mushrooms, quartered
• 4 tbl insalted butter
• 2 tbl olive oil

Method:

1. Remove rind, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inch long). Simmer rind and bacon for ten minuets in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.
2. Preheat oven to 220˚c.
3. Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for two to three minuets in casserole dish to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
4. Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
5. In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.
6. Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for four minuets. Toss the meat and return to oven for another four minuets more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 180˚c.
7. Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for two and a half to three hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces through it easily.
8. While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. 
9. Melt butter in a skillet and add oil. When it starts to bubble add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about ten minuets, rolling the onions about so the will brown as evenly as possible. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly. 
10. Pour in the liquid, season to taste, add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for forty to fifty minuets until the onion are perfectly tender but retain their shape and liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Set aside till needed.   
11. For the mushrooms, place the skillet over a high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for four to five minuets. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In two to three minuets the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat and set aside till needed.  
12. When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a sauce pan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat. 
13. Skim the fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minuet or two, skimming off the additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If to thin, boil it down rapidly. If two thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. 
14. Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minuets, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole dish or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes. 

Bon Appetite!

Chocolate mousse tart

If you are a fan of chocolate, than you will love this recipe. It’s quite rich but the orange caramel evens the flavors out. I made this for my Food Technology folio in year 11 and the class went mad on it! 

Serves: 8–10

Ingredients

Chocolate shortcrust pastry

• 100g (2/3 cup) plain flour
• 70g Dutch cocoa
• 20g ground almonds
• 60g icing sugar
• 90g unsalted butter, chilled, chopped
• 1egg, lightly beaten

Chocolate mousse

• 275g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
• 140g unsalted butter, chopped
• 2eggs
• 3egg yolks
• 110g (1/2 cup)caster sugar
• 1orange, zested

Orange caramel

• 110g (1/2 cup)caster sugar
• 100ml orange juice
• 3oranges, segmented
• Baby basil leaves (optional) and mascarpone, to serve (I used baby mont leaves, but you could use whatever you like)

Method

Preparation: 30 minutes plus 45 minutes to rest pastry

Cooking: 40 minutes

• Preheat oven to 180°C. You will need a 24cm round fluted tart pan.

• For pastry, places flour, cocoa, almonds, sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor and process for 30 seconds or until well combined. Add butter and process until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg and process until mixture almost comes together. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

• Roll out pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until 4mm thick, then use to line pan. Using scissors, trim pastry to 5mm above tart pan rim, then prick base with a fork. Freeze tart shell for 15 minutes. Line tart shell with baking paper, place pan on an oven tray and bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper, then bake for a further 10 minutes or until pastry is dry. Cool for 10 minutes.

• Meanwhile, to make chocolate mousse, place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water and stir occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. Reserve pan of water on the stove

• Place eggs, egg yolks and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl over the pan of simmering water. Using hand-held electric beaters, whisk on medium speed for 6 minutes or until nearly tripled in volume and mixture holds a trail. (Alternatively, using a balloon whisk, whisk for 10 minutes.) Remove from heat, add zest, then fold into chocolate mixture in 3 batches until just incorporated. Immediately pour mousse into tart shell and level with an offset spatula. Place pan on an oven tray and bake for 18 minutes or until just set.

•  Meanwhile, place caster sugar in a medium frying pan over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes or until sugar begins to melt. Swirl pan as sugar begins to caramelise, but do not stir. In a separate small saucepan, bring orange juice to the boil. Once caramel is a deep golden, immediately pour in hot orange juice, taking care as mixture will splutter, and stir until smooth. Place orange segments in a heatproof bowl and pour over orange caramel. Brush hot tart with a few coatings of orange caramel, then set tart aside for 20 minutes.
• To assemble, using a slotted spoon, place a spoonful of orange segments over centre of tart, scatter with basil leaves, if using, and drizzle with a little orange caramel. Serve with mascarpone and remaining orange segments and caramel.

Reference:

https://www.masterchef.com.au/recipes/chocolate-mousse-tart.htm

By Mindy Woods 

Anything Quiches:

Today I woke up in a bit of an experimental mood. I went to the fridge and pulled out the entire content and made them into quiches. I believe that they were bloody awesome!! They should last a few days in the fridge so I a delicious school lunch to look forward to. And the great thing is you can literally make them out of anything. Here is what I used:

Ingredients:

•  5-6 free range eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 small egg plant diced (skin on)
• Small hand full of sliced mushrooms
• 2 rashes of bacon diced
• 1 small onion diced 
• 1/2 Grated tasty cheese
• Grated parmesan cheese 

Method:

•  Pre heat oven in 180˚c and grease a muffin tin. (I used a non stick spray. They stuck a little bit. You could try using butter or even using baking paper.)
• In a dry pan sauté the onion. Once soft add the bacon and cook for 3 approximately 3 minuets on a medium to low heat. 
• In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and milk. Mix in the tasty cheese with the eggplant, mushrooms, onion and bacon. 
• Divide into the muffin tin and place a small pinch of the parmesan.
• Place in oven for around 30 minuets. Till the top of the Quiches are golden brown and egg has cooked. 
• Take out of oven and turn out onto cooking rack.