Chinese Pork Fillet

I was writing up this week’s meal plan and I thought that I should add this one to the blog.

Mum used to make this and think it was just the best thing ever.  I didn’t really get it at the time, but having tried it again as an adult, I can see the appeal.

Mum would slice the pork into little medallions to serve.

2 x 500g pork fillets

30g butter or equivalent (once more, I omit the butter myself)

2 Tbsp oil

Sauce:

2/3 cup plum jam

2 chicken stock cubes

1 Tbsp cornflour

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup dry sherry

2 cloves garlic

Trim fat from pork fillets

Heat butter and oil in large frying pan

Add pork and brown well on all sides

Place pork fillets in baking dish

Pour over sauce

Bake uncovered in moderate oven for 40-45 minutes.  Baste frequently with sauce.

Serve slice.  Spoon over remaining sauce.

To make the Sauce:

Combine in saucepan: jam, crumbled stock cubes, cornflour, water, soy sauce, sherry and crushed garlic.

Stir over medium heat until sauce boils and thickens.

Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute.

Swiss Steak

I am not sure what it is about this recipe… it doesn’t look like much, but it is really nice.  I am sure Mum liked it because it is easy to prepare but tastes like something that is a lot of work.  I know it is one of Moira’s favourites.

 

1/2 oz butter

2lb chuck or blade steak, cut 1″ thick

1 envelope of french onion soup mix (the big sachets – make about 2L, I think)

1/2 green capsicum

2 tomatoes

1/2 cup tomato juice

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp cornflour

chopped parsley

 

Grease 20 inch piece of foil (or use a casserole dish with a lid)

Cut steak into serving pieces

Arrange the steak on the foil (or in the casserole) overlapping each piece

Sprinkle with soup mix, chopped green capsicum, and peeled sliced tomatoes

Season with salt and pepper

Mix together the tomato juice, sauce and cornflour.  Pour over the meat.

Bring foil up and double fold the edges to seal the package (or put the lid on the casserole)

Stand foil parcel in a shallow baking dish.

Bake 2 hours in a moderate oven (less if the meat is thinner)

Roll back the foil and sprinkle the meat with parsley to serve.

3-Star Meat Pie

Hmm.  Only 3 stars?  Well, remember this was written before 5 stars became the golden standard.  It really is particularly yummy, especially if you can be bothered making the pastry.

 

2 bacon rashers, chopped

2 medium onions, finely diced

750g hamburger mince

2 medium carrots, grated

1 level teaspoon salt

1/2 level teaspoon pepper

1/4 level teaspoon mixed herbs (This is dried mixed herbs)

1/2 level teaspoon dry mustard (Mustard Powder)

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 beef stock cube

2 level Tablespoons chopped parsley (fresh)

1 cup soft white breadcrubs

1 quantity of double crust pastry

 

Saute bacon. 

Add onions and cook until golden. 

Add hamburger mice and brown well. 

Add next 9 ingredients. 

Cook 2-3 minutes. 

Stir in breadcrumbs. 

Cool.

 

Roll out pastry to line a 23cm pie plate.  (Remember that you will need two sheets – one for the base and one for a lid)

Spoon cold filling inot pastry shell. 

Glaze edges with milk. 

Cover with second sheet of pastry. 

Press edges together (Mum usually used a fork, making a pattern with the tines). 

Glaze the top with milk and make 4 slits in the pastry.

Bake at 230 deg C for 20-25 minutes.

Serve hot or cold.

 

There is often enough pastry and filling leftover to make another small pie.

Salmon Crunch Pie

Mmmhmm.  Now this is a yummy taste of my childhood.  In my opinion, Mum just didn’t make this enough. 

This is one of those dishes that you can serve hot and is fantastic cold as well.

Pastry:

1 ½ cups plain four, sifted

1 cup tasty grated cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

½ cup butter

 

Filling:

500g can of salmon

3 x 50g eggs

1 cup sour cream

½ cup grated tasty cheese

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 small onion, finely chopped

¼ tsp dried dill

2 drops Tabasco sauce

 

Combine flour, cheese, salt and paprika in a bowl

Rub in the butter

Reserve 1 cup of this mixture.  Press the remaining mixture into the base and sides of a 20cm well-greased springform pan.

