This recipe has many great features, its preparation is quick, most of the ingredients can be substituted or adjusted, and there is a huge margin for error, if it’s not ready simply put it back on the heat. The general principle is that the pork is slow cooked in a liquid. The recipe below yielded fantastic results but if you wish to swap the orange juice for beer, or any other liquid, that would give the meat a different flavour.

Once you’ve made this you’ll want to make it again as it’s very easy, freezes well and is great bang for your buck.

Cook: up to 4 hours in the oven or at least 8 hours in a slow cooker

Have fresh groceries from Fresco delivered to your door! Order here.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 onion

• 3 garlic cloves

• 2kg pork shoulder skin off (if it has the skin you can remove it and make cracking separately)

• Spice rub of paprika, dried oregano, salt, pepper, cumin, allspice, cayenne pepper, and cloves – or whatever your favourites are

• Juice of 3 oranges

• 1 lime

• 1 400gm tin of diced tomatoes

• sugar or honey

Method

If the pork has skin then you will need to remove it using a sharp knife, you can salt the skin and set it aside to be made into crackling.

Step 1
If using oven, preheat to 140-150 ⁰C

Step 2
Heat the oil in a large ovensafe pan (with lid) on medium heat on the stove (or in slow cooker). Dice onions and garlic and saute in oil until soft, stirring frequently

Step 3
Wash and dry the pork then rub the spice mix all over the outside and place on top of the onions and garlic. (Ideally use whole spices freshly ground in a pestle and mortar or coffee grinder, otherwise whole spices will do)

Step 4
Add orange juice, tomato paste and honey or sugar to taste

At this point feel free to experiment. You could add extra tomatoes, capsicum, or an alternative liquid like chicken or vegetable stock. It’s hard to go wrong with this recipe just make sure the dish is balanced and not too salty or sweet.

Step 5
After 3.5-4 hours (in oven) or 8 hours (in slow cooker) check that the pork can be pulled apart easily with a fork. If not, continue cooking.

Step 6
Reduce the cooking sauce till it thickens in consistency, at this stage you also have the option of sieving the cooking liquid to remove any solids – the onion will be soft and tasty but if you don’t want the texture then you can take it out.

Step 7
Heat some butter or oil in a separate pan and fry the pulled pork to brown it slightly, before adding the reduced sauce to finish your dish

Serve with tortilla wraps, rice and beans, salsa, guacamole or any other Mexican accompaniments.

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The post Recipe: Mexican Pulled Pork appeared first on Coastbeat.

“I’m really happy with business the way it is,” says Will. “Even in these tough times, I’m doing a lot better than I thought I would be!”

It’s challenging to get a business off the ground at the best of times – let alone during a global pandemic – but Will’s attitude, commitment and experience have ensured his success. While Brennans Quality Meats at Coffs Central may be new, Will has been sharpening his skills for more than 15 years. 

Will’s first Coffs Harbour connection was Dennis Beckhouse at the Catholic Club Butchery. He worked for Dennis until the business closed then took up a position at Russells Prime Quality Meats. After a five year break from the butchery trade, he took up a position at Bray Street Butchery before he moved to West High Street Boutique Butchery and worked for Michael Woo.

Armed with years of experience and a wealth of knowledge, Will decided 2020 was the year to open his own business.

“I’m only six months in and I know it can take time to build customer relationships,” he explains. “Things are coming along nicely but there are still a lot of things I want to do and products I want to introduce.”

Outdoor Cooking

Will has become the go-to guy for high scoring Wagyu beef. He prides himself on sourcing and selling the top grade of every steak, but says the Wagyu is especially popular. 

“A few of my customers like me to cut the Wagyu really thin, flatten it out and roast it over a fire quickly then dip it in a sauce – delicious!”

If you have a little more time, he recommends roasting chunks of lamb rump. Brush the meat with olive oil and position the chunks on chicken wire or something similar then secure it over the flames. Will’s tip for cooking butterfly legs of lamb is placing them off to the side of your fire rather than directly over it. 

