Beef Pilaf

An easy one pot recipe combining ground beef, rice and cinnamon.

1 tablespoon oil
1 onion chopped
1 carrot diced
1 garlic clove crushed
500g minced beef
1 tsp cinnamon
11/2 cup long grain rice
3 cup chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Plain yoghurt to serve

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or deep pot (make sure it has well fitting lid).
2. Add onion, carrot and garlic to pan and stir fry for 3 to 4 mins.
3. Add minced beef and cinnamon and cook stirring until beef is browned.
4. Add rice and stir to combine.
5. Add stock, cover and cook 20 mins until stock is absorbed and rice is cooked, stir in peas a few mins before cooking time is finished....season to taste.
6. Serve with a dollop of plain yoghurt.

Banana Cake

 

1 1⁄2 cups (210g) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb soda

Pinch salt

125 g unsalted butter, softened and chopped

1 cup (250g) brown sugar

2 eggs

3 very ripe bananas

100ml buttermilk (or milk with a 2 t lemon juice)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Line medium loaf or square tin with baking paper. 
2. Put bananas and eggs in food processor and lightly pulse.
3. Add other ingredients and pulse til just smooth (don’t over process). 
4. Bake in oven for about 55-60 minutes. A skewer inserted in the cake should come out clean. 
5. Ice with lemon icing.

Lemon Icing

1 c pure icing sugar sifted

1 t butter softened

1-2 T lemon juice

Directions:

1. Blend icing sugar and soft butter.
2. Mix in enough lemon juice to make the desired consistency of icing 

Tip: If bananas in fruit bowl are turning blotchy and soft, put straight in freezer rather than the rubbish. When ready to make cake or smoothie, remove and either slice (blackened) peel off, or wait for it to defrost and slide squishy banana out of peel.

Orange Cakes

Orange Cake 1

This recipe from The Cooks Companion by Stephanie Alexander is one of my favourites. It makes a wonderful centrepiece for a morning or afternoon tea.

Best of all its super easy, all made in the food processor.

1 large orange 

2 eggs

125g unsalted butter, softened

3⁄4 cup castor sugar 

225g self-raising flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degree C and butter/grease/line a ring tin.
2. Zest (grated fine peel) and juice orange. 
3. Combine all cake ingredients in a food processor and blend for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. 
4. Pour into prepared tin and bake for 30-35mins. Cool for 5 mins in tin before turning out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before icing. 

Icing:

2 cups icing sugar 

1 tps melted butter 

1 tbs fresh orange

1 tbs Grand Marnier or citrus liqueur 

1 tbs of orange zest/grated peel 

Directions:

1. Beat all icing ingredients except zest until quite smooth, and then add zest.
2. Warm icing over hot water to thin a little and then spread over cake. 

Orange Fairy cakes: small cakes using this orange cake recipe will take 10-15mins to cook in either paper cases or muffin trays.

Orange Cake 2

This recipe is adapted from a recipe found in the AWW Cooking School book "Lemon Syrup Cake".....It is just as good made with oranges.

 

125 g Butter

3 t finely grated orange rind

2/3 cup (150g) castor sugar

2 eggs

2/3 cup (160mls) buttermilk... can be made by adding 1 T lemon juice to this qty of milk

2 T orange Juice

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

Orange Syrup

 

1/3 cup (80 ml) orange Juice

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

3/4 cup (165g) castor sugar
 

Directions:

 

1. preheat oven to 180 C/160 C fan forced. grease 23cm baba tin or line a 20 cm square tin or 22cm round tin.

2. Beat butter rind and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.

3. Fold in buttermilk and orange juice alternately with the sifted flour in two batches.

4. Spread mixture into pan and bake about 30mins for a baba pan and 40 mins for a square or round tin

5.Cool for 5 mins on a wire rack set over a tray.

6 Meanwhile make up orange syrup. Pour hot syrup over hot cake.

 

Orange Syrup.... Stir ingredients in a small saucepan over heat without boiling until sugar dissolves, simmer, uncovered, without stirring 5 mins.

 

Yum!

Yoghurt Cake

 

 

Passionfruit Yoghurt Cake

An easy and delicious cake recipe..

My favourite is made using frozen berries and low fat berry flavoured yoghurt... I like frozen 3 berry mix including blackberries, blueberries and raspberries when fresh berries are not in season.

This cake works well without the sugar for diabetic diets. It can be sweetened with a smear of berry fruit spread... and for a bit of indulgence a dollop of cream...

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup (250 ml) fruit flavoured low fat yoghurt... berry or passionfruit
3/4 cup castor sugar (optional)
1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
1 t pure vanilla essence
1 T light rum
2 (300g) cups plain flour
11/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 cup of frozen 3 berry mix or pulp of 2 passionfruit
pinch salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F), line the bottom and sides of a round 25-cm (10-inch) cake pan or 24cm x 11cm loaf tin with baking paper.
2. In a large mixing-bowl, gently combine the yoghurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, and rum. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture, and blend together -- don't overwork the dough.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
5. Let stand for ten minutes, and transfer onto a rack to cool.

Cashew Hummus

This version of hummus is light and creamy....simply delicious!....

it can be served as a dip or used as a condiment for 

chicken, fish, vegetables and rice.

 

Ingredients:
1 400g can chickpeas drained, reserve 1/4 cup liquid.
1 cup (150g) natural cashews
1/4 cup pear juice (or other juice)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste
paprika or chopped parsley to garnish

Directions:
1. Place chickpeas, cashews and garlic in a food processor and whiz to combine and start to puree.
2. Gradually add the reserved liquid, lemon juice and pear juice into the processor while running. This will allow you to check consistency, which should be thick.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Place in serving bowl and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika or chopped parsley.

