From Helen’s Kitchen

An archive of recipes published in the Lane Realty Newsletter

Asparagus with Curry Hollandaise

2 bunches asparagus

¼ cup water

15 grams butter

1 tablespoon plain flour

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon french mustard

300 ml carton thickened cream

30 grams butter, extra

Place asparagus in shallow dish with water, cover, microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes. Leave covered to keep hot while making the sauce.

Place 15 grams butter in bowl, microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds until melted. Stir in flour, curry powder, lemon juice and mustard, then cream. Microwave on HIGH 5 minutes. Beat well with a wire whisk until smooth. Gradually beat in the extra 30 grams of butter. Serve immediately with the asparagus. Re-heat asparagus for 1 minute on HIGH if it has cooled too much.

- Women’s Weekly Microwave Cookbook

Avocado Pork Deluxe

Tamborine Mountain is an Avocado freak’s Paradise. Here is one tasty use for Avocado

4-6 Pork Loin Medallions / Loin Chops

1 ½ teaspoons butter

 

Topping:

Salt & Pepper

1 small white onion, finely chopped

1 medium ripe avocado, mashed

6 drops Tabasco sauce

½ cup soft stale bread crumbs

1 (or 2) rashers of bacon, chopped

Season pork with salt and pepper and lightly fry in melted butter until just seared on both sides. Place on griller tray.

Lightly fry onion in pan drippings until soft. Spoon into basin with mashed avocado, Tabasco sauce, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Spread over Pork Medallions. Sprinkle with chopped bacon and grill for about 10 minutes at low temperature.

- Australian Pork Marketing Board

Barbecued Atlantic Salmon Steaks

4 Atlantic Salmon steaks

 

Baste

2 tablespoons melted butter

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill

Salt & freshly grated pepper

Melt butter and combine with other baste ingredients.
Pre-heat BBQ grill to about medium heat.
Baste both sides of the Salmon steaks and place on well oiled BBQ grill.
Grill on each side for 2-4 minutes (depending on thickness, the heat of the BBQ, and how rare you like it) turning carefully with a spatula/ slice.
Baste liberally and frequently while cooking.

Serve topped with sprigs of fresh dill, foil roasted potatoes topped with sour cream & chives (or a good potato salad, creamed mashed potatoes, sautéed chat potatoes. or any form of potatoes cooked in a creamy sauce), and Dilly Tossed Salad.

If there’s any left over it’s great cold for lunch the next day - IGG.
or on toast for breakfast - HS.

Barbecued Barramundi

4 Fillets of barramundi, preferably still with skin on

 

Baste

2 tablespoons melted butter

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil

½ clove garlic crushed

Salt & freshly grated pepper

Melt butter and combine with other baste ingredients. Baste the barramundi fillets with some of the mixture about 5 minutes before barbecuing (not too long before as the lime juice will start “cooking” the fish).
Pre-heat BBQ grill, turn down to medium heat and oil/butter the grill well. Place barramundi fillets on the BBQ grill skinless side down first.
Grill for about 3 minutes and baste while cooking. Turn carefully to skin side down with a spatula and continue cooking and basting for about a further 3 minutes. Timing will depend on thickness of fillets.
Great with any salads, but especially Mango Salad and sautéed chat potatoes.

NOTE: The barramundi does tend to fall to pieces a bit (especially if you can only get the skinned fillets), but who cares when it tastes this good! It is particularly good with steaks from the larger wild barramundi which have a stronger flavour (East Coast season is from the beginning of February to the end of October - the Gulf season is more variable).

This would probably work just as well with Murray River Cod, freshwater Perch, or even Snapper - IGG.

Barbecued Beef Fillet

Love hot or chilled whole beef fillet? Try one done this way:

Stick some little holes in it with the point of a sharp knife and insert some slivers of garlic. Rub it all over with with a grainy mustard, fresh cracked pepper and salt. Grab quite a few long pieces of fresh oregano or rosemary and insert them in the open section and tie it all firmly with string in 3 places (or if it is a more ‘solid’ fillet, space the herb sprigs around the fillet and tie them on). Stand for 30 minutes.

