This year seems to have been my busiest December ever!! It’s still going too, I have customer’s Thermomix to wrap & deliver. I have not even started my own Christmas shopping or food prep – so my very sensible motto this year is KEEP IT SIMPLE & DON”T STRESS!! Ok so I might just make it my mantra?!!! Here is my things I’m excited about at this stage & I will add to the list. After all the most important thing at Christmas is spending time with loved ones, truly enjoying the feasting, fun & the subsequent food coma, don’t you agree??
Whipped cream can bring anything to the next level & it only takes just under 20 secs to whip up in the Thermomix – I like to keep it just cream with nothing else, use a good quality cream – my favourite local cream is Ashgrove & to serve it with home grown raspberries is the ultimate treat anytime of the day!!
60 Second Fruit Cake recipe from the Devil of a Cookbook makes a quick & easy gift for friends or you can make smaller ones too 🙂
Vanilla & Chocolate Star Biscuits – recipe from Donna Hay Christmas magazine. Meet a friend for an Xmas baking session & both cook a few dishes madly for a few hours then divide & share the results YUM!!
Never under estimate the deliciousness of in season fruits – like one of my summer favourites cherries – they also make an awesome gift (these were given to me – well there was the other half that I have already eaten too)
Eggnog recipe from Sophia’s Tis the Season Cookbook has a lot of kick to it, once you have had a drink of this you will definitely be free of stress 🙂
Every photo posted of an Eloise Emmett recipe in December gives you a chance to win an indulgence weekend at Little Norfolk Bay Events and Chalets – See the full competition details here.
Wallaby Fillet with Thyme Roasted Beetroot, Feta & Cherry Chutney – recipe from the Tasmanian Pantry Cookbook
Potato Salad, my recipe from the Tasmanian Pantry cookbook
Smoked Quail Caesar Salad
Quail with a walnut, apple and blue cheese salad and honey mustard dressing
Pork belly slow cooked in apple, fennel and white wine
Oysters topped with tomato,tabasco and vodka salsa
Beer Battered Fish
Homemade Fresh Pasta
Scallops in a white wine, caper, prosciutto, cream sauce with homemade fettuccini.
Eloise Emmett 30 Day Challenge – Another delicious challenge – how could I refuse this awesome opportunity!! My good friend Eloise Emmett has put out the challenge for people to see how easy & delicious her recipes are. Anyone who completes the challenge for 30 days will get to attend her workshop in Dec for free!! YAY!! Count me in!! You can cook recipes form any of her 3 award winning cook books – The Real Food for Kids Cookbook, Seafood Everyday cook book or the Tasmanian Pantry Cookbook or any recipes from her website too!! I’m excited to get cooking & eating who wants to join in the fun too? It starts Oct 15th 2018!!!
Fresh Pasta
Tongola Pea Pasta (recipe used broad beans I had to use asparagus)
Apple Pie – (recipe was with blackberries but I had to use blueberries)
Creamy Potato Salad (my recipe from the Tasmanian Pantry cook book)
Moroccan Inspired Goats Kebabs (I used lamb instead) recipe also includes Ras al Hanout & served with Tzatziki (I made Ellie’s recipe for that too)
You know I like nothing better than a cookbook challenge YUM!! And because Jo & Fouad are coming to Tassie at the end of August – this was a good excuse to cook the book!! Plus it’s great because the recipes are so healthy in the ” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Life Changing Food cookbook too!! I have already made a few delicious recipes from the book but I’m looking forward to trying some I haven’t tried yet too. Bring it on!! YUM!!
