SLOW COOOKED SUMMER LASAGNE ....WEEK 2

INGREDIENTS FOR WEEK 2
SLOW COOKED SUMMER LASAGNE

You will need to bring along the bowl of your slow cooker , or your crockpot .
1 kg of mince ( your choice ) OR you can make a vegetarian version so bring along 2  med eggplants and 2 med  sweet poatatoes .
350gm of cottage cheese
1 tub of cherry tomatoes
400gm of lasagne sheets
500gm of grated / shaved mozzarella
Small bag of spinach ( 160gm ? ) or a bag of rainbow shredded salad .
Anne has offered her zucchinis from the home garden and we will  make zucchini and mint burgers ....
 

SIMPLE LEMON SLICE ..COOKING CLASS WEEK 1

To make the base use a food processor and briefly mix 75 gm of plain flour with 2 tbs of sugar , then add 65 gm of marg/butter .
Process until the mixture forms a ball .
Then press dough into a greased spring form pan  ( dock dough ), cover with a sheet of baking paper and weigh down with rice or baking beads .
Bake for 20 mins in a preheated oven on 160 deg C.
Now whisk 2 eggs ( room temp ) with 1 cup of castor sugar till combined and slightly thickened .
Stir 1/3rd of a cup of lemon juice , then sift in 3 tbs of flour ( plain ).
Whisk gently to combine .
Remove base from oven and baking paper and rice / beads ....reset oven to 150 deg C .
Pour lemon mixture over base and bake for 35 minutes till golden and springy .
Cool completely and slice , serve dusted with icing sugar and dollops of cream .

 

LEMON CURD........COOKING CLASS WEEK 1

Whisk 4 egg yolks ( room temp ) with 2/3rds cup of sugar until well combined  , not frothy .
Pour this into a small saucepan and add 60gm of butter , 2 tsp of lemon zest ( no pith ) and 100ml of lemon juice ........stirring constantly  slowly bring to simmering point as soon as bubbles appear remove from heat , and continue to stir till cooled .
Transfer to cleaned jars and seal .
This will keep for weeks , sealed and refrigerated .

 

HANDY TIP .....

Twirl this through your cream  for the pavlova topping ...absolutely heavenly !

Drape it over vanilla or chocolate ice cream ......mmmm.

Spread it on toast .

Use it as topping for waffles

 

BRAN BREAD

Sift 5 cups of self raising flour with 6 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp of salt  into a bowl .
Add 2 and 1/2 cups of oat bran and mix really well .
Place 15gm of butter , 2 tbs of golden syrup / honey and 3/4 cup of water in a saucepan and heat over a low heat till the butter has melted , remove from heat and add 1 and 1/2 cups of milk .
Now go back to your dry ingredients and make a well in the centre and pour the liquid in to the centre of your dry ingredients and mix with a knife to a soft dough .
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured bench and knead until smooth and your hands are dough free .
Divide dough into 2 then re knead and place in a 20 X 10cm loaf pan....
Brush evenly with milk and sprinkle with poppy seeds or  sesame seeds .
Bake in a well preheated oven at 180 deg C for 1 and 1/4 hours .
Remove and cool on a cooling tray .
Bread can be sliced and frozen .

 

ISLAND SALAD WITH A CHILLI COCONUT DRESSING .

For Nicole ...
Peel and slice 1 avocado along with 2 bananas , place in a salad bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice .
Now add 4 tomatoes sliced into wedges and 5 spring onions ( green stalk ) sliced .
1 continental cucumber sliced .
1 cup of fresh pineapple cut into cubes .

Toss to combine and add CHILLI COCONUT DRESSING and serve immediately ..
3 tbs of peanut oil
3 tbs of lemon juice
3 tbs of coconut milk
1/2 tsp of chilli paste
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp of minced ginger .
Place all ingredients in a screw top jar and shake well combine .

 

STROMBOLI........

STROMBOLI ........WITH A FETA , ONION, TOMATO ,OLIVE AND  APPLE FILLING

 

MELON AND PINEAPPLE TABBOULEH WITH LEMON SESAME DRESSING

In a bowl , soak 1 cup of  burghal in plenty of cold water for 30 minutes .

