The HOP cook Book

the magnificent PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES!
2 oz. peanut butter
grated rind of hald an orange
2 oz. caster sugar
1 and a half oz. light, soft brown sugar
2 oz. butter
1 one standard of medium egg
1 and a half oz. or raisen stoned and chopped
4 oz. self-raising flour
(i sometimes leve the raisins out)

oven temperature: moderate (see last of my recipes)
yield 25-30

cream together the peanut butter, orange rind, sugars and butter until light and fluffy. beat in the egg, add the raisins and stir in the flour to make a fairly firm dough. roll the dough into small balls about the size of a walnut and place well apart on an ungreased baking sheet; dip a fork in a little flour and press criss-cross lines on each ball. bake for 25 minutes until risen and golden brown.

both of my recipes are copied almost word for word from my mums big old cookbook .

Ok guys, I need help. I'm gradually cooking about once a week now, very simple things. So far I made rice with boiled veggies, sauteed salt pollock, mashed potatoes with sweet and sour cabbage (which was LOVELY), and of course I make the occasional rice balls or rice + rehydrated seaweed/ miso soup/ etc.

I have a few specific questions and one general one.

Firstly, does anyone know how to make those delicious mochi balls filled with red bean paste? or at least how to make the mochi doughy like that so it could be filled with whatever?

Second, what goes well with pickled beets, and is not a middle eastern dairy product, or chickpea based? The dairy products I find are fairly expensive. I'm not up to cooking meat yet, I am not even up to cooking fish *again* without *very* detailed instructions. And I just havn't seen chickpeas around (plus am unwilling to stain the food processor with tumeric for falafel, as yet, since its not mine) altho guava paste is available, and other caribean products Also let it be noted I do not like curries.

Thirdly, if you have any simple balanced one dish meal suggestions that fit the above and are cheap, or good suggestions on how to make veggies more appealing (for example cooking green beans in vinegar has made me <3 them.....

To make Veggies more appealing? That's easy (not sure on the rest of the questions)

Carrots are really nice if you toss them in honey before serving.
Try roasting some veg, they crisp up nicely if you sprinkle a little salt over them. I also like putting a couple of cloves of garlic on them whilst roasting.
Mashed Potato with Parsnip, Carrot or Celeriac. That's always nice & tasty.

The Eggs/Balls of Satan

Half a cup of powdered sugar
One quarter teaspoo salt
One knifetip Turkish fudge
Half a pound butter
One teaspoon vanilla-sugar
Half a pound flour
150 g ground nuts
A little extra powdered sugar
... and no eggs

Place in a bowl
Add butter
Add the ground nuts and
Knead the dough


Form eyeball-size pieces from the dough
Roll in the powdered sugar
and say the Magic Words:
"Sim sala bim bamba sala do saladim"

Place on a greased baking pan and
Bake at 200 degrees for 15 minutes
...AND NO EGGS

Bake at 200 degrees for 15 minutes
...and no eggs.

Sureau, that hummous was delicious!! Thank you!

glad i found this, my boyfriend has cooked in five star restraunts so i need some stuff to show him up
these are some dorm food snacks or appetizer recipes adapt as appropriate

Tuna:
fresh tuna works best but canned will do if you must
wheatthins-they have different flavors now, so experiment, i love the garlic and the tomato basil-i think they have olive oil ones
salt and pepper
a little lemon juice
cheese-depending on the cracker, but a mild one the jack or provolone

assembly:wheatthin, then tuna, then lemon juice, then salt and pepper, then cheese...toast creation until cheese is melty or serve raw

Chicken:

Chicken breast (plain, or you can bake, coat or fry with ceasar or ranch dressing)
Mozarella, shredded-or experiment with a cheese of your likeing, bleu for example
Garlic Butter Ritz-or make your own garlic butter base-plain cracker or toast points, garlic butter and lightly toast for crunchiness
Marinara, spagetti sauce, spinach or lettuce
(Salad dressing: if you choose, something like itallian, catalina, bacon ranch, creamy ceasar)

Assembly: Ritz cracker(toast point, whatever) then your sauce and/or veggie, then chicken, (then salad dressing,) and then lots of cheese...and then toast till chicken is warm and cheese melted

Popcorn(this is my favorite snack, bottle of white wine some of this and a good chick movie):

Popcorn (airpopped if you can, but a microwave works as well-butter or natural)
Grated parmesean (w or w/o Romano)
Garlic salt
(parsley, for a faux-fancy feel)
(if you went with an airpopped or natural consider some butter or a little oil-i've never used oil but have heard of it being done)

