Pesto Pasta

This is just too easy!
My family love this hot or cold.
I use frozen cubes of pesto and stir it through the hot pasta (any shape of pasta will do).
An incredibly simple but yummy dish!

Apple Cake - recipe

I found myself with a lot of apples. This recipe was pretty easy and looked like a good way to use some up.

I took a bit of time making the pattern on the bottom...it was worth it. A nice cake eaten cold or heated up with ice cream.

It could do with a it more cinnamon in the apple part and cake but I kept it light to cater for tastes of little people.

I wonder if it might also work with feijoas...the season is only a few months away!


Apple Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 large golden delicious apples
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 scant teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• .
• Cake
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, stirred before measuring
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup milk

Preparation:

Heat oven to 325° (about 170 degrees C) . Butter a 9-inch square cake pan or spray with baking spray. Core the apples and cut into wedges; peel and slice thinly. Combine apple slices with the brown sugar, 1 scant teaspoon of cinnamon, and 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Arrange the apple mixture in the prepared baking pan.

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. In a large mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture to the first mixture, alternating with the milk, beating just until blended. Spoon the batter evenly over the apple slices; gently spreading to cover. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Invert the hot cake onto a platter or cake plate and let stand for about 5 minutes. Remove the pan and scrape up any fruit slices clinging to the pan and arrange them over the cake.

Caramello Brownie - Recipe

I've been revisiting my Sophie Gray 'Enjoy' recipe book recently looking at new recipes to make. Today I was looking for something for lunch to go with our yummy cheese scones and that could also be my contribution to morning tea for our staff professional learning retreat that we go away on tomorrow for three days. This recipe looked pretty good and I know there are a couple of brownie enthusiasts at home and at work.

I think next time I make them I will try to keep the caramel a bit thicker and less mixed in to the cake....and I might double the caramello mixture.
The mixture did seem to rise a bit despite there being no baking powder or rising agent in the ingredients.
I used Whittakers dark ghana 72% cocoa solid chocolate (we always have a few blocks in the pantry) and Valrhona cocoa powder (from Sabato).

Caramello Brownie
For the base
150g butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
150g dark chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa

For the caramel
55 g butter
3/4 cup of condensed milk (about half a tin)
1 tbsp golden syrup


Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line a sponge roll tin with baking paper.
In medium saucepan, melt butter. Stir in sugar then remove from the heat and add the chocolate and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift in flour an cocoa, mixing well after each addition.

To make caramel, melt the butter with condensed milk and syrup in a small saucepan. When melted and combined remove from heat and pour into a jug.

Pour some of the chocolate mixture into prepared tin then alternatively pour in caramel so the two are randomly spread around the tin. Use a skewer to swirl the caramel into the chocolate mix.
Bake for 30 minutes, until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean and the texture is slightly fidget. Allow to cool before cutting.

Rhubarb Relish - recipe

This week's Ooooby box had rhubarb that we didn't use. I was determined not to feed it to my compost so found this very quick easy recipe. It is really nice and quite spicy. It made a couple of big jars, one that we have already started and one that went to a neighbour.














Rhubarb Relish

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped rhubarb
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger, cayenne and allspice

Method

Put everything into a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook for 30 minutes, or until soft and jam-like, fill sterilised jars and seal. Use with roasted lamb, chicken or with trout or salmon dishes.

French Daiquiri - recipe

After a wonderful Thai meal at Mekong Neua we decided to go somewhere for coffee and possibly dessert. On a Saturday night Kingsland bars, cafes and restaurants are always packed and sometimes difficult to get a table at unless you have booked. The Fat Controller used to be 'Ivy' before Rugby World Cup mania hit Kingsland had lots of tables spare and didn't look to chaotic. While we used to go to Ivy quite often for a quiet drink I had not been there since the name change.
Lynn and I thought the name was hilarious at the time for a number of reasons. Funny since I had previously thought it was really stupid name...maybe the wine we had had over dinner helped?

