Aussie winter warmers

BY SHERYL DIXIT

walked into my neighbour’s comforting kitchen and felt my mouth water.

“What’s cooking?” I asked Pam, a superefficient grandmum who finds her four grandkids mostly funny, a feeling that is

Pam’s mum used to make this really well, she says, and adding ham can make it even more delicious, if you prefer a non-vegetarian version.

¾ cup split peas

1 large carrot

1 large turnip

1 medium onion

½ head celery

8 cups water

4 level tbsp flour

½ tsp dried mint leaves

9 cloves

1/3 tsp ground mace (javantri)

½ cup roughly cut ham (optional)

Soak the split peas overnight in cold water. Drain and place them in a large vessel, covering with the water. Add salt (and ham) and bring to a boil. Thinly slice the vegetables evenly, add to the mix and continue to boil until the peas and vegetables are soft and fully cooked. Stir through so that the vegetables and peas blend into a semi-smooth mix. Add dried mint and mace. In a separate cup, blend the flour with cold water until smooth. Add to soup and stir until boiling. Serve hot with small croutons of toast.

You can make croutons by cutting up slices of bread into small cubes and roasting them in an oven or pan until crisp, tossing them in a little butter when done.

This used to be a traditional weekend breakfast food, but it can be eaten any time of the day, hot or cold.

4 eggs

1 large potato, peeled, boiled and sliced

8 rashers of smoked bacon, fried until crispy

1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

4 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ white onion, thinly sliced

Pie pastry, readymade

1 beaten egg or a little milk to brown the pastry

1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees (fan-forced). Lightly grease the pie tins with olive oil. Fry the bacon rashers until slightly crispy and keep aside to drain on a paper towel. In the same pan, fry the onions for a few minutes and keep aside. Place a pie tin on the pastry dough and cut a slightly larger circle around it as the base. Cut another circle the same size as the tin, for the pie top. Repeat the process for the second pie. Gently fit the larger pastry circle into the pie tin, fitting the dough along the sides and slightly over the rim. Line the pie with potato slices, then layer with bacon and onion. Sprinkle on the cheese and add some cut tomato pieces. Crack one or two eggs into the pie depending on your preference. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush the outer rim of the pastry with a little beaten egg or milk. Gently cover the pie with the pastry top, pressing down the edges until they stick together. Use the back of a fork to seal the pie edges. Make a small incision on the top of the pie to help steam escape. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on the top. Repeat process for second pie. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Serve hot or cold with tomato sauce.

“Sausages and vegetable slow cooked,” she said, “The kids love it!”

I was impressed, and when she shared some traditional Aussie recipes at which her mother was adept, I thought it would be a good idea to spread the word.

“My mum was a great cook, my grandmum an even better one and I’m not bad, but we get progressively worse with every generation,” says Pam, tongue-in-cheek, as we silently hope her daughter won’t ever read this!

A yummy traditional treat, but one confined to special occasions as apparently it was too much trouble – specially separating the white and yolk in the egg

450 mls milk

1 egg

2 thin slices of buttered bread or stale sponge cake

1 level tbsp sugar

1 heaped tsp icing sugar

1 heaped tsp jam

Few drops vanilla essence

Coloured sprinkles or 100s & 1000s

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees (fan-forced). Spread half the jam over the buttered bread or sponge cake and cut into thin strips. Place crosswise in a pie dish till the bottom is wellcovered, then layer the rest. In a bowl, separate the egg white and yolk. Beat the yolk of the egg with the sugar. Warm the milk, but do not boil. Pour the warm milk over the egg yolk and sugar, and mix thoroughly. Stir in vanilla essence, and pour the mixture into the pie dish. Place this in larger baking dish of cold water, taking care that the water doesn’t overlap into the pie dish. The water prevents the custard from boiling whilst cooking. Cook in oven for about half an hour. Remove and cool. Spread the remaining jam on the surface of the dish. Beat the egg white into a stiff froth, after adding the icing sugar. Pile lightly on top of the pudding, and stand in the oven till the froth turns light brown. Remove and sprinkle with 100s & 1000s. Serve as a teatime treat or a dessert.

Try to cook this dish in a slow cooker, as the meat becomes tender, succulent and absorbs the rest of the ingredients to make a delicious blend.

1 cup plain flour

8 medium lamb shanks

2 tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, roughly cut into cubes

2 crushed garlic cloves

2 cups beef stock

¾ cup red wine

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp cold water

½ tsp pepper powder

Salt to taste

Mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish and lightly coat the lamb shanks with this mix. Heat oil in a shallow pan, add the meat and brown for three to four minutes. Remove and add the onions and garlic to the pan, cooking for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add beef stock, maple syrup and wine, and cook, stirring gently. Bring to boil. Mix the cornflour with water until smooth and stir into the liquid to thicken.

If you have a slow cooker, place the meat into it, and cover with the gravy. Cook for approx. 4 hours or until the meat is tender and fully cooked. To cook the traditional way, place the meat into a roasting pan, add the gravy and cover the pan securely with foil. Roast for 11/2 hour in a pre-heated oven. Next, remove foil, turn over and roast for an hour more or until the meat is tender. Serve with mashed potato and steamed vegetables.