Recipe: From what I read in the Internet the Australian aborigenes

(in Spanish) or natives were vegetarians & they ate roots. Nevertheless, here are some typical recipes, but with an English flavor to them. I recommend that you do the Search in the Internet & at least read the names of the roots they ate. Probably some of those roots are like our yuca, which taste like the potatoes or our ame. It is important for your general information & culture that you read that material. Here are a couple of the recipes found at Aussie Foodies: Typical Australian Food:

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LAMINGTONS

It is said that Lamingtons were invented in the Queensland Government House kitchen as a creative use for stale sponge cake. I do not recommend that you use stale cake, but the mixture is easier to handle if the cake is not too fresh and crumbly. They are named after Lady Lamington, the wife of the Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901.

2 cups self-raising flour
pinch salt
3/4 cup sugar
125 gm butter
3 eggs
a few drops of vanilla essence
1/2 cup milk

Sift the flour and salt together. Cream the sugar and butter, and add the eggs and vanilla essence. Beat well, then fold in the flour and salt mixture and add the milk.
Grease a tray about 50cm deep and add the mixture. Bake at 180 C for 30-35 minutes and allow to cool on a wire rack. When it is cold, cut the cake into 3 inch squares.

ICING FOR THE LAMINGTONS:
2 cups of icing sugar.
4 tablespoons of cocoa.
125gm butter.
1 teaspoon of lemon essence.
warm water.
2 cups of desiccated coconut.

Start to make the chocolate icing by sifting the icing sugar and cocoa together. Melt the butter, add the lemon essence and beat into the sugar and cocoa mixture. Beat well and add enough water to give the required consistency - sticky and gooey, so that it will stick to the cake and not run off.

Put the coconut into a shallow tray. Dip each lamington in the icing and then roll in the desiccated coconut while the icing is till moist. Leave to dry on a wire rack. Messy to make but wonderful to eat!

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MEAT PIE

This is one of Australia's "icon" dishes. It is traditionally about 15cm (6 inches) in diameter and eaten in the hands with tomato sauce (or tomato ketchup, is you are from the U.S.A.) and is usually accompanied by a cold beer.

The pastry is always shortcrust, with sometimes a flaky pastry cover. This recipe makes one large pie or several smaller ones. The smaller ones, just large enough to hold in one hand, are the most common in Australia, being sold as snack food.

1 1/2 to 2 kg chuck steak, trimmed and chopped into small cubes. 3 bacon rashers (optional), chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
1 stick celery, finely chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 batch shortcrust pastry (see below)

Fry the bacon and onion over a low heat until the onion is soft. Add the chopped steak. Pour in the water and season with the salt, pepper, and thyme. Then add the celery. Cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.

Mix the flour with a little water to a smooth, runny mixture (roux), then stir this into the meat mixture. Stir until the mixture thickens. Pour into a deep pie dish. If you are making small pies, then line small pie dishes with the pastry and fill them with the meat mixture.

Wet the rim of the pie with milk or beaten egg. Place a layer of pastry on top of the pie to form a lid. Trim the lid to the shape and size of the pie dish. Press the edges together with a fork to seal. Make some steam holes in the top and glaze with beaten egg or milk.

Bake in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes (maybe less for the smaller ones).

SHORTCRUST PASTRY:
3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 cup self raising flour
pinch salt
100 gm cooking margarine or butter
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

The above ingredients make one batch of the shortcrust pastry for the meat pies. You might need to make more than one batch to complete the small pies.

Place the flours and salt into a mixing bowl, rub in the margarine or butter with your fingertips, and mix into a dough with the water and lemon juice. Turn out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead lightly with a little flour. Let it rest for about 20 minutes before rolling it out into a sheet ready for the pie crust.