Strawberry almond tart

The wisteria is flowering and strawberries are delicious and plentiful. It feels like Spring!

The Weekend Australian Magazine had a very tempting recipe for a strawberry almond tart.

Resistance was futile!

Crustless strawberry almond tart

• 150g butter, at room temperature
• ²/³ cup (150g) raw caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 200g almond meal
• ¹/³ cup (45g) self-raising flour
• 200g strawberries, hulled and halved
• A large handful of flaked almonds

Preheat oven to 170ºC (fan); grease a 23cm spring form tin.

Beat together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, almond meal and flour until just combined. Yes its that easy!

Spoon into tin; top with strawberries and scatter with flaked almonds.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Allow to cool; remove from tin.

Serve with chopped strawberries and cream.

Serves 6-8 (or 10 if you have that many people to feed and you cut thinner slices. Some people will come back for more…)

Recipe adapted from David Herbert’s version in the 25-26 September edition of The Weekend Australia Magazine.

My next version will be made gluten free using either gluten free SR flour or more almond meal plus 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Grief control. Knitting, cakes and chicken tray bakes

Grief. It’s a strange thing. Different very time. Why did I think I’d feel the same after my dad died as I would after my mum did?

I guess it is (blessed) inexperience. But it has been so much harder.

Anyway. I’m out the other side of (most of) it now. And I have a very neglected blog.

I haven’t been sewing as much as normal. But I have been doing some cooking and knitting.

So. Let me tell you about it. Starting with the cakes first because my dad had a sweet tooth.

The cakes

Lemon and ricotta cake

Delicious on its own or with blackberry and strawberry compote and ice cream as a dessert.

• 250g unsalted butter, diced and softened
• 220g (1 cup) caster sugar
• zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 250g ricotta
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 220g almond flour
• 75g (1/2 cup) SR flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 160C (fan). Grease a 23 cm springform pan and line the base with paper
2. Cream butter and sugar with zest until pale and creamy
3. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well in between
4. Beat in ricotta, a little at a time
5. Whisk almond flour, flour, baking powder and salt separately
6. Reduce speed, add vanilla, the dry ingredients and lemon juice to the mixture, and mix until combined
7. Whisk egg whites separately until stiff peaks form and then carefully fold egg whites into cake mixture
8. Spoon into tin, smooth surface and bake 50-60 minutes

This delicious moist cake recipe is from David Herbert’s column in the 25-26 July 2020 issue of the Weekend Australian magazine.

 

Persian love cake

This is a super easy gluten free cake that is deliciously moist and with fabulous spicing. Super pretty too, especially when you fortuitously have Persian fairy floss in your pantry and use it for decoration!

Adapted from Poh Bakes 100 Greats

• 300 g (3 cups) almond flour
• 185 g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 220 g (1 cup) firmly packed soft brown sugar
• 120 g (generous 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 250 g Greek-style yoghurt
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 teaspoons rosewater
• 4 tablespoons flaked almonds
• 4 tablespoons pistachios, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan).
2. Grease a 24 cm springform pan and line the base with paper.
3. Combine the almond flour, caster sugar, brown sugar and melted butter in a food processor until you have an even, sandy consistency.
4. Divide the mixture in two and tip half into the pan. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the eggs, yogurt, salt, cardamom, and rosewater to the remaining crumb mixture and whisk until there are no lumps.
6. Pour over the crumb base and sprinkle the flaked almonds and pistachios over the top.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes

Serve this cake with a dollop of Greek yoghurt – it helps balance out the sweetness

The pistachio and almond topping makes this cake very attractive. No need for pink fairy floss to make it pretty – it already is!

 

The chicken tray bakes

Moroccan chicken tray bake

This is another one of David Herbert’s recipes from the Weekend Australia Magazine – the 13-14 June 2020 issue.

• 4 tablespoons harissa paste
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 6-8 chicken pieces (David recommends skinless thighs – I’ve made this a couple of times, every time with something different – skin-on Marylands, skin-on thighs and skinless chicken chops – all good)
• 2 red onions, quartered
• 2-4 zucchini, cut into 2 cm slices
• 8 capsicum pieces from a jar
• 50g whole blanched almonds  (I used flaked)
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley (I just picked the leaves off)

Couscous

• 175g (1 cup) instant couscous
• zest  half lemon
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• seeds from half a pomegranate
• 2 tablespoons sultanas ( I used currants)

1. Preheat oven to 180C (fan)
2. Mix harissa and vinegar in a large bowl.
3. Add chicken pieces, onion  and zucchini and gently mix to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer to a large roasting pan and cook uncovered for 25 minutes, turning halfway.
5. Add capsicum and almonds and cook a further 10 minutes or until chicken is tender
6. Meanwhile, make couscous:
   • Put couscous in heat proof bowl and add 350mL boiling water, stir, then cover and leave for 5-7 minutes.
   • Stir through Zest, garlic and herbs; drizzle with oil
   • Add pomegranate seeds and sultanas and toss well
   • Season with salt and pepper
7. Scatter chicken with parsley and serve with couscous and lemon wedges (I made a space in the roasting pan, piled the couscous in, added lemon wedges and served it straight from the pan)

I highly recommend this – so simple and yet so delicious. It is almost my favourite chicken tray bake recipe.

