Serves 2. Needs to be pan-fried to make good use of all the buttery juices .
2 good, thick steaks - the best your budget allows
1/2 tsp chilli
1/2 tsp allspice
pinch sugar
1tsp seasalt
1tbsp mixed peppercorns
butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
80-90ml Jack Daniels
1/3c beef stock, water will do at a push
1tbsp redcurrant jelly
1/4c cream
Crush the salt and peppercorns with a mortar and pestle (or buy them ready ground!). Add allspice, chilli and sugar. Coat beef in the spice mixture, and allow to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
Fry the steaks in butter.
Remove from the pan, add more butter if needed, along with the garlic and Jack Daniels. Flame for a few seconds. Once the flame has died, add stock, jelly and cream. Heat gently until the sauce has reduced.
Oh, this was one of my favourite BC, dual-income meals. Maybe I can find an excuse for such exztravagance again!
Don't be tempted to use oil in place of the butter, or even worse, one of those oil sprays. This recipe is all about flavour. Anyway, with all that cream and alcohol, now wouldn't be a time to worry about calories!
I don't think I ever managed to flame the alcohol, so don't be concerned if yours doesn't either.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Salmon Mousse
The quantities given here would feed a crowd as part of a buffet. For a couple of lunches for a family of four, with a few hunks of bread and a salad, half quantity is sufficient.
1tbsp Gelatine
125ml hot vegetable stock
1 large can salmon. Drained, boned and skin removed
3tbsp dry white wine
3tbsp natural, unsweetened yoghurt
2tbsp good quality, preferably homemade mayonnaise
2tbsp fresh lemon juice
2tsp fresh parsley
100g peeled, cucumber, finely diced
6tbsp cream
Dissolve the gelatine in the stock, stirring well.
Mash the salmon, add wine, yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, gelatine/stock mixture and parsley. Blend well.
Stir in cucumber.
Whip cream and fold in gently.
Pour into a bowl, or mould and chill for two hours before serving.
The footnote in my book advises against experimenting with rose wine, or substituting aoli instead of the mayonnaise. However ,creme fraiche will give good results as a replacement for yoghurt.
1tbsp Gelatine
125ml hot vegetable stock
1 large can salmon. Drained, boned and skin removed
3tbsp dry white wine
3tbsp natural, unsweetened yoghurt
2tbsp good quality, preferably homemade mayonnaise
2tbsp fresh lemon juice
2tsp fresh parsley
100g peeled, cucumber, finely diced
6tbsp cream
Dissolve the gelatine in the stock, stirring well.
Mash the salmon, add wine, yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, gelatine/stock mixture and parsley. Blend well.
Stir in cucumber.
Whip cream and fold in gently.
Pour into a bowl, or mould and chill for two hours before serving.
The footnote in my book advises against experimenting with rose wine, or substituting aoli instead of the mayonnaise. However ,creme fraiche will give good results as a replacement for yoghurt.
Peppermint Slices
I feel a little hyocritical for posting these, considering we hardly eat any sugar these days. However, they were such a big part of my childhood, and so perfect for the school cake stall, that I think they need to be shared.
If you are short on time, you can make the base one day, then add the filling the next. Just leave enough time for the chocolate to set before cutting and serving.
Base
100g Butter
1/4c. Sugar
1/2tsp baking powder
2/3c. plain flour
3/4c. oats or dessicated coconut
1 tbsp cocoa
Filling
2c. icing sugar
few drops peppermint oil, or 1tsp peppermint essence
optional green colouring
Topping
200g chocolate of your choice. Here's where you can get creative if you have time, by swirling different chocolates together to make a marbled pattern.
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the dry ingredients, and mix well. Press into a greased swiss-roll/jelly-roll pan, and bake at 180dec. C for 20-30 minutes. Cool in the tin.
Filling and topping Mix icing sugar, peppermint and green colouring together, along with enough hot water to make a thick icing. Pour onto base and leave to set. Once set, Melt the chocolate and pour over, using a fork to pattern the top if you wish. Chill until set. As the chocolate is harder than the icing underneath, it is useful to allow it to come to room temperature before slicing, to help prevent the chocolate from snapping.
If you are short on time, you can make the base one day, then add the filling the next. Just leave enough time for the chocolate to set before cutting and serving.
