Chickpeas
Olive oil
Salt
Seasoning blend of your choice
Preheat oven to 180c fan.
Drain and rise the chickpeas. Dry thoroughly with a teatowel removing any skins as you do. Toss with oil and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crunchy (not soft).
Season with salt and seasoning.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Vegetable Bolognese
Makes 4 good portions
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
Either chop the mushrooms roughly by hand or in the food processor depending on how you like them today.
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves
Olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves
Olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
200g mushrooms
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can of tomatoes, whole, crushed, chopped or passata.
200g mushrooms
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can of tomatoes, whole, crushed, chopped or passata.
fresh herbs - thyme, rosemary, bay or just parsely
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper
Chop the carrots, celery, onion, pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Fry the chopped vegetables in the olive oil in a large pan until soft.
Either chop the mushrooms roughly by hand or in the food processor depending on how you like them today.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil the reduce to a low simmer and cook until thick and delicious - 30 minutes to an hour. Remove any whole herbs.
Serve over pasta with lots of parmesan of course!
Apple Lemon Curd
450g Apples, peeled, cored and chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons (you need 100ml strained juice)
125g unsalted butter
450g granulated sugar
4–5 large eggs, well beaten (you need 200ml beaten egg)
Makes 5 x 225g jars
Put the chopped apples into a pan with 100ml water and the lemon zest. Cook gently until soft and fluffy, then either beat to a puree with a wooden spoon or rub through a nylon sieve.
Put the butter, sugar, lemon juice and apple puree into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture is hot and glossy, pour in the eggs through a sieve, and whisk with a balloon whisk. If the fruit puree is too hot when the beaten egg is added, the egg will "split". Check the temperature with a sugar thermometer — it should be no higher than 55–60C when the egg is added. If your curd does split, take the pan off the heat and whisk vigorously until smooth. Stir the mixture over a gentle heat, scraping down the sides of the bowl every few minutes, until thick and creamy. This will take 9–10 minutes; the temperature should reach 82–84C on a sugar thermometer. Immediately pour into jars and seal.
Use within four weeks. Once opened, keep in the fridge.
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons (you need 100ml strained juice)
125g unsalted butter
450g granulated sugar
4–5 large eggs, well beaten (you need 200ml beaten egg)
Makes 5 x 225g jars
Put the chopped apples into a pan with 100ml water and the lemon zest. Cook gently until soft and fluffy, then either beat to a puree with a wooden spoon or rub through a nylon sieve.
Put the butter, sugar, lemon juice and apple puree into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture is hot and glossy, pour in the eggs through a sieve, and whisk with a balloon whisk. If the fruit puree is too hot when the beaten egg is added, the egg will "split". Check the temperature with a sugar thermometer — it should be no higher than 55–60C when the egg is added. If your curd does split, take the pan off the heat and whisk vigorously until smooth. Stir the mixture over a gentle heat, scraping down the sides of the bowl every few minutes, until thick and creamy. This will take 9–10 minutes; the temperature should reach 82–84C on a sugar thermometer. Immediately pour into jars and seal.
Use within four weeks. Once opened, keep in the fridge.
Puffed Cereal Bars
Makes about 21 small toddler slices
8 dates, washed to remove skin and pit removed - approximately 1/4 cup
1 Tablespoon butter
Splash of water
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup sultanas
pinch Cinnamon
1 cup puffed millet
Heat dates, butter and water in a pot large enough to hold all ingerdients. When the butter has melted and the water is hot puree with a stick blender. Mix in the peanut butter, sultanas and cinnamon thoroughly then fold through the puffed millet. Press out to a rectangular log on some greaseproof paper and wrap up well then chill in the freezer for 30 minutes. Slice into bars and store in the fridge.
Variations :
- The dried fruit can be varied, prunes or apricots (soaked) for the puree, raisins or chopped dried apricots for the sultanas.
- Any nut butter can be used.
- Any spice can be used.
- Any puffed cereal can be used.
Edible Playdough
Edible playdough
What you need
Peanut paste
Milk powder
sugar
Edible food colouring
What to do
Younger children often eat regular playdough. If this is happening with your younger child, put away the regular playdough until they are older and can understand not to eat it, and make a batch of edible playdough.
Simply mix on part of peanut paste to one part of milk powder and half a part of sugar. Double or triple the quantities if you require. Add food colouring if desired.
What you need
Peanut paste
Milk powder
sugar
Edible food colouring
What to do
Younger children often eat regular playdough. If this is happening with your younger child, put away the regular playdough until they are older and can understand not to eat it, and make a batch of edible playdough.
Simply mix on part of peanut paste to one part of milk powder and half a part of sugar. Double or triple the quantities if you require. Add food colouring if desired.
Beef Stroganoff
Serves 4
340g Fillet of Beef, cut into strips
55g Butter
1 Medium Onion, finely sliced
225g Mushrooms, finely sliced
100mL White wine
150mL Beef stock
15ml Oil
30mL Brandy
Salt and Pepper
30mL Cream
30mL Sour cream
Fry Onion in half the butter until soft and transparent. Add mushrooms and cook for a minute then add the wine and stock. Boil to reduce liquid to approximately 30mL. Decant to a bowl and leave aside.
Heat oil and remaining butter to hot and quickly fry the beef strips, removing the strips as they brown.
Deglaze the pan with brandy and return onions and mushrooms to the pan, stir in the cream and season. Boil to a syrupy consistency. Add the beef and sour cream and reheat.
If using a tougher cut of beef then add the beef before the sour cream and simmer until tender.