The Women's Wiki

Carrot and almond cake

(Celebrity recipe by Neil Perry, especially for Women's College girls)
Serves 8

This gorgeous cake is simple to make and perfect for a Sunday afternoon tea, or to take on an afternoon picnic.

Ingredients
185 g (61/2 oz/13/4 cups) ground almonds
100 g (31/2 oz/1 cup) walnuts, lightly roasted
230 g (8 oz/1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
125 g (41/2 oz) savoiardi (lady finger) biscuits, roughly chopped
21/2 teaspoons baking powder
5 eggs, separated
1 large carrot, finely grated
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
finely grated zest of 1 orange
icing sugar, for dusting
thick cream to serve

Method
Lightly grease a 23 cm (9 inch) round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
Place the almonds, walnuts and sugar in a food processor and process to form coarse crumbs. Transfer the crumb mixture to a large bowl. Process the savoiardi biscuits and baking powder together until the biscuits are finely crushed, and then combine them with the crumb mixture. Add the lightly beaten egg yolks, carrot, Grand Marnier and orange zest to the crumb mixture, and mix until all the ingredients are moistened and well combined.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake mixture in three batches. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 40 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool. Dust generously with icing sugar, cut into wedges and serve with cream. Serve warm or at room temperature.[<<]]

Other delicious offerings by our own students...

Osso Bucco

Ingredients
1kg veal osso bucco pieces trimmed of excess fat
flour for dusting
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
400g can crushed tomatoes
500ml Campbell’s real stock beef
500g baby new potatoes, halved
Italian bread to serve

Method
Preheat the oven to 180oC. Dust the osso bucco with the flour, salt and pepper. Heat a large ovenproof dish over high heat. Add the oil and the osso bucco and cook in batches to 3-4 minutes or until golden. Add the garlic, thyme, tomatoes, stock and osso bucco to the dish and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and place in the oven and cook and 1 ½ hours. Add the potatoes, cover, return to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Serve with the Italian sliced bread. Serves 4.

Cup Cakes

Ingredients
125g butter
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups self raising flour
3 eggs
½ cup milk

Method
1. Heat the oven to 185oC
2. Put patty cases into tins
3. Put butter and sugar in a bowl, beat together with electric mixer until smooth
4. Crack eggs into a small bowl. Mix with a fork
5. Add eggs slowly into the butter and sugar. Mix with electric beaters
6. Add the milk and flour, a little at a time. Mix until combined
7. Place spoonfuls of mixture in patty cases.
8. Place in oven for 10-15 mins, remove when golden brown

Icing
Ingredients
125 g unsalted butter
1 ½ cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
food colouring

Method
1. Place butter in bowl
2. Sift 1 cup icing sugar into butter and mix
3. Add vanilla
4. Add milk, and sift remaining icing sugar into bowl and mix with electric mixers

Parmesan biscuits

Ingredients
100g butter, chilled
150g plain flour
80g parmesan, cheddar or gruyere grated
½ tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp iced water
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tbsp iced water
1 egg beaten
1 tbsp thyme and rosemary leaves

Method
Heat the oven to 180oC. Cut the butter into small dice. Put the butter, flour, cheese, sea salt, pepper and cayenne into the food processor and whiz until sandy. Add the iced water and whiz again until the dough is moist and clumpy. Add extra water if necessary.

Form into a ball, roll out to 1cm thickness on a lightly floured bench, and cut into 5cm rounds. Place on a non-stick baking tray, brush lightly with beaten egg, and scatter with thyme and rosemary.

Back for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Californian Roast Tomato and Bell Pepper Soup

Ingredients
1.5kg very ripe tomatoes halved
2 red peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
2 large onions, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves crushed
3 tablespoons tomato puree
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
sugar
water or stock

Method
Pre heat the oven to 200oC. In a fairly deep baking pan, mix all the ingredients except the herbs with 1 teaspoon of salt. Bake in the pre heated oven 1 for hour, stirring occasionally. The skins of the tomatoes and peppers should blacken slightly. Remove the tray from the oven and puree the soup in a blender or food processor then pass through a sieve in batches if necessary. Put the herb leaves in the blender or food processor with a few ladles of the soup and puree for about 15 seconds. Stir it back into the soup. Correct the consistency of the soup by adding a little water or stock. Check and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Re heat gently if necessary. Serve the soup with a sprig of parsley and a tablespoon of cream in each bowl. Serves 6

Seven Layer Dip

Layer each ingredient on tray in order given:

Can refried beans
Avocado
Sour Cream
Black olives
Tomato salsa
Shallots
Grated cheese

Bonnie’s Banana Pancakes mmm.

