FUDGE ...DAIRY and SUGAR FREE (V)

Line a slice tray with baking paper allowing a little overlay on 2 sides .
Place 400gm of medjool dates ( pitted) in your processor with 95 gm of peanut butter ( I used crunchy ) and 2 tsp of vanilla extract .
Process till smooth and everything is well combined .
A helpful hint right now is to dip the spatula or spoon( you are going  to use to spread the mixture ) in oil
Now spread the mixture into your prepared pan .
Freeze for 1 hour.
Remove the fudge from the tray using the baking paper over overlay as handles .
Slice into small pieces to serve ...

 

PFEFFERNUSSE ..

Preheat your oven to 160 degC
Line  2oven trays with baking paper .
Melt 125gm of butter in a small saucepan over a low heat
Add 125gm of molasses and 165gm of firmly packed soft brown sugar .
Stir until butter is melted and the sugar and molasses have dissolved .
Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool for 10 mutes .
Now stir in 1 lightly beaten egg
350gm of plain flour
1 tspof ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of allspice
1/2tsp of ground nutmeg
1/2 tspof ground cloves
1/4 tsp of ground black pepper  ( yes thats correct ground black pepper .)
1/4 tsp of baking soda
Hand roll tbs of mixture into balls
Place balls on trays  about 1 inch apart
Place in the oven and bake for 15minutes or until the biscuits are firm to touch .
Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes
Sift 55gm of icing sugar all over the warm biscuits .
Place on wire rack to cool completely ......
Biscuits will keep up to 3 weeks in an airtight container .
This is a fail proof recipe and the biscuits are delicious .

 

CHRISTMAS NUTS .........ALMONDS

SUGAR AND SPICE ALMONDS ....
Preheat your oven to 160 deg C
Spray oven trays and line with baking paper
Sift 2 tbs of ground cinnamon into a medium bowl together with 1and 1/2cups of icing sugar .
Rinse 600gm of whole almonds in a colander under running water
Tip the wet almonds on to the baking tray
Sift the sliced sugar mix over the almonds .
Toss to coat .
Roast in the preheated oven for 10minutes then stir and continue cook for a further 10 minutes OR until browned and fragrant .
Remove from oven and allow to completely cool on tray .
The almonds will crisp on cooling.
Store in airtight containers or jars .

TAMARI ALMONDS
Preheat your oven to 160 deg C
Mix together 400gm , 3 tbs of tamari , 1 tbs of rice bran oil and salt to taste  in a medium bowl .
Let them sit for about an hour , stirring occasionally to make sure the almonds are well coated.
Line an oven tray with baking paper and spread out almonds
Roast the almonds in the oven r 15 minutes .
shake he tray every 5 minutes make sure the nuts do nut burn .
Remove from oven and allow to completely cool .
The nuts will become crunchier once they have cooled and dried .
Store in an airtight container .

DATE AND CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE (V)

Preheat oven to 150 deg C.
Spray and line a 20cm springform pan
Place 200gm of butter / marg in a small saucepan with 2 tsp of vanilla extract and 75 gm of raw cacao heat over a low heat and stir till smooth .
remove from heat and cool a  little
Place 200gm of pitted dates ( medjool )in your processor along with 80m  ml of maple syrup .
Add the cooled butter mix and process until smooth ..
Use the bowl of  your electric mixer break open 6 eggs ,add 70gm of icing sugar .
Now beat until the mixture triples in volume  ( about 6 minutes )
Pour in the processed dates and butter mix
Add 120gm of almond meal
Lightly beat the mixture to combine .
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake till the cake is set (55 minutes )
The cake gets fudgier as it cools .
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan .
Clean , wash and dry your processor .
Place 120gm of creamed cheese in the processor along with 240gm of ricotta , 70 gm of icing sugar ,2 tsp of vanilla extract and 35 gm of raw cacoa .
Pulse until combined .
Once the cake is cold pile on the fluffy topping .
Top with mint leaves , fresh blueberries , mixed nuts , goji berries  and cacoa nibs
Happy Birthday Dale ...

 

MY FELINE FAMILY

PEACHES

FERGIE

 SAMI

 

Things I do not need for Christmas .....another cat !

I love cats but enough already !

