The Australian Women’s Weekly Food Issue 78

Happy New Year! There are few things that most of us love more than summer holidays – and I think after the year we’ve had, we’ve all earned a little rest and relaxation. This issue, we’re celebrating everything that’s good in January: swims, casual catchups and lazy afternoon naps. Food-wise, it’s just as relaxed, with barbecues taking centre stage. Burgers are one of those crowd-appeal recipes where anything goes, and we’ve come up with a surprising new twist. Our cover recipe is a juicy pork burger with zingy pickled peaches and a smoky nectarine relish – it’s a real summer taste sensation! I hope you’ll take inspiration from our low-stress dinners, fancy sandwiches and grazing boards to help you chill out – you can even encourage the kids to get involved to…

IN SEASON January Vegetables Beans Capsicums Celery Corn Cucumbers Eggplants Garlic Lettuces Onions Peas Potatoes Radishes Tomatoes Watercress Fruit Apricots Blackberries Blueberries Cherries Grapes Limes Mangoes Melons Nectarines Oranges Peaches Pears Plums Raspberries Strawberries LOW-SUGAR Healthy start to the day If you’re after a fresh low-sugar breakfast option, try Lakanto’s new Low Carb Protein Pancake Mix. Made with monk fruit sweetener, it’s great for a quick, easy and healthy family brekkie. Plus, it’s suitable for diabetics and those who have a gluten, dairy and nut intolerance. Delicious with yoghurt and sugar-free curd. Look for Lakanto at your supermarket, health food store or online. For more, visit lakanto.com.au FOR THE LUNCHBOX Galaxy Fruits are in season and out of this world! Pluto and Sunstar Plums are sweet, bright and very snackable. Saturn peaches are flat, making them easy to pack into lunchboxes as kids head back to school. Find these interstellar stone fruits in supermarkets this summer. For more information, blast off to lpgcutrifruitglobal.com KITCHEN TECH Making the spud more…

Alfresco season is in full swing! Here’s how to build a delightful cheese board with a summery twist by adding Montague CROC EGGS™ plums. Their juicy, red flesh, with naturally high sugars, makes them the perfect sweet complement to funky, flavourful cheeses like vintage cheddar, Manchego, taleggio and Brillat-Savarin. 1 Position wedges of your chosen cheeses on a large board toward the edges. You can add some quince or plum paste as well, if you like. 2 Place cut-up lengths of baguette near cheeses, on a diagonal to balance the other shapes. 3 Make a few stacks of crackers near the wedges of cheese. 4 Fill larger gaps with slices of fresh CROC EGGS™ plums and dried dates. You could add a few small whole plums for visual effect. 5 Fill any smaller gaps with…

Vegemite & cheese twists PREP + COOK TIME 30 MINUTES (+ FREEZING) MAKES 24 2 sheets puff pastry1 tablespoon Vegemite⅔ cup (50g) finely grated parmesan cheese 1 Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan. Grease two oven trays; line trays with baking paper. 2 Spread one pastry sheet with half the Vegemite; sprinkle with half the cheese. Top with remaining pastry sheet; spread with remaining Vegemite, then sprinkle with remaining cheese. 3 Cut pastry stack in half lengthways; place one stack on top of the other, press down firmly. Cut pastry crossways into 24 strips; twist each strip several times, pinching ends to seal. Place on trays. Freeze for 30 minutes. 4 Bake twists for 12 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Damper PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR (+ STANDING) SERVES 6 3 cups (450g) self-raising flour1 teaspoon salt30g butter½…

Corn low-down • Fresh Whole ears of corn with the husk still on. • Frozen Kernels removed from the cob, blanched and chilled, then snap frozen to preserve freshness. • Canned corn kernels Whole cooked kernels packed in water. • Creamed corn Made by combining pieces of whole sweet corn with a soup of milky residue from pulped corn kernels scraped from the cob. • Popcorn Made from a variety of corn with kernels that expand and puff when they’re heated. • Corn meal Ground, dried corn kernels that are used to make cornbread, grits and polenta. • Corn starch A gluten-free thickener. FRESH VS CANNED You might be surprised to learn that corn is as good from a can as it is fresh, with similar nutritional value. CHOOSING The husk of fresh corn will be bright green and tightly wrapped…

PREP+ COOK TIME 40 MINTUES (+ PICKLING) SERVES 4 500g pork mince1 egg, beaten lightly1 cup (70g) fresh breadcrumbs1 eschalot, chopped finely1 tablespoon seeded mustard2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed1 teaspoon dried oregano4 slices prosciutto4 milk or brioche buns, halved2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oilaioli and thinly slicedLebanese cucumber, to serve4 butter lettuce leaves2 tomatoes, sliced thinly SMOKY NECTARINE RELISH 2 large ripe yellow nectarines, chopped1 eschalot, chopped finely1 ripe tomato, chopped finely⅓ cup (75g) caster sugar¼ cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar1 teaspoon smoked paprika PICKLED PEACHES ½ teaspoon mustard seeds¼ cup (55g) caster sugar¼ cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar½ teaspoon salt flakes2 large firm peaches, thinly sliced1 small red onion, sliced thinly 1 To make smoky nectarine relish, combine nectarines, eschalot, tomato, sugar, vinegar and paprika in a small saucepan over medium…