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

The chill has arrived

Hey everyone

Well its been a month of moving and planting and developing recipes for the new cookbook. This blog highlights some of those yummy recipes we will be publishing.  With the chill arriving we have been working on those warm tummy fillers that are awesome to eat while watching the fire.  One of my favourites is a Lamb Ragu. I cook mine in a slow cooker but a trusty pot will do if you dont have time to put it in and or the desire to wait 8 hours :).

My ragu is a combination of the many recipes Ive seen over the years. I use either lamb mince or I dice up a boneless shoulder or leg. Note alot of recipes have canned tomatos or such in them. Mine only includes a tablespoon of tomato paste as I prefer the meaty taste of this ragu to a purest tomato sauce. All down to preference.

Ingredients are:

1kg boneless lamb leg diced
1 onion diced
1 carrot diced
1 stick of celery diced - note exclude if like me you have men who dont like celery
3 cloves of garlic
6 - 8 anchovy fillets chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
200 ml red wine
1 cup beef stock or beef jus if you prefer
1 tablespoon worcester sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup of water
400 to 500gm of italian fettucine or parpadelle
fresh parmesan and parsley for sprinkling over at the end


Heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat and brown the lamb in batches. Once cooked put aside or if like me using a slow cooker put the lamb in and turn the cooker to high.

Turn the heat down to medium and put the onion, carrot, celery, anchovies, garlic and coriander into the same pan and cook gently till the onions are softened (5-10 mins). If not using the slow cooker put the lamb back in and mix. 

If using the slow cooker put all the liquids in put the lid on and slow cook for 6-8 hours. Check every now and then to make sure its not going dry if so add half a cup more of water or stock. Taste and season as needed.

If using a pot then turn the heat up after you put the lamb back in the pan and add the wine. Let it reduce for a minute then add the stock, worcester sauce, tomato paste and water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours until the lamb is tender. Taste and season as needed.

Cook the pasta as per directions. When cooked I either put the pasta in with the lamb in the slow cooker  and mix in (when its just the family) or if we have visitors I put the pasta in a warm serving bowl and ladle the ragu on top. Sprinkle with parmesan and parsley and serve.

Enjoy this is a family favorite 

Me xx

The easiest of side dishes

Hi everyone

Growing up we always had meat and three vege. Most of it generally inedible unless you liked boiled food beyond recognition. I now generally try and jazz up dinner with foods other then the norm of potatoes done in some way or other.  When Im in a hurry though there is nothing quite so easy as couscous. Buy the instant couscous at the supermarket. Usually by the pasta and rice.

I won't give you a tretis on the origins of couscous. All I know is its great to have with moroccan tagines and other forms of juicy liquidy stews or casseroles. Couscous puffs up like rice when it cooks so it can feed a lot of people and is the simplest thing to cook too. 

If cooking on its own you need to boil water the amount will equate to the amount of couscous you want to serve. So if this is going to be a side dish 1 cup of boiling water to 1 cup of couscous will feed 2 -3 people easy. You can boil the water in a pot and once boiling pour in the couscous or you can put the couscous in a bowl and pour the boiling water from the kettle over. Either way stir the couscous for a few seconds then put a tight lid over the pot or I put plastic wrap or a plate over the bowl ensuring the steam is trapped and cooks the couscous. Leave it alone for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes the water should be absorbed and you should be able to fluff it up like rice with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. All done and dusted you can serve with a tasty stew or tagine.

