Julie Ray

Redfish & potato cakes from SFM fishline recipes

Fish cakes are so easy to make and a great filler for hungry teenage boys and big boys. Here are two recipes for fish cakes, one with potatoes using the fish of your choice and Thai fish cakes using redfish. When you make Thai fish cakes try using a gelatinous style fish like redfish or ling. You can also check out Sydney Fish Market Fishline for more fishcake recipes. Enjoy!

Fish and Potato Cakes
Makes 12-14

700g Pontiac potatoes, peeled, cut in

50g butter

1⁄4 cup milk

500gms fish fillets of your choice like redfish or salmon , skin and bones removed

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

1⁄2 cup mint leaves, finely chopped

zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 egg, whisked

1⁄4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs), plus extra for coating

vegetable oil for frying

Rub the fillets all over with olive oil and a small pinch of the salt and pepper. Add the potatoes to the pan and bring back to a boil. Put the fish into a steamer or colander and  cover, place it over the pan of potatoes. Turn the heat down and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a skewer and the fish is cooked. Remove the fish from the colander and set aside.

Drain the potatoes well and return to saucepan. Mash with butter and milk, season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine fish, capers, lemon zest and juice, egg and breadcrumbs. Add mashed potato a couple of tablespoons at a time and combine well.
Scoop out 1 heaped tablespoon of salmon mixture, shape into patties and coat with breadcrumbs. Set aside on a lined baking tray and continue until all the mixture is finished. (Tip: Place into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set.)
Heat oil in a large frying pan and cook patties until golden on both sides. Do not overcrowd the pan, do in batches if necessary.
Serve with a coleslaw salad and wasabi mayonnaise and lemon wedges.

Top tips: You can make breadcrumbs from old white bread by processing it in a food processor. Use a whole egg mayonnaise as it’s thicker. Wasabi is found in the Asian section of the supermarket or keep a few sachets of takeaway wasabi to add to your mayonnaise.

Thai Fish Cakes

makes 12

500gms redfish fillets, skin and bones removed and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon red curry paste

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1/2 cup finely sliced snake beans or green beans

vegetable oil for frying

Place the fish fillets in a food processor, and pulse until finely minced. Add the curry paste and the fish sauce and pulse until well combined.

Transfer to a bowl and mix in the beans.

Using wet hands or lightly oil your hands wih vegetable oil, shape the mixture into 12 flat patties by slapping the mixture from one hand to the other.

Heat oil in a wok or deep-fryer to 180-200 degrees celsius and deep fry the patties until golden. serve hot or cold with asweet chilli sauce and lime wedges.

Ceviche Salmon from Mar/Apr issue of ABC Organic Gardener magazine

I had the most magnificent meal at a very dear friends house last Saturday night and after their travels to Mexico they served us up ceviche of fish and ceviche of prawns with a corn salsa and guacomale, served with home made tortillas. It was delicious and refreshing, especially on a balmy night.  I was transported to Mexico.

Ceviche (seh/BEE/tcheh) is cooking without heat. Basically it is marinating raw fish or crustaceans in citrus juice.  Most countries in South America have their own version of ceviche, but it is thought to originally be from Peru.

In the latest issue of ABC Organic Gardener magazine we are celebrating avocadoes. I made three salads to top the halved avocadoes. A Ceviche of Salmon, Moroccan Chickpea salad and a Chicken Waldorf salad. Its quick, easy and so retro.

If you want a hit of Mexico try this Ceviche of Snapper recipe, big tip,  your fish must be really fresh, thats why I am sharing it with the mad fishing crew on The Big Fish program, ABC radio this Saturday. Enjoy!

Ceviche Snapper

Serves 4

½ red onion, finely sliced
250g skinless and boneless snapper
Juice of 4 limes
Juice of ½ orange
1 red chilli, finely sliced

½ tsp salt, plus extra to season
Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

Cut the fish into 1 – 2cm cubes.  Add the citrus juices, chilli and salt in a medium size glass or ceramic bowl and leave to marinate for 30 minutes or until the fish turns completely opaque. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Divide the fish and marinade between 2 bowls, scatter with coriander, and serve immediately with your favourite salsa, guacomale and tortillas.

