I come back to this recipe time and time again every winter. The steak smells delicious as is simmers gently in the red wine! As the filling can be made the night before and popped into the fridge, it is quick to prepare on the night if you have guests, or just for a mid-week family meal.
Serve 4
1 onion, finely chopped
butter or dripping for frying
175ml beef stock
450g chuck steak, diced. (Although can use any of the less tender cuts)
120ml dry red wine
3tbsp plain flour
225g button mushrooms, halved
5 sheets filo pastry (I don't usually eat processed foods, but filo pastry is one of my few concessions)
melted butter for brushing the filo with
soften the onions in a little butter or dripping. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add the steak to the pan and brown. Return the onions to the pan, add the stock and red wine, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Checking frequently that is hasn't 'caught' on the bottom of the pan.
Blend the flour with some water and add to the meat. Stir well until the sauce has thickened. Add mushrooms and cook for a further 3 minutes. Season to taste.
At this point, you can cool the filling and refrigerate it, picking the recipe up again the following day.
Heat the oven to 190deg c, and spoon the mixture into a 5 cup pie/pyrex dish. Brush a sheet of filo with melted butter and scrunch up loosely on top of the filling. Continue with remaining sheets until the filling is covered.
Bake for 30 minutes, until golden.
Delicious with fresh vegetables, and creamy mashed potatoes.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Braised Brisket
1.25kg brisket, trimmed, rolled and tied (although you can leave it unrolled if you wish)
25 g dripping (yes, dripping. Not canola oil or other abomination)
25g chopped bacon
1 carrot, thickly sliced
1 parsnip, thickly sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, sliced
salt and pepper
250ml beef stock, red wine or a mix of both
Gravy
2tbsp dripping
450ml Beef stock
2 tsp flour
2 tsp tomato puree
1tbsp soy sauce (optional)
1tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
Using a hob-safe casserole dish, brown the meat in the dripping. Remove from pan, and add the bacon and vegetables. Fry gently until softened.
Add salt and pepper, put the beef on top and pour on the stock/wine.
Cover and cook for 2 hours. Either on the hob if you have a heavy-bottomed pan and can keep an eye on it, of by transferring to the oven and cooking at 160 deg C.
Remove meat and veg from the casserole dish and place into serving dishes/plates. Melt the dripping in a saucepan and blend with the flour. Add the beef stock, tomato puree and soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce if using. Strain the stock left in the casserole dish into the gravy, and simmer for a few minutes.
Taken from Mrs Beeton's book of Cookery and Household Management.
25 g dripping (yes, dripping. Not canola oil or other abomination)
25g chopped bacon
1 carrot, thickly sliced
1 parsnip, thickly sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, sliced
salt and pepper
250ml beef stock, red wine or a mix of both
Gravy
2tbsp dripping
450ml Beef stock
2 tsp flour
2 tsp tomato puree
1tbsp soy sauce (optional)
1tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
Using a hob-safe casserole dish, brown the meat in the dripping. Remove from pan, and add the bacon and vegetables. Fry gently until softened.
Add salt and pepper, put the beef on top and pour on the stock/wine.
Cover and cook for 2 hours. Either on the hob if you have a heavy-bottomed pan and can keep an eye on it, of by transferring to the oven and cooking at 160 deg C.
Remove meat and veg from the casserole dish and place into serving dishes/plates. Melt the dripping in a saucepan and blend with the flour. Add the beef stock, tomato puree and soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce if using. Strain the stock left in the casserole dish into the gravy, and simmer for a few minutes.
Taken from Mrs Beeton's book of Cookery and Household Management.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Winter's Coming...but the wolves are not having my beef!
Today, hubby collected another order from Rannoch Meats, at Hill Street farmers market.
I'm always a little excited when he arrives home struggling under the weight of a quarter cow, butchered and vacumn-packed into family-sized portions. I never know quite what cuts I'll get. Sometimes we have four or five corned beef joints, this week we had none. Last order saw us cooking sausies and steaks on the barbie like there's no tomorrow. This time round, I'll be stewing, casseroling and braising my way through autumn and winter. Which is no bad thing, considering I'm not really a steak and chips girl, much to my husband's chagrin!
For the first time, I had a few packs of brisket, which is delicious braised slowly with a little bacon and red wine. As well as the brisket, there was shin on the bone, silver side and thick flank, all of which can produce delicious results cooked in a slow cooker, or slowly in the oven.
Take a look at the links on the right, for some great winter casseroles, using some of these cuts.
I'm always a little excited when he arrives home struggling under the weight of a quarter cow, butchered and vacumn-packed into family-sized portions. I never know quite what cuts I'll get. Sometimes we have four or five corned beef joints, this week we had none. Last order saw us cooking sausies and steaks on the barbie like there's no tomorrow. This time round, I'll be stewing, casseroling and braising my way through autumn and winter. Which is no bad thing, considering I'm not really a steak and chips girl, much to my husband's chagrin!
For the first time, I had a few packs of brisket, which is delicious braised slowly with a little bacon and red wine. As well as the brisket, there was shin on the bone, silver side and thick flank, all of which can produce delicious results cooked in a slow cooker, or slowly in the oven.
