This recipe is courtesy of Sydney-based Malaysian food writer Carol SelvaRajah.

Thinly slice the beef (or chicken pieces)  across the grain – they should 2 cm wide and 10 cm long.
Combine all the marinade ingredients with mortar and pestle. Coat the meat with the marinade and  refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, or longer if time permits, covered with plastic wrap .
Thread the meat onto the skewers. Trim off any straggly bits of meat with scissors.
Mix together the coconut cream, oil and brown sugar to form a basting mixture.
Grill on an open hot griller, brushing  lightly with some oil and then cook the skewers for 1-2 minutes on each side, brushing them with coconut cream baste mixture.
Serve with yellow rice for a festive look.

In our household, this is known as ‘get-better-soon’ soup. Make sure you use a good chicken stock so that the soup is really flavoursome.
If you prefer, substitute wontons or mini dim sims for the noodles and use vegies of your choice. The recipe is from my book Mini Chef – Cooking with Kids.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10–15 minutes

Equipment:
Measuring cups and spoons
Chopping board
Medium bowl
Strainer
Vegetable peeler
Medium saucepan
Kitchen knife
1. Place noodles in a medium heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to stand for 2–3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the chicken stock in a medium saucepan. While stock simmers, add the carrots and cook 2–3 minutes.
3. Add the chicken breast strips and corn kernels and cook for 1 minute. Add celery, soy sauce and noodles. Simmer very gently
for 2–3 minutes or until chicken is cooked—don’t let it boil.  Season to taste and simmer for 30 seconds.
4. Ladle into warm serving bowls and top with sliced green onions and a few drops of sesame oil, if using.

Tip: Add a few sugar snap or snow peas for more colour and goodness. You’ll find pre-cut chicken breast strips at the supermarket in the poultry section.

This simple basic mixture is very versatile and you can use it can to make cupcakes, patty cakes or a light slab cake.  If you trace the map of Australia on greaseproof paper and lay it over the top of the cooled cake, you can make a lamington cake for Australia Day.  You can easily double the quantities required for the cake if you are using a larger tin – just make sure you get the arithmetic right!

Preheat oven to 180degC.  Line a slab tin (30cm x 20cm) with baking paper.
Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat on high speed for three minutes.  Spoon into lined tin and smooth the top.
Bake 25 – 30 minutes or until risen and a light gold colour.    Test for doneness with a skewer.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
When cool, place the traced map of Australia over the top of the cake and use a small sharp knife to cut out the shape.
Ice with chocolate icing and decorate with shredded coconut.
For the icing:
Sift together the icing sugar and cocoa. Make into a smooth icing with boiling water, vanilla and butter.  If icing thickens, add a little extra hot water.

This is a good dish to learn the basics of stir-frying.  Make sure you have everything ready before you start cooking as the idea is to cook the food quickly. Combine the four sauce ingredients before you start.  If you don’t like chillies, there’s no need to add them – the Thais love their food hot, spicy and sour with a touch of sweetness.

1.   Heat a wok or heavy frying pan until hot.  Add the oil and when hot, add the onion.  Stir-fry for 1 – 2 minutes or until onion is softening and turning transparent.  Add garlic and chillies, stir-fry another minute.
2.  Add chicken strips and stir-fry until chicken turns white and is beginning to colour, about 3 – 4 minutes.  Add  beans and capsicum and stir-fry for another minute.  Add  the basil leaves and sauce, stir to combine.
3. Cover wok with a lid, turn heat to low and leave to simmer for one minute.  Serve immediately with steaming hot jasmine rice.

Tip:  You can use chicken thigh meat instead of breast, if you like – it is juicer. If you can’t find Thai holy basil, use Italian basil – wash and dry the basil thoroughly before using – a salad spin-dryer is handy for drying leaves.  The onion is cut so that the pieces fall into petal shapes.

