Christmas Delights: Brandy Balls

My mother made these Brandy Balls every year at Christmas time as I was growing up. I love them because they are not just sweet, but rich in Brandy. I now make them every year as my own family tradition. I adapt the ingredients depending on what's at hand, and some years I have had to use dark Rum and currants. They turned out fine, but I prefer the Brandy and the sultanas.

Something I do for the kids, is replace the brandy with orange juice.  It becomes a Jaffa ball.
90g butter
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp cocoa
120g sugar
2-3 tbsps Brandy or Sherry
2 tsp vanilla
1 plain stale cake
1 cup sultanas (soak them in Brandy overnight)
1 cup coconut

In a saucepan mix the butter, sugar, egg, cocoa, Brandy and vanilla. Cook stirring constantly until thick - about 10 minutes.

 

Put the cake into a large bowl and break up into crumbs. Add the soaked sultanas and mix. Pour the butter/cocoa mixture over the dry goods and mix thoroughly. Roll into small balls then roll in coconut and leave to set. They will last a few weeks in a sealed container. Put them in the fridge on really hot humid days. If using orange juice instead of brandy, they will only last a couple of days.

Renee’s Sticky Brownie

These brownies have changed over time from a firm cake-brownie, to a sticky soft one. The family likes them slightly undercooked. A word of warning though, they are rich so small servings are recommended.

Ingredients:

375g  dark chocolate

200g milk chocolate

150g butter, chopped

2 eggs, beaten lightly

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup plain flour

½ cup self raising flour

Icing sugar to dust

Method;

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Grease and line the base of a 20cm square cake pan with baking paper.

In a large bowl sift the self raising flour and plain flour together.

Heat a large pot with 1-2 inches of water to boiling. In a smaller pot put the chocolate and butter. Once the water has boiled, turn off the heat. Place the smaller pot over the boiling water and start stirring the chocolate and butter until melted. Remove it from the heat frequently to prevent the chocolate becoming hard and grainy. If the chocolate is heated too quickly it will become pasty and not melt. Repeat this until all the chocolate is melted and blended with the butter. Remove from the heated pan and add the beaten egg and sugar. Mix well. Add the chocolate mix to the flour and fold it through. Once mixed pour into the pan and flatten out with the spatula. Bake  in the oven for 35-45 minutes. To test the brownie, shake the pan from side to side and watch the middle.  A little movement is good for a soft brownie. Too much movement means it is undercooked. (This will still set once cooled, but will be very rich). Cool the brownie in the pan. Cut once cooled. Remove the whole cooled brownie from the pan by lifting up the sides of the paper and chop on a cutting board. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Enjoy!

Tomato and Turmeric Basa

This dish is rich in flavour and has a Mediterranean touch. I used to make this as a soup with different kinds of seafood, but each time I made it, it would get thicker and thicker. Now I like it with the sauce reduced, and a nice piece of fish on top! I love using fresh herbs. In July/August, `Dill` is plentiful in the garden so I use it with everything, even my scrambled eggs!

Fish:

4 Basa fillets, skinned and boned

Celery Salt, enough to sprinkle over fish

Fresh dill and parsley, 3 or 4 sprigs

Salt and pepper

½ Lemon

Olive oil

Cut fish in half across to separate the tail end from the thick body. Set aside the tail end. Coat the thick half in celery salt, chopped dill and parsley and salt and pepper. Fry in oil in a frying pan and squeeze lemon over the top. Turn after 2-3 mins. Cook on a medium-low heat until cooked through. Set aside.

Sauce:

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, or 2 tsps minced garlic

1 can of whole tomatoes

1 tsp chicken stock powder

3-4 sprigs dill, parsley and thyme each

1 tbsp turmeric powder

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and fry onions in a heavy based pan.  Add 2 heaped tsps of garlic and stir. Once the fragrance is released, add the can of tomatoes, chicken stock, chopped fresh dill, parsley and thyme. Crush tomatoes with the end of the wooden spoon to break them up. Add ½ cup water and turmeric powder. Season with salt and pepper. Chop the tail end of the fish (from above) into small pieces. Add fish and reduce heat to low. Simmer until reduced to a runny sauce.

Pour into a bowl, then, place the cooked seasoned fish on top. 

Dill and Ginger Chicken Patties with Cabbage

Chicken Patties. Makes 8 patties

500g Chicken mince

3 sprigs of fresh dill, chopped or 2 tsps dried dill

1 tbsp chopped parsley or 2 tsp dried

1 tbsp chopped chives

1 tsp minced ginger

1 carrot, peeled and grated

1 egg, beaten

1 pinch of Celery Salt

Salt and pepper

Plain flour

Olive oil

Mayonnaise for garnish  (The Japanese mayonnaise works well from the squirt bottle for better design. Can be purchased at major supermarkets)

Cabbage

1 bag of cabbage salad mix

(or chop up thinly: ¼ wedge of cabbage, 1 carrot, 2 stalks of spring onion, 1 stalk celery)

