Quick Steam Pudding

This is Mum's butterscotch-y flavoured steam pud' she used to make. It makes heaps! Cheap and yummy feed for 6 people or so, tastes great with vanilla icecream.

Mix into a soft dough with some milk and water:

• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 level teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tatar
• Butter (size of about a walnut)

Put into a basin and pour over this mixture:

• 1 tablespoon of golden syrup
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 oz (50g butter)
• and 2/3 cup boiling water on top of that

Steam 1/2 hour without cover on basin, but put lid on pot.

Mum didn't turn out to serve as all the yummy mixture is in bottom of basin.

self saucing chocolate pudding

Here's another version, similar to what Brenda has already posted.
This is the recipe Mum used to make.

For the pudding:
100g soft butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon cocoa

For the sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
1/4 cup cocoa
plus - 2 cups boiling water

Beat sugar, egg, and vanilla essence.
Sift flour, baking powder, and cocoa together then fold into the wet mixture above.
Put into an oven proof dish.
Sprinkle the dry sauce mixture over the top, and then pour the boiling water on gently

bake at 180'C for 35 minutes

cherry tomatoes (and fish)

I need somewhere to store this label from a can of "Select = Woolworths" brand cherry tomatoes.

Cherry tomatoes in a can were such a find when the fresh ones can be so expensive, or whole larger ones just don't cut it. I have a favourite sausages recipe that calls for cherry tom's and for a very little while there they easy to find and were even supermarket branded! Now I find we have to go to a speciality food store to find them in a can.

Here is a label I saved off a can once. It has an awesome recipe for baked snapper (fish). Every time we have fresh snapper I seem to have misplaced this piece of paper... we tend to use large fillets than the whole fish.

Chocolate Mousse

Rowan's signature dish...


Melt 200g (dark) chocolate in a large bowl
Separate 4 eggs and beat the whites with a little bit of sugar (approx 1tsp) until very stiff
Whip 300ml cream

Cool chocolate and vigorously stir in the yolks into the chocolate bowl (make sure chocolate cool so that yolks don’t “cook”)
Fold in the cream til mixed
Fold in the egg white (gently so not to “deflate”)

Pour into nice bowl or individual bowls/parfait/rammikens
Chill for a couple of hours and eat

Mum's mulled yummy drink

This was served up when Chantel, Delia and I had dinner with Mum at her place before she set off on her big adventure. When we asked if it had sugar in it Mum said "No; just maple syrup". Nom.

This makes not nearly enough as far as I'm concerned!

1/2C Blackcurrant syrup
1/4C Maple syrup
3C Water
6 cloves and cardamon
1/4 mixed spice
1/4t cracked pepper
2 Cinnamon sticks
slice of an orange or two

Mix and simmer gently on the stove until the spices drop to the bottom of the pot.

Consume.

I am sure that you could try to make a good thing better with the addition of brandy and / or red wine.

Carrot & Kumara Soup

Made this in a hurry and tasted alright so thought I would write it down.
It's quick and easy!

heat oil
stir in 1x clove crushed garlic
add 3x large carrots and 2x medium kumara and 1 tsp of thai green curry paste
stir for few more moments
add 3x cups of chicken stock
simmer 20-30 mins
take off heat and mash in pot (or carefully blend if you want a finer soup)
add a can of coconut milk
heat through again
add pepper and salt to taste

Grilled Chicken in Marinade

A favourite of mine at the moment... using a smaller amount of boneless chicken, I slice it up into salad for a tasty and healthy chicken salad. The chicken is so moist and very yummy!

1/4 cup of soy sauce (or tamari)
1tbsp lime juice (or lemon)
3tbsp olive oil
1tsp of thyme or other herbs
salt & pepper to taste
750g skinless chicken pieces (breast, thigh and drumsticks, with or without bone)

Make marinade by whisking first 5 ingredients. Marinate the chicken and place in fridge for 1 hour or more. Grill for 10-12 mins each side (with bone in) and about 6 mins or more for boneless.

Hot Cross Buns - in pictures

find the recipe (or look it up on the family blog)

proving the yeast (with measured water and brown sugar)

rub butter into sifted dry ingredients, measure out the fruit, add remaining sugar to remaining water with the salt


add the liquid and kneed (till outer surface shiny, not sticky), kneed in fruit and leave to double in size in a warm place (covering with a teatowel or napkin keeps it cosy)

cut into 16-18 pieces, form into buns, leave to rise and double in size

dribble or pipe the crosses with the paste

when cooked, brush with the glaze and eat warm with butter

an Orange Jelly Surprise

Ok, I admit STOLE this idea off someone, but wanted somewhere to write this down so I remember it next time I go to a kids party... Perhaps my first neice will like this when she gets a bit older...

