Season with Saltbush

Beer-battered Fish Tacos with Native Spices

2018-10-18T12:46:00.001-07:00

Mexican-inspired meals are always popular at our place, and one of the few dinners that makes everyone happy - mostly because it's so easy for each person to customise their own dish! This particular recipe is a riff on Baja-style fish tacos, with four different native Australian spices or spice blends used in my version.

This delicious and lightly spiced batter could be also be used for other seafood and served with chips and salad.

Ingredients

Beer-battered Fish

500 grams of firm white fish fillets, in 2.5cm slices
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Outback Pride Saltbush Flakes
1 tsp Outback Pride Native Pepperleaf Flakes
1 tsp Outback Pride Tanami Fire
1 cup Corona beer + 1/3 cup if needed
Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Dressing

1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp Outback Pride Lemon Myrtle Flakes

Tacos

1/4 small cabbage, chopped (green or red is fine)
1/2 small red onion, sliced
1 lime, halved, and one half cut into quarters
Corn or flour tortillas, warmed to serve
Chopped fresh coriander
Sliced avocado (optional)

Method

Place the chopped cabbage and red onion in a bowl and squeeze one half of the lime all over. Stir to combine and set aside.
To make the dressing, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, crushed garlic and lemon myrtle flakes in a small bowl. Cover and place in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
Add the flour, baking powder, saltbush flakes, tanami fire and native pepperleaf flakes to a mixing bowl, and stir well. Whisk the mixture while adding 1 cup of beer, and continue whisking until smooth and kind of pancake consistency. Leave to rest for 10-15 minutes or so. If the batter is too thick at this stage, add the extra 1/3 cup of beer and whisk to combine.
Place vegetable oil for deep-frying in a deep frypan or saucepan, and heat over medium-high.
Lay out the fish strips and pat them dry. Test if the oil is ready by dropping a little batter in - if it bubbles around the edge immediately then the oil is hot enough.
In the meantime, wrap the tortillas in foil and warm in the oven. Alternatively, you can microwave them right before serving.
Dredge the fish strips in the batter and place in the hot oil to cook, in batches so that the pan doesn't get too crowded. When golden brown all over, use tongs to remove and drain on paper towels.
To serve, place a warmed tortilla on your plate and add some of the cabbage onion mix. Lay a strip of battered fish over the cabbage, and then sprinkle fresh coriander on top. Drizzle or dollop the creamy lemon myrtle dressing all over.
Fold the tortilla in half to enjoy!

Slow Roasted Pork with Native Pepperleaf and Fennel Seeds

2018-09-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

Slow roasted pork is one of my favourite indulgences, and fills the house with incredible aromas as it spends hours cooking away in the oven. This version was created when I had about 5 hours available, though I will take as long as I have - if you have 8 hours, for instance, reduce the temperature even further after the initial blast of heat, and cover it with foil if you're concerned about the edges getting overcooked. I love the soft, falling apart result of pulled pork, and really enjoy adding native Australian pepperleaf to this version.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp Native Pepperleaf Flakes
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pork shoulder cut, about 1.5-2kg

METHOD

Remove the pork shoulder from the fridge a couple of hours before you want to cook it (ideally, though an hour should be enough) so that it can come to room temperature. If you love a crispy skin on your roast, dry it out by keeping it uncovered in your fridge overnight before cooking. Score the skin with a sharp knife, either in parallel lines or criss-crossed over the top.

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celsius.

Combine the pepperleaf flakes, fennel seeds and salt with the olive oil, and rub the oil and spice mix all over the pork shoulder roast. Place on a rack in a roasting dish, and place in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 160 degrees celsius, and roast for a further 4 hours. Take the roast our of the oven, cover with aluminium foil and allow to rest for about 20 minutes before serving.

Feeds 6 ish

Enjoy!

Chocolate and Quandong Cupcakes with Quandong Cream Cheese

2018-08-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Quandongs are one of my most loved native Australian flavours - this wild peach has a gorgeous deep pink colour, and a delicious tart yet sweet taste that I adore. My kids love Quandong Jam, that classic preserve, and recently I came up with the idea of making cupcakes with a nod to Black Forest Cake, but simpler and with a native Australian twist.