Take a look at the links on the right, for some great winter casseroles, using some of these cuts.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Beef with Raisins and pinenuts
1kg diced braising beef
2tbsp flour
6tbsp olive oil
125ml dark beer
1 chopped onion
1 crushed garlic clove
1tsp thyme
1tsp chopped rosemary
2tsp paprika
1tsp cinnamon
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
250ml beef stock
250g mushrooms, halved
50g raisins
50g pine nuts
Preheat the oven to 180deg c
Coat the beef with flour, and brown in olive oil. Transfer to a lidded casserole dish.
Pour the beer into the pan to de-glaze. Pour into the casserole.
Fry onions and herbs for 5 minutes. Add garlic and spices and cook for a further 6 minutes.
Add to the casserole, along with the tomatoes, stock and bay leaves.
cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 21/2 hours
Add mushrooms, pinenuts and raisins and cook for a further 30 minutes.
I like to serve this with a selection of steamed vegetables, especially savoy cabbage or silverbeet, and baked or mashed potatoes.
2tbsp flour
6tbsp olive oil
125ml dark beer
1 chopped onion
1 crushed garlic clove
1tsp thyme
1tsp chopped rosemary
2tsp paprika
1tsp cinnamon
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
250ml beef stock
250g mushrooms, halved
50g raisins
50g pine nuts
Preheat the oven to 180deg c
Coat the beef with flour, and brown in olive oil. Transfer to a lidded casserole dish.
Pour the beer into the pan to de-glaze. Pour into the casserole.
Fry onions and herbs for 5 minutes. Add garlic and spices and cook for a further 6 minutes.
Add to the casserole, along with the tomatoes, stock and bay leaves.
cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 21/2 hours
Add mushrooms, pinenuts and raisins and cook for a further 30 minutes.
I like to serve this with a selection of steamed vegetables, especially savoy cabbage or silverbeet, and baked or mashed potatoes.
Sweet update
Way back in June 2011, I posted that I would:
So how did I do? Not too badly, actually. We've been drinking raw milk daily and eating the beautiful beef from Rannoch Meats several times a week. Sadly, the chooks didn't eventuate, nor did the heirloom vegetables, but we did achieve many other things that were not on the list:
- use mostly raw milk
- eat beef from traditional Devon cows
- enjoy the company of our own free-range chooks...
- ...and put their eggs to good culinary use
- grow heirloom vegetable varieties
So how did I do? Not too badly, actually. We've been drinking raw milk daily and eating the beautiful beef from Rannoch Meats several times a week. Sadly, the chooks didn't eventuate, nor did the heirloom vegetables, but we did achieve many other things that were not on the list:
- Went sugar-free for a year
- Frequently baked sour dough bread
- experimented with fermented veggies
- Brewed water Keffir
- Presented speeches on the Weston Price Foundation, and the effects sugar has on your body
- Written a recipe book of family recipes (sorry, available to family only)
And of course, learned lots in the process.
Such as:
- Sugar alone isn't the enemy. Processed foods do more damage than a moderate (by which I mean no more than 8 or 10 grams, three times a day) sugar intake.
- Don't give up on making sour dough if it tastes too strong. Each loaf tastes better than the last.
- My kids hate fermented veggies, no matter how much I disguise them. (But they do eat fermented tomato ketchup!)
- Too much nitrogen in the soil will prevent your broccoli from forming heads.
- Custard made with raw milk keeps better than it's pasteurised milk counter-part. (raw cream doesn't seem to curdle as readily as pasteurised cream, either) Not really surprising when I think on it.
- Water keffir is awesome! It can take on so many different flavours, and I can get the kids to drink it provided it is blackcurrant flavour! I'm planning on a herb-scented grape juice one soon.
- No matter how many times you proof-read something on a laptop screen, errors will creep into the hard copies.
I'm pretty happy with that :)
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Sour dough starter
After two unsuccessful attempts at making a decent sour dough starter, I decided last school holidays that I would try for a third time.
There is something fascinating about how nothing more than flour and water can create life, and then use that life to make something wholesome and nutritious. It is a humble reminder of how reliant we are on even the smallest of organisms for survival.
Day one. The starter. With the children playing happily outside, and remembering an article about a Russian baker who was quoted to have said that any stress in the self will show in the bread, I take a deep breath, centre my mind and mix a dough using warm, pre-boiled water and a mix of wholemeal spelt and wholemeal wheat flours.
This dough is then covered with a muslin and placed into the airing cupboard to keep at a constant temperature, and away from draughts.
Day two. The starter rests happily in the cupboard.
Day three. The first refreshment.
After two days, the outside had crusted over just as the recipe book said. This was reassuring, as was the otherworldly oozing of aerated dough that was trying to escape from underneath its air-dried shell.
Rather like eating a kiwi fruit, I scooped out the insides, and mixed it to a sludge with warm, pre-boiled water, and spelt/wheat flour. Again, it is placed in the airing cupboard. (Although this time, a lid replaces the muslin)
Day four. Happily at rest.
