Thursday 13 September 2012

talking turkey

have you seen the size of turkey legs in the supermarket? they're so huge that i usually only use them to make stock and soup..but this week i found some that were smaller and i bought them with a view to mincing the meat to make turkey burgers..i avoid buying prepackaged ready minced turkey and sliced breast because i've only ever found these products with added flavour enhancers and preservatives..

preparing turkey legs for mincing is not for the faint hearted because it took me ages to remove all the tendons, sinews and pointy bones..but it was worth it because the minced meat was so pure looking (bit like the mincee!)





turkey burgers
tea with hazel

ingredients

750 gms minced turkey
1/2 medium onion minced
2-3 slices minced bacon (depending on size of bacon rasher)
1/4-1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped sage
1/2 -1 teaspoon (tsp) chilli flakes
2 spring onions cut fine
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2-3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tsp or more finely grated orange rind
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt (or according to preference)
thin bacon rashers extra
cranberry and onion jam
small sage leaves
olive oil for frying

method

~mix all ingredients except for the last four
~shape into burgers according to preferred size and shape
~cook in oil until browned on each side
~place burgers on a lined baking tray and drape each one with a half slice of bacon
~top the bacon with 1/2 tsp of cranberry and onion jam and a sage leaf
~grill for 5 minutes or until bacon is slightly crisped and the jam is bubbling

serving

i served my burgers with extra cranberry and onion jam,  a cauliflower puree with added lemon juice and grated cheddar and a green salad with edible flowers..i also had a couple in a roll the next day for lunch with the jam and salad..






the flowers in the salad are home grown
bellis perennis petals,  carnation petals, marigold petals and whole violets

have a safe and happy weekend..x


Tuesday 11 September 2012

wake up


wake up
drink 
blue sky
clouds ethereal white
new life green 
spring






















Sunday 9 September 2012

sour cherry and cream cheese bread

the bread that i made today evolved at various stages after i decided to add some cream cheese i had to a dough i was making..i tend to cook by feel and sometimes it takes a while for my ideas to feel right but after considering various alternative configurations i eventually added mahlepi to the dough and i rolled the dough out and sprinkled it with a ground almond, mahlepi and sugar mix..i then dotted the dough with sour cherries and once baked i iced the loaf with a sour cherry juice and kirsch icing..





sour cherry and cream cheese bread
tea with hazel



ingredients (bread)

500 gms unbleached white flour
250 mls (approximately) cold full cream milk (i used barambah organic unhomogenised milk)
1 teaspoon (tsp) (3.5 gms) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (tbs) sugar
1 tbs murray river salt 
15 gms cold unsalted butter cubed
45 gms cream cheese
1 cup well drained morello cherries* (checked for cherry stones)
1 1/2 tsp mahlepi
3/4 cup ground almonds**
2 tbs bread crumbs
3 tbs vanilla flavoured castor sugar***
1/2 tsp mahlepi extra
1 egg 
1 tbs milk extra

ingredients (icing)

25 mls sour cherry juice*
25 mls kirsch
icing sugar

method


~place flour, sugar, yeast, mahlepi, butter and cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer
~with the motor running add enough cold milk to make a soft dough
~rest for 10 minutes 
~add salt and knead for 1 minute
~rest and knead for two more cycles
~remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with greased cling film, and prove until doubled
~turn dough onto a lightly flour dusted bench and knead briefly
~cover loosely with cling film and rest for 15 minutes
~roll the dough into an oblong, fold into 3, and rest for another 15 minutes
~turn the dough to the next side of the oblong each time and repeat the rolling, folding and resting twice more
~divide the dough in two and roll each piece into an oblong
~mix the ground almonds, bread crumbs, extra sugar and extra mahlepi 
~sprinkle the ground almond mix evenly over the dough leaving a 2 cm border free of mix
~dot each piece of dough with the cherries
~moisten the edges of the dough with a little water and roll up the dough
~place the two rolls of dough side by side into a greased bread tin, cover with cling film, and leave to prove until nearly doubled
~beat the egg with the extra milk and brush the top of the dough 
~ bake the bread with steam at 220 deg c for 20 minutes
~cover the bread loosely with foil, reduce the oven temperature to 180 deg c, and continue to bake for a further 30 minutes
~mix the sour cherry juice and kirsch with enough icing sugar to make a firm icing
~spoon the icing into a small plastic bag, cut off a small piece of the corner, and pipe lines on the cooled loaf