The Big Mango

Mango season is well and true here and if you have a mango tree in your backyard you have more than enough to play with. So what can you do with a glut of mangoes?

Here are three recipes to play with, Mango Prawn Salad, Mango cheesecake (I should call this Jonos Mango cheesecake as the mangoes are from his tree) and a  Green mango pickle. Enjoy!

Mango & Prawn Fragrant Salad

Mangoes, prawns and coconut are a marriage made in heaven. Enjoy!

2 green chillies, seeds removed and roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

Pinch of salt

1 cup coconut cream

1 kaffir lime leaf, stem removed and finely shredded

1 lemongrass stalk, bottom third finely chopped

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon palm sugar, grated

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced

1 large or 2 small green mangoes,

1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

1 small red onion, sliced

1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped

1/3 cup coriander leaves, chopped

12 prawns, peeled and deveined, leaving tails intact

In a mortar and pestle or small blender, pound the chillies, garlic and salt into a paste.

In a medium sized wok slowly heat the coconut cream over a low-medium heat. Add the chilli paste, kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice. Stir until sugar has dissolved. You should have a balance of hot, sweet, sour and salty. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, gently combine the mangoes, avocado, red onion and herbs.

Add the prawns to the coconut cream mixture for 2-3 minutes then pour the prawns and coconut mixture over the mango salad and gently toss.

Divide onto serving plates and serve straight away.

2 1/4 cups caster sugar

1 1/2 cups coconut vinegar (or white vinegar)

1 1/2 cups water

3-4 cloves

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 cinnamon stick

500gms green mango (they need to be rock hard and when sliced open a very pale colour)

Cut green mango into long thin shreds.

Place sugar, vinegar,water, cloves, coriander seeds and cinnamon into a large saucepan and bring to the boil and stir constantly to dissolve the sugar.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, do not let the liquid come to a boil. Add the mango slices and cook for an hour or until the mango is clear.

Place into steerilised jars and seal. Store in a cool part of your pantry. Once the jars are opened store in the refrigerator.

Mango cheesecake

Serves 6

Mango cheesecake

150gms shortbread biscuts

1 heaped tablespoon shredded coconut

60gms butter, melted

250gms cream cheese

250gms mascarpone

2/3 cups light brown sugar

Juice of 2 limes

2 eggs, lightly whisked

1 egg yolk, lightly whisked

150gms mango flesh, coarsely chopped

2-3 ripe mangoes, sliced, to serve

Preheat oven to 150C.

In a food processor blend the biscuits and coconut until finely ground. Add the butter and mix until combined.

Place ring of an 18cm-diameter springform cake pan (do not use base) on a baking paper-lined oven tray. Press biscuit coconut mixture into ring and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Combine mascarpone, cream cheese, sugar, mango flesh, eggs, egg yolk and lime juice in a food processor and process until smooth, then pour mixture over biscuit base and smooth top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until just set. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely cold.

Serve, topped with slices of fresh mango.

Whole Fish on the barbie is simple and delicious

If you love fishing and you are not an early riser on Saturday mornings listen to ABC radio  Scott Levi (self-confessed fishing tragic) podcast of  The Big Fish.

It’s a weekly fishing show for all anglers in NSW from the inland scene to the coast.

I am lucky enough to come onto the show and talk about cooking seafood…my passion!

This week I shared my BBQ Snapper recipe, I know its been blogged before but being BBQ season its time to revisit an old fave…enjoy!

WHOLE BBQ FISH ASIAN STYLE

Serves 4

1 x 1.5-2kg whole fish, scaled and gutted

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 5cm lengths

¼ cup coriander leaves

1 small knob of ginger, thinly sliced

1 lime, thinly sliced

1 kaffir lime leaf

Dressing

¼ cup lime juice

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 ½ tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar

1 chilli, deseeded and chopped finely

¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped finely

(adjust the dressing to taste e.g. hot, sweet, sour, salty)

Pat fish dry with paper towels. Cut 2 incisions 1cm deep, 10cm long and 4cm apart on each side of the fish. Brush with the peanut oil.

Place fish on a large sheet of non-stick baking paper (large enough to wrap the fish). Fill the cavity of the fish with lemongrass, coriander, ginger, chilli, sliced lime and kaffir lime leaf, making sure you have some ingredients left over to sprinkle on top of the fish.

