Hi everyone
My husband loves lamb and every now and then he feels like a spiced lamb shank recipe we have used and developed for a few years now. Its a winter dish for sure in this house. The traditional recipe suggests cooking in a tagine for 3 hours but I find if I put all the ingredients in a slow cooker in the morning before I start work its amazing after 6 to 8 hours with no effort or supervision. Note this recipe can be halved for a smaller dinner. Although this dish is wonderful the next day after the flavours have infused. Just make sure not to over crowd the pot.
8 lamb shanks - or the cheaper knuckles will do
2 onions sliced
4 cloves of garlic
4 cups of beef stock
4 tablespoons ras el hanout (a spice mix - Ive put my version of it further down)
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup of raisins
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Basically I put everything bar the lamb into the slow cooker and mix together. I then add the lamb one at a time and coat the lamb. Cook the dish for 6 to 8 hours on high. Checking occasionally to move the lamb around to ensure each gets time in the liquid to cook. If the lamb isnt falling of the bone tender at that point you may want to place in a pot and simmer for that last hour. Once the lamb is cooked take it out of the pot and reduce the sauce down for half an hour until thickened and syrupy. Put the lamb back in.
If you dont have a slow cooker then put all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to the boil then simmer for 3 hours. Checking as per the slow cooker to make sure the lamb has time in the juice.
Serve with couscous. I usually cook with a mix of orange juice and chicken stock and add some chopped apricots and toasted pistachios. Drizzled with a little honey and some greek yogurt on the side.
Ras al hanout
Ras al hanout is a middle eastern mix of spices. I suppose you can use the pre made supermarket blends but its so much nicer to make our own. My combinations vary but for this dish I like a relatively fragrant mix with cardamom and star anise
2 teaspoon each 2 star anise, cardamom seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds - toast and grind in a pestle and mortar or processor. If you dont have the seeds use ground spices but reduce by half.
2 teaspoons each ground turmeric and cinnamon
1 tablespoon each sweet paprika and ginger
1 teaspoon each ground nutmeg, cloves, allspice
1/2 teaspoon each sea salt, ground black pepper and cayenne pepper
Combine in a jar and use in moroccan dishes
Enjoy xx
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Pudding..
Hi everyone
A favourite memory of mine is a blueberry and white chocolate croissant pudding I ate in a little cafe once. While I wasn't brave enough to ask for the recipe at the time. This is my play on it and its pretty easy.
Ingredients
4 croissants sliced thickly length wise
4 tablespoons butter
200gm blueberries (fresh or frozen)
100 to 150 grams white chocolate chopped - go to the maximum if you really like that chocolate taste
3 Tablespoons of castor sugar
600 mls milk
1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
icing sugar for dusting
cream and or yogurt to serve
Preheat oven to 170 degrees
Butter each slice on one side, then place in a greased large ovenproof baking dish. Overlap each slightly.
Scatter the berries and chocolate evenly over the slices. In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and cinnamon. Then add the milk and beat again.
Carefully pour batter over the croissants. Make sure the croissants are thoroughly soaked. Bake for 30 mins or until golden and puffed on the top. Dust with the icing sugar and serve with the cream and or yoghurt. If you want to be really fancy mix some mascapone with pure vanilla essence as a yummy side.
Enjoy xx
A favourite memory of mine is a blueberry and white chocolate croissant pudding I ate in a little cafe once. While I wasn't brave enough to ask for the recipe at the time. This is my play on it and its pretty easy.
Ingredients
4 croissants sliced thickly length wise
4 tablespoons butter
200gm blueberries (fresh or frozen)
100 to 150 grams white chocolate chopped - go to the maximum if you really like that chocolate taste
3 Tablespoons of castor sugar
600 mls milk
1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
icing sugar for dusting
cream and or yogurt to serve
Preheat oven to 170 degrees
Butter each slice on one side, then place in a greased large ovenproof baking dish. Overlap each slightly.
Scatter the berries and chocolate evenly over the slices. In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and cinnamon. Then add the milk and beat again.
