PREPARING THE EASTER SEMNIL CAKE WITH LIMITED INGREDIENTS

The Simnel Cake is a traditional English spiced Easter cake with a layer of marzipan baked in the centre.... sometimes covered with marzipan and decorated .....
I could and will in a later post give you the recipe for the traditional Simnel Cake ...which is a light fruit cake ,  with a  surface  cover of marzipan ... and decorated with 11 marzipan eggs ...
I love this cake because of its history and you know my love of food history ....
Look up the history of the Simnel Cake , Wikipedia has a great site .... so do encyclopaedia’s offer a great source of knowledge .
Yes I still own a full set of leather bound Encyclopaedia Brittanica with Index books , the 1993 Annual  and the PROPAEDIA ( outline of knowledge ).
History doesn’t out date !!!
So here is the easy to prepare Easter Simnel Cake ....( surviving the pandemic with empty shelves in our supermarkets .)
This isn’t cooking ... but under the current conditions , it is the best we can do with limited ingredients .
Purchase a premade fruit cake  and a premade icing roll.
If you have enough fruit  ingredients and flour make your own fruit cake , a simple boiled fruit cake would be suffice and bake your cake in a round pan ( keeping with tradition ) .
To prepare the Simnel Cake ......slice the fruit cake in half . ( width wise )
Unroll the icing roll and trace out 2 shapes to cover the surface and middle of your layer .
With the excess icing  roll 11 balls .
Cover the top of the bottom of the cake with a layer of apricot jam
Place one piece of the cut icing in between the sliced cake
Then spread the jam over the top of the icing .
Then top the joined cake with the other pre shaped icing .
Decorate with the 11 balls of icing on top ....securing them with a dob of jam .
Finish off with a sprinkle of cinnamon ...
Now that I’ve given you the recipe  .... please look up the relevance of the 11 balls .

BEEF WITH A PATE POCKET IN PROSCIUTTO

Preheat your oven to 200 deg C.
Purchase 1.5 kg fillet of beef , get your butcher to slice t lengthways , 3/4 of the way through so that it opens to one piece .
Spread 125 gm of chicken live pate down the centre of the fillet , then roll up.
Wrap 8 slices around the fillet and then lie 6 bay leaves own the centre on top of the roll .
Now secure with a few pieces of string .
In a frying pan eat 2 tbs of rice bran oil , add 6 cloves of unpeeled garlic and cook till lightly golden .
Place the garlic into the roasting pan .
Add the beef to the frying pan and cook for 5minutes , browning all over .
transfer to the baking tray .
Cook for 50 minutes   (Medium rare )...or longer to your liking .
Remove the baking tray from the oven .
Using the frying pan add 250ml of red wine and 250ml of beef stock , heat until reduced by half.
Season.
Remove the string from the fillet and carve .
Serve with red wine sauce , garlic cloves and vegetables .

CHEESY BEEF PIE

The crust of this pie is a well flavoured mince and it is really good to serve hot or cold .
THE CRUST........
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C .
Combine 500gm of finely ground minced beef , with 2 tbs of  sriracha , 1 small onion grated , 1 dsp of minced garlic , 1 dsp of  dried oregano , salt and pepper to taste .
Now press this mix rely into a lightly sprayed 23cm / 9” pie dish .
Bake for 20 minutes then remove from oven .
THE FILLING
Please heat a large pan with 3 tbs of rice bran oil ,add and cook 1 large garlic clove finely sliced, 2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced , 125 gm sliced mushrooms.......cook for 3-4 minutes , stirring constantly , until tender but still firm .
In a separate bowl beat 250gm of  cream cheese at room temperature, until smooth .
Beat in 2 lightly beaten eggs. Add the vegetables to the cheese mix .
Spoon into the mince crust , smooth over and sprinkle with tasty grated cheese .
Place in well preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the filling is firm .
Cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving with a light salad and or sweet potato chips .

