tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489002174581966012024-03-28T17:20:44.875+11:00 salt sugar & iit all started because i like to eat.Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-3017993261285955542024-03-16T07:00:00.018+11:002024-03-16T15:14:53.815+11:00Orange and rhubarb melting moments from What can i bring? by Sophie Hansen<p>I'm a huge fan of Sophie Hansen and her latest book <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/what-can-i-bring--sophie-hansen/book/9781922616395.html" target="_blank">'What can I Bring?'</a> just adds to the collection. Her cooking is one that screams comfort with family and friends at first thought. Even with no where to go, and no one to ask 'what can I bring?' you will find yourself picking it up for inspiration and cooking from it on a regular basis. I have.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicujfD56Sfp5s7lhyphenhyphenlej1sJaT9HAPVo2EbhR_t7Zo16UBHm0Vi9ShRk5i1bApRGEK1YjRx0drt4tODMJqPm91_HxSMpEav320aF_di_McI2dMwyS5lx3s9cPtxggVXeb9sYCdgGyrfy6dMP73nmu8tJH3LhT53_QmrlJQ3PBEZ-pbG8o4ws-hSU6VU1ow/s4032/What%20can%20I%20bring%20by%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20-%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What can I bring? by Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicujfD56Sfp5s7lhyphenhyphenlej1sJaT9HAPVo2EbhR_t7Zo16UBHm0Vi9ShRk5i1bApRGEK1YjRx0drt4tODMJqPm91_HxSMpEav320aF_di_McI2dMwyS5lx3s9cPtxggVXeb9sYCdgGyrfy6dMP73nmu8tJH3LhT53_QmrlJQ3PBEZ-pbG8o4ws-hSU6VU1ow/w640-h480/What%20can%20I%20bring%20by%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20-%201.jpg" title="What can I bring? by Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i" width="640" /></a></div><p>It's divided into seasons like her previous books are which I love even though in Sydney you can get pretty much anything, anytime of the year. There is something almost romantic sticking with the seasons. And speaking of seasons, how lovely is today's cooler change?? it's been so hot, I'm starting to wonder if we brought the FNQ climate with us. </p><p>Sophie's books are where I turn to for a comfort cook and this one is the same. I have made two recipes from this book so far with plenty more tabbed. Orange and rhubarb melting moments which are such a special treat and the rice, potato and chorizo pilaf, not a mid week dinner but a goodie for the weekend when you have the time for something to cook away in the oven for a bit of time. I still have a log of the melting moments dough in my freezer waiting to be defrosted, shaped, baked and filled. Yum. The first batch i made, I used raspberry jam as I didn't have any rhubarb jam and it gave them a bit of a monte carlo biscuit feel. I will source the rhubarb jam for the log waiting in my freezer as I think it might make the filling not as sweet and a little more tart. The only 'change' (and very important one I think) I made was, I used icing mixture, not pure icing sugar. Always do and always will when a recipe calls for icing sugar. Life is too short and sifting those pesky lumps out of icing sugar isn't fun.</p><p>And although I had no where to go with these delicious morsels, I took them to work and they were demolished happily with only crumbs left on the plate. What more can you ask for?</p><p>They would make a great gift or addition to any afternoon tea. Or, simply because you want home made biscuits for yourself. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0R-r6C8qAhTE-Eh-usSs81l0k39apabBx3hDE20PHcXrTTlPOcEd-ngtjZQ-YEpJuA3JFfDjol4AoWwJYbJkzpgI8nx5mdypb5WvcwZ9zAHyfGJCpSTJJd1Bhm6abzPkH8h2TJPIEi-XFSAYRbraa5NOQemow7ccIvOaNR5fx6z22FQT_ihzxdPLXzTs/s4032/Orange%20and%20rhubarb%20melting%20moments%20%7C%20What%20can%20I%20bring%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20-%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Orange and rhubarb melting moments | What can I bring Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0R-r6C8qAhTE-Eh-usSs81l0k39apabBx3hDE20PHcXrTTlPOcEd-ngtjZQ-YEpJuA3JFfDjol4AoWwJYbJkzpgI8nx5mdypb5WvcwZ9zAHyfGJCpSTJJd1Bhm6abzPkH8h2TJPIEi-XFSAYRbraa5NOQemow7ccIvOaNR5fx6z22FQT_ihzxdPLXzTs/w640-h480/Orange%20and%20rhubarb%20melting%20moments%20%7C%20What%20can%20I%20bring%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20-%202.jpg" title="Orange and rhubarb melting moments | What can I bring Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXBLj8SinQ5N-fLGyc4U3E9c09PEZp7m3l7P77trEv3dF2rtizs5yyVaoH3jXiPNrHiibH-2Rb3fsMOXPg_XJ2oKRakLxZDt_D1eUMR43KJlDLtSO0lQvzuOOJfeKJMJ-mpdBigtfIFwoW8aXkoK3iVgnDOeFuRNGHnvaGeMjL6g1nCengQRbDTDu6Iw/s4032/Orange%20and%20rhubarb%20melting%20moments%20%7C%20What%20can%20I%20bring%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20-%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Orange and rhubarb melting moments | What can I bring Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXBLj8SinQ5N-fLGyc4U3E9c09PEZp7m3l7P77trEv3dF2rtizs5yyVaoH3jXiPNrHiibH-2Rb3fsMOXPg_XJ2oKRakLxZDt_D1eUMR43KJlDLtSO0lQvzuOOJfeKJMJ-mpdBigtfIFwoW8aXkoK3iVgnDOeFuRNGHnvaGeMjL6g1nCengQRbDTDu6Iw/w640-h480/Orange%20and%20rhubarb%20melting%20moments%20%7C%20What%20can%20I%20bring%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20-%201.jpg" title="Orange and rhubarb melting moments | What can I bring Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Orange and rhubarb melting moments</h3><div><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/what-can-i-bring--sophie-hansen/book/9781922616395.html" target="_blank">Recipe by Sophie Hansen</a></div><div><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/what-can-i-bring--sophie-hansen/book/9781922616395.html" target="_blank">Extract from 'What can I Bring?'</a></div><div><br /></div><div><i>You can never ever go wrong with a good melting moment. They really do seem to delight everyone, especially with such a pretty pink filling. I like to cook mine a little longer than most recipes suggest so they don't go soggy or too soft. Either way, if you haven't made these before, or for a while, please give them a go. They're such a lovely thing to bring to a picnic, or anywhere. Once the filling is firm and set, they are pretty shelf-stable for a couple of days at least.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Prep time </u>20 minutes, plus chilling</div><div><u>Cook time </u>15 minutes</div><div><u>Makes</u> approx. 24</div><div><br /></div><div>1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature</div><div>80g icing sugar</div><div>Zest of 1 orange</div><div>1tsp vanilla paste</div><div>1/3 cup (50g) custard powder</div><div>1 2/3 plain flour</div><div>a pinch of salt</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Filling</i></div><div>100g butter, softened</div><div>2 cups (250g) icing sugar</div><div>3 Tbsp rhubarb or plum jam</div><div>1 Tbsp orange juice, plus extra if needed</div><div><br /></div><div>Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the pddle attachment and cream for a few minutes until pale and fluffy. Or you can use a large bowl and an electric mixer. Add the zest and vanilla and beat again. Fold in the custard powder, flour and salt. Turn the dough out onto your benchtop and divide in two, then form each half into a sausage shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Preheat oven to 170C (325F) and line two making trays with baking paper.</div><div><br /></div><div>Slice each sausage of sough into discs around 1 cm thick, and roll these into small balls. Place these on the baking trays, leaving a few centimetres between each to allow for spreading. Gently press down with the tines of a form to flatten a little.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bake for 15 minutes, or until pale golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.</div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, clean the missing bowl ready to make the filling. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer, or using a bowl and an electric mixer, and beat for a few minutes until pale and creamy. Add the jam and the 1 tablespoon of orange juice and mix again until you have a thick paste. Add more orange juice if needed, a little at a time, until you have the right consistency.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sandwich two biscuits together with a little of the filling and place in the fridge for the buttercream to set, then store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Travel advice-</u></div><div>if you're making these biscuits more than 3 days in advance, store them, unfilled, in an airtight container and then sandwich together on the day you plan to share them.</div>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-18561922487065802342023-09-05T19:30:00.057+10:002023-09-05T20:35:19.398+10:00Honey Soy Cauli from Every Night of the Week Veg by Lucy Tweed<h1 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9if3qPWXFHVY1K9EAlexEEOs5M_jJ2nZl0zO7m3OisEA4UTnnTmdPA12nIPicTFFpRhCA6ti1jJFcs2kPxNq7HcXj75zgXXFoFy988XkF7AotSuARAqMCxpa8hmBHg07GxaKnxDp-gSiBw2CQFmLgh71FR07pLCD66ZI9DzAQe0CCPtwt0KY8QEXnKQ/s4032/Honey%20Soy%20Cauli%20from%20Every%20Night%20of%20the%20Week%20Veg%20by%20Lucy%20Tweed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Honey Soy Cauli from Every Night of the Week Veg by Lucy Tweed | salt sugar and i" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9if3qPWXFHVY1K9EAlexEEOs5M_jJ2nZl0zO7m3OisEA4UTnnTmdPA12nIPicTFFpRhCA6ti1jJFcs2kPxNq7HcXj75zgXXFoFy988XkF7AotSuARAqMCxpa8hmBHg07GxaKnxDp-gSiBw2CQFmLgh71FR07pLCD66ZI9DzAQe0CCPtwt0KY8QEXnKQ/w640-h480/Honey%20Soy%20Cauli%20from%20Every%20Night%20of%20the%20Week%20Veg%20by%20Lucy%20Tweed.jpg" title="Honey Soy Cauli from Every Night of the Week Veg by Lucy Tweed | salt sugar and i" width="640" /></a></div></span></div></h1><h1 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgjFwUzLxRivEKCJclpyfUpqhs-S8qAfkK49BsZqU4kO1zYf8gFPnYEgAzTjQYZyc4pkT8zeD7y0KdyH_CVIPtkBmbaMZAMxEa9kxvfUWKkak-fvOpbQX5h6tOggwNpv8YjLV-TbTZm-wYGlKr3VnYgduf10Nz8zeta1uRCoyWV7vPn-C8-iO5BJDqmo/s3024/Honey%20Soy%20Cauli%20from%20Every%20Night%20of%20the%20Week%20Veg%20by%20Lucy%20Tweed%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Honey Soy Cauli from Every Night of the Week Veg by Lucy Tweed | salt sugar and i" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgjFwUzLxRivEKCJclpyfUpqhs-S8qAfkK49BsZqU4kO1zYf8gFPnYEgAzTjQYZyc4pkT8zeD7y0KdyH_CVIPtkBmbaMZAMxEa9kxvfUWKkak-fvOpbQX5h6tOggwNpv8YjLV-TbTZm-wYGlKr3VnYgduf10Nz8zeta1uRCoyWV7vPn-C8-iO5BJDqmo/w640-h480/Honey%20Soy%20Cauli%20from%20Every%20Night%20of%20the%20Week%20Veg%20by%20Lucy%20Tweed%202.jpg" title="Honey Soy Cauli from Every Night of the Week Veg by Lucy Tweed | salt sugar and i" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></h1><p>Lucy Tweeds first book, Every Night of the Week, came out soon after I had a baby and the first thing I cooked after coming out of the newborn haze was Drunken Dumplings. And its one of my favourite recipes still and one of my favourite cookbooks. Everything I've cooked from it is so full of flavour, simple to put together and just delicious so when I was sent her new book, Every Night of the Week Veg. It made me very happy. The cover recipe is mouth watering... pizza rice. I mean omg get in my belly.</p><p>With the weekly grocery shop challenges up here in FNQ with barges getting turned around because of wrong temps it does limit the meal planning but turns out cauliflower and rice are not the first things to go in the shops up here. Ha! Until they read this that is. Lucy Tweed is the queen of baked, flavour packed rice and this Honey Soy Cauli is such an easy recipe to get ready and in the oven and dinner is on its way while you wrangle everything else that needs to be done before the madness witching hour.</p><p>You can prep the sauce and coat the cauliflower, played monster trucks, then pre-heat your oven, distract a toddler so they don't snack before dinner, prep the rice and put it all in the oven and still have time to go back to making duplo garages for the monster trucks. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Every Night of the Week Veg by Lucy Tweed | salt sugar and i" border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxW_9o1bhJDcfHSHle6kekeSV1LZUJhocp_XVTgEou0miMcTWjlTIbAP6uObZHfiKZ95VXy6lK8-m8YDqD6yrK6joQdw-hsZ2rYQjGgdqInB568UfgpVu-rYIZ1pkemR4ZszWuXomLlqPwRyRyN7Lq3kNDii776v_5cWnYgQ3IqzwGcl8FkYjrcDNbAt4/w640-h480/Every%20Night%20of%20the%20Week%20Veg%20by%20Lucy%20Tweed.jpg" title="Every Night of the Week Veg by Lucy Tweed | salt sugar and i" width="640" /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-weight: 700;">Honey Soy Cauli</span><i><br /><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/every-night-of-the-week-veg-lucy-tweed/book/9781922616517.html" target="_blank">Every Night of the Week Veg by Lucy Tweed</a></i></p><p><i>Serves 4</i></p><p>1/4 cup (70g) white miso paste<br />2 garlic cloves, crushed<br />1/4 cup (60ml) honey<br />2 tablespoons soy sauce<br />2 tablespoons rice vinegar<br />2 teaspoons sesame oil<br />2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped, white and greens seperated<br />8cm piece of ginger, peeled and julienned<br />1 large cauliflower, cut into 8 wedges**<br />3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />2 cups (440g) white rice<br />1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice<br />1/2 teaspoon fine salt<br />1 teaspoon sesame seeds</p><p><b>Optional Ingredients</b><br />blanched greens and chilli crisp</p><p><i>The sticky, chewy business of baking rice with flavours is with us to stay, my friends.</i></p><p><i>It's a classic lazy approach disguised as a big flavour move. (It's actually both!) And so satisfying, because it's basically set and forget.</i></p><p><i>Cauliflowers are the greatest sauce-trappers, too.</i></p><p>Preheat the oven to 200C (400C) fan-forced.</p><p>Blend the miso, garlic, honey, soy, rice vinegar, sesame oil, spring oil (white parts only) and a quarter of the ginger in a food processor until smooth.</p><p>Toss the cauliflower through the mix, making sure to coat it really well.</p><p>In a large roasting tray big enough to fir the cauliflower in a single layer, combine the oilive oil, rice, remaining ginger, chinese five-spice and salt.</p><p>Cover with 3 cups (750ml) of water and gently shake the pan to level out the rice.</p><p>Place the cauliflower into the water, then cover tightly with foil.</p><p>Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 25 minutes, basting with any remaining marinade for the final 5v minutes.</p><p>Serve with sesame seeds and the green parts of the spring onions.</p><p>** Cauliflower can take a while to roast. If you're short on time, blanch (4 minutes), steam (10 minutes) or microwave (4 minutes) the pieces prior to tossing them in the sauce.</p>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-72481524983966780162023-08-23T07:30:00.004+10:002023-08-26T12:05:47.169+10:00Broccoli Farfalle from The Food Fix by Yumi Stynes and Simon Davis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsCrd5ptyninKRL-gMNM9eZ-yuEfX6vNVO8fQjgOiumUvcDuS4ItrukzFIzRUadA7Yj0tAe0yB0__7TBkc-IEeG73U2pGf_qU_0b0DDSWs6EFxBlSqozibwI7TTnJ5S4mSTbufB5F7zMzGXtvjVFM3jSLEkaY6j7lLUJle-IR_cLaPOK2bBPsERAjpsE/s4032/Broccoli%20Farfalle%20from%20The%20Food%20Fix%20by%20Yumi%20Stynes%20and%20Simon%20Davis%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Broccoli Farfalle from The Food Fix by Yumi Stynes and Simon Davis" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsCrd5ptyninKRL-gMNM9eZ-yuEfX6vNVO8fQjgOiumUvcDuS4ItrukzFIzRUadA7Yj0tAe0yB0__7TBkc-IEeG73U2pGf_qU_0b0DDSWs6EFxBlSqozibwI7TTnJ5S4mSTbufB5F7zMzGXtvjVFM3jSLEkaY6j7lLUJle-IR_cLaPOK2bBPsERAjpsE/w640-h480/Broccoli%20Farfalle%20from%20The%20Food%20Fix%20by%20Yumi%20Stynes%20and%20Simon%20Davis%201.jpg" title="Broccoli Farfalle from The Food Fix by Yumi Stynes and Simon Davis" width="640" /></a></div><p>I have a confession. My kid only eats pasta with butter and the cheap parmesan cheese. </p><p>Before becoming a parent, I swore black and blue that my child will never eat just butter pasta but the universe had other plans and gave me little one who only wants butter on his pasta, is very firm on 'no sauce' and has to put the parmesan cheese on himself. So this particular dinner I made was only enjoyed by the people in the family who are not against sauce. But apart from being delicious, it was simple and easy and worked great on it's own and on the side of some spicy sausages. If you have a partner who looks at vegetarian dinner and asks. Where's the meat? you feel me.</p><p>In fact the entire book if full of these kind of recipes and they couldn't say it better than they do on the cover; '<a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-food-fix-yumi-stynes/book/9781922616715.html" target="_blank">Real World Dinner Solutions for the Exhausted</a>'. Is that not everyone right now?? <br /><br />As you know, I really love the 5min Food Fix podcast. Its quick and snappy and gives you dinner inspiration when you feel like the fridge is a scary place to be. The ideas and simple recipes they share are so great so when I was sent this lovely cookbook, I couldn't be happier. It's the podcast in book form. They have the fish-finger sushi in their too!! It's actually so delicious. </p><p>I hope that the below pasta recipe makes one night this week feel easier, taking the decision of what to cook off your mind. and the best thing... you can serve it with a side of butter noodles or spicy sausages keeping everyone happy.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgR4KZVLmqut2p8sUD7eIbIUoo29ngDuwoLlrNdutzEzceAQGu_ADSNxBwo2VQvvpTyHGydVoXSLGgEgE_6RxKQlXmEDHUZpOYZDSM3kIVVtF0fL1uwT4GzyaftVl2xCnE0OCwsPc1CYIlUKE8qGTkabXy8nbZwMU3B9A7MAQdILxZOh51PAJfZaKjLqY/s4032/The%20Food%20Fix%20by%20Yumi%20Stynes%20and%20Simon%20Davis%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Food Fix by Yumi Stynes and Simon Davis" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgR4KZVLmqut2p8sUD7eIbIUoo29ngDuwoLlrNdutzEzceAQGu_ADSNxBwo2VQvvpTyHGydVoXSLGgEgE_6RxKQlXmEDHUZpOYZDSM3kIVVtF0fL1uwT4GzyaftVl2xCnE0OCwsPc1CYIlUKE8qGTkabXy8nbZwMU3B9A7MAQdILxZOh51PAJfZaKjLqY/w640-h480/The%20Food%20Fix%20by%20Yumi%20Stynes%20and%20Simon%20Davis%201.jpg" title="The Food Fix by Yumi Stynes and Simon Davis" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgBp9kwnRzxxcoOZw3gqk4tgwJta8gSNxVlI1SxiJOUw4M2l7djiADN8sINfM_3QyXf-2g-PMEz-qCsUKgiyv6GLL3NXra-jn-6AGaLOVRPvYF9H-HJCFFuGvrVEr0RoLiwDcE5b5hOtvWbxRxeGmYcWvw4c3HangLQgEcgmY5cvpwZpxstRfUlEhUNM/s4032/Broccoli%20Farfalle%20from%20The%20Food%20Fix%20by%20Yumi%20Stynes%20and%20Simon%20Davis%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Broccoli Farfalle from The Food Fix by Yumi Stynes and Simon Davis" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgBp9kwnRzxxcoOZw3gqk4tgwJta8gSNxVlI1SxiJOUw4M2l7djiADN8sINfM_3QyXf-2g-PMEz-qCsUKgiyv6GLL3NXra-jn-6AGaLOVRPvYF9H-HJCFFuGvrVEr0RoLiwDcE5b5hOtvWbxRxeGmYcWvw4c3HangLQgEcgmY5cvpwZpxstRfUlEhUNM/w640-h480/Broccoli%20Farfalle%20from%20The%20Food%20Fix%20by%20Yumi%20Stynes%20and%20Simon%20Davis%202.jpg" title="Broccoli Farfalle from The Food Fix by Yumi Stynes and Simon Davis" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Broccoli Farfalle</span></h1><i>Recipe from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-food-fix-yumi-stynes/book/9781922616715.html" target="_blank">'The Food Fix' Real World Dinner Solutions for The Exhausted by Yumi Stynes and Simon Davis</a><br /></i><i>Serves 4-6</i><p></p><p>Broccoli - not just a veg of champion (and about the only one both Yumi and I can consistentlu get our kids to eat) but also a delicious creamy pasta sauce? Sure thing! If you like a bit of heat and little ones aren't involved, then feel free to add a finely chopped red fredh chilli to the oil along with the garlic.</p><p>1 lareg head of broccoli, cut into small florets<br />2 garlic cloves<br />1/2 cup (125ml) olive oil<br />salt and pepper, to taste<br />400-500g (14oz-1lb 2oz) farfalle<br />grated parmesan cheese, to serve</p><p>Throw the brocoli florets into a large saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for 8 minutes or until soft. Drain.