From A Kiwi Kitchen, With Love

2010-11-27T19:28:00.007+13:00

LEMON CURD

(Makes about 4 cups)

I finally had a bit of spare time to make use of some of the hundreds of large lemons we have again this year, so...today it was Lemon Curd (thank you, Jo, for the free eggs...one jar is definitely for you!), American Lemonade, and candied lemon zest strips (for later use when I make White Chocolate Mousse topped with Lemon Curd and Candied Zest - from my Foodtown Magazine that arrived this week.)

Anyway, there are several versions of Lemon Curd or Lemon Honey, but they are all quite similar. Some use whole eggs and I opted for yolks only for a richer yellow colour. Some also use quite a bit more butter and I opted for a lower cholesterol version. My mate, Linda, also uses a similar microwave version, but I found that one to be a bit tricky as you must stop the microwave often to stir to make sure you don't end up with lemony scrambled eggs. Linda's is always perfect, however, mine was a bit grainy and not the smooth texture like Linda's was.

In any case, here is the version I think is most popular here, and I may opt to post a whole-egg version later as well, if it turns out well enough. One quick thing to note, is that if you are only using the yolks, the whites can be used to make Meringue Biscuits to eat with the cooled Lemon Curd which is a lovely sort of "Lemon Meringue Pie Deconstructed".

INGREDIENTS:

8 Egg Yolks
2 Cups Sugar
100 Gm Butter, cubed
2 Tbsp Lemon Zest
200 Ml Lemon Juice (about 6 good sized lemons)

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, slowly begin heating the yolks and sugar and combine well.

Once the mixture is well incorporated, add the butter, zest and juice, stirring constantly.

Bring this mixture just to a boil and remove it from the heat, continuing to stir until the mixture begins to cool and thicken slightly.

Carefully pour the Lemon Curd into clean canning jars and tighten the lids just until snug befor leaving to cool.

Refrigerate the Lemon Curd and enjoy. This should last 3-4 weeks in the fridge...if there is any left by then!

Bon apetite!

2010-11-13T12:16:00.005+13:00

CHOCOLATE, COCONUT, OATMEAL NO-BAKE COOKIES

(Courtesy of Pam at "For The Love of Cooking")

What a week. Baby went with her school mates on her first school camping trip. It was 4 days and 3 nights which seemed very long to this overprotective American Mum who worries too much. She came home yesterday afternoon safe & sound, albeit quite knackered (exhausted to the point I thought she would fall asleep in the car). She wrote notes for herself to remember the highlights from each day and read them back to us in the car on the way home from the train station.

I took her day pack into the house before marching her upstairs for a much needed bath, and noticed it was unusually heavy for what should have been in it...well...when I emptied the bag, in addition to 3 full sandwiches, 2 apples, 1 and a half snack bars (presumably her lunches from the last 3 days), and a wet towel, I also pulled out several rocks, about 2 cups of beach sand (minimum) and a dead sea sponge! (Some of the loot is pictured below and even the cat was perplexed.)

Imagine reaching into a bag for a towel to launder, and touching THAT thing! Eeyuck! LOL

Now, back to the cookies...I was to send a batch of baked treats (no one necessarily knew these weren't technically "baked") along with the other families doing the same, for the kids and their teachers & other adults to enjoy as afternoon snacks and such. So, of course I had many recipes to choose from...too many, and I needed a quick decision so I asked a friend in Oregon to help me out. She directed me to her mate's site and this recipe, which was a great help and an easy and tasty recipe to try. As a matter of fact, I made two double batches...one for Baby to take to camp and another to share between home and work. So, thank you Pam & Cheryl, for your assistance.

In Pam's post, she mentions that the cookies were a bit moist and not to make them in humid weather, however...I have added a bit more sugar to make the chocolate syrup just a bit "stickier" to hold together and, I dried them "Pavlova style" in the oven afterwards and they were perfect!

Here we go...this is for my double batch, so halve everything if you only want about a dozen or so cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

½ Cup Milk
½ Cup Butter
2 Cups Sugar
6 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1½ Tsp Vanilla Essense or Extract
3 Cups Quick Oats (like for breakfast cereal)
1 ½ Cups Coconut (finer texture is better)

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the cocoa powder, sugar and milk then bring to a boil for 2 minutes.

Next, remove the mixture from the heat and add the vanilla, oats and coconut and mix until thoroughly combined.

Now, using gloves or two spoons, drop spoonfuls onto a non-stick mat or baking tray lined with paper and wait until dry.

If the cookies are still too moist or fragile to move & stack, heat an oven to about 210°F/100°C and turn it off once it’s warm, then put the cookies in for an hour or two to set.

Just like you would expect, they do taste a bit like a Mounds or Cherry Ripe candy bar (without the cherry).

Enjoy.

2010-10-25T10:35:00.004+13:00

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Well, I know it's been ages since I posted anything, but here's one new recipe I thought was worth sharing... Now, I couldn't remember my Dad's recipe, but I found and modified one that Alton Brown did a while back. You see, I bought ground pork (pork mince) when I saw it because it can sometimes be hard to come by, but then thought, "what the heck am I going to do with it this time?". I have done the meatloaf thing, and stuffed peppers, mushrooms, and made burgers, so...meatballs were the obvious solution.

I did try to talk hubby into eating out since we were running errands anyway, but he pointed out to me, to my reluctant agreement, that mince (ground meat) should be used right away. Hmph...well, when we arrived home I started mincing the onions, so here is how you can make these tasty meatballs too.

First, my notes: I used panko bread crumbs rather than fresh white bread (we don't buy white bread normally, and I didn't think wholegrain bread would be the same). I also didn't add any ground beef because I had a rather large package of pork. Alton’s recipe didn’t call for sherry or sweet wine, but a splash would be good in the sauce, added just as the roux is ready and before adding the stock. Lastly, I didn't use heavy cream either, only regular cream because I had just enough to do the sauce, and didn't want to open a new container.

INGREDIENTS:

½ Cup Onion (1 Small Onion), minced and sautéed till soft and clear
½ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs (or 2 Slices White Bread, torn up)
½ Cup Milk
2 Egg Yolks
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Black Pepper
¼ Tsp Ground Allspice
¼ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 Kilo (~2 Lbs) Ground Pork Mince
¼ Cup Clarified Butter
¼ Cup White Flour
3 Cups Beef Stock
¼ Cup Cream (Heavy Cream if you want it richer)

DIRECTIONS:

First preheat the oven to about 95°C/200°F and put an ovenproof baking dish inside to warm.

In a medium bowl, soak bread or crumbs in milk and set aside.

Using a teaspoon or two of the butter, gently sauté the onion and set aside to cool.

Now add the egg yolks, spices and meat to the bowl and mix well with your hands...no better way to make sure everything is combined and evenly distributed.

Add the sautéed onions to the bowl and mix in well.

Roll about 30 meatballs and place onto a plate or sheet ready to brown in a skillet.

Cook about 6 or 8 of the meatballs at a time (using another teaspoon or so of the butter if needed) in a skillet about 7 minutes over medium-high heat until browned all over, then transfer into the dish in the oven to keep warm.

Once the meatballs are done, pour the remaining butter into the skillet and add the flour, whisking to make a roux and allowing it to cook about 2 minutes or so.

Now add your dash of sherry or wine (if using any) and then slowly add the stock a cup at a time, stirring gently to avoid lumps and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Once the sauce begins to thicken, add the cream and continue stirring and cooking until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.

Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve with wide egg noodles (if you have them).

Unfortunately, all I had in the pantry as far as pasta goes, was egg vermicelli and large shell pasta, neither is ideal, but the meatballs were very good with the thin vermicelli noodles last night. I have friends who serve Swedish Meatballs with rice, which might also work, but the wide egg noodles are what I remember from years gone by, and that’s what I would personally try to stick with. Anyway, it’s a perfectly yummy meal with a green salad or steamed veggies.

Enjoy!

2010-02-26T21:03:00.004+13:00

JAPANESE SALAD DRESSING
(Hakata Mon Style)

One of my old favourite places to eat in Beaverton (Oregon) was a Japanese place called Hakata Mon that a very close friend introduced me to. Unfortunately, I hear the place is no longer there, but one thing I will never forget is their wonderful salad dressing...that, and their Udon dishes with the wriggling tuna flakes on top!

Recently, my family was at a local teppanyaki style restaurant here and their salad dressing took me back to Hakata Mon in Beaverton. I asked if I could buy some to take home or if they could share the recipe, but I just got the shy Asian “no, sorry”. Darn it!!!

Well, I am pretty good at identifying and recreating flavours (if I really put my mind to it), so I Googled Japanese dressing recipes and have been experimenting. I have found a really good combination that is incredibly close and exceptionally tasty, so here it is...go ahead and give it a go (unless you have nut allergies, in which case I will post a nut-free Miso dressing recipe for you soon).

One thing I suggest too, is that you cut your greens fairly finely and grate in other veggies like carrots, courgettes (zucchinis) and beetroot. There's not much worse (in foodie terms) than not being able to enjoy a salad because the greens are still whole and too difficult to manipulate with either a fork or chopsticks! I use fancy curly lettuce and cut it into fine ribbons then add chopped or torn herbs and other grated veggies.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Small Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
½ Tsp Crushed Ginger
½ Cup Chopped Celery
½ Cup Peanut Oil
1/3 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Ketchup
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Salt & Pepper to Taste

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a large jug and puree with an immersion blender (stick blender) until smooth and no longer lumpy. Alternatively, you can combine everything in a standard blender, so long as it will liquify the chunks.

That's it! This one is just too easy not to try, and you will be ever so grateful you did!

Enjoy!

2010-02-24T12:42:00.001+13:00

SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Looking forward to harvest time...meanwhile, this is where we're at so far! Just lovely!!! Can hardly wait...I hope the bugs and the weather don't spoil my plans.

As soon as I am able to harvest one, I will post a few recipes on how to cook and eat this gorgeous (and healthy) vegetable.

Watch this space!

2010-02-19T22:17:00.003+13:00

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

This is a special request from a couple of work mates. You see, a few months ago I was “complaining” about having a plethora of lemons on an overflowing tree in my back garden, which promptly backfired when my colleague suggested (read: insisted) a lemon meringue pie to be the next treat I brought in for the group. A few days later, I was baking again, and decided to make said pie. I brought this pie in to work and proceeded to divide it into 6 or 8 pieces for morning tea, which disappeared just about as quickly as I could dish it up. Well, “Glassboy” was upset that one of the other managers got two pieces and ever since then, he has been...encouraging....me to make another pie (all for him – not to share).

Well, over the Christmas break I made some Lemon Honey and decided that after I went back to work it might be a good time to make this additional pie...or, even better...several smaller ones. Well, Glassboy did NOT specify what size I was supposed to make for him. Hehe, even after bringing in 6 or 8 individual pies, he managed to make off with more than one!

Anyway, after I brought the mini-pies in for folks, people began asking for the recipe and I have been a bit lax about posting recipes lately, so I figured now was a good time to share the recipe for my mates. (Linda – this is for you and my other “coffee group sisters” too!) :o)

If you are feeling adventurous, you can make a proper crust (below), but if you are short on time a frozen, pre rolled short pastry will work just as well.

CRUST:
1 Cup Oat Flour (1¼ Cups oatmeal processed to a fine powder)
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
½ Cup Butter
¼ Tsp Salt
¼ to ½ Cup Water

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl mix the flours and salt, then carefully cut in small pieces of the cold butter and combine well with a fork or pastry cutter until it’s about the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs.

Very slowly, add just a little cold water at a time until dough forms a non-sticky ball and holds well together.

Now place the dough on a lightly floured surface, knead it only slightly and proceed to roll it out into a large circle, about 3-4 millimetres thick and large enough around to fill a standard sized pie dish.

FILLING:
4 Large Egg Yolks (save whites for meringue)
3 Large Whole Eggs
1 Cup Caster Sugar
¾ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1-1 ½ Tbsp Lemon Zest (takes 2-3 lemons depending on size)
2 Tbsp Corn Flour (aka Corn Starch)
½ Cup Butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

DIRECTIONS:
First, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and blind bake the crust until it just begins to colour and set aside.

Next, heat some water in a double boiler (or in a saucepan with a well fitting glass bowl on top that isn’t too deep and the bottom of which won’t touch the water in the pan).

In the top of the double boiler, whisk the yolks and eggs for a minute and add the rest of the filling ingredients EXCEPT for the butter.

Now, cook this mixture over the simmering water stirring constantly over medium heat.

When the filling is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter until all is well combined. DO NOT LET THE MIXTURE BOIL!

Pour this filling into the crust and prepare the meringue in a large bowl.

MERINGUE:
4 Large Egg Whites
¼ Tsp Corn Flour
¼ Tsp Cream of Tartar (or substitute with ½ Tsp of white vinegar)
½ Cup Caster Sugar
1 ½ Tsp Vanilla Essence

DIRECTIONS:
First, beat the egg whites at medium speed until they are foamy.

Next, beat in the corn flour and cream of tartar/vinegar until soft peaks form.

Now, gradually add in the vanilla and the sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overbeat the meringue.

You can either spoon the meringue on top of the filling, smoothing with the back of the spoon or spatula before patting it slightly to create peaks or, alternatively you can pipe it on top of the filling with a cake decorating tip. Either way, make certain to get the meringue to the very edge of the crust to seal in the filling and minimise “weeping” later.

Now bake the pie until the meringue is golden. Peaks will get dark, but don’t remove the pie until it’s well coloured evenly, otherwise you get a “raw” meringue in the middle. (Bakes about 12-15 minutes)

After the pie is finished cooking, it's best to leave it a room temperature for at least a couple of hours. If you refrigerate it too soon, the meringue will weep and you will find a sticky dew all over the top of the pie when you retrieve it to serve. It is actually just fine to leave it at room temperature overnight, but I would refrigerate any leftovers (if any) after that.

Bon appetite!

2010-02-12T21:15:00.002+13:00

VELVET CUPCAKES

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY!

Today was the last school day prior to baby's birthday, so I had to make the class some cupcakes. I don't like to do the same every year, so I decided to try a new recipe this time...with a twist. One of my Christmas presents this year, was a new cookbook from my lovely husband. He gave me the "Jamie's America" book by Jamie Oliver (one of my favourite Food Channel personalities). On page 38 is a recipe for very chocolaty Velvet Cupcakes, which looked great, but the problem is that my little girl prefers "vanilla" to chocolate. No problem!!!

I used the basic Velvet Cupcake recipe, but rather than adding cocoa, I just added a bit more flour to make up for it. Also, for flavour, I added a bit extra vanilla essence and a little almond essence and left out the food colouring.

This batter is a little different from my other cupcake recipes for a couple of reasons. One reason is that this recipe uses egg and buttermilk, and the other reason is that the batter is thick, but "fluffy". I have been thinking of how I might describe the texture of the batter, and the only thing that comes to mind is "fluffy" almost mousse-like, but in a thicker, slightly heavier way.

I don't want to plagiarize Mr. Oliver, but I will give you the gist of this recipe, as it is a common cake base recipe used in the States. The "velvet" result is similar to the texture of the good ole' American Hostess brand cakes...yumm!

Here we go:

INGREDIENTS:

50 Gm Butter, softened
150 Gm Caster Sugar (fine granules)
1 Large Egg
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract/Essence or Paste
1 Tsp Almond Essence
160 Gm High Grade Flour
125 Ml Buttermilk
½ Tsp Baking Soda
1 ½ Tsp White Vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F and line muffin tin with paper liners or silicone cups. (I sprayed demitasse cups with cooking spray and baked the cakes in those).

Cream the butter & sugar together with a mixer until fluffy.

Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond essence.

Carefully fold in half of the flour then mix in half of the buttermilk, then repeat with the other half of each. Once well combined, the mixture should be very smooth and fluffy.

In a small cup, mix the baking soda and vinegar and mix into the batter carefully until well combined.

Divide this batter evenly between cupcake liners (or demitasse cups) then bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

FROSTING: I made a simple mascarpone frosting using 4 tbsp soft butter, 8 oz mascarpone cheese, ~3 cups icing sugar and a squeeze of orange juice. Cream the butter & cheese until fluffy, then add the juice (or about a half teaspoon of vanilla essence) and mix in the sugar, one cup at-a-time until you get the desired consistency.

Enjoy!

2009-12-22T14:36:00.001+13:00

EGGNOG KISSES

Traditionally, I don’t do a lot of “holiday baking” like my grandma and her sisters usually did. I do, however, enjoy making a few more “unique” things to share with friends. Recently, a friend shared some homemade eggnog (lower-fat version) which was very nice and inspired my to ring my Dad and see if he still remembered the proportions for his full-fat version (which he did share with me, and I can post here later if time allows).

Not too long after that, I believe, I noted this recipe posted on a fellow food blogger’s site at Cooking Down Under. This is another American transplant foodie only she is living “across the ditch” in Aussie and I live here in lovely Aotearoa (literally translates to “Land of the long white cloud” – or more simply, New Zealand).

Anyway, I saw this recipe and just had to try it to see if these biscuits/cookies truly tasted like eggnog (and they really did have a mild noggy flavour). I will say though, that for more nogginess, I have doubled the vanilla and added nutmeg in the dough, then slightly increased the rum in the icing – Perfection!

Only a couple of shopping days left now and I think we are all set in my household. I hope you are all done with your Christmas shopping and looking forward to a great holiday and even better new year! Best wishes to you all.

Meri Kirihimete!

INGREDIENTS:

DOUGH
¾ Cup Butter
½ Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Egg
¼ Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Nutmeg
2 Cups Flour, sifted

FILLING
¼ Cup Butter
¾ Cup Sifted Icing Sugar (powdered/confectioners sugar)
*1½ Tbsp Rum
*Ground nutmeg

* Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, beat ¾ Cup butter (or margarine) until softened.

Add sugar and brown sugar and beat until creamy.

Now add egg, vanilla, salt, and beat well.

Slowly incorporate the flour and mix until well combined.

Wrap in cooking paper and/or cling film and chill for about 1 hour or until no longer soft.

Shape into 1 inch balls, then place them approximately 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet, or a baking shhet lined with baking paper or a silicone baking mat.

Press down centers with thumb (or, in my case I used the backside of a ½ Tsp measuring spoon.

Now, bake in a 180 C (350 F) oven for about 12 minutes, or until done.

Remove and cool completely before filling.

To make the filling, using a small bowl and fork, beat ¼ Cup butter until softened then slowly add powdered sugar and beat/whisk until fluffy.

Next, add the rum and mix well.

Spoon about ½ Tsp of filling into the centre of each cookie then sprinkle each with just a bit of nutmeg.

Chill the cookies until the filling is firm, then enjoy!

2009-12-07T21:58:00.004+13:00

GINGERBREAD TREES

It's been a while since I last added any content to my little bubble of cyberspace here, but I have not forgotten my poor little collection of goodies here. Although the photos might leave something to be desired these days, I am still creating in the kitchen every chance I get.

This latest creation came as a fun little experiment. A mate of mine sells Avon, and in the Christmas catalogue, there were kitchen goodies. Normally, I don't buy much Avon...I have been using the same cosmetics and skin care line since I was...well, it's been 22 years and I still don't have wrinkles yet! Anyway, in this catalogue there were star shaped cookie cutters...okay, nothing so grand about that...but wait, there's more. The sizes ranged from very small to almost dinner plate sized and the photo in the book was quite impressive. You basically make 2 sets of each size gingerbread cookie and stack them into a tree shape. The icing helps to hold the stack together, and I bought little shiny sugar ball decorations to emulate Christmas bobbles.

If you really want to try this though, bake the cookies the day before, and ice them the next day. Allow them to begin to set before stacking and you should get good results.

So...here is a basic gingerbread recipe with a solid drying icing to decorate with.

INGREDIENTS:

425 Gm Plain Flour
2 ½ Tsp Baking Powder
2 Tbsp Ground Ginger
1 ½ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
¼ Tsp Salt
125 Gm Unsalted Butter
155 Gm Light Brown Sugar
1 ½ Tsp Vanilla Essence/Extract
1 Large Egg
125 Gm Dark Molasses

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 180° C / 350° F.

In a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, spices and salt and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy.

