Carambola iced tea

Preparation Time 

30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 carambola (star fruit), sliced crossways into 5mm slices
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 18g (1/4 cup) Ceylon orange pekoe tea (Twinings brand)
• 1/3 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• 1.75L (7 cups) boiling water

Method

1. Place carambola slices on a baking tray and drizzle with half the lemon juice. Cover with cold water and place in the freezer for 6 hours or until frozen.
2. Combine tea leaves, mint and sugar in a large heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water. Set aside for 15 minutes to brew. Strain tea through a fine sieve into a large jug and add remaining lemon juice. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool.
3. Pour tea into tall glasses. Remove carambola ice from the freezer and break into pieces, with one carambola slice in each piece. Place a few pieces in each glass and serve immediately.

Notes & tips

• Allow 6 hours freezing, 15 mins standing & 30 mins cooling time

What's in season - November

Carambola

Commonly called starfruit, the carambola originated from the tropics of Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malaysia.

What is it?

Carambola is a pale-yellow to green fruit with ribbed edges and firm flesh. When sliced horizontally, it looks like a star.

Is it good for me?

It's a good source of potassium and vitamin C, and a source of dietary fibre.

Buying and storing

Look for firm, evenly coloured fruit that's free of blemishes. Store green fruit at room temperature. Once it turns yellow, store in the fridge for up to one week.

Preparation

Rinse in cool water and trim the edges of the five ribs before slicing.

Cooking tips

• Slice crossways and combine with passionfruit and papaya for a refreshing fruit salad. Serve with yoghurt.
• Slice crossways into star shapes and serve as "crackers" on a cheese platter.

Corned Beef

Tonight's dinner is Corned Beef crockpot style.

A big hunk of corned beef

(mine was about 2 kgs)

3 tblspns of brown sugar

1 cup of vinegar

Water to cover beef

Cook for 8 hrs slowly

Enjoy!!!

Edited to update with dinner plated.

Sorry took photo with my phone.

Creamy mashed potato, steamed beans and carrots

and melt in your mouth Corned Beef.

Steak and asparagus salad

Preparation Time 

12 minutes

Cooking Time 

6 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 3 sirloin steaks
• oil, for brushing
• 75g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• 100g baby spinach

• Dressing

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• salt and cracked black pepper

Method

1. To make the dressing, whisk together the oil, dijon, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Cut fat from steaks and brush with oil, salt and pepper. Heat a non-stick frying pan to medium-high and cook steak to your liking. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
3. Blanch the asparagus spears in boiling water then plunge into iced water. Set aside.
4. Drain asparagus, toss with spinach and tomatoes, and divide between four plates. Slice steak and place on top of salad. Add dressing and serve.

What's in season - November

Asparagus

There are three varieties of asparagus: green, white or purple. White asparagus is similar to green, although it's not exposed to sunlight. Purple asparagus is sweeter.

Is it good for me?

Asparagus contains dietary fibre, beta carotene, vitamin E and folate.

Buying and storing

Look for bright spears with compact tips. Trim ends and stand in a glass with 1-2cm of water. Cover with a plastic bag and store in fridge for up to five days.

Preparation

Snap off woody ends. Tougher spears also need peeling.

Cooking tips

• Blanch, slice and add to scrambled eggs.
• Dress white asparagus with hollandaise.
• Brush spears with olive oil and cook on the barbecue for a few minutes.

Blueberry Scones

Ingredients

• 250g strong (baker's) plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 50g unsalted butter, chilled, diced, plus extra to serve
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 punnet (125g) blueberries
• 175ml buttermilk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Dust a large baking tray with flour.
2. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a large bowl and mix well. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar, blueberries and buttermilk, and mix to form a dough.

1. Dust your hands with flour and form the dough into a 20cm round. Mark 8 wedges in the dough with a knife. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden. Allow to cool, break the scones into 8, then split in half and spread with butter.
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What's in season - November

Blueberries

Native to North America, blueberries are one of very few foods that are naturally coloured blue.

What are they?

Blueberries are small in size with smooth dark skin that's covered in a fine white powder known as "bloom".

Are they good for me?

Blueberries are a good source of vitamin C and dietary fibre, and provide the body with beneficial anti-oxidants.

Buying and storing

Look for firm, plump berries. To store, place in a single layer on a plate lined with paper towel. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to five days.

Preparation

Rinse under cool water and enjoy.

Cooking tips

• Fill bought pastry tart cases with fresh ricotta. Drizzle over honey and top with blueberries.
• For a delicious fruit salad, toss blueberries, lychees and raspberries in a bowl. Serve in a halved coconut shell.

Artichokes

The globe artichoke is a flower with several layers – green outer petals, purple inner petals, a hairy, inedible ‘choke’ and a tender heart. The edible parts are the heart, stem centre and base of the petals. The heart is also available canned in brine or marinated in oil.

Buying
Look for small to medium-sized bright, heavy artichokes with tightly closed leaves and a fresh-looking stem.

Nutrition
Artichokes are a rich source of soluble fibre, which helps maintain blood glucose
levels and bowel health. They’re also high in vitamin K, vitamin C and folate.

Storage
Refrigerate artichokes in a plastic bag for up to one week.

Preparation, cooking, eating
Use stainless steel when preparing or cooking fresh artichokes, as aluminium and iron cause discolouration. Remove outer petals. Slice off the top third of the artichoke to expose the centre. Rub cut surfaces with lemon juice. Boil for 30 minutes or until base is tender. Remove a petal. Dip white base in sauce (optional). Place in mouth and pull through closed teeth to remove flesh. Discard petal. Repeat. Remove and discard the choke. Scoop out the edible heart.

Artichoke, bean & feta salad

Preparation Time - 30 minutes
Cooking Time  - 17 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 8 globe artichokes
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 x 500g pkt frozen broad beans, thawed, peeled
• 350g green beans, topped, tailed
• 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, extra
• 1 tbs tahini (sesame paste)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 200g feta cheese, crumbled

Method

• Trim each artichoke stem to 3cm. Peel away the 2 layers of outer leaves (or until the base of leaves are yellow/green in colour). Cut each artichoke in half and remove choke (furry part) near base of leaves. Place in a large bowl of water and add lemon juice.
• Cook broad beans and green beans in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain well. Place in a large bowl and set aside until required.
• Drain artichokes and cook in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with a skewer in the thickest part. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Add to the bowl with the green beans and broad beans.
• Combine the olive oil, extra lemon juice, tahini and garlic in a small bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, place the artichoke, green beans and broad beans on serving plates. Top with the crumbled feta and drizzle with the tahini dressing.

Notes & tips
Note: You can prepare this recipe to the end of step 3 up to 6 hours ahead. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Continue from step 4 just before serving.

Bananas

Go bananas and enjoy one of the oldest known fruits.

Thought to be native to South-East Asia, the banana is one of the oldest known fruits. There are hundreds of types of bananas, but in Australia the most common varieties are the cavendish and the lady finger.

High in natural fruit sugars, vitamins B6 and C, and potassium, this fat-free fruit is a great high-energy snack.

Buying

Bananas are available from supermarkets all year round, but are at their best in summer and autumn. Look for firm fruit with unblemished skin.

Storing

Store at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Keep bananas away from avocados, apples and other fruits that release ethylene gas, which accelerates ripening.

Cooking

Bananas are usually eaten raw, but they can also be fried and served with ice-cream, or mashed and added to cakes. Great with cream, maple syrup, honey, cinnamon, chocolate and yoghurt.