BUT there are so many things you can do to couscous. The standard way above is quite boring and I like more taste in my couscous. So here are a few ideas:

• Replace the water with boiled chicken stock.
• Replace half the water with orange juice or replace it all with orange juice if you like the taste.
• Add toasted nuts - any of pine nuts or chopped cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans to the cooked couscous.
• Also you can add dried fruits - chopped apricots, figs, prunes, dates,raisins or saltanas. I usually add to the boiled liquid with the couscous so that the fruit can warm and rehydrate a bit.
• Add drained and rinsed chickpeas.
• Add cooked veges to the cooked couscous. For example sliced or diced eggplant, courgettes or some strips of roasted capsicum - you can buy in the jar or roast in the oven until blacked then cool and skin before slicing.
• Add some spice - 1 teaspoon of turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon for example or a teaspoon of paprika, ground ginger and half a teaspoon of turmeric or a pinch of saffron. Id cook a chopped onion with a couple of cloves of garlic over a medium heat in a pan. Add the spice combinations (except the saffron if using) and stir for 30 seconds just to release the spice. Add chicken stock and let it boil, (add the pinch of saffron and stir for 2 minutes), then add the couscous and set aside to to steam.  Fluff with a fork and its done.  
• Add herbs once the couscous is cooked - 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley and mint for example or toss through a couple of handfuls of rocket.
• Crumble in some feta cheese or goats cheese.
• Add some strips of preserved lemons.
• Once made a yummy topping is a combo of plain greek yoghurt with a drizzle of runny honey.

A favorite main dish incorporates a number of the elements above - yoghurt marinated chicken strips and couscous

• marinate chicken strips for half an hour in a mix of plain yoghurt, a teaspoon each of ground cumin and cinnamon and 2 cloves of garlic minced. bbq or fry till cooked
• cook the couscous with the turmeric and cinnamon and onions etc as Ive set out above. Add rinsed chickpeas to the boiling stock at the same time as the couscous. 
• combine the cooked chicken and roasted capsicum strips in a bowl. 
• Toss in the cooked couscous mixture  and toss in a handful of chopped parsley, mix and season
• I put in a platter then put a dollop of yoghurt on top and drizzle with honey ..yummmm

So as you can see so many ideas and you can mix and match. Give it a go you will be surprised.

Enjoy

Me xx 

Chicken and vege and the yummiest puff pastry

Hi everyone

I do love leeks especially in winter in soups etc and in chicken pies. Ive included leeks in my beans recipes and today Im giving a recipe for a chicken and leek pie. Ok its summer now here in NZ so you may not want to do it but boy you will enjoy it when you do.

Ingredients for this are:

Filling
50 gms butter
6 or 7 rashes of bacon or pancetta
1 kg of boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into strips or cubes up to you
4 leeks chopped
200 gms mushrooms sliced
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
3 tablespoons flour
3 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of cheese grated
1 can of chicken and corn concentrate soup
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard - if you like mustard then wholegrain could be used.
1/2 cup of parsley chopped roughly

Heat the butter and cook the bacon. Once crisp take out of the pan and put to the side in a big bowl. Now brown the chicken in batches in the same pan. Setting aside batches in the bowl as you go.  Again in the same pan lower the heat and add the mushrooms, leeks and thyme and cook until soft. Put this aside too in the bowl with the chicken and bacon.

Now make a roux add the flour to the butter and juices in the pan. Cook for two minutes stirring so that it doesn't burn. Then add the chicken stock slowly and stir while doing so. You should have a thick sauce at the end. Id then add the chicken soup concentrate. I do this to ensure thickness of sauce and flavor.

Add the cooked ingredients in the bowl to the sauce. Cook on a medium low heat for 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally so it doesn't get stuck on the bottom or burn. Make sure the chicken pieces are cooked.

Now add the mustard to the sauce and the parsley. Check taste and season. You can use this mix on its own with mashed potatoes and steamed greens and it would be yummy.  If you are using as a pie filling I always err on the side of more salt as it gets cooked out as the pie cooks and there is nothing more boring in a pie then a tasteless pie filling.

Now to the pastry for the pie.  I got this from a magazine and its the easiest puff pastry Ive found. Its the best too so buttery.  You can use store bought puff pastry instead but if your like me and have forgotten to get some having a recipe you can use if need is really handy. Note too if yur looking for good strong muscles in your arms this is a great work out recipe.

