Entertaining family and friends at home is one of life’s pleasures, home cook and gardening aficionado Sue Heazlewood says.
Winter sport provides a great excuse to get around the table wether it is pre or post match.
"It’s always a joy to treat those nearest and dearest to you to a special meal that you can enjoy around the table together.
Heazlewood, whose home and garden just outside of Christchurch inspires her cooking, has created a second cookbook A Table at Tangleby II.
With 15,000 vegetable and annual flower seedlings growing every year in her glasshouse, Sue has direct access to many of these ingredients which feature throughout the book.
In an effort to help people minimise waste, Heazlewood has illustrated how to use individual ingredients in multiple ways.
Divided into seasons, the book’s winter section does ways with bananas such a banana pancakes, banana maple trifles and banana fritters.
It also includes inspiration for canapes, easy lunches and warming winter dinners such as curries, roasts and casseroles along with vegetable sides.
The book
A Table at Tangleby II by Sue Heazlewood, RRP $64.95. Available from tangleby.co.nz and specialty stores nationwide.
Photography by Neil Smith
Cheese and caramelised onion soda bread
This bread makes a hearty accompaniment to a winter casserole.
Serves 8
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
3 ½ cups flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp garlic salt
½ tsp salt
⅔ cup grated tasty cheese, plus extra for the top
300ml buttermilk or 1 Tbsp lemon juice mixed into 300ml milk
Heat the oil in a small pan over a low heat. Add the onion and cook until soft.
Add the vinegar and sugar and simmer for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan bake). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, garlic salt and salt in a large bowl.
Mix in the cheese and the cooled onion mixture.
Add the buttermilk and stir to make a dough.
Shape into a ball on the prepared tray and dust with a little extra flour.
Cut a deep cross in the centre of the dough and sprinkle with extra grated cheese.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Cool on a wire rack.
Bond slice
This slice got its name from my eldest son who absolutely loved it and was totally obsessed with James Bond at the time.
Makes 18 pieces
Ingredients
125g butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
¼ tsp baking powder
2 x 180g packets pink and white marshmallows
Peanut topping
250g dark chocolate
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1½ cups rice bubbles
Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan bake). Line a 28 x 18cm slice tin with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Mix well.
Transfer to the prepared tin and bake for 15–20 minutes.
Cover the top with alternate white and pink marshmallows, then return it to the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes. Leave to cool in the pan.
To make the peanut topping, break the chocolate into a microwave-safe dish, add the peanut butter and microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted and smooth.
Stir in the rice bubbles.
Spread the peanut topping over the cooled marshmallow. Refrigerate until set then cut into pieces.
French onion macaroni cheese
The caramelised onion in this version of macaroni cheese makes it taste incredibly comforting. I like to use spiral pasta for a change.
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
2 onions, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
¼ cup white wine
2 tsp beef stock powder
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
500g pasta spirals
Mozzarella cheese sauce
120g butter
½ cup flour
1 litre warm milk
3 cups grated mozzarella
2 cups grated tasty cheese
Crispy crumb
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
½cup grated cheese
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf.
Cook over a low heat for about 35 minutes until the onions are caramelised.
Increase the heat to high and add the wine. Cook for 1 minute, using a wooden spoon to loosen any pan brownings.
Stir in the stock powder and worcestershire sauce. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan bake). Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain.
To make the mozzarella cheese sauce, melt the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 3 minutes, whisking constantly.
Slowly whisk in the warm milk. Continue whisking until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Reduce the heat and stir in the cheeses until melted.
Stir in the cooked pasta, then fold in the onion mixture. Transfer to a 30 x 25cm oven dish.
To make the crispy crumb, mix the breadcrumbs, cheese and parsley in a bowl.
Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the pasta and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Leave to cool for 5–10 minutes before serving.