Sheet pan chicken tikka

This queen of all tray bakes from Smitten Kitchen is still my favourite.

The version below is double the recipe (recipe serves 4) and so well and truly smothered in coriander and pickled red onion that you wouldn’t know there was chicken and potato and cauliflower underneath.

• For the chicken
  • 4 cm piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 fresh green chili seeded and minced
  • 1/2 cup yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 kg chicken thighs or drumsticks (skin-on, bone-in)
• For the vegetables
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4-6 potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into 2 cm chunks
  • 1 small cauliflower, cut into 2 cm-wide florets
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• To finish, if desired
  • A few thin slices of red onion
  • Lemon wedges
  • Salt
  • Dollops of yogurt
  • A few tablespoons roughly chopped coriander, parsley or mint

1. Combine ginger, garlic, fresh chili, yogurt, salt, and spices  in bowl. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to a day, covered, in the fridge.
2. Preheat oven to 180C.
3. Add potatoes, cauliflower, salt, cumin and olive oil to the roasting pan and toss together with your hands until evenly coated.
4. Remove chicken from marinade and leave excess behind. Make spaces in the vegetables for chicken parts throughout the pan.
5. Roast in oven for 20 minutes, then toss the potato and cauliflower to ensure they’re cooking evenly, and return the pan to the oven for 10 to 20 minutes more (i.e. 30 to 40 minutes total roasting time), until chicken and vegetables are cooked through.
6. While it roasts, if you’d like to use lightly pickled onion rings on top ( it adds colour and a nice tangy fresh zip to the dish) separate the rings and toss them in a small bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside until needed.
7. When chicken and vegetables are cooked, top with dollops of yogurt, herbs and scattered the above onion rings all over.
8. Serve right in the pan.

Truly delicious!

 

The knitting

This winter I finished off two long term WIPs.

A cable hat

This is from Moda Vera Mawson yarn and the pattern was on the ball band.

Memorable mostly for my daughter’s delight in the truly terrible photos of me modelling it (actually I have to admit that it was a lot of fun taking these photos).

But also memorable because I finished this off in the hospice at the bedside of my beloved father. Plus I used a cute label from KATM.

A lacy shrug

This one was started on holiday in Yorkshire – that’s Richmond castle in the background! It’s the wrap from pattern #5954 in Wendy Aran with Wool yarn, both purchased in a little shop in the middle of Leicester.

Happy holiday vibes to this one.

I don’t have any ‘good’ modeled shots of me wearing this (this is as good as it gets), but it was worn a lot WFH over winter. It is one of those great things to add for a little bit of extra warmth whilst sitting in a chilly home office.

The sewing

I know. Its time to get back to sewing…

Coming to the blog soon..

What not to do on Valentine’s Day, and Vogue 8921 to the rescue

I love Joy the Baker’s blog. She suggested a recipe that couples could cook together on Valentine’s Day. I thought yes, brilliant idea! Who wouldn’t want to prepare shrimp etouffee risotto (spicy Cajun stew with prawns and risotto) together and then eat it?

He who Cooks was much less enthusiastic. He was right that the recipe was more winter than summer. He was right that we’d need to go shopping for ingredients – and how romantic is grocery shopping?! He was right that it was Friday night and this didn’t sound relaxing.

What he didn’t say was how annoying it was going to be for him to have me, the unskilled amateur, in his kitchen. Much better when I’m perched on a stool with a drink and out of the way.

I pushed on and made the risotto part of the recipe whilst telling him what to do with the prawns. Who even am I?

Here’s the risotto part way through, after he had interfered and taken the thyme leaves off the stalks. What are you doing I said? Joy doesn’t tell me to do that! At this point I’m sure he wanted me well out of the kitchen.

But he’s such a darling that he just smiled sweetly at me.

It was delicious. The risotto was gloriously creamy and the etouffee had fabulous depth of flavour. Perfect winter food. Yes he was right about that too. At least we were having a slightly cooler spell from the very hot summer weather that’s normal in February in Adelaide.

Eventually we got to relax on the front verandah. A squeeze of lime and we’re back to summer food I said. He was unconvinced.

The day after Valentine’s Day I got it right.

I sewed. I kept out of the kitchen. We went out for dinner.

This is what I sewed – a glorious digital viscose print from Emmaonesock made up as view B, Vogue 8921. This pattern seems to be OOP now – I’ve purchased it a few years ago after seeing excellent versions on other people’s sewing blogs.