notes

* i used stoned morello cherries bottled in a sugar syrup and to make the icing i used some of the reserved syrup
** i ground my own unskinned almonds leaving some of it partially ground to provide varying texture
*** i keep several vanilla pods in my container of castor sugar

i had no idea how this bread would turn out because as i said earlier i was making this bread by feel but i think it's a lovely bread..the soft crumb has just enough sweetness (for me) from the juicy cherries and the almond mix..the mahlepi adds an overall flavour that's quite intriguing and i wouldn't know what it was if i hadn't added it myself..the almond mix is a little reminiscent of marzipan but the texture is crumbly..the crust on the sides is crisp while the top of the loaf is softer and the icing adds extra flavour and, i think, looks pretty..













this post submitted to yeastspotting


Friday 7 September 2012

pain au lait with sultanas..

i made this sultana milk loaf today without a recipe but when i looked online later to see if there were similar recipes i found that my bread resembles the classic french pain au lait ..

it was a wonderful dough to work with because it was beautifully silky, luxuriant and well behaved..by well behaved i mean that it was easy to knead and shape..i kept the sugar content low so that the bread would be suitable to have with cheese and for sweet use..






the warm bread was complimented by 'duet' cheese


pain au lait with sultanas
tea with hazel
ingredients

500 gms unbleached white flour
300 mls (approximately) cold full cream milk (i used barambah organic unhomogenised milk)
1 teaspoon  (3.5 gms) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (tbs) sugar
1 tbs murray river salt 
60 gms butter cubed
3/4 cup sultanas
1 egg 
1 tbs milk extra
1 tsp powdered gelatine
1 tbs sugar extra
1 tbs boiling water

method

~place flour, sugar, yeast and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer
~with the motor running add enough cold milk to make a soft dough
~rest for 10 minutes 
~add salt and knead for 1 minute
~rest and knead for two more cycles
~remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with greased cling film, and prove until doubled
~turn dough onto a lightly flour dusted bench and knead in sultanas
~cover loosely with cling film and rest for 15 minutes
~knead for a further minute and rest for another 15 minutes
~divide the dough in two, shape into round loaves, and place in a well greased bread tin
~cover loosely with cling film and leave to prove until nearly doubled
~beat together the egg and extra milk and brush the top of the dough
~bake at 220 deg c with steam for 20 minutes
~reduce the oven temperature to 180 deg c, cover the tin loosely with foil to prevent burning, and cook for a further 20-25 minutes
~mix gelatine, extra sugar and boiling water in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water until the gelatine and sugar dissolve
~after removing the bread from the tin brush the top of the loaf with the gelatine and sugar glaze

note

the crust of the bread is crispy on the sides and softer with a sweet stickiness on the top..the sultanas add a welcome sweetness to the light but moist crumb..i think this bread will become a regular feature in my bread making repertoire..i have visions of a wobbly bread and butter pudding featuring generous slices of my pain au lait with sultanas..


'duet' is an artisan cheese hand made in south australia
using 50% cow's and 50% goat's  milk


Sunday 2 September 2012

a cup of hot chocolate and a biscuit

it's no great surprise to those who know me that i love tea a lot.. i usually start the day with a pot of tea but i also love my daily latte..although having said that i only really enjoy coffee in the social setting of a cafe especially with company or at least with a crossword to stimulate my ageing neurones..then there are times, especially in winter after a long day working in the garden, when i crave a hot chocolate..and there've been times when i've been out and i'm maxed out on caffeine that i've fancied a hot chocolate..but every hot chocolate i've had has been a big disappointment..

now travelling is good..i won't argue with that..but it has its downside when the best hot chocolate i've ever had was as a 21 year old in the south of france and in northern italy..i've tried many different ways of making it myself with cocoa and/or chocolate, i've sampled hot chocolate from specialist chocolate shops that purport to have the best and i've also purchased containers of expensive italian hot chocolate powder..the main problem for me with bought hot chocolate is that it's always too sweet and because the base is pre made even at the specialist chocolate shops there is no option for adjusting it..another problem is that the hot chocolate i've made and most that i've bought is that it's too 'thin'..the hot chocolate i had in the south of france and in italy had some body to it..in other words it was hot chocolate with substance..

well there's a happy end to my hot chocolate story because i have found that i can make a decent hot chocolate at home by adding cornflour which thickens it beautifully and makes it much more substantial and satisfying..to celebrate my discovery i made some biscuits today to have with my hot chocolate this afternoon..











