Tag: masterchef

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Recipes

Foodie Friday: Fluffy miso caramel dumplings & icecream

Foodie Friday

Maxwell & Williams partnered with celebrity chef Sara Oteri on this recipe, served on their White Basics collection.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Dumplings
30g butter
1 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup milk

Caramel sauce
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp yellow miso
45g butter

Method 

Combine all the sauce ingredients into a medium sized saucepan and simmer on a low heat until caramel slightly deepens in colour.

Rub butter into the flour until it resembles the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Slowly incorporate the milk until a dough forms. Alternatively, you can do this all in a food processor.

Roll the dough into walnut-to-golfball sized balls and place a few at a time into the simmering sauce.
Cook for 10-to-15 minutes before scooping each out, gently.

For a thicker sauce, keep on the heat a little longer before straining through a fine sieve and pouring over the dumplings.

Serve with vanilla bean ice-cream.

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Furniture Homewares

1 room, 2 looks: at home with MasterChef’s Hayden Quinn

When you’re a busy couple juggling two demanding careers it can be challenging to find the time to make your home look its best. Such was the case for model turned cook, Jax Raynor and her partner, MasterChef favourite Hayden Quinn. Their beachside apartment had good bones and was full of natural light but it lacked the cosiness they craved at the end of a long day. 

BEFORE

The solution? They called in Pottery Barn interior designer Rhys Duggan to help make the most of their sunny space. “We both love to cook and entertain so we asked Rhys to somehow open up the space, yet make it warm and inviting too,” says Jax.

The couple’s enthusiasm for the project was infectious so Rhys put together two looks for them to choose from: one, global oasis, to reflect their love of travel, and the other, island chic, that referenced the sand and surf not far from their front door.

AFTER Island chic
AFTER Global oasis

For both looks, Jax and Hayden’s existing large red vintage rug was kept and a smaller, lighter rug placed on top to introduce some brightness and add a luxe note of layering.

“We replaced their heavy, dark coffee table with glass-topped coffee and side tables with light metal frames to give an airy feel, and because they’re transparent they help to visually open up the space,” says Rhys.

Some plump, generously sized cushions were added to the sofa and as both Hayden and Jax had a healthy collection of indoor plants, Rhys decided to use them to create a focal point.

“We decorated a mantel in front of their living area, which moved the focus away from the TV and provided a space to display their favourite travel souvenirs,” he says. “Creating a focal point helps when you’re arranging a room layout as you use it as your central point of reference and then work everything else around it.”

BEFORE mantel
AFTER mantel

With a small space it helps to use pieces that do double duty, like bar carts. The bulk of the time they can be used for storage – just pop some great looking baskets underneath – and then wheel them into place when entertaining.

Working to a colour palette that’s repeated in all areas of Jax and Hayden’s living space helped to unify the room making it look larger than it really is. For instance, Rhys replaced the couple’s timber dining chairs with upholstered chairs in a fabric that matched the sofa. The result being that your eye floats across the white sofa, walls and visually connect to the chairs.

AFTER dining

“The drinks trolley has to be one of my favourite touches,” says Hayden. “That and how the place just looks a whole lot bigger!”

AFTER Hayden’s new favourite, the bar cart, is great double duty furniture

“Now when I’m at home, I really feel at home,” says Jax. “It just feels more us.”

Shop the Pottery Barn collection online

More on foodie couple Jax Raynor, the Model Turned Cook and MasterChef favourite Hayden Quinn

Influencer Abbie Mellé’s bedroom makeover with Pottery Barn

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Recipes

Foodie Friday: Raspberry coconut baked tart

Today’s recipe is from Kirsten Tibballs. Proclaimed by MasterChef Australia as ‘the Queen of Chocolate,’ she is one of Australia’s most celebrated and internationally respected pastry chefs and chocolatiers. In between television appearances and judging world class competitions, Kirsten teaches at Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School in Melbourne.

This is a simple raspberry and coconut baked tart, easy to create with beautiful textures and flavours.