• scoop the orange out (orange was cut in half I presume?)
• make up the jelly & when it has cooled down pour it into the orange skin.
• Put in fridge, when set cut into segments

Lemon Ripple Cheesecake Bars

Candy kindly sent me this stupendous cheesecake recipe which has become an instant family favourite. (And no crumbly biscuit base - yay!) I will try to get a photo next time.

CRUST

• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ CUP sugar
• 1 t finely grated lemon zest
• pinch salt
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed & chilled

FILLING

• 2 T cornstarch
• ½ cup cold water
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 t finely grated lemon zest
• 1¼ pounds cream cheese, softened [I only used 500gm - ie two packs)
  
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

MAKE THE CRUST:
Preheat the oven to 325 F and position a rack in the center. Butter a 9-inch-square baking pan. In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar, lemon zest and salt. Add the butter and pulse until a soft, crumbly dough forms. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and a scant ½ inch up the side of the pan. Bake the crust for 20 minutes, or until golden and firm.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING:
In a small bowl, dissolve the corn starch in the water. In a medium sauce pan, whisk the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of the sugar and the lemon juice. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and cook over moderate heat, whisking gently, until the sugar is dissolved and the lemon mixture is hot, about 4 minutes. Boil over moderately high heat for 1 minute, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Strain the lemon mixture into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the
lemon zest and let cool.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup of sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour until blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well between additions. Add the sour cream and the vanilla and beat until the batter is smooth. Pour the cream cheese batter over the crust and smooth the surface with a spatula. Dollop the lemon mixture on the cheesecake batter and care fully swirl it into the batter; take care not to cut into the crust.

Bake the cheesecake for about 40 minutes, or until golden around the edge and just set. Run the tip of a knife around the edge to loosen the cheese cake from the side of the pan. Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate the cheesecake until thoroughly chilled. Cut into 16 bars and serve.

The cheesecake bars can be refrigerated in the pan for up to 3 days. For the best results, slice the cheese cake bars with a warm knife, wiping off the blade between cuts.

Holiday Ambrosia

When I was an exchange student in America, every potluck function I went to served "ambrosia". It's a little sweet but here's my holiday version that goes well with turkey.

1 packet Port or Blackberry jelly[jello]
1 C boiling water

250gm cream cheese
2 T mayonnaise
3/4 C whole cranberry sauce
1 can crushed pineapple (drained)
1/2C chopped pecans
1 C tiny marshmallows
300 ml cream (whipped)

Pour boiling water over jelly crystals. Whisk to dissolve. Put in fridge to cool but NOT set.

Cream the mayonnaise and cream cheese. Add cranberries, pineapple, pecans and marshmallows and gently mix in cooled jelly mix. Fold in whipped cream and pour into serving dish. Decorate top with marshmallow and pecans. Chill.

Pissaladiere

Apparently this is a Nicoise classic. I'll let you know after we visit the south of France in September. In any event, it's rather tasty (provided you like anchovies).

• 3-4 onions thickly sliced
• 1 sheet puff pastry or David's pizza dough
• 16 anchovies halved lengthwise
• 12 black olives, stoned
  

1. Slowly cook ontion in 2 tablespoons olive oil until very soft.
2. Preheat oven to 220 C,
3. Roll pastry (or pizza dough) out to make a 30cm x 20cm rectangle and transfer to baking tray.
4. Leaving a 1 cm rim, pricky pastry all over with a fork and add a thick layer of onion.
5. Arrange anchovy strips in rows toform large diamonds. Put an olive in the centre of each diamond and drizzle over a little oil. Bake for 20 minutes until pastry/pizza crust is brown and crisp.
6. Serve warm
   

David's Pizza Dough

Here is the basic recipe for David's special Friday night pizza dough:

• 300g bakers flour
• 100g fine semolina
• 1 packet rapid rise dry yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup warm water
  

1. Measure out flour and semolina in mixing bowl atop scale.
2. Remove bowl from scale and add yeast and salt; mix well.
3. Pour olive oil in measuring cup and fill with warm water. Add to dry ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon.
4. Once roughly combined empty dough onto bench and kneed for about 5 minutes or until surface is smooth and not sticky. Form into ball.
5. Coat large bowl with olive oil, add dough, cover with Glad wrap and place bowl on top of water heater to rise.
6. About 2 hours from when the pizza is to go into the oven remove dough from bowl, spread out over pizza tin, cover with tea towel and return to water heater for 2nd rise.

Quince Paste

Autumn/Easter means quince are around. This recipe is a bit of a chore but it's worth it. Quince paste is great for a cheese platter or an accompaniment for lamb.

8 quinces washed
1 cup water
juice of one lemon
sugar

Cut quinces into chunks and place into a large saucepan with a tight fitting id with water and lemon juice. Cook over a moderate heat for approximate half an hour or until quite tender.

