High School Lasagne

For me one of the weirdest things about getting older is not the sudden crows feet that appeared after the birth of my first child; not the crazy, sleep deprived look that came with my second child and not even the fact that some things on my body now hang a little lower - no - for me it's saying things like, "I have this lasagne recipe from high school.....it's 22 years old! YIKES!". now that completely freaks me out. High school feels like yesterday to me. it's me listening to Eric Clapton, it's me doing drama, it's me thinking a boy a year above me named Adrian Ross is the bees knees and it's crazy 14year old me buying a bottle of wine, getting away with it and then realising I didn't have a cork screw!

In my first year in high school I took Home Science and loved it so much I took it for the next 5 years. From that 1st year I kept 4 recipes, typed by a typewriter no doubt, and have lovingly used them over the years. They are browned, torn and splattered here and there which made me think about how old they are and yes, they are 22 years old. That is so weird!

ingredients

1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
500g mince
good dash of dried rosemary
good dash of dried oregano
dash of sugar
good dash of salt
2 x 400g tin tomatoes

cheese sauce

25g butter
25g plain flour
1 cup milk
100g mozzarella or tasty cheese
salt, pepper, nutmeg

dried pasta sheets

how to make my high school lasagne

Pre heat your oven to 160C.
Pop your saucepan over a mid to low heat. Add some oil. when hot enough, add the onion and garlic. Sweat it down. When ready turn up the heat and add the mince. Cooked until browned. Add the herbs, salt and sugar to taste. After about 30 seconds add the tinned tomatoes. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the butter to a saucepan. Melt gently. Take off the heat and add the plain flour until combined. Put back on the heat and add the milk gradually, incorporating everything as you go. When the milk is all added, keep stirring over a low heat until the mix thickens. The whole process whould take about 10 - 15 minutes depending on your stove. When it is thick, turn off the heat and add your mozzarella. Stir and add your salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg.

grab your square, 5cm height dish. Place a little of the meat sauce to cover the base. Add some dried pasta sheets. Cover these with some more meat sauce. Add half the cheese sauce. Layer over some more pasta sheets then again with the reast of the meat and the rest of the cheese sauce.

I love to cook this slowly for about an hour on 160C. I like lasagne really well done (as you can see in the photo) and I don't like a huge amount of cheese sauce in my lasagne. If you do, just double the cheese sauce quantities. I've adapted this recipe over the years. The original had tomato paste which I'm not really a fan of and it also had dried basil but I didn't think this was really necessary. I hope you enjoy it!

rustic lemon clouds

Whenever I visit a close friend of mine she always gives me a few of her Aunt's lemon bicuits that she has stashed away in the cupboards. You know the kind, lemon flavoured, crunchy, spicy hard icing - DELECTABLE. I even found a store-bought variety when we were living in the inner west. Whenever I'm in that way I always manage to buy a box....or 3!

here is my version of that recipe. They are not as crunchy, these are quite light but still delicious with that hint of lemon. There's no egg or nuts so anyone with allergies can devour these too!.......enjoy!


Pre heat oven to 200C. Line a biscuit tray with baking paper.

ingredients

150g self raising flour (approx 1 cup)
20g caster sugar (just over 1 tablespoon)
70g unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) lemon zest


1/2 cup icing sugar mixture
1 teaspoons boiling water
2 teaspoons lemon juice

how to make your rustic lemon clouds

Mix flour and sugar together in a large bowl. Make a well and add the butter and sour cream. Incorporate with a dessert spoon. The mix will be quite crumbly. Now you can knead it with your hands in the bowl. When you've brought it toghether in a ball (try not to overwork) break into smallish balls (I usually get about 12 balls) place on your tray and gently push down a little with your thumb. Pop them in the oven for 12 - 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Don't discard your baking paper!!! Place this under a cooling rack and take your biscuits off their tray and cool them on your rack

When cool enough for the icing, mix together and spoon over about a teaspoon over each biscuit. It will drizzle over the sides but the mix should be quite thick too. When the icing has hardened they are ready for popping in a container or devouring. They also taste fine the next day after they have been overnight in the fridge...if of course they last that long!

A Quick Crumble

Hubby and I had a weekend away recently - no kids for the first time in 2 and a bit years! It was heavenly. We did nothing! except I did drag him to a Country Thrift store and found the old school desk you can see in the photo. I fell in complete love with it....Now I have to find a couple of old school chairs to go with it!

The desk is so low and tiny and yet, as you can see in the photo, someone has carved, Skool sux, into it.....how cute!

ingredients for 2 people

1 ripe beurre bosc pear, peeled and diced
1/2 punnet ripe strawberries, washed, stalk taken off and chopped in half
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon water
cream or icecream for serving

crumble

4 Shredded wheatmeal biscuits, crumble them in your fingers (which is what I did or if you are after a more uniform look, whizz them in a processor (I'm sure you could use savordi biscuits or anzac biscuits too - I used what I had in the cupboard)
1/4 cup shredded coconut (I only had desiccated in the cupboard - doesn't alter the flavour, just the look)
1/4 cup oats

how to make A Quick Crumble

Under your griller, lay some baking paper or foil and lay out the crumble mixture. Pop on a medium heat and toast lightly. When you smell the coconut and the biscuits, mix it around again. Keep doing this, while not letting it burn, until everything is a light brown.