Melt plenty of butter in a disposable aluminium roasting dish on the BBQ. Toss in the beef and brown all over. Reduce heat to low on a single burner and cook with hood open, turning a few times. Adjust heat to keep the fat simmering. Takes about 50 minutes for a 2 inch thick fillet to be cooked rare (80 minutes for a 3 inch+ thick fillet - four turns every 5 mins then 4 turns every ten minutes, continue turning every 5 minutes until done.). You can also do some vegetables in the pan, but cut them small - it is a short cooking time. Take off the meat when it is nearly done and let it rest while you finish cooking the vegies, then pour off the excess fat and make some delicious gravy.

Alternatively you can do the fillet directly on the hot plate - lovely crust on the meat, but no gravy or vegies!

Or you can do it with the hood down - about 30-40 - minutes. This way you can use a smoke ‘pouch’ with your favourite smoke combo to add another nuance to the result.

Lovely done any way, eaten hot or cold!

Cheesy Smoked Salmon Snacks

2 Ciabatta rolls (Verona Bakery’s are ideal)

150 - 175 grams Springs Smoked Tasmanian Salmon Portions (Nothing else compares!)

About ½ can of Asparagus pieces, drained

1 dessertspoon of capers drained and finely chopped

1 dessertspoon finely chopped fresh dill

2 or 3 spring onions finely chopped

Freshly grated pepper

Grated Tasty Cheese (or whatever cheese you like)

Break up salmon and mix in asparagus, capers, dill, spring onions and grated pepper.

Toast the crusty side of the rolls under a MEDIUM grill until lightly browned. Turn over rolls and carefully heat the split sides, keeping grill on MEDIUM - They do tend to burn easily!

Remove toasted rolls from grill, butter to taste, top with salmon mixture and return to grill tray. Sprinkle liberally with grated cheese and grill on MEDIUM with care until the cheese melts, bubbles and browns slightly.

Danish Roast Pork

2 ½ kg “Porkaroast” with pocket

Olive oil

Coarse ground salt

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

100 grams dessert prunes, seeded

2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

6 whole cloves

Squeeze of lemon juice

Have butcher finely score the pork rind and insert a big pocket for stuffing. Put prunes and apples in a bowl. Mix in the whole cloves and crushed garlic and squeeze over the lemon juice. Pack filling into pork and secure in place with about 3 short metal or wooden skewers.

Rub oil over rind then rub in the coarse salt. Place pork rind down in baking tray. Add about ½ cup water and sprinkle marjoram over pork. Roast at 160C (325F) for ½ hour.

Turn pork rind side up, rub in more coarse salt and insert meat thermometer and roast for about 1½ hours or until thermometer reaches 75C.

Allow pork to stand 10 minutes before carving. Pour excess fat from pan and make (beautiful) gravy with the remaining juices.

This also goes well rotisseried over a BBQ.

- Australian Pork Marketing Board

Easy Rice Pilaf For Two

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup thinly sliced celery

1/3 cup diced green capsicum

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup hot water

1 can (125 grams) mushroom pieces and stems or whole champignons cut in half

1/3 cup long grain rice

1 chicken stock cube

1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional)

Put onion, celery, capsicum and butter into a 1 litre microwave proof bowl. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes.

Stir in rice until grains are well coated with the hot butter. Add mushrooms, chicken stock cube, soy sauce, and water. Stir well. Cover and return to microwave.

Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes then for a further 10 -12 minutes on MEDIUM. Stand for 5 minutes. Fluff well with a fork before serving.

NOTE: This is an ideal accompaniment for pork or beef spare ribs

- Sharp Carousel Microwave Cookbook

Korean Beef

4 - 6 slices eye fillet cut about 1 inch thick

Handful of sesame seeds

Salt

Marinade:

65 ml (¼ cup) sesame oil (Yes, it needs ¼ cup!)

3 tablespoons brown sugar

65 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2.5 cm (1 inch) knob of ginger, freshly grated

Freshly ground black pepper

Place beef in a single layer in a large ceramic or glass dish. Mix all marinade ingredients together, pour over beef, cover securely and refrigerate over night. Turn the meat over several times.

