I love long weekends...who doesn't? It's amazing how that extra day allows you to fully relax and feel like you've had a break.


I spent my long weekend visiting a friend's farm in Kyneton. It was wonderful. We wondered around the streets, stopping for a coffee and a bite of lunch, picking up food to cook for dinner before stopping for afternoon tea...my sort of holiday!


One of the little stores were selling a range of cooking products so I was able to pick up some organic unbleached flower, organic chickpeas and a number of herbs.


I was also able to pick up some farm fresh eggs and a goody bag of tomatoes from the farm....price winning tomatoes I might add....can't wait bite into them!


My friend's have a number of horses on their farm so I was able to put on a pair of welly boots and head out to feed them...although I was petrified due to how huge these animals are, they were so gentle and sweet that I loved every minute of it.

I actually feel like I've had a weekend (our last for a little while).

Thanks M and E for a wonderful time!
x

Happy Birthday....

Today we celebrated my sister-in-law's birthday.

Babysitting my niece and nephew for the day so my brother and sister-in-law could enjoy a leisurely lunch out, we set out to make the birthday cake....


Further details on the cake including the recipe to come later....so stay tuned...


I hope you enjoyed your day J, along with your birthday cake followed by a yummy glass of bubbles....I know I did (as proven below)

Happy Birthday!
x

The Cookbook Challenge No. 23: Leaf

When I made this dish, the weather was starting to cool down, and my cravings for hearty meals of casseroles, mashed potato, and thick soups was starting to kick in. I absolutely love this time of year except for this one weird thing I've been noticing for the last few years...for the first month of Autumn, I am always hungry! As I don't really cope during our Summers and tend to eat a lot of salads for lunch and dinner, I guess it's my body's way of 'going back to normal'. If only my thighs could agree. So for this week's theme I decided to indulge my cravings and make......

A Soup-Stew of Beans and Cavolo Nero
Cookbook: Tender Volume 1
Author: Nigel Slater


250g dried beans, such as cannellini, buterbeans or borlotti
2 bay leaves
Olive oil
150g pancetta in the piece
2 large onions
2 carrots
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
400g chopped tomatoes
1 litre of water or vegetablestock
Small butternut squash or pumpkin
Meaty ham bone or knuckle of Parma ham
Short length of rind from a lump of Parmesan
Handful of flat elaved parsley, roughly chopped
2 large handfuls of cavolo nero or half a small cabbage, cut into wedges

Serves 4-6


Soak the beans overnight in deep, cold water. Drain, tip them into a large, deep saucepan and cover them with fresh water. Bring to the boil, then remove the froth from the surface with a draining spoon. Drop in the bay leaves and a tablespoon or so of olive oil and leave to boil merrily for forty-five minutes to an hour, until tender. Add salt to the water about twenty minute sbefore the end of cooking. Drain and set aside.

Cut the pancetta into short lenghts or fat cubes, put them in a deep pan with a couple of spoonfuls of oil and set over a moderate heat. Peel theonions, halve them and slice them thinly. Once the pancetta has begun to sizzle, add theonions and stir them from time to time until they soften.

Scrub the carrots, cut them into large dice and sadd to the onions with the garlic. Let everything soften without colouring, lowering the heat as and when you need to. Add the tomatoes and let them soften before pouring in the water or stock. Peel and roughly chop the squash or pumpkin and stir it in.

Now add the hame bone and parmesan rind. Bring the soup to the boil, then turn down the heat so that it simmers gently. Cover with lid but set it askew so that some of the stem escapes. Leave to simmer with only the occasional stir for an hour and a half, by which time the soup should be thick, rich and heavy.

Add the beans to the pot along with the parsley and cabbage leaves. Continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with gratd parmesan.

Yum, yum, yum!

Unforutnately, my green grocer on the day I went shopping for these ingredients didn't have any Cavalo Nero, so instead of switching recipes I decided to use Silver Beet, and it worked really well.

After devouring a bowl myself, I packaged the soup into containes and put it in the freezer for lunches during the week - I'm really against buying my lunches at work (unless it's sushi of course) as I never know what ingredients they've put in the dish, or how they made it (not really trusting, am I?), as well as the fact that it can cost a small fortune (prefer to spend my money on shoes!) I've had one of the soups since, and it re-heats really well, so I definitely plan to add this one to my soup making rotation during winter.

The Cookbook Challenge No. 22: Red

PART 1

I'm still not quite sure what made me choose this particular recipe for this weeks theme, but you really can't get any more red than this....

