Avocado, Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad

This salad made up part of a family and friends dinner for easter. We had been given a heap of avocados. I managed to stop myself gobbling some to save for this salad. The salad is great and has been just as good over the next couple of days for lunches and dinners. Yes, I may have over catered AGAIN.
A great easy salad that can be made in advance (except the avo) and then put together at the last minute.
My avocados were is bit soft but it was still great.









Avocado, Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad

Ingredients 
2 cans (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained 
1 can (17 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained 
2 large tomatoes, chopped 
1 or 2 large avocados, peeled and diced 
1/2 red onion, chopped 
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing 
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 
3-4 Tbsp. lime juice 
2 Tbsp. olive oil 
1 tsp. salt 
1/2 tsp. pepper 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  
Cover and chill.

Tomato and Cheese Tart

There is a little French cafe near our home and very near a park that Isabella loved when she was smaller called Pyrenees that has the most yummy food. Healthy - no, but very very tasty.
Isabella is obsessed with their macaroons but I am most tempted by their savoury offerings. One of the regular features is savoury tarts, usually simple ingredients that combine to form a flavour sensation.

When I saw a Ray McVinnie recipe recently for a French tart I had to make it.

I still need to work on my blind making. I can never seem to get the pastry well cooked.
I think in this recipe the oven tray you place the baking dish on needs to be heated in the oven first.



Tomato and Cheese Tart

300g Flour
150g cold butter cut into cubes
5-6 tomatoes, sliced 1cm thick
3 Tbs Dijon or wholegrain mustard (I used whole grain and it was great...not over powering)
1 eg beatten
200g Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup pitted black olives
Basil leaves for serving

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees C
• Butter a shallow tin or over proof dish abut 25cm by 35cm.
• Put the flour, butter and a large pinch of salt into the food processor and process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Continue processing and add just enough iced water to make the mixture stick together. Do not over process or the pastry will be tough.
• alternatively, rub the butter into the flour and alt with finger tips until it s like bread crumbs, then as enough water to make a stiff dough.
• Turn out onto a clean surface and press together into a flattened ball.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the tomato slices on a cake rack side by side.
• Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes to drain. Tilt the rack so the water can drain effectively.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge and alto soften enough to be rollable,
• Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface and use it to line the time.
• Cover with foil or baking paper and fill with baking weights or dried beans or rice.
• Place in the oven on a tray and bake 15-20 minutes until well cooked and browned.
• Remove from the oven.
• Brush the mustard over the bottom of the pastry shell.
• Pour in the egg and sprinkle with grated cheese evenly on top.
• Place the drained tomato slices slightly overlapping on the cheese.
• Put olives in between the tomato slices.
• Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until well cooked and browned.
• Remove from the oven and cool to warm.
• Sprinkle with the basil leaves and serve in rectangles.

Fig, Ginger and Walnut Chutney

A couple of years ago I was given the most amazing fig chutney. I think it had walnuts in it and possibly ginger. I asked the person who made it for the recipe but the recipe she gave me didn't match what I had in my memory.
I hunted and hunted for a recipe that included figs, ginger and walnuts but couldn't find one so I've made some changes and additions to a basic recipe based on those I have read and the finished chutney is amazing!

If you have got lots of figs to use, check out these two recipes too...Fig and Apple Chutney and Figs Poached in Vanilla

Fig, Ginger and Walnut Chutney

Ingredients

• 15 fresh figs / two bags of dried figs
• 150ml balsamic vinegar
• 100ml white wine vinegar
• 300g soft brown sugar
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 red onions finely sliced
• 1 chilli deseeded and cut into slithers ( optional)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 10g fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste.
• 1/2 cup of chopped crystallised ginger
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method

Finely slice the red onion, peel and grate the ginger, remove the stalk from the figs and cut them into quarters. Zest and juice the lemon. Heat the oil in a large heavy based pan over a medium heat and then put in the red onion. Fry the onion for 5 minutes until it has slightly softened and turned translucent, it should be slightly caramelised.

Add all the other ingredients to the pan except for the figs, then season with salt & pepper to taste. Bring it up to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for a further 30 minutes. Once the liquid has reduced to a syrup add in the figs, crystallised ginger and walnuts and cook it for a further 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour the chutney into jars, seal and allow to cool.The Chutney can be kept unopened for up to six weeks and opened as long as it’s refrigerated for 3 weeks. 

