Asparagus with Poached Eggs & Orange Hollandaise Sauce

 

It easy to subconsciously classify eggs as “breakfast food” (or perhaps brunch), but there’s no need to pigeon hole them in this way. While this makes a delicious (if slightly decadent) breakfast or brunch perfect to try this weekend, who could refuse a meal of poached eggs on top of steaming fresh asparagus, drizzled with Hollandaise sauce at any time of the day?

Making Hollandaise sauce gets some ‘bad press’ – made traditionally it can be a little bit tricky, but armed with some modern technology (a microwave and food processor), it is much simpler. That said, if you do need to heat the sauce to thicken it (or want to make it in advance and reheat), the trick is heat it gently in short bursts (Medium (50%) power for 15 seconds at a time) and whisk it inbetween.

For 3–4 servings:

Easy Orange Hollandaise

2 egg yolks (preferably room temperature)

1 tablespoon each lemon and orange juice

1–2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind

100g butter, cubed

pinch salt (optional)

500–600g asparagus

1–2 tablespoons butter

3–4 eggs

3–4 slices thick toast

Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, orange juice and rind in a food processor (fitted with a metal chopping blade) or blender.

Put the butter in a microwave safe container, cover to prevent spattering (a saucer works well if your container doesn’t have a lid) and microwave on high for 2–3 minutes until bubbling vigorously.

Turn the processor on and add the very hot butter in thin stream while the motor is running. Season with salt to taste.

The hot butter should thicken the mixture, but if you think the sauce is too runny, transfer back to the microwave container and heat on Medium (50%) power for 15 seconds then whisk briefly. Repeat if necessary. Warm the same way just before serving.

To cook the asparagus, bring 5–10mm water to a rapid boil in a large (lidded) frypan. Add the asparagus and cook covered for 3–4 minutes, shaking it occasionally. When tender, drain off the water, return it to the hot pan, add the butter and toss to coat evenly. Cover and set aside while you poach the eggs.

Heat about 5cm water in a large pan until it just boils. Add a tablespoon of white wine or cider vinegar and about 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir. Break the eggs gently into the water. Cook, just at boiling point or slightly below, for about 4–5 minutes or until the yolks are as set as you like.

Place a piece of toast on each plate, divide the asparagus between the plates, arranging it on top of the toast then, using a fish slice or perforated spoon, gently lift an egg onto each pile of asparagus. Pour a little of the warmed sauce over each, serve immediately and enjoy!

Photography: Lindsay Keats

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

These delicious, fresh spring rolls are effectively a salad in a roll. They make an interesting change. The rice paper wrappers (which come in different sizes, smaller ones being ideal for finger food and larger ones for main-sized rolls) can be found in larger supermarkets or in stores specializing in Asian foods.

For 2–3 servings:

200g cooked chicken breast, shredded
50g rice vermicelli (optional)
2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 medium carrot, julienned
1/2–1 cup julienned cucumber
1–2 cups small lettuce leaves
1 red pepper, finely sliced
1/4–1/2 cup mint leaves
1/4–1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
8–12 rice paper wrappers

Peanut Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup boiling water
minced red chilli to taste

Shred the chicken and place it in a bowl. If using, put the rice vermicelli in another bowl and cover it with boiling water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes, then drain well.

Measure the sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce and lime juice into a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour half the sauce over the shredded chicken and half over the drained vermicelli. Stir both to combine.

Prepare the remaining ingredients. Soak the wrappers in warm water, one at a time, until they are soft and flexible (about 20–40 seconds depending on the wrappers), then drain and place on a flat surface. Spread 2–3 tablespoons of the chicken across the middle of the wrapper. Add a little of the carrot, cucumber, and sliced red pepper. Add a lettuce leaf or two and some of the herbs, then some of the vermicelli.

Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper over the filling. Fold in the sides, so it’s like an envelope, then roll up. Repeat with the other wrappers. Arrange completed rolls on a plate or platter, covering with plastic wrap or a clean damp cloth if preparing in advance.

To make the dipping sauce, place all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Serve the spring rolls with the peanut dipping sauce or sweet chilli sauce.

Photography: Lindsay Keats Photography

Easy Chocolate Cake

Here's another recipe from my upcoming new book "Simply Delicious One Dish Recipes", it's at the binders now and I hope to see the first copy next week. Exciting times!