Yield: 12 tarts  |  Preparation time: 40 minutes  |  Difficulty: Beginner

                                                                                                                                                                 

Ingredients

Shortbread pastry

  • 168g Unsalted butter
  • 104g Icing sugar
  • 35g Almond meal
  • 50g Eggs
  • 3g Salt
  • 75g Plain flour (A)
  • 215g Plain flour (B)
  • Plain flour for dusting

Method

  1. Place 12x 80mm tart rings on a lined flat tray.
  2. Place the butter and icing sugar in a mixing bowl or food processor.
  3. Combine until you have eliminated all lumps of butter.
  4. Add in the almond meal, eggs, salt and plain flour (A).
  5. Once combined add in plain flour (B) and stop mixing.
  6. Once it comes together as a dough, press into an even flat square and wrap in plastic wrap.
  7. Place in the fridge for approximately an hour for the pastry to firm up.
  8. Lightly dust the bench surface with flour and roll out the pastry to 3mm thickness.
  9. Cut the pastry 120mm in diameter. Line the tart cases with the pastry and place them in the fridge before trimming the excess off the top.
  10. Line the prepared tarts with baking squares on a heat proof plastic wrap and fill with rice or baking beads.
  11. Bake at 165°C for 8-10 minutes. Remove the lining and set aside.

Raspberry Jelly

  • 265g Fresh or frozen raspberries
  • 185g Caster sugar
  • 45g   Liquid glucose (light corn syrup)
  • 2g   Citric acid

Method

  1. Bring the sugar and raspberries to a boil, add in the glucose.
  2. Boil to 103°C while stirring on a medium to high heat.
  3. Remove from the heat.
  4. Stir in citric acid.
  5. While it is still hot, divide the jelly between the 12 tart cases.
  6. Fill tarts halfway, place in the fridge to enable the jelly to firm up.

Coconut Topping

  • 140g Caster sugar
  • 210g Whole eggs
  • 225g Desiccated coconut

Method

  1. Combine all the ingredients together by hand.
  2. Spoon on top of the raspberry jelly, evenly divided between the 12 tarts.
  3. Bake at 165°C for 10-to-12 minutes or until a light golden brown colour is achieved.
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Recipes

Foodie Friday: Julie Goodwin’s nasi goreng

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This recipe is taken from the Kids In the Kitchen ebook from Westinghouse and Australia’s favourite home cook and mum, Julie Goodwin. Download it free for 11 more recipes.

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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 2 cups of jasmine rice
  • 2 chicken thigh fillets
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 brown onion
  • 2 teaspoons shrimp paste
  • ½ cup light soy sauce
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 Lebanese cucumber
  • 1 ripe tomato
  • 3 shallots
  • 1 long red chilli
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons hot chilli sauce
  • ¼ cup crispy fried shallots
  • ¼ cup roasted salted peanuts

Method

1. Put the chef pan over a high heat with half the oil in it. Put the rice in the rice cooker with 3 cups of water and put the lid on. Microwave on high for 18 minutes.

2. Cut the chicken thighs into strips, about 8 pieces each. Place the chicken in the pan.

3. Peel the garlic and peel and quarter the onion. Place in the mini food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Add to the chicken in the pan and stir for a minute or until starting to soften. Add shrimp paste and stir through, cooking for a further minute. When the chicken is cooked through, turn off heat.

4. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce and the brown sugar. Slice the Lebanese cucumber finely on the diagonal. Slice the tomato. Peel the shallots and slice. Slice the long red chilli.

5. Heat the frypan over a medium-high heat and add the remaining oil. Fry the eggs sunny side up.

6. Turn the chef pan back on and pour in half the soy sauce mixture and the chilli sauce. When the rice is cooked, tip it into the pan and stir to mix thoroughly.

7. Divide the rice among 4 plates and top with equal amounts of crispy shallots, shallots, chilli and peanuts. Place the egg on the top of each plate and put the cucumber and tomato beside the rice. Serve with remaining sweetened soy sauce.

Kids in the kitchen can:

  • Measure the ingredients
  • Peel the garlic
  • Blitz ingredients in the food processor
  • Combine soy sauce and brown sugar mixture
  • Older kids (10+) may also slice the tomato and cucumber.
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Recipes

Foodie Friday: Homemade sausage rolls and tomato sauce

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This recipe comes from the Kids in the Kitchen recipe booklet from Westinghouse and Australia’s favourite home cook and mum, Julie Goodwin. Download it for free.

pt20160908_westinghouse_sausagerolls_47

Ingredients

  • 400 grams beef mince
  • 1 egg
  • 2 sprigs parsley
  • 1 piece bacon
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 shallots
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 small carrot
  • 1 zucchini
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp. tomato sauce

Pastry:

  • 1 ¼ cups plain flour
  • 125 grams butter
  • ½ t salt
  • 4 tbsp. iced water
  • 1 tbsp. extra milk

Homemade tomato sauce:

  • 500grams good quality vine ripened tomatoes (must be super ripe) or good quality tinned tomatoes
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp. brown sugar
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 small brown onion
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil

Method

Sausage rolls:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200C. Line a biscuit tray with baking paper

2. Place butter and flour into a bowl. Rub the mixture in between your index finger and thumb until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add a pinch of salt and pepper

