A Message from Mum

No recipes today but here's a message from Mum:

I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing the World Vision 40 Hour Famine this year. I'll be helping provide the basics of life to children in need around the world by taking part. But I need your help. Please sponsor me to take part in the Famine. It will make a world of difference, creating hope and a future for many children's lives.

You could sponsor me in person or through my own online Famine Book. It's easy. Just click this link and provide your details. The Famine website is secure and accepts all major credit cards.

Thank you for considering sponsoring me in helping to provide the basics of life.

.

Pipis and Pasta

This family favourite is from the family Wilson, who collected Pipis at Aotea Harbour. They kindly invited me over to their house to share them. They also had homemade pasta, but could be made with packet stuff for a quick and tasty meal.


Leave pipis overnight soaking in salt water to "spit" the sand, steam open, remove from shells then drown in the following (to taste)
- lime juice
- chilli (fresh, or just the jar of paste stuff)
- little olive oil
- salt/pepper
- little tabasco

Zaaluk - Smoked Eggplant Salad

Another that Brenda emailed me, way back in 2002!

2x 300g eggplants
100 ml olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
500 ripe tomatoes, roasted peeled, seeded and mashed (I just chopped up ordinary tomatoes)
3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (I skipped these)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground (the secret ingredient I think)

Roast the eggplants over charcoal or hot coals, otherwise roast in a hot oven until the skins are blistered and the flesh is soft. Peel the eggplants, discard the skins and chop the flesh, Heat the oil in a pan and cook the garlic with the mashed tomatoes for 10 minutes. Add the chopped eggplant and remaining ingredients and gently cook for 10 minutes more, then remove from heat. Allow to cool before serving.

Red Lentil Curry

I don't know if Brenda remembers, but she sent this to me on an email a couple of years ago.

"As promised, here is the red lentil curry recipe. It is not dinner party fare but a very hearty meal that takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish. Just the thing for those nights when you get home to an empty fridge and too tired to do anything!

By the way, I have replaced the coconut milk powder with liquid coconut milk/cream quite successfully.

I also keep a pack of longlife sealed chappati in the pantry which make a perfect accompaniment.

PS: The recipe is from www.thelentilcompany.com.au which looks like it has some other good recipes. "


RED LENTIL CURRY
Serves 4

1 1/4 cups (250g) TLC red split lentils
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbs oil 1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbs chilli paste
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup instant coconut milk powder
Naan bread or rice to serve

1. Bring lentils, stock and tumeric to the boil then simmer, covered, for 10 mins. Stir occasionally.

2. Fry onion in oil until soft then add garlic, chilli, cumin and coriander. Stir for 2-3 mins.

3. Stir the onion and spices into the lentil mixture then add tomato. Stir in the coconut milk for 1-2 mins.

4. Serve with naan bread or rice.

Pipi Fritters

Collected Pipis in Nunguru Harbour on New Years day - Left them to soak in a bucket of salt water over night so they would spit out any remaining sand and then the following morning we steamed them open and ate quite a few. So sweet and juicy! After a rummage in the pantry for ingredients, we cooked up the rest into Pipi Fritters for breakfast. So it went a little something like this....

Whisk 2 eggs

add:
pepper/salt
grated lemon rind
pinch of chilli powder
and a couple of finely sliced fresh mint leaves

mix in 3 tablespoons of flour
2tsp of baking powder

add the coarsly chopped pipis (about a bread n butter plate full)
and 1/4 finely diced red onion

Mix

then add sploshes of beer till the desired consistency is reached.

Scoop out of mixing bowl with tablespoon and fry on medium heat in butter or oil. Made about 12 (fed 4 of us). Eat in the sun and enjoy!

Panforte

Credit to the book....
Food with Attitude, Kate Fay & Jeremy Turner (a Hodder Moa book, published 2005, NZ)

Mum made this and loved it. Gave it away as gifts this Christmas.

