Author: Robert Beerworth

I love cooking, wine, travel, my three boys, and two girls, Avalon and my beautiful wife and best friend and cook, Nat...

Kylie Kwong’s Egg Fried Rice

.Reading time 1 minute.

Serves: 4 – 6

This is a really delicious fried rice and with some sliced chilli, it is a meal in itself.

It is quick on all fronts, it isn’t greasy and it subtlety means it will pair with pretty much anything.

You’ll be asked to cook this again.

Ingredients

6 eggs
⅔ cup finely sliced spring onions
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp finely diced ginger
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
4 cups steamed (Jasmine) rice
1 tbsp light soy sauce (extra)
1 ⅓ cups finely shredded Chinese cabbage leaves

Method

  1. Place eggs in a bowl with spring onions, soy sauce and ginger and beat lightly with a fork to combine.
  2. Heat oil in a hot wok until it starts to shimmer. Add the onion and toss for 30 seconds. Pour in the egg mixture and leave to cook for 10 seconds before folding the egg mixture in on itself and lightly scrambling for 1 ½ minutes or until almost cooked through. Add rice and extra soy sauce and stir fry for another 1 ½ minutes, breaking up the egg into smaller pieces.
  3. Toss in the cabbage, stir fry for another 20 seconds, combining well.

One Pot Chicken and Veggie Pasta – Kids

.Reading time 1 minute.

 

One Pot Chicken and Veggie Pasta – Kids

Serves: 8

We recently employed a nanny to help with the boys at night.

And when I suggested that she might like to encourage their cooking skills by cooking suitable dinners together, she loved the idea.

Tonight’s dinner was really good and kid friendly on all fronts. And one-pot pasta is genius on so many preparation/cooking/cleaning/genius levels.

And when I say ‘good’, I mean, I had a bowl and loved it good. Local cafe good.

If you have kids and want them to cook/eat, this is a great recipe to try.

If you want to cook/eat, you could do a whole lot worse.

Simple.

Ingredients

500gm chicken breast, cut into 2cm pieces
3 cups chicken stock
Penne pasta (packet)
1 cup Greek yogurt
3 bunches broccolini florets
1 cup sundried tomatoes
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly cracked pepper

Method

  1. Season the chicken.
  2. Over a high heat in a large pot, add the chicken, 2 cups of the stock and the pasta.
  3. Bring to the boil and boil for 7 – 8 minutes, stirring frequently
  4. Add the broccolini, remaining cup of stock and the yogurt.
  5. Stirring well, cook for another 7 – 8 minutes.
  6. Stir in the cheese and sundried tomatoes.
  7. Season and enjoy.

Simple strawberry cheesecake

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Simple strawberry cheesecake

Serves: 12

We had a request in the house for cheesecake last week.

Not one made by me, but a limited-time cheesecake at Woolworths from the veritable Cheesecake Factory folk; the people behind the US restaurant chain and some pretty great and outrageous cheesecakes.

Problem was that when I asked an attendant at Woolworths, he drew a blank. And a good walk past the refrigerators also drew a blank.

Plenty of apple pies and orange juice and sushi rolls, though no cheesecake.

Social media was too fast for our local Woolies.

So here is a simple cheesecake alternative.

Nothing like the ‘Factory’ would produce, though a very good – and very simple – cheesecake nonetheless.

This could become a habit.

Ingredients

250gm digestive biscuit
100gm butter, melted
1 vanilla pod
600gm soft (cream) cheese
100gm icing sugar
300ml double cream

Topping

400gm strawberries, halves
25gm icing sugar

Method

  1. For the base: butter and line with baking paper a medium-to-large loose-bottom round baking tray.
  2. Put the digestive biscuits in a large plastic food bag and crush to crumbs using a rolling pin.
  3. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and pour over the butter.Mix until the crumbs are well coated. Transfer to the baking tray and press down firmly to make an even, firm base/layer. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
  4. For the filling: Remove the vanilla seeds from the pod.
  5. Place the soft (cream) cheese, 100gm icing sugar and vanilla seeds in a bowl and beat with an electric beater until smooth.  Add the cream and continue beating until fully combined.
  6. Spoon the mixture on top of the biscuit base. Smooth the top and allow to set in the fridge overnight.
  7. When serving, puree the strawberries and 25gm icing sugar and sieve.
  8. Un-mould the cheesecake, throw on some berries, sprinkle with more icing sugar and pour over the strawberry puree.

Deb’s Layered Salad

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Deb’s Layered Salad

Serves: Hundreds

Christmas – specifically the catering of it – is a truly unique time.