This is the latest chapter in my search for the perfect chocolate cake. In fact, the deeper I delve into this quest for a chocolaty ‘El Dorado’ the more apparent it is that there is no one perfect solution, rather a number of different cakes for different situations. But if you’re looking for an easy-to-mix, delicious, moist chocolate cake, this one is hard to beat! For an everyday or snacking cake, sandwich the two tiers together with raspberry jam and dust with icing sugar, or ice with your favourite chocolate icing. If you want something a little more luxurious and decadent, try it with my version of chocolate ganache.

For a 2-tier 23cm round cake (12–16 servings):
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup boiling water

Easy Ganache:
125–150g dark chocolate
1/4 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spray two 23cm round cake tins with non-stick spray and line the bases with baking paper.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir to combine.

Whisk the eggs, milk, canola oil and vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, then add the boiling water and whisk the mix until smooth and evenly combined.

Divide the mixture equally between the two prepared tins. Place them on a rack just below the middle of the oven and bake at for 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven, allow them to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes, then turn on to a rack to cool completely.

Once cool, sandwich the two tiers together with raspberry jam or the icing of your choice. Dust with icing sugar or ice with your favourite chocolate icing or chocolate ganache. Serve as is or with yoghurt or lightly whipped cream.
To make the ganache, gently heat the chocolate in the sour cream until just melted, then stir until smooth and glossy. Leave to cool a little until spreadable, then spread it over the cooled cake. Leave to stand until the icing has firmed a little (ganache will never set completely).

Photography: Lindsay Keats Photography

‘You’d-never-know-it’ Cookies

Yes, it is an unusual name, but you would never know by their taste or appearance that these biscuits contain relatively little oil and are high in fibre from rolled oats and wholemeal flour.

While cookies (and most other sweet snacks) certainly aren’t essential, they do make school (or workplace) lunches that little bit more interesting. It’s certainly nice to think that when you add the little extra ‘somethings’ (or even sit down yourself with a cup of tea or coffee), they might have at least something to add from a nutritional point of view.

For 30-36 cookies:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup wholemeal flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup sultanas

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup canola oil

1 large (size 7) egg

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 190°C (or 180°C if using fan bake).

Measure the oats into a food processor fitted with the chopping blade and process until they resemble coarse flour. Transfer the processed oats to a large bowl and add the next six ingredients (make sure there are no lumps in the baking soda) and stir to combine.

Put the oil, egg and the sugars in the food processor and process until pale and creamy looking. Add the vanilla and process again to mix.

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.

Using two spoons drop small walnut sized pile of the mixture onto Teflon or baking paper lined oven sheets, leaving 4-5cm between each to allow spreading as they cook.

Place, one tray at a time, in the middle of the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Cool on racks before transferring to airtight container for storage.

Photography: Lindsay Keats

Sui Mai (Pork Dumplings)

Here’s a great recipe for the weekend – these little dumplings are delicious and fun to make. They may seem a little bit fiddly the first time you try them, but once you’ve tried them a couple of times, they’re really quite easy.

I usually steam my sui mai, but they are also very good fried. Won ton wrappers are thin dough cut into squares about 10cm across, and can usually be found in the frozen foods section of your supermarket. Sui mai (or Chao Tzu) wrappers are round and also about 10cm across and can be found fresh or frozen in stores specialising in Asian foods.

For 4-6 starter servings:

250g minced pork

1 large egg

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp dry sherry

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaf, optional

1 tsp dark sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

20-30 won tun or sui mai (or chao tzu) wrappers

To serve;

soy sauce

sweet chilli sauce

Combine the eight filling ingredients together in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Place good teaspoon full

(about the size of a small walnut) of the filling in the centre of a wrapper. Gather up the edges, squeezing gently to make a small ‘money bag’ type parcel that is still slightly open on top (see picture).  Repeat until all the filling has been used.

Arrange the completed parcels on steamer trays (they can be close together but not touching), then cover and steam for 5-10 minutes until the pastry is soft and the filling looks cooked and is firm when pressed. Alternatively deep fry, a few at a time, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling feels cooked (as above).

Serve hot (the pastry will dry out if left to stand) as a starter accompanied by small bowls of soy and sweet chilli sauce for dipping, or as part of a buffet.

Photography: Lindsay Keats