Category Archives: Party Food

Steamed prawns with lime mayonnaise

October 20, 2014 10:46 am / 3 Comments /

Steamed prawns with lime mayonnaise

Everyone loves fresh prawns and now it’s even easier to serve them warm, steamed in the steam oven in just 4 minutes for medium size or 5 minutes for the larger ones.  Impossible to overcook they would be a great finger food to cook at the same time as perhaps fresh mussels in the shell or some beautiful fresh scallops.  All these different shellfish would be cooked at the same temperature so it can open up a whole lot of different recipe ideas!

Dipped into this lime mayonnaise they are absolutely delicious,  you can add some crushed garlic to the mayonnaise to taste to turn it into a garlic aioli if you wish.  The combined oils in the mayonnaise works well, it isn’t as strong as using all olive oil.  You can use whatever other oil you have on hand, although I wouldn’t use peanut oil.

Ingredients:

24 green prawns, peeled with tails left in tact
Lime wedges

Lime mayonnaise:
2 large egg yolks
pinch sea salt to taste
rind 2 limes plus juice of 1 lime
½ cup olive oil
½ cup rice bran oil

Method:

  1. Curl prawns and arrange in a single layer in the perforated tray.
  2. Steam @ 85°C for 4-5 minutes until cooked depending on the size of the prawns.
  3. For mayonnaise beat egg yolks, salt and juice from half a lime in a medium size bowl with a whisk until combined.
  4. Slowly add the oil starting with single drops and gradually increasing, whisking continuously until thick and all the oil has been incorporated.
  5. Thin a little with the juice from the rest of the lime, now add the rind, mix well and taste for extra salt.
  6. It should be thick enough to dip and stay on the prawn.

Serve with extra fresh lime on the side – enjoy 🙂

 

Posted in: Dinner parties, Gluten free, Party Food, Steam Oven

Smoked salmon on zucchini fritters

July 31, 2014 10:45 pm / Leave a Comment /

Smoked Salmon on Zucchini Fritters

We were invited to a Christmas in July in the mountains last weekend so I decided I would make these and serve them as one larger portion per person, plated up as entrée.

A great recipe to also make as smaller fritters for finger food, it is moist and a nice change from the standard blini.  It would also be delicious, warm for a posh brunch with some eggs from the steam oven!

For the entrée size make your fritters approximately 9cm in diameter.  I used a large cutter or ring, greased in the pan to make each one the perfect size and left the mix to set for a couple of minutes before removing.  Don’t overheat the pan as they will burn and not cook through.  Cook slowly and remove to cool on a wire rack.

To transport, stack each pancake between plastic wrap.  The options for the filling are up to you; cream cheese, ricotta or crème fraiche would all be excellent.  I did goats curd mixed with a little chopped dill.  Serve with some lemon, tiny capers, thinly sliced red onion and a few leaves tossed in a little dressing.

Ingredients:  Serves 12 as entrée or 40 as finger food

2½ cups coarsely grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
60g butter
2 spring onions finely sliced
1-2 tbsp. milk
¼ cup grated parmesan
½ tsp salt
black pepper
½ cup plain flour
¼ cup self raising flour

Method:

  1. Preheat flat char-grill plate or tepanyaki plate.  If you don’t have one then use a non stick frypan
  2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until combined.
  3. Grease your cooking plate or frypan with a little olive oil spray.
  4. Spoon mixture into the ring onto char grill plate or frypan and cook on medium heat until you see small bubbles appear on the surface.  If you are making 12 as I did for entrée size be careful not to put too much mixture into the first batch as I ran a bit short by the last few.  Use about one and a half dessertspoons and spread into the ring with the back of the spoon.
  5. Turn, they should be well browned but not burnt.  They do take a while to cook, don’t turn too early.
  6. Cook on the other side until cooked through.

Serve with topping of your choice.

 

 

 

Posted in: Breakfast/Brunch, Christmas cookery, Dinner parties, Entrees, Fish, Party Food

Malaysian curry puffs

June 28, 2014 4:15 pm / 5 Comments /

Curry puffs

Nothing makes puff pastry ‘puff’ like a combi steam oven!  It is honestly, the best appliance you can use for cooking pastry.

I am not sure where this recipe came from but I have been making these for years and everyone loves them.

Easy to pre-prepare, wrap up in the pastry and freeze then you only need to put them frozen into a hot oven and brush with milk and they will cook beautifully.  I always prepare the filling the day before the ‘assembly’ and layer them with plastic go-between wrap or baking paper.

