Zucchini Flowers

This dish of fresh zucchini flowers stuffed with saffron and goats cheese risotto and served with dill aioli has proved to be one of our more popular dishes at our Sunshine Coast restaurant, Capelli on Duke. We have recently had a local Gympie supplier, who is able to supply us all year round, drop in his produce of the yellow zucchini variety. We are ecstatic, the zucchini flowers were picked 30 minutes before drop off and are beautiful. We often sell out as more and more people hear about our zucchini flowers.

A simple stuffing for zucchini flowers for you to try at home.

Ingredients

12 zucchini flowers
Olive oil

Filling

240 gms ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1 egg (beaten)
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove of garlic
Salt/pepper

Batter

2 eggs
Breadcrumbs

Method

Clean the zucchini flowers carefully, gently wash and pat dry the outside, remove the stamen of the flower and make sure there are no insects inside.

Prepare the filling by mixing together all the ingredients. Fill the centre of the flowers with spoonfuls of this mixture. Dip the flowers in the beaten egg and then into the breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large frying pan and fry a few at a time, until golden brown, turning gently. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Now that the weather is cooling down it's a great time for warm baked puddings and baked goods straight from the oven. Here's an easy, delicious Capelli Foods favourite for you to try at home - we recommend you serve it with a big dollop of ice cream or cream!

Warm Orange Almond Syrup Pudding

500g butter
500g sugar
6 eggs
Zest of 6 oranges
550g almond meal
440g semolina

Cream the butter, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy. Fold in the smolina and almond meal. Pipe into molds and bake at 170ºC for 25 minutes.

When you have had enough of cooking - come and see us at Capelli on Duke, our Gympie restaurant, for one of Michael's famous Mocha Brulees.

Baked ricotta cheesecake with saffron apricots

You all loved the Tiramisu recipe so much that I thought I'd share another delicious dessert favourite from the Capelli Foods catering and Capelli on Duke (our Gympie Restaurant) kitchens.

Ingredients (serves 6)

250g dried apricots 
2 tbs brandy or sweet white wine 
½ tsp saffron threads 
1 1/3 cups (295g) caster sugar
1kg low-fat fresh ricotta 
½ cup lemon curd 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
Grated zest 1 lemon 
40g cornflour 
4 eggs, lightly beaten 
1 cinnamon quill 
6 cardamom pods, bruised 
Icing sugar, to dust

Method

1.      Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease a 20cm springform cake pan. 
2.      Combine the apricots in a bowl with the brandy and saffron, then stand for 1 hour. 
3.      Meanwhile: place 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar in a food processor with the ricotta, lemon curd, vanilla, lemon zest and cornflour and pulse to combine. Add the eggs through the feed tube and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top, then tap several times on the benchtop to remove any air bubbles. Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar, then leave the cheesecake to cool completely. 
4.      Meanwhile: place the remaining 1 cup (22g) caster sugar in a pan with 1 ¼ cups (310ml) cold water. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves, then add cinnamon, cardamom and apricot mixture. Simmer over low heat for 15 mintues. Transfer the apricots to a bowl, then increase the heat to meduim-high and simmer syrup until thickened. Pour the syrup over the apricots and cool completely.
5.      Dust the cake with icing sugar, slice and serve with apricots and syrup.

Enjoy!!

Capelli Foods Tiramisu

Whether out with our Sunshine Coast catering company or here at our Gympie restaurant, we are often asked at Capelli Foods to divulge recipes for our finger-licking desserts. Here is a recipe for tiramisu for you to try at home that is guaranteed to please.  

Makes 20 portions

225g egg yolks
150g sugar
4 leaves gelatine
80ml amerretto
675g mascarpone cheese
375g whipping cream
500ml strong espresso coffee
3 sheets almond sponge sheets

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until white. Gradually add the cheese and whisk until smooth. Dissolve the gelatine with the Amerretto. Mix into the cheese mix. Carefully fold in the semi-whipped cream. Place a sponge sheet in the base of the rectangular mould. Brush with the strong espresso coffee. Evenly spread out 1/3 of the tiramisu mix. Place a sponge sheet evenly on top. Brush with the strong espresso coffee. Evenly spread out 1/3 of the tiramisu mix. Place a sponge sheet evenly on top. Brush with the strong espresso coffee. Finally spread the remainder of the mix and smooth over. Place in fridge. 

Nectarine Jam from Queensland Nectarines

It is nectarine season - juicy, ripe, Queensland nectarines are delicious and sweet and perfect fresh or cooked. At Capelli Foods we are in the middle of the awesome task of processing 300kg of nectarines into delicious jam and chutney. At the moment, you can pick up great bargains with boxes of nectarines from markets and roadside stalls all over the Sunshine Coast.

Try to pick out the badly bruised fruit, some green is okay to increase the pectin level to help the setting.

Nectarine Jam

Chop fruit and remove the pips
In a large heavy based saucepan add fruit and a small amount of water.  Cook until fruit is soft.
Measure out fruit and add equal amounts of sugar.
Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice of per cup of pulp.
Heat without boiling until sugar is dissolved.
Bring to boil and boil uncovered until jam jells when tested.
Pour into hot sterilised jars, seal when cold. 

Recently Michael and the kids spent a day picking strawberries at the local strawberry farm. They were lucky to have the last pick of the season before the plants were dug back in to the paddock. They arrived home with rosy cheeks, red-stained lips and 15kg fresh picked sweet strawberries.

