the cooks larder

all in the pot!

Making your own stock at home is not only good for your cooking, it is good for your budget, good for the environment and good for the worm farm! Whenever cooking  throw your biggest pot on the stove and toss in all of your vegetable scraps – onion skins, celery tops/leaves, leek tops, carrot tops, garlic skins or roughly chopped older garlic, herbs etc along with whole peppercorns and fresh bay leaves [get a tree if you don't have one because they are pretty and practical]. Bring it to the boil  and then simmer for a few hours. I will also add fresh chicken bones if I have them or even left over roast chicken bones, lamb bones etc for a meatier stock. You will know it is ready when it tastes good! Freeze or leave in the fridge for no longer than a week – use it for the base of soups, braises, risottos, poaching, sauces etc. If you have a compost or worm farm the soft, quick to break down vegetables will be appreciated greatly. No waste. Very Satisfying indeed!

Basic ingredients...

Ginger

It was a busy night last night but my quiet morning offered a good chance to get dinner organised so everyone would get fed at some point – despite all the too-ing and fro-ing… At the beginning of winter I cannot eat enough rich heavy braises, but by late winter I really feel like eating foods with a little more vibrancy. This recipe is just right because the lovely ginger gives a delicious zing. Best of all, it covers everything needed for a great meal – one pot, simple, freezer and delicious… and it still warms you the way winter food should.

CHINESE STYLE GINGER BRAISED BEEF

Enough to feed  4-6 with left overs

• 1.5 kg chuck steak – buy it whole if you can, rather than diced
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 big piece of ginger, roughly the size of your palm, sliced as finely as possible
• 1 long red chilli (optional)
• 1/2 bunch shallots, finely sliced, reserving a handful for serving
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 star anise
• 1 tablespoon chinese five spice
• 1/4 cup dark soy (or whatever you have in the cupboard – I’m loving the heavy flavours of mushroom soy)
• 1/4 cup Chinese rice wine or sherry
• tablespoon of chinese black vinegar (optional)
• beef stock or water
• 2-3 tablespoons crumbled dark palm sugar
• 1 bunch coriander, leaves picked and roots cleaned (see previous post on coriander)

Cut the beef into ‘steaks’ around 1.5cm thick and set aside.

In a heavy oven proof braising dish, fry the ginger, shallots and chilli in a little peanut oil till they are soft. Remove from the pan and set aside. Brown the beef pieces on both sides until they have a lot colour but not cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Put the ginger mix back in the pan and add the chinese five spice – cook till fragrant. Add the beef back to the pan and wait for the temperature to get high again and add the chinese rice wine and vinegar. Cook for a a minute or so then add the rest of the ingredients and bake in a slow oven for 1.5 or 2 hours or until the meat is falling apart. Remember to remove the star anise and the coriander roots before serving on steamed rice with your favourite Asian greens. Freezes very well.

Dark Palm sugar

Star Anise.. though only crumbles left in the corner of the packet!

The first week back at school is tough on everyone involved so it is definitely time to get back to to basics… and you can’t get more basic than this stew. This recipe doesn’t even call for the meat or vegetables to be browned beforehand, making it very fast to prepare. I really don’t like the word stew… in fact we can never use it on menus because it just doesn’t sound delicious! SO call it a braise, call it slow cooked beef – call it whatever you like. It is simple but tasty enough to hit the spot. You can add herbs to taste, more vegetables such as mushrooms, hot paprika, bacon, more or less garlic or red wine. Throw in leeks if you have them but don’t worry if not… it is always satisfying. Serve with mash, steamed greens and a big handful of parsley. I make a double (or triple batch now that I have invested in an extra big Le Creuset dish) because it freezes very well and makes for a fabulous pie mix!

Simple Beef Stew

• 1.5kg beef (chuck, blade or gravy) cut into 2-3cm chunks
• 1 can diced canned tomatoes
• 2 sticks of celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons plain flour heavily seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 cup red wine

Toss the beef chunks in the seasoned flour. Shake of any excess. Put all ingredients into a large oven proof pot and cook for 1.5-2hours. Check if meat is tender – cook for 20mins longer if not and check again. Yup. That’s it!! Plenty of time for slow baths, homework and lunches to be made AND maybe even an early night!

particularly delicious after rainy rugby training….

It’s school holidays and it’s a bit cold and bit rainy …looks like there are going to be lots of indoor days. This means endless rounds of Rummikub (if you don’t have this number game, get it soon – it’s great). Half way through our first round we definitely needed a mid morning sweet treat – fast. The cupboard was rather bare but we managed to pull together enough ingredients to bake these great little cookies using the very basic ingredients on hand.

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Picked this morning

I was lucky enough to receive a big bunch of broccoli today – just cut from a home garden. I dream of having a garden that produces vegetables like this…. perhaps one day. When given a gift like this I feel an enormous responsibility to use it well with great respect and to use it as soon as possible so we can actually enjoy produce that is less than 24hours old! What a privilege! SO here is what we ate for dinner tonight: a simple dish showcasing this deliciously fresh broccoli…

Friends of broccoli: Chilli, garlic, lemon and parmesan

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Frozen berries will work just fine...