Add vanilla and eggs and mix well until smooth.

Blend in the molasses and mix well.

Slowly add the flour and spice mixture about ½ to 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated.

Press the dough into a mound and wrap in plastic wrap to store it in the fridge for 2 hours.

Remove from the fridge and roll out flat (about 3-4 mm thick) and cut shapes to bake about 8-10 minutes.

Cool cookies on a rack and ice when cool.

SIMPLE ICING FOR GINGERBREAD:
Beat 3 Egg Whites with 1 Tsp of Cream of Tartar and 500 Gms (1 Lb) of Icing Sugar / Confectioners Sugar until very stiff. OPTIONAL - Powdered food colouring is best, but liquid can also work.

2009-10-02T21:28:00.003+13:00

PISTACHIO COOKIES

Well, here's my second attempt at a mobile blog entry (myapologies for the lack of decent photography). ;o) I am planning another trip out to J&L's farm this weekend, so I wanted to bake some treats to bring along as I hate arriving anywhere empty-handed. I was just itching for an excuse to open up a new packet of pistachios so I looked all over for a decent looking recipe to try.

When I came upon this recipe, I just knew this was the one, as I had 2 boxes of my favourite American custard powder (Jello brand instant pudding - pistachio flavour) so I just had to try it out... I have never made cookies with any sort of custard powder before, but it sounded like it might be okay.

I do have to say though, that these are sort of a light & fluffy type cookie, not the typical crunchy, crumbly biscuit that so many Kiwis seem to prefer. Now, if you are keen to give this one a go, but cannot imagine where you'd begin to look for Jello pudding, you can talk to your local importers (like Davis Trading Company, for example), or purchase it through www.expatexpress.com. Either way, you should have access to the right stuff.

So...here we go!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Butter (200 Gm)
1 Box Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Pistachio Kernels

DIRECTIONS:
First, Preheat oven total 180 C/350 F.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter with the pudding mix.

Next, add in the egg and combine well.

Now, sift the flour & soda in and mix well.

Finally, add the chocolate chips and nuts and mix until well incorporated into the dough.

Roll into balls and flatten out onto a lined baking pan and bake at 180 C/350 F for about 10 minutes. Make sure to remove cookies before they begin to brown.

This will make about 2 dozen small Cookies...Mmm Enjoy!

2009-09-29T19:24:00.001+13:00

TAMARILLO TART

Sorry I have been away for too long. Unlike some folks, I can't bring myself to blog at work whilst getting paid to do my job, so I just run out of time altogether. Here I thought I might try mobile blogging since it seems like I might be more apt to keep up this way. We shall see! :o)

In any case, tamarillos are a sort of tree tomato grown here in NZ and many other similar climates. They are similar in taste to a tomato...with a deep rich red colour and highly concentrated somewhat tart tomato flavour, which has most Kiwis using them more like a sour fruit and adding sugar, which is what I tried here.

This is a very simple recipe using only blanched, peeled, and sliced tamarillos and sugar on a round of puff pastry.

INGREDIENTS:

7 Lg Tamarillos, peeled & sliced
2 x 20 cm Rounds of Puff Pastry
1/2 Cup Sugar (more or less)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

You simply boil a pot of water, add the fruit and allow them to cook just long enough to loosen the skins for peeling.

Lay the rounds of pastry onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

Cover each pastry round with a single layer of tamarillo slices, then sprinkle generously with sugar and bake 15-20 minutes.

I must admit that I wasn't sure about this one, but it was not bad... I will even have another piece! Not sure I'd make it for guests though...unless they were particularly keen.

That's all for now. Happy cooking!

2009-06-19T11:21:00.006+12:00

FEIJOA CAKES

Hello again - long time no write! Well, I have been super busy, and I do have a few goodies to post, so I am back at the keyboard again.

Okay, first off, my North American family & friends are going to be looking at this sideways asking, "what in tarnation is a feijoa?"...my Kiwi mates will be asking, "what is tarnation?" Hehe - anyway, here is the low down on the feijoa. They are everywhere right now and yet the groceries want nearly ten bucks a kilo for them right now - luckily, we knew someone with a fertile tree willing to share their spoils (no, not their spoiled!). The feijoa is also known at a Pineapple Guava or a Guavasteen (soft inside like mangosteens) and originated in South America (Brazil, Columbia, Argentina, etc.). The fruit pulp is a little gritty (a bit like guavas or like some pears can be) and they are sweet and tangy with an almost floral aroma of ester (methyl benzoate). Very tropical tasting in my humble opinion. The skin isn't really edible...or if you do eat it I suspect it wouldn't be very pleasant. Normally, people here cut them in half and eat the flesh inside with a spoon. However, the feijoa is also popularly sold and consumed in smoothies, baked goods and in chutneys (chutneys are like heavily spiced sort of chunky fruit and onion salsas or jams).

That's about it for the educational portion of this post. Now on to the really cool stuff - baking feijoa cakes. If you are able to buy guavas in your local markets, then there is a distinct possibility that you could also find feijoas there too. They are cultivated in California and Louisiana among other areas of North America and, of course, they are everywhere right now in Australia and New Zealand.

Now...into the kitchen, yes?...

INGREDIENTS:

½ Cup Milk
2 Eggs
1 ¼ Cups White Sugar
1 ½ Cups Feijoas, peeled & mashed
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence/Extract
75 Gms (~5 Tbsp) Butter, softened
2 Cups Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the Milk, Eggs, Sugar, Feijoas, Vanilla and butter, then blend together with an immersion/stick blender (alternatively, use a food processor) until you have a smooth mixture.

Set aside the fruit mixture, and in a second bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Now fold the dry ingredients into the fruit mixture about a cup at a time until all of it is well incorporated. You will have a thick and smooth batter.

Scoop/pour the batter into a lined muffin tin or a greased/paper-lined 20cm cake tin. For muffins/cupcakes bake at 180°C for about 17 minutes or for a full-sized cake about 40 minutes.

These cakes need no toppings, as the feijoa essence is very delicate, but a light and creamy, slightly flavoured vanilla and lemon icing is nice. It’s also good with plain unflavoured yogurt or a cream cheese frosting. I made a basic butter cream frosting with a few drops of vanilla essence and a few drops of lemon essence and it was yummy, but the feijoa can get lost with too much...you can still taste feijoa, but it’s no longer the “star of the show”.

Choose your own preference and enjoy!

2009-06-11T11:42:00.002+12:00

COMING SOON...

My apologies for the lack of new posts of late, as I have been very busy (yes, even in the kitchen). I promise you I do have some yummy new treats to share and here are a few of them (photos coming soon):

Homemade Tomato, Basil & Bacon Soup

Basil Tuna Potato Bake

Feijoa Cakes

Crock-pot Pork Chops

and, much more...

Stay tuned!

2009-06-01T20:51:00.004+12:00

TAPIOCA PUDDING

Dad’s Double Batch

Well, it’s Queen’s Birthday weekend and it appears the only folks working today are in retail. That’s right...one more Kiwi holiday to add to the (seemingly never-ending) list. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to have one more day with my family at home, and a short week at that, so I am not really complaining.

This recipe is a family favourite as far back as I can remember. My Dad always made double batches because it never lasted more than 24 hours (if even that long). Mom sometimes made peach cobbler to eat with it and we almost never waited until it was properly chilled before devouring it. I must admit though, I did have to ask Mom & Dad to send me some of the Minute Tapioca (made by Kraft), as the tapioca “down under” appears to be very large pearls akin to Sago (assuming there is truly a difference between sago and tapioca). The pearls here resemble the “bubbles” in Thai desserts and “bubble teas”.

In any case, this is a luxurious treat that certainly reminds me of home. I hope you enjoy it as well.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Eggs, separated
12 Tbsp Sugar (or half sugar, half Equal/Splenda)
6 Rounded Tbsp Minute Tapioca (small pearls)
4 Cups Milk
2 Tsp Vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

First, mix the tapioca, ½ of the sugar, milk, and egg yolks in a saucepan (do not use aluminum unless it is non-stick, make sure it is large enough as the mixture will increase in volume at the boil).

Next allow this mixture stand for 5-6 minutes and, whist waiting, beat the egg whites until stiff – slowly adding the remaining sugar.

Now place the tapioca mix over medium heat and stir constantly (trying to prevent sticking). Don't allow it to burn, but if it should burn a little be sure not to scrape it when you pour it out.

As it comes to a full boil it should start to thicken and rise. This thickening should take less than a minute after it boils.

Remove it from the heat and and pour just a little into the egg whites and stir in to temper them. Not too much or they will cook.

Whilst stirring, slowly fold the remaining mixture into the egg whites then, when fully incorporated, add the vanilla.

At this stage you can serve, cover and chill in individual servings if you have nice dishes to serve it in, otherwise, try to chill it in a large wide bowl for quicker temperature change.

I love this with peaches or strawberries, but just about any fruit with tapioca is a real treat!

Enjoy!

2009-05-24T11:32:00.003+12:00

HEARTY BEAN & BACON SOUP

With winter in the air down here in Kiwiland, and colds, flu and potential sports injuries lurking around the corners, we are trying to keep our strength and immunity up with warm and hearty nutritious meals that aren’t too difficult to prepare.

This is my slow-cooker crock pot version, but if requested I can also provide the stovetop method for you. (Just let me know, no worries!)

Yesterday I was an ugly day outside, but I had a wonderful birthday. We began the day with our daughter’s hockey game, followed by a movie with a friend (we saw The Reader and I think we both really enjoyed it!), and the grand finale was my wonderful husband preparing dinner for us. I even received text messages from my closest mates, flowers from my friend & neighbour and even a lovely inspirational gift & message from another friend.

I should have photographed my hubby’s gorgeous meal of roasted leg of pork with roasted pumpkin, potatoes, and carrots. He even made broccoli to balance out the colour palate a little. I was only allowed minimal access to the kitchen and the smell was driving me crazy...in a really good way, of course! I was allowed to make a simple white wine gravy to go with his lovely meal, but it certainly could have stood on its own without my sauce.

Anyway, another week begins and I am very happy and grateful for the amazing people in my life. I am happy to be healthy (other than the annoying remnants of a cough/cold) and beginning another year here in paradise.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups Haricot Beans (White Navy Beans)
1 Cup Milk
30 Gm Butter
8 Rashers Bacon, finely diced
1 Onion, finely diced
3 Stalks Celery, finely diced
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
4 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Cup Corn Kernels
1 Small Handful Parsley, chopped
*Salt & Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Soak beans overnight in cold water.

Drain well and pick out any small stones and/or organic material that may have made their way into the packaging.

Now, place the beans with the chicken stock in a slow cooker/crock pot set on high.

Melt the butter in a pan and quickly sauté the celery & onion with a little salt and cook until they start to soften – do not brown these veggies. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Add the softened celery, onion and garlic to the pot and quickly brown the bacon and add that to the pot as well.

Leave to cook on high for about 6-8 hours (I cooked mine from 10am until 6pm and it was perfect). If you work all day and want to set it up to begin cooking at 7 or 8 am then eat around 6pm...you can cook it on the low heat setting instead.

About 30 minutes before dinner time, scoop out about 2-3 cups of beans (drain as much of the liquid from that as possible), and add the milk before pureeing with an immersion/stick blender and returning that puree to the pot.

Now add the corn and stir to combine, allow this to cook another 20-30 minutes before cutting off the heat and stirring in the parsley.

Taste for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper if needed...I found I didn’t need any additional seasoning at all.

2009-05-18T18:03:00.004+12:00

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Serves 4

This delicious recipe is one I adapted from one of my Dad’s family favourite dishes. He always made it with Gouda cheese and so this is how I like to make mine. Traditionally, I think Gruyere is the cheese used in most French Onion Soups, but I imagine a mix of these two might even be a nice option. Gruyere is a milder Swiss-style cheese on the slightly sweet & nutty side, whereas Gouda is a tangier and slightly drier/firmer cousin. Either way, choose what you prefer. I found some lovely Gouda this weekend at the Wellington Food Show, so we sampled it on our soup tonight! Mmmmm.... Wish my folks were here already to share in this one with us!

Despite the fact that this is “just a bowl of soup”...and a clear broth-like soup at that, it is actually quite filling. I was prepared to make some venison sausages or a veggie gratin type casserole to “help fill in the gaps” but, as fate would have it, this was our hockey practice and gymnastics day and I ran out of time. It was a good thing too – we were all quite well satisfied after polishing off this lovely rich meal.

Here we go...

INGREDIENTS:

5 Tbsp Butter
4-5 Med Onions (sweet onions, if you can get them), thinly sliced
½ Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Sugar
2 Cups Water
2 Cups Beef Jus, Stock, or Consommé
½ Tsp Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tbsp of Sherry Wine
2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 Small Handful Parsley, finely chopped
*Sourdough or French Bread, 2 cm thick slices
*Gouda and/or Gruyere Cheese, thinly sliced or grated

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

In a large stock pot, heat butter and sauté onions with salt and sugar over medium heat until they caramelize and begin to go golden brown.

Next, add water, jus/stock/consommé, thyme, bay leaves, sherry and vinegar before bringing this to a boil.

Reduce the heat and allow this to simmer over low-med heat for about 30 minutes (toss in the parsley after you turn the heat off and give it a good stir).

Whilst the pot is still simmering, toast a few slices of bread for the soup topping. One modification I have made, is that I cut the toast into bite-sized pieces to make it easier fit across the entire top of the dish and to make it easier to eat with molten hot cheese on top.

Now, spoon soup evenly into ovenproof bowls, adding the toasted bread on top (pushing it slightly into the soup).

Next, add cheese slices/sprinkle cheese over the toast to cover the tops of the soup bowls, then place them onto a baking tray.

Now you need to place the tray of filled soup bowls under the grill/broiler (med-high heat) to melt & brown the cheese for about 5 minutes or so or, until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden brown.

Serve immediately, with caution, as the soup bowls will be very hot.

Bon appetite!

2009-05-16T12:48:00.002+12:00

CREAMY CHICKEN WITH CORNMEAL DUMPLINGS

Here’s a twist on the same old chicken & dumplings that will still be fairly easy – especially for anyone who works all day and needs to have a nice meal ready at the end of a hard day of work and perhaps shuttling kids to hockey, soccer, ballet, or gymnastics. Whew, I know I will try all sort of things in the crock pot slow cooker myself. It’s such a wonderful invention and irreplaceable kitchen tool.

As you may have read already, my normal chicken & dumpling recipe is a family favourite with flat noodle-like dumplings rather than lumpy dough balls. I am not a huge fan of gummy, gooey dumplings, so this recipe offers yet another option if you, like me, prefer a “pseudo noodle”.

CHICKEN STEW ~ INGREDIENTS:

2 Large Potatoes, cubed
2 Large carrots, sliced or chopped
1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Tsp Thyme, dried is fine
1 KG (about 2 Lbs) Chicken Breasts and/or Thighs
3 Bay Leaves
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup (I prefer Campbell’s brand)
1½ Cups Chicken Stock
*1 Tbsp Corn Starch/Flour
*¼ Cup Cold Water
*Salt & Pepper to taste

*Amounts vary to individual preferences; these will be added at the end of the cooking process.

DUMPLING ~ INGREDIENTS

¾ Cup Flour
½ Cup Cornmeal
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
1 Egg
¼ Cup Milk

DIRECTIONS:

First, spray your crock pot with cooking spray and preheat on high for about 15 minutes.

Next, put all of the chopped veggies into the pot.

Rub the chicken pieces with the garlic and thyme and put them on top of the veggies followed by the bay leaves, soup, and chicken stock. Make sure to move the ingredients around in the pot to ensure some liquid gets to the bottom.

Adjust the heat to low and proceed to cook for 7-8 hours.
Now, about 1 hour before dinnertime, switch the heat to high and mix the water & corn flour together well before adding it to the pot and stirring to combine.

Season to taste with salt & pepper

About 30 minutes later, mix the dry ingredients for the dumplings together in a medium bowl.

In a smaller vessel, mix the wet ingredients together and then add them to the flour mixture and stir just enough to mix.

Drop small flattened spoonfuls of the dough into the pot one at a time, being careful not to allow them to stick together. (Makes about 30 or so small blobs, more or less) You may decide not to use all of the dough, and that's okay. Do NOT stir!

Cover the pot again and leave on high setting for about 25-30 minutes to cook.

This dish can be served up in a number of ways. Since you already have dumplings, rice or noodles might be a little starch overkill, but some nice steamed veggies or fresh salad might be a nicely balanced choice.

Bon appetite!

2009-05-11T14:15:00.005+12:00

HAPPY MUM’s DAY!

I just wanted to wish all of you mums (and moms) out there, a very happy Mother’s Day.

My own morning began with a personalized song for Mother’s Day, written by my beautiful little loving 8-year old angel. She proudly sang me her song in a tune that varied from a cheerful melody to a very sincere ballad from her lovely little heart. I know she usually sings slightly off key when emulating her radio favourites, but this little original was the most beautiful gift she could have given me. How lucky am I?... Wow.

After her lovely song, my daughter brought me her handmade cards and drawings (she is becoming quite a talented artist and writer, by the way), and a little book on the beauty of motherhood. I just hope this lovely little person will still love me this much when she is a teen wanting to date too young, wanting to wear too much make-up, and dress more “grown up” than mummy & daddy will allow. I hope we can always say, “I love you” no matter what we disagree on, and I wish so very much happiness for her. I want her to become the best grown woman she can be and for her to know the pure joy of having a daughter like herself.

Well, what else did I do on Mum’s Day? I went to High Tea with a few other Mum and daughter friends (part of my extended NZ family) at the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, after making brownies for my hubby and daughter to enjoy at home whilst I was gone – of course! It was a really relaxing and enjoyable afternoon with some people I really enjoy being with.

Live your life to the fullest...don’t let your worries take over your life...and stay strong in the face of adversity. Share your wisdom with others who need it, and hold your tongue when they don’t. :o)

Have a wonderful week!

2009-05-07T10:35:00.004+12:00

AMERICAN BROWNIES

One thing I have noticed here in New Zealand is that there is a huge cafe culture. Unfortunately though, in my opinion, there are too many cafes and not enough fresh and tasty menu items. Many of the almost innumerable number of cakes, slices, tarts, and biscuits are quite dry, floury, and under flavoured. The names sound great; poppy seed lemon cake, raspberry tartlets, and even brownies. How can you get brownies wrong??? Well, most of them do! As a matter of fact, I have yet to taste a decent brownie down under that didn’t come from my kitchen (or my neighbour's). How’s that for modesty, eh? Hehe...

Brownies are one of those really quick & easy treats, but yet somehow they either skimp on ingredients or try to “make it their own” and manage to truly kill the essence of what a brownie is supposed to be. Brownies should be almost crunchy on the outside, but very moist and nearly chewy inside. They can be made with or without nuts, chocolate chips, or marshmallows, but the key is that they CANNOT be dry and crumbly – dry and crumbly NOT a brownie make, folks! There are even caramel or peanut butter swirl brownies that are incredible and so easy to make really.

So, in the interest of offering a truly lovely chocolate treat that can be modified in any number of ways dependent on one’s tastes...I give you here, the authentic/unadulterated American Brownie!

INGREDIENTS:

*1 Tbsp Flour
*1 Tbsp Coca Powder
¼ Cup Butter
6 Tbsp Cocoa (unsweetened baking cocoa powder)
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/3 Cup Flour
¼ Tsp Salt
**Roughly 1 Cup of nuts or other additives, optional
*Mix together to dust the baking dish
**Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to about 160°C (325°F).

Spray cooking oil on a small shallow baking dish (approx 6 x 10 inch or so – small casserole dish) and dust the bottom and sides with a combination of a Tbsp each of flour and cocoa powder (mixed).

Melt the butter and combine it well with the remaining cocoa powder in a medium bowl.

Now, add the sugar, eggs, vanilla, remaining flour and the salt and combine together well. The batter will be quite thick – this is perfect!

This is the stage where you add in the nuts, chocolate chips, or whatever you want in your brownies. Traditionally Americans usually go for walnuts, peanuts, or more chocolate! Personally, I like mine plain or maybe with pistachios or peanuts.

