Ingredient 40 - Cherries

Cherries are truly seasonal fruits, featuring on kitchen tables mostly from November to January.

The cherry tree will produce its first crop after 6-8 years and will continue to produce edible fruits for up to 100 years. Cherries are picked with care, as they will not ripen post-picking. The stem is also keep intact to the fruit until eating time to prolong its life.

Cherries are a great source of Vitamin C as well as containing many valuable antioxidants to help keep the body healthy. They are also a great nutritional snack with 100g providing only 210kJ.

A simple yet scrumptious Christmas salad!

Roasted Cherry and Goats Cheese Salad

700g cherries

70g pine nuts

1 packet baby spinach leaves

100g goats cheese

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp light olive oil

1 tsp sugar

• Preheat oven to 140°.
• Gently remove seeds from cherries by firstly slicing into hemispheres and then popping out seed with a knife.
• Lay on a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and roast in slow oven for 15min.
• Remove the cherries and allow to cool slightly.
• Toast pine nuts in oven for approx. 7min or until golden.
• To make dressing whisk vinegar, oil and sugar together.
• Place the spinach leaves in large shallow bowl, top with cherries, scatter the pine nuts and crumble the goats cheese on top. Drizzle over dressing and toss well to combine.

Ingredient 39 - Mascarpone

Mascarpone is a indulgent triple-creme Italian cheese originating from Lombardy in southern Italy.

It is a very soft and spreadable cheese, extremely rich in taste, reflecting its 75% fat content. Some say that the cows are fed flowers and herbs to produce this distinguishable flavour.

Mascarpone can be used in savoury dishes, accompanying smoked salmon and chives or mixed with anchovies and spices as a spread, but can simply accompany fruit or mixed in with coffee. However it is mostly renowned for its inclusion in the traditional Tiramisu.

The festive season always provides a great excuse to indulge!

Grilled Peaches with Prosciutto and Mascarpone Macadamia topping

Serves 16 as entree

8 yellow peaches

¾ cup whole macadamias

¼ cup honey

8 thin slices prosciutto – roughly 100g

200g Mascarpone

• Half the yellow peaches by slicing and twisting to separate into hemispheres, then remove seed by scooping it out from the flesh gently.
• Preheat fan baked grill to medium-high.
• Place the peaches flat side up on a baking tray. Grill in oven for 10min or until just starting to brown and bubble on top.
• Roughly chop the macadamias. Place in a bowl with the honey and heat in microwave for 30seconds.
• Mix half the honey mixture in with the Mascarpone.
• Divide the slices of prosciutto into half by gently ripping the meat lengthways.
• To assemble wrap a piece of prosciutto around each peach half, spoon some mascarpone mixture on top in the little indents where seed used to live, and dollop remaining honey and macadamia on top.
• Immediately prior to serving place under grill for a couple of minutes to slightly crisp the prosciutto and warm Mascarpone.

Ingredient 38 - Fennel

Fennel is a perennial herb often described as either one’s ‘friend or foe’ depending on your tastebuds!

The herb dates back to ancient Greek time, given the name ‘marathron’ after it was grown on the field of one of the greatest ancient battles fought.

Fennel is quite a versatile ingredient. Its leafy foliage is often used as a base in Italian salads, as well as bulbs baked or eaten raw. Fennel fruits or ‘seeds’ in comparison are quite a unique and strong flavour, resembling that of aniseed, and are mostly used to spice Kashmiri and Guharati cooking.

Shop for bulbs with a clean, firm and solid appearance with no signs of bruising or splitting. The bulbs should be whitish or pale green in colour and leafs bright green.

Enjoy this summer salad!

Shredded Chicken, Fennel and Grape Salad

Serves 4

3 chicken breasts

1 tsp minced garlic

1 chicken stock cube

juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp lemon rind

3 baby fennel

½ white onion

½ bunch flat leaf parsley

1 ½ cups seedless green grapes

Dressing:

2 tbsp capers – drained

2 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp minced garlic

4 tsp light olive oil

salt + pepper

• Bring to boil a large saucepan of water. Add chicken stock cube and minced garlic and stir to dissolve. Place chicken breasts in saucepan and poach for 15-20min or until cooked through. Remove and cool slightly
• Thinly slice the baby fennel. Heat a good dollop of olive oil, lemon rind and 1tbsp lemon juice in small saucepan and sauté fennel for 5min or until just wiltered but still firm with crunch.
• Thinly slice the white onion, halve the grapes and roughly chop the flat leaf parsley.
• Once the chicken is cool gently shred the breast with your fingers, pulling small pieces of breast in the direction of the cut to form long thin strands.
• To arrange the salad place the salad ingredients in a large bowl, top with chicken and toss well to combine. Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.
• To make the dressing roughly chop the capers and place in a bottle with the mustard, olive oil, remaining lemon juice and garlic. Shake well to combine and season with salt and pepper

Ingredient 37 - Beer

Beer is one of the most widely consumed beverages across the world with the average human being drinking 13,248 beers in their lifetime.