Assembly: Put hot popped popcorn into an appropriately sized mixing bowl, (add butter/oil,) add cheese and (parsley and) garlic salt, mix so it all spreads out evenly. Serve warm

Recipe for Aduki Bean Pasties

For the pastry: 4oz Wholewheat Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 oz veg fat
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 – 4 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon oil

For the filling: 2 oz aduki beans or brown lentils
2 oz long grain rice, wheat grain or pot barley
2 pints water for boiling
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, scrubbed and diced
4 oz mushrooms, wiped and diced
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato puree
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 – 4 tablespoons stock or water
beaten egg for glazing pastry

(1) Preheat oven to gas mark 7, 425 F, 220 C
(2) Wash grains and check for stones.
(3) Bring pulses and grains to the boil in fresh water, cover the pan and simmer until tender.
(4) Drain the mixture and reserve the stock.
(5) Prepare the vegetables.
(6) Heat the oil and gently fry the spices.
(7) Add the vegetables and the cooked pulses and grains. Cook for 10 – 15 mins.
(8) Add the tomato puree, seasonings and stock to moisten. Cook for a further 5 – 7 minutes.
(9) Remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool.
(10) Divide pastry into 8. Roll out each piece to a saucer shape.
(11) Spoon 2 – 3 tablespoons into the centre of each.
(12) Brush the edges with beaten egg and fold together to make a seam across the top. Seal and pinch the edges together.
(13) Brush with beaten egg and make a hole in the top to let steam out.
(14) Bake in a hot oven for 15 – 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Can I have this sentence in English? The meaning...eludes me.

Which sentence?

Hmmm...thought I would revise this thread after someone asked me for a chicken recipe...(I also finished writing my own cookbook not that long ago so I have easy access to some of my most favourite meals cooked of all time)

So here are my all time favourites:

Lemon Chicken Schnitzel

Ingredients:
4 single skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 tablespoons lemon juice (put more in if you want more zing)
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
About 1½ cups soft breadcrumbs
Oil for frying

Method:
1. Open breasts out and pound to flatten. (Don't flatten too much as you want them to be nice and succulent when they are cooked if they are too thin they just taste dry and yuck!)
2. Beat the egg, cornflour, lemon juice, lemon rind, parsley, salt and pepper together. Dip chicken in mixture. Let excess drain off. Coat with breadcrumbs.
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan and cook schnitzel in this until golden brown on both sides.
4. Drain on absorbent paper and serve.

Chicken and Leek Pie

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5kg chicken thigh fillets, chopped
100g butter, chopped
1-2 large leeks, finely chopped
2 bacon rashers, finely chopped
1/3 cup plain flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
3 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
Fresh herbs to garnish

Method:
1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add chicken, in batches; cook, stirring, until browned and cooked. Remove from pan.
2. Melt half the butter in same pan. Add leeks; cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Add bacon; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in chicken.
3. Melt remaining butter in large pan. Add flour; stir until mixture bubbles. Gradually stir in combined milk and chicken stock; stir until mixture boils and thickens. Add chicken mixture; season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into a large greased rectangular ovenproof dish (10 cup capacity).
4. Trim pastry sheets to cover chicken mixture, overlapping pastry at edges of dish. Decorate top with remaining pastry scraps. Brush top with egg. Using a sharp knife, make small cuts in the pastry to allow steam to escape during cooking.
5. Cook in hot oven, 200 degrees Celsius, for 40 minutes, or until pastry is lightly browned and puffed.
6. Serve pie garnished with fresh herbs.

Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked long grain rice
4 rashers bacon
3 spring onions
2 eggs
1 tablespoon sherry
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons grated root ginger
1½ cups cooked chicken
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Method:
1. Spread cooked rice onto oven trays and refrigerate uncovered overnight. Alternatively, put trays in the sun or in a 180 degree Celsius oven for 15 minutes to allow rice to dry. Turn rice occasionally.
2. De-rind bacon and cut into strips. Cook bacon in wok (or frying pan) until crisp. Remove from wok and crumble.
3. Trim and finely slice spring onions. Sauté ginger and spring onions in 1 tablespoon on the oil for 1 minute.
4. Lightly beat eggs and sherry together. Heat about 1 tablespoon of measured oil in the pan and cook half the egg mixture to make a small omelette. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining egg. Cut the omelettes into thin strips.
5. Add the rice to the pan and stir fry for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add bacon, ginger, chicken, omelette strips and soy sauce. Heat mixture thoroughly.