'tea with hazel' hot chocolate


ingredients (for each person)

1 cup organic full cream unhomogenised milk
1/2-1 tablespoon (tbs) vanilla castor sugar (adjust according to taste)
1 tbs cornflour
1 heaped tbs dutch cocoa

method

~put milk in a saucepan with the sugar and heat until nearly boiling
~mix cornflour and cocoa with enough cold water or milk to make a smooth paste
~add a little hot milk to the paste and mix
~while stirring add the paste to the hot milk and cook until just boiling

to serve

~i like to serve mine in a large breakfast cup as they do in france
~other additions:

  • a biscuit (as i did this time)
  • marshmallows
  • stir in a couple of pieces of milk or dark chocolate
  • a dollop of cream


meltaways
ingredients (biscuit)

225 gms butter
3/4 cup pure icing sugar
1 cup plain flour
3/4 cup corn flour

ingredients (icing)

125 gms cream cheese 
1 cup pure icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
a few drops of cochineal

method

~cream butter and icing sugar
~add sifted flours and mix until just incorporated
~remove from bowl and shape into a 1.5 inch diameter sausage
~wrap in kitchen wrap and refrigerate until firm
~cut into 1/2 inch rounds and place well apart on a greased or lined trays
~cook at 180 deg c for 15 minutes
~let cool a little on tray and then remove to a cooling rack
~mix the icing ingredients until smooth
~ice biscuits when they are cool


notes:
~i don't think i'd make these biscuits again because:

  • the cornflour in them had a furry mouth feel i didn't like
  • the icing was ok but i think i'd prefer buttercream icing or a simple lemon icing 


so tell me..do you like hot chocolate and if you do how do you like it made?


Tuesday 28 August 2012

op shop finds



silk stitched roses $1


my daughter katerina gave me the red glass container several years ago but recently i found the other two at
different times for $2 each..they sit on the window sill in my bathroom.. 


i've been collecting these vintage/retro square glass jars for a few years now because they are great space savers..
so far i have eleven of them and they cost me between $0.50 to $2 each..because they are stored
 in a large shallow drawer i label the lids so that i can tell what's in them at a glance





whenever i am in an op shop i check to see if they have any fine china mugs for sale because even though
 i like to drink tea from a cup and saucer sometimes it's not practical..this way i can still enjoy the fine china
 experience and also put them in the dishwasher without fear of breaking one and destroying a set..i don't find
 them very often but so far i have 6....they cost between $1 to $2 each..



the one i'm drinking my tea from as i write is a royal albert..it's 'jane' from the 'bronte collection' !



happy hunting op shoppers..x

Sunday 19 August 2012

french onion soup

if you could see the 10 kg bag of onions sitting in the corner of my kitchen you wouldn't be surprised that i made french onion soup today..and the stars were aligned in my favour because i also had some rich meat stock, some amazing english cloth bound cheddar that i bought yesterday and a freshly made yeast/sourdough loaf of crispy crusted white bread..

all the stirring involved in making the soup was a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend part of a wintery sunday afternoon..



french onion soup
adapted from gourmet traveller

ingredients

2 kgs onions sliced
50 gms butter
2 tablespoons (tbs) olive oil
1 teaspoon (tsp) salt
1 litre rich meat stock (homemade)
 4 thyme sprigs
1 fresh bay leaf
3 parsley stalks
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated tasty cheese for each person
1 slice of bread cut in half for each person

method

~heat butter and oil, add onion and salt, cover, and cook over a moderate heat for 20 minutes or until soft
~remove lid and cook over a low to moderate heat for a further hour stirring every 10-15 minutes to prevent scorching
~add 125 mls stock and cook for 5 minutes or until the stock has evaporated
~repeat this process until a total of 500 mls of stock has been added
~tie the herbs with kitchen string and add to the soup along with the remaining 500 mls stock
~add seasoning to taste and cook over a low heat for a further 20 minutes

to serve

~heat oven to 200 deg c
~place soup into soup bowl and sprinkle with half of the cheese
~place bread on top and add remaining cheese
~place bowls on a baking tray and cook for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted
~serve immediately