I cut out a size 16 and almost entirely ignored the instructions. Have the instruction writers at Vogue patterns not heard of overlockers and stretch stitches? And why would you ever think a zip was a good idea in a light weight stretch fabric? And what about stabilising shoulders? Seriously. Someone needs to rewrite the instructions!

I used a straight stitch for the pleats and most of the rest of the construction, followed up with overlocking the seams. I stabilised the shoulder seams and side seams with a ribbon. If you buy fabric online from Tessuti Fabrics, you’ll recognise this.

I know. Not all the threads from basted the pleats have been snipped off. And probably never will now I’ve worn this!

For the neck edge I overlocked the edges and folded in the seam allowance to the inside, sandwiching a light weight iron-in strip of interfacing between the outside and inside. I fused it with the iron and then stitched it with a straight stitch. This gave a very secure and non stretchy neck line. It is drafted ‘date night low’ so I hate to think how much it might gape without this stabilisation.

I can’t believe I am posting an image of my cleavage on the web! It does show the neckline stitching as well though, especially through the lavender flower and white leaves.

the dress was a bit loose through the waist and perhaps a bit long through the back bodice. I stitched elastic the length of my waist measurement (80 cm) into the waist seam stretching as I went. Slightly wonky stitching as a result. You can also see the ribbon stabilising the side seam below.

The elastic has made the dress a bit blousy. I might take it back out.

See what I mean?

You can also see the side seam (through the large lavender flower) isn’t hanging true but is pulling towards the front. I don’t know if it’s a fitting issue or a design fault . The front drapes are stitched into the side seam and might be pulling the seam? Perhaps I should go back and stabilise this seam with ribbon too.

So the morale of the story? I need to remember that he cooks and she sews.

Banana bread

I know, I know, why the big deal about banana bread? There are thousands of recipes out there.

Well, that’s the reason. Thousands of them and I can’t remember which one of them was the one I used last time and really liked.

This one is adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s jacked up banana bread and it is terrific.

• 3 ripe bananas, smashed
• 75 grams melted salted butter
• 190 grams brown sugar (this much sugar makes it more cake like than bread, next time I might dial  it down a bit)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon spiced rum (apparently this is optional and Deb suggests bourbon. I used Sailor Jerry, because there was no bourbon in our house and I could not bring myself to use the single malts in banana bread)
• 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon (Deb uses only 1 teaspoon but I love cinnamon)
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg (again more than Deb )
• Pinch of ground cloves (I forgot to use this, but I will next time. I love all the spices)
• 190 grams plain flour

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. With a wooden spoon, mix melted butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.
3. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and rum.
4. Sift the flour with the spices, salt and bicarb soda , then  mix into the wet ingredients
5. Pour mixture into a buttered 10 x 23 cm loaf pan.
6. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean.

Delicious. Not sure how long it keeps. This loaf was all gone within 2 days.

What I’ve been cooking this summer

This summer I’ve discovered a fabulous new salad, two great cakes and a new gluten free cookie recipe.

Carrot and edamame salad with soy ginger dressing

Salad:

• 1  x 450g packet of frozen shelled edamame beans
• 2 medium carrots, shredded or grated
• 2 spring onions or half a red onion, finely sliced
• a generous few handfuls of salad greens, some shredded
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the edamame for 2-3 minutes or until tender (they float to the surface). Drain well and run under cold water to stop them cooking further.

To make the dressing, put everything into  screw cap jar or small bowl and mix well to combine.

Combine all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl. Mix well then drizzle over the dressing. There will probably be more dressing than needed, but it is delicious with whatever salad you are making the next day, or over cooked rice or noodles.

This is a slight adaptation of a recipe by Emma Galloway published in Cuisine in issue 197, Nov/Dec 2019.

Chocolate chip sour cream coffee cake

Cake

• 120 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
• 300 grams caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups sour cream
• 390 grams plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bicarb soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt

Filling and Topping

• 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 100 grams granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 175°C.

Butter a by 23 x 33 cm baking pan and line the bottom with baking paper. This makes a big cake! I used a roasting pan because none of my cake tins are that large.

In a large bowl, cream butter and 300 grams sugar. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.

Whisk flour, bicarb soda, baking powder and salt together into a separate bowl.

Alternately mix in sour cream and then dry ingredients into butter mixture until both are used up and the batter is smooth and very thick.

In a medium bowl with clean beaters, beat eggs whites until stiff, then fold gently into batter.

In a small dish, combine the cinnamon and remaining 100 grams caster sugar for filling and topping.

Spread half the cake batter in the bottom of prepared pan and spread smooth. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon-sugar mixture and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Dollop remaining cake batter over filling in spoonfuls. Use a spatula to gently spread it over the filling and smooth the top. Sprinkle batter with remaining cinnamon-sugar and remaining chocolate chips.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan.