Day five. The second refreshment.
Life will always prevail. In this case, it was the life I had hoped for and not the furry green mould that grew on my last attempt of leaven! After a day and a half, the dough had grown, and had taken on a distinctly sweet and rather sharp smell. Another round of water/dough sludge followed by more flour, and the starter is looking and feeling like a normal bread dough.
Day six. After a fourteen hour rise in the airing cupboard, I'm not too sure whether it has doubled or not. It certainly has risen to some degree though. I keep my fingers crossed that it will have the strength to raise bread.
There is something fascinating about how nothing more than flour and water can create life, and then use that life to make something wholesome and nutritious. It is a humble reminder of how reliant we are on even the smallest of organisms for survival.
Day one. The starter. With the children playing happily outside, and remembering an article about a Russian baker who was quoted to have said that any stress in the self will show in the bread, I take a deep breath, centre my mind and mix a dough using warm, pre-boiled water and a mix of wholemeal spelt and wholemeal wheat flours.
This dough is then covered with a muslin and placed into the airing cupboard to keep at a constant temperature, and away from draughts.
Day two. The starter rests happily in the cupboard.
Day three. The first refreshment.
After two days, the outside had crusted over just as the recipe book said. This was reassuring, as was the otherworldly oozing of aerated dough that was trying to escape from underneath its air-dried shell.
Rather like eating a kiwi fruit, I scooped out the insides, and mixed it to a sludge with warm, pre-boiled water, and spelt/wheat flour. Again, it is placed in the airing cupboard. (Although this time, a lid replaces the muslin)
Day four. Happily at rest.
Day five. The second refreshment.
Life will always prevail. In this case, it was the life I had hoped for and not the furry green mould that grew on my last attempt of leaven! After a day and a half, the dough had grown, and had taken on a distinctly sweet and rather sharp smell. Another round of water/dough sludge followed by more flour, and the starter is looking and feeling like a normal bread dough.
Day six. After a fourteen hour rise in the airing cupboard, I'm not too sure whether it has doubled or not. It certainly has risen to some degree though. I keep my fingers crossed that it will have the strength to raise bread.
Pain de Campagne (french heath sourdough bread)
Right. Let's put that baby to work!
Day 1. 8am. The first stage is exactly the same routine as making the starter. Water and dough slurry using the starter, add flour, stash in the airing cupboard. The gluten is very well developed, and the dough sticky.
3pm It has doubled. But only just. Still a big concerned that the starter doesn't have enough strength. Perhaps I let it rest too long? It smells tangy, but not unpleasant. Routine as 8am. Pre-warmed the bowl this time.
10pm. More of the same. The smell has reduced. Still concerned that it isn't rising sufficiently.
Day 2 9.30am. As 10pm yesterday. My four year old enjoyed helping to make a slurry with the dough and water. As a result, it took over an hour to mix!
8pm. The dough is rising very slowly now. It should have doubled at least after two to three hours. It has been nine hours now, and I'm being generous to say it has doubled.
8.30pm A Google search gave me lots of helpful, and not so helpful, advice. I'm quite sure now that the starter was left too long in between feeds, and won't be sufficient to rise the sourdough. The dough is quite heavy, so I added some extra warm water, and stashed it back in the airing cupboard until morning.
Day3. 7am. It's not looking good. Definitely not managed to double its bulk this time. As there is almost 3kg of bread dough at stake here, I decide it needs a helping hand and make a biga.
4.45pm.The biga is looking like a happy girl! Nice and bubbly, and growing well. I mix it into the sour dough, feeling both guilty and apprehensive, then pile the dough into two large bread tins.
8pm. Still not doubled, but I can't leave it until tomorrow, so in the oven they go.
10pm. Surprise! The amount of rise in the oven was great! More than I was expecting. Typically, I forgot to take a photo of the end result! Maybe I should have waited a little while longer before baking the loaves? After cooling slightly, hubby and I decided the proof would be in the eating.....not the worst sour dough I've eaten. But not the best, either. At least it is edible, and I have a pot of starter in the counter to feed every twelve hours until I feel brave enough to make another batch.
Day 1. 8am. The first stage is exactly the same routine as making the starter. Water and dough slurry using the starter, add flour, stash in the airing cupboard. The gluten is very well developed, and the dough sticky.
3pm It has doubled. But only just. Still a big concerned that the starter doesn't have enough strength. Perhaps I let it rest too long? It smells tangy, but not unpleasant. Routine as 8am. Pre-warmed the bowl this time.10pm. More of the same. The smell has reduced. Still concerned that it isn't rising sufficiently.
Day 2 9.30am. As 10pm yesterday. My four year old enjoyed helping to make a slurry with the dough and water. As a result, it took over an hour to mix!
8pm. The dough is rising very slowly now. It should have doubled at least after two to three hours. It has been nine hours now, and I'm being generous to say it has doubled.
