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By Susan, on October 5th, 2010  I like the store bought biscuit selection we have in Australia: Tim Tams, Mint Slices, Kingstons and who could forget the Monte Carlo. Monte Carlos are one of my grand mothers favorite biscuits, so I decided to bake her a batch for her birthday.
Monte Carol Biscuits
Recipe from Women’s Weekly
Ingredients
- 125g softened butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2tbs honey
- a pinch of salt
- 2 cups of self raising flour
- 1/3 cup raspberry jam, warmed
- 2 cups of icing sugar
- 15g softened butter, extra
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2-3tbs milk
Method
- Preheat oven to 180c.
- Line a biscuit tray with baking paper.
- Cream butter and sugar until well blended. Add egg, honey and a pinch of salt. Fold through sifted flour.
- Roll mixture into a log. Cover with plastic and allow to rest for about 20 minutes.
- Uncover and slice into 1/2 cm slices. Place on tray and bake for 15 minutes until golden.
- While still warm brush 1/2 the biscuits with jam. Set aside to cool.
- Sift icing into a bowl. Add butter, and vanilla essence. Mix in enough milk to form a thick icing. Spread other half of the biscuits with the icing and sandwich together.
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By Susan, on October 4th, 2010 I have become increasingly disgruntled with the quality of the produce available at the big super market chains. Tomatoes are one of the worst offenders, they are hard and tasteless and have been grown to fit the logistic requirements as opposed to actually caring about the quality of the product. All the produce looks fabulous but the taste is non-existent. I just can’t stand it any longer!!
I have grown herbs and tomatoes in the past and was successfully able to keep them alive. My confidence in the garden has now improved and I have finally decided to have a real go at a vege garden. I have opted for a ‘container’ vegetable garden as I’m not sure if I am ready to commit to raised garden beds at this stage… what if I get sick of maintaining the garden or they all end up dying on me? I figured with the container method if it all doesn’t work out no harm done…. I just get rid of the containers, where as getting rid of a whole garden bed is a lot more difficult!
I came across this great website http://www.thevegetablepatch.com a few weeks ago, he talks about growing veges in Brisbane and I now feel I am well enough informed to have a good go. I also wanted to be as economical as possible, so with my containers I have decided on Styrofoam boxes. They are free (if you look hard enough and bug enough fruit shops! LOL) plus they conveniently come with drainage holes!
My aim for my vege garden is to be as organic as I can. I went and bought a cubic meter of organic cow compost and spent a good part of the day shoveling and wheelbarrowing. I hadn’t realised just how much dirt was in a cubic meter!
Next step: Planting….. man, gardening can be quite exhausting!
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By Susan, on September 29th, 2010 This cake is FANTASTIC! I guarantee you will be the hit of the party… I know, I was  LOL
It starts off like a Pavlova: beat egg whites then add sugar slowly….. but ends by folding in Hazelnut Meal. This does wonders for the texture of the cake and although it may seems like a pav in disguise it deserves to be viewed in it’s own right.
The cake is then indulgently covered in rich chocolate ganache before being topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. I know what you thinking, but just ignore the diet the day you decide to bake this one – trust me, it’s worth it!
Plus, if you are gluten intolerant – it’s gluten free!
Hazelnut Gateau with Strawberries & Cream
Recipe adapted from cuisine.com.au
Ingredients
For the cake
- 6 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups castor sugar
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar
- 200g (7oz) hazelnut meal (ground hazelnuts)
- 1 tbsp cooled espresso coffee
- 2 tbsp cornflour
For the ganache
- 120ml (1/2 cup) cream
- 160g (6oz) good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
To finish
- 2 cups cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 punnets strawberries (500g/ 1 pound)
Method
- For the cake: Pre-heat oven to 160C. Whip egg whites till firm, gradually add sugar, then vinegar and whip until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold in ground hazelnuts, coffee and cornflour and spoon into a fully lined 27-28cm springform tin.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Cool. (The gateau can be made the day before and stored in an airtight container.)
- For the ganache: Gently heat the cream until almost simmering, add the chocolate and remove from heat. Leave to sit for a few minutes then stir until combined. Pour over gateau and allow to set.
- To assemble: Whip cream with vanilla extract, spoon onto the gateau and top with strawberries.
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By Susan, on September 27th, 2010 After a recent stop over in Turkey it became official - I love Turkish food! Every mouthful is jam packed with flavour. Somehow they have managed to combine light refreshing flavours with their awesome salads accompanied with wonderful grilled meats and comforting stews.
I came away from my trip vowing to cook more of this exotic cuisine, so when I saw this recipe in a recent delicious mag I just couldn’t resist. This dish has all the qualities of a great meaty lamb stew but with a wonderful sweetness added by the use of prunes.
The verdict? Well lets just say my husband insisted this recipe go up on my blog! So here is it…..
Slow Cooked Turkish Lamb Stew with Prunes
Recipe adapted from ‘Delicious’ magazine
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1kg diced lamb (3-4cm cubes)
- 2tbs olive oil
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2tbs sundried tomato pesto
- 1tbs harissa
- 2tsp ground cinnamon
- 2tsp honey
- 1/2 cup (125ml) red wine
- 1tsp treacle or molasses
- 20 big, plump pitted prunes
- 1/4tsp saffron threads soaked in 1/4 cup of boiling water
- flat leaf parsley
Method
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Seal lamb in batches, turning to brown all over. Transfer to a bowl and cover until needed.
- Add onion to pot an cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to 25 minutes until lightly coloured and soft.