Exciting, once-a-year, stressful, often unidirectional and lonesome (at least from the cook’s perspective), always worth it. We over-cater, we stress about dry turkeys, we snap when asked why we do or do not serve cranberry with our turkey/ham/chicken/whatever.

Best stuffings are argued and yet, when the time comes, it all tastes pretty bloody good, it is all greatly appreciated and the stress of the morning is forgotten in the malaise of the afternoon.

One of the greater stresses is changing your tradition or having it changed for you. We each have a vision of Christmas and if you don’t do prawns or BBQ, you don’t do prawns or BBQ.

Last year, we had a big family Christmas at Nat’s parent’s place. The kids, kid’s of kids, dogs, the whole shebang. The Ashes are a pretty relaxed bunch and they serve up some pretty awesome dinners; and yet it was with trepidation that I tried to merge what I could of my Christmas lunch with their tradition.

Top of my worries was this salad.

How could it go with my stuffed turkey breast, truffle mash or famous stuffing? I don’t do the simple, salad and meat Christmas and there was no way this salad could make sense to me.

Well, last year, my tradition changed!

To include this salad.

BOOM! It is awesome. Christmas awesome.

It is exactly what is great about Christmas. It tastes like Christmas.

It is utterly outrageous and that is the point.

Deb – Nat’s mum – throws some interesting culinary curve-balls and I should have known from her potato bake and cauliflower mash that she had it sorted.

I am a doubter no more.

My only worry is trying to convince you yo try it. Hopefully my admission of wrongful doubt will help.

BOOM!

Ingredients

Iceberg lettuce, shredded
Baby peas, blanched
Button mushrooms, sliced thinly
Eggs, boiled, grated
Spring onions, thinly sliced
Cheddar cheese, grated
Sour cream and whole egg mayonnaise, equal parts combined
Bacon, julienned and fried
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Baby tomatoes, chopped

Method

  1. In the biggest bowl you can find, layer it all. Again and again.

Eggplant dip (baba ghanouj)

.Reading time 1 minute.

Eggplant dip (baba ghanouj)

Serves: 10

Fresh Baba Ganoush is the bomb.

Served with some oiled and grilled Turkish bread, you have heaven.

This straightforward recipe is about as traditional as I can find and we served it across a few days including a family dinner where it was a hit.

The effort is worth the reward.

Ingredients

3 medium eggplants
1 ½ tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 – 2 garlic clove
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sweet paprika
Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Finely diced tomato
Oiled, grilled Turkish bread slices to serve

Method

  1. Grill the eggplants whole over a gas flame, turning with tongs until the skin is evenly blistered and the flesh is soft. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes to cool.
  2. Peel the eggplants and leave to drain for 15–20 minutes.
  3. Place the eggplant in a food processor with the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt and process until well combined and creamy. Add extra tahini, lemon juice or salt to taste.
  4. Scoop into a serving bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the oil into the well and sprinkle paprika, parsley and tomato on top.

Meen Molee (Fish curry cooked in coconut)

.Reading time 1 minute.

Meen Molee (Fish curry cooked in coconut)

Serves: 2 – 3

I’ve done a few Molee and this recipe is a wonderful, rustic and rather simple fish version.

It isn’t as complex or subtle as some I have done, though it is the simplicity factor that earns the write-up; and it tastes just awesome too.

Weekday, Saturday lunch, this is a great number.

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves
3 green chillies
5cm piece of ginger, peeled
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 small onion, finely sliced
6 curry leaves
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp salt
200ml coconut milk
160ml boiling water
500gm firm white fish, cut into 3cm pieces
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Basmati rice and coriander to serve

Method

  1. Place the garlic, chillies and ginger in a food processor and process until smooth.
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan to a medium-heat and fry the onion with the curry leaves for 4 minutes until softening. Stir in the garlic, chilli and ginger mixture together with the turmeric and salt. Fry for 2 minutes and then add half the coconut milk and the boiling water.
  3. Simmer for 2 minutes and add the fish; gently simmer for 5 – 6 minutes. Add half the tomato and remaining coconut milk and simmer for another 3 – 4 minutes.
  4. Garnish with the remaining tomato and serve on basmati rice with plenty of coriander.

Grilled Lamb Shoulder Provencale

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Grilled Lamb Shoulder Provencale

Serves: 6

We’re in the middle of pretty big house renovations at the moment… so anything complicated in the kitchen has been ruled out.

Having taken on the project management role of the project, we are on-site pretty much every night and certainly every weekend whilst we connect the building dots.

Which of course means we are tired at night and cooking has naturally/unfortunately taken a backseat.

Hello marinated meat and BBQ.

And plenty of baked potatoes and salad.

I can’t say I am not enjoying the BBQ-ed meat phase and when baby #3 arrives in two or so months, I suspect the BBQ will go into overdrive.