Then drain and squeeze out any excess moisture .

 

Then peel and deseed a small cantaloupe and 1 small honeydew melon , cut into cubes .

Add  300 gm of cubed watermelon .

Place the melon cubes in a salad bowl .

 

Now add 1 cup of fresh pineapple cubes , 1/2 cup of chopped parsley , 1/2 cup of chopped mint , 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts .

 

Toss well to combine , just before serving pour over ....LEMON SESAME DRESSING

3 tbs of lemon juice

2 tbs of pineapple juice

1/4 cup of green ginger wine

2 tbs of sesame seeds

1 tsp of Dijon mustard

2 tbs of honey

3 tbs of peanut oil

Salt and pepper to taste .

Place all the ingredients in a screw top jar to combine , shake well .

 

CHESTER SLICE ..DONKEY CAKE ....GUR CAKE

Using your electric mixer cream 90gm of butter 1/3rd od a cup of castor sugar and 1 tsp of grated orange rind , until light and fluffy .
Gradually add 1 egg ( lightly beaten )and beat well.
Stir in 2 tbs of apricot jam and 2 cups of fruit cake crumbs .
Fold in 1/2 cup of self raising flour and 1and 1/2 tsp of mixed spice .

Fold in alternatively with 1/2 cup of milk , finally add 1 tbs of brandy ( optional ).

Now prepare a 28cm X18cm slice pan with cooking spray .

Line the base and sides of the tray with sheets of shortcrust pastry .

Spread filling over the base , cover over the top of the filling with a  sheet of pastry .

Trim all excess pastry and  neatly press edges together .

glaze with milk and sprinkle caster sugar over pastry . ,

Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 200 deg C

After 10 minutes reduce heat 180 deg C and continue to bake for 30 minutes .

 

Stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares , can be served hot or cold .

Place in an airtight container .

 

 

 

 

ONE FOR THE ROAD ......

It`s very Australian to drink beer , living in a hot dry country provides an excuse to consume large amounts to quell a ferocious thirst .
Beer and alcohol run hand in hand through the history of Australia , in the 18th and 19th centuries  a daily portion of  beer , rum or wine was often offered and deemed part of one`s wage.
In the Australia of the 50`s and 60`s my childhood years , drinking was a national past time , there were pubs on most corners and multiple pubs to each town .
Governments tried to limit drinking by closing all pubs at 6.00pm , this led to the 6 o`clock swill .
As closing time neared men guzzled their glasses of beer and then bought  2 or 3 bottles to drink outside or to wander home with to finish off .
Back then pubs never opened on Sundays , but there is no stopping an Australian from getting a beer .
A private club could serve beer to its members and any pub could sell a beer to a bona fide traveller .
Anyone arriving at a pub on Sunday signed a guest register , claiming they had travelled 10 miles and the local copper was free to consult the register if the need be , and wasn`t at the bar with a glass in hand .Because of this law , the roads on a Sunday night were full of bona fide  travellers who could barely walk let alone drive .
Alcohol was always present throughout my childhood . My parents typified a lot of parents who routinely socialised with friends at the pub , leaving my brothers and me to wait outside in the car , sometimes for hours with an occasional small glass of lemonade  offered to quench our thirst ....
Many , many years later when I was a student at an Institute of Education , I was invited for a drink and I  asked if we could go to a nearby town with a well known pub , as I  had spent so much time outside the pub ...I was curious to see the inside .
Being  part of  society change ` the baby boomers `regarded beer as vulgar at the time  Australia was being seduced by sweet , fizzy white wine  qualities that women favoured ....who can forget `Cold Duck`and `Barossa Pearl `?
Then the glass flagons over flowed with  rough reds  , as did the casks of Coolibah Moselle  and bottles of  Ben Ean and Mateus Rose .
Thank God for the Barossa Valley and the immigrant  winemakers who settled in South Australia and  grew grapes that evolved ino the most sought after reisling wines , of course there many successful varietials ....but reisling is my choice of wine .
Over the years Australia has transformed wine from being the drink of the elite and `shielas` into being  accessible and  acceptable for both men and women .