Drain and flake the salmon (I also remove bones and skin).  Arrange in the pie crust

Beat eggs and stir in the remaining ingredients.  Pour this mixture over the salmon

Sprinkle with the reserved crunch mixture, streusel style.

Bake at 190-200^oC for 35-40 minutes or until set and golden brown.

Cool 10 minutes before serving.

 

Serve hot or cold with salad.

 

Serves 6 (apparently)

Garbanzo Flan

My sister is a vegetarian.  I don’t know where this recipe came from, but whenever she was coming to visit, Mum would make this.  I wish I had the patience (and organisation) to soak and shell all the chick peas like we used to do.

400g dried chick peas (garbanzo beans)

1 large onion, sliced

2 teaspoons salt

1 Tbsp tahini

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped

3 medium tomatoes, sliced

10 black or green olives, pitted and cut in half

2 Tbsp roughly chopped parsley

 

Wash the chick peas under running water until the water runs clear.  Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water and soak overnight.  Next day, add the onion and salt, heat, making sure that the peas are covered with water.  Bring slowly to the boil and simmer for 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hourse, until the peas are tender and the liquid has almost evaporated, skimming as necessary.

Puree the peas in a blender.

Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice and oil and blend until smooth.  The mixture should be just thick enough to hold its shape.

(Alternatively, push the peas through a sieve, then beat in the remaining ingredients)

Fold in the chopped tomatoes, check the seasonings and then chill, while you make the pastry case.

TO MAKE THE PASTRY CASE

3/4 cup plain flour

3/4 cup wholemeal flour (or a mixture of wholemeal flour, rolled oats and wheatgerm)

Actually, I think my sister would substitute “light flour” for the whole lot…

Good pinch of salt

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

125g margerine (Mum NEVER used margerine in anything.  I think it is probably in this recipe just to be non-dairy, even ‘though Di is veg, and not vegan)

5 Tbsp water

Pre heat the oven to moderately hot

Mix together the flours, salt and herbs.

Rub in the margerine

Mix to a dough with the water

Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes

Roll out and line a 22-24cm flan tin or two small flan tins.  Blind bake for 35 minutes.  Turn off the oven and remove the weights from the pastry  Leave in the oven a further 8-10 minutes to cool.

Spread the filling in the case/s and garnish with sliced tomatoes, olives and parsley.

Serve cool.

 

ETA  I have since been informed that this recipe came from the lady that catered Di’s wedding.  See?  The quality of a recipe is never diminished by sharing.

Honey Beef and Beans

This is the recipe that has been most requested by the family, therefore it deserves to be the very first post.  It is one of those dishes that was always there, and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside whenever I eat it.

I regularly requested this for my birthday dinner.

I also remember Mum freezing this in portions in ice cream containers: one portion; a layer of freezer wrap; another portion; another layer of freezer wrap…  I always felt unduly excited seeing portions being lifted out of the freezer.

I hope you enjoy it, too.

 

3 Tbsp oil

3 Tbsp butter

2 large onions, finely sliced

4 Tbsp seasoned flour

1 kg yearling topside, cut into strips

1 1/2 cups beef stock

4 Tbsp honey

4 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup vinegar

1 cup tomato sauce

250g fresh green beans, cut into 2cm pieces and parboiled I have to admit, I do double the amount of beans in this recipe these days… I remember when I used to pull them out and slip them onto Moira’s plate!

4 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 Tbsp ginger

 

Heat the oil and butter mixture

Fry the onion lightly and remove from the pan

Add extra butter if necessary

Toss the meat in the seasoned flour. Fry in batches until well browned (about 10 minutes)

Add stock, honey, soy sauce, vinegar and tomato sauce

Simmer until meat is tender (about 30 minutes)

10 minutes before serving, add beans, parsley and ginger.  Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Serve with boiled rice (brown rice is my preference for this dish) and onion bread.

Serves 6-8 (Apparently!  Maybe if they are vegetarian…)