Summer Russian Salad

Since you are having such brilliant weather, you should all be having BBQ's and eating lots of salads. Please see one of my family's favorites.

Since you are having such brilliant weather, you should all be having BBQ's and eating lots of salads.

Please see below one of my family's favorites.

Start by boiling 6 washed potatoes with the skin on,(once cooked, drain the water off and let them rest for 20 minutes to cool.)dice into medium sized pieces and place straight into the bowl.

Followed by boiling 4 eggs and dicing.

whilst they are boiling, cut up and place in a large salad bowl the following ingredients;

6 medium gherkins(dill pickles)diced
1 cucumber diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup of diced ham.

Once the potatoes have cooled add to the other ingredients and also the diced boiled eggs.

Add a bunch of fresh, finely cut dill, salt and pepper, and a good quality mayonnaise and combine gently.

This can be served as a starter/entree or served with BBQ chicken.

I like this with our Riesling or Semillon Sauvignon Blanc.

Recipes for left over Xmas Port

As it's moving into summer, quite often you may have some port left over from winter, that you didn't quite finish. Well here are some options to use up that last bit.

As it's moving into summer, quite often you may have some port left over from winter, that you didn't quite finish. Well here are some options to use up that last bit.

You will only need to use half a cup to a full cup for most recipes, you could.......

Pour into a beef casserole or bolognaise sauce, to make it a touch sweet.

Pour over a sultana cake, when it comes straight out of the oven.

Sautee Mushrooms with thyme and port.

I thought though I would give you my Chicken in port Wine sauce as this is my personal favourite!

Take 4 chicken fillets and marinate in the juice of 1 lemon, and a pinch of salt and pepper for an hour or 2, depending on the size of the fillets.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan and add 1 clove of crushed garlic. Cook for one minute and then add the chicken and a sprig of fresh thyme/basil, cooking until browning on both sides. Then add half a cup of white wine and half a cup of chicken stock, cover, and let it poach until the chicken is cooked (you can add more stock if the fillets are large).

Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil. Add to the pan 1 cup of port, and let it reduce, then add half a cup of cream and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the chicken back in the pan, covering it all over with the sauce, wait until the chicken is warmed through and then serve.

This would go nicely with our Estate Collection Chardonnay or our Estate Collection Cabernet Shiraz.

Fresh Tuna

One of my favourite dinners, is  Fresh Tuna, very easy dish, with  great flavours!

One of my favourite dinners, is Fresh Tuna,very easy dish, with great flavours!

Firstly, dice 1 small onion and 1 clove of garlic, fry them in olive oil  in a large frying pan with the lid on until soft. Add 3-4 anchovy fillets (less or more depending if you like them) crush with a fork and fry for a 2-3 minutes. Then add 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 1 cup of olives, a tablespoon of fresh oregano and a pinch of black pepper.

Let it simmer for 10 minutes, then add the tuna steaks, and cook to how you like them. Serve with parsley on top and crusty bread . You can add diced capsicum at the same time as the onion if you like.

I think this dish is great paired with a glass of our Cabernet Shiraz or I like it with our Estate Malbec.

Enjoy!

Tips for leftover roast lamb

In Australia, the traditional roast to have is roast leg of lamb. It is one of our favourites . Sometimes you would like to have a roast but only have 2 of you at home and not sure what to do with the leftovers.

You can either have it on sandwiches for the next couple of days or make a shepherd's pie or a curry, that you can then put in the freezer for a later date. Shepherd's pie an oldie but a goodie. I'm sure most families would have a recipe that has been passed down over the years.

Shepherd's Pie

Peel 6 potatoes and boil until soft. Mash.

Cut off as much meat off the bone, mince a whole peeled onion, 1 stick of celery and a carrot in a food processor. Add the meat and mince roughly so there is still texture. Pour into a bowl and add 1-2 tspns of Brown sauce,1-2 tspns of Worcestershire sauce,and lots of pepper. Mix well. Place in a baking tray,spread evenly. Then top with the mashed potato. Cover and freeze until required. When you cook it, spray the top with olive oil spray and dobs of butter for richness. Cook for 30mins in 180 celcius oven ,until golden brown on top.

Lamb Curry

Cut as much of the lamb off the bone and dice.

Fry one diced onion, 1 tspns ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tspn of each of the following: turmeric,cumin and garam masala. Add 2 tspns of ground coriander and as much chilli as you like. With younger children, I omit the chilli and just have it cut up, to add at the table.