Bread and butter puddings work well in a big dish, or individual like these...

Some people love them, some people don’t – others simply wouldn’t dare to eat such a shamelessly indulgent combination: bread+butter+cream+eggs+sugar! Being the daughter of English parents meant I grew up with bread and butter puddings regularly appearing on our table – though mum always used sultanas – never raspberries. Here is the recipe, based on my mums pudding. It always sells out at The Cooks Larder…  I have also included a few variations on this favourite …Enjoy!

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cavolo nero

Every season I seem to develop a love for a particular food and find myself looking for ways to eat it as often as possible. This season it is definitely cavolo nero… the fabulous Tuscan cabbage. I’d love to say that I have just picked these bunches from my garden but alas, between the excessive rain here in Sydney and a large dog who likes to trample the garden, my tiny seedlings are struggling to stay alive… I don’t think they will ever look like this…. never mind. Here are a couple of simple ways I have been enjoying cavolo nero and feel so so nourished and healthier as a result!

• Shred finely and saute with garlic to serve with fish, beef, pork sausages.
• Cut finely and stir into soups for instant colour and flavour
• Served sauted with roasted almonds, garlic, lemon zest  for a healthy lunch
• Sauted with pancetta, garlic and tomatoes with loads of freshly grated parmesan for a simple dinner
• Witled with poached eggs – great start to the day…
• This is a fabulous recipe from Heidi Swanson that I shared on my birthday today with some lovely friends and a bottle of Veuve….(although I drastically upped the garlic and olive oil and accidently forgot the walnuts. I also substituted corona beans for large lima beans and cavolo nero for the kale).

When my kids know steak and vegetables are on the menu for dinner they are never enthusiastic… I get it, it is after all one of the more boring but practical dinners because it is both quick and healthy. Since doing the vegetables this way however, the dinner is greeted with far more enthusiasm! They are seriously tasty!

Make all the vegetables even if you think the kids won’t eat them… you might be surprised that they will at least try even the capsicum when it is cooked like this – my youngest is a new convert now! Make more than you need because the left overs make for a delicious lunch the next day – piled high on sandwich, mixed with rocket and tuna or tossed through lentils with balsamic! These vegetables are also perfect for an antipasto platter – serve them with a crumble of fresh goats cheese or chunks of parmesan.

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I love lemon [in case you haven't noticed]… and lemon and chicken are best of friends especially in winter…. This is a simple way of jazzing up your normal roast chicken and really infuse it inside out with flavour. You could also add a grated garlic clove or chopped parsley to the mix but there is something about the clean freshness of the lemon and a touch of salt that is a winner for me…. but use this process for making a multitude of compound butters with endless flavour combinations: chilli & coriander; sage and garlic; parsley, thyme and chive, redwine and chive and so on…..use them with chicken or when pan frying fish or top a steak with a thin slice for added richness. » Read the rest of this entry «

The clock is ticking and the hoards are hungry!

Last week began with a worry filled sleepless night – it was one of those weeks ahead that seem to ask the impossible between work, school and home – I felt genuinely afraid! Well it’s over and we are still standing! That awful Elton John song “I’m still Standing” played in my head all week… hmmm thanks for trying Elton, but you didn’t help at all … there seems to be a entire genre of scary ‘survival’ songs …

The last 7 days reminded me why a well stacked pantry, fridge and freezer is essential for every busy family…. » Read the rest of this entry «

Lamb cutlets always seem to end up in my shopping basket because they are easy and quick to cook. Problem is they can be a bit boring after a while. But it only took 5 seconds and a few very basic ingredients to make these particular lamb chops soooo delicious the kids wanted them in their lunch boxes tommorrow….a super simple quick family dinner

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Family recipes will feature heavily on our blog because coming up with dinner ideas every night can be a tough job – especially when you need them to be quick, healthy and satisfying for the whole family. We love a bit food carry-on at the store but when we get home we need simple. This dish ticks all those boxes and even if there is a baby or toddler  in the family this dish will puree or cut up into finger food beautifully. » Read the rest of this entry «

Some times you want to eat something delicious and healthy but just don’t feel like cooking… this was  a super quick Sunday lunch pulled together with the help of my newly planted herb garden. Our small garden seems to add a little magic to even the simplest meals. For example today I knew I had some of Tetsuya’s soft smoked ocean trout in the fridge… but what to do with it? From the herb garden I snipped a mix of dill, basil, parsley and a few leaves from lettuce planted only yesterday and tore them up over the trout. A squeeze of lime and a dollop of home made mayo and a beautiful lunch was ready….Of course growing herbs in Avalon is nearly impossible because of the pesky possums who always wait until the herbs are just perfect before attacking… Recently though we have found a fabulous solution….

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Today we spent a lovely day with friends at Mackerel Beach – our first trip over there. What an oasis of peace even for those of us who live on the beaches…. a wonderful community feel and we had a great day swimming, chatting… and best of all sharing food. Given the point of the day was to relax and getting there involve a boat trip we needed it to be super easy…

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