This recipe is from Smitten Kitchen, published online at https://smittenkitchen.com/2006/11/chocolate-chip-sour-cream-cake/

Lemon blackberry yoghurt loaf

• 1 1/2 cups (190 grams) + 1 tablespoon (10 grams) plain flour (if you’re skipping the fruit, you can also skip the last tablespoon of flour)
• 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (230 grams) plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups (about 255 grams) blackberries, frozen
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease a 22 by 11 by 7 cm loaf pan. Line the bottom with baking paper. Grease the sides of the pan.

Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Mix the berries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in (a pastry brush works great for this, as does using a toothpick to make tiny holes that draw the syrup in better). Cool.

This recipe is from Smitten Kitchen, published online at https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/04/lemon-yogurt-anything-cake/

 

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies (gluten free)

Makes 26 to 28 cookies with a 1 2/3 tablespoon scoop. I used a 1 1/4 tablespoon quenelle scoop loaded up generously and made 25 cookies

• 1 3/4 cups (335 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups (450 grams) smooth peanut butter
• Coarse-grained sea salt, to finish

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in vanilla extract, then the peanut butter until smoothie and completely incorporated. Yes, that’s all you need to do. So easy.

Scoop out mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.  I had an appointment to attend to I put the scooped out cookies on the baking tray into the freezer for over an hour before I baked them. This is recommended to get the tallest cookies and the striations across the top of the cookies, but I did it out of necessity and poor timing.

Sprinkle the cookies lightly with coarse-grained sea salt just before baking. Bake cookies for 14 to 15 minutes. When finished, cookies should be golden at edges.

They’ll need to set on the sheet for a minute or two before they can be lifted intact to a cooling sheet. Once they have cooled completely they are crisp outside and soft inside. Delicious!

This recipe is also from Smitten Kitchen, published online at https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/10/salted-peanut-butter-cookies/

He Cooks [pork pies]… She Sews [a BurdaStyle shirt 04/2013 #138]

For all the cooking He Who Cooks does and She who Sews eats, you’d think she’d return the favour and does some sewing for him, wouldn’t you? The odd pair of boxers and an apron now and then just doesn’t cut it.

This is another way of saying I finally made Chris a shirt.

I don’t think he really enjoyed being on the other side of the camera!

I used a cotton from Spotlight and BurdaStyle 04/2013 #138

I compared the pattern to his RTW shirts to find his size and traced off a 98. Burda’s size charts would have put him several sizes bigger. I didn’t check the sleeve length against his RTW shirts. And you’ll find out below why that was a mistake.

I was very pleased with how the sleeve tower placket came out

I got him to try the shirt on before I added the cuffs. The sleeves seemed too long. Rashly I chopped off 8 cm, and lost lots of those lovely tower plackets. The sleeves are now a bit short. Perfect for me though. Just saying.  This pattern also has narrow cuffs and a slim collar. Also perfect for me. Not that I’ve been wearing it. Much.

What about those Pork Pies?

Chris’s were based on a recipe for Raised Pork Pies from Valerie Barrett published in  BBC’s Good Food, July 2013.

The filling

Pastry top being added

Crimped edge and a hole to add the aspic through after baking

Egg wash (and 21 because it was for a 21st birthday picnic for a talented pastry chef @lyndarella47)

Just out of the oven

And then calamity struck.

Those pies came out of the tins very reluctantly. In fact one didn’t come out at all, as a pie. The other sort of came out in one piece, albeit looking much more rustic than intended. Yes that is a bobbin case in the background.

All’s well that ends well though. Only one pie was really needed for the picnic and the filling from the other one was absolutely delicious in a salad!

 

 

 

 

Sophie wins: BurdaStyle 03/2018 #117

M of Nonsuch and I have just enjoyed a delightful sewing weekend. One of the daughters benefited more than either of us planned.

So. How does that work?

Something to do with everything looks good on her perhaps?

M made Tessuti’s Alice top in a delighted watermelon linen from Spotlight. It was remodeled into a cropped top and claimed by her daughter. Read all about it here.

I made BurdaStyle’s Cardigan 03/2018 #117 in a smudge-y gray oyster knit from my stash.

I know. It looks like a shapeless garment. It is. I was seduced by Meg’s version and I thought it might work as part of a corporate wardrobe.

Mmm. No.  It is really so much better on S as part of a casual outfit than it is on me as something to wear to work.

And in other news, Smitten Kitchen has the best recipes for delicious cake!

This weekend we enjoyed her Cannoli Cake

.and just in case the link doesn’t work, here’s the recipe, with the very minor changes made by He who Cooks;

Cannoli Pound Cake
1 cup caster sugar
Finely grated zest from 1 orange
Finely grated zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
250 grams ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pinches allspice
1 1/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1 cup mini-chocolate chips
about 1/4 cup walnuts and the same of apricots, chopped small

Heat oven to 175°C. Coat a standard (8 1/2-x-4 1/4″) loaf pan with butter.

