Recipes
28 March 2010
The combination of hot and cold is always a favourite of mine when entertaining. The real secret is to have everything at room temperature except for the meat that comes straight from the pan.
- 4 fresh New Zealand pork steaks
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons Village Press extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small Cos lettuces, leaves separated
- 1 cup wild rocket leaves
- 1 large cooked beetroot, peeled and diced
- 4 radishes, very finely sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons Mandy’s Horseradish
- 150g crème frâiche
Trim any excess fat from the pork. Dust with the cumin seeds and the salt and pepper.
Heat a heavy frying pan, add the olive oil and wait until it reaches a high heat. Place the pork steaks in the pan and allow to brown, (about 2-3 minutes, before turning and frying on the other side for a further 3 minutes.
Mix the horseradish with the crème frâiche
Meanwhile layer the Cos and rocket leaves onto a large flat serving platter. Scatter over the beetroot dice and radish slices.
When the pork is cooked, arrange the steaks on top of the salad and tip any pan juices over.
Finally spoon a little of the horseradish crème over and finish with mint.
Serve at once. Serves 4.
(As seen in the Electrolux Celebrity Chef Theatre at the Christchurch Food Show.) Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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28 March 2010
There are always several blocks of puff pastry in the freezer so I can whip up a substantial lunch dish or a great starter for friends who pop in unexpectedly. The tart can be topped with all sorts of interesting seasonal things from the garden or lovely stuff from the store cupboard.
- 500g puff pastry
- 4 tablespoons Village Press extra virgin olive oil
- 3 fennel bulbs, sliced paper thin
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 150 g crumbly feta cheese
- ½ cup olives, stones removed (Salvagno from Mercato)
- 1 preserved lemon, flesh removed and rind cut into small dice
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
- Fresh Italian parsley, stalks removed
Pre-heat the oven to 210°C.
Roll out the pastry to fit a 30cm x 40cm oven tray. Allow the pastry to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes if possible.
Brush the oil over the surface of the pastry. Layer the fennel onto the pastry and scatter the seeds over. Crumble the cheese over the fennel next, and then dot the top with olives and preserved lemon dice. Season with pepper and salt.
Place the tart in the hot oven and turn the heat up an extra 10°C so the pastry really starts to cook. When the pastry is puffed and golden brown on the edges and underside (should take about 20 minutes, but this will depend on your oven) remove the tart from the oven. Scatter over the parsley leaves and cut into generous wedges to serve. Serves 4 as a meal with salad or makes up to 24 pieces as a pre-dinner snack.
(As seen in the Electrolux Celebrity Chef Theatre at the Christchurch Food Show) Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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21 March 2010
Vary the vegetables on this tart according to the season and the fresh produce from your local farmers’ market. It’s quick, easy and fresh, and makes a great lunch served with a fresh green salad, made with a variety of salad leaves, a chopped avocado and a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper.
- 500g puff pastry
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 3 large tomatoes, sliced
- 2 red peppers, cut into strips and gently fried in olive oil
- 6 Sicilian-style sausages (pork and fennel), chopped into small pieces
- 200g feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup pitted olives
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Pre-heat the oven to 225°C.
Roll the pastry out to fit a baking tray (400mm x 300mm).
Brush the pastry with the beaten egg. Lay the tomatoes evenly over the surface.
Scatter the strips of pepper and sausage on top of this.
Crumble the feta cheese over, dot with the olives and season with salt and pepper.
Finally add the parsley, and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden.
Serves 6.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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8 March 2010
Here’s a salad that is easy and uses some of the wonderful seasonal produce around at present. It requires no preparation and is fresh and interesting to eat.
- 1 small Cos lettuce, leaves separated
- 1 handful fresh wild rocket leaves
- 1 medium beetroot, cooked and peeled
- 3 radishes, very thinly sliced
- 200g feta, crumbles
- 8 figs, halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper
To assemble the salad, lay the Cos leaves on a flat plate. Trim any stalky ends from the rocket and place this on top.
Cut the beetroot into 1-2cm pieces.
Place the figs and radishes on the rocket, and scatter over the beetroot and feta cheese evenly.
Drizzle over the oil and balsamic, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Serve at once. Serves 4-6.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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24 February 2010
Any important celebration deserves family favourites. My mother was born into a large Tongan family and whenever we get together we love to have her original recipe for this island classic, marinated fish in coconut cream, as part of our feast. You can use parsley or coriander leaves for this. It is very simple and not cluttered with other vegetables as that is how we all love it!
