Smoked Salmon Gratin

Serves 4 -6 people

Ingredients:

2lb or 1kg slightly floury potatoes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8oz or 250g smoked salmon flaked
½ pint or 250ml milk /creme fraiche
½ pint or 250ml double cream
2oz or 50g butter (cold) Opttional
salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C . Peel the potatoes and slice very thinly. Place in cold water. Butter casserole / baking dish. Put half garlic at the bottom on the dish. Drain potatoes Dry with a cloth and use half of the potato slices to cover a well buttered baking dish and season with salt and pepper.
Distribute the smoked salmon on top of the potato slices in the dish. Cover with the rest of the potatoes and the garlic, and season again.
Mix the milk, cream together. Pour the mix over the potatoes and dot with butter flakes.
Bake for 50 mins - 1½ hours or until the potatoes are tender (a knife through the center should go in easily) and the gratin is golden brown and bubbling.

Serve with either a green salad or green cooked vegetable and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc for the adults.

Enjoy

Beef Stroganoff

I normally make a Pork Stroganoff and was looking through my cook books and decided to try a new recipe. Most of the recipes I have made would require you to stir fry beef, onions and garlic with paprika and then add cream. This I have to say is the BEST Beef Stroganoff recipe I have tried so far.. It takes a little longer than my usual recipes picks so would say this is weekend recipe or you could get this done and in the oven mid week.. you decide.

It is also from A Year at Avoca - Cook Book 3

Ingredients
Serves 6 - 8

1.5kg good quality striploin beef, cut into thin strips (I picked up Sirloin in the supermarket by mistake and it worked out extremely well)
2 tblsp seasoned flour (salt and pepper added to the flour)
2 tlsp olive oil
1 large onion thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves crushed
1 dessert spoon sweet paprika powder
couple sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
3 tblsp cognac (Hennesey)
200 - 300ml Beef stock
1 dessert spoon dijon mustard
good splash worchestershire sauce
300g mixed button and chestnut mushrooms
400g sour cream or creme fraiche
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

To Make

Lightly toss the meat in the seasoned flour, then brown meat in small batches on a medium heat in a frying pan. Set aside on a plate until you have browned all the meat. In a casserole, cook the onion in a little oil until softened, 6 - 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, herbs and the browned meat and juices and cook, stirring gently, 2 - 3 minutes. Next, add the cognac and carefully light it using a match, you want it to flame for 20 - 30 seconds, to cook off the brandy, giving a subtle flavour. Now, Add just enough beef stock to cover everything by 2 cm, add a splash or worchestershire sauce and the mustard and stir well. Bring the casserole to a simmer on the heat and then cover with a tight-fitiing lid and transfer to oven to cook for 30 mins. Remove from the oven, add the mushrooms and creme fraiche and return to the oven for a further 30 mins by which stage the meat should  be very tender and mushrooms are cooked through.

To Serve

Serve this with creamy champ and a lightly salad of organic baby leaves.

My daughter does not like spring onions so I served this with creamy mash potato.