Honey Flavoured Pork Chops

Ingredients:
8 pork chops, 2cm thick
Garlic salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup liquid honey
¼ cup white wine or cider

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
2. Remove excess fat from pork chops; season with garlic salt and pepper.
3. In a skillet, heat oil and melt butter; cook pork chops for a few minutes; transfer to ovenproof dish; add 2 tablespoons liquid honey to mixture; cover with aluminium foil; bake for 20 minutes.
4. Baste with rest of honey; cover; cook for 15 minutes longer.
5. Add white wine or cider; cook, uncovered, 10 minutes.

This one that I am putting up now is super fiddly so if you don't like making a mess I suggest you don't try it....but if you don't care then it is super yummy.....

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Ingredients:
250g shredded spinach (can be fresh/steamed or frozen)
225g ricotta cheese (can use Cream Cheese)
2 egg yolks
1 clove garlic, crushed
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
1 400gm can Tomato Puree
Basil, Parsley or whatever fresh or dried herbs you fancy
Freshly (preferred) ground black pepper
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
Mushroom, finely diced,
1 Onion, finely diced
1 Capsicum, finely chopped
Bacon, diced and cooked till crispy, or ham - about a handful of each
Any other things you particularly like

Method:
1. Combine spinach, ricotta cheese, egg yolks, garlic, cheddar cheese, nutmeg, herbs, mushrooms, onions (or whatever you are using) pepper and salt in a bowl. Reserve a handful of the grated cheese.
2. Fill dry cannelloni tubes with mixture.
3. If you like garlic - rub a cut clove of garlic over the inside of the baking dish. Place tubes into baking tray in a single layer.
4. Pour Tomato Puree over filled tubes ensuring you cover all the pasta. Drizzle over olive oil, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and a mixture of herbs, and sprinkle the reserved cheese over everything.
5. Cover, either with baking lid or aluminium foil. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for approximately 20 minutes, remove cover and bake for approximately a further 20 minutes. Test with a skewer to see if cooked.
6. Serve with herb or garlic bread and a fresh green salad - I suggest using a vinaigrette dressing for salad to cut back the “cheesiness” of the cannelloni.

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:
2/3 cup icing sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon instant coffee
60g plain sweet biscuits, finely crushed
60g copha
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
½ cup condensed milk
Coconut or chocolate sprinkles

Method:
1. Sift the icing sugar, cocoa and coffee powder into a mixing bowl. Add the crushed biscuits and stir until well combined.
2. Place the copha in a small heavy based saucepan and melt over low heat. Cool slightly. Add to the cry ingredients and stir well.
3. Add the vanilla essence and pour in the condensed milk. Mix ingredients together until well combined, then beat until the mixture is thick. Place in the fridge and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Pinch off pieces of the mixture and form into balls, slightly smaller than a walnut shell. Roll the balls in the coconut or the chocolate sprinkles until well coated. Place on a baking tray and leave in the fridge until firm (about 1 hour).

Cheese Chive Twists

Ingredients:
4 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
1 cup grated cheese
½ cup chives

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius
2. Brush 1 sheet pastry with beaten egg; sprinkle with cheese and chives
3. Cover with another sheet of pastry. Brush with egg and sprinkle with more cheese.
4. Cut into 1cm wide strips.
5. Twist strips and place on greased oven trays.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Quichettes

Ingredients:
4 sheets puff pastry
1 packet frozen spinach, thawed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 eggs
300mL carton cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated cheese

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Using a 6½cm scone cutter, cut 9 rounds of pastry from each sheet.
3. Press into lightly greased patty tins.
4. In a bowl, mix spinach and onion.
5. Spoon a little spinach mixture into the base of each pastry case.
6. Mix eggs, cream and pepper together.
7. Pour over spinach; top with grated cheese.
8. Cook for 15 minutes

Variations:
Bacon – Replace spinach with 4 rashers of cooked bacon.
Salmon – Replace spinach with 185g can red salmon. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
Cheese – Replace spinach with slices camembert cheese.