- Add pesto, harissa, cinnamon, honey, red wine, treacle, prunes, saffron and soaking liquid, 1 1/2 cups of water, salt, pepper, lamb and resting juices.
- Stir to dissolve honey, then bring to boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer stew for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until lamb is tender.
- Once meat is tender, remove lid and increase heat slightly to maintain a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly. Serve with couscous or rice.
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By Susan, on September 25th, 2010 Finding gluten free desserts can be a bit of a challenge at the best of times. I wanted something simple and easy as I was recovering from a nasty cold and still not feeling completely back to normal.
Rice Pudding seems to be a real favorite with the older generation, I know my Nana is a huge fan and never turns it down when it is up for offer. Personally, I never saw what the big deal was until I came across a whole shop dedicated to the mushy grainy goodness while on holiday in the Big Apple. (Ahhh… I love New York!) The shop was called ‘Rice to Riches’ and I recommend everyone go and try their spectacular pudding if ever in Manhattan www.ricetoriches.com Trust me, you’ll never feel the same way about ‘simple’ rice pudding again.
You can serve this dish warm or cold. My preference is cold. It’s a funny thing how temperature can change the flavour of foods?
Creamy Rice Pudding with Stewed Strawberries
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com & teafactory.wordpress.com
Serves 8
Ingredients
For the rice pudding
- 1 1/2 cups of aborio rice
- 4 cups of full cream milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tbs salted butter
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the stewed strawberries
- 2 cups of strawberries washed and quartered
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp of jam, any berry kind
- ½ tsp powdered ginger
Method
- For the rice pudding: In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- In another saucepan, combine 3 cups of cooked rice and 3 cups of milk. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Then stir in sugar until dissolved.
- Stir in remaining 1 cup of milk and beaten eggs. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
- For the Stewed Strawberries: place all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Heat gently & stew until soft but berries still retain their shape, about 10 min (but keep a close eye on them – you could have jam before you know it).
- Remove the berries with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and set aside. Return the liquid to the stove, bring to the boil and reduce liquid down until you have a think syrup, then add to the bowl of stewed strawberries.
- Assemble your pudding! You can layer the stewed strawberries / pudding or just place in the large bowl with the strawberries on top. Serve warm or cold.
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By Susan, on September 11th, 2010 It’s been three and a half months since I last stepped into my kitchen. I was secretly worried I may have lost my touch and would no longer be able to bake mouth watering sweeties, so when being invited to my Aunt’s place for friday night pizza I thought there was no better opportunity to face my fears.
Chocolate Peanut Slice
Recipe adapted from chow.com
Ingredients
For the base:
- 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
- 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 125g (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temp, cut into small chunks
For the Peanut topping:
- 1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts
Method
- Heat oven to 180c (350F) and line a 20x20cm (8×8 inch) baking tray.
- Combine peanuts, flour, sugar, and salt in bowl of a food processor. Pulse until peanuts are ground and mixture is well combined. Add butter and pulse again until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Press mixture evenly into the prepared baking tray and prick it all over with a fork. Bake until lightly golden, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a rack.
- For the topping: Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Bring sugar mixture to boil and continue boiling until mixture turns a deep caramel color, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle chopped chocolate evenly over peanut shortbread.
- Remove the pan from heat and carefully stir in cream and vanilla extract (mixture will bubble up and steam). Stir peanuts into caramel mixture and immediately pour over shortbread and chocolate base. Allow to cool completely then cut into rectangles and serve.
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By Susan, on May 15th, 2010 These are very naughty — meat on meat on meat with cheese, sauce, sauce, sauce and pickles! The combination is fabulous and these Cuban’s are delicious and filling  I was introduced to ‘ The Cuban’ in New York City, I had one for breakfast at a Cuban diner — even at 8am in the morning the Cuban music was blaring! Click here to read the history of the Cuban Sandwich.
Cuban Sandwich
Inspired by a bunch of different Cuban Sandwich recipes
Ingredients
- Roast Pork, thinly sliced
- Salami, thinly sliced
- Ham, thinly sliced
- Dill Pickles, thinly sliced
- Swiss Cheese, sliced
- American Mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Hot sauce – I used ‘Old El Paso Hot taco sauce’
- Cuban Bread or Hot Dog Rolls
Method
- Preheat grill to medium high.
- Cut hot dog roll in half and assemble in the following order on the bottom half of the roll:
- Mayo
- Roast beef
- Salami
- Ham
- Pickles
- American mustard
- Swiss cheese
- Place bottom half of sandwich under the preheated grill until the cheese has melted.
- Meanwhile, preheat a sandwich toaster and spread the hot sauce on the top half of the hot dog roll.
- Once cheese has melted, place the top of the roll on top of the melted cheese, bottom half of the sandwich and place in the sandwich toaster for a couple of minutes until the roll is just crispy.
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By Susan, on May 14th, 2010 Yum, Yum! I made this one with plain whipped cream in the middle instead of the ‘Whipped Milk Chocolate Gnache’ in my last Rolled Pavlova. I can’t decide which one I like better, I do love the whipped chocolate gnache in the middle, it probably makes the pavlova richer but from a recovering chocoholic I just can’t get enough of it! I would be happy with chocolate on chocolate on chocolate on chocolate!
On the other hand, with the plain cream variety you can be a lot more fruity, I topped this one with Strawberries, Kiwi-fruit, Pineapple and Passion fruit – of coarse it did still have the sliced bananas and chocolate sauce in the middle Recipe Here.
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Coconut Cake
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