Unfortunately the prospect of dessert was not an option. Lynn was happy to settle for a coffee but after seeing a berry brûlée on their menu I wanted something 'berry' flavoured. I spied a bottle of Cassis( Creme de Cassis - french liqueur made from blackcurrants) and asked the guy at the bar what he could make with it. His suggestion was a French Daiquiri.
It was fantastic, not too sweet and very very easy to drink.
As we were leaving I asked for the recipe from the very friendly enthusiastic young barman...who turned out to be a teacher. His very ernest and passionate description of the steps was very sweet. Yes, I am sounding old.
We will be experimenting with this really soon.

French Daiquiri
45 ml white rum
5 ml Cassis

Muddle a quartered lime, tsp of brown sugar and 10 ml water in a glass.
Add white rum and cassis and ice and shake with a cocktail shaker.

Pour into martini glass and carefully pour a little more cassis down the back of a spoon.

Here is my version...
I used a large wooden spoon instead of a 'muddle stick'. Mine turned out a lot pinker than the original version...maybe I wasn't so careful about measurements...especially after drinking the first one.
I managed to get a triple recipe in my large cocktail shaker that is half metal and half glass.
They were a hit...2 was absolutely the limit per person. The first goes quickly because they are so nice...the second is savoured a bit more.
The Cassis can be purchased at Maison Vauron - French Wine Merchants in New Market, Auckland. They have an amazing stock of wines and specialty liqueurs and are above C'est Fromage a French specialty food shop. Well worth a visit for lunch or dinner party food shopping.

The one on the left in the alcoholic version, the one on the right was orange juice with Black currant concentrate poured down the spoon for the little person.

Mekong Neua - great Thai/Laos food

Last night was a long awaited catch up with a very close friend. Due to our busy lives this was the first time when we could catch up with just the two of us for about a month. While this might not seem much, she you are used to seeing someone on virtually a daily basis (at work) it is ages.
We started the night with a drink at Taiko where John and Isabella joined us. Isabella's treat was marshmallow and coconut ice cream which was devoured happily.

Lynn and I then wandered along the street in Kingsland deciding where to go. Mekong Neua a restaurant that specialises in north east Thai and Laos cuisine was out choice.
Lynn started with a mixed platter which looked (and by all accounts tasted) amazing. I chose my all time favourite hot spicy Tom Yum soup with prawns. It hit all the right flavours.
We then went on to have Gaeng Daeng Ped Yang - duck in a red curry and Gaeng Kiew Whan - salmon in a green curry with seasonal vegetables. Both were delicious.

Because we hadn't booked we were seated near the kitchen and while it might be the ideal spot for most people I loved watching the busyness of the kitchen. It was amazing how many take-aways went out while we were there...I must remember them next time we want something quick and easy.

When someone knows you well...

I received a belated Christmas present from a very dear friend today which illustrated one of the reasons she is such a dear friend...it was a basket filled with cheeses, divine preserved fruits, jams, chutneys and jellys.
The preserves were all made by Lynn's mum Bev. I've been the lucky recipient of some of Bev's fantastic creations before and have tonight greedily read the labels which give names, descriptions, contents and serving suggestions. I'm pretty sure they grow most of the ingredients too.
The Fothergills -Bev and Hilton run a wonderful bed and breakfast 'Fothergills on Mimiha' in Matata (near Whakatane). I have been lucky enough to spend a couple of special day visits there. Bev's preserves can be bought at their bed and breakfast.

The one that I'm really looking forward to is Figs in Vanilla Syrup. Luckily I'm the only one in the house that eats figs so I won't have to share any of them. John has got his eye on the Apple Mint and Peppercorn Jelly as he has a current fascination with mint sauce as an addition to the most unexpected meals.

Hmmmm, now which will I have with cheese and wine after work tomorrow?


Just before posting this the figs got the better of me. I had a couple and they were incredible. The vanilla syrup was subtle and not too sweet, the combination worked beautifully.

Oat Cakes - Recipe

Oat Cakes - top right

Today we had friends for lunch. Our lunch was kind of an end of holidays event for me as I official go back to work at work tomorrow, rather than doing a few little bits and pieces from home. A weekend lunch was also a good opportunity to make something new, along with the tried and true.

