Kangeroo Pasta

Just a brief little recipe, something I made up for a mid-week meal.

The FM loves kangaroo, as do I, and haven't been eating enough of it: it is so good for you!!

Take 2 spanish onions, cut them in half and slice thinly. Crush 2 cloves of garlic (or less if you prefer). Add some olive oil to a pan over med-high heat, and add the onions & garlic & fry gently until softened & fragrant.

I used about 5 small fillets of kangaroo, and cut them into pieces about the size of your top thumb joint. Turn up the heat, and add to the pan, and brown quickly. If you wanted to you could take some plain flour, add some salt & pepper, and lightly coat the cubes before adding them to the pan.

Once the meat is brown, turn the heat back down to medium, and add 2 cans of tomatoes, and some tomato paste. I also added a few shakes from a jar of dried chilli flakes, to give it a little kick.

Stir through, and bring to a gentle simmer. Once it has started to simmer, add a punnet of baby tomatoes.Try and push them into the juices as much as possible so they will cook through.

Let it cook for as long as possible - kangaroo is a meat that loves to stew, the longer you cook it, the tastier it will be.

A couple of mins before you take it off the heat, and some torn basil leaves.

Serve with pasta and parmesan cheese.

I cooked up some beans and served them with this, as well as some gluten free pasta.

Yum yum!

A x

PS -- it would also probably make a nice pie filling, or even shepherd’s pie type thing with mash on top.

Baileys Cupcakes. Pretty Bloody Good!

Hey Everyone,

As promised, here is the recipe for Baileys cupcakes.

It is very easy, and actually very similar to the Turkish Delight cupcakes, in terms of the base, and the method.

I tried them two different ways, one included Baileys in the cake mix as well as the icing, and one didn't.

Additionally I tried icing them two different ways: one with just baileys in the icing, and another where I added some dark chocolate ganache. Some had crumbled Crunchie on top, other had a praline that I made.

The variations are in brakets in the recipe -- I hope it makes sense!

The Cake

125g butter, softened;

1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk (or mix tog 1/4 cup milk & 1/4 cup baileys, then add to mix)

Mix together the butter, sugar & vanilla for around 3 mins until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between. Sift over the flour & baking powder, and mix to combine. Add the milk (or milk/baileys mix) and stir to combine. Pop into patty cases, and cook in oven preaheated to 170' for 12 - 15 mins, until golden. Cool on wire racks.

The Icing

240g icing sugar

enough baileys to make a strong but smooth icing consistency: add a little at a time, you can always add more, but you can't take it away.

OR add a small amount of baileys so that the icing mix is very, very stiff, and barely incorporated. Then add enough chocolate ganache to bring the icing mix to the right consistency.

The Ganache

100g dark chocolate chopped w/ 1/5 cup pouring cream over low heat, stirring until melted and glossy. Remove frmo heat immediately. Wait for it to cool and thicken before adding it to the icing mix.

This recipe will make more than you need -- it is very good over ice-cream, or you can dip biscuits into it and allow to set for a chocolate 'edge'. Or, cool completely in the fridge, then take teaspoon-size amounts, roll into balls, dust w/ cocoa, or dessicated coconut, and you've got some chocolate truffles ready to go. Makes a great gift if someone is having you over for a meal.

The Praline

Preheat oven to 180', place 1/3 cup blanched almonds (I use any I have, doesn't seem to make a difference) on a baking paper lined baking sheet & bake for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, place 1/2 cup of caster sugar & 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. ONLY ONCE SUGAR IS DISSOLVED increase heat and boil until turns a golden colour. Remove from heat for a couple of moments, then pour over the almonds. Once it is set (doesn't take too long, around half an hour. Just make sure it is not warm anymore) break it up into chunks with a rolling pin, or pop in a food processor and turn into fine powder.


So, I made the 2 versions of the cakes, plain and with the baileys mixed in. According to the FM (and official taste-tester) he couldn't tell much of a difference. Given it is only a 1/4 cup of baileys, this isn't much of a surprise. You could try using all baileys, and no milk, but am concerned that then the cakes may not rise properly. Also, given how rich these were, it may be a bit OTT (as opposed to praline, dark choc ganache and baileys. Not OTT at all!)

I put the Crunchie in a zip-lock bag, and ran over it with a rolling pin to break it up.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, ice them and immediatley dip the top into either a saucer full of the crumbled crunchie, or the praline (or whatever else you care to add).

I hope this all makes sense -- any questions, just make a comment, and I'll get back asap.

Cupcakes with Plain Baileys Icing & Crumbled Crunchie

 

Cupcakes with Baileys & Ganach Icing & Praline Dust

A
xx

Sweet Panna Delight!

I had intended to make this two separate blogs, but as my typing ability is severely limited at present (after my front door slammed shut on my right hand Monday morning), I will take the easy way out and merge this into one mega-sweet blog.

