The Sit Down Cook

Christmas Cake in a Hurry

2011-12-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

Well I've been slack on the Christmascooking this year. Organisation, Planning and I have parted ways andI am now on catch up duty. Although in reality apathy may win. Aslong as I cook one or two baked goods I can delude myself intobelieving that I have done my Christmas duty. So a cake and some shortbread may be about it for this year.

Once upon a time I was very good. Iwould soak the fruit for my Christmas cake for a month prior tocooking. I would make multiple cakes to give to family. I woulddecorate and feed each cake with religious devotion. Now I'd ratherspend that extra time ensconced on my couch with an episode or two oftrash TV. I think that's what they call maturing.

20yrs later I still use the samerecipe, only my timeline has shortened considerably. The good oldGrand Marnier Fruit Cake from Best Recipes from The Weekly (1991). Isthere a household in Australia that doesn't own a copy of a Woman'sWeekly Cookbook? They must be few and far between. This rich cake hasserved my family well. Whilst I often change the fruit content, usingsimply what I have on hand in the pantry, the essence is the sameeach year. And in those 20 years I haven't had a single failure.

(Even found a picture of my very first Christmas Cake)

The recipe does suggest soaking yourfruit for 10 days, but I have soaked it as little as overnight (or twonights this year) and it is still moist and rich. In fact the longerit sits after cooking the richer it becomes. The only difference is perhaps in colour. The longer the fruit soak the darker the cake seems to turn out. The smell and sound ofGrand Marnier as it hits the hot cakes is divine, and really it's notChristmas until the house is infused with that rich, heady scent.

The last few years I have made multipletiny cakes, which I wrap and store in the freezer to be defrostedthroughout the year. Whilst I love the look of the bigger cakes, theycan be harder to store.

The fruit mix can suit your taste andbudget. It works out at roughly 2kg of dried fruit. I have made itusing everything from the recipe below to dried mangoes, peaches andpears. Somehow the addition of the Grand Marnier makes it all work.

Time:

20mins preparation

10 days soaking

3-31/2 hrs cooking for one large cake

45-50mins for 6 small cakes

(My little tins and bell tin, which also makes a fantastic alien head cake for kids)

Utensils:

Deep cake tin (20-23cm round cake tin)

Ingredients:

500gm sultanas

250gm mixed peel

125gm raisins

125gm dates

125gm prunes

125gm glace apricots (or driedapricots)

125gm glace pineapple

125gm dried cranberries

60gm blanched slivered almonds

60gm walnut pieces

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

½ cup Grand Marnier

½ cup castor sugar

½ cup orange juice

250gm butter

½ cup brown sugar

5 eggs

2 cups plain flour

Method:

Day 1

Chop larger fruit (eg dates) intothe size of the sultanas.
Place all fruit, zest, and nuts in a largebowl.
Spread castor sugar evenly over thebottom of a heavy based pan. Cook on medium heat until sugar beginsto melt and caramelise.
Remove from heat and add orangejuice. Be very careful as it will spit and bubble.
Return to the heat and stir until allthe toffee pieces have dissolved.
Do not boil or you will lose too muchliquid.
Remove from heat and add Grand Marnier.Allow to cool.
Add cooled Grand Marnier liquid to thefruit and mix thoroughly.
Place mixture in a large sealable jaror container.
Mix fruit mixture well for each of thenext 10 days.

Day 11 (or day 3 if slack like me)

Preheat oven to 150C
Cream butter and brown sugar until softand well combined.
Add eggs one at a time. Make sure eachegg is well combined before adding the next. If mixture doesn'tcombine don't fret. When mixed with the flour and fruit mix, it willcome together. It makes little difference to the final product.
And the fun begins. Use your hands toensure a thorough mix. Pour butter, sugar and egg mix into the fruitand mix well with your hands.
Once evenly combined add the siftedflour.
Line a deep 20x23cm round cake tin with3 thicknesses of baking paper. Ensure that paper comes about 5 cmabove the rim of the tin.
Spread mixture evenly into tin.
Bake for 3-31/2hrs.
Remove cake from oven. Put some shallowholes in the top of the cake with a skewer.
Pour 2-3tablespoons of Grand Marnier over hot cake. Itseems a lot but the cake will soak it up. Do not stand over cake asfumes will make your eyes water.
Cover cakes with aluminium foil andleave to cool.
When cool remove from tin and discardfoil. Leave the baking paper on the cake.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and storein a cool dark place or the freezer.

This cake will keep for a year.

Merry Christmas

Michelle :)

Wholemeal Spelt Pasta

2011-12-15T01:32:00.000-08:00

Well it's been a while since my last post. Between a broken router and crappy health, this poor old blog has been sadly neglected. But I'm back baby. And hopefully back on a more regular basis, if this pesky life business stops getting in the way.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win a Baccarat Pasta Maker on the lovely Phuoc's fantastic blog, Phuoc'n Delicious. Check out her recipe for Black Sesame Dumplings, heaven and fructose friendly. I ate my body weight in the various dumplings on offer in Vietnam, and it's great that I can now feed my addiction in the comfort of my own home. Or Com ga Hoi An, a delicious way to prepare the humble chook, and a favourite from our own time in Hoi An. Excuse me whilst I wipe off my Homeresque drooling. For those of you living in Sydney, she also has a series of great restaurant reviews. Her photography alone, makes me want to organise a weekend away to Sydney to sample the various culinary delights.

