Spiced lamb backstrap

Tooheys Brothers cooking handbook, 240pp.
no author named
Ebury Press Book, Random House, North Sydney, 2015
Cooking on page 132

This book begins by introducing James and John Toohey, two brothers who, in the second half of the 1800s, set out to create a brewing legend in Australia. It doesn’t go into detail about the adversities they encountered, but by 1900 their brews were such a success that they were each awarded a seat in Parliament.

Not surprisingly, this cookbook has many recipes that either include beer or go great with beer. Oh, and there are a few desserts. Given that it’s a handbook, most recipes are straightforward.

Page 32 introduces Tooheys New, a brew they developed in 1931, so on to page 132.

Spiced lamb backstrap

Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon ground paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns (not ground)
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 lamb backstraps
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 bunch broccolini, trimmed and halved lengthways
2 zucchini, cut into quarters lengthways
tomato relish, to serve

Method
Combine 1/3 cup of the oil, paprika, cumin, pepper, lemon pepper seasoning and garlic in a shallow ceramic of glass dish. Add the lamb and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for up to 2 days, turning occasionally.

Preheat the barbecue grill or flat plate over medium–high heat. Drain the lamb of the marinade and pat dry with paper towel.

Cook for 4 minutes each side for medium-rare. Transfer the lamb to a warm plate, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest.

Toss the asparagus, broccolini and zucchini with the remaining oil. Cook on the grill plate for about 5 minutes, turning often, until tender and lightly charred. Serve the lamb with the charred veggies and tomato relish.

Note: If you have time and patience, and would like to pack as much flavour into the lamb as possible, leave it marinating in the fridge for 2 days. If you’re pressed for time, 4 hours will do the trick.

How it played out
I’ve been hanging out to make this recipe, but lamb backstraps usually cost a fortune. Luckily, I bought three of them (on a half-price special at the markets), weighing a total of 750 grams. I’ve read that most backstraps weigh 200 grams each, so I proceeded with the full amount of marinade ingredients. Confession: I adore cumin.

The smell of the marinade was fantastic and I dipped a finger in to have a taste. Yummy! I was short on time, so the lamb got only 6 hours in the marinade.

It was winter in Australia when I made these, so they got cooked on a grill plate indoors. Asparagus wasn’t in season either, so I used grilled zucchini, steamed broccoli, roasted cauliflower and roasted tomatoes.

The backstraps were a bit thicker than expected and got about 5 minutes a side. The zucchini took only a few minutes a side. By the way, the pics don’t really do the meal justice.

Verdict
I can’t tell you how many times the family said, Oh mum, this is delicious. Oh mum, this is perfect, but the praise was constant. The entire meal was a complete success.

Having thumbed through the cookbook, I have to say that every recipe looks easy-to-make and delicious. I may have to buy it or have it on permanent loan from the library.

Travel
Poor John and I are travelling in China, Mongolia, Russia, Sweden and Iceland during October and November.Who knows what cookbooks I’ll find.

I have a batch of recipes ready to post and will try to do so when internet is available (we’ll be on long-haul trains for 11 of the days—we’re boarding the first in two hours). Your comments are most welcome here, but my responses will be delayed.

If you don’t already, please join in on my travel blog. We love having company.

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Warm pumpkin bruschetta

The gut foundation cookbook, 160pp.
edited by Terry Bolin and Geradline Georgeou
HarperCollinsPublishers Australia, Sydney, 2009
Cooking on page 32

Poor nutrition can have a devastating impact on people of all ages. To help Australians get on track with their daily diet, The Gut Foundation called on some of Australia’s top chefs to provide recipes that are easy to make, balanced and wholesome.

In addition to recipes, there is information on the roles fibre, carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals play in our diet. There is also discussion about digestive conditions such a irritable bowl syndrome, diverticular disease and heartburn.

Luckily we eat a well-rounded diet, so I checked this out from the local library because page 32 looked irresistible. The recipe is by Elise Pascoe.

 

 

Warm pumpkin bruschetta

Ingredients
500 g butternut pumpkin, (cut into dice)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon white wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
8 slices Italian bread
extra virgin olive oil cooking spray
1/2 garlic clove
1 1/2 teaspoons Greek dried oregano leaves

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).