BTW - If you are a diabetic stock up on your insulin before reading on!

Raspberry & Vanilla Panna Cotta

So this picture doesn't do it justice, as this is what it looked like after 2/3rds of it had been eaten! It wasn't wonky when I served it to, you know, human beings!

A friend whom I adore, and a new friend I was seeking to impress, came to dinner Saturday night.

The main course was seafood tagine, which was just so amazingly simple & delicious: a combination of barramundi, calamari, prawns, roasted red capsicums & tomatoes. Throw in lots of cumin, a few handfuls of fresh coriander, and cook. It turned out better than I could have hoped.

It also enabled me to put to good use the amazing tagine my thoughtful FM & said adored friend gave me for my birthday.

For dessert, I decided to make something I had done before, but with a twist.

This recipe is from the Donna Hay Modern Classics 2 cookbook. It is actually a Peach & Vanilla Panna Cotta recipe, but as peaches aren't yet in season, and the FM fancies anything raspberry,

I thought I'd try it this way.

In the recipe you are meant to make a sugar water, poach the peaches, slip them of their skins, and add gelatine to the poaching liquid to make the jelly.

In my version, I steeped about 500g the frozen berries in a bottle (750ml) of sparkling rose.

I then made the sugar water (1.5 cups water w/ .5 cup sugar), and using a slotted spoon put 4/5ths of the raspberries into the sugar water. They go quite mushy, but I think this just adds to the intensity of the flavour. Add enough gelatine to set the liquid (1tsp should set 250ml), and then toss the reserved berries over the base of the dish, before pouring over the gelatine mix.

Refrigerate until set (per above).

(With the sparling rose mix used to steep the berries, pour it, and a few of the berries, into a saucepan & reduce by half. It has the most vibrant & intense flavour, and is great to pour over ice-cream, yoghurt, other berries, to dip madelines into. I also once added to an ice-cream I was making as it was churning to make an amazing raspberry swirl . . . delish!).

Next make the Panna Cotta, which really couldn't be simpler:

3 & 3/4 cups of cream , 1 cup of icing sugar & 1 tsp vanilla extract into a saucepan over med heat (except I used vanilla paste, as I like the look of the vanilla seeds through the cotta). Stir to combine, and then gelatine (again 1tbs per 250ml, softened in cold water). Add the gelatine & the water used to soften it, simmering over a low heat for 4 mins until dissolved.

Cool to room temperature, and then pour on top of the set raspberry jelly.

You want to refrigerate this for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Cover with clingwrap, so it doesn't take on the smell of anything else in the fridge as it sets.

JUST BEFORE SERVING, dip the pan into warm water, and upend. Slice & serve immediately.

If you do this too long before serving, it will start lose its shape a a little (per the top photo, which was about 24 hours old).

Turkish Delight Cupcakes

(and hello to my facebook friends!)

This recipe is the best basic cupcake recipe I have found, and I have adapted it into many different variations.

It is based on one I found in the April 2009 edition of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

For the Cakes:

125g softened butter; 1 cup caster sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract (or paste); 2 eggs; 1.5 cups plain flour; .5 tsp baking powder; .5 cup milk

For the Icing: 240g icing sugar; 2 tsp rosewater; turkish delight to decorate.

Heat the oven to 170'C. Beat the butter, sugar & vanilla until light & fluffy (2-3 mins). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each one. Sift over the flour & baking powder, and stir to combine. Add the milk, stirring again to combine. Spoon into patty cases, smooth tops, and bake for 10 - 15 mins. Cool on a rack.

Combine the icing sugar, rose water & mix together. I find that the consistency is too stiff to ice with, so I add some room-temp water a VERY SMALL AMOUNT at a time, until I get the desired consistency (a thick-ish drizzle).

Ice the cup cakes, and top with a bit of the turkish delight.

Some of the variations I have used include using rum instead of rosewater; toast some shredded coconut, and as you ice each one, roll the top in coconut. Don't wait until you've iced them all to do this, as you need the icing to be quite wet for the coconut to stick, and if sets very quickly.

I have also used rose petals instead of turkish delight, for a baby shower.

I have also used baileys, and rolled the cake in smashed up honeycomb for a more decadent version!

Always the same amount of icing sugar (240g); just add as much liquid as you need. If you pour in too much, just add more icing sugar to balance it back.

A Big Thank You to the 5 people who are now my followers! Yay!

Let me know if you want the tagine recipe: it is very easy, and you could do it in a casserole dish, or even a baking dish with some alfoil.

A.

x

This is the rum & toasted coconut version; in the upper right of the photo is the two-tied chocolate & praline birthday cake I also made for the day.

Blessed are the Fishmongers, for they

shall inherit . . . . I don't know what. I don't really have anything that is inheritable. My recipe books perhaps?