MYSTERY SOLVED

When I moved to my new address a stray cat moved on to my front verandah .
I set out a bowl of water and food , in time I bought the cat a bed , unsure of the sex of the cat , I named it Sami .
Sami was / is the meet and greet attendant at number 2 and my gardening companion .
Yesterday I went and introduced myself to a neighbour of 8 months , he stopped his mower and we shook hands and then exclaimed "so how`s  my cat ?"
Can you imagine how I felt ? OMG !
After repeatedly saying that I hadn`t pinched his cat and explaining how the cat had arrived at my front door and never left .
My neighbour smiled and told me the story of Lester the male , ginger tabby cat .
It appears that the cat had been abandoned and turned up at my neighbours place about 5 years ago and won his way into that family`s heart even though they had never had a cat before and one of their sons` named the cat  Lester .
To my amazement I found out that I don't have neighbours , the house next door is on the market , the person I met now lives interstate and  only returned to get the home ready for the real estate agents .
The son who named the cat Lester has recently left the home telling his parents that Lester must be nearby as the cat often went for a visit but never stayed long .
The wife of my neighbour called in this morning with worming and flea treatments and a goodbye pat .
The lady thought Lester maybe about 14 years old and had planned to take him interstate with her , I said of course and offered her to take him .
 The lady straightened herself from patting Lester , he  walked over to me , rubbed his body across my legs and sat  beside me watching as  the lady walked  away assured I would care for Sami till the end .

 

PORK BRAISED IN MILK

You will need to purchase a rolled loin of pork about 1.5 kg from your butcher .
If you are buying a rolled piece of pork , unwrap it and remove the rind and most of the fat .
Lay the pork out on your bench and spread 3 dsp of minced garlic over the loin
1 tsp  of coriander seeds
1 tsp of fennel seeds
1 sprig of fresh rosemary along with a pinch of salt .
Roll the loin up and tie with kitchen string .
Place the pork in a heavy based saucepan with a good lug of oil and brown the pork all over .
Remove from heat .
Set the pork aside and discard the rendered fat .
Return the pan to the heat and add 3 tbs of finely diced bacon , 1 finely diced onion an extra dsp of minced garlic , 1 tsp of coriander seeds, 1 tsp of fennel seeds , fry until soft in the residual fat left in the saucepan from the pork .
Place the bacon mixture in the bowl of your slow cooker , turn your slow cooker to high ,  add the pork and  1 litre of milk or enough milk to come halfway up the sides of the meat .
Bring the milk to the boil and then turn down to a simmer and leave covered and undisturbed for 2 hours .
After 2 hours check that the internal temp of the pork is at 78deg C .
Remove and set the pork aside loosely covered with foil in a warm place .
Pour the sauce back into the pan and continue to reduce it until it thickens and forms little nuggets of onion and bacon which you serve spooned over the sliced pork .
Serve alongside crispy roast potatoes , green beans with preserved lemon and garlic dressing .
To the memory of Elizabeth David ....

HEDGEHOG SLICE

Hedgehog slice for Christmas ....Yes please .
Crush 250 gm of plain sweet biscuits  ( leaving some lumps )
Place the crumbs in a bowl with 3/4 of a cup of chopped walnuts .
Melt 125 gm of butter in a small saucepan with 125gm of castor sugar 2 tbs of cocoa , 2 tbs of desiccated coconut and 1 tsp of vanilla extract ...over a low heat .
Once the butter has melted remove from heat , stir and allow to cool.
Then add 1 lightly beaten egg .
Now add this to the nut and biscuit mixture .
Melt 200gm of a good quality dark chocolate and stir this through the biscuit mixture .
Push the mixture into a slice tray .
Sprinkle with shredded coconut .
Place in refrigerator to set .
Cut into squares to serve ..

LENTILS AND RICE

1/2 cup of wild rice mixed 1/2 cup of brown rice .
Place in a steamer with 2 cups of water cover , the rice will be cooked when all the water is absorbed.
Remove from steamer and stir to mix the rice .
Now simply stir through 1/2 cup of tinned lentils that have been drained and washed .
1/2 cup of currants that have been soaked in red wine vinegar
2 tbs of freshly torn mint leaves
1 onion peeled , sliced and oven baked till crisp and dark ...
Season to taste and serve as a side or a light meal .