Mean while, throw the fruit, water and sugar in a medium saucepan and warm over a medium heat. Keep it moving and add a touch more water if the fruit is catching on the bottom. When the fruit is soft enough add it to your serving bowls, top with crumble mix and your choice of cream or icecream.....you could even add a dash of dessert wine to the cream if you like!

perfect for easing yourself back into parenthood!

Pea and Fennel Crostini

Thinking about this combo now I'm sure it has already been done.....however, I am always a little slow with these things!

I was getting dinner together, the usual scenario, and I was was thinking about what vegetables I was going to serve with my sausages. In the fridge there was: half a carrot, a few cobs of corn and a bag of peas in the freezer.........that was it! So I had a look at what was ready in our vegie patch (sorry for not updating pics of our vegie patch. It is in full swing as usual but I am just so busy keeping up with everything else - so apologies to everyone) Anyway, the fennel was looking gorgeous..........what to do, what to do!


Ingredients

360 - 380g fennel (not including fronds) fronds removed and fennel chopped into thin wedges

200g frozen peas

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Rustic baguette

How to make your pea and fennel crostini

Pop your oven on to 180C. Grab a heat proof dish and throw in the fennel with some extra virgin olive oil. Pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes. Make sure the fennel doesn't char, you want it to be lovely and silky soft. With about 20 minutes to go, grab another heat proof dish and throw in your chopped rustic baguette and drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil. When both the bread and fennel are ready, pop the fennel in a bowl. Meanwhile, pop your peas in a microwave proof dish with about 2 tablespoons water and microwave for about 3 minutes (depending on your wattage) drain and add to the fennel. Grab your bamix and blend roughly, till your desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

I haven't tried it but roasted garlic pureed through might be nice too.....let me know if you try it!

Grab a large plate and throw on the warmed chopped baguette. In a small dish add your pea and fennel puree.

Great mixed with Tuna and salad or enjoy instead of mashed potato! YUM

Buckwheat Pikelets with Manuka honey and orange syrup

Friends sometimes ask me how I work out my recipes, where do the ideas come from. Well,I love pouring through cookbooks, magazines - especially those ones at the Doctors from 1998! Sometimes it's a word like, pie - something so very homey about that word to me. Sometimes it's a namelike , Gwyneth Paltrow - what? Ms Paltrow has written a cookbook? ok, ok,ok - let me have a look
.........................hmmm..................oooooh.........really?................


the girl can cook!


Notes from my Kitchen Table is a really lovely cookbook filled with a nice mix of things from soups, to salads, to mains, to sweet treats and breakfast ideas. She talks about her Dad, her family, her little ones and really if you didn't know who she was you would just think she is like every other Mum wandering what to cook her kids for dinner....

She explains a few things about brown sugar and flour and it got my mind turning and whirring until today I popped into the shops and found my self in the health food aisle and discovered they actually had what I needed - Buckwheat flour!!!

I followed my friend Carolines recipe guide for pikelets at her blog here with a slight variation and I've teamed it with a delicious honey, cardamom and orange syrup.

And make sure you are pretty liberal with that syrup too as these pikelets are just too darn healthy without it!

Ingredients

1) 1 cup buckwheat flour (160g)
2) 1 cup soy milk (240g)
3) 1 egg, beaten
4) 1 large tablespoon of raw sugar ( 15g)
5) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

ingredients for syrup

2 large tablespoons of manuka honey (approx 90-95g)
3 cardamom pods
a small amount of orange zest, you don't want to overpower it.


how to make your buckwheat pikelets with Makuka honey and orange syrup

Throw the first 5 ingredients together in a bowl and whisk. Set aside for 10 mins, as Caroline does. Meanwhile, make your syrup.

In a small saucepan add the 3 ingredients together and warm over a low heat for about 6 minutes. Sieve into your sauce pourer.

In a large saucepan add some butter and when heated enough add small scoops of your pikelet mix. I could fit 4 per batch and made in total - 10 pikelets. Wait till they start to bubble and then flip over. They are pretty quick!

Done......my kids totally loved these.....smothered in the syrup of course!
I think these would also be delicious with some creme fraiche mixed through the syrup!

Apple and Rosemary Jelly - Sweet or Savoury?

well, to answer the question - both!