</p><p>Squash the garlic cloves with the flat of a knife.</p><p>Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, then add the garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until golden all over. Fish the garlic out of the pan and discard.</p><p>Add the broccoli to the pan and stir it around in the garlicky oil until well coated. Season generously with salt and pepper and keep it ticking away over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, squashing the broc with the back of a wooden spoon and adding a splash or two of water as necessary, so it all smnooshes together to form a creamy sauce.</p><p>Meanwhile, cook the farfalle in a saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente.</p><p>Drain the pasta and add the the pan with the broccoli. Toss everything together and serve with plenty of grated parmesan and pepper.</p><p><b>Tips.</b><br />1. Pasta always tastes better when it's cooked 'al-dente' (which is just the italian way of saying 'to the tooth' or that it has a bit of bite left in it). I tend to go by memory rather than timer - sorry, Yumi! - and taste mineas it cook to see if it's just right, but if you're unsure then follow the parket directions, subtracting a minute or two as they always seem to be a bit cautious.</p><p>2. The pasta amount here is, well, variable because, lets be honest, it's almost impossible to cook the right amount. I tend to do this by eye or throwing in a whole packet for a famkly of five. Any uneaten pasta makes good leftovers.<br /></p>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-86474532268402607242023-07-18T20:00:00.006+10:002023-07-21T13:08:29.548+10:00Japanese Pickled Ginger & Cheats Sushi<p>It is no shock that take-away is sparse up here in FNQ. when we first moved here, I thought I'd be mastering all the things given the lack of variety, but turns out, it's just not my season. Instead, dinners have been quick, throw together meals. My favourite podcast right now is <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/5-minute-food-fix/id1619052425" target="_blank">The 5 minute Food Fix</a>, have you heard it? it's great. Yumi Stynes and Simon Davis are my dinner inspiration and reassures that kids will be kids when it comes to food. On Yumi's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfXFU5zjYQg/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank">Instagram</a> she makes the easiest sushi and I can confirm it's a game changer. It's not perfect or authentic but... if I've learnt anything from feeding a toddler, the more effort you put in the more they just want buttered noodles. </p><p>Avocado sushi is a winner (sometimes) in our house. It's as simple as cooking some medium grain rice with a pinch of salt, folding through a splash of rice white vinegar and mirin once it's cooked but still warm, letting it cool for a little and then spreading it over some nori and adding a couple of slices of avocado or I like to add some canned tuna mixed with kewpie mayo. Yumi makes it with fish fingers which I can again confirm is also delicious. It's not the same as what you can buy from sushi train but it fills the craving, especially when you pair it with a homemade Japanese pickle ginger... I could eat this stuff from the jar. As my father-in-law would put it, 'Gods Food'. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7ibFh1ZtEM1R63Q8SSHqXYawUgpZksdUTb6eWtRlKA1sHBvqYy08rTv_tplXmMTRDTgc2BJavwObTu9UGNAU1PiPeH-uLbJlV-EB06I14Oma6fpdkz_g8yjorq7lNwT65Wr2Zo6sqXyfU7WPv9fXy1xoPvhQzeMWweuLHvUZ7wubu5yyByOTeXoPt14/s4032/Japanese%20Pickled%20Ginger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Japanese Pickled Ginger recipe - salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7ibFh1ZtEM1R63Q8SSHqXYawUgpZksdUTb6eWtRlKA1sHBvqYy08rTv_tplXmMTRDTgc2BJavwObTu9UGNAU1PiPeH-uLbJlV-EB06I14Oma6fpdkz_g8yjorq7lNwT65Wr2Zo6sqXyfU7WPv9fXy1xoPvhQzeMWweuLHvUZ7wubu5yyByOTeXoPt14/w640-h480/Japanese%20Pickled%20Ginger.jpg" title="Japanese Pickled Ginger recipe - salt sugar and i blog" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>I came across this recipe for Japanese Pickled Ginger because we had an abundance of home-grown ginger. It may not be my season for pottering in the kitchen but hubby has found his green thumb up here and we've had an abundance of ginger, lemongrass, basil and papayas. So much so we can't keep up. He has perfected the home-brewed ginger beer, but it also come with a side of reflux. So with a brew of ginger beer in a keg and one brewed for a friend, we still had probably at least a kilo of ginger left over. </p><p>I couldn't find any small jars so made one giant jar which meant only one jar to sterilise but I have a lot of pickled ginger to get through before we depart back to Sydney in 10 weeks. I've been putting it on salads and having it with my <strike>lazy-girl</strike> efficient-mum 'sushi' and also, just eating it from the jar as it. It would also make a great gift if you did it in smaller jars.</p><p>Ah, I have missed this space.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Japanese Pickled Ginger</span></h1><p><i>recipe from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-modern-preserver-kylee-newton/book/9780224101165.html" target="_blank">The Modern Preserver by Kylee Newton</a><br /></i><i>makes 4 x 100ml jars or 1 x 350ml jar</i></p><p>200g fresh ginger<br />1 tsp salt<br />300ml Japanese Pickle Brine (see below)</p><p>Peel the ginger and slice finely as possible into long ribbons, either using a vegetable peeler or mandoline.</p><p>In a bowl, cover the ginger with the salt and mix together with your hands to make sure the ginger is completely covered. Set aside for 30-40 minutes.</p><p>The salt extracts liquid from the ginger so, after the alloted time, carefully squeeze it to remove any excess salted liquid and put into warm dry sterilised jars.</p><p>Gently warm the brine, pour over the ginger, filling the jars to about 5mm below the rim then seal.</p><p>Leave in the fridge to macerate for 24 hours so the flavours develop before eating.</p><p>Keeps unopened in the fridge for up to 6 months. Once opened, eat within 4 weeks.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Japanese Pickle Brine</span></h1><p><i>recipe from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-modern-preserver-kylee-newton/book/9780224101165.html" target="_blank">The Modern Preserver by Kylee Newton</a><br /></i><i>makes 500ml (*note this recipe has been halved from the original in the book)</i></p><p>225ml rice wine vinegar<br />225ml water<br />190g caster sugar<br />1/8 tsp sea salt<br />1/4 tsp black or white peppercorns</p><p>Can be made days ahead and kept in the fridge until ready to use. </p><p>Put all ingredients into a medium, stainless steel pan and warm the mixture until thee sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer and infuse for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool before use or storage.</p><p><br /></p>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-78951130343127064782022-09-17T13:24:00.002+10:002022-09-17T13:24:58.701+10:00Castle Puddings from Pride and Puddings by Regula Ysewijn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqRMyVZIkSz419B-p0tS3i8L8qBLdIpbVwAjv8axz3q-za0qo_1VvASswJwE2qMEzErrHtQVK7r9tK7vnAGu8H39WLniGT1R3iUnq1HE_QjEf7a_V5zil6vIB5u_BN9llsbMqLVXEymPAwVYZWFhLA_RY4gDnhoUuKnqw5m8j2XLCcaOYl7GpyLjN/s4032/Pride%20and%20Puddings%20-%20Castle%20Pudding%202%20-%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqRMyVZIkSz419B-p0tS3i8L8qBLdIpbVwAjv8axz3q-za0qo_1VvASswJwE2qMEzErrHtQVK7r9tK7vnAGu8H39WLniGT1R3iUnq1HE_QjEf7a_V5zil6vIB5u_BN9llsbMqLVXEymPAwVYZWFhLA_RY4gDnhoUuKnqw5m8j2XLCcaOYl7GpyLjN/w640-h480/Pride%20and%20Puddings%20-%20Castle%20Pudding%202%20-%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Back in May this year I was kindly sent a copy of <i><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/pride-and-pudding-regula-ysewijn/book/9781922616210.html" target="_blank">Pride and Puddings, the history of British puddings, savoury and sweet by Regula Ysewijn</a></i> from Murdoch books. And goodness me, if you are a pudding lover, this book is for you. For me, the word 'pudding' really makes me miss the cold weather where you get to rug up on the couch after dinner with a bowl of steamy pudding and cold ice cream or coming in from a cold day out and sitting down to a homemade chicken pie with peas. Thats not to say there isn't cold 'pudding' recipes in this book, there are. It's jammed back with recipes which remind me of Downtown Abby times like trifles, bakewell pudding, beef pudding, blood pudding, toad in the hole, bread and butter pudding, fritters, jellies, fools and burnt creams.</p><p>Being in the tropics where it's summer all year round did not stop me making a hot pudding, Castle Puddings, which are a type of steamed pudding. Steamed puddings hold a soft spot in my heart. When I still lived at home after high school when my only 'adult' responsibility was my phone bill, I'd get these ideas that making dessert at 9pm on a Tuesday was a brilliant idea. Mum didn't mind as long as the kitchen was clean and Dad was always up for it because he never said no to anything I cooked and he had a sweet tooth. Steam puddings, aka college puddings, was one of the things I made on rolation. The recipe I used back then was an old Australian Womens Weekly recipe where you put jam in the bottom of mugs and boil them on the stove in a water bath. This particular recipe for Castle Puddings that Regula Ysewijn has in her book uses lemon curd or thinly sliced oranges in the bottom and steamed in the oven in a baking tray of water.</p><p>In true FNQ fashion, I did not have oranges or lemon curd on hand, instead, I used the strawberry jam we had in the fridge instead. And even though I did not make these at 9pm on a weeknight, they felt like a complete treat and brought back memories of a lighter time. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuSmQt_cDEZEMluA0F6ZbOY6PQpezrpkze9iPPYz35nt8q838_MF2SiLYsLo3-GvlaOVx4E-PofaZl-3PLjksYs9p_Iy1DIiFEgTehmg-b4sZDRwH3rKzz59YWD7yz-pYj0tU9BoAddo5UPxMN44vdx0dzxlsPP5ztUNNLZI6hkyIMmNFrq3rX_71/s4032/Pride%20and%20Puddings%20book%20-%20Castle%20Pudding%20-%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuSmQt_cDEZEMluA0F6ZbOY6PQpezrpkze9iPPYz35nt8q838_MF2SiLYsLo3-GvlaOVx4E-PofaZl-3PLjksYs9p_Iy1DIiFEgTehmg-b4sZDRwH3rKzz59YWD7yz-pYj0tU9BoAddo5UPxMN44vdx0dzxlsPP5ztUNNLZI6hkyIMmNFrq3rX_71/w640-h480/Pride%20and%20Puddings%20book%20-%20Castle%20Pudding%20-%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">‘Images and text from <span class="il">Pride</span> & <span class="il">Pudding</span> by Regula Ysewijn, photography by </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">Regula Ysewijn</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">. Murdoch Books <span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 19.425px; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">RRP $55.00.’ </span></span><span style="line-height: 19.425px; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdDSrJRHMoH0LcH1AtnP_R7qLNYS-uD1BnAw_FNAVrxHhM_LcwmOLBIwTJNeclZEmI3aPKY2sfSdfmP6CvXdI94hMGLoWyWWK6UM8JuyyS3Ba7IOKM8ZzwB4Kn_V8iGAUPrp9_gCK8L-AB6sEtnW8JGnir34UI0p2GlEV3w3-RZ-RjaSfV6Dyfg0b/s4032/Pride%20and%20Puddings%20-%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdDSrJRHMoH0LcH1AtnP_R7qLNYS-uD1BnAw_FNAVrxHhM_LcwmOLBIwTJNeclZEmI3aPKY2sfSdfmP6CvXdI94hMGLoWyWWK6UM8JuyyS3Ba7IOKM8ZzwB4Kn_V8iGAUPrp9_gCK8L-AB6sEtnW8JGnir34UI0p2GlEV3w3-RZ-RjaSfV6Dyfg0b/w640-h480/Pride%20and%20Puddings%20-%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">‘Images and text from <span class="il">Pride</span> & <span class="il">Pudding</span> by Regula Ysewijn, photography by </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">Regula Ysewijn</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none; line-height: normal; text-align: start;">. Murdoch Books <span lang="EN-AU" style="line-height: 19.425px; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">RRP $55.00.’ </span></span><span style="line-height: 19.425px; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><i>*notes on the below: I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead of lemon.orange zest and a few heaped tablespoons of jam instead of lemon curd/orange slices.*</i></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Castle Puddings</span></h2><p>Steamed lemon or orange sponge puddings</p><p>Recipe from: <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/pride-and-pudding-regula-ysewijn/book/9781922616210.html" target="_blank">Pride and Puddings by Regula Ysewijn.</a></p><p>Makes 8 small puddings in 7-8 cm basins (moulds); alternatively use a muffin tray, which will give a slightly different result as the holes are shallower.</p><p>butter, for greasing<br />200g butter, softened<br />200g raw sugar<br />4 eggs<br />200g self-raising flour<br /><br /><b>Lemon flavouring</b><br />zest of 1 small lemon<br />a jar or lemon curd</p><p><b>Orange flavouring</b><br />zest of 1/2 small orange<br />thinly sliced orange rounds<br />sugar, for sprinkling<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Prepare individual mini basins by greasing them generously with butter, then cut a disc of baking paper to fit inside the base of each basin and press it into the mould.</p><p>Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the butter with the sugar until pale and creamy. This is an important step so whisk thoroughly. Grate in the lemon or orange zest for the flavouring of your choice. Start adding the eggs one at a time, whisking until each egg is fully incorporated. Finally, fold in the flour and combine well.</p><p>Put on teaspoon of lemon curd or a think slice or orange sprinkled with sugar in each mini pudding basin, before adding the batter. Divide the batter between the basins until they are about two-thirds full.</p><p>Place the puddings in a deep baking dish. Carefully pour hot water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the basins. Cove the dish with foil and bake in the centre of the oven for 50 minutes, checking after 40 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the pudding to see if it comes out clean.</p><p>Allow the puddings to cool in the basins. (if not needed directly, freeze in the basins and reheat in thee microwave after defrosting.)</p><p>When you are ready to serve, loosen the pudding from the mould with the tip of a knife and turn the pudding out like a cake. Serve with an accompaniment of custard or ice cream; my favourite is clotted cream.</p>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-36343855864097063052022-07-23T14:08:00.002+10:002022-07-23T14:09:35.412+10:00The Famous Chicken Curry from Taste Tibet by Julie Kleeman & Yeshi Jampa<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz61pQiY-qVONvGoRqYnqAAmUfyx1FbyF_Etr_yL_aJeuKU6fQxF9vAExVeuzdsqFIWLoQCqEC1l5DxCwHvlGlUndoNHmYCC8l7HqbmgcGnsviHevKrhyVbZKI4Tx8Q0ZwBDRbMiX-3wOiAxMbFIq_wEydxH3Ysw5ygSPelIWLkzcc3XpCUxrZrhI/s4032/The%20Famous%20Chicken%20Curry%20from%20Taste%20Tibet%20by%20Julie%20Kleeman%20&%20Yeshi%20Jampa%202%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Famous Chicken Curry from Taste Tibet by Julie Kleeman & Yeshi Jampa | salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz61pQiY-qVONvGoRqYnqAAmUfyx1FbyF_Etr_yL_aJeuKU6fQxF9vAExVeuzdsqFIWLoQCqEC1l5DxCwHvlGlUndoNHmYCC8l7HqbmgcGnsviHevKrhyVbZKI4Tx8Q0ZwBDRbMiX-3wOiAxMbFIq_wEydxH3Ysw5ygSPelIWLkzcc3XpCUxrZrhI/w640-h480/The%20Famous%20Chicken%20Curry%20from%20Taste%20Tibet%20by%20Julie%20Kleeman%20&%20Yeshi%20Jampa%202%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.HEIC" title="The Famous Chicken Curry from Taste Tibet by Julie Kleeman & Yeshi Jampa | salt sugar and i blog" width="640" /></a></div><br />A few weeks ago... actually now I think about it. It was a few months ago, I made a very delicious chicken curry but life got in the way and then more life stuff happened and I didn't get to share it with you. But here it is. <p></p><p>It's from a cookbook called 'Taste Tibet' by Julie Kleeman and Yeshi Jampa. Its a cookbooks filled to the brim with culture, history, traditions and of course recipes from the Himalayas. What I didn't know until I started reading is Taste Tibet is a restaurant, shop and festival food stall in Oxford, in the UK which is run and owned by Julie and Yeshi. Yeshi is the cook, head chef and chief recipe developer in the duo.</p><p></p><blockquote>'At first glance, Tibetan food looks a lot like Chinese food. Noodles, dumplings and small plates are a big feature of the cuisine.' </blockquote><p></p><p>This book makes your mouth water just flicking through the pages. Stirfry's (hot and cold), fried rice, noodles, Tibetan yoghurt, soups, stews, savoury and sweet momos (which are a type of dumpling), flatbreads, curries and then there is the sweets for those sweet tooth's with ceremonial biscuits and truffles.</p><p>Although there were lots of delicious recipes to try, the one that caught my eye was the 'Taste Tibet Famous Chicken Curry'. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. And that was without using curry leaves and doing my very best with what we have up here to find the closest curry powders too.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8eKi8VdJ6aTIuwCzougKxmgJApgSB0xES8kR-kjvTmZht9uybu1XxrSSNynJGTI7YTqX4JwQ4HzoVHUZZMAyLw_oSCJuADs_d-mqAuniRyBXbvVVEutCDtxDuXkciKZHg1fmD2FADttTqqzjNEb90YKyH96Nr4AJxju_AKDwii8-vVzwAKoETSRT/s4032/Taste%20Tibet%20by%20Julie%20Kleeman%20&%20Yeshi%20Jampa%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Taste Tibet by Julie Kleeman & Yeshi Jampa | salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8eKi8VdJ6aTIuwCzougKxmgJApgSB0xES8kR-kjvTmZht9uybu1XxrSSNynJGTI7YTqX4JwQ4HzoVHUZZMAyLw_oSCJuADs_d-mqAuniRyBXbvVVEutCDtxDuXkciKZHg1fmD2FADttTqqzjNEb90YKyH96Nr4AJxju_AKDwii8-vVzwAKoETSRT/w640-h480/Taste%20Tibet%20by%20Julie%20Kleeman%20&%20Yeshi%20Jampa%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.HEIC" title="Taste Tibet by Julie Kleeman & Yeshi Jampa | salt sugar and i blog" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">Text from </span><span class="il" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">Taste</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"> </span><span class="il" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;">Tibet</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"> by Julie Kleeman and Yeshi Jampa, food photography by Ola O. Smith, travel photography by Keiko Wong. <br />Murdoch Books RRP $49.99</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wXsDfbX0VmVVBCPgySN6bZTwowgZrFhoAnaFSsTOeS7rQq7XXUe37HCJp4Er7OGU_32AgMxXp6CGzXxtQ6yemkVBOhL5cw82ynqL6UyWIhZm5D_sBtEOj-815rHuE8B6nt3hYnd4hacg-w_U1LHWXB_mb_D5QA90BRTVtB6XTXyO7Upk8JqBlwm2/s4032/The%20Famous%20Chicken%20Curry%20from%20Taste%20Tibet%20by%20Julie%20Kleeman%20&%20Yeshi%20Jampa%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Famous Chicken Curry from Taste Tibet by Julie Kleeman & Yeshi Jampa | salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wXsDfbX0VmVVBCPgySN6bZTwowgZrFhoAnaFSsTOeS7rQq7XXUe37HCJp4Er7OGU_32AgMxXp6CGzXxtQ6yemkVBOhL5cw82ynqL6UyWIhZm5D_sBtEOj-815rHuE8B6nt3hYnd4hacg-w_U1LHWXB_mb_D5QA90BRTVtB6XTXyO7Upk8JqBlwm2/w640-h480/The%20Famous%20Chicken%20Curry%20from%20Taste%20Tibet%20by%20Julie%20Kleeman%20&%20Yeshi%20Jampa%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.HEIC" title="The Famous Chicken Curry from Taste Tibet by Julie Kleeman & Yeshi Jampa | salt sugar and i blog" width="640" /></a></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Taste Tibet Famous Chicken Curry</span></h2><div><span style="font-size: small;">Recipe from: Taste Tibet by Julie Kleeman & Yeshi Jampa</span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div>Serves 4-6</div><div><br /></div><div>2 tablespoons cooking oil</div><div>2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced</div><div>2.5cm (1 inch) piece of ginger, washed but not peeled, thinly sliced</div><div>1 small red onion, thinly sliced</div><div>2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced</div><div>1/4 teaspoon tumeric</div><div>1 teaspoon Bassar curry masala (or hot chilli powder)</div><div>1 1/2 teaspoons Madras curry powder</div><div>2 tablespoons coconut milk powder</div><div>6-8 fresh curry leaves, or 10-12 dried</div><div>1 x 400ml (14 fl oz) tin coconut milk</div><div>600g (1 lb 5oz) chicken breast fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces</div><div>1 teaspoon salt</div><div>Chopped coriander (cilantro), to garnish - optional</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. When it's hot, add the garlic and ginger and let it brown for a couple of minutes, then add the onion and stir for a further 2 minutes. Now add the tomatoes, turmeric, curry masala and curry powder. Mix together and cook for 10-15 minutes, turning the heat down a little and adding about 50 ml (2 1/2 tablespoons) of water if anything starts to catch, then add the coconut milk powder, curry leaves and coconut milk and mix thoroughly. Take your time here: you are making a curry paste, and it needs to be cooked through completely before you can add the chicken. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now add the chicken and salt. Turn the heat back up to high, stir the chicken through the sauce and cook for 8-10 minutes, adding a little boiling water - but only a little - if anything sticks. The pan should be quite dry to begin with, before the juices from the chicken start to be released, so wait a while before adding any water. </div><div><br /></div><div>After the chicken has been in for 8 minutes, check to make sure it is fully cooked. To do this, take a piece out and cut it through the middle - it should be white all the way through. If the sauce looks too thick, add a little more boiling water and stir briskly for 2 minutes. Garnish with coriander, if you like, then serve. </div></div>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-7752443872269278762022-06-15T07:32:00.005+10:002022-06-15T07:32:53.001+10:00Cabbage and Visitors.Helllooo my lovely trusted readers, I am currently sitting in the dark. It's early. My little one still snoozes, Tris has left for work and Arthur is snoring next to me on the couch. I am sorry for the radio silence. I wish I could tell you I have lots of delicious recipes from beautiful cookbooks to share with you but unfortunately it feels like I've been playing a bit of catch up, catch up of what? I am not sure. In truth, I do have beautiful cookbooks to share with you that were kindly gifted to me but, time. I will get there though, they may be a bit late, but the books reviews and delicious recipes will come. Slow and steady wins the race right? <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm-GmdG9-DGl3bRO8RbiG0mF_kB7RSy5Q7hcK9FHxjV2y1zLSf3uawvW1K6Zad8-EH1mHc2bNtzvOv1JLIviCq7VMLfcJC2FpEjLuChPu_dcaPiNiMBJtmUn5x6EbFaRe9AgV7Wz9-h0iEXx8x5_AksU3qL4DIAYdpRZb3VR-eu4lu7cLtlBUx-n4/s4032/Weipa%202.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm-GmdG9-DGl3bRO8RbiG0mF_kB7RSy5Q7hcK9FHxjV2y1zLSf3uawvW1K6Zad8-EH1mHc2bNtzvOv1JLIviCq7VMLfcJC2FpEjLuChPu_dcaPiNiMBJtmUn5x6EbFaRe9AgV7Wz9-h0iEXx8x5_AksU3qL4DIAYdpRZb3VR-eu4lu7cLtlBUx-n4/w640-h480/Weipa%202.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>What have we been up to since last past? well, my mum came to visit for a month and oh my, our washing basket has never been so empty and draws so full of clean clothes. You'd be ashamed of us at the moment mum with our pile of clean clothes we are living out of on top of the spare bed. My sister also visited for a week and we tried to jam everything there is to do in Weipa (except fishing and camping) into her stay. We got the token picture in front of the Weipa sign, swam in a waterhole, went to the local pool, drove to Mapoon and had their famous burgers on the beach, went to the splash park, had dinner at the pub, went for a walk around our little area and saw a croc. Which was also the first croc I have seen since we arrived as it's been mating season and they've all been up river so that was pretty cool. </div><div><br /></div><div>Oh and I almost forgot. We got chickens. I think we have two hen's and one rooster. Kenny is our rooster, we are going to pimp him out to others who have chickens and want more but currently don't have a rooster. Out two hens are Marylands who is super feisty for food and pecks your toes and our quiet achiever, and hair footed, Bilbo. Rory LOVES them. Even if we don't get any eggs from our hen's, just seeing him chase them around the garden has been worth it. I am sure, with time, and as the chickens get older and bigger that will change and it'll be the chickens chasing him around the garden.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk870KC1m8XO4q0lkm9O78LvkLpZAn8lOLRuaurhZfAHtmYSVj65j3Df62iDmybcrXmjp3Tx3rhr5KMIL7DdZ737B8cETTSiDVbuQrfCQkRHiEi9T6gJXKSWR7Xdx1bHVOZif7ShMSa6FF0ynMdi-MNl4bNSxUX8hSh7W9jqJnBgQUhQGJJk9TkPcd/s4032/salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20%7C%20Chickens.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk870KC1m8XO4q0lkm9O78LvkLpZAn8lOLRuaurhZfAHtmYSVj65j3Df62iDmybcrXmjp3Tx3rhr5KMIL7DdZ737B8cETTSiDVbuQrfCQkRHiEi9T6gJXKSWR7Xdx1bHVOZif7ShMSa6FF0ynMdi-MNl4bNSxUX8hSh7W9jqJnBgQUhQGJJk9TkPcd/w480-h640/salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20%7C%20Chickens.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>We all have to eat so what have I been cooking lately? Cabbage. The woolies here isn't renowned for their great produce of full shelves but considering we are in a remote community, they do pretty well. Also, now that it's the dry season up here, trucks can make it over the rivers so we aren't solely reliant on the barge for everything. But cabbage seems to travel well and doesn't cost an arm and leg so each week we end up with a cabbage in our shopping basket. We aren't cabbists, the red or the green are equally good. </div><div><br /></div><div>A simple coleslaw of shredded cabbage, grated carrot and red onion or spring onions with a yoghurt based dressing <a href="https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetable-recipes/jam-jar-dressings/" target="_blank">(this Jamie one is great and simple!)</a> is delicious with fish, on tacos, with steak or on cold prawn buttered rolls. Cabbage is also a great one to throw in a quick stir-fry which we had last night for dinner <a href="https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/481200/obento-marinade-teriyaki" target="_blank">(using this really delicious marinade for the sauce - super yum)</a> or wrapped up in some rice paper rolls which is my latest lunch time fix. I know, most of you at home are going. These foods doesn't even sound remotely comforting. There is no winter up here dear readers, only the wet and dry. If you do find a cabbage in your grocery haul, and you are in the colder states, <a href="https://food52.com/recipes/27213-marcella-hazan-s-rice-smothered-cabbage-soup" target="_blank">this recipe for cabbage soup</a> is fantastic and very comforting. And I know you may not want to hear this, but I envy your cold weather right now. Oh to be wrapped up in winter warmers, it sounds glorious!</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope you are all staying safe and well. Until next post x.</div></div>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-47469013903910254262022-04-29T19:12:00.003+10:002022-04-29T19:13:12.015+10:00Slow cooked beans with Ham Hock from Around the Kitchen Table by Sophie Hansen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9fZlZDGHpJ4tdJ--wyl_JE2rmz_VJHkZ6YR-uoLph7cE2tlRxzGSAHOiOk4pl4WYZo07dhhj7RwYlfI6QY35PrbW9Q1I1AFXBMmogVEfI3Rouqh3XkK9-tLJue2Dxk7R45_Avod7TJkpcwpo6p-q8-7_0C4jclpXjt3fWt2bqgHSjUXwqeRMsyyB/s4032/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Slow-cooked%20beans%20with%20ham%20hock%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog%20-%204%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9fZlZDGHpJ4tdJ--wyl_JE2rmz_VJHkZ6YR-uoLph7cE2tlRxzGSAHOiOk4pl4WYZo07dhhj7RwYlfI6QY35PrbW9Q1I1AFXBMmogVEfI3Rouqh3XkK9-tLJue2Dxk7R45_Avod7TJkpcwpo6p-q8-7_0C4jclpXjt3fWt2bqgHSjUXwqeRMsyyB/w640-h480/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Slow-cooked%20beans%20with%20ham%20hock%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog%20-%204%20copy.jpg" title="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" width="640" /></a></div><p>You know those books that give you the warm and fuzzy's and go perfectly with a cup of tea, curled on the couch but just as good splattered with food in your kitchen. Sophie Hansen's books are just that. I have them all and I need to confess before rambling on any further. I am a Fan Girl. So when I was kindly sent her newest book <a href="https://www.murdochbooks.com.au/browse/books/craft/handicrafts/Around-the-Kitchen-Table-Sophie-Hansen-and-Annie-Herron-9781922351838" target="_blank">Around the Kitchen Table: Good things to cook, create and do - the whole year through</a> which she wrote with her mother, Annie Herron, excited was an under statement. </p><p>This book is different to any other cookbook I own or have read. Not only is it a cookbook but also a bit of an art journal. Annie, Sophie's Mother is an artist and runs an Art School. Like all Sophie's books, it is divided into seasons and within each of these chapters is not only mouthwatering recipes but arts and crafts for example; how to paint a bird, mono printing, collage, craft ideas like making a Christmas wreath and drawing prompts throughout it. You don't need to be an artist to enjoy or use this part of the book at all, just like you don't need to be a chef. It's for the at-home creatives out there. </p><p>The photography, as always, is just magical. Sophie is based in Orange NSW so gets the hot summers, filled with green meadows, sandy beaches and vibrant coloured fruits but also the chilly winters with frosty mornings, thick socks and baked goodies that you just know will taste delicious... mmmm still warm out the oven. Oh I dream of cold winter days, but they are far and non existent here in FNQ. It really is just hot and hot up here. But in saying that, it didn't stop me from pulling out the slow cooker the other week and making a call to the butcher to check they had a ham hock in their deep freeze I could buy. </p><p>Slow cooked beans with Ham Hock. The hardest thing about this recipe was finding the ham hock. Such a simple recipe to put together, it's the time that does all the work while you can go off and attempt your hand at some mono-printing maybe or just put your feet up with a cuppa knowing dinner is sorted. Such a satisfying feeling. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15AMwK_JYVyFVgUWHEFAopE1195w3V9nIKwL-s17FG3K71RdFrOEjPv1cQo8jIY3NIdbAiqt5WI_Nwx4y3j95bV_m6FVGkyeLGMcf_v5eRAk4FNzepuH5K0TCgpnJ8u51ArZ-iuyOyCuN_bXE_ZE_nJmM7Qz5EttN-vugMZQYERn7Gtkq1YWjiftd/s4032/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Slow-cooked%20beans%20with%20ham%20hock%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog%20-%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15AMwK_JYVyFVgUWHEFAopE1195w3V9nIKwL-s17FG3K71RdFrOEjPv1cQo8jIY3NIdbAiqt5WI_Nwx4y3j95bV_m6FVGkyeLGMcf_v5eRAk4FNzepuH5K0TCgpnJ8u51ArZ-iuyOyCuN_bXE_ZE_nJmM7Qz5EttN-vugMZQYERn7Gtkq1YWjiftd/w640-h480/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Slow-cooked%20beans%20with%20ham%20hock%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog%20-%205.jpg" title="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekugMjRbtlD6xMi9As-kUw90veAuKu4NtZH5swuEBb_lm7HHu3P-V_ddTO6SHZY_01vheYZHr3MjnxeEdy9KndFneoQTOjmTW3Z7adSmcZZvhtHSithmmFNdaELLIIp8tl-pwsMPKKbyv5ApK4VjzdeevdS-L_3q1CLd2eCsJNz0oA0w_TDegn3yO/s4032/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Slow-cooked%20beans%20with%20ham%20hock%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog%20-%201%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekugMjRbtlD6xMi9As-kUw90veAuKu4NtZH5swuEBb_lm7HHu3P-V_ddTO6SHZY_01vheYZHr3MjnxeEdy9KndFneoQTOjmTW3Z7adSmcZZvhtHSithmmFNdaELLIIp8tl-pwsMPKKbyv5ApK4VjzdeevdS-L_3q1CLd2eCsJNz0oA0w_TDegn3yO/w640-h480/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Slow-cooked%20beans%20with%20ham%20hock%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog%20-%201%20copy.jpg" title="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMmBv2mbRRItgaQs0UfTUzREAUfn3zjtPQEJLRfZpF1A8FP4G6zFqPUgVKmLAefJ4LKkLvjoT06CpqRSmEqbFNNknlMrZsqrYi84dSg_zXz7Tn-58aqkBcKnIzR8i1H25w6GqyGX2D44rqLjT4ARXOpoMjnvL4XIeE3BOU2zrfd1fxEGrXJyvacRe/s4032/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Slow-cooked%20beans%20with%20ham%20hock%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog%20-%202%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMmBv2mbRRItgaQs0UfTUzREAUfn3zjtPQEJLRfZpF1A8FP4G6zFqPUgVKmLAefJ4LKkLvjoT06CpqRSmEqbFNNknlMrZsqrYi84dSg_zXz7Tn-58aqkBcKnIzR8i1H25w6GqyGX2D44rqLjT4ARXOpoMjnvL4XIeE3BOU2zrfd1fxEGrXJyvacRe/w640-h480/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Slow-cooked%20beans%20with%20ham%20hock%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog%20-%202%20copy.jpg" title="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0kidThl0-Ni8GYNiCCEzQ8vAuHC75C05WzvAoSUr9lYHxAs-JYFqKdWxqR7BcAGRqe6GyQtkDedew9vbE1ub1c1ZAzxhwtceBbSKEL-16QXZT35eWdZLx3Ctnr7-3u1U6bZwSvyXf9-R0gzu5JMYA8fY0OS9VGShd2xHu8D4c7_qDRSNK1SrqJGB/s4032/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Slow-cooked%20beans%20with%20ham%20hock%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog%20-%203%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0kidThl0-Ni8GYNiCCEzQ8vAuHC75C05WzvAoSUr9lYHxAs-JYFqKdWxqR7BcAGRqe6GyQtkDedew9vbE1ub1c1ZAzxhwtceBbSKEL-16QXZT35eWdZLx3Ctnr7-3u1U6bZwSvyXf9-R0gzu5JMYA8fY0OS9VGShd2xHu8D4c7_qDRSNK1SrqJGB/w640-h480/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Slow-cooked%20beans%20with%20ham%20hock%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog%20-%203%20copy.jpg" title="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" width="640" /></a></div><br />I used canned beans like Sophie suggests you which eliminated cooking dried beans for an hour and although I haven't tried this recipe with dried beans to compare, using canned were perfect. It's smokey and rich and salty and a real belly warming dinner. I will be hitting up our local butcher again to get more ham hocks thats for sure. I served it for dinner, ladled over a baked potato, topped with greek yoghurt and fresh parsley but this would be amazing on some thickly sliced sourdough toast with a gooey poached egg on top. And another great thing, it freezes well and knowing we have a portion of this in the freezer that can be nooked in the microwave at a moments notice for a quick dinner or a special breakfast is a very lovely thought.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrZ0PxyH5BRD5SR9PvX6dVYVhz3j9ETw-0xLV8tt5JNkJGFy7vVa9PaEjL58cIfl3qrZ3fZhCsdD2D4cJBD_WgXYpg7jsQ7C0IB6_A1al6NWTm4XCroitDmicN9ujO3vWG-l2XwSMK9Hv9pobwngRx3QFWwb0DNy84IPMCq07GUEjRIrPSfNzpf4C/s2953/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="2953" data-original-width="2139" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrZ0PxyH5BRD5SR9PvX6dVYVhz3j9ETw-0xLV8tt5JNkJGFy7vVa9PaEjL58cIfl3qrZ3fZhCsdD2D4cJBD_WgXYpg7jsQ7C0IB6_A1al6NWTm4XCroitDmicN9ujO3vWG-l2XwSMK9Hv9pobwngRx3QFWwb0DNy84IPMCq07GUEjRIrPSfNzpf4C/w464-h640/Around%20the%20Kitchen%20Table%20%7C%20Sophie%20Hansen%20%7C%20salt%20sugar%20and%20i%20blog.jpg" title="Around the Kitchen Table | Slow-cooked beans with ham hock | Sophie Hansen | salt sugar and i blog" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">'Images and text from Around the Kitchen Table by </span></span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Sophie</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"> </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Hansen</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"> and Annie Herron, photography by </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Sophie</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"> </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Hansen</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">. Murdoch Books RRP $39.99'</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Slow-cooked beans with ham hock</span></b></p><p>Recipe from <a href="https://www.murdochbooks.com.au/browse/books/craft/handicrafts/Around-the-Kitchen-Table-Sophie-Hansen-and-Annie-Herron-9781922351838" target="_blank">Around the Kitchen Table by Sophie Hansen and Annie Herron</a></p><p>Serves 6</p><p>Prep time: 20 mins, plus overnight soaking <br />Cook time: 6¼ hours </p><p><i>I try to regularly make a batch of these through winter so that there’s always something healthy and hearty in the fridge ready to reheat. We all love this on toast and it’s a great filling meal to start the day, especially on those long, cold days when we don’t get home until late in the evening. These beans are also good for lunch and dinner, as per my serving suggestions below.</i></p><p>2½ cups (500 g) dried white beans, soaked overnight in cold water <br />1 smoked ham hock <br />2 brown onions, diced <br />3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 cm (½ inch) rounds <br />2 thyme sprigs<br /> 400 g (14 oz) tin cherry tomatoes <br />2 cups (500 ml) tomato passata (puréed tomatoes) <br />2 Tbsp red wine vinegar <br />1 Tbsp dark brown sugar <br />1 Tbsp dijon mustard<br /> 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses (optional)</p><p>Drain the beans and place them in a large saucepan of water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until the beans are tender and cooked through.</p><p>Turn the slow cooker to high. Drain the beans and tip them into the slow cooker.</p><p>Put the ham hock in the saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the ham hock and place it on top of the beans in the slow cooker.</p><p>Add the onion, carrot, thyme, tomatoes and passata. Pour in 1 cup (250 ml) water, or enough to just cover the beans and ham hock. Gently stir in the vinegar, brown sugar, mustard and pomegranate molasses, if using. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours (or for up to 7 hours if that suits you – perhaps add a little more liquid towards the end as those beans can get thirsty!).</p><p>Remove the ham hock and shred the meat from the bone, then return the meat to the beans and gently stir.</p><p><b>Notes:</b></p><p>You can use 2–3 x 400 g (14 oz) tins of white beans instead of dried beans. They won’t need soaking or pre-cooking – simply drain and rinse them, then add them to the slow cooker with the ham hock.</p><p><b>Serving suggestions:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Pile the beans on top of baked jacket potatoes and finish with a little plain yoghurt and chopped parsley.</li><li>Divide the beans among small ovenproof plates, make a dent in each, crack in an egg, dot with feta and parmesan cheese and parsley, then cook in a hot oven for 15–20 minutes or until the eggs are just cooked through.</li><li>Thin out the beans with stock and serve them as a stew or soup.</li><li>Use the beans as a jaffle or toasted sandwich filling.</li></ul><p></p>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-77658799529387501372022-04-16T00:10:00.003+10:002022-04-16T00:10:42.947+10:00Whisky & Orange Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding from The Comfort Bake by Sally Wise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="Whisky & Orange Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding from The Comfort Bake by Sally Wise | salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsHpHHG-uHe-H17oq_Ppz7avp2gr_1kbadUrrm_cE9PERgJKsfav4kv0f8RYQH1UXSSUdUOuZ-NnRkc2PQfH3Ked9MmESSeoXFilnqSIj7LBhjVLUxKF7XFFr_0FE8TEST312vCkHqeZrMWQGU8eH_V0lkNz6R5Y0_MrHAm2843lsFwS6AiDqaKrc/w640-h480/IMG_9569.HEIC" title="Whisky & Orange Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding from The Comfort Bake by Sally Wise | salt sugar and i blog" width="640" /></div></div><br /><div class="separator">When you move into a new home it can take a little while before home feels like home. Sometimes you need a good hug from a friendly face and something warm and decadent to treat your self. Lucky for me I have recently had both. The something warm and decadent came first.