Next, pour the batter into the baking dish (as evenly as possible – but don’t try to smooth it as the batter will spread and even out on it's own). The brownies should not be too deep as the middle will "puff up" and it will take longer to cook...about 1.5-2 cm is about how deep the batter should end up - we aren't making chocolate cake here.

Cook for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick/skewer comes out clean.

We like to serve them slightly warm with vanilla ice cream on top...or just eat them as they are.

Enjoy!

2009-05-05T10:31:00.004+12:00

TJ's LASAGNE EXTRAORDINAIRE

An old friend from years gone by recently reminded me of an old favourite I used to be “known for”. She wanted to know how to make my lasagne as she remembered that I did not boil the noodles first, nor do I use ricotta cheese in my lasagne, which seems to be a common way of preparing it. I always preferred to eat my own lasagne due to the fact that is stayed together well and it was rich & cheesy with a certain zing.

Now, sometimes I would add spinach to the sauce or add layers of micro planed slices of courgettes (zucchinis), grated carrot, or fresh basil leaves, etc., but this basic recipe is pretty much a no-fail for any lasagne lover out there.

Obviously, with this much cheese and meat in one recipe, this is going to serve several people or provide a few leftovers for lunches or, at the very least, another dinner (Mine ended up being about 12 servings). This is perfect for refrigerating; portioning into foil parcels, and freezing for lunches later on too, so keep that in mind when reaching for your wallet to purchase all of the ingredients.

Here we go...

INGREDIENTS:

2 Large Brown Onions, finely diced
2 Large Red Capsicums (Bell Peppers), finely diced
400 Gm Ground Beef
400 Gm Ground Pork
3-4 Cloves Crushed Garlic
2 Tsp Dried Oregano
2 Tbsp Fresh Basil, finely chopped
*Salt & Pepper
1-2 Tbsp Tomato Paste (I use double concentrate)
1 Can Chopped Tomatoes with Basil
1 Can Italian Crushed Tomatoes
1 Cup V8 Vegetable Juice (**Spicy, if available)
**If Spicy V8 is not available, add a few dashes of Tabasco Sauce or ¼ Tsp Cayenne Powder
1 Box Dry Lasagne Noodles
1 Tub Spreadable Cream Cheese
2 Cups Tasty or Cheddar Cheese, grated
2 Cups Edam or Jack Cheese, grated
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated or sliced very thin

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Firstly, you need to make your sauce.

Start by browning the onion and pepper together in a large pan or stock pot.

Once the onions begin to go translucent, add in the beef and pork (you can use one or the other if you don’t want to combine them – or, substitute with, chicken, turkey, or other protein of your choice).

Now, add in the garlic, oregano, basil salt & pepper and brown the meat so that it is completely cooked through.

Once the meat is cooked, add in the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes and juice. If you cannot find Spicy V8 Juice, then also add in the Tabasco or cayenne pepper now. This is not going to make it very spicy, it only adds a little bite to the sauce...kicks it up a notch without burning your mouth!

Now, you want your sauce to be a little on the thin side because you are not pre-cooking the noodles. The pasta will soak up the extra liquid and make the lasagne more firm and easier to cut and serve.

Preheat your oven to about 200-220°C (400-425°F) and get out a large lasagne pan.

Spread cream cheese on several noodles, to prepare them for layering, and mix the grated tasty & edam (cheddar and Jack) cheeses together.

Begin with a thin layer of sauce to cover the bottom of the dish, then add a layer some of the cheesed noodles to cover the sauce.

Next is another layer of sauce then a layer of the mixed grated cheese.

Continue layering until you end up with the last of the sauce and cheese on top...I ended up with 3 layers of noodles in mine.

Add the parmesan cheese at the end to top it off.

At this stage your dish may be close to overflowing, so I suggest putting it onto a baking sheet before placing it into the oven, just in case it bubbles over.

Finally, bake the lasagne in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the lasagne is bubbling on the sides.

Allow this to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving and savour every bite!

2009-05-03T12:11:00.004+12:00

GRILLED LAMB KOFTA KEBABS WITH PISTACHIOS
AND SPICY SALAD WRAP

(Serves 4)

I decided to try a new recipe last night for my brother & sister-in-law. We had invited them out for dinner and games for a bit of weekend family fun and we certainly had a blast. This was a recipe I borrowed from one Jamie Oliver as I had just seen him do this one on the Food Channel recently. I could almost smell it through the television, it looked THAT good! Now, I am not normally a huge lamb fan, but I am learning some fascinating new ways to prepare the different cuts and I have to say that it is growing on me…in a good way.

Living in New Zealand, one must learn how to cook lamb as it does represent a significant proportion of our national exports. Everyone raves about how great New Zealand Lamb is from Mr. Alton Brown or Jamie Oliver, to the average Kiwi cook down under. I even think a few Aussies will admit that our lamb is of exceptional quality…then again, they may try to claim they originally brought the sheep here in the beginning. Hehe.

Seriously though, this recipe is one that I just couldn’t resist trying and it will, in fact, make it into my book of favourites. I believe this combination would also work well with pork or beef too, so don't write it off just because you can't get lamb mince or you might not be fond of the way lamb tastes. Trust me - this one doesn't have a pungent "lamb/lanolin" odour. Here we go…

INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms trimmed shoulder or neck fillet of ground lamb mince
2 Tbsp Thyme
1 Tbsp Chilli Powder
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
4 Tbsp Sumac, or finely grated zest of 1 lemon
*Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper
1 Handful Pistachios, shelled & roughly chopped
4-5 Cups Mixed Salad Leaves, washed, spun dry and shredded
1 Large Carrot, grated
1 Small Bunch Fresh Mint Leaves
1 Red Onion, peeled and very finely sliced
1 Lemon
1 Bunch Parsley
*Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Large Flatbreads or Tortilla Wraps
4 Tbsp Natural Yoghurt or Tzatziki

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven grill/broiler or BBQ. If you are cooking indoors, use the highest heat available.

Combine the minced lamb with most of the thyme, chilli, cumin and sumac (reserving a little of each for sprinkling over later), a little salt and pepper and all the pistachios.

Divide the meat into four equal pieces and get yourself four skewers and shape the meat around and along each skewer, leaving little indents in the meat with your fingers as you go – this will give it a better texture when cooked (according to Mr. Jaime Oliver).

Now, in one bowl, mix the salad leaves, grated carrot, mint and parsley.

In another bowl, combine the sliced onion with a pinch of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice (the acidity will take the edge off and lightly pickle the raw onion – another Jaime Oliver tip).

Now, grill the kebabs until nicely golden on all sides. This is about 20-25 minutes total…turning once or twice during the cooking process.

Next, dress your salad with a splash of extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, warm your flatbreads for about 30 seconds each side on a skillet or griddle pan, then divide between plates and top each with some dressed salad leaves and onion.

When your kebabs are cooked, slip them off their skewers on to the flatbreads – you can leave them whole or break them up on top of the salad in your wraps.

We topped ours with a bit of natural yogurt tzatziki sauce (cucumber, mint & garlic with yogurt) before sprinkling with the rest of the sumac, cumin, chilli and fresh thyme, and a little salt and pepper.

I think Mr. Oliver also drizzled his with a bit of EVOO at the end, but we didn’t and it was still a gorgeous treat!!! I think I may be becoming a lamb convert. After eating chicken and beef as our primary sources of protein most of my life, I am discovering some brilliant new options that stray a bit from my traditional comfort zone. Yea!

2009-04-27T21:40:00.002+12:00

FETA CHEESE SOUFFLÉ

A few days ago I decided to try something totally new for me – soufflés. I had never tried them before, but I can certainly see how one could get carried away experimenting with them. They are a bit rich, but very light and just the right tangy cheese flavour to satisfy... I have to say too, that these were much easier to make than I had originally anticipated. They took about 35 minutes, more or less, from start to finish.

I recently saw an episode of Iron Chef America where the secret ingredient was ham...the challenger made a twice baked ham soufflé and it looked REALLY good. My soufflés aren’t quite that sophisticated or fancy, and they are only once-baked, but they were quite tasty. I didn’t need my "Plan B" after all! Hehe.

My own humble opinion of this particular recipe is that the pepper and the cheese in the soufflé were really complimented well by the creamed spinach sauce that I made for a side. This was inspired by a tiny cookbook “The Fast Egg” that I recently acquired from a local book shop. I thought it might have some interesting new ideas and I was in need of a bit of inspiration lately.

Anyway, now that I have the gist of it, I think I can come up with a few new flavour combinations to impress lunch or dinner guests in the future. So long as the experimental creations turn out as nicely as these did, I will be more than happy. So...watch this space for future soufflé ideas.

INGREDIENTS:

Cooking Oil Spray
¼ Cup Bread Crumbs
30 Gm (2 Tbsp) Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
1 Cup Milk
4 Eggs, separated
¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
150 Firm Feta Cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS:

First, preheat the oven to 200° C/400° F.

Next, spray your soufflé dishes (6 one-cup capacity dishes or 3 two-cup capacity dishes or mugs), with cooking spray and coat in bread crumbs then place them onto a cooking tray.

Make a roux by melting your butter in a small saucepan and adding the flour to cook for a minute or so.

Once the roux paste is ready, add the milk and bring to a gentle boil just briefly and remove it from the heat once it has thickened.

Pour this hot mixture into a large bowl and quickly stir in the egg yolks (barely beaten), the pepper, and the cheese – allowing it to cool for approximately 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. (You can add a tiny amount of cream of tartar or white vinegar to stabilize the whites if you wish).

Next, you gently fold the whites into the yolks mixture in two batches.

Now, divide the mixture amongst your prepared soufflé dishes and bake about 15 minutes or until they are puffed and lightly browned on the tops.

I served mine with a creamed spinach sauce that was a fantastic compliment to the slightly spicy and cheesy soufflés.

Here’s how:

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Baby Spinach Leaves, wilted (steamed, boiled, micro waved, etc.)
(Alternatively, thaw out a half cup or so of frozen spinach)
⅔ Cup Cream or Evaporated Milk
*Salt

*Amounts vary to individual tastes

DIRECTIONS:

To make a quick creamed spinach sauce, just steam a good bunch of fresh leaves or thaw out a portion of frozen spinach so that you have about a half to a cup of wilted leaves, give or take.

Blend or otherwise puree the leaves whilst slowly adding the cream/milk and return this mixture to heat in a small saucepan. Add a bit of water or regular milk if the consistency is too thick for your liking.

Heat until warmed through and salt to taste.

Bon appetite!

2009-04-25T22:36:00.004+12:00

REESES PIECES COOKIES

One flavour from home that I sometimes miss down here in Kiwiland is the Reeses brand peanut butter flavoured treats. I have found though, that both the Reeses Pieces and the Peanut Butter Cups (chocolate covered peanut butter) are both available at Kmart and sometimes at Woolworths. Yes, I do check out the local Kmart once in a while...it is one of the few places I can find certain American items that I like.

The Kiwis and Aussies are always commenting on the American love affair with peanut butter and even my loving husband cannot bring himself to eat it with jam (jelly to my American mates). When they see TV programs talking about the "peanut butter and jelly sandwich" they literally cringe...I can actually understand that one now, because "jelly" here is "Jell-O" to us 'Yankee Doodles'. Yes, I am referring to the gelatanous quivery, wiggly, jiggly, semi-solid food stuff that I never could stand the texture of in my mouth. Luckily, our daughter doesn't care much for it either, so I am pardoned from having to make any of the horrible concoction myself!

This cookie/biscuit recipe is loosely based on the Mrs. Fields chocolate chip recipe (from the good ‘ole homeland) with a few little adjustments to suit the Kiwi kitchen. I assisted my daughter in making this batch, so I will give her the credit for this post. ;o)

Here we go...

INGREDIENTS:

2½ Cups Flour
½ Tsp Baking Soda
¼ Tsp Salt
1 Cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
½ Cup Molasses
1 Cup Butter, softened
2 Eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla Essence/Extract
2 Cups Reeses Pieces Candy

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 150° F/300° C.

First, combine the flour, soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Next, cream the sugars, molasses and butter together in a large bowl. Blend these together until it forms a thick and grainy paste.

Now, add the eggs and vanilla to the creamed sugar mixture. Blend well with an electric mixer until it starts to get fluffy.

Slowly add about a half cup to a cup at a time of the flour mixture into the wet mixture and thoroughly combine before adding the Reeses Pieces. Be careful not to overmix.

Once the cookie dough is ready, drop rounded spoonfuls onto a silicone baking mat or non-stick baking tray about 2 inches apart from each other and bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Once cooked, transfer them immediately to a cooling rack or other cool surface for a few minutes before tucking in.

Enjoy!

2009-04-20T10:44:00.003+12:00

NU°KIWI°KITCHEN

UPDATE

Firstly, I must apologize for being a bit lax with my posting lately. School has been out since just before Easter and hubby took a week off to have some fun with us. Unfortunately, he spent much of that week fighting off a chest cold and I have played nursemaid, among other things.

Friday night we did go to the rugby game (thank goodness the Hurricaines had the decency to beat the Stormers for us)...you see, our Canes haven’t been performing so well lately and I though it just might make hubby feel worse and set him back a few days...luckily, that wasn’t the case!

Yesterday our friends next door invited us on a little runabout on their new boat and, of course, hubby felt good enough to go out again (probably still on a high from the previous night’s game). So, out we went with our fishing gear in hand. You see, we bought a fishing rod & reel for our daughter last year and kept waiting for a good time to take her out, but we always seemed to find other things to do. Well, it turned out to be a lovely day and we did indeed get to fish a little around Mana Island. Our little girl was also lucky enough to be the first to catch a fish! She was SOOO excited and it was great to see her so thrilled with herself. Unfortunately, it was a smallish perch and it had to go back. Shortly after that, Daddy caught his first fish too! Probably the same one... Hehe

However, I have managed to dig out a few new recipes for this blog, but it will just take a bit of time to get them up with photos for you. I haven't recently made anything new and exciting but I did help my daughter make cookies with some Reeses Pieces we found by accident in a local shop (not a regular offering here), and I found some lovely locally grown red/purple cauliflower (photo above) which was delightful. I am also going to soon attempt a goat’s cheese soufflé with creamed spinach...so...watch this space. I always do better when school is in session.

More coming soon!!!

Cheers.

2009-04-09T10:14:00.003+12:00

PIEROGIES

(MADE WITH POTATO, ONION, CHEESE AND PORK)

So, some of you might be thinking, “What the heck is a pierogi?”, well, I guess I like to describe it as a Polish dumpling something akin to raviolis...large raviolis.

When I was in high school, my friend’s dad used to make these and, later on I would buy frozen ones (not this good though) when they were available through Schwanns if they came through my neighbourhood in California or Oregon. I could also sometimes find them in grocery store frozen sections, but they would usually be disappointingly lacking in flavour.

Traditionally, I believe the most popular type of pierogi is simply mashed potato, cheese and sautéed onion. I like mine a little more substantial, so I usually add minced beef or pork and mushrooms (if I can get away with it, as my daughter has not yet learnt to appreciate them). These dumplings are usually served with a side of sour cream and a serving of some sort of veggie. Pierogies are great as a snack or as a meal and you can make them pretty much any size you like. These little beauties can also be refrigerated (uncooked) for several days or, frozen for up to several months.

If you make the dough ahead of time, the rest sort of falls into pace and really takes about the same amount of time as any other dinner might. The pierogies can be eaten as they are after boiling them or, fry or bake them afterward to give them a lovely crispy crunch. Whichever preparation you prefer, these will be a nice treat.

DOUGH ~ INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough
½ Tsp Salt
1 Lg Egg
½ Cup Sour Cream, plus extra to serve with the pierogi
¼ Cup Butter, softened (or oil)
1 Tbsp Butter

DIRECTIONS:

To prepare the pierogi dough, mix the flour and salt in a medium bowl.

Next, beat the egg in a separate bowl or mug and then add it to the flour mixture.

Now, add the sour cream and the softened butter and combine well. If the dough is too dry, add a tablespoon or so of water (I used the water reserved from boiling the potatoes).

You will need to work the dough approximately 5-7 minutes, or until it is no longer overly sticky – adding spoonfuls of additional flour one at a time, if needed (I don’t usually need to).

Wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 20-30 minutes (overnight is good); the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

FILLING ~ INGREDIENTS:

1-2 Tbsp Butter
2 Med Onions, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
4 Lg Potatoes, boiled and mashed
500 Gm (1 Lb) Pork Mince (Ground Pork)
*Salt & Pepper
1 Cup Colby Cheese, grated (just about any cheese works in these)

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

First, heat the butter in a large pan and sauté the onions in it until they begin to soften then add the garlic, continuing to cook until the onions become clear.

Set aside the onions and cook the pork, seasoning with salt and pepper and cooking until the meat is cooked through.

Lastly, add in the onions, mashed potatoes and cheese and mix well before setting the filling mixture aside to cool.

ASSEMBLING THE PIEROGIES:

First, roll the pierogi dough on a floured surface until about ¼ inch thick, or thinner (like a ravioli).

Next, cut ovals or circles of dough (similar in size to a CD). Use whatever you are comfortable with – cookie cutter, drinking glass, Tupperware lid, or just use a knife. You may opt to make larger or smaller pierogies, if you wish.

Afer tasting the filling for seasoning, place a small amount of filling (roughly 1-2 tablespoons or so, depending on the size you cut the dough into) onto each piece of pierogi wrapping and fold it over, forming sort of a semi-circle, pressing the edges together and pinching with your fingers or with the tines of a fork. If the edges do not stick together well, slightly moisten them with water and try again. I don’t have trouble unless I get the filling mashed into the seal. :o)

A few at a time, cook the pierogies in a large pot of boiling water. They will be done when they float to the top (about 8-10 minutes). Rinse in cool water and allow to dry – I lay them out n a baking rack over a baking sheet and they dry pretty quickly.

Next, sauté a bit of chopped onion in butter (to season the pan) until the onions are soft, before adding the pierogies and pan frying them until they are lightly crispy. Alternatively, you can put the butter and onions onto a baking sheet to crisp them in the oven instead (about 180° C for 8-10 minutes).

We love pierogies and hope you will too.

ENJOY!

2009-04-05T10:42:00.004+12:00

SWEDE (RUTABAGA) IN CREAM

The first time I purchased “swedes” here in New Zealand, I was asked by the gentleman at the checkout counter, “How do you eat those?...I thought they were only good fodder for the cows and horses.” I was a little astonished, actually, as I had used them in soups, and stews (as rutabagas) in the States. I had also eaten them mashed along with potatoes at holiday time when visiting friends. It was interesting to see that even with the Kiwi ingenuity and general “green” attitude so prolific ‘down under’, that they would have overlooked such a versatile veg that is so inexpensive to buy, healthy, and downright tasty.

The stereotypical Kiwi will proudly value their resourcefulness and green thumbs. They try to save the planet, save the whales, and hang their clothes on a line in the garden to save electricity rather than using the dryer in their laundry (apparently dryers are only for rainy days and Americans – hehe). So, how is it that the poor swede has been overlooked as a good source of nutrition – especially in such a challenging economic era...where a block of cheese can cost, at it's worst, about NZ $10-12 and a dozen eggs or a loaf of bread can easily be over NZ $5-6???

Well, no matter the reason, I will introduce a few ways to bring this poor little root to the forefront again and give people a few options to try and really enjoy this ‘darlin’ for what it can be.

Here is the first, but certainly not the last, recipe for the swede.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Swede (Rutabaga), approx 1.5 kg (3 Lbs)
2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Cream
1 Tbsp Flour
1 Tsp Sugar
*Pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

The first thing to do, is to cut up and boil the swede/rutabaga. They are tough, so the easiest way is to quarter them before peeling with a vegetable peeler, then cut it into bite-sized cubes before carefully dropping them into boiling salted water about 1 inch deep. Use about 1 teaspoon of the salt in this water.

Boil the swede/rutabaga for about 15-20 minutes or, until fork tender (much like boiling potatoes).
Move your oven rack to a position about 6 inches from the top and preheat your oven grill (broiler).

Next, drain the pieces well, and then return them to the saucepan.

In a separate bowl or mug, combine the cream, remaining salt, flour, sugar and pepper before pouring it over the swede/rutabaga in the saucepan and cooking over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thicken slightly and heat completely.