“When cooking on a fire, you’re generally looking for thinner cuts,” Will explains. “But you can really cook anything – it’s all about getting the heat and the size of your cut right.”

If you’re looking for barbeque meat rubs, sauces and gravies, drop in to see Will’s extensive range. 

Roasted Bone Marrow 

Have you tried roasted bone marrow? Will says the delicacy is increasing in popularity with more and more customers ordering this hard to find product. 

“It’s essentially a femur bone and we split it down the middle and cut off the knuckles,” he explains. “Add some olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper then roast it in the oven.” 

Will says that once cooked, you can scoop out the marrow and have it on toast, in soups, as a side dish or added to gravy. He even suggests creating a crown roast with Scotch fillet or a piece of rump.

“You take the piece of Scotch fillet then position eight or so marrow bones around the edges to make it look like a crown,” Will explains. “When you bake it, all of the marrow soaks into the Scotch fillet and it tastes amazing.”  

If you’re keen to try it this weekend, pop in and see Will to order your bones today. Mention this article when you spend $40 or more and you’ll receive $10 off your total!

Have you tried our bone broth recipe? Check it out here. 

The post Outdoor Cooking with Brennans Quality Meats appeared first on Coastbeat.

Bone Broth is a highly nutritious liquid that has been around for centuries and usually consumed as part of a sauce, gravy or soup. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that bone broths are the same thing as your standard ‘stock’; bone broths are made by slow cooking not just animal bones, but connective tissues as well and over an extended period of time.

According to GoVita, bone broths are “…rich in minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, healthy fats, and amino acids.”

The end result being that many consumers are downing broths as a regular drink, encouraged by evidence suggesting that bone broths can boost immunity, aid digestion, relieve arthritis, detox the liver, improve your sleep and improve wound healing.

Here’s a bone broth recipe with a Coffs Central twist that is SUPER easy to make!

What you’ll need

• Grab a slow cooker from Kmart
• Visit Brennan’s Quality Meats for your choice of meaty animal bones. You’ll need roughly 2kg worth.
• To add flavor, shop at Fresco for a huge variety of herbs, spices and vegetables. Onion, garlic, carrots and celery are just some of our picks!
• Apple Cider Vinegar from GoVita aids the extraction of minerals from the bones.

You’re ready to start!

Method

• Place your bones, vegetables, herbs and spices inside the slow cooker.
• Add 40 ml of apple cider vinegar.
• Add water until everything is covered.
• Simmer for 12 hours or more.
• Then after cooling, strain leaving only the clear liquid to drink.

AND…Voila! Bottoms up!

For more recipes, check out Coastbeat’s recipes section here.

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The post Bone Broth Recipe appeared first on Coastbeat.

In Australia, we celebrate this holiday with our very own French food markets featuring crepes, cheeses, and pastries.

If you prefer to stay indoors on Bastille Day and have your own little celebration at home, you can start by making French macarons. These all-time favourite confections may be a bit tricky to make. However, you can follow our easy recipe to help you create the perfect sweet treats, with an added festive French flag colour theme.

Ingredients

Red and blue gel food colouring

3 egg whites

1⅔ cups icing sugar

1 cup almond meal

¼ cup caster sugar

Meringue buttercream

2 egg whites

125 grams chopped unsalted butter (at room temperature)

½ cup caster sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Instructions

Making the meringue buttercream

Add the caster sugar and egg whites into a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Make sure that the base of the bowl does touch the water. Mix the ingredients for 4-5 minutes or at least until the sugar dissolves. Remove the bowl from the heat, and beat the mixture with an electric mixer until it is cool and light to touch. While mixing, add the butter, also beating for 4-5 minutes or at least until the buttercream is smooth. Lastly, add the vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined with the buttercream.

Making the biscuits

Line 4 baking trays with baking sheets.