EAST - WEST MEDLEY

This is a delicious dish .
You will need a large open wok or pan so the recipes can be well tossed without risk of spilling out .
Season 500gm of veal mince with salt and 1 dsp of minced ginger , form into balls and brown all over  in a little heated oil .
Remove and set aside .
Add extra oil to pan and add 1 large sliced onion , 1 stalk of celery chopped ,3 -4 spring onions trimmed , 1 zucchini sliced , 1 large red capsicum sliced , 125gm of sliced mushrooms .
toss the mixture constantly to ensure even cooking , now add the meatballs .
Pour over 375ml of chicken stock seasoned with minced garlic and stir through .
In a separate bowl mix together 2 tbs of cornflour ,3 tbs of tamari ( light soy sauce ) with 3 tbs of dry sherry.
Stir this mix into the pan  to thicken the sauce .
Spoon into warmed bowls and serve piping hot with rice ,mixed grain or pasta .

EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE ..THE HAMBURGER

There has been great controversy over the origin of the minced meat hamburger. ( there is the first issue ‘a beef hamburger ‘.. think about it !)
Wherever it began , the humble but delicious hamburger is a success world wide .
BEEF AND PINENUT  BURGER ...
Pinenuts give a crunchy texture to these burgers , you can use pecans , cashews or walnuts if you like.
Lightly mix together 500 gm of minced beef ,1/2 cup of pinenuts , 2 tbs of finely chopped spring onions ( green stalk only ), 1 egg  lightly beaten , 1 tbs of tamari. ( light soy sauce )salt and cracked pepper to taste .
Now shape into 4 patties .
Fry in a pan sprayed with cooking oil over a medium heat for 4 minutes on each side or until done to your liking .
Serve on toasted hamburger rolls , spread with a drizzle of tomato sauce , place a hamburger on bottom half of each , top with thin slices of cucumber , some sour cream  a sprinkle of chopped chives , cover with tops of buns and serve hot ....

HONEY APPLE TORTE

Process 1 x 250 gm packet of plain sweet biscuits , then add 125 gm of melted butter / margarine  with 1 tbs of cinnamon and 1/4 cup of castor sugar .
Press two thirds of the mixture into a pie dish (base and sides ) , set aside 1/3 for the the top .
To make he filling mix together 3 lightly beaten eggs with 1 cup of cream Now add 400gm of stewed apples ( freshly stewed or tinned ) and lastly 1/2 cup of honey
Pour this mix over the crumb base and top with remaining biscuit mix .
Bake  for 40 minutes or until golden  in your preheated oven on 180 deg C
This is delicious .......

RUSSIAN PASHKA

Beat 250 gm of softened cream cheese with 250 gm   ricotta and 220gm of castor sugar . Until smooth .
Add 250 gm of sour cream , 1 tsp of vanilla extract , finely grated rind of 1 lemon and the grated rind of 1 orange .
Stir through 80gm of mixed fruit .
Line a wire conical sieve with muslin.
Spoon cream cheese mixture into the serve .
Cover , place over a bowl and refrigerate overnight .
Invert the pashka onto a serving plate , remove muslinand decorate with 40 gm  flaked almonds .
This will keep well in the refrigerator, but is not suitable Reese .

HOT CROSSED BUNS

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
Heat 375 ml of milk until warm .
Add55gm of castor sugar and stir until dissolved .
Gradually whisk in 14gm of dried yeast , it is important that the milk is warm to activate the yeast , but not hot .
Stand yeast mixture in a warm place for 10 minutes or until it froths up.
In a separate bowl mix together 600gm of plain flour with 1 dsp of ground cinnamon and 1 dsp of mixed spice with 1 tsp of salt .
Using your fingertips rub in 60 gm of softened butter /margarine .
Add the grated rind of 2 oranges and 250 gm of sultanas .
Add 2 lightly beaten eggs .to the yeast mixture .
Now mix the flour and yeast mixture together into a sticky dough .
Turn the dough into a bowl of an electric mixture with a dough hook and knead for 5 minutes on a low speed .
Place the dough into an oiled bowl ,cover and let stand in  warm place for 45 minutes until it rises to twice the size .( If there is no warm spot in your kitchen prove dough under the rangehood light or place the bowl on a chopping board on an opened oven door with temperature on very low 50 deg C.)
At this point turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bench and knead for a few minutes ., then divide the dough and roll into 12 balls .
Place balls on a greased baking tray 1 cm apart .
Cover loosely and leave in a warm spot for 15 minutes .
While you are waiting ,combine 50 gm of self raising flour with 50 ml of water and mix well .
Place this mixture in a small piping bag with a small plain tube .
Place a cross on each of the buns .
Bake for 25 minutes or until the buns are golden brown .
Lastly heat 2 tbs of apricot jam mixed with 2 tbs of water ., mix and brush over the hot crossed buns to give them a shiny glaze ...
Happy Easter ....