I've created 2 versions of this recipe. The first version is with less apple juice and more rosemary - Once it has set, leave it out of the fridge for at least half an hour prior (nearly room temp) to serving with your roast lamb.

and

The second version is with more apple juice and less rosemary - perfect for a refreshing dessert! Serve it with some hazelnut shortbread perhaps...

ingredients for the first version

1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1/2 cup apple juice, not a chilled variety, I used Dewlands
approx 10cm piece of rosemary stork, stripped of its leaves

1 tablespoon of powdered gelatine softened in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of cold water

How to make your Apple and Rosemary Jelly - First version

Place the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan and bring it just to the boil. Take it off the heat and add the softened gelatine and stir to combine well, ensuring there are no lumps! Strain into 3/4 cup capacity ramekins. (I used little jars that previously held GÜ cheesecakes from Woolworths - I find they are the perfect size for jellies and look pretty too!)
For decoration you could add a sprig of rosemary into the jelly prior to popping in the fridge. Pop in the fridge until set.

ingredients for the second version

1 1/2 cups apple juice, not the chilled variety, I used dewlands
1/2 cup boiled water
approx 10cm sprig of rosemary
1 tablespoon of gelatine softened in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of cold water

How to make your Apple and Rosemary jelly

Boil the kettle and measure out a half cup of boiled water. Add the sprig of rosemary and steep for at least half an hour.

In a saucepan, add the apple juice and the steeped water (discard the rosemary) bring it just to the boil. Take off the heat and add the softened gelatine and stir to combine well, ensuring there are no lumps! Pour into 3/4 cup capacity ramekins. (I used little jars that previously held GÜ cheesecakes from Woolworths - I find they are the perfect size for jellies and look pretty too!)
For decoration you could add a sprig of rosemary into the jelly prior to popping in the fridge. Pop in the fridge until set.

Makes 6.

Yummy Casserole with no name

I've been trying to think of a name for this casserole for the last 2 weeks! My husband suggested, "Earthy Casserole".....and then I told him to shush. Actually, my ideas weren't any better........Beef Casserole with risoni, chickpeas, tomatoes, spinach and lemon.......Rustic Casserole with lemon........then I told myself to shush.......so here's my Yummy Casserole with no name.

Just a heads up....Our kids weren't a huge fan of the spinach in this dish but they loved everything else....but our kids are weird.....they like sucking on lemons....**

ingredients

500g beef chuck steak, cubed (approx 2 - 3cm)
approx 6 eschallots. peeled and kept whole
1-2 whole cloves (optional)
5 peppercorns
1 litre beef stock
1 tin of chick peas, drained
about 10 cherry tomatoes, whole, preferably ones on the vine, vine removed
1 cup risoni pasta
1 - 2 bunches spinach (after the stems and the middle membrane have been removed and you are just left with the green bits you should have approx 130 - 180g
1 lemon

how to make your Yummy Casserole with no name

Pre- heat oven to 180C. Grab a large roasting pan and line with baking paper if necessary.

Drop some oil into a high sided pot and bring to a mid heat. When the oil has heated up enough add pieces of meat. Brown the meat in 3 batches otherwise you will crowd it and the meat will stew and not brown. I use my BBQ tongs here so I don't get spat at by the oil. If the meat is burning turn the heat down otherwise you will get a horrible vegemite flavour in your end result. Brown each side and set aside on a plate when done. When you have browned off all your meat add the eshallots and garlic if using and keep moving over a low flame. When they have softened a little add the meat again and throw in all your stock. Bring to the boil. Once boiling take off the heat and pour carefully into your roasting pan. Cover with 3 layers of foil tightly and pop in the oven.

Now you can cook this for 1.5 hours or up to 2 hours. It's up to you. I've done both and the only difference is: the meat is a little more tender with the 2 hour time and there are less juices.

If doing the 1.5: Take out of the oven (Don't discard the foil) Add the risoni first, then the chickpeas and the tomatoes. Pop the foil back on and cook for another 35 mins.

If doing the 2: Take out of the oven (Don't discard the foil) Add the risoni first and a half cup of boiling water, then the chickpeas and the tomatoes. Pop the foil back on and cook for another 35 mins.

After 35: Take out of the oven (Don't discard the foil) Add the spinach over the top of the whole dish. No need to mix it with the juices. Pop the foil back on and cook for another 5-8mins until the spinach is cooked.

Pop the spinach on the plates first then pile over the top the remainder of the casserole. Serve with Lemon wedges. (The lemon juice goes perfectly with everything on the plate and just adds that little extra something) Enjoy!


**Ok, you are not weird if you like sucking on lemons.

Sweet Things - any way you like them....

Golly, is all I can say! I can't believe it has been so long since my last post. Quinces are all ready gone for another year....I often wonder if I would love quinces as much if I could have them all year round. I wonder? and Winter is here....again! and we are enrolling our big little guy into kindy for next year so finding his birth certificate proved to be a bit more of a challenge then expected.....but it was eventually found.....with last years enrolment form! and I lost my voice for a few days too......Life is never dull here!

I've adjusted the following recipe from one I found in a Country Style magazine. The original was a savoury version but I have much more of a sweet tooth (as I'm sure you're all aware) so I re-jigged the recipe accordingly. I'm sure you could use all sorts of fillings if you like. I've tried milo and cream cheese; diced fig, ricotta and honey and I've also tried diced pear and honey too. Use whatever you have in the pantry I say. Make things easy for yourself and just see what happens! have fun!

ingredients

2 cups plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons caster sugar
40g butter, chopped
up to 1 cup of milk

fillings of your choice

How to make your sweet things

Pre-heat oven to 180C fan forced and grab a few biscuit trays and line them with baking paper.