Base
100g Butter
1/4c. Sugar
1/2tsp baking powder
2/3c. plain flour
3/4c. oats or dessicated coconut
1 tbsp cocoa
Filling
2c. icing sugar
few drops peppermint oil, or 1tsp peppermint essence
optional green colouring
Topping
200g chocolate of your choice. Here's where you can get creative if you have time, by swirling different chocolates together to make a marbled pattern.
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the dry ingredients, and mix well. Press into a greased swiss-roll/jelly-roll pan, and bake at 180dec. C for 20-30 minutes. Cool in the tin.
Filling and topping Mix icing sugar, peppermint and green colouring together, along with enough hot water to make a thick icing. Pour onto base and leave to set. Once set, Melt the chocolate and pour over, using a fork to pattern the top if you wish. Chill until set. As the chocolate is harder than the icing underneath, it is useful to allow it to come to room temperature before slicing, to help prevent the chocolate from snapping.
Tome of Culinary Knowledge
By nature, I am a rather organised, tidy person. My husband will attest to this. I frequently berate him for leaving opened mail, along with their now-redundant envelopes, strewn across the sideboard.
It follows then that I was troubled by the disorganised recipe collection that I had gathered over many years. Comprising of two card files, magazine clippings, hand written scribblings on scraps of paper, foodie calendars, and other assorted recipe sources, it was overwhelming, and unusable unless I had several hours free to find what I was looking for.
Imagine my excitement then, when I found a faux leather book into which I could compile this overgrown collection. It was a thing of beauty. The cover was a rich deep red, with gold filigree, and 'Recipe book' written in a gold stylised script. Inside, its thick cream pages were tabbed. It even had space to glue in clippings and a useful 'cooks reference section'. All could be annotated by the compiler, and indexed. Nothing could have suited me better in practicality or aesthetics.
Of course, I bought it.
Initially I just transferred the recipes from one source to the other, but I soon realised that by doing so, I was writing out recipes that I may, delicious as they sounded, never actually use. So I created a rule: only tried, tested and loved recipes would go into my tome of culinary knowledge.
Flicking through the book now gives the reader some insight into how my families eating habits have changed, and what has stayed the same. From luxurious Spice-encrusted Steak with Jack Daniels Sauce, and time-consuming Lemon Meringue Ice Cream of our B.C. (Before Children) days, through the Fruit and Oat Bars of the baby years, to the super-easy, child friendly Bean Stew and sugar-free muffins. Amongst the ones that have stood the test of time are Sausage Casserole, Salmon Mousse, Tomato Soup and mum's Peppermint Slices. I am a little concerned though about what the twenty-three recipes under the baking section say about me. Especially when you consider that the 'Salad' pages contain only one!
It follows then that I was troubled by the disorganised recipe collection that I had gathered over many years. Comprising of two card files, magazine clippings, hand written scribblings on scraps of paper, foodie calendars, and other assorted recipe sources, it was overwhelming, and unusable unless I had several hours free to find what I was looking for.
Imagine my excitement then, when I found a faux leather book into which I could compile this overgrown collection. It was a thing of beauty. The cover was a rich deep red, with gold filigree, and 'Recipe book' written in a gold stylised script. Inside, its thick cream pages were tabbed. It even had space to glue in clippings and a useful 'cooks reference section'. All could be annotated by the compiler, and indexed. Nothing could have suited me better in practicality or aesthetics.
Of course, I bought it.
Initially I just transferred the recipes from one source to the other, but I soon realised that by doing so, I was writing out recipes that I may, delicious as they sounded, never actually use. So I created a rule: only tried, tested and loved recipes would go into my tome of culinary knowledge.
Flicking through the book now gives the reader some insight into how my families eating habits have changed, and what has stayed the same. From luxurious Spice-encrusted Steak with Jack Daniels Sauce, and time-consuming Lemon Meringue Ice Cream of our B.C. (Before Children) days, through the Fruit and Oat Bars of the baby years, to the super-easy, child friendly Bean Stew and sugar-free muffins. Amongst the ones that have stood the test of time are Sausage Casserole, Salmon Mousse, Tomato Soup and mum's Peppermint Slices. I am a little concerned though about what the twenty-three recipes under the baking section say about me. Especially when you consider that the 'Salad' pages contain only one!