Puree the pulp (I use my hand sieve but you could use a food processor) and weigh puree. Mix puree with three-quarters of its weight of sugar.

Return to wide-based, heavy saucepan and cook over a moderate heat, STIRRING PRETTY MUCH CONSTANTLY!, until the paste leaves the sides of the pan and the colour is a deep red. This takes two hours or more. The mixture gets really thick and becomes hard to push the spoon through.

Cool mixture slightly and pour into and oiled tray lined with greaseproof paper or plastic containers. Dry mixture in a warm place for several days (not that I notice much of a difference). When dry, wrap paste well in greaseproof paper and then in foil. It stores indefinitely in an airtight container.

Cut into slices (or use a biscuit cutter to make a shape) for serving.

Christmas Food....

I haven't had any Christmas cake yet this year and haven't sampled Stollen or any other Christmas food... We don't have a pine tree in our house (cos my flatmate is allergic to the pollen)... really the only thing the FEELS like Christmas is the muggy weather and the pohutukawa in bloom.

So - I felt like Mum last night, up till after midnight baking Christmas treats for a dinner tonight. Thanks to the nifty labelling option on this blog, I was able to go straight to the Christmassy food we posted this time last year, and I made the panforte from the "food with attitude" book.

The panforte tastes really good raw and even better sampled for breakfast!

Merry Christmas to my family travelling and living around the world at this time.

Red Cabbage

This goes really well with the Slow Roasted Pork.

1 red cabbage - sliced, washed and drained
3 T water
2 T brown sugar
pinch of salt
2 granny smith apples - peeled and sliced
1/4 C cider vinegar
60g butter

Place water, cabbage, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Cover tightly and cook very gently. Lift lid and stir apple into softened cabbage. Tip in vinegar and butter. Cook, covered, for a further 15 minutes. Stir once more.

Double Baked Gruyere Souffle: Not such a flop

The advantage of a double baked souffle is that you can make the first stage in advance and just finish them off when required. David and I ended up eating souffles four nights in a row. Very yummy!

• 70g butter
• 65g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg (not not if you're cooking for David)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 380ml milk
• 160g grated gruyere cheese
• 3 egg yolks
• 4 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cup thickened cream

Stage 1:
Pre-heat oven to 180 C. Grease 6 x 200 ml metal dariole moulds or ramekins [I used 8 smaller ones].

Melt butter over low heat. Add flour, nutmeg, cayenne and salt. Cook for eight minutes, stirring regularly, until mixture starts to foam and flour is cooked. Add milk gradually, stirring to prevent lumps forming. Cook further 10 minutes stirring. [I slightly reduced these cooking times.]

Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a bowl then add egg yolks. Combine. Whisk whites to medium peaks and fold through in three batches. Pour evenly into moulds.

Fill roasting pan with hot water, one third the height of the ramekins. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Souffles WILL shrink (see photo 2). The souffles can be put to one side at this stage.

Stage 2:
Remove from moulds and place upside down in individual ovenproof serving dishes with sides. Pour cream evenly between the souffles. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Here is the end result - not such a flop!

Cabbage coconut curry

Cabbage coconut curry recipe

High in the hills in India on our tiger trek we had all manner of yummy food - including a cabbage / coconut side. This tastes pretty close and makes a good change from steamed cabbage in the winter.

Recipe ingredients:

• 1 cabbage, chopped
• 100 g. coconut, grated
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• Red chilies
• 1-2 sprigs of curry leaves
• 1 tablespoon oil

Recipe method:

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, red chili, curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes.
• Grind the coconut, green chili and spring onions to a paste and add to the above. Fry for 2 more minutes.
• Add the cabbage and cook for 10 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with plain rice or chapathi.

warm potato salad with creamy mustard dressing

...not a hug fan of red onion, so I left these out. It's also possible to leave out the asparagus and simply stir the potatoes thru the dressing.


3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1kg small Jersey Bennes or 30 medium waxy salad potatoes, scrubbed
2 tablespoons creamy Dijon mustard (I used Maille Dijonnaise mustard, available in most supermarkets)
zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 large red onions, peeled and cut into thick chunks through the root
750g plump asparagus


Cook the potatoes in gently boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain. Combine the mustard, lemon zest and juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper. Toss the potatoes in the dressing while they are still warm.Place the onions in a frying pan with the remaining tablespoon of oil and cook very gently for about 15 minutes, until they just start to wilt. Cook the asparagus in plenty of gently boiling, salted water for several minutes, ensuring the spears retain their crunch. Drain and refresh with plenty of cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Cut asparagus into chunks and mix gently with the potatoes.To serve (best done while everything is warm, but not necessarily hot), place potatoes and asparagus in a large serving bowl and the red onions on top.

Happy Birthday Julian