Combine pumpkin, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large bowl and toss well. Transfer to a baking tray and spread out to form a single layer.

Roast for 12 minutes, or until pumpkin is golden on the edges. Splash with white wine and vinegar and return to oven to roast until liquid has evaporated and pumpkin is tender.

Spray bread slices on each side with oil and grill until golden. Rub one side with garlic. Spoon warm pumpkin mixture on top of bread and scatter with oregano. Serve at once.

Serves 4.

How it played out
I had everything on hand to make half a batch, and had the oven on anyway for another dish. So I peeled the pumpkin and chopped it into smallish dice.

Because something else was already in the oven, I skipped spraying the bread with oil and grilling it. Instead I popped slices of my homemade olive bread in the toaster, which worked just fine. I then added a spread of my homemade garlic mayonnaise, and piled on the pumpkin and sprinkled over the oregano.

Verdict
This is excellent. Poor John and I love these ingredients, and I was pleased to have a healthy lunch on the table in less than 30 minutes. I think the mayo was a tasty (and slightly guilty) addition. 🙂

Travel
Poor John and I are travelling in China, Mongolia, Russia, Sweden and Iceland during October and November.Who knows what cookbooks I’ll find.

I have a batch of recipes pretty much ready to post and will try to do so when internet is available (we’ll be on trains for at least 15 of the days). Your comments are most welcome here, but my answers are likely to be delayed.

If you don’t already, please join in on my travel blog. We love company.

Poached eggs

The great Aussie bloke’s cookbook, 212pp.
by Kim Terakes
Penguin Group (Australia), Camberwell Victoria, 2008
Cooking on page 32

In the introduction, Kim Terakes describes himself as ‘a fifty-year-old, fat, bald bloke’ who is not a chef, but who ‘can cook a bit’. His career in an advertising agency meant he ate out a lot, and that exposure inspired his decision to cook for himself.

A real turning point came when he was asked to do some food photography while on holiday in Tuscany. He wrote five articles to accompany those pics and suddenly his food-writing career was born. He’s written for various magazines including the men’s magazine, GQ. That’s where he discovered that men wanted to learn to cook. As a result he decided to develop cooking classes for boys and men.

I bought this cookbook for Graeme, who minds our house and dogs when we travel. I figured he needed ‘a friend’ in the kitchen when I’m not there to cook.

Page 32 has three basic recipes for eggs—boiled, fried and poached.

Poached eggs

Ingredients and method
Poaching eggs is actually really simple, if you follow two golden rules. Don’t have the water boiling too hard (a rolling boil is too strong) and don’t use a shallow frying pan—you need a nice deep pan to poach properly. Then, it’s as simple as adding a teaspoon of vinegar to some salted, barley simmering water and gently breaking the egg into a cup before sliding it into the pan. When the egg is just cooked (about 3–4 minutes), carefully remove it with a slotted spoon, and serve.

How it played out
Poached eggs were the topic of a 10-minute cooking show the other night. That chef’s approach was pretty much the same as the one given here, although he said not to add salt as it draws protein from the egg. He also said to add slightly more vinegar and to swirl the water gently before adding the egg.

So I left the water unsalted, added a tablespoon (or a little more) of vinegar, gave the water a swirl and cooked the egg for 3 minutes.

I made this just for me for lunch, using a large free-range organic egg from a farmer’s market. See how the laid-on date is hand-marked on the shell. And isn’t the yolk a beautiful colour?

Verdict
This is the best poached egg I’ve had in ages. It turned out absolutely perfect, and especially nice served with a buttered slice of my homemade olive bread, some cherry tomatoes, and a bit of rocket and parsley.

Asparagus with bacon and blue cheese

Lunchbox bible, 258pp.
by Margaret Barca
Penguin Group, Australia, 2007
Cooking on page 32

I work from home, so don’t have to take lunches to the office, but it is one of my favourite meals of the day. So I bought this at the recent Lifeline Book Fair. It was one of about 25 books I got for $20.