As many of you know wheat is no longer my friend and I have been searching high and low for a decent pasta replacement. GF is simply not cutting it for me. It is fickle, disintegrates if you boil it for 0.2 of a nanosecond past the recommended time, and does the same if reheated the next day. It is also ridiculously expensive. Ugh. I'm not sure why I bother. Spelt, however, is an obvious choice, with new research suggesting it may be okay for many with fructose malabsorption (FM). I love the strong flavour of spelt, especially the whole meal version. It makes delicious sourdough and even really lovely scones. It has an earthy nutty flavour and really once you have a tasty piece of spelt sourdough, traditional white bread seems the epitome of bland.

Making your own pasta is quite relaxing. Like bread making, I think I love the hands on approach it requires. You can feel and see the change in the dough throughout the process. And whilst there may have been a few expletives offered up during the process (in particular where I somehow managed to drop the handle from the pasta maker on my toe) it was really enjoyable. Even my youngest got in on the act. And frankly, if a 13-year-old boy is willing to put down his ipod and help out, you know it's good fun. I haven't made pasta for quite a few years after my last pasta maker succumbed to the long years of humidity in Darwin. So in many respects I felt like I was a pasta making virgin once more.

This recipe is a bit of a combination of a few recipes. Technique I have taken from Phuoc's great post on pasta making. Given that spelt has some quirks I have used a spelt specific recipe. I used a wholemeal spelt flour, simply because that is what I had on hand. But a white spelt would give a more traditional, smoother, pasta texture.

The wholemeal spelt it is quite filling (I often think of it as a 'meaty' flour) compared to regular white 00 flour. The following recipe was posited as a 2 person serve, but I found that it was more suited to 4 regular or 3 generous serves.

With practice the time required to roll and cut the dough would decrease, but the time suggested is for a first time pasta maker.

Time:
30mins dough preparation, including 20mins resting.
30mins rolling and cutting dough.
3-5mins cooking to al dente.

Utensils:
Pasta Maker
3 plastic coat hangers

Ingredients:
2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
3 eggs at room temperature
splash of olive oil
pinch salt

Method:
1. Place flour and salt on a wooden in a pile and create a little well in the centre.
2. Beat eggs and olive oil together, and pour into the well.

3. Slowly mix ingredients together with your fingers until you form a rough ball.
4. Knead dough for about 5mins on a floured surface, until a smooth ball is formed.

(Okay so it's not perfectly smooth with the wholemeal spelt but you get the idea. Think of it as rustic.)

5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 mins.

6. Cut the dough into 3 pieces. Keep one piece out to work on and re-wrap and refrigerate the pieces not in use. Wholemeal spelt dries out very quickly and you don't want it sitting on the bench turning to stone whilst you work on your other piece.

7. Flatten the piece of dough with your fingers and dust lightly on both sides with flour.

8. Follow Phuoc's excellent instructions on how to use your pasta maker.

9. Hang you pasta on plastic coat hangers to dry a little.

10. Cook in plenty of salted boiling water for about 5mins, or until al dente.

11. Serve with the topping of your choice.

(Left over bolognese sauce with cheese and fresh oregano leaves)

Tip 1: Either sprinkle the machine with flour or lightly dust the pasta each pass through. This makes the dough pass through much more smoothly.

Tip 2: Wholemeal spelt does not like the thinner settings of the pasta maker. I tell you this to save you hours of tears and sailoresque swearing. Anything below about the 4-5 mark and it fell apart. Having made pasta using regular 00 wheat flour in the past I have never had this problem before. I put it down to the rough nature of the flour. Having said that, using the 4-5mark it was still only about 1mm thick when fully cooked.

Tip 3: A second pair of hands is really handy when it comes to cutting the dough sheets into either fettuccine or spaghetti. I am all for using child labour in the form of your offspring to help.

The texture and taste of the final product are fantastic and it 'feels' like you are eating proper pasta. It is also cheap as chips to make. If you are avoiding wheat for FM and not Coeliac disease, I highly recommend making your own spelt pasta.

Cheers

Michelle :)

Semi-dried Tomatoes

2011-11-18T16:28:00.001-08:00

Well Melbourne has tuned on her glory once again today. Pouring rain, grey skies, dogs that wont go outside to pee because they are scared of the big mean sky water. It's supposed to be Spring but I'm starting to think Melbourne may have some memory issues, or is easily distracted by bright shiny objects. Yesterday 35C, hot and humid. Today 18C, rain and a very soggy backyard. On a day like today you need to be reminded that it is Spring. And, these Semi-dried Tomatoes are perfect to jog your memory. Look at that top picture, bright shiny, fresh oregano from my garden and glorious red juicy tomatoes from my grocer. What more could you want.

I think I love this recipe mostly for it's simplicity. Five minutes of preparation, then sit back and let the oven do the rest. The smell that flows through the house with the slow roasting is amazing. And afterwards you are left with deliciously rich and irresistible semidried tomatoes. They go with everything. On top of some perfectly squishy poached eggs, spinach and sourdough. In a quick pasta with fresh basil and crispy panchetta. On top of a pizza for an extra flavour burst. On an antipasto platter. The options are only limited by your imagination.

