Ingredients (serves 4-6):
¾ cup chopped fresh mixed herbs
1kg beef fillet, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup aioli (garlic mayonnaise, available from supermarkets and delis)
1-2 tablespoons hot water

Garnish: baby rocket leaves

Method (15 mins prep, 30-40 mins cook):
1.    Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
2.    Spread the chopped herbs on a sheet of baking paper.
3.    Brush the beef with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper, spread over the crushed garlic then roll in herbs to coat, pressing in with your fingers.  This can be done up to 3 hours prior to cooking).

4.    Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a flameproof baking pan over a medium-high heat.
5.    Add the beef fillet, sear each side  until evenly browned, about 3-4 minutes.
6.    Transfer to oven and cook for 20 minutes for rare (meat thermometer should read 60°C), or 30 minutes for medium (meat thermometer should read 65°C).
7.    Cover the beef loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
8.    Meanwhile, add a little hot water to the aioli so it is of a pouring consistency.
9.    Thickly slice the beef, then transfer to plates or a platter.  Drizzle with the aioli and garnish with the rocket leaves.

Recipe: Herb & Garlic Crusted Fillet of Beef with Aioli is a post from: entertaining made easy

Ingredients (makes 40):
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
125g smoked salmon, roughly chopped
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
40 ready-made small pastry cups (available from supermarkets and gourmet stores)
Garnish:  dill sprigs

Method (10 minutes):
1.    Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until combined (if you don’t own a food processor, this can be done by hand).
2.    Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper if necessary. Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.
3.    When ready to serve, spoon a heaped teaspoon of the spread into each pastry cup and top with a small dill sprig.

Recipe: Smoked Salmon Spread in Pastry Cases is a post from: entertaining made easy

This is a simple yet impressive dessert, made with minimal ingredients and can be easily put together when unexpected guests drop in. If you’re preparing this dessert for a dinner party, you can prepare to the end of step one several hours in advance and then 20 minutes before you are ready to eat dessert, proceed from step 2.

I’ve entered this recipe into a competition being run by King of Fruit 100% Australian Pineapples, where $1000 and a year’s supply of pineapples are up for grabs for the recipe that receives the most votes. I would be very grateful to have your vote – you can do this by clicking here and entering your name and email address. Thank you

Ingredients (serves 4):
50g unsalted butter
½ cup caster sugar
Pulp of 2 passionfruit
1 small ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, halved lengthways and cut into 1 cm slices
1 sheet ready rolled frozen puff pastry, thawed
To serve: cream or ice cream

Method:
1.    Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).  Place the butter, sugar and passionfruit pulp in a 22cm ovenproof frypan and stir over a medium heat on the stove until the mixture comes to a boil. Arrange the pineapple slices in a concentric circle over butter mixture. Cook over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until the sugar starts to caramelise and turns golden brown. Remove the frypan from the heat.
2.    Trim the puff pastry into a circle 2cm larger than the sauté pan. Place the pasty sheet over the pan and tuck in the edges. Prick the pastry several times.
3.    Place the frypan in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate, cut into slices and serve warm with cream or ice cream.

Recipe: Tropical Tarte Tatin is a post from: entertaining made easy

Ayam’s products range from coconut milks and creams, to sauces and condiments, noodles and desserts. Their coconut milks and creams are exceptional – rich and creamy, not watered down like many inferior brands. I use their coconut products when making a curry and the result is always superb. One of my favourite Ayam products is their Palm Sugar, which is conveniently sold in a liquid form, ready to use. Say goodbye to time-consuming grating blocks of palm sugar and getting in a mess!

Another great feature about Ayam products is that many of them are gluten-free, including their soy sauce. You can view their range of gluten free products here. Participants that attend our Gluten-Free Cooking Class are thrilled to discover that they have access to such a large range of gluten free products.  Ayam products are also free from artificial colours, flavours (including msg) and the majority of them are preservative free.

Ayam products are readily available, stocked by all major supermarkets and many smaller independent stores.

Try this simple and delicious Thai-inspired recipe, made using Ayam products. The beef becomes very tender and falls off the bone due to the long cooking time.  Don’t trim the fat from the beef ribs, as it adds to the delicious flavour of the coconut sauce.

Beef Ribs Baked in Coconut

Ingredients (serves 4):

600ml Ayam coconut milk
3 tablespoons Ayam palm sugar
2 tablespoons Ayam Thai fish sauce
2 lemongrass stalks, bruised with a mallet and cut into 3
5 cm piece ginger, sliced
4 birds eye chillies (small red chillies), seeded and finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 large lime, rind finely grated and juiced
3 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1.5 kg beef ribs, with bone

To serve: steamed jasmine rice

Method (prep 15 mins, cooking time 90 mins):

1.    Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
2.    Place all ingredients except the beef ribs in a large casserole or baking dish and mix well. Add the ribs and baste with the sauce. Cover and bake for 60 minutes, basting and turning occasionally. Uncover and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, turning once.
3.    Serve with steamed jasmine rice, spooning the juices over the meat.