Place flour, baking powder and caster sugar in a bowl. Rub in the butter until it resembles bread crumbs. Make a well and pour in the milk, slowly, (Don't add all the milk right away it depends on the flour) Use a flat blade knife to bring it together. Turn onto a floured bench and knead until smooth. Sprinkle some more flour onto the bench and roll out with a rolling pin into a rectangle with a 1cm thickness. Now you need to get your fillings ready. I normally cut into 2 rectangles so I have 2 different fillings. When adding your fillings just remember to cover the whole rectangle otherwise you might miss out on the flavours!

Once you've added your fillings you need to roll your rectangle (kind of like a swiss roll I guess - the long part gets folded over. Now cut into approx 1.5cm slices and lay each sweet thing onto your tray, leaving a small space around them. You should get at least 30 or so. Pop your trays in the oven and bake for 30 to 35mins or until golden brown. (just be careful when using honey it tends to brown the bases quickly)

The last day of Winter - Casserole Ruby Lou

With the weather surprising us with its warmth we have been having friends over for BBQ's (allready!). This last weekend some friends brought us some amazing AC Butchery snags (Goat; Turkey and cranberry; chicken and rocket and good ol'beef)How I have missed them!
I threw together a few things: some roasted root vegetables, caramelised onions, a pumpkin, chickpea and risoni salad and a salad made up of little treats from our garden. When the weekend was over and I had to think about what I was going to put together for a mid-week meal I noticed that I still had a mountain of Ruby Lou spuds to get through........The evenings are still chilly at least. The perfect excuse to create another casserole.

ingredients

1kg of beef chuck steak, cut into large chunks
5 pickling onions, peeled and halved
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into chunks
8 - 10 Ruby Lou potatoes, halved (or you can use any potato that keeps it's shape after slow cooking)
1 cup of red wine (I used Hippies Shiraz but you could use any red wine you love)
1 and a half cups beef stock
1 x 800g tin tomatoes
2 large sprigs rosemary
about 8 peppercorns
300g button mushrooms

how to make your casserole ruby lou

Pre heat oven to 180C
Pop some oil in a large pot and put it over a high heat. Add the steak in 3 batches, browning the meat and then putting it aside until all cooked. Turn the heat down a little and throw in the spuds, carrot and onions until softened. Pop the meat back in and add the wine, stock, tomatoes, rosemary and peppercorns. Bring to the boil. Once boiling, throw it in a casserole dish, cover it with foil and bake for 2 hours. After 2 hours, throw away the foil, chuck in the mushies and cook for a further 45 mins.

Serve it with broccoli spears and red wine. Perfecto!

B-Day - Nan's Moussaka

Every Sunday, when I was growing up, all the family would head over to my grandparents place for lunch. We always had something delicious, usually a roast and if it was your birthday you got to choose whatever you wanted. Some people liked roast chicken, others roast lamb but me, I LOVED Nan's Moussaka.
The best part about making this dish is cooking the flat chips of potatoes. So heavenly. You can almost eat your fill while making it!

ingredients

1 brown onion, finely chopped
500g mince
approx one kilo of potatoes (you may need more or less depending on the dish you use)
1 egg
1 and a half cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste

how to make my Nan's Moussaka

First of all, get a large frypan and warm up some vegetable oil. Peel your potatoes and slice them into large rounds (not too skinny) Fry them both sides until browned nicely. Set aside onto some absorbant paper then place in the base of your ovenproof dish. Now get another saucepan onto a burner and fry your onion in a little olve oil. When softened add your mince and turn up the heat. Keep stirring, makng sure you get all the lumps out. Meanwhile keep doing your chips as you'll need enough for a top layer too. When the mince has been browned off, place over the bottom layer of potatoes, then place the remaining cooked potato chips over the top of the mince. Now whisk your milk, egg and salt and pepper together. Pour over the whole dish. Finish off with a sprinkle of salt and pepper over the potatoes and bake in the oven for 30 - 40 mins until the egg/milk mixture is set!

Happy Birthday to all those other Virgos out there!

I heart lemon and passionfruit marmalade

After making the Tangello and Clove Marmalade it got me thinking about other citrus fruits; what other combinations would work? My thoughts turned to lemons. The juice is used a lot in jams but you don't see it used as the core ingredient very often. So then I thought about what would "go" with lemons. I'd need to add a lot of sugar, I knew that, but I didn't want that to be the sole flavour of the marmalade. Wondering around the fruit market I spyed some rather beautiful looking passionfruit. Of course!

I am sooooo happy with the way this marmalade turned out. My Hubby loves it too!


