Veal medallions with tomato and olive sauce

Preparation Time 5 minutes
Cooking Time 25 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)
* 4 (about 600g) pontiac potatoes, unpeeled, quartered, each quarter thickly sliced lengthways
* 2 tsp olive oil
* 1 x 400g can Italian diced Roma tomatoes
* 60g drained pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
* 1 garlic clove, crushed
* 2 tsp caster sugar
* 8 (about 400g) boneless veal sirloin steaks
* 1/3 cup firmly packed basil leaves, shredded
* 100g broccolini florets
* Shredded basil, extra, to garnish


Method
1. Preheat oven to 240°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread potato over tray and brush with oil. Cook on top shelf of preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomato, olives, garlic and sugar. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add the veal and cook for 2 minutes each side or until tender. Remove from heat and stir in the basil.
3. Meanwhile, cook the broccolini in a steamer basket over a saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes or until tender crisp.
4. Divide veal among plates. Spoon over tomato sauce and sprinkle with extra basil. Serve with broccolini and potato.

Source
Australian Good Taste - Page 56
Recipe by Jane Charlton & Jan Purser

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Pea and ham soup

Serve this warming soup in generous sized soup mugs instead of bowls so everyone can wrap their cold hands around them.

Preparation Time 20 minutes
Cooking Time 135 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)
* 1 x 500g pkt green split peas
* 1 tbs olive oil
* 2 brown onions, coarsely chopped
* 3 carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
* 3 celery sticks, ends trimmed, coarsely chopped
* 1 large (about 750g) ham hock (see note)
* 2.75L (11 cups) water
* Turkish bread, toasted, to serve
Bouquet garni
* 3 sprigs fresh thyme
* 2 dried bay leaves
* 4 black peppercorns


Method
1. Place the split peas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 6 hours or overnight to soak. Drain.
2. To make the bouquet garni, place the thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns in a small piece of muslin cloth. Wrap up and tie with unwaxed kitchen string to secure.
3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, uncovered, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the split peas, bouquet garni, ham hock and water. Cover and bring to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 3/4 hours to 2 hours or until the ham begins to fall off the bone and the soup thickens. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. Use tongs to remove the ham hock from the pan. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Use your hands to pull the ham off the bone. Discard the bone. Shred the ham. Return the ham to the soup. (To freeze, see notes.)
6. Stir the soup over low heat for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Serve with toasted Turkish bread.

Notes & tips
* Ham hocks are cured, smoked shanks of leg ham. They're available from the deli section of supermarkets.
* To freeze: Make the soup up to the end of step 5. Set aside to cool slightly. To freeze in two-portion batches, divide the soup among 3 x 1L (4-cup) capacity freezer-proof containers with lids. Cover and place in the fridge for 4 hours or until cold. Label, date and freeze for up to three months.
* To thaw: Place the desired number of soup portions in the fridge for 24 hours, or until thawed completely.
* To reheat: Place in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the soup just comes to the boil and is heated through.

Source
Australian Good Taste - Page 80
Recipe by Alison Roberts

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Gluten-free chocolate and pecan brownies

Preparation Time 30 minutes
Cooking Time 40 minutes
Makes 20 pieces

Ingredients
* 100g pecans, coarsely chopped
* 150g Nuttelex dairy-free margarine
* 150g Lindt Excellence 70 per cent cocoa dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
* 35g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
* 80ml (1/3 cup) hot water
* 150g good-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
* 270g (1 1/3 cups, firmly packed) brown sugar
* 40g (1/3 cup) almond meal
* 60g (1/3 cup) rice flour
* 50g (1/3 cup) gluten-free plain flour
* 4 eggs
* Pure icing sugar, to dust


Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the base and sides of a square 23cm (base measurement) cake pan with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang. Spread the pecans over a baking tray and bake in oven for 5 minutes or until toasted. Set aside to cool.
2. Combine margarine, dark chocolate, cocoa and water in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Use a metal spoon to stir for 8 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Add the pecans, white chocolate, sugar, almond meal and combined flours, and stir until well combined.
4. Use an electric beater to beat the eggs in a bowl for 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Use a metal spoon to gently fold half the egg into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Repeat with the remaining egg. Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool. Dust with icing sugar and cut into pieces to serve.

Source
Australian Good Taste - Page 80
Recipe by Nadia French

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