(Labneh, semi-dried tomatoes, spelt sourdough, butterbean dip, roasted capsicums, marinated fetta, spinach from my garden, prosciutto and Hungarian salami.)

The final quantity of tomatoes usually only lasts about a week in our house as no one can resist them. The preserving oil can also be used as quick salad dressing as it absorbed all the flavours from the tomatoes and herbs.

Time:

5mins preparation

4+hrs cooking

Ingredients:

1 1/2 kilo tomatoes

1 bunch fresh oregano

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1-2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes (depends on your personal heat tolerance)

1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil to drizzle

Good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil to cover

Method:

Set oven to 140C

One of the keys to making soft semi-dried tomatoes, instead of the tougher variety often found in delis, is to remove the skin prior to cooking.

To remove tomato skins:

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil on the stove.

2. Score base of each tomato with a small cross.

3. Submerge each tomato in the boiling water for 30seconds then remove with a slotted spoon.

4. You'll notice the skin has started to lift at the edges of the cross.

5. Skins will now simply pull off.

To prepare tomatoes for roasting:

1. Line a large biscuit tray (I luckily have one that came with 90cm Smeg. it's perfect for recipes like this) or 2-3 trays with baking paper.

2. Cut tomatoes in half and lay on tray.

3. Sprinkle garlic, chilli and oregano leaves evenly over the halved tomatoes.

4. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Place tray in oven and allow to slow bake over minimum 4hrs. You may need longer depending on the size of your tomatoes and quirks of your oven.

7. Tomatoes should be substantially reduced in size, sticky and soft, but still hold their shape.

8. Put cooled tomatoes gently in a sterilized glass jar.

9. Cover well with olive oil.

10. Use within 1 - 2 weeks.

Michelle :)

Spiced Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)

2011-11-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

I am one of those annoying people who hates waste. I like to try and use up every last scrap of whatever I am cooking. Admittedly, my "it can go into the compost" line is used frequently, but every now and then I have an epiphany/moment of madness where I find another way to use up scraps. One of my favourites was conceived whilst making a batch of pumpkin soup.

There is always a tonne of waste after chopping up a whole pumpkin for soup. Whilst, the skins generally, end up in the compost I decided that I would make the most of the seeds. I love pepitas/pumpkin seeds. I add them in everything from salads to my muesli bars. I also love them spiced up and used as nibbles with a glass of wine, or two.

This is a super simple recipe and, if you use your reclaimed pumpkin seeds, super cheap. The quicker way is to simply use a packet of pepitas from the supermarket, and they do work well. But my weird brain finds it rather satisfying to use what would otherwise be seen as scraps for the worms.

Time:

20 mins prep for fresh pepitas, 5mins if using a packet.
5mins cooking

Utensils:
Fry pan

Ingredients:
Pumpkin seeds from whole pumpkin (or packet of pepitas)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (as good a quality as you can afford as you want to taste the flavour)
2-3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chilli flakes or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder (smoked paprika also works well)
1 tablespoon salt flakes

*Alter quantities depending on the amount of seeds you collect.

Method:
1. Collect seeds from pumpkin.
2. Give a quick wash to remove remaining flesh.
3. Spread out on a clean tea towel to dry.

4. Mix olive oil, rosemary, chilli and salt flakes in a small bowl. Set aside
5. In a small fry pan dry roast seeds until they begin to turn golden.
6. Remove from heat and toss hot seeds in spiced oil.
7. Best served warm.

Very morish and a great alternative to beer nuts. The same mix also works well with macadamia nuts.

Enjoy

Michelle

Easy Chocolate Mousse

2011-10-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

Procrastination paid off yesterday. Between contemplating my navel, and testing and retesting, that I can indeed touch my tongue to my nose, I stumbled upon a super easy chocolate mousse recipe. I knew my decision to plonk myself on the couch rather than attend to my To Do List, was the right thing to do.

Flicking through channels I happened to land on an episode of Nigella Lawson's, Nigella Express series, just at the point she mentioned Instant Chocolate Mousse. I'm pretty sure a beam of sunlight feel on the television and a choir of angels started singing at this same moment. Oh so easy. Oh so quick. Minimal fuss. Few steps. Perfect for a lazy sit down cook.

I jotted down the ingredients and excitedly rushed to my local supermarket. Half an hour later six perfect little chocolate mousse portions were chilling in my fridge. I like to think that they are almost a health food as I used Zymil's lactose-free, gluten-free, 40% less fat cream in the mix. Surely the smooth, rich, chocolatey goodness is, if nothing else, good for the soul.

Makes 4-6 portions depending on your tea cups, and how much mixture you 'sample' during preparation.

Time:
Prep 10mins
Chilling time

Utensils:
Heavy-based saucepan
4-6 tea cups

Ingredients:
150gm Mini Marshmallows (or large marshmallows diced)
50gm Butter/ butter substitute.
250gm 85% Lindt dark chocolate, chopped
60ml hot water
300ml (1 container) Zymil lactose-free cream
1teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:
1. Combine marshmallows, chocolate, butter and water in heavy-based saucepan.
2. Melt slowly over low heat.
3. When all ingredients are melted and combined, remove from heat.
4. Whip cream and vanilla essence until it forms soft peaks. (Zymil's cream will not thicken as much as standard cream, but this had little to no effect on the finished mousse).
5. Gradually fold cream into chocolate mixture, until well combined.
6. Pour into tea cups and chill.