3. Add the salt and half the iced water, mix to combine. Add a little bit of water at a time until the pastry forms a ball

4. Knead the dough on the bench a few times, until it looks smooth. Roll to 1cm flat, wrap in plastic and place into the fridge

5. Using the finest side of the grater, grate the carrot. Grate the zucchini into a strainer, then push out all of the excess liquid. Dry on paper towel

6. Place zucchini and carrot into a bowl

7. Whisk the egg

8. Finely dice the shallots, parsley and bacon

9. Add all ingredients into a large bowl and mix to combine

10. Remove pastry from the fridge. Lightly flour a rolling pin, pastry roll to ½ cm thick with a rolling pin. Trim the edges to be a rectangle. Cut rectangle into 6×6 cm squares

11. Divide filling evenly onto each piece of pastry. Place filling on one edge and roll

12. Place onto baking tray, brush with milk and bake for 20minutes or until golden

Homemade tomato sauce:

1. Remove stem from the tomato mark an X in the bottom of the tomato with a sharp knife. Fill a large bowl with boiling water. Place the tomatoes in the bowl. Place a round cake tin with a little water on top to keep the tomatoes in the bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

2. Drain the tomatoes and rub the skin off

3. Finely chop the onion

4. Place olive oil into a small non-stick saucepan and put onto a low heat. Slowly sweat and caramelise the onions (this may take up to 20 minutes)

5. Whilst onions are cooking, finely dice the tomatoes

6. Once the onions are cooked, place all remaining ingredients into the saucepan and bring to the simmer. Allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes until the mixture is nice and thick

7. Using a stick blender, blend until smooth. Strain mixture using a sieve and set aside to cool

Kids in the kitchen can:

1. Measure the ingredients

2. Rub the flour and the butter together

3. Roll out the dough

4. Grate the vegetables

5. Pick the parsley leaves from the stalks

6. Roll the sausage rolls

7. Brush the sausage rolls with milk.

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Recipes

Foodie Friday: Popcorn chicken with basil by Adam Liaw

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This recipe is brought to you by Williams-Sonoma

It’s a common misconception that Asian cooking at home requires a high level of skill, masses of hard-to-source ingredients and tonnes of time. According to TV presenter, author and cook (plus our favourite MasterChef Australia winner) Adam Liaw, the road to delicious Asian meals at home is a short and simple one – even for less confident cooks.

Speaking of cooks in need of confidence (is this you?), Williams-Sonoma is hosting an exclusive cooking class with Adam in its Sydney Cooking School on Tuesday 6 October and is giving you the chance to win a place for yourself (read how at the end of this recipe). The recipes featured in the class, along with this one, come from Adam’s new book, Adam Liaw’s Asian Cookery School, released this week.

Popcorn step 4 fin_1

Also known as yan su ji, popcorn chicken is a popular street food in Taipei and, as Adam says, once you try it you’ll see why. The crunchy texture of the sweet potato flour turns the chicken into incredibly moreish, easy-to-snack fast food, Taiwanese-style.

Styling Tip: Serve your chicken popcorn in a deep, narrow vessel lined with parchment or baking paper for an ultra-glam take on a fried chicken bucket. It’s not just about cute looks, either: a deep and narrow bowl helps to keep the chicken hot for longer while the paper helps absorb any excess oil.

Ingredients

  • 600g boneless chicken thigh fillets, preferably skin-on, cut into 3cm pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp Chinese five spice powder
  • 1 cup sweet potato flour
  • 2 litres oil, for deep-frying
  • 1 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves
  • Spiced salt
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • ¼ tsp Chinese five spice powder
  • ¼ tsp white pepper
  • A pinch chilli powder

Method

1. Combine the chicken with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar and five spice powder and set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

2. Coat the chicken pieces in the sweet potato flour and shake off any excess.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan. When the oil reaches 150°C, scatter the basil leaves into the wok and stir for about 20 seconds, or until the basil turns translucent. Remove the basil from the wok and drain on absorbent paper.

4. Increase the heat of the oil to 170°C and fry the chicken in batches for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through, regularly skimming any floating flour bits from the oil.

5. For the spiced salt, mix the ingredients together and toast in a dry frypan over low–medium heat for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Toss the chicken with the fried basil leaves and season with a good pinch of the spice salt.

Serve immediately. Serves 2–4.

Notes

Sweet potato flour is sometimes sold as ‘tapioca flour’. It’s available from Asian grocers. The Taiwanese variety is a coarse-textured but light flour that gives the characteristic crumbly texture to this dish. You could substitute cornflour or rice flour but it won’t quite be the same.