This chocolate cupcake recipe is tweaked from the classic Chocolate Simplicity Cake my mum made when we were kids. The 'icing' is a sweetened cream cheese, rather than the butter mix of a true icing recipe - I love the cream cheese taste. You can also use your own favourite cupcake recipe, or even try it with a vanilla cake for a totally different flavour!

INGREDIENTS

CUPCAKES
1 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup Quandong Jam

ICING
250g block cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp Outback Pride Quandong Jam

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a cupcake tray with paper liners.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and cocoa. Add eggs, vanilla extract and gradually pour in milk while stirring.
Add the melted butter to the mix, and stir well to combine.
Spoon the cake mix into the cupcake liners, taking care not to over fill.
Place the cupcakes in to the preheated oven, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Allow to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack.
Meanwhile, use an electric beater to whip the cream cheese until softened. Add the vanilla extract and icing sugar, then mix well. When the cream cheese is smooth and light, add the Quandong Jam and mix again to combine.
When the cupcakes are cool, use a teaspoon to remove a round cap from each top. Spoon 1 teaspoon of Quandong Jam into each cupcake, and then replace the cap.
Top each cupcake with the Quandong Cream Cheese, and enjoy!

Makes 12 cupcakes

Kutjera, Beef and Onion Pastries

2018-07-19T13:13:00.002-07:00

Since we've been living in the United States, the kids have missed the Aussie bakery - where meat and vegie pies are aplenty, and make for an easy (and economical!) treat lunch. Happily, we have discovered piroshky, Russian pastries available from a nearby shopping center. I love the ones made with puff pastry, and was inspired to make my own native-Australian-flavoured puff-pastry pies at home.

These are somewhere between a pie and a pasty in form, and unlike typical Aussie pies are completely surrounded in puff pastry, rather than shortcrust. Much like my various sausage roll variations, using puff pastry sheets is both for simplicity and flavour - I adore the flakiness!

The beef mince here uses ground kutjera - or, bush tomato - as well as native pepper seasoning for a uniquely Australian twist. The thing I love about my native Australian pantry is that jars of herbs and spices are easy to take overseas, and last quite awhile in the cupboard. I brought the whole range of sealed jars over here with me, and have been enjoying using them in my home cooking.

Ingredients

500gm beef mince
2 medium onions
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp Outback Pride Ground Kutjera
1/2 tbsp Outback Pride Native Pepper Seasoning
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt + more to taste, as necessary
2 tbsp olive oil
4 sheets puff pastry
2 eggs, beaten

Method

1. Mince the onion and garlic in a food processor or similar. Put the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the onion mixture to the pan. Stir, cooking gently, for about 5 minutes or until onion is soft.

2. Add the cumin, kutjera, native pepper seasoning and paprika to the pan. Stir for 1 minute. Add the beef mince, and break up the meat thoroughly as it cooks. Reduce heat to low.

3. Season with salt, stir to combine and continue to cook the meat down. Taste the mixture and continue to season to taste. Simmer the meat mixture for about 10 minutes, and then remove from heat. Allow to cool.

4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 4 pieces. One at a time, brush the square of pastry with egg and place 1/4 cup beef mixture carefully in the centre. Fold opposite corners of the pastry in to overlap in the middle, and press together. Fold the remaining two corners in, overlap the points of the corners in the centre, and press together the pastry edges to seal.

5. Place them on a baking tray with baking paper / parchment paper and brush each pie with the egg mixture to glaze. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Serve with your favourite sauce or relish!

Makes 16 pastries

Lamb, Eggplant and Lemon Myrtle Meatballs

2018-06-11T12:14:00.001-07:00

Lamb has a great flavour, and I just love combining it with mediterranean ingredients like roasted eggplant, hummus and feta cheese. These meatballs use lamb mince and are inspired by a Donna Hay recipe, with some tweaking and improv (the way that I cook most days!) as well as the addition of a native Australian herbs Sea Parsley and Lemon Myrtle Flakes.

These make amazing finger food, part of a buffet spread or appetisers. When you serve them at a party or gathering, grab one quickly, they won't last!