The mousse is ready to eat in as little half an hour. Perfect comfort food. So good, that I may have had the last tea cup for breakfast this morning.

Enjoy
Michelle :)

Apricot Chicken: 80s Flashback.

2011-10-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you were a child during the 80s in Australia, you've most likely eaten apricot chicken. Every mother had her version of the this simple, yet tasty treat. My own mother made a version with a simple three ingredients: chicken, apricot nectar and French onion soup mix. My husband tells me that my mother-in-law went all out and used a total of four ingredients. Whoa, that's crazy talk. And now I have continued the tradition for my own children.

There's something comforting about the food from my childhood. Simply and tasty fare. Though hardly adventurous by today's standards. Even now, I have hardly changed my mothers simple recipe. Why mess with perfection? Given that my children frequently request this for dinner, it would seem that the recipe is still quite tasty.

Must admit I feel like I should have some Culture Club or Adam Ant playing as I cook this. Given how Melbourne seems to have forgotten it's supposed to be Spring, I may just just grab out my old leg warmers and pull my t-shirt off one shoulder.

Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon........(link)

Serves 4

Time:

10mins prep

30mins cooking

Utensils:

Heavy based pot.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 chicken Marylands (you can use breasts, but using chicken on the bone gives a much better flavour).

850ml apricot nectar

1 packet dried French onion soup

1 teaspoon minced chilli

2 teaspoons minced garlic (or 2 fresh cloves crushed)

1/4 bunch coriander roughly chopped

Optional: 1 tablespoon corn flour

Method:

1. Separate the leg from the thigh on the chicken Marylands. Remove excess fat and skin.

2. Heat oil in pot and fry chicken pieces until golden.

3. Sprinkle French onion soup mix over browned chicken pieces.

4. Add apricot nectar, chilli and garlic. Depending on the size of the Marylands, you may need to add some water to ensure chicken pieces are covered.

5. Bring sauce to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.

6. Put lid on pot.

7. After 20mins take lid off and allow sauce to reduce and thicken.

8. If chicken is cooked but the sauce is still too runny use corn flour. Mix corn flour with a little cold water to make a runny paste. Slowly add the cornflour mix whilst stirring. Sauce will thicken quickly.

9. Add coriander just prior to serving.

10. Serve with boiled rice.

Variations:

Add 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots.
Add a bunch of baby spinach.
We are an onion-free family thanks to my food intolerances, but I have it on good authority that a diced onion cooked with the browning chicken pieces, is also a tasty addition.

Enjoy this little slice of 80s culinary delight.

Michelle

Cheats Potato Pizza

2011-10-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

A few months back I was faced with a common problem. Needing to make a meal for the family but having little in the fridge or pantry, as it was the day before my usual weekly shop. When you have teenage boys with endless stomachs food simply doesn't stay in the house long. Even when you think you have enough food stored in the house to survive a surprise zombie apocalypse, the teenage boy phenomenon highlights your poor preparedness with regard to survival provisions.

After hunting through the pantry, fridge and freezer I managed to scrape together enough basic ingredients to create what I call my Cheats Potato Pizza. Luckily, whilst fresh produce was in short supply, I always have jars of various antipasto staples like pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and chargrilled red capsicum, and my spice and sauce cupboard is full to overflowing. These items provide a lot of flavour for very little volume. Even the olive oil the vegetables are stored in provides flavour when drizzled over the top of dishes.

I also grow my own herbs in pots in the small spot of sun in my backyard. Which means I always have them on hand. Well, except for when my two greats danes run off with a pot or decide they should pee on them. But other than that, I always have fresh herbs on hand. Nothing compares to the flavour of fresh herbs, and I use them almost everyday. Growing your own also makes economic sense, given that one bunch can be between three and four dollars at the supermarket. My $2.95 pot of oregano has provided me with fresh leaves for over three years now. Now that's value for money.

After discovering a few potatoes in the back of the pantry and a couple of sheets of puff pastry under some frozen bread, I was set. The beauty of this recipe is that from a few basic bits and pieces, and whatever you have on hand, you can have a really tasty meal. Simply change the toppings to what you have lurking around in your fridge.

Makes 3 pizzas.

Time:

20mins prep

30mins cooking

Utensils:

Pizza trays. The one in the photo is great, I have four. The holes on the base ensure a nice and crispy pizza every time. Alternatively, use a normal baking tray, then for the last 5mins slip the pizza off the tray directly onto oven racks. Works a treat to crisp up the bottom.

Ingredients:

3 sheets puff pastry

4 fist sized potatoes (approx. 800gm)

3 tablespoons basil pesto

4 sun-dried tomatoes

2 roasted red capsicums

2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

1 tablespoon chopped capers

1/2 cup goat or sheep cheese

250gm shredded mozzarella

Pinch chilli flakes

Salt & pepper

Balsamic vinegar & rocket leaves to serve.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C

2. Wash potatoes, leave skin on.

3. Poke potatoes all over with a fork to prevent explosions.

4. Place a sheet of paper towel on a plate. Put potatoes on top and cover with another sheet of paper towel.

5. Microwave on high for 4mins, or until potatoes are cooked. Cooking time varies depending on size and type of potatoes. I generally start with 4mins and then do 2min bursts until they are cooked.

