Recipe adapted from  The Australian Women's Weekly magazine

Serves 8

2.4kg whole ocean trout
3 parsley sprigs
1 medium lemon, sliced thinly
3 green onions (green shallots), trimmed, cut into 2cm lengths
8 whole black peppercorns
2 small (400g) fennel bulbs, shaved or sliced finely
1/3 cup (80ml) white wine
1 medium (320g) pomegranate
1 bunch watercress, sprigs picked
2 medium (280g) lemons, quartered

Sweet Fennel and Mustard Sauce:
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup (125ml) neutral oil

Remove the fish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Rinse under cold water, pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat you oven to 180C (160C fan forced). If using your barbecue, preheat to 180C.

Place a length of extra-wide heavy-duty aluminium foil onto a large oven tray- the foil needs to be longer than twice the size of the fish.

Place a piece of baking paper on the aluminium foil, make the baking paper the same size as the aluminium foil.

Place the fish on the baking paper over the baking tin section. Season the fish with salt and pepper all over, including in the cavity.

 Fill the cavity with the lemon, parsley, onion and peppercorns. If there are any green tops on your fennel, reserve half for garnish. Chop the remaining tops finely and add to the fish cavity.


Bring the foil up around the fish, then pour over the wine.

Wrap the fish in the foil, carefully crimping the edges together to seal. Be careful not to tear the foil.

Bake the fish for 40 minutes. Then turn the oven/barbecue off and leave the fish, still sealed in the foil, in the closed oven for a further 20 minutes.

Cut the pomegranate in half and remove seeds from the flesh.

Sweet Fennel and Mustard Sauce: While the fish is baking, make the sauce. Put the fennel and mustard seeds into a small food processor or blender. Add the sugar, salt, egg yolk and lemon juice. Blend to a thick paste.

Pour the mixture into a medium sized bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until you have a thick sauce. Season to taste with pepper. If it is too thick, dilute with a tablespoon of water, if needed.

To check if the fish is done, you can tear the foil near the head, if the eye is white, your fish is done.

Undo the foil and carefully transfer the trout to a serving dish. Peel away the skin from the top of the fish (it comes off easily) and cover with the shaved fennel, pomegranate seeds and reserved fennel tops.

Arrange the watercress sprigs and lemon wedges around the edge of the fish.

Serve the fish with the Sweet Fennel and Mustard Sauce.

Find the recipe at www.whatscookingella.com/whole-baked-ocean-trout-with-fennel-and-pomegranate.html
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Adapted from Joanne Farrow and Sara Lewis's cookbook 'Ice Cream and Iced Desserts'

Serves 6

115g caster sugar
300ml water
6 oranges, scrubbed well
90ml tequila
Orange and Lime wedges to decorate

In a small saucepan add the sugar and water. Using a vegetable peeler , thinly peel the rind from three of the oranges and place it in the saucepan. Over low-medium heat bring it to the boil, but don't actually let it boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved pour into a glass bowl, allow to cool, then chill.

Strain the syrup into a shallow plastic container that has a lid. Squeeze all the oranges, strain the juice and add it to the syrup, stir in the tequila. You don't want the syrup to be more than 2.5cm deep as it will not set properly. Transfer to a larger container if needed.

Cover and freeze for 2 hours until the mixture around the sides of the container has started to set and thicken. Using a fork give it a good mix, scraping the sides of the container. Return the granita back to the freezer.

Now every 30 minutes to an hour you will need to mix the granita with a fork, until you get ice crystals forming throughout the granita. Stop when you are happy with the consistency of the granita. Scoop it into serving bowls, serve with orange and lime wedges.

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Recipe adapted from a Belinda Jeffrey's recipe

Serves 12-14

250g unsalted butter, chopped
250g dark chocolate, broken into small chunks
3/4 cup (75g) Dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted
200g pecans, roasted
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) brandy or cognac
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 punnets fresh raspberries

Chocolate Glaze:
250g dark chocolate, broken into small chunks
125g unsalted butter, chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons water

Icing sugar, for dusting, optional
Vanilla Ice Cream, to serve


Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced.

Line the base and sides of a 23cm round springform cake tin with baking paper. This is important as it is a wet cake batter so I will give proper instructions.

Here is how I do it: Undo the clasp of your springform tin, remove sides. Place a sheet of baking paper over the base, allow the extra paper to overhang. Return the side of the pan and secure it as you normally would, clasp to secure. Do not trim the paper, leave it to over hang, it will help you when you need to remove the cake.

Base lining photos I found at www.taste.com.au  I'll take my own photos next time I make this.

To line the sides:  Cut a strip of baking paper long enough to cover the side of the pan in one piece and allow for slight overlapping. The strip needs to wide enough to cover the side, plus about 2cm for the base.