INGREDIENTS

1 medium-large eggplant, finely diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
500gm lamb mince
3 small-medium cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese (alternatively, use feta cheese)
Outback Pride Sea Parsley
Outback Pride Lemon Myrtle Flakes
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, to taste
Extra 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Toss the finely diced eggplant in 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and spread on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Cook in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (will vary depending on your oven and how finely the eggplant are diced, so keep an eye on them toward the end to prevent burning). Allow to cool.
In a bowl, mix the lamb mince with the crushed garlic, Australian native herbs, salt and pepper, crumbled goat cheese and cooled roasted eggplant.
Scoop a heaped teaspoon of meatball mixture and roll into a ball. Repeat until the mixture is all used up. If you have time to keep the meatballs in the fridge for an hour or two, this will help them keep their shape when cooking.
Warm up the second tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, and then brown the meatballs in batches, cooking for about 5 minutes.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees celsius for 5 minutes or until meatballs are cooking through. If making ahead, allow to cool after step 4, and then finish cooking in the oven right before serving.
Serve as they are, or accompany with a tasty dip such as Tzatziki or Hummus.

Native Pepper, Chicken and Veg Sausage Rolls

2016-11-06T22:41:00.001-08:00

These mini sausage rolls were a big hit for dinner a few weeks ago! With plenty of hidden vegies and some fantastic native flavours, I was thrilled that the kids were happily munching away, and I was able to whip them up with ingredients I had in the freezer and pantry.

I served them up with Outback Pride's Lemon Myrtle and Chilli Sauce on the side.

INGREDIENTS

500gm chicken mince
1 tin lentils
2 stalks celery
1 onion
3 carrots
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5-6 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 tablespoon Outback Pride Native Pepper Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried Sage Leaves
1 egg, beaten, for glazing

METHOD

Preheat your oven to about 200 degrees celsius. Mince the celery, onion, carrots and garlic together in a food processor. Stir in the drained tin of lentils and the chicken mince. Add the dried sage and Native Pepper Seasoning, and combine well.

Cut each piece of puff pastry in half, and spread a 'sausage' of filling along one of the pieces. Fold one side of the pastry over the filling, and then moisten the edge of the other side before folding it over and gently pressing together to join. Cut into four pieces. Repeat with the other half of the puff pastry sheet, and then with the rest of the pastry sheets, until the filling has been used up.

Place the mini sausage rolls on baking trays lined with baking paper, seam side down. Use a pastry brush to glaze the tops of the sausage rolls with beaten egg. You may like to sprinkle a little extra Native Pepper Seasoning on top. Pop the trays into the oven and cook until the pastry is golden and the meat is cooked through, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Serve with your favourite native sauce.

Makes about 40 mini sausage rolls.

Breakfast muffin with herbed egg, bacon and Kutjera Relish

2016-06-19T19:59:00.003-07:00

This one is bit of a special take on the breakfast muffin, with native flavour and juicy flavours! The delicious smells as you prepare it are enough to make your mouth water, I just love it.

Wholemeal muffin aside, this recipe is on the indulgent side - you could also add some baby spinach leaves to your dish, if you like to add some greens to soak up the tasty egg yolk. Or perhaps just make sure some veg makes it to your lunch and dinner ;) LOL

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 wholemeal English muffin
1 free range egg
2 rashers free range bacon
1/2 teaspoon dried saltbush flakes, or sea parsley (either work well, depending on your taste preference!)
2 teaspoons Kutjera Relish
3 thin slices colby cheese (or your preferred cheese), enough for 1 layer across the muffin

Method

Heat up a non stick frying pan over high heat. Cut the muffin in half. Slice the cheese.

Place the bacon rashers in the pan and cook for a couple of minutes until crispy and cooked on one side. Rotate the frying pan to spread the fat around the surface.

Put the muffin in the toaster to cook.

Flip the bacon to the other side, and reduce the heat to low. Crack the egg into the frying pan. Slowly cook sunny side up, sprinkling with the dried native herb of your choice as it cooks.

Remove muffin halves from toaster and spread one side with the kutjera relish. On the other side, place the cheese slices.

Using an egg flip or spatula, carefully lift the fried egg from the and place it on the muffin with the cheese. Add the bacon rashers and then turn over the other half of the muffin and sandwich the lot together. Enjoy!