</div><p>A couple of weeks ago I was sent Sally Wise's new cookbook <a href="https://www.murdochbooks.com.au/browse/books/cooking-food-drink/food-drink/The-Comfort-Bake-Sally-Wise-9781922351937" target="_blank">'The Comfort Bake'</a>. This is the kind of book where you go oooo, ahhh, yummm, oh I want that, I'm hungry. And then if you're like me you rustle around your pantry and work out you have everything you need for a gooey self saucing chocolate pudding and all you're missing is ice cream. Which, luckily, the new home is right around the corner from the servo.</p><p>This gooey self saucing chocolate pudding I made has an offical name, Whisky & Orange Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding. Have you skipped down to the recipe and are you rustling around your pantry yet? </p><p>It's a recipe that you just have to trust Sally and follow her simple instructions without too much thought. It will work. I find most self-saucing recipes really test my trained background because everything about me says that pouring 300ml of boiling liquid over a cake batter means it will turn into soup, but it doesn't. The cake batter cooks and rises through the hot liquid which turns into a spoon licking chocolate sauce you can't get enough of. You don't end up with undercooked cake batter which you aren't sure if it's meant to be sauce or cake or a bit of both (I am not a 'lick the beaters' kind of baker). You very much get a rich warm pudding and a chocolate sauce that goes perfectly with some vanilla ice cream or double cream. It's a perfect recipe for the cooler nights where you find yourself on the couch, curled up watching season 2 of Bridgerton. May I even say, it's been positively 'cold' up here in FNQ... perfect!</p><p>Every recipe in The Comfort Bake screams home, warmth, love and full bellies. From the Very Ginger Gingernuts biscuits which I cannot wait to bake, to the Plum Crumble Cake which Sally says can easily be serves as a dessert with custard or the Savoury Pull-apart Loaf which is high up on my 'to-bake' list. They are recipes which will make you happy.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTCQFWoiyS9uwVlnWeOL2Fu2v8LhWzyrdXeKXuxfy_pNbktxkp5pw9LtCunuUziLRhW_EHRI-BAzVBnT0rwV8Z4bIPckQYHQEoV4e_RU3O0-AhmimYlR-ruOSuR9PuZCdBbSAcClbRyN3-v55mKCAfoj3OrCAZu1d7AGEDVUFr7aLULQOwsXFWXAj/s1656/TheComfortBake_Whisky%20&%20Orange%20chocolate%20self-saucing%20pudding.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Whisky & Orange Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding from The Comfort Bake by Sally Wise | salt sugar and i blog" border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="1656" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTCQFWoiyS9uwVlnWeOL2Fu2v8LhWzyrdXeKXuxfy_pNbktxkp5pw9LtCunuUziLRhW_EHRI-BAzVBnT0rwV8Z4bIPckQYHQEoV4e_RU3O0-AhmimYlR-ruOSuR9PuZCdBbSAcClbRyN3-v55mKCAfoj3OrCAZu1d7AGEDVUFr7aLULQOwsXFWXAj/w640-h466/TheComfortBake_Whisky%20&%20Orange%20chocolate%20self-saucing%20pudding.png" title="Whisky & Orange Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding from The Comfort Bake by Sally Wise | salt sugar and i blog" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">‘Images and text from The Comfort Bake by Sally Wise, photography by Samuel Shelley. Murdoch Books RRP $39.99.’</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whisky & Orange Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding</span></h2><div><br />Recipe from <a href="https://www.murdochbooks.com.au/browse/books/cooking-food-drink/food-drink/The-Comfort-Bake-Sally-Wise-9781922351937" target="_blank">The Comfort Bake by Sally Wise</a></div><div><br /></div>Serves 4–6<br /><br /><i>While a chocolate self-saucing pudding is always a favourite, this recipe takes the concept to a whole new, supremely delicious, level.</i><br /><br /><b>For the sponge</b><br />150 g (5½ oz) self-raising flour<br />pinch of sea salt<br />100 g (3½ oz) white (granulated) sugar<br />25 g (1 oz) cocoa<br />2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest<br />60 g (2¼ oz) salted butter, melted<br />125 ml (4 fl oz) milk<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br /><br /><b>For the sauce</b><br />100 g (3½ oz) soft brown sugar<br />20 g (¾ oz) cocoa<br />300 ml (10½ fl oz) boiling water<br />60 ml (2 fl oz) whisky<br />40 ml (1¼ fl oz) orange juice<br /><br /><b>To make the sponge</b><br /><br />Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F). Grease an 18–20 cm (7–8 inch) round baking dish, 10 cm (4 inches) deep.<br /><br />Whisk together all the sponge ingredients until smooth.<br /><br />Spoon this batter evenly into the dish.<br /><br /><b>To make the sauce</b><br /><br />Sprinkle the combined brown sugar and cocoa over the sponge mixture.<br /><br />In a separate bowl, mix together the boiling water, whisky and orange juice and pour carefully over the sponge mixture.<br /><br />Bake for 30 minutes until the sponge has risen and is firm to the touch.Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-25138904217818392182022-02-20T12:37:00.004+11:002022-02-20T17:04:51.861+11:002022. A new home.<p>So here we are. Far North Queensland. It's been almost two months. It's gone quickly.</p><p></p><p>We arrived safely and our stuff arrived kind of safely. We didn't think about the friction that would happen driving 300km on a dirt road with pot holes and the jiggle. Not all the boxes made it in one piece, mostly my books got a bit misshaped and all the furniture have love nudges. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8IOZEWpzMapdWzKDqamd5OpA66q0fAaA27FmBTPLtq9-QVdTVOAqlDs-pA0xkm0wnYXRvjUMkq8GxnhIYPixdsNTVIPPxUPZEKOsYVD-BF61HGFf_8AyCUufO6-YcUktWjdUDl6CpEkcDcZT6A6zWb11X8kTSBu8Buwf0R9S60BPWhzOKkjbIcvPG=s3088" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8IOZEWpzMapdWzKDqamd5OpA66q0fAaA27FmBTPLtq9-QVdTVOAqlDs-pA0xkm0wnYXRvjUMkq8GxnhIYPixdsNTVIPPxUPZEKOsYVD-BF61HGFf_8AyCUufO6-YcUktWjdUDl6CpEkcDcZT6A6zWb11X8kTSBu8Buwf0R9S60BPWhzOKkjbIcvPG=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizBU-uSfetIJ11pevQXNvQoak_Nkdua4pOnsOtFT9Fj-5jXYUUZ9xrcdQVfyU8OKiExCLF_RzyasAuRfyb0MeZInlXK6VaixKkxnveTAtW9dt1NsQdRqWYdyfpdFSB-M4YUXolH6fT4HFffLQWqTKLzH5dwLN2i3BnVYus4yzRi2rc_rKwHEQxMIbu=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizBU-uSfetIJ11pevQXNvQoak_Nkdua4pOnsOtFT9Fj-5jXYUUZ9xrcdQVfyU8OKiExCLF_RzyasAuRfyb0MeZInlXK6VaixKkxnveTAtW9dt1NsQdRqWYdyfpdFSB-M4YUXolH6fT4HFffLQWqTKLzH5dwLN2i3BnVYus4yzRi2rc_rKwHEQxMIbu=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0cNUn-OosU8n1l1OCN_AiGKjq2DmoLz_ZT73xO9hILInZBIiePVD-nT0IlA-zaOMKivKG9n8TK3fhQkYIb5fQDGqAg2VdQeEMYW7s62q3IvPFqdBcC2BJLjWM3ly0f-Rj8q6Fa928NqwpKPWunnFdrd891Ol3MZJ8unLcUQmlzcIi1CbvtGbEpbqo=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0cNUn-OosU8n1l1OCN_AiGKjq2DmoLz_ZT73xO9hILInZBIiePVD-nT0IlA-zaOMKivKG9n8TK3fhQkYIb5fQDGqAg2VdQeEMYW7s62q3IvPFqdBcC2BJLjWM3ly0f-Rj8q6Fa928NqwpKPWunnFdrd891Ol3MZJ8unLcUQmlzcIi1CbvtGbEpbqo=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5uAgYfKvRlaSaRKTXVAtnyoCmpi3JQOdrZG3ZgWM4HT7C0-cmxPzf9dZci_yM07W_l2iUwZ-LNINld0xucXUcAA3sRcldoLcu72NW_-3rzqkSVALzVcABiXUBrxh34-EE36GEU7RgCgKlMi5eNdV4j7LF5cxDweEZvIc29p3MZW4rXEddnJ8hncac=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5uAgYfKvRlaSaRKTXVAtnyoCmpi3JQOdrZG3ZgWM4HT7C0-cmxPzf9dZci_yM07W_l2iUwZ-LNINld0xucXUcAA3sRcldoLcu72NW_-3rzqkSVALzVcABiXUBrxh34-EE36GEU7RgCgKlMi5eNdV4j7LF5cxDweEZvIc29p3MZW4rXEddnJ8hncac=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p>It's still not quite home yet but it doesn't feel like a holiday. I'm sitting somewhere in the middle right now. A kind of hover. I've started back work which has brought back a little of the pre-baby normality and is nice to use my brain for more than just nap times, awake windows and bottles. Although the juggle is real working from home during nap times with a little one.</p><p>There has been quite a bit to get used to here in FNQ. It's very different to Sydney. It's hot. There are no traffic lights, there are no house numbers, there are no letter boxes. It's quiet. And red. Did I mention? it's hot.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRkvgHcIpZlHjCclEHO-08jwLI4hmvoHzsnvd3jXcHAVKk8dsvEKe3ZZQvewcn-vp1A1MjdOS8FdgH_dd8Dw-uFDm6a59UgJ0yzOL-jG-M74L3rz7nB1k7kK4GUe3SvYLSFDglIGF0_zX4OcOJnPcV8boO0zbfrE292kFf_EiOstQzjosFCrBH3u3t=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRkvgHcIpZlHjCclEHO-08jwLI4hmvoHzsnvd3jXcHAVKk8dsvEKe3ZZQvewcn-vp1A1MjdOS8FdgH_dd8Dw-uFDm6a59UgJ0yzOL-jG-M74L3rz7nB1k7kK4GUe3SvYLSFDglIGF0_zX4OcOJnPcV8boO0zbfrE292kFf_EiOstQzjosFCrBH3u3t=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_nVcvepTfRVWBCDJyAHt9xXy32zjo_NctZ3fOYR3BPcod7bMTGSW6pe8U7XUeF8tlRua35oSfWSXaf9avLFiQkFJZU4rI1mDp34lCvBOmepnB0wKb1OoYMUx2AJzuGrFahRbmfdqZI7MB2qOtoI7NzuNlbJv2F00ci4xxP7fHjveqbOjzQC9Xqofx=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_nVcvepTfRVWBCDJyAHt9xXy32zjo_NctZ3fOYR3BPcod7bMTGSW6pe8U7XUeF8tlRua35oSfWSXaf9avLFiQkFJZU4rI1mDp34lCvBOmepnB0wKb1OoYMUx2AJzuGrFahRbmfdqZI7MB2qOtoI7NzuNlbJv2F00ci4xxP7fHjveqbOjzQC9Xqofx=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZdVKofRMtiZPsBCScVRUf8iqkwkj_Bgb_3sC0eAK1NkWWJfkcKdI9nq7VczwFIflckQIHvmHOgp7x7aL7B2hJJYNo5QG5bW7G6OAAkwbEMqKzmW488pxPFsIp07VbnN_VmTxbBjseHaT6T05mztLRUwQ-ysjt_cuHfPEJXzbgX1dI_sWHGiKFunCa=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZdVKofRMtiZPsBCScVRUf8iqkwkj_Bgb_3sC0eAK1NkWWJfkcKdI9nq7VczwFIflckQIHvmHOgp7x7aL7B2hJJYNo5QG5bW7G6OAAkwbEMqKzmW488pxPFsIp07VbnN_VmTxbBjseHaT6T05mztLRUwQ-ysjt_cuHfPEJXzbgX1dI_sWHGiKFunCa=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>We had our first cyclone warning during our second week here which fizzled out to nothing. I was quite excited for the cyclone to pass by us, I had gone and bought UHT milk, candles, 2 min noodles, tonic water, gin, limes... you know. The essentials. It wasn't meant to be bad, but enough that the boats got moored and others lifted out of the water. I thought we'd get a bit of wild weather pass by but nada. There is talk of a low pressure system coming in next week so we shall see.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH_UgeY9DwjtcjCBGzU2va_GDJB2CAmKaoM6Fg_B8JMyPhK_2f_ikc93UX5IuwJYybyM4RQmxZsoqxpCaQzIfpogmc9KdNpB_NCyWl_i8ko4_TCllOAA6l8XF7WV2uo21DvnbaB6lAoe8ejbY6-V_lsV7tAqTgfr_hzNCm0QTiLIu7c-2Mvbs6c-1J=s1792" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="828" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiH_UgeY9DwjtcjCBGzU2va_GDJB2CAmKaoM6Fg_B8JMyPhK_2f_ikc93UX5IuwJYybyM4RQmxZsoqxpCaQzIfpogmc9KdNpB_NCyWl_i8ko4_TCllOAA6l8XF7WV2uo21DvnbaB6lAoe8ejbY6-V_lsV7tAqTgfr_hzNCm0QTiLIu7c-2Mvbs6c-1J=w296-h640" width="296" /></a></div><p>Even though we are in Queensland, there is no swimming at the beaches. Too many things with sharp teeth. We did go for a drive to swim in a fresh water creek and ended up with a flat tyre. But don't worry, we checked the creek for crocs first... a new normal. Bonkers.</p><p>Grocery shopping here is not normal but then with all the shortages I'm hearing about in Sydney, it sounds quite similar. The shelves are kind of empty. During the wet season a barge comes in twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays (I think) which means everything is either reduced with the little yellow sticker but still perfectly fine to eat or there the shelves are bare. Or you've timed it perfectly and all the fresh stuff has been put out. Just a bit of getting used to really. </p><p>I am car-less right now. Well, we are not car-less, I am just car-less as the only car available for me to drive is a manual and after one lesson from Tris, that was enough for both of us. Booking professional driving lessons is on my list of to-do's. Safe to say those lessons won't end in tears and yelling. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgomLnbK0T7eFWSFu99CP707OXhfF0fx7LB4MmZIq6nItLtI4hT6M8QmNkSt07r4ZQaXmD2Hj0RlSoE5TNpui4QxNLMcUVbArWDf1QIufMlbf0VGk0eniXE6blVtfQhNgSHJQIc6UMS_NIYgtE4Y80Z0PF4lk8PwR6kh4N5sd3B82PZekHjkZEJUr4W=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgomLnbK0T7eFWSFu99CP707OXhfF0fx7LB4MmZIq6nItLtI4hT6M8QmNkSt07r4ZQaXmD2Hj0RlSoE5TNpui4QxNLMcUVbArWDf1QIufMlbf0VGk0eniXE6blVtfQhNgSHJQIc6UMS_NIYgtE4Y80Z0PF4lk8PwR6kh4N5sd3B82PZekHjkZEJUr4W=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Our home is nice, simple. It's long and flat, on quite a big block with a shed that is almost the same size as the house. We have a big backyard which means there is a lot of grass to mow and holly moley, does the grass grow quick right now. Everyone says it's because we're in the wet season and it slows down when it's dry. It's all so green. We're attempting to grow dragon fruit from some cuttings we got but if it's anything like the papaya tree we planted, they'll be dead in a week. Our kaffir lime tree seems to be doing ok (it's tiny) and we have a mysterious citrus tree which was already here and growing like wild fire. I'm keen to see what that will be when we get some fruit, from my googling I think it might an orange or grapefruit tree. We've also got lemongrass and ginger growing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWq9at-M-Orq0_w4rEu5XzD3-xTX1le_I7XDsF-tcL_9WkgtODoYeAmyKYQmGrBS9CFm1ZFlXP4IJb0CF2GSS6yx0vopSmc6_VF0iSPwAMqlT-JvqBS9mq48w6bXo4pt5CQ3FSi7spUcVFrj8HqwDhg0fitUQ0oltY7s_pizygjfX9JqCupcnyuDl4=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWq9at-M-Orq0_w4rEu5XzD3-xTX1le_I7XDsF-tcL_9WkgtODoYeAmyKYQmGrBS9CFm1ZFlXP4IJb0CF2GSS6yx0vopSmc6_VF0iSPwAMqlT-JvqBS9mq48w6bXo4pt5CQ3FSi7spUcVFrj8HqwDhg0fitUQ0oltY7s_pizygjfX9JqCupcnyuDl4=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjl4iZe-Tx9FHUFvnFR67P1LvCS8BXFN0He2kHN_0RxymGohbaUIXCaQGxDV3r_UscmeHM9QTyXftmS0eAM9HFBTnTALbIKhM6PInJfVN0xfRCWP11loBmWhiPgSVBmBqywnmrh57GXMRyYKlXcwsOpezywEfAkNSTvekEoJZadGGVGWfByMcXprG2_=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjl4iZe-Tx9FHUFvnFR67P1LvCS8BXFN0He2kHN_0RxymGohbaUIXCaQGxDV3r_UscmeHM9QTyXftmS0eAM9HFBTnTALbIKhM6PInJfVN0xfRCWP11loBmWhiPgSVBmBqywnmrh57GXMRyYKlXcwsOpezywEfAkNSTvekEoJZadGGVGWfByMcXprG2_=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEkyfwgvAEocdPxPMKjUiS3h5XjlcdfxYoNN1MFj6F4kQUWJ-zdDbkR9GJIAOvXqkO08T7DroaEvWzwfDywMGFbTM-TZIffOsU7HlHwstxXz8k5ea3SKWQxeuuUFgRWDfBa1kGdnVdsNkqJxPnLSJwK_2ZKnFO-ejFj4XGEYIlAyFT3utqLE3TEfoh=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEkyfwgvAEocdPxPMKjUiS3h5XjlcdfxYoNN1MFj6F4kQUWJ-zdDbkR9GJIAOvXqkO08T7DroaEvWzwfDywMGFbTM-TZIffOsU7HlHwstxXz8k5ea3SKWQxeuuUFgRWDfBa1kGdnVdsNkqJxPnLSJwK_2ZKnFO-ejFj4XGEYIlAyFT3utqLE3TEfoh=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>We are a short walk to the pool, park, gym and servo which seconds as a chicken shop/deli so I have been going for daily walks. Weather permitting. It's so quiet. I'm not sure if I am going walking during the wrong time of the day which could be quite possible but there aren't many people out and about. One of our first walks was to the local pool. I felt so proud of myself, I'd packed the pram up for a swim and lunch at the pool and walked there in the blistering heat to only get to the pool and find out it closes for 3 hours in the middle of the day. Since then we have acquired a blow up pool for the out the back which we can all fit in and cool down. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2CHPG7p--aEJ0MU3PylB3qYx7zGPcZxhZNXQFh32hkDgv7xHEGdPEQQ3J7fV4qBG_1NXB-U1BuZ0qGmTw_vcuZkQxvzXWv5AV3PAXTFT9P0OOQiAiHIzJhZHhbWULaDJRxg8B56gOfrDkqOECQRHV12v1iOocFKf_lIG_Xfku8-mhmaPnxZ0stYtQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2CHPG7p--aEJ0MU3PylB3qYx7zGPcZxhZNXQFh32hkDgv7xHEGdPEQQ3J7fV4qBG_1NXB-U1BuZ0qGmTw_vcuZkQxvzXWv5AV3PAXTFT9P0OOQiAiHIzJhZHhbWULaDJRxg8B56gOfrDkqOECQRHV12v1iOocFKf_lIG_Xfku8-mhmaPnxZ0stYtQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>Cooking wise, we've been so spoilt with homegrown giant papaya's, fresh caught mud crabs, prawns and fish, homemade spring rolls and papaya salad. Food seems to be the way people look after each other here. We often go for a walk, end up stopping in and saying hi to people and coming home with a pram full of goodies. We are being well fed which is warming. We've also been cooking more than we would before as there is no local thai or sushi restaurants or any food delivery whats so ever. We've made our own versions of a chicken parmy (don't worry, the bowlo does make a mean parmy), sushi rolls, papaya sorbet, thai curry from scratch with homegrown lemongrass, pizza with fresh dough, burgers and Tris has even made a home brew beer. I need to crack out my cookbooks and share some recipes soon. It's a bit daunting with writing a shopping list for specific ingredients when you have no idea whats going to be in the shops or not. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijWVaiaXpETAw1O9g-7tiqqmrTrD6M-Rz2USv6qJMtt4tg2yPaG9vYg2h9B9EYIbGyjhgSBkjefXGw0DJqc4R5wMvesxA7DSmwwdEwh80xt8i3YH7sfXjFIwEdHR3GnN7Fzc7xt5XP4RrI1fLzTLmhe5ab2plzq4_JMdwR3xJmdAqgbbTnr4eoF_zx=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijWVaiaXpETAw1O9g-7tiqqmrTrD6M-Rz2USv6qJMtt4tg2yPaG9vYg2h9B9EYIbGyjhgSBkjefXGw0DJqc4R5wMvesxA7DSmwwdEwh80xt8i3YH7sfXjFIwEdHR3GnN7Fzc7xt5XP4RrI1fLzTLmhe5ab2plzq4_JMdwR3xJmdAqgbbTnr4eoF_zx=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>I think we're all getting used to the heat a bit more. The little one is still a sweaty mess every-time we are outside or in the car and ends up just in a nappy outside or having a nudie splash in the shell pool. But that seems to be the norm around here. Nudie kids. Oh and his favourite thing right now is the tupperware cupboard.</p><p>Lots to get used to but lots to enjoy. </p>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-5330971164955887492021-09-02T15:11:00.003+10:002021-09-02T15:11:33.741+10:00Drunken Dumplings from Every. Night. Of. The. Week. by Lucy Tweed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsnoqy3ghkgfC-IR3TVG34fmE9qhMW9CDYAtatcpRmCF2aW1D3J6v5oH4EkWS8d9rUBvqjZD-A_CZnsTpRwHylZ8B-qS3ijvIjEE0Zd-xmM6eMDNK321tcubKyyJMIdQh5GEx8-ULJSg/s2048/salt+sugar+and+i+-+Drunken+Dumplings+-+ENOTW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="salt sugar and i - Drunken Dumplings - ENOTW" border="0" data-original-height="1585" data-original-width="2048" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsnoqy3ghkgfC-IR3TVG34fmE9qhMW9CDYAtatcpRmCF2aW1D3J6v5oH4EkWS8d9rUBvqjZD-A_CZnsTpRwHylZ8B-qS3ijvIjEE0Zd-xmM6eMDNK321tcubKyyJMIdQh5GEx8-ULJSg/w640-h496/salt+sugar+and+i+-+Drunken+Dumplings+-+ENOTW.jpg" title="salt sugar and i - Drunken Dumplings - ENOTW" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>So I have been meaning to share this delicious recipe with you for a few weeks now... actually it's more like a month. Back in July I was sent a copy of <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/every-night-of-the-week-lucy-tweed/book/9781922351524.html" target="_blank">Every. Night. Of. The. Week by Lucy Tweed</a> by the lovely people at <a href="https://www.murdochbooks.com.au/browse/books/cooking-food-drink/food-drink/Every-Night-of-the-Week-Lucy-Tweed-9781922351524" target="_blank">Murdoch Books</a> and boy is this book a keeper. </p><p>The book is entertaining and quirky which I love. I mean come on - this recipe is called Drunken Dumplings and the optional ingredient listed is noise cancelling headphones. Midweek - whether you are working and spending all day looking at a screen or you've spent the day singing silly songs that you STILL get can't get the words right - its exactly what you need. I also think that right now, we all need a little quirky and fun in the kitchen and at home. Thinking about what we're eating next is exhausting when we are currently spending so much time inside. Lucy has brought the colour back into cooking and she shows how it can still be fun and you don't need a hundred ingredients or hours spent prepping. It's real food.