 

THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND THE PROCESSES OF COOKING .

People come along to my classes , seek advice and commonly tell me they have followed a recipe to the word but still ended up with a dismal failure . Why ?
Overlooking all the frivolity of butterflies , daisy covered meadows and all that is made of  ending wars  , making friends , achieving satisfaction , even finding love , solace and sustenance simply by having the capacity to cook .
It is not so simple for most people...... because there is a science to food and the cooking processes .
Simple enough at the beginning , the difference between sugar and salt , butter , margarine and oil .
Let`s move on and understand why foods react and taste differently when cooked in any of the above ingredients , or in a combination of them .
Why do egg whites make things light and egg yolks make them heavy , ? Knowing when to put salt in the end or at the beginning of cooking .
The simplicity of not adding the chicken skin when making a chicken stock , these things are not a given to all people .
Is there a difference in taste between sliced and crushed garlic ?
When baking apples why do you leave the core in but it`s ok to peel them ?
The little things , that can make a difference between meals that fill empty stomachs  and meals that feed our soul and body .
Start simple , adhere to basic principles  , nurture and care for  the ingredients you use .
Stand back and be proud of your effort and the end result .

 

BLUEBERRY FRUIT CAKE MADE FOR HEALING

Get well soon Alan Northover

SUMMER FRUIT AND SALTED NUT DUKKAH BIRTHDAY CAKE

I used a bundt pan for the cake .
The fruit cake was made with a mix of  soft dried figs , apricots , raisins , chia seeds and coconut .
Soaked in watermelon and coconut water
Then 24 hours later mixed with S R flour
Baked in a slow oven over a long period .
The cake was iced with a creamy vanilla icing
Topped with the salted nut dukkah
The sides were sprinkled with organic cacao nibs
The base was inset with fresh strawberries .
I placed a decoration in the middle of the circle and topped with fresh blackberries .
I sprinkled excess dukkah around the serving board .
The cake was appealing to the eye.
 The flavour and texture of the cake was enjoyed by all .

REALLY WANT TO KNOCK OUT HUNGER ?

GREEN TEA WITH MINT , LEMON AND CHIA ....

This isn`t rocket science ....
Boil your kettle with enough water for 4 cups , then brew 4 green tea bags in a large pouring vessel .
Cool the tea , once it is room temperature , add 2 tbs of chia gel  ( premade ...1 part of chia seeds to 5 parts of water , mixed and let set for 4 hours )
and the juice of 1/2 lemon .
Sweeten with your choice of sweetener .
Add 2 leaves of mint per cup , for best results tear the mint leaves and swallow them with the tea....
Suggestion ....2 -3 cups a day ....

FOOTNOTE .......
I hate the word diet , diet is a concept and concepts are full of hot  air which quickly evaporate .( To pass off in a vapour )
Green tea has polyphenols that boost leptin .....the hormone that silences hunger ....
Mint and chia are  natural forces against hunger ...

WILD RICE AND QUINOA SALAD

Place 1 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of wild rice in your cooker with 4 cups of water .
While the rice is cooking , slice 2 stalks of celery , 1 cup of shredded carrots , cut 12 pitted prunes into 1/4 `s , chop a handful of parsley , rinse and drain 1 cup of tinned chickpeas ,and measure out 2 tbs  of chia seeds , 1/2 tsp of ground thyme .
Now add the thyme and chia seeds to the almost cooked quinoa and wild rice mix .
Place the chickpeas , parsley , prunes and celery into a serving dish ,( this salad / meal  can be served hot or cold ) adding the rice quinoa mix .... stir to  combine .
You are now ready to serve ......

A  FACT .........
Wild rice is a whole grain , loaded with fibre , protein , vitamin B and magnesium .
The beans , seeds and plums with their high fibre content aid digestion ...

HARVEST , PRESERVING AND BOTTLING AT CASTLE GARDEN 2017.

 THE MAIN INGREDIENTS ..vinegar garlic , sugar , cloves , caraway seeds and water

 tomatoes , onions , beetroot ,olives , feta cheese, rosemary, olive oil  ........

 lemons , apples , oranges , carrots , broccoli , cauliflower ...........

 eggplant, cucumber , capsicums , chillies .....