We started with a cheese plate with home made Oat Cakes. This is a recipe I have often looked at in one of my Sophie Gray recipe books. The Oat cakes were really nice and screamed out for a really good strong blue cheese.

A Sunday morning visit to my local 'Nosh' provided exactly what I was imagining...after trying a few options of course. They had a Dutch blue on special which provided us a large chunk at a reasonable price. Dried figs were the finishing touch that tied this all together.

Rik and Kim brought our next course Arancini (risotto balls, crumbed and deep fried). They were beetroot and feta flavoured with walnut ground for the crumb coating, served with a delicious thick avocado based sauce.

The next course was rotisserie chickens - on stuffed with fresh herbs and lemon and flavoured with smoked garlic salt, the other stuffed with fresh fennel and flavoured with fennel seeds and salt (a take on a fennel chicken recipe I have made before.
The chicken was served with a quinoa salad, fennel salad and the good old stand by of potato salad.

I decided my home made lemon cordial mixed with gin and soda and lots of ice would be an appropriate palate cleanser...actually I just wanted a chance to have out guests try it...and have one myself.

Our meal was finished with Ambrosia made by Lynn. She had used all fresh berries and had included green grapes which gave an interesting contrast in both colour and texture.

Oat Cakes Recipe
360g oatmeal (I used rolled oats...they seem to be the same thing? or at least similar enough for it to work)
100g plain flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking flour
2 tbsp sugar
130g butter
200 ml milk

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
Combine all dry ingredients, add butter then milk and mix for several minutes. This is done easily in a food processor.
Roll out very thin and cut in to biscuits. Bake to 15-20 minutes.

Baba Ganoush - recipe

When we were in Sydney recently we ate at the  Union Hotel where my brothers friend is the chef. The baba ganoush that was part of the impressive starter selection was fantastic. It had a really smokey flavour. Greg (brother) asked for me how it was made. It seems the two secrets were charing the egg plants on a BBQ and roasting a head of garlic (top off with olive oil poured over) wrapped in tin foil in the oven until it is totally soft.
I prepared the egg plants last night while I had rotisserie chicken cooking and the garlic was cooked with our feijoa crumble dessert.

I always have tahini in the fridge (and chickpeas in her pantry) as a quick stand by ingredient for Hummus. It is a paste made from ground roasted sesame seeds. In my supermarket it is in the organic/whole foods section in a jar.

Babaganoush

For about 1 1/2 cups: 
2 medium eggplants
1/2 a head of garlic, roasted in oven
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
about 1/2 teaspoon salt

Char eggplant on BBQ until black all over.
Once the eggplant is cool enough to handle, place on a chopping board, cut in half and scrape the flesh out of the skin. 
Cur top off garlic head and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in tin foil in oven until head is soft. 
Place the egg plant flesh and garlic squeezed from head in a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade, add the lemon juice and tahini and process until smooth.

With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and add the salt. Stop the processor, taste the mixture and a little more salt if required.

Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.

Cheesecake recipe

This is another recipe that comes from my Mum. The basic version that is in the recipe uses a tin of fruit salad.
I usually do a variation using different fruit. The most popular one is chocolate (one king sized block of bitter dark chocolate melted and stirred in) and brandy soaked cherry (pitted cherries soaked in brandy for about a year).
The one I made today used fresh strawberries and frozen raspberries.

I crush the malt biscuits and mix in the melted butter in the food processor...but before I had that I have resorted to crushing the biscuits with a wine bottle between sheets of newspaper.

Another trick I picked up after years of bases that didn't always hold together is to use a potato masher to compact the base.

Cheesecake Recipe

2/3 cup lemonade
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs of gelatine
250g cream cheese
1 tbsp lemon zest (I leave this out in the chocolate one)
1 dsp of lemon juice (I leave this out in the chocolate one)
1 tsp of vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste
1 cup whipped cream
420g can fruit salad (or other fresh fruit)
1 packet of malt biscuits
100g melted butter
8 inch spring cake tin

Stir lemonade, sugar and gala tine together in a pot over a low heat until dissolved. Leave to cool.
Crush malt biscuits and mix in melted butter. Press into the base of the tin.
Cream cream cheese, rind, juice and vanilla.
Beat in cooled gelatine mixture and cool until partially set. I don't always wait for this but I do allow time overnight for it to fully set.
Fold in whipped cream and well drained fruit.
Pour into crumb base and leave in fridge until set.