When deep-frying, skimming oil is a really important step that many people overlook. It preserves the oil by keeping it clear, and stops burnt flavours creeping in to later batches.

Head here for your chance to win a place in Adam’s exclusive cooking class at Williams-Sonoma’s Bondi Junction Cooking School.

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Interiors Addict

AZBcreative raise the bar with this year’s MasterChef popup restaurants

Last year's popup restaurant by AZBcreative

Event masterminds AZB Creative have been hard at work creating the interior of this year’s MasterChef Dining & Bar Pop Up Restaurant, opening its doors in Sydney tomorrow.

Alex Zabotto-Bentley and his team have already started on the massive task of setting up this year's MasterChef popup restaurant in Sydney
Alex Zabotto-Bentley and his team have already started on the massive task of setting up this year’s MasterChef popup restaurant in Sydney

Following the great success of the first MasterChef Dining & Bar, Alex Zabotto-Bentley and his team of designers and stylists have been working hard to make this year’s execution even bigger and better and they’ve shared a glimpse behind the scenes with us today. It’s a mammoth task, with two iconic locations (in Sydney at Circular Quay, and Melbourne, for the first time, on the rooftop of the Crown).

Continue reading “AZBcreative raise the bar with this year’s MasterChef popup restaurants”

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Appliances Kitchens

Brita 3 Way Water Filter Dispenser makes water smell waterier

There is a serious side to this post where we tell you that Brita has released some pretty handy new appliances. Unsurprisingly in the filtered water category. There’s also a fun side, but we will get to that later.

Firstly, the serious part. Brita has launched its 3 Way Water Filter Dispenser which you can attach to a range of four European designed bench top taps. Your options are Square Neck, Swan Neck, Brita 90 Degree and Brita 45 Degree. Prices start at $379 and top out at $499. It’s a DIY and pretty affordable option. If you buy a lot of bottled water this should pay for itself quite quickly.

brita 3 way filter tap

The taps connect to the Brita filter below the sink and there is a separate lever for regular tap water and the Brita filtered water. The filter itself is apparently easy to install and requires no additional drill holes or anything messy like that.

Continue reading “Brita 3 Way Water Filter Dispenser makes water smell waterier”

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Interiors Addict

Like Masterchef… but for renovators Groundbreaking show The Renovators is coming to Australia from t

Like Masterchef… but for renovators


Groundbreaking show The Renovators is coming to Australia from the makers of Masterchef and I couldn’t be more excited!

 

Network TEN and SHINE Australia claim the scale of this show has never been seen before on Australian television.

 

“We have scoured the country to find the very best renovators from all states, from all skill sets and from all age groups, all with a proven record in transforming properties and profiting from them,” said a spokesman for TEN. “Renovations are already well underway on a range of properties in varying degrees of dilapidation, from a fibro cottage to a sixties suburban to an inner city terrace, each attempting to increase its value which will be determined in a massive finale auction.

 

“The task: to transform these nightmares into real estate gold. The winner will be the last remaining contestant responsible for the property that has increased most in value and the prize is worth rolling up your sleeves and getting dirty for.”

 

In addition to these renovations, the contestants will congregate at the central Renovators’ warehouse – the largest television set in Australia – where they will be presented with regular design, decorating and construction challenges to win valuable assets and advantages for their own renovations.

 

Meet the judges

 

BRENDAN MOAR – Host

Qualified landscape architect and two time ASTRA award winner of Favourite Male TV Presenter, Brendan joins The Renovators having appeared in numerous lifestyle shows including Home, Moar Gardening and Dry Spell Gardening.

 

PETER HO – Judge

Design director of PHOOEY Architects in Melbourne, Peter has received international, national, state and local awards for his architectural work which tends toward sustainability. He’ll not only be casting his architectural eye on the home transformations, but also how the contestants use and re-use their materials – giving them the green thumbs-up, or down…

 

ROBYN HOLT – Judge

Design consultant Robyn Holt says design journalism and styling have been her passion for the past 20 years. As the Editor of Vogue Living for 10 years she has become known as a leader in the design industry and has been responsible for uncovering new talent in the field of interior design, celebrating known designers and presenting inspirational homes.

 

BARRY DU BOIS – Judge

Barry’s building career spans more than 30 years which includes a three-year posting as President of the Master Builders Association Eastern Suburbs. Retired at an enviable 46, he sailed around the world in his yacht and now spends six months of the year cruising international waters. With a character as big as the Renovators’ set, get ready to be bowled over by this loveable tradesman.

 

Coming soon to TEN. Watch this space for more info! I can’t wait, can you?