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried

1tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried

1 tbsp butter

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Mix all Chicken patty ingredients except for the flour and the olive oil. Mix until consistency is pasty and sticky. Sprinkle flour on a plate. Coat hands in olive oil and, using a spoon, form patties from the Chicken mixture. Do not over handle as mixture will fall apart and stick to your hands. Place immediately on floured plate being careful not to touch the flour with your hands, or the chicken will stick to them. Once all patties are formed, sprinkle more flour over the top and place directly into a hot pan that has been lined with olive oil. Cook over a medium high heat until cooked through – about 15 mins.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cabbage mix and stir until coated. Add fresh herbs and butter. Stir fry for 2-3 mins until vegetables have wilted a little but are still crunchy.  Season with salt and pepper.

Divide cabbage onto four plates. Arrange 2 patties each on top. Squeeze the mayonnaise over the top, or on the side as desired. 

Salmon Pie – My favourite comfort food

There is nothing better on a cold winter's day than Fish Pie! Everyone makes it differently, and I love being invited to friend's houses to try theirs! In New Zealand, a lot of people make it with smoked fish, but as I couldn't find that in Japan I used fresh salmon, skinned and boned.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp garlic butter, Olive oil
500g Salmon, skinned and boned
1 onion chopped
1 cup white mushrooms

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

3 tbsp flour
700ml - 1L milk
6-7 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 tbsp butter
1 cup grated cheese
1 tbsp grainy mustard
salt and pepper
In a large pot boil potatoes until soft. Chop salmon into large bite sized pieces and coat in salt and pepper and fry in garlic butter and olive oil until cooked. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion to pan and fry for 2-3 mins. Add mushrooms and mixed veges and cook until heated through. Add flour and coat, then gradually add milk stirring the whole time as it thickens. Add mustard and salt and pepper and stir in. Once it is thickened stop adding the milk.
Mash the potatoes with butter and milk. Season with salt and pepper.
Grease a casserole dish with butter and spoon fish mixture into it. Spread potato over the top and sprinkle grated cheese. Make sure the top of the potato doesn't reach the top of the dish or it will spill over in the oven. I often separate it into two dishes.

Bake in the oven at 200 degrees Celcius for 15-20 mins or until golden on top.

Prawn and Broccoli Curry

Australian King Prawns for $11.95 a kilo, who can resist?! On a cold winter’s day it’s time for some Prawn curry. This recipe is quick and easy. The longest part is peeling the prawns!

Ingredients:

500g cooked prawns, peeled
1 Onion Chopped

2 stalks broccoli, or 1 bag frozen broccoli

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp crushed ginger

1 tbsp turmeric

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp chicken stock powder

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 can coconut milk

Heat oil in a pan. Fry onions until soft. Add garlic and ginger and stir. Add turmeric, curry powder, garam masala, and cumin powder and stir. Add butter to pan and stir until melted. Add broccoli to pan and stir until coated. Pour the coconut milk into the pan and heat until boiling. Add the chicken stock. Reduce heat and simmer until broccoli is heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Add the prawns and simmer for 3 mins then turn heat off, cover and let sit for 10 mins before serving with rice.

One-Pan Chicken, Tomato and Wine

I used to make this recipe a lot when the kids were little, it was easy and tasty, and the kids ate it! Although it resembles a stew, I often make it in summer. It doesn`t require a lot of simmering and tastes fresh. Also, tomatoes are more readily available in summer! I often received large boxes of tomatoes from the surrounding farms in Japan and I would make this with fresh tomatoes. The flavour is a lot more subtle than with canned tomatoes. When using fresh tomatoes, it is best to peel them first. The usual way of peeling tomatoes is to blanch them briefly in boiling water, and their skins should just peel off, but I prefer to just peel them with a good ol` Aussie potato peeler. (Note, this way means you lose some of the flesh as well). It is faster for me and saves time. Of course, you could leave the skin on (as I used to in my lazy cooking days!), but you will have to watch the family picking the skins out of their teeth….

A lot of the flavour comes from the onions, and this is the only dish where I don`t brown them first. The veggies are optional, and it tastes great served with rice. 

Ingredients:

4 Chicken thighs, skin on

1 Onion, sliced along the grain

4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped  (or 1 can of diced tomatoes)

2 Zucchini, diced

1 stalk of celery, sliced

½ teaspoon celery salt

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup white wine

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Grated cheese or

parmesan cheese (optional)

Chop the chicken into 3-4 pieces per thigh. Coat with celery salt and salt & pepper. Heat 1-2 tbsps olive oil in a pan. Fry the zucchini and celery until soft, remove from pan. Add the chicken skin side down first. Once crispy turn over in pan. Place the onion on top of the chicken and pour the wine over. Add the tomato, zucchini, celery, stock, bay leaf and season. Cover pan and simmer for 10-15 mins. Arrange chicken on a plate and pour some of the tomato mixture over the top.

Sprinkle grated cheese or parmesan cheese on top if desired.