Braising-Slow cooked Ham Hock- two ways

When Tour de Cure finished I had a quick break then I headed back to Victoria. Thornton to be precise. The rest of the Canadian Kitchen team was working hard on a new TV show call the Frontier.

My new home was in the Thornton Caravan park which was right up the road from a trout farm. I will admit I was like a child who was fishing for their first time. Eventually I figured out what I was doing and I caught my first trout :)

My Canadian bosses are awesome foodies and before you know it Linda had found the best places in the area for us to dine on our day off. The Tea Rooms at Yarck were amazing, I didn't eat that night or breakfast the next day, SO MUCH FOOD :-0
Ruffy Road Produce Store was a blast, even the fruit trees in the garden proved to be great entertainment for Juno who's 3. Why buy a apple when the one above our table taste so much better.

Da Noi in South Yarra's country restaurant

The Produce Store had fantastic deserts

On the last day of shoot I got to do Braised ham hock for the crew so here are two ways you can do it.
These two recipes together will use one braised ham hock.

First you need to braise the ham hock-

Ingredients-
1 smoked ham hock(you can find these in the deli section of your supermarket)
2 small brown onions diced
2 medium tomatoes diced
1teaspn minced garlic
1teaspn salt
1teaspn cracked pepper
2TBLspn maple syrup
1/4cup water
alfoil

Method-
1.Preheat oven 170'c
2.Place ham hock, onion, tomato, garlic, salt, pepper, maple syrup and water in a oven proof dish
3.Cover with alfoil
4.Braise in oven for 2 hours

5.Remove from the oven

6.Remove the ham hock from the liquid
7.Dispose of the bone and knuckle
8.Rough dice up the meat-you can dice the skin. I prefer to use half of it
9.Return the meat back into the braising liquid
10.Continue to braise for 30 min
11.The meat is now ready to be used

Ham & Tomato Fettuccini

Ingredients-

1ltr water

1teaspn table salt

1TBLspn olive oil

75g fettuccini

1/2 cooked braised ham hock mix

5 leaves basil thinly sliced

1TBLspn shaved Parmesan

10 leaves rocket

Method-

1.Place water, salt and oil in a pot and bring to the boil

2.Cook fettuccini- make sure you stir to make sure the pasta does not stick

3.Strain the pasta

4.In a mixing bowl place pasta, ham, basil, and parmesan

5.Toss

6.Serve in a bowl topped with rocket

7.Enjoy :)

Ham and Bread Pudding

Ingredients-

1 crusty bread roll diced

3 eggs

2TBLspn cream

2TBLspn Parmesan

1/2 ham hock mix

4 basil leaves

8 spinach leaves

Salt and pepper

Grease proof paper

Method-

-Preheat the oven at 170'c

1.Whisk egg and cream together

2.Add the bread and allow to soak for 3 min

3.Add ham, parmesan, basil, spinach, salt and pepper

4.Mix thoroughly

5.Line a small cake tin with grease proof paper

6.Put the bread mix onto the tin

7.Cover with alfoil bake for 30 min

8.Remove the alfoil and bake for a further 40 min

9.Cool down for 20 min then remove from the tin cut into wedges enjoy :)

Great when served with creme fraiche :)

Breaky-Bircher Muesli

This year I was lucky enough to be asked to cater for a cancer fund raising group, TOUR DE CURE.  They are a amazing group of people who ride their bike to raise money and awareness for cancer.  This ride went from Geelong down to Warrnambool then we came up the Great Ocean Road finishing at Torquay.

 I am always amazed by the passionate people who undertake such huge experience.  Its not just a group of people who jump on the push bike to raise money, its the amazing journey the ride takes you on.  This ride focused on getting help to remote areas in Victoria. They raised $100,000 on this ride which will go to a number of causes.  Flying doctors for fuel, putting people in schools so children can deal with cancer and donating to medical research hoping one day we can find a cure.

Everyday the bike riders stopped at schools to inspire children to be fit, be healthy and be happy. Not only is it a bike ride but they stop and listen to those people who their ride will effect.  This gives the riders the inspiration they need to ride when they feel they can go no longer.

Being on the support team for TDC will keep you on your toes.  We make sure that all they have to focus on is the ride and the experience. We feed, hydrate, keep them safe and care for their well being when they are on the ride. Lisa, Shani, Paul, Emma, Brendon and Sam I had a blast on this ride with you :)

 

One of the favourite dishes on the ride is Bircher muesli.  It is low GI, a slower burning fuel for the riders as well as it taste yummy.  I was asked many times on the ride for its recipe so here it is.

 Ingredients-

Soak-

1 cup rolled oats

2TBLspn Greek yogurt

2teaspn maple syrup

Zest of 1 orange

Juice of 2 oranges

1/3 cup apple juice

1 cup milk

1 apple grated

Finish-

1TBLspn whipped cream

1TBLspn toasted shaved almonds

2teaspn toasted coconut threads

 1. Soak the oats with yogurt, maple syrup, OJ, zest, apple juice, milk and grated apple

2. Cover and refrigerate overnight

 3. Fold the whipped cream through the oat mix

4. Serve topped with almonds and coconut

5. Enjoy :-)

                                      

Chocolate-Rocky Road

Everyone loves Rocky Road, its a great treat I love to make for my friends as you can use their favourite lollies to make it extra special. A couple of my friends have been taking care of Bruce my Budgie :) So i whipped up a batch to say thanks!

I haven't been able to do a blog for a while as I have been on the road with my job.  One of my employers is Canadian Kitchen.  It is a location catering company, so every now and then I have to hit the road and go to remote towns which means no internet.