Photo of Eloise Moore holding the Thai stir-fry dish we made in the kids cooking class during January 2012 school holidays.

The recipe for this attractive salad is from my latest book, The Cook’s Garden.  It is of Middle Eastern origin and the combination of flavours and textures is very refreshing – the oily avocado flesh contrasting well with the pomegranate seeds and citrus fruits.

In a serving bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime or lemon juice, honey and salt and pepper.
Cut the avocados in half. Twist to separate into halves, remove the stone (best done by hitting with a sharp kitchen knife and twisting to loosen). Using a small sharp knife, peel off the skin. Cut into attractive slices, being careful not to bruise and drop into the dressing.
Slice the top and bottom off the grapefruit and oranges. Stand on their base and using a downwards action, cut off the skin leaving no pith and with a small sharp knife, cut out the segments. Add to the avocado along with the washed and dried watercress. Toss gently to combine. Sprinkle the mint and pomegranate seeds (if using ) over the top.

Tip: use pink grapefruit when in season. Blood oranges are also marvellous but they have a limited season. For a more substantial dish, add some flaked fresh crab.

Cooking with Sheridan 100112The recipe for these delicious Lebanese meatballs is from my latest book, The Cook’s Garden.  They are excellent served hot with drinks before dinner. Provide toothpicks so it’s easy to pick them up and put the raita in the centre of the dish.

For the meatballs, put the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli into the blender with a little water and blend until they are almost liquified.
Combine the onion mixture together with the remaining ingredients and season to taste.
Shape into walnut-sized balls, roll in flour and then fry in hot oil. When cooked, remove the koftas and drain on paper towels.
For the raita: put the yogurt into a bowl. Mixthrough the cucumber, mint and onion. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and combine well.
Makes 30

Cooking with Sheridan 050112Here’s a terrific way to use leftover panettone from Christmas and New year celebrations.  The recipe is from the 2012 Paesanella Calendar which photographer Andrew Payne and I put together recently.

Place the blueberries and half the raspberries in a bowl. Combine 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier and 1 tablespoon sugar. Pour over the fruit. Leave to to macerate for one hour.
Make a coulis by pureeing the remaining raspberries with remaining liqueur, sugar and ¼ cup warm water. Taste for sugar. Set aside.
Toast the panettone slices on both sides until golden.  Place one round in the middle of four plates.
Spread the mascarpone over each round, leaving a little for the top.  Spoon the macerated fruit evenly over each pizza and top with a scoop of mascarpone. Drizzle each with the pulp of half a passionfruit.

It has become traditional to fill the turkey with two stuffings – one for the neck or crop (in this case, pork and veal) and another for the body (fruit and walnut).
Use these cooking times for stuffed turkey as a guide:
3kg – 4kg turkey will take 3 – 31/2 hours and serve 8 – 10
4kg – 6kg turkey will take 3 ½ – 4 hours and serve 10 -14
6kg – 8kg turkey will take 4 – 6  hours and serve 14 – 16

Serve with roasted vegetables, candied sweet potatoes, steamed green beans, brussels sprouts & chestnuts and gravy (made from pan juices).

Preheat oven to 220degC (200degC fan-forced).  Wipe turkey dry inside and out with paper towels.  Put pork and veal forcemeat into the neck.  Be careful not to pack it in too tightly as it will swell as it cooks.  Pull neck skin over the cavity and secure with skewers.
Put fruit and nut stuffing into body of the turkey.  Tuck wings underneath and plump up breasts to give it a good shape.  Pull the turkey skin up under wings to hold it in shape and secure with skewers.
Tie legs together with string, making sure they are secured close to the body.  Rub butter over breasts, legs, and wings, and season lightly with cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Place turkey, breast side down, in a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes.  Turn oven down to moderate (180decC/160 fan-forced) and cook for another 3 – 3/12 hours.  Check from time to time, basting with pan juices, and covering any parts which may be browning too quickly with foil.  Turn turkey onto other breast about quarter of the way through cooking, then onto its back so that it cooks evenly.  The turkey is cooked when juices run clear – test this by inserting a skewer through the thickest part of the thigh.  Take care not to overcook.
Remove to a warm serving platter, discard string and skewers and cover loosely with foil.  Leave to rest in a warm place for 15 – 20 minutes while you make the gravy.

