Dukkah is a middle eastern dry mix of roasted nuts, spices and seeds eaten by dipping pieces of fresh bread first extra virgin olive oil and then into the nut mixture. I sometimes use it to coat fish and meat before baking/barbecuing them. 

Roast 8 heaped tablespoons of hazelnuts and 4 tablespoons of almonds in the oven.
Allow to cool and then put them in a food processor along with:
1 tblspn cumin powder
1 tblspn ground coriander
1 tblspn ground dried oregano
2 tblspn sesame seeds
half tspn salt
half tspn cracked pepper
half tspn ground ginger
half tspn ground cinnamon
Blend all the ingredients together and then transfer to a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid. This should store well for up to three months - if it lasts that long!

HEARTY MINESTRONE  for 12

1 pack (375gm) continental soup mix.
5 tbspns extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 x 450gm canned diced tomatoes
4 sticks celery
4 carrots, roughly chopped
4 zuccini, roughly chopped
1 turnip, roughly chopped
1 swede, roughly chopped
6 waxy potatoes, roughly chopped
4 gloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 litres chicken stock or water
300 gm chubb of ham, diced
2 tspn dried oregano
1 tspn paprika
2 cups shredded silverbeet
1 cup torn parsley
grated parmesan cheese for garnishing
extra oil for garnishing

Thoroughly wash the soup mix and place it in a saucepan with 2 litres of water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for an hour stirring occasionally.
Heat the oil in a large pot, add the onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add all the diced vegetables and mix well, cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid the vegetables sticking to the base. Add the meat, canned tomatoes, oregano, paprika and stock. Bring the pot to the boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the silverbeet and cooked soup mix and depending on consistency required, its water, to the pot. Bring to the boil while stirring gently and cook for 5 minutes to incorporate all the ingredients. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste and stir in the torn parsley. Serve hot, sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

AGLIO E OLIO WITH SAND DUSTING (for one)
Former Lakes Entrance boy turned chef in the US, Peter Anthony offers this old-school Southern Italian dish alla rustica. The breadcrumbs on top add a textural definition that really works. It’s also a fun dish to pronounce … ally-olly-oh

3 teaspoons crushed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 anchovy fillets
½ tablespoon butter
¼ cup pasta water (water that pasta has been cooked in)
Pre-cooked pasta
2 teaspoons seasoned breadcrumbs
parmesan or romano cheese to serve
METHOD Put garlic, salt and pepper, parsley, olive oil and anchovy fillets in and butter in a flat pan over a low heat. Cook until garlic nearly browns and anchovies break up. Add pasta water and bring back to simmer. Add one serve par-cooked pasta and toss until heated through. Add more pasta water and oil to keep dish moist but not sloppy. Put in bowl. Garnish with breadcrumbs and parmesan/romano to taste.
To serve: Team with a robust red, something with enough grunt to stand up to those anchovies, maybe a Cab Sav from The Gurdies vineyard? Or a beer … perhaps something off the Grand Ridge list.

PERFECT RICE, SPANISH STYLE

…And here’s Peter’s die-in-a-ditch technique for cooking rice. It cooks the gluten in and is perfect for paella.

Nut of butter
½ finely diced onion
1 cup long grain rice
Water
METHOD Soften onion in butter until it smells. Add rice and cook until it changes colour but not brown. Cover with water. Simmer until water evaporates left. Test. If it’s cooked, it’s cooked. If not, add water.

When cooked turn off heat, fluff with a fork and leave, covered, for five minutes. Serve … and ask yourself “where has this rice been all my life?”

TANYA'S VEGETARIAN LASAGNE...with meat
Mardan Jersey fan, dairy farner Tanya Privitera acquired an Italian mother-in-law when she married. It introduced a new signature dish into her life and she recently shared it at our Phillip Island Gippsland Women Find Their Voice session, Here it is:
Tanya's_signature_dish_-_Vege_Lasagne.docx

DOUBLE MOIST CHOC-MUD CAKE WITH WHIPPED CREAM 
This is the prize-winning recipe offered by students of Leongatha Secondary College at the launch of Cows Create Careers – Manufacturing. Dairy Australia is launching a new project to introduce secondary students into the career options available in food processing. Cows Create Careers – Manufacturing was launched at Leongatha in June 2010. Appealing to teenagers is a lot easier when there’s food involved. So organisers staged a virtual cook-off … asking teams of kids to devise recipes using at least three dairy ingredients. Agribusiness Gippsland executive officer Sue Webster was among the recipe judges. They gave the prize to the following recipe (which has been slightly amended to incorporate quantities)

350g dark chocolate pieces

225g butter

600ml water

3 eggs

400g castor sugar

400g self raising flour     

250ml whipping cream

Grated chocolate for decorating

Glace cherries

METHOD: Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin. Preheat oven to 170C.

In a saucepan over low heat, heat the chocolate, butter and water. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and cool.

Meanwhile, whip cream until stiff and set aside.

In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Gradually beat cooled chocolate mixture into eggs.

Whisk sugar and flour into chocolate mixture, continue beating until smooth and well blended.

Pour mixture into cake tin. Bake for 45 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean.

Turn cake onto wire rack to cool.

Split into half. Spread most of whipped cream between halves, remainder on top of cake. Cover with grated chocolate and dot top of cake with glace cherries

Serve with a glass of milk!

SMOKED RABBIT
Our recent Gippsland Women Find Their Voice session unearthed some gems, including the rabbit recipes of Kristine Hunter of RimHil Rabbits at Buchan ("We couldn't name it Buchan Bunnies!") You can speak to her yourself at 5155 9399 about getting your mittens on low-fat rabbit meat.

1 rabbit
100g raw sugar
1 tbsp strong-flavoured tea leaves
Salt
METHOD: Place rabbit in pot and cover with water, add 3/4 tsp salt, bring to boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Avoid overcooking. Place in pot of chilled water for 10 mins. Using disposable roasting dish, place sugar and tea in bottom of dish. Place rabbit on rack inside dish and cover with aluminium foil. Place roasting dish on BBQ and heat to high temperature. Allow sugar/tea mix to burn and smoke for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered 5-6 mins. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight for stronger flavour. Keep refrigerated, this smoking technique does not preserve.
Serve with beer. Maybe a Grand Ridge Brewery stout.

SLOW-COOKER RABBIT CASSEROLE
1/2 small cabbage, roughly chopped 
1 tsp mixed herbs 
450g chipolata sausages 
1 small onion, chopped 
1 rabbit, jointed 
4 rindless bacon rashers 
150ml chicken or game stock 
300ml dry cider 
salt and pepper 
Method: Cook cabbage in boling water for 5 mins drain, add mixed herbs and place mixed herbs and place in slow cooker. Cook sausages and onion until sausages are golden brown. Remove from heat and drain. Place rabbit peices on top of cabbage. Add sausages and onion. Cover with bacon rashers. Pour in stock and cider and season to taste. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve with rice or creamy maah potatoes. 
Suggestion: 2007 Pinot Noir with a bouquet of black cherry and plum with notes of spice and raspberry from Narkoojee (+61 3 5192 4257 email: wines@narkoojee.com)