Australia

Menu:

Damper
"Meat" Pies
Aussie Burgers
Lamingtons
Chocolate Crackles
Tropical Fruit Plate
Coopers Ale

Want to know what they eat in Australia? Ask an Aussie. That's what I did anyway. My trusty Brisbane buddy filled me in on all her back home faves. And what better day to prepare an Australian meal than January 26th - Australia Day. I decided to host an Aussie Day celebration - no boomerangs or dilly bags - just a pile of good eats, down under style.

With an authentic Aussie guest to cook for the pressure was on. Damper is about as authentic as it gets. Invented by stockmen who traveled in remote areas for weeks at a time, this soda bread is made up of only a few basic ingredients that they could carry with them, and was traditionally baked over a camp fire. Some of us had it with vegemite, that I have concluded is an acquired taste (which I have yet to acquire). I opted to slather mine with macadamia nut butter, a nut native to Australia.

The Meat Pie, served with tomato sauce (ketchup in North America), is an iconic Australian take-away food. It's the local food of choice while watching football. Some even consider the Meat Pie to be the national dish. After eating a few, I can see why.

We got buns for the Aussie Burgers from Cobs Bread, a local franchise of popular Australian owned bakery, Bakers Delight. The traditional way to eat a burger in Australia is with "the lot". I'm not sure who decided to throw so many toppings on an Aussie Burger but they certainly knew what they were doing. The unique pile of goodies is a gooey mess of deliciousness that includes pineapple, beetroot, and a fried egg. Perfect on a hot day with a cold Cooper's Ale.

If you love coconut and chocolate - and let's face it, who doesn't - you will love the two desserts we chose. Lamington's are individual sized vanilla-coconut cakes dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut. They are traditionally baked in a rectangular cake pan and cut into squares. Using cupcakes saves a little time and makes less crumbs. If you have a square cupcake pan use it for authenticity. But don't worry, round ones will be equally delicious. Chocolate Crackles are the Australian answer to Rice Krispie treats, kicking it up a notch by using cocoa and coconut. I dare you to eat just one.

We ended the meal with a refreshing Tropical Fruit Plate featuring Australian exotics such as sugar cane, pineapple, papaya, banana, passion fruit, grapes, mango and lychees. It was a laid back day of good food and good friends - authentically Australian indeed.



Damper

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Add water to form a soft dough.
4. Knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth.
5. Shape into a round loaf.
6. Bake on a flat sheet or round baking pan for 30-40 minutes.
7. Damper is ready when you tap the surface and hear a hollow sound.
8. Serve with macadamia nut butter, vegemite or your favorite Australian topping.
(adapted from ABC)

"Meat" Pies

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced
2 pouches of Yves Ground Round (312g each)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/4 cup vegan chicken stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 vegetable stock cube
Soy milk for brushing
24 frozen tart-sized pie shells, thawed
Black pepper
Salt
Ketchup

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until soft.
3. Add Yves Ground Round and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon until warmed.
4. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp vegan chicken broth. Set aside.
5. Add remaining vegan chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and vegetable stock cube to ground round. Stir well to combine.
6. Add cornstarch mixture and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes or until thick.
7. Remove from heat and cool.
8. Preheat oven to 425 F.
9. Remove 12 of the tart shells from their foil and set aside as pie tops.
10. Fill remaining 12 tart shells with "meat" filling. Brush rims with water.
11. Place pie tops over filling. Use a fork to seal edges.
12. Brush tops with soy milk.
13. Place pies on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
14. Serve with ketchup.
(adapted from About.com)

Aussie Burgers
4 bread rolls
4 Veggie burgers (I used Yves)
4 vegan cheese slices
4 Fried tofu omelettes
4 veggie bacon slices, fried crisp
4 pineapple rings, grilled

Toppings (as much as you want on your burger):
Iceburg lettuce
Tomato, sliced
Onion, sliced and grilled
Sliced beets
Ketchup

Fried Tofu Omelette

2 garlic cloves
1 lb silken tofu, lightly drained (or soft tofu)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp fine black salt (plus more for sprinkling)
½ cup chick pea flour 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch

1. Chop garlic in food processor
2. Add tofu, nutritional yeast, olive oil, turmeric, and salt. Puree until smooth.
3. Add chick pea flour and arrowroot and puree for about 10 seconds, until combined.
4. Preheat griddle to medium high.
5. Lightly grease with a thin layer of oil – I brush it on.
6. Pour the batter on in 1/4 cup increments, spreading to 3-inch circles.
7. Cook for 3-5 minutes (top should be dry and matte yellow when ready to flip, bottom should be speckled brown)
8. Flip and cook 1-2 minutes.
9. Cover with foil until ready to serve.
(adapted from Vegan Brunch)

Before assembling the burger:
Make sure you have all your ingredients ready, toppings sliced, hot items (pineapple, onions, vegan bacon, fried tofu omelettes) keeping warm under foil.

1. Grill the burgers.
2. Place from the bottom up - bottom bun, cheese, burger, omelette, bacon, pineapple, onion, tomato, beet, lettuce, ketchup, top bun. Serve.

Lamingtons

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups plain soy milk
2 1/8 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/8 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Grease 12 muffin cups. Set aside.
3. Mix the apple cider vinegar with soy milk. Stir well and set aside to curdle.
4. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. In another mixing bowl whisk together the soy milk mixture, canola oil, vanilla, and coconut extract.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and beat until smooth using a hand-held mixer.
7. Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup of batter.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then move cupcakes to a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup nondairy milk
2 tablespoons nonydrogenated margarine
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Shredded coconut (about 2 cups)

1. Have a large shallow bowl of finely shredded coconut ready.
2. Mix the powdered sugar and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Melt the nondairy milk and margarine in a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
4. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa mixture and vanilla.
5. Whisk until completely smooth.
7. Dip each cake into the icing and coat all sides, letting the excess icing drip off.
8. Roll the cake in coconut to coat completely.
9. Transfer to a wire rack (line with waxed paper to reduce mess) and repeat with the remaining cakes. Tip: Work quickly or keep the icing over simmering water as you work to keep it soft.
10. Let the icing set for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a covered container and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

(adapted from Cuisine Junction)

Chocolate Crackles
2 cups Rice Krispies
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 tbsp cocoa
4 oz white vegetable shortening/coconut oil
1 cup icing sugar
6 drops vanilla

1. Set out 18 mini paper cupcake liners on a tray
2. Mix icing sugar, Rice Krispies, coconut and cocoa and set aside.
3. Gently heat the shortening/coconut oil, but do not let it boil.
4. Pour into dry ingredients, add vanilla and mix very well.
5. Spoon into paper liners and allow to set.
(Emailed to me from an Australian friend)