Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Spaghetti with Salsa Verda and Chicken
The second half of Mr. B's chicken was shredded for this recipe from Donna Hay's Chicken book (p.44) - actually that is what it is called under the photo - whereas the recipe is titled "Spaghetti with Chicken and Capers" - whatever, it was very nice. I love the mixture of basil, flat parsley (why does that always remind me of Flat Stanley?), capers, lime juice and olive oil with the chicken.
The basil and parsley came out of the garden. Whereas Donna always uses salted capers I use either salted or pickled and just wash them well. Also since I didn't have the required lemons I used limes. I love the flavour of both limes and capers so little wonder it appealed to my taste buds.
I think that I really will have to conquer my fear and attack the pasta maker. I am sure this would have been heavenly with fresh pasta.
The recipe was meant for 2 - very generous, even allowing for my small capacity.
This time of the year is heaven for apricot lovers. I am very fussy about the taste and texture - the current ones are passing both with flying colours.
The basil and parsley came out of the garden. Whereas Donna always uses salted capers I use either salted or pickled and just wash them well. Also since I didn't have the required lemons I used limes. I love the flavour of both limes and capers so little wonder it appealed to my taste buds.
I think that I really will have to conquer my fear and attack the pasta maker. I am sure this would have been heavenly with fresh pasta.
The recipe was meant for 2 - very generous, even allowing for my small capacity.
This time of the year is heaven for apricot lovers. I am very fussy about the taste and texture - the current ones are passing both with flying colours.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
More Chutney
Wow! Two posts in two days!
Well my success with the tomato chutney persuaded me to use the cut up plums and apples that I have been maturing in the freezer since the summer we arrived here! This time I could not find a recipe anywhere - Miss Schauer decided to hide and I still can't find her. Never mind, I have gon ahead and made my own. This time the fruit was so moist it took another hour to cook.
Plum Chutney
2 kg cut up blood plums (all seeded years ago- thank goodness) and apples (I didn't think to weigh them until they were combined)
3 onions
2 cups raisins
Piece of root ginger (all that was left from yesterday)
2 small garlic cloves (would have liked more)
1 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon mixed spice
4 cups sugar (I used 2 cups of soft brown, 1/2 cup of golden syrup and 1 1/2 cups white sugar - no prizes for guessing the reason for that combination)
small pinch of salt
600 mls white wine vinegar
This time I got 3 very large bottles plus a normal sized chutney bottle of pickle. I think I prefer the tomato version but time will tell as they really need ot mature a while.
Last night's dinner was Zucchini slice - the recipe is from the AWW cookbook, Best Recipes Ever. This recipe has been around a long time - I have been making it with or without modification for more than 20 years. Recipes must be difficult to copyright as there are so many variations on basic, very old ideas.
We had it with Mashed Potatoes, Roast Pumpkin and broccoli and a big splash of Tomato Chutney on the side - not quite meat and 3 vege but certainly there was good protein.
Well my success with the tomato chutney persuaded me to use the cut up plums and apples that I have been maturing in the freezer since the summer we arrived here! This time I could not find a recipe anywhere - Miss Schauer decided to hide and I still can't find her. Never mind, I have gon ahead and made my own. This time the fruit was so moist it took another hour to cook.
Plum Chutney
2 kg cut up blood plums (all seeded years ago- thank goodness) and apples (I didn't think to weigh them until they were combined)
3 onions
2 cups raisins
Piece of root ginger (all that was left from yesterday)
2 small garlic cloves (would have liked more)
1 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon mixed spice
4 cups sugar (I used 2 cups of soft brown, 1/2 cup of golden syrup and 1 1/2 cups white sugar - no prizes for guessing the reason for that combination)
small pinch of salt
600 mls white wine vinegar
This time I got 3 very large bottles plus a normal sized chutney bottle of pickle. I think I prefer the tomato version but time will tell as they really need ot mature a while.
Last night's dinner was Zucchini slice - the recipe is from the AWW cookbook, Best Recipes Ever. This recipe has been around a long time - I have been making it with or without modification for more than 20 years. Recipes must be difficult to copyright as there are so many variations on basic, very old ideas.
We had it with Mashed Potatoes, Roast Pumpkin and broccoli and a big splash of Tomato Chutney on the side - not quite meat and 3 vege but certainly there was good protein.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Chutney and thankyou Mr Bosch.
