Thursday 17 July 2014

Honey and Cumin Roasted Aubs Bruschettas



Ingredients:
2 small aubergines, peeled and cut into cubes
Olive oil
30ml honey
10ml cumin seeds
45ml cream cheese
Salt and Pepper
1 baguette, cut into slices and toasted
½ cup pomegranate pips
Rocket to serve

Method:
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Place to aubergine on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and the honey and sprinkle over the cumin seeds.
Roast until aubergine is soft and cooked.
Place the cooked aubergine in a blender along with the cream cheese, and blend until smooth. Season well with salt and pepper and add extra honey to taste.
To serve, top toasted baguette slices with aubergine paste, sprinkle over pomegranate pips and top with rocket.

Roasted beetroot and citrus salad



Ingredients:

500g beetroot
30ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
100g feta cheese, roughly broken into pieces
2 oranges, segmented, keep juice or dressing
1 grape fruit, segmented, keep juice for dressing
Rocket
15ml lemon juice
60ml extra virgin olive oil
5ml Dijon mustard
10ml honey
100g crystallized hazelnuts


Method:

Peel and dice the beetroots into bite size pieces. Coat well in the olive oil  and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray and roast in the oven at 180°C for 20 to 30 minutes until just tender. Allow to cool slightly.

Whisk together the lemon juice, juice from segmented oranges and grape fruit, olive oil, Dijon mustard and honey, and season well.

Toss the rocket, feta cheese, oranges, grapefruit, hazelnuts  and beetroot together, and drizzle with the dressing and serve.

'Fish n Chips'



Herb crusted line fish with parmesan polenta chips, garlic aioli, pea puree and confit vine tomatoes

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 10
Ingredients:
Polenta Chips:
2l vegetable stock
500g polenta
70g parmesan, finely grated
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Sea salt flakes & freshly ground black pepper
Confit Vine Tomatoes:
750g vine tomatoes
250ml olive oil
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
6 fresh thyme sprigs
6 garlic cloves, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
10ml red wine vinegar
Pea Puree:
2 shallots, finely chopped
45ml butter
60ml white wine
500g peas
125ml cream
Aioli:
1 egg
250ml oil
5ml whole grain mustard
15ml parsley, finely chopped
15ml dill, finely chopped
15ml chives, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Fish:
2kg Line fish cut into 200g portions
2 cup bread crumbs
120ml parmesan, grated
Zest of 1 lemon
160g butter, melted
45ml parsley, finely chopped
45ml chives, snipped
45ml coriander, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper

Specialized Equipment: Deep Fryer, Blender
Method:
Bring the stock to the boil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Using a balloon whisk to stir the stock, gradually add the polenta in a thin steady stream.
Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 10-15 minutes or until mixture thickens and polenta is soft. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan.
Pour the polenta evenly over the bases of the prepared, greased pans and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Cover with non-stick baking paper and set aside to cool. Place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to set.
Turn polenta onto a clean work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut into chips.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 180°C.
Fry the polenta chips in the oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towel, sprinkle with rosemary and season well.
Confit Tomatoes:
Turn the oven down to 120°C.
Put the tomatoes in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a Single layer. Pour the oil over the tomatoes, add the herb sprigs and garlic cloves, and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, until the tomatoes are swollen and the skins are wrinkled, about 3 hours.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven, allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
Pea Puree:
Sauté the shallots in the butter, until translucent, but not brown. The cream and bring to the boil, then add the peas.
Cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to a blender, and blend to a puree.
Season well with salt and pepper.
Aioli:
Place the egg, oil, mustard, parsley, dill, chives, lemon zest and lemon juice in the jug of a stick blended.
Slowly insert the blender and turn it on, lifting it slowly to allow more and more oil to be incorporated.
Season well with salt and pepper.
Fish:
In a mixing bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, parmesan, lemon zest, butter, herbs and garlic together. Season well with salt and pepper and set aside
Preheat the oven grill.
Pat  the crumb Over the top of the fish to create an even, thin layer. Put the pan under the grill, and cook until the crumb is golden and crispy.
In the meantime, heat the oil to 180°C and fry the chips till golden.
To assemble:
Drag 50g pea puree across the centre of a black slate. Top it with the fish in the centre. Add the chips in the top left corner, and the tomatoes in the bottom right.
Dollop the mayo around the plate and garnish with a dried lemon slice and parmesan shavings.