Sea Parsley Scrambled Eggs and Mushrooms

2016-06-19T19:10:00.002-07:00

One of my favourite weekend indulgences is an egg breakfast, and this one is creamy and warm, perfect for a Winter morning, alongside a hot coffee!

Ingredients

3 extra-large free range eggs

3 tablespoons milk or cream

4 teaspoons butter

1½ teaspoon dried Sea Parsley Flakes

A handful of mushrooms

1 small clove garlic

Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Bread of your choice, toasted, to serve

Method

Melt half the butter in a small-medium non-stick saucepan, and then add the crushed garlic clove. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the sliced mushrooms and 1 teaspoon of the sea parsley flakes. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring only occasionally to allow the mushrooms to brown at the edges. After a few minutes the mushrooms should be soft but with some golden brown edges. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, milk or cream and the remaining sea parsley flakes together. After taking the mushrooms out of the saucepan, add the remaining butter and melt it over a medium heat. Put the toast on to cook.

Pour the egg mixture in to the saucepan with the melted butter, turning the heat down to low. Use a flat wooden spatula, or similar, to fold the eggs, stirring from the outside in. Leave to cook slowly, every now and then folding the eggs in again as they begin to firm up. Stop folding when the eggs are still glossy but mostly cooked, and turn the heat off.

Place the toast and mushrooms on a plate to serve, topping with the scrambled eggs. Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Serves 1-2

Be Inspired to choose Native

2016-01-01T17:28:00.000-08:00

Season with Saltbush aims to inspire you to enjoy using Australian native foods in your everyday home cooking. Every now and then a new recipe or meal will be added, and over time this will create a handy resource of ideas for cooking with native foods!

The menu pages list all the recipes by general category, and you can also sort by ingredient, simply scroll down and look under 'Labels' in the sidebar to the right.

If you have any questions, requests or suggestions, please email me at danielle@curiouser.com.au

Fennel, Goat Cheese and Native Pepperleaf Salad

2015-11-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

While simple, this is a tasty warm salad that is easily adaptable depending on the ingredients you have on hand. You can swap out - or add to - the fennel for another veg that suits grilling, such as pumpkin. There's also room for additional ingredients, if you'd like to turn it into a more substantial meal.

Garnishing in this way is also a great method of becoming familiar with the flavours of native herbs and spices.

Ingredients

2 bulbs fennel, chopped into wedges

Extra virgin olive oil

Rocket or mixed salad leaves

Meredith Dairy goat cheese

2 teaspoons dried native pepper flakes

Step One

Heat a grill pan or bbq grill on high for five minutes, then brush with olive oil. Place the wedges of fennel bulb evenly across the grill. Reduce the heat to medium.

If you are using a grill pan on your stove top, you can speed up the cooking time by pouring in a half cup of water to steam the fennel at the same time. Turn the heat back up to high for this method.

Step Two

Turn the fennel over to chargrill the other side. Prepare the salad leaves on a plate, and then add the warm chargrilled fennel wedges.

Step Three

Crumble goat cheese across the salad, and then sprinkle with the native pepperleaf flakes. Serve immediately. As you eat the warmth from the fennel will melt the goat cheese into a dressing. Serves 4-6 as a side.

Creamy Cauliflower and Sea Parsley Soup

2015-08-02T04:43:00.001-07:00

This is a tasty, creamy vegetable soup with a touch of native flair - perfect for these chilly nights :) I love to serve soup with crusty bread or pita. The kids love it!

The Winter issue of Junkies Magazine Australia included this recipe in its feature about the native herb Sea Parsley.

Ingredients

2 onions, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 litre organic chicken stock
½ cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Sea Parsley flakes
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Method

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and add olive oil. When hot, add the onion and garlic to the pan. Saute gently for five minutes, and then add the cauliflower florets.

Toss the cauliflower florets in the onion, garlic butter and oil mixture before turning the heat down to low. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, letting the cauliflower turn golden brown at the edges and caramelise a little.

Pour in the chicken stock, and turn up the heat to bring it to the boil. When it reaches boiling point, reduce the heat again and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft.

Stir in the sea parsley flakes and dijon mustard. Remove the saucepan from the heat and use a stick-blender to puree the soup. After blending, return to the stove over a low heat and pour in the cream.

Add salt and pepper to taste, about half a teaspoon of each is a good guide.