Beef Ribs Baked in Coconut, made using Ayam Asian products is a post from: entertaining made easy

Ingredients:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup honey
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
175g butter, melted
1½ cups self-raising flour
½ cup cocoa
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½ cups (200g) grated zucchini (about 3 medium zucchinis)
To serve: sifted icing sugar

Method (Prep 10 mins, cooking time 50 mins):
1.    Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).  Grease a medium loaf tin and line the base with baking paper.
2.    Mix together the eggs, honey, lemon juice and melted butter in a large bowl. Sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients and the grated zucchini to the wet ingredients and fold together.  Pour into the prepared tin.
3.    Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin. To serve, dust with sifted icing sugar.

Recipe: Chocolate Zucchini Loaf is a post from: entertaining made easy

Ingredients (serves 4):
½ cup plain flour
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (you can use hot paprika if you like it spicy!)
750g chicken breast fillets, cut into bite-sized cubes
100g unsalted butter
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
400g mushrooms, peeled if necessary and sliced
½ cup dry white wine
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup chicken stock
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1½ tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons chopped continental parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish:  chopped continental parsley

Method (30 minutes):
1.    Combine the flour and paprika in a bowl and toss the chicken cubes through, shaking off excess.
2.    Melt half the butter in a large frypan over a medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until browned, turning once. You may need to do this in 2 batches. Remove from the frypan and set aside.
3.    Using the same pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and melt the remaining butter. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
4.    Add the mushrooms, cook until just tender, about 2-3 minutes.
5.    Stir in the wine, bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
6.    Add the sour cream, tomato paste, stock, Worcestershire sauce and sherry and mix well.
7.    Bring to a simmer and add the chicken pieces. Simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is tender.
8.    Stir through parsley and check for seasoning, adding salt and/or pepper if necessary.
9.    Serve and garnish with chopped continental parsley.

Recipe: Chicken Stroganoff is a post from: entertaining made easy

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 Asian shallots, finely sliced (substitute with 1 red onion)
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
750g boneless pork, cut into 2cm cubes
4 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
4 kaffir lime leaves (2 doubles), finely shredded
3 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
200g snow peas, topped, tailed , string removed and halved
1 cup (packed) Thai basil leaves

Equipment:
Wok

Method (20 minutes in total):
1.    Prepare and measure all the ingredients.
2.    Heat the wok over a stove or burner until hot, add the oil and when hot add the shallots and garlic and stir-fry until golden, about 2 minutes.
3.    Add the pork and stir-fry until coloured, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chillies and lime leaves and stir-fry for another minute.
4.    Add the kecap manis and the fish sauce and stir-fry until the pork is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.
5.    Add the snow peas and Thai basil and stir-fry for a further minute.
6.    Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

Recipe: Stir-fry of Pork with Thai Basil and Kaffir Lime Leaves is a post from: entertaining made easy

Ingredients:
1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 cloves of confit garlic (available from gourmet stores)
2 tablespoons of the oil from the garlic (or use extra virgin olive oil)
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons of finely chopped rosemary leaves
Freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste
Garnish: rosemary leaves and olive oil to drizzle
To serve: fresh bread, crackers or crostini

Method:
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until creamy.
2. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with rosemary leaves and a drizzle of olive oil
3. Serve with fresh bread, crackers or crostini.

Recipe: White Bean Dip is a post from: entertaining made easy

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 kg pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and chopped into 2cm cubes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bird’s eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 cup vegetable stock or water
400ml tin of coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste

Garnish: coriander sprigs

Equipment:
Food processor or blender
Large lidded saucepan

Method (20 minutes prep + 30 minutes cooking):
1. Heat the vegetable oil over a medium-low heat in the saucepan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.
2. Add the pumpkin, garlic, chillies and ginger. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the stock or water, increase the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat back to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender.
4. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender, and then return to the saucepan.
5. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
6. Stir through most of the chopped coriander. Test, for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Ladle into bowls, garnish with the coriander sprigs.

Wine Suggestion: Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

Thai Style Pumpkin Soup is a post from: entertaining made easy

Tiramisu needs no introduction – this ever-popular Italian dessert is always an impressive way to end a meal. I created this simplified version as a sweet finish to my Pasta Making Cooking Class, but it is ideal as a last minute dessert for unexpected guests or a mid-week treat.  Buon appetito!

Ingredients (serves 4-6):
150 ml cream
1/3 cup icing sugar
250 g mascarpone (available from a deli or the cheese section of good supermarkets)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup sweet marsala (available from liquor stores)
300ml strong coffee or espresso, cooled to room temperature
16 savoiardi biscuits (sponge finger biscuits, available from supermarkets) 
50g good quality dark chocolate, grated

Equipment:
Large glass bowl, or 4 serving glasses
Electric Mixer
 
Method: 
1. Using an electric mixer, whisk the cream with the icing sugar until soft peaks form. 
2. Place the mascarpone, vanilla, marsala and 50ml coffee into a separate bowl and mix with the electric mixer until thoroughly combined. Add to the cream and fold to combine.
3. Pour the remaining coffee into a bowl. Dip the biscuits into the coffee mixture, two at a time, until they just start to soften. Line the base of the serving bowl or glasses as you go with half of the biscuits.
4. Cover the layer of biscuits with half of the mascarpone mixture, repeat, finishing with a mascarpone layer. Ideally (if time is not of the essence), cover with plastic food wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
5. When ready to serve, sprinkle the top with the grated chocolate.

Ten Minute Tiramisu is a post from: entertaining made easy