Now turn this mixture out into a shallow baking dish and place into the oven under the grill/broiler to brown slightly. The cream will puff slightly and turn a golden brown.

Once it has been removed from the grill/broiler, sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

This is a lovely alternative (lo-carb option) to potatoes as a side dish as well!

Bon appetite!

2009-04-02T10:47:00.006+13:00

MARMITE CHICKEN WITH BACON

For some reason, last week I was watching The People’s Cookbook on UKTV and this cute little old lady, Flossie Squires, came on. Now, I probably need to explain what this show is all about. Well, here is the abbreviated summary...there are two professional chefs who choose recipes sent in by viewers. These chefs each choose one viewer’s recipes (usually a main and a dessert each), and then bring in the people who sent the recipes to demonstrate and cook them together. The idea is that the chefs are competing against each other and cook the recipes for a panel of judges (ordinary people like you or me) and whichever recipes are chosen, will eventually be added to The People’s Cookbook when it is published.

Now, going back to the cute little old lady, Flossie (what a great name too!). Well, her recipe for a main was quite simple really. It was basically a roasted chicken...with a twist though. She stuffed her chicken with lemon wedges and herbs, saving two wedges at the end to cram under the wings...then she smeared Marmite all over the chicken before covering it in bacon.

I know – my American friends are saying, “what the hell is Marmite?” Marmite is the Kiwi/British version of Vegemite and it is a very pungent yeast spread that Kiwis, Aussies, and Brits like to use for making sandwiches with or to spread (very sparingly) on toast. It is also good, in moderation as a soup stock flavouring as well. I know I had seen Marmite (and Vegemite) in American groceries on the west coast, so I know it is available if you want to give this recipe a try. (Otherwise, perhaps I can “hook you up” with some...) The folks out here don’t get the American fascination with peanut butter, yet this yeast spread stuff is far more potent than any peanut butter I have ever come across. So – remember to use it sparingly if you plan on eating it straight or adding it to your soups!!!

Anyway, I have changed the recipe just a little, but it was absolutely fantastic and the whole house smelled gorgeous!!! We have a lemon tree in our garden, but I wanted to try this with an orange because I find that lemons are pretty strong when used with chicken. Oranges seem to lend a little citrus without overpowering the other flavours like lemons sometimes can. This recipe is certainly a must try if you like roasted chicken and/or bacon. I have to say also, that no salt is needed due to the saltiness of both the spread and the bacon, so really, garlic and pepper are the only seasonings required! Let’s get this started!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Roasting Chicken (I think mine was about 2 kg, that’s roughly 4-5 Lbs)
1 Large Orange
2-3 Tbsp Marmite or Vegemite (not much flavour variation between the two, really)
2-3 Cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Tsp Black Pepper (more or less)
200-300 Gm Streaky Bacon (about 8 strips or so of American-style Bacon)
½ Cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F).

First cut your orange into several wedges and squeeze just a little juice into a small bowl (perhaps a teaspoon or less – only to help thin the marmite a bit)

Next, add the marmite and garlic then mix thoroughly together.

Now, rinse and pat dry the chicken before sprinkling a bit of pepper inside, and then stuffing all but 2 small wedges of the orange in too.

Next, you will spread the garlicky marmite mixture all over the chicken – top, bottom, sides – before placing the chicken, breast side up, in a shallow roasting dish.

Now, tuck the last two thin orange wedges under the wings before covering the chicken with bacon rashers.

Lastly, you pour the stock (or water, if you don’t have stock) into the bottom of the pan and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes per 500 Gm (per pound) or until the internal temperature is 82° C (180° F).

The bacon can be removed after the first hour if you desire. I cooked my chicken for 2 hours and left the bacon on. It was moist, tender and absolutely fantastic! Now...if you want gravy, you can pour the pan juices into a small saucepan and heat to a boil, and then add a bit of corn flour (corn starch) pre-mixed with either cold milk or cold water to thicken it. Season if desired, and voila!

I par-boiled then roasted potatoes and carrots to accompany our chicken, but you can fix whatever you like as a side accompaniment.

Good health and enjoy!

2009-03-26T10:23:00.002+13:00

ROASTED SOUTHERN-STYLE PORK TENDERLOIN

Well, winter is coming...we can all feel it now and I am reluctantly putting my summer clothes, swimming togs, and sandals away and pulling out the warmer jerseys, gloves and coats. I have even draped a scarf or two on my coat rack for easy access in the weeks to come. Although this may be a depressing time for some, I quite enjoy the winter here as it lends so many opportunities for really hearty meals and lovely aromas from the oven cutting through the crisp air.

An absolute MUST TRY if you like lean pork is this genuine American, southern-inspired, makes your mouth water, tenderloin recipe. Even with a touch of seasonal allergies flaring up, I could still smell the wonderful aromas from this one wafting from my oven. I was drooling long before the meat ever made it out of the oven! This is a seasoning combination that I have mucked around with a bit and I think this is perhaps as good as it gets.

Even though I am using (Mexican) chilli powder, it is not “hot”. If you think you’d prefer a bit of bite, you might try adding a hint of cayenne to this mix, but it is very flavoursome just the way I have written it below. The measurements are more “best guess” really and any leftover spice mix was added to a wild rice pilaf cooked in beef broth, which was nice as well.

In any case, let’s get down to it, shall we?

INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms (1 Lb) Pork Tenderloin
¼ Cup (more or less) Olive Oil
2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Chilli Powder
2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Onion Powder
½ Tsp Thyme
1 Pinch Allspice
2-3 Bay Leaves, finely crushed
½ Tsp Oregano
*Sea Salt
½ Cup Dry White Wine
½ Cup Chicken broth

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to about 220° C (425 ° F).

Line your baking dish or roasting pan with stalks of celery and/or carrots to use as a rack to keep the meat from submerging in the pan juices whilst cooking. (A cool trick I think I learned from Alton Brown.)

First, trim any thick fat if necessary and rinse/dry meat before rubbing with oil and placing into a shallow baking dish or roasting pan.

Mix spices together in a small bowl and rub them over the oiled meat evenly – top, sides and bottom.

Next, pour wine and broth into the bottom of the pan.

Now, put the pan into the oven to roast for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat is between 65 and 70° C (150 and 155° F).

Remember to tent the meat with foil and leave it to rest 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Also, the pan juices can be used to make thin gravy if desired, or simply used as-is to spoon over the meat. This is a nice dish to have with mashed swedes in cream (rutabagas for my fellow Yankees out there) and/or with rice and steamed veggies.

Enjoy!

2009-03-24T09:24:00.004+13:00

CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

This is a really good one...although, half the family claims this style of dumplings to be German, and the other half say it’s French (Joie, any opinion?). These dumplings are made more like a sort of noodle rather than an American biscuit or doughy spoonful of half-cooked goo. I think this is what I like so much about my dumplings as opposed to anything you can get in a restaurant or at a friend’s house for dinner.

I thought this would be a good down-home comfort-food style recipe to post in honour of my late Aunt Ruth. She passed away this week after an awful struggle with diabetes and associated complications. She was a real countrified lady who knew her way around a kitchen. I remember her house was always full of music, laughter, and usually a pot-luck style feast for about 20 people or so! She was a real biscuits & gravy, country fried steak, deep fried southern-style chicken, Johnny Cash & Loretta Lynn lovin’ woman.

Aunt Ruth raised some great kids with the help of her husband, my late Uncle Lew, despite not having much in the way of money much of the time. They were never short on love. Her family have all had great faith, strength, and now a knowledge that their Mom is in a far greater place...with the man she loved for most of her life, and the daughter she had recently lost to the angels. Aunt Ruth was a kind and thoughtful wife, mother, aunt, and granny.

The weather is chilling down here now...not much like the heavenly warmth of Hawaii over the last couple of weeks...and I am hankerin’ for some real comfort food, so I hope you try and enjoy this family favourite that my folks shared with me and, that I am now passing on to you.

SOUP ~ INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms (1 Lb) Chicken Pieces, with skin preferred (I use boneless thighs and/or breasts)
*Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, paprika to taste
½ Cup Flour
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Carrots, roughly chopped
2 Celery Stalks, roughly chopped
1 Med Onion, roughly chopped
1-2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
4 Cups Chicken or Veggie Broth
1 – 2 Cups Hot Water - optional

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

First lightly season and flour the chicken pieces, and then lightly coat with flour.

Now, in your soup/stock pot, heat oil and quickly brown the coated chicken pieces then move them onto a separate plate to the side for a moment.

Next, add the butter and quickly heat the carrots, celery and onion before adding the garlic and cooking an additional minute.

Return the chicken and add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add hot water if you like more broth in your soup, otherwise this will become quite thick and gravy-like.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer.

Now it’s time to make the dumplings...

DUMPLING ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Flour
1 Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Pepper
½ Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Chicken Fat, skimmed from soup (or oil)
1 Egg
**1 Cup Milk
2 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped

**Only add a bit at a time, enough to bring dumpling dough together into non-sticky firm ball for rolling flat.

DIRECTIONS:

Sift all dry ingredients together into a medium bowl and slowly mix in the fat/oil and the egg.

Carefully add the milk in just a bit at a time until the dough is fully combined and the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, but dough is not sticky. (If the dough becomes sticky, just add a spoonful of flour at a time until the consistency is right.)

Now add the parsley and knead gently on a floured surface.

Roll the dough into a rectangle only about ½ Cm (¼ In) thick and then, using a sharp knife, slice into ribbons and then again crossways into little squares.

Carefully drop the dumplings into the soup and allow the soup to simmer for about 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy this one – it’s simply delicious.

2009-03-06T10:02:00.009+13:00

CHICKEN & PRAWNS WITH VODKA SAUCE

Well, in less than 24 hours now I will be in Waikiki, Oahu with my lovely family and I will be relying primarily on other cooks' creations for several days. Do not be surprised to see a post or two on Hawaiian fare if I get the chance!

Luckily, I have a good friend to stay and cuddle our needy little cat, Polly, whilst we are away. Things have been hectic lately with all of my daughter's activities, homework and school projects, but I have managed to provide a few tasty treats for the family on minimal time allowances. This, and the fact that hubby loves my cooking, makes me VERY proud of myself.

I borrowed this lovely sounding recipe from Katherine at Smoky Mountain Cafe and I have to say, it was just as good as I thought it might be. I made a few minor adjustments to suit my own tastes (and to feed an extra dinner guest) and it was, in my opinion, a good choice. Oh, yes...those ARE Artichokes in the photo background...and from our little veggie patch in the back garden...just gorgeous!

Thank you Katherine, for the inspiration!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Med Onion or 3 Lg Shallots, finely minced
1 Clove Garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Good EVOO
3 Cups Diced Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped
1 Cup Cream (I used canned evaporated milk to lower the fat content)
¼ Cup Vodka
½ Tsp Red Pepper Flakes, crushed
300 Gms (½ Lb) Prawns, peeled, tails off & deveined
300 Gms (½ Lb) Chicken, cut into bite-sized cubes
*Salt & Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes

DIRECTIONS:

First, heat the butter and oil together in a skillet over medium heat.

Next, add the minced onion to skillet and saute until transparent.

At this point, I quickly brown the chicken for a few minutes then add the prawns and brown those for an additional minute or so...then, I removed the chicken and prawns and set them aside to add back in later.

Now, add the diced tomatoes and cook over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until almost no liquid remains in skillet, stirring frequently.

Next, increase heat and add the basil, cream (or evaporated milk), vodka and crushed red pepper flakes.

Just bring to a light boil then reduce the heat to add back in the chicken and prawns (or whatever seafood you plan to use).

Now, boil this for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens up a bit.

Lastly, season to taste with salt and pepper.

There you have it. A flavourful and creamy tomato sauce with depth. I added veggies at the last minute and served this with vermicelli noodles, but it would be tasty with other pastas or even rice too.

Enjoy!

2009-03-02T09:57:00.007+13:00

SWEET & SOUR PORK

WITH SOMEN NOODLES

In our household, I try not to make too many beef or lamb dishes on account of the health and nutrition issues constantly being reported as risk factors associated with red meat. Instead, we eat quite a bit of chicken, pork and seafood. Yes, on occasion I need to have a steak or make a meatloaf with beef mince, but overall the red meat is more of an occasional treat rather than an everyday main meal.

Limiting any one thing in your diet can present challenges, such as; what to use as a satisfying substitute, how to season and flavour it, how to cook it and, of course, what to eat with it. I sometimes find myself fixing the same old pork roast or the same old sesame chicken and have to stop and think about what other options I have. Usually, the options are limited to what happens to live in the pantry at the time but more, and more often I find that I am actually planning things in advance (shocking, I know) because I have little precious time to do it after 3 o’clock when my darling daughter is off school. Usually, I am racing home for clothing changes and off to the activity of the day...swimming, dance class, gymnastics, whatever - home again just in time to cook dinner.

In this instance, I had found that I was making my same old stand-by sweet & sour sauce for chicken or pork and decided this time was going to be different. Rather than using the old pineapple juice and vinegar method, I tried a distinctively more flavoursome combination that turned out to be quite lovely (even if I do say so myself). Even my finicky daughter devoured her supper, so I must have done something right! One of the keys to getting more flavour into the meat is to marinate for at least an hour – overnight is even better!

So, here we go...

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce
(or one chilli, deseeded and finely diced)
1 Tsp Ginger, crushed
½ Cup Plum Sauce
½ Cup Hoisin Sauce
1 Tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
700 Gms ~ (about 1 ½ Lbs) Lean Pork, cut into strips or medallions
1 Tbsp Rice Bran Oil
2 Bundles of Somen Rice Noodles
2 Cups Vegetables, diced or julienned for stir fry
(I used carrots, sweet peppers, onion and scallions, but
baby corn, snow peas and cabbage are all great options too!)

DIRECTIONS:

First, combine the garlic, chilli sauce, ginger, plum and Hoisin sauces, and Chinese five spice in a small bowl and mix well.

Next, marinate the pork in this sauce mixture for at least an hour before proceeding to the next step.

Once the meats has marinated, heat the oil in a good sized pan and begin cooking the pork in batches. This will allow the meat to cook thoroughly and, keeps the pan temperature from dropping too low when you add the meat. Use cooking spray in between batches if necessary.

Meanwhile, boil a pot of salted water for the noodles (which only take 2 minutes to cook fully).

Now, remove all of the meat and stir fry your vegetables for about 2 minutes before adding the pork back in.

Cook your noodles while stir frying the veggies and then serve the pork and veggie mixture with the noodles.

Just one more quick & easy recipe that is very tasty even for finicky little ones. This would also be great with chicken, lamb or even beef, if you prefer.

Enjoy!

2009-02-28T17:28:00.004+13:00

STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

There are a few things that I really love to cook with, yet fail to use regularly on account of my daughter’s finicky palate. One of those items is the mushroom...Portabellos (or Portabellas) to be more specific, no matter how you like to say or spell it. Since my daughter has yet to develop a more refined appreciation for some of nature’s bounty, I only make these types of recipes once in a blue moon (which also means that I am making another separate dish for her).

Just how did I become this easily manipulated??? Well, one only needs to look into that little angelic face and stare into those deep hazel eyes as the lashes flutter so innocently when she says “please Mummy?” to know she has the upper hand. (sigh) Ah well, she doesn’t get away with murder though...I choose my battles carefully and, I still grate some carrot and courgette into her mac-n-cheese before presenting her supper to her. (Yeah, okay...I know.)

The mushroom is such a vital flavour in so many dishes...stroganoffs, gravies and sauces, even in some soups, so I can’t go totally cold turkey now, can I? No, I usually need to dice them up so finely that our little darling cannot detect any “chunks” and that is, for the most part, a satisfactory compromise. However, sometimes I just need to really savour a genuine, pureley perfect mouthful of this fungi (usually accompanied by some form of another fungi relative – cheese).

On another note, I also have so say how truly impressed with the speed of my new Dell device - WOW! This is going to make blogging, Facebook networking, emails, web surfing and all of that other fun stuff SOOO much easier now. Even my hubby likes the "flash new system", so I think I done picked a good'n y'all! ;o)

So, without further adieu...

INGREDIENTS:

10 Portabello Mushrooms
2 Cups Breadcrumbs
150 Gm (5 Oz) Camembert Cheese
50 Gm (2 Oz) Pariggiano Reggiano, freshly grated
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Red Onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp (good handful) Basil, finely chopped
¼ Cup Milk
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
*2 Tbsp Sour Cream

*Serve as a side sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F)

In a food processor, finely chop the mushroom stalks, cheeses, garlic, onion and basil.

Add in the breadrumbs, milk, and oil and pulse a few times just to combine, as you still want a fairly coarse mixture. Add a bit more milk if it is too dry to stick together.

Roll the stuffing into 10 roughly equal sized balls and flatten each into each mushroom cap. Press moderately to make sure the stuffing gets into the mushroom gills.

Arrange the stuffed mushrooms in a single layer in a baking dish and cook for 15-20 minutes before turning the oven to grill/broil for an additional 5 minutes to brown the tops.

Regular white onions can be used in a pinch and if you don’t like Camembert cheese you can try substituting another semisoft cheese in its place. Also, croutons or even fresh bread may be used instead of crumbs, however, if you use fresh bread slices, cut back on (or eliminate) the milk.

Happy cooking!

2009-02-27T15:43:00.003+13:00

STATUS UPDATE

Well, my new Dell has arrived and it is as quick as anything, which is a huge relief since the Toshiba that bit the dust a couple of weeks ago now was...let's just say that booting it up was like watching grass grow...waiting for Spring...slow as molasses, it was.

Now the real work begins. The migration of data, copying favourites, creating new Outlook folders AND...last, but not least, loading more software (ugh). There is of course the all important camera and photo tinkering software, the PDA/Smartphone synchronization software fo retrieving contact numbers and email addresses, the video editing software, printer drivers, desktop publishing applications, and all that jazz. At the end of the day, it makes on wonder just what we would do without these virtual windows (no pun intended) to the outside world. These conduits to life; scheduling us, maintaining us, organizing us, entertaining us, etc., etc....

Anyhow, my point is that I should be back blogging in no time...logging in with my new fingerprint scanner and Skyping anyone who will listen! It's been an annoying last few weeks, but...the up-side is that I may actually be learning patience (yeah, right) and, I have had plenty to keep busy with.

Gidday me mates, and catcha soon, eh...

2009-02-22T18:44:00.003+13:00

SISTERHOOD AWARD AND THANKS!

I am posting today to thank the lovely Cheryl at Cooking Dunkin Style for this Sisterhood Award. She is a dedicated wife, amazing cook, Princess of Marthaland and fun friend to share with. I am honoured and flattered to have received this award. Thank you!

The rules of this award are:

Put the logo on your blog or post.
Nominate as many blogs as you want which show great attitude and/or gratitude!
Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to the post and the person from whom you received your award.

I would like to give this award to the following folks:

Joie at Joie De Vivre: An Amateur Gourmet's Guide
Arfi at Homemades
Nikki The Foodie at Lobster Gram Gourmet Recipes
Sara at Sara's Kitchen
Rhylesgranny at Tea And Wheaten Bread

Keep on posting the wonderful creations that you so love to share with the rest of us in cyberworld and, thank you so much for visiting and sharing your own ideas and comments even if I don't have as much time as I would like to visit more often (as I should) or leave more comments for you.

Salute and bon appetit!

2009-02-20T11:03:00.003+13:00

CREAMY TARRAGON CHICKEN

This is a variation of one recipe my Mom used to make. She will be the first one to tell you that she was never a gourmet cook, but she does have a few signature dishes that were always truly exceptional and I believe this is one of them.

My Mom didn’t come from a family with much in the way of a grocery budget. Her family had more than a few mouths to feed too, so she would tell us how it was often cornbread and beans for supper in her household. She did learn to make a mean pot of pork & beans though, and she knows her way around the kitchen well enough to make quite a tasty pot roast with veggies as well…not to mention her notoriously delicious cobblers. No, my Mom probably doesn’t give herself enough credit, although compared to the AMAZING cook that was Dad’s Mom, my Grama, who passed many of her skills to my Dad, I can see where my Mom might feel less comfortable in the kitchen than some.

