Euro burgers with red wine sauce

enough for: 2
takes: 10 minutes
400g (14oz) minced (ground) beef
1/3 cup red wine
2 – 3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 generous tablespoons unsalted butter
mixed salad leaves, to serve

1. Preheat a large frying pan or skillet on high.

2. Form beef into 2 patties.

3. Sprinkle a scant teaspoon salt on the hot pan and place burgers on top.

4. Sear burgers for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove meat and rest on 2 warm dinner plates.

4. Add wine and tomato paste to the pan. Simmer for a minute or so, stirring to scrape up and burger bits into the sauce.

5. Stir in butter until melted. Taste and season sauce.

6. Serve burgers with sauce poured over and green salad on the side.

CHRISTMAS GINGER BEER-GLAZED HAM

4kg half leg ham on the bone

Ginger Beer Glaze

1 firmly packed cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 whole cloves
1cm piece ginger, peeled, sliced
3/4 cup ginger beer
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 star anise
1 cinnamon quill
1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
1/2 cup (250ml) red wine
1 tsp mustard seeds

Melon salad:

1/2 rockmelon, seeds removed, cut into wedges
handful basil, leaves picked
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs white wine vinegar

For the glaze, combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 40 minutes or until reduced by two-thirds. Set aside to cool completely. Strain glaze into a bowl, discarding solids.

Preheat oven to 150°C. Using a small sharp knife, cut around ham shank in a zigzag pattern, then carefully run knife under skin, around the edge of the ham.

Gently lift off skin in 1 piece by running your fingers between the rind and the fat. Discard skin, then score fat in parallel lines, 1cm apart. Baste fat with some of the glaze and place ham on a rack set in a large roasting pan. Roast ham, basting with remaining glaze every 20 minutes, for 1.5 hours or until caramelised.

Slice the ham and serve with salad.

Asian pork & broccoli

enough for: 2
takes: 15 minutes
2 smallish heads broccoli, chopped
450g (1lb) pork and fennel sausages, skins removed, meat crumbled
1-4 small red chillies, chopped
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
handful cashews (optional)

1. Preheat a wok or frying pan on a medium high heat. Add broccoli and stir fry until the broccoli is bright green and no longer crunchy. About 5 minutes.

2. Place cooked broccoli in a clean bowl then add a little more oil. Stir fry the sausages until browned and cooked through.

3. Add chilli and return broccoli to the pan. Add hoisin sauce and stir fry another minute or until everything is hot.

4. Taste and season with more hoisin sauce. Serve in bowls with cashews on top (if using).

Harissa tomato soup

enough for: 2
takes: 20 minutes
2 onions
1 jar tomato passata (700mL)
1 can coconut cream
2 tablespoons harissa (optional)
2 handfuls hazelnuts, roasted

1. Heat a little oil in a medium saucepan. Dice onion and add to the pot. Cover and cook on a medium heat, stirring every few minutes until the onion is soft but not browned. About 10 minutes.

2. When the onion is soft, add the passata / puree (not concentrated tomato paste) and coconut cream. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle.

3. Remove from the heat and puree using a stick blender or regular blender. Add harissa. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more harissa if needed.

4. To serve, divide between two bowls and top with roasted hazelnuts.

Beef strog

750g chuck steak, diced in big cubes
2 small or 1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 tsp paprika
1 carrot, grated
15 ml seed mustard
400g tin crushed tomato
3 big handfuls button mushrooms
Tub sour cream

Oven at 160. Brown meat, set aside & soften onion. Add garlic then paprika, return meat & all remaining ingredients except sour cream. Cook in oven covered for 1 hr 20, uncovered 40. Stir through sour cream & salt.

Cabbage soup

enough for: 2
takes: 30 minutes
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, peeled & diced
1/2 small cabbage
3 cups chicken stock
2-3 tablespoons sherry or wine vinegar
shaved parmesan cheese, to serve

1. Heat a large saucepan on a medium high heat. Add a little oil and your bacon and cook, uncovered, stirring every now and then for 5 minutes or until the bacon is crispy.

2. Remove bacon from the pan, leaving behind the oil. 

3. Pop your onion in the pan (add more oil if you think it needs it). Cover and cook, stirring periodically until the onion is soft and golden. About 10 minutes.

4. While the onion is cooking finely slice your cabbage. Then add to the pot when your onion is soft.

5. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered until the cabbage is no longer crunchy – around 15 minutes.

6. Remove from the heat. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar. Taste and season with extra vinegar, salt and pepper as needed. Remember you’re going to serve with salty bacon and cheese.

7. Divide soup between two bowls. Top with parmesan and bacon.

Herby roast chicken

Enough for: 2
Takes: 30 minutes
1 bunch coriander (cilantro), leaves & stems
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves & stems
 1 red chilli

1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons soy sauce
6-8 tablespoons neutral flavoured oil, (I used rice bran oil)
4 chicken thigh fillets, bone out (about 450g / 1lb)
2 limes, halved, to serve
4 handfuls baby spinach, to serve

1. Preheat your oven to 200C (400F).

2. Whizz coriander, parsley, chilli, garlic, soy sauce and oil until you have a chunky paste.

3. Toss chicken in the herb mixture. Marinate for up to 36 hours or cook straight away.

4. Lay chicken fillets out flat in an oven proof dish and pour over the herb mixture.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

6. Serve on a bed of baby spinach with lime on the side.

Buck's yoghurt cake

Line small cake tin. Chopped pear & blackberries on the bottom.

Oven to 180C

3/4 cup yoghurt

1/2 x 3/4 cup O oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 x 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

Sprinkle top with raw sugar.

Bakes about 30mins

Spiced porridge

Per adult:

1/3 cup oats

2 Tbsp chia

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp maple syrup

1/2 cup milk