Serve the soup with an optional extra swirl of cream and a sprinkle of sea parsley flakes.

Another delicious idea is to crumble Persian feta cheese over the soup, and stir it in to melt. Yum :)

Serves 4

Lamb Chop and Bush Tomato Curry

2012-12-05T04:02:00.003-08:00

Everyone in the family from the age of 3 to 35 finished their bowl of this new and tasty curry tonight, so I figure that's a recommendation :) With the scent of cinnamon and subtle smokiness of bush tomato, it is a mild curry in layers of flavour. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

Olive oil spray
6 lamb chops (I use free range bbq chops)
1 tbsp ghee
2 onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp Outback Pride Bush Tomato Seasoning
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Outback Pride Tanami Fire (more for additional spice)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
Natural yogurt, to serve (optional)
Fresh coriander, to serve (optional)

Method:

Spray a large non-stick frying pan lightly with olive oil spray. Heat over high heat and brown the chops on each side, in batches. Put the browned chops in the base of a casserole dish.

Melt the ghee in the frying pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook the onion gently for ten minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, Bush Tomato Seasoning, turmeric and Tanami Fire and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the cinnamon to the tin of tomatoes and pour into the pan. Bring to a simmer and then pour it over the chops in the casserole dish. Pour in the chicken stock and lightly stir.

Bake at 160 degrees for 1.5 hours for the best, soft lamb that falls off the bones. Use tongs to remove the bones and pull away any fatty strips. Serve with rice, and garnish with natural yogurt and fresh coriander. Serve!

Cinnamon and Wattleseed Porridge

2012-09-08T17:12:00.004-07:00

This is totally one of my new favourite breakfasts! I make it without any sugar, you can always sprinkle some over the top if it feels like it's missing :) It could also be a yummy dessert. I go pretty heavy on the cinnamon, it's one of my favourite ingredients, so if you prefer a milder porridge I'd recommend increasing the oats to 1 cup and the milk to 2 cups for the same quantity of spices.

Makes one generous serving or 2 small serves.

Cinnamon and Wattleseed Porridge - with a nice pot of tea!

Ingredients

3/4 cup oats
1.5 cups milk
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground wattleseed
Optional: Fresh blueberries or Australian Wild Fruits

Method

Stir the dry oats with the cinnamon and wattleseed in a non-stick saucepan.

Pour in the milk and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and, stiring occasionally, simmer for about 7 minutes.

Add blueberries if they are in season, I didn't have any when I first made this but they are a divine addition!

If you have Australian Wild Fruits, they really bring it to another level of scrumptiousness, the perfect addition to a luxurious and comforting brunch :)

Zucchini and Tanami Fire Fritters

2012-06-14T05:01:00.002-07:00

I have a habit of going through a lot of zucchini at lunch time. At home with a 2 year old who would prefer peanut butter sandwiches at all hours of the day, I can choose my lunch without having to cater to the rest of the family. I also like trying things out that might not be too filling, as it doesn't matter too much at that time of day. This one I made up a week or so ago, and really enjoyed making them again the next day as I wanted them again!

These can be quite sloppy, so it is really important to squeeze the liquid out after grating the zucchini. They would also be yum with some cheese added, and varying herbs and spices to experiment.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large zucchini, grated
2 tbsp plain wholemeal flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp Outback Pride Tanami Fire (or more if you like it hot)
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
Greek yogurt

Squeeze the water out of the grated zucchini, and combine the zucchini, flour, egg, herbs and garlic in a bowl. Mix well.

Heat oil in a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Place approx 1/4 cup spoonfuls of fritter mix into the pan and press gently with a spatula. Cook until golden and crisping up on one side, and then carefully flip over to cook the other side.

Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

The indolent cook does Samphire

2012-05-22T18:03:00.002-07:00

Leaf of the Indolent Cook has shared a gorgeous recipe using fresh samphire! Outback Pride now have a range of fresh grocery - herbs and veg - available to the retail market for the first time. The Vegetable Connection at Fitzroy (Melbourne) and Henley Organic Sustainable Market in Adelaide are two stockists to check out.

In the meantime, click over to The Indolent Cook to check out her recipe for "egg, shallot & samphire salad with smoky lemon dressing"!

