The Cookbook Challenge No.28: Breakfast

I LOVE BREAKFAST!


It would have to be my favourite meal of the day, especially on weekends when I can relax with a pot of tea and make something special. During the week, I'm normally a porridge girl (especially on these cooler mornings), however come Saturday I can usually be found munching on poached eggs or grilled tomatoes on toast....bliss!

So for this challenge I wanted to make something different to my normal breakfast routine, and there has been one recipe I've been dying to make for years. Technically, I didn't get the recipe from one of my cookbooks but from his TV show which I had written down a few years ago, but I wasn't going to miss this opportunity because of a technicality.....

Breakfast - Part 1


Coconut Bread
Cookbook: TV Show
Author: Bill Granger

2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
150g shredded coconut
300ml milk
2 eggs
dash vanilla
75g melted butter

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add the mill, egg, vanilla and butter mixture and stir to combine.

Pour thick batter into greased and lined loaf tin and bake for approximately 1 hour at 180 degrees.


Slice up and pop in the toaster.

Can be frozen for up to 1 month.



The best thing about this dish is the aroma that comes out of the oven whilst it's baking.....the sweet smell of coconut is addictive.


You then get a second dose of that aroma when you pop a thick slice into the toaster and then smother with butter (keep watch though as can burn quite quickly).....ahhh Bill...you've done it again!



Breakfast - Part 2


To branch away from my routine of cooked breakfasts on a weekend, I thought I'd try something a little different (and lighter)....

Berry Breakfast Trifle
Cookbook: Marie Claire Seasonal Kitchen
Author: Michele Cranston

200g rolled oats
250ml apple juice
500g strawberries, hulled (I used Kiwi fruit instead)
3 tsp honey
125g plain yoghurt
150g blueberries

Put the oats and apple juice in a bowl. Mix well, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight, to allow the oats to soak.

Mash half the strawberries with the honey, then mix them through the soaked oats along with the yoghurt. Slice the remaining strawberries.

Spoon half the oat mixture into four serving glasses, then top with half the strawberries and blueberries. Cover with the remaining oat mixture, then the remaining berries. Serves 4.


Hmmm.....not quite sure about this one. The taste was ok - bit too sweet for me first thing on a morning, and didn't quite hit the spot. Also, I found it a little too mushy so would suggest adding some nuts and/or seeds to the oat mixture just to give a little more texture.


Don't plan to make this one again, but glad I gave it a whirl.

Sunny Queensland......

I've just spent a whirl wind of a long weekend up on the sunny Gold Coast meeting my new little great-niece for the very first time.

My God...a great-niece....I'm really not that old...really I'm not.


It was a wonderful weekend catching up with my nephews and niece, feeding our faces with Vietnamese in Chinatown to sitting down by the beach munching fish and chips, wearing thongs again, and watching the Pelicans get ready for their dinner.


It came to an end all too soon!

xox

The Cookbook Challenge No. 27: Insect

What a fantastic theme! This one really got me thinking...insect....what the hell?

I poured over my cookbooks for a couple of weeks looking for something to jump out at me, and low and behold, it did.....

Honey and Olive Oil Cake
Cookbook: From Tree to Table
Author: Patrice Newell


As soon as I spotted the word 'honey', pictures of bees filled my head which led to me performing a little jig on the spot.....wooo hooo...finally, I'd found my recipe!

Butter for greasing
Flour for dusting
75g thick honey
80ml milk
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 x 55g eggs
125g castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
125g plain flour, sifted
40g arrowroot
300ml cream

Preheat oven to 150 degrees ad grease 20cm cake tin with a little butter. Line the bottom with baking paper and grease it. Dust all over with flour, tipping out the excess.

In a small saucepan, melt honey with milk and olive oil and leave to cool.

Beat eggs and sugar together until thick and creamy (5-7 minutes in an electric mixer with a whisk attachment or twice as long if beating by hand), stir in vanilla and cooled honey and milk mixture, and gently fold in the flour and arrowroot. Pour into the cake tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 40-50 minutes until cake is golden, puffed up and shrinking from the sides. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.


As you may have read previously, I actually made this week's theme a couple of weeks ago for my sister-in-laws birthday with the help of my 5 year old nephew Mr H...yep, that's him scooping out the last of the batter and putting it into his mouth.

What a wonderful recipe. The texture inside was soft and light, with a slight crumbly crust on the outside, and the flavour was subtly sweet with just a hint of the honey and olive oil coming through.


As it was for a birthday, I added some whipped cream and topped it off with crushed violet crumble. My initial instinct was that the cream might overpower the subtle taste of the cake, but it didn't at all, and in fact I really enjoyed the cake with this topping. My nephew on the other hand wasn't that impressed with the cooked version of the cake and chose to eat the topping only.


Would I make this again...absolutely! Apart from the finished product, the cake released a beautiful fragrance throughout the kitchen whilst it was cooking...no wonder bees are huge fans of honey...delicious!

May

I mentioned last month that Autumn was my favourite season of the year. One of the reasons for this is that May is my favourite month of the year as it's my birthday!