My mother has always been petite as well, so she probably doesn’t have the same passion (or obsession) with food as some of us do…unless, of course, it is derived from chocolate or is in the form of pastries! (Bear claws, right Mom???) :o) But this recipe is in honour of her, my Mum, because she introduced this flavour combination to me and always made it to perfection, that is how I recall it anyway.

This is a wonderful twist on chicken and I think anyone who likes chicken and tries it will like it! So, here we go…

INGREDIENTS:

6 Chicken Breasts
* Salt & Pepper
¼ Cup Flour
¼ Cup Butter
1 Med Onion, finely chopped
¼ Cup (more or less) Dry White Wine
1 Tsp Tarragon
½ Cup Chicken Broth
½ Cup Condensed Milk (non-sweetened) or Cream

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

First, sprinkle chicken breast pieces with salt and pepper then dredge with flour but set aside the remaining flour.

Next, in a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and then brown the chicken on both sides.

Move the chicken to a glass oven dish and keep warm in a low temp oven until sauce is ready.

Add onion to skillet and sauté for 1 minute before adding wine and increasing the heat to high.

Now cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally to loosen anything sticking on the bottom of the pan.

Once most of the liquid is gone, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the reserved flour, stirring to a thick paste (roux style).

Now add the tarragon and chicken broth and return the chicken to the skillet, covering and cooking until tender, about 20 minutes.

Add remaining butter and condensed milk (or cream) to the skillet and combine well and make sure it is heated well through. Just a note here - condensed milk makes a lower-fat creamy sauce than full-fat cream.

Now move the chicken to a serving dish or platter and pour creamy tarragon sauce over chicken breasts.

Voila! YUMMMMM!!!!

I served this with steamed broccoli and carrot-potato mash – it was superb if I do say so myself!

2009-02-20T09:20:00.001+13:00

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

Well, the old laptop is still hanging in there (as I am able to limp along and post today), but it’s certainly not going to last much longer – BUGGER! So…I broke down and built a custom Dell Laptop for myself. I guess you could say that I am trying to do my part in “boosting the economy”, right? Hehe

Anyway, the weather is finally beginning to show signs of the end of summer being near. We have had such glorious weather, for the most part, so I really can’t complain too much about the recent rain and cold snaps. Yesterday was warm again but today it’s “pissing down” as my hubby likes to say. (Gotta love those Kiwi & Aussie expressions, eh?).

In any case, I am still making and adoring the Melon Granita recipe I recently discovered in Foodtown Magazine, but I also made this ice cream and just procrastinated typing out the recipe because it was going to take some time – something I have been a bit short on of late. Nevertheless though, here it is and it is well worth a try…next time I may even try it with blueberries instead…since there seem to be plenty of those still around the place for a decent price.

Here you go…

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Milk
1½ Cups Cream
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence/Extract
5 Egg Yolks
130 Gm (4½ oz) Caster Sugar/Superfine Granule Sugar
500 Gm (1 Lb) Fresh Strawberries
60 Gm (2 oz) Caster Sugar, measured separately from the rest
1 Tsp Lemon Juice

DIRECTIONS:

Assuming you have frozen your ice cream tub overnight, the first step to making the ice cream is to make the crème anglaise or custard.

First mix your milk, cream and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat to nearly at a boil.

As this is heating slowly and you are occasionally stirring it to keep it from burning, quickly whisk the egg yolks & sugar together in a separate bowl (medium-sized) until they become creamy and a pale yellow colour.

Just before the milk mixture boils, remove it from the heat and slowly whisk it into the egg yolk and sugar bowl and stir until it is well combined.

Now, pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook it over a medium low heat until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon.

At this point, transfer the mixture into a shallow glass dish to cool and refrigerate for several hours until it is well chilled all the way through.

While the custard is cooling, remove all of the strawberry stems and leaves and puree them in a blender or food processor until very smooth.

Pour the puree into a small saucepan through a sieve to remove as many seeds as possible, then add the additional sugar.

Stir this over a low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved then add the lemon juice and mix well.

Increase the heat and boil the fruit for about 6 minutes or until it has reduced to about 1 cup, stirring occasionally.

Now chill this mixture for several hours as well.

Once the custard and jam are well chilled, combine them in a bowl and turn the ice cream maker on (prevents the paddle from freezing to the tub) before pouring the mix into the frozen tub in the machine.

Now you sit and wait for it to freeze and become thicker.

Once it has reached the desired consistency, transfer the ice cream into an airtight container and enjoy!!!

The ice cream will take a while to get to a “soft serve” consistency, but will freeze into “scoopable” tub after a few hours in the freezer.

Have fun!

2009-02-17T09:55:00.003+13:00

SEEKING INPUT ON NEW LAPTOPS

Firstly, I must apologize for being so lax lately. I have been quite busy, taking full advantage of the gorgeous weather until the last few days here.

I do have some lovely dishes to put up soon (I promise). I will soon be posting my stuffed portobello mushrooms and a gorgeous creamy tarragon chicken dish, but alas...my laptop is now more of a footrest, back support, or bun warmer (if you know what I mean) and I am in the market for a new one...

New device MUST HAVE:

Fastest processor available to man (and woman)...or damned close! (Core 2 Duo 8600???)
4 Gb Ram - Minimum
at LEAST 250 Gb HDD (500 Gb even better)
17" screen

Now...any suggestions are quite welcome (if you have any clue what a Gb or HDD is).

I'm actually thinking about staying clear of Toshiba as that's what crapped out after only 3 years...Lenovo, perhaps...leaning toward custom Dell Studio XPS though. Just not sure...

Tell me what you have used, trusted, hated, loved, etc., and I will take it all under advisement as I shop around. The good news, I suppose, is that the prices should be good right now as everyone and their brother wants to make some money right now, yes?

I will also be looking around in Honolulu soon for a better deal, so...new options might be US retailers and Costco?... Taking work with me, but plan to have a bit of fun as well!

(sigh) Okay, back to work...I feel a little bit better now. :o)

2009-02-10T09:39:00.006+13:00

TANGY BLUEBERRY BOURBON STEAK SAUCE

(Or...Blueberry Bourbon & Onion Chutney)

No, I'm NOT Joking!

Well, this all began with a family outing to the local blueberry farm, The Blueberry Farm And Bakehouse, where we spent a lovely, albeit windy, morning picking berries. We ended up picking roughly a kilogram (that's 2.2 Lbs) of blueberries and later purchased a "Gynormous Brownie Sundae" before heading home with our loot.

Now, we all know by now how good these little blue wonders can be for us with their antioxidants and such, however, I still needed to figure out what to do with them if we weren't going to eat them all within the next couple of days (a challenge even for us!). Sure, I thought about writing about pancakes, but seeing how my friend in Oregon had JUST posted hers, I certainly didn't want to be a copycat or look like I was competing for best blueberry pancakes, now did I?!?! Yes, I did make some of the standard blueberry muffins and I even took some berries (and muffins) next door to our favourite neighbour, but...I remembered seeing this weird, yet wonderful, recipe over at the Lobster Gram Recipe blog that I just had to try. Sure, I was hesitant...more like sceptical yet curious, but it sounded like it just might work. I often prepared my steaks this way or only slightly varying from it anyway, so the sauce was the only potential challenge for me. I just wasn't sure if the challenge was making or eating it! :o)

When the sauce was ready, it did smell REALLY, REALLY good...sort of a tangy and spicy barbecue sauce or slightly fruity onion chutney and it really was a fantastic compliment to the steaks (which we don't tend to eat too often in order to stick with healthier protein options when possible). What a treat this was!

Just as my last little comment here before you go start assembling the ingredients, I would suggest even making this in a larger batch and jarring/canning it as a gift or even just saving some aside as a snack topping. I took the leftover sauce with me next-door one day and we had it on crackers and cheese - YUMM...

Also, feel free to adjust the spices and try different types of peppers to change it up just a bit, but it is simply lovely just like this.

BLUEBERRY BOURBON SAUCE ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ Tsp Light Cooking Oil (I use Rice Bran Oil, but Canola Oil is okay too)
½ Red Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed or chopped
1 Tsp Tabasco Sauce (or 1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded & chopped)
¼ Cup Bourbon
1 Cup Blueberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
¼ Cup Tomato Ketchup (not the Kiwi “Tomato Sauce”, as it contains spices not found in proper ketchup)
3 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1½ Tsp Molasses
1 Pinch of Allspice (ground)

STEAKS ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp Thyme, fresh chopped
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¾ Tsp Salt (I used freshly ground sea salt)
½ Tsp Black Pepper, coarsely ground
4 Steaks (Filet Mignon or Fillet Steaks are the best)

DIRECTIONS:

First, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Next add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.

Now add the garlic and Tabasco Sauce (or jalapenos) and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds before adding the bourbon.

Next, increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil, cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated, approx 2 to 5 minutes.

Stir in blueberries, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses and allspice and then return it to a boil.

Now reduce the heat and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened, approx 15 minutes or so.

Preheat the barbecue grill to high and then combine the thyme, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl to rub the onto both sides of the steaks.

Grill the steaks about 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, then allow the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving with the sauce.

This is a surprisingly tasty sauce and a versatile one at that, so give it a go and see what you think! Happy cooking!!!

2009-02-02T10:04:00.001+13:00

HONEY SOY CHICKEN WITH SESAME

Often times I find that after being on the go all day, I have little time to create an elaborate meal. I like to have dinner started or ready by the time hubby gets home so he can sit, relax, and enjoy. In the summer I find it more challenging to come up with interesting new recipes, but this is one that even our daughter loves (minus the rice, of course).

I also found that my “Veggie Twister” from Oceania Trade Link is ideal in making all sorts of veggies fun for my little person and her friends, not to mention it really makes a lovely presentation for parties or photos. This particular favourite gadget of mine turns ordinary veggies into veg-linguine or into veg-ribbons (depending on which blade attachment I want to use).

Chicken is probably my favourite meat to work with because it is so versatile and I just love the aroma of chicken cooking in my kitchen (or on the patio). This honey, soy and garlic sauce is very versatile as well and is delicious with veggies as well as other meats. I make a relatively small batch here, but you can play around with the measurements and find your own balance with this one.

Here we go…

INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms Chicken breast and/or thigh meat (boneless/skinless strips or chunks)
2 Tbsp Flour
*Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil (Rice Bran, Canola, Peanut)
3 Tbsp Good Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Honey (or maple syrup)
2 Tbsp Cooking Sherry/Rice Wine
2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1 Tsp Chinese Five Spice
½ Tsp Crushed Ginger
1 Tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
½ Tsp Ground Coriander Seeds
2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds, lightly toasted

DIRECTIONS:

First, mix the flour and pepper together and lightly coat all of the chicken pieces, then set them aside.

Next, mix the sauce together by adding the soy sauce, honey/syrup, sherry/wine, garlic, five spice, ginger and coriander in a small bowl. Mix the ingredients together well until you no longer feel the thick honey sinking to the bottom.

Now, heat the oil and lightly fry the chicken pieces over a medium high heat until chicken is lightly browned. I fry mine in batches to ensure even cooking, then put all of the chicken back into the pan at the end for incorporation with the sauce.

Once all of the chicken is browned (and all “batches” are back in the pan), pour in the sauce and increase the heat to high.

Allow this to simmer while constantly turning the meat over with a wooden spoon or spatula to ensure all chicken pieces are well coated.

When the sauce begins to thicken, quickly remove it from the heat and add the sesame seeds. That’s it!

I serve mine with steamed rice and fresh veggies, but this is also tasty if you add broccoli and/or baby corn to the pan before the sesame seeds. Stir fried veggies and noodles are also very tasty with this recipe.

2009-01-30T17:53:00.006+13:00

MELON GRANITAS

(Diabetes Friendly and Gluten Free)

I finally received my first Foodtown magazine (yea!) and I found the perfect summer treat to start off in there. It has been very hot here lately...great for swimming and beach play, but not so great for culinary creativity. Anyway, when I saw this recipe I went out to buy my rock melon (aka cantaloupe) and honeydew immediately...I even bought a watermelon for good measure.

One thing to note too is that this particular publication actually provides the nutrition info (Joie, you might like this!). These granitas are just 584 Kilojoules (139 Calories) and 0.1 Gms of fat (remember this info will vary slightly according to the fruit you choose to use). The magazine claims these are diabetes friendly and gluten free as well, for anyone keeping tabs on that.

Now, Dad always chilled melons for us before we had the opportunity to taste them and I must say that they always tasted (and smelled) nicer when they were really, really cold as opposed to the lukewarm versions in restaurant fruit salads so, into the fridge mine all went.

What is a granita, you might ask? Well, imagine a snow cone or shaved ice treat made primarily out of fruit puree rather than plain unflavoured ice and syrup. That’s basically what we have here. Granitas have more flavour because the majority of the ice is actually frozen pulp rather than water.

With this particular recipe, the colder your ingredients are, the faster it will eventually freeze and therefore the sooner you may devour them...and you will! This is just a basic granita recipe but you can pretty much use any fruit you like…whatever happens to be in season…but melons are particularly refreshing, especially after a nice meal. Some people opt to pour liqueurs or spirits over them (pineapple flavoured rum, Malibu, or midori, for example) sort of margarita or daiquiri style, but we like them just like this!

Here you go…

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups of Melon/Fruit Chunks
1½ Tbsp Lime or Lemon Juice
1½ Cups Water
½ Cup Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the sugar & water together in a saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved, then put it aside to cool.

Puree the fruit & juice together, then pour in the syrup and pulse the blender a few times to combine everything well.

Pour it into a shallow airtight container & freeze.

After a few hours, mix it all up with a metal fork and scrape any ice crystals off the sides and bottom to mix back into the middle. Repeat every couple of hours until it's well frozen.

Now, when ready to eat, scrape it into a pile of ice bits with a metal fork and scoop it into a glass or bowl and eat it! It's like a fruity snow cone or shaved ice, but way healthier!!!

YUMMO!

2009-01-27T11:05:00.002+13:00

HONIED CARROT AND SPICE BISCUITS

The weather “down-under” has been marvellous, but unfortunately the heat isn’t great for creative cooking inspiration. It just makes me lazy and I end up throwing together sort of interesting salads or just grilling everything on the BBQ. It makes for tasty light meals, but nothing too blog worthy really I'm afraid. I am working on some melon granitas and homemade ice cream today, so hopefully – with any luck – they will turn out as good as they sound and I will have some lovely summer treats coming up very soon.

This weekend was wild! I went sailing on Wellington Harbour with some friends and it was fantastic! It was a 8.2 metre keel boat (supposedly won’t tip over) and it was like being on a carnival ride with the boat deck being practically vertical half of the time. Now I am tossing up whether or not to take lessons at the local sailing academy. They are reasonably priced and in talking to experienced sailors it sounds like winter sailing is the best. I guess I need to see if it’s something I will have enough time for…

Anyway, this sweet recipe was a last-minute project I fooled around with the other night whilst craving something sweet and tasty, but sans chocolate. We had a massive chocolate overdose over the Christmas break and, unlike my hubby, I am ‘over it’ for a while! I have this old cookbook with 100 quick & easy cookie recipes in it, but I have noticed that sometimes a step or two is left out or the measurements aren’t quite right, so I had made a few notes that this one was okay, but needed a bit of help.

I started with the basic cookie recipe, but added vanilla and changed a few measurements to get this, the perfect cookie (or mini muffin). These do not come out hard or chewy really. This recipe yields a much softer almost cake-like biscuit that is very tasty indeed. Imagine an entire dish of the best part of the muffins – just the tops!

I hope you enjoy them!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Sugar
300 Gms (½ Cup) Butter, softened
2 Eggs
¼ Cup Honey
2 Tsp Vanilla Essence (extract)
2½ Cups Flour
2½ Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Allspice mixed together)
¼ Tsp Salt
1 Med-Lg Carrot, shredded

DIRECTIONS:

First, preheat oven to 160 C (325 F).

In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until pale yellow and fluffy.

Next, add eggs, honey and vanilla and beat well.

In a separate bowl, sift together all dry ingredients and then slowly incorporate them into the sugar/butter mixture.

Mix until all of the ingredients are well combined then add the carrot and mix well again.

Now, with 2 spoons, shape the dough into approx 2-3cm (1-inch) balls and place them about 4 cm apart onto a silicone baking mat, or cookie sheet lined with baking paper.

Bake about 15-20 minutes or until the edges go slightly brown. Be careful not to overcook or they will be dry and possibly burnt on the bottoms.

Remove immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Voila - Perfectly delicious cake-like cookies.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen lovely biscuits or miniature muffins. If you prefer mini muffins, cook them longer – about 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick/skewer comes out clean.

2009-01-22T10:33:00.005+13:00

SNOOTY MENUS

Like anyone else, I really enjoy a night out once in a while. I love good food and great company, but every now and then I see a particularly snooty menu and it irritates me. Today I received an invitation to a "winemakers lunch" along with the following menu that made me laugh...needless to say, it's a bit "over the top" for even me. At first, it all sounded very interesting...

The lunch includes:

A sumptuous five-course meal
6 glasses of superb wines from the guest vineyard
Return transport from Central Wellington
Extreme Golf (10 balls per person)
Claybird shooting (10 shots per person)
Use of petanque and horseshoe throwing sets

Not too bad yet, right? They also provide transport so no one will drink & drive. So, I decide to have a look at the menu to see what is on offer...

Menu
~
Petit Brioche with Alaskan King Crab Fraiche
Abalone on Japanese Seaweed Salad
Served with Allan Scott Cecelia Reserve Brut
~
Whipped Goat Curd
on sweetcorn Parantha with mustard greens, melon and ginger salsa
Served with Allan Scott Millstone Organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008
~
Spiced Pork Gyoza
with grilled scampi and an Asian herb salad with lime labne
Served with Allan Scott The Wallops Chardonnay 2007
~
Seared Ostrich Medallionon roast beetroot and shallot with
Vincotto olive pate, snail wontons and caramelised beer vinaigrette
Served with Allan Scott The Hounds Pinot Noir 2007
~
Roast Nectarine
With a pear, brandy and butterscotch sauce
with gorgonzola icecream and madelines
Served with Allan Scott Late Harvest Riesling 2007
~

Now, I will admit that some of these things sound interesting, but...whipped goat curd on parantha - can't they say goat cheese on indian flatbread? Or...how about the ostrich...the stuff is nearly flavourless on it's own, so why try to dress it up rather than serving duck or even quail (if you want to cook exotic fowl), at least they have flavour!!!

Now, the snail wontons - I mean, really? Yes, I have eaten snails as escargot and although I thought it was okay, it wasn't something I'd rush madly out to buy...would you? Again - flavourless except for the fat, herbs & garlic they are smothered in (usually).

Finally, we get to dessert, this has to be good, right??? Well, the fruit and sauce sound okay...I'll even take a madeline or two, but gorgonzola ice cream??? WHAT?! I detest blue vein cheeses at any given time, but to make an ice cream out of the vile stuff has to be a crime against all things right in the world or something, really!

So now I suppose that with three out of six courses featuring cheese of some variety or another, the seaweed, snails and fruit are supposed to be nature's laxatives to help push it all through, right?

Well, whatever the case, I think I'll give this one a miss. I would prefer the lunches on offer at , Willamette Valley Vineyards, where I know the menus will still be first class, but not overstated...much like their wines, I suppose. I know this because my Uncle is their winemaker as well as a first rate cook (as is my Aunt Maria).

Enough for this post...have a laugh and be thankful that most people, no matter what their class, status, or income, are not so snooty as this. LOL

Cheers!

2009-01-16T15:15:00.002+13:00

SPICED PORK PITAS

I have been busy lately with both work and a bit of family fun. We are experiencing a really glorious summer this year and, as you do, we are trying to take advantage of it as much as possible.

In an effort to eat healthy and keep meals interesting, we have been using the outdoor grill a lot and eating more fresh produce. However, the other night I didn’t feel much like BBQ…again…so, I decided to whip up some tasty pitas that really hit the spot. I spiced my pork in a somewhat sausage-like way and it was lovely. I also accompanied it with a light and tangy yogurt dressing that gave it a little kick, just the way we like it.