- 500g fresh snapper
- Juice of 3-4 lemons
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 450g tin of coconut cream
- Small bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
- Freshly ground black pepper
Cut the fish into small bite sized cubes. Layer them in a glass bowl with the lemon juice and the salt to cover completely. Allow to marinate, in the fridge, for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Drain the lemon juice off, wipe out the bowl and return the fish to the bowl. Add the coconut cream, the onions, coriander and pepper. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Serve in small bowls on lettuce leaves as an entrée, or in small Chinese spoons for an appetiser with drinks.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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24 February 2010
What better way to finish any celebration than crisp meringues topped with cream and raspberries? I made these for a party in honour of my son and his lovely fiancée who will marry this weekend. Meringues will store in an airtight tin for about a week.
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cup caster sugar
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- A few drops pure vanilla essence
- 300mls cream, gently whipped
- 1 punnet fresh raspberries
Set the oven to 140°C and line an oven tray with baking paper.
Beat the egg whites in a Kenwood or similar beater until frothy. Slowly tip in the sugar and beat the mixture until very stiff and glossy. Add the cream of tartar and the vanilla essence and mix in well.
Spoon the mixture onto the tray in small spoonfuls, well separated. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about one hour until the meringues are crisp and have turned slightly cream in colour.
When ready to serve top with whipped cream and raspberries.
Makes about 20 – 24 meringues.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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7 February 2010
For lunch today we had the most amazingly simple tart that I whipped up from a few things in the fridge and storecupboard. I had about 200g leftover puff pastry and some beautifully ripe outdoor tomatoes from my local vege grower here in Matakana that were my inspiration.
- 200g puff pastry
- 3 large ripe tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons good olive oil
- 5 or 6 large fresh basil leaves
- salt and fresh black pepper
- 100g salty goat or sheep cheese
Roll the pastry out to fit a small oven baking tray. Set the oven to 200C.
Slice the tomatoes and palce them on the pastry. Drizzle over olive oil with salt and pepper. Slice the basil leaves and scatter these over the tomatoes.
cut the cheese into slices and place on top of the tart.
Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Serve at once. Feeds 2-3 people.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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7 February 2010
I have been making this fool all summer and it has been a hit with everyone. The last of the strawberries are still around and they have a wonderfully intiense flavour. You could also try this with autumn raspberries, blueberries and figs.
- 2 punnets ripe strawberrries
- 300mls cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (Cointreau or Pomaranska, an orange infused vodka
Put six strawberries aside. Chop the tops off the remaining strawberries, and put them in a food processor. Pulse gently until they are almost pureed but still a little chunky. Gently whip the cream until it forms peaks. Fold in the sugar and then mix the strawberry puree in with a metal spoon, adding the liqueur,
Pile the mixture into 6 cocktail glasses and top each with a sliced strawberry.
Cover each glass with glad wrap and refrigerate for 2-6 hours.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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31 January 2010
This salad is a summer tomato celebration. Find as many varieties and sizes of tomatoes as you can for this salad. It’s dressed with lemon zest, basil and olive oil, but not with vinegar or lemon juice as tomatoes have plenty of natural acidity. Adding more will only make the juices run and will give a sharp taste to the finished dish. Accompany with a fruity Riesling.
- 2 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced horizontally
- handful of red, orange or yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 3-4 crimson-pink acid free tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 3-4 Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 3-4 medium ripe salad tomatoes, sliced
- 1 small red onion, sliced paper thin
zest of 1 lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch of sugar
- 4 tablespoons light but fruity extra virgin olive oil
- handful of basil leaves
Wash and dry the tomatoes, then cut as suggested above. Lay them on a large flat arranged so that they’re not piled up on top of each other and become ‘clammy’ (in English foodwriter Jane Grigson’s words.)
Sprinkle the sliced red onion and lemon zest over the tomatoes and season with plenty of salt and pepper and a little sugar. Finally drizzle over the olive oil and scatter over finely sliced basil leaves.
Serves 8.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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28 January 2010
This is very simple potato dish is always a hit. It's in my Matakana book and a friend came by the other day to purchase a copy of the book specifically so she could do this recipe to accompany her barbecued lamb. I love the aroma of lemons and rosemary together, and although this is very buttery, it is very delicious and an absolute favourite of ours throughout the year.
- 1.5 kg Agria potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
- 100g butter, melted
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 3-4 rosemary sprigs, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock
Use a little of the butter to grease an ovenproof dish. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Arrange the potato wedges in the dish, and pour the melted butter over them. Grate the lemon zest directly onto the potatoes, and then sprinkle over the chopped rosemary and the salt and pepper. Heat the chicken stock and pour this carefully into the dish around the edges so that all the delicious seasonings remain over the potatoes.
Bake for about one hour until the potatoes are golden and crisp and the chicken stock has been thoroughly absorbed. Serve at once. Serves 6-8.
Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs
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