-Annie Mantell's Panforte-

160g runny hunny
150g castor sugar
125g whole blanched almonds
125g hazel nuts
750g of Lexia raisins or plump fat raisins
1tblsp orange zest
1tblsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice
125g plain sifted flour
2tblsp cocoa

Preheat oven to 160 deg C. Grease and line a 25cm springform cake tin and line with baking paper. Melt honey and sugar gently in the saucepan, and slowly bring to a simmer. Simmer mixture until sugar and honey are combined. This should only take a few mins. Set mixture aside, combine the other ingredients in a large bowl. Add the honey and sugar mixture and mix well. (best to mix with your hand to ensure the nuts and raisins are well covered) The mixture will look dry. With wet hands, press mixture into the prepared tin, packing it down tightly. Bake for 45 mins. Until top is lightly browned and crunchy. Cool, remove from tin, and cut into 30-40 small pieces. (or cut from block when required to eat and serve.)

Russian Fudge

From Mum's *falling apart* Edmonds Cookbook - 1976 edition, 15th printing deluxe edition (worth keeping just incase it varies slightly in new editions!).

1 1/2 lb sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tin of sweetened condensed milk
4 oz butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 tblsp golden syrup

Put sugar and milk into pan and bring to the boil. Add condensed milk, butter salt, and golden syrup. Boil 1/2 an hour stirring frequently. (Note: tends to stick to bottom if heavy based pan is not used.) Beat until thick, about 5 mins. Pour into greased tins, mark and cut when set. Vanilla and nuts may be added if desired.

Brandy Butter

... for Christmas pudding, from Mum

75g unsalted butter
75g castor sugar
75g ground almonds
grated rind of 1/2 an orange
45 ml brandy

Cream butter with wooden spoon. Then beat in the sugar, ground almonds and orange rind. When well mixed, add the brandy and stir till thoroughly incorporated. Pile into a serving dish (jam dish or butter dish) and chill until needed.

This brandy butter freezes well.

Stollen

Christmas food..... German traditional....

Found on a scrap piece of paper in Mum's pantry. This is the original recipe Mum used to make a few years ago. (She's been using a different one lately - shock horror) Mum said she hasn't made this version in a while cos it makes a fair amount that she gives away. (She said about 4 largish ones.) So here we go. Will have to ask Mum to elaborate on her brief instructions - which also happen to be overwritten in black felt pen with the note 'Rowan's wallet'.... wonder if he left it somewhere? Oh and sorry, it's not in metric - yet.

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 lb butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 packages dry yeast (2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp lemon peel (fresh grated - or use mixed peel packet if no fresh)
1tsp almond extract
5 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup finely chopped candied orange peel (again, mixed peel packet if desperate)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup slivered almonds

(filling)
1 packet of almond paste (marsipan) - optional

(topping- a)
1 egg white beaten with 1 tsp sugar

(topping - b)
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup icing sugar


Bring milk, butter, sugar to the boil in a pan. When just on the boil, remove from the heat and cool. Sprinkle yeast onto the warm water in a seperate bowl, leave to activate.

Put 3 cups of the flour, salt, lemon peel in a large bowl, add the cold milk mix, yeast mix, and almond extract. Beat well.

Add eggs one at a time. Add fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants, slivered almonds and candied orange peel. And 2 cups of the remaining flour. Mix. Turn onto a board, knead till smooth, approx 10 mins. Use some of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour where needed (excuse the pun)

Rise until double. Approx 1 1/2 hours in a warm place.

Beat down. (ie: punch down in bowl with knuckles) Divide into 4. Mould each piece into an oval about 3/4 inch deep. If wanting a filling, use 1/4 of the marsipan (1 for each of the stollen) and roll the marsipan into a small 'sausage' to fit approx length of the oval. Fold the oval in half lengthways so that the bottom layer extends beyond the top layer by about an inch - sealing the filling at one end and not at the other*. (if you have the filling)
*Mum says, the filling often represents the baby Jesus in his swaddling clothes so imagine his head is peeping out - but not his feet.

Brush with egg white mix (see topping - a) Leave to rise in a warm place for about 45 mins.

Bake at 375 deg F (180 deg C) for 25 mins. While still hot, brush with melted butter and dust thickly with icing sugar (see topping - b) Put back into oven for a few minutes.

When cold, wrap in foil and store in a cool, dry place. Can be left for a week before eating, however in NZ it tends to go dry in our summer climate. But it does 'keep' okay for a while. Can even be frozen.

To serve, slice and eat!

Sago Plum Pudding

According to Delia, this was copied out of Mum’s mum’s handwritten recipe book - "I had to be careful... pages one through eight have disappeared into the time warp of pantries past..."

