April 25th 2012 · Read More · No Comments
Being ANZAC Day, it seemed an appropriate time to try out Annabel Langbein’s Raisin & Almond ANZACs
It didn’t take me too long to mix the ingredients – first the dry ones, then heat golden syrup, butter and water and add baking soda, then mix into the dry ingredients. It took a little longer to roll into balls, but once they went into the oven they smelled so good.
And they made a great afternoon tea while still warm…
You can find the recipe at: http://www.annabel-langbein.com/cooking/recipes/recipe/?id=390&page=1
April 10th 2012 · Read More · No Comments
This is a great little recipe I picked up from the butcher one day when I was looking forsomething a bit different.
First step is to make the marinade with garlic, olive oil, lime juice, chopped rosemary, and some honey; mix this together and pour over loin – I do rub the honey in with my fingers…
The next step is cooking, in the summer we BBQ this, using the hood. But now Daylight Savings has ended I cook inside in a heavy bottomed frying pan with a lid, I keep adding small amounts of white wine to the pan to avoid sticking as well as to develop a great flavour base for the sauce. When the pork is cooked, leave it to rest and deglaze the pan with aa little more wine.
I always serve with fresh bread and salad from my garden, but on a cold winter night it would go well over mashed potatoes too.
October 25th 2011 · Read More · Comment(1)
I entered the Best Decorated Strawberry Cake Competition at the inaugral Marlborough Strawberry Festival. I did win first prize, although it wasn’t too hard considering there wasn’t any competition!
I started out on Saturday morning making a Fatless Sponge in two tins. Once these were cool I put a layer of strawberry jam and then fresh strawberries. I cut the strawberries across rather than down which allowed me to create a solid layer. And then the strawberries got covered in cream.
I made sherbert from freeze dried strawberries (and also practised on raspberries and mandarin), so I put some of that into the centre layer too.
The top of the cake had more sherbert and some sliced strawberries.
The cake was auctioned off at the Strawberry Festival with $36 being made for John’s Kitchen.
September 20th 2011 · Read More · No Comments
I’ve decided that I need a garden this year, just a small one with a few plants – tomatoes, capsicum, lettuces. Anthony has built a little one for me and bought me a trailer of dirt…
First will be some perpetual lettuces, a combination of different sorts. In October, after the frosts have finished, I’ll plant some red, yellow and purple cherry tomatoes, and some purple and yellow capsicum. If I still have some space after that I’ll decide what else to add.
I’m also looking at growing potoatoes, I’m going to investigate the purple potatoes and perhaps grow them in a pot.
June 9th 2011 · Read More · No Comments
We love aioli, on fries, on burgers, on salad, on potatoes… And it is so easy to make.
First thing to do is roast garlic: peel a head of garlic, cover the garlic in olive oil and roast for about 40-45 minutes in a 160 degree oven. Allow to cool and store in the fridge in a jar with oil.
To make aioli, put into a small food processor – I use my canister blender: 1 egg, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Blitz until mixed. Slowly add 1 cup oil, I use Rice Bran oil as it doesn’t have a strong flavour, blitzing between. When all the oil has been added and the mayonnaise is creamy, add garlic to taste a pinch of salt and a little more of the vinegar or lemon juice to taste.
The aioli will be a little runny to start with but with will set when refrigerated, and will also develop flavour.
May 22nd 2011 · Read More · No Comments
I’m always on the lookout for new uses for my crockpot – meals that are easy and tasty. And so I discovered a goulash recipe that I adjusted slightly for my crockpot. Goulash is a Hungarian dish, meat (usually pork, sometimes beef) cooked in a pepper sauce – capiscums, chillis, paprika, and roasted peppers – with carraway seeds which gives it the Hungarian flavour.
The first time I made it with a large piece of pork shoulder – it was really good but a bit fatty. So the second time I tried it with diced port shoulder – less fat but also less flavour, so I think I need to find a balance between the two.
We have a Hungarian lady at work, she was impressed I’d tried making goulash and she tasted it and said it tasted like her mum’s, so I was really pleased. She also suggested that I serve it with Risoni (pasta in rice shape) which was really good.
May 2nd 2011 · Read More · No Comments
What is the best thing to do with broken Easter Bunnies? Make them into a pie!
I had some broken bunnies, so I found a recipe for a chocolate pie.
And melted down the bunnies (along with other ingredients)
And made a pie.
Which I took to work and it disappeared very quickly.
April 13th 2011 · Read More · Comments(2)
The weekend started out on Friday – with a Brownie Bakeoff at work. I’d organised it because I’m sure MY brownie recipe is the best! But I guess it is all down to personal taste in the end. I made Strawberries and White Chocolate Brownies.
Cream 100gm unsalted butter and 1 1/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy, then add 3 eggs one at a time beating between. Add 5 ounces melted dark chocolate and 2 teaspoon vanilla essence and beat again. Add 1/2 cup flour and mix slowly. Then gently fold in approx 1 cup chopped dried strawberries and approx 1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks. Put into foil lined tin and bake for about 45 minutes on 160 degrees.
We had a lot of fun though, and everyone enjoyed it so much they want to have another baking competition next month.
On Saturday I found a couple of new recipes to try: Spanish Style Chicken Casserole, and Spice Red Wine-Poached Pears, both out of a Cuisine Magazine (May 2010). The Spanish Style Chicken Casserole was easy and tasty, definately one to put in the weekday repertoire.
For dessert the pears were gently poached in red wine, star anise, cinnamon stick, vanilla pod and sugar. They came out a lovely pink colour, and I reduced some of the liquid to make a syrup.
On Sunday, I made my regular trip to the Farmers Market here in Blenheim, I purchased clams and Agria potoatoes (among other things), and decided to make Clam Chowder. I found a recipe for New England Clam Chowder, added my own twist (some wine…) and it was beautiful. A bit of trouble, but definately worth it.
And then I got sick – sinus and chest infection, so I’ve been sent out of the kitchen so I don’t spread it!
April 3rd 2011 · Read More · No Comments
Mmm, burgers. I got a copy of the latest Jamie magazine and it had a great picture on the front – it was so good I had to try it.
The burger pattie was very easy – mix salt and pepper into high quality beef mince, shape into a pattie and sear in a frying pan. However after searing the first side, I was to brush mustard over the second side before turning, and then add mustard to the first side. The magazine explained that the mustard would give a nice coating with lots of flavour – and it was so right.
After cooking these large patties through, I put them onto a toasted bun with bacon, aioli, cheese and some fried onions. Then I added a little water to the frying pan, put in a trivet, and then put the completed burgers on this to steam, with a bowl over the pan. This allowed the buns to soften with the flavoured steam, the cheese to melt and some flavour to develop.
I served with some fries and aioli, but the burgers were so big we didn’t manage to finish them. Note to self for next time: make smaller burgers!
March 23rd 2011 · Read More · No Comments
The weather is getting colder, and it is time for the winter foods to begin. The other day I got my Crockpot out for the first time this year and made a simple, tasty dish. It was great to come home to a lovely smelling house, and all we needed was some mashed potatoes.
I had bought some osso bucco from the butcher, I browned off the four pieces in a frying pan – this helps seal in the flavour while also making the final dish less fatty. I added the browned meat to the crockpot with two tins of tomatoes rinsed out with some red wine, a tin Cannellini beans, a chopped onion, a teaspoon of crushed garlic, and a tablespoon of steak seasoning.
When we got home from work the house was fragrant with the smell of dinner, and the meat was falling off the bones. We added some mushrooms and left it for another 45 minutes while we made some mashed potoatoes. And then served the stew over the mash. Yum. And we had enough for three lunches.