The weather's getting cooler, my cardigans have come out, and the warm comforting food is being cooked....I can't think of anything better than that, can you?

I also mentioned last month that even though we have access to unlimited varieties of produce all year round, I love cooking with those items that are at their natural best at this time of the year, so for the Merry Month of May, try cooking with....

Vegetables

broad beans
brussel sprouts
cabbages
celery
eggplants
fennel
ginger
leeks
mushrooms
parsnips
spinach
turnips

Fruits

apples
bananas
cumquat's
custard apples
guavas
kiwifruit
lemons nashis
pawpaw
pears
quinces
tamarillos
rhubarb

{all photos courtesy of Tartelette}

The Cookbook Challenge No. 26: Green

Since receiving this issue, I've been dying to make this particular recipe as the thought of munching my way through this jar with some sharp cheddar cheese puts a huge smile on my face, so what better opportunity to make it than during 'Green' theme week...

Zucchini Pickles
Cookbook: Donna Hay Magazine, Issue 47 (Oct/Nov 2009)


Place the zucchini, onion and salt in a colander, toss to coat and place over a bowl. Cover the zucchini and refrigerate overnight. (Salting the zucchini overnight drains out the moisture and helps create a crunchy pickle)

Drain and rinse the zucchini well then place in a 1 1/2 cup-capacity jar with the dill.

Place the vinegars, sugar and chilli in a saucepan over high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for 5-8 minutes or until just thickened and syrupy. Pour over the zucchini and seal the jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Store in a cool, dark place for up to one week.


Not bad at all! I actually made this recipe a few weekends ago, and have been munching away ever since.

Just slightly too sweet (I'd definitely lower the amount of sugar added next time) but lovely and crisp with a real bite from the vinegar. Definitely something I intend to make again. I picture seeing these pickles on a platter with the cheddar cheese and some crackers on a warm Summers day, all washed down with a chilled bottle of white wine.

The Cookbook Challenge No. 25: Silky

I hadn't picked up this cookbook again since we completed the theme for Greek week, so decided to flick through and see if anything jumped out at me for any of the upcoming themes....and one in particular did for SILKY week....

Galaktoboureko (Milk Pie)
Cookbook: Greek Cookery from the Hellenic Heart
Author: George Calombaris


1100ml full-cream milk
400g caster sugar
180g semolina
pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 split scraped vanilla bean
10 sheets filo pastry, halved
250g clarified butter
20g unsalted butter
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Syrup
250g caster sugar
200ml water
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon


Bring milk, sugar, vanilla bean and cinnamon to the boil in a saucepan. Mix semolina and salt together and then whisk quickly into milk. Continuously whisk over medium heat for 5 minutes until thick.

Whisk in unsalted butter then cover with grease-proof paper to prevent skin forming. When cool, mix in eggs and leave aside.

Butter a 35cm x 25cm baking dish. Place seven sheets (same size as the dish) of filo in the dish, brushing each sheet with clarified butter. Bake at 165 degrees for 45 minutes until golden brown and custard is set. While baking, bring syrup ingredients to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes then strain.

Pour hot syrup over the pie as soon as it comes straight from the oven. Leave to cool for an hour and then portion into 12 pieces.


The smell that filled up my kitchen when I lifted the pie out of the dish was absolutely delicious....sticky, lemony, caramely sweetness is the only way I can describe it (yep, making up words as I go), and that's exactly what it tasted like...sticky, lemony, caramely sweetness...unfortunately a little too sweet for me! I couldn't even finish the one slice before my teeth began to ache.

Thank God for family with kids....as I took the pie to my brother & co's home where it was eaten up with glee.

A very smooth, silky filling located between the sheets of filo which reminded me a little of baklava.

Not a dish I would make again, but the smell in my kitchen while it was cooking was worth it.

My Birthday Weekend......

What a wonderful weekend!

It was my birthday on Friday, and I've been able to spend the hours since turning another year older eating at some wonderful restaurants, and spending time with fantastic friends and my family.

It started with my two managers taking me out to lunch on Friday to a yummy Italian restaurant located in Little Collins Street - Intimo, we're we started with fresh oysters and baked scallops followed by linguine with prawns and crab, and washed down with some yummy glasses of rose.


After struggling to get through work for the afternoon (after having those few glasses of wine), I headed out with Friends for some bottles of bubbly at a bar called Aticus Finch on Lygon St in Brunswick, before then heading across the road to a little Sicilian restaurant - Bar Idda. Here we stuffed our hungry faces with Sicilian meatballs, lamb cutlets, and lots, lots more.


Day 2 of the birthday weekend saw me catching up with my sister's family at Hellenic Republic, where we feasted on lamb and chicken with beautiful beans cooked with feta, dips with pita and yummy dolmades.


After rolling home with a full belly, I awoke on Day 3 of the birthday weekend ready to head out to brunch with my brother's family to a fantastic little restaurant - The Commoner located on Johnston St in Fitzroy. Here I feasted on a wonderful breakfast of eggs with chorizo and a salad of pickled onions and capers with one of the yummiest coffees I've had in a long while.


