Accompaniments

Quick sauces

Buy yourself a jar of good quality whole egg mayonnaise and use any of the following suggested flavourings for a tasty sauce ...
Garlic aioli

• Combine ½ cup mayonnaise with 2 tsp minced garlic.  Serve with lamb or seafood

Tartare

• Combine ½ cup mayonnaise with 1 tsp minced garlic, 2 tsp chopped capers, 2 tsp finely chopped gherkin, 2 tsp finely chopped spring onions, 2 tsp chopped fresh dill.  Serve with fish and seafood

Pesto mayonnaise

• ​Combine ½ cup mayonnaise with 1 tbsp store bought pesto.  Serve with beef, chicken, lamb or as a dip with crudités or crackers

Home made creamy butter

So simple and so impressive
Ingredients

• 500ml cream
• Pinch salt

Method

1. Beat cream for 5 to 8 minutes until mixture separates and a thin liquid forms. Drain liquid using a sieve.
2. Rinse the butter in ice water to remove excess buttermilk.
3. Sprinkle with salt then press into a ramekin.
4. Serve as desired.​

Note
Reserve the buttermilk to make pancakes

Cucumber and mint raita

A traditional accompaniment for curries
Ingredients

• 2 cups Greek or plain yoghurt
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely shredded mint leaves
• 2 tbsp finely shredded coriander leaves
• ½ tsp salt

​Method

1. Place yoghurt, cucumber, mint, coriander and salt into a bowl.  Stir to combine.
2. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to serve.
3. Garnish with a coriander leaf and serve as desired.

Chilli cucumber salsa

​Light and fresh and perfect for serving with corns chips or filling your tacos
Ingredients

• 1 Lebanese cucumber, finely diced
• ¼ cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tsp lime or lemon juice
• Sea salt and ground black pepper

​Method

1. Combine cucumber, coriander, sweet chilli sauce and juice.  Season with salt and pepper.
2. Serve as desired.

Chilli tomato jam

The consistency of this sauce is between chutney and jam.  It is delicious served with Asian dishes, steaks and burgers
Please note this jam takes several hours to make and needs to be prepared in advance
Ingredients

• 2 - 3 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 long red chillies, sliced
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• Pinch salt

Method

1. Combine tomatoes and sugar in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight, stirring occasionally.
2. Transfer to a saucepan with chilli, vinegar, fish sauce, garlic, lime juice and salt.  Stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 50 minutes until thick and most of the liquid has evaporated.
3. Cool mixture slightly then pour into sterilised jars.​  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes
Deseed the chillies if you prefer less heat
The jam mixture will thicken as it cools

Chunky tomato sauce

Delicious served with meatloaf, rissoles, sausages and burgers
Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 x 400gm cans diced Italian tomatoes
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white balsamic vinegar​
• Salt and pepper

​Method

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes or until soft.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add tomatoes, brown sugar and vinegar.  Stir until combined.
3. Bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until a thick sauce forms.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. ​Cool mixture slightly then pour into sterilised jars.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Apple jelly gems

Here is a delightful substitute to traditional apple sauce.  Pretty as a picture and a lovely accompaniment to roast pork
Serves 8
Preparation and cooking:  20 minutes plus 2 hours chilling time
Ingredients

• 1½ cups clear apple juice or cider
• 1½ tbsp gelatine
• 1 tbsp brandy, optional
• Salt

Method

1. Place ½ cup apple juice or cider in a saucepan.  Sprinkle gelatine over and set aside for 3 minutes or until gelatine softens.
2. ​Bring gelatine mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until gelatine dissolves.  Stir in remaining apple juice or cider and the brandy, if using, and a pinch of salt.
3. Pour into a 12 x 22cm loaf pan.  Spoon off any foam that rises to surface.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
4. Using a fork, scrape the top 1.5cm surface of jelly lengthwise, then crossways, forming little square-shaped pieces.
5. Serve with roast pork, allowing the heat to melt the jelly.

Recipe credit
Curtis Stone and Coles Magazine

Beetroot relish

Great with burgers, steak, fried haloumi and cheese platters
Ingredients

• 1 bunch baby beetroots, stalks removed
• ¾​ cup red wine vinegar
• ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Place beetroots in saucepan then cover with water. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Peel and finely chop beetroot. Place beetroot, vinegar, brown sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan.  Bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes or until mixture thickens and most of the liquid is absorbed.  Note, if mixture is not thickening, remove lid and increase heat.
3. Remove from heat then mash roughly to desired consistency.
4. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Creamy brandy mushroom sauce

This is a delicious creamy sauce, perfect served with a good steak ... naughty but very nice!
Ingredients

• 50gm butter
• 400gm sliced mushrooms
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 300ml cream
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add mushrooms and garlic and fry until soft.  Reduce heat then stir in brandy.  Cook for 2 minutes then stir in the cream.  Cook, stirring, until sauce thickens.  Season to taste and serve.

Fig jam

Delightful fig jam tastes delicious on hot buttered toast, scones or on your cheeseboard
This recipe requires time to infuse all the flavours overnight
Ingredients

• 1 kg ripe figs, washed
• 500gm caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• 1 cinnamon stick or quill
• Rind and juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Core and roughly chop the figs and slice the lemon rind.  Place all ingredients in a bowl, cover and stand overnight at room temperature.
   
2. Transfer mixture to a saucepan over low heat and stir to dissolve sugar.  Bring mixture to the boil, then cook over very low heat, stirring regularly, for about 45 minutes or until thick and sticky.
   
3. Mash figs gently with a fork or masher to break up a little.  Remove vanilla pod, cinnamon stick or quill and lemon rind.  Allow to cool slightly before transferring to sterilised jars. Store for up to 3 months.