PAN PIZZA

Mix together 115 gm of self raising flour with a pinch of salt .
Add 1 tbs of rice bran oil and 3 tbs of water to make a soft dough .
Knead lightly  and roll out to form a circle to form a round that will fit your medium sized frying pan .
Heat a little rice bran oil and fry pizza base gently for about 5 minutes until brown .
Turn pizza over , and fry for 5 minutes
Now cover the turned pizza with 2-3 sliced tomatoes , 1/2 tsp of sage and 1/2 tsp of marjoram , scatter small bocconcini over .
Lattice with anchovy fillets and a scatter of 4 sliced kalamata olives .
Place the pizza in the frypan under the griller until the topping is golden brown .

CURRIED ONION PIE

Preheat oven to 180 deg C.
PASTRY...this is a really good pastry .
Mix together 170 gm of plain flour with a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper .
Rub 60 gm of butter in with your fingertips .
Add 60gm of grated cheese .
Mix to a stiff dough with 1 tbs of lemon juice ( and a little water if necessary )
Spray a 22cm pie dish with cooking spray and lightly sprinkle with fine polenta .
Roll out pastry and line the pie dish with it .
FILLING ....
Peel and slice 500gm of onions  ( thinly )
Saute in 1 tbs of ghee till softened , remove from heat .
Peel the skin off 1 large tomato and slice .
Measure out 115gm of a tasty grated cheese .
Arrange layers of grated cheese  , tomato and onions in the pie plate .
Using a small bowl, make a paste by mixing together  1 tbs of butter , 1 tbs of plain flour ,1/2 tsp of salt , 1 dsp of madras curry and 1 lightly beaten egg .
Now pour the hot milk over the paste and stir well .
Pour over the onion mix and pastry in the pie dish .
Bake for 35 minutes or until set .
Love this dish !
Heat 1 cup 250ml of milk in a medium saucepan .
 

CAKE PUDDING

Any type of left over cake can be used to make a cake pudding .
For this recipe I used leftover fruit cake .
Preheat your oven to 180 deg C.
Slice 500gm of fruit cake into bite sized pieces .
Place in a lightly greased baking tray or oven proof dish .
Spread lemon curd or a jam of your choice over the cake pieces and top with a light sprinkling of desiccated coconut .
Set dish aside .
In the bowl of your electric mixer , beat together 1/2 cup of castor sugar with 3 lightly beaten eggs and 3 cups of milk .
Pour the milk mixture over the cake cubes .
Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the mixture to soak through the cake cubes and incorporate .
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven .
Remove allow to cool and serve with custard or cream .
Slices easily and is just as good cold .

 

A GUIDE TO STOCKING YOUR FRIDGE...&........FREEZER

Refrigerating your foods the right way can help your perishables last longer .
Ensure the thermostat is set at 3 deg C in the main compartment .
Keep leftovers on the top shelf , where the  temperature is most consistent .
Store condiments in the door compartments .
Always put raw meat on the lowest shelf , that way if the meat leaks it won't drip on other food .
Store all cooked foods covered and above anything uncooked .this reduces the risk of anything dripping contaminating raw food .
Avocados , bananas , nectarines , peaches , pears , plums and tomatoes all release a gas , which can spoil nearby food, keep them on the bench instead .

AVOIDING FREEZER BURN ......
The freezer thermostat should be set at -18deg C
Freeze food in containers that aren't too big
When freezing soup and curries , line the liquid with a layer of cling wrap , then seal with a lid .
All foods should be completely cool before freezing .
Use vacuumed sealed bags or squeeze out as much air as you can out of regular bags .
Label and date your food .
Freezers are more economical the fuller they are .

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE MANOR

Miss Ziggy has Sunday sorted.

So do I

Poached eggs with oven baked chicken, feta and spinach wrapped in filo .

 

 

BOUGHT VERSUSES HOMEMADE .

Every once in awhile it is just nice to be able to create a special cake on a tight  budget .
We all know that money isn't made of elastic .
Making a cake or dessert from  scratch can be expensive as you usually need to purchase ingredients that are not normally stocked in your pantry .
On the other hand if you have the time and a well stocked pantry , it could be argued that you as the cook have more control over the flavour and texture .
Then again I constantly hear that recipes don't work or food doesn't look like it does on the screen or in books and it is true some recipes are incorrectly printed and a lot of the photos of food in books have been photo shopped .The debate will continue .......
What excites me ..... whether you are a cook or a constructor you are creating a dish that will give you great satisfaction and you can share with family and friends .