Monday 13 August 2012

chestnut, sage and onion sourdough bread


the kissing crust


chestnut, sage and onion sourdough bread

ingredients

levain
1 tbs sourdough starter
100 gms white bread flour
125 gms filtered water

final dough
250 gms levain
200 gms warm filtered water
300 gms white bread flour
50 gms chestnut flour
50  gms wholemeal flour
1 tbs crushed murray river salt
20 cooked chestnuts cut in half*
1/3 cup fresh sage cut fine
3 onions sliced fine and cooked in olive oil until well softened and then cooled

method levain

day 1
~mix the starter with the water and flour and cover and leave for 16 hours

method final dough

day 2
~put the levain in the bowl of a stand mixer,add the water, and mix well
~add the flours and mix until well combined
~autolyse for 10 minutes
~add salt and mix for 2 minutes
~rest for 10 minutes and mix again for 2 minutes
~remove the bowl from the mixer, cover the dough with greased cling film, and place in fridge overnight
~the next day remove the dough from the bowl onto an oiled bench and knead in chestnuts, sage and onion
~cover the dough on the bench with the greased cling film and leave for 10 minutes
~knead for a few seconds and cover with the cling film and leave for another 10 minutes
~divide the dough in two and shape each piece into an oblong sealing the seam well
~place each piece of dough seam side down between the floured folds of a tea towel, cover with cling film, and leave for 2 hours or until a finger pressed into the dough leaves an indentation

~pre heat a baking tray and place a dish of boiling water in the oven
~dust each loaf with flour
~dust the baking tray with semolina and place the loaves on the hot tray
~bake the dough at 220 deg c for 25 minutes spraying the oven sides with water several times during the first ten minutes of baking
~lower the temperature to 180 deg c and bake for a further 20-25 minutes or until cooked
~turn the oven off, remove the dish of water, and leave the bread in the oven with the door ajar a few inches for 5-10 minutes

note * i used dried chestnuts that i soaked in water overnight and then boiled in lightly salted water until  cooked

serving suggestion

serve with turkey soup and crispy bacon



well risen sourdough after overnight refrigeration

home grown sage




i hope you have a happy week..x


Monday 23 July 2012

medjool date, walnut and saffron sourdough

when i bought some medjool dates today i hadn't thought of using them in the sourdough bread that i'd started making early in the morning..on my way home from shopping i started to dream about date delicacies but i resisted the idea of making anything sugary and buttery in order to avoid putting temptation in the path of 'the cook with questionable strength of character'..but after all that self talk i was able to justify adding some of the dates to half of my sourdough along with walnuts and saffron..and then i returned to the shops for cheese to go with the bread!




a roquefort like french blue cheese and la luna holy goat cheese with medjool date, walnut and saffron sourdough for dinner



medjool date, walnut and saffron sourdough


ingredients

levain
1 tbs sourdough starter
100 gms bread flour
125 gms filtered water

final dough
250 gms levain
200 gms warm filtered water
350 gms white bread flour
50  gms wholemeal flour
1 1/2 tbs crushed murray river salt
6 medjool dates cut large
10-12 walnut halves
a large pinch of saffron threads

method levain

day 1
~mix the starter with the water and flour and cover and leave for 16 hours

method final dough

day 2
~put the levain in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water and mix well
~add the flours and mix until well combined
~autolyse for 10 minutes
~add salt and mix for 2 minutes
~rest for 10 minutes and mix again for 2 minutes
~remove the bowl from the mixer, cover the dough loosely with greased cling film and place somewhere warm and draught free for 3 hours 
~remove the dough from the bowl onto an oiled bench, divide in half and add dates, walnuts and saffron to one half and knead to incorporate with the dough
~knead the second half
~cover the dough on the bench with the greased cling film and leave for 10 minutes
~knead for a few seconds and cover with the cling film and leave for 10 minutes
~shape each piece of dough into an oblong sealing the seam well
~place each piece of dough seam side down between the floured folds of a tea towel, cover with cling film and leave for 2 hours or until a finger pressed into the dough leaves an indentation