Mexican Hot Chocolate
Golden Butter Coffee
Runner Bean & Garlic Braise
Cream of Broccoli Soup
Apple & Pork Belly Hotpot
Roasted Berries
Coconut-Chai Chia Pudding with Roasted Berries
Beetroot Hummus
Hummus
Buckwheat Crackers
Jo’s “Best Ever” Butter Chicken with Cauliflower Rice
Roast Vegetable Salad (without avocado or salad leaves)
Hazelnut Tabouli
Cabbage & Bacon Stir-fry
Slow-cooked Lamb Shoulder with Red Wine Sauce with Cauliflower & Leek Mash
Toum
Baba Ghanouj with Garlic Mushrooms
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Fermented Chilli Relish
Fermented Salsa
Apple Cinnamon Nut Porridge
Saffron & Lemon Chicken with Toum (Lebanese garlic dip)
Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Milkshake
Labne (Yoghurt Cheese)
Beetroot Labne Dip
Sauerkraut
Pumpkin with Pesto
Beef & Quinoa Patties
Sunflower Seed Paella with Prawn & Chorizo
Mango Macadamia High-energy Smoothie
Charred Capsicum & Walnut Dip
Egg, Bacon & Spinach Pies
Purple Power Smoothie
Red Rocket Smoothie
Sweet Potato Rosti
Chilli Bowl
Grain Free Scones
Apple Pie
Almond Meal Pastry
Chicken Broth
Sweet Potato Mousse
Coconut Milk
Coconut Flour
Apphia’s Lemon Chicken with Roast Veg & Rosemary
Meat-za
Zucchini & Mushroom Strata
Gypsy Chicken
Lebanese Style Herb & Nut Crusted Salmon
Sweet & Sour Prawn & Coconut Soup
Moroccan Cauliflower “Cous Cous” Salad
Nutty Chocolate (I made them in silicone moulds for the seminar so it’s easy for all the gusts to try)
Asian Style Beef Salad
Probiotic Coleslaw with Homemade Mayonnaise
Lamb & Prune Tagine
Super-tender Chuck Steak
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie (I used white sweet potato)
Spanish Tortilla with Sweet Potato
Kale Triangles – made with the Grain Free Dough
Red Cabbage Salad
Chicken Liver Parfait
Russian Custard
Nomato SauceSlow-cooked Barbecue Pork RibsNomato & Halloumi PizzaGheeChicken and Mushroom PhoMussels with Tomato and BaconTuna in Olive Oil
Last night we had a DIY Degustation Dinner for 8 guests – each couple was responsible for 2 courses and a cocktail.
I called my entree “The Sound of The Fat Duck” – I had 4 boxes of “cereal” (flavoured like a full English breakfast) left over from the Fat Duck in Bray – so each couple were given a Fat Duck carry bag (also left over from my previous Fat Duck visits) that had the cereal & 2 squeaky ducks! (The sound of the Fat Duck ) I made macadamia milk to serve with the cereal too. Inside each cereal box was a wooden puzzle that when completed was a little Fat Duck money box. Thanks to my hubby’s trip to Kmart & my dry ice supplier – I created a Fat duck centrepiece with dry ice so when you poured the water in you had the drama of the cold smoke with the aromatherapy of wild orange to compliment the Heston meatfruit I made using Super Kitchen Machine (Thermomix) post recipe here. I also made “quackers” duck shaped crackers (which had duck fat in them) to go with the chicken liver parfait (I had wanted to make it with duck livers but my butcher was waiting for their order still) Needeless to say my Thermomix’s have had a major workout the last few days!! Each couple took home the other half of their meatfruit to enjoy at home. The chicken liver parfait has equal parts butter to chicken livers!! It was frozen into domes & once joined together dipped into the mandarin jelly!! Guess what I’m having for breakfast?
Heston’s Famous Meat Fruit Recipe
For my dessert dish I made the Peter Gilmore Recipe Snow Eggs but used my own flavours rhubarb from the garden with some fresh truffles in the ice cream.
Peter Gimore’s famous Snow Egg Recipe -I used my own flavours of Rhubarb & strawberry for the Fool & the Granita & Truffle Ice cream
I just love Pork Rillettes - they are so easy to make & so tasty, just perfect to pull out of the fridge when you have guests or get a snack attack!! It takes me back to the awesome food markets in Paris - YES!!
Ingredients
1 tbs salt flakes
1 tsp cracked black pepper
6 juniper berries
20 all spice berries
16 cloves garlic
120g brandy or apple cider
1 kg pork shoulder cut into 3 cm cubes
500g pork belly or bacon (rind removed) cut into cubes
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 tbs veggie stock paste
150g water
150g dry white wine
fresh thyme leaves optional
fresh bay leaves optional
butter or duck fat optional
Instructions
Place the salt, pepper, juniper berries and all spice berries into the TM bowl and mill for 20 secs speed 10.
Add the garlic and chop for 3 secs / speed 7.
Scrape out the mixture into a container and add the pork shoulder, pork belly or bacon and the brandy, cover and marinate over night in the fridge.
Place the marinated pork into the TM bowl, add mustard, water, wine, thyme and bay leaves and cook for 1.5hrs /100 degrees/ reverse, speed 1.5 with the simmering basket on top instead of the MC. If you need to shred the pork anymore you can go onto speed 4 reverse for 5 - 10 secs.
Allow to cool and place into sterilised jars.
If your pork wasn't fatty enough you may need to melt some butter or duck fat to cover the mixture.
Place into the fridge to cool completely and serve with cornichons and crusty bread or crackers.
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