Beer in culinary dishes dates back centuries to mid-1500s to Europe, in particular Germany and England. Today it is most famously recognized for beer battered fish and chips, or even the odd creation the Beer-can Chicken.

Beer has been described as adding a whole new dimension of flavor to a recipe, with it flavoring food by either the bitterness from the hops, sweetness from the malt and yeasty bite from its creation via fermentation process.

Here it adds a lovely twist to a prawn pizza. Any male should be salivating right now!

Beer marinated Prawn Pizza

Pizza base

Makes 1 thick base or 2 thin

1 satchet dried yeast

1 tsp caster sugar

¾ cup lukewarm water

1 ½ cup plain white flour

pinch salt

• Place the lukewarm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast and sugar on top. Let it stand for 20 minutes or until top is looking ‘frothy’.
• Prepare the bench top for kneading by wiping it down, sprinkling it with plain flour and having 1 cup of flour on standby.
• Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour the yeast mixture in. Firstly use a fork to combine the ingredients, then use your hands so it comes together well.
• Turn onto the floured bench and use as much flour as necessary to bring into a firm ball.
• Begin the kneading process – this should take around 20 minutes in total. Take the ball of dough, place your heel in the centre and then push your heel away from you. Turn the dough 45 degrees and then repeat the ‘pushing the heel away’ process. Once a complete circle has been done, fold the dough over and repeat the process again. You may find that more flour needs to be added as you knead if you find the dough too sticky.
• Once satisfied with the kneading, form the dough into a ball, place it in a clean bowl and cover with glad wrap. Let it rest for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
• Take the dough out of the bowl and knead for a further 5 minutes, adding more flour if necessary. Divide dough into 2 portions and place one aside.
• Roll the ball out forming a warped ‘authentic’ pizza base.

Topping - for 1 pizza

16 medium green prawns

¼ cup light beer – my pick Coopers Clear

2 red capsicums

1 long red chilli

2 tbsp tomato paste

grated cheese – approx. 1 cup

¾ cup raw cashews

• Finely chop the chilli, trim the heads and tails off the prawns and devein them gently. Place beer, chilli and prawns in a bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Marinate in the fridge for 45min.
• Preheat fan forced grill. Slice the capsicums in half and remove the stem and seeds. Place on a baking tray and grill until the skin is charred and blistered.
• Place capsicums in a plastic bag, seal, and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Peel the skins off the capsicum and discard; the skins should literally fall off gently by this stage.
• Chop the capsicum finely into small pieces as possible and place in a bowl. Roughly chop ½ cup cashew nuts and mix in well with the capsicum. Alternately use a blender and pulse the mixture until a rough paste forms.
• Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°.
• Heat the garlic and olive oil in a frypan over medium heat, then cook the prawns for approx. 1min or until coloured and tails are curled. The prawns just need to be seared, as they will cook completely in the oven.
• Prepare the pizza by spreading the tomato paste over the base. Sprinkle with as much grated cheese as desired. Spread the capsicum mixture across the cheese, arrange the prawns on top and sprinkle with remaining cashew nuts.
• Cook the pizza in oven for 15min or until deliciously browned and bases crispy.

Ingredient 36 - Pickled Lime

Pickled lime is a staple Indian ingredient renowned for its sharp and concentrated flavour.

It can be prepared in the kitchen, with limes requiring an overnight soak in salt to extract their bitterness. It can also be more simply purchased at the supermarket!

Here pickled lime takes a twist on its usual use, being partnered with mango and yoghurt to accompany a deliciously healthy Indian dinner.

Enjoy!

Pan-fried fish on Lentils and Corn with Pickled lime relish

Serves 4

4 small fillets firm white fish

3 cobs corn

2 cups red lentils

1 cup chicken stock

3 cups water – approximately

2 tsp minced ginger

2 tbsp sweet paprika

Pickled lime relish

1/2 cup natural yoghurt

2 tbsp pickled lime

2 tbsp chopped mint

1 mango cheek

• Bring to boil water and chicken stock in large saucepan. Add the lentils and cook for 10-15 min until still firm but just tender. Drain well and rinse under cold water.
• Remove corn kernels off cobs.
• Heat olive oil in deep pan. Add ginger and sauté until fragrant. Add the corn kernels and continue to sauté until kernels are bright yellow.
• Add the lentils and paprika and continue to sauté for few minutes.
• Heat pan over medium-high heat. Fry fish for 3-5min on each side until golden. Place on tray and cook for further 10min in oven until just cooked.
• To make the relish, roughly chop the pickled lime and mint. Take the mango cheek and with a sharp knife slice grid lines into mango then scoop the flesh out with a spoon. Mix the mango, yoghurt, pickled lime and mint together in a bowl. Keep in fridge until ready for serving.
• To serve spoon lentils and corn on a plate, top with fillet of fish and spoon over some relish.