Raspberry Vinegar
Cookbook: Maggies Kitchen
Author: Maggie Beer


200g fresh or frozen raspberries
400ml red-wine vinegar (6 per cent)

If using frozen raspberries (which I did), defrost them, then wash any remaining frost off and dry them well with kitchen paper. Blend the raspberries and vinegar in a food processor, then bottle and leave for 3 months. Pour the vinegar through a paper filter (like those used in a coffee machine) into a sterilised bottle and discard any solids. {Note - I made 1/2 this quantity to see how well it turns out}


Maggie makes a note that the vinegar must at least be 6 per cent acetic acid, which is stronger than many. A vinegar as strong as this will stop fermentation from occurring - and you can generally equate strength with quality.


As I've previously mentioned, I'm a big fan of any sort of pickle/vinegar type flavour, so when I saw this simple little recipe I couldn't resist giving it a try.

She mentions to use this vinegar with gusto and that it's particularly good for deglazing.

Will let you know how it turns out in 3 months time.


PART 2

For my second recipe, since my first recipe was so simple (not really cooking at all), I decided to make.....


Beetroot Seed Cake
Cookbook: Tender: Volume 1
Author: Nigel Slater


225g self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
a scant tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
180ml sunflower or Brazil nut oil
225g light muscovado sugar
3 eggs, separated
150g raw beetroot
juice of half a lemon
75g sultanas or raisins
75g mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, linseed, etc)

For the icing
8 tbsp icing sugar
lemon juice or orange blossom water
poppy seeds

Preheat oven at 180 degrees. Lightly grease a rectangular loaf tin then line the base with baking parchment.

Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Beat the oil and sugar in a food mixer until well creamed, then introduce the egg yolks one by one. Grate the beetroot coarsely and fold it into the mixture, then add the lemon juice, sultanas or raisins and the assorted seeds.

Fold the flour and raising agents into the mixture while the machine is on slow.

Beat the egg whites till light and almost stiff. Fold gently but thoroughly into the mixture, using a large metal spoon. Pour mixture into the loan tin and bake for 50 - 55 minutes, covering the top with a piece of foil after thirty minutes. Test with a skewer for doneness. The cake should be moist inside but not sticky.

Leave the cake to settle for a good 20 minutes before turning it out of its tin onto a wire cooling rack.

.....what a mess! Unfortunately, this cake used up just about every dish in my cupboard to make and I had splatterings of beetroot juice everywhere.


I took this cake into my guinea pigs at work, and it did receive some really great feedback, including that it was very moist and light. Some also mentioned that it tasted like Mooncake(?). Unfortunately, I felt the icing didn't do it justice (I used orange blossom water). It seemed a bit overpowering for such a gentle cake...maybe a cream cheese frosting would have been better...much more creamy.


Even though it had a lovely texture and flavour (not unlike carrot cake), for the effort that it took to make (not to mention the effort it took to clean up the kitchen afterwards), I have no intention of making it again. Glad I tried it though.

The Cookbook Challenge No. 21: Thai

Once again I have discovered that I have no specific cookbooks for particular food styles, and unfortunately this includes Thai food, so for this weeks theme I decided to go with my taste buds. For me, two of the flavours that I love tasting when I eat Thai food is the fresh zing of lime, and the lush creaminess of coconut milk, so when I flicked through Skye Gyngell's cookbook - My Favourite Ingredients and discovered the following dish....my decision was made....

Monkfish Curry with Coconut, Lime, and Curry Leaves
Cookbook: My Favourite Ingredients
Author: Skye Gyngell


1 tbsp unsalted butter or ghee
2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
Bunch of coriander, roots and stems finely chopped, leaves reserved
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 red chillies, chopped (seeds left in)
6 fresh curry leaves
2 kaffir lime leaves
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar
2 2 340g jar or tinned peeled plum tomatoes
800g monkfish fillet (I used Dory fillets as it's what I had in my freezer)
400ml tin coconut milk
Lime wedges, to serve

Place large heavy-based saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add butter and once it beings to melt, add onions and cook for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, toast the seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until they begin to pop and release their aroma. Remove from heat and while still warm, pound to a rough powder using a pestle and mortar.

Add ground spices to the onions along with the chopped coriander root and stems, garlic, chillies and curry leaves. Crush kaffir lime leaves between your fingers and also add to pan. Cook for a further 5-6 mins.

Add lime juice, fish sauce and sugar, stir once or twice and turn up the heat slightly. Add tomatoes and cook for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.

To finish, add coconut milk to a simmering curry and using a sharp knife, slice the monkfish into 2.5cm pieces and add to the curry. Cook for 3-4 mins until the fish is just cooked - it will feel firm to the touch.

Scatter over the reserved coriander leaves, ladle into bowls and serve with lime wedges and plain rice or grilled flat bread.


Unfortunately, I have a head cold at the moment so I had a bit of trouble really tasting this dish to see if everything was consistent. However, in saying that what I could taste was absolutely delicious. It wasn't a smack you in the face hot curry, but a really warm and lusciously creamy one which was made quite light with the addition of the coriander.


