Isami's grilled pineapple discovery

When packing up some old cookbooks recently my cousin Isami discovered this treasure from the 1960s and kindly forwarded me the grilled pineapple recipe, which is an old favourite in this household. I dare not speculate whether Isami kept this book or it made it's way to an op shop !!! Anne

The Australian Barbecue Cookbook, Winsom A Gilbert 1965

Sweets: Grilled Pineapple

Use sliced pineapple, either fresh or well drained tinned. Brush with melted butter and grill until heated through. Sprinkle with sugar – getting it all on the fruit, not the fire, if you can, and serve as soon as the sugar melts.

Sweet and Sour Pineapple Pork

(Abbreviated from) The Key to Chinese Cooking, written by Irene Kuo, drawings by Carolyn Moy, Australia 1978

Ingredients: 

1/2kg/1 pound boneless loin of pork, cubed; 4 cups of oiI; ¼ cup cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Marinade:

½ tsp salt; 2 tspn light soy sauce; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tblsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tblsp water; 1 egg yolk, beaten

Seasonings:

5 tblsp sugar; ½ tsp salt; 4 tblsp distilled white vinegar; 3 tblsp light soy sauce; 2 tblsp dry sherry; 3 tblsp catsup; 1 large clove garlic, lightly crushed and peeled; 1 tblsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 tblsp water; 1 tblsp sesame oil; ½ cup water; 1 cup canned pineapple cubes

2 tblsp oil

Method:

Trim excess fat from the pork cubes. Toss in marinade.

Sauce:

Mix the sugar, salt, white vinegar, soy sauce, sherry and catsup in a bowl, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Crush and peel the garlic. Dissolve 1 tblsp cornstach in 3 tblsp water and add 1 tblsp sesame oil, set aside. Measure out ½ cup water and set it aside. Drain the pineapple cubes and set aside.

Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat until hot, then turn heat to medium. Add 2 tblspn oil, swirl, and toss in the garlic, flipping and pressing it in the oil a few times. Then pour in the sauce seasonings slowly as you stir with the back of a spoon in a circular motion until the liquid comes to a boil.

Turn heat low, add the cornstarch mixture, stirring circularly, until the sauce begins to thicken. Then add the water slowly as you stir in circular motions until the sauce is smooth and bubbly. Turn off the heat.

Final cooking:

Heat a wok or large heavy saucepan over high until hot; add 4 cups of oil and heat until it foams a cube of bread snappily, about 350°F/175°C. While the oil is heating, dredge the marinated meat cubes in the cornstarch and flour mixture. Shake off excess flour and drop them into the hot oil and fry for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Lower the heat slightly and continue to fry, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat and scoop out the meat with a skimmer or slotted spoon to drain on paper towels for about 1 minute. (If you haven’t made the sauce yet, use this lull to do so). Heat a small amount of this oil in a fry pan, return the pork cubes to the oil and stir fry until crisp and brown.

Bring the sauce to a simmer over low heat; discard the garlic. Turn heat to medium high, add the pineapple cubes, and stir for 30 seconds or so to heat them through. Scoop out the meat from the oil with a skimmer or slotted spoon, pause over the fry pan to drain, then scatter the cubes into the sauce; turn heat to high and stir in fast, using flipping and turning motions with a spoon or spatula to glaze the meat. Pour immediately into a hot serving dish.

Pineapple Carrot Cake Breakfast Bread

Thanks for this delicious recipe Bronnagh, adapted from a Goodful video online

Ingredients: 1 ½ cups wholemeal flour; 1/3 cup sugar; 1 ½ tsp baking soda; 1 ½ tsp baking powder; 1 tblsp cinnamon; 1 tsp ground cardamon; 2 tsp ground ginger; ½ tsp ground cloves; ½ tsp salt; ½ quick oats (I used quinoa flakes); 3 large carrots; 1 425g can crushed pineapple (drained, reserve the juice); 3 large eggs; ¼ cup melted butter; 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Add the quick oats and mix well.

Grate the carrots, stir in the drained crushed pineapple, add the whipped eggs, then the melted butter. Mix well and add to the dry ingredients. Stir together, adding in the (optional) walnuts.

Pour mixture into a greased loaf tin and bake for 1 hour.

Serve with topping – 1 cup plain Greek yoghurt mixed with 1 tblsp maple syrup and 2 tblsp of the reserved pineapple juice.

Kiflice with pineapple and lilly pilly jam

 Thanks so much for this recipe link Ella, these Eastern and Central European kiflice are delicious

“The four-ingredient jam crescents that childhoods are made of” Farah Celjo

I have adapted Farah Celjo’s recipe, her full instructions are on this link https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2021/08/13/four-ingredient-jam-crescents-childhoods-are-made Anne

Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced) and line a large baking tray with paper.

In a large bowl, mix 125 g softened butter and 200 ml of thickened cream (I used lactose free), brought to room temperature, until combined. Sift in 1½ -2 cups of self-raising flour (I used gluten free), ⅓ cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. (You can use plain flour, 1 cup of plain flour: 2 tsp of baking powder). Use your hands to mix the final ⅓ cup, this is where the dough comes together and you get a good sense of how sticky it is. You can add (optional) vanilla extract or almond essence if you like at this step.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured bench, and use your hands to knead for 3-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and not too sticky. Add more flour if you need it.

Cut into 4 even portions, and working with one dough at a time, knead with your palm for a minute and then shape into a smooth ball. Using a lightly floured rolling pin roll out the dough, turning it every roll to create a round shape about 18 cm in diameter and 2 mm thick. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 8 even wedges, starting with a vertical and horizontal cross and then diagonal from there.

Place 2 tsp of plum or rosehip jam (I used pineapple and lilly pilly jam) at the thicker end of each wedge. The jam may spill out during the baking process - do not be alarmed, this can be the case depending on the jam you choose and its consistency and doesn't mean it's a baking fail by any stretch.

Fold the edges of the wider end inwards, tucking the corners first and pressing to seal the jam and continuing to form a croissant shape. Place on the lined tray about 2 cm apart. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, placing about 32 pieces in total if you're using 4 sections or 24 pieces if you've decided to go with 3.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden and then remove to cool on the tray for 15-20 minutes. Roll each piece into icing sugar coating all the sides well. Devour immediately. Or place the uniced kiflice into an airtight container for up to a week and roll them in icing sugar as you need to.