Latest news with #MaggieBeer
7NEWS
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
We make potato nachos AKA delicious loaded smashed potatoes three different ways
Annabel Bower is an Australian chef and food stylist that lives in Adelaide. Today, Annabel is cooking 'loaded smashed potatoes'. You boil the potatoes, then smash and bake them and load them with a range of toppings Annabel will demo three different flavours: Mexican, avocado and sour cream; Bacon, cheese and caramelised onion; Basil pesto, bocconcini caprese salad. Loaded Smashed Potatoes Loaded Mexican Smashed Potatoes 1kg baby potatoes Olive oil Sea salt Mexican Toppings 2 avocados (or 300gms store bought guacamole) 1 lime ¼ cup Jalapeno slices 1 cup Sour Cream ½ bunch of Coriander, leaves and stems chopped + extra for garnish 200gm Cherry tomatoes, diced 1 shallot finely diced 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar Manchego Cheese 50gms Paprika Method Steam potatoes in a double boiler on the stove top or in a steam oven at 100 percent steam for 25-30 minutes. Pat off any moisture from the potatoes with paper towel. Line an oven tray with baking paper and drizzle with olive oil. Place potatoes on the tray spaced out evenly. Using a chunky glass, smash down the potato until it is flattened halfway. Use a fork to create more fluffed up bits if you like – more fluff = more crunch! Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 230 degrees fan forced for 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the toppings. For the guacamole, smash together the avocado and lime juice with a pinch of salt. For the salsa combine the diced tomato, diced shallot, half of the coriander (chopped), red wine vinegar and a splash of olive oil. To assemble, spread ½ a cup of sour cream over the base of a serving platter, sprinkle with paprika. Top with one layer of potato followed by generous dollops of guacamole, salsa, and some jalapenos. Repeat on a second layer with the remaining potatoes, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. Sprinkle with jalapenos, paprika, sprigs of coriander and freshly shaved Manchego cheese and an extra sprinkle of paprika. Serve hot or at room temperature. Loaded Caprese Smashed Potatoes 1kg baby potatoes Olive oil Sea salt Caprese toppings 240 grams bocconcini 100gms basil pesto homemade or a good quality bought pesto like Maggie Beer's 1 bunch of fresh basil 250gms Truss tomatoes 8 slices of thinly sliced prosciutto (optional) Balsamic Vinegar to drizzle A good quality Australian olive oil to finish – I love Longtrail Farm's Olive Oil Method Steam potatoes in a double boiler on the stove top or in a steam oven at 100 percent steam for 25-30 minutes. Pat off any moisture from the potatoes with paper towel. Line an oven tray with baking paper and drizzle with olive oil. Place potatoes on the tray spaced out evenly. Using a chunky glass, smash down the potato until it is flattened halfway. Use a fork to create more fluffed up bits if you like – more fluff = more crunch! Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 230 degrees fan forced for 30 minutes. On a separate tray place the truss of cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 15-20 minutes of the begin to burst slightly. To assemble spread 1/3 of the pesto on the base of your serving plate. Top with a layer of potatoes followed by ½ of the bocconcini. I like to tear it apart and scatter it evenly. Next add some dollops of pesto, some of the roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. Top with the next later of potatoes and repeat loading with bocconcini, pesto, and basil leaves. Place the remaining cherry tomatoes, roasted on the truss on the top of the finished pile. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and some good quality olive oil. Loaded Cheese, Bacon Smashed Potatoes 1kg baby potatoes Olive oil Sea salt Cheese and bacon topping 200grams shortcut bacon, diced 200 grams grated cheese (tasty, Colby, mozzarella, parmesan) ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional) Fresh chives and or BBQ sauce Method Steam potatoes in a double boiler on the stove top or in a steam oven at 100 percent steam for 25-30 minutes. Pat off any moisture from the potatoes with paper towel. Line an oven tray with baking paper and drizzle with olive oil. Place potatoes on the tray spaced out evenly. Using a chunky glass, smash down the potato until it is flattened halfway. Use a fork to create more fluffed up bits if you like – more fluff = more crunch! Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 230 degrees fan forced for 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the toppings. Over medium heat fry off the bacon until golden and crisp. Set aside on paper towel to drain any fat. When the potatoes are golden and crispy, remove from oven, leaving them on the tray. Sprinkle ½ of the cheese evenly over the top of each potato then sprinkle with the garlic powder if using. Top with bacon followed by the remaining cheese. Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Serve on a board topped with freshly cut chives and or a drizzle of your favourite BBQ sauce. Perfect snacks to enjoy during the footy finals!
