The Australian Women’s Weekly Food Issue 72

We make it easy for you to plan ahead with our PREP-COOK-FREEZE icon on recipes that are most suitable for freezing. The Cosy Issue – it seemed like a perfectly apt theme for June, when, more than at any other time of the year, yummy, warming food provides both physical and emotional comfort. And it’s around this time that it makes perfect sense to break out the slow cooker. The drop in temperature makes you long for the satisfying heartiness of rich stews, spicy curries and slow roasts, with the slow cooker taking its rightful place as your go-to kitchen assistant. Plus, you’ll have dinner on the table with minimal fuss. This month in The Weekly’s Test Kitchen, we’ve created new and delicious recipes that will help you get the most out…

HEARTY COTTAGE PIE PREP + COOK TIME 3 HOURS 45 MINUTES SERVES 6 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil1 medium brown onion (150g), chopped finely3 cloves garlic, crushed1kg beef mince2 teaspoons paprika2 teaspoons cracked black pepper2 tablespoons plain flour1 stalk celery (150g), trimmed, chopped finely1 medium carrot (120g), chopped finely2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce¼ cup (70g) tomato paste1 cup (250ml) beef stock1kg potatoes, chopped coarsely60g butter, chopped1⅓ cup (80ml) milk, warmed1 cup (120g) coarsely grated cheddar¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat–leaf parsley 1 Heat oil in a 4.5-litre (18-cup) slow cooker on sear (high) setting; cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add beef; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. Drain excess oil, if needed. 2 Add paprika and pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add…

The principle ingredient in bread is flour, which can be derived from any number of cereal grains, including wheat, rye, barley, corn and oats. A gluten-free flour can also be made from seeds, such as buckwheat, teff or millet. STAGES OF BREADMAKING Kneading While you can use a machine with a dough hook, great pleasure can be had from kneading the dough manually. You will feel the change in the dough through your hands – from tacky or sticky, to elastic and smooth. What you are actually doing is forming a network of gluten, giving the dough elasticity and texture. Dough that is enriched with eggs and butter is sticky, so is best made with a machine. Proving After kneading, bread is set aside to prove ‘in a warm place’, the ideal temperature being 27°C.…

On Instagram, Chloe shared her version of King Kong Cookies from our cookbook, #Vegan Life. As their name suggests, these yummy, power-packed treats will make you feel like scaling tall buildings and taking on the world! On the hunt for a quick family dinner? Our Instagram fans loved this Spinach & Ricotta-stuffed Chicken Parmigiana – it’s easy to make and and even easier to eat! No wonder this Rigatoni with Arrabbiata & Chorizo Sauce almost broke the internet when we posted it on Facebook. It’s a classic that tastes even better than it looks. Why settle for store-bought when you could be slathering butter on a slice of freshly baked Coconut Banana Bread? Our Pinterest community was smitten! Visit us on Instagram @womensweeklyfood follow us on Facebook or drop us an email at recipeenquiries@aremedia.com.au…

SAVE THE PLANET, ONE TEA TOWEL AT A TIME Refresh your kitchen and help to reduce landfill with KE Design’s collection of Australian-made ECO tea towels. Made from RPET, a yarn made from recycled bottles and fabric offcuts, they’re a stylish and highly effective way to dry those dishes. RRP $24.99; kedesign.com.au MEET ’N’ EAT The Good Food & Wine Show kicks off in Sydney, 24-27 June, then heads to Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne. Meet local producers, winemakers and distillers, and watch celebrity chefs, such as Matt Moran (right) and Silvia Colloca, at live cooking demonstrations. Visit goodfoodshow. com.au for details. YES, CHEF! Can your mixer handle anything you throw at it? Our Test Kitchen’s has to! Turn to page 103 to see how simple it is to make a fabulous cake with the Kenwood…

The peak season for cabbage is winter, but it is available all year round. The key to cooking any kind of cabbage is to keep it brief. If served as a separate vegetable, white cabbage, Savoy cabbage and wombok should be cooked until they’re just wilted. Overcooking releases unpleasant aromas and flavours from the sulphur compounds in the leaves. WHITE CABBAGE Pale green, fading to cream or white at the centre, white cabbage comes in round or long (sugarloaf) varieties. Good for coleslaw, stir-fries or steamed in a steamer or covered saucepan with butter until just wilted. Enhance its flavour by cooking it with butter and a sprinkle of caraway seeds, or toss it with lightly fried chopped streaky bacon until just wilted. Briefly blanch cabbage leaves (drop into boiling water for a…