Fig and Apple Chutney

Figs seem to be a bit of an acquired taste. I used to hate the tiny crunchy seeds but just love them now. I've got a fig tree growing in a bonsai bag but it probably needs a bit more care and attention if it is going to produce more than a few figs each year.
I was able to order a couple of bags of figs with my Oooby box delivery recently and then had a mystery bag left for me by a family member, who followed that up with another bag.
So I have been frantically looking for fig preserving recipes.

This one was one I resorted to prior to a supermarket visit when I didn't have much in the house to cook with. It is nice, but quite sweet.
Of course I had to add things to it...not sure why I can't stop messing with recipes but my additions improved it I think.

I also used the dehydrator to dry some half figs. Not the best result but I think I can still use them.

Fig and Apple Chutney

500 g of fresh figs 
2 apples 
1 1/4 cup (150g) of sugar 
1 / 2 cup cider vinegar (or raspberry) 
1 / 2 teaspoon cinnamon (or allspice) 
1 pinch of Espelette pepper (I used chilli flakes...about a quarter of a tsp)
Salt and pepper 

I also added 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

COOKING INSTRUCTION FOR THE FIGS AND APPLE CHUTNEY 
Clean the figs. Cut them into quarters. Peel and cut apples into cubes. 
Put everything in a saucepan with the sugar, vinegar, spices and a pinch of salt. 
Heat until boiling. Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. 
Spread the hot chutney in jars which have been boiled first. 
Close immediately. Turn the jars until completely cooled. 
Wait 48 hours before consuming. 

The fig chutney jars can be stored in the refrigerator. 

Cheesy Tomato and Basil Pie

The gardens are producing a lot of tomatoes at the moment. Most of them have been dried in the dehydrator kindly given to us by my mother-in-law and then stored in olive oil for eating later.
This recipe looked good and seemed like a good weekend dinner with salad.

I had to mess with the recipe a bit. I added an egg to the cheesy topping and used the last of a couple of mayonnaise type dressings I had in the fridge (a feta and garlic mayo and some tartare sauce).

The tomato and basil flavours came through well and it was really nice hot and pretty good cold too.
I think if I make it again I'll add a few other vegetables - capsicum, spring onion and maybe mushrooms.

My pastry could have down with more blind baking - I baked it until the top edges of the pie crust started browning. I might try totally covering the pasty with baking paper and cooking longer next time.

It is really important to get as much moisture out of the tomatoes as possible. I chopped them in the morning and stirred them occasionally throughout the day.

Cheesy Tomato and Basil Pie

Ingredients

• 4-5 fresh tomatoes, cut in half horizontally and squeezed to remove seeds and excess juices, and chopped into 1-inch pieces (yield approximately 3 cups)I didn't take out the seeds but a lot trained away.
• Salt
• 1 partially-baked 9-inch pie crust (see instructions here)
• ½ cup finely diced sweet onion (about ½ a medium onion)
• ¼ cup finely sliced basil (8 leaves)
• 2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (or other cheeses of your choice)
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon chilli sauce (or other hot sauce of your choice – adjust amount according to your tastes)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. About 4-6 hours before baking (or overnight), place the diced tomatoes in a sieve or strainer over a bowl and sprinkle generously with the salt. Stir to combine. Allow the tomatoes to drain of their liquid, stirring occasionally and gently pressing down on the tomatoes (use a large spoon or a small flat bowl to press the tomatoes against the sieve), until the tomatoes are very well drained. Blot with a paper towel if necessary to remove extra moisture.
2. While the tomatoes are draining, pre-bake your pie crust. (See instructions here
3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
4. Spread the diced onion in the bottom of the pie crust. Spread the well-drained tomatoes over the onions, then sprinkle the basil over the tomatoes.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the grated cheese, mayonnaise, sriracha and a generous grind of black pepper. Mix to combine (the mixture will be very thick). Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes in the pie plate.
6. Bake in the oven until golden brown and bubbly – approximately 25-35 minutes.
7. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to firm up before serving.

Stuffed Baguette Slices

I found this on Pintrest and have been waiting for an opportunity to give it a try. A family birthday this weekend was an ideal chance. What appealed to me is that it could be made a day or two in advance for a function. A great way to be organised and reduce stress when catering for an event. I'm keen to try this and freeze some to see if it is still ok.