Carefully pour batter over the croissants. Make sure the croissants are thoroughly soaked. Bake for 30 mins or until golden and puffed on the top. Dust with the icing sugar and serve with the cream and or yoghurt. If you want to be really fancy mix some mascapone with pure vanilla essence as a yummy side.
Enjoy xx
Slow cooked Beef with Ale
Hi Everyone
In winter the slow cooker tends to get a workout in this house. A favourite for my pom husband is beef cooked in ale. Its particularly nice the next day if there are leftovers too.
Ingredients:
1 kg of chuck or gravy beef trimmed and cut into pieces - I like bigger pieces myself but 2-3 cm size is fine
sunflower or canola oil for frying
2 onions sliced
2 tablespoons flour
330 mls ale - I like the darker ales or even a stout
300 mls beef stock
2 tablespoons redcurrant jam or jelly or for a different taste replace with fruit chutney
1 carrot sliced and or 200 grams of mushrooms sliced
couple of sprigs of thyme
3 bay leaves
I put the slow cooker on and place the ale and stock in to start warming up. I heat a couple of table spoons of oil on high in a pan and brown the beef in batches seasoning as I cook. Remove each batch from the pan and place in with the ale and stock.
Reduce the pan to medium add 2 tablespoons of oil and the onions. Cook stirring for 4 to 5 mins until tender. Stir in the flour then add to the beef and ale and stock. Add remaining ingredients and cover and cook for 6-8 hours in the cooker. Stir occasionally and in the last hour if the juice looks too thin just take the lid off and let it bubble away and reduce. Beef should be lovely and tender and check the seasoning when finished.
Serve this with yummy mashed spuds or kumara and some blanched beans or broccoli.
Enjoy xx
In winter the slow cooker tends to get a workout in this house. A favourite for my pom husband is beef cooked in ale. Its particularly nice the next day if there are leftovers too.
Ingredients:
1 kg of chuck or gravy beef trimmed and cut into pieces - I like bigger pieces myself but 2-3 cm size is fine
sunflower or canola oil for frying
2 onions sliced
2 tablespoons flour
330 mls ale - I like the darker ales or even a stout
300 mls beef stock
2 tablespoons redcurrant jam or jelly or for a different taste replace with fruit chutney
1 carrot sliced and or 200 grams of mushrooms sliced
couple of sprigs of thyme
3 bay leaves
I put the slow cooker on and place the ale and stock in to start warming up. I heat a couple of table spoons of oil on high in a pan and brown the beef in batches seasoning as I cook. Remove each batch from the pan and place in with the ale and stock.
Reduce the pan to medium add 2 tablespoons of oil and the onions. Cook stirring for 4 to 5 mins until tender. Stir in the flour then add to the beef and ale and stock. Add remaining ingredients and cover and cook for 6-8 hours in the cooker. Stir occasionally and in the last hour if the juice looks too thin just take the lid off and let it bubble away and reduce. Beef should be lovely and tender and check the seasoning when finished.
Serve this with yummy mashed spuds or kumara and some blanched beans or broccoli.
Enjoy xx
The best of the ocean
Hi everyone
Growing up I spent alot of time on marae and especially in the kitchens. I dont cook it often but at marae the delicacies were always paua. Here are some of the favorites for enjoying with family
Creamed paua (abalone)
My recipe has minced paua. Some prefer strips.
2 Tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 large onion sliced thinly
500 gm paua minced
1/2 cup cream
Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and cook for a minute. Slowly add the milk, salt and pepper and onion. Bring to the boil stirring constantly until thickened. Add the paua and stir thoroughly. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and leave covered until the paua is cooked.
An alternative is to use strips of paua and cook the onion. If your going todo that then melt the butter and cook the onions until golden. Toss in the paua and sauté evenly. Rather then making a roux and sauce above you can then add 600mls cream and bring to just under boiling. mix 2 tablespoons of cornflour with some milk to make a paste. Add to cream to thicken and then season and serve immediately. Dont overcook.