</p><p>If you follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/everynightoftheweek/?hl=en" target="_blank">Lucy on Instagram</a> everything she cooks just makes your mouth water and you instantly want that for dinner. Her instagram live's are worth rewatching as she cooks from Every. Night. Of. The. Week. and shows you how friendly her recipes really are. It's a cookbook that's for midweek meals but is anything but boring which I find most midweek cookbooks to be. Each recipe its bright and bold and the recipes I've cooked - so full of flavour.</p><p>So for something fun and different but highly delicious on a regular Thursday night and while we're all stuck inside with waaaaaay too much time on your hands thinking about whats for dinner. I'd suggest making this recipe one night or picking another which she's shared on her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/everynightoftheweek/" target="_blank">instagram</a> or one step further, grabbing yourself a copy of her book - I think you'll thank me. With all the cookbooks I own, I can truely, hand on heart say - this is is the one I've gone to most over the past month for inspiration and dinners. Its exciting and fun and exactly what we all need right now.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsRwX0LBNk2OMelZ_Z7aIttVQBhspWIErw10YBwphyI-MdgNskK21qdTS-g7eDylvkRhtN2ToibvSwYD8dI4SZSogi23xlGHrP_9tBKp4dhsg2wxujf0lCoOkv_6jMB7gYhr16wogGz4/s2048/ENOTW+CVR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1618" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsRwX0LBNk2OMelZ_Z7aIttVQBhspWIErw10YBwphyI-MdgNskK21qdTS-g7eDylvkRhtN2ToibvSwYD8dI4SZSogi23xlGHrP_9tBKp4dhsg2wxujf0lCoOkv_6jMB7gYhr16wogGz4/w506-h640/ENOTW+CVR.jpg" width="506" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Images and text from Every Night of the Week by Lucy Tweed; photography by Lucy Tweed. Murdoch Books RRP $35.00.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><h2><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></h2><h2><span style="font-size: medium;">Drunken Dumplings</span></h2><p>Recipe from <a href="https://www.murdochbooks.com.au/browse/books/cooking-food-drink/food-drink/Every-Night-of-the-Week-Lucy-Tweed-9781922351524" target="_blank">Every Night of the Week by Lucy Tweed</a></p><p>Serves 2</p><p><i>For when you can’t commit to the idea of either a soup or a stir-fry. </i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8w4qoGnbZRvMzeLTYX1lWT5M6pp5VQy8t579XeX15W0gQT0ghnia5ogGto98hKt9pAvZdl-yYG4UaiznD6yVkiS1LsiWOnsI4xeQA3oExHFUtd7_uk3d_CIliP7LK9Z1UId79FgpLkoM/s2048/Drunken+dumplings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1621" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8w4qoGnbZRvMzeLTYX1lWT5M6pp5VQy8t579XeX15W0gQT0ghnia5ogGto98hKt9pAvZdl-yYG4UaiznD6yVkiS1LsiWOnsI4xeQA3oExHFUtd7_uk3d_CIliP7LK9Z1UId79FgpLkoM/w507-h640/Drunken+dumplings.jpg" width="507" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Images and text from Every Night of the Week by Lucy Tweed; photography by Lucy Tweed. Murdoch Books RRP $35.00.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Ingredients</b></p><p>1 teaspoon olive oil <br />1 chicken breast fillet (around 220 g) <br />8 frozen dumplings<br />180 g somen noodles <br />2 tablespoons tom yum paste <br />400 ml tin coconut milk <br />2 heads of bok choy<br /> 1 teaspoon sesame oil <br />1 tablespoon lime juice <br />1–2 teaspoons chilli paste</p><p><b>Optional ingredients</b></p><p>noise-cancelling headphones</p><p>At some point every week I completely lose track of time. This happens so commonly on a Wednesday that it should act as a reliable time stamp.</p><p>There’s always someone at some kind of sport practice and usually a child in the house who belongs to another family in the neighbourhood.</p><p>It’s a comfortingly confusing day, Wednesday.</p><p>Mainly because there are often leftovers for the kids from yesterday, which means a compilation dinner of spices and flavours, dumplings, and some vegetables, blossoming and undisguised. The world is your drunken (somewhere between soup and sauce) bowl.</p><p>Just the way a Wednesday should be.</p><p>Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).</p><p>Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over high heat and pan-fry the chicken breast for 2 minutes each side. Place in the oven for a few minutes to finish cooking through.</p><p>Boil the dumplings for 1 minute or until thawed. Add the somen noodles and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain. Remove the pan from the oven and set the chicken aside.</p><p>Fry the tom yum paste over medium–high heat for 2 minutes, then pour in the coconut milk. Add ½ cup (125 ml) of water to the tin and swish it around, then add to the pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to combine with the tom yum paste.</p><p>Meanwhile, lightly steam the bok choy.</p><p>Slice the chicken and divide among two shallow bowls, then add the noodles, dumplings and bok choy.</p><p>Pour the broth over the top. Drizzle with sesame oil, then the lime juice and top with as much chilli paste as you can handle.</p>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-61283783341661896612021-07-31T10:48:00.001+10:002021-08-02T14:00:10.311+10:00Happenings - July 2021<p>Making: the most of every minute with our boobi and with Tris being home.</p><p>Cooking: Pies. More on this below.</p><p>Sipping: Tea, microwaved at least once.</p><p>Reading: <a href="https://www.enotw.com.au/book" target="_blank">Every. Night. Of. The. Week by Lucy Tweed</a>. Such a fun cookbook.</p><p>Looking: Forward for lockdown to end so boobi and I can see our little mates again.</p><p>Listening: To <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4hNWw6RtSyOXglbHObr6kD" target="_blank">Disney songs.</a></p><p>Enjoying: Scotch Fingers.</p><p>Appreciating: How lucky we are.</p><p>Eating: Crumpets. With butter and honey.</p><p>Liking: The kitchen door we have recently reinstated. It means Arthur, our cat, gets a room all to himself and doesn’t tap and meow and claw at our bedroom door. It’s a sleep revelation!</p><p>Loving: Sunny walks. </p><p>Buying: Puff Pastry. Because it’s winter and PIES.</p><p>Managing: Pelvic floor exercises. </p><p>Watching: Our boobi change so much each day. Where did our newborn go?</p><p>Hoping: I can resurrect Bab’s (my sourdough starter).</p><p>Wearing: Pyjamas.</p><p>Following: All the sleep school’s on instagram. </p><p>Noticing: How quickly my little Rory is growing up and becoming more aware of everything around him.</p><p>Sorting: The spare room cupboard.</p><p>Bookmarking: Pie Maker recipes. Yes, <a href="https://www.kmart.com.au/product/pie-maker/912041" target="_blank">we bought a pie maker</a>. K-mart. Do it!</p><p>Coveting: <a href="https://www.stan.com.au/watch/beauty-and-the-beast" target="_blank">Beauty & The Beast on Stan </a>- we’re in lock down. Don’t judge. I love it.</p><p>Feeling: Like a big fuzzy ball of love and also very tired - all at the same time.</p>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-21473853665860266232021-07-08T08:51:00.002+10:002021-07-08T08:54:29.681+10:00A new member.<p> It's been a little while but I have a very good reason... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1w4QmaPABVp3Oyzu5xeWmAggueXhX0az6AslFj9ICsxK0MT_I-siZYGm_jKBFLTfs5tDAjQaLXchckF9FoSdcwCcHcqUd3_6ZXep24R0S4_6n9aii9N_xNyEakDH44AJmn3JaoEi2xm0/s2048/SSAI+Baby.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1w4QmaPABVp3Oyzu5xeWmAggueXhX0az6AslFj9ICsxK0MT_I-siZYGm_jKBFLTfs5tDAjQaLXchckF9FoSdcwCcHcqUd3_6ZXep24R0S4_6n9aii9N_xNyEakDH44AJmn3JaoEi2xm0/w640-h480/SSAI+Baby.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-22401361147422239972020-04-05T10:42:00.002+10:002020-04-05T10:42:33.994+10:00Creamy Cauliflower Pasta.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyG5WswS2STFPrKqvSDm_cTfs_EG2YFPUH55QNvVHZnVTwVaBMw-XAHyRZDU-B367iNFCRjpZdWF4jCpCK5AVmWPu3lXINJKOYsfVZ83IXTTf4xWPFO4I8H3Achc9_yNv0WgZbTPkVXc/s1600/IMG_3161.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Creamy Cauliflower Pasta | Salt sugar and i | Dani Elis" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyG5WswS2STFPrKqvSDm_cTfs_EG2YFPUH55QNvVHZnVTwVaBMw-XAHyRZDU-B367iNFCRjpZdWF4jCpCK5AVmWPu3lXINJKOYsfVZ83IXTTf4xWPFO4I8H3Achc9_yNv0WgZbTPkVXc/s640/IMG_3161.HEIC" title="Creamy Cauliflower Pasta | Salt sugar and i | Dani Elis" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thought I'd quickly jump on and share what I had for dinner last night. It was a riff on the <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020173-creamy-cauliflower-pasta-with-pecorino-bread-crumbs?action=click&module=Local%20Search%20Recipe%20Card&pgType=search&rank=1" target="_blank">Alison Roman's Creamy Cauliflower pasta from NYTimes Cooking</a> which is what I had intended to make but then opened my fridge to find a leek that desperately needed to be used and I also didn't have any panko breadcrumbs to make the crunchy topping she calls for. I also couldn't be arsed to get the food processor out to blitz some bread to make my own, sue me.<br />
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So instead of following her recipe, I used it as a base and made my own and it was rich and creamy and comforting and delicious. It won't give you abs, but it will fill your belly with the warmth I think we all need.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;">Creamy Cauliflower Pasta</span></h2>
<i>Serves 3</i><br />
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1 leek, washed and sliced (you can use an onion, shallot or even spring onions instead)<br />
1 medium head of cauliflower, leaves removed and sliced/roughly chopped<br />
A good splosh of olive oil<br />
A knob of butter<br />
1 cup of white wine (you can use a stock cube + 1 cup water here if you don't have white wine)<br />
1 lemon, zest and juice needed<br />
300ml cream<br />
300g short pasta (I used rigatoni)<br />
Parsley (optional - I didn't have it but it would have been a delicious addition)<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
Parmesan, to serve<br />
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Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add the leek and a pinch of salt and cook for about 3-5 minutes until it started to soften. Add the cauliflower, breaking up any large pieces and cooking for a further 5 minutes.<br />
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(Get your salted water boiling for the pasta.)<br />
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Once the cauliflower starts to soften, add the cup of wine and lemon zest and cook until all the liquid has been cooked away and you start to hear a sizzle again. This can take about 8 - 10 minutes, you want to cook all the liquid away until it starts frying again so you get a little bit of colour and caramelisation on the vegetables.<br />
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Start cooking your pasta, according to the packet instructions. Make sure you keep about 1 cup of pasta cooking water.<br />
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Once the cauliflower starts to colour, turn the heat down to low and add the cream. Cook on low until the sauce thickens.<br />
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When your pasta is cooked and the sauce thickened, add the pasta to the sauce along with some of the pasta cooking water bit by bit and give it a good toss. You may not need to add the whole cup, depends on how much your sauce thickened. Turn the heat off.<br />
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Add the juice of half the lemon, the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.<br />
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Serve piping hot with parmesan and maybe a squeeze more lemon juice.Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-56672032462224866962020-04-01T15:49:00.004+11:002020-04-01T17:32:59.667+11:00Hold on.How are you? I hope you are well. I hope you are holding on. I hope you have someone to hug. Because hugs in this weird time we currently live in are needed. So give the people/furry friends you live with a hug today, just because you can. And those you can't hug right now, remember it's because you love them and it's only temporary, so you can hug them on the other side of all this.<br />
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And those of you who like me feel like the internet is full of doom, gloom and everything you can't do, I've got some links that will (hopefully) make you smile and fill your bellies.<br />
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Let's start with some Instagram stuff. One of my longtime favourite <a href="https://www.thewednesdaychef.com/" target="_blank">blogs</a> which like most blogs these days, has taken a hiatus but still going on Instagram, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wednesdaychef/" target="_blank">@WednesdayChef</a>. She is Instagram story-ing her lunch and dinners every day from Berlin where she lives. If you have kids and are stuck with what to feed them and are losing your mind with food ideas, then I suggest watching her stories. It shows the simple ideas of feeding a family and that each meal doesn't need to be gourmet, sometimes bagels with cream cheese for dinner is perfect.<br />
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Another account I have been following which I may be biased about because she is a good friend who I grew up with is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_guilty_environmentalist/" target="_blank">@The_Guilty_Environmentalist</a>. She recently made an Instagram story on how to make gnocchi from scratch which is what I'll be doing with my sprouting potatoes soon because, YUM.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/fliptheswitch/" target="_blank">#fliptheswitch</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/celestebarber/?hl=en" target="_blank">@CelesteBarber</a> for some fun and also, but I am sure you've all seen it... <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-GZ7HXlLZS/" target="_blank">Rudy</a> (sound on!).<br />
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I'm also a bit of a nosey parker and like to see what people are making in their kitchens at home so any of the Bon Appetit family are also great to follow. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/csaffitz/" target="_blank">@csaffitz</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mollybaz/" target="_blank">@mollybaz</a> are my favs.<br />
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If you're up for a new hobby, may I suggest you order yourself some knitting needles or a crochet hook and some yarn and get your fingers moving? It's very satisfying. <a href="http://meetmeatmikes.com/category/handmade/" target="_blank">Meet me at Mikes</a> has some great crochet projects and How-To posts. I personally have started <a href="https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/11/07/crocheted-super-easy-baby-blanket/" target="_blank">this little blanket</a> from, Purl Soho although my Carpal Tunnel lets me get through three-quarters of a line before my fingers go completely numb. But I am getting one line done at a time with plenty of tea and crunchie easter egg breaks in-between.<br />
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I am watching fun stuff on You-Tube and so should you. I like the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/BonAppetitDotCom" target="_blank">Bon-appetit channel</a> right now. They are a New York based test kitchen but everyone is cooking from their homes right now. I suggest go back and watching the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-gYY5cR8M8&list=PLKtIunYVkv_RwB_yx1SZrZC-ddhxyXanh" target="_blank">Pastry Chef Attempts episodes</a>, the one below in particular but make sure you have ice cream on hand. Another great cooking person to watch on You-Tube is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=alison+roman" target="_blank">Alison Roman</a> from the NYTimes cooking channel. I think I'm making her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGgbA3B8eO0" target="_blank">creamy cauliflower pasta</a> tonight for dinner.<br />
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<a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/healthyish" target="_blank">Healthy-ish</a>, which is a sister brand of <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/" target="_blank">Bon-Appetit</a> online has released <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/story/healthyish-guide-to-being-alone" target="_blank">'The healthy-ish guide to being alone'</a> today which is something I am going to follow. Although I am not alone, I currently live alone with hubby being stuck in QLD and this week especially, since being off work (surgery but then cancelled and all that jazz). The days are quite long but also go quickly with not much accomplished except a lot of browsing the internet and wishlist shopping. I think this will be a good thing to follow.<br />
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I'm currently reading <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/throne-of-glass-paperback-box-set-sarah-j-maas/book/9781526613899.html" target="_blank">this YA Fantasy series</a> - it's a great escape. <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/bestsellers/promo294.html" target="_blank">Booktopia</a> are still delivering books if you don't have a 'to-be-read' stack collecting dust at home (like me) and delivery times are quite good. Oh gosh and the smell of a new book - mmmmm mmmmm drool**<br />
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Cooking. Actually making dinner, not just reading or watching the stuff (which I am totally guilty of). Making a delicious dinner. And I know the grocery shops are not the nicest places to be right now, actually, they are damn straight depressing. But if you do go to the grocery store (only because you have to and under 70 years old) and you choose not to wear a mask, <b>smile</b>. It can remind people that we are all in this together. Here is some of the food I want to cook right now: <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/one-pot-chicken-and-rice" target="_blank">One-Pot Gingery Chicken and Rice with Peanut Sauce</a>, <a href="https://kitchen.nine.com.au/healthy/one-pan-sweet-potato-mac-and-cheese/943546b4-9a0f-47af-85bb-03c65659faa0" target="_blank">One-Pan Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese</a>, <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/salted-butter-and-chocolate-chunk-shortbread" target="_blank">Salted Butter Chocolate Chunk Shortbread</a>, <a href="https://thedesignfiles.net/2020/02/food-beatrix-bakes-book-salty-chocolate-caramel-bars-recipe/" target="_blank">Salty Chocolate Caramel Bars</a>, <a href="http://saltsugarandi.com/2019/05/Potato-tuturuga-Fire-Islands-Eleanor-Ford.html" target="_blank">Potato Tuturuga</a> with rice (because carbs are life), <a href="http://www.saltsugarandi.com/2016/11/kimchi-fried-with-sesame-spring-onion.html" target="_blank">Kimchi Fried Rice</a> with an egg, and <a href="https://www.saltsugarandi.com/2018/03/one-pan-pea-lemon-asparagus-pasta.html" target="_blank">One-Pan Pea Lemon and Asparagus Pasta</a>. Hmmm I see a trend... one-pan... salty chocolate... guilty.<br />
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And I will leave you with this... remember to check on your friends with cats. Stay safe people x<br />
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p.s. if you'd like to delve into the past, I've un-archived my old blogs and linked them on the side...Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-28235507377720117912020-03-02T11:20:00.002+11:002020-03-10T11:07:29.323+11:00Why.Whatever happened to blogging as a hobby? Where have all the 'I do this for nada' bloggers gone in the abyss of the internet?<br />
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My theory - they've either turned their blog into a money-making website and no longer call it a blog or the internet is so full of content where people get paid that the free blogging voices have become lost. Where have all the voices of people's favorite recipes gone? The ones where they share what for Tuesday dinner or their favorite recipe from a book that 10 years old and not a pre-al/new release?<br />