This recipe makes 2 small jars or approximately 500ml.

ingredients

2 eureka lemons (they have no seeds. If you can't find them then you will need to remove seeds as you slice), cut in half lengthways, then thinly slice
750ml water
3 cups white sugar
2 passionfruit, cut in half and scraped, juice and seeds kept


how to make your lemon and passionfruit marmalade

When you have sliced your lemons pop them into a plastic container. Add the water and leave overnight (Approx 8 hours) or if you don't mind the texture of the rind then soak for about 3 hours. I have to say I like it both ways!

When ready to use pop the mix into a large heavy based saucepan and bring to the boil. Then simmer on a highish heat for 20 minutes. Now add the passionfruit pulp and 3 cups of white sugar. Bring to the boil then have on a mid simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes for the mix that you only soaked for 3 hours or if you soaked it overnight then it will only need simmering for about 10 - 15 minutes.

Wash your jars and keep them in hot soapy water in the sink until ready to use then rinse in hot water (don't dry them) and then place in the mcrowave, one at a time, for 1 minute. Have the lids in a saucepan of water on the stove on a rolling boil.

You will have to watch that your marmalade doesn't catch on the bottom and burn. Stir it every now and then to check it and pop some small plates into the fridge. When you think it may be ready or you are unsure just test some jam on a cold saucer. If it's ready it should thicken up, gel and wrinkle when you push your finger through it. When ready, ladle into your jars right up to the top, pop your lids on tightly and then you can do one of two things: You can place them into a saucepan of water, ensuring the jars are well covered then bring to the boil and boil for 20mins to create a vacuum. Check jars that a vacuum was created. OR
Once you've filled the jars turn them upside down until they have completely cooled. The old women of Tuscany use this trick which does work really well too however if using this method I would keep the marmalade in the fridge once it had cooled down.

Beautiful with croissants. That tart taste cuts through the butter perfectly.

fast food - winter garden burger

This is one meal that can be made fast! and it tastes YUM. When it comes to burgers I don't mind beetroot or cheese or even pineapple! but a few years ago I had some mince in the freezer, in the fridge I had some sad looking cherry tomatoes, some limp spinach,a few mushies on the edge and in the pantry a couple of rolls to use up. I'm sure we've all done this at some point - not wanting to make the trek to the shops so we search out the Kitchen to see what we can create?
What would MacGyver make under these circumstances?

Make sure you have everything chopped and ready to go as it's all cooked on the fly and ready to devour in about 5 minutes. I kid you not! enjoy.

ingredients

1 burger per person

120g mince - per burger
some grated carrot or turnip or zucchini or nothing, it's up to you - per burger
salt and pepper and chopped parsley, to taste - per burger

2 large flat mushrooms, chopped finely - per burger
1 sprig of thyme - per burger or to taste
4 - 5 cherry tomatoes, scored at one end - per burger
5 or so pieces of baby spinach or english spinach - per burger

1 egg - per burger
bbq sauce
butter
rolls

how to make your winter garden burger

Have 2 saucepans ready to go - one with oil the other with about 1 - 2 tablespoons butter. Score one end of each of the tomatoes. chop your mushies. Cut your rolls in half and get them ready under the grill. Take your egg(s) out of the fridge. Wash and seperate your spinach into individual pieces. Throw your mince into a bowl and add some grated vegetable, if using. Add your salt, pepper and parsley to taste. Give it a good mix then make into patties. Turn the heat on for the saucepan with the oil to about medium. Wait till it's hot enough then add your patties. Now put on the other saucepan on high heat and throw in the tomatoes. Turn on the grill to low. Turn your patties when they have browned nicely on the bottom. Throw in the mushies, some salt and thyme with the tomatoes, keep stiring. Crack your eggs next to the patties, use rings if you don't want to mix the 2. Add the spinach to the mushies and tomatoes, keep stirring. Everything should be ready by now. Take out your rolls and butter them. Top one with bbq sauce. Place your pattie on top of the sauce, then the egg. On the other half lay the spinach, the mushies and then top with the tomatoes. mmmmmmm, burger.

Smashing Pumpkin soup

My first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth memory of Pumpkin soup all happened in the same week. When I was about 13 my Mum and I took a bus trip to Melbourne to see "The Phantom of the Opera" and each night on our way there and back we stayed at a different motel where the evening meal was provided. The first night was a lovely pumpkin soup followed by beef wellington followed by apple pie and icecream. The second night was pumpkin soup, beef wellington and lemon cheesecake. A co-incidence we all thought. The third night was Pumpkin soup, beef wellington and Apple pie and icecream again. This was too funny. By the fourth night we started comparing recipes. "Well, I think Albury's pumpkin soup was much better than Wangaratta'a!", they'd say. "What? How about that beautiful sour cream art work in Goulburn!" Seriously.
Each soup was different but there were definate similarities. The taste of delicious sweet leeks,creamy pumpkin and of course what would pumpkin soup be without sour cream and snipped chives. Perfect. I hope you enjoy my version of this traditional soup. It is so simple.

ingredients

1 tablespoon each of oil and butter
1 brown onion finely diced
1 leek (approx 100g) finely sliced white part only
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 kg butternut pumpkin chopped into 2cm cubes
1 litre chicken stock

Black pepper, chives and sour cream to serve

How to make your pumpkin soup

Warm up the butter and oil in a large pot. Add the onion and leek and sweat over a low heat until very soft and sweet smelling. Make sure they don't colour. Next add the garlic and nutmeg and stir over medium heat until fragrant. About 30 secs. Add the pumpkin and give it a stir. Then add your stock. Bring to the boil over a high heat. Once boiling reduce to a moderate temp and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Take off the heat and using a hand blender blend until smooth. Ladle into bowls and dollop a blob of sour cream in the middle, scatter some snipped chives and crack some freshly ground black pepper. Serves 4 - 5 people

Enjoy!