Place sugar in a large bowl, and add zest. Whisk in olive oil, ricotta and eggs. Sprinkle baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice over wet ingredients, then whisk to combine. Gently stir in flour, then chocolate, nuts and apricots until just combined.

Scrape into prepared loaf. Bake in oven for 55 to 65 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out batter free. Let cool on wire rack in pan for 15 minutes, then invert out onto rack to finish cooling. Cake is great the first day, and even more amazingly moist on the second and third. Just ask the craft ladies!

Very yummy.

Mmmm. Delicious autumn food

[is it still autumn??!]

Who knew cauliflower could be so delicious?

Twice-baked cauliflower souffles

Ingredients

• 200g cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 350ml milk
• 80g unsalted butter
• 120g plain flour
• 4 eggs, separated
• 300ml thickened cream
• 140g gruyere, grated
• Radicchio leaves to serve

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C and grease four 1-cup (250ml) ramekins. Place the cauliflower, onion, bay leaf, thyme and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 8-10 minutes until cauliflower is tender. Strain, reserving cauliflower and milk, and discard the other solids.
• Melt butter in a clean saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, then gradually whisk in the reserved milk. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until thickened and combined.
• Whisk in the egg yolks, 1/2 cup (125ml) cream and half the cheese until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Whiz the cauliflower in a food processor until smooth, then add cheese sauce and pulse to combine. Season.
• In a large bowl, using electric beaters, whisk eggwhites to stiff peaks. Fold one-quarter of eggwhites into cauliflower mixture to loosen, then gently fold in remainder. Divide among prepared ramekins, place in a deep baking pan and fill with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of ramekins. Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden.
• Remove from pan and set aside to cool slightly before turning out onto a baking tray (they can be covered and refrigerated for 24 hours at this stage).
• Preheat oven to 180C. Pour some of remaining cream over souffles and scatter with remaining cheese. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes until souffles rise again and sauce bubbles.
• Place in radicchio ‘cups’, drizzle with remaining sauce grind some black pepper over and enjoy.

from Taste.com.au

 

Prefer something different as an appetizer?

Herb and feta bread

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 150 grams (1 1/4 cups) plain flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 large  eggs
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
• 150 grams plain unsweetened yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon  salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 200 gramssheep’s milk feta cheese
• 1 bunch fresh herb leaves (flat-leaf parsley, basil, chervil, chives, mint, fennel preferably a mix), about 20 grams or 1 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped

Method

• Preheat the oven to 175°C.
• Butter or grease a 24-by-12-cm  loaf pan and sprinkle half the sesame seeds onto the bottom and sides, shaking the pan to coat.
• Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, yogurt, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cheese and herbs.
• Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, level the surface with a spatula, and sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds.
• Put into the oven to bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the loaf is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes and run a knife around the pan to loosen. Unmold and transfer to a rack to cool.
• Cut in slices or cubes just before serving, slightly warm or at room temperature.

from Chocolate and Zucchini

 

Now lets talk about main course – enough to have delicious leftovers in your lunch box the next day.

Moroccan slow cooked lamb

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds trimmed boned lamb shoulder, cut into 5 cm cubes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup dried apricots
• 2 large plum tomatoes, chopped ( or a can of tomatoes)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons (packed) grated lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Method

• Mix first 6 ingredients in large bowl.
• Add lamb and toss to coat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large frypan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add lamb to skillet and cook until browned on all sides, turning occasionally and adding 2 more tablespoons oil to pan between batches, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to slow cooker after each batch.
• Add onion and tomato paste to drippings in pan. Reduce heat to medium; sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add broth, garbanzo beans, apricots, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and lemon peel and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits.
• Transfer everything to slow cooker and cooke for at least 4 hours on low
• Serve with pearl couscous and coriander.
• Enjoy leftovers the next day at work.

From epicurious

 

Looking for something sweet to finish? How about a piece of cake? ( yes, pomegranate seeds make two appearances on the blog today)

Blackberry ricotta cake

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1½ cups ricotta
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup frozen blackberries, divided

Method

• Preheat oven to 175°C. Line a 22cm-diameter cake pan with baking paper.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
• Whisk eggs, ricotta, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth; fold into dry ingredients just until blended. Then fold in butter, followed by ¾ cup berries, taking care not to crush them. Scrape batter into prepared pan and scatter remaining ¼ cup berries over top.
• Bake cake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50–60 minutes. Let cool at least 20 minutes before unmolding.
• Sprinkle with more berries to serve. Make sure you also have lots of cream, Add pomegranate seeds to make it look extra pretty.

from bon appetit

Returning  to regular programming of sewing soon..

 

 

 

 

Little Christmas cakes in baked bean tins

I know. Its halfway through January and no-one. No. One. cares about Christmas cakes. But they were so cute. I just couldn’t not blog about them.

This is almost entirely the work of He who Cooks. The sewing related contribution was very minor, and only added the finishing touch. Yes. It was cutting the ribbon and securing in place with a pin.