I made two versions, one similar to the recipe below and one with smoked salmon, spring onion and capers. Both were really nice. I made them the night before the lunch. We also ate them the next day which would be two days after they were made.

The pictures are from the web site I found the recipe. I forgot to take any of the ones I made.

Makes one 12-inch long baguette; about 24 slices

Ingredients:

• Baguette about 14-inch long

• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 oz fresh goat cheese
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• ½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper (about 1 medium)
• ½ cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
• ¼ cup finely chopped Kalamata olives
• 2 oz finely chopped spicy salami
• About 2 tbsp minced Italian parsley
• About 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste (very unlikely since there’re plenty of salty ingredients)

Preparation:

Slice off both ends of the baguette. Using a long thin knife and working from the both ends, hollow the baguette out leaving about ½-inch thick crust all around.

Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth and lump-free. Beat in the goat cheese and garlic. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Working again from the both ends, fill the baguette with the cheese mixture. Pack the filling tight. I like to use a slender tequila shot glass for pressing the filling in. Wrap the stuffed baguette very well in plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to two days. Right before serving, slice the baguette into ½-inch thick slices and serve. For the most neat looking slices, treat it as a cheesecake – each time slice it with a hot dry knife.

Silverbeet & Broccoli Tart Recipe

My winter garden has not produced much for us (apart from avocados and herbs) so it is nice to finally start getting a few things from it.
I planted carrot seeds ages ago and very few survived (that might be something to do with the fact that they should have been planted when it was warmer?). Yesterday Isabella got to pull a carrot for the garden and then within 20 minutes eat if for dinner. This is the kind of thing I want her to experience - an understanding about where food comes from and how it is grown.

Today I have made a tart with silver beet and broccoli from our garden. We had loads of half eaten cheese in our fridge that were left over from Rugby World Cup pre match drinks at our house. I couldn't bring myself to just throw them out so used them along with the home grown veges to make this tart. It was so simple to make...I didn't have a recipe, just kind of gave it a go. It really was delicious

Silverbeet Tart Recipe

Cooked Silverbeet (about 10 large leaves)
Cooker Broccoli
Cheese (I used Brie and blue Brie)
3 beaten eggs
Puff pastry (I'm not a great cooker of pastry so its a bit of a case of anything goes for me)
Fresh Thyme
Salt, pepper

Turn oven to about 200 degrees and put oven tray in to warm up.
Cook Broccoli and Silverbeet and squeeze out excess liquid.
Roll out pastry on baking paper and create an edge by folding up edges.
Lay silverbeet and broccoli over the base.
Cut or grate cheese and spread over the base.
Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over thyme leaves.

Slide baking paper on to hot tray from the oven and carry to a flat surface near (or in) the oven.
Carefully pour beaten egg over tart keeping it within the edges.

Bake till golden. Approximately 20 minutes.

Why Do I Always Try Something New When I have Visitors? - Bacon and Egg Pie Recipe

Normal people bring out their tried and true, their guaranteed successes...but me, I try something new when I have visitors coming. In this instance a house guest I have never even met!

With the Rugby World Cup occurring just 5

minutes walk away we seem to have multitudes of visitors for pre game drinks in the hour or two before the game. I have easily thought through pre game snacks (hearty snacks considering the amount of drinking that occurs pre and during games), but when it struck me that I had visitors at lunchtime tomorrow I was at a bit of a loss. Of course there will be home made bread...John suggested peanut butter sandwiches (as if!).

For some reason I have come across Annabel Langbein's Bacon and Egg Pie several times recently.

I've never made bacon and egg pie...it might be something to do with the fact that for years

(a good 20 years actually) I haven't eaten red meat. Bacon has crept back in to my diet over the last few years. The idea fascinates me and after finding the recipe tonight I decided to make it.

Luckily I had pastry in the freezer...I'm not sure it is quite the right sort but surely savoury pastry is

pastry?

So, with fresh herbs from the garden and a spring onion that has slowly grown over winter in my

Green Smart planters, I have had a go at my first Bacon and Egg Pie.

My recipe was a smaller version than the one listed below.

Bacon and Egg Pie

3 sheets (450g) ready-rolled savoury shortcrust pastry

250g streaky bacon, cut into 2cm pieces

2 medium potatoes, peeled, cooked and thinly sliced

3 tbsp soft herbs (eg parsley, basil, chives or spring onion tops), chopped

14 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp salt ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Place a flat baking tray in the oven to heat - the pie will sit on this, and the heat will help it to crisp.