9 News
6 days ago
- Health
- 9 News
Maggie Beer has an urgent financial deadline for her aged care mission
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Maggie Beer has a financial deadline for her culinary mission to transform food at thousands of aged care homes . The effusive celebrity chef, 80, is using her reputation and influence to head up the Maggie Beer Foundation and has been working to put delicious food onto the plates of vulnerable elderly Australians. Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra today, Beer said the government cash injection to her foundation for first-of-its-kind specialised chef training in aged care homes will run out in 2026. Maggie Beer, Founder of the Maggie Beer Foundation addresses the media at the National Press Club. (Getty) "We simply have not got the capacity to meet demand and our current funding ends in September next year," Beer said. "[We've had] 135 homes will be through this program. Every day, we get a new inquiry. 135 homes doesn't sound much, but believe you me, the filtering down effect is there. "We, the foundation, myself, personally, are advocating fiercely for it to continue." Beer is building a roadmap for a future model of aged care and food is at the heart of it. Part of the mission is to bridge the training gap in cook and chef roles across the nearly 2700 Commonwealth-subsidised homes in Australia. Her message has been simple: lovingly-prepared, nutritious food equals better wellbeing. She told the press club that an ageing population urgently demands more skilled chefs, kitchen hands and staff with a passion for food. "Beautiful food will make such a difference to the wellbeing of residents and pride of the teams," she said. "Without those equal amounts of flavour, goodness and pleasure, food becomes a commodity. "Food becomes institutionalised, and leads to residents not eating well, or not eating enough. And that leads to malnutrition." Beer is building a roadmap for a future model of aged care and food is at the heart of it. (Getty) Beer said meals shouldn't be an "afterthought" in aged care homes. But she acknowledged that underfunding is rampant. In 2021/22, an average of just $14.46 was spent on food per resident per day at aged care providers. "Fresh real ingredients provide flavour that frozen never can, and we can show aged care homes that cooking fresh actually does not cost more," she added. "However, only if supported by the skill set, passion and knowledge and support of management, it is all possible and because I know there's so little money to spare within aged care homes." Aged care facilities are home to some of the most vulnerable members of Australia's elderly population. According to Dementia Australia, there are an estimated 433,300 Australians living with dementia in 2025. And over half of the 245,000 people in aged care were living with dementia as of 2022. Beer said good food can be a familiar, safe space for those enduring the sometimes traumatic transition of moving into care. "One of the most evocative things is a sense of smell that stays with us and smell that links to good memories," Beer explained. "Living with dementia is so hard but I can tell you those instincts are still there. "It's never going to be easy, but all those things can make such a difference." The celebrity chef said meals shouldn't be an "afterthought" in aged care homes. (Maggie Beer/Instagram) In a submission on the Aged Care Bill 2024, The Maggie Beer Foundation Trainer Mentor Program asked for an extension to its funding beyond September 2026. The Maggie Beer Foundation has petitioned for $15.3 million across three years to fund its program to improve food in aged care and solutions for older people recieving care at home. Beer also issued a plea to the Federal Minister for Ageing and Seniors Sam Rae, who was sitting in the room in Canberra today, for more funding. "We run a very lean show. And there's no money for us to be funded," she said. "I can't bear to think of it as being lost. It's so very valuable. "So you can be sure I will be advocating fiercely again to the government to support the program." national food Australia Aged Care federal politics CONTACT US