Dreams are funny - Tangello and Clove Marmalade

Since making the Quince jam I've thought a lot about what jam I would like to create. Many combinations have bounced around my brain, knowing some of them will have to wait until Summer when the ingredients are at their peak. A while ago I attempted a Rhubarb jam based on a Donna Hay recipe, except, that I completely burnt the bottom of the pan and it took me a week of scrubbing and soaking to get it back to normal. So maybe the universe was trying to tell me something - get over the rhubarb fixation and move on, Freak! I put jam making on the....back burner as it were.

Until......

Apparently Stephenie Meyer had a dream about a vampire named Edward and a human called Bella, thus 'Twilight' was created and I remember reading somewhere that the melody to the song, 'Yesterday' came to Paul McCartney in a dream. Well, a little while ago I had a dream that I had another baby. As my Husband held her in the Hospital and I watched with that after-birth exhaustion he asked me, "What shall we call her?" I responded with, "Tessa". After teling my Husband that morning and laughing it off and thinking about if for the day it finally came to me that the Quince jam that I made belonged to a recipe by Tessa Kiros. Ok,Ok, so maybe the dream didn't mean anything but it made me start thinking about my next jam adventure and this is what I came up with.


ingredients

3 Tangellos (790g approx)
200g dried apricots (The best you can afford)
1.25 litres water
4 whole cloves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 cups white sugar

How to make your Tangello and clove marmalade

You will need to start this the night before. Wash your tangellos under hot water (leave the skin on)then cut in half and then cut thin slices from each half. Place in a very large plastic bowl. Chop up 200g apricots roughly and throw them in the bowl too along with 1.25 litres of water. Throw in 4 cloves, cover bowl with plastic and leave in a cool spot overnight.

The next day pull out the cloves and discard then pour the remaining mix into a large heavy based saucepan with the lemon juice. Bring to the boil. Once boilng, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 45minutes. Stir every now and then to make sure everything is ok. Once your 45minutes are up add your 6 cups sugar, stir and bring to the boil.Once boiling boil for approx 40 mins. Now, I can't stress enough you are going to have to watch over this delicious goo like a hawk otherwise you will be scrubbing and soaking that pot for a week! I ain't kidding. Once you've brought it back to the boil keep it boiling or at least a high simmer but you will definately need to lower the heat over the 40 mins otherwise it will cook too fast, thus making a lovely black mess in your pot. An easy guide is if the mix is bubbling up the saucepan the temperature is too high. Keep it so that you can see the fruit bubbling in the mix. By the end of the 40mins the heat should be on your lowest setting but the marmalade will still be simmering away and when you pop it on a plate - it should start to look like a gell or wrinkle when you push your finger through it. Turn off the heat and now you are ready to ladle into jars.

When you are up to the last 40 mins make sure you get your jars ready. Give them a good wash in the sink with hot and soapy water just before the 40 mins are up. Pop the lids to the jars in a saucepan filled with water that is on a rolling boil. Boil until ready to use. When the jam is ready, rinse your jars in hot water, place in the microwave, 1 at a time for 1 minute each. Take out of the microwave with gloves or a heavy t-towel and place next to the jam. Using a very clean spoon ladle contents into the jar, all the way to the top. Using tongs grab your lid and then carefully, without burning yourself, screw the lid tightly. When you have filled all your jars with your yummy contents grab your other big saucepan (or wash the one you just used) fill it with cold water, place your filled jars in the water making sure they are well covered and bring to the boil. Once boiling, boil for 20 mins. Turn off the heat and allow to cool in the water. Check the lids on each bottle to ensure that a vaccuum has been created. Label jars and keep in a cool place for up to 6 months.

Enjoy!

