Wonderfully full of coconut, this was a fitting finish to an asian meal and might just be the easiest cake I’ve ever made! To make it, grab a bowl and add 1 cup of dessicated coconut, 1 cup of self-raising flour (or plain flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder), ¾ of a cup milk (or soy…… Continue reading coconut cake
Tag: recipe
tomatoes stuffed with couscous + roasted vegetables with feta
These two dishes make an excellent vegetarian meal or they can be served as side dishes. First the tomatoes: For the filling, squeeze half an orange into a small saucepan, adding a little water. Place a handful of sultanas in the juice with an equal amount of chopped dates. Heat gently and remove from the…… Continue reading tomatoes stuffed with couscous + roasted vegetables with feta
roast pork sirloin with red wine
I had a hankering to cook something with red wine, so I decided to try this pork sirloin. The result was wonderfully moist and juicy. I first preheated the oven to 180C (360F) and then seasoned the pork with salt, pepper and ground fennel. In a deep, oven-proof pot I heated some olive oil and quickly browned the…… Continue reading roast pork sirloin with red wine
apple cake
This apple cake, from a Stephanie Alexander recipe, is moist and full of apple chunks. Serve it with fresh cream or a good vanilla ice cream and watch it disappear! Peel and chop 2 cups of eating apples and soak them for 30 minutes in 2 tablespoons of a spirit of your choice (I used…… Continue reading apple cake
giant pasta shells
Easier to fill than cannelloni, these giant pasta shells look impressive. Cook the pasta first, for about half the prescribed cooking time, and then fill with a mixture of freshly cooked spinach (well drained and squeezed dry), ½ a bunch of fresh basil, 1-2 cups of fresh ricotta and ½ a cup of feta cheese. For…… Continue reading giant pasta shells
steamed fish + vegetable stir-fry
Fish steamed in this way retains all it’s flavour and moisture. Place the fish in a shallow dish and sprinkle with a little fish sauce. Top with sliced spring onion tops, coriander, fresh chilli and kaffir lime leaf. Place the dish over boiling water and cover, steaming for approximately 10 minutes until the fish is…… Continue reading steamed fish + vegetable stir-fry
pizza 2
More pizza ideas. Here is the recipe for the base. This one is reminiscent of Mexican food with tomato paste, Provoletta (a cheese mix would work too), chorizo, corn, red onion, green chilli and fresh coriander to serve: And this one has 3 cheeses (Provoletta, Gorgonzola and Parmesan) with thinly sliced zucchini, black pepper and…… Continue reading pizza 2
celery stir-fry
Never a favourite of mine, I used to leave celery off my shopping list. That was until I travelled to China. There I ate some simple celery stir-fries, usually with only one other ingredient such as onion, lotus or even macadamia. Since then, I’ve added celery to my repertoire, sometimes with onion or with tomato segments and…… Continue reading celery stir-fry
mapo tofu
Mapo Tofu (Grandma’s beancurd) is a favourite of mine. In this version I cook 500g of minced beef in a hot pan, making sure it’s broken up into small pieces to form the basis of the sauce. No oil is necessary as the meat first loses it’s water content and then fries in it’s own fat, intensifying…… Continue reading mapo tofu
christmas feast 2010
With contributions from family and friends our indulgence on Christmas day began with antipasti which included roasted peppers, eggplant and olive caponata, Insalata Caprese (tomato, mozzarella and basil salad), prosciutto, salami and Sicilian olives all served with a fresh Ciabatta bread. Two main course dishes followed, accompanied by a lettuce salad with feta dressing and…… Continue reading christmas feast 2010
michelle picker cooks 