Native Pepper and Leek Carbonara

2012-05-19T20:02:00.003-07:00

Technically, this isn't a carbonara sauce. It's been hacked and rearranged and added to, so that the Italian reference is a bit upside down. Apparently, a carbonara shouldn't have cream. This one does. And I've added leek, because it's so nice, and a few mushrooms to increase the veg content.

That said, adding Native Pepper Seasoning to a more traditional carbonara would also be awesome!

Ingredients

Penne, to serve 4
5 eggs
300ml cream
4 rashers bacon, cut into small strips
1 leek, halved and finely sliced
A handful of mushrooms, halved and sliced
1 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp Native Pepper Seasoning, plus extra to garnish
Salt, to taste

Method

Add the penne to a large saucepan of boiling water. After 1 minute, stir to separate the pasta and leave to cook a further 12 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan over medium heat, fry up the bacon pieces. When a bit of the fat from the bacon has started to grease the pan, add the leek and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, Native Pepper Seasoning and salt. Add the parmesan and combine.

Drain the pasta and return it to the saucepan. Add the cream and egg sauce, and stir through the hot pasta. Add the leek and bacon mixture. Serve with an extra sprinkling of Native Pepper Seasoning on top.

Warrigals and Saltbush Tart from Simon Bryant

2012-05-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a few weeks between recipes, here, and not because I don't have any. I have a few just waiting to be typed up and shared, so they will be coming soon enough!

In the meantime, here is another tasty recipe that Simon Bryant has kindly let us share here on the blog, though you can find this and other inspiring recipes on the technique section of his own website as well.

This recipe uses fresh Outback Pride herbs and vegetables, which are newly available at selected grocery outlets, such as at the Henley organic & sustainable market in Adelaide.

Short pastry (fits 25 cm tart tin)

280 g four leaf milling organic 85% light flour, plus a little extra for dusting
½ teaspoon table salt
180 g chilled B.-d.Farm Paris Creek butter, diced into 1 cm cubes and then allowed to come up to room temp
80 to 100 ml cold soda water

Filling

1 big leek, white part roughly sliced
20 g B.d Farm Paris Creek butter
30 ml organic extra virgin olive oil
3 medium-sized Scarfo Organic waxy potatoes, unpeeled, thinly sliced
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
1 fresh bay leaf
2 tablespoons cold water
sea salt and cracked black pepper
200 ml B.-d.Farm Paris cream
30 g B.-d.Farm Paris cheddar, grated
3 organic free-range eggs
200 g B.-d.Farm Paris fetta, cubed
2 cups lightly packed each Outback Pride warrigal greens and saltbush leaves
6 sprigs Outback Pride sea parsley picked and finely chopped

Method

To make the pastry, pop the flour into a large bowl, then add the salt and mix through. Rub in the butter cubes using your fingertips. When combined add the soda water and bring the dough together with the absolute minimum of mixing again trying to only use your finger tips to avoid the heat in your hands affecting the dough. The dough should be a little crumbly still and definitely not one cohesive mass. A few visible lumps of butter here and there are not a major issue and will actually make it flakier and nicer. Very roughly gather the dough into a ball.

Lightly sprinkle your benchtop with flour and roll out the dough into a circle about 33 cm in diameter by pinning from the centre out in all directions. (This will give you an extra 1.5 cm overhang on a 25 cm tart tin to allow for shrinkage when baking.) Grease a 25 cm tart tin and pop the dough in. Leave in the fridge for 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190°C fan-forced . Line the tart shell with baking paper and add at least a cup (200 g) of baking beans. Blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes until it is firm to the touch. Remove the baking beans and paper and return the tart shell to the oven for a couple more minutes to crisp and colour. Leave the tart shell in the tin and set it aside.

Reduce oven temp to 180 C

Meanwhile, for the filling, melt the butter and oil in a heavy-based medium-sized frying pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the leek and saute for a few minutes until softened, then add the potatoes, thyme, bay leaf and water. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and a good few twists of pepper (although I often omit the salt if the feta is heavily brined to prevent the dish becoming a little over-seasoned).

Reduce the heat to low and pop a lid on the pan. Cook the filling mixture for about 10 minutes, turning the potatoes a few times, until they are just tender to the touch. (They will cook a tiny bit more in the baking of the tart but they do need to be virtually ready to eat at this stage.) Remove the bay leaf and set the pan aside.