6. Cut potatoes into slices, about 5mm thick.

7. Score a 2cm boarder around each slice of pastry. Do not cut completely through. This allows edges to puff up nicely. Poke holes in the centre portion with a fork to prevent rising.

8. Spread pesto evenly over each pastry sheet.

9. Top with sliced potatoes.

10. Sprinkle potatoes with tomatoes, capsicum, capers, chilli, herbs and cheeses.

11. Season with salt and pepper.

12. Cook for 30mins, or until crust is golden and flaky and cheese slightly browned.

13. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and top with rocket leaves.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can use any bits and pieces you have left lying around.

Enjoy

Michelle :)

Portuguese Custard Tarts

2011-10-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

I love these tasty little morsels and luckily, they are surprisingly easy to make. The basic custard recipe can be used for any number of dishes, and is quite delicious simply paired with some stewed rhubarb, or with a warm muffin. Whilst I love these treats, lactose remains an issue, not to mention the fructose in the puff pastry. Recently, Zymil's brought out a new lactose-free cream which has prompted me to try these once again.

The puff pastry remains an issue and I'm yet to find a good fructose-free alternative. Although I must say commercial products are definitely improving, though still ridiculously pricey in comparison to their wheat-based counterparts. I am currently trialling a few ideas such using as a couple of layers of rice paper wrappers, which crisp up quite nicely, and an oat-based pastry. But at the moment I simply dig out the custard, whilst the rest of the family simply chomps them down whole.

This recipe is based on one from an episode of Bill Granger's, Bill's Food. I love that the custard is really no fuss and doesn't require double boilers and multiple steps, as really I'm quite a lazy cook. They are also made from very basic ingredients and use commercial puff pastry. To keep costs down I generally use homebrand pastry. Given that the rich custard is really the star of the show and the pastry, whilst yum, a supporting act, it makes little difference to the overall tart. They are great still warm from the oven or cold the next day.

Makes 12 tarts.

Time:
25mins preparation of custard
Cooling time
40mins cooking

Utensils:
Heavy based saucepan
12 cup silicon muffin tray
Rolling pin

Ingredients:
4 egg yolks (whites can be frozen in ice cube trays, or I tend to use them to make meringues for the kids)
115gm castor sugar
2 tablespoons of corn flour
230mls of Zymil's lactose-free cream
170mls of Zymil's lactose-free milk
1 vanilla pod, split and the seeds scraped out (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste)
2 sheets of puff pastry.

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200C
2. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in saucepan until sugar is dissolved.
3. Gradually add milk and cream whisking till mixture is smooth.
4. Add in vanilla pod and seeds.
5. Cook mixture over a medium heat, stirring to prevent sticking.
6. The custard mixture is ready when it has thickened. For an easy way to judge if the custard is ready, it should leave a thick covering over the back of a wooden spoon that you can trace a clean line through with your finger.
7. Sit custard aside to cool. To prevent a skin forming on top cover with a layer of baking paper. To get a good seal scrunch up baking paper into a ball, then smooth out with hands, it will now easily mould to the shape of the saucepan.
8. When custard is cooled prepare pastry.
9. Lay pastry sheets on top of each other.
10. Roll up sheets to form a tight scroll.
11. Cut the roll into 12 equal portions.
12. Turn each section on it's side (coil visible) and roll out into a rough thin circle.
13. Place a pastry round into each of the muffin tray holes.
14. Share custard equally between each pasty round.
15. Bake in oven until pastry is golden and crisp and custard is lightly browned and bubbling.
16. Let cool before eating.

Great with a strong cup of coffee on sunny Spring morning, or when you are after a small, sweet after dinner treat.

Michelle :)

Beetroot, Fennel and Orange Chutney

2011-10-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

Growing up, my grandmother would always make chutneys, pickles, jams, and sauces. Bread and butter pickles, tomato chutney, yellow mustard pickles, plum sauce, onion marmalade, the list went on and on. If you could boil it and shove it in a jar, it was fair game. They were always delicious, and for a child that hated vegetables, a great way to add a few stealthy pieces of cauliflower and zucchini to my diet. Whilst I am still scarred from her need to often serve these with her hideous preserved ox tongue, complete with taste buds, I still can't resist a tasty pickle.

Unfortunately most recipes call for the liberal use of onion, something that I need to avoid thanks to fructose malabsorption (FM). One chutney that I have always loved, and have missed, is beetroot chutney. It is a great accompaniment for many dishes, and bright red colour is a thing of beauty. A slice of sourdough toast topped with beetroot chutney, gluten free ham and a strong cheddar melted over the top, is true comfort food on a cold Winters day.

Beetroot in small amounts (about 4 slices*, although as always tolerances can differ) is thought to be tolerated for those with FM. And given that chutneys and other preserves are generally consumed in small amounts, I thought I would have a go at creating a beetroot chutney that hopefully I could tolerate.