Cheese Tricorns

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup gruyere cheese, grated
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 packet filo pastry
250g butter, melted

Method:
1. Melt butter for 30 seconds on high.
2. Add flour. Cook a further minute on high.
3. Gradually add milk and cook 3-5 minutes on high until sauce boils.
4. Add cheeses.
5. Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
6. Brush 1 sheet of pastry with butter. Top with another sheet and repeat the process. Cut lengthways into four even strips.
7. Put a spoonful of filling on one end of pastry. Fold pastry over filling to form a triangle. Continue folding. Repeat with remaining pastry.
8. Place triangles on a pizza tray and bake for 12 minutes.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Ingredients:
6 lamb shanks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 spring onions, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 leek, diced
1 turnip, diced
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
120ml white wine
2 sprigs thyme and rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 litre beef stock

Method:
1. Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Pre-heat oil in a flameproof casserole dish and brown the shanks on all sides, doing half at a time. Remove from the dish and set aside.
2. Add the garlic and all the vegetables to the dish and stir fry for 3 minutes. Cover with a lid and allow the vegetables to seat for 5 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste and stir through, then add wine to de-glaze the dish.
4. Return the shanks to the dish. Add thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and stock. Cover and bake in the oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 2-3 hours.
5. When cooked, the meat will pull away from the bone. Remove the shanks from the dish, cover, and rest in the warming drawer.
6. Place the casserole on the hob, remove the lid and reduce the sauce until thickened.
7. The sauce can be served either in a gravy boat, or pour the sauce onto a serving platter and top with lamb shanks. Serve with boiled new potatoes.

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:
750g lean cooked lamb
25g butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1½ cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon ground pepper
Salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Potato Topping
4 large potatoes, cooked and mashed
¼ - 1/3 cup hot milk
30g butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1. Brush an 8-cup casserole dish with melted butter or oil.
2. Preheat oven to moderately hot 210 degrees Celsius.
3. Trim meat and cut into small cubes, or mince.
4. Melt butter in a large pan. Add onion and cook until golden. Sprinkle in flour and mustard.
5. Gradually add stock and blend, stirring until smooth.
6. Bring gravy to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes.
7. Stir through meat, mint, parsley, pepper, salt and sauce. Remove from heat and spoon into dish.
8. To make topping, combine potato, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy. Pipe or spread evenly over meat; bake 40-45 minutes until heated through and potato is golden brown. Garnish with mint leaves if liked.

Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce

Ingredients:
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup vegetable oil
12 lamb chops
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method:
1. Pour water into a saucepan, add brown sugar and stir then bring to boil and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine mint leaves with salt and pepper, then pour water and brown sugar mixture over mint leaves, add cider vinegar and vegetable oil and let liquid steep for 30 minutes.
3. Baste lamb chops with mint sauce.
4. In a skillet, heat oil and cook lamb chops over medium heat for 10 minutes on each side. Baste often with mint sauce during cooking process.
5. Season with salt just before serving.

Marinated Beef

Ingredients:
1.5 to 2kg whole fillet of beef
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
1 tablespoon oil
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon soy sauce

Method:
1. Trim beef. Combine mustard, oil, lemon juice, rind, honey and soy sauce. Coat fillet with mixture.
2. Cook fillet on a roasting (grilling rack) on medium high for 30-35 minutes. Turn once halfway through cooking. Stand covered with foil for 15 minutes.
3. Slice beef and serve.

Lasagne

Ingredients:
Meat Sauce
30g butter
1 onion, chopped
1kg mince
¼ cup tomato paste
240g jar Bolognese sauce
200g can champignons, drained
1 clove garlic, crushed

Cheese Sauce
90g butter
1/3 cup flour
1¾ cups milk
125g tasty cheese, grated
200g packet instant lasagne noodles
100g mozzarella cheese, grated

Method:
Meat Sauce
1. Sauté butter and onion in deep pan or pot.
2. Stir in mince, cook, stirring frequently till browned. Drain excess fat.
3. Stir in tomato paste, Bolognese sauce, champignons and garlic.

Cheese Sauce
1. Melt butter for 40 seconds on high. Stir in flour; cook for further 1 minute on high.
2. Gradually stir in milk. Cook for 5-6 minutes on high, stirring every minute.
3. Stir in tasty cheese.

To Assemble
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Cover base of a lasagne dish with meat sauce. Dip lasagne noodle in hot water then place a layer of lasagne noodle on top. Spoon in one third of remaining meat sauce. Spread with one third of cheese sauce.
3. Repeat process, ending with cheese sauce.
4. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
5. Place on low rack. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
6. Serve with a fresh garden salad and bread.