Drain and reserve marinade. Bring meat and marinade back to room temperature (3 - 4 hours). Place beef on well oiled barbecue grill. Seal and cook to taste, basting frequently. Turn meat once only during cooking.

Scatter with sesame seeds, season with salt and serve.

- The Gourmet Barbecue

Layered Potato Casserole

500 grams old potatoes, thinly sliced

2 onions, thinly sliced

3 large tomatoes, sliced

3 carrots, thinly sliced

½ cup chicken stock (or 1 chicken stock cube plus ½ cup of warm water)

30 grams butter (or a bit more)

Salt & freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Line base of deep dish with some of the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then add a layer of onion, carrot and tomato. Add another layer of potatoes with a sprinkling of salt and pepper..... repeat until all vegetables are used. Pour over stock. Dot with butter, cover and microwave on HIGH for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

(serves 6 easily)

- Woman’s Weekly Microwave Cookbook

Mignonettes of Beef

Ingredients (for 4 persons):

4 pieces fillet steak

3 oz (100 g) butter or substitute

1 clove garlic

¼ teaspoon rosemary

2 tablespoons brandy

½ teaspoon french mustard

2 tablespoons cream

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Season steaks with pepper. Heat 1 oz (30 g) of butter in pan, add steaks, cook quickly on both sides until cooked as desired - rare medium or well done. Remove steaks from pan, keep warm; drain off butter from pan.

Heat remaining butter in pan, add crushed garlic, rosemary, brandy, mustard, cream, and parsley (rest of ingredients!). Simmer gently until sauce is reduced by half; season with salt and pepper.

Return steaks to pan, turn once to coat with sauce. Serve immediately.

Note: Rosemary is not a traditional herb with beef. However, it goes well in this dish - particularly if you use fresh herbs - IGG

Moroccan Beef (for BBQ)

4 rump or rib fillet steaks about 1 inch thick and trimmed of excess fat

Marinade:

1 Spanish onion, grated

4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon garam masala

Freshly ground pepper

Combine marinade ingredients and spread thickly over each side of steaks. Cover and refrigerate over night or at least 3 hours.

Barbecue steaks coated in marinade over hot coals until cooked to taste. Sprinkle with a little salt if desired.

The Gourmet Barbeque - Pip Bloomfield & Annie Mehra, Nelson

Onions à la Grécque

1 kilo whole small white onions, peeled

2 ½ cups water

1 ¼ cups dry white wine

3/4 cup sugar

½ cup raisins

4 tablespoons tomato paste

4 tablespoons vinegar (I use brown vinegar)

Salt & pepper

Chopped parsley

Combine onions, water, wine, sugar, raisins, tomato paste and oil in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil. Add vinegar plus salt and pepper to taste. Boil for about 40 minutes until onions are cooked. Chill overnight and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Serve with barbecued meats and sausages and watch the boys come back for seconds!

Orange Glazed Carrots

4 large carrots sliced thinly

¼ cup butter

1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind

1 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in a 1 litre casserole. Cover.

Cook in microwave oven on HIGH (100%) until carrots are tender, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring after half the cooking time.

Serves 4-6 people. Great with pork, veal or chicken.

- Sharp Carousel Microwave Cookbook

Oriental Fish

4 Fillets of white fish (Snapper is ideal)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 small carrots, coarsely grated

2 zucchini, coarsely grated

2 bacon rashers, chopped

2 green shallots, chopped

3 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated ginger (“Gourmet Garden” ginger in a tube can be recommended for this recipe)

Remove bones and skin from fish, place in a single layer in a shallow dish, sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine carrots, zucchini, bacon, shallots, soy sauce and ginger, mix well, press firmly onto fish, microwave uncovered on HIGH about 14 minutes or until fish is cooked.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes.

- Women’s Weekly Microwave Cookbook

Oriental Snapper (Whole - BBQ)

Approx. 1.5 kg whole snapper (head on).