It is Fish Pie for dinner tonight!

This is one of my favourite things to cook as it is delicious, healthy, and just very easy to make.

I am blessed to live across the street from what is a vibrant grower's market held every Saturday. There is a wonderful fishmonger there, Francis the Fishmonger, who has an array of products, and very inexpensive.

I have some smoked mussels, smoked sardines, crab meat, snapper fillets, and prawns, all of which will be added to the pie pot.

Put some water on to boil, and peel some potatoes, and cook. You will mash these up and put on top of the pie mix before it all goes into the oven.

Grease a large dish with a little butter, or olive oil. Cut up the fish into cubes about the size of your upper thumb joint; and put it with the rest of the seafood into the dish. You want around 750g of seafood. Any sort would suit, though obviously fresh is best (frozen is fine too, I just mean stay away from manky canned stuff).

Grate (I chop, as I am lazy) come celery, a carrot, throw in some baby spinach, some plum tomatoes, and some grated cheddar (you can save some for the top, but I prefer to use Parmesan). Mix through some lemon zest, and mix it all together with your hands, making sure it is all well incorporated. If you want to be a bit decadent, and have an open carton of cream, you can pour some of that into the mix too.

Mash the potatoes (adding butter/milk/salt/pepper as desired), and spoon it onto the top of the pie filling, smoothing it over so it covers the whole lot evenly.

If you want, grate some Parmesan cheese on top, or use any cheddar you reserved, or have left over.

Put it into a hot oven (200'c) for 40 mins. Serve with mixed greens, and tomato sauce (if you must).

Dinner is at 8pm. Bookings are essential.

A.
x

NB: This is a bastardised version of Jamie Oliver's (too-simple-to-be-good-but-it-is!) fish pie, which, along with other great recipe ideas, can be found on his website (www.jamieoliver.com)

Plan B Food

Or a lesson in how to unimpress & alienate your FlatMate.

I was, unexpectedly, not the only person in for dinner last night; the FM would be home. . . what to do?

The small Lamb Sagg I had just collected from the Indian place would not feed one person; much less a second.

Solution: a wee jaunt across the street to the butcher & grocer (but sadly twasn't a day for the candlestick maker).

Some yummy kebabs (chicken & macadamia! italian beef! greek lamb!) and some salad items later, dinner was looking a-go.

Yum!

However, in all my smuggness at getting a yummy & healthy meal so pulled together so quickly, I evidently misplaced the filter between my brain and my mouth.

FM: 'Why don't you just do something like this for the folks coming on Saturday night?'

Me: 'Oh, no. I couldn't serve this to guests!'

FM: 'But what, it's ok to serve it to me?'

A. x


PS -- Recipe (if you can even use that word for this!)

Flame grill a red & yellow capsicum (take a cake stand, put it on a burning gas element on the stove, lightly oil the caps, and put them onto the flame); raw snow peas, baby tomatoes, mixed greens. Grill the kebabs; mix it all together if desired. I used Balsamic Vinegar for the dressing.

First Step -- invite hundreds of people to dinner

My first blog - yay! Where to start . . . . . well, as long as I avoid overwhelmed-despair this early in the planning I should be fine. Overwhelmed-Despair right now is like the light people see when their time is up. (Donkey to Shrek: "Do NOT look at the light!" ) So much better that the O-D feelings should hit 15 minutes before the guests arrive. There are 82 days until The Turkey needs to be sliced & diced, but I have already sent out the invitations. Two of them in fact. Facebook is great for these sorts of things, but it seems to give a feeling of being a 'semi' invite. As though it weren't personally extended, so the RSVP doesn't really count. So the 2nd invitation went out via email, and had a much bigger reaction than I could have anticipated! I am guessing, but I think word got around about last year's groaning table, and people are keen to see just how much Turkey they can eat in one session. We should have a separate Turkey just for the boys. They can see how much they can eat in half an hour. If they manage to keep it all down, then they get an entire pie of their choosing. MMMMMM -- just what they'll feel like! I have found last year's Turkey Timeline - phew! The TT is an excel document with several tabs. It is my Thanksgiving-Blankie: I don't do well without it, and verge on meltdown if we become separated. The first tab is a list of all the menu items. The second tab is a list of ingredients I need to purchase to prepare said menu. The third tab is a menu preparation action plan. Starting on the Wednesday before (Vanilla ice-cream, candied pecans, praline), through to the day itself (with a clock countdown of what I need to do, e.g. 2.30pm, make scone mix & refrigerate. 3.00pm Nap!!). It also has all of the recipe's I am using photocopied & attached to the back of it. Now that I have the guest spreadsheet up and running (Name; Yes; Maybe; No; Extras), time to update the TTv.'08 and get TTv.09 up and running. First: what type of Turkey this year? A.x