Creamed paua with bacon
Ok I love bacon in anything.
Ingredients
6-8 rashers of bacon
12 paua cleaned and tenderized
300ml cream
Heat a pan to medium and place the bacon on the bottom. flour the paua and place on top. Cook really gently for 5-10 mins or until paua is tender. Pour cream over and simmer for 5 mins. Season and serve.
Enjoy xx
Growing up I spent alot of time on marae and especially in the kitchens. I dont cook it often but at marae the delicacies were always paua. Here are some of the favorites for enjoying with family
Creamed paua (abalone)
My recipe has minced paua. Some prefer strips.
2 Tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 large onion sliced thinly
500 gm paua minced
1/2 cup cream
Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and cook for a minute. Slowly add the milk, salt and pepper and onion. Bring to the boil stirring constantly until thickened. Add the paua and stir thoroughly. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and leave covered until the paua is cooked.
An alternative is to use strips of paua and cook the onion. If your going todo that then melt the butter and cook the onions until golden. Toss in the paua and sauté evenly. Rather then making a roux and sauce above you can then add 600mls cream and bring to just under boiling. mix 2 tablespoons of cornflour with some milk to make a paste. Add to cream to thicken and then season and serve immediately. Dont overcook.
Creamed paua with bacon
Ok I love bacon in anything.
Ingredients
6-8 rashers of bacon
12 paua cleaned and tenderized
300ml cream
Heat a pan to medium and place the bacon on the bottom. flour the paua and place on top. Cook really gently for 5-10 mins or until paua is tender. Pour cream over and simmer for 5 mins. Season and serve.
Enjoy xx
Kumara a sweet potato by any other name
Hello
During winter I love soup and one of my favourites is a kumara chowder with crusty bread rolls. Try this recipe and if you want some heat add some chili or some green thai curry paste when adding the onions and corn to the soup recipe below.
Ingredients:
700gm kumara
3 onions sliced
30gms butter
850 mls milk
450 gm tin cream style sweet corn
salt and pepper
cream
chopped parsley for garnish
Peel and dice the kumara. Cook in salted water until tender. While the kumara are cooking fry the onions in the butter until tender.
Drain the water from the kumara, add the milk and mash well. Add the onion and sweet corn and bring slowly to the boil. Consistency should be thick. Season to taste and just before serving garnish with cream and parsley.
Another way I like kumara is as a side dish. But I like some sweetness to it as I find it kinda bland. So heres a good dish with a nice piece of meat.
Ingredients
250 gms dried apricots
3 large kumara
salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Pre heat oven to 150 degrees
Soak apricots in boiling water for 30 mins till plump. Cut kumara into rounds and boil for 20 mins. Drain reserving a small amount of water.
In an oven proof dish place alternate layers of kumara and apricots. When dish is half full add salt, sugar, butter and a small amount of the reserved water. Then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Cook for an hour until the flavours are nice and mixed. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream.
Enjoy xx
During winter I love soup and one of my favourites is a kumara chowder with crusty bread rolls. Try this recipe and if you want some heat add some chili or some green thai curry paste when adding the onions and corn to the soup recipe below.
Ingredients:
700gm kumara
3 onions sliced
30gms butter
850 mls milk
450 gm tin cream style sweet corn
salt and pepper
cream
chopped parsley for garnish
Peel and dice the kumara. Cook in salted water until tender. While the kumara are cooking fry the onions in the butter until tender.
Drain the water from the kumara, add the milk and mash well. Add the onion and sweet corn and bring slowly to the boil. Consistency should be thick. Season to taste and just before serving garnish with cream and parsley.
Another way I like kumara is as a side dish. But I like some sweetness to it as I find it kinda bland. So heres a good dish with a nice piece of meat.
Ingredients
250 gms dried apricots
3 large kumara
salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Pre heat oven to 150 degrees
Soak apricots in boiling water for 30 mins till plump. Cut kumara into rounds and boil for 20 mins. Drain reserving a small amount of water.