Wrap the fish tightly with the non-stick paper them wrap in alfoil. Place the fish parcel onto a pre-heated hot BBQ and cook each side for approximately 20 minutes (1kg fish 10 minutes each side, 2kg fish 20 minutes each side)

To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients, except the coriander, until the sugar has dissolved.

To check if fish is cooked, eyes should be opaque and the fin should pull out evenly. Place fish onto a serving plate, remove the cooked ingredients, pour the dressing over the warm fish and sprinkle with coriander and serve.

Went into the ABC studios on Saturday to cook up brunch for Graeme and to share my love of green beans to cook and eat and Phil shared his love of growing and harvesting these delicious vegies. Enjoy!

Green beans wrapped in prosciutto with semi-dried macadamia pesto

Green beans wrapped in prosciutto with semi-dried macadamia pesto

serves 4-6

6 slices prosciutto halved lengthways

300 g green beans, top and tailed

extra virgin olive oil to brush

Semi-dried tomato and macadamia pesto

2 cups semi-dried tomatoes

1 cup unroasted macadamias

1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped (optional)

1/4 cup semi-dried tomato oil

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

To make the pesto, in a food processor blend the tomatoes and macadamias until coarsely chopped. Add the rosemary, garlic, chilli (if using) and with the motor running add the oils in a thin and steady stream until well combined and a smooth paste forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Steam beans for 1-2 minutes and rinse under cold water to stop cooking further and to retain the colour.

Wrap prosciutto firmly around a bundle of 6 beans. Preheat a barbecue or char-grill on high. Brush bundles with oil. Char-grill for 3-4 mins, turning, until browned. Serve with pesto.

Chargrilled tuna and green bean salad with aioli

Serves 4

200gms green beans, top and tailed

6 small kipfler potatoes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon caster sugar

a good handful of mixed salad leaves

200gms cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 small red onion, peeled and sliced

a handful flat leaf parsley

2 boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters

4x 150gms yellow fin tuna steaks

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

1 cup whole egg mayonnaise

2 garlic cloves, crushed

juice of 1/2 lemon

Place the potatoes in a steamer basket over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the beans and cook, covered, for a further 1-2 minutes or until the beans are bright green and tender crisp and the potato is tender. Refresh under cold running water. Drain.

Place tuna steaks in a glass or ceramic bowl. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, pour over the tuna steaks and marinate for 5-10 minutes.

Preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill on high. Remove the tuna from the marinade and cook on grill for 1-2 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Set aside for 2-3 minutes to rest.

Whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

For the aioli. Whisk mayonnaise, garlic and lemon in a small bowl.

Place salad leaves, tomatoes, onion and egg in a bowl and gently toss with vinaigrette until just combined. Divide among serving plates. Drizzle over the dressing and top with tuna, drizzle with aioli and serve immediately.

Eggplant harvest

Had a great time at the second Sample Food festival in Bangalow. Beautiful weather, sensational local food and drinks. For those who came along to the cooking stage and watched me present “Cooking with Maccas” here are the recipes as promised. For those who missed it, give the recipes a whirl.

This recipe is from ABC Organic Gardener magazine Jan 2012 issue.

Szechuan eggplant

Serves 4 as entrée 6 as a side dish

Macadamia oil for deep-frying

6 Lebanese eggplants, trimmed and cut into 6-7cm lengths

Salt and Pepper mix

1 tablespoon Szechuan pepper

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon rock salt

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 long red chilli, sliced

4 green onions

1/3 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

½ cup unsalted macadamias, toasted and roughly

1/4 cup coriander leaves, roughly copped

2 green onions, extra for garnish

1 bunch pak choy or Asian green of your choice

Heat Szechuan, black peppercorns and salt in a dry frying pan over a moderate heat until salt is slightly browned, stirring constantly to stop the spices from burning. Remove from the heat and pound to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Pour enough oil into a wok or deep saucepan to come to a depth of 10 centimetres. Heat over medium-high heat to 180C. Deep-fry the eggplant in two batches until tender, 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels. Remove the wok from the heat and carefully remove the oil and reserve.

Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil with the sesame oil. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, green onions and 1 tablespoon of prickly ash, stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the stock, sauces and limejuice and reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Stir through the macadamias and pour the sauce into a serving bowl. Reheat the wok to a high heat and add the Pak Choy, stir frying until wilted.

Place the Pak Choy onto a platter and top with the eggplants. Garnish with coriander leaves, extra green onions, an extra sprinkle of salt and pepper mix and pour the sauce over the eggplants and serve with steamed rice.

This macadamia recipe is one I developed for the Australian Macadamia Society 2012 calender. This was Miss January. Enjoy!

TRIO OF MACADAMIAS

Roasted Macadamias with Australian Sea Salt and Wattleseed

100gms raw macadamias

Australian Sea Salt

1 tablespoon wattleseed

Preheat an oven to 200°C fan forced.

Prepare a baking pan by generously sprinkling salt across the bottom. Add the macadamias to the pan in a single layer, and sprinkle over the wattleseed and generously sprinkle more salt over the macadamias.

Roast the macadamias in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the nuts are golden and fragrant.

Allow the macadamias to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Roasted Macadamias with Australian Pepperberry & Bush Tomato

100gms raw macadamias

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons macadamia oil

1 tablespoon bush tomatoes, roughly crushed

1 teaspoon Australian pepperberry

1 teaspoon Australian salt

Preheat oven to 200°C. Toss macadamias, garlic and oil in a medium bowl to coat. Add the bush tomatoes, Australian pepperberry and salt and toss well. Spread macadamias in a single layer on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper

Roast until fragrant, about 10-12 minutes. Cool macadamias on baking tray before storing in an airtight container.

Roasted Macadamias with Australian Honey & Lemon Myrtle

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons macadamia oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 teaspoon Australian sea salt

100gms raw macadamias

2 teaspoons lemon myrtle

Preheat oven 180°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Combine the honey, macadamia oil, garlic, and sea salt in a small frying pan over low heat. Stir until the honey has melted and the mixture is well combined.

Transfer the honey mixture to a large bowl. Add all the nuts and lemon myrtle and stir until they are evenly coated with the honey, lemon myrtle mixture.

Spread the macadamias on the prepared baking tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove and set aside to cool completely before serving.

Note

• These nut mixtures can be stored in an airtight container.

Making pizza dough @ Regional Flavours

 garden2kitchen ‘planted a pizza’ at Regional Flavours held at South Bank, Brisbane. In  its fourth year the event showcases over 100 of Queenslands food and wine producers from 13 growing regions.

We made pizza dough and packed it full of goodness from the garden. The pizzas were herb heavy with roasted and char grilled veges, potato, leeks, salsa verde and pesto. The Regional Flavours crew were brilliant and our chefs in the prep kitchen, Andy & Shawn were fabulous.

If you have never made pizza dough before, have a go, it is easy and fun. Get the kids involved they love getting their hands in the dough and don’t worry about the mess, thats all part of the joy of making pizzas. As far as toppings go there are no rules but here are a few suggestions. Enjoy!

Italian '00' flour (found in supermarkets)

Pizza balls

1kg Italian type 00 flour

2 x 7g sachets dried instant yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

pinch salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 Combine dried yeast and sugar with 21/2 cups-3 cups warm water in a bowl and rest in warm place for 5 minutes or until the yeast bubbles.

Place flour and salt in a mound on a clean work surface and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil and bring the dough together working until flour is combined. Form dough into a ball and knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place into a bowl and sprinkle over some extra virgin olive oil and cover with a cloth so it doesn’t dry out and stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Punch dough down and roll into 6 small balls and set aside covered for another hour.

Preheat oven to 240C

Using a rolling pin, roll out into 1cm thick rounds and place onto lightly oiled baking trays or sprinkle with polenta.

Shaun & Juls making pizza

Andy rolling out the dough

BASES

Make a delicious tomato sauce base by heating a large non-stick frying pan on the heat and pour in 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add 4 cloves of crushed garlic, 6 anchovies finely chopped. Once the garlic begins to colour lightly, add a 2 tablespoons of fresh oregano, a tablespoon of Italian dried herbs, and a kilo of tomatoes, deseeded and skinned and chopped or you can use 2 cans of diced Italian tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. As soon as it comes to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring occassionally. Store in a glass jar in the fridge.