Ingredients
3 large free-range or organic eggs
115g plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
140ml milk
Salt
2 knobs of butter
3 tablespoons caster sugar
4 bananas
Crème fraîche (or sour cream)

Method Separate the eggs, putting the whites into one bowl and the yolks into another.
Combine the plain flour, baking powder and milk with the egg yolks and mix until it forms a smooth, thick batter. Whisk the whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks. Fold the whites carefully into the batter – it is now ready to use.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over a moderate heat. Pour some of your batter into the pan and fry for a couple of minutes until it starts to look golden and firm. Loosen with a spatula and turn or flip the pancake over. Continue frying until golden.
Melt the butter and sugar in a separate pan over a very low heat until it forms a caramel sauce – this should take about 3 minutes. Peel the bananas and cut them lengthways. Add them to the pan and cook gently until they are golden, turning them after a few minutes. Serve the bananas on the pancakes, topped with a good spoonful of crème fraîche.
If you want them for pudding, serve them with a couple of scoops of good vanilla ice cream.

Laura’s Choc-chip Cookies

(makes ~12)

Ingredients
180g butter
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 and a ½ cups SR flour
250g packet of choc chips

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in sweetened condensed milk.
Add flour and mix until combined. Add choc chips and mix well.
Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls, place on greased oven tray, press gently with fork. Bake for 15 minutes.

Laura’s Beef Lasagne

(serves ~8)

Ingredients
1 kilo beef mince
2 cans crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 cups milk
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper
1 box Large Instant Lasagne sheets

Method
1) Set oven to 180°C
2) Mince:
Saute mince in olive oil until lightly browned. Salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic and mixed herbs and crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 5 mins. Add tomato paste and half of water (half cup). Simmer for 30 mins adding extra water if required as sauce reduces.
3) White sauce:
Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and cook lightly for 1 min. Add milk and stir continuously until sauce thickens. Add 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese. Stir until combined.
4) Layer the mince, lasagne sheets and white sauce, then bake for 30 - 40 mins.

Claire’s Lamb and Sun-dried Tomato Parcels

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
300g lamb fillets, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons drained chopped sun-dried tomatoes
100g feta cheese, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons sour cream
4 sheets filo pastry
60g melted butter
½ teaspoon poppy seeds

Method
Heat oil in pan, add garlic and lamb, cook, stirring, until lamb is lightly browned and just tender. Transfer lamb into bowl, stir in tomatoes, cheese and basil; cool
Stir cream into lamb mixture. Layer 2 pastry sheets together, brush each with butter, old in half to form a square. Place half lamb mixture in centre of 1 square, fold pastry around filling to form a parcel. Repeat with remaining pastry, butter and filling. Place parcels seam side down on oven tray; brush with remaining butter, sprinkle with seeds.
Bake, uncovered, in hot oven about 10 minutes or until parcels are browned and heated through.

Lizzie’s Quick Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
1 ½ cups sifted pastry flour
1 cup white sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Have ready an un-greased 8 inch square pan.
Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into an un-greased pan. Make a well in the center and pour in the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Mix until blended.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Lizzie’s Cauliflower Cheese

Ingredients
Medium head cauliflower, broken into small florets
¼ cup butter
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place the cauliflower florets in a saucepan with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and set aside.
Melt the butter in a small pan. Stir in the flour, and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in most of the bread crumbs. Remove from the heat, and stir in the egg yolks, cheese, and finally cauliflower.
Whip the egg whites in a large glass or metal bowl until stiff. Fold the cauliflower mixture into the egg whites. Transfer to a ceramic or glass 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs on top.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until puffed and golden.

Jacquie’s Banana and Pecan Loaf

Ingredients
150g butter
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana
2 cups plain flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
Salt
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
125g pecans, roughly chopped

Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C, grease and line a loaf tin.
Place the butter, sugar and honey into a bowl and beat until pale and creamy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the mashed banana.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and fold in with the pecans.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for one hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Jacquie’s Chilli Salt Squid

Ingredients
2 tablespoon sea salt
½ tablespoon peppercorns
½ tablespoon chilli flakes
1kg squid, cleaned
2 cups cornflour
2 eggwhites, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil (for deep frying)

Method
Place 1 tablespoon of the salt and the peppercorns into a frying pan over medium heat. Dry roast for 2-3 minutes.
Once cool, transfer to a mortar and pestle along with the chilli flakes, and grind to a fine powder
Using a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern on the inside of each squid hood and cut into three pieces. Cut away tentacles and cut in half. Combine half the salt mix in a bowl with the cornflour. Dip each piece of the squid into the egg white and then into the cornflour. Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 180°C. deep fry the squid in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the fryer. Drain on a paper towel.
Toss the squid with the remaining salt mixture, then serve.

Bonnie’s Delicious Choc Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients
300g (2 cups) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
220g (1 cup) caster sugar
3 medium bananas, mashed
125g unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
Icing sugar, to dust

Method
Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease a 24x13x7cm loaf pan. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add the caster sugar. In a separate bowl, combine bananas, eggs, vanilla and choc chips. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1hour and 15 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm.

Bonnie’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
4 cans chicken broth
1 can vegetable broth
½ pound chopped cooked chicken breast
1 ½ cups egg noodles
1 cup sliced carrots
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Method In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.