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I say this and I am guilty too - I have received a handful of free cookbooks and even (most of the time) asked for them in return for posting about them. However, there are some books I've received that did not make the cut because I felt like I would be lying. They were books I'd never buy with my own money, never cook from or worse... a diet book.<br />
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When I started this blog, all I had was the many cookbooks I already owned and loved, my growing wishlist on booktopia.com.au, a really really ugly kitchen with an oven older than me and a love for cooking and writing. Which, apart from the ugly kitchen, I think most food bloggers start with the same base. So how do they end up with these zooped up sites that no longer resemble a blog? Is the time and space for blogs gone? Am I loving in the '00s still? Is that what Instagram is now? Or is it the side hustle movement? everyone needs a side hustle these days. Or so social media tells me.<br />
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There are a fair few blogs I go to still in hopes they have written a post since the last time - which in most cases is once a year now. And I cannot talk since this is the first post I've written in 2020.<br />
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It's been quiet on this space because I feel like a little lost sheep in the huge world of online recipes, fancy food websites, self-made photographers, filters and big online personalities. I've lost the reason I started this. A place where I get to record my favorite recipes and share them with my fifteen loyal readers and closest friends. So when they go camping they've got that one-pot pasta recipe fingertips away, or when they want that comforting buttery tomato sauce for dinner they know where to look, or when plums come into season, the plum torte recipe which is plastered over the internet isn't so overwhelming and is easy to find while putting the plums in the shopping basket.<br />
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In 2020 this space is going back in time to 2014, to when I started this little online space. It's for my friends who I don't see or talk to nearly enough and for me, who has forgotten how much I enjoy sharing these brain fart posts with you all.<br />
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To catch you up on what's been happening since my last post, here's a bunch of terrible iPhone pics.<br />
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<br />Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-2192045439689191342019-11-18T19:31:00.000+11:002019-11-18T20:33:57.231+11:00Taking Stock in November.There has been a big change in the past two months which is where I've been - finding my feet again. So here is a little update.<br />
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Post inspired by <a href="http://meetmeatmikes.com/category/taking-stock/" target="_blank">Meet Me at Mikes - Taking Stock</a>.<br />
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<b>Making:</b> Wholemeal Spaghetti with the 'most amazing tomato pasta sauce ever' from the freezer.<br />
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<b>Cooking:</b> At work - a lot. At home... does reheating frozen curry and pasta sauces count?<br />
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<b>Sipping:</b> I just finished an EBT with a couple of TimTams. yum.<br />
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<b>Reading:</b> <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/queen-of-shadows-sarah-j-maas/book/9781408858615.html" target="_blank">Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Mass</a>. It's the 4th book in a YA Fantasy series I am loving right now. I sped read the first 3 books but taking my time with this one. For reasons I can't keep my eyes open as long at night these days and I don't want the series to end too quickly.<br />
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Oh and Alison Roman's new cookbook <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/nothing-fancy-alison-roman/book/9781743795378.html" target="_blank">Nothing Fancy</a>. I'd like to make everything in it. Seriously delicious.<br />
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<b>Looking:</b> Forward to Tris being home soon.<br />
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<b>Listening:</b> to the birds chirping in the early even light, leaves in the wind and the neighbours kids playing.<br />
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<b>Wishing:</b> I could fit in F45 classes into my schedule and not be so scared of being so sore that I can't move/walk the next day at work.<br />
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<b>Enjoying:</b> Driving a newer car. There are so many buttons.<br />
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<b>Liking:</b> Felafals and dip. I have a new brand to try this week for lunches. Fancy ones from HFM!<br />
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<b>Loving:</b> Work. I am loving getting up early while it's still dark outside, working on my feet all day, and that feeling of sitting down for the first time all day.<br />
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<b>Buying: </b>Skincare. I'm a skincare junkie.<br />
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<b>Watching:</b> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_the_Virgin_(season_5)" target="_blank">Jane the Virgin Season 5</a> is on Netflix and I am so happy. I love that show. I've also been watching the new season of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlander_(TV_series)" target="_blank">Outlander</a> but it gets a bit heavy to watch before bed. I need something a little more lighthearted.<br />
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& <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGgbA3B8eO0&list=PLYG6O_GQCZwhXw_6Gn_x7ERQmvk0FOh-z" target="_blank">Alison Roman</a> on the NYTimes YouTube channel. Her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L696FZMmZ9w" target="_blank">Thanksgiving episode</a> is great.<br />
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<b>Hoping:</b> There are no strong winds this Wednesday when Tris is due home.<br />
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<b>Needing:</b> To go to the gym or a run. And to go to a JP and get docs certified to finalise my change of name - adulting stuff.<br />
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<b>Wearing:</b> A t-shirt which has TimTam crumbs down the front and board shorts with a cat on my shoulder.<br />
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<b>Following:</b> The fires in NSW. It's so sad.<br />
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<b>Sorting:</b> saggy singlets. I'm not sure why I have such a collection in my draw. Time for them to go.<br />
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<b>Saving: </b>should be...<br />
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<b>Bookmarking:</b> <a href="http://meetmeatmikes.com/how-i-make-pad-thai/" target="_blank">Meet Me At Mikes Pad Thai</a> and <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/kitchen-yarns-ann-hood/book/9780393249507.html" target="_blank">Kitchen Yarns by Ann Hood</a>.<br />
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<b>Giggling: </b>Not right now... but I'm sure I've had a giggle today.<br />
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<b>Feeling:</b> hungry.Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-28192003732446650642019-09-22T07:34:00.001+10:002019-09-22T07:36:18.063+10:00Baked Pasta Shells Filled with Mushrooms and Ham<div>
When I need a little comfort, I make pasta and bake it. Nothing beats bubbly pasta bake piping hot straight out of the oven with its crunchy top and molten middle. No matter the reason you may need comforting, whether it be because you miss someone you love, jammed your finger in a drawer at work and are now sporting a purple fingernail, you're angry at the government or have run out of milk for your morning coffee. I truly believe pasta bake helps, even just a little. </div>
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This recipe of stuffed giant pasta shells filled with garlicky mushrooms and prosciutto covered in a bechamel sauce and baked until golden is one for the repertoire. It's from <a href="https://gennarocontaldo.com/" target="_blank">Gennaro Contaldo</a>'s new cookbook <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/gennaro-s-pasta-perfecto--gennaro-contaldo/book/9781911624370.html" target="_blank">'Gennaro's Pasta Perfecto!'</a>. You start by chopping everything very small, which sounds a little tedious but instead of chopping nearly a kilo of mushrooms by hand, because let's remember, you are making this because you want a little warm n' fuzzy, get the food processor/Tupperware chopper thing/ grater out and use the help you have. I did and it worked perfectly. But, if chopping is your thang/therapeutic, then you go girl! Chop away!<br />
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After you've finished your're chopping/blitzing it all comes together in about four simple steps. One, cook the pasta until al dente, remember it will continue to cook a little in the oven. Two, fry your garlic, prosciutto, mushrooms, and white wine until everything is cooked through and smelling delish. Three, make your white sauce, which always sounds harder than it actually is - trust the method below and you'll do great. And four, putting it all together and filling your pasta shells. Ok, five, topping it with more parmesan and shoving the whole thing in the oven for 20 minutes.<br />
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When it comes out, it's creamy and crunchy, piping hot, full of flavour because of the mushroom-packed filling and white sauce with its touch of nutmeg, it's a tray of comfort. If you want a vego version, you can remove the prosciutto and up your mushrooms, or even add some soaked dried porcini mushrooms to get some extra mushroom-i-ness into it. </div>
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Make it for yourself when you need the warm and fuzzy's or make it for someone else who does. Either way, just make it because <a href="https://www.virginmediatelevision.ie/xpose/article/lifestyle/293949/Gennaro-Contaldo-thinks-pasta-is-love--and-he-wants-to-spread-some-of-this-joy-around" target="_blank">Gennaro thinks 'Pasta is love'</a> and I agree. I think we can all do with some more love in the world.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Baked Pasta Shells Filled with Mushrooms and Ham</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>aka Conchiglioni Al Forno Ripieni Di Fungi e Prosciutto</b></span></div>
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<i>Recipe from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/gennaro-s-pasta-perfecto--gennaro-contaldo/book/9781911624370.html" target="_blank">Gennaro's Pasta Perfecto! by Gennaro Contaldo</a></i></div>
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Serves 4</div>
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About 30 conchiglinoi pasta shells (giant pasta shells)</div>
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3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</div>
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150g prosciutto, very finely chopped</div>
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2 garlic cloves, minced</div>
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750g mushrooms, very finely chopped</div>
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2 tablespoons white wine</div>
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2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley</div>
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sea salt and ground black pepper</div>
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For the white sauce:</div>
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3 tablespoons (40g) butter</div>
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1/4 cup (40g) plain flour</div>
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500ml (2 cups) milk</div>
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pinch sea salt</div>
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pinch grated nutmeg</div>
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150g (2 1/4 cups) grated parmesan</div>
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Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the conchiglinoi until al dente (check the instructions on your packet for cooking time). Drain the pasta, rinse under cold water and let drain upside-down on a large plate or tray, so any excess water drain off.</div>
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Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add the prosciutto and saute for 1 minute, then add the garlic and sweat for another minute. Stir in the mushrooms, increase the heat, add the wine and saute for 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, then stir in the parsley and let cool slightly.</div>
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Preheat oven to 180C fan/ 200C / 400F.</div>
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Make the white sauce: melt the butter in a small saucepan, then remove from the heat and, with a small whisk, mix in the flour very quickly to avoid lumps. Gradually add the milk, whisking well in between each addition. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, whisking all the time, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat, season with salt and nutmeg, and stir in half of the grated parmesan.</div>
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Combine a ladleful of the white sauce with the mushroom mixture and mix well. Line the bottom of a large baking dish (about 34 x 22cm) with about half of the white sauce. Fill the pasta shells with the mushroom mixture and lay them in a dish on top of the sauce. Pour over the remaining white sauce and sprinkle with the remaining grated parmesan. Bake in the hot oven for 20 minutes, until golden and bubbly.</div>
Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-73853729636434302902019-07-17T18:00:00.000+10:002020-03-09T10:07:10.202+11:00Coconut Curry Vegetables from Slow Cooker Central Family Favourites by Paulene Christie.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dYK6RPgLgOPLXwKHXeTwERz2bh6oZLFkcpi_VRptPY8psFx5YkpEMiankKDkps_EK03omrHisvTotYn5FLwAOL2i1FzUI7aXJ2MGoV4GiRdwHbsEyZfa8itr0I3CzQD5GuOabh-Ttrc/s1600/IMG_2439.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slow Cooker Central Family Favourites by Paulene Christie" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dYK6RPgLgOPLXwKHXeTwERz2bh6oZLFkcpi_VRptPY8psFx5YkpEMiankKDkps_EK03omrHisvTotYn5FLwAOL2i1FzUI7aXJ2MGoV4GiRdwHbsEyZfa8itr0I3CzQD5GuOabh-Ttrc/s640/IMG_2439.HEIC" title="Slow Cooker Central Family Favourites by Paulene Christie" width="640" /></a></div>
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About a month and a bit ago a made a vegetable curry in the slow cooker that lasted me until last week, divided up in portions in the freezer, it was my grab and go lunch I didn't need to think about. It was so easy to make I should have shared this earlier so you could have also been making it while it's been crazy cold here. But anyway - here it is now so now you too can know how to make this delicious and very easy vegetable curry which takes no time and all except some forward thinking and then forgetting about it for about 6 hours. <br />
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The recipe is from a cookbook I received called '<a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/slow-cooker-central-family-favourites-paulene-christie/prod9780733339233.html" target="_blank">Slow Cooking Central - Family Favourites' by Paulene Christie</a>. This book shows that you can make pretty much anything in your slow cooker, from cauliflower cheese to pull-apart bread to all sorts of curries, stews and soups to meatballs to even a whole chicken (yep a whole chicken in the slow cooker). There is no faffing about in the kitchen or hunting high and low for weird ingredients with this book. It's simple and has some great classics that you can make in the slow cooker to make winter a little easier.<br />
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I decided to make the Coconut Curry Vegetables one Sunday so I had a warm and comforting dinner when I came in from my basketball game because it's all too easy to order takeaway and pick it up on the way home when it's just you and its cold and it's Sunday. I chucked all the veggies in the pot, along with the curry powder and coconut milk at about midday and let it bubble away on low for pretty much all afternoon until I came home at 6:30pm. The kitchen smelt so delicious and all I needed to do was whack on the rice cooker and I'd have dinner in 15 minutes. Perfect amount of time for a shower and to get into winter pyjamas, uggs and a dressing gown.<br />
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To make this recipe even easier, she suggests you can use frozen vegetables which means this is a recipe to always have up your sleeve even when there are fresh veggies or even no sad veggies in your crisper, which is what I had to use up. I used a mixture of sweet potato, carrots, potato, kale, cauliflower and broccoli. I had to add about a cup of water when I checked on it able halfway through but I think this is only because I didn't use frozen vegetables which would have given off a little water when thawed and cooked. At the very end I added a splash of fish sauce and soy sauce to give it some extra saltiness. Yum.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;">Coconut Curry Vegetables</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Recipe extract from </span><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/slow-cooker-central-family-favourites-paulene-christie/prod9780733339233.html" target="_blank">Slow Cooker Central Family Favourites by Paulene Christie.</a></div>
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A great vegetable side dish, or even a main course for our vegetarian fans. This is mild enough for the whole family to enjoy, but if you like a little heat you can always add more curry powder.<br />
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<b>Serves</b> 6 as a side dish<br />
<b>Preparation</b> 15 mins<br />
<b>Cook</b> 4 hours<br />
<b>Cooker capacity</b> 5 litres<br />
<br />
1 small sweet potato, cut into chunks<br />
5 baby red potatoes, quartered<br />
1kg frozen mixed vegetables, such as carrot, beans, broccoli and cauliflower (see note)<br />
400ml can light coconut cream<br />
1 tablespoon cornflour<br />
1 teaspoon mild curry powder<br />
1 teaspoon ground cumin<br />
1 teaspoon ground turmeric<br />
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1. Combines the sweet potato, potato and frozen vegetables in the slow cooker.<br />
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2. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables.<br />
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3. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then low for 3 hours or until the potato is tender. Serve.<br />
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<u>Notes: </u><br />
You can replace the frozen vegetables with the same quantity of fresh ones if you like. Use whatever you have on hand and cut into smallish chunks.<br />