Muesli Recipe

This recipe comes from Janeann (my aunty in law). I usually make a double recipe and just add whatever dried fruit and nuts are in half opened packets. A good chance to clear the pantry out. None of the measurements need to be too exact and I reduce the sugar quite a bit.
I'm not a cereal eater but I happily eat this for breakfast.

It also makes a great quick and easy 'fruit crumble' topping with a bit of butter rubbed in.

Muesli Recipe
6 cups of rolled oats
2 cups if wheatgerm (or bran)
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
1 cup skim milk powder
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup soy flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1-2 tbs chopped almonds
1-2 tbs chopped brazil nuts
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried apples
1/2 cup sultanas

Mix all ingredients except fruit in large oven proof dish or roasting pan.
Bake at 350 degrees C for 30 minutes stirring frequently so it does not brown too much.
Remove from oven, add dried fruit.

Store in airtight container.

Quinoa - my new super food

In an attempt to get more healthy I am determined to find a recipe or two for Quinoa that are really nice. From everything I read about it, it really is a fantastic alternative to rice, couscous and pasta. I'm not sure the rest of my family will agree however.

"Quinoa is quite literally the greatest food. Ever. It is the only plant-based food that has all of the essential amino acids. NASA has declared it an essential staple food that will be used on the first manned mission to Mars."

"The nutrient composition is very good compared with common cereals. Quinoa grains contain essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron." Wikipedia

I tried a salad the other night where I cooked the quinoa with stock and added sautéed mushrooms, capsicum, onion and garlic...a bit of an experiment but it was fine.

Tonight when the rest of the family had pasta, I had quinoa. This recipe is one I found after pouring over loads when I googled 'quinoa recipes'. I like the fact that the veges are raw so therefore don't loose their nutritional value.

It was really nice. Fresh, crispy and healthy. I will make it again.

I'm keen to hear any recipes anyone out there might have!

Colourful Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups Water
• Salt
• 1 carrot peeled and grated
• 1 red pepper seeded and diced
• 1 Cucumber washed and sliced (I used about half and diced it)
• 6 grated radishes (we have way to many needing to be eaten)
• 3 green onion sliced thinly
• 1 bunch Parsley chopped (I used coriander)
• The zest and juice of 1 Lemon
• ¼ cup Olive Oil (I used about 1/4 of a cup)
• Salt & Pepper 

Method

1. 1Rinse the quinoa well in cold running water. This will easily rinse away the natural bitter coating on the seeds. Drain and toss into a small pot. Add the water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover with a tight fitting lid, turn the heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. 2Meanwhile get all the colorful veggies ready. Toss them into a bowl and when the quinoa is done (and cooled), add it as well. Add the lemon and olive oil, toss well, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Old Fashioned Lemon Cordial

I think I have a new summer drink...soda water, lemon cordial and gin. A very similar taste to a gin and tonic only slightly more lemony...this could be dangerous...the first one went down VERY quickly.

Home Made Cordial Recipe

8 lemons

25g tartaric acid

1 kg sugar

1 litre boiling water

Peel just the zest of 4 lemons with a potato peeler and place in a saucepan with the juice of all lemons and remaining ingredients and bring to boil cool the strain and pour into sterilised bottles and keep refrigerated and add to water or soda water at about 1 part cordial to 3 parts water.

Strawberry Fare

I have not had a chance to go to the fruit and vege markets in Sandringham since I started my holidays due to a very busy start and then time away. This morning after a much needed coffee at Atomic, Isabella and I stocked up at the market - including a couple of huge bunches of coriander which I can't wait to cook with.
The produce for sale all looked a bit worse for wear, no doubt due to the very wet summer we have had.
Our main mission was to find strawberries - despite being told by several sources that this might be difficult due to the weather. We found 2 stalls selling them, neither were as cheap as they usually are this time of year but Isabella had her heart set on making strawberry cupcakes for her friend Jaime who is coming this afternoon.