So. What did He who Cooks do?

Well. Baked bean tins are the perfect size for cuteness optimization.

Adding exactly the same amount of cake mix to each tin is greatly facilitated by the scientific method (AKA using scales to measure mass)

Here they are, ready for the oven with their brown paper coat fastened with a kitchen string belt.

A glazed fruit and nut topping. Much easier than icing!

Viola!

Cooking and sewing!

The recipe was from Butcher Baker Baby

Christmas Cake
12 mini (small baked bean tin) cakes

200g glace cherries
500g mixed dried fruit
500g sultanas
zest of one orange
200ml sherry  (He who Cooks used a mixture of sherry and whisky)
225g butter, softened
225g dark brown sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
225g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp mixed spice
50g whole almonds

1) Put cherries and other dried fruits plus zest in bowl and soak in sherry overnight.

2) Line the cake tin: Lightly grease base and sides. Line sides with a double thickness of baking paper that stands 5cm above tin. Make 1 cm cuts at base to help it lie flat. Line base with double layer of paper.

3) Preheat oven to 150°c. Whisk butter and sugar for 5 min till light and fluffy. Whisk in eggs slowly. When almost added, whisk in some flour to stop it curdling. Fold in flour, spices, fruit and almonds. Spoon into lined tin and make a small dip in the middle of the mixture. Wrap tin in a double thickness of brown paper and tie with piece of string. Cook for 60-90 minutes.

 

 

Peanut butter, bacon and dark chocolate cookies and chocolate whoopie pies: gluten free goodness

Now that’s a blog title I never thought I’d write!

The cookies were polarizing. I mean. Come on. Peanut butter, bacon and dark chocolate??

A little bit greasy, but the flavours were fabulous. They were made for craft night a few weeks ago. Rory devoured the leftovers. I might have helped a little bit too.

Peanut butter, dark chocolate and bacon cookies

recipe from Joy the Baker

• 1 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled and coarsely chopped
• 1 large handful dark chocolate pieces

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175 °C. Line trays with baking paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined. Add egg and baking soda and mix until well combined. Fold in cooked bacon and chocolate pieces. That’s it. It really is that easy
3. Roll into large walnut sized balls before placing on the baking tray and squishing to flatten slightly.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a baking sheet for five minutes.

The whoopie pies were not such a hit, but this was mainly the fault of the filling because the cakey-cookie part of them was delicious. The filling was too sweet and didn’t have enough flavour. Easy to change this though: Even a teaspoon or three of instant coffee would make a big improvement.

 

Chocolate whoopie pies

recipe from Taste

• 125g butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free plain flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Filling (add instant coffee or orange zest or something else to lift the filling out of blah)

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 3 large baking trays with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition
3. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl.
4. Add half the flour mixture to butter mixture. Stir to combine. Add half the buttermilk. Stir. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and buttermilk until just combined.
5. Spoon batter in a large piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe 3cm wide rounds onto prepared trays, 5cm apart, allowing room for spreading. Stand for 15 minutes. The recipe said to pipe 32 of them. We had lots more than this
6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until tops are firm. Cool on trays.
7. Make Filling: Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in icing sugar and cocoa. Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 2cm fluted nozzle. Pipe filling onto 16 rounds. Gently top with remaining rounds.

Dealing with a surfeit of bananas: banana pecan cake with maple syrup glaze

Banana purchasing in our house is a fine example of excellent procurement. It’s not very often that supply outstrips demand.

But, when just occasionally, He who Shops gets it a little wrong, She who Bakes needs a good banana cake recipe.

This one, from Chocolate and Zucchini, is pretty good!

 

Ingredients

• 80 grams (3/4 cup) pecans, toasted (in the oven for about 5 mins while its preheating) and roughly chopped
• 280 grams (2 1/3 cups) plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 140 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
• 40 grams (2 tablespoons) maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 3 large eggs
• 4 ripe bananas, about 600 grams weighed with skin, peeled

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C and grease a 24-cm savarin or ring mold, a loaf pan, or a simple 20-cm (round cake pan (I used a kugelhopf ring tin, because I had one 🙂 )
2. In a medium bowl, combine the pecans, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar then add the maple syrup, vanilla, and rum. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition.
4. Mash the bananas with a fork and fold them into the batter.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and use a spatula to combine, gently lifting the batter and folding it over itself until no trace of flour remains; don’t overmix.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes.
7. Let the pan rest on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife or a thin spatula all around the cake to loosen, then remove from the pan and transfer to the rack to cool.
8. Let cool for 30 to 40 minutes before glazing (see glaze recipe below).

Maple Syrup Glaze

1. Sift 50 grams (6 level tablespoons) icing sugar into a small bowl.
2. Pour in 40 grams (2 tablespoons) maple syrup, and whisk vigorously with a fork until smooth.
3. Spoon over the cake and spread with an icing spatula or the back of the spoon.
4. Don’t add some and then add a bit more latter, unless you like the runny and thick two tone glaze look shown below

Enjoy with a lovely cup of tea, in a break from all that sewing…

Moroccan-style chicken with pomegranate and fennel couscous, plus bonus home decorating. And a tutorial on box corners.