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Some slow cookers cook more slowly than others, so use the high setting for longer if the potato is taking a long time to become tender. Keep the size of the potato chunks small, mo more than half the size of a golf ball.<br />
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If you want a thicker sauce, stir in extra thickening 10 minutes before serving: use a slurry of another 1 tablespoon of cornflour and 1 tablespoon of water.<br />
<br />Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-23743514031345757712019-06-20T21:30:00.003+10:002019-06-20T21:30:24.796+10:00Peas, Pappardelle, Parmesan from Nigel Slater's Greenfeast: spring, summer.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pasta again, I know. But it is one of my favourite foods of all time so naturally, I am drawn to every pasta recipe ever created. Also, yes I can read. I know that we are currently in winter and this book is named <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/greenfeast-nigel-slater/prod9780008333355.html" target="_blank">Greenfeast: spring, summer</a>. But when you get sent as lovely a cookbook as this, you can't wait six months to share it and plus, peas are available all year round thanks to Mr McCain and his trusty freezer. So now you can enjoy the taste of spring and summer after the cold, dark commute home from work midweek with me. Thank me later :)<br />
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<a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/greenfeast-nigel-slater/prod9780008333355.html" target="_blank">Greenfeast; spring, summer </a>by <a href="https://www.nigelslater.com/" target="_blank">Nigel Slater</a> is a bit like a handbook for summer and spring vegetables and how to eat them in a non-boring way. I'm surely not the only one who stares at a zucchini for longer than anyone should ever stare at a zucchini for wondering what to do differently with it. Well, this book will give you a whole bunch of new ideas of how to use summer and spring produce and you won't be staring blankly at your zucchini's ever again. It is the first of a duo. <i>Summer, spring</i> is out now, for the UK summer months and then <i>autumn, winter</i> will be released later on in the year for the UK's, well duh! winter months. Backward for us southern hemisphere folk but that didn't stop me from sticking tabs throughout half of the book of things I want to make now. If you are looking for some fresh ideas for your veg, this book would be a winner, plus the way Nigel writes about food is almost romantic and a joy to read. Even something as simple as toast, he can make it sound like it should be on a degustation menu.<br />
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Next time you are at the shops, pick your self up a bag of frozen peas, some pappardelle pasta nests, a parmesan block and some fresh goats cheese or ricotta which is what I used. And dinner is done in fifteen minutes, tops! You'll have a bowl full of steamy comforting, yet fresh pasta that will remind you that the clocks do change again and we'll be complaining about how hot it is before we know it.<br />
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I know when the warm days start, this book will get a workout. But right now I am enjoying the cooler nights, rugged up in a dressing gown on the couch in uggs with a bowl of steaming pasta. I'm getting my winter warmer coat on you see while eyeing off the mustard guacamole, mozzarella, bagel for lunch this week and the rice, pickles, nori for dinner (need to find tsukemono pickled vegetables) or even the shitake, coconut, soba noodles. YUM! A little taste of summer in the mid-Australian winter.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;">Peas, Pappardelle, Parmesan</span></h2>
Quiet Flavours.<br />
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Recipe from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/greenfeast-nigel-slater/prod9780008333355.html" target="_blank">Greenfeast: spring, summer by Nigel Slater</a><br />
<i>Serves 2</i><br />
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vegetable stock 600ml<br />
peas 300g (podded weight)<br />
pappardelle 300g<br />
parmesan 25g, grated<br />
fresh young sheep's or goats cheese 200g<br />
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Put the vegetable stock on to boil (you can use water at a push). Keeping a handful of raw peas to one side, cook the rest in the boiling stock for five to seven minutes, depending on their size. Whilst the peas cook, boil the pappardelle for seven to eight minutes in generously salted water.<br />
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Put the peas and 150ml of their cooking liquid into a blender and process till smooth, introducing more stock as necessary to produce a thin, brightly flavoured sauce. Drain the pasta and return to to the pan, pour in the pea sauce, scatter over the Parmesan and fold in. Check the seasoning. Divide between two deep plates.<br />
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Break the sheep's cheese into large pieces, scatter over the pasta with the reserved raw peas and serve.<br />
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* Start the pea sauce before putting the pasta on. The sauce will hold in good condition whilst the pasta cooks. If you are using fresh peas, check them every minute or so throughout cooking; they can take anything from four minutes to much longer to become tender. Much depends on their age and size. If you are using frozen peas, they should be done in four to five minutes. Process the peas and their stock in two goes rather than risk overfilling the blender. (sorry. Obvious, I know, but it is so easy to.)<br />
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* You can make a similar sauce the broad beans. They are more starchy than peas, so be prepared to add a little more vegetable stock during bending.Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-27344307412208433302019-06-16T10:04:00.001+10:002019-09-22T08:04:33.283+10:00Pasta all' Amatriciana with Tomatoes from Where Cooking Begins by Carla Lalli Music.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Did you ever play that trust falling game when you were younger? Close your eyes and fall backwards in the hope that your friend catches you. Well, I made this pasta dish the other day and it reminded me of that game. I didn't fall backwards int the kitchen and land in pasta, no, but it did go against everything I've ever done before. I trusted and it worked and it was one of the best homemade tomato spicy pasta dinners I've made.<br />
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The recipe, Pasta all' Amatriciana with Confit Tomatoes is from a cookbook called <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?keywords=carla+lali+music&productType=917504" target="_blank">Where Cooking Begins</a> by <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/people/our-team/article/carla-lalli-music-weekly-staffer" target="_blank">Carla Lalli Music</a> (<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/" target="_blank">thank you</a>!). The book itself is split into two sections, technique and recipes that use the techniques you've learnt in the first half of the book. Some of the techniques I am not so confident in such as confit and she simplifies and breaks them down into easy-to-do steps. She then gives you a whole bunch of ideas to use that technique. Such as with confit, she gives you a dozen things that you can confit and shows you step by step how to do it. Garlic cloves, carrots, chicken thighs, potatoes, leeks, lemons, parsnips, tinned tomatoes, salmon, turkey legs, tuna steaks and butternut squash. Other techniques she guides you through are, saute, pan-roast, steam, boil and simmer, slow roast and pastry dough. Each of them then has their own dozen of examples. It's definitely going to become one of my go-to reference guides and that's before even getting to the recipes.<br />
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What I love about this book is that Carla holds your hand through not only the techniques but also the recipes, and if you trust her, it works and you will have the most delicious dinner you won't want to stop eating (unless you put too much chilli in it or are a pansy with chilli, like me). She is also like that on her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/BonAppetitDotCom/" target="_blank">youtube videos</a> for Bon Appetite magazine, which I am obsessed with! Just remember... trust.<br />
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Now for the Pasta all' Amatriciana with Confit Tomatoes, first you confit your tomatoes (see below) or you can use whole tinned tomatoes instead. You want your chunky cut pancetta sautéd until it's crispy and most of the fat has rendered down. You then cook off the onions in the rendered fat with some added extra virgin olive oil or oil from your confit tomatoes until soft and sweet, then add the chilli (and garlic if you can't help yourself like I couldn't), then goes the tomatoes. Meanwhile, cook your pasta but cook it 2-3 minutes less than what it says. Save your cooking water! The pasta goes into the sauce along with some cooking water. I used about one cup in total. I know. You're thinking, what!? watery sauce, yuk. Trust her. Trust me.<br />
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You keep tossing or stirring, yep, keep on going until the pasta is cooked through/al dente and the sauce has turned silky and coats all the little curves of your pasta. It will look a bit watery and you'll think you've stuffed it up but just keep tossing/stirring that pasta into the sauce. The pasta will soak it all up and you'll be left with perfectly cooked pasta, a silky sauce that is almost creamy it coats the pasta so well and is zingy, spicy and salty with the little nuggets of pancetta throughout.<br />
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Serve it piping hot with plenty of parmesan cheese and cracked pepper, a perfect dinner for this cold wet Sunday.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7g9oFSkYJ20mieKOOw7zK92hARr47Z-XWxUxvjUtw7b5h3u-tzhqkzgbl6EucButYsZGFde1IydZv6M0m70yBy6rMLVS79eK9vkvqfmPtIv0bL_GVeK8uehVLQmZKTwAHqSlbfoC1do/s1600/3E3236F2-6068-45D6-BF79-9680821C172B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pasta all' Amatriciana with Conflict Tomatoes from Where Cooking Begins by Carla Lalli Music | salt sugar and i | Dani Elis" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7g9oFSkYJ20mieKOOw7zK92hARr47Z-XWxUxvjUtw7b5h3u-tzhqkzgbl6EucButYsZGFde1IydZv6M0m70yBy6rMLVS79eK9vkvqfmPtIv0bL_GVeK8uehVLQmZKTwAHqSlbfoC1do/s640/3E3236F2-6068-45D6-BF79-9680821C172B.jpg" title="Pasta all' Amatriciana with Conflict Tomatoes from Where Cooking Begins by Carla Lalli Music | salt sugar and i | Dani Elis" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Pasta all' Amatriciana with Tomatoes</span></h2>
<i>recipe adapted from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/search.ep?keywords=carla+lali+music&productType=917504" target="_blank">Where Cooking Begins by Carla Lalli Music</a></i><br />
serves 4<br />
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salt<br />
115g pancetta, uncut<br />
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<br />
1 red onion, quartered, thinly sliced<br />
Freshly ground black pepper<br />
8 whole peeled tomatoes or a 400g can<br />
1 teaspoon chilli flakes, plus more for serving<br />
450g long fusilli (fusilli lunghi)<br />
Grated Parmesan, for serving<br />
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To start, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta.<br />
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Cut pancetta into 1 cm pieces and put in a heavy-bottomed pan, then place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until roughly half the fat has been rendered down and the edges are starting to turn golden brown. The pieces are equal parts crispy and chewy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a plate and set aside. Reserve pot with all it's oil.<br />
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Add the extra virgin olive oil to the pot, increasing the heat to medium, then stir in onion and season with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes until onion is translucent and floppy. This should take about 6 to 8 minutes. Don't rush this step; it's what makes the onion's all delicious and sweet. Then, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until onion is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer.<br />
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Meanwhile, tear tomatoes up into smaller pieces.<br />
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Add the tomatoes and chilli flakes to the pot and cook, stirring every so often, until tomatoes give up their juices and start to lightly caramelise. Stir the pancetta back into the sauce along with all the juices. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat and cover pot until pasta is ready.<br />
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Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and set a timer for 2 to 3 minutes less than the package instructions say (you want it to be very al dente as it will finish cooking in the sauce). Use tongs to transfer the pasta directly to the pot of sauce along with about 1/2 cup pasta water. Cook over medium-high, stirring and tossing continuously with tongs and adding 1/4 cupfuls more of pasta water as needed until pasta is al dente and coated in a glossy sauce, this should take about 2 minutes.<br />
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Serve topped with parmesan cheese and more crushed red pepper, if you like it hot hot hot. Enjoy.<br />
<br />Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-40443046634774369182019-05-24T14:00:00.001+10:002019-06-24T19:46:35.704+10:00Potato Tuturuga from Fire Islands, Recipes from Indonesia by Eleanor Ford<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4AWB75byW2Gi19FdGeXXiSiQhjFN6K7xQoOQOQp-3fQXYj_5isfkw7YVAmo-9la6CXSdpDKIdBFrAffgeCa6KJYcWB60kx0N7F_UDJEYmbKJaro7edyci5tS9912B2H_rwZa98hn-x1w/s1600/IMG_2194.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fire Islands, Recipes from Indonesia by Eleanor Ford | salt sugar and i" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4AWB75byW2Gi19FdGeXXiSiQhjFN6K7xQoOQOQp-3fQXYj_5isfkw7YVAmo-9la6CXSdpDKIdBFrAffgeCa6KJYcWB60kx0N7F_UDJEYmbKJaro7edyci5tS9912B2H_rwZa98hn-x1w/s640/IMG_2194.HEIC" title="Fire Islands, Recipes from Indonesia by Eleanor Ford | salt sugar and i" width="640" /></a></div>
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A couple of weeks ago, amongst the cake madness (see previous post) I received a beautiful book in the mail. <span id="goog_855674924"></span><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/fire-islands-eleanor-ford/prod9781760523886.html" target="_blank">Fire Islands, Recipes from Indonesia</a> by <a href="https://www.eleanorfordfood.com/" target="_blank">Eleanor Ford</a><span id="goog_855674925"></span>. I had a brief flick through and thought wow, yum, um I need this now, ooo I think I had that in Bali, mmm noodles, but had to put it down to get back my cakes. It wasn't until last week I finally got the chance to have a real read and start cooking from it. And let me tell you, this book will make you hungry. It will make you hungry to source fresh turmeric and water spinach, and it will make you hungry to go and book a flight to Indonesia and not just sit on the beach of Nusa Dua drinking beer and eating Nasi Goreng every day, as delightful as that is.<br />
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The flavours and colours of the dishes in this book show waaaaayyy more variety of Indonesian foods than what we experienced. I have been completely oblivious of Indonesian cuisine before this year, and I'm embarrassed to say, the only Indonesian food I'd had was Mi Goreng from a packet, cooked in the microwave. Don't judge, I know you love the stuff too! Spicy and salty noodles, perfect street food/late night snack after too many drinks.<br />
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As much as I wanted to recreate the first meal Tris ever made me (true story!) and make a proper Mi Goreng recipe from this beautiful book it was the the Potato Tuturuga which caught my eye. It's essentially a potato curry and they are a huge hit in our home. If you like potatoes in your curry, then you'll fall in love with this one. I served it with a roast chicken like Ford suggests and goodness it was delicious. It's comforting and savoury from the coconut milk and mild spice paste but keeps its freshness from the fresh herbs and splash of lime juice at the end. Ford also suggests you can serve it with Fiery Sulawesi pork ribs which I want to give a try next time.<br />
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I apologise for my photo's, I think it's a hard one to make look pretty, gravy and potatoes. Well, curry and potatoes but still... you're just going to have to trust me (as usual) that it tastes a thousand time better than it looks in my photos. Because this really does.<br />
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It was surprisingly simple and didn't take hours to make which I think a curry that starts with a home made paste can often get a reputation for. I'm not saying this is a 15 minute meal with 5 ingredients but it'll come together while your chicken is roasting in the oven. You make a bumbu paste first, a spice base used in a lot Indonesian cooking, by wizzing fresh turmeric, ginger, garlic, chilli, shallots and a few almonds in the food processor, heat a frying pan big enough to fit all the potatoes in and fry off the bumbu paste until it's fragrant and making your kitchen smell utterly delicious. Wilt a couple of limes leaves in the pan, toss in the potatoes, a cup of coconut milk and top the rest up with water so the potatoes are covered. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through. Finish with a squeeze of lime and shredded basil and mint. It spices up a roast chook in more ways than one!<br />
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Mind blown with this cookbook and Indonesian Cuisine. Oblivious no more and hungry for more.<br />
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Has a book ever blown your mind?<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;">Potato tuturuga</span></h2>
Serves 2-4<br />
Recipe from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/fire-islands-eleanor-ford/prod9781760523886.html" target="_blank">Fire Islands, Recipes from Indonesia by Eleanor Ford</a><br />
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<i>Lime leaves, mint and lemon basil perfume this spicy, savoury curry. Tuturaga is made by the Minahasen people of North Sulawesi where the name means 'turtle' - the original meat cooked with potatoes in this red spice paste. Today chicken or beef is more typical, but I keep mine meat-free as I think potatoes cloaked in the spiced coconut milk are the best bit.</i><br />
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500g potatoes, peeled<br />
1 tablespoon oil<br />
2 lime leaves <i>(I used kaffir lime leaves)</i><br />
250ml coconut milk<br />
1 teaspoon sea salt<br />
small bunch of lemon basil leaves, shredded <i>(I used regular basil)</i><br />
small bunch of mind leaves, shredded<br />
juice of 1/2 lime<br />
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<u>Bumbu spice paste</u><br />
4 small red Asian shallots, peeled<br />
4 garlic cloves, peeled<br />
3 large red chillies, half seeded<br />
2cm ginger, peeled<br />
3cm turmeric, peeled, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric<br />
6 candlenuts or 10 blanched almonds<br />
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Start by making the bumbu spice paste. Roughly chop the fresh ingredients and grind to a paste in a food processor, adding a little water if needed to help it come together.<br />
