Cinnamon Swirls

The warm, inviting smell of yeast and cinnamon wafting through the house as these rolls cook is a promise of a treat to come. They’re a perfect project for a long weekend.

Makes about 12 rolls:

2 tsp Surebake yeast

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbsp warm water

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

25g butter, melted

2 cups high-grade flour

Topping

2 Tbsp softened butter

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

Filling:

Melted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

Bread Machine Instructions

Carefully measure all the ingredients into a 750g capacity bread machine in the order specified by the manufacturer. Set to the DOUGH cycle and START. When the dough is ready, tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and follow the instructions for shaping and baking below.

Hand-made Bread Instructions

Measure the first six ingredients into a bowl with half the flour. Cover and leave to stand for 15 minutes in a warm place.

Stir in the remaining flour with a little extra flour or water if necessary to make a dough just firm enough to knead.

Knead with the dough hook of an electric mixer or by hand on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes or until the dough forms a soft ball that springs back when gently pressed.

Turn in 2 teaspoons of oil in the cleaned dry bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm draught-free place for 30–40 minutes.

Lightly knead the dough in the bowl for 1 minute.

Shaping and Baking

Rub 2 tablespoons of soft butter fairly evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 20–23cm round cake pan, then sprinkle 2 tablespoons each brown sugar and chopped walnuts over the bottom.

Roll out the dough to form a square, about 30x30cm then brush it lightly with a little melted butter. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts if you like.

Roll up to form a cylinder, then cut into about eight to12 fairly even slices. (Make the larger number for the larger pan.) Arrange them, cut side down, as evenly as you can in the prepared cake pan, leaving space around each roll to spread. Cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm draught-free place for about 1 hour or until twice the original size.

Bake at 180°C for 20–30 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully turn the loaf out of the pan onto a plate or board straight away and serve warm.

Photography: Lindsay Keats

Malay-style Chicken & Vegetable Curry

This curry is a great way to turn fresh or frozen chicken pieces into a really interesting meal. I quite like having quite a bit of liquid at the end — it soaks deliciously into rice when served, but if you want it thicker, cook it uncovered for 5–10 minutes before you add the vegetables and the sauce will thicken up.

For 4 servings:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1kg chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs or nibbles)

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh ginger

1 Tbsp curry powder (mild or hot)*

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 Tbsp light soy sauce

3/4 cup coconut cream

3–4 small potatoes, quartered

1/2 cup water

1–2 cups green vegetables (frozen peas or beans, broccoli, zucchini, etc)

salt and pepper to taste

1–2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander, optional

*You can vary the ‘hotness’ by using hot or mild curry powder (most supermarkets now have both).

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan with a close-fitting lid, then add the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Peel and roughly chop the onion, then place it in a blender or food processor with the garlic and ginger. Process until you have a smoothish paste. Add the curry powder, turmeric, soy sauce and coconut cream, then process again.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat over a medium to high heat. Add the paste mixture and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken, quartered potatoes and water to the paste. Bring the mixture to the boil then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 25–30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.

If you want a thicker sauce, remove the lid and cook for 5–10 minutes before adding the vegetables, otherwise run frozen vegetables under hot water until thawed, or cut fresh vegetables into bite-sized pieces, then add these to the curry mixture, cover again and cook for a further 5–10 minutes until the vegetables ready.

Serve over plenty of steamed rice with a salad on the side, if you like. If you can find them at your supermarket, fresh or frozen naan bread or roti also make a delicious accompaniment.

Photography: Lindsay Keats

Lentil, Orzo & Spinach Soup

I know the weather isn’t going to be the same everywhere, but it is cold, windy and raining here today, definitely ‘soup weather’! Actually, the weather doesn’t have to be miserable to enjoy this, it makes a simple, tasty meal in almost any conditions.

I love this simple soup: you take some humble ingredients, throw them in a pan with water, simmer away for a while and you get something warm and satisfying at the end. OK, it might not always be quite as simple as that ’but this recipe really does turn humble ingredients into a tasty economical meal with relatively little effort.

For 4–6 servings:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium–large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2–3 sticks celery, thinly sliced

1 medium–large carrot, grated

8 cups hot water

1 Tbsp vegetable stock powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1 cup brown lentils

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup orzo

1/4–1/2 cup chopped parsley

2 cups lightly packed (75–100g) chopped spinach leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the water, stock powder and oregano. Put the lentils in a sieve and rinse them thoroughly, then stir into the pan. Bring the soup to the boil, then simmer for 20–25 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Add the red wine, orzo and parsley. Boil gently for about 10 minutes or until the orzo is cooked through. Stir in the spinach and cook for a few minutes longer.

Season to taste with salt (if required) and pepper, then serve with crusty bread.

Photography: Lindsay Keats

Beef Sliders

A slider is essentially just a small hamburger. Initially I wondered why you might want these, but in fact they’re quite fun. They make a great substantial snack if you’re entertaining, or, in the ‘a change is as good as a holiday’ mode, they’re an interesting alternative to a regular burger. To give these another slight twist, I’ve given them a slightly Asian twist, adding some black bean and sweet chilli sauce.

I’ve seen tiny buns available for catering that mean you really can make finger food type nibbles, but for a more everyday alternative, try little dinner rolls from the supermarket, in which case this recipe will make six to eight sliders.

For 6-8 sliders

500g beef mince

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1 small egg

1 Tbsp blackbean sauce

1 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Sauce:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce

To serve:

6-8 small rolls

Your choice of cheese, lettuce, sliced tomatoes beetroot etc

To make the slider patties, place the first five ingredients into a large bowl, then mix until evenly combined (clean hands are the most effective way to do this).

Working with wet hands (to stop the mixture sticking) dived the mixture into two, then divide each half into three or four evenly sized balls, then flatten these to make patties 1-1.5cm thick. Cover patties and refrigerate until required if working in advance.

Make the sauce by stirring the mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce together in small bowl, and prepare your selected extra toppings.

Heat a lightly oiled non-stick pan (or barbecue hotplate) over a medium heat (if you use a high heat the patties will brown excessively). Add the patties and cook for 2-3 minutes a side, or until cooked through.

Once the patties are cooked, assemble the sliders, adding the topping of your choice. Because the buns have a relatively small base a long toothpick or short skewer through the slider may help keep everything in place. Serve immediately.