 

TIPS ..TO SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC AT THE SUPERMARKETS

There is no shortage of food production with the primary producers , manufactured goods .
What is causing the the shortage is people , a lot of people bulk buying out of fear .
I am here to tell you , that you can eat well on basic ingredients .
Remember not so long ago we all bemoaned “ the 3 veg and meat meal”.
Think about it ..... nothing has changed  apart from the way we plate up and the introduction of grains in place of potatoes and the use of green leaves .
The serving size of our meals has changed ....
So  we will survive .....we have the same staples , possibly more..... you as the consumer need to think about feeding your family on limited produce .
It can be a little daunting trying to make sure you have enough ingredients   as well making it last .
Here are a few tips ..............
1. Keep it simple .
2. Use the ingredients you already have in your pantry ...
3. Use the produce and ingredients in your freezer
4.Change recipe ingredients to replace the ingredient you don’t have ( the cooking process and time will be the same .)
5. You can use other flours place of white plain flour EG...quinoa , buckwheat , coconut flour . Ect
6. If you run out of SR flour add 1dsp of baking powder to 1 cup of  plain flour .
7. Make use of toasters / sandwich makers , pie makers , slow cookers , steamers and your own oven .
8. Look at the ingredient packaging for suggested recipes  .
9. GO BACK TO THE BASICS ...you are not on a cooking show , feed your family with basic ingredients and recipes from the past
10. Enjoy .......The old is new again .

BEST EVER SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Cook 400gm  of spaghetti noodles in salted boiling water for 8-10 minutes .
drain the spaghetti noodle and return to the still warm pan .
In a separate pot place 3 tbs of canola oil
4 chopped and tasty , ripe tomatoes
1 dsp of rinsed small capers
2 anchovy fillets  (mashed )
1 dsp minced garlic
Now cook this mix over a gentle heat for 4  minutes just to soften everything .
Toss the sauce and spaghetti noodles together and season well ......
Serve with grated Parmesan .

The whole point of this recipe is not to drown your pasta in sauce , it is only to flavour it ...
Enjoy spaghetti as it should be ....

SEARED SALMON IN A SPICY GINGER MARINADE

Yesterday on radio Gippsland FM 104.7  ( Garden Path , kitchen Door ) , I received a request for a recipe to make something special with salmon .
This is the recipe that was a favourite with my son Dale through his uni years ....
SEARED SALMON IN A SPICY GINGER MARINADE
 3 tbs of tamari
1 dsp of ground star anise
5 tbs of a sweet white wine
1 dsp  of minced garlic
1 tbs of minced ginger
1 handful of fresh  torn coriander
1 small red chilli finely chopped .
Mix all ingredients together .
Smear the marinade over the salmon fillets ( use salmon fillets with skin on )
Leave to marinate  covered in the refrigerator....till ready to cook , overnight is fine ..
Preheat your pan that has been lightly oiled or sprayed over a medium heat and place  salmon  fillet skin side down for 3-4 minutes , turn and repeat .
Serve with a prepared grain or vegetable and salad of your choice .
Enjoy .

SPINACH AND FETA PIE spanakopita

Preheat your oven to 200 deg C.
To make the filling , heat 3 tbs of oil in a large saucepan  and add 1 large onion , peeled and freshly chopped .
fry until the onion is softened .
Add 1 kg of fresh spinach leaves , cook until wilted .
Add 1 large finely chopped clove of garlic .
Remove from heat and allow to cool .
When the spinach mixture has cooled add 1 bunch of chopped flat leaved parsley , 2 tbs of dried dill and 3 well beaten eggs .
Crumble in 200gm of Greek feta cheese , season with salt and pepper  taste .
You will need a packet of filo pastry 225 gm`.
Unfold the pastry sheets and cut them in half ( width ways ).
Lightly grease  30 x 20 cm aking tray .
Line the tray with1/2  the filo sheets , brushing each sheet with melted butter before layering .
Spread the spinach and cheese mixture over the filo pastry sheets .
Now top with the remaining pastry sheets , brushing each sheet with melted butter , folding in the edges .using a sharp knife score the top`layers of pastry into 6 squares ( optional) .
Bake in the pre heated oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown ...
Serve hot or cold .
This is delicious !!!

