Jumbuck Casserole -Guest Author Simone Sinna

email

It's Too Yummy Tuesday!

On select Tuesdays I share delicious recipes either inspired by my books or that are just plain delicious! Today I'm happy to have special guest Simone Sinna, author of  Ballbreaker. Take it away!

Jumbuck Casserole followed by Pavlova

I had a lot of fun writing my latest novella, BallBreaker, set on a sheep ranch in Victoria, Australia. It was inspired by a friend’s property (since sold) and I spent many weekends there riding (though not on the cross country course where Sam shows Mike up – though they do hunt there, there are no designed jumps as described) and occasionally helping out with their sheep. The sheep were breed for wool, not meat, but it made me think of a lamb recipe that’s very Australian. There are pets in the book (look out for a Chihuahua with attitude and how she tames the dog the size of a pony) but no pet sheep!

If you have a crock pot/ slow cooker this is a great meal in virtually any weather. In winter I have it with potatoes (small and roasted with rosemary), in summer with salad.

Jumbuck Casserole

Jumbuck is a slang word for sheep, featuring in a favourite Aussie song, Waltzing Matilda. 

Use shoulder chops, two per person or three if you’re hungry! For 4-6 people: Put the chops in a plastic bag, add a couple of tablespoons of flour, pepper to taste and two teaspoons of curry powder. Heat some oil, slowly cook two sliced onions, remove, add a little more oil and turn up the heat a bit higher to brown the chops. Remove and use a little red wine (it’ll hiss and evaporate, so add a little more if needed) to loosen the flour that is there. Put onions and browned chops in a casserole dish with a tablespoon of brown sugar, two tablespoons each of tomato and Worchester sauce, a bit of red wine and a bit of stock- enough to completely cover and cook at 350 Farenheit for half an hour. Then add 300-500gm pumpkin in one-two inch chunks, add more stock if needed to cover and cook another half hour. Add salt to taste.

Pavlova

We Australians think pavlova is ours (after our famous ballet dancer Anna Pavlova) but who knows! I can’t imagine any ballet dancer eating this if they wanted to keep their figure. The homemade base is soooo much better than any bought one, even if it doesn’t rise. You can always serve it as a triumph with a ton of cream and fruit. The secret is clean egg whites (not a speck of yolk!) in a very dry bowl and a slow steady oven. Electric does this better than gas.

Beat 6 egg whites while slowly adding I cup of sugar and 1 cup of castor sugar…for a long time (my mother says 15minutes!)…until stiff, white and thick. Then add 3 teaspoons of cornflour, 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla essence and three teaspoons of  white vinegar for one minute. Pour onto a tray greased and topped with greased baking paper. Oven temp to 375 degrees, down to 150 after you put it in. Check regularly after one hour (may take up to two) for it to rise and be white and crisp on top.

When it’s cold, thinly slice bananas on top. Then whip up cream with a little castor sugar, a dash of vanilla essence and layer over. On top of the cream put Kiwi Fruit and strawberries. Some healthy things and all taste great!

Enjoy eating and reading!

Simone Sinna

www.simonesinna.com

Foolow @simonesinna

Ballbreaker

Samantha Coulton hates her job. She loves father, who she can’t say no to, but unfortunately he is also her boss and relies on her to be the ballbreaker in his hardest assignments. She is the only one that is likely to be able to broker a deal between Jeremy and his brother Mike Sandford after their father dies, over management of their sheep. If they can’t agree, then she gets a vote and the majority wins.

Trouble is, the Sandford boys have other ideas. With her stuck on their sheep ranch until the deal is done, Jeremy plans to seduce her and Mike scare her off. But as both of them fall for her, and she them, things don’t go exactly according to plan, jeopardising the future of the farm unless Samantha can find a way for the brothers to work together against a common enemy.

Genre: BDSM, Contemporary, Ménage at Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys

Length: 26,343 words

Available: www.bookstrand.com/simone-sinna only $4.50