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Would you be happy for your gran to eat this? Disturbing 'slop' photo from Aussie aged care home sparks uproar - with a celebrity coming under fire
A nauseating photo of a processed meal served at a major Australian aged care facility has sparked uproar. The meal, described as 'abhorrent' with an 'off-putting odour', featured a white blob of what appeared to be reconstituted potato alongside pureed green and brown mounds. LinkedIn user Denise Abrahams shared the image to social media, claiming the quality of the food left a visitor to an unnamed residential facility run by a major commercial aged care provider 'shocked'. Given the scene, Ms Abrahams questioned the effectiveness of taxpayer-funded nutrition programs such as those offered by the Maggie Beer Foundation - the charity started by the celebrity chef to improve food in aged care. 'I was annoyed that this still exists in light of the many millions paid to Maggie Beer to solve the problem of getting fresh, nutritious food served in facilities and other claimed initiatives by government for this purpose,' she posted. Hundreds weighed in on the controversy, with many calling the quality of the food a national disgrace. Some labelled the meal 'inhumane', while others accused aged care providers of putting profit before people. 'This is absolutely unacceptable,' said one. 'We are talking about feeding the most vulnerable members of our communities, our elders, and this is what's being served. 'A chemically processed, nutritionally empty plate that wouldn't pass in a school cafeteria, let alone a residential care facility. 'If we wouldn't serve this to our kids or our pets, why are we giving it to our elders under the guise of care?' Be Fit Food owner Kate Save said the problem with most aged care facilities was the budget allocated to meals rarely met the needs of residents. However, another person argued that while he wasn't excusing the poor quality of the food pictured, some people in aged care had dysphagia and other eating disorders that required food to be a mushy consistency. 'Anglicare has a food factory where they actually spend a lot of effort crafting and trialling to produce 'interesting' food to meet this need,' he said. A government aged care sector performance report released this month identified food and nutrition as a top three risk area for the industry. Between January and March 2025 staff from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission visited 88 dining rooms across Australia to monitor the dining experience of people receiving care at those services. The most common issue was staff incorrectly preparing or providing texture-modified food and thickened fluids. It found the poor quality of meals was considered a result of 'cost-cutting' measures in place within the service and the need to source cheaper ingredients. There were also concerns that resident nutritional plans were not followed and contributed to weight loss amongst residents due to insufficient food quantities and inadequate nutrition. The Commission has established a Food, Nutrition and Dining Advisory Support Unit and hotline to help aged care staff and providers to deliver higher quality and more nutritious meals to people in aged care. In 2025, an impact report from Maggie Beer's foundation claimed the program had improved food standards for 9000 aged care residents, employed 13 chef trainers nationwide, and conducted 157 menu appraisals over the past decade. But with more than 200,000 Australians living in aged care, critics say the reach is still limited. A survey commissioned by the foundation and conducted by Flinders University's Aged Care Food and Nutrition Research Team found just 67 per cent of aged care residents were satisfied with the food they received.