Make a fold about 2cm wide, along one of the long sides of the strip of paper. Now snip along the strip, up to the fold, at about 2cm intervals.

Grease lightly with cooking spray the sides of the tin and the base rim. You want the strip to stick to the tin and base.

Place the long strip of paper around the inside of the pan, cut bits down. The paper will naturally want to curve one way, use that curve to make it easier. Now press the strip onto the sides and stick down the snipped bits.

These photos are also not mine, but I'll take my own shortly.

Now back to the cake:

Place the butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, don't allow the bowl to touch the boiling water. Stir regularly until you have a smooth melted chocolate mixture. Remove the bowl from the heat. Add in the cocoa and stir until your mixture is thick and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, place the cooled, roasted pecans in a food processor and blitz to chop them as finely as possible. Stop the food processor every 5-10 seconds or so to check on the pecans. A few small chunks are ok as it adds texture, but you don't want them to release their oils and form a paste. So as finely as possible, but don't take it too far. Set aside, until needed.

In a large bowl, place the eggs and sugar. Using a balloon whisk, whisk until they're just blended together. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until it's well combined. Add the brandy and vanilla, whisk until well combined. Finally with a spoon, stir in the ground pecans. The batter as I mentioned above will be quite wet, that is how it is supposed to look.

Pour the batter into your prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set, but the middle 15cm or so has a slight wobble when you shake the pan gently. Cool the cake completely in the pan.

Once cool, release the sides of the pan, invert the cake onto a serving plate. Remove all baking paper.

Chocolate Glaze: Place the butter, chocolate and water in a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, don't allow the bowl to touch the boiling water. Stir regularly until you have a smooth melted chocolate mixture. Don't allow the mixture to overheat (if it overheats it can become oily or grainy and it will be ruined), stay with it and mix regularly to help it melt quickly. Remove the bowl from the heat. Allow to cool until it is barely warm and it has become a thick pouring consistency before using it.

Spread the icing over the top of the cake, allow it to run down the sides a little. You can leave the cake uncovered to set completely on your bench top, or if the glaze was too runny, place in the refrigerator to set quickly.

(Note: the cake, covered with cling film, will keep in the fridge like this for a week). 

Before serving, remove any cling film and allow the cake to return to cool room temperature.

Decorate the cake with tightly packed layer of raspberries all over the top of the cake, then dust with icing sugar, if using.

Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Find the recipe at www.whatscookingella.com/flourless-chocolate-pecan-and-raspberry-torte.html
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Serves 6-8

6 Angus beef cheeks (1.2kg), trimmed of fat and sinew
1/4 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stick, diced
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup Shiraz
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 small red chillies, whole
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon vegeta
6 dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in warm water for 20 minutes
6 sprigs of thyme
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
6 shitake mushrooms, halved
12 button mushroom, halved
6 Swiss Brown mushrooms, halved


Toss beef cheeks in flour, remove excess flour.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then the beef cheeks in batches and seal the cheeks on both sides, set aside until needed.

Add a tablespoon more of oil to the saucepan, if needed, then add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Sauté for 5-6 minutes or until the onions have softened and are starting to turn a light golden.

Add the tomato paste, stir it through for 30 seconds.

Add the Shiraz, beef stock, sugar, chillies and vegeta. Stir it around. Add the reconstituted dried mushrooms and 2-3 tablespoons of the soaking liquid, thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

Add all the mushrooms and return the beef cheeks to the saucepan. You may need to add a little extra water so the beef cheeks get covered by the liquid.

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 3-3.5 hours or until the meat it so soft it slices like butter (I cook it for 3 hours). 

Taste after 2 hours for seasoning. And if the sauce looks too watery and needs thickening, simply remove the lid and cook uncovered for the last hour.

Serve hot with mashed potato or parmesan polenta and steamed greens.

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Recipe adapted from an Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook

Cake x 2
I used a Double Decker Mud Cake, you need to make this twice to end up with 4 layers

250g unsalted butter, chopped
150g white chocolate, chopped coarsely
440g caster sugar
1 cup (250ml) milk
225g plain flour
75g self raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Chocolate Ganache:
250g milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup thickened cream

White Chocolate Ganache:
600g white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup thickened cream
Yellow food colouring
Green food colouring

Decorations:
90 white mini marshmallows, halved
30 Green mini m&m's
15 yellow mini m&m's
Prepared cake board or plate

Preheat oven to slow 160C. Grease and line with baking paper base and sides of two 20cm round cake tins.

In a medium saucepan add the butter, chocolate, sugar and milk. Place over low heat, stir regularly until the butter and chocolate have melted and you have a smooth mixture, do not allow mixture to boil. Transfer to a glass mixing bowl, allow to cool slightly for 15 minutes.