I have a rather battered copy of the 2008 Cafe Food booklet from Delicious magazine, which contains a great beetroot and orange relish from Providore cafe, in Western Australia (if you can get your hands on a copy of this little booklet I highly recommend it for it's great collection of recipes). But again onion is a pivotal ingredient. I've tossed up a range of ingredients to replace the onion without losing flavour. Of those fructose friendly vegetables allowed, the one that continually stood out was fennel (<1/2 cup*). I love the taste of fennel, both the vegetable and the seed, with it's aniseed flavour. The vegetable is great fresh in salads and also cooked, especially when married with foods like orange, tomato, capers and olives. After sampling the chutney I had no noticeable reaction, though I would still limit it to small servings to minimise reactions.

* serving information taken from The LowFODMAP Diet, 2011

Spices also add to the flavour burst in preserves. This recipe uses two of my favourites, cardamom and star anise. Cardamom, in particular, is a favourite in both sweet and savoury dishes. Simply crushing the pods in my mortal and pestle to release the tiny fragrant seeds, filled the house with it's delicious and warm aroma.

This recipe makes about 4 cups of chutney depending on how much you reduce the mix during cooking. Unopened jars should last for about 3mth. Opened, keep in the fridge and use in about a week. I use multiple smaller jars for less waste. Side note: For years my husband has teased me for hoarding empty jars around the house. Now he has finally, although grudgingly, admitted that it is a useful trait and does not in fact, qualify me for years of therapy.

Time:
10 mins preparation
1hr cooking

Utensils:
Enamelled cast iron pot
4-6 Small sterilised jars. (Tip: if using old coffee jars don't put the plastic seal piece in oven. After a brain fail yesterday I can tell you this is not a great idea, and may lead to profuse swearing and a melted and misshapen blob of plastic firmly stuck to your tea towel).

Ingredients:
4 cardamom pods (you can buy cardamom already out of the pod, but they seem to keep longer and taste fresher if kept in the pod until use).
3 star anise
2 large beetroots (about 800gm), peeled and cut into 2cm cubes.
1 large fennel bulb (about 500gm), cut into 1 cm cubes.
450ml white wine vinegar
3 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoons of pickled ginger finely diced. (or 1-2 teaspoon of fresh ginger grated)
500gm raw sugar
Grated zest of 7 oranges
280ml fresh orange juice

Method:
1. Crush cardamom pods, throw away papery pods and keep seeds.
2. Place all ingredients, minus the orange zest into a large enamelled pot.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring to the boil over high heat.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 60 minutes.
6. Stir occasionally until reduced and thickened.

7. Stir in orange zest.
8. Remove from heat.
9. The beetroot pieces will keep their shape. If you prefer a less chunky chutney you can use a stick mixer to blitz the mix to your desired consistency.
10. Pour hot mixture into hot sterilised jars, and seal.

This is a super rich chutney so very little is needed for a great flavour punch. The beautiful colour and rich flavour would make this chutney a great Christmas present.

Michelle :)

Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Busciuts

2011-10-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

What would life be without chocolate? I shudder at such a thought. Rarely a day goes by where I don't eat chocolate in some form. I even have a private stash in my fridge that my kids know not to touch. I keep it in lovely green Depression glass butter dish. A special place, for a special treat.

I love my chocolate dark. The darker the better. 70% cocoa for a quick snack. 80-85% for that bittersweet decadence. It goes well with everything from dried orange peel, to treacly thick port. Combined with a slight dusting of chilli powder, cinnamon and salt and squished in a crunchy, bready jaffle, is a simple late night delight. Melted in hot milk with a small drizzle of golden syrup, a perfect Winter treat. So many ways to enjoy that glossy, burnt umber, bean.

One of my favourite treats used to be going to a local cafe and watching the preparation of the chocolate for cooking and hot chocolates. A staff member would carry a huge block of Lindt chocolate out onto a communal table. One of the chefs would then come out with a large knife and shave piles of delicate chocolate in front of patrons. It was magical. Unfortunately, the cafe changed hands and they no longer undertake the mesmerising ritual, but my kids and I, still hold the memory dear.

I am constantly finding ways to include it in my cooking. No doubt this blog will be filled with many many recipes that include my beloved chocolate. And what better way to start than combining it with one of my favourite nuts, the hazelnut, in a sweet kamut biscuit. I have made these biscuits for years, and they are a favourite with both adults and children. Many a morning has been spent in my garden enjoying one of these biscuits and a large mug of coffee.

NB. I push my fructose limit with these biscuits, because they are so yum. The kamut flour does take out some of the sting, but I would NOT class these as fructose-friendly.

Makes about 20 biscuits.