It will make about 24 depending on the size.  I usually make double quantity 🙂

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into quarters, cooked @ 100°C in steam oven for 8 minutes until almost cooked.  Dice into tiny squares when cool enough to handle.
pinch cayenne or chilli powder
1tbsp soy sauce
1½ tbsp. Malay curry powder such as Ayam.  Sometimes known as ‘Meat Curry powder”
2 medium onions, finely diced
250g minced lamb or beef (lean is better)
1tsp salt
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp peanut oil
knob of ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200ml water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup chopped coriander
6 sheets frozen Pampus Puff Pastry or block rolled
1 egg beaten or milk to glaze

Method:

  1. Start making the filling the day before.  It is easier to assemble them with cold filling.
  2. Heat oil in wok and fry onion, ginger and garlic over medium heat until soft.
  3. Add the meat and brown
  4. Combine the curry powder, chilli and soy and add this to the meat.  Cook for 2 minutes
  5. Add water, sugar and salt and simmer 5 minutes
  6. Now add the frozen peas and cooked, diced potato and continue to cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated.  It should be moist but not sloppy.
  7. Taste and set aside to cool.  Refrigerate overnight and add the chopped coriander just before assembly.
  8. Cut circles in pastry and add a tablespoon of filling in the middle.  Put a little water on one side with your finger. Fold over.
  9. Starting at one end pinch a little of the flattened edge back over itself and continue to the other end forming a neat braid
  10. Brush each puff with beaten egg or milk and bake on Combination mode 180°C + 30% steam for 45 minutes for frozen or 25 min fresh until puffed and golden brown

Serve with tomato sauce, spiked with a little chilli, fresh mint chutney or sweet chilli sauce.

Posted in: Combi Steamer, Party Food, Pastry

Chicken & coriander empanadas

June 16, 2014 3:07 pm / Leave a Comment /

Empanadas

These would have to be the ultimate food to serve for the World Cup!

We loved eating the empanadas in South America and as I am never shy of an opportunity for a new post I had to make these for the blog.   A perfect thing to cook at home in the combi steam oven, especially when the soccer is on.

From when we found the tiny basement restaurant in Buenos Aires where we tried our first ‘carne picante’ empanada (spicy meat) then the local market in Santiago when we devoured the classic ‘carne’ (meat) empanadas, we were hooked.  The perfect ‘fast food’ they were being carried around the market on a tray, straight from the oven wrapped in towels to keep them warm for the locals lunchtime treat.  This is the type of thing that us foodies just love.  Local authentic food that is cooked to perfection!

We then tried a few different varieties, ham and cheese, chicken and corn.  I thought I would adapt the chicken recipe from a cookbook we were given, Argentinian Street Food by Enrique Zanoni & Gaston Stivelmaher.  This recipe is definitely tastier than the standard chicken empanada we ate in the streets.  Absolutely delicious served with a fresh tomato and chilli salsa (or a fresh tomato sauce if you have one with a bit of chilli added).

There are heaps of other fillings you can do, the options are endless.

Ingredients:  Makes approx. 12 for the filling with a little pastry remaining

Pastry:  Classic dough for baking

165g unsalted butter
500g plain flour
pinch salt
175ml water

  1. Cut the butter into cubes.
  2. Put the flour and salt into a food processor, add the cubed butter and process until combined.
  3. Pour in water and process until it starts to come together.
  4. Remove from processor and knead into a ball.  Wrap in plastic and set aside in the fridge to rest for 1 hour.

Now make the filling:

250g chicken thigh fillets, cut into very small dice.  Extra fat removed
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced finely
1/2 red or yellow capsicum, diced
1 tbsp. grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. tomato paste
little chicken stock or water
1½ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp. chopped fresh coriander

  1. Heat oil in shallow frypan and sauté onion, garlic, ginger.
  2. Add chicken and stir well until sealed and mixed well together
  3. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute
  4. Now add the cumin and oregano and cook another minute.  You may need to add a little water now or chicken stock.
  5. Add capsicum and continue to cook with the lid off for 5-8 minutes.  It should be dry but well combined and not sticking to the base of the pan.
  6. Set aside to cool, add coriander just before filling.