The book is loaded with lunch inspiration, covering soups, salads, wraps, rolls, school options, treats, fruit and smoothies. Oh and yes, sandwiches, which is what I found on page 32.

Asparagus with bacon and blue cheese

Ingredients
2 rashers rindless bacon
4 slices light rye bread
butter or margarine for spreading
6 spears asparagus, cooked
50 g soft blue cheese, crumbled
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Grill bacon or fry in a dry non-stick pan until crisp. Allow to cool, then chop.

Lightly butter bread.

Place asparagus, bacon and cheese on two of the bread slices. Season with salt and pepper if desired, and top with remaining bread.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

How it played out
Just last week, my friend, Lyn, arrived from the coast for a five-day visit. I was completely delighted when she presented me with a bunch of asparagus (and a dozen free-range eggs) she’d bought at a farmer’s market. The asparagus had been picked that morning.

It just so happened that I also had a loaf of homemade sourdough rye bread and a small pack of hand-cured bacon.

Before Lyn had a chance to sit down, I had the bacon cooking and the bread sliced and in the toaster. I cooked the asparagus in the same pan as the bacon (hey, you don’t waste bacon fat).

Assembly was quick and easy. I spread the toasted bread with my homemade mayonnaise and then added the blue cheese. Finally topped with the bacon and asparagus.

Verdict
It’s spring in Australia and asparagus will soon be widely available. I can see this delicious sandwich appearing regularly. I prefer it open-faced and with mayo rather than butter. Personal preference.

This makes an amazing lunch, but I’m not sure how well it will travel in an actual lunchbox.

If you make it to take to work, I suggest you use butter or margarine, instead of mayonnaise. That said, mayo is fine, if you can pop the sandwich in the fridge when you get to work. P.S. Here’s my recipe for homemade mayo (scroll down).

White chocolate, cherry and macadamia muffins

Muffin magic, 112pp.
by Susannah Blake
Pavilion Books, London, 2009
Cooking on page 64 (32 x 2)

Muffins are a quick and easy treat, and this book is a collection of tasty options for almost every occasion.

I was impressed by the range of sweet and savoury ingredients used—from maple syrup and pecans to spinach and feta.

I also thought it was great that for every book sold there was a donation made to the Battery Hen Welfare Trust. I bought this secondhand so my purchase didn’t make a donation, but I always pay extra to buy genuine free-range eggs.

Page 32 introduces the chapter on kid-friendly muffins. There isn’t a page 132, so I settled on page 64 (32 x 2) and a real temptation in the ‘adults-only’ chapter. I thought it might include alcohol, but it doesn’t.

 

White chocolate, cherry and macadamia muffins

Ingredients
300 g/10 oz/2 cups plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
150 g/5 oz/⅔ cup caster sugar
75 g/2¾ oz white chocolate, chopped
60 g/2 oz/½ cup dried cherries
60 g/2 oz/½ cup macadamia nuts
1 egg, beaten
100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup soured cream
125 ml/4 fl oz/½ cup milk
85 g/3 oz butter, melted

Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Grease or line a 12-hole muffin pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder and sugar and sift into a large bowl. Reserve about one-quarter each of the chocolate, cherries and nuts and add the rest to the flour.

In a separate bowl or jug, lightly beat the eggs, soured cream and milk to combine, then stir in the butter. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. Spoon large dollops of the mixture into the prepared muffin pan and press the reserved chocolate, cherries and nuts into the top of each.

Bake for about 20 minutes until risen and golden. Leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

How it played out
Sometimes I forget just how quick and easy it is to make muffins. I’ve already made these twice—once for a picnic and then again yesterday for book club at my house. In case you’re interested, this month’s book was Good Muslim Boy by Osamah Sami. You might have seen the funny yet touching movie Ali’s Wedding, which is based on part of the book.

I used macadamia nuts the first time I made this, but was out of them today so substituted chopped walnuts. I followed the rest of the recipe, using weights instead of cup measurements. Weights are so much more accurate for me.

Verdict
A lovely quick recipe and a great reminder that you don’t need a boxed mix to make a yummy snack or dessert. My fellow picnickers and book clubbers definitely liked them. That said, I’d be tempted to add a little cinnamon to a future batch.