Time:
10mins preparation
10-12mins cooking

Utensils:
Electric Mixer
Baking trays

Ingredients:
125gm unsalted softened butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup kamut flour (regular plain white flour can be used)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
200gm roasted, peel hazelnuts, chopped.*
150gm 85% cocoa Lindt chocolate finely chopped (or 1 1/2 blocks of Lindt. Which of course means there's a 1/2 block leftover that you can snack on whilst you cook. Must consider these things in recipes. It also goes quite well with a rich tawny port. So really you can have a party while you cook, Woo Hoo!)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 170C
2. Line a baking tray with baking paper
3. Cream butter, sugars and vanilla essence until pale.
4. Add egg, and mix until combined.
5. Use a wooden spoon to mix through oats.
5. Mix in the kamut flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. When combined, add in finely diced chocolate and nuts.
7. Depending on the size of your chocolate and nut pieces, the mixture can be a little crumbly. Put a heaped dessert spoon of the mixture in you hands and mould into a ball. You do not need to be particularly gentle as the mixture is quite resilient.
8. Put balls on prepared tray, 3 fingers width apart and flatten slightly.
9. Bake until golden.
10. Biscuits will be quite soft when they come out of the oven. They will firm up when cool.

If you can control yourself, they will keep for about a week in an airtight jar.

Michelle
* You can buy roasted peeled hazelnuts, but I prefer to make my own. Simply buy raw hazelnuts with their skin on. In a small, dry fry pan toast the hazelnuts until the papery skins start to come off. Be careful as they will burn quickly if left unattended. When you get a burst of the warm nutty air it's time to take them off the heat. Pour warm hazelnuts into a clean tea towel. Wrap up the hazelnuts in the tea towel and roll/rub together. The skins come off very easily and when you open up the tea towel you will have a pile of beautiful pale hazelnuts sitting on top of a bed of dark papery skins. They are then ready to use.

Muesli Bars

2011-10-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

It can be hard to find snacks when you have food intolerances. Whilst the market has moved forward with regard to gluten-free products, fructose-friendly foods are much harder to find. Apple and pear pulp are frequently used as sweeteners in 'health foods', but are like Draino for the stomach if you have fructose issues. Honey also has the same effect. As a result, you often have to be creative, great at reading labels, and flavour is an often relegated to an after thought. Sensitivity can also vary greatly from person to person so making your own snacks tends to be your best bet.

With a son who also has fructose malabsorption, I have been on a quest for a decent muesli bar for quite some time. After trying many a sad, tasteless, so-called muesli bar from my local supermarket and health food stores, I gave up. But I was determined to find a recipe that worked. After much trial and error I have finally created a muesli bar, based on this River Cottage recipe, which is both easy on my insides and super tasty. It is also very easy to modify for personal taste and sensitivities. Whilst, it does include both nuts and dried fruit, a single piece contains well below the current recommended levels for consumption. After puling apart a number of pieces, it works out at about 2-3 cranberries, 3-4 whole nuts, and about a teaspoon of seeds in each piece. The rest is primarily oats. The combination of flavours, particularly the zest, make them quite tasty despite the low fruit and nut ratio.

Makes about 30 muesli bars

Time:
10mins preparation
30mins cooking

Utensils:
Small heavy based saucepan
Large 35x25cm slice pan
Cake cooler

Ingredients:
200gm butter
250gm brown sugar, or regular white sugar.
250gm crunchy peanut butter
100gm maple syrup
Grated zest of one orange
Grated zest of one lemon
400gm quick cook oats
50gm dried cranberries, roughly chopped
100gm almonds
100gm pine nuts
50gm sesame seeds
50gm pumpkin seeds
25gm of seed mix (poppy, chia, linseed, sunflower, I make this up myself and add it to everything from slices to bread)
Extra maple syrup to drizzle

Optional: 200gm 70% cocoa dark chocolate

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 170C. Line slice tray with baking paper.
2. Place butter, sugar, syrup, and peanut butter in saucepan. Heat gently until all ingredients are melted and combined.
3. In a large bowl mix oats, cranberries, zest and all but 1/4 cup of nuts and seeds (sit this aside to sprinkle over top of slice just before it goes into the oven).

3. Add melted ingredients to dry and mix thoroughly.

4. Place mix in slice tray. Flatten with the back of a wet spoon.

5. Scatter left over nuts and seeds and drizzle with a little extra maple syrup.

6. Slice is ready when golden and bubbling.
7. Take out of oven and leave to cool.
8. This is quite a moist muesli bar so do not be tempted to cut it up until it is thoroughly cool or it will crumble.
9. Once cool slice into pieces about 2.5 cm by 8cm.

It is entirely optional, but I dip my muesli bars in dark chocolate. There's something about the bitter chocolate and sweet muesli mix that works perfectly.

10. Melt chocolate gently.
11. Place a piece of baking paper under a cooling tray to make clean up easier.
12. Dip one end of cooled muesli bar into the melted chocolate. Shake off excess and place on cooling tray.
13. Once the chocolate has set, store muesli bars in the fridge.

Delicious and great with a cup of coffee.

Note: If cranberries are problematic, stewed rhubarb makes a nice addition. The nut/seed mix can also be easily adjusted to suit tastes and sensitivities. Coconut oil (the only fructose-free part of the coconut) can also be used as a substitute for butter and gives a nice coconut flavour to the mix.

Michelle.

(Top: chocolate dipped muesli bars)

Pickled Ginger

2011-10-05T03:53:00.000-07:00

I love pickled ginger. From the glorious pinky hue, to the tangy taste, perfect in every way. It's an essential part of Japanese food. And a little bit goes a long long way. Unfortunately, the last few times I've eaten this peach coloured gem, I've been left with a less than happy stomach. It was not until I met a local chef, and fellow fructose-malabsorber, that I discovered that fructose is used in many of the jars on the supermarket shelf. Even better, she was willing to share with me her own fructose-friendly pickled ginger recipe.