Assembly:

  1. Roll the dough out until a little thicker than you would roll puff pastry.  The pastry doesn’t rise but an empanada should have thicker pastry than say a curry puff.
  2. Cut into 14cm circles and set aside, rolling out the remainder until all used.
  3. Pick up one circle, add a heaped dessertspoon full of cool chicken mixture on one side
  4. With your finger spread some water on half of the pastry circle and fold the top over to make a half circle.
  5. Now wrap the pastry over itself along the edges which makes the lovely scrolled edge.
  6. Lay on baking tray lined with baking paper and when finished put in the fridge to cool before baking.
  7. Brush with beaten egg yolk before cooking
  8. Bake @ 190°C + 30% steam for 20 minutes.  If you don’t wish to serve them all then freeze uncooked ones layered with baking paper in a plastic container.  Defrost at room temperature before baking then brush with egg wash.

Serve with a fresh tomato salsa made with tomatoes, red onion, chopped coriander and a seeded and finely chopped chilli.

Yum, pastry is so much better cooked in a combi steam oven 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Baking, Chicken, Combi Steamer, Party Food, Pastry

Steamed prawns with soy dressing

June 15, 2014 3:18 pm / Leave a Comment /

Steamed Asian prawns

Think cocktail party food and everyone loves Asian flavours.  They just seem to work and there are so many delicious varieties from tiny soups and satays to duck pancakes and noodle dishes.  I am going to start building my cocktail recipes as most of my favourites are Asian inspired and are well known show stoppers.

Now I have a steam oven it is so easy to do wonderful finger food for a party or even just for a few friends.  Dumplings would have to be the easiest way to feed a crowd!

Quick and easy this is a great appetiser to pop into the steam oven just before you pour the champagne.  By the time its come to temperature and you’ve poured the drinks it will be ready to serve!

Ingredients:  Makes 24

24 medium green prawns
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp. lime juice
1½ tbsp. kecup manis (sweet soy sauce)
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/2 birdseye chilli, finely chopped
chopped coriander to serve

Method:

  1. Peel and de-vein prawns.  Remove tails too.
  2. Place 24 Chinese soup spoons into the perforated tray
  3. Place a prawn on each spoon
  4. Combine remaining ingredients and drizzle over each prawn.  Don’t overdo it as you will also get some liquid from the steam oven into the spoon.
  5. Steam @ 85°C for 4-5 minutes depending on the size of the prawn
  6. Top with a tiny coriander leaf on each and serve on spoons.

Adapted from Miele

 

 

 

Posted in: Dinner parties, Party Food, Steam Oven

Steamed Thai fish cakes

June 12, 2014 9:45 am / Leave a Comment /

Thai fish cakes

Traditionally fried, there is no reason why traditional Thai fish cakes can’t be steamed and become healthy Thai fish cakes!

No fat, quicker to cook and a lot less washing up than a greasy pan with oil the flavour is just as good and cooking in this manner allows you to also be steaming other things at the same time 🙂

Try serving these along-side the Steamed prawns with soy dressing here or the Chicken & spinach gow gees  here.

I have jazzed them up a bit by putting a drop of sweet chilli on top with some chopped toasted cashew nuts, coriander & mint leaves for garnish.  Everyone enjoyed them and the texture wasn’t as ‘rubbery’ as your traditional fish cake.

Ingredients:  Makes approx. 16

300g white fish fillets
2 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. cornflour
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp finely chopped red chilli
2 tbsp. chopped spring onions
1 tbsp. chopped coriander

Sweet chilli sauce, toasted cashews or peanuts and fresh herbs to serve

Method:

  1. Remove any trace of skin or bone from the fish and cut into small pieces
  2. Put into food processor and process until smooth
  3. Add red curry paste, fish sauce, cornflour and egg.  Process until well mixed.
  4. Scrape into a clean bowl and stir through red chilli, coriander and spring onions
  5. With wet hands shape into small, flat discs about the size of a 50c piece.
  6. Line a perforated steamer tray with baking paper and place the fish cakes in a single layer
  7. Cook @ 85°C for 8 minutes.  Test one to ensure it is cooked all the way through.
  8. Spoon over a little sweet chilli sauce and top with nuts and herbs.

Serve with toothpicks for an all in the mouth at once flavour hit!

 

 

Posted in: Dinner parties, Party Food, Steam Oven, Thai

Chocolate baklava

June 10, 2014 3:18 pm / 2 Comments /

Chocolate baklava

I took my family to Alpha restaurant in Sydney for a joint birthday celebration in April and this is one of the desserts we chose.  Although I have made baklava on numerous occasions I had never made a chocolate version before.  Everyone loved it so I thought it fitting to make my version for our Greek dinner party.