3 tablespoons sago
1 cup of breadcrumbs
1 cup milk half cup of sugar
2 ounces butter (melted)
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup sultanas

Soak sago in milk for three hours or overnight.
Mix in other ingredients.
(Mum recommends adding dried fruit or a few spices)
Steam 3 hours.

Creamed Onions and Peas

For Thanksgiving this year I had to write home to Mum to get this recipe as I happened to find what I thought were small onions in the supermarket. They were in fact shallots, but worked at the same...

24 – 28 peeled white onions about 1” in diameter (2,5cm)

2lb (1kg) fresh green peas or 3 packets frozen green peas thoroughly defrosted

2oz butter

4tblsp flour

¾ pint of milk

¼ pint cream

1 teasp salt

pinch white pepper

¼ teasp nutmeg

Place the onions in a 6 pint saucepan with enough water to cover them by about an inch. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to its lowest point and simmer the onions partially covered fro about 20 minutes, or until they show only a slight resistance when pierced with the tip of a small sharp knife. Drain the onions in a sieve placed over a small bowl and set aside. Reserve the cooking water to use in making the sauce.

Cook the fresh peas by dropping them into 10 – 12 pints of rapidly boiling salted water. Boil briskly uncovered for 8 – 10 minutes or until they are tender. Then drain the peas and immerse in a bowl of cold water for 2 – 3 minutes. This will stop them cooking and help keep their bright green colour. Drain and put the peas aside with the cooked onions. Frozen peas need not be cooked, merely defrosted.

In a heavy 5 pint saucepan, melt the butter over a moderate heat and stir in the flour. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in about ¾ pint of the reserved onion cooking liquid, beating with a wire whisk until the flour butter mixture is partially dissolved. Add the milk and cream, return the pan to the heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thick.

Simmer for three to four minutes to remove any taste of uncooked flour, season with the salt, white pepper and nutmeg, then add the cooked onions and the cooked peas. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are heated through.

Taste for seasoning and serve.


The super stuffed turkey


The storm that hit on Thanksgiving Sunday

Texas Corn Bread

I received a number of corn bread recipes in response to my request. Needless to say, the ingredients were basically the same but the proportions vary enormously. This recipe kindly sent by Beverly makes a nice runny batter and moist corn bread. It goes great with turkey and cranberry leftovers!

1 c yellow cornmeal (I've also used polenta or coarse grind cornmeal)
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 t salt
1 c buttermilk
1 egg
1 T baking powder
1/2 c milk
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 c melted butter

Thoroughly mix the cornmeal, flour, and salt. Then add the buttermilk, egg, baking powder, milk, baking soda, and melted butter. DO NOT MIX!! DO NOT BLEND!! (Yet)

Grease an 8" square cake pan, muffin tins, or cornstick molds and heat them in the oven. Stir the cornmeal mixture until just combined and pour into the hot, prepared pan.

Bake at 450 degrees until done, about 20 minutes. The bread will be light and moist and brown and crusty on the bottom. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie

Sweet Short Pastry
Buy it if you must but it is so simple to make:

75g butter
3 tsp water
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg yolk (save white for pie filling)

Beat together in food processor until a blob forms. Don't try to roll into a flat sheet, just take clumps and press into your pie dish. Prick bottom of pie crust with a fork in several places.

I usually make three times the pastry and filling recipe which is plenty for two 20cm pie dishes. Any pastry and filling left over can be used in ramekins to make mini-pumpkin pies like this:

Pumpkin Pie Filling
Use this as a starting point and make up your own variations. Provided there are enough eggs to make a custard, the mixture is very forgiving:

1 cup pumpkin pulp (eg butternut or Jap/Kent)
1 egg (plus whites left over from the pastry)
1 dessert spoon flour
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg and ginger
2 tablespoons sugar

Blend together in food processor or big bowl until smooth.
Pour into base and cook 40 minutes at 200C (400F).

This makes a golden coloured pie like this:

If you use molasses/treacle instead of golden syrup and use brown sugar, you get a darker pie like this:

Other variations include adding grated fresh ginger and Chinese five spice. And I have it on good authority that cracks and pooling of sugar is the hallmark of a good pumpkin pie...