MEAT - INGREDIENTS:

500 Gms (1 Lb) Pork Mince (Ground Pork)
1 Med Yellow Onion, finely diced
½ Tsp Sage
1 Tsp Celery Salt
½ Tsp White Pepper
1 Tsp Cracked Red Pepper Flakes
½ Tsp Marjoram
1 Tsp Parsley
¼ Tsp Mace
1 ½ Tsp Caraway Seeds
1 Splash of Red Wine

PITA - INGREDIENTS:

1 Pkg Good Pita Bread
1 Carrot, grated
1 Courgette (Zucchini), grated
¾ Cup Low-fat Natural (unflavoured) Yogurt
½ Tsp Garlic Powder or Garlic Oil
1 Tsp Dill Tips

DIRECTIONS:

In true “sausage” or “meatloaf” style, combine all of the above “meat” ingredients in a bowl and mush it around until everything is well combined.

Once everything is mixed well, heat a large frying pan with about 1 Tbsp of oil and begin frying off the spiced meat and onion.

Cook the meat until it is cooked through and browned a bit.

Remove the mixture from the heat and prepare your sandwiches by cutting the bread in half and opening the pockets.

Next, insert some of the grated veg into each pocket, followed by the meat.

Now drizzle each with a bit of dressing and/or serve a small dish of dressing on the side.

These are also great with a little cheese and/or tomato, cucumber and mild peppers.

Enjoy!

2009-01-09T16:54:00.004+13:00

RICE BUBBLE AND DATE TREATS

(aka RICE BUBBLE & DATE SLICE)

I believe it was Christmas Eve and I was next door for morning tea when Linda offered me a goodie from a plate of sinful options. My first taste was of a rice bubble slice (rice crispie treat) that Keri had made. Now, I have always been fond of the many crispie treats made with this cereal…the standard made with butter and marshmallow crème, the peanut butter varieties (with and without chocolate chips) and of course the cocoa version…but this one was even better than all of those combined (yes, honestly) so I just had to add this to my personal cookbook/recipe collection. I will admit though, that if I had known prior to tasting it that dates were a primary ingredient, I may have opted to try something else instead, as I am not usually one to go for dried fruits. I was VERY impressed, as you can see.

After having Keri write the recipe down for me, I stashed it away in my special recipe collection for the right opportunity to make it. These are a perfect snack to go with a cold glass of milk or even coffee or tea. They are quite sweet, but also flavourful because of the fruit content…beautiful!!!

This weekend we are attending a barbecue with some friends and, of course, wanted to bring something. Well, The host and hostess seem to have all of the main stuff taken care of (bbq meats, salads, devilled eggs, and even a few dessert options already), so I thought this was a perfect opportunity to share samples of Keri’s recipe.

One observation to note, is that in the beginning you start out with a pale yellow mixture. By the time this mixture is cooked and ready to remove from the heat, the colour has changed to a caramel brown and will have become very thick and gooey.

The flavour is sort of a caramel/butter toffee type of thing and the dates really just fall apart, so there is no need to chop them up ahead of time unless you REALLY want to!

Here’s how to make THE BEST rice bubble/rice crispie treats around!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1½ Cups Sugar
200 Gms (7oz) Butter
2 Eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla
1 Pinch Salt
3 Cups Whole Pitted Dates
6 Cups Ricies (Rice Crispies/Rice Bubbles)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot, whisk the sugar and eggs together then, continue stirring over medium heat.

Add the butter and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended and the butter is fully melted and incorporated into the sugar and egg mixture.

Next, add the vanilla and salt and, when those are well incorporated, add the dates. The dates will automatically break down in the cooking process so no chopping is really necessary unless you prefer to cut them up first.

Now bring the mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring constantly, until thick & brown. Watch it carefully to prevent sticking and/or burning.

Cool the mixture for 5-10 minutes then add rice bubbles and mix until the rie bubbles are all well coated and everything is well combined.

Now, carefully tip out the mixture into a rectangle baking dish or aluminium tin about 13 x 9 inches or 30 x 25 centimetres.

Once completely cooled, cut into squares and it’s ready to eat.

This is especially sweet too, so have a glass of milk at the ready! This is quite a tasty snack and it is inexpensive to make. The squares are great for sharing at a party or taking to a friend’s place in exchange for a cup of tea. This is especially good for a quick & easy option for a school bring-along dish as well.

Cheers again Keri…

2009-01-08T13:34:00.007+13:00

LOBSTER GRAMS

A GIFT FOR LONG-DISTANCE LOVED ONES

I remember having lunch one day, years ago now, with a workmate friend of mine in Portland, Oregon as we discussed a great new gift giving idea. She had ordered a complete lobster dinner for her mother-in-law's birthday, complete with the pot to cook it in as well as tools to break open the shells. Of course at that time I didn't really have a budget that would allow such luxurious generosity, nor did I have any friends or family too far from home that I couldn't just post something in the mail if need be. Nevertheless, I kept the idea in mind just in case my circumstances did change someday.

Fast forward now to today and I do live on the other side of the world and I do have the means to treat my family once in a blue moon. Well, last year I ordered my first lobster gram for Mom's birthday...a "Ship To Shore Gram For Two", because of course I couldn't let Dad eat spaghetti or Rice-a-Roni whilst Mom feasted on clam chowder, filet mignon, lobster and chocolate lava cakes, now could I?... It was a "grand slam", a "touchdown"...or a "try" for you rugby fans out there! What I am trying to say, albeit with cheesy sport analogies, is that they LOVED this gift and told me in no uncertain terms that I had spent too much (which I didn't) and that they'd be all too happy to get those in the future instead of the odd chocolate and licorice parcels from Kiwiland!

I was told that these dinners were of the highest quality, they came superbly packed in dry ice and, they came with thawing and cooking instructions as well as clarified butter for the lobster. Dad said it was better than any restaurant dinner he had experienced in a long time (and they like to eat out for birthdays, anniversaries, and the occasional night out just because...). It was a huge compliment from them and I was ever so pleased that they really felt treated.

If you are interested in having a look at the options available (they also do other seafood and steaks as well as desserts, sides, etc.), here is the link to LiveLob and a recipe blog for seafood and steaks. They even have a LiveLob review blog here if you are interested in having a peek.

In any case, I personally feel this was a fantastic idea for gift giving - especially if the recipient already has anything they might want or need. Next time you can't think of what to get Nana and granddad, or your favourite Aunt in California, have a look at the LiveLob web specials and see if one of their packages would be a good fit.

I have already inquired, and unfortunately they don't ship to international destinations...BUGGER...but, they are splendid for the rest of you and your kin.

Bon Appetite!

2009-01-05T13:45:00.006+13:00

PECAN COBBLER

Yesterday we bid a fond farewell to one of my hubby’s co-workers who is going home after a secondment here for a few brief years. My hubby thought it would be a nice idea to invite him over for a barbecue and to have a few laughs. Well, what began as a small intimate gathering of friends soon turned into a little larger gathering with a few more colleagues joining the guest list each day. It almost seemed like every evening hubby would say to me, “oh, is it okay if ‘blankety-blank’ comes too???, because he/she also wanted to see Simon off…” Soon I was wondering once again if we would have enough seating for all of these people.

As it turned out though, we ended up with the perfect group of people, not too many and just enough to eat most of the food. To my surprise, one of the veggie hors de'oeuvres actually disappeared first and I even went back and made more! Our guest of honour was “fashionably late” so he missed out on the crostinis I duplicated from my night as a caterer for another friend’s party, and I thought I had enough of those to last quite a while, but there was more food to come...

I had skewered some veggies as well as some lamb and some chicken that I had in separate marinades overnight (mmm, mmm, mmmm…that’s another post altogether!), and I made this fabulously amazing pecan cobbler to-die-for as a post-BBQ treat. I must give credit where it is due though, as this recipe was only slightly altered from another fellow food blogger’s site at 3 GIRLS, ME, AND A RECIPE a fellow Texan, as Texas was one of five states I grew up in. I nearly used kahlua in it as my Oregonian friend does with her pecan pie, but this was my first attempt at this recipe and I didn’t want to screw it up on my first go! I did double the vanilla extract/essence though and it was fabulous.

It is very difficult to get corn syrup here, but Davis Trading Co. in Petone does sell a similar product as “glucose – Corn Syrup”, although I had a couple of bottles of good old fashioned Karo left over from Thanksgiving...whew! I have also not been successful in locating any oat flour here, but I made my own with oats in a food processor and processed the heck out of them until they were a fairly finely ground flour/powder. In any case – here you go! Just look at that chewy, gooey goodness!!!

FILLING:

½ Cup Butter, melted
2½ Cups Light Corn Syrup
2½ Cups Sugar
1-2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract (I used 2 Tbsp)
5 Eggs, slightly beaten
3 Cups Pecans, coarsely chopped

CRUST:

1 Cup Oat Flour (1¼ Cups oatmeal processed to a fine powder)
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
½ Cup Butter
¼ Tsp Salt
¼ to ½ Cup Water

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/350 F.

Spray 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish with non stick spray.

In a large bowl, mix together, butter, syrup, sugar, vanilla and eggs until well combined.
(If you measure and pour the butter in first, the syrup comes out of the measuring jug much easier because the sides of the jug are pre-lubricated.)

Next, pour approximately 2-2½ Cups of this filling mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Now, add the pecans to remaining mixture and set aside.

In a separate bowl mix the flours and salt, then carefully cut in small pieces of the cold butter and combine well with a fork or pastry cutter until it’s about the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs.

Very slowly, add just a little cold water a at a time until dough forms a non-sticky ball and holds well together.

Now place the dough on a lightly floured surface, knead it only slightly and proceed to roll it out into approximately a 13 x 9 inch rectangle.

Gently place this crust on top of the filling mixture in the pan, and then carefully pour the remaining filling (with pecans) on top of dough.

Bake this for about 50 minutes until centre starts to set, but take care to protect your oven from spillage by placing your dish on top of some foil or on a baking sheet, as the filling may just overflow a bit whilst cooking.

Cool a minimum of 20 minutes before serving.

I served this delightful cobbler with whipped cream, however I imagine while it’s warm it would also be brilliant with ice cream.

Au revoir Simon, vous serez manqué. Restez en contact et veuillez ayez un bon voyage.

2009-01-03T13:33:00.006+13:00

WOULD YOU TURN DOWN

RHUBARB PIE?

My next-door neighbour phoned yesterday afternoon and said she had remembered that I had mentioned that I had never tasted rhubarb before. She also said she had just made a rhubarb pie from the gorgeous rhubarb growing in her garden and asked if I’d like to try some of her pie…DUH!!! (Of course I said YES!)

I love swapping recipes (and samples) with Linda and her family. They have produced some amazing (some simple and some more complicated) treats to share with us.

So, last night after our supper we tucked into a genuine home-grown/homemade rhubarb pie. I always thought that rhubarb pie had to be red or pink, but this one was a sort of celery-green.

My hubby savoured each bite and talked about how long it had been since he had tasted this delicious treat and how it brought back memories (what a nice compliment really). I watched him first to see what his reaction was before I took my first bite. I had been warned about the very tart flavour, so I was a little trepidatious…but after the first bite, I was certainly hooked. I had a small piece warmed up last night, but prefer it cold like I had it this afternoon. In both cases it was very nice.

It’s a bit like a lemony tart really. Not too sweet like too many lemony treats are, and with a little whipped cream or ice cream it is just a brilliant thing to behold. Now I can imagine rhubarb and strawberry together, among other things, and I am looking forward to experimenting on my own and, of course, swapping one more recipe with Linda (thank you again!).

I wanted to know a little more about this funny vegetable, so I looked up a bit of info on it. Did you know that the leaves are toxic, or that the plants are grown not only as a food, but also as a medicinal plant? Some might be pleased to discover it was used as a slimming agent, but (wait for it)...only because of it's strong laxative effect. I suspect this is one veg you wouldn't want to binge on anyway...

Once I have done a little experimenting on my own and come up with something really lovely, I will post a rhubarb recipe for you all. Until then, you can drool over this photo of Linda’s pie…mmmmm.

2009-01-03T11:10:00.007+13:00

CROSTINI WITH CHIVES,

FETA & BELUGA LENTILS

This is only but one lovely way to enjoy the unique legume known as the beluga lentil. I suppose it could be referred to as a poor man’s caviar with its beautiful sheen and jet-black colouring. These little gems are tasty in pilafs, vegetarian or otherwise, as well as hors de’oeuvres. I found a bag of these little black beauties at my local wholesale market and thought they looked interesting so I would give it a go and see what I could do with them.

I did a little research and discovered that Beluga Lentils are names for their caviar-like appearance in the fact that they remain whole and unbroken once cooked properly and maintain a shiny appearance, much like beluga caviar. I have only tasted caviar on two occasions and I still don’t understand what all of the fuss is about. To me it is just a VERY salty and VERY fishy condiment that really has no business in my kitchen. These little impersonators, on the other hand, are quite tasty and just as elegant to work with.

Combine these lovely legumes with cheese, chives and a garlic crostini and you have a winning combo, for certain.

I was recently asked to cater for a friend’s medi-spa, Beautyworx, as she was having a holiday demo night for her preferred clients. I was happy to oblige and anxious to try a couple of new nibble recipes I had recently discovered in this food blogosphere.

Along with these crostinis, I also made up some cucumber boats with herbed cream cheese, basil leaves and grape tomatoes, a fruit skewer porcupine with white chocolate truffle dipped strawberries, baby-banoffi-bites with a rich chocolate ganache to hold the crusts firmly in place, and my own twist on a Kiwi favourite – the brandy snap (with a bit of kahlua in the whipped creamy filling).

In any case, here is my favourite recipe from that evening and it was truly a hit! Not a crumb was left to be seen…or eaten!

INGREDIENTS:

1 French Stick (baguette)
200 Gm (about 8 oz) Good Feta Cheese
2 Tbsp Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tsp (more or less) Freshly Cracked Pepper
¼ Cup Freshly Chopped Chives
3-4 Cloves Garlic, peeled & halved
* Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ Cup Beluga Lentils, cooked in stock

* Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

I pre-boiled my lentils in about 2 cups chicken stock for about 40 minutes, until tender, but you can use whatever stock you like or even just boil them in salted water, careful not to overcook them and end up with a mushy mess.

Preheat the oven to about 180 degrees C / 350 F.

Diagonally slice the baguette into 1 cm thick pieces and rub each on both sides with garlic.

Next, brush each side of the bread pieces with oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet for toasting.

Toast each side between 6-8 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Whilst the bread is toasting, mix the feta cheese and the soft cream cheese (cream cheese is to bind and keep the topping from falling off of the crostini).

Now add in the cracked pepper and chives and drizzle in some olive oil. The oil is to help incorporate all of the herb flavour and keep the cheese moist. It also tastes incredible.

All that is left now, is to top your crostinis and to share and enjoy!

There are two good ways to use the lentils. You can start topping the crostinis with the cheese mixture and then a small scoop of lentils on the top of the cheese or, you can mix in some lentils with the cheese and top the crostinis with the blended mixture.

I opted for the former then garnished with chives to give them a bit more of an elegant presentation for my friend’s party, but I mixed the lentils in another batch at home afterwards for the family and both ways are VERY tasty!

Best wishes to all of my friends and family for a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.

Cheers!

2008-12-29T10:42:00.007+13:00

CREME DE MENTHE

DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
Makes about 30 truffles

I suppose I was feeling a bit adventurous this year, so I decided to try my hand at truffles. Not just any truffles, mind you, but my favourites with lots of peppermint! I used my own homemade creme de menthe (one for me, two for the pot) and a bit of extra peppermint extract to make them more aromatic and to allow the mint to penetrate the very rich dark chocolate.

They turned out wonderfully and they just melted in your mouth. I ended up giving most of them away as gifts (self-preservation) but did enjoy just a couple myself. They are really quite simple to make (although messy as all heck) so, perhaps I'll experiment with other flavours...I still have plenty homemade kahlua in the pantry alongside the creme de menthe, hmmmmm....

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Cream

½ Cup Creme De Menthe

(and/or optional peppermint extract - depending on how strong you like them)
250 Gm Dark Chocolate (at least 72% Cocoa), broken into small pieces.
¼ Cup Unsalted Butter
*Cocoa Powder for rolling truffles at the end

* Amount will vary with each batch.

DIRECTIONS:

First, break or cut the chocolate into small peices and put them into a medium heat resistant bowl and set aside.

Next, heat the cream and creme de menthe (and/or peppermint extract) and bring to a boil.

Remove the mixture from the heat and immediately pour the hot liquid over the chocolate and stir carefully until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture becomes a creamy and smooth ganache.

Now, add the butter and mix again until well combined before pouring the entire contents into a glass dish to cool in the refrigerator.

Refrigerate for 2 hours minimum – overnight preferred.

When the compound is hard but malleable, use a melon-baller or two teaspoons to form a small quinelle of ganache, roll them between (gloved) hands into a small ball, and then roll them in the cocoa powder.

The ganache will tend to melt as soon as you touch it, so don't roll them too long. Laytex gloves work well to assist in rolling truffles as they keep the mess localized and you don't need to keep rinsing hands in between balls. Adding some cocoa powder to your palms before rolling the quinelles into balls also helps, somewhat, to keep the chocolate from sticking to everything.

Set the truffles aside to chill in a sealed container when all of the truffles are done.

Sprinkle with cocoa powder and/or icing sugar (powdered/confectioners' sugar) then chill until 1 hour prior to serving.

To fully appreciate the flavour and consistency, they are best served at room temperature.

ENJOY!

2008-12-18T12:35:00.004+13:00

FRESH NZ CRAYFISH SALAD

(aka Spiny Rock Lobster to those in North America)

First, I need to share a little story.

Just after arriving in NZ over 3 years ago now, my husband took me over to meet one of his many sisters and her hubby. We arrived just before her husband and his boat, as he had just returned from a dive with several huge creatures nearly as big as our daughter! I was then asked if I liked crayfish or scallops, to which I promptly replied, “uhm, not crayfish, but scallops are nice…I do like lobster though.”

I didn’t understand at the time why they might ask me about crayfish when we were looking at enormous lobsters (sans front claws though) here and, where I grew up, crayfish were smallish muddy horrible things that weren’t worth all of the effort to catch, soak in clear water overnight, clean and cook just to get one bite of meat from each of the little beasts.

So, we carried on with our visit and I think we even went home with some lovely NZ scallops (also quite huge and attached to some funny orange bit – more on that later). It wasn’t until later that evening at home when I realized in talking to my husband, that we could have probably taken one of those huge lobsters home if I hadn’t said I didn’t eat crayfish! What – you actually call those gigantic granddaddy lobsters crayfish???

Well, it’s been an ongoing joke ever since…Tiff “blew her chips” (meaning lost her chances) to get any fresh crayfish from now on.

Now, fast-forward to this weekend and my brother & sister-in-laws were on their way to visit another sibling nearby and popped by on their way to drop off a crayster – or lobsfish…you know what I mean… It was a great surprise and just in time for lunch – YUM! (THANK YOU VERY MUCH!)

I basically borrowed a slightly modified version of a friend’s cauliflower recipe over at Cooking Dunkin Style and topped the creamy, cheesy cauliflower with the diced up crayfish meat. What a treat! I usually eat lobster with the traditional clarified butter, but I have learned to do things a bit differently here.

So, in a nutshell, here is one more nice way to have lobster/crayfish!

INGREDIENTS:

Cauliflower
Mayonnaise (Best Foods/Hellmans)
Milk
Diced Onion
Grated Tasty/Cheddar Cheese
Crayfish
Salt & Pepper

All of the amounts are really up to the individual, so just go with what works for you.

DIRECTIONS:

The crayfish was boiled and chilled in advance, so all I really needed to do was crack that baby open and carefully pull out all of the meat, then dice it up and set it aside.

I cut up the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces next and put them all into a microwave-safe glass dish.

Next, I put a couple of good dollops of mayo into a jug and added just enough milk to make it easy to pour over the cauliflower.

After that, I sprinkled diced onions evenly over the top and covered the whole thing with grated cheese.

To cook it, I placed baking paper over the top and nuked it in the microwave until the cauliflower was tender and the cheese was melted and beginning to brown (about 5-7 minutes).