8.30pm A Google search gave me lots of helpful, and not so helpful, advice. I'm quite sure now that the starter was left too long in between feeds, and won't be sufficient to rise the sourdough. The dough is quite heavy, so I added some extra warm water, and stashed it back in the airing cupboard until morning.
Day3. 7am. It's not looking good. Definitely not managed to double its bulk this time. As there is almost 3kg of bread dough at stake here, I decide it needs a helping hand and make a biga.
4.45pm.The biga is looking like a happy girl! Nice and bubbly, and growing well. I mix it into the sour dough, feeling both guilty and apprehensive, then pile the dough into two large bread tins.
8pm. Still not doubled, but I can't leave it until tomorrow, so in the oven they go.
10pm. Surprise! The amount of rise in the oven was great! More than I was expecting. Typically, I forgot to take a photo of the end result! Maybe I should have waited a little while longer before baking the loaves? After cooling slightly, hubby and I decided the proof would be in the eating.....not the worst sour dough I've eaten. But not the best, either. At least it is edible, and I have a pot of starter in the counter to feed every twelve hours until I feel brave enough to make another batch.
Welsh Faggots
Loved in Wales, and the North and West Midlands of England, Faggots are a real, old-fashioned winter dish.After sourcing a free-range pig liver, I was surprised as to how large the liver was. Enough for four meals worth of faggots, and a little left over as a treat for the cat (lucky thing!)
This recipe is taken from Delia Smith's 'complete cookery course' book, one of my kitchen stables for good, reliable food.
110g unsmoked bacon, cut into 2cm cubes
500g pig's liver, cut into 2cm cubes
175g belly pork, cut into 2cm cubes
2 onions, quartered
500ml beef stock
50g fresh white breadcrumbs
1tsp fresh chopped thyme
3/4 tsp dried sage
1/4tsp mace
salt and pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 190deg C
Place the bacon, liver and belly pork into a casserole dish along with the onions. Pour in the stock, cover and cook for 45 minutes.
Drain the liquid off, reserving it for later, then mince the meat and onions. Add the breadcrumbs, thyme, sage and mace, and mix well.
Form into eight balls, and place into a greased baking dish.
At this point, the faggots could be popped into the fridge for serving at a later date. If you wish to freeze them, freeze the liquid separately.
Pour over 275ml of the reserved liquid, and bake uncovered, for 45 minutes.
If you want to be really traditional, serve with mushy peas, mashed potato and gravy. Enjoy their savoury goodness!
Longbush Pork
I've recently been in touch with Longbush Pork. A local farm that breeds traditional Large Black pigs on their farm in the Wairarapa. I had been looking for a local farmer to buy free range, healthy pork from for a long time. Especially as I wanted to make Welsh Faggots which entailed the use of the liver.
I firmly believe that good husbandry, natural food and happy animals produce the most nutritious and best tasting meat, and this is especially important where offal is concerned. I also wanted to buy bacon that had been traditionally cured and free from nitrates.
Longbush Pork didn't fail me. I ordered a bacon hock, some shoulder bacon and liver. The hock went into a cassolet, the bacon was used in an asssortment of things, and the liver was turned into Welsh Faggots. Each dish was equally delicious. We noticed that the bacon in particular had a stronger flavour than the usual sort (by which I mean free range, supermarket bacon), but that didn't stop a plate of bacon and eggs being polished off in two minutes flat!
All in all, I would whole-heartedly recommend Longbush Pork to anyone who is interested in great quality, great tasting, and well-priced pork and bacon (and of course, offal).
All in all, I would whole-heartedly recommend Longbush Pork to anyone who is interested in great quality, great tasting, and well-priced pork and bacon (and of course, offal).
Friday, May 25, 2012
Fermented vegetables
Last Wednesday, I went to a workshop on fermented vegetables at Commonsense Organics, Kilbirne.
Hosted by Nicola Cranfield, of the Brooklyn Kitchen, the workshop was packed full of like-minded people. Some were already on a well-established traditional food diet, others recovering from illness and some were just curious about what fermented vegetables could do for them.
First off, I learned heaps. Not just about how to ferment vegetables, but more about the role probiotics play in our health. Who knew that we have a kilo of bacteria in our gut, playing out its important role in digestion and immunity?
I decided to go to Nicola's workshop, because I had heard of fermented vegetables and their health giving properties, and was quite frankly, curious. I had read recipes, and thought they would have a high failure rate (at least to start with), and was not convinced my family would eat them. Thankfully, Nicola's demonstration alleviated my fear of failure, and her tastings showed that I should be able to incorporate the vegetables into my family's diet without too much trouble.
In fact, I was so enthusiastic, that I practically leapt off my chair at the end of the workshop when we were told that the shop was open if anyone wished to buy some veggies to make our first batch.
So it was, that I headed home a happy girl. Full of the excitement of another culinary journey.
Hosted by Nicola Cranfield, of the Brooklyn Kitchen, the workshop was packed full of like-minded people. Some were already on a well-established traditional food diet, others recovering from illness and some were just curious about what fermented vegetables could do for them.
First off, I learned heaps. Not just about how to ferment vegetables, but more about the role probiotics play in our health. Who knew that we have a kilo of bacteria in our gut, playing out its important role in digestion and immunity?