Classic Masala Curry & Rice Pulao

When I was in Canberra, I had the treat of dining at an Indian restaurant. Here at Copacabana, we do not have such exotic dining options and have to be more self sufficient. This is a versatile Terry Durack recipe from Sydney Morning Herald's Good Weekend magazine back in 2001 :

Basic Curry (serves 4 but can stretch a little)
2 T butter
2 T vegetable oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 T finely grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 t cayenne powder
2 t garam masala* (see recipe below)
1 t ground cumin
1 t salt
800g canned tomatoes, chopped
150 runny cream (not strictly necessary but yummy)
handful fresh coriander leaves

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-based pan, add the onion and cook until soft. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spices and salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes or until the oil comes to the surface. Gradually add the cream, stirring constantly without boiling.

Other variations:

• Chicken Masala - 450g boneless chicken meat cut into bite sized chunks, seasoned well with salt and pepper and browned and semi-cooked in separate frying pan before adding to curry.
• Prawns - add peeled cooked or uncooked prawns to curry and warm through/cook just before serving.
• Lamb - add 450g large diced lamb to curry and slow cook in 150C oven for 45-60 minutes.

The curry can be made in advance and often tastes even better a day or two later:


Garam Masala
Garam Masala is an aromatic essential seasoning in the cuisine of Northern India. You can purchase it at Asian markets or make your own. Here are a couple of different methods:

From ground spices mix:

• 1 T ground coriander
• 2 t black pepper
• 2 t ground cardomom
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t ground cloves

To grind your own:
Combine the following spices on a baking tray:

• 2 t whole black peppers
• 2 t cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 t coriander seeds
• 1 t fennel seeds
• 3/4 t whole cloves
• 1/2 t cardomom seeds (without pods)
• 1 stick cinnamon (broken)

Roast at 125C for about 20 minutes. Grind in blender or mortar and pestle.

Rice Pulao
Risotto aside, I've never been much good at cooking rice but this works every time (especially if you use a non-stick pot). It's worth the extra effort:

300g basmati rice
2 T vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely sliced
1/2 t cumin seeds
1/2 t brown mustard seeds (I've been known to use ones that don't look more golden)
1/2 t salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground coriander
1/2 t tumeric powder
1 bay leaf
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
2 cloves
600 ml water

Wash the rice in cold water and drain well. Heat the oil and fry the onion until soft and brown. Add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds and cook for one minute. Add the salt, pepper, ground cumin, coriander and tumeric, stirring. Add the drained rice and toss well to coat the spices. Add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.

Add 600 ml boiling water, bring back to the boil, stirring, then reduce heat and cover tightly (wrap the lid with a piece of kitchen foil, scrunching it around the edges). Cook very gently for 15 minutes (don't lift the lid during that time), then loosen the grains with a fork, cover and set aside for 5 minutes before serving.

Pancakes

I was horrified on Saturday night when Leona said that she'd had pancakes for brunch on Saturday... I probably would have been ok has she got one of those pancake mixes, but she'd purchased pre-made pancakes. Apparently the look on my face was priceless.

(As opposed to the pancakes which I suspect were a small fortune.)

The following recipe is one I perfected during my summers at Cafe Luna in Hahei... and super easy to make bigger quantities, if you can do your 1 x tables.

1C Flour
1C Milk
1 Egg
1t baking Powder
1T Sugar
1 pinch of salt

Whisk; leave about 1/2 an hour to bind; pour into pan; turn etc

Makes about 6 which is good for two people. Serve with real butter and golden syrup.

You can also add things like vanilla, some plain yoghurt, spices, whatever to give the pancakes different flavours.

L will have to come back and defend herself next weekend once she's tested the recipe.

Salmon & Courgette Kebabs - with Wasabi Dressing

Inspiration for a summer bbq. Perhaps a Christmassy treat! (serves approx 10)

KEBABS

800g boned and skinned salmon fillet, 3cm cubed
5 courgettes (zucchini), peeled into strips
2 lemons (to squeeze juice on when cooked, if desired)

Method:

Place cubed salmon alternately on skewers with courgette ribbons. Place on heated oiled barbecue and cook each side for approx 2 mins. The salmon should still be a little pink in the middle. (cook longer if desired)

WASABI DRESSING

2 large cloves garlic
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp prepared mustard
wasabi paste to taste
1/2 cup (in total) chopped parsley/chives/mint
1 1/2 cups soya or other vegetable oil (not olive)

Method:
Place all ingredients except oil in a blender or food processor. Slowly drizzle in the oil. Process until creamy. Serve with pickled ginger- from Asian supply stores or gourmet section of supermarkets (optional)

Soda Bread

Another recipe found while browsing the weekend papers - One I am sure Amy and Brenda will try... Recipe by Peta Mathias

Soda Bread

Peta says - "The Irish are famous for their beautiful bread and is simplicity itself to make. No fussing with esoteric things like yeast, it is based on a combination of bicarbonate of soda and an acid, usually supplied by buttermilk. I have tried making soda bread with milk or yoghurt, but it's just not the same. Buttermilk is usually found in big supermarkets and it is worth the extra effort."