We made the cupcakes and then a big pot of strawberry jam.
The cupcakes were ok but I'd use the vanilla cup cake recipe I've posted previously and just add 1/3 cup of chopped strawberries in the future.

The jam was made using 'jam sugar' which had added pectin to make it set. I've not really made jam before so decided to cheat a bit.

Thank you Rachel for the cup cake stand for Christmas.

This recipe is from the back of the Jam Sugar packet and is also on the 'Chelsea Sugar' website

Super Quick Strawberry Jam

Ingredients
1kg Strawberries (hulled and rinsed)
1kg Chelsea Jam Setting Sugar
A Knob of Butter (10g)

1. Crush strawberries coarsely with a potato masher or blender.
2. Place strawberries and sugar in a large, heavy based 6 litre pot.
3. Heat mixture over a low heat until sugar is dissolved. Do not allow to boil.
4. Add a knob of butter then increase heat and bring to a full boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down).
5. Boil for 4 minutes only. Remove from heat, skim off any foam, test for set and bottle in pre-sterilised jars

Thai Prawn Salad

I chose a prawn salad while having lunch today in Darling Harbour after my sister in law had been raving about one she had had recently made by a friend who is a chef.
Mine was great and I'd love to recreate something like it if I can locate a good recipe.
I could taste coriander, chilli, lime, fish sauce, palm sugar and there was mint, red onion, cucumber and cherry tomatoes.
Anyone got a good recipe?

The Union Hotel - Newton, Sydney

We had a fantastic dinner last night at the bistro in the Union Hotel in Sydney, a business owned and run by my brother's childhood friend Michael Carter.
While Michael was not able to be with us he had made sure were were well looked after.
He had organised our starters, which just kept coming. While it was hard to choose a favourite the duck liver terrine got rave reviews from our group and I just loved the baba ganoush, (I've requested the recipe, maybe an upcoming blog after I have experimented it a bit).
The standard menu was what you would expect from a pub bistro but the blackboard menu was a lot more upmarket and interesting while still being really reasonably priced.

I ordered grilled ocean trout, served with a salad with shaved fennel as a main. Some of the more game members of our group ordered kangaroo.

Thank you Michael - a great meal.

Breakfast Burritos

John used his Jamie Oliver iPad application to make us Breakfast Burritos yesterday. They were delicious, the coriander and lime made them really fresh tasting, despite the cheese and sour cream. They had a little bit of scrambled egg, cannellini beans and tomato inside and were topped with guacamole, sour cream and coriander with a squeeze of lime.

I couldn't find the recipe online but this video is similar.
I'll be requesting this one again.

Merry 'Global' Christmas

Thank you to Greg and Marnie (brother and sister in law) for their Christmas gift of vouchers and a trip to Victoria's Basement. While buying knives is not everyone's idea of fun, adding to my collection of Global Knives is pretty exciting for me!
I got these three...all small peeling and paring knives that were heavily discounted in their sale.
I also got a great plastic knife for Isabella to use. While the intended use is for cutting lettuce this seems like a great 'training knife' for a little person who is very keen to help in the kitchen. Certainly a lot safer than letting her loose on my globals.

Ettamogah Pub Sydney

Yes, I know it is an awfully touristy thing to do, today we had lunch at the Ettamogah Pub in Sydney. You will probably know the Australian cartoon that appeared in lots of publications...I remember it from about 20 years ago from a magazine I read regularly.

We had a good look at their website which gives lots of info about the pub...which didn't actually exist...it was just a place in a cartoon.

Salt and Pepper Calamari and Prawns

Ettamogah caters exceptionally well for children. There is a good children's menu and we were pleased to find that children under 9 years ate free Monday - Friday. On Sunday they have all sorts of kids entertainment. Isabella (4 years) loved the playground despite the heat but was disappointed her mean parents wouldn't let her on the bouncy castle (after yesterday's trauma and trip to an after hours medical centre).

The adults meals were pretty good too. There was lots of shade to get out the scorching Australian sun.

A great relaxed lunch for all.