Rubbing oil mixture:

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Filling:

2 tablespoons Soy sauce

1 tablespoon medium / dry sherry

1 teaspoon sesame oil

About a 1 inch long large fresh ginger piece, peeled, sliced very finely & chopped

1 garlic clove crushed

4 spring onions chopped reasonably finely

1 can bamboo shoots or sliced water chestnuts

Remove all fins & tail from snapper (prevents you and the foil from being punctured!). Score the fish nearly to the bone 3 or 4 times on each side. Rub the fish all over with the oil mixture. Place fish on 2 layers of heavy duty foil. Lift sides of foil & pour any remaining oil mixture over the fish.

Hold fish upright & place the filling mixture in the cavity. Carefully place fish on the side again & top with 2 more sheets of foil. Wrap into a well sealed parcel & cook on a medium BBQ grill for about 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

Place the foil parcel on a large platter with raised lip. Open foil parcel, peel fish from bones & serve on plain rice. Scoop out the filling & place on top of the fish, then spoon over the juices from the foil & platter.

Pork Chops / Spare Ribs Oriental Marinade

4-6 pork spare ribs or 2-4 pork chops

1 Medium onion, chopped roughly

1 Large clove garlic, chopped roughly

2 Tablespoons black malt vinegar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Generous tablespoon of grated green ginger

Place onion, garlic & vinegar in blender or similar & chop until onion is in very small bits.

Mix together remaining ingredients then add the onion blend. Stir well to mix.

Spread meat in a single layer in a glass container with lid. Spread half the marinade onto the meat, then turn the meat and spread remaining marinade.

Cover & leave stand in fridge for about 3 hours, turning the meat a couple of times.

BBQ slowly until meat is cooked.

NOTE: You can also add ¼ teaspoon of 5-spice powder to the mixture for variation

- A Helen original!

Pork With Wild Lime, Honey & Soy

1 x 380g bottle Red Ochre Wild Lime, Honey & Soy Sauce

500g pork fillet, thinly sliced

1 carrot, thinly sliced

½ green capsicum, chopped into chunks

1 x 190g tin water chestnuts, drained and halved

1 x 190g tin bamboo shoots, drained

6 medium sized button mushrooms sliced

125g fresh bean sprouts

1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oil in wok over medium heat. Add pork and stir for about 3 minutes. Add carrot and stir for a further 2 minutes. Add capsicum and stir for about another 2 minutes until pork is basically browned all over.

Add water chestnuts and bamboo shoots stir through to mix well then add the mushrooms and stir for a further 2 minutes. Add the full bottle of sauce. Stir well and continue to cook for about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bean sprouts and stir through for 2 to 3 minutes until everything is simmering nicely again.

Remove from heat and serve over plain, boiled rice.

Will feed 4 - 6 hungry people.

NOTES:

1. The sauce is mild but piquant - a very well balanced Australian product available through Coles (and hopefully other supermarkets).
2. Chopped chicken would also go very well with it, and probably prawns too.
3. The recipe is a Helen original - enjoy!
4. If you love stir-fry cooking and you have an electric stove, beg the family to buy you a Le Creuset cast iron wok for next birthday or Christmas. It is a fabulous wok and easy to clean. Myers (and other department stores) stock Le Creuset.

Quick Mashed Potatoes for 2 (or 3 or even 4)

Peel 3 medium to large potatoes and chop each potato into about 10 pieces. Put in a bowl with about 3 tablespoons of water, cover and microwave on high for about 15 minutes. Check with fork to be sure they are fully cooked.

Drain any remaining water off, then mash with salt, lots of butter, a little milk and freshly grated pepper.

Quick Potatoes for 2

Ingredients:

6-8 small potatoes (chats or similar),

1/3 cup water,

2 tablespoons butter sliced,

2 tablespoons chopped parsley.

Puncture the potatoes all over deeply with a fork. Place in a single layer in a microwave proof dish. Add water and toss over the chopped parsley. Top the potatoes with slices of butter, cover and place in microwave oven.

Cook on HIGH for 8 minutes. Carefully turn each potato so that the upper side faces down into the butter and parsley mix. Cook on HIGH for a further 6 - 8 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Test with a fork to ensure all potatoes are cooked.