There is no cooking involved . Serves 10 - 12
INGREDIENTS
You just need to purchase 3 generic brand cheesecakes ...( IGA or Aldi ) @$3.00 each .
2 packets of chocolate fingers @$ 1.69 a packet  ( woolworths )
METHOD
Layer the 3 cheesecakes on a serving plate and then spread each chocolate finger with chocolate nutella and lightly press into the sides of the cheesecake .
Sprinkle with icing sugar .
This can be frozen but allow 4 hours from frozen to thaw in a sealed container in the refrigerator .
If consuming on the same day keep in a sealed container in your refrigerator .
This cake slices easily into wedges with chocolate fingers served alongside .
A dollop of sour cream doesn't go astray .( optional )
TOTAL COST...$12.38

HOMEMADE TRIPLE LAYERED WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
No cooking involved . Serves 10 - 12
INGREDIENTS
200gm of good quality white chocolate ..$18.00
300gm of creamed cheese ...$9.00
300ml of cream .....$6.00
1 packet of gingernut biscuits ...$6.00
2 packets of white chololate fingers ...$5.00
METHOD

Firstly whip the cream (900ml ) till thickened but not holding peaks .
Break the white chocolate( 600gm ) into rough pieces and place in a bowl and microwave in 15 second increments allowing to melt very gently ,stir occasionally with a wooden spoon..
Then remove , set aside while you prepare the base .
Break 525 gm of gingernut biscuits into a processor and process to a crumb .
Now add 150gm of softened butter / margarine process until mixture starts to clump .
Divide the base mix into 3
Press the mix into 3  lightly sprayed 20cm springform pans.
Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling .
Now place 900 gm of cream cheese ( @room temp )into the bowl of your beater , and beat until soft .
Gently fold in the melted chocolate and then the softly whipped cream
Add 3 tsp of lemon juice and 1 dsp of vanilla extract .
Divide the mixture into 3 and pour and scrape evenly over the 3 bases .
The mixture should be mousse like .
Smooth over the top and cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours.
To serve remove cakes from pans  and carefully layer cheesecakes on a serving plate .
Spread the white chocolate fingers with lemon butter and softly press into the sides of the cheesecake .
Bring to room temperature before slicing .
TOTAL COST ...$44.00

TUESDAY COOKING CLASS 27TH MARCH 2018

Hello everyone , Tuesday will be our last day of term .
I want to share a wonderful Easter recipe with you all , so I'm changing the recipes for the last cooking class of the term .
We will still prepare sweet potato rosti., but in  place of the wild mushroom cassolette we will be preparing Apple Gingerjack ....
These are the ingredients you need to bring to class.
1 kg of green granny smith apples
1 small sweet potato
1 jar of ghee .
See you all Tuesday

WILD MUSHROOM CASSOLETTE

This can be served as a side or is great served from a small bowl over a juicy steak or chicken fillet along with a sweet potato rosti and char grilled asparagus .
2 tbs of ghee in a medium saucepan over a medium heat .
Add 1 large onion , thinly sliced , 2 tbs of minced garlic , 2 sprigs of thyme. ( leaves only ) ....cook until the onion softens but not coloured .
Add 100 gm of wild mushroom mix ( available from the larger supermarkets ) and 200gm of sliced mushrooms  , both roughly chopped .
Cook until softened .
Pour in 3 tbs of coconut cream and 5 tbs of beef stock
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the mixture is thick and glossy .
Season with salt and pepper to serve ...

SWEET POTATO ROSTI

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C
Line a baking tray with baking paper .
Using your hands gently squeeze 2 cups of grated , peeled sweet potato to remove any excess moisture .
Place the sweet potato into a large bowl along with 3 tbs of melted ghee
3 sprigs of  thyme  ( leaves only ) finely chopped .
1/2 tsp of sumac
1 tbs of preserved lemon rind finely chopped .
Salt and pepper to taste .
Use your hands to to mix until well combined and form into rustic patties.
Place on the baking tray and flatten slightly .
Roast for 20 minutes or until golden .
These are served as a side but great cold for lunches or snacks ...