I decided to go to Nicola's workshop, because I had heard of fermented vegetables and their health giving properties, and was quite frankly, curious. I had read recipes, and thought they would have a high failure rate (at least to start with), and was not convinced my family would eat them. Thankfully, Nicola's demonstration alleviated my fear of failure, and her tastings showed that I should be able to incorporate the vegetables into my family's diet without too much trouble.
In fact, I was so enthusiastic, that I practically leapt off my chair at the end of the workshop when we were told that the shop was open if anyone wished to buy some veggies to make our first batch.
So it was, that I headed home a happy girl. Full of the excitement of another culinary journey.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Cinnamon Swirl Muffins
I have to admit I was somewhat skeptical when I saw the recipe for these. A muffin, that doesn't contain flour? Surely it would be either very heavy, or very non-muffin like?
But, curiosity getting the better of me (that and a need for low-carb goodies) I decided to make a batch using xylitol. They didn't last long. I would even go as far as saying that they were better than a normal muffin. Make them and revel in their glorious goodness!
2 1/2 c. ground almonds aka almond meal
1tbsp coconut flour
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2c milk (I used raw milk, but you could also use coconut milk)
1/2 c. honey or 1/4c xylitol of you are avoiding all forms of sugar
Topping
2tbsp honey
1tbsp ground cinnamon
1tbsp melted butter or coconut oil
Preheat the oven to 180deg c.
Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients and mix well.
Pour into a 12 hole muffin tin, or 24 hole mini muffin tin (they are quite filling, so if you are making them for children, the mini muffins are probably big enough).
Mix the topping ingredients together and drizzle over the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool before scoffing the lot!
But, curiosity getting the better of me (that and a need for low-carb goodies) I decided to make a batch using xylitol. They didn't last long. I would even go as far as saying that they were better than a normal muffin. Make them and revel in their glorious goodness!
2 1/2 c. ground almonds aka almond meal
1tbsp coconut flour
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2c milk (I used raw milk, but you could also use coconut milk)
1/2 c. honey or 1/4c xylitol of you are avoiding all forms of sugar
Topping
2tbsp honey
1tbsp ground cinnamon
1tbsp melted butter or coconut oil
Preheat the oven to 180deg c.
Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients and mix well.
Pour into a 12 hole muffin tin, or 24 hole mini muffin tin (they are quite filling, so if you are making them for children, the mini muffins are probably big enough).
Mix the topping ingredients together and drizzle over the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool before scoffing the lot!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Biscuits for icing/sandwiching
I substitute stevia for sugar too. Even with the icing, that makes it just a teaspoonful of sugar or less per biscuit depending on the size. (Using a pear or grape juice based conserve to sandwich them together instead of jam will also reduce the sugar levels, or use my sugar free butter cream recipe)
125g butter
60g sugar*
1/2tsp vanilla extract
220g plain flour**
1 egg, beaten
30g cornflour
1/2 tsp baking powder
royal icing for decorating, or butter-cream and/or jam to sandwich together
Preheat the oven to 180deg c. Butter several baking sheets.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
Sieve flour, cornflour and baking powder together, and mix in with a spoon. Work into a soft dough using your hand.
Roll out on a floured board and cut into shapes.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the baking sheets and cool on a wire cooling rack.
Once fully cold, they can be iced using royal icing, or sandwiched together with butter cream and/or jam.
*If you prefer, omit the sugar and replace with 60g xylitol, or 1/4tsp stevia powder.
**If you are eating a wheat-free diet, Spelt flour can be used as a replacement.
There is no limit to what you can do with these beauties. If you have a biscuit cutter collection to rival Nigella Lawson's, then you will have a heaps of inspiration, but here's a few more suggestions:
- Cut half with a circular cutter, and half with a ring cutter. Sandwich them together with one of the following:
chocolate ganache
icing flavoured with lemon or lime
vanilla, chocolate or orange butter-cream (especially good if you cover the top with chocolate!)
- Cut the dough into rectangles, cutting three holes in to half of them with a mini circular cutter. Fill with three different coloured jams to make traffic light biscuits for the kids.
- make a chocolate biscuit dough by sieving 30g of cocoa into the flour, and cover the baked biscuits with chocolate
- cut out mini circular biscuits. Once cold, dip into milk, dark or white chocolate using a chocolate dipper.
- Let the kids go wild with an assortment of cutters, icing and decorations
Sugar free butter cream
This is my standard butter cream recipe that I now use. Based on a german butter cream, a thick 'custard' is made first, which needs to be chilled before whisking in the butter. Occasionally, t can be a bit tricky to get the temperature right. You are basically making an emulsion of fat and liquid, so if the custard is too warm, or the butter too cold they will not blend well and the butter cream will separate (curdle). Likewise, if it is too cold, the butter will harden and you will see flecks of butter in the mixture. Both problems are easily remedied by standing the butter cream above a bowl of hot water, or standing it in a bowl of cold water depending on which problem you have encountered. It is less cloying than the usual 'butter and icing sugar' blend, with a creamy texture, so persevere. It is worth it!