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
MasterChef Australia tears apart this season's romance as Back To Win lovebirds are separated in brutal elimination
MasterChef Australia broke hearts on Sunday night after one half of this year's most talked about kitchen love story was sent home. Declan Cleary, who made headlines in June after announcing his relationship with fellow contestant Sarah Todd, hung up his apron for the last time after his inside out skewers were deemed 'incomplete' by the judges. The challenge, a 'decreasing time versus increasing ingredients' task, was set by culinary icon and national treasure Maggie Beer. The fan favourite chef narrowly missed the Back To Win season's top ten and a shot at the top prize alongside his newly-revealed beau thanks to a sauceless 'slaw, which left the celebrity chefs wanting more. Now, the MasterChef judges have whittled down the competition to 10 ambitious cooks, fighting it out behind the stove as temperatures soar. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The final few include social media star Sarah, season three's Alana Lowes, the debut season's Andre Ursini, MasterChef Asia judge Audra Morrice. Likewise moving forward are Kiwi chef Ben Macdonald and third-time MasterChef participant Callum Hann. Also in the mix are MasterChef India guest judge Depinder Chhibber, food educator Jamie Fleming, Fugazzi owner Laura Sharrad and Balkan-inspired chef Snezana Calic. Earlier this month, Sarah and Declan came clean about their secret romance, revealing that they have already moved in together following the high-pressure show. Speaking to this week's Stellar Magazine, Declan, 27, revealed that the pair 'instantly got along', which saw them spend lots of time together behind the scenes. However, it wasn't until 38-year-old Sarah landed in an elimination challenge that Declan's feelings became apparent, and he knew he needed to tell her how he felt. 'As she's walking into the elimination [challenge], I said, "Sarah, can I ask you something? Would you like to go on a date with me?" 'And she just looked at me and said, "You're a bloody idiot",' he said. While the poorly-timed invitation didn't land the way he thought it would, Sarah eventually came around to the idea of them together. 'After I got through the stress of the elimination and had a couple of days to recover, I realised it made sense,' she said. For their first date, the pair visited Grampians National Park for a romantic weekend away. They enjoyed exploring markets, eating at picturesque restaurants and going for walks in the central Victoria highlands. Now, after wrapping filming on the show, Declan has made the move from Sydney's Northern Beaches to Melbourne. They are joined by his dog Sol and her 14-year-old son Phoenix. MasterChef Australia airs five nights a week from Sunday to Thursday on Channel 10 and 10 Play.
Time Out
30-05-2025
- Business
- Time Out
Sneak peek: Australia's ‘cleanest' airport just got a luxe new business class lounge
Flying out of Adelaide just got a whole lot fancier – well, at least for travellers with a hunk of frequent flyer points (or cash to burn). This month, Qantas unveiled its first domestic business lounge at Adelaide Airport, which was recently named the world's sixth cleanest airport for 2025. It's the airline's first all-new domestic business lounge since Melbourne in 2018, and possibly its most luxurious yet. Let's take a look inside. The signature offering of the new lounge is its sleek Market Kitchen, featuring a live cooking station inspired by Adelaide Central Market and producers across the state. Here, guests can order rotating dishes created by Qantas' Food and Beverage Director Neil Perry – think Skala Bakery pie floaters loaded with gravy and peas; lamb cutlets topped with chutney; or a hearty roast veggie paella. Lighter snacks are also available, designed by South Australian culinary treasure, Maggie Beer, alongside a standard buffet spread featuring local cheeses, charcuterie, bread and condiments from the likes of Barossa Fine Foods, Marino, Balfours and Udder Delights. Naturally, the lounge champions South Australia's world-class regional wines, pouring top drops from the likes of The Lane Vineyard, Penfolds and Torbreck. Open from midday, the bar also serves up a signature Adelaide Hills G&T, plus a non-alcoholic Maggie Beer sparkling ruby cabernet. The spirit of South Australia also shines in the lounge's decor, which takes inspiration from three of the state's most iconic locations: the Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide Central Market and Kangaroo Island 's Flinders Chase National Park. These landscapes are portrayed through earthy green and light brown furniture, clay-red tiles in the buffet area and bathrooms, and a stunning blown-glass light installation by JamFactory. Whether you're in work or business mode, the lounge caters to every kind of traveller with a mix of solo nooks and social spaces. It has capacity for up to 190 guests, with 80 per cent of the seats equipped with power stations, including USB-A/C and wireless charging mats. Talk about high-tech! Access to Qantas' new Adelaide domestic business lounge is complimentary for Business Class passengers and Gold or Platinum Frequent Flyers. But if you're eager to experience the high life, you can also score access with the airline's new low-cost subscription models.
