Pumpkin Scones

This is one of our favourites especially for breakfast or even for morning/afternoon tea, served with jam and cream. I've made these several times already - and still I'm making every now and then (as popularly demanded by my husband). :-) They said that pumpkin scone is a Queenslander thing as Queensland is abundant with pumpkins. But then again it's abundant with so many other farming products. Anyway, this one is real easy to whip up - so very convenient for a busy professional like me. :-)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups self raising flour

1/2 cup instant full cream milk powder

45 grams butter

1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin

1/4 cup sultanas or raisins

1/3 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 200 degress celcius.

2. Sift flour into a large bowl, add the milk powder. Rub in butter lightly with fingertips.

3. Add pumpkin, sultanas or raisins and water. Mix to a soft dough.

4. Turn out onto a floured surface, knead lightly. Pat dough out until 2 cm thick. Cut into rounds using a cutter (about 5 cm).

4. Place scones close together on grease baking tray. Brush with fresh milk.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.

6. Serve with strawberry jam and cream.

Chicken Adobo A La Orange

Chicken Adobo is a very popular dish back in the Philippines. Anyway, we had some extra oranges, which looked like they were about to expire. So - I used them with my chicken adobo! So, here goes:

Ingredients:

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup cider vinegar

1 1/2 chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

1/4 tsp paprika with a generous pinch of turmeric

3 tbsps soy sauce

2 medium oranges, juiced (cut 3 thin slices before juicing and set aside for garnishing)

1.5 kg chicken pieces

2 tbps olive oil

onion and green chilli, chopped (for garnishing)

1. Combine the garlic, vinegar, chicken stock, bay leaf, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, paprika with turmeric, soy sauce and orange juice in a large bowl. Add the chicken, cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

2. Transfer the chicken mixture to a large heavy-based pan and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid from the pan and continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

4. Bring the liquid to a boil again and cook over high heat for 10 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half.

5. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan, add the chiken in batches and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until crisp and brown.

6. Pour the reduces vinegar mixture over the chicken pieces and garnish with chopped onion, green chilli and orange slices.

7. Serve with rice.

Sweet Garlic Eggplant

This is one great dish - very tasty. Another dish I prepared when my brother-in-law came for a visit. This is a Filipino-Chinese combination dish, which is best served with fresh boiled rice.

So - here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:
3 medium eggplants
7 tbsps oil (I used extra-virgin olive oil)
1 1/2 tsps finely chopped garlic
6 tsps caster sugar
6 tsps soy sauce
6 tsps cider vinergar
1 tbps dry sherry

1. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways and then, slice into wedges about 3 cm wide. Cut the wedges into pieces about 3 cm long.
2. Heat 3 tbps oil in a wok or heavy-based frying pan, swirling gently to coat the base and sides. Add half the eggplant and stir-fry over high heat for 5 minutes, or until browned and all the oil is absorbed. Transfer to a plate.
3. Repeat the cooking procedure with another 3 tbsps oil and the remaining eggplant.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the wok, swirling gently to coat the base and sides. Add the garlic and cook slowly until just golden.
5. Add the sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and sherry. Bring to a boil, stirring.
6. Add the eggplant and simmer for 3 minutes to allow it to absorb the sauce.
7. Serve with fresh boiled white rice.

Bombay Beef Curry

My brother-in-law and his daughter came for a visit from Sydney. This was one of the dishes I prepared for them. My husband's brother owns an Indian Restaurant and I've always known him to be a great cook. So - it was a bit daunting cooking something, which he is an expert of. But nonetheless, I had to try - result was not bad at all. He thought it was good. :-) And he did eat a fair amount - so may be it was really good. Anyway, why don't you give it a go...

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 green chillies, chopped

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 tsps ground turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1/2 - 1 tsp chilli powder (depending on how spicy hot you want it to be)

1 kg beef (or you can use lamb, too), cut into bite-sized cubes

1 tsp salt

410 grams can crushed tomatoes

1 cup coconut milk

fresh coriander leaves or mint or unsalted cashew nuts or lemon slices, to garnish (I used mint and lemon slices as garnish)

1. Heat the oil in a large pan; add the onion and cook over medium hear, stirring, until just soft.

2. Add the garlic, green chilli, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander and chilli powder. Stir until just heater through.

3. Add the meat and cook, stirring, over high heat until the meat is well coated with the spice mixture and browned all over.

4. Stir in the salt and undrained tomatoes and simmer, covered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender.

5. Add the coconut milt and stir; simmer, uncovered, for another 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

6. Serve garnished with coriander leaves or mint leaves or unsalted cashew nuts or lemon slices, if desired.