In an oven proof dish place alternate layers of kumara and apricots. When dish is half full add salt, sugar, butter and a small amount of the reserved water. Then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Cook for an hour until the flavours are nice and mixed. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream.
Enjoy xx
Carrots anyone?
Hi there
On winter days I like to finish the day with something yummy and sweet. Lately Ive been loving carrot cake with cream cheese icing and a side of yogurt. I thought Id share a recipe for my favourite carrot cake. Ive changed it a bit and made it a bit different so it may not be a carrot cake like you have seen. But try it and taste the difference.
Ingredients
3 cups of wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup corn oil
4 eggs lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 cups dessicated coconut
1 cup of chopped walnut
1 1/2 cup cooked mashed carrot
1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. add oil, eggs and vanilla and beat well. Then add all other ingredients.
Pour into a greased and lined cake pan. Bake for 40 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Use the cream cheese icing Ive included in a past blog to ice it when its cool..yum
On winter days I like to finish the day with something yummy and sweet. Lately Ive been loving carrot cake with cream cheese icing and a side of yogurt. I thought Id share a recipe for my favourite carrot cake. Ive changed it a bit and made it a bit different so it may not be a carrot cake like you have seen. But try it and taste the difference.
Ingredients
3 cups of wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup corn oil
4 eggs lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 cups dessicated coconut
1 cup of chopped walnut
1 1/2 cup cooked mashed carrot
1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. add oil, eggs and vanilla and beat well. Then add all other ingredients.
Pour into a greased and lined cake pan. Bake for 40 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Use the cream cheese icing Ive included in a past blog to ice it when its cool..yum
Monday, 3 June 2013
The easy crumble
Hi everyone
Hubby wanted a quick dessert tonight. So went into the pantry and pulled out a few things to make a crumble that didn't require hours. My friend Gill this is a good one for you.
Ingredients
a. a can of watties diced apples
b. 1/3 of a 375gm jar of raspberry jam
topping
a. 1/2 cup plain flour
b. 1/2 cup rolled oats
c. 1/3 cup dessicated coconut
d. 1/4 packed brown sugar
e. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
f. 90 gms chopped butter
and its as easy as this:
Heat the oven to 180 degrees
I just had a basic small oval flan dish that fit a can of diced apple. If using a bigger dish then use another can. I found the canned apple didn't have juice which was good. You don't have to use apple if you use other canned fruit just make sure you drain them well before putting them in the dish. Pack them so there are no gaps in the dish
After putting the fruit in I put the raspberry jam in a bowl and stir so soft. I then spread over the fruit.
For the topping in a bowl place the dry ingredients and mix. Add the butter and mix with your finger tips until like rough bread crumbs.
Place the topping on the fruit and jam and then bake in the oven for 30-40 mins
Let rest for 5-10 mins and then serve with whipped cream or yoghurt
Enjoy
Me xx
Hubby wanted a quick dessert tonight. So went into the pantry and pulled out a few things to make a crumble that didn't require hours. My friend Gill this is a good one for you.
Ingredients
a. a can of watties diced apples
b. 1/3 of a 375gm jar of raspberry jam
topping
a. 1/2 cup plain flour
b. 1/2 cup rolled oats
c. 1/3 cup dessicated coconut
d. 1/4 packed brown sugar
e. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
f. 90 gms chopped butter
and its as easy as this:
Heat the oven to 180 degrees
I just had a basic small oval flan dish that fit a can of diced apple. If using a bigger dish then use another can. I found the canned apple didn't have juice which was good. You don't have to use apple if you use other canned fruit just make sure you drain them well before putting them in the dish. Pack them so there are no gaps in the dish
After putting the fruit in I put the raspberry jam in a bowl and stir so soft. I then spread over the fruit.
For the topping in a bowl place the dry ingredients and mix. Add the butter and mix with your finger tips until like rough bread crumbs.
Place the topping on the fruit and jam and then bake in the oven for 30-40 mins
Let rest for 5-10 mins and then serve with whipped cream or yoghurt
Enjoy
Me xx
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