Add the egg whites into a mixing bowl and beat until foamy. Slowly add sugar while beating until it has completely dissolved. Continue mixing until the mixture is thick and glossy.

Using a sifter, sift almond meal and icing sugar into another bowl. Mix the dry ingredients before adding the egg white mixture. Fold to combine all ingredients. Separate half of the mixture into a new bowl. Add red food colouring into one bowl, blue in the other. Spoon each coloured mixture into two piping bags with a regular 1 cm nozzle. Pipe about 18 cm x 4 cm rounds of each colour onto the trays—make sure that you don’t place them too close to each other to avoid them sticking together while baking. Allow the unbaked macarons to stand uncovered at room temperature for an hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 140°C.

Bake the macarons for about 12-15 minutes or at least until they are set—don’t allow the biscuits to brown. Remove the tray of macarons from the oven and allow them to cool.

In another piping bag fitted with the same nozzle, add the buttercream mixture.

Finally, sandwich the cooled red and blue macarons with buttercream in the middle. Best served fresh.

Enjoy your festive Bastille Day macarons!

Did you can now do your grocery shopping online via Fresco Marketplace? We will deliver your groceries right to your doorstep. We got you.

Looking for more recipes? Visit our recipes page.

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The post Bastille Day Festive Macarons appeared first on Coastbeat.

Ingredients

• 300mls milk
• 225g plain flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 30g butter, melted
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Extra butter for cooking

For serving

• Blueberry Drizzle Dessert Sauce
• Ice Cream
• Blushing Blueberries Organic Blueberries (available from Fresco from spring to early summer)

Method

Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Leave for 10 minutes, then melt a little butter in a pan over low heat and pour in some of the batter mix.

When air bubbles appear on the surface, turn the pancakes over and cook until the other side is lightly browned and cooked through.

Transfer to a warm plate until all pancakes are cooked.

Serve with Blushing Blueberries Blueberry Drizzle Dessert Sauce and ice cream.

Alternate serving suggestions:

Blushing Blueberries Fresh Organic Blueberries and Ricotta
Blushing Blueberries Freeze Dried Blueberries and Maple Syrup

For more info see Blushing Blueberries online and on Facebook

Check this out for more recipes!

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The post Recipe – Pancakes with Blueberries and Ice Cream appeared first on Coastbeat.

Serves 12

Ingredients

For the Base

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• Pinch salt
• 12 dates, pitted

Cheesecake Filling

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1 cup macadamia nuts
• 1 x 400ml can coconut cream
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 avocado if small, otherwise ½ large
• 1 cup agave syrup** (see note 2 below)
• 1 ½ cups coconut oil, melted

Topping

• 1 cup frozen Organic Blueberries
• ¼ cup Organic Freeze-Dried Blueberries (whole or ground)
• 1 cup macadamia nuts
• 150ml coconut cream
• ½ cup lime juice
• 1 tbsp agave syrup** (see note 2 below)
• ½ cup coconut oil, melted

To decorate

• Fresh Organic Blueberries, Organic Freeze-Dried Blueberries, Blushing Blueberries Dessert Sauce
• Passionfruit, dragon fruit or whatever you like
• Ground nuts – pistachios, walnuts, etc.

Method

For the Base:

Put the almonds, coconut and salt into a food processor and run until a fine crumb is achieved. Then add the dates one at a time and process until the mixture comes together. Press the mix into the base of a lightly oiled 25cm round tin* (see note) with a removable base and refrigerate for 2-3 hours until firm. Add a little water or coconut oil to bring the ingredients together into a ball when pressed together. 

For the Filling:

Put all the ingredients except the coconut oil in the food processor and mix until smooth. Add the coconut oil and blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and well mixed. Pour over the set cake base and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.

For the Topping:

Put all the ingredients except the coconut oil in the food processor and blend until smooth. Add the coconut oil and mix for 2 minutes until smooth and incorporated. Pour over the chilled filling layer and refrigerate. Leaving the cheesecake to set overnight is best and will give a better result than leaving it for just an hour or two.