Monday, August 15, 2011
low-sugar chocolate cake
Here it is, the low-sugar, wheat-free chocolate cake recipe:
125g butter, melted
1/2 to 1c xylitol, depending on how much sweetness you are used to
2 eggs
1c spelt flour
1 1/2tsp baking powder
1/4c cocoa
1/2 c milk
mix dry ingredients together/. Add eggs, milk and melted butter, and mix well.
Bake in a 7" round tin at 180deg c for about 40 minutes until a skewer pushed through the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out.
Ganache
1x100g bar guylian 'no added sugar' milk chocolate, or other low-sugar chocolate of your choosing
80ml cream
Melt the chocolate over a pan of hot water. Stir in the cream. Leave to thicken slightly before pouring onto the cake.
Depending on the chocolate you use, you may need to adjust the amount of cream. This was a soft ganache, so use a little less cream, maybe 60ml, for a firmer one. You may need more cream if you are using dark chocolate.
Enjoy your guilt free chocolate cake with wanton abandon! .
125g butter, melted
1/2 to 1c xylitol, depending on how much sweetness you are used to
2 eggs
1c spelt flour
1 1/2tsp baking powder
1/4c cocoa
1/2 c milk
mix dry ingredients together/. Add eggs, milk and melted butter, and mix well.
Bake in a 7" round tin at 180deg c for about 40 minutes until a skewer pushed through the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out.
Ganache
1x100g bar guylian 'no added sugar' milk chocolate, or other low-sugar chocolate of your choosing
80ml cream
Melt the chocolate over a pan of hot water. Stir in the cream. Leave to thicken slightly before pouring onto the cake.
Depending on the chocolate you use, you may need to adjust the amount of cream. This was a soft ganache, so use a little less cream, maybe 60ml, for a firmer one. You may need more cream if you are using dark chocolate.
Enjoy your guilt free chocolate cake with wanton abandon! .
Sunday, August 14, 2011
It CAN be done! low-sugar birthday cake
Today, I had to meet a rather tall order. I was to run a pre-schoolers birthday party, with food that was low sugar, low wheat and yeast free.
The criteria had been set by myself. The party was for my youngest daughter, and I wanted to provide food that my eldest girl could eat. I wanted to be able to say to her' Go for it! Eat what you like!'
And, I have to proudly say, I DID IT!
Here's the main reason for my pride:
Most of it is very low in sugar. I can't say 'sugar free', as the cake and chocolate both have milk and/or milk solids in, which contain lactose. It is however, sucrose free with the exception of a few of the bears and decorations.
The bears are made from moulding chocolate. I would have used sugar-free/low-sugar chocolate for all of them, but at $7-$10 a bar, it costs far too much, so I had to settle on using standard chocolate for some.
The food decorations are made mostly from pettinice, so again, these were not sugar free. However, the cake itself is wheat free and low-sugar, as is the chocolate ganache that it is covered with.
I also made low-sugar cupcakes, iced with dark chocolate ganache and decorated with carob buttons and carob chips in some vague imitation of bear faces.
They don't look very much like bears, but seemed pleasing enough to a house full of children, and I'm fairly certain I got away with the carob!
For the first time in twelve months, my daughter could eat shared food without restrictions. Her happy whoop said it all!
The criteria had been set by myself. The party was for my youngest daughter, and I wanted to provide food that my eldest girl could eat. I wanted to be able to say to her' Go for it! Eat what you like!'
And, I have to proudly say, I DID IT!
Here's the main reason for my pride:
Most of it is very low in sugar. I can't say 'sugar free', as the cake and chocolate both have milk and/or milk solids in, which contain lactose. It is however, sucrose free with the exception of a few of the bears and decorations.
The bears are made from moulding chocolate. I would have used sugar-free/low-sugar chocolate for all of them, but at $7-$10 a bar, it costs far too much, so I had to settle on using standard chocolate for some.
The food decorations are made mostly from pettinice, so again, these were not sugar free. However, the cake itself is wheat free and low-sugar, as is the chocolate ganache that it is covered with.
I also made low-sugar cupcakes, iced with dark chocolate ganache and decorated with carob buttons and carob chips in some vague imitation of bear faces.
They don't look very much like bears, but seemed pleasing enough to a house full of children, and I'm fairly certain I got away with the carob!
For the first time in twelve months, my daughter could eat shared food without restrictions. Her happy whoop said it all!
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