Strawberries never taste better than straight from the bush, it's also best not to store fresh strawberries in the fridge, it takes away the flavour and they tend to absorb other fridge odours.

We got to work right away to capture that yummy freshness by making strawberry jam. The kids became very efficient at hulling, although I wonder how many strawberries actually made it into the pot!

Our 15kgs of fresh strawberries made up 15 bottles of delicious, sweet, finger-licking jam. Here's the recipe:

Strawberry Jam

Cook hulled fruit in large pot with a thick bottom until they start to soften and produce their own juice.
Measure 1 cup of strawberry pulp to 1 cup of sugar
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for every cup of sugar.
Warm gradually until the sugar is dissolved and bring to a rolling boil.

To check if jam has reached setting point, place 1 teaspoon of jam onto a chilled saucer. Place into freezer for 1 to 2 minutes or until jam is at room temperature. Run your finger through jam. If the surface wrinkles and jam stays in 2 separate portions, it's ready to bottle. If not, cook for a little longer and retest.

The Perfect Steak

Whether you like your steak rare, medium or well done cooking the perfect steak is easy if you follow Capelli Foods top tips. Now that Summer is here, you can impress your friends at your next barbecue with a mouth watering steak. If the thought of cooking your own steak is too much, talk to Capelli Foods about having catering at your next bbq, take a look at our mouth-watering gourmet barbecue menu. 

Selection of the right cut of steak is important. The best cuts suited to the high heat of direct grilling are well marinated skirt steak, porterhouse, rump or fillet steak. I always return steaks to room temperature before grilling. Season (salt and pepper) your steak once on the BBQ (otherwise it will draw moisture from your steak). Use coarsely ground rock salt which protects the steak from sticking and creates a lovely crust.

Allow your steak to seal 2-3 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees so you end up with criss cross grill marks for presentation.

TURN STEAKS A MAXIMUM OF 3 TIMES

Moisture from the steak will push up away from the heat. The trick is to create a balance between the two sides of meat. Heat seals the meat reducing the moistures chance of escape. If the steak stays on one side too long, all the moisture will push out the other side and you will have a dry steak.

Pressing the steak is the best way to check how cooked the steak is - never cut the steak.

I use the finger to thumb method to determine how well the steak is done. When you press different fingers agains the fleshy pad at the base of your thumb it feels slightly different. This corresponds with how your steak feels when pressed depending on how well it is cooked. 

A rough guide

Index finger to base of thumb (rare to medium rare)
Middle finger to base of thumb (med-rare to medium)
Ring finger to base of thumb (medium to med-well)
Pinkie to base of thumb (med-well to well done)

The last step is most important

Rest the meat for half the time you took to cook it!

Hawaiian Chicken Breast

As caterers to customers all over the Sunshine Coast, at Capelli Foods (Gympie, Qld) many of our catering customers are passionate food lovers and are often asking us for tips. Chef Michael Hehir is more than happy to share recipes and techniques to help you start producing restaurant quality food in your kitchen. Here's a great recipe and poaching chart for salmon or trout. Keep up-to-date with the Capelli Foods restaurant progress in our events blog.  

Poached Salmon or Trout

Poaching Chart

A great potato dish that will be a real hit with all the family. A favourite with the staff here at Capelli catering in Gympie.

Spinach with potato

500gm potatoes

250gm frozen spinach

1 medium onion

1 tsp ginger finely chopped

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 tsp garam Marsala or curry powder

Large tin crushed tomatoes

1 cup stock (vegetable, chicken or water)

Defrost Spinach

Cook potatoes in their skins until almost but not quite done.  Leave to cool then cut into small cubes.

Chop the onion finely and sauté until translucent, add ginger and garlic to pan and stir in.  Add the spices, tomatoes, cup vegetable stock (or water), add the spinach, potatoes and cook to your liking and the spices have permeated the vegetables.

By request here is an "oldie but a goodie" that was very well recieved at the Capelli tent at the Music Muster just outside of Gympie.

5 Minute Bread Pudding

Loaf of raisin bread

250gm butter (softened)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

30ml brandy (or other spirit at hand)

200ml whipped cream

Dash nutmeg or cinnamon

Heat frying pan, cut 4 thick slices of raisin bread, and butters both sides with softened butter. Grill bread until brown and crispy on both sides.

While bread grills, in a small saucepan, heat the sweetened condensed milk over low heat for 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in brandy (or other plonk)

Cut each grilled sliced of bread into quarters and pile into 4 desserts cups.  Top with a few spoonfuls of condensed milk mixture, and a generous swirl of whipped cream. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Michael's "Muster Classes" at the National Music Muster where a huge success. Here are some of the marinades brought to you by Capelli Foods catering in Gympie.

Marinated Steak

Own choice of Steak

Marinade

¼ cup oil

¼ cup soy

1 tsp ginger chopped finely

1 tsp garlic chopped finely

1 chilli (optional)

1 tbsp brown sugar

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

Combine in the morning, add to steak and cook in the evening.

Or

Combine and leave overnight and cook for lunch  

Marinate for Fish

½ cup oil

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 tbsp chopped parsley

½ tsp oregano (dry or fresh)

½ tsp rosemary (dry or fresh)

1 tsp garlic chopped finely

Combine and marinate your choice of fish for 2 hours then cook.