COOKING CLASS WEEK 8 & WEEK 9

Tuesday 20 th March and Saturday 24th March we will be preparing big breakfast burgers ...
Last week of term Tuesday 27 th March we will be preparing two sides.
1.Wild mushroom cassoulet
2. Sweet potato rosti
All enquiries phone Churchill Community Centre 51 222955.

BEST EVER FOOD QUOTE

 ‘HUNGER IS THE BEST SAUCE IN THE WORLD ‘
            _ CERVANTES _
(He wrote Don Quixote )

BREAKFAST MEATBALLS

Make double quantity of these meatballs , freeze the excess and enjoy them at any meal of the day .

Preheat oven to 180 deg C
Line a baking tray with spray and baking paper .
Melt 1 tbs of ghee in a pan
Add 6 bacon rashers that have been finely chopped , cook for 3 minutes or cooked to your liking.
Drain on paper towelling .
Place the bacon pieces in a large bowl along with 500gm of flavoured sausages ( skin removed ) 1or you could just use sausage mince .
1. small sweet potato grated .
110 gm of button mushrooms ( finely chopped )
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 tbs of maple syrup
1 tbs of minced garlic
1 egg lightly beaten .
Mix all these together using your clean hands to combine .
Form small to medium sized meatballs and place on prepared baking tray
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through .
These meatballs are delicious slow cooked in a rich passata and served with a brown rice or buckwheat pasta .

A GREAT SUBSTITUTE FOR TRADITIONAL CHOCOLATE

Place the following ingredients in your blender or processor .......
1/2 cup of coconut oil ( melted )
1/2 cup of raw cacao powder
1/2 cup of almond paste
1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup
Blend / process until well combined
Fill paper lined mini  muffin moulds or mini silicone muffin moulds .
Then refrigerate for 45 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes ( or until set )

Keep refrigerated in an airtight container
This chocolate substitute melts easily so enjoy straight from the fridge .
 

WHIPPED COCONUT CREAM

Open 1 can 400ml of coconut cream ( chilled  for 8 hours ) , place the solidified layer into the bowl of the mixer .
Set the remaining liquid aside .
Whip the solidified coconut milk layer on high for 5 minutes or until soft peaks form .
Mix in honey to taste (1tbs) and vanilla paste to taste .( 1tsp ).

COCONUT CRUMBLE WITH APPLE AND RHUBARB FILLING .

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C.
THE FILLING
Melt 1 tbs of ghee in a saucepan over a medium heat .
Add 4 large stalks of rhubarb sliced into small pieces
4 medium apples , peeled , cored and diced
1 tsp of vanilla paste
1/2 orange juiced
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
Bring these to the boil while stirring , then reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes or until the apples and rhubarb have softened and the mixture is thick and slightly caramelised .Set aside.
THE CRUMBLE
Use your processor to make the crumble
Add 1 cup of macadamia nuts
4 dates pitted
Now process till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs .
Add 1 cup of coconut flour
3 tbs of melted coconut oil
Process the mixture until moist .
Add 1/2 cup of shredded coconut and blend until well combined .Set aside .
ASSEMBLY
Divide apple and rhubarb filling between 4 ramekins and top each ramekin with a thick layer of coconut crumble mix .
Bake on the middle rack of the oven until crumble is golden .
I serve this with a scoop[ of coconut cream and a sprig of mint .

 

COOKING WITH OIL

Oils made from unsaturated fat should not be used for cooing , because high heat damages their chemical structure and can cause them to become toxic.
It is better to use saturated fat as it has a much stronger chemical structure .
Read the labels on your oil containers , I don`t cook with a lot of oil anymore  ( mainly a couple of tbs to saute onions ) when I do I use rice bran oil which  has a high content in mono saturated and polyunsaturated trans fat ,it also has a high smoke point ( 250 deg C)
My other choice of saturated fat is ghee which can be heated to a really high cooking temperature without burning or smoking .
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature .

BUTTER CHICKEN CURRY

Melt 1/4 cup of ghee in a large saucepan over a medium heat .
Add 600gm of sliced  chicken breast and cook until sealed .( 3 minutes )
Add the butter chicken paste (recipe in previous blog ..... so much better than any commercial butter chicken paste .)
Reduce the heat to low , keep stirring to prevent it from sticking , continue to cook for 5 minutes .
Now add 200ml of chicken stock
1 x 400gm can of diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1x 400ml can  of coconut cream.
Increase the heat and bring the mix back to the boil .
Reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened .
Serve with a steam grain or cauliflower mash .

 

BUTTER CHICKEN PASTE

This delicious paste can be kept covered in the fridge for 1 week .
Make a spice mix combining
1 tsp of ground cloves
1 dsp of cracked black pepper
1 tbs of ground almonds
1 dsp of ground cardamom
1 tsp of ground fenugreek
1 dsp of ground coriander
1 dsp of ground cumin
2 brown onions finely chopped
2 tbs of minced garlic
1 tbs of minced ginger
1  dsp of turmeric
1 dsp of cinnamon
3/4 cup of coconut yoghurt
1 red chilli  ( with seeds , optional ) finely chopped
1 tsp of sweet paprika .
Place all ingredients in a processor and process to a smooth paste .( you will need to scrape down the sides of the processor ....but the finer you chop the onions and chilli the easier it will blend . )

MIXED MINCE VINDALOO

I used a mix of beef , veal and pork mince .
The spice mix I used ....
1. dsp of ground cumin
1.dsp of ground coriander seeds
1. dsp of ground fenugreek
1.tsp of ground cardamon
1.tsp of ground cloves
1. tsp of cracked black pepper
Add the spice mix to the mince and mix thoroughly
In a small bowl mix together
1 dsp of turmeric ,1. red chilli with seeds ( optional ), 1/2 cup of white vinegar and add this to the mince , cover and marinate in fridge overnight if possible .
When you are ready to start cooking , heat 1/2 cup of ghee in a pan and brown 2 sliced onions and then add the marinated meat and cook until sealed .
Stir through 1 dsp of minced garlic , 1 dsp of minced ginger.
Transfer to a large pot with a lid .
Finally add 1 X 800 gm tin of diced tomatoes and 2 cinnamon sticks and 1 litre of Campbell’s Malaysian stock.
Cook for 40 minutes or until mince is cooked through .
I stirred through a bunch of freshly chopped parsley and served it with steamed freekah.
The left over vindaloo was placed in a tray and topped with grated zucchini , fresh cherry tomatoes from the garden and a few grated strands of cheese .
Then placed in the freezer to await it’s time to shine on the dinner table again .

SCRAPPLE

Scrapple is the ethnic food of the Pennsylvania Dutch , descendants of the late 17th and early 18th century immigrants to Pennsylvania , Maryland ,Virginia and North Carolina from southern Germany ,eastern France ( Alsace and Lorraine ) and Switzerland including the Mennonites and Amish .
SO WHAT IS SCRAPPLE ?
Also known as Pannhass ( pan rabbit ) , more likely it derives it name from the scraps of the pork ....( ah I can remember the days when pork necks
 were regarded as scraps and fed to the dogs )
Today sold as cooked pulled pork and sold in 250gm packages for $7.50 , so we are looking at $30 kg .( times change )
So scrapple is a mix of pulled pork (traditionally slow cooked pork neck )combined with corn meal buckwheat flour and spices .
The mix is then formed into a semi solid congealed loaf ( a terrine ) .
The loaf is then sliced and pan fried before serving ...
This is really delicious ...
Photos of the dish will soon follow ........
Add 500gm of shredded pork to 750 ml of chicken stock along with 4 tbs of ghee and slowly bring to the boil .
Mix 1and 1/2 cups of cornmeal with 500 ml of water .
Stir the cornmeal and water mix into the cornmeal .
Cook until thickened .
Add 1 tsp of cracked black pepper
1 tsp of ground sage
1 tsp of thyme
salt to taste .
Once the scrapple is thoroughly thickened , pour the mix into a loaf pan lined with cling wrap .
Chill in  refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight .
When it is time to serve , slice and then fry .
Serve hot with butter and surprisingly with a drizzle of maple syrup.
It really is delicious ..