This particular marinade is a keeper and will be used again over the coming months.

Nothing beats lamb on the BBQ and marinating in this overnight is awesome.

And certainly, nothing is more satisfying that putting meat in the fridge overnight to marinate. There is such a sense of accomplishment and cooking maturity/preparedness about it.

This marinade is why you do it.

Ingredients

1kg boneless lamb shoulder
⅓ cup olive oil
⅓ cup lemon juice
⅓ cup white wine
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bay leaf
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp salt
Freshly cracked pepper

Method

  1. Slice and open the lamb shoulder like a book; you want an even piece of meat to grill. Place in a large, zip-lock bag (or bowl) ready to marinate.
  2. Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the lamb, massaging the marinade into the lamb. Remove any air from the bag (or cover the bowl with cling wrap) and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  3. Cook the lamb on a hot grill for 10 to 15 minutes per side. Baste with the reserved marinade often.
  4. Allow to rest, slice and serve.

Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad

.Reading time 1 minute.

Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad

Serves: 8

You want a healthy, tasty chicken salad right?

Who doesn’t?

It is one of my top searches for a weeknight meal or a Saturday lunch.

You want your back covered?

Nat’s got it!

With this awesome, super healthy, utterly moorish number: something I would make en-masse and ready to serve as a lunch or a snack all week.

240 calories per serve. 240!

Nat and this salad are genius.

Ingredients

1kg chicken breast
1 cup chicken stock
⅓ cup walnuts, chopped
⅔ cup reduced-fat sour cream
½ cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 tbsp dried tarragon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 ½ cups celery, diced
1 ½ cups, red seedless grapes, halved

Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 230c.
    2. Arrange the chicken in a baking dish in a single layer and pour the stock around the chicken. Bake until cooked through, around 30 – 35 minutes. Allow to cool enough to handle and then cube the meat.
    3. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts on a baking sheet until slightly golden; around 6 minutes. Allow to cool.
    4. Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, tarragon, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the celery, grapes and the cooled chicken and walnuts. Stir to coat and refrigerate until chilled.
  • Serve on a bed of salad: lettuce, tomato, avocado, diced red onion, cucumber, whatever!

Burmese Pork and Noodles

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Burmese Pork and Noodles

Serves: 4

This has to be your next, healthy, mid-week meal.

It is as if you grabbed takeaway on the way home, achieved with so little prep and 30-minutes of simmering: enough to pour that second glass of wine and squint to the weekend.

We minced a lean pork fillet (using a food processor) and it was awesome. Healthy, great consistency, the whole bit.

Add the noodles, the sauces and plenty of condiments and this is as fun as it is tasty.

Should I stop?

Ingredients

2 tbsp peanut oil
500 pork scotch fillet, minced or finely chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ tsp turmeric
1 star anise
4 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
125ml chicken stock
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
200gm dried rice noodles
50gm snow pea sprouts
Roasted and salted peanuts, chopped
Red chilli flakes

Method

  1. Heat half the oil in a wok over a high heat. Stir-fry the pork for 5 minutes until golden. Set aside, draining the liquid.
  2. Wipe clean the wok and add the remaining oil, over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and stir-fry for a few minutes until soft. Add the turmeric and star anise and toss to combine.
  3. Add the pork, tomato and stock. Simmer for 30 minutes until the liquid is largely reduced. Stir through the soy and fish sauces. Season with salt as necessary.
  4. Cook the noodles following the instructions and drain.
  5. Divide the noodles and pork mixture among 4 bowls and top with the sprouts, peanuts and chilli flakes.

Salmon BLT Stacks with Lemon Caper Vinaigrette

.Reading time 1 minute.

Salmon BLT Stacks with Lemon Caper Vinaigrette

Serves: 4

Nat found this simple, relatively healthy number online and it is great.

The whole thing comes together as a really tasty meal, especially with the salmon, bacon and the vinaigrette. As good as any BLT.

And of course, you’ll have the best lunch in the office the next day.

Yum.

Ingredients

1kg salmon, skin off
8 slices, rindless bacon
3 tomatoes, sliced
4 good handfuls, rocket
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked pepper

Lemon Caper Vinaigrette

½ cup olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp (heaped) capers
1 shallot, minced
¼ tsp salt

Method

  1. For the Lemon Caper Vinaigrette, in a bowl, whisk together the ingredients.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180c and bake the bacon on a baking tray lined with baking paper, until the bacon is crisp: 10 or so minutes.
  3. Heat a frypan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and cook the salmon on both sides until cooked to your liking.
  4. Arrange the rocket, then the tomato and then the bacon as a stack. Top with te salmon and drizzle with the vinaigrette.