Thursday 17 April 2014

Hot Cross Buns




Ingredients:

300ml milk
50g butter
500g flour
10 ml salt
85g sugar
10g dried yeast
125g raisins/saltanas/mixed fruit
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg
10 ml ground cinnamon
5ml ground ginger
5ml mixed spice
For the x:
120ml flour, mixed with enough water to form a pipable paste
For the glaze:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 vanilla pod
Juice of half a lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise
2 all spice

Method:

Place the milk and butter in a small saucepan and bring it to the boil, allowing the butter to melt. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until Luke warm.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, raisins and lemon zest.

Make a well in the center off the dry ingredients, and add the egg and milk mixture. Stir well to until well mixed.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and set aside in a warm place to prove until the dough has doubled in bulk.

Knock back the dough and divide into 12 equal portions. Roll into buns, and once again allow to prove until doubled in bulk.

Alternatively- roll balls and pack them into a baking dish, before proving for the second time.

Pour the x mixture into a piping bag and pipe x's onto your buns. Bake at 180 for 15-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown and make a hollow sound when tapped.

For the glaze, bring the sugar, water, vanilla, lemon juice and spices to the boil. Remove from the heat and use to glaze hot, hot cross buns

Sunday 13 April 2014

Chocolate Marshmallow Easter Eggs


 
MAKES 12 CHOCOLATE COVERED EASTER EGGS!!!

Ingredients:

Flour to make moulds

3 leaves of gelatine, soaked in cold water (15ml powdered gelatine)

1 cup Sugar

¼ cup water

½ liquid glucose/corn syrup

Vanilla paste

300g milk chocolate

50g white chocolate

Glitter, Icing Flowers, 100’s and 1000’s to decorate

 

Method:

Place the flour in 2 baking trays and press and egg half way into it to form an impression.

Combine the sugar, water and glucose in a saucepan and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, cook until the temperature reaches 115°C on a sugar thermometer.

Pour the syrup into the mixing bowl of an electric mixture, and begin beating on high speed.

Add the gelatine bit by bit until it is all incorporated, continue beating until the mixture is thick and creamy and has cooled down to luke warm.

Beat in the vanilla and a little food colouring if desired(I made mine pink).

Gently spoon the mixture into the egg shaped depressions and allow to set in the refridgerator for 3-4 hours.

Melt the 300g chocolate in a baine marie.

Dust any excess flour off the marshmallow and dip the eggs into the chocolate, placing them on a banking paper lined tray to set.

When the chocolate has set, you can eat them as they are, or decorate them with the white chocolate, glitters, flowers and 100’2 and 1000’s

HAPPY EASTER.

Saturday 22 March 2014

FRUITY, CRISPY NOODLE SALAD


Serves 4

Ingredients: 

1 packet 2 minute noodles 
150g strawberries, sliced  
1 papaya, peeled into long ribbons 
1 head butter lettuce 
1 large avocado, sliced 
Juice of 1 lime 
Large bunch basil 
Pansy flowers, to garnish 
Dressing: 
6tbls avocado oil 
3tbls raspberry vinegar 
Salt and pepper

Method: 

In clean, dry pan, toast the noodles until crispy.

Mix the salad dressing and season with salt and pepper. I like a tart dressing so I use a little more vinegar.

Mix the salad ingredients gently and arrange on a platter. Scatter over the crispy noodles, basil leaves and pansy flowers. Drizzle with a little dressing. Serve immediately.