Well I thought it was a long time between posts!!! However I certainly didn't realise just how long. I have made a resolution to be a better blogger on my textiles blog so I had better follow up here also.
My cooking adventures this year have been spasmodic - a good part of the year on a fat free diet has rather dampened my enthusiasm for the kitchen. Hopefully now that the problem is fixed I will be more interested. Today I have put on a batch of Tomato Chutney - a hybrid recipe - I looked up whatever references I could find from Miss Schauer to Maggie Beer, but I can definitely hold noone else responsible for the finished product.
Why tomato? Well we have a great fruit and vegetable shop nearby that has a 'seconds' table which I peruse every time I venture into the shop. Since I am vegetarian and love my fruit and vegetables this is often and the remainder shelf often holds tremendous bargains - bananas at half price, as good as on the full price shelf, just separate and packaged. I think they put there things that were packaged and did not sell the day before. The turnover in this shop must be amazing - their produce is wonderful and the patronage commensurate.
On Monday I bought some very ripe tomatoes with the intention of making this chutney - the recipe -
1 kg tomatoes, chopped fairly finely (I do this instead of skinning them - lazy, aren't I)
250g apples (some slightly dated delicious from the fruit dish), peeled and chopped
250 g onions, finely chopped
1 cup sultanas
1 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice (should have been allspice but I was out!)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped root ginger
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
This has come to the boil and will simmer until it is thick and the apples and onions soft. I think next time I will make the effort and take the food processor out of the cupboard and will get a better mix with it. The simmering is still in process - at least an hour and a half so far - so no photographs as yet and I can't tell how many bottles I will get from this quantity. This is the first chutney I have made since we left the Mountain and probably a few years before that. Mike does not like the vinegar permeating the house so I wait for a good opportunity to put some on.
Last night I roasted a freerange chicken - didn't have Tricia's recipe which I am chasing and will blog when I get it. My favourite oven has Program 9 where I put my chook in a covered dish - seasoned inside with tarragon (from thevcherb garden!), some garlic and lime slices and thoroughly rubbed with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil (at a guess). Set it up for P9 and the right weight and Mr Bosch does the rest. It was beautifully done- we both enjoyed it and as well as another dinner - probably a pasta dish - and maybe a risotto as well - I will get some lunchtime meat. Over the last few years I have tended to rely on chicken breasts but decided it was time to branch out a little. Also it is good to try a different program on the oven - German recipes a slightly different from mine so the oven book frightens me off a little. I really must be more adventurous.
My cooking adventures this year have been spasmodic - a good part of the year on a fat free diet has rather dampened my enthusiasm for the kitchen. Hopefully now that the problem is fixed I will be more interested. Today I have put on a batch of Tomato Chutney - a hybrid recipe - I looked up whatever references I could find from Miss Schauer to Maggie Beer, but I can definitely hold noone else responsible for the finished product.
Why tomato? Well we have a great fruit and vegetable shop nearby that has a 'seconds' table which I peruse every time I venture into the shop. Since I am vegetarian and love my fruit and vegetables this is often and the remainder shelf often holds tremendous bargains - bananas at half price, as good as on the full price shelf, just separate and packaged. I think they put there things that were packaged and did not sell the day before. The turnover in this shop must be amazing - their produce is wonderful and the patronage commensurate.
On Monday I bought some very ripe tomatoes with the intention of making this chutney - the recipe -
1 kg tomatoes, chopped fairly finely (I do this instead of skinning them - lazy, aren't I)
250g apples (some slightly dated delicious from the fruit dish), peeled and chopped
250 g onions, finely chopped
1 cup sultanas
1 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice (should have been allspice but I was out!)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped root ginger
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
This has come to the boil and will simmer until it is thick and the apples and onions soft. I think next time I will make the effort and take the food processor out of the cupboard and will get a better mix with it. The simmering is still in process - at least an hour and a half so far - so no photographs as yet and I can't tell how many bottles I will get from this quantity. This is the first chutney I have made since we left the Mountain and probably a few years before that. Mike does not like the vinegar permeating the house so I wait for a good opportunity to put some on.