My version is somewhat different than the typical baklava.  More lemon and less sugar, it doesn’t have that overly sweet hit at the back of the throat that you can get with a lot of middle eastern, syrupy sweets.

My original recipe came from our ancient Greek cookbook from the 80’s that we had in Melbourne.  It really is authentic but I always cut back on the quantities of oil and sugar in the recipes to fit with our tastes.  Eating a plate of something swimming in oil or burning your throat just because it’s ‘authentic’ in my opinion is crazy.  My children and friends just love my baklava and that’s what is important to me.

Served with just plain vanilla ice-cream I think that this chocolate version will also become a favourite!

Ingredients:

375g packet fresh Filo pastry
350g melted, unsalted butter
300g chopped walnuts
250g dark choc chips
1/4 cup sugar
1½ tsp ground cinnamon

Syrup:

3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
2-3 strips lemon rind plus juice 1 lemon
1 stick cinnamon
2-3 whole cloves plus extra for ‘pinning’ the top layers together.

Method:

  1. Mix all syrup ingredients together in a medium size pot.
  2. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

For the baklava:

  1. Chop walnuts and chocolate chips together briefly in a food processor.  This helps break up the chocolate and bind it with the walnuts.  Don’t over-process, you don’t want the nuts to be dust.
  2. Add the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
  3. Melt butter slowly without boiling.  Cool slightly.
  4. Open filo pastry packet and lay on the end of damp tea towel.  Cover with the other end to stop the pastry drying out while you work.
  5. Line a tin 23cm x 32cm with double layer of baking paper that can extend up the sides for you to use as a handle to remove when cold.
  6. Brush the bottom of the pan with melted butter and start laying your filo on the base.  Depending on the exact size of your tin I brushed half a sheet of filo, folded it over to half and it almost fitted into the base of my tin.  I was about 2cm short on one side but layered them alternatively over this ‘gap’.
  7. Layer about 4 of these doubled, halved sheets on the base and then start layering with spoonfuls of the nut and chocolate mixture.  It shouldn’t be thick, just evenly covered.
  8. Cover each layer with two folded layers of filo and repeat until all the choc/nut mixture is used up.
  9. Now butter and layer the remaining sheets for the top.
  10. Butter the top well and with a sharp knife cut right through the whole thing into diamond shapes.
  11. Pour remaining butter over, stud the centre of each diamond with a whole clove to keep it together and bake in a slow, fan forced oven @ 130°C for 50 minutes then 150°C for 15-20 minutes more until golden brown.
  12. As soon as it comes out of the oven, pour over the syrup that has been strained to remove the whole spices.
  13. Set aside to cool.

Serve with vanilla ice-cream.  Delicious!

Posted in: Baking, Cakes and Biscuits, Chocolate, Desserts, Party Food, Pastry

Savoury ‘cake’ with zucchini, bacon & parsley

June 6, 2014 9:38 pm / Leave a Comment /

Savoury cake

At the airport in Sydney on our way to South America I brought this novel, ‘Lunch in Paris’ by Elizabeth Band – sounded like my kind of book and it had some recipes too!  A story about an American girl who moves to Paris.  It has lots conversations about lovely French food, restaurant and market descriptions and some fabulous French recipes.

This is one of the recipes, a savoury ‘cake’ which can be adapted to all sorts of ingredients.  In the book she cooked it with bacon, chervil and figs.  I thought I would try it with zucchini, bacon and parsley and cook it in my new Le Creuset square cake pan which fits perfectly into the combi oven.

This is a familiar dish that you may have had at a buffet before.  It’s not a quiche filling, nor a muffin recipe, but something in between.  Cooked ahead of time it re-heated well and was enjoyed at my recent morning tea that I hosted for the Cancer Council.

Ingredients:

1¼ cups flour
1 level tablespoon baking powder (yes tablespoon)
125 g lean bacon
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 eggs
2 large or 4 small zucchini, grated finely
pinch salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 cup grated Colby cheese

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 160ºC Fan forced.  Line a 23 cm square tin with baking paper.
  2. Grate zucchini, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and mix through.  Let stand in a colander for about 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
  3. On medium heat sauté chopped bacon, onion and garlic until soft.  I reserved a little of the bacon and sliced thinly to decorate the top in a lattice design.  Set aside to cool in a large bowl.
  4. Beat eggs, milk and olive oil together.
  5. Sift flour and baking powder together.
  6. Add flour to egg mixture and mix well but don’t over beat it.
  7. Squeeze out all the extra moisture from the zucchini.  There is no need to rinse off the salt as you don’t need to add any extra.
  8. Now mix all the ingredients together.  Add a little ground black pepper and pour into pan.
  9. Bake for 50 minutes.