Melt in the mouth - Lamb and risoni casserole

I love how the seasons influence our garden. Like in Summer our garden is filled with enough lettuce to feed about 100 hungry guinea pigs! and now in Winter, there is one lettuce left wondering where the hell the sun got too.... Turnips are in abundance at the moment. I've added them to my minestrone soup and my roast sausages with veg and they have tasted out of this world! I thought it was about time to create a casserole with a few of my favourite things: lamb, risoni, beans and of course hopefully get through some of the turnips that could quite possibly feed oooh, 1000 hungry guinea pigs.


ingredients

350g carrots, chopped into chunks
3 brown onions, peeled but left whole. (You could use eshallots if you like)
8 small turnips, left whole or 3 large turnips cut in half
2 sprigs of thyme
1 bayleaf
a few peppercorns
4 - 6 cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole
1 can of borlotti beans (or you could use cannelini beans or kidney beans)
1kg half roast lamb leg (no bone, fat intact)
200g - 400g piece of middle bacon (or you could use a sweet smoked ham portion or a ham hock cut into 3 pieces or you could omit and use a bacon stock instead of water)
water
1 cup risoni
250g green beans
salt and pepper

how to make your casserole

Pre heat oven to 170C. Pop some olive oil into a large pot over a lowish heat and throw in the first 7 ingredients, just to soften and to get the flavours going. Pop in the lamb and the bacon (if using)and cover with water. Not too much,as the end result will be too watery. Raise the heat and bring the water to the boil. Once boiling transfer to a large roasting dish. Mix through the beans, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 90 minutes. Take out and mix through risoni and green beans.Check seasonings and add salt and pepper if necessary. Cover with foil again and pop back in the oven for 10 minutes. When ready to serve, you can either discard the bacon or slice just a couple of pieces (1 per plate) as the hero of the dish is the lamb. The lamb will be absolutely delicious.It's up to you how you would like to serve it. Either plate it up or pop it all in a big dish and everyone helps themselves. You can strain the juices into a jug too so that people can drizzle a little over their meat if they wish. Serves 4

Enjoy on a cold night with a great glass of red.

How sweet it is - Stewed Rhubarb Icecream

My Mum bought me a lovely bunch of rhubarb from the local produce market in Kiama. I thought maybe a Rhubarb crumble would be a nice warm treat. I looked in the cupboard - everything I needed wasn't there. I knew I didn't have ingredients to make muffins or a cake either......hmmmm, what to make?.......Bing!
Stewed Rhubarb Icecream. This dessert is really easy to make and can be made well in advance. If you've got rhubarb to use up and some icecream in the freezer - you're all sorted!

ingredients

300g of rhubarb cut into 1 cm pieces
1 and a half tablespoons raw sugar
1/4 cup water
400g of icecream of your choice (I used Streets Blue ribbon Vanilla icecream)
Brown sugar to serve or caramel sauce if you're feeling fancy!

how to make your Stewed Rhubarb Icecream

Chop up the rhubarb and pop into a microwave proof dish with the sugar and water. Pop the lid on loosely. Put in the microwave for 3 mins. Stir. Then pop back in the microwave for 2 mins. The rhubarb will be very hot so be careful. Set aside to cool (I allowed 40 minutes). Mix stewed rhubarb with icecream quickly and spoon into bowls. You could also mix rhubarb with icecream and place back in freezer until your ready to serve. It's up to you. To serve, sprinkle each bowl with a little brown sugar over the top. Serves 4.

I think a home-made caramel sauce would also taste delicious over this dessert.

Welcome back - Mushroom, Spinach and Fetta Quiche

When my husband and I were on our Honeymoon in Tasmania we tasted some pretty amazing food all over the Island. Lots of dishes stand out but some things are best enjoyed as memories. Such as the organic beef we had at Freycinat, there is no way I would ever do that dish justice! One food that we ate quite alot of was quiche. In Hobart there was this great little deli that had quiche lorraine and mushroom, spinach and fetta quiche in their window. They both were so delicious that whenever we were in Hobart throughout our stay we would go there and grab a piece, some beautiful bread, some vino, some olive paste and enjoy it all in a local park that overlooked the river. 6 years later and the memories are still so vivid to me. I hadn't made a quiche in ages but my son was in daycare for the day and my good friend was visiting me, it was time to get re-aquainted. This is my version of that dish.

ingredients

4 large flat mushrooms, sliced thinly (you can use 12 button mushrooms if you like, depending on availability and your presentation)
100g baby spinach leaves, stalks removed (you can use english spinach just remove stalks and all traces of grit)
100g of a good fetta cheese, crumbled
6 eggs
1/4 cup of milk (or single cream, it's up to you)
2 sheets of shortcrust pastry (depending on how big your quiche dish is)
knob of butter plus an oil spray
salt and pepper

how to make your quiche

Defrost pastry until flexible, about 15 - 20 mins. Pre heat oven to 200C. Grease or spray with an oil spray the base and sides of a quiche/tart pan (approx 21 cm diameter. If it's smaller than this just make sure that the sides are higher) Place pastry over tart pan making sure pastry hangs over the sides a little as the pastry will shrink in the oven. Prick the bottom a few times with a fork. Place over baking paper making sure the sides are covered. Now weigh it down with some rice, risoni or dried beans. You'll need about 2 cups. Place in oven for 10 mins. Now take out baking paper with weights, discard and pop back in the oven for 5 mins to brown very slightly. Take out and cool. Reduce oven temp to 180C.

Slice mushrooms. Heat pan with knob of butter on high heat. Add mushrooms, salt to taste and toss quickly. Add more butter if needed. When soft, take off heat.

