Summer Vegetable Braise

Ingredients

6 oz baby carrots
6 oz sugar-snap peas or mange-tout
4 oz baby corn
6 tbsp vegetable stock
2 tsp lime juice
salt and black pepper
chopped fresh parsley and snipped fresh chives, to garnish

Method

1. Place the carrots, peas, and baby corn in a large heavy-based saucepan with the vegetable stock and lime juice. Bring to the boil.
2. Cover the pan and reduce the heat, then simmer for 6-8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender.
3. Season the vegetables to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the chopped fresh parsley and snipped chives. Cook the vegetables for a few seconds more, stirring them once or twice until the herbs are well mixed, then serve at once

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Vegetarian Classics

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Bacon Cheddar Monkey Bread

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups (7 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
12 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2-1/4 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 package (1/4 ounce) rapid-rise active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (120°F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg

Method

1. Combine cheese, bacon and green onions in medium bowl; mix well.
2. Combine 1-1/2cups flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl of stand mixer; stir to combine. Add water and oil, beat with paddle attachment at medium speed 3 minutes.
3. Replace paddle attachment with dough hook. Beat in 1-1/4cups flour until dough comes together. Add 1 cup cheese mixture. Knead at medium-low speed 6 to 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding remaining 1/4 cup flour if necessary to clean side of bowl. Place dough in greased bowl and turn to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Generously spray 12-cup (10-inch) bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk butter and egg in shallow bowl until blended. Punch down dough. Roll 1-inch pieces of dough into balls. Dip balls in butter mixture; roll in remaining cheese mixture to coat. Layer in prepared pan. Cover and let rise in warm place about 40 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F.
6. Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Loosen edges of bread with knife; invert onto wire rack. Cool 5 minutes; serve warm.

Makes 12 servings.

Source: Monkey Breads and More

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Beef Burger with Beet Relish and Cucumber Raita

Ingredients

600 g good quality ground beef
1 tsp smoked paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
sea salt and black pepper
olive oil to cook and drizzle
250 g cherry tomatoes on the vine
splash of balsamic vinegar
4 iceberg lettuce leaves, trimmed to neaten (optional)
handful of wild arugula leaves (optional)

Beet relish

250 g cooked beet in natural juices,
3 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
handful of Italian parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil

Cucumber raita

1 large cucumber
handful of mint leaves, chopped
3 to 4 tbsp plain yogurt
squeeze of lemon juice, to taste

Method

1. Put the ground beef into a large bowl and add the paprika, cayenne, 1/2 tsp salt (or less to taste) and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix well with your hands, then shape into 4 neat patties. Place on a plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes to set the shape.
2. Make the beet relish. Roughly chop the beet and place in a food processor along with the capers, parsley, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Pulse until the mixture is roughly chopped—you don’t want to purge the beet. Season to taste and transfer to a bowl.
3. Make the cucumber raita, peel the cucumber and quarter lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon and discard. Roughly chop the flesh and place in a bowl. Add the chopped mint and toss with enough yogurt to bind. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Heat the barbecue or heat a little olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Brush the burgers with olive oil and cook on the barbecue, or pan-fry allowing 3-1/2 to 4 minutes on each side for medium burgers. Remove to a warm plate and let rest for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes to the barbecue or skillet and drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the tomatoes are soft but still retain their shape.
5. Serve the burgers with the tomatoes, beet relish, and cucumber raita. For a neat presentation, spoon the raita into lettuce cups and garnish with a handful of arugula.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Chef Gordon Ramsay

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Grilled Lemon Prawns with Corn Cakes

Ingredients

32 large uncooked prawns
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 tsp finely grated lemon rind
4 tbsp chicken stock
4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Corn Cakes

3 medium (1.2 kg) kumara (sweet potato)
7 trimmed (1.75 kg) fresh corn cobs
2 small (160 g) brown onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely crushed

Salsa

500 g arugula, shredded
4 small (520 g) well-ripened tomatoes, chopped
2 small (160 g) brown onions, finely chopped
4 tsp olive oi

Method

1. Make corn cakes. Boil, steam or microwave kumara until tender; drain and mash.
2. Remove kernels from corn cobs.
3. Cook onion and garlic in heated, oiled pan until soft, add corn kernels and cook, stirring, until lightly browned.
4. Combine kumara and corn mixture in a bowl. Shape 2 tbsps of mixture into a small, round cake. Repeat with remaining mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Cook corn cakes in batches in large, heated, oiled pan until lightly browned all over. Keep warm.
6. Make salsa: Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Set aside
7. Shell and devein prawns, leaving tails intact.
8. Combine prawns, garlic, lemon rind, stock and black pepper in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
9. Drain prawns from marinade, discard marinade.
10. Thread each prawn onto a wooden skewer. Grill for 2 minutes on each side or until just cooked through. Serve with corn cakes and salsa.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Simply Lite Food

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Stir-fried Egg with Pork

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 oz pork, finely diced
3 tbsp oil

Seasonings

1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cooking wine
2-1/2 tbsp corn starch
2 stalks green onions
3 slices ginger, finely chopped
3 tsp water

Sauce

1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
2 oz green peas
4 oz wood fungus, soaked and cut into fine pieces
4 tbsp soup stock

Method

1. Beat eggs together with wine, ginger, spring onion, salt, water and corn starch.
2. Heat 1-1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil in a skillet. Pour in egg mixture and stir constantly until mixture thickens. Transfer to serving plate.
3. Heat another 1-1/2 tbsp oil in the skillet. Sauté green onion, ginger and meat.
4. Mix together the sauce ingredients. Add the mixture to skillet, continue sauté until sauce thickens. Pour over egg and serve.

Source: Gourmet Do It yourself

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