Allow to stand for 2 or 3 minutes before serving.

We tend to have these with either the barbecued salmon or barramundi dishes above.

Salmon St Laurant

Ingredients:

5 teaspoons gelatine

½ cup almost boiling water

2 x 210 gram tins best quality red salmon

2 tablespoons well drained capers, finely chopped

300 grams sour cream

2 teaspoons black malt vinegar

3 drops Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt & freshly grated black pepper to taste

 

Flake the salmon into a bowl, crushing any bones as you go. Add capers, salt and pepper. Mix sour cream with vinegar, Tabasco sauce and lemon juice. Dissolve the gelatine in the hot water then mix in the sour cream mixture. Fold in the salmon.

Spoon into a prepared mould, cover and refrigerate over night, or until fully set.

Turn out onto a plate and garnish with small sprigs of fresh dill if available.

Sesame Ginger Prawns (for 2 or 3)

Ingredients:

450 grams shelled green prawns

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon sherry (*or for an interesting slightly different taste - Chinese rice wine vinegar)

1 Teaspoon sesame oil

1 clove garlic minced finely

About 1 inch long stem of green ginger minced finely

*Optionally you can add a bare ¼ teaspoon of five spice powder

Spread prawns in a single layer in a flat bowl. Mix the other ingredients together and pour over the prawns, stirring to ensure all prawns are coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, turning the prawns a couple of times during the stand time.

Bring the BBQ plate up to a medium heat, lightly oil the plate and toss on the prawns, making sure they are all flat on the plate. Cook for about 2 minutes then turn and cook for a further 2 minutes. Spoon over any remaining marinade while cooking. Adjust the heat and cooking time according to the size of the prawns - don’t overcook them! (You could of course use a thick bottomed frying pan, skillet or wok on the stove if you don’t want to use the BBQ)

Serve with your favourite bread and a fresh green salad with oriental style dressing.

* Our latest taste-tested variations!

- A Helen original!

Winter Vegetable Medlay

¼ cup butter

1 clove garlic minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly grated pepper

2 medium zucchini

4 - 6 button squash

1 large tomato cut into 8 wedges

Place butter and minced garlic into a large covered casserole dish and microwave on high until butter is melted (about one to one and a half minutes).

Mix in oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add zucchini and squash. Microwave on high for 8 - 10 minutes, stirring after half the cooking time.

Stir in the tomatoes and leave to stand for 2 minutes. (I usually reheat on high for a further 1 minute before leaving to stand).

Easily serves 4 people.

Yummy Pork Crackling

I want to thank my wonderful hairdresser & dear friend Robyn Salisbury for giving me the secret of how to make perfect pork crackling:

FIRST:

Roast your pork with skin on in the traditional manner (see, for example, Danish Roast Pork in our Recipe Archive). When cooked, remove pork from the oven and carefully run a long, thin sharp knife between the rind & the fat. Remove all the rind & chop into chunks.

SECOND:

Place a few non overlapping chunks at a time on a flat microwave safe plate. Sprinkle with salt. Place in microwave & cook on high for around 1 minute, depending on the power & efficiency of your microwave as well as the amount of of pork you put on the plate. Check each batch to ensure that it has really crackled before doing the next one.

THIRD:

Serve up & enjoy the wonderful compliments!

Note: The fat splatters everywhere in the microwave, but DO NOT COVER the pork rind, unless you have one of those microwave splatter protectors that allows the steam to escape.

Zucchini Scramble

3 or 4 medium zucchini, sliced

½ medium sized white onion, finely chopped

2 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 big teaspoons fresh chopped parsley

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon salt

Mix zucchini & onion together in a microwave proof bowl . Microwave on HIGH for 6 minutes. Drain off excess water.

Toss herbs, salt butter & oil in with hot zucchini & stir through. Then add tomatoes & stir again. Microwave on HIGH for another 3-4 minutes, stirring after half the cooking time.

Serve with any hot grilled meats or toss over pasta, sprinkle with chopped cooked bacon pieces & freshly grated parmesan cheese.