Wash spinach then place in a heat prrof bowl. Boil kettle then cover spinach to blanch. Drain in a colander straightaway and refresh with cold water. Drain very well and set aside.

Crack eggs in a bowl, whisk in 1/4 cup of milk and pepper to taste. Place mix over pastry then arrange spinach on the bottom, fetta cheese in the middle and top with the mushroom slices.

Cook quiche for 20 - 25 mins or until the egg mix has set (just give it a little wobble to check)

Take it to a picnic or enjoy as a light lunch with a salad!

Pretty fun! - egg free and dairy free cupcakes

If I were asked, "What are your favourite things in the whole wide world?". I would have to say, "Laughing with my Husband (usually at his bad jokes); Falling head over heels for some little thing at a vintage shop and lastly, eating pretty little cupcakes".
Don't worry about the lack of dairy or egg, these cupcakes taste like Heaven! They are so light and fluffy, they seriosly just melt in your mouth. The addition of chocolate for me is just for comfort, you could use custard powder instead if you like. I made a batch of these for a combined family birthday using a red and yellow theme with icing and lollies. They looked very cute but you can decorate them however you like and they are great for anyone with dairy, egg or nut allergies. Have fun!

ingredients

3 cups Self raising flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt
2 cups caster sugar
2 cups water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon lemon juice

icing

3/4 cup Nuttelex margarine
2 cups icing sugar mixture
1 tablespoon hot water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Colourings and decorations


how to make your cupcakes and icing

preheat your oven to 180C or 160C fanforced if using 2 levels in your oven.
Use an oil spray to prep your muffin trays or use pretty cases.

Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir through the sugar.

Combine measured water, oil, vanilla and lemon juice in a separate bowl. Whisk this into the flour mix untl smooth. Divide mix among cases (if using) or directly into muffin pans. Bake for appox 25 mins.

When the cupcakes are ready. Take out of tray and cool on a rack. If icing on the day then allow to cool completely, then ice and serve. If icing the following day, cool completely then pop into a sealed container and keep in the fridge. You can ice on the day or the day before if you like. Iced cupcakes will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days before eating in a sealed container (and they still taste fabulous!) Decorate just before serving.

Tiny treats - Chocolate fudge

I came across this recipe years ago. It's one of the easiest recipes you'll ever find and deliciously rich depending on the chocolate you use. It's so worth making every now and then as a special treat for a party or even as a gift. Enjoy!

ingredients

400g dark chocolate (you could use milk chocolate or half/half)
1 cup sweetened condensed milk (the 300g can is perfect)
60g butter

How to make your fudge

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and stir over low heat until smooth and glossy. AND that's it!!
Place into a small slice tin which has been lined with some baking paper and smooth over. Decorate the fudge if you like with some cashous or other pretty things.(The cashous are a little crunchy so I've added them after the fudge has set purely as decoration)You could also incorporate some chopped roasted almonds too!
Now pop your fudge into the fridge for at least 2 hours. Prior to serving cut into small bite size pieces and leave out for about 10 mins.

Cumin get it! - Vegetarian pie

The flavours in this dish always remind me of a beautiful Lamb stew that has been braising on the stove for a couple of hours. Except, there's no meat in sight. This is a vegetarian pie or hot pot I guess you could also call it. Whatever it is, it's YUM!I also love the ground cumin in this dish. I think it just takes it to a whole new level as opposed to using say, Thyme or oregano.
When you want to feed a number of people then make this! Everyone will be happy. If you do have a few die-hard-meat-eating males, just bbq some lamb chops for them (or better still get them to do it!). That should keep them quiet... Trust me, everyone will love the flavour of this dish.


ingredients

500g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 3cm cubes
300g flat mushrooms chopped into small pieces
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 leek, white part thinly chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 x 800g tin of chopped tomatoes
250ml vegetable stock
2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
250g green beans, topped and chopped in half
chopped fresh coriander (I like to use the whole bunch but you can use a half cup if you like)
6 desiree potatoes, unpeeled and sliced thinly
approx 1 cup parmesan cheese


how to make your pie

heat some oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the pumpkin, mushroom, carrot, zucchini, leek and garlic and cook, stirring for 5 mins or until leek softens. Pre heat oven to 180C.
Add the cumin and atir for 30 secs until arromatic.
Add the tomato and the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook covered stirring occasionally for 15 mins. uncover and simmer for 10 mins. Add the chickpeas and beans and cook stirring for 5 mins or until beans are bright green. Add the coriander and stir to combine.
Place mix in a large ovenproof dish. top with the potato slices slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese (to taste). Bake in the oven for 40 mins or until potato is cooked through and slightly browned.

Serves 6 - 8 people with a rocket salad, some beautiful bread (our friends brought some Garlic Brasserie bread which was to die for) and some white wine.

#I also made a Caraway damper to accompany this dish except that I didn't cook it long enough. Left with pure dough in the middle, we ate the yummy bits, which were yummy but yes, dough = not yummy. So I will work on this recipe and when I've perfected it, I'll pop it up on the blog.