Couscous Dried Fruit Salad
Preparation 10 Minutes
Cook 15 Minutes
Serves 8 – 10 as a side
Method
Rinse the couscous under cold, running water. Add to a saucepan with 750ml water, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 mins or until soft. Drain and rinse under running water and set aside to cool completely.
Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice, season and pour over the cooled couscous. Toss to coat.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon into a presentation bowl to serve.
This salad can be served cold or at room temperature.
Moghrabieh can be substituted for Israeli (pearl) couscous. Simply follow the cooking instructions on the packet as they can vary.
Ingredients
360g uncooked moghrabieh (Lebanese couscous)*
60ml olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
135g pitted Angas Park Medjool Dates, chopped
100g Sunbeam Raisins
120g Angas Park Dried Apricots, chopped
130g Angas Park Dried Figs, chopped
60g Sunbeam Slivered Almonds, toasted
½ small bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Recipe Collection
Cherry Ripe Slice
Line 27 x 18cm slice tray with baking paper, leaving 2cm of paper above edge to make removal of slice easier. Put biscuits in a bag and crush well. Combine biscuits and butter and press into base of prepared tray. Refrigerate for 20min till firm.
Combine coconut and icing sugar mixture in a bowl. Put white chocolate extra butter and cream in a small pan and cook gently over low heat. Stir frequently until chocolate has melted. Stir in food colouring.
Gently stir white chocolate mixture into coconut mixture, add cherries spread firmly on biscuit base, chill for 30min or until firm. Spread dark over the slice, refrigerate until firm, cut into squares to serve.
Christmas, Dinner, Entertaining, Lunch, Recipes, Savoury, Special Occasions
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the pumpkin halves, cut-side up, on a baking tray. Brush the cut side with 1 tbs oil. Roast for 1 1/4 hours or until just tender. Set aside to cool.
Use a spoon to remove pumpkin seeds and membrane and discard. Meanwhile, arrange the walnuts & hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for 3-5 mins or until toasted. Set aside to cool. Coarsely chop
Heat the remaining 1 tbs oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 4 mins or until softened. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 secs or until aromatic. Stir in the mushrooms & lemon thyme.
Place the onion mixture, breadcrumbs, egg, fetta, baby spinach, currants and nuts in a large bowl and stir to combine. Season.
Divide mixture among pumpkin shells and press down firmly. Carefully place the pumpkin shells together and tie with kitchen string to secure. Place on a baking tray and roast for 45 mins or until heated through. Transfer to a serving platter.
Roasted Cauliflower Steak with Cashew Cream
Preheat oven to 425°F. Set aside a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Prepare cauliflower by trimming away any green leaves. With the cauliflower sitting on it’s stem, use a knife to slice it in half. Cut one thick slice from either side – so that you have two “steaks”, each about 1 ½” (4 cm) thick. Set cauliflower steaks aside.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil, and once hot, add cauliflower steaks. Let them sear, undisturbed, for 3-3 ½ minutes on each side (cooking for approximately 6-7 minutes total). Remove once they’ve developed a golden crust on either side. While the cauliflower cooking you can assemble the harissa glaze. In a small bowl combine 2 teaspoons water, maple syrup, paprika, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. Mix well. Once the cauliflower is seared, transfer steaks to lined baking sheet. Brush harissa glaze on both sides, coating all the nooks and crannies. Transfer to oven for 5-7 minutes or until tender.
While the cauliflower steaks are in the oven, prepare the warm chickpea salad. Add the spinach and chickpeas to a large bowl.
Squeeze lemon and drizzle avocado oil over the greens and beans. Add Himalayan sea salt and black pepper. Toss well to combine.
Assemble your dish with chickpea salad, seared cauliflower steak and drizzle with cashew cream.
Family Fruit Mince Tart
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Blend or process butter, and sifted flour and icing sugar until crumbly. Add egg yolk, extract and the water; process until ingredients come together.
Enclose in plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line 18cm x 30cm rectangular loose-based flan tin.
Lift pastry into tin, press into sides, trim excess; prick base all over with a fork. Cover; refrigerate 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C.
Place tin on oven tray; line pastry with baking paper then fill with bakers weights. Bake 15 minutes. Cool.
Add fruit mince in an even layer over tart base.
Roll pastry scraps on floured surface, cut out desired shapes. Brush each pastry shape with beaten egg and place pastry egg-side down on fruit mince.
Bake tart about 20 minutes or until browned lightly. Dust with a little sifted icing sugar before serving.
Mini White Choc Puddings
- Sift flours, mix in breadcrumbs, cranberries, currants, pistachios, chocolate and rind.
- Cream butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy, pour in condensed milk and vanilla beating continuously. Beat in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Make a well in the centre of the breadcrumb mixture and pour in butter mixture, mixing well to combine.
- Prepare 8 mini pudding basins (200ml capacity): Cut 8 baking paper circles fitting the top, 8 circles fitting the bottom of the pudding basins and 8 circles 6cm larger than the basins. Grease well and insert a paper circle into the bottom of each basin.
- Spoon mixture into prepared ¾ cup basins, smooth and top with a paper round. Take the 6cm round and fold a 1cm pleat in the centre. Tightly secure with kitchen string approximately 1 – 2cm below the pudding top.
- Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan and arrange puddings on top. Add enough boiling water to fill halfway up pudding basins. Cover and steam for 1 hour, replenish water when needed. Remove from water, stand for 10 minutes before carefully turning out. Serve with caramel brandy sauce.
Caramel brandy sauce
- Place sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, golden syrup and butter in a medium saucepan, cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until mixture begins to change to a caramelise. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Pour in brandy and cream, mix well.
Tip: These puddings can also be steamed in the microwave. Ensure your moulds are microwave safe, cook in microwave on defrost setting for 20 minutes, check if a skewer inserted into pudding comes out clean. If not cooked, microwave at 5 minute intervals, until skewer comes out clean. Stand for 10 minutes before turning out.
Cinnamon Scrolls
Transfer warm milk to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Add in sugar, egg, egg yolk and melted butter. Mix until well combined.
Stir in flour, salt, currants and sultanas until a dough begins to form.
Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should form into a nice ball.
Transfer dough ball into an oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Allow dough to rise for approximately an hour, or until doubled in size.
After dough has doubled in size, transfer dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 35x22cm rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough.
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough followed by the currants, then press into the butter.
Tightly roll dough up, starting from the shorter side and place seam-side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough as best you can.
Cut into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife. You should get 9 large pieces.
Place cinnamon scrolls in a greased 23x23cm baking pan or round 23cm cake pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Remove clingwrap and bake for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before frosting.
Makes 9 cinnamon scrolls.
To make the frosting:
In the bowl using electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, light and fluffy.