Katie’s Bean and Feta Salad

Ingredients
1 ½ pounds fresh green beans
1 sweet onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1 dash hot sauce
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Method
Thinly slice the onion and place into a colander over the sink. Add the cleaned green beans to a large pot of boiling water and boil until crisp tender (about 4 minutes). When the beans are done, drain the water into the colander to slightly cook the onions. Immediately rinse all in cold water to stop the cooking process.
For the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, rice wine vinegar, cider vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Add beans, onions and cheese and stir until combined. Place in a container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Kate’s Summer Pudding

Ingredients
1kg frozen raspberries, thawed
200g icing sugar
2 lemons, juiced
1 loaf stale white sliced bread
1 punnet strawberries
1 punnet raspberries
1 punnet blueberries
1 punnet blackberries
Clotted cream, to serve

Method
To make the coulis, blend the thawed raspberries with the icing sugar and lemon juice the strain through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Cut the bread to fit into 4x100ml moulds
Dip and soak the bread in the coulis and arrange around the base and sides of the moulds.
Roughly chop the berries, reserving a few whole ones for garnishing, and arrange in the centre cavity of the mould. Then top up with a little of the coulis.
Place a soaked bread lid on top, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
To serve, turn the puddings out onto serving plates and garnish with extra raspberry coulis, whole berries and clotted cream.

Betty’s Avocado and Mango salad with Passion fruit vinaigrette

Ingredients
3 tablespoons frozen passion fruit juice concentrate, thawed
3 tablespoons minced shallot
4 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, coarsely cracked
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups herb salad mix (about 4 ounces)
1 large ripe mango, halved, pitted, peeled, sliced
2 small avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, sliced

Method
Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend; gradually whisk in oil.
Season dressing generously with salt and pepper. Toss salad mix in large bowl with 1/4 cup dressing. Divide salad among 4 plates. Tuck mango and avocado into salad; drizzle some of remaining dressing over mango and avocado.

Betty’s Grilled Chicken Kebabs With Rice And Fetta Salad

Ingredients
Chicken Kebabs:
750g chicken fillets
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon chopped oregano, optional
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Rice & Fetta Salad:
4 cups cooked rice
1 cucumber, chopped
1 red capsicum, de-seeded and chopped
½ cup pitted olives
125g fetta, crumbled
3 shallots, sliced

Dressing:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped mint

Method
Chicken Kebabs:
Cut chicken into 2 ½ cm cubes. Thread onto skewers (about 5 cubes per skewer).
Place olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano and parsley in a shallow dish.
Add skewers and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Heat a barbeque or char-grill to hot. Cook kebabs for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through.

Rice & Fetta Salad:
Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix together the red wine vinegar, olive oil and chopped mint and toss through salad. Season and serve with chicken

Sophie’s lamb shanks

Ingredients
4 kilos Lamb shanks
2onions
3 sticks of celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
2cups red wine
2x 250 gm tins tomatoes
1 litre veal stock
4 strips orange rind
10 parsley stems
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
(40 pitted olives)
Flour for dusting
Salt and pepper
½ cup olive oil for browning
100 gms butter
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar

Method
Trim the lamb shanks. Toss in seasoned flour shaking off the excess. In a heavy based frying pan, brown the lamb shanks in olive oil and butter until brown. Put pieces aside in Large casserole dish.

Cut up onion and celery and roast until caramelised in oven.

Deglaze the frying pan with red wine. Add vegetables, garlic, herbs and tomatoes and reduce a little. Add the vegetable mixture to the lamb shanks in the casserole dish and cover in veal stock. Simmer the mixture until tender – 3-4 hours. Add the orange rind and olives (optional) in the last 20 minutes of cooking

Strain the cooking juices and take off any fat possible from the top. Reduce if necessary.

In a stainless steel or enamel saucepan combine the red wine vinegar and sugar, bring to boil until vinegar is evaporated and sugar caramelised. Add to juices to taste. Pour sauce back over the lamb shanks.

Serve with mashed potatoes, polenta or pasta

Lucy’s Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients
1 cup self raising flour
¾ cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons coca powder
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla esense
30g melted butter
¾ brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup coca powder (extra)
1 ¾ cups hot water

Method
Grease 2 L oven proof dish, sift flour caster sugar and coco into large bowl. Add the combined milk, vanilla essence and butter. Stir until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sift combines brown sugar and combind coca evenly over the top. Carefully pour hot water over the pudding. Bake in moderate oven for 50 minutes, or until pudding is firm. Dust with sifted icing sugar to serve

Lucy’s Gingerbread Men

Ingredients
Melted butter, to grease
125g butter, at room temperature
100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
1 egg, separated
375g (21/2 cups) plain flour
1 tbs ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Plain flour, to dust
150g (1 cup) pure icing sugar, sifted
8-10 drops red liquid food colouring
8-10 drops green liquid food colouring

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest. Meanwhile, place egg white in a clean, dry bowl. Use an electric beater to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Divide icing among 3 bowls. Cover 1 bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Add red colouring to 1 bowl and stir until combined. Add green colouring to remaining bowl and stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use a 9cm gingerbread man cutter to cut out shapes. Place on trays about 3cm apart. Repeat with any excess dough. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool. Place prepared icings in small plastic bags. Cut a small hole in a corner of each bag. Pipe icing over gingerbread men to decorate.