Ingredient 35 - Kangaroo

Kangaroo is the renowned marsupial icon of Australia, which was first legalized for human consumption in the country in 1980 in South Australia. The kangaroo meat industry now exports to 55 countries, with meat only originating from free-range animals only.

Kangaroo meat popularity has soared recently, due to its ‘lean red meat’ appeal. Statistics today state approximately 15% of Australians will eat kangaroo meat at least four times a year.

The meat is extremely low in fat, with levels typically between 1-2%, and contains very high levels of protein and iron. Thus great care must be taken when cooking kangaroo due to its susceptibility to be overcooked and become dry and tasteless. Ideally the meat should be marinated for at least 20minutes prior to cooking and be served medium-rare

If not ‘game’ enough, any meat would suffice for this delicious salad!

Kangaroo Summer Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Serves 4

4 kangaroo fillets

4 sprigs mint

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

½ butternut pumpkin

3 large beetroot

1 tin cooked chickpeas

150g reduced fat feta cheese

small handful baby spinach

4 sprigs mint

Dressing:

1 tbsp chopped mint

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp honey

½ tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp good quality light olive oil

salt, pepper

• Preheat oven to 175°.
• Remove skins of beetroot and pumpkin. Chop vegetables into small cubes – about 2x2cm. Place on baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven for 30min or until just tender.
• Remove mint leaves off the sprigs. Place kangaroo fillets in shallow dish and using your hands rub them well in the mint leaves, olive oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and place the dish in the fridge for 30min to marinate.
• Heat a frypan over medium-high heat, or alternately a barbeque. Panfry the fillets 3min each side, sealing each side, until medium rare. Let the fillets rest for 10min before slicing thinly.
• Rinse and drain the chickpeas well. Stir the chickpeas through the roasted vegetables, coating them well with olive oil and roasting juices.
• Finely slice the baby spinach leaves and mint leaves.
• To make the dressing place dressing ingredients in small bowl, whisk together until combined and then heat for 30sec in microwave until dressing is warm and bubbling.
• To arrange the salad mix gently together the roasted vegetables and leaves, layer with sliced kangaroo fillet and crumb the feta on top. Drizzle with dressing and gently toss to combine.

Ingredient 34 - Wasabi Peas

Wasabi also known as Japanese horseradish comes from the food family that includes cabbage, horseradish and mustard.

Wasabi can be eaten in its root of leaf form or more commonly as a paste. It is not for the naïve chilli patient, with its pungent flavour activating the nasal passages more so than the tongue. One is advised to enjoy it “at a leisurely pace, preferably accompanied by a favourite cold beverage.”

Wasabi peas are roasted dried peas that have been coated in a spicy wasabi coating. Here they prove to be more than just a snack food, providing a great variation to the boring crumbed chicken.

Enjoy!

Wasabi Pea and Macadamia Crusted Chicken on Soba Noodle Salad

Serves 6

2 x 100g packet Wasabi Peas

130g macadamia nuts

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

3 eggs

½ cup skim milk

5 chicken breasts

1 packet Hakubaku soba noodles (270g)

2 avocado

bunch of coriander

6 shallots

Dressing:

1 tbsp wasabi paste

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• Preheat oven to 170°.
• Place wasabi peas, macadamias and breadcrumbs in blender and blend until roughly chopped. Spread the mixture out across a shallow dish.
• Whisk eggs and milk in a mixing bowl.
• Take a chicken breast and ‘dunk’ it in the egg mixture and then coat well with the crumbs mixture, ensuring all the breast is covered and place on a baking tray. Repeat for the remaining breasts.
• Bake the chicken in preheated oven for 50min.  Let them rest for 10min before slicing carefully into thick strips.
• Cook the soba noodles according to the packet instructions, being wary that soggy soba noodles are not nice! Once cooled and drained place noodles in large salad bowl.
• Slice the shallots thinly in white section and thicker in green, and roughly chop the coriander. Remove skins and seeds of avocado and then thinly slice the avocado.
• Place salad ingredients on top of soba noodles, drizzle with dressing, and gently toss together. Serve with chopped green chilli if desired and extra dressing.