2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion diced
5 large celery stalks diced
3 large carrots diced
1 clove garlic chopped
6 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
7 bay leaves

In a large pot combine the olive oil, onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Sauté on high heat for five minutes.
Add water, salt, peppercorns and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Taste and add more salt if desired.
Strain and use

Freezes well

This recipe comes from my Great Great Grandmother and possibly originated in her native Wales.
In my Gran’s house it was a great stand-by if unexpected visitors turned up for lunch or even in the evening where in those days supper was always offered to guests along with a cup of tea. In Gran’s later years family members would look after her during the day. Sometimes I would go down to give Mum a break and Gran’s eyes would light up every time I would offer Cheese & Onion on toast for lunch. Years later when Mum had to go into care in a nursing home her daughter Lel travelled over 100kms to visit her every day and would regularly cook Mum’s favourite meals and take them to her so she didn’t have to always eat hospital food. Mum’s eyes would light up just like her mothers whenever Lel cooked this.
Whilst it is a family favourite and very tasty it does not look particularly appetizing and I have found that if you have not been born into the family then usually you will not even try it.

Chopped onion
Chopped tomato
knob of butter
Diced cheese (we always used Kraft Cheddar - mainly because it was pretty well the only cheese readily available - anyway you would need a cheese that melts easily)
Some milk
Salt and pepper

1. Put all ingredients into small saucepan or small frypan and stir over low heat until creamy. 
2. Serve straight away on hot buttered toast.

My Aunty made these delicious cakes in her wood oven.
From my cousin Trevor – when we were kids at home, Mum used to bake goodies while we were at school and so they were not eaten as soon as we got home she would hide them. We used to find some of them but as Mum had so many hiding places even she would forget where she put them. Weeks later she would find them – a nice fluffy looking green colour!

4 eggs
½ cup of corn flour
1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
½ cup caster sugar
¼ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon of bi-carb soda
1 carton of whipped cream and bananas to fill

1. Beat eggs until thick and creamy.
2. Add sugar and beat until dissolved.
3. Fold in sifted corn flour, plain flour and risings.
4. Pour into a greased tray.
5. Bake in moderately hot oven for approximately 15 minutes (180ºC-200ºC).
6. Turn out on a slightly damp cloth and roll up, when rolled unroll.
7. Spread with cream and banana pieces evenly.
8. Roll up again and dust with icing sugar.

From my sister Lyn - Could make these with my eyes closed – there wasn’t a kid’s party, prom pre-party, picnic or general celebration where finger food was used that didn’t involve these. The girls would be looking for a taste as soon as they were out of the oven to the point where I had to tell them I had counted them and knew exactly how many there were. It worked in the same way as when they were young and I had had enough of them being under my feet, I used to put them outside to play and tell them I was locking the door, which I never actually did, but they would take it at face value and never try the door handle to see if it would open (something Mum used to do to us as kids)

750gm sausage mince
1 large onion
¼ teaspoon mixed herbs
salt, pepper
4 thick slices white bread
warm water
puff pastry
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water

1. Put sausage mince, peeled and grated onion, mixed herbs, salt and pepper into bowl.
2. Cut crusts from bread, put bread in separate bowl. Pour over enough warm water to cover, let stand for 5 mins. Drain off excess water, squeeze bread gently to extract water.
3. Add bread to sausage mince mixture, mix well.
4. Roll pastry on floured surface.
5. Add a pipeline of meat mixture across width of pastry and roll up until completely enclosed.
6. Cut along edge of pastry and with back of knife make indentations at 1cm intervals along length of roll.
7. Cut into 5cm pieces and put onto greased oven tray side by side. Do same with rest of mixture.
8. Brush tops with combined water and egg yolk.
9. Bake in hot oven (230°) for 10 mins, reduce heat to moderate (190°) cook further 15 mins or till golden brown.

Makes about 24

Delicious and an absolute favourite of family and friends

1.5 kg chicken pieces (I use drumsticks)    
2 tablespoon oil
1 large onion chopped    
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 teaspoon oil extra    
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon lemon rind    
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar    
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder    
2 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce    
salt and pepper

1. Sauté chicken in hot oil until golden brown.
2. Remove from pan, drain and place in long flat casserole dish.
3. Sauté chopped onion and crushed garlic in saucepan with extra oil until transparent.
4. Add lemon juice, lemon rind, tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard, curry powder, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and pour over chicken pieces.
5. Bake covered in moderate oven 1 - 1¼ hours or until tender.
6. Great served with rice.

 

 

This is not a recipe from my childhood but has become a favourite at family celebrations and Christmas. Pate has been a favourite of brother-in-law Neil for many years after enjoying eating it at The Barn Restaurant in McLaren Vale.

500g chicken livers
125g (4oz) butter
1 large onion finely chopped
½ teaspoon thyme
1 bayleaf
6 rashers bacon chopped
3 tablespoons port
3 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon brandy
Salt and pepper
½ cup cream
125g (4oz) mushrooms

1. Soak livers in salted water for 1 hour.
2. Heat butter in a large frypan over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion, bacon, thyme and bayleaf and saute slowly until tender but not brown.
3. Add drained livers and cook slowly stirring occasionally until cooked.
4. Remove bayleaf and place cooked mixture into a blender.
5. In same pan add brandy, port and sherry, salt and pepper, cream and mushrooms and bring to boil. Simmer stirring mixture until it is reduced by half.
6. Pour into blender, blend until smooth and put into dishes.
7. Refrigerate until set.

Can be frozen

This easy to make beer bread is so easy to make and enjoyed by all.

3 cups SR flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 can/stubbie beer
Poppy seeds

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC)
2. Lightly grease or spray 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a bowl pour in beer and add flour and sugar mixing until just combined (as you do for muffins).
4. Put into prepared loaf pan.
5. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
6. Bake for 1 hour.

8 eggs – hard boiled
1 onion finely chopped
½ capsicum finely chopped
¼ cup (approx) cream
¼ cup (approx.) mayonnaise
Curry Powder – 1 tablespoon or to taste

1.    Boil eggs, peel and slice.
2.    Chop onion and capsicum and mix with eggs lightly.
3.    Mix together cream, mayonnaise and curry powder.
4.    Mix in lightly to egg mixture.