Add your lamb,coconut milk and 1/2 can chopped tomatoes. Simmer until flavours have combined. Serve with steamed rice, papadums ,kasoundi,fresh coriander and chilli to your liking. This can be placed in the freezer for a later date too.

Enjoy the end of Spring!

Both of these dishes would go well with Andrew Peace Gold Reserve Cabernet Shiraz.

 

The Perfect BBQ

As you know Aussies love their BBQ's. I actually have mine built in my house, so I can use it all year round.
As you know Aussies love their BBQ's. I actually have mine built in my house, so I can use it all year round.I'm going to cook steaks for my family tonight. It is really important to have good cuts of meat and not to overcook them. Make sure the meat has been out of the fridge for half an hour before placing on the grill. Most the time I cook my steaks plain with a little olive oil and salt rubbed in but if you want a bit of extra flavour rub fresh thyme and garlic into the meat, an hour before cooking.

Firstly make sure you have your BBQ plate hot (not smoking hot) as you want to seal your meats. Place the meat on the grill and when the juices start running to the top, turn it over and turn down the heat. You shouldn't have to turn again, but that is up to you, depending on how you like your meat cooked. When it is to your liking, place on a warm plate and cover with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Harrison loves Hot English Mustard on his steak, whilst Andrew loves his Harissa (garlic chilli paste).

Veggies
I also cook sliced onion, zucchini (courgettes) mushrooms and garlic on the BBQ to serve with the Steak. Cook the onions first in olive oil, and then add the zucchini, garlic and the mushrooms at the end. Mix all the veggies together, place in a bowl and pour some Balsamic Vinegar over.

Quinoa Salad
I will also serve a warm quinoa salad with capers and radish with my steaks. Place 1 cup of washed quinoa and 2 cups of boiling water into a saucepan and stir over a medium heat, until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa has expanded and become soft. Dice up one red Spanish onion, a bunch of radishes and a drained 110gm jar of capers into a salad bowl, Add cooked quinoa with some marinated feta, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to your liking. Mix well. If you like sweet potato you can add some diced pre roasted cubed sweet potato to this as well.

This meal would go perfect with our Gold Reserve Shiraz. Hope this brings on a little more sunshine so you can enjoy the outdoors.

Cathryn

Pork with fennel seeds and garlic

My family and I love pork so I have recently cooked pork with fennel seeds and garlic. Here is how to do it:
My family and I love pork so I have recently cooked pork with fennel seeds and garlic. Here is how to do it:


Pork with fennel seed and garlic.
You can cook the pork either in an oven or on a BBQ if you have a cover for it. Use a pork leg or rolled butterfly pork with the skin on. Stab the pork in several places and insert garlic and fennel seeds. Rub salt all over the pork. Make sure the oven is really hot and place the pork in the oven on high for approximately 20 minutes until the skin has gone crisp and crackling. Turn down the oven and cook the pork right through. When the meat is cooked through, remove from the oven, take the skin off and cover the meat. Leave it to rest before carving.

I like to serve the pork with garlic and rosemary Borlotti beans. To do this, I warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and add 6 diced garlic cloves with a few sprigs of chopped up fresh rosemary (3 teaspoons of dried). Cook until lightly brown, and then add 400 grams of diced tomato. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the tomato and oil is blended together. Drain 800 grams of tinned Borlotti beans (or better still use fresh) and add to the tomato mixture. Cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes. All you need now is a lovely green salad with slices of Reggiano and a glass of Estate Collection Chardonnay Viognier from Morrisons.

Enjoy!

Summer Salmon

Summer is finally here for you all and so this month’s recipe has to be with seafood.


Summer is finally here for you all and so this month’s recipe has to be with seafood.


Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon
Firstly you need to get a clean plank of Oregon or Cedar timber, and you can't just use any wood as it can be toxic. You will need the plank to fit your BBQ, and the BBQ needs to have a lid for this recipe.
Soak the piece of timber in water (I usually use the bath tub for this) for several hours and make sure the wood is submerged the whole time.
Heat the BBQ to a high heat, drain the wood and place the timber on to the BBQ grill. Then place the Salmon on the timber,  close the lid  and turn down the heat. There is no need to turn the fish, as the sealed lid cooks and smokes the whole salmon at the same time. It depends on the size and thickness of the fish to calculate the cooking time. You need to keep checking the fish to ensure it is cooked to your desire. If you enjoy your Salmon a little pink, keep a close eye on it. The wood should not ignite as it has been soaked in water.


The Salmon is deliciously sweet with a smoky taste, and really moist. It goes perfectly with our Mighty Murray Classic White wine.

Have a great summer!

Cathryn