Serve warm, cut into squares.  This will soon become one of your party favourites 🙂

Posted in: Baking, Party Food

Mexican Picadillo

March 28, 2014 9:26 am / Leave a Comment /

Mexican picadillo

This is my American friend, Maria’s recipe that she cooked for us at their Mexican Fiesta night.  She knows a lot more about Mexican than I do so I knew this was going to be good!

Made with mince meat this dish could be the next big craze as the ‘quick family meal’ and even tackle the humble spaghetti bolognaise as Mexican versus Italian is battled out in Australian homes everywhere! Although, you will have to convert your little darlings to eating spicy first as this does pack a punch.  My kids would have loved this growing up 🙂

Maria served it in either a soft tortilla or baby cos lettuce leaves.  We liked it in the lettuce as it gave that added crunch and texture.

Served with a squeeze of lime, and fresh salsa or salad, it is a nice change to a richer pulled-pork type filling which I have made here on another occasion.  Simon requested the Watermelon salad again as he enjoyed it so much the first time.

As with all things spicy it is even better cooked the day before.

Ingredients:  Serves 8

1 Tbsp oil
1 large onion, diced finely
4 cloves garlic, crushed
900 grams lean beef mince
3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 3 ½ cups)
1 cup pitted stuffed olives (pimento), measured then sliced
1/3 cup currants
3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican if possible, it is quite different.  Buy from Fireworks)
2 tsp ground black pepper
1½ tsp sea salt
fresh limes for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the onion to the hot pan and sauté until translucent, about 6 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
  3. Add the beef mince and sauté until it is just cooked through, making sure to break up any large pieces with a wooden spoon.
  4. Now add the dry spices and stir well.  Cook for about 1 minute.
  5. Add the remaining  ingredients (tomatoes through salt), stir to combine and turn the heat up to high. Once a boil is reached, turn the heat down to medium and simmer uncovered until the tomatoes are broken down and the mixture has thickened, about 15 minutes.
  6. Let stand ~10 minutes before serving.
  7. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime.
Posted in: Main Courses, Mexican, Party Food

Chicken & spinach gow gees

January 26, 2014 3:10 pm / 5 Comments /

Gow gees

I love dumplings in all shapes and forms.  The only requirement I have for my dumpling passion is that they are steamed, not fried.  I think my love of dumplings (and other yummy Asian foods)  actually had a lot to do with my decision to buy a steam oven.  As we eat Asian most nights of the week, especially when we eat out, there are so many fabulous things that can be steamed in the various Asian cuisines.  I never run out of ideas or new dishes to try.  Even when cooking for one it is really easy and really healthy to do something like the 3 minute Salmon & Udon noodles here.

Honestly, who can be bothered with the wok boiling dry and the bamboo baskets anymore?  It is so much easier cooking just about everything in a steam oven.

You can easily make a double batch of dumplings and freeze the remainder for another meal.  Reheating is a dream as they only take 10-12 minutes from frozen.

Ingredients:  Makes approx. 24

70g English spinach, washed (about 1/2 bag of baby spinach leaves)
250g chicken mince
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp. chopped coriander
1 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fish sauce
1 small red chilli, finely chopped and seeds removed
1 packet gow gee wrappers

Dipping sauce:

1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
3/4 tsp fish sauce
1 small red chilli, finely chopped

Method: 

  1. Place spinach in solid tray. Steam at 100°C for 1 minute
  2. Place into sieve and when cool, squeeze out all the moisture and finely chop.
  3. Combine spinach with other ingredients.
  4. Place a large teaspoon of mixture on each gow gee wrapper.  Brush edges with water and seal.
  5. Place gow gees on perforated trays lined with baking paper.
  6. Steam at 100°C for 15 minutes.
  7. Whilst the gow gees are cooking, make the dipping sauce by combining all ingredients in a small saucepan and stiring over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

Tip:  Slightly oil your serving plate so they don’t stick.

Freeze any remaining gow gees in a covered container with baking paper in between.

 

Posted in: Chicken, Dumplings, Party Food, Steam Oven