Pastry ingredients:

3 cups flour
pinch of salt
450gm cold unsalted butter
180 mls ice cold water

Sift flour and salt together in a large bowl. Grate 180 gms of the butter into the flour and using your fingers work it in. Dice the rest of the butter and add to the bowl. gently mix so the flour coats the diced butter. Add the water and mix together with your hands until a dough starts to form. Its ok for the dough to be studded with the butter and to be quite dry. Don't be tempted to add more water.

Tip dough onto a floured surface and work together to form a ball. Roll out to form a rectangle (30cm x 20 cm approx). Turning the rectangle so the long end faces you fold both short sides to meet in the middle and then fold in half again. Wrap in glad wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours or ideally overnight.  Note timing is preference only. I have run out of time before (as Im prone to and pulled the pastry out after an hour) it is best to give it the 2 hours but needs must!

When you pull it out roll out to the 20cm x 30 cm approx rectangle again and fold as before - ends to centre and then fold in half. Once done do it again and then put back in the glad wrap and put back in the fridge for another half hour. Pastry has no preservatives so only last 24 hours. If you have any left over you might want to freeze or think of something else to make with it the next day ..Sausie rolls any one?

To put the pie all together start by preheating an oven to 200 dg celcius. Put a metal oven tray which will fit the pie dish or dishes on easily in to preheat as well.

You can line a deep dish with rolled out pastry and then fill with the chicken mixture. Alternatively use smaller individual pie dishes. Top with grated cheese and then use an egg wash to gently brush on the edges of the pastry.  Then either cover with pastry or if you prefer cut pastry into strips and make a lattice on top. Trim the edges to make tidy and or fold over and crimp edges to secure.  Brush the top with egg wash and if using a full cover pastry top make a few holes on top to ensure the steam in the pie (or pies) can escape.


Now this is where the metal tray comes into its own as no one likes soggy pastry. The preheated metal tray gives instant direct heat to the bottom of the pie dish helping to cook it. Cook the pie for 25 minutes or longer if the top of the pie is not risen and golden brown. Pull out and let rest for a few minutes and then enjoy.

Note this pastry can be used for so many things. Ive used for sausage rolls, beef wellington and other types of pies.

Another easy salad

My salads are basically pulled together from whats in the garden, pantry and fridge.  This one is an avocado, smoked chicken and peach salad. The peaches are canned in fruit juice and Ive used some of that juice in the dressing.

Ingredients are:

Salad:

Mixed lettuce leaves - I used peppery rocket or arugula and mustard leaves but any will do

A can of peaches in real fruit juice or 3 fresh peaches the pip taken out and quartered

Half a sliced red onion

Half an avocado sliced

Half a breast of smoked chicken sliced

Optional 100 gm pine nuts toasted

Dressing:

2 tablespoons of the fruit juice from the canned peaches. If you are using fresh peaches Id use some lemon juice and add half a teaspoon of caster sugar.

1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons good quality olive oil

To pull together start by combining dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl bar the avocado and pine nuts in a bowl and add most of the dressing and toss together. Finally add the avocado slices on top and sprinkle over the pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the rest of the dressing.

Jack and the beanstalk go to Spain

Hi everyone

Ive enjoyed learning about the different nuances of food and culture. The emphasis on spices in the middle east versus herbs in France for example. In New Zealand we eat our beans in the morning as a breakfast for with tomato sauce. Else where in the world beans are the quintessential replacement for potatoes in dinner meals. I have two bean recipes for you today. One is spanish in origin the other french. Both are yummy.

For the spanish one the ingredients are:

100gms bacon diced
2 chorizo sausages sliced (if you can't find chorizo just replace with more bacon)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 leek thinly sliced
1 red capsicum deseeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 cans of beans 400gm approx each - I use red kidney and cannellini. Rinse the beans well and let drain
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons ground cumin
500 mls Beef stock
salt and pepper

In a large saucepan fry dry fry the bacon and chorizo for 5 mins on medium heat until bacon is crisp. Add the olive oil and the garlic,onions, leek and capsicum. Fry gently till tender -3 minutes. Add the beans, bay leaves and half the cumin to the saucepan. Add the beef stock and some water to cover the ingredients. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for half an hour or until the beans are tender. Watch the liquid if its getting dry and the beans still aren't cooked add a bit more water. Hopefully you don't have to though as using canned beans rather then dry beans means they are already fairly soft.  Once cooked take off the heat take the bay leaves out and add the second tablespoon of ground cumin. Taste and season to taste. Note you may not need much salt as the bacon and the beef stock add salt to the cooking. Enjoy this dish can be eaten cool or as I like it warm with a nice bbq steak or some roasted lamb. Yum!!