Cut a piece of baking paper to fit a 40 x 30cm (16 x 12 inch) baking dish or roasting pan. It should cover the base and reach about 3-4cm (1ý-1ý inches) up the sides.

Remove the baking paper from the baking dish or roasting pan and lay it flat on your bench.

Dust it with a little flour and lay 2 pastry sheets on top.

Join the pastry sheets by pressing them together firmly with a small overlap. Roll out the pastry to thinly cover the paper.

Lift the paper with the pastry and lay into the baking dish or roasting pan, covering the base and 3-4cm (1 1/4-1 1/2 inches) up the sides.

Sprinkle the bacon over the pastry.

Top with the slices of potato and sprinkle with the herbs.

Break 8 whole eggs over the top. In a mixing bowl, lightly whisk the remaining 6 eggs with the milk, salt and pepper.

Pour this evenly over the whole eggs.

Roll out the remaining sheet of pastry very thinly and cut it into narrow strips. Arrange the strips in a lattice pattern on top of the pie, trimming off any excess.

Place the prepared pie on top of the heated baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes until the pastry is starting to puff and turn golden.

Reduce the heat to 180C/350F and bake until the pastry is golden and cooked through on the base (this should take a further 35-40 minutes).

Serve warm or at room temperature with a salad and pickles or chutney.

It will keep in a covered container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Focaccia Bread - My Recipe

When we are going somewhere for a meal or event and I ask "what I can bring?", the answer is usually the same...focaccia bread. I'm not sure I want to have this as my 'signature dish' but I have to admit it is a pretty easy request to fulfill and it always gets gobbled fast.

I make bread at least once a week, often more, and yes, I use a bread maker. The purist in me sometimes thinks I should be kneading it by hand but the realist in me knows I don't have time!

There are a couple of things I have learned through trial and error when making bread (and there have been some pretty major errors/disasters), is to make the dough in the bread maker and then let it rise in a slightly warm oven. The rising needs several hours...bread making needs around 6 hours from start to finish. A long time but minimal effort is needed in this time.

The secret to my focaccia bread is to put a frozen cube of home made pesto (this recipe will come next summer when my basil is growing again) into the bread mixture at the start. Again not authentic Italian Focaccia, but really yummy.

Focaccia Bread

1 1/2 cups of warm water

2 tablespoons of olive oil

4 1/4 cups of bread flour (high grade)

2 tsp of salt

2 tsp of sugar
2 tsp of yeast

1 cube of frozen pesto (or Italian Herb Mix)

Fresh rosemary, thyme and flaky sea salt

Optional: cherry tomatoes or olives

Put wet ingredients in first, followed by dry and pesto.

Set bread maker to 'dough setting'

Once dough is made, spread on oven tray lined with baking paper and sprinkled with flour in a large flat oval shape and leave to rise in a slightly warm oven for a few hours (or over night).

Once it has risen, rub gently with more olive oil, sprinkle with fresh rosemary and thyme and a lot of flaky sea salt. Press cherry tomatoes or olives gently into dough to decorate.

Bake for about 20 minutes at 200 degrees.

The smell in the house when this is cooking is amazing. The fresh herbs make a huge difference.

The biggest challenge is to keep it uneaten if we are taking it somewhere!

Confort Food on a winter afternoon - recipe

Worthy of a blog post? The family seemed to think so. Tonight's dinner was pretty simple...chicken and vege soup ( a good excuse to use up veges left over from the week in the fridge) and cheese scones. "yours are the only scones I have ever eaten and liked" was the verdict from one discerning diner!

My scone recipe is too simple for words...

Cheese Scones Recipe

2 parts (cups) self rising flour

2 parts (cups) grated cheese

1 part (cup) milk

salt (I use garlic and herb salt)

(I use edam to keep all family members happy but prefer a really tasty cheese...blue cheese would be fantastic)

You could also add...combinations of bacon, red pepper, mushroom, tomato, fresh herbs...

Mix cheese, flour and salt, pour in milk and combine - try to mix only just enough to combine.

Pinch off balls and put on baking tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake for about 10 -15 mins (depends on size) at 200 degrees.

Great hot out of the oven with butter melting into them!