In a hot pan with a smidge of oil sauté the waragal greens and saltbush until wilted and add to the potato mixture

Mix the cream, parmesan and eggs together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the leek and potato mixture into the tart shell. Pour over the egg mix and drop cubes of feta over the top and sprinle with crumbled cheddar.

Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes until just set. Insert a skewer into the tart - a little goo on the skewer is okay as the tart will continue setting when it is removed from the oven. However, the mixture should definitely not wobble when you shake the tin. The tart top should also have patches that are coloured up nicely.

Serve the tart hot or cold with a simple leaf salad.

Easy Cheesy Margharita with Saltbush

2012-04-17T03:19:00.001-07:00

I make these as an afternoon snack for the kids sometimes, they are quick, easy, healthy and yum! They also make a good light meal, and pizzas are a fun way to try out different native flavours.

This recipe makes enough for a snack, 2 tortilla pizzas, but can easily be multiplied to make more.

1 wholemeal tortillas
2 large tomatoes
1/3 cup grated cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 shakes of Saltbush Flakes
1 shake of Native Pepper Seasoning

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Spread tomato paste lightly over the tortillas. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly on top.

Slice the tomatoes and place the slices all over the tortilla bases.

Sprinkle with the native herbs. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Note: Let the pizzas cool down before serving to kidlets, the tomato gets really hot!

Simon Bryant's Roo with Macadamia Satay Sauce

2012-04-09T18:23:00.001-07:00

In December last year, Mike Quarmby's eldest son got married and brilliant South Australian chef Simon Bryant designed an exclusive menu for the reception using Outback Pride produce and a range of native Australian foods. Simon has been friends with the Quarmbys since meeting them when Outback Pride featured on Simon Bryant and Maggie Beer's ABC tv show The Cook and the Chef a couple of times.

Staff preparing platters at the reception

The food at this wedding reception was, in short, incredible. So so good. I didn't even get to try (or photograph) everything as some of the food disappeared so quickly into the mouths of guests - including these satays! Simon kindly agreed to share some of his recipes with us, and this is the first.

Roo with Macadamia satay sauce

Makes 10 satay by 40 g satay

2 large dried red chillies, finely chopped, seeds and all
20 ml white vinegar
20 ml rice bran, grapeseed oil [rice bran, grapeseed, soybean?]
2 clove crushed garlic
80g macadamia nut
20 ml light soy sauce
20 ml kecap manis
20 g palm sugar
250 ml tinned coconut CREAM
1 g lemon myrtle ground (plus a little for satay meat)
2 g ground kutjera( plus a little for satay meat)
Salt flakes
500 g of roo saddle . trimmed and large dice ,skewered

Roast macadamia in oven for 10 mins at mod heat.
Place the chilli in bowl, splash over the vinegar and leave it to soak for 15 minutes. Preheat a small heavy-based saute or frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and when it is hot, add the garlic and saute it until softened, then add the chilli and vinegar mix and fry for a few seconds, stirring. Add all other ingredients, reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10–15 minutes until the nuts suck up the coconut cream and the sauce becomes thick. Set aside.

Meanwhile bbq the roo with a pinch of salt flakes and myrtle/ kutjera (whatever takes your fancy) when just seared drown in the above sauce.

My favourite native pepper stuffing

2012-03-19T18:03:00.001-07:00

I have a vastly unreasonable love of stuffing. OK, not all stuffing. But yummy, creative stuffings. I don't even eat a lot of bread normally, but whizz it up and make a stuffing - ooh, tasty! My daughter has also cottoned on to the delicious tastiness of this stuffing recipe and will request spoonfuls as her reward for eating her vegetables ;)

Roast chicken features in our home at least once every couple of weeks, and this is my favourite stuffing recipe. That I made up. Because I love the things that are in it, so it was bound to be good. And it totally is!

It's hard to photograph stuffing and make it look appealing though. Just a little disclaimer there.

Make this while your oven is pre-heating for the roast.