 GARDEN PRESERVE .....

Happy hours tending the plants in the garden , the joy of picking the fresh vegetables and fruit , enjoying the aroma of the preserving process , the production line process of filling the bottles and finally labelling the completed jars of preserves ...
Special thanks to Margaret for digging up the biggest beetroots I have ever seen from her vegie garden so I could finish off the Russian Beetroot preserve .

SPECIAL FRIED QUINOA

SPECIAL FRIED QUINOA ......
This is every bit as good as fried rice , if not better .
Place 2 cups of quinoa in 4  cups of cold water in the rice cooker or pan and cook until all the water has been absorbed .
Beat 2 eggs lightly in a cup .
Heat 1 tbs of oil in a large heavy based pan over a medium heat .
Add the eggs and swirl and cook until set .
Remove and chop roughly .....set aside .
Add 300 gm of bacon pieces , 1/2 red capsicum thinly sliced , 1 cup of sliced beans , 2 sticks of celery thinly sliced , 4 spring onions ( green stalk ) thinly sliced , 1/2 cup of shredded carrot and 1 cup of sliced mushrooms.
Using a wooden spoon gently move the ingredients around in the pan , and cook till just tender .
Add the steamed quinoa and heat through .
Now season with 2 tbs of soy sauce , 1 tsp of minced ginger , 1 tsp of minced garlic ... stirring to combine .

MUSTARD BUTTER , APPLE AND COCKTAIL FRANKFURT GRILL

You will need 12 cocktail frankfurts  ( this number is for the purpose of the recipe only , if you want more than 4 serves double the amounts in my recipe )
Slice 4 slices of sliced cheese in to 12 strips
Slice 4 slices of sandwich ham into 12 strips .
Now wrap each cocktail frankfurt with a cheese and ham slice .
Thread onto skewers ( that have been soaked in water ) where cheese and ham join , then place a thin wedge of  peeled apple on the skewer between each cocktail  frankfurt , you will be able to place 3 cocktail  frankfurts to a skewer .
Set the prepared skewers aside .
In a small bowl place 30 gm of butter /margarine and 1 tsp of wholegrain mustard and place in microwave for 45 secs until butter is melted .
Now place skewers in a lightly sprayed baking dish and spoon over mustard butter .
Bake in a preheated oven on 180 deg C for 15 minutes ..

These are a bit yummy . 

A BUSY WEEKEND ..3. ORANGE AND APPLE SAVOURY JELLY

I  peeled and removed pips and pith from 3 oranges and cut them up into pieces and placed them in my preserve pan with
11 cups of water ( 2.75 litres ) and let them soak for 36 hours . After 24 hours  I added 4 cinnamon sticks for 12 hours .
At the end of the soaking time , remove the cinnamon sticks and add 3 peeled and chopped Granny Smith apples and boil gently until tender .
Now it is time to add 2 tsp of cracked black pepper
1 scant tsp of crushed chilli
1 and 1/2 cups of sultanas
1 tbs of cardamom seeds and 2 tbs of cardamom paste .
Stir to combine and bring back to a slow boil .
Reduce  heat and add 10 cups of sugar or alternate sweetener ( making allowance for ingredient conversion ), boil till the mixture starts to thicken .
This jelly is a perfect condiment with pork and is equally good with silverside .

 

A BUSY WEEKEND ..2 MINI QUICHES

Using premade sheets of puff pastry , cut out rounds 6cm in size with a pasta cutter .
Line lightly greased mini muffin trays with the pastry , then fill with a mixture  made from combining 3 eggs , finely chopped parsley , a tsp of wholegrain mustard , 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and 1 cup of cream ... you can now add  1 heaped tsp of hummus as I did for 1 batch
The 2nd batch I just prepared with basic egg and cream mix .
3rd batch I added chopped bacon and 1/4 rd cherry tomatoes .
Bake in a preheated oven on 200deg until puffed and golden .
I then remove them to an oven tray and place back in the oven for 5 minutes to colour the base .
These also freeze really well .

