WATERMELON AGUA FRESCA

Blend 2 cups chopped watermelon
1 cup of orange juice ,
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbs of stevia  ( alternatively 1 tbs of castor sugar ) ..until smooth  .
Serve with crushed ice.
 

RAW RAINBOW CAKE

This cake is full of zinc , iron and antioxidants .
There is no cooking involved .
First you need to soak 2 dried figs and 4 pitted dates in water overnight  or alternatively let them soak for a minimum of 5 hours .
Now decide on the shape of the cake you want , I used a 23cm round loose base pan , it was too big , next time I am going to use a smaller cake pan .
First off we start with the purple layer.
 Blend together a good handful of blueberries , 3 cups of almond meal ,and the 2 figs that have been soaking , add 1/3rd of  a cup of the water that you soaked the figs and dates in, and 1/3 cup of  a cup of coconut oil.
When combined press this into the base of your cake pan , smooth the top and edges best you can .
Place this in the freezer for 20 minutes , it needs to be firm to hold its shape as you add the other layers.
Now prepare the batter for the other layers.
Blend together 4 cups of almond meal , 2 cups of  granulated nuts . the 4 dates that have been soaking , 2/3rds of a cup of coconut oil., 1 tin of coconut cream .
Once combined , divide the batter into 3 portions .
To make the green layer , add 3 drops of green imitation food colouring .(.the colouring  is optional ), and  1 avocado, mix to combine .
Now layer this over the firm purple base , and place back in the freezer .
To make the pink layer , add 1 small grated fresh beetroot to one of the batter portions . Stir through .
Add this on top of the green layer once it has firmed in the freezer.
Now prepare the 3rd batter portion , simply add 1 dsp of turmeric  and 1 tbs of honey  ( the honey is optional ) and mix to combine .
Repeat the layering process ,freezing between each layer .
Remove the cake from the pan and place in the fridge to soften just before serving .

Scatter with sliced glace cherries to serve. (Optional )

This was my first attempt ...the layers are difficult to smooth but next time I will know what to expect and using a slightly smaller pan would make the layers thicker and visually more attractive .In my favour the flavours are true and it is most suitable for vegans and seriously health conscious  people .
The raw cake is gluten free and suitable for diabetics .

TUESDAY COOKING CLASS ...2ND JUNE 2015

On Tuesday 2nd June ...Choux Pastry.. Noelene `s Cooking Class .
We will be making choux pastry ........The secret to great choux pastry is ..................BEAT WELL .
Choux pastry ( pate a choux ) is a cooked dough , which makes it unique in the pastry world .
It is believed that a 16th century chef working for Catherine de Medici , the Italian born French queen , created it and then some 200 years later the celebrated pastry  chef Antonin Careme  made the éclair and croquembouche .
Choux pastry has no leavender ( yeast or rising agent ) , but rises by steam that forms when it is in the oven .
Though it is not a difficult pastry to make there are some rules that must be observed .
All ingredients must be weighed correctly .
Eggs need to be added gradually  and beaten well.
There can be no opening of the oven door , you must not let the steam escape .
Choux pastry is used for eclairs , profiteroles ,gougerers , paris brest ,beignets , and fritters .
When I was growing up profiteroles were called cream puffs ....

Preheat ovens to 180deg C

CHOUX PASTRY ......

Exact measurements please ...

1 cup of water
85gm of  margarine
140gm of all purpose flour .
2tbs castor sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla essence
4 eggs

1 bottle of cream

Bring butter and water to the boil .
Add flour and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pot .
Now transfer to a bowl and using your electric hand mixer beat for 1 minute and allow to cool.
In a separate bowl beat your eggs together .
When the pastry has cooled slightly add 1/2 the egg mixture and beat till well combined .It will initially look as though the egg has separated from the mixture ....BUT  KEEP BEATING TILL SMOOTH .
Then add remaining egg mixture and beat till mixture is smooth and well combined .
Spoon mixture into a piping bag .
Pipe 12  x 12 cm lengths onto a sprayed baking tray , allow room to spread .
Bake for 20 -25 minutes or until puffed and golden .
Allow to cool completely .
FILLING
Beat cream with 2 tbs of castor sugar and 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence , till firm peaks form .
Use a small sharp knife  cut eclairs  in 1/2 lengthways and fill with whipped cream .
Use a heaped spoon of  the cream to fill 1 side of the éclair
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
1 cup of icing sugar
1/4 cup of cocoa
1/2 tsp of vanilla essence
2 tbs of milk .

Dip the top of the eclairs in the chocolate glaze
Refrigerate until just set .

Unfilled éclair cases can be frozen or stored for a few hours in an airtight container .
Best eaten on the day they are made.

OUCH THAT HURT....

 Yep the juices were hot .

5 days later ..a course of anti biotics and a tetnus shot .

 

COOKING CLASS TUESDAY 26TH MAY

Today we made aloo chops .
Everyone got right in to it and the community kitchen was full of flavour .
The  cooking class accessed the community garden and made use of the fresh herbs .
It was great to witness the interaction and the community of the  table  while everyone worked on preparing their aloo chops .
I really enjoy the classes , the enthusiasm  and the commitment  to cooking .
We share so much in 2 hours .
Next week were are going French and making eclairs from scratch .
 

WELL DONE IRELAND

Well done Ireland .
You voted with your heart .
You recognise same sex  marriage .
You win , you all win .
Australia has a long way to go .
Australia the lucky country is Australia the  selfish country .
Abbott the PM of Australia has to go and don`t forget I never voted for him .
Noelene Marchwicki .

CONIGLIO AL VINO .......RABBIT IN WINE

Preheat your oven to 180deg C.
Cut 1 rabbit into 4 pieces , wash and pat dry the pieces  with paper towelling .
Dust the rabbit pieces in flour and season lightly with salt .
Set aside .
For this preparation I used a cast iron oven pot with a lid .
Saute 3 sliced onions , 4 fat peeled and sliced garlic cloves , in 1/2 a cup of rice bran  oil on top of the stove .
Add 150 grams of diced pancetta and 1 sliced long green chilli  along with the rabbit pieces .
Brown the rabbit and throw in 2 bay leaves and a fresh sprig of thyme .
All that is to be done is pour in 3 cups of a full bodied red wine to the pot .
Now cover with the lid and place in the preheated  oven  for 2 hours  in which time the rabbit should be tender .
Check  on the sauce during the cook time to make sure its not too dry in which case add a cup of clear stock to the pot .
Serve with polenta or wild rice .
Enjoy .