To serve it, I just mixed up the cauliflower and scooped some into a bowl then topped it off with the crayfish meat and a bit of salt & pepper.

Couldn’t be easier, really…or more tasty.

Thank goodness that our daughter has not yet developed a fondness for crayfish, as it is currently about $100 NZD per kilo (2.2 Lbs)…that is approximately $50 per pound…or, $25-30 per pound in US dollars! :o) Doesn’t sound so bad that way, does it? LOL

2008-12-17T13:21:00.004+13:00

DR. PEPPER vs ROOT BEER

FUN KIWI 'TASTE TEST' EXPERIMENT

Just a couple of months ago, I discovered another new treasure trove of goodies down under. The place is called Davis Trading Company in Petone, just north of Wellington City, and I discovered that they stock a good amount of items I like to have on hand, most of which can be a challenge to find down here. This is where I buy most of the things I use to make my Asian dishes but it is also a great place to stock up on spices and/or some bulk items such as, nuts, seeds, potato/tapioca flour, rice, etc..

Not too long ago, I was preparing to make my Pancit Canton and needed some Chinese sausages, so I trecked off to Petone…when right next to the meat fridge, there they were and I couldn’t believe my eyes! I hadn’t seen Dr. Pepper in a couple of years and it had been even longer since I had seen or tasted Root Beer. I was quite understandably excited…I couldn’t wait to have my Kiwi mates try a Root Beer Float or taste Dr. Pepper.

I have tried many times to explain what it tastes like, but find myself at a loss for the right words. I even ended up buying a few cans of Diet Dr. Pepper and Cream Soda on that trip as well. I don’t often drink sodas (or "pop" as it is referred to in Oregon) anymore – perhaps once a month or so… I usually have to settle for Sprite (aka lemonade here), Coke or Pepsi because those plentiful here, so I was happy to have a little favourite treat or two. My Dad and I love the Dr and Mom and I always enjoyed an occasional Root Beer.

So…a few weeks later, I decide to surprise my friends with a can of each for a taste test. It was one of the funniest things I had seen in some time. My friend and neighbour, Linda, poured a bit in several glasses starting with the Dr. Pepper. She stops the glass halfway to take in the aroma as you would do with a fine wine. Next, with a look of trepidation on her face, she takes a small sip and tries to hide the disappointment of her face as the others look on as if to see whether Linda would swallow or not. Linda makes an attempt at a smile and says, “Now that’s interesting…”, as the others suspiciously taste theirs.

The overall consensus on the Dr. Pepper was that it wasn’t all that bad and that the taste reminded them of almond essence (or Christmas cake marzipan) and a hint of cherry. Most of my mates didn’t mind the flavour and I think that one of them (Nadine’s family has ties to North America via Canada) actually liked the stuff! Linda never liked almond flavouring in sweets, so she said that is what turned her off the Dr. Pepper.

It was a whole different ball game with the Root Beer though. Again, I think Linda’s face was priceless and was a bit of advanced warning (not to mention comedic expression) for everyone when the glass was once again raised halfway for a good sniff first. “Aw, geez, this stuff smells just like liniment!”, she says…”I don’t know if I can drink this stuff, yuck!” Once the laughter died down, the group all pretty much concurred, that, yes, this one does smell funnily like medicine but the few brave souls courageous enough to take the first sips encouraged the rest to just try it because it wasn’t really that bad if you can get past the smell. I think it took Linda at least ten full minutes to work up the willpower to sip it, but I am pretty sure they all gave up on the Root Beer quick enough. The idea of combining it with any sort of ice cream probably sounded sacrilegious since Kiwis do truly cherish their ice cream! (Even in the winter!)

Anyway, the taste tests did make for a fun afternoon and even though I had to finish the Root Beer alone, I had a much better idea of how to explain these flavours to a Kiwi, or an Aussie, who perhaps had never tasted the stuff before.

More recipes coming soon, so stay tuned.

Cheers!

2008-12-16T12:18:00.005+13:00

EASY PEASY – BANOFFI PIE

This is one of those desserts that sets mouths to watering just at the mere mention of it’s name. For anyone yet unfamiliar, banoffi is condensed from banana-toffee and, banoffi pie is like a banana split without the ice cream…well, sort of anyway.

Well, I saw this can of Highlander Caramel in the shop a while back and thought, “ooh, I wonder if it’s like the caramel sauce back home?”…well, short answer, no, it’s not…but, on the can was a really easy recipe for banoffi pie, so I just had to see if it was any good. Well, it is very nice – not quite what I had remembered from the good ole’ US of A, but lovely nevertheless.

Now, because this is a genuine Kiwified recipe, my North American friends will need to substitute a couple of things. The base (or crust) is made from Vanilla Wine biscuits (use Nilla Wafers in America/Canada) and the caramel bit is the Highlander tinned stuff (this is where it gets interesting). I don’t know if there is really an American equivalent, but what you can do is boil a deep pot of water and drop in an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk (label off) and let it boil away steadily for 4 hours. Make sure there is at least 4 inches of water above the can whilst it boils and cover the pot to keep as much water from evaporating as possible. Check on it regularly to make sure the water level NEVER gets down to the top of the can – it can cause the can to explode – so keep adding hot water if needed. Once the time is up, carefully place the can/s on a wire rack to cool and it’s ready for use!

I think those are the only things needing substitution for this one, so here we go…

INGREDIENTS:

1 Pkt (250 Gm/8 Oz) Vanilla Wine Biscuits (Nilla Wafers), crumbled
100 Gm Softened Butter
1 Can Caramelized Sweetened Condensed Milk
2-3 Large Bananas
*Grated Dark Chocolate
*Whipped Cream

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, blend the cookie crumbs and soft/melted butter until well combined.

Next, press the mixture into a pie dish or into individual mini pie dishes or ramekins then refrigerate at least an hour to firm up the crust.

Once the crust is ready, open a can of caramelized milk and mix well before pouring into crust/s. The caramel is to be about a centimetre or so thick.

Now, refrigerate again for at least 2 hours for the caramel to set.

When you are ready to serve the dessert, mash the bananas in a small bowl and spread over the top of the caramel, then sprinkle with chocolate.

Top it off with whipped cream (I cheated and used the spray cream in a can this time) then sprinkle again with chocolate.

Voila! A gorgeous little gem that goes great with coffee or tea! Enjoy!

2008-12-11T10:53:00.004+13:00

CARROT, APPLE AND WALNUT SALAD

Yesterday afternoon was nice. I had a few friends over and we had a lovely lunch. I prepared this salad with ham & tomato sandwich wedges…then we indulged a bit on banoffi pie (next post, I promise). The weather outside was delightful and, as usual, we shared stories, photos and lots of laughter.

Anyway, I really suggest giving this salad a try as it is fresh and tasty with a bit of crunch from the nuts. You can adjust any of the measurements really, to suit your own tastes, but it is one that should be given a try.

This salad was inspired by a lunch out with another American friend recently. We had lunch at a place called “One Red Dog” at Queen’s Wharf after riding the ferry out to Days Bay and back that morning. Funny story there, but in the interest of keeping it brief, I will just say that in the end we had to RUN for the ferry back to town and we certainly earned our lunch that day! LOL

The guys on the boat said they have become pretty astute at picking out the people late for the ferry as they often allow an additional 5 minutes or so for the last passengers running around the bays. Yes, they laughed at us, but so did we…we could laugh because at least we knew at that stage that we had a ride back home!

So, without further adieu…

INGREDIENTS:

¼ Cup Walnut Oil
¼ Cup Riesling Verjuice
*1 Tbsp Honey
*1½ Tbsp Wholegrain or Mild Dijon-style Mustard
* 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
*Salt & Pepper
3-4 Med-Lg Carrots, grated or julienned
1-2 Braeburn or Fuji Apples, grated or julienned
¼ Cup Currants
¼ Cup Walnut Pieces
2-3 Cups Baby Spinach Leaves

*Amounts vary to individual Tastes

DIRECTIONS:

In a small measuring jug or large mug, combine the oil, verjuice, honey, mustard, lemon juice and salt & pepper. Some of the measurements will vary, but the measurements given are approximately what I tend to use in my own.

Now whisk the dressing to emulsify the ingredients.

Next, in a medium-large salad bowl, combine the carrots, apples, currants, walnuts, and spinach. I suggest grating or julienning the apples just before serving and having the salad dressed and tossed prior to serving to protect the apples from going brown too quickly. If you do it in this fashion, the apples will stay crunchy and will not tend to discolour much at all.

Now, enjoy this light & fresh salad on it’s own or with a sandwich or pasta as I do!

2008-12-10T18:48:00.005+13:00

SUMMER BROCCOLI SALAD

(No actual cooking involved!)

Well, ballet and swimming are finally over for this year and the recital was just lovely. I have been working and playing hard since Thanksgiving, but I have not forgotten about my little pages here.

It has been pretty warm here these last few nights and, wouldn't you know it, my oven element blew the other day, so it's been BBQ for several evenings (which is really lovely in this weather) but I wanted something more substantial than just the average sausages and rolls, etc..

Here is a yummy recipe to try if you are hankerin for something other than a green salad or cole slaw to accompany any main dish.

This is one of my most favourite summer salads and I have even been known to eat it on it's own as my lunch for the day.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Head Broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
¼ Red Onion, finely diced
1-2 Carrots, grated
1 Cup Bacon, finely diced & fried crispy
¼ Cup Currants (or raisins)
¼ Cup Pumpkin Seeds (or sunflower seeds, pine nuts, cashews, etc.)
½ Cup Mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellmans type)
1 Tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
¼ Cup Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Sugar
*Salt & Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, mix all of the vegetables and then add the bacon, currants (or raisins) and nuts (or seeds).

Next, prepare the dressing in a measuring jug or large mug. I rarely measure anything when making dressings for salads, so adjust the amounts to suit your own taste and to get the consistency that you prefer.

For maximum flavour, dress and chill the salad for at least 2 hours before serving.

That’s it – simple as anything and VERY tasty. One of my favourite summer salads and it’s brilliant with any BBQ and/or pot-luck style dinner.

2008-12-03T13:06:00.009+13:00

NOT-SO-SECRET FAMILY RECIPE

HOLIDAY TURKEY, DRESSING, AND GRAVY

This year was the first year since we moved down under, that I have actually prepared a Thanksgiving feast. I refer to my recipe as the "Holiday" recipe, because it is often repeated for Christmas, unless we opt for a Christmas ham, leg of lamb, or prime rib dinner instead. More often than not though, for us it was turkey.

This particular fowl is not altogether popular here in New Zealand...it is actually difficult to buy a turkey unless it's close to Christmas and we won't even discuss the price of the bird!!! I have been told though, by many of my Kiwi mates here, that they think of turkey as a very dry and tasteless poultry and it's not worth the price...well, until they taste this one, that is!

This basic recipe had been passed down through the generations in my family and is also quite good when applied to chicken rather than turkey, but for today's blog, it's a Tom.

I have yet to come across a turkey here that is not free-range (which may account for part of the financial blow), and they are generally MUCH smaller than their steroid enhanced cousins in North America. Nevertheless, I was able to get my hands on a 10 kilo bird through our local butcher (I love buying meat at a butcher shop rather than the supermarket anyway)...that's 22 pounds to you Yankee Doodles out there!

So, I invited 35 of our closest friends and family (more or less), hired the local church hall, and set out to show these Kiwis what a traditional Thanksgiving is all about. Okay, so we had it a couple days late (on Saturday) due to the fact that Thursday wasn't a holiday here, but it was wonderful! I spent a couple of days making pumpkin, pecan, and cherry pies ahead of time, and everyone brought something to share so it was truly a feast among friends!!! Everything was SOOO good!

Well, I have to thank Dad first, for sharing his expertise and advice on the recipe. Now I understand just how much time, effort, and sacrifice went into making these huge family gatherings so successful (I love you HEAPS Dad). Yes, Mom helped out on Thanksgiving, and I love her HEAPS too, but the turkey was always his job and he was the one chopping all the veggies to make the stuffing and getting up every hour or so to baste the turkey the night before, then whipping up a gravy "to-die-for" after pulling the bird out of the oven the next day. (Good on ya!)

Next, I need to thank my hubby for all of his assistance, without which I may have come up short at the finish. And, finally, I thank all of our great friends and family for sharing their amazingly beautiful, tasty dishes and, for helping us eat all of that turkey so that my family didn't have turkey stew for the next 6 weeks!!!

So, without further adieu...here is how to manage a very moist and delicious turkey.

PREPARE THE BIRD: (9 kilo (20 lb) minimum)

Remove the yellow dead skin and any pinfeathers.
Clean out any loose material and set aside the liver, gizzard, heart & neck from the inside.
Dry off the exterior of the body.
Tie up the legs and wings (just to keep them manageable)

Keep a turkey lacing kit or large needle and cooking string handy for later…

DRESSING ~ INGREDIENTS:

¼ lb. Beef Mince (hamburger meat)
¼ lb. Pork Sausage with sage (homemade is fine)
½ Celery Bunch (or more)
2 Med Yellow Onions (do not use white onions)
2 to 3 Med Potatoes
All Giblets (heart, liver, gizzard) from the turkey
1-2 Bags of Breadcrumbs (seasoned if possible, if not add sage and just a little thyme)
*Milk

*Salt & Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

First, chop up the vegetables as fine as you like and set aside (1 cm pieces work well).

Then, chop up the liver, gizzard and heart and lightly-brown with just a little oil to keep from sticking. Season mixture with a little salt & pepper.

Next, add pork sausage and continue to brown, add the hamburger last and turn down the heat so as not to over cook.

Bring up the heat to the meat mixture and add the vegetables a little at a time to heat through but not cook. Add a little stock or water if needed, to steam the veggies.

Now, set the mixture aside to cool.

Once the meat mixture has cooled sufficiently, preheat the oven 106° C (250° F)

Next, put the breadcrumbs into a large bowl and add milk, a little at a time, mixing by hand until the bread is just a little moist but not mushy, then fold in the dressing mix and combine well.

Just before it’s time to place the bird into the oven, salt & pepper the inside of the turkey well (body and neck cavities).

If you have one handy, you can place cheesecloth inside the turkey to hold the dressing and make it much easier to remove later.

Pack the dressing into the body and lace up with a turkey lacing kit or whatever method you have handy.

Next, if you like a sweeter German-style dressing, you can modify a small portion by adding some raisins in just the neck portion (or just leave it the same as the rest, if you don’t like sweet stuffing).

Pack the dressing well into the neck area and lace up as well as possible.

Get your roaster ready and then rub the entire turkey with butter and liberally salt & pepper.

Place in the pan Breast up – this is only if you plan to slow cook at 106° C (250° F).

Now, add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of dry white wine in the pan and begin cooking.

After the first 3 hours, add 1 additional cup of wine over the bird, and then continue to baste it with the pan juices every 1½ - 2 hours. If the pan juices evaporate too quickly, add a bit more diluted wine (don’t use more than 600 ml of wine total, as it will ruin the gravy later).

The bird should be covered until the last two hours and basted often especially at the end. It should cook until the internal temperature reaches 77° C (170°F) or about 30-35 minutes per 500 gms (per pound), or shorter if the dressing is still warm when put into the bird.

You can also cook it quicker at 180° C (350°F) for 25 minutes per 500 gms (per pound), but if you do, you will need to start the bird breast down and turn it over when you remove the cover for the last two hours.

GRAVY ~ INGREDIENTS:

Pan Juices

2-3 Cans Unsweetened Condensed/Evaporated Milk

1 Cup Cold Water

½ Cup Corn Flour/Corn Starch

*Salt & Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Take pan dripping and add 2 to 3 cans of evaporated milk and enough water to make the desired amount (I added the water from the boiled potatoes for mashing) and heat to a boil.

Mix about half a cup or so of corn starch with cold water.

Slowly add the dissolved corn starch mixture to the slow boiling drippings until you reach your desired gravy consistency.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy.

2008-11-28T10:16:00.005+13:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

It is said every year

Voices young and old

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all

Then stories are told

At the dining table

Forks & knives in hand

And who could forget

The elastic waistbands

Turkey served first

White meat or dark?

And who gets the wishbone

To later rip apart?

Next spuds and stuffing

Under gravy so rich

Just pass on the veggies

Rolls are caught on the pitch

Save your forks ev'rybody

Cuz dessert is now near

Pumpkin pie, and whipped cream

Pecans too, never fear

Waitsbands are taxed

To their maximum limit

Don't forget leftovers

Everything's in it

Dishes are cleaned

And stacked by the dozen

Oh wait, that's more food

stored inside the oven?

Sure glad you could join us

Hope you visit again soon

Now a nap on the couch

Waking up tomorrow noon

Hope you enjoyed

My Thanksgiving story

Now go and enjoy

All your holiday glory

Cheers to all, and save some for me! ;o)

2008-11-25T10:42:00.003+13:00

SPEAROLE

(GREEN TEA WITH SPEARMINT, OLIVE LEAF, AND GRAPE SEED)

CAN HELP FIGHT OBESITY

I saw this in the news yesterday and thought it was particularly interesting. Keep an eye out for this product in your health food shops.

Courtesy of:

BRISBANE POST / THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Monday, November 24, 2008

Three cups of green tea a day could keep obesity at bay. Research shows the tea helps the pounds melt away, even while still eating junk food.

Spearole Tea, a blend of green tea, spearmint, grape seed and olive leaf, also cuts blood pressure and makes it easier for the body to process sugar.

Researcher Dr. Lindsay Brown said: “If someone had told me you could do all these things with something as simple as green tea with olive extract I would said they’d been out in the sun too long. It is simply amazing.”

Dr. Brown, a pharmacologist at Brisbane’s Queensland University, studied the effect of the tea on the health of a group of rats. The creatures were fed a fat and sugar-laden diet caused the amount of fat around their bellies to double in eight weeks and their blood pressure to soar.

When Spearole Tea was added to their diet, their waistlines and their blood pressure quickly returned to normal.

This was despite the continuing to eat junk food, the Australian Health and Medical Research Congress will hear.

Dr. Brown said it was likely three cups of the tea a day could also help people stay trim, improving overall health.

Warning that the obesity epidemic threatened to wipe out the gains achieved by improvements to heart health, he said: “The UK, the US and Australia all have something like 60 per cent of the adult population overweight or obese. The decrease in cardiovascular mortality in the last 40 years has added on average six years to life expectancy. That is the biggest increase in life expectancy in one generation in the history of the species. The control of cardiovascular disease has had an amazing effect on survival and that is at risk from obesity.”

2008-11-22T16:08:00.008+13:00

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

(Courtesy of the Easy Way Café and Foodtown Magazine Jun/Jul’07)

Today's post is a celebration post!!! It was one year ago this week that my amazing husband adopted my lovely daughter and we made everything official. She was the apple of his eye the day he met her for the first time, but it was all settled and we were finally able to share his surname, and all that entails, with him as a family one year ago.

I am extremely proud of my husband and daughter and never could have asked for more. Hubby is such a kind and loving man and I feel he makes me want to be the best person that I can be. Our baby girl (who is seven going on seventeen already) is very honoured and very happy about having such a great daddy too. I suppose there were a few long and lonely years when I was a solo mum, where she and I probably both thought we would only ever have or need each other, but Hubby came into our lives like a ray of sunshine and showed us both how good life really could be.

I had decided long ago NEVER again to settle for something mediocre, or comfortable. I decided that IF the day was to come that I would look for love again, my daughter would be grown and I would not ever accept anyone even slightly dishonest, "needy" or "clingy"...no "work in progress" for me ever again - I deserve better; someone honest and kind, and someone I could trust entirely and truly, deeply love. I wanted a man who was extremely confident and successful in life, not someone who blamed life for his shortcomings. I can tell you with 100% confidence now, that one should never "look for love"...trust me, let it find you when it's ready!

Now, this recipe came to my attention through my friend and neighbour, Linda (thank you ever so much). She made this for a special dinner she was having and it sounded sooo good, I had to ask for the recipe! Now that I have an extremely important and incredibly happy reason to make it, we are going to indulge a bit tonight.

Cheers to my family - may we always enjoy health, happiness, and each other!