1tbsp cornflour
1/2c milk (or use 1/4c coconut milk and 1/4 c rice milk if you are dairy free)
125g butter, softened
1/3c xylitol or 1/8-1/4tsp stevia powder
2tsp vanilla extract
Blend the cornflour and milk together. Heat in a pan, stirring continuously, until thick.
Spoon into a bowl, cool to room temperature then refrigerate.
Once the thickened milk is completely cold, whisk in the xylitol and vanilla extract. (An electric stick blender is handy for this) gradually add the softened butter until it is smooth and slightly fluffy.
The butter cream can be flavoured with 2-3 tbsp of fruit puree, or the vanilla can be omitted and 1-2tbsp of cocoa powder blended into the cornflour before the milk is added.
1tbsp cornflour
1/2c milk (or use 1/4c coconut milk and 1/4 c rice milk if you are dairy free)
125g butter, softened
1/3c xylitol or 1/8-1/4tsp stevia powder
2tsp vanilla extract
Blend the cornflour and milk together. Heat in a pan, stirring continuously, until thick.
Spoon into a bowl, cool to room temperature then refrigerate.
Once the thickened milk is completely cold, whisk in the xylitol and vanilla extract. (An electric stick blender is handy for this) gradually add the softened butter until it is smooth and slightly fluffy.
The butter cream can be flavoured with 2-3 tbsp of fruit puree, or the vanilla can be omitted and 1-2tbsp of cocoa powder blended into the cornflour before the milk is added.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Crustless quiche
In our efforts to eat a more traditional diet, I have been searching for low-carbohydrate, nutritionally dense foods for lunch boxes.
This crust-less quiche fits the bill perfectly. Quick and easy to make, it freezes well too, so can be made in bulk as a stand by.
Crust-less Quiche
small tub cottage cheese, or cream cheese
3 eggs (2 if large)
small onion, finely diced
vegetables, optional (sweetcorn, broccoli and tomatoes work well)
meat, optional
Beat cheese and eggs together until well mixed.
Place vegetables and meat into a greased flan tin or other oven-proof dish, pour over the cheese and egg mixture and bake at 200 deg. C. for 40 minutes until centre is springy to the touch
Gala palaver
During my BC (before children) days, I used to dream about all the wonderful cakes that I would whip up in an instant for the school gala's cake stall once I became 'super-mum'. I envisaged row upon row of pretty cupcakes, tooth-achingly sweet caramel shortbread, old-fashioned battenbergs and seasonal sweet treats. There'd be mince pies for Christmas galas, bird-nest cakes for Easter, and ghostly biscuits for Halloween.
Oh how different reality is!
9pm two days before the kindergarten gala, I caught sight of the two empty paper plates sitting on the kitchen bench as I reached for a reviving cup of tea. Aggh! I hadn't made anything! Suddenly, all those wonderful ideas I had were no longer appealing. I needed to make something that I could do on autopilot, wouldn't stick to the glad-wrap covering, and was just a little bit different from the mountains of chocolate cakes and banana loaves that are usually offered at such events.
Having a penchant for biscuits, and with Easter coming up, I ignored the impending bedtime and decided to make Easter chick biscuits.The good thing with these type of biscuits, is that the dough works very well with Stevia, instead of sugar, so you can have an iced biscuit, safe in the knowledge that it will as likely as not, have less than a teaspoon of sugar in it all told.
I have yet to supply any school or kindy cake stall with the type of baking that I had expected to do. Maybe one day, in an energetic moment, I should have a bake-athon and freeze it in anticipation of the next gala?
Oh how different reality is!
9pm two days before the kindergarten gala, I caught sight of the two empty paper plates sitting on the kitchen bench as I reached for a reviving cup of tea. Aggh! I hadn't made anything! Suddenly, all those wonderful ideas I had were no longer appealing. I needed to make something that I could do on autopilot, wouldn't stick to the glad-wrap covering, and was just a little bit different from the mountains of chocolate cakes and banana loaves that are usually offered at such events.
Having a penchant for biscuits, and with Easter coming up, I ignored the impending bedtime and decided to make Easter chick biscuits.The good thing with these type of biscuits, is that the dough works very well with Stevia, instead of sugar, so you can have an iced biscuit, safe in the knowledge that it will as likely as not, have less than a teaspoon of sugar in it all told.
I have yet to supply any school or kindy cake stall with the type of baking that I had expected to do. Maybe one day, in an energetic moment, I should have a bake-athon and freeze it in anticipation of the next gala?
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Raw Meaty Bones
It would appear that I have a feline companion on my journey along the culinary road.
It all started a few weeks ago, when we noticed she was gaining weight whilst eating the recommended amount of a commercial brand of cat food. We had restricted her intake, but she seemed hungry as well as overweight.
A quick search on google, and I found that commercial cat food is loaded with carbohydrates; mainly corn.
Excuse me. Corn? Since when has a cat naturally eaten corn?
