Table of contents for August 2017 in Taste.com.au

Michelle Southan: cosy winter lunch “This menu is great when there’s a chill in the air. The recipes can be prepared ahead of time, so enjoy a glass of mulled wine and relax with your guests.” starter Skordalia main Coq au vin dessert Pear & blackberry cobbler Miranda Payne: friday night footy “If you’re a sports-mad family, meals in front of the telly are a given. These fuss-free recipes will keep everyone happy, no matter who wins!” starter Loaded potato skins main Double jalapeño cheese mexican burgers dessert Honey joy slice Alison Adams: vegetarian feast “No-one will go hungry with this hearty meat-free menu. You can prepare the croquettes ahead, then all you need to do is fry them when you’re ready to eat.” starter Herby rice & mozzarella croquettes…

Of the 50 thousand recipes on taste.com.au, these are getting the most likes, comments and shares. And for good reason. They tap into everything we love – they’re fun, easy and sure-fire winners. Each month, we’ll bring you the newest and hottest dishes to keep your recipe repertoire up to date. “My first ever mug cake and it was great — easy to make (and eat)!”Tanssi Fox lemon microwave mug cake Lemon is our winter fruit of choice when it comes to cooking.  makes 1 | prep 5 mins | cooking 2 mins 1 egg 2 tbs caster sugar 2 tbs milk 20g butter, melted, cooled 40g ( 1 /4 cup) self-raising flour Lemon curd and whipped cream, to serve 1 Use a fork to whisk the egg, sugar, milk…

brie & potato hand pies  makes 8 | prep 35 mins (+ cooling time) | cooking 55 mins 1 tsp poppy seeds Salad leaves, to serve 1 bacon rasher, rind removed, cut into thin strips 300g sebago potatoes, peeled, cut into 1.5cm pieces 125ml ( 1 /2 cup) pouring cream 125ml ( 1 /2 cup) milk 3 tsp wholegrain mustard 1 garlic clove, crushed 125g double brie, finely chopped 4 sheets frozen puff pastry, just thawed 1 green shallot, finely chopped 1 egg, lightly whisked 1 tsp sesame seeds 1 Cook bacon in a frying pan over medium heat for 5 minutes, until golden. Set aside. 2 Place potato, cream, milk, mustard and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Season. Reduce heat to medium and…

Sweet pear with tart blackberries works so well in this dessert — it’s jam-packed with fruity goodness. pear & blackberry cobbler  serves 10 | prep 15 mins | cooking 50 mins 4 large ripe beurre bosc pears, skin on 125g frozen blackberries 1 tbs maple syrup, plus extra, to serve 1 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced Thick Greek-style yoghurt, to serve (optional) topping 190g (1 1 /4 cups) gluten-free plain flour 2 1  /2 tsp gluten-free baking powder 1 tsp ground ginger 1 /2 tsp ground cinnamon 50g chilled butter, chopped 2 tbs maple syrup 2 eggs, lightly whisked 125ml ( 1 /2 cup) almond milk 40g ( 1 /4 cup) halved pistachios 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced. Cut the pears into quarters lengthways and remove…

So many of the world’s greatest recipes just happened, thanks to proximity and availability... Cooks would look in the pantry or fields and put together what they saw, whether it was goat and artichokes from a Greek island hillside or caper bushes and the wild fennel clinging to the rocks in a Sicilian fishing port. In Calabria, the red capsicums and chillies growing with wild abandon near pigsties ended up in the local salamis made from the pigs. So it was with coq au vin, that tasty French braise of chicken and wine. These twin rules of proximity and availability led to different regions in France each having a variation; perhaps using the local wine, like riesling in Alsace or vin jaune in the Jura, or adding the famous local…

This delicious spin on chocolate packet cake is stacks of fun! Just tip the mix into a bowl, whisk in the eggs and milk, and soft, fluffy pancakes will be coming right up! chocolate cake pancakes  serves 4 | prep 5 mins | cooking 40 mins 1 Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan forced. Place the cake mix in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs and milk and whisk until smooth and combined. 2 Melt a little butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Gently pour 80ml ( 1 /3 cup) batter into the pan (it will spread itself to about 12-13cm). Cook for 1½-2 minutes or until set around the edges. Turn and cook for a further minute. Transfer to a lined…