2 cups plain white flour
2 cups whoemeal flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 cups of buttermilk

Preheat oven to 200C. Sift the flour, salt and soda into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon, slowly incorporate the flour into the milk to give a soft but not sticky dough.

Turn onto lightly floured board and knead lightly for one minute until smooth. Smooth and shape to a round about 5cm high. Cut a deep cross from one edge to the other and place on a floured baking tray.

Bake for 30 mins. To test if bread is cooked tap the underside of the bread which should sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack.

Sunny Salad

I got this recipe from cousin Megan who got it from an issue of Cuisine magazine back in 2002. It tastes of summer and it makes a good wrap filling too.

6 ears sweet corn, husks and silks removed

2 large tomatoes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon style mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

2 tablespoons chopped basil

1 ripe but firm avocado, peeled and stone removed

Cook corn 10-30 minutes (10 minutes if freshly-picked cobs, longer if they have been picked a day or two.)

Drain and cover loosely with kitchen paper (stops wrinkling)

When cool enough to handle, slice of the kernels

Remove cores from tomatoes, cut into quarters and flick out as many seeds as possible (PS: When Megan makes this she just uses entire tomato quartered - hates throwing out good food!) Cut the flesh into dice, put in a sieve and drain 10 minutes

Mix olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, shallot and basil in a bowl. Stir in corn, top with tomatoes and diced avocado. Stir and serve immediately. (Megan makes hours before party, seems to work ok.)

Serves 6-8 as a salad. Enjoy!

Lamb and kumara salad

Not a family favourite, but one I spotted in the New Zealand Herald. Vic Williams is a food writer and I am always eyeing up the recipes...YUM! I gotta try it, or a variation.

Serves 4

4 lamb steaks, cut from the leg, 2-3cm thick
3-4 medium red kumara (or sweet potato for the overseas people)
1 red capsicum
2 tbsps vegetable oil
2 handfuls mixed salad greens
1 tbsp sesame paste (sometimes called sesame sauce)
3 tbsps peanut oil
2 tsps sesame seeds
2 sprigs coriander

Trim off and discard fat from the lamb steaks. Peel the kumara. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and boil the kumara until just-cooked, but still slightly firm. Put aside to reach room temperature. Meanwhile, remove the stem, white ribs and seeds from the capsicum and discard. Dice the flesh small. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan and cook the lamb steaks for 2-3 minutes per side, or until they are medium-rare, seasoning as they are turned. Put aside to rest.

Wash and dry the salad greens and pull off and discard any leggy stems. Make a dressing by stirring the sesame paste and two tablespoons of the peanut oil together with a little salt and pepper.

To assemble the dish, toss the greens with the remaining peanut oil, add salt and pepper and place on four plates. Holding a sharp, thin-bladed knife on an angle, slice the lamb steaks across the grain and drape over the top. Cut the kumara into 1/2cm discs and distribute evenly among the plates.

Scatter the diced capsicum, sesame seeds and coriander leaves over everything, with a little more salt and cracked black pepper. Drizzle with the sesame dressing and serve.

Biscotti

Ingredients:

• 3 C flour
• 1 C sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 D anise extract or sherry
• 1 1/2 D vanilla essence
• 2 D anise seed
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 C oil
• 1 C mixed chopped almonds, apricots, crystallised ginger/zest of 1 orange

Method:

1. Mix sugar, eggs, anise, vanilla and aniseed.
2. Add 3 C flour and baking soda.
3. Add oil and dried fruits/nuts
4. Place parchment paper on cookie tray.
5. Divide batter in half and spread with hands to make logs 3" wide and 1/2" high.
6. Bake 350 F for 20-25 minutes until golden.
7. Remove from oven and cut diagonally.
8. Put every other biscotti on another tray to dry out in turned off over or at least 2 hours or overnight.

NB: Can be dipped in chocolate at one end.