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Cut the potatoes into 4-5 cam chunks.<br />
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Heat the oil in a pan that will be large enough to hold the potatoes later. Scrape in the bumbu and fry until fragrant and the rawness has gone. Add the lime leaves and wilt in the heat of the spices. Add the potatoes, coconut milk and salt and top up with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a slow boil and cook uncovered until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has reduced to a good consistency, about 20-30 minutes.<br />
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Leave to cool a little then stir through the lemon basil and mint. Taste for seasoning ans brighten the flavours with a zap of lime juice.Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-44303414100352214752019-05-16T18:00:00.000+10:002019-06-24T19:46:18.574+10:00LOVE and Carrot CAKE.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been a little MIA for the past month and the reason is because of love. Well, a wedding to be exact but a wedding really is just a big ball of love so, I have been MIA because of love. And cake. Lots of cake.<br />
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Cake has been all I've thought about for the past couple of months and now the love birds are husband and wifey, I'm not quite sure what to do to fill my nights after work. No more cake testing or tasting or making. I'll tell you what... it was very fun to be back in a kitchen. I know it was just my own kitchen but I was making cakes with almost a kilo of butter in them and 15 eggs. I think our apartment must have smelt amazing to the neighbours all month long.<br />
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I made three cakes. A carrot cake with cream cheese icing, a rich chocolate cake sandwiched with dark chocolate ganache and iced in chocolate buttercream, and a vanilla butter cake layered with vanilla buttercream and rhubarb and vanilla jam. All topped with beautiful blooms on the day.<br />
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My biggest relief was that they arrived totally unharmed. They survived the 2 hour car trip! Yay! I practically skipped them to the fridge when we arrived and unboxed the cake boxes from their extra sturdy car packaging which was a giant eski and moving tub and lots of beach towels to secure them in. These puppies did not budge! The party-ing could now happen, the cakes had made it and so had we. Bring on the wine and dancing and friends and the big potato and celebrations and love and open fires and bunting and just a really really beautiful weekend celebrating the special couple and love. All the love.<br />
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I was pretty proud of them all dressed up with their flower crowns on, looking dashing. I think all three were delicious and I think I think others did too... unless everyone was just being very nice or I'd had too much wine... it could also be a combo of both.<br />
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Anyway, thought I'd share the carrot cake recipes I used here. Sorry no pics on the inside of the cake... I'd had too much fun and wine at this point in the night to even think of taking a photo of the cut cake for my lovely reader. Selfish, I know. You'll just have to make it find our for your self.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;">Carrot Cake</span></h2>
makes one 20-cm round cake (using two 20-cm round cake tins)<br />
<i>Recipe adapted from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/what-to-bake-and-how-to-bake-it-jane-hornby/prod9780714867434.html" target="_blank">What to Bake and How to Bake it by Jane Hornby</a>.</i><br />
*For the wedding cake pictured, I tripled the recipe and used two 30cm round cake tins.<br />
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100g walnuts<br />
200ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing<br />
250g plain flour<br />
2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
2 teaspoon mixed spice<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
200g light brown soft sugar<br />
1 orange<br />
3 eggs<br />
250g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated (roughly 300g whole carrots)<br />
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Preheat your oven to 180C (160C fan forced). Spread the nuts over a baking tray and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and toasty (you can normally smell this). Cool, then roughly chop. Toasting the nuts will give an extra depth of flavour to the cake but if you are in a hurry, just chop the nuts and use as is.<br />
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While you wait, get everything else ready. Grease two 20cm round cake tins with a little oil, then line with baking paper.<br />
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Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt together then sift into a large bowl. Add the sugar and work it in with your fingers until evenly blended. This helps break up any lumps of sugar you may have. Finely zest the orange into the bowl of the dry ingredients. Juice the orange into a small jug and save for later.<br />
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Crack your eggs into a large measuring jug with the oil and 2 tablespoons of the orange juice. Whisk together well.<br />
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Pour the oil mixture into the dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Add the nuts and then the carrots, and stir until evenly blended. If the batter seems stiff, add 1 tablespoon more orange juice. Divide the batter between prepared tins.<br />
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Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and have risen, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in tins on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn out of the tins and cool completely.<br />
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Make the cream cheese icing. Recipe below.<br />
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<u>To assemble and ice the cakes:</u> Your cakes need to be cool and not even the teensiest bit warm! Even stick them in the fridge for 15 minutes (no longer) before icing. You'll thank me.<br />
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Place one cake down on your serving plate or cake board and dollop enough icing on top so that it is about 1cm thick when spread all over. Don't worry if it falls down the sides right now. Then place the other cake on top, top side down, bum side up. Brush off any crumbs that are hanging on or around your work surface to stop them making your icing dirty. Using the remaining icing, cover the sides and top of the cake.<br />
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If you like, you can do a crumb coat, which is a thin coating to lock in any stray crumbs and then place your cake in the fridge for 15 minutes for the icing to semi set. Then a thicker coating of icing to cover the cake properly.<br />
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Decorate with some walnuts or flowers or how ever your wish!<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;">Cream Cheese Icing</span></h2>
makes enough to ice one 20 to 25-cm round cake<br />
<i>recipe from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-violet-bakery-cookbook-claire-ptak/prod9780224098502.html" target="_blank">The Violet Bakery Cookbook by Claire Ptak</a></i><br />
<i>*</i>For the wedding cake pictured, I doubled the recipe to cover a 30-cm round cake.<br />
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200g unsalted butter, softened<br />
250g cream cheese (take out of the fridge about 15 minutes before using)<br />
750g icing mixture/icing sugar, sifted<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the butter until it is light and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat well. Scrape down the bowl to make sure all butter and cream cheese are incorporated together. Gradually add in the icing mixture and beat on a low speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, then add the vanilla and beat for another 5 minutes.<br />
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The icing can be kept at room temperature for a couple of hours, otherwise store it in the fridge for up to one week. Before using, remove from the fridge and let soften for about 20 minutes, then whip again for about 4 to 5 minutes.<br />
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NOTE: Use a timer; the beating will take longer than you realise.Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-32045479558911661882019-04-04T23:13:00.003+11:002019-06-24T19:47:38.809+10:00Turmeric & Carrot Soup from The Weeknight Cookbook by Justine Schofield<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I got my ugg boots out of the cupboard this week and I've been wearing socks to bed. Autumn is finally here and I can't get enough of it. Cool nights, snuggles under the doona, kitty cuddles, the smell of a neighbours wood fire and best of all... the food. The chunky soups, the blended soups, the noodle soups, the stews, the curries, the slow cooker and alllll the pasta bakes. Self saucing baked chocolate puddings, vanilla rice pudding, jam topped college puddings and fruit crumbles. Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin. The cooler months are all about the food and I'm feeling it. (I do realise I have probably jinxed this and it's hot while you are now reading it).<br />
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To kick off my week, I prepped lunch for the week and cooked <a href="http://www.saltsugarandi.com/2019/01/Lentil-Salad.html" target="_blank">lentils</a> to utter smoosh, proper smoosh to the point I could probably have made mashed lentils, is mashed lentils a thing? I didn't chuck them, I froze them to add to a soup or hide in bolognese or to be chucked out when I do a freezer clean out. I ended up cooking another batch and didn't turn the later into smoosh. Lunch prep for the week done. Tick. Now on to dinner...<br />
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Monday night's are a bit of a non-event evening. You survived the first day of the week at work, you started head-strong by heading to F45 (or you thought about it at least, thats sometimes enough), it occasionally includes some lunch prep if Sunday disappeared on you, and you are just happy to be at home back in pyjamas again. Ah *sigh* we survived Monday. Oh and dinner needs to be tummy-filling satisfying, easy and somewhat healthy. You know, starting the week off on the right foot and all.<br />
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This particular Monday I had mail, I love mail when it's not from the electricity company telling you that your direct debit failed and you still owe them $400. This was good mail though, very good mail indeed. I came home to a lovely gift of <a href="https://www.justineschofield.com.au/" target="_blank">Justine Schofield</a>'s new cookbook, <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-weeknight-cookbook-justine-schofield/prod9781760780548.html" target="_blank">The Weeknight Cookbook</a> (<a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760780548/" target="_blank">thank you!</a>). While overcooking my lentils in my uggs and having a good nosey through it, I'd found dinner instantly. Turmeric and Carrot soup. And holy-moley did it hit the spot.<br />
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The turmeric works so well with the carrots and cuts through the sweetness, it's then topped with chopped parsley and shaved parmesan giving the whole soup a delicious freshness but also cheesiness from the parmesan. It's not just any old carrot soup, it's a serious gem and genius of a recipe. You fry your onions in a little olive oil till soft, add the turmeric then carrots then stock (I used a cube) and cook for 25-30 minutes until the carrots are cooked and soft. Blitz with a stick blender, taste for seasoning and serve topped with parsley, shaved parmesan and some freshly cracked black pepper. A perfect Monday night dinner. I added a hefty chunk (or two) of sourdough smothered in salty butter on the side because soup without bread is a crime.<br />
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Now, come at me week, I am ready!<br />
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So trusty friends, what gets you through your Monday?<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Carrot and Turmeric Soup</span></h2>
recipe by Justine Schofield from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-weeknight-cookbook-justine-schofield/prod9781760780548.html" target="_blank">The Weeknight Cookbook</a><br />
<i>Serves 4</i><br />
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1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus extra for drizzling (optional)<br />
1 brown onion, chopped<br />
1 teaspoon ground turmeric*<br />
1kg carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm discs<br />
1.8l chicken or vegetable stock or water<br />
a small handful of flat leaf parsley leaves<br />
3 tablespoons shaved parmesan<br />
salt and freshly cracked black pepper<br />
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Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften, then add the turmeric and stir to coat the onion.<br />
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Add the carrot to the pan and season with a small pinch of salt. Pour in the stock or water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer for 25-30 minutes until the carrot is soft. Blend with a hand-held blender until silky smooth.<br />
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Serve with a sprinkle of parsley, parmesan and pepper and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.<br />
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*If you can get your hands on fresh turmeric, one teaspoon, finely grated, will take your soup to the next level.Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248900217458196601.post-46588286148208877802019-04-01T22:32:00.001+11:002019-06-24T19:47:59.197+10:00Pasta alla Norma from Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week I was stuck indoors with a virus that after going to the doctor I was told, had to run it's course and just to rest. I feel like I went slightly mad being stuck inside all day, waiting to feel better. Waiting to snap out of it.<br />
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Cooking dinner for myself helped. On Monday I felt so rotten I couldn't get off the couch so ordered Thai take away for one. Tuesday I escaped the house for dinner and had Chicken Curry at Kate's (sooo good!), Wednesday I made a one-pot mac and cheese from <a href="http://www.arthurstreetkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Hetty McKinnon</a>'s cookbook <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/family-hetty-mckinnon/prod9781760554576.html" target="_blank">Family</a>. That was the easiest and probably the tastiest mac and cheese I've ever made. It had sweet potato smooshed in it and I didn't have 100 pans to wash up after! I'll have to share the recipe for that when I make it again next time and can snap a photo or two. Thursday my fruit and veg box arrived which had a lovely eggplant in it just waiting for me to douse it in olive oil and add it to a pasta. Which I did and it was insanely good. Friday I made a vegetable curry of sorts... it was strange but it was comforting which was all I wanted.<br />
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But back to Thursday nights dinner. Pasta alla Norma from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/ottolenghi-simple-yotam-ottolenghi/prod9781785031168.html" target="_blank">Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi</a>. Umm YUM. I'm pretty sure I've posted about and eggplant pasta dinner on the blog before but this recipe is too good not to share and I can't stop thinking about it. There was no faffing with salting the eggplant and letting it sit or frying eggplant then taking it out of the pan to only put it back in later on. Instead, you roast the eggplant slices which are tossed in a generous glug (or three) of olive oil and sprinkled with salt. It looks like you've overcooked the eggplant and that it's gone crispy but trust Yotam, it will be perfection when you add it in later on. You then make a simple tomato sauce with canned tomatoes, garlic, a touch of sugar and herbs and once your eggplant is roasted and golden, and your sauce is reduced a little you toss it all through hot spaghetti with a splash of pasta water.<br />
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The eggplant slices break up into the sauce and go silky and moorish. They add a lovely roasted caramelised flavour to the sauce which is finished off with torn fresh basil leaves and shaved parmesan. Oh my, I think I'm drooling as I type this. If you can be in love with a pasta sauce, this is it for me. I'm in love.<br />
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Just so happened an eggplant snuck into this weeks grocery shop... maybe this cheeky Pasta alla Norma will make an appearance this week too :)<br />
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Tell me lovely readers, have you even been in love with a recipe?<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Pasta alla Norma</span></h2>
<i>Recipe by <a href="https://ottolenghi.co.uk/" target="_blank">Yotam Ottolenghi</a> from <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/ottolenghi-simple-yotam-ottolenghi/prod9781785031168.html" target="_blank">Simple</a>.</i><br />
Serves 4<br />
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3 eggplants (900g)<br />
120ml olive oil<br />
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced<br />
1-2 mild dried chillies (deseeded if you don't want the heat) <i>- I used a pinch of dried flakes</i><br />
2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes<br />
5 large oregano sprigs (8g) <i>- I used a teaspoon of dried oregano</i><br />
1 tsp caster sugar<br />
300g spaghetti<br />
45g mature pecorino romano (or ricotta salata), shaved<br />
20g basil leaves, torn<br />
salt & black pepper<br />
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Preheat the oven to 220C fan.<br />
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Using a peeler and working from top to bottom of each aubergine, shave off long alternating strips of peel so that they look striped, like zebras. Cut widthways into 1cm thick slices and place in a bowl with 75ml of oil, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of paper. Mix well, then spread out on two large baking paper-lined trays. Roast for 30-35 minutes, until dark golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.<br />
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Put 2 tablespoons of oil into a frying pan or pot and place on a medium high heat. Add the garlic and chillies and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden brown (but not burnt!). Add the tinned tomatoes, oregano, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a grind of pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick. Remove the oregano sprigs and stir in the aubergine. Set aside.<br />
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Cook the pasta according to packet instructions and once al dente, drain and retain some cooking water.<br />
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Add the spaghetti to the sauce and mix well, adding two thirds of the pecorino and basil, add a few tablespoons of the cooking water if the sauce has become too thick.<br />
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Divide between four bowls, then top with the remaining pecorino and basil.Dani Elishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430710893909844288noreply@blogger.com8