I'm now at home and it's 3pm on a Sunday afternoon, and I'm in my pj's thinking about cooking a roast chicken for dinner.


I'm definitely ready to get back in to my normal weekday routine which involves walking into work after all the food I've consumed, but it has been an absolutely wonderful weekend and I've enjoyed every bite of it.

I'm looking forward to another wonderful year filled with great food, friends and family!

It's My Birthday.......

{photo courtesy of Blossom}

Happy Birthday to me!

My God....where did that last year go?

xox

A New York State of Mind...

{photo courtesy of Cannelle et Vanille}

I'm one very excited girl over here as I've just booked a holiday to.........New York!

I'm heading off with some girlfriends in a few weeks time, and can't wait to just roam around the streets, stopping for coffee and of course bagels whilst watching the world go by. Any suggestions on 'must see places', please let me know!

Happy Birthday B.....

Wishing my niece "Ms B" a happy sweet 16th birthday for today.
Hope you're having a wonderful day!

xox

What a wonderful day....

I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than heading down to the Yarra Valley with some girlfriends for a wonderful, relaxing and indulgent lunch....can you?

On Saturday we headed down to a restaurant called Bella Vedere which is located at the Badgers Brook Winery in the Yarra Valley. Bella Vedere in Italian means 'beautiful view', and what a gorgeous view it was.....


One of my girlfriends and I stumbled across this restaurant two years ago when we spent a lazy weekend (spent eating mostly) down in Marysville and as we couldn't get a booking at the time, swore we would come back to try it out....well, two years later we finally fulfilled that wish.

To begin with, the bread they placed on the table had to be the most beautiful bread I've ever tasted. It was so soft and light with a real saltiness that was so moreish....I had to stop myself from eating any more as I wouldn't fit my lunch in, which was organic baked pork belly. The only word to say here is YUMMMM!


M had the slow cooked venison with wet polenta, whilst N had the baked trout. Both looked equally as delicious and were gobbled down just as quick.


As you walk into the restaurant, you actually pass by the bakery which has all of the desserts on display...very good tactic I think as we couldn't leave with giving them a try. I opted for what looked a little like a rhubarb tart tatin....whatever it was, it was magnificent. Nice and tart with a sweet kick.


M chose the lime and coconut tart - this was probably the winner out of all the desserts - so creamy, and N chose the tiramisu.

After polishing off yummy wine and then some coffees, we were ready for a nap, and staggered slowly out of the restaurant at around 5pm......ready to head home to pj's, the couch and a cup of tea.....see, I told you there was no better way to spend an afternoon!

The Cookbook Challenge No 24: Chocolate

I'm female and I'm a foodie, yet I'm not a chocolate fan....bit weird isn't it?

Don't get me wrong, I won't say no to some Haighs' caramel chocs and the occasional cherry ripe, but I'm really not a lover of chocolate desserts. Give me apple pie or crumble and I'll lick the plate clean, but I'll usually say no to a slice of chocolate cake, so I haven't really been looking forward to this week's theme of chocolate.

So to get me excited, I decided to try making a dessert that I've never made before, and then find a recipe that has a 'chocolate' version of it, and I found....

Chocolate Pannacotta
Cookbook: Apples for Jam
Author: Tessa Kiros


6g leaf gelatine
250ml milk
500ml pouring cream
60g caster sugar
80g dark semi-sweet chocolate, broken up (I used left over easter eggs)
20g unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

Put gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water to soften them.

Meanwhile, put the milk, cream, sugar, chocolate and cocoa in a saucepan over low heat and stir so that it becomes smooth and nothing sticks to the bottom. Turn off the heat just before it reaches boiling point.

Squeeze the water out of the soften gelatine leaves and stir them into the hot chocolate milk. Leave to cool, whisking now and then to make sure the gelatine has dissolved.

Pour mixture into six 125ml pudding or pannacotta moulds and then cover them with plastic wrap. Put in the ridge overnight, or until set.

To unmould, loosen the top edges gently with your fingers. Dip the bottom of the moulds into hot water for just a couple of seconds (any longer might turn your pannacotta into liquid again) and tip out onto serving plates.


Tessa doesn't mention to grease the moulds, however going by other pannacotta recipes I've read, they say to lightly grease the mould using oil - which I did just in case.


Yes, I know I'm using this cookbook again, but I'm just loving it!

As I was going to a friends for dinner, I brought along the dessert which received really good reviews. All plates were licked clean to the comment of "bloody beautiful"...phew, as I was so scared they either wouldn't come out of the moulds, not be set enough, or be too firm. As my Italian friend said "they should wobble like a lady's boob".....yep, mine were very boob like...hoorah!


For my taste buds, they weren't too rich or sweet which was great, however as mentioned, I'm not a chocolate dessert fan, so I personally wouldn't make them again....but will definitely try making pannacotta again, maybe a vanilla bean or even a yoghurt flavoured one as they really weren't as scary as I first thought.