Last night I roasted a freerange chicken - didn't have Tricia's recipe which I am chasing and will blog when I get it. My favourite oven has Program 9 where I put my chook in a covered dish - seasoned inside with tarragon (from thevcherb garden!), some garlic and lime slices and thoroughly rubbed with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil (at a guess). Set it up for P9 and the right weight and Mr Bosch does the rest. It was beautifully done- we both enjoyed it and as well as another dinner - probably a pasta dish - and maybe a risotto as well - I will get some lunchtime meat. Over the last few years I have tended to rely on chicken breasts but decided it was time to branch out a little. Also it is good to try a different program on the oven - German recipes a slightly different from mine so the oven book frightens me off a little. I really must be more adventurous.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Butterless tea loaf
This is an old recipe that I have had for ages - the origin is lost.
1/2 lb mixed fruit
4 oz sugar
10 fl oz warm tea
1 egg
1 tablespoon marmalade
1/2 lb SR flour
Soad the fruit and sugar in the warm tea - if I don't have half a pot of tea leftover I just put a teabag into the basin with the other ingredients and pour over the 10 fl OZ of boiling water(Sorry this is in old measures but since my measuring cup and scales can cope I don't convert)
Leave this to cool - overnight - over 2 nights or half a day - it doesn't seem to matter.
Stir in the beaten egg and marmalade and add the sifted flour.
Until I was given my wonderful silicon 'tins' I always used a piece of greaseproof on the bottom of a greased loaf tin. The recipe I have says bake at 325 degrees F for 1 3/4 hours. In my oven it is 155 degrees C for about 1 hour 25 minutes until the skewer comes out clean.
Leave in tin to cool for 15 minutes. (Silicon until quite cold) It can be served warm or cold with butter. I usually make one, slice it up and then keep a few slices in a tin while I wrap each of the others in gladwrap and store in the freezer. 12 seconds on high in the microwave defrosts one slice quite nicely and it tastes as good as freshly baked. It can last for ages in the freezer
1/2 lb mixed fruit
4 oz sugar
10 fl oz warm tea
1 egg
1 tablespoon marmalade
1/2 lb SR flour
Soad the fruit and sugar in the warm tea - if I don't have half a pot of tea leftover I just put a teabag into the basin with the other ingredients and pour over the 10 fl OZ of boiling water(Sorry this is in old measures but since my measuring cup and scales can cope I don't convert)
Leave this to cool - overnight - over 2 nights or half a day - it doesn't seem to matter.
Stir in the beaten egg and marmalade and add the sifted flour.
Until I was given my wonderful silicon 'tins' I always used a piece of greaseproof on the bottom of a greased loaf tin. The recipe I have says bake at 325 degrees F for 1 3/4 hours. In my oven it is 155 degrees C for about 1 hour 25 minutes until the skewer comes out clean.
Leave in tin to cool for 15 minutes. (Silicon until quite cold) It can be served warm or cold with butter. I usually make one, slice it up and then keep a few slices in a tin while I wrap each of the others in gladwrap and store in the freezer. 12 seconds on high in the microwave defrosts one slice quite nicely and it tastes as good as freshly baked. It can last for ages in the freezer
Tomato Pork Cutlets
No, we have not eaten takeaway for the last 3 weeks! I have just been lax! Actually I have been busy keeping up with my other blog - maggies-textiles. I seem to have trouble in doing both at once.
Last night's dinner was just barbecued lamb loin chops for the non-semivegetarian and boiled vegetables with a sprinkling of tuna (Sirena in oil) for me - I enjoyed my dinner no end. Sometimes one just needs the taste of vegetables unadorned. However the previous night the main dish was pork cutlets baked in tomatoes - definitely not unadorned veges.
6 nicely trimmed pork cutlets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic
a couple of tablespoons of chopped herbs - I used rosemary, thyme and parsley
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
I mixed the last 4 ingredients together and poured over the cutlets in a large greased casserole dish and left to sit for 30 minutes.
I peeled and chopped 3 zucchini (1 inch slices)
1 capsicum (2 inch squares)
3 small eggplant (1 inch slices)
These then went around the cutlets in the dish and were stirred in the marinade also.
I emptied a small tin of crushed tomatoes, into which I had stirred 1 dessertspoon of brown sugar, onto the lot.
I drizzled another tablespoon of oil on top and put in a 190 degree C oven for 45 + minutes until the pork was done. (This was cooked without a lid)
This was served with plain couscous to absorb the liquid.
