We’ve had a lot of fun over the summer catching crabs.  I have enjoyed coming up with different recipes to enjoy them. 

My husband and I got up at 5am the other weekend to go and collect our pots.  We had a lovely selection of crabs, perfect to make this delicious lunch for the two of us.

Crab with lemon ailoi on toast (serves 4)

Ingredients

• Approximately 250gm fresh crab meat
• 2 tbsp chopped fennel fonds
• 1-2 chilli finely chopped (add more if you like it hot)

Lemon aioli

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 garlic, grated
• 1 tsp grated lemon
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Toast

• 4 thick slices of sourdough
• Olive oil

Lemon aioli

Whisk egg yolks, lemon zest and juice, mustard and a large pinch of sale in a bowl.  Whisking constantly, slowing pour in olive oil until the aioli thickens.  Season with salt and lemon juice, if desired. 

Aioli can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge.

Crab

Mix the crab, fennel and chilli in a bowl.  Add a little oil, sale and pepper.

Toast

Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the sourdough and toast over a medium hot skillet until golden brown.

Assemble

Spread each toast with 1 tbsp ailoi.  Top with crab.  Serve.

Copyright © 2020 Food Family Love. All rights reserved.

I know it is un-Australian, but I’m not a fan of the ‘national’ Australian cuisine Pavlova.  In fact, I had never event attempted to make one until a few weeks ago when I had a heap of egg whites left over after making Hollandaise Sauce for our breakfast again!

I must say my first attempt was fantastic and I was very proud of the outcome.  We were eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner as it was only hubby and I at home!

Pavlova with strawberries and raspberries

Ingredients

• 6 egg whites
• 1 ¼ cup caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1 punnet strawberries, quartered
• 1 punnet raspberries

Preheat oven to 120°C.

Line an oven tray with baking paper.  Tip – use a small amount of meringue on each corner of the baking paper as a ‘glue’ to hold the paper down when in the oven.  Brush with melted butter and dust with cornflour, shaking off excess.

Mark a 24cm-diameter circle on the paper.

Whisk egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form.  Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, until meringue is thick and glossy and sugar dissolved.  

Add cornflour, vinegar and vanilla and whisk until just combined.

Spoon meringue onto the baking paper, keeping within the marked circle as a guide.  Smooth sides and top of pavlova.  Use a small spatula to forms little peaks around edge of pavlova.

Bake in oven for 1 1/2 hours or until pavlova is dry to the touch.  Turn off oven.  Leave pavlova in the oven with the door slightly open to cool completely.  When completely cold, transfer to serving plate or store in an airtight container until required.

Whip the cream and icing sugar until firm peaks form.  Spoon cream onto the top of pavlova.

Carefully place the strawberries and raspberries onto pavlova. 

Enjoy!

p.s note Labrador looking on ever-hopeful!

Who doesn’t love summertime in Australia?  Seasonal summer stone fruits are exceptional, taking pride of place in the fruit bowl.  We are so lucky here to have access to a variety of the freshest produce.

The versatility of stone fruit is what I love.  Fresh, stewed, roasted, used for pies…..

We had unexpected guests last Sunday night and I was in need of a quick dessert using what I had at home.  Cue, nectarines.  I rustled up this tasty dessert in no time.

Roasted honey nectarines with coconut

• 4-6 nectarines (depends on how many guests you have)
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut flakes
• Ice cream

Remove the stone from the nectarines and cut into quarters.  Place on a roasting tray lined with baking paper.  Drizzle with honey.

Pop into the oven at 180C for 10-15 minutes until the nectarines are soft.

Lay the coconut flakes on a baking tray and roast until they are slightly browned.  Allow to cool.

When the nectarines are cooked to your liking remove them and allow them to cool slightly. 

I served them warm.

Place nectarines in a bowl, top with ice cream or cream and scatter coconut flakes.

Simple!

When my husband gets to the garden he never plants a few of anything.  This year, the ‘few’ spinach seedlings he planted seem to multiply by the day.  We had a lush crop of the Popeye’s favourite vegetable and I was challenged to find ways to use it.

Spinach is a fantastic source of iron, calcium, folic acid, vitamin A, C and K1.  It’s good for you!

Last night, wanting to serve up spinach in a new and interesting way, I experimented with adding it to hummus.  It was crunchy but tasty and paired very well with a grilled piece of salmon.

Spinach hummus

Homemade hummus is so easy to make and keeps well.  Perfect for a healthy afternoon snack.

