Christine's Salmon Pasta Topping

I invented this recipe about half an hour ago, but it's based on many previous recipes I've done along similar lines.

It may not find favour with your household's eaters if they're not fond of gooey, not-very-chewy food. I made it tonight because I had a sore throat! But if you like soft foods, it's pretty nice.

Ingredients:

210g (7.5oz) can salmon (or you could use tuna, or even cold diced roast chicken)
125g (4.5oz) can corn kernels
White end of 1 spring onion (green onion / scallion)
Small stick of celery (about 15cm / 6 inches long)
1x heaped 20mL tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
100mL milk
1x 20mL tablespoon sour cream
2x 20mL tablespoons cream cheese (Philadelphia cream cheese, Philly cheese)
2x 20mL tablespoons grated (shredded) cheese - I used mozzarella but any hard yellow cheese would work
Water
NOTE: I used low-fat milk, light sour cream and light Philly cheese to bring down the calorie count. You could also use a light grated cheese, or you could make them all full-fat if you’re not counting calories!

Method:

1. Drain the tin of salmon and remove any vertebrae or other large bones.

2. In a small bowl, mash the salmon to break up any large lumps.

3. Finely slice the celery across the end, to make thin rainbow-shaped slivers.

4. Remove the roots from the spring onion, and starting from the white end, finely slice the first ~10 centimetres or up to the edge of the very green part. Don't use the green part.

5. Place salmon, celery, drained corn kernels and spring onion in a hot frying pan (oiled if it’s not a non-stick pan) and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.

6. While the other ingredients are frying, place the milk in a small mixing bowl and add the sour cream and Philly cheese. Using a fork, mash the sour cream and Philly cheese into small lumps.

7. Add the grated cheese to the milk mixture and stir briskly.

8. In a small glass or cup, place the cornflour and enough water to cover the cornflour. You MUST add the cornflour first or it will form a hard lump. Stir thoroughly until the cornflour is dissolved.

9. At the end of the 10 minutes’ frying time, add the milk and cheese mixture to the frying pan and stir thoroughly until it is evenly mixed with the salmon mixture.

10. Allow the milk to heat almost to boiling point, then give the cornflour a final stir and add it to the frying pan (try to pour it around instead of all in one place). Stir briskly until the milk has thickened, then remove from the heat immediately.

I had half of this with some penne pasta (half a 250mL cup of pasta when uncooked) and that made a very satisfying meal, so this amount of salmon mixture with 1 cup of pasta would make a good meal for two.

Strawberry Cream Pie

I made this pie for a dinner party on Friday night, and it went down very well. It's very sweet and rich, but the blandness of the cream layer nicely counterbalances the very sweet strawberry filling.

Please let me know if there are any products in this recipe that don't make sense to non-Australians!

Biscuit (Cookie) Base:

Ingredients:

250g sweet biscuits (US: cookies) (I used Arnotts Choc Ripple - any plain chocolate biscuit/cookie will work)
120g margarine, melted

Method:

1. Place biscuits (cookies) in food processor and blend until finely crushed.

2. Add melted margarine and blend until it can be rolled into balls

3. Press into the base of a ~20cm (8 inch) diameter pie dish or springform tin, and refrigerate until firm (a couple of hours). I used a pie dish and greased it with margarine beforehand to make sure the pie came out easily.

Pie Filling:

Ingredients:

1 85g (3oz) packet strawberry jelly crystals (US: jello)
2 x 1/2 teaspoon gelatine
3/4 cup (185mL) hot water
~425g (1 pound) can strawberries in syrup
300mL whipping cream
1/4 cup (62mL) cold water

Method:

1. Blend strawberries and syrup in a food processor on high for ~2 minutes until strawberries are completely dissolved

2. Put jelly, gelatine and hot water in a saucepan.

3. Stir over medium heat until jelly is dissolved.

4. Combine the strawberry mixture with the jelly mixture. Stir thoroughly then pour on top of set biscuit base. Refrigerate until firm (I left it overnight to be certain).

5. Place the cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatine over the top.

6. Place the bowl containing the gelatine over a bowl of hot water (like when melting chocolate) and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool slightly.