I had vegetables and couscous and enjoyed it. There are still 2 dinners of cutlets in the freezer for repeat performances.
Just a footnote! Since I finished the bottle of balsamic vinegar that evening the next day I was surprised and delighted to find as well as, a choice of brands, also, in one brand, a choice of 1, 2, 3 , or 4 leaf. The 4 leaf is labelled as vintage. I have only used ordinary one leaf previously and, since I could get a 500ml bottle just slightly cheaper than a 250 ml of vintage in the same brand, 1 leaf was the one I put in the trolley. However Mike persuaded me to get a small bottle of the vintage as well. We have not yet tried the difference. With so much balsamic in the cupboard I hope vinegar is not like olive oil, which Patrice Newell (I am reading her Olive Grove at the moment) tells me goes off very quickly so must be used asap! Not sure the nonvintage oils I buy seem to change that quickly but I will now be conscious of this fact in the future.
Last night's dinner was just barbecued lamb loin chops for the non-semivegetarian and boiled vegetables with a sprinkling of tuna (Sirena in oil) for me - I enjoyed my dinner no end. Sometimes one just needs the taste of vegetables unadorned. However the previous night the main dish was pork cutlets baked in tomatoes - definitely not unadorned veges.
6 nicely trimmed pork cutlets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves chopped garlic
a couple of tablespoons of chopped herbs - I used rosemary, thyme and parsley
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
I mixed the last 4 ingredients together and poured over the cutlets in a large greased casserole dish and left to sit for 30 minutes.
I peeled and chopped 3 zucchini (1 inch slices)
1 capsicum (2 inch squares)
3 small eggplant (1 inch slices)
These then went around the cutlets in the dish and were stirred in the marinade also.
I emptied a small tin of crushed tomatoes, into which I had stirred 1 dessertspoon of brown sugar, onto the lot.
I drizzled another tablespoon of oil on top and put in a 190 degree C oven for 45 + minutes until the pork was done. (This was cooked without a lid)
This was served with plain couscous to absorb the liquid.
I had vegetables and couscous and enjoyed it. There are still 2 dinners of cutlets in the freezer for repeat performances.
Just a footnote! Since I finished the bottle of balsamic vinegar that evening the next day I was surprised and delighted to find as well as, a choice of brands, also, in one brand, a choice of 1, 2, 3 , or 4 leaf. The 4 leaf is labelled as vintage. I have only used ordinary one leaf previously and, since I could get a 500ml bottle just slightly cheaper than a 250 ml of vintage in the same brand, 1 leaf was the one I put in the trolley. However Mike persuaded me to get a small bottle of the vintage as well. We have not yet tried the difference. With so much balsamic in the cupboard I hope vinegar is not like olive oil, which Patrice Newell (I am reading her Olive Grove at the moment) tells me goes off very quickly so must be used asap! Not sure the nonvintage oils I buy seem to change that quickly but I will now be conscious of this fact in the future.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Kevin's Sauce
This is a lovely tomato, caper, olive sauce that was served to us on pasta with barbecued salmon for Christmas Eve. Very Yummy! Kevin's recipes are a little like my mother's -
Cook some onions in plenty olive oil until transparent. Add some garlic, then enough tomatoes (Kevin uses Roma or cherry- when I made it a week or more later I used a can of crushed tomatoes plus a dessertspoon of sugar). Cook until tomatoes are soft and add some capers, and sliced olives.
When I tried this I added it to a prepared dish of Ainsley Harriott's Tomato Tango packet couscous (I prefer this and the Citrus Kick couscous to any couscous I can make) and served with reheated barbecued lamb leg (recipe to follow!). I added some basil and parsley .
Kevin had another great recipe - capsicum risotto with prawns and scallops. I want to try this sometime.
Cook some onions in plenty olive oil until transparent. Add some garlic, then enough tomatoes (Kevin uses Roma or cherry- when I made it a week or more later I used a can of crushed tomatoes plus a dessertspoon of sugar). Cook until tomatoes are soft and add some capers, and sliced olives.
When I tried this I added it to a prepared dish of Ainsley Harriott's Tomato Tango packet couscous (I prefer this and the Citrus Kick couscous to any couscous I can make) and served with reheated barbecued lamb leg (recipe to follow!). I added some basil and parsley .
Kevin had another great recipe - capsicum risotto with prawns and scallops. I want to try this sometime.
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