Category Archives: All Recipes

FRUIT LOAF

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The first Christmas cake I made was a total disaster.  When I cut into it I discovered that it was still raw in the middle and totally inedible.  I’d only been married a few months so of course the first thing I did was ring my Mum to find out what could be salvaged.  Mum calmly told me not to panic, to put the cake in a mixing bowl, squash it all up and then pour in a cup of cold tea.  Once it was all mixed through to then put it in a pudding bowl and cook it like a Christmas pudding and lo and behold it worked.

When I found this old recipe in Mum’s collection it reminded me so much of that cake/pudding disaster.  I’ve always thought it was a marvellous trick that Mum knew and I think this old Fruit Loaf recipe gives a hint of where she got the idea from.

Fruit Loaf crop

RAINBOW DESSERT

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At one stage Mum used to make quite a few desserts that were topped with beaten jelly.  It works really well on top of a trifle or with berries mixed in. This recipe is really just a fancy was of combining custard and jelly that you then serve with fruit and cream or ice cream.  Should be one the kids would like.

Rainbow Dessert

CHICKEN AND HAM BAKE

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I’ve already posted a few recipes that use chicken and ham, but they go together so well and the combination is so well liked by everyone I just can resist adding this one to the collection.  I think using a bought cooked chook (such a great Aussie word for chicken)  would add lots of flavour and make this bake really easy.

Chicken & Ham Bake

SAUCE FOR MEATBALLS/SAUSAGES

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Mum’s friend Thel must have made this recipe using sausages, but from the handwritten title Mum must thought it was best with meatballs.  I don’t think it matters which one you use, it tastes good with either.

Sauce for Meatballs - Thel

SAUCE FOR MEATBALLS/SAUSAGES

  • 8 medium sausages or meatballs
  • 1 medium onion, chopped very finely
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon mixed mustard
  • 170 ml tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fruit sauce or fruit chutney
  • 1 tablespoon cornflour
  • ½ cup water

Cook sausages or meatballs.  Fry onions in oil until softened, stir in mustard, tomato sauce, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, fruit sauce or chutney.  Simmer 2-3 minutes.  Mix cornflour with water, add till boiling and thickened, cover then add sausages or meatballs.  Meatball recipe:  minced steak, 1 tablespoon cooked rice, onion, curry powder.

 

 

STEAMED PUDDING – SIX WAYS

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On a cold winter’s night Mum often made a steamed pudding for dessert.  It was an quick, economical dessert for a family of five.  I think it also worked well for Mum as you could put it on to cook mid-afternoon and not have to make it during the tea time rush.  This recipe she cut out from the Herald Sun is great because it gives lots of variations of the basic mixture.

Steamed pudding - six ways

RIPE CHERRY SLICE

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This homemade take on a Cherry Ripe comes from Mum’s friend Thel, who was a great cook and gave Mum some terrific recipes.

Ripe Cherry Slice cropped

RIPE CHERRY SLICE

  • 250g dark chocolate
  • 30g copha
  • 1½ cups coconut
  • ½ cup ground almonds
  • ½ cup icing sugar
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons rum
  • 125g glace cherries

Melt chopped chocolate and copha in double saucepan.  Line 2 – 25x8cm bar tins with foil, pour half chocolate mixture over base of each tin (reserve the other half for top).  Refrigerate until set.  In bowl combine coconut, ground almonds and sifted icing sugar.  Add unbeaten egg whites and rum, mix well.  Chop cherries roughly, add to coconut mixture and mix well.  Spread over chocolate in tins, pour remaining chocolate over.  Refrigerate until set.  Allow to stand at room temperature 30 minutes before cutting.  Remove from tins, remove foil before cutting.

 

QUICHE LORRAINE

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Mum used to make Egg and Bacon Pies all the time, but also made this Quiche Lorraine recipe when she wanted something a bit fancier. The difference between an egg & bacon pie and a quiche lorraine is that for a quiche the eggs are beaten together with cream and milk and poured into the base on top of the bacon.  While for the more basic egg & bacon pie you just break the eggs top of the bacon.  As a result a quiche has a much lighter filling than the more rustic egg & bacon pie.  Whichever one you go for, they’re both really great.

Quiche Lorraine

QUICHE LORRAINE

  • 15g butter
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 100g bacon
  • 20cm uncooked shortcrust pastry case
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • Salt, pepper
  • 150ml fresh cream
  • 75ml milk
  • 175g cheddar cheese, grated

Melt butter and fry bacon and onion until soft.  Place in pastry case.  Beat remaining ingredients together and pour over bacon and onion.  Bake at 190c for 30-40 minutes.  Serve hot or cold.