Speaking of lamb my french inspired bean dish this is made with a a leg of lamb roast. So when finished you have a complete meal. Its not as easy as the spanish version as the french love their herbs and not everyone is as lucky as me to have a great big herb garden.

Ingredients

Lamb:
1 leg of lamb
5 whole cloves of garlic
2 sprigs of rosemary
olive oil
salt and pepper

Beans:
3 cans of beans 400gm approx each - I use red kidney, cannellini and chick pea. Rinsed and drained
2 onions sliced
2 leeks sliced
12 whole garlic cloves
1 and 1/2 litres chicken stock - if prefer you can have half stock and half water.
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves only chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
bouquet garni - a mix of fresh herbs tied together with string. I use thyme, parsley, bay leaves and rosemary as a base and then whatever other herbs are around.
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 200 degrees

Pull out the lamb and pierce holes in the skin top side up and stuff a garlic clove and some rosemary in each hole. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place to the side.

Get out a roasting dish that will fit the lamb and put it over an element on the oven. Put the olive oil in and heat on medium. Put the rosemary in and let it sizzle for 30 seconds. Put the garlic cloves onions and leeks in the pan and stir around for 5 minutes until tender.  Watch them so they don't burn.

Add the beans and cook for 1 minute then add the stock and place the bouquet garni on top. Bring to the boil.

If you have a rack that fits across the pan use it to place the lamb on top so there is a bit of space between the bean mixture and lamb.  Its not the end of the world though if you don't as the lamb can sit on the mixture itself. The good thing with the rack as the juices from the lamb then fall into the bean mixture and the lamb isn't so wet underneath.

Once you have the lamb on board put the pan in the oven and turn the oven down to 160 degrees. If you like a slow cooked lamb cook for 3 hours watching the beans and topping up with more stock or water if getting dry.  If you like the lamb pink in the middle then cook for just 1 1/2 hours.

Once the lamb is cooked to liking take it out and put to the side to rest under foil.

With the bean mixture take the bouquet garni out. It should have a little bit of liquid but not too much. If its still really wet put it on the oven and turn the heat to medium. Simmer until the liquid reduces stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick or burn.

Once the liquid is right use a masher to squish the beans and garlic cloves slightly. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Slice the lamb and use the beans as a side. I usually have a bottle of dijon mustard out or make a quick gravy as well.

I hope you try and enjoy

Me xx

Silly me..

Hi everyone

In one of my posts I provided my banana cake recipe and said at the end you might like to make lemon cream cheese icing to go with it. Did I put up the recipe for said icing?? NO and not unreasonably Ive been asked what it is? I can hear husband saying "Do it once. Do it right" in my ear.

So its a simple recipe from the good old edmonds cook book with a few extra options.

Ingredients 

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar sifted
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Optional 
- a drop or two of lemon flavored food coloring 
- a further teaspoon of lemon rind for decoration or
- 1/4 cup of walnuts or pecans lightly broken up

Basic process is beat the butter and cream cheese together until creamy and you can't see any chunks of butter in the mixture. Mix in the icing sugar and the lemon rind beating until well combined. 

Now for the options - if using food coloring id suggest one drop at a time. Too much and your icing will look the color of the sun which may not be the effect you want. Once iced I usually put either the extra lemon rind on for effect or the walnuts or pecans. Note I don't crush the nuts as I think just breaking them up in your hands is better if you can and your not left with lots of crumbs on your beautiful clean icing.

Note this icing is great on carrot cake too. 

Enjoy

Me xx