marble effect Planning to make a batch of our Galaxy Cakes (p136) or Turmeric-spiced Apple Muffins (p80)? Don’t let shabby paper cases bring them down – style them up like a pro with these Marble Cupcake Cases, $18.95 for a set of 100. Available in swirls of red, blue, green and grey, pick them up from meltbakeandparty.com.au . And don’t forget to enter our Cook the Issue competition this month by tagging us at #tastecooktheissue – happy cooking! KITKAT ATTACK However KitKat aficionados enjoy their classic choc-wafer bars, whether it’s snapping them down the middle or just chomping away (gasp!), they’re sure to go gaga for the Inspired By KitKat Chocolatory range, $5.19. The range has been given a mouthwatering new spin with flavours like Mint Cream…

galaxy cakes makes 12 | prep 15 mins (+ 20 mins standing time) | cooking 25 mins 100g dark chocolate, chopped 125g butter, chopped, at room temperature 215g (1 cup) caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour 50g ( 1 /3 cup) plain flour 2 tbs Dutch cocoa powder 2 eggs 2 x 330g pkts store-bought royal icing Purple, blue, pink and black food colouring, to tint Edible glitter or silver shimmer dust, to decorate Silver cachous (optional), to decorate 1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan forced. Line twelve 80ml ( 1 /3 cup) muffin pans with paper cases. 2 Place chocolate, butter, sugar, vanilla and 160ml ( 2 /3 cup) water in a saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until smooth.…

Welcome to the issue we look forward to all year, where we invite you to Cook the Issue. What I particularly love about this competition is that it gives us a snapshot of what’s happening in kitchens and on tables around Australia. It’s great to see everyone interpret a dish in their own way – some people challenge themselves to reproduce it exactly as it appears in the magazine, while others put their own twist on it. There’s no right or wrong way. One word of warning: this competition can be addictive! In previous years, people have enjoyed it so much they’ve asked us to keep it going year-round. We’ve even had a reader who hired a mobile industrial cooktop during a blackout so that she could feed her entire…

new • asparagus• blood oranges• broad beans• globe artichokes• snow peas now • beetroot• broccoli• brussels sprouts• cabbage• cauliflower• fennel• lemons• navel oranges• pink grapefruit• pumpkin• rhubarb be quick • celeriac• packham pears• pink lady apples• sweet potato• turnips salmon with blood orange Place a skinless salmon fillet on a piece of baking paper. Top with blood orange slices and fresh thyme sprigs. Drizzle with olive oil. Season. Fold paper into a parcel to enclose fish. Bake at 200°C/180°C for 10-15 minutes, until cooked. spiced roasted baby parsnips Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan forced. Place 6 peeled and quartered baby parsnips in a bowl. Toss with 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tbs honey and 1 tbs olive oil. Place parsnips on a lined baking tray. Roast for 25 minutes or until golden and cooked through. almond & cinnamon baked pears Place halved,…

Calling all cooks! HERE’S HOW IT WORKS Cook one, cook more or cook all of the recipes from this issue to be in the running to win one of four JURA Z6 Automated Coffee Machines, worth $3,760 each. Four winners will be chosen by our Cook the Issue judging panel, made up of Taste food director Michelle Southan, celebrity judges Manu Feildel and Marion Grasby, and Lindt Master Chocolatier Thomas Schnetzler. They’ll be looking for both your skill and creativity, so cook the recipes as they are, or add a personal twist! #tastecooktheissue Cook one recipe or cook them all! You can make as many or as few as you like to be in the running. COOK & WIN look for this symbol It’s your cue to start cooking! Here’s…

“The cheese on this entry looked melted to perfection and the whole cob was just ready to dig into.”Matt Preston COOK THE COVER JUDGE winner! “ I baked my own sourdough cob loaf to make this beauty!” Planetary Mixmaster® Power Drive (left) and Food Processor Precision Grinder (left) and 4-slice Toaster Quiet Shield Kettle (left) and Espresso Machine Beans + Capsule TO ENTER our Cook the Issue comp this month, see p22.…

crisper raid • 1 onion, finely chopped • 500g vegetables (such as pumpkin, cauliflower and/or eggplant), cut into 3cm pieces • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 tbs finely grated ginger • 1 long fresh green or red chilli, finely chopped • 60g leafy greens (such as baby spinach, or chopped kale or silverbeet) • Coriander leaves, to serve pantry raid • 200g (1 cup) yellow split peas, rinsed • 400g can diced tomatoes • 1 tsp turmeric • 2 tsp vegetable oil • 1 tsp cumin seeds • 12 fresh curry leaves (optional) • 500ml (2 cups) vegetable or chicken stock, warmed • Flatbreads, to serve…