You may get turned off by the longish list of ingredients, but if you're like me, you probably have most of them already in your cupboard so I found this recipe to be really simple and quite cheap to put together...and one I'd definitely make again when my taste buds are working.

The Yarra Valley...

What a wonderful weekend!

I spent most of it down the gorgeous Yarra Valley which is just perfect at this time of year....heavy mist was in the air, the leaves were turning a beautiful shade of gold and burnt red, and the sunsets were spectacular.....


Unfortunately, the camera didn't capture the beautiful colours in the sky very well, but take it from me...it was wonderful.


After all the food we'd eaten the night before, we put on the runners and headed out along the walking trails which wound their way along the Yarra, before heading over to one of my favourite places...the Yarra Valley Dairy...


What an afternoon...we spent it drinking yummy rose, reading the papers, and of course eating lots and lots of cheese thanks to these guys below....


I can't think of a better way to spend a lazy afternoon, can you?

April

One of my favourite things about April, apart from the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Easter (have I mentioned how much I love hot cross buns?), is that it's the middle of Autumn. I love Autumn. It would have to be my favourite season. I love the colours of the trees as they change and lose their leaves, I love the fact that I can sleep underneith my doona of an evening, and I especially love the food, from creamy mashed potato to slow cooked casseroles....my mouth is starting to water.

In Australia we're extremley lucky to have most produce available all year round, but I really do love knowing what should be available naturally, which is why I've decided to list some of the produce which is at it's best each month.

I'm quite lucky as my fruit & veg store stocks seasonal produce, but I often refer back to these lists when I'm looking for recipes. So here is a snapshot of the produce I try and eat most during the beautiful month of April...

Vegetables

broad beans
broccolini
brussel sprouts
cabbages
chestnuts
chokos
eggplants
fennel
leeks
mushrooms
okra
pumpkins
silver beet

Fruits

apples
bananas
cuquats
custard apples
dragon fruit
grapes
limes
pears
persimmons
pomegranates
quinces
tamarillos
watermelon

{all photos courtesy of Cannelle et Vanille}

The Cookbook Challenge No. 20: Tangy

Tangy would have to be one of my all time favourite words as it conjours up some of my favourite meals.

For this week's theme, I decided to be a little different and use a recipe I found on a fellow blogger's site. I actually made this for my 'Nibble Club' which I held a few weekends ago, and it received rave reviews!


Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecakes
Blog: Tartelette

1 cup biscuit crumbs (I used Arrowroot biscuits)
60g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
200g caster sugar
240g fresh mild goat cheese, at room temperature
240g cream cheese, at room temperature
Juice and zest of a whole lemon
3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325F and position a rack in the middle. Line 8 standard sized muffin tins with liners and slightly spray with cooking spray. Place the muffin pan in a large roasting pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the crumbs, the melted butter and 50g of the caster sugar. Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared muffin liners and pat with the back of a spoon. Bake for 5 minutes. Let cool. Lower the heat to 300F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the remaining sugar with the cheeses and the lemon zest on medium speed until the mixture is completely smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time and beating well after each addition. Add the lemon juice and beat another 30 seconds. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin liners. Add hot water to the roasting pan but do not worry about coming up halfway the side of the muffin pan too much. The oven temperature is already so low that the water is just to be on the safe side. Add at least one inch inside the roasting pan.

Bake the mini cheesecakes for 20 minutes or until slightly jiggling in the middle still. Keep an eye on them as they bake rather fast this way. Let cool completely before unmolding.


Helen from Tartelette cooked her cheesecakes as above in the muffin pan, however I tried a couple of ways. Firstly, I cooked them in little mini cupcake liners, thinking these would be great little bite sized desserts. They turned our really cute like this, however, were a bit of a bugger to get the wrappers off without getting cheesecake all over your fingers. The key was to have the cheesecakes really cold whilst unwrapping, however being so small they started to come to room temperature very quickly.


Secondly, I used little glasses (shot glasses) to bake them in. These were fantastic! My only hesitation would be if I were making quite a few for a function - I wouldn't have enough glasses for everyone, or would be worried that they'd not all make it back to me in one piece.

From the above quantity, I made 12 shot glass sized cheesecakes and 10 mini cupcake sized cheesecakes.

Verdict - This has been one of my most favourite recipes to make to date in this challenge. With the addition of goats cheese, these little babies were light, wonderfully tangy, and absolutely bloody delicious.


Thanks Tartelette!

Happy Easter...

Each Easter I make something small to take into work as a little present to my colleagues. With all the chocolate that was being consumed within our office, I decided to make something without chocolate.....

Easter Egg Cookies


I made some simple butter cookies and cut out Easter egg shapes with a new little cookie cutter I bought, and with some icing sugar, colourings, silver baubles, coconut, and little sugar flowers, I was set....



Wishing you all a very happy Easter break!
xox