To Serve:

Remove the Cheesecake from the tin decorate with Fresh or Frozen Organic Blueberries and whole or crushed Organic Freeze-Dried Blueberries and other fruit if desired and scatter with ground pistachios.

Serve with Blushing Blueberries Dessert Sauce or a splash of our concentrated Blueberry Shrub Cordial for a delightful taste sensation.

Keep cake refrigerated.

* Note:  This makes a BIG cake, use a tin no smaller than 25cm and with tall sides if you can.

**Note 2: To make this cake Diabetic friendly substitute the Agave Syrup for Monkfruit Sweetener with Erythritol (available in most supermarkets).

For more info find Blushing Blueberries online and on Facebook 

If you’re looking for more recipes, visit our recipe section here.

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The post Recipe – Blueberry & Lime Raw Cheesecake appeared first on Coastbeat.

The recipe below is the simplest way you can make a schnitzel (you could even leave out the garlic). Feel free to add spices (paprika goes well) to the flour, and parmesan cheese, or herbs (parsley, sage) to the breading mix. Some people add milk or water to the egg wash to loosen it up. This recipe uses chicken but you can also use pork, lamb, or beef. For a vegetarian option, eggplant would be nice.  When experimenting with the recipe, the main thing to ensure is that the bread coats the schnitzel well so whatever’s inside will be sealed when cooked.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
1 egg
1 cup of flour
1 cup of breadcrumbs (ordinary or panko both work well)
Salt and pepper seasoned to taste

*Optional
1 clove of garlic crushed
Handful of parsley for garnish
Slices of lemon

Method

Cut each breast into 2 or 3 pieces horizontally depending on the size of the breast. Make sure your knife is sharp.

Flatten each piece using a meat mallet, if you don’t have one you can use an empty glass bottle, a rolling pin, or your hands.

Get out two plates and a bowl for the flour, egg wash, and breading.

Add the flour and any seasonings to one plate.

Crack the egg/s into the bowl as well as the crushed garlic.

Put the breading mix on the other plate.

Now flour each piece, then coat it in egg, before finally breading it. A good tip here is to use one hand for the flour and egg and the other for the breading, this stops your hands from becoming breaded. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy based pan. This will ensure the schnitzel cooks evenly. Use any kind of oil with a high smoking point I find the canola or vegetable oil works well, although you could use clarified butter or lard.

You can tell if the oil is hot enough either with a thermometer aim for around 180’C. Other ways of checking include placing a wayward breadcrumb in and see if the oil bubbles around it, or using a wooden spoon or chopsticks if the oil is ready it will bubble around the wood.

Once the oil is heated simply place one or two pieces of the schnitzel in and a time and cook until golden brown on each side, be careful not to overcrowd the pan as this will cause the temperature to drop and you’ll have soggy schnitzels.

Place the cooked schnitzels on another plate on top of paper towels, this soaks up excess oil. Add seasonings once off the heat immediately this ensures they combine with the breading. Repeat for the rest of the schnitzels.

Serve with a garnish of parsley and a slice of lemon.

Do you want to try this recipe? Forget the long lines in supermarkets and buy fresh and high-quality chicken from Fresco here.

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The post Cheap and Easy Schnitzel Recipe appeared first on Coastbeat.

How about we make all that time spent cooking a bit more fun? We’re inviting everyone to enter our #RecreateOurFamilyDishChallenge. We will recreate one of your family recipes and you’ll have a chance to be featured in our digital recipe book.

Here’s how it will work:

1. Share your favourite family recipe via email at [email protected]. Pick one you think will stand out from the rest. Whether it’s an entree, main or dessert – they’re all welcome.

2. Tell us the story! Because every dish tells a story and stories make for better ishes.

Do vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian recipes qualify?

Yes. As long as they’ve been in your family for ages.