 So for the last 7 weeks I have been on a few adventures which you will hear about in my next few blogs. 
But as they say there's no place like home, so coming home and cooking in my own kitchen is like heaven :)
For Angela I made her Rolo milk chocolate rocky road. 

 Christian loves dark chocolate so I made him a cherry ripe version. 

Ingredients

375g chocolate
50g marshmallows
150g raspberry lollies
50g moist coconut flakes
100g rolo/cherry ripe

note- you can change the lollies and chocolate types to suit your needs
I prefer to use the moist coconut flakes as it has a better texture and sweeter flavour.

Method-

1. In a dry microwave safe bowl break up the chocolate up into bite size pieces and put on for 1 min
2. Stir chocolate around and the microwave for 1 min

 3.Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and mix

note- with the cherry ripe version I chopped the cherry ripe bar into bite size pieces

4.Scoop your mix into muffin trays

note- I used the silicone version you can use the metal tray as well 

5.Refrigerate for one hour
6.Remove from the trays

7.Cut into quarters and enjoy :)

Lunch- Slow Cooked Pork Bun

Ingredients-

Olive oil spray
1 pork chop
1/2 small red onion
1TBLspn jalapeno
1TBLspn Dijon mustard
1teaspn crushed garlic
1/2teaspn cayenne
1 cup red wine vinegar
1Tblspn BBQ sauce
1/2teaspn Salt and Pepper
Fresh crusty roll
Butter
Aoili
Mixed salad leaves 

1. Preheat the oven at 160'c
2. Blend onion, jalapeno, mustard, garlic, cayenne, vinegar, BBQ, salt and pepper
3. Oil a oven proof dish
4. Put chop in the dish cover with the blended marinade

5. Cover with foil and bake for 90 min
6. Remove chop from the juices
7. Cut off the bone and the fat
8. Rough cut the pork

9. Put meat back in the juices
10. Cut bread in half
11. Butter roll
12. Spread aoili on the roll
13. Lay mixed leaves

14. Remove meat from the juices
15. Place meat on the bun
16. Enjoy :)

Meat- Osso Bucco

Ingredients-
1teaspn Olive oil
1teaspn crushed garlic
2 pieces of Osso bucco (beef)
Salt and Pepper
1 sachet tomato paste
1 carrot chunky diced
1 stalk celery diced
1/2 red onion chunky dice
1TBLspn strawberry jam
100g chunky diced tomato
1/4 cup butter beans
1/2 cup spinach leaves
7 sugar snap peas

1. Preheat your oven 160'c
2. Pan fry the garlic in oil
3. Coast the meat with tomato paste
4. Brown your meat 

 5. Add carrot, celery, onion, jam, tomato, salt and pepper to the pan
6. Cover with foil then bake for 1 hour
7. Remove the meat and half of the veggies from the pan
8. Blend the remaining veggies and juices

9. Put the meat and veggies back in the sauce
10. Add beans, peas and spinach
11. Cover with lid for 4 min 
12. Serve and enjoy :)

Meat-Thai Beef Salad

Ingredients-

2TBLspn flaked almonds
1 egg yolk
1/2 of a lemon juice
1/2 of a lime juice
1 teaspn Dijon mustard
1/2 small chili chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2teaspn sesame oil
1/2teaspn olive oil
100g lean steak
1/2teaspn olive oil- for cooking
1 cup spinach leaves
3 cherry tomato cut in half
1/4 bell capsicum sliced
5 slices of cucumber
1/4 red onion sliced

1. Preheat your oven at 180'c
2. Put your almonds in a pan then toast for 7 min in the oven
3. In a bowl mix the egg yolk, mustard and the juices
4. Add the oils and chill and mix

5. Add salt and pepper to the dressing mix then set aside
6. Cool the almonds
7. Season the meat
8. Turn your frying pan on high add the cooking oil
9. Seal the steak making it golden brown on both sides then rest on chopping board

10. In a mixing bowl place the spinach, cucumber, tomato, onion, capsicum and the almonds
11. Mix the dressing through
12.  Place the salad on your plate
13. Slice your steak and lay on the plate
14. Enjoy :)

Poultry- Spiced chicken with a tortilla salad

Ingredients-

1 Small tortilla
Olive oil spray
1 TBLspn olive oil- cooking
1 TBLspn bush spice
1 TBLspn corn flour
1 Egg
3 Chicken tenderloins
1 Small capsicum
1/4 Avocado
1/2 Cup mixed salad leaves
1/2 Lime
1 teaspn honey
Salt and pepper
1 teaspn olive oil- salad

1. Preheat oven to 200'c
2. Spray a small oven proof bowl with oil
3. Lay the tortilla in the bowl spray it with oil
4. Weigh down the tortilla with a smaller oven proof bowl and cook for 10 min in the oven
5. Put the olive oil in a frying pan and start to heat the pan

6. On a plate mix the bush spice and corn flour
7. In a small bowl beat the egg
8. Coat each tenderloin with the spice mix
9. Dip the tenderloins in the egg mix
10. Coat the tenderloins in the spice mix again

 

11. Fry the chicken until cooked

12. Pull the tortilla out of the oven and cool

13. Slice the capsicum and dice the avocado

14. Put the tortilla shell on the plate and layer the leaves, capsicum and avocado

15. Salt and pepper the salad, then drizzle with the olive oil

16. Arrange the chicken on the plate

17. Drizzle honey on the chicken

18. When you are ready to eat it squeeze the lime over the salad then enjoy :)