Whisk the combined flours into the chocolate mixture. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. 

Now it helps if you have another glass bowl the same size as the one the chocolate mixture is in, as you need to divide the chocolate mixture in half (using a glass bowl of the same size makes it easier). Pour one of the chocolate mixtures into one of the prepared tins. If you don't have two identical bowls, just pour half
of the mixture into one of the prepared tins as close as you can.

In the remaining chocolate mixture sift in the cocoa, then whisk to combine. Pour into the other prepared tin.

Bake cakes for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from oven, leave in the tins for 5 minutes, before placing onto a wire rack to cool, top side up.

Chocolate Ganache: In a small heatproof bowl place the chocolate and cream. Place over a saucepan of simmering water, don't let the water touch the bowl the chocolate is in. Mix until all the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth consistency. Place in the refrigerator, every 10 minutes give it a stir until it becomes a thick spreadable consistency.

White Chocolate Ganache: In a small heatproof bowl place the white chocolate and cream. Place over a saucepan of simmering water, don't let the water touch the bowl the chocolate is in. Mix until all the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth consistency. Place in the refrigerator, every 10 minutes give it a stir until it becomes a thick spreadable consistency. Don't tint the icing yet.

Once cooled, level the top of each cake, so you get a flat surface.

Place one cake on a serving plate, start with a chocolate slice. Spread a thin layer of chocolate ganache all over the cake, top with alternate coloured cake, spread with ganache, repeat alternating cakes by colour. You can do up to this step, up to 3 days before, refrigerate covered with cling film.

The white chocolate ganache is best done on the day the cake is needed, but you can do it the day before. Do not refrigerate once decorated, as m&m's 'bleed' and lose colour once refrigerated.

Before you tint the icing, spread a thin layer of icing all over the cake. Then refrigerate for 20 minutes. This will make sure all cake crumbs will be stuck to this layer of icing and will not ruin your tinted icing.

While the cake is in the refrigerator. Separate the remaining icing into two bowls, make sure you will have enough for the top in one bowl and enough for the sides in the other bowl. Tint the icing you allocated for the top yellow, add a little tint at a time, until you get the colour you are happy with. Do the same with the green tint and the quantity you allocated for the sides.

Spread the top icing on first, make sure it is relatively thick and covers the cake well.

Then spread the sides on carefully and again it will need to be a relatively thick layer to ensure a smooth finish.

While the icing is still soft, decorate with mini marshmallows and mini m&m's, use the picture as a guide. Again I don't recommend refrigerating as m&m's lose colour once refrigerated. The cake is fine iced out of the refrigerator if it is not a really hot day.

Find the recipe at www.whatscookingella.com/daisy-chain-cake.html.
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150g strawberries
90g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
500g Greek Yoghurt

Put the strawberries, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a small food processor. Blitz until the fruit is roughly chopped. Remove the blade and stir through the yoghurt.

If you don't have a food processor, just put the strawberries, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl, crush the strawberries with a fork until roughly broken up and sugar has dissolved, then mix in the yoghurt.

Pour or spoon the mixture into your moulds and freeze.

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Recipe adapted from www.justataste.com 

Makes 8

250g cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup raspberry jam, optional
32 fresh raspberries
1 egg
Icing sugar, for dusting


Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan forced. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Set aside.


Get your sheets of puff pastry, they need to be a about a 25cm square shape, roll out if needed. Cut each sheet of pastry into 4 smaller squares then place on your baking tray, leaving a gap between each piece. You now should have 8 squares.

Using a sharp knife, and using the picture below left as a guide, cut 4 slits into each square from the corner towards the centre, but don't go right to the centre.

Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the centre of each square (like the apples below), spread it out into a circle shape, and keep the cream cheese within the slits you made. Place a dollop of raspberry jam, if using, on top of the cream cheese, spread it out a little. Top with 4 raspberries.

Now using the photo below right as a guide. You need to join together corners numbered 1,2,3 and 4. Once pressed together, I press them down into the centre of the raspberries (you may need to reposition some raspberries, a little).

In a small bowl beat together the egg and a tablespoon of water, brush the egg wash over the pastry on each pinwheel.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed around the edges. Dust with icing sugar, to serve. Add a dollop of vanilla ice cream, if desired

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​You may also like my blueberry and strawberry tarts
www.whatscookingella.com/blueberry-cream-cheese-pastries.html 
www.whatscookingella.com/strawberry-cream-cheese-pastries.html
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Makes 3 large pizzas

Olive oil, to grease
Plain flour, for dusting

Basic Pizza Dough:
450g plain flour
2 teaspoons (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
310ml lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Basic Pizza Sauce:
2 x 400g cans Italian diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Toppings Suggestions: no quantities are given, as it is to taste
Mozzarella, thinly sliced or grated
Red capsicum, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
Kalamata Olives, pitted, halved
Sliced pepperoni or other salami
Shaved double smoked ham
Onions, thinly sliced
Garlic, sliced into thin slivers
Dried oregano
Anchovies
Choice of Cheeses:- Parmesan, Jarslberg, Havarti, Tasty cheese etc, grated


Pizza Dough: Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, add the oil and all the lukewarm water (the water needs to be lukewarm to activate the yeast). Mix to a soft dough. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Knead the dough for 3 minutes (if the dough is too sticky add a bit more flour, if it is too dry add a bit more water).