MERRY CHRISTMAS MANDY AND ROSS

Almond meal and lemon cake .
Enjoy Christmas and your holiday on the north island of New Zealand

ARMENIAN NUTMEG CAKE

Preheat your oven to 160deg C
Spray and line a 20cm round pan .
Sift 2 cups of plain flour and 2 tsp of baking powder to a bowl
Mix in 2 cups of soft brown sugar
Using your finger tips rub in 125gm of margarine .
Lightly press 1/2 of this mixture onto the base of the prepared pan .
In a separate bowl add 1 lightly beaten egg
1 cup of milk
1 and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
Now pour in the remaining crumb mixture .
Pour into the pan and sprinkle with chopped walnuts .
Bake in the well preheated oven for 1 and 1/4hours or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean .
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack .
This is a delicious sweet and spicy tea cake .

THE SPICE ISLAND CAKE

Preheat your oven to 160 deg C....
Spray and line a loaf pan ...
Cream together 70gm of castor sugar , 100gm of soft brown sugar with 170gm of  room temp margarine .
Continue to beat with an electric mixer until pale light and fluffy .
Add 3 lightly beaten eggs a little at a time .
Measure out 170 gm of self raising flour and stir through 2 tsp of baking powder .
Now incorporate the mixed flour into the batter and gently beat till the batter is soft and thick .
Add1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/2tsp of ground cloves
1/2tsp of ground cardamom
1 tsp of vanilla extract
Finally add  3 tbs of milk to help distribute the spices through the batter .
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan
Bake for 35minutes in the well preheated oven or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan .
Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack .
This cake can be served warm with ice cream  .
Enjoy  the aromas of the island spices wafting through the kitchen ...mmmmm!

VEGAN CHRISTMAS ROAST DINNER WITH GRAVY

Preheat your oven to 200deg C
Bring 160 ml of water to the boil in a small saucepan
Add 70 gm of white quinoa to the boiling water and cook covered till tender ...about 15 minutes , set aside to cool .
Scoop out the flesh from a large zucchini that has been halved lengthways .
Leave a 1/4 inch border and reserve the flesh from the zucchini .
Scoop the seeds from a whole butternut pumpkin which has been halved lengthways .
Now scoop the flesh from the pumpkin leaving a cavity large enough to fit the zucchini ....reserve the flesh of the pumpkin .
You may need to trim the zucchini to fit inside the pumpkin .
Using a skewer dock the insides of both the zucchini and pumpkin .
Its now time to process the flesh of zucchini and the pumpkin along with 1 small chopped onion and 2 tbs of minced garlic .
Cook this mixture in a pan over a medium heat with a glug of oil .
Add 2 tbs of fresh thyme leaves and the quinoa continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the mixture is tender .Set aside to cool .
Now combine 1 dsp of flaxmeal with 2 tbs of boiling water in a medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes .
Mix in the quinoa mixture , 35gm of dried cranberries and 35 gm of hazelnut meal .
Press some of the stuffing mixture into the zucchini cavities
 Press 1 small leek ( white part only ) into one half of the zucchini and cover with the other half .
Press remaining stuffing into pumpkin cavities .
Place stuffed zucchini into one half of the pumpkin cavity and cover with the other half .
secure pumpkin together with kitchen string .
Brush the secured pumpkin with a little oil and season to taste .
Wrap in foil and place on a baking tray in the preheated oven .
Roast for 1 and 3/4 hours .
Then remove foil and roast uncovered until slightly browned and tender .
Let sit for 30 minutes while you make the vegan gravy ....
Use 50gm of margarine and heat in a medium saucepan over a low heat .
Add 80 gm of finely chopped onion .
Stir until slightly browned
Add 2 tbs of flour and slowly stir in 2 cups of vegetable stock and 1 tbs of tamari ...


ALTERNATIVELY you can prepare your Christmas pumpkin this way and serve it sliced with your roast meats , potatoes and peas .

FINAL COOKING CLASS FOR 2017......TUESDAY DECEMBER 5TH.

Thank you  all for  supporting the cooking classes , wow what a food journey we have been on this year .
We have travelled the world in our flavour combinations .
Well done to everyone ...
For our final class I am going to teach you to make pizza bases .....
You will need to bring along a pizza tray .
You all know what you like so I'm asking you to bring along the ingredients for your topping ....
You decide what you want , maybe you could consider a fruit pizza , baked nectarines or pears with a cheese of your liking .
Consider all your options ...avocados , diced bacon pieces , maybe a packet of gourmet sausages for a meatball pizza .whatever you like !
Give some thought to the cheese you want atop your pizza .......
Please bring along .....
the ingredients for your pizza topping
pizza tray
1 egg
1and 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese ....
I will also prepare a Christmas pizza for us to all share ....with a cuppa .
Looking forward to seeing you for the end of year class .
Noelene Marchwicki