Ingredients

• 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1-2 cloves garlic (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• Large handful of roughly chopped spinach leaves (trim off the white stalk and centre stalk from leaves)
• 1 anchovy
• 1 teaspoon capers
• Salt to taste

Method

Mix chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt, cumin, spinach leaves, anchovy and capers in a food processor.  As the motor is running pour in the olive oil, using enough to make the mix smooth but not too runny.

Note – You may need to add more oil or a little water to make the mixture to the consistency you desire.

Spoon into a bowl and use as a dip with rice crackers or serve alongside a grilled piece of salmon.

I love shortbread.  My mother used to make it for afternoon tea regularly when we were children and it brings back happy memories of after school treats.

Whenever I get a hankering for shortbread I never seem to have rice flour in the house, which is what the traditional Scottish shortbread calls for.

I have managed, however, to adjust the traditional recipe to one that uses what most of us would in our panty.

Quick and easy shortbread

Ingredients

• 250g butter
• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 1/3 cup cornflour
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ½ cups plain flour

Method

Melt the butter over a low heat and allow to cool.  Put icing sugar, cornflour and icing sugar into a bowl.  Add butter and vanilla and beat until thick and creamy.  Add the flour and mix well.

Press into a 18cm x 28cm tin and smooth the mixture.  Mark into slices with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut fully through the mixture.  Prick with a fork. 

Bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Cut when still warm and cool in the tin.

Enjoy with a freshly brewed cup of tea.

Who doesn’t love a freshly baked cake?  I’m always on the lookout for something quick and easy, AND fool-proof.  This simple butter cake is a hit, easy-peasy and versatile.

I made this the other day and iced it with a vanilla icing – one with a hint of fresh orange and pineapple juice and the other with honey.  Totally delicious.

Simple butter cake

Ingredients

• 125g butter
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• Pinch salt
• 2/3 cups milk
• 1 ½ cup self-raising flour

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fanforced).

Grease a 20cm round cake tin or a loaf tin if you prefer.

Beat all ingredients on medium for 4 minutes.  Pour into the tin and bake for 40 minutes or until firm to touch on top.

Allow to cool before turning out on to cooling rack and then ice.

Icing

• 1 ½ cups icing mixture
• 25g butter
• 1 tablespoon milk (or juice)
• A few drops of honey to taste if you want a honey icing

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Add a touch more milk (or alternative liquid) for glossier consistency.

Yep, it’s that easy!!!

Copyright © 2020 Food Family Love. All rights reserved.

One great thing that has come out of this crazy time is home delivery from suppliers who have had to pivot to change or enhance their business to keep going.

We are not takeaways types, but have been loving home delivered cheese selections, wines, meals from the local pub and fresh seafood from our favourite supplier from the Sydney Fish Markets.

This week we had a dozen oysters, salmon and tuna steaks delivered fresh to our door.

Tonight I rustled up tuna steaks, white bean puree and salad.  Filling and full of natural health benefits that make the meal worthy of a try.

Grilled tuna with bean puree

• Tuna steaks – 1 medium size per person
• 2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• ½ lemon squeezed
• Olive oil (add to your taste)
• 1 tablespoon dill (chopped or dry)
• 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers

Combine beans, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor.  While the motor is running add sufficient olive oil to make a puree.  Stir in dill, parsley, salt and pepper.  Set aside when it is to your taste.

Grill the tuna steaks until they are to your liking.  This is a personal preference as some people like rare, medium etc.

Serve a generous spoon of the bean puree topped with capers, alongside a piece of tuna and salad.

Enjoy!

Copyright © 2020 Food Family Love. All rights reserved.

A few weeks ago I discovered that we had an apiary in our local area (in the suburbs) extracting honey form colonies of bees rescued from roof cavities, walls, floors and backyard trees.  They produce honey and wax.

Honey has so many health benefits, is 100% natural and is so delicious.

Nectarines were particularly tasty this summer.  The fruit bowl was always full of them, however, not all would be consumed each week.  One week I had four unhappy looking nectarines in the bowl which I knew would not be eaten.  Instead of letting them go waste (I was taught not to waste a thing growing up) I cut them into quarters, removing the seed and froze them in a ziplock bag for a future date.

Nectarines and honey make lovely combination for dessert, served with vanilla ice cream.

Note – I let the frozen nectarines thaw slightly before using them in this dish.

Nectarines baked in honey and vanilla

Ingredients

• 4 nectarines cut into quarters
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• Vanilla ice cream for serving

Set the oven to 180C.

Scatter the nectarines in an oven proof dish, drizzle with honey, along with the vanilla essence and sprinkle the brown sugar over them.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and sticky.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a big scoop of ice cream.

Copyright © 2020 Food Family Love. All rights reserved.