Remove the dough from the bowl, brush the bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turn it over, so the dough gets lightly coated all over with the olive oil. Cover the bowl with cling film, then place a tea towel on top. Leave in a warm spot for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.

Basic Pizza Sauce: Place the oil and garlic in a medium saucepan and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce is thick. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

I have doubled the recipe of the sauce as we like saucy pizzas, you can halve the recipe if you like.

Once the dough has risen, punch the dough once to remove air bubbles. Knead the dough for 1 minute.

Preheat the oven to 240C/220C fan forced. Spray with olive oil spray your baking trays, lightly dust them with some flour. Or you can just use baking paper.

Divide the dough into 3 even pieces. Lightly dust, with flour, a work surface. Roll out the dough to your desired shape and size. I roll it out to be very thin. Carefully lift it onto the baking tray. Stretch the dough out so it completely covers the baking tray.

Spread some of the pizza sauce onto the dough, using the back of a spoon.

Add mozzarella over the sauce. Mozzarella is best placed on the base, not the top as it will go gooey and stretchy, not burn.

Now top with whatever you like, capsicums, mushrooms, olives, pepperoni, ham, garlic, anchovies etc. (The slivers of garlic for me are amazing). Don't over do it, or you will get a soggy pizza, just add a little of everything.

Top with a little more mozzarella if you like, but then top with other cheeses, or a mix of cheeses like tasty cheese, Havarti, Jarslberg etc.

Sprinkle with dried oregano.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the cheese has all melted and the base is cooked through.

Slide off the tray, use a pizza cutter to slice, serve immediately.

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Serves 6 as a light meal

1-2 tablespoon peanut oil
500g veal or beef mince
500g pork mince
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 teaspoons grated ginger
1 x 230g can water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped
4 green shallots, ends trimmed, finely chopped
1/3 cup oyster sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
150g bean sprouts
Pinch salt and pepper, to taste
12 iceberg lettuce leaves, washed, dried
Coriander leaves and extra bean sprouts, to serve


Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and veal mince. Cook, stirring, breaking up any lumps, with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until the mince changes colour.

Add the garlic and ginger, cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until fragrant.

Add the water chestnuts and green shallots, cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until combined.

Stir in the oyster sauce and say sauce, cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until well combined and heated through. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Remove from heat.

Add the bean sprouts and stir until just wilted. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Place the lettuce leaves, cut side up, on a serving platter or on individual plates and serve immediately with the mince mixture.

Add coriander leaves and extra bean sprouts if you like.

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Recipe adapted from 'The Essential Dessert Book'

Serves 4-6

30g unsalted butter
45g soft brown sugar
500g apples, peeled, cored and cubed
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
30g sultanas
2 sheets of puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten, to glaze
1 teaspoon caster sugar, for sprinkling

Melt the butter and sugar in a large frying pan. Add the apple, lemon rind and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the apples are cooked and the mixture is thick and syrupy. Stir in the nutmeg, cinnamon and sultanas. Cool completely.

Preheat the oven to hot 220C. Lightly grease a baking tray and line with baking paper.

For large Jalousie: Place one sheet of puff pastry on the baking paper lined tray. Top with the apple mixture, leaving a 2.5cm border. Brush the border with a little of the beaten egg. To the other sheet of puff pastry, using a sharp knife, cut parallel slashes in the pastry across its width, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Place over the apple mixture, the slashes should open slightly when you place the pastry on top of the apple mixture.

For smaller Jalousie: Cut one sheet of puff pastry into 6 rectangles (first cut into 3 long rectangles, then cut each long rectangle in half). Place on your prepared baking tray. Top with some of the apple mixture, leaving a 2cm border. Brush the border with a little of the beaten egg. To the other sheet of puff pastry, cut it into 6 rectangles as you did with the first sheet, then using a sharp knife, cut parallel slashes in the pastry across its width, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Place over the apple mixture, the slashes should open slightly when you place the pastry on top of the apple mixture.

Once you have placed the slashed pastry on top, using a fork, press the edges together. Glaze the pastry with some beaten egg, and sprinkle over a little caster sugar.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

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