Now if that title doesn’t put you off, you’re a star!

The weekend before last was a milestone one for me. I cooked Sunday lunch (He who Cooks does all the cooking normally). And I made outdoor cushion covers. The flowering wisteria made me do it.

The inspiration behind the cooking was David Herbert from The Australian. I love his recipes!

Moroccan-style chicken

adapted from David Herbert

• 8 chicken thigh fillets
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon pork dripping ( or olive oil, but I used pork dripping, because we’d had a pork roast the night before)
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground fresh ginger
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons sambal oelek paste ( or other chilli paste, such as the harissa paste David suggests)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 red capsicums, roughly chopped
• 1 cup shredded spinach
• I fresh chilli, sliced for garnish

1. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper and ground cumin.
2. Heat the fat in a large non-stick frying pan and add onion, garlic and ginger.
3. Cook for 4 minutes; remove onion et al and add chicken pieces.
4. Cook chicken for about 3 minutes each side.
5. Add tomatoes, chilli paste, honey and ¾ cup water or stock.
6. Stir in capsicum and spinach. Simmer gently for about 25 minutes, or until chicken is tender and sauce has thickened slightly.
7. Sprinkle with sliced fresh chilli, and parsley. Serves 6-8

Warm couscous, fennel & pomegranate salad

adapted from David Herbert

• 200g instant couscous
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons pork fat (see above, substitute olive oil for health and authenticity reasons!)
• 75g pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• Seeds from a pomegranate
• Prepare couscous according to packet instructions.
• Cut fennel lengthwise into 3-4mm thick slices.
• Heat fat in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook pine nuts, stirring, until golden.
• Add garlic, fennel and zucchini; cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
• Stir mixture through couscous.
• Add herbs and pomegranate seeds, tossing well.
• Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6-8

Home dec sewing

The inspiration behind this was the gorgeous spring weather, flowering wisteria and an outdoor eating area with attractive but uncomfortable chairs that needed seat cushions.

I had already bought upholstery fabric, and calico covered cushions from IKEA. That was last summer. Now it was spring. Time to sweep up the purple snow and do something about those chairs!

I cut the covers out in one piece that wraps all the way ’round the cushion insert.

There is a seam at the top curved side, with a zip, and down both sides. There is no seam at the square bottom edge, where the back of your knees are when you are sitting down. So I had to make box corners.

I don’t think I’ve ever made box corners before. Clearly I have never made a proper tote bag.

And, so I don’t forget for next time, I took some construction photos. Also I like the way the fabric looks from the inside, and close up.

Okay, here’s the tutorial.

1. After you’ve added the invisible zip to the top edge, sew all the way down the side seam to the folded edge

2. Turn the fabric so the seam runs through the center of a triangle

3. Press the seam flat, taking care not to press the diagonal folds

4. Sew across the seam. My cushion side edge was 3 cm, so I sewed a line about 2.7 cm long from diagonal edge to diagonal edge (I know, clear as mud. Go and search YouTube for a real tutorial!)

This is what it looked like after stitching

5. Trim the seam

6. Turn it out to the right side, and viola! a box corner! Repeat for the other side.

7. Add cushion, zip it up and repeat until you have 6 covers.

8. Enjoy the outdoor dining and vow to do no more home dec sewing. Ever. Or at least until 6 months time..

Zucchini fritters with salmon, lemon slice and orange muffins. All gluten free

Are you lucky enough to have a group of likeminded sewers, creative knitters, crocheting geniuses, embroidery queens and other crafty people to share your obsessions with?

I am. And they are fabulous.

My group has a very healthy emphasis on delicious food and wonderful conversation as well as endless cups of tea and craftiness. One of the crafty people is a coeliac, so gluten free food is the go.

This is what we enjoyed this week:

Zucchini fritters with smoked salmon

Ingredients

• 4 cups grated zucchini (about 3 small to medium sized zucchini)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup gluten free flour
• oil and/or butter for shallow frying (we used a mixture of both)

1. Drain the zucchini in a strainer for 10 minutes then place in a clean dish towel and wrap up tightly and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. It’s amazingly green! Yay for chlorophyll! (mix the green juice with the left over lemon juice from the other things you’re cooking, drink it and feel like a super hero)
2. Add zucchini and the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Drop and flatten slightly a spoonful of batter onto hot pan

4. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until browned. Even better, get He who Cooks to cook the fritters. If he is wearing his favourite old green jumper, even better, it looks great in the photos.

.

5. Place cooked fritters onto a plate lined with a paper towel then continue with the rest of the batter.

6. Enjoy immediately with sour cream and smoked salmon, garnished with coriander or refrigerate the leftovers and scoff the next day while you’re cooking dinner.