 

Store in the fridge- in a covered glass bowl or storage container.

The flavors get better as it chills.

Chilling the hummus also thickens it.

Nougat

Here it is ........my secrets out.....

White chocolate, almond and cherry nougat

4 sheets edible rice paper
460g (2 cups) caster sugar
250ml (1 cup) glucose syrup
125ml ( 1/2 cup) honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites
80g unsalted butter, softened
100g dried cherries
150g white chocolate, chopped
125g blanched almonds, lightly toasted
Lightly grease and line a 20cm x 30cm baking tin with 2 sheets of edible rice paper. Place the sugar, glucose, honey and vanilla in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil; boil, without stirring, brushing down the sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals that may form. Continue to cook until the mixture reaches 142C on a candy thermometer (soft crack stage). Alternatively, you can test the syrup by dropping a small teaspoon of the syrup into a bowl of iced water. It has reached soft crack stage when you are able to remove the ball of syrup and stretch it with your fingers into pliable strands.
Meanwhile, beat the egg whites, using an electric beater, in a large, clean bowl until firm peaks form. Keep beating, slowly pouring the hot syrup in a thin stream into the egg whites, until the mixture is thick and holds its shape - about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the cherries, chocolate and almonds.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place a layer of rice paper over the top of the nougat. Set aside overnight, then use a hot, wet knife to cut into squares or bars.

Tomatoes..

Its rapidly coming to the end of my favorite time of year Autumn. Cool crisp nights and warm days. Our fabulous tomato crop is at an end. It has been wonderful to have enough tomatoes to make into delicious preserves.

 

Try my recipe for Tomato and Chilli Jam which makes a great condiment for adding flavour to curries and stir frys.

Tomato and Chilli Jam

Ingredients:

2kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1kg raw sugar
120ml lemon juice
170 mls white wine vinegar
chillis to taste, use at least 10 mild to hot varieties
1T salt
80ml fish sauce

Directions:

1. Place tomatoes and sugar into a bowl stir in sugar, cover and leave overnight.
2. Transfer to a large pan and add remaining ingredients, bring to the boil.
3. Simmer, stiring ocasionally, until thick.
4. Drop a teaspoon of the jam onto a plate that has been chilled in the freezer for a few minutes, return saucer to the freezer for a few mins to chill jam. Jam should wrinkle when pushed with the finger.
5. Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal. When cool, label and store in a cool dark place.

Enjoy!!!

Giant Zucchinis.......

As usual at this time of year we have had an abundance of home grown xzucchinis. Sometimes you miss one and next thing its a giant... well first thing remove the seeds and save them for your next crop. then slice or grate the flesh to use in your favourite zucchini recipes.
 
Here is a delicious version of moussaka made with zucchini instead of the usual eggplant/aubergine.

Mouzzaka

Ingredients:
I large zucchini
1T oil
500 lamb mince
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 t cinnamon
4 tomatoes, chopped or a 400g can of crushed tomatoes
2T Butter
2T plain flour
1 t mustard
11/2 cups milk
salt and pepper
1 cup grated cheese

Method:
1 Slice zucchini into 1/2 cm slices lengthwise.
2 Heat oil in large saucepan and sweat onion 5 mins. add garlic and mince and cinnamon and stir until brown.
3. Add tomatoes and simmer 10 mins. Season to taste.
4. In a pan, melt butter. Remove from heat and stir in flour and mustard. Place back on heat and stir constantly for 1 min.
5. Remove from heat and blend in milk. Place back onto heat and stir constantly until boiling.
6. Assemble Moussaka; layer 1/2 the zucchini, then 1/2 the meat sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and layer with the rest of the zucchini slices and meat sauce. Cover with white sauce ( a little more milk can be blended through to make a pouring consistency) and top with cheese.
7. Bake at 180 deg C for 1hour. Serve with a green salad.

Cucumbers galore....

Food and Flicks.
Have you seen the wonderful movie Julie and Julia? Had a great night out at Food and Flicks at Reidsdale, just south of Braidwood. The beautiful venue...outdoors in the bush at the Old Cheese Factory. More information is available at www.braidwoodmade.com.au.

Back to the movie, what a great story. It's about Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession and is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book. It motivated me to write something about my passion for food.

As it is approaching the end of summer the garden is brimming with ripening tomatoes, lots of cucumbers, chillies and zucchinis. So the challenge is to preserve them for use when they aren't in season.

I have a great recipe for Crisp Cucumber Pickle Slices, here it is.

Crisp Cucumber Pickle Slices

Ingredients:

2 kg Lebanese cucumbers
3 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup coarse cooking salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 t turmeric
1/2 t celery seeds
1 t mustard seeds

Method:

1. Slice cucumbers thinly, do not peel, slice onions (I use white onions), peel garlic. Place in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle with the salt and cover with crushed ice for 4 hours at least. Drain well. Slice garlic if you want to.
3. Mix all other ingredients in a large saucepan, bring to boil stirring constantly, add cucumbers.
4. Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Preserving Tips:

• Sterilised jars by placing 1 cm water in the bottom and microwave on high power for 1 minute in the microwave. Do not place metal lids in microwave. To sterilise lids place in bowl and pour boiling water over.

• Preserves should be labeled with the title, date, ingredients and name of cook.

• Abr: t = teaspoon T = tablespoon