ITALIAN ZUCCHINI SALAD

4 Medium sized zucchini’s ( courgette ) , trimmed at both ends and sliced .
250 gm of cherry tomatoes , sliced .
1.onion , peeled and thinly sliced
1. Lebanese cucumber trimmed at both ends and sliced .
1. Dsp of minced garlic , 1, tsp of dried oregano.
Salt and cracked pepper to taste .
1. Small chilli thinly sliced
Place in serving bowl and mix thoroughly, pour over enough apple cider vinegar to just cover and sprinkle over 1/4 cup of castor sugar , stir through and cover with plastic wrap and leave marinate overnight , will last for 10 days in refrigeration .
Serve with cheese and crackers or as a side with fish , beef or pork .

NO BAKE CHEESECAKE

Before you commence please make sure you have 1x 375 gm can  of evaporated milk that has been well chilled .
Combine 125 gm of melted marg /butter with 2 and 1/2 cups of biscuit crumbs and press into base and sides of a spring form pan . ( 22cm /9”).  Chill.
ALTERNATIVELY.....Check how I presented my no bake cheesecake in the photos below .
For the filling dissolve 2 pkts of ‘low sugar’ lemon jelly crystals in 3/4 cup  of boiling water add 1 tbs of grated  rind and 1/4 cup of lemon juice .
Cool slightly .
Now beat the chilled evaporated milk ( 1 x 375 gm can )until thick .
Beat 250 gm of cream cheese ( softened to room temp )until smooth then add 1 cup of castor sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla essence .
Fold in the beaten evaporated milk .
Pour into prepared crumb base  chill for 2 hours .
OPTIONAL .... Decorate with cream , passion fruit pulp or crushed chocolate flakes .

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Preheat your oven to 160 deg .
Lightly grease cake pan, ( I used a Bundt pan ).
Stir 1 tbs of lemon juice into 1 and 1/4 cups of soy milk .Set aside .
Gently melt 150 gm of vegan butter ( nuttelex ), with 3 tbs of golden syrup and 1 tsp of instant coffee granules . ( the addition of the coffee makes for a robust chocolate flavour ). Set aside to cool .
In a separate bowl , mix together 4 tbs of unsweetened cocoa powder with 175 gm of castor sugar , 275 gm of  S.R flour and 1tsp of baking soda .
Now pour in milk and margarine mixture .
Stir in well until the batter becomes smooth and glossy .
Spoon batter into the pan , smooth over top and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes .
Cool in pan for 5 minutes , then turn out onto a wire rack til completely cooled .
ICING ....
Beat together 75 gm of vegan butter
200 gm of icing sugar
4 tbs of unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbs of water .
Beat until smooth .

HALVAS ......SEMOLINA AND ALMOND CAKE

Halvas is the name of rich blocks of sesame seeds but it is also the name of this orange and lemon flavoured semolina cake .......
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C..
Grease and line a 9'- 23 cm cake pan with baking paper .
Now  beat together  225 gm of softened butter / marg with 225 gm of castor sugar in a large bowl, until light and fluffy .
Separate the 6 eggs .
Add 6 egg yolks ( 1 at a time ) , beating really well after each addition .
Add 115 gm of fine semolina (ground ), 175 gm of ground almonds , the grated rind and juice  of 2 oranges , mix together well .
In a separate bowl beat together the 6 egg whites until stiff and then fold into the mixture .
Turn the batter into the prepared tin .
Bake for 50 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch .
While the  cake is baking place 125 gm of castor sugar in a pot with 50 ml of water and 1cinnamon stick.
Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved .
Remove from heat and now add the grated rind and lemon juice of 2 lemons .
When the cake is cooked , let stand for 5 minutes in the pan and then very carefully remove from the pan and place on a cooling tray  .
Prick the top of the cake all over with a fine skewer .
Remove the cinnamon stick from the lemon syrup and spoon over the warm cake and leave to cool .
Delicious ....