Pork and Veal Forcemeat: Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste.

Fruit and Nut Stuffing:   Soak prunes and apricots overnight in a bowl with the Madeira.  Toast nuts in a moderate oven for 8 – 10 minutes.  Melt butter in a heavy frying pan, and cook onion and celery until soft.  Add apple and pear, and cook until softened.  Remove pan from heat and stir in all the remaining ingredients, except bread cubes. The stuffing can be prepared up to this point.
Just before stuffing, add bread cubes and macerated prunes and apricots.  Stir to combine well.

The photograph is from my Entertaining At Home book, taken by Rodney Weidland

Try this stunning beef dish for Christmas this year instead of roast turkey.  Serve with roasted rosemary potatoes, sweet potatoes and steamed baby vegetables.
Ask the butcher to prepare a standing rib roast – 4 -5 ribs is ample for 8 – 10 people.  Ask for beef which has been well-aged – it should be a rich red to dark red colour.  The best rib meat comes from the fore-rib, nearest the loin.
Preheat oven to 250degC.  Season meat with salt and pepper and insert a few slivers of garlic in between the ribs.  Cover the rib tips with foild, shiny side in, to prevent burning.  Place on a lightly oiled roasting pan. When oven is hot, put in the meat. Roast 20 minutes, then turn down heat to moderate (180degC).  Continue to roast, basting occasionally with pan juices.
After the initial 20 minutes roasting on high heat, allow approximately 15 minutes per 500g for rare meat, 20 minutes per 500g for medium and 25 minutes per 500g well-done.  Alternatively you can use a meat thermometer.
Remove beef from pan and reserve juices for the sauce.  It’s important to allow the meat to rest for 35 – 30 minutes in a warm place, covered with foil, before you start carving as this allows the juices to settle.
Red Wine Sauce: After the beef has been removed from the pan, saute the onion in the juices and fat from the beef on top of the stove.
Pour the red wine into the pan and reduce by half (i.e. to 250ml/1 cup).  Pour in the beef stock and boil rapidly for 2 – 3 minutes.  Pour through a sieve into a clean saucepan and skim the fat from the top of the stock.  Bring back to the boil and reduce by two-thirds, correcting the seasoning.  Whisk the knob of butter into the sauce just before serving.

Photography by Rodney Weidland: “Seasonal Entertaining”

This wonderful pudding is from my new book, The Cook’s Garden, a terrific one for the “down-under” Christmas table – not only are berries and currants in season, but it’s served cold (which makes sense on a hot summer day). You can use a mixture of red or black currants, blueberries, mulberries and pitted cherries – it is best if about 500 g (1 lb) of the fruit is composed of raspberries.  Start the preparation a day before serving.

Wash and destalk fruit. Put into a shallow pan with  the sugar. Heat gently until sugar dissolves and juices are running — do not cook beyond this stage.
Put a colander over a basin and tip the fruit into it. Trim crusts from bread. Dip each slice into the reserved fruit juices. Line a 750 ml (1½ pint) pudding basin with the bread, easing pieces together and filling gaps with triangular shaped slices. Half-fill the lined basin with drained fruit. Cover fruit with one layer of dipped bread, then fill with remaining fruit. Cover the top with bread, tucking in neatly to the edges of the basin.
Put a plate that fits inside the bowl on top of the bread and weight it lightly. Leave overnight in the refrigerator, reserving any leftover juice.
To serve, remove plate and tip pudding onto a serving platter, pouring over the reserved juice.
Serve with thick cream. Serves 4–6