Our in-house chef will then recreate several dishes selected at random. We will take photos of the finished product and share your story, then publish the best recipes in our digital recipe book. Of course, it won’t be as good as yours, but then again, we can only try.

So what are you waiting for?

Join us in our #RecreateOurFamilyDishChallenge and let’s unleash the chef stories inside our homes. We’re excited to see your entries. Submit your recipes via [email protected] now!

Check out some of the Coastbeat Recipes here.

The post #RecreateOurFamilyDishChallenge appeared first on Coastbeat.

Since there are different tastes and preferences out there, we collected three Anzac biscuit recipes for you: a traditional one, the modern recipe that includes coconut, as well as a chewy recipe for those who don’t like the crunch.

Choose your preferred one and start baking!

Anzac Biscuit Recipe #1 – Traditional

This first Anzac biscuit recipe is taken from The Capricornian (Rockhampton, QLD), and it was published on 14 August 1929.

Ingredients

• 2 cups John Bull rolled oats
• ½ cup of sugar
• 1 cup plain flour
• ½ cup melted butter
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 2 tablespoons boiling Water
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method

Mix golden syrup, boiling water, and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl until they froth. Add melted butter and incorporate all dry ingredients. On a floured baking sheet, drop a spoonful of the batter and bake in a slow oven.  

Anzac Biscuit Recipe #2 – Modern

The Anzac biscuit recipe is an heirloom recipe that has been passed on from generation to generation. As of today, Anzac biscuits are made commercially or in fundraising activities for the RSL (Returned and Services League of Australia).  Like most recipes, the Anzac biscuit traditional recipes evolved that its ingredient list has been modified. The most significant change for this recipe is the addition of coconut shreds or desiccated coconut. 

Here’s the recipe. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup shredded coconut or desiccated coconut
• 125g of unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method

In a bowl, combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, and coconut. In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter, golden syrup, water, and then add the bicarbonate of soda. Pour the combined liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Roll them into 1-inch sized balls and place them gently onto a buttered baking tray. Bake this in an oven for 15-20 minutes at 175° Celsius. Cool them on a rack to harden. 

Anzac Biscuit Recipe #3 – Chewy

Here is how you can make chewy Anzac Biscuits:

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups coconut (desiccated)
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons golden syrup
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tablespoons boiling water

Method

Preheat your oven to 160°C.

Line the baking tray with parchment or any baking paper. 

In a bowl, sift the flour, coconut, brown sugar, and oats and mix well with a wooden spoon. Remove all lumps.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and golden syrup in low heat, and stir regularly with a wooden spoon. Once melted, remove it from heat.

Mix the bicarbonate of soda with water and add it to the butter mixture in the saucepan. Once bubbles and froth appear, quickly add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix it properly. 

Roll them into 1-inch sized balls and place them on the lined baking tray roughly two inches apart.

Bake it for 8-10 minutes. When done, remove the tray from the oven and cool the biscuits on a rack.  

Latest posts

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The post 3 Anzac biscuit recipes that you should try at home appeared first on Coastbeat.

Chocolate cake ingredients

• 440g Dark Couverture Chocolate
• 2 Tabs Rum
• 2 Tabs expresso coffee
• 300gm caster sugar
• 300gm butter
• 200gm ground almonds or almond meal
• 10 free-range eggs separated

Method

• Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Grease and line springform tin.
• Melt all ingredients except the eggs and almond meal in bain-marie style. Remove from heat and stir thoroughly.
• Separate eggs and add yolks one by one along with almond meal to the melted ingredients.
• Beat whites into peaks and fold gently through chocolate mixture.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
• Serve with berry coulis and cream.

Download the pdf version here

DOWNLOAD

Bent on Food are located at 95 Isabella Street, Wingham. To order from their menu (now operating as takeaway only) or buy from their online range of condiments, gifts, sustainable wares and more head to Bent on Food

Find out more about their new online cooking classes on Facebook

The post Recipe – Bent on Food’s gluten-free flourless chocolate cake appeared first on Coastbeat.