Oilyrag Xmas treats

Oilyrag Xmas treats

By Frank and Muriel Newman

Sun, family, fun - and oilyrag feasts. That pretty much sums up summer holidays for many so we thought we would come up with some classic kiwi treats.

No kiwi cook could be whole without knowing how to whip up a tasty pav’. There are lots of pavlova recipes but the key ingredients don’t generally change. And for those with lots of eggs, it is a low cost treat. All you need are 4 egg whites, 1 cup castor (fine) sugar, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, and 1 tablespoon cornflour.

Preheat the oven to 150C. Beat the egg whites until stiff (when peaks like the Southern Alps form). Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating after each. Beat for another 10 minutes or so then sprinkle the remaining ingredients in and mix carefully. Place the mixture onto a baking paper covered tray (baking paper not grease proof paper!), and shape into a circle about 200mm in diameter. Put the pav into the oven and turn down to 125C. Wait an hour then turn the oven off. Leave it in the oven until cold or overnight (this forms the nice crust).

Top your creation with a layer of cream and slices of kiwifruit (of course!), or strawberries as an alternative.

Talking about strawberries, Katrina from Wellington has a real Christmas treat for children. “To make ‘santa-hat’ strawberries I cut the bottom off each strawberry to remove the leaves and stem (the green bits). Dip the bottom into melted white chocolate then dip into coconut. That makes a fluffy white rim of the santa hat. Repeat for the tip of the strawberry to make the fluffy white pom-pom. My kids love them.”

To melt the chocolate for dipping, break a block of white chocolate into pieces, and put into a metal bowl above a pot of boiling water.

Another treat is the Oily Rag Burger - they are cheaper and bigger than the bought ones. All you really need is mince and a couple of buns (and heaps of tomato sauce!). Any number of ingredients can be added depending on your appetite and what is available at the time. Some time ago we asked the oily rag community what they are putting on their oily rag burgers and this is what they said: toast bread or buns, a big mince patty (whatever is on special), sliced tomato from your garden, slug free garden fresh lettuce, beetroot, avocado, fried onions, a home-grown fried egg, and so on. There’s no limit to what you can add.

There are loads of variations.

Tara from Palmerston North writes, “Here’s a great trick my mother taught me on how to make delicious cheese for a burger. Slice onions - whole rings work best - place on the grill (flat grill) then add cheese (Edam works well) within the onion rings to melt. Cheese is contained within the onion borders making a cheese patty of sorts and the combined taste of melted cheese and onion flavour is yum yum on a burger!”

Sam from Te Awamutu says, “Buy your buns in the morning. Shops usually have a good selection of day old bread at a reduced price. You can toast the buns for your burgers and no-one will ever know they weren’t totally fresh.”

Cate from Hamilton says, “When we were both studying with a young family we discovered that adding a good heap of rolled oats to the mince mixture was a fantastic healthy ‘stretcher’ to bulk up the patties. Even better is to then add grated carrot or zucchini which puts moisture back into the patty and is unrecognisable to those fussy vegetable-averse people!”

Bon Appétit - and Merry Christmas from the oily rag team.

Do you have a favourite oily rag New Year’s resolution that you would like to share with others? If so, please send it to us at www.oilyrag.co.nz or write to Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box 984, Whangarei.

*Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Readers can submit their oily rag tips on-line at www.oilyrag.co.nz. The book is available from bookstores and online at www.oilyrag.co.nz.

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