Plus 3 more batches of holiday  savoury rolls ..

 

A BUSY WEEKEND ..1. MINI MEAT PIES

1. MINI MEAT PIES
In a large heavy based saucepan , heat 1 tbs of rice bran oil then  saute 1 chopped onion , 1 dsp of minced garlic , 1 celery stick chopped , 1 carrot sliced and cubed , cook until vegetables are tender .
Stir in 125 gm of sausage mince and 250gm of beef mince , continue to cook until the meats brown .
Now it is time to add 2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce , 2 tbs of tomato sauce , 1 tbs of finely chopped parsley , salt and pepper to taste , 3/4 cup of beef stock .
Mix everything together and bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 15 minutes ..
Remove from heat and add 1/3 cup of chia seeds , return to heat and allow mixture to thicken .
Cool before using .
I used premade puff pastry sheets , cutting each sheet in 4 and lined lightly greased  glass ramequins

The pastry only comes up 3/4 of the ramequin .
Fill to the top of the pastry  with the cold mince mixture and top with a round of pastry .
Pinch the edges of the pastry together , brush with a beaten egg glaze and make small slits in the pastry
Bake in a preheated oven 200 deg C  for 30 minutes or till golden and pulling away from the sides of the ramequin .
Then care fully remove the pie from the ramequin and place on a baking tray and pop back in oven to colour the pie base and side crust .

 

FRUIT PLATTER FOR MAX AND JACK MERSEY

1. BANANA  CATERPILLARS

Cut bananas into 3cm pieces , sprinkle with lemon juice and roll in desiccated coconut .
Now join the banana pieces with a toothpicks to form caterpillars .
Use a low carb ( optional ) chocolate chip for the eyes and currants or cranberries  on toothpicks for the antennae .




2. STRAWBERRY PATCH MUSHROOMS
Cut processed cheddar cheese sticks in  half to make stalks for the mushrooms .
Hull a punnet of strawberries and cut out a wedge at the stalk end so that the strawberry will fit on the cheese stalk to make a mushroom .
Decorate with dots of  piped  cream cheese or sprinkle with desiccated coconut .


3.DRIED APRICOT FLOWERS
Snip dried apricots towards the centre to form 5 petals .
Pipe a dot of cream cheese in the centre or a cube of whatever cheese you have in the fridge .


Arrange the banana caterpillars on a platter with the strawberry patch mushrooms secured on the plate with a dob of nutella and the dried apricot flowers .

 

WEET BIX FUDGE

This IS really good on all levels ...and so easy to prepare ....
Bring 125 gm of butter / marg to the boil with 2 tbs of milk and 1 cup of sugar  ( check measurement comparisons if using sugar alternative ).
In a large bowl crumble 7 weet - bix biscuits  ( I used the weet -bix blends now available  with cranberry and coconut ...check your supermarket ).
Add 5 tbs of powdered milk 3 tbs of cocoa ( I used unsweetened cocoa,but that`s your choice ) and 1 cup of shredded coconut ...
Now pour in the melted butter and sugar mix .
Mix well and press into a lined slice tin , sprinkle with a little more shredded coconut .
Place in refrigerator to chill and set ...
YUMMO !!

 

MID SEASON PRUNE

Out in the garden as the sky was turning to light this morning to finish the mid season pruning of the roses .
There are many beautiful roses in my garden .
My pruning pattern over the years and remains ....deadheading after the first flush and then a light prune after the second flush of the season  ( Mid Season ).....
Around March / April  the roses will be due the second deadheading  at the end of the 3 rd flush , the second pruning will be in late July /August , that pruning is more severe and allows the rose bush to prepare for the following spring .
I do love my garden .

So does Fergie my beautiful feisty Ragdoll cat .

 TODAY ,TOMORROW, FOREVER PLANT

 PLANTS IN THE COURTYARD

 THE PRODUCE

 THE NECTARINES

 THE APRICOTS

THE QUINCE

THE GRAPES

 

 THE LILLIES

 THE BEGONIAS

 

 VIEWS FROM THE ENTRANCE TO CASTLE GARDEN

BAR BE  QUE ARE