Given that most weight gain in humans is down to too much carbohydrate, I could appreciate that our family pet was putting on the grams on this food.
So, armed with little more than a logical mind and the information on the wonderfully helpful Raw Meaty Bones website, I started to introduce raw meat into her diet.
Initially, we just gave her a little diced chicken mixed with her usual food, then slowly we decreased the amount of commercial food, and increased the chicken until she was eating just the raw chicken meat. To ensure she received all the nutrients she needed, we started to add salmon meat and bones, and offal. Soon, I'm hoping she will be eating whole pieces of chicken such as wings, neck and thighs, then we can start to offer whole pieces of rabbit. A much more natural diet than corn biscuits and mush!
I think she would still prefer the commercial food given chance, but she is loosing the excess weight, and seems to be a happy and healthier cat.
It all started a few weeks ago, when we noticed she was gaining weight whilst eating the recommended amount of a commercial brand of cat food. We had restricted her intake, but she seemed hungry as well as overweight.
A quick search on google, and I found that commercial cat food is loaded with carbohydrates; mainly corn.
Excuse me. Corn? Since when has a cat naturally eaten corn?
Given that most weight gain in humans is down to too much carbohydrate, I could appreciate that our family pet was putting on the grams on this food.
So, armed with little more than a logical mind and the information on the wonderfully helpful Raw Meaty Bones website, I started to introduce raw meat into her diet.
Initially, we just gave her a little diced chicken mixed with her usual food, then slowly we decreased the amount of commercial food, and increased the chicken until she was eating just the raw chicken meat. To ensure she received all the nutrients she needed, we started to add salmon meat and bones, and offal. Soon, I'm hoping she will be eating whole pieces of chicken such as wings, neck and thighs, then we can start to offer whole pieces of rabbit. A much more natural diet than corn biscuits and mush!
I think she would still prefer the commercial food given chance, but she is loosing the excess weight, and seems to be a happy and healthier cat.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Beef, glorious beef
Last weekend, I headed to Hill Street Market, to see Julian, the owner of Rannoch Meats.
Julian is a regular stall holder at the market, selling delicious beef from his herd of red Devon Cattle bred on his farm in the Wairarapa.
The beef Julian sells is what I would call 'real meat'. The animal is a traditional breed, and because Julian really cares about what he does, the herd is well looked after, leading stress-free lives and eating their natural diet. When they are old enough, Julian uses a local slaughter house, and the meat is hung for around three weeks, making it a very tasty meal!
Having so far enjoyed a couple of steaks, a cottage pie and some sausages from the quarter beast we bought, I can honestly say that it is amongst some of the best beef we have tasted. The flavour of the cottage pie especially, was both richer and deeper, and needed no other flavour added.
If you have the freezer space, I would recommend buying beef by the quarter or half beast. Buying this way, you are not only supporting local farmers, but getting fantastic quality meat at less than you would pay in your local butchers.
Julian is a regular stall holder at the market, selling delicious beef from his herd of red Devon Cattle bred on his farm in the Wairarapa.
The beef Julian sells is what I would call 'real meat'. The animal is a traditional breed, and because Julian really cares about what he does, the herd is well looked after, leading stress-free lives and eating their natural diet. When they are old enough, Julian uses a local slaughter house, and the meat is hung for around three weeks, making it a very tasty meal!
Having so far enjoyed a couple of steaks, a cottage pie and some sausages from the quarter beast we bought, I can honestly say that it is amongst some of the best beef we have tasted. The flavour of the cottage pie especially, was both richer and deeper, and needed no other flavour added.
If you have the freezer space, I would recommend buying beef by the quarter or half beast. Buying this way, you are not only supporting local farmers, but getting fantastic quality meat at less than you would pay in your local butchers.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Bean Stew
A great recipe for meat eaters or vegetarians, this bean stew is delicious with or without bacon. Great with almost all starchy side dishes, although I think it makes great comfort food when served with garlic bread, polenta or creamy mashed potato.
The maple syrup gives the casserole a lovely, smokey flavour, but if you are conscious of using sugar in any form, it could be reduced to 1 1/2 tbsp.
If you don't have a casserole dish that can be used on the hob, the stew can be made in a large saucepan, then transferred to a lidded casserole dish for cooking in the oven. Alternatively, it could be simmered on the hob, but I always find that it 'catches' on the bottom, and ultimately takes longer to cook due to loosing heat every time the lid is removed for stirring.
1 Onion, diced
1 clove Garlic, crushed
100g-150g diced bacon, or chopped back bacon (optional)
1 tin Cannellini beans
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 medium carrots, diced
1-2 parsnips, diced
250ml Vegetable stock
2tsp soy sauce
3tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
3tbsp corn flour
few drops kaitaia fire, or tabasco sauce, to taste
Using an casserole dish that can also be used on the hob, Fry the onions and garlic until soft. Add bacon if you are using it, and fry until the fat runs. Add paprika and cornflour, and stir until well coated.
Add the tinned tomatoes, soy sauce, maple syrup, thyme, kaitaia fire and stock. Stir well. Bring to the boil. Add beans and veg. Transfer to the oven & cook at 180deg C for 1 hour.