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pistachios (natural, not salted),
2 rashers bacon, diced
1 brown onion, quartered and sliced thinly
1 cup breadcrumbs (I just throw whatever I have in the food processor - this one used pita bread)
1 tsp Outback Pride Desert Flakes
1/2 tsp Outback Pride Native Pepper Seasoning
1/4 cup water, or enough to combine

Method

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and onion and cook until onion is clear and bacon slightly crispy.

2. Turn off the heat and throw into the saucepan your breadcrumbs, pistachios, Native Pepper and Desert Flakes. Stir well, and then add enough water to combine it well, so that it sticks together when pressed with a spoon.

3. After patting the chicken cavity dry with a paper towel, squish the stuffing in. If there is too much or inside the chook isn't your stuffing style, you can also wrap it in aluminium foil and cook to one side of your roast. When your roast is done, spoon out the yummy stuffing and enjoy!

Blueberry and Desert Passion Pavlova

2012-03-04T19:48:00.001-08:00

I'm going to begin with a disclaimer - this is not an actual pavlova recipe. More of a serving suggestion really. I don't have a great pav (you know, the meringue bit) recipe and tend to buy a premade one when I'm in a hurry to get to a BBQ or something. I just know this would be amazing with a homemade meringue base a la Nigella Lawson!

In any case, this topping combo is delightful :)

Ingredients

1 large pavlova base
500ml cream, whipped
2 punnets blueberries
Outback Pride Desert Passion Syrup
Dark chocolate, to flake over top (optional)

Method

Dollop the whipped cream over the top of the pavlova base. Gently top with as many blueberries as fit across it!

Drizzle with Desert Passion syrup and garnish with chocolate flakes if you desire. I kind of like it without but it visually adds a nice touch, so maybe just a little is a good compromise.

Serves 10-12

Pumpkin and Wattleseed Gratin

2012-02-22T16:25:00.001-08:00

400g butternut pumpkin, grated
1 tbsp ground wattleseed (combine with pumpkin in baking dish)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp plain flour
1 cup milk
⅓ cup light cooking cream
⅔ cup grated cheese (colby)
1 tsp ground mountain pepper

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Combine grated pumpkin and wattleseed in a baking dish.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, stir and gradually add milk. Bring to a simmer and then stir in the cream over a low heat.

3. Pour the white sauce into baking dish over pumpkin, sprinkle with cheese and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes in moderate oven. Makes a great side dish for a main meal.

Chicken and Desert Flakes Burgers

2012-02-07T23:33:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

500g chicken mince

1 egg

1 garlic clove, crushed

Small or 1/2 brown onion, diced

1 cup breadcrumbs

1.5 tbsp Outback Pride Desert Flakes

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Preheat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

2. Shape into patties and fry lightly over low-medium heat and then increase to medium-high heat once halfway through cooking.

3. Serve on turkish bread with green leaves and top with mayonnaise.

Warm pumpkin, lentil and desert flakes salad

2012-01-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

I love this warm salad, the pumpkin is beautifully flavoured with Desert Flakes and the goat cheese melts to dress the salad leaves... yum! I make this, or some sort of variation, quite often. I also have a warm chicken salad that I'll share soon for the meat-eaters out there!

Ingredients

1/4 medium butternut pumpkin, seeded & cubed

2 tablespoons Outback Pride Desert Flakes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 400g tin lentils, rinsed & drained well

100gm goat’s cheese or Persian Fetta

Mixed lettuce leaves

1 tablespoon pepitas

Method

1. Steam or microwave pumpkin until lightly cooked.

2. Heat oil over medium heat in a non-stick frypan. When hot, add pumpkin and Outback Pride Desert Flakes, tossing occasionally until browned on edges.

3. Place washed mixed leaves in a salad bowl and add pumpkin. Throw in the drained lentils and
goat’s cheese or fetta. Toss gently so that the cheese melts slightly and creates a dressing.

4. Scatter the pepitas (pumpkin seeds) over to
serve.

Serves 3-4.

WA's best BBQ featuring kutjera

2011-12-19T02:56:00.000-08:00

VIDEO: Tongmaster challenge

Tongmaster challenge: Meet WA's best BBQ chef Stephan who won the title with a mouth-watering Kutjera Spiced BBQ Beef Steak. Stephen plans on featuring more of Outback Pride's native bush food products when he heads to the U.S. to compete in the BBQ Cookoff!