Salsa Verde

2 firmly-packed cups flat-leaf parsley leaves

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons capers in brine, rinsed

7 anchovy fillets (see notes)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Toppings

• Cover base with homemade tomato sauce and top with chargrilled eggplant and zucchini, roasted peeled and diced pumpkin, favourite pesto and crumbled feta and cook pizza for 15 minutes.

• Roast peeled diced pumpkin, red & yellow capsicum, deseeded and sliced, sliced red onion with a splash of balsamic for 30 minutes in a 180C oven until softened. Top with crumbled feta, sprinkle of grated mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes or until pizza dough is crispy.

• Saute 2 bunches of English spinach in a little bit of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Add a pinch of ground coriander, ground cumin, finely chopped  preserved lemon and a tablespoon of toasted pine nut. Smother some tomato sauce on base and  top with spinach, crumbled fetta and cherry tomatoes halved .

• Spread your base with salsa verde and top with 2 leeks sauteed and thinly sliced potatoes. Cook for 15 minutes or until potato is cooked.

TIP: scatter some polenta onto baking trays to prevent dough from sticking

Roasted Pumpkin, Capsicum, Balsamic Pizza

Broccoli Pakoras

garden2kitchen were back at Queensland Garden Expo over the weekend…this is where our touring days began, , 2 years a go, spreading our message Grow, Know, Love Your Food. Great fun crowds, there was certainly a lot of loving for gardening and food going around, we had a ball.

Juls having fun with garden & food lovers

Phil shared his love, knowledge and passion of gardening and I shared my l love, knowledge and passion of cooking. We talked broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potato, herbs, lemons and well lots of other stuff .

Phil having a wow of a time

I cooked recipes from the current issue of ABC Organic Gardener magazine, Broccoli Pakoras and Broccoli and Potato Soup with Chilli, Walnut Dampers and Roasted Pumpkin Rissoto from the May/June issue.

I also cooked up Moroccan Lamb Casserole with Middle Eastern Pilaf which I did at the Coffs Growers Market using local goat. So if you were at the show or not give this casserole a go. It is easy and delicious. If you want to see the recipe for preserved lemons, click here. Enjoy!

Morroccan Goat Casserole with Pilaf

Serves 4-6

1 tablespoon Macadamia oil

1 tablespoon ghee

2 red onions, sliced

Spice Mixture

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground chilli

salt and pepper

3 garlic cloves, chopped

750g  diced goat meat

1kg tomatoes, seeds removed and chopped

pinch saffron

2 cinnamon sticks

500ml chicken stock

500g sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes

1 preserved lemon, flesh removed and cut into strips

3 tablespoons coriander, finely chopped

harissa paste, to taste

juice and zest of half lemon

1 tablespoons honey

Place the oil and ghee in a large saucepan or casserole pan and put it over a moderate-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion to the pan and cook for five minutes until softened. 

Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Place all the spice mixture ingredients in a bowl and mix together until combined. Toss the goat in the spices so that it is well coated. Add the spiced goat to the pan and seal the goat on all sides so that it is browned.

Stir in the tomatoes, saffron, cinnamon stick and enough stock to just cover the goat. Bring to the boil then reduce to a slow simmer. Leave the goat to cook for 1 hour, then add the sweet potato and preserved lemon and cook for another 30 minutes or until the meat is tender, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon (add more stock or water if the liquid is below the goat). If the stew is too watery, drain off the excess liquid into a saucepan and reduce until thickened. Then return to the stew.

To serve: Stir in 3 tablespoons of the chopped coriander, harissa paste (more or less to taste), lemon zest, juice and honey and top with yoghurt. See with Pilaf.

Pilaf – Middle East

Pilaf is found on tables throughout the entire Middle East. There are hundreds of varieties of pilaf’s from Syria to Greece – and they vary by culture, ingredients and the meat dish served with it.

1 1/2 cups basmati rice, washed

1 tablespoon macadamia oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 brown onion, finely diced

100gms angel hair pasta, cut into 4-5cm lengths

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

11/2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons olive oil, extra

1 tablespoon butter, extra

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

100gms pecans finely chopped, toasted

In a medium sized saucepan heat the oil and butter over a medium heat and when the butter is frothy cook the onion and pasta in a medium heat for 5 minutes or until onion is softened and pasta is golden.