7. Whip cream until it is forming soft peaks. Stir in the gelatine and water mixture.

8. Spread cream mixture over pie and refrigerate until firm (a couple of hours).

9. To decorate, top with sliced strawberries or chocolate curls, or dust with cocoa.

Christine's Potato Salad

This is a smooth, creamy, eggy potato salad, great for people who aren’t fond of the acidic taste of potato salads that use ordinary mayonnaise, mustard, dill or whatever. I invented it entirely out of my own head, to satisfy my need for a dairy-free potato salad. It’s always a hit at parties, and is perfect for Summer entertaining.

Whole-egg mayonnaise is a thick, creamy, smooth mayonnaise that is generally dairy-free and as the name suggests uses the whole egg rather than only part of it. It’s widely available here in Australia. Using whole-egg mayonnaise is essential in this recipe as it gives the salad its distinctive smooth taste.

Serves 8 people.

Ingredients:

8 small red potatoes (we usually use the ‘Desiree’ variety, but really any potato will do)
8 eggs
2 spring onions (aka scallions / green onions: these)
Whole egg mayonnaise (usually requires most of a 440g / 1 pound jar)
6 slices good quality sandwich ham (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Place eggs in a saucepan in cold water. Place them over high heat and leave for 15 minutes. This will hard-boil the eggs. Shell eggs as soon as they are done for easy shelling. Set aside to cool.

2. Chop potatoes into good-sized pieces (at least 3 or 4 cm / 1-1.5 inches along each dimension) and place in a saucepan in cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until just done. Drain and set aside to cool.

3. Chop the eggs into quarters, or use an egg-slicer.

4. Place the cooled potatoes and chopped eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add several large dollops of the mayonnaise to the bowl and use a plastic or wooden spoon to stir through to coat the potato and egg generously in mayonnaise (a metal spoon will cut the potatoes and eggs). Keep adding mayonnaise until the other ingredients are thoroughly covered.

5. Finely chop the spring onions and add to the mixing bowl (reserving a small amount to garnish). Stir through.

6. If you are using ham, dice the ham into 1cm / ½ inch pieces and add to the bowl. Stir through.

7. Season with salt and cracked pepper if desired, and stir through.

8. Spoon into a serving bowl and garnish with a little more spring onion. Refrigerate until serving.

This will keep very well for 3-4 days in the refrigerator if kept in a bowl with cling wrap / Glad wrap / cling film etc over the top. Although it sounds strange, it can also be fried up as leftovers. It makes a very good meal when fried up with left-over meat!

"Christmas Pudding" Chocolates

This recipe is from Australia, and uses metric measurements. An Australian tablespoon (tbsp) is equal to 20 millilitres.

These are yummy little chocolates that I've made for the last two Christmases. The recipe is flexible and I've given a couple of options here.

This recipe makes 12 chocolates.

You will need:

2 sheets of 6 chocolate moulds in the shape of little plum puddings (see picture below) – about 4cm in diameter and with a volume of 20 millilitres. Or equivalent moulds / cases.
System for keeping melted chocolate in a liquid state – I use a fondue maker.
Paintbrush suitable for chocolate making (ie one not likely to shed bristles)
Food processor
Spoons
Spoon or dipping utensil for coating in chocolate

Ingredients:

Approx 500g milk (sweet) cooking chocolate
Approx 100g dark (bitter) cooking chocolate

1 tbsp mixed peel (or an extra tbsp of the mixed dried fruit)
1 tbsp mixed dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants)
2 tbsp dried apricots
1 tbsp blanched almonds
2 tbsp almond meal
1 heaped tbsp glacé cherries
1 tbsp glacé pineapple or ½ tbsp glacé ginger
1½ tbsp rum (or you could use sherry or brandy according to taste)

Method:

1. Set both types of chocolate to melt so that they are ready when you need them.
2. Place all of the ingredients except the chocolate into a food processor. Blend until it forms a dough-like consistency and rolls into a ball.
3. Divide the fruit mixture into twelve pieces and roll into balls.
4. Using the paintbrush, paint the ‘sauce’ detail in each of the moulds with the dark chocolate.
5. To fill each of the moulds in turn:
      5a. Place a small spoonful of milk chocolate in the bottom of the mould
      5b. Dip the fruit mixture ball in the milk chocolate to coat it, then place it in the mould
      5c. Use a spoon to fill the remainder of the mould up to the top with milk chocolate.
6. Once all of the moulds on the sheet are filled, tap the sheet hard on the table several times to release any air bubbles
7. Place in the refrigerator to harden.

These will keep for several weeks in an airtight container. In warm weather it’s advisable to refrigerate them to avoid melting.