Get a load of this: crispy potato skins piled high with guacamole! Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced. Scrub 4 medium potatoes. Place on a baking tray. Prick with a knife. Bake for 1½ hours or until tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut in half lengthways. Scoop out potato, leaving a 1cm shell. Cut halves in half. Return to tray. Spray with oil. Bake for 20 minutes, until crisp. Sprinkle with 1 cup finely grated cheddar. Bake for 5 minutes, until melted. Combine 1 mashed avocado, 100g chopped cherry tomatoes, 2 sliced green shallots and 1 tbs fresh lime juice. Spoon onto skins. Top with micro herbs.…

“My version of pain perdu pudding is flavoured with bitter dark chocolate and sweet navel orange. It’s delicious served hot, with a simple ice-cream spiked with glacé ginger. If you’re really feeling naughty, try using pain au chocolat instead of brioche!”Manu Feildel choc-orange brioche pudding with ginger ice-cream serves 6-8 | prep 20 mins (+ 4 hours freezing & 20 mins soaking time) | cooking 55 mins 20g butter, softened, plus 30g, melted, extra 625ml (2½ cups) milk 310ml (1 1 /4 cups) pouring cream 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped Finely grated rind of 3 oranges 400g brioche loaf, cut into 1cm-thick slices, then halved 200g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped 4 eggs 70g ( 1 /3 cup) caster sugar ginger ice-cream 1L vanilla ice-cream, softened (see tips)…

Smooth and silky, the lemon filling has just the right balance of sweetness and tang to tingle the tastebuds. you’ll need … let’s go! now, top it off... lemon meringue pie serves 10 | prep 20 mins (+ standing, resting & chilling time) | cooking 1 1 /2 hours 7 eggs, lightly whisked 310ml (1 1 /4 cups) thickened cream 215g (1 cup) caster sugar 185ml ( 3 /4 cup) fresh lemon juice 1 1  /2 tbs finely grated lemon rind 225g (1 1 /2 cups) plain flour 125g butter, chilled, chopped 2 tbs icing sugar mixture 1 egg yolk 1-2 tbs chilled water meringue 315g (1 1 /2 cups) caster sugar 4 egg whites, at room temperature Pinch of cream of tartar top tip! When making the sugar syrup,…

Schild Estate Sparkling Shiraz 2015 $25 Australia invented sparkling shiraz, and in the Barossa (where this comes from) they call it their brunch! The juicy berries and bright effervescence is ideal with your favourite baked treats. Chapel Hill The Parson Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 $18 Want to take your favourite chocolate cake or pudding to the next level? Serve it with a glass of this wine. It’s loaded with blackcurrant flavours, soft tannins and a lick of acid that will balance the rich, gooey chocolate. Lana Moscato 2016 $20 If you’re baking with winter fruits (apples, pears and quinces), then this is just the wine you’ve been searching for. From the King Valley, it’s a perfect mix of sweet and tart, with a creamy and zesty palate of apple and citrus.…

Manu Bread & butter pudding , p96, a quintessentially British dish, gets a French touch from Manu Feildel, who uses brioche and chocolate, mmm! Matt French dish Coq au Vin , p92, goes back hundreds of years, but Matt Preston and Michelle Southan have given the recipe a new chance to shine. Marion Once you’ve tried Marion Grasby’s Vietnamese Caramel Pork , p74, you won’t want to eat pork any other way. The secret? Coconut water! Michelle When life gives you lemons, make the perfect Lemon Meringue Pie , p108, with step-by-step instructions from Michelle Southan – it’s foolproof. Miranda The Galaxy Cakes , p136, from Miranda Payne are out-of-this-world good and make a great crafternoon baking treat to enjoy with your kids. Chrissy Chrissy Freer’s healthy take on popular…

cutting edge In this disposable world, it’s good to see big brands such as Victorinox and Nespresso band together in an effort to create a more sustainable offering. The Pioneer Nespresso Livanto Swiss Army Knife Limited Edition, $99.95, is a pocket knife created using the spent aluminium capsules of the popular Nespresso Livanto coffee – 24 recycled capsules are used for the coffee-coloured casing on each knife. Get it from www.victorinox.com SPARKLING PERFORMANCE Since the 80s, Soda Stream machines have been fizzing our tap water to create homemade soda water or flavoured soft drinks. And the machine has gone through a few costume changes since the cream and brown number that first graced our benchtops. The latest reincarnation of Soda Stream to hit the shelves this month is the sleek…

PYROLYTIC OVEN WARMING DRAWER Create a next-gen kitchen with the combination of a Miele ArtLine Series Pyrolytic Oven (H6860BPX, $7,199) and Gourmet Warming Drawer (EWS6214, $1,699), which has a low-temperature cooking function ideal for slow cooking meats. All ArtLine appliances feature a sleek handle-less design with Touch2Open and SoftOpen functions, so you can release the door with a light touch and it will open smoothly before stopping gently in its end position. TOUCH2OPEN As well as giving your kitchen a contemporary streamlined look, the handle-less design of these appliances is a practical update that makes access easier than ever, even when your hands are full. This is the ultimate innovation for style-conscious cooks. INDUCTION COOKTOP Cook like a pro with the Miele Induction Cooktop (KM 6629, $3,999). This powerful cooktop…