Makes 12. (I made 1.5 times the recipe because I had lots of zucchini. That’s why I had leftovers)

Recipe from sugar free mom

Lemon and Coconut Slice

It’s winter in Australia. My sister in law is over run with lemons. I had to make a lemon slice! Lucky I love anything with citrus. Yes pity my poor family and friends.

• Crust
  5 T coconut oil
  3 T maple syrup
  2 cups shredded coconut
  1 cup almond flour
  1 pinch salt
  2 egg whites (save the yolks for the lemon curd)
  
• Filling
  3 eggs + 2 egg yolks
  6 T maple syrup( or if you run out like I did, 1 T maple sypup and 5 T honey)
  1/3 cup lemon juice + 1 T zest (around 2 lemons)
  1/3 cup almond flour
  

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
   
2. Melt coconut oil in a saucepan on low heat. Add maple syrup, shredded coconut, almond flour and salt. Stir around until everything is combined. Remove from the heat.
   
3. Crack two eggs, save the egg yolks for later and add the whites to the sauce pan while stirring. Keep stirring for about a minute. The mixture should be quite sticky now.
   
4. Line a 30×20 cm baking dish with baking paper and pour the coconut mixture into it. Use your hands, a spatula or the backside of a spoon to flatten it out. Press it down firmly so it becomes quite compact.
   
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes
   
6. Beat the eggs and the 2 egg yolks until frothy. Add the rest of the ingredients. Beat for two more minutes.
   
7.  Pour the mixture over the baked crust in the baking dish. Bake for around 16-19 minutes or until edges are light brown and center is set. Let cool for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing up the bars.
   
8. Cut into roughly 3 x 3 cm rectangles. Dust with icing sugar.
   

Recipe from  green kitchen stories

Yummy moist little orange cakes

This is my boiled orange almond cake that I make. All. The. Time. ( ask my long suffering family). This time I baked it in muffis cases and topped with He Who Cooks’ fabulous almond brittle: flaked almonds cooked in a pan with butter and sugar. Quantities? Don’t ask? He never measures).

I love this recipe!

Gluten free lemon friands

Thank you for all your lovely comments about Felicity’s Formal Frock made from Funky Fabric with some Flares of Frustration but now Finally Finished.

Clearly, I like F-words, and need to keep using them.

Words like Friands.

These were made by He who Cooks. And they were Fabulous!

Ingredients

• 180 g butter melted, plus extra for greasing
• zest of 2 large or 3 medium lemons
• 200 g pure icing sugar
• 80 g gluten free plain flour
• 125 g almond meal
• 5 egg whites, lightly whisked
• flaked almonds to sprinkle on top

1. Preheat fan forced oven to 165°C (180°C for conventional oven)
2. Grease 12 hole friand tin with extra melted butter
3. Combine melted butter and lemon zest, then sift in icing sugar and flour, and almond meal ( if it will go through the sieve)
4. Add egg whites and mix until combined and smooth
5. Spoon into the holes of the friand tin and top with flaked almonds.
6. Bake for 25 minutes.

Makes 12.

Recipe from For my Senses

Delicious with raspberries too.

Perfect autumn fare!

Lime balls

Have I told you about my great new cooking book?

One of my Christmas presents was the My Petite Kitchen Cookbook.

I love Eleanor’s blog and have been very happy with how her gluten free recipes have turned out (here and here).

I was keen to try some of her other recipes in my “Christmas” book, and New Years Eve was the perfect opportunity for her lemon coconut balls. Not too sweet and refreshingly citrusy. Perfect for a hot summer evening down under. Plus super easy to make.

I repeated the recipe the other weekend with limes. Even better!

I love limes

 

Recipe

• 2 cups (180g) desiccated coconut
• 1 cup (100g) almond meal
• 80g butter
• 1/3 cup (115g) honey
• grated zest and juice of two limes (or one lemon)

1. Set aside ½ cup of the coconut and put all the rest of the ingredients in a food processor.
2. Blend for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture starts to form a dough.
3. Use your hands to form small balls.
4. Roll the balls in the extra coconut (or use prettier, larger coconut flakes instead).
5. Place in the fridge for at least half an hour to set.

The truffles can be kept at room temperature, but are best kept in the fridge. Makes around 25 truffles.  Will keep for 3-4 days. In theory.

 

Sewing update:

I’m still auditioning patterns for my lovely landscape print

I weakened. Vogue 9021 has been purchased.

I haven’t yet pulled it out of the envelope to see if it fits on my fabric, but I do like this pattern a lot! Also, red booties as cover art. What’s not to love?

And, I have made a teensy bit of progress on my vision of a lovely winter coat in this delightful laminated tweed

“Progress” = pattern traced and IKEA upholstery fabric cutinto for a muslin of BurdaStyle 11/2014 #111

No actual sewing has yet been done…