Also, I found that walnuts and macadamias work equally well. I’m sure you could substitute different dried fruits for the cherries, and plain yoghurt for the soured cream. So go on, try it and let me know! 🙂

 

Prawn, avocado and mango salad

The great prawn cookbook, 144pp.
recipes by Stephanie Souvlis, Jenny Fanshaw, Ellen Argyriou and Di Kirby
R&R Publications Marketing, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia, 2002
Cooking on pages 32–33

We love prawns (shrimps) so it was impossible for me to pass up this cookbook when I saw it at the recent Lifeline Book Fair.

It’s loaded with useful information about kinds of prawns, as well as tips on butterflying, shelling and deveining them. There is also good advice on how to buy and store them.

Recipes cover soups, salads, barbecues, oriental dishes, Mediterranean dishes and classic dishes. Pages 32–33 have two salad recipes. I made the first one.

Prawn, avocado and mango salad

Ingredients
32 cooked medium prawns, peeled, tails in tact
2 medium mangoes, cut into thin strips
1 large avocado, flesh cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons finely grated lime rind
1/2 teaspoon fresh chilli, very finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch dill

Method
Decoratively arrange the prawns, mango slices and avocado on a serving plate.

Combine the lime rind, chilli, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil, mix well and pour over salad. Garnish with sprigs of fresh dill.

Serves 4.

How it played out
I bought a kilo of frozen cooked prawns for $25, and thawed just under half of them (16 pieces) to make half a batch for the two of us.

I sliced one smallish avocado and diced one mango. Also used a green chilli (red would be fine too). Made half a batch of dressing too. and followed the method.

Verdict
An absolutely delicious way to serve prawns. I can imagine making it often. My only regrets were that I didn’t make the full amount of dressing and didn’t add a sprinkling of salt. So if you make it, don’t be stingy with the dressing, and add a bit of salt if that’s your thing.

This cookbook is loaded with great recipes and I will probably use it often. Page 132 has a recipe for prawn tacos. Tempted?

Travel
If you have a moment, be sure to check out my travel blog.

Tyrolean horseradish soup

Austrian cooking, 258pp.
by Ann Knox
Spring Books, London, 1960
Cooking on page 32

My friend, Rhonda, who has provided several guest posts for this blog including her fabulous moist orange cake, found this gem for me. She saw it at a recent Lifeline Book Fair and thought it had an interesting recipe on page 32. I have to agree.

When I looked up more about this book, I was surprised to discover that it was first published in 1900. This edition is part of a series that covers French, German and Italian cooking. I don’t have any of those other titles, but I’ll stay on the lookout. I’ve also read that a new paperback edition was published in 2012 and includes photographs and two new recipes.

The introduction points out that Vienna and Austria are at the crossroads of Europe and, as a result, have incorporated cuisines from many cultures.

So let’s see what’s on page 32.

Tyrolean horseradish soup

Ingredients
6 big cups of beef stock
1 tablespoon grated horseradish

Method
Bring the stock to the boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the grated horseradish over the bottom of the soup tureen or individual bowls and pour the stock over it.

How it played out
About a week before the Lifeline Book Fair, I bought a packet of fresh horseradish on spec. I must have known something was coming that would let me put it to use. I also had an open carton of beef stock that needed to be used.

So I followed the recipe exactly, but made a batch for two. I was surprised that, once peeled, the horseradish was quite easy to grate.

Was also pleased to serve the soup in lovely Vietnamese bowls that were given to me by a dear friend, Caroline, who owns Scout of the missing lamb bone mystery. By the way, dragonflies are the symbol for Hanoi.

Verdict
It was a lovely warming soup on a chilly autumn day, but I should have doubled or tripled the horseradish because its flavour was quite hard to detect. Anyone who doesn’t love horseradish as much as I do will think it’s fine as is.

I was very relieved there was a recipe on page 32 because I didn’t want to cook the lamb’s head casserole noted on page 132. 🙂

Travel
If you have a bit of time, it would be great if you would check out my travel blog.