“This dish is pure magic. As the sauce reduces, the pork transforms into a sweet, glossy, caramel-coated wonder. A tangy pickled salad loaded with fresh herbs balances out all that richness.”Marion Grasby vietnamese caramel pork  serves 4 | prep 20 mins | cooking 1 hour 35 mins 100g (½ cup) brown sugar 800g boneless pork belly, cut into 3cm pieces 250ml (1 cup) coconut water (see tips) 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbs fish sauce ¼ tsp ground white pepper Steamed rice, to serve pickled carrot & herb salad 1 carrot, peeled, cut into long thin strips 60ml (¼ cup) rice vinegar 1 tbs sugar ¼ tsp salt ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves ¼ cup fresh mint leaves 1 long fresh red chilli, thinly sliced 1 For the pickled…

“We all have a favourite baked treat from our childhood. Anzac biscuits still warm from the oven and slightly floppy. Sausage rolls spraying flaky pastry everywhere. Scones and sponge cakes with never-enough cream and jam. Desserts we love so much we are never too full for seconds — pavlova, apple crumble and sticky toffee pudding.”Helen, Tim and Ruth (editors) The Great Australian Baking Book is all about sweet and savoury moments and memories. We’ve scooped up recipe favourites by chefs, cooks, bakers, patissiers and local heroes from all around Australia. You’ll find tried-and-true classics such as damper, hot cross buns, apple pie and lemon tart. You’ll also find recipes that showcase Australia’s beautiful ingredients and cosmopolitan heritage. These days, the modern Australian baker’s repertoire includes quandongs, quinces and quiches, kindlech…

Michelle Q Why did my cake sink in the middle? The main reasons for this are undercooking or too much fat in the batter. Undercooking occurs when the cake looks cooked on top, but a skewer inserted into the centre (not the edges!) comes out with wet mixture or moist crumbs on it. If this is the case, cover it loosely with foil and bake it until a skewer comes out clean. (Next time you make it, set the oven slightly lower, about 10°C-20°C, so you can cook it longer without burning.) If the cake isn’t undercooked but still sinks, the ratio of wetter ingredients (mainly fats) is not balanced with the dry ingredients. Chrissy Q Is the nutritional analysis for a recipe accurate if calculated with raw ingredients? Nutritional…

Occasionally switching our body from a state of being constantly fed to ‘fasting mode’ can be beneficial. But this doesn’t mean you have to adopt a fasting diet. It could simply mean allowing more than 10 hours to pass between dinner and breakfast, which many of us do overnight. everyone’s talking about fasting diets. And while more research is still needed into the health benefits, the preliminary results are encouraging. Intermittent fasting can not only help you maintain a healthy weight, but recent scientific studies show it may also regulate insulin levels, combat cell damage from oxidative stress and potentially reduce the risk of dementia. So, how do you fast safely to reap the most benefits? What exactly is intermittent fasting? Currently, the most popular diet featuring intermittent fasting is…

Oh, honey! We’ve had our hand stuck in the honey pot a few too many times this month as we tasted our way through 27 supermarket varieties. And for good reason! Aside from being absolutely delicious, honey is a source of antioxidants (the darker it is, the more it’ll have), and most varieties are low-GI. Macro Organic Pure Honey, 400g, $6 If you’re looking for a lighter-tasting honey, then this one’s for you. It has a mild flavour with a delicate sweetness and also has the benefit of being Australian Certified Organic. Capilano Beeotic Prebiotic Honey, 260ml, $12.99 Boost your gut health with just a tablespoon a day. This is the world’s first clinically tested prebiotic honey, plus it’s sweet and bold – just as honey should taste. Beechworth Bee…

dried apricots vs almonds Almonds have almost three times the calories of dried apricots, but around four times as much protein, zinc and calcium, almost five times the magnesium and over 60 times as much vitamin E. Dried apricots have over twice the potassium and much more beta-carotene, but also have over eight times the sugar and typically contain preservatives, so try to find a sulphur-free brand. winner: almonds butter chicken vs lamb korma Lamb korma is the winner here. Recipes vary, but butter chicken typically has 25 per cent more calories, as well as twice the fat and less protein. Korma, which often includes vegetables and nuts, tends to have half the salt and more zinc and vitamin C, although it also has three times the sugar. Whichever dish…