MOUSSE – INGREDIENTS:

200 GMs Good Quality White Chocolate (must contain Cocoa Butter)
¼ Cup Coconut Cream
¼ Cup Bacardi White Rum
1 Egg Yolk
1 Tsp Caster Sugar (ultrafine sugar – smaller granules than normal sugar)
200 ML Cream
2 Egg Whites

DIRECTIONS:

First heat the white chocolate, coconut cream and rum in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a pot over simmering water, until it is all melted together.

In a separate bowl, whisk the yolk and sugar together and then whisk it into the melted chocolate mixture.

Remove the mixture from the heat and cool. I fill my sink with cold water and immerse the bottom and sides of the bowl in the water whilst stirring to cool the mixture efficiently and evenly.

Now, whip the cream just until it begins to hold it’s shape and then carefully fold it into the cooled chocolate mixture.

Next, in a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and carefully fold that into the mix as well.

Now, pour the mousse into your serving vessels (wine glasses, martini glasses, ramekins, whatever…), and chill well for at least an hour before adding the topping. A transparent glass or bowl will highlight the light and dark contrast between the mousse and its topping to give you a very polished presentation.

TOPPING – INGREDIENTS:

60 GM Good Quality Dark Chocolate (minimum of 72% cocoa)
100 ML Cream

DIRECTIONS:

First, break the chocolate into small bits and place them into a heatproof bowl.

Next, in a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil and immediately pour it over the chocolate bits in the bowl, whisking until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Cool the topping thoroughly.

Next, you carefully pour the well cooled topping over the mousse and tilt the glass/bowl until you have an even layer over the top of the mousse about ¼ of an inch thick.

Now, chill the glasses/bowls until fully set – about 30-60 minutes.

Finally, INDULGE!!!

2008-11-18T13:14:00.006+13:00

LUMPIA

Lumpia is the Filipino version of a spring roll or egg roll. I learned to make lumpia when I was still in middle school. My home economics instructor back then was a lady from Hawaii and she taught us about many different, weird and wonderful (or, some not so wonderful) foods from places all over the world.

This teacher even brought in Poi one day for us to taste (eeyuk). For anyone unfamiliar, from what I remember Poi is a gooey paste made from mashed Taro root and, if not eaten immediately, the paste is left to sour/ferment for up to a week. It is supposed to be very nutritious for babies with dairy allergies, but once it begins to ferment, it is rarely eaten without adding milk & sugar.

Anyway, I digress, Lumpia and sweet & sour sauce was one of our first cooking lessons (I think I was 12 or 13 at the time) and they turned out lovely, so I have continued to make them ever since. This is my own version, although I am sure there are heaps of recipes out there. I made pork lumpia on this occasion, but I think I like beef the best, but I have added shrimp on occasion and those were nice as well.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Lg Yellow Onion, finely diced
3 Cloves Crushed Garlic
500 Gm (approx 1 Lb) Lean Minced Pork (or chicken, or beef)
2 Med Carrots, peeled & grated or julienned
¼ Head Cabbage, sliced finely
½ Cup Mung Bean Sprouts (more or less)
4 Cups Stock (whatever kind you prefer, I used chicken)
1 Pkg Rice Vermicelli Noodles (adjust to suit depending on how many rolls you are making)
¼ Cup (packed) Coriander or Parsley, finely chopped
3 Lg Scallions (spring onions)
*Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Pkg (approx 20 ea) Spring Roll Wrappers or Lumpia wrappers (if you can get them)
*Peanut Oil for frying rolls

*Amounts vary to individual tastes

DIRECTIONS:

Heat your sesame oil and begin to cook onions over medium heat.

As the onions begin to go clear, add garlic and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds before adding in the meat of your choice.

Brown the meat and be sure to cook thoroughly, as the frying of the rolls at the end will not be long enough to get the rolls to a temperature high enough for a long enough time to cook the meat at that stage.

As the meat is browning, in a separate pot, bring your stock to a boil.

Once meat looks cooked, add in the carrots, cabbage, and bean sprouts.

Once the stock boils, remove it from the heat and add your rice vermicelli noodles and allow them to soften about 2 minutes.

Once the noodles are soft, drain them and add them to the meat mixture.

Remove the meat mixture from the heat and add the coriander/parsley, the scallions, and the black pepper and make sure to combine everything well and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Now you need to remove the wrappers from the package and lay them onto a damp tea towel. You will remove one wrapper at a time and fold the damp towel over the top of the remaining wrappers while rolling each lumpia roll.

Depending on who you talk to, traditional lumpia rolls are fairly small with very little filling however…I tend to make them bigger and more the size of a spring roll, but it’s up to you how much filling to roll up in each wrapper.

To fill and roll lumpia, as with most spring roll/egg roll items, you begin with the wrapper angled with corners on both sides and placing the filling across the bottom corner.

Next roll the bottom corner up and the sides in toward the center. Continue rolling up from the bottom and with clear water, moisten the top corner to “glue” it to the roll.

Once you have all of your rolls made, you can heat up the peanut oil and fry them 2-3 at a time to cook the wrapper until it’s golden brown and crispy.

Lumpia is best served with a sweet and sour sauce. You can find a simple recipe for my sauce with my post for Coconut Prawns.

Enjoy!!!

2008-11-16T10:15:00.004+13:00

BACON & PORCINI RISOTTO

This is one of my all time favourites. It's a smooth and creamy comfort food with loads of flavour. Here in New Zealand it can be challenging to find certain items (such as porcini mushrooms), so I get my special ingredients at the Mediterranean Food Warehouse in Newtown.

I buy the dried porcinis and soak them prior to use. In this case, the obvious option for me, was to dice the dried mushrooms and then add them to the stock before bringing it to a boil. This way, the gorgeous procini flavour was able to develop in the risotto from the start. Otherwise, if you have access to fresh porcinis, you also have the option of adding them with the bacon as I have indicated below. Either way, this dish is "to die for"!

This recipe makes quite a large pan full, so you may opt to cut in in half...personally, I like leftover risotto for lunch the next day, so I don't mind.

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Litres (6-6.5 Cups) Stock of your choice (I used Chicken)
2 Large Onions (finely chopped)
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
75 Gms Butter (approx 2.5 oz)
¼ Cup Verjuice (or ½ Water-½ Lemon Juice Mixture)

500 Gms (about 1 Lb) Diced Bacon
½ Cup Diced Porcini Mushrooms
300 Gms (5 oz dry/uncooked) Arborio Rice
3 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1 Tbsp Oregano
¼ Cup Packed Freshly Chopped Parsley/Cilantro
150 Gms (~5 oz) Parmiggiano Reggiano Cheese (finely grated & FRESH)
*Fresh Parsley Garnish
*Freshly Ground Pepper

*Amounts vary to individual tastes

DIRECTIONS:

Firstly, fry off the bacon until the bits begin to go crispy, then set aside.

In a large chef's pan or other wide-bottom pan that can hold 8 cups or so of cooked risotto...heat the oil & butter and start to cook the onions. Do not brown the onions, just cook until they start to soften.

Whilst the onions are cooking, you will need to boil the stock and keep it hot in a smaller saucepan until it's used up.

When the onion starts to go clear, add the rice and stir to coat well. It will almost look "glassy" and transparent on the grain ends when well mixed. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Now increase the heat and add the verjuice (or substitute) and stir until the liquid soaks completely into the rice.

Reduce the heat again and begin adding the hot stock to the rice pan one-cup at a time. Stir constantly and only add the next cup after the previous one has been absorbed into the rice. Repeat this until 2/3 of the stock is gone. This takes about 20 minutes - stirring constantly.

Now add in the bacon, mushrooms, garlic, and oregano then increase the heat once again.

Add the last 2 cups or so of the stock one cup at a time, as before and stirring constantly (about 10 minutes) until the risotto is smooth & creamy.

Taste for seasoning and check that the rice is cooked through.

Finally, remove from heat and stir in the Parmiggiano and parsley/cilantro and that’s it!

You may also wish to serve this with an extra drizzle of EVOO, additional parsley and cracked pepper. Even my picky daughter (who claims to hate rice) loved this one!

2008-11-12T13:54:00.005+13:00

COCONUT PRAWNS

WITH SPICY SWEET & SOUR SAUCE

So, I've been quite busy these last couple of weeks. With the school festival and trying to plan Thanksgiving, and somewhere in all this the excitement of our precious daughter getting her first job! That's right, only 7 years old and we make her earn her keep! Actually, she has always been quite a little drama queen and she was recently given the opportunity to be on television in a commercial for a bank. (pretty cool, eh?!) Technically, it's her second job though...her first gig was a photo shoot for a government brochure about 2 weeks after we arrived here in New Zealand. A photographer had asked me if she could photograph my lovely little nymph as she chased pigeons around the parliament courtyard...several weeks later we received, a package with a check and several photos in it along with a copy of the Auditor General's Annual Report and guess who graced the cover?! Well, that was a couple of years ago now, and I don't push my little one into anything, so there are no acting lessons on the horizon as we will stick to ballet and piano for now. She wants to do everything (guitar and singing/dancing are the flavours of the week because she wants to be like Hannah Montana). LOL

Anyway, my point...so much to do and so little time!

I had practically forgotten about coconut prawns as I haven't had or made them since we moved down under. This was a favourite appetizer at a local restaurant that a former director used to take my department to whenever we celebrated anything. In any case, it was always something I liked to make, but my daughter has never been fond of coconut or prawns...aha, but put them together and as long as it's fried, it now passes inspection...just barely!

These were just fantastic last night though. Not too heavy, and the ever-so-slight coconut aroma was heavenly. This was paired perfectly with the slightly spicy sweet and sour sauce I managed to whip up successfully (one of the first things I had learned to make way back in home economics class when I was about 13 or so).

My only regret here, is that I apparently didn't make enough for lunch today, so it's back to leftover chicken from my hubby's weekend cooking spree (he won a size 20 chook in the quick-fire raffle at the school gala - just a bit too big for our little family I think).

Here is the easy-to-follow recipe for my coconut prawns and sauce. Sauce first...

SAUCE ~ INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Crushed Pineapple, with juice
3 Cloves Crushed Garlic
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Corn Starch
2 Tbsp Red Chilli Sauce (or minced red chillies without seeds)
2 Tbsp Chinese Black Vinegar (lemon juice will do in a pinch)

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare the sauce by combining pineapple (with juice from can) in a pot with garlic, soy sauce, and cornstarch, then stir together until well combined

Now, add chilli sauce or minced peppers (jalapeno works as well, but use half as much if you don't want the sauce to be too spicy).

Mix together until peppers are well incorporated.

Next, simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to desired consistency.

Lastly, stir in vinegar.

The sauce is best prepared up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to serve (serve room temp or cold). Also, any leftover sauce is great with leftover rice the following day. Mmmm…sweet and slightly spicy!

PRAWNS ~ INGREDIENTS:

½ Cup Flour
½ Tsp Baking Powder
½ Tsp Smoked Paprika
½ Tsp Garlic Salt
½ Cup Cold Water (more or less)
¾ Cup Breadcrumbs
1½ -2 Cups Shredded Coconut (I prefer the finer texture over the coarsely shredded version)
500 Gm (approx 1 lb) Prawns, de-veined and tails off
2 Cups (more or less) Peanut Oil or Rice Bran Oil

DIRECTIONS:

Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder and paprika in a medium size bowl with a fork or using chop sticks.

Once well combined, add water and whisk until batter is smooth, then set it aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and coconut to make the coating.

Drop the prawns, one by one, into the batter, and then roll in the coconut mixture, pressing down on the prawns to coat them well. I used chop sticks to keep from making a big mess.

Now heat approximately 1 inch of peanut or rice bran oil in a large frying pan to 185° C (approx 365° F).

When the oil has reached temperature, fry the prawns in batches of about 6 at a time until they are golden brown on both sides, turning over once.

Remove the prawns from the oil using a slotted spoon or tongs and drain the excess oil on paper towels.

Finally, you sprinkle the hot prawns with a pinch of salt to enhance the flavour before serving with steamed rice and a veg. I added a hint of coconut essence and a few drops of sesame oil to my rice and it was addictive!!! YUM!!!

SPICY TWIST:

Add ¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper to bread crumbs and follow basic process as above.

FOODIEVIEW POST BUTTON

2008-11-07T15:35:00.010+13:00

AMAZING "ANY-FLAVOUR" CAKE

(or Muffins/Cupcakes)

Well, tomorrow is our annual Lamb and Calf Day Gala and I have been baking up a storm. Each student is instructed at school to decorate a cake box with a countrified theme, then told to take it home and have Mom or Dad make a cake to put in it before bringing it back to school the day before the gala. The school also sends home a cellophane bag for homemade fudge or coconut ice, but I prefer to make two cakes instead...besides, the cake stall is usually first to sell out and, the cakes raise more money than lolly bags anyhow!

This year I made two that appear identical, but they are certainly not! One is a Chocolate Velvet Cake with Mocha Icing and the other is a Sweet Almond Cake with Mocha Icing. This is a good way to demonstrate how this basic (egg free) cake recipe works for any flavour you like. If you want chocolate cake, you add the cocoa powder...sweet almond, you add ground almonds and almond essence...bananna, you add 3-4 smashed banannas, etc.... This is a great basic recipe and works a treat for muffins or cupcakes as well. It makes 24 muffin sized cakes or one large (2 small) round cakes.

I have had this recipe for several years, as it was given to me - handwritten inside the cover of an old cookbook I received as a wedding present from a friend's parents. It has been one of my most treasures possessions over the years and I think it was a very thoughtful gift as well. (Thank you Mr. & Mrs. Thompson.)

Here I will share with you my favourite cake recipe and photos of the cake boxes our daughter decorated for tomorrow's fair. As I am the MC for this event again this year, and we are expecting around 4,000 attendees (if this year is as good as the last), I will need to rest up soon and enjoy the dinner being prepared for us by our favourite neighbours and good friends tonight. I am tired just thinking about all that tomorrow entails...we look forward to these things...then we wonder why we ever volunteered...and finally, we are pleased when it's over. ;o)

What a cutie, eh? Just look at those baby piglets and the lamb - you'd never know she was just seven!

Do you notice the cow being milked in this one??? LOL

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups (375gm) High Grade Flour
2 Cups (450gm) Sugar
*½ Cup Cocoa (for Chocolate recipe)
*1 Cup Ground Almonds (for Sweet Almond recipe)
*3 Smashed Banannas (for Bananna recipe)
*Enhance your chosen flavour with a teaspoon or two of any other flavour extract depending on what type of cake you want (almond, lemon, orange, rum, banana, etc.)
2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp White Vinegar
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
½ Cup Rice Bran Oil (or other light oil for baking)
2 Cups Cold Water

*Specific Flavourings and amounts will vary according to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) and grease or oil-spray standard size cake pan, 9 x 13 inch (22 x 32 cm) baking pan, or line muffin tin with papers if making cupcakes.

Sift all dry ingredients together into mixing bowl (Flour, Sugar, Soda, Salt, Cocoa).

*Also, about ½-1 cup of Almond meal/Ground Almonds works wonderfully with almond extract as sweet almond flavoring.

Mix in the rest of the ingredients together until batter is smooth. (Vinegar, Vanilla, Oil, Water, any other extracts you choose to use).

*This is also when you would add 3 smashed bananas if you want to make banana cake.

Pour the batter into your chosen cooking vessel and bake 40-45 minutes for cake pan or approximately 20 minutes per batch of cupcakes (16 minutes per batch of mini-cupcakes), or until they test done with a cake tester.

Allow cake/s to cool in pan/s appoximately 10 minutes prior to turning out onto cooling rack/wire cake rack.

I usually use the cheese frosting recipe below, but in the interest of keeping the cakes moist for the school gala day and keeping the icing in place (rather than smeared here, there and everywhere), I chose to make a thick buttercream frosting for the gala cakes this year flavoured with coffee & chickory essence (great tip on the flavouring, Keri!) and cocoa powder to make it mocha flavoured. I just hope the icing stays soft enough...the recipe below makes a gorgeous soft and very creamy frosting, but it would be best refrigerated.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Icing Sugar
50 gm Butter
¾ Cup (approx) Cream Cheese or Mascarpone Cheese
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp
6 Tbsp Hot Water (more or less as needed)
*1 Tsp Coffee & Chickory Essence ~ or,
*Optional Flavoring (Lemon Essence, Coconut Essence, Caramel Essence, Orange Essence or Cocoa, etc.)

*Specific Flavourings and amounts will vary according to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

Mix melted butter, cheese, flavouring essence/s and vanilla until well combined.

Slowly add in icing sugar until well incorporated and creamy.

Add hot water one spoonful at a time until frosting reaches desired consistency.

I usually allow the cake/s cool entirely before frosting. Mmmmm!!!

VOILA!!!

2008-11-06T10:20:00.004+13:00

PALAK PANEER

Sorry, it's been a few days...just been so very busy sorting out Thanksgiving plans for 30 people or so, and trying to assist with the school's upcoming "Lamb & Calf Day Gala", which coincidentally means I'll be baking again today for the cake stall on Saturday!

Anyway, this is a new recipe I had seen one version of and decided to give it a go and see if we liked it. Our daughter wasn't crazy about it, but she did well. I think I might put it into a pita bread next time.

Okay, Palak Paneer is an Indian spinach curry with homemade fried cheese. Palak means spinach and Paneer is cheese. This was my first time attempting to make palak paneer and it was quite fun (and tasty). I had no idea how easy it would be to make cheese at home – how REALLY easy!!! I love spinach and feta, Mediterranean style salads and things, so I thought this would be a good challenge for me.

This dish would ideally be served wrapped in a flatbread like naan or a pappadum. I quite liked the sort of "squeaky" texture of the fresh cheese and might opt to make some herbed cheese with some of my favourite flavours thrown in for future gatherings!

INGREDIENTS ~ PANEER:

2 Litres (8 Cups) Whole Milk
6 Tbsp Plain Unflavoured Yogurt
4 Tbsp Fresh Lime/Lemon Juice

DIRECTIONS:

First, whisk the yogurt and citrus juice together and set aside.

In a large stockpot, slowly and carefully bring the milk to a boil, stirring constantly.

Once boiling, immediately remove the milk from the heat and stir in the citrus/yogurt mixture.

You will immediately see the milk begin to form curds.

Now, return the pot to the heat and continue to boil until the curds stop developing, about 2 minutes.

Line a colander or sieve with cheesecloth and carefully pour the contents of the pot over the cheesecloth and allow it to drain away all of the clear liquid.

Allow the curds to drain until the cheesecloth is cool enough to handle and then twist the cloth as tightly as possible to remove any excess moisture that remains in the curds.

Put the wrapped curds in the refrigerator between two plates and weight it down with heavy cans (or other heavy items) to smash it into a flat disk about a centimetre or two thick for at least three hours to allow it solidify.

When you are ready to fix supper, unwrap the cheese, cube it, and brown it in a preheated pan that has been coated with cooking spray over medium high heat.

The paneer takes a bit of planning, but the results are so very worth it. I feel like a genuine Kiwi milkmaid or something and I didn’t have to pinch a teat or anything! Ha!

Now, for the curry dish…

INGREDIENTS ~PALAK PANEER:

500 Gms (about 1 Lb) Frozen Spinach, thawed
2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
1 Tsp Ginger, finely minced
1 Small Onion, diced
100 Gms Small Mushrooms, washed (sliced and/or canned shrooms are okay)
1 Green Chilli, finely minced
1 Tsp Garam Masala
*Flaky Sea Salt
*Canola Oil Cooking Spray, or comparable substitute
1 Batch Paneer, cubed and browned (recipe above)

*Amounts vary to individual tastes.

DIRECTIONS:

First, combine thawed spinach, garlic, and ginger in a blender and puree then set it aside.

Now spray a large pan with a generous amount of canola spray and place over medium heat.

Add the onion and chilli and cook it until it begins to brown.

Now that the onion is beginning to brown, add the mushrooms and get them heating through.

Next, add the spinach puree and garam masala and continue to cook until all of the ingredients are heated through and well combined.

Lastly, add the cubed and browned paneer then salt to taste.

Serve with a flatbread such as naan, or with pappadums.

Enjoy.