Individual Potato Pies

Ingredients:
Filling
1 tablespoon oil
2 rashers bacon, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
500g beef mince
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
¼ cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups beef stock
½ teaspoon dried mixed herbs

Potato Crust
8 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
½ - 2/3 cup milk or cream
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted, extra

Method:
1. Heat oil in a large heavy based pan, add bacon, onion and garlic; stir over medium heat 3 minutes. Add beef mince; stir over high heat 3 minutes or until meat is well browned.
2. Add flour and mustard powder; stir one minute. Add tomato and Worcestershire sauces, stock and mixed herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until mixture has reduced and thickened, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool. Divide into six 11cm pie tins.
3. To make the crust, boil, steam or microwave the potatoes until tender. Drain and mash. Add milk or cream, butter, salt and pepper.
4. Divide potato topping equally between pie tins. Spread over top to completely enclose filling, smooth, and then use fork prongs to rough up the surface. Alternatively, pipe on potato using a fluted nozzle. Brush with melted butter.
5. Bake in a preheated moderate 180 degrees Celsius oven 20-25 minutes or until potato topping is golden brown. Garnish with flat leaf parsley.

Beef, Potato and Pumpkin Bake

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
750g minced beef
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, trimmed, peeled and grated
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef stock
750g potatoes, peeled and chopped
650g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and diced
90g butter

Method:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add mince. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until browned. Remove mince to plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to saucepan. Add onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in paste, sauce, stock and mince. Bring to boil. Cover. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Spoon into 4x2-cup capacity ovenproof dishes. Place onto an oven tray.
4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Cook potatoes and pumpkin in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to saucepan over low heat, shaking saucepan for 1 minute or until any remaining water evaporates. Remove from heat. Add 60g butter, salt and pepper. Mash.
5. Spread mash over mince mixture. Dot with remaining 30g of butter. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Serve.

Crispy-Topped Cottage Pie

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1kg beef mince
1 tablespoon concentrated beef stock
1 cup water
400g can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons gravy mix
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas
700g potatoes, thinly sliced
125g tasty cheese, finely grated

Method:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 8 minutes or until soft. Add tomato paste. Cook for 3 minutes.
2. Increase heat to high. Add mince. Cook, stirring, for 8 minutes or until browned. Add stock, water and tomatoes. Bring to the boil. Stir in gravy mix and carrots. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Add peas.
3. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Grease a 10 cup capacity ovenproof dish. Spoon in mince.
4. Combine potatoes, 1½ tablespoons oil, salt and pepper. Arrange 1/3 potatoes over mince. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat layers, finishing with potatoes. Drizzle with remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Increase heat to 230 degrees Celsius. Remove foil. Bake for a further 20 minutes or until golden. Serve.

Blade Steaks with Herb Butter

Ingredients:
750g boneless blade, 4-6cm thick
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
60g butter softened
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Method:
1. Put the blade steak on a chopping board, place your hand flat over it and, cutting parallel to your hand, cut the meat horizontally into four slices.
2. Pound the slices with a wooden mallet until they are 6mm thick. Trim off any excess fat.
3. Notch the edges of the steaks all around to prevent curling. Pat them dry with paper towelling, and sprinkle them with the salt and half the pepper. Put aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, parsley, basil and thyme, and the remaining pepper. Put aside.
5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over moderately high heat for about 1 minute. Add the steaks and cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes on each side. Serve with a portion of herb butter on each steak.

Paprika Beef

Ingredients:
40g butter
750g flank or skirt steak, trimmed of fat and cut crosswise into thin strips 5cm long
1 cup cream
1¼ teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon salt

Method:
1. Heat the butter in a large, heavy frying pan over moderately high heat until bubbly. Add half the steak slices and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the slices to a plate. Cook the remaining steak the same way and add to the plate.
2. Raise the heat to high. Add the cream, paprika and salt to the pan, and boil, stirring, for 4-6 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Return the steak and any accumulated juices to the pan. Reduce the heat, and simmer, uncovered, until heated through – about 3 minutes. Serve over noodles or rice.

Beef with Celery

Ingredients:
500g rump steak
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 egg white
3 tablespoons oil
6 shallots
2.5cm piece green ginger
6 celery sticks
3 teaspoons cornflour
½ cup water
1 tablespoon soy sauce, extra
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed

Method:
1. Remove excess fat from meat, cut into strips 2.5cm long. Combine in basin with vinegar, soy sauce and lightly beaten egg white. Cover and stand 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in pan; add half the meat, brown well, remove from pan, brown remaining meat.
3. Peel ginger, chop finely, chop shallots into 2.5cm lengths, and slice celery diagonally. Put celery into saucepan of boiling salted water, boil 2 minutes, drain, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.
4. Heat remaining oil in pan, add celery, shallots, ginger and crushed garlic, sauté for 1 minute.
5. Add meat to pan, toss well. Combine cornflour with water, extra soy sauce, sherry and oyster sauce, mix well. Add to pan, stir until boiling and well combined.