~preheat a baking tray and place a dish of hot water in the oven
~dust each loaf with flour and score each loaf down the centre 
~dust the baking tray with a little rice flour and place each loaf on the heated tray
~bake the dough on the bread baking function at 220 deg c for 25 minutes spraying the oven sides with water several times during the first 10 minutes of baking
~lower the temperature to 180 deg c and bake for a further 20-25 minutes or until cooked
~turn the oven off, remove the dish of water, and leave the bread in the oven with the door ajar a few inches for 5-10 minutes






this post submitted to yeastspotting


Friday 20 July 2012

frugal friday

i rarely cook roasted meats but earlier this week i ended up roasting a half leg of lamb..that's because i ran out of time to mince it as i usually do and i don't like freezing meat..there was a lot of cooked meat left over so today i minced it and made it into two shepherd's pies..i added onion, carrot, homegrown celery and chilli, stock made from the bones and worcestershire sauce..on top i dolloped a creamy mash which i dotted with butter prior to cooking..


there's plenty of stock left over after using some of it in the meat base for the pies..after straining it through muslin i will make some soup over the weekend..


i wilted rocket leaves, stinging nettles and rapa leaves to make a warm green salad to have with the pie that i dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and murray river salt..




i hope you have a safe and happy weekend x

Sunday 15 July 2012

this week..

i picked my crabapples which was a bit late in the
season and many had rotted on the tree and
so i only had enough for one jar of jelly

i bought these tulips for $5 from a roadside stall
in the dandenongs on the way home from a very
muddy bushwalk 

i picked these violets which are growing profusely
along my drive..they smell divine 

i picked lavender

i decided to pick all of my chillies and i will now dry them

i made a new soap with oats and lemon myrtle

i bought  a t2 teacup at the op shop for $1


i hope your week was a happy and productive one too..x



Friday 6 July 2012

stuffed capsicums

up until fairly recently i'd thought of capsicums mainly as a summer vegetable but i've noticed my neighbours capsicums ripening throughout winter..this probably shouldn't have surprised me since every winter my chillies do the same..in fact i have dozens of them ripening on my chilli bush that need to be picked and then dried for use over the next twelve months..i've also noticed that they're really cheap at $2/kilo at my grocer's..although having said that i looked at the price in safeway today and they were $8.95/kilo..

today i bought 6 lovely thick fleshed flat bottomed capsicums which were perfect for making stuffed capsicums..i used to make stuffed vegetables quite regularly years ago but i've overlooked them in recent years..in fact i can't remember the last time i made them..i'm so glad i've rediscovered them though because they're cheap and easy to make as well as delicious..




stuffed capsicums (yemistes piperies)
this is a recipe that i've adapted myself over the years from many recipes 

ingredients

6 thick fleshed red capsicums
150 gms minced lamb or beef (i minced my own lamb)
1 medium onion cut fine
1/2 cup short grained rice uncooked
700 mls tomato puree
1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
2 tablespoons currants
1/2 teaspoon (tsp) powdered allspice or to taste
1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
1 tsp salt flakes or to taste
1/4 tsp chilli flakes 
1 1/2 tsp sugar
olive oil
water
5 medium potatoes skinned and cut into quarters lengthwise

method

~cut the stalks from the capsicums, trim the back of the stalk, remove seeds and white pith from the inside of the capsicum and wash well
~in a frying pan cook the onion in olive oil until translucent
~add meat and brown
~add rice, currants, parsley, spices, salt and pepper, chilli, half of the tomato puree and 3/4 cup of water
~cook over a low heat stirring occasionally until most of the water has been absorbed
~place 1/4 tsp sugar in each capsicum and then fill with the meat and rice mix
~replace capsicum lid on each capsicum
~place capsicums in a baking tray, add potato wedges, the remainder of tomato puree and a 1/4 cup of water 
~drizzle potatoes and capsicum with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
~cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 180 deg c
~remove foil and cook for a further 45-50 minutes or until the capsicums are well browned and the potatoes are cooked

serve with a green salad









have a happy weekend..x