The maple syrup gives the casserole a lovely, smokey flavour, but if you are conscious of using sugar in any form, it could be reduced to 1 1/2 tbsp.
If you don't have a casserole dish that can be used on the hob, the stew can be made in a large saucepan, then transferred to a lidded casserole dish for cooking in the oven. Alternatively, it could be simmered on the hob, but I always find that it 'catches' on the bottom, and ultimately takes longer to cook due to loosing heat every time the lid is removed for stirring.
1 Onion, diced
1 clove Garlic, crushed
100g-150g diced bacon, or chopped back bacon (optional)
1 tin Cannellini beans
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 medium carrots, diced
1-2 parsnips, diced
250ml Vegetable stock
2tsp soy sauce
3tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
3tbsp corn flour
few drops kaitaia fire, or tabasco sauce, to taste
Using an casserole dish that can also be used on the hob, Fry the onions and garlic until soft. Add bacon if you are using it, and fry until the fat runs. Add paprika and cornflour, and stir until well coated.
Add the tinned tomatoes, soy sauce, maple syrup, thyme, kaitaia fire and stock. Stir well. Bring to the boil. Add beans and veg. Transfer to the oven & cook at 180deg C for 1 hour.
Countdown to Labour Day
For many people here in New Zealand, the fourth Monday in October, or Labour Day, marks the end of winter frosts and signals the start of the gardening season.
Keen to get in on the act early, I have several seedlings poking their tentative heads out of the soil in my 'green house' ready to be planted out in my new, hubby-built veggie planters in a few weeks.
As this is my first year of 'Square foot gardening'. I'm sticking with what I know. Broccoli, Cauliflower, onions, tomatoes, coriander and Lettuce already sown, with beans, potatoes, carrots, parsnips and strawberries to follow. No heritage varieties yet.
It almost goes against the grain to be planting just one or two seeds at a time, but it really does make sense. Why grow your vegetables in a traditional manner, taking up more space than you would like to use up, and producing more veg than you family can consume before it wilts, unwanted, in the bottom of the fridge? By sowing only as much as you will eat in a week, every week, you will have a continuous crop of fresh, home grown veggies all year round.
So the theory goes, anyway. I'll let you know how it works in practice in due course!
Keen to get in on the act early, I have several seedlings poking their tentative heads out of the soil in my 'green house' ready to be planted out in my new, hubby-built veggie planters in a few weeks.
As this is my first year of 'Square foot gardening'. I'm sticking with what I know. Broccoli, Cauliflower, onions, tomatoes, coriander and Lettuce already sown, with beans, potatoes, carrots, parsnips and strawberries to follow. No heritage varieties yet.
It almost goes against the grain to be planting just one or two seeds at a time, but it really does make sense. Why grow your vegetables in a traditional manner, taking up more space than you would like to use up, and producing more veg than you family can consume before it wilts, unwanted, in the bottom of the fridge? By sowing only as much as you will eat in a week, every week, you will have a continuous crop of fresh, home grown veggies all year round.
So the theory goes, anyway. I'll let you know how it works in practice in due course!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Sausage Casserole
An old work colleague tipped me on frying onions with butter, sugar and paprika. She swore that it was the only way to eat them with sausages, burgers or hot dogs. She was right. I thought the method would work well in trying to recreate the sausage casserole mum used to make using a commercial herb and spice blend. Happily, it gave the casserole the perfect base on which to build the other flavours. Don't be tempted to leave out the sugar. It is only a small amount, but it really does give it a more rounded flavour.
500g Pork Sausages
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 onion, diced
1tsp sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
2tbsp cornflour
1tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2tbsp tomato paste
1tsp thyme
black pepper
500ml hot vegetable stock or water
2-3 Carrots
Brown the sausages under the grill or in a pan. Cut into 6-8 pieces, depending on size. Transfer to a lidded casserole dish.
Fry the onions and garlic in a little butter until soft. Add sugar and paprika, and cook for another minute or two. Transfer to the casserole dish.
In a jug, blend cornflour, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste together, with a little water. Stir in the hot stock, then pour into the casserole dish.
Slice carrots. Add to casserole.
Cook for 1 hour at 160deg c. with the lid on.
I like to serve this with some green vegetables and mashed or baked potatoes.
500g Pork Sausages
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 onion, diced
1tsp sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
2tbsp cornflour
1tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2tbsp tomato paste
1tsp thyme
black pepper
500ml hot vegetable stock or water
2-3 Carrots
Brown the sausages under the grill or in a pan. Cut into 6-8 pieces, depending on size. Transfer to a lidded casserole dish.
Fry the onions and garlic in a little butter until soft. Add sugar and paprika, and cook for another minute or two. Transfer to the casserole dish.
In a jug, blend cornflour, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste together, with a little water. Stir in the hot stock, then pour into the casserole dish.
Slice carrots. Add to casserole.
Cook for 1 hour at 160deg c. with the lid on.
I like to serve this with some green vegetables and mashed or baked potatoes.
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