Add the ginger, cumin and turmeric to the onion and pasta and cook for 1 minute, add the rice, stir to coat the grains, add the stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

Serve pilaf topped with parsley and pecans.

Stir fry broccoli

I was never a huge fan of broccoli as a child…overcooked soggy broccoli was always the last thing on my plate and I would push it around hoping it would magically disappear. Now I can’t get enough of this beaut veg. Broccoli is packed with vitamins and minerals which can be lost by overcooking this super veg, so let there be crunch.

There are so many ways to cook with broccoli, tossed through pasta and salads, or delicious as a soup or in curries. I love making a broccoli pesto and tossing it through warm pasta or using as a dip but you can’t go past stir fried broccoli. I have added a lot of veges to this recipe but if you want a quick lunch just stir fry the broccoli with some peanut oil, sesame oil and add oyster sauce. Enjoy!

Stir-fried Broccoli

serves 4

Marinade

500gms broccoli florets, trimmed and cut into florets

4 finely sliced kaffir lime leaves

2 finely chopped lemon grass

1⁄2 cup lime juice

1 finely chopped medium red chilli

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons grated ginger

1 teaspoon sesame oil

4 tablespoons peanut oil

1 red capsicum, deseeded and finely sliced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into matchsticks

1 cup snowpeas, top and tailed and cut in half

1 cup shiitake mushrooms

Ingredients

1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil

1/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 green onions, sliced

In a large glass or ceramic bowl combine the marinade ingredients. Add all the vegetables and set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry the vegetables for 2 minutes. Add stock and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons soy sauce, top with green onions and serve.

ABC Organic Gardener magazine

In the current issue of ABC Organic Gardener magazine, Phil Dudman and I talk broccoli. Phil gives you great tips on growing and harvesting broccoli and I give recipes like Broccoli and Potato soup with Walnut & Chilli Dampers, Broccoli Pakoras and Broccoli Pesto.

Broccoli & Potato soup with walnut & chilli damper rolls

Mandarin Almond Cakes

My neighbour Rex swung by and gave me a bag full of Mandarins from his laden tree. I was over the moon, I can eat them morning, noon or night, they are so easy to peel and their flavour is sweeter than oranges and their fragrance is distinctive.

I had a play around with them in the kitchen and came up with this Mandarin & Almond cake with Mandarin curd. I served them up on ABC North Coast radio Good Gardening show on Saturday and Phil and Graeme gave me a big thumbs up, so did my boys!

Graeme Stuart & Phil Dudman on ABC North Coast Good Gardening show

Mandarin & Almond cake with Madarin curd

Give these cakes a whirl or even just whip up the curd which is great in scones, pancakes or smothered over the middle of a sponge. Enjoy!

Mandarin & Almond Cakes with Mandrin Curd

Makes 12

125g unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly whisked

1/2 cup thickened plain yoghurt

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 large mandarins, peeled, chopped and seeds discarded

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup self-raising flour

3/4  cup almond meal

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

to serve

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 mandarin, zest and peeled and broken into segments

1/4 cup mandarin juice

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 12 non-stick mini loaf pans with oil.

Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until thick and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well combined. Stir through the yoghurt, ginger, mandarins and vanilla.

Use a large metal spoon to fold through the flour, almond meal and cinnamon into the butter mixture until well combined.

Spoon the cake mixture into the loaf pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the cakes are light golden. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

While the cakes are baking, put the sugar with 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan and stir over a medium to low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the mandarin segments, zest and juice and cook over a medium to high heat for 5 minutes. Remove the segments and zest and cool onto a plate. Keep the liquid onto a medium to high heat for a further 5 minutes or until thickened.

Top the cakes with mandarin segments and zest. Serve with mandarin curd (recipe to follow) and whipped cream.

Quick and Easy Mandarin Curd

Makes 1 cup

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup mandarin juice

80gms butter, cubed

Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined, careful not to overbeat you don’t want bubbles to form.

Pour the egg mixture into a medium sized saucepan and add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and pour into a clean bowl. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until cool. Place into a sterilised jar and keep in the refrigerator for 1 week.