I have also managed to gather some other tips to preparing this and any ginger dish, from a chef friend. Whilst I love this fragrant root, it is not the easiest thing to prepare. It's lumps and bumps make it difficult to peel. And despite rummaging around, elbow-deep, in the box at my local supermarket I was unable to find any large pieces and I was once more faced with the prospect of trying to peel a multitude of tiny bumps.

Tip 1: peel the ginger with a spoon. I know, sounds crazy. But I have since had many people suggest this same method.

Tip 2: use a silicon mat to rub off the skin. I like this idea, but was unable to find my silicon mat thanks to the eclectic grouping methods I use in my kitchen.

Tip 3: if you can find a young, pink piece of ginger, you needn't peel off the skin. Whilst not always easy to find, most I've asked suggest trying your local generic Asian supermarket (also a great place to get bulk herbs and spices, rather than the tiny little packs you find in supermarket chains).

This recipe will not be the classic bright pink often found in commercial blends. These use food dyes to achieve the depth of colour. This method of pickling, will still turn a pleasing peachy pink.

Time:

10 mins chopping
5 mins cooking
1 hr cooling

Ingredients:

300 gm whole ginger root. (about 250gm chopped)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 cut white vinegar

Utensils:

Heavy based saucepan
Small paring knife
Chopping board
Wooden spoon
Glass jar

Method:

1. Mix water and sugar in saucepan.
2. Bring to the boil and take off heat.
3. Add vinegar, bring back to boil.
4. As soon as the pickling syrup boils again, remove from heat.
5. Whilst the syrup is heating, peel and chop ginger into thin matchsticks.

6. Add ginger matchsticks to the syrup.
7. Leave to cool in saucepan for one hour.
8. Pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge.

Pickled ginger will keep for months in the fridge if pieces remain covered by the pickling syrup.

It has many uses. Whilst traditionally used as palette cleanser between courses in Japan, you can get creative and use it in many ways. Asian-style dipping sauces, chicken burgers and sushi, all benefit from a little ginger zing. Not to mention that ginger, pickled or fresh, is also great for settling an upset stomach and nausea. So many uses for a dish, so easy to make.

Michelle :)

Sourdough Crumpets

2011-10-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

I love my sourdough starter. I love that I know exactly what is in my bread. At its heart, it is simply flour, water and salt. So much magic from three little ingredients. I love that I made it myself. The feel of dough as you mix and knead. That moment when the mix turns from individual ingredients to a unified ball of bliss. That it is a living breathing organism. That if I tend it well, it will continue to give back for many years to come. And, perhaps most importantly, unlike many other breads for those with dietary restrictions, it actually, tastes and smells like bread. Great bread.

There is however, a downside to growing your own starter. To keep your starter fresh, you must remove part of the mix, before adding in fresh flour and water. If I don't keep up with my baking I find that I am tossing out this precious brew, and that rubs me in decidedly the wrong way. I hate the waste, and it seems anathema to my whole cooking principal.

But finally, I have found a way to utilise this previously wasted starter. Crumpets (insert choir of angels and heavenly beam of light).

Long have I bemoaned my lack of crumpety goodness in my life. Despite long hours searching the Internet, I am yet to find a commercially available fructose-friendly crumpet. It is up there with my search for a culinary Holy Grail known as a fructose-friendly, and tasty, croissant. In both cases I have had moments of weakness. "Bugger it. One crumpet, or one croissant, is worth the cramps and the other less than delightful gastric symptoms". And I have paid the price each and every time. But finally, at least my crumpet search is over.

I give you the sourdough, fructose-friendly, spelt crumpet.

Makes:

6-8 depending on the size of your rings.

Time:

15 mins

Ingredients:

1 cup of 'pure' discarded sourdough starter.
1 tbsp castor sugar (they are quite tart, so alter your sugar to taste)
1/2 tsp bicardinate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
Butter or vegetable oil for greasing.

Utensils:

Mixing bowl
Frying pan
Egg Flip
Egg Rings (you can be dedicated crumpet rings but they are rather expensive. Plus common egg rings do the trick)

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients, except butter/oil in bowl.
2. Heat fry pan to medium.
3. Grease egg rings
4. 1/2 fill each ring with crumpet mixture.
5. Small bubbles will begin to form on top of mixture.
6. When mixture looks 'dry' on top, flip to seal other side (about 30 sec)
7. Transfer to cooling tray.

You can freeze the cooked crumpets for later use (Ha Ha I laugh. Like they will last that long). Otherwise they can be toasted and smothered in margarine, honey, jam, Vegemite, whatever you choose. For me there is nothing better than the simplicity of eating a crumpet with a gallon of melted margarine dripping down my arm. Bliss.

Michelle :)

(Top: Fresh baked spelt, sourdough crumpets)

Kamut and Spelt Sourdough

2011-10-03T04:16:00.000-07:00

This is a re-post from my other blog Living with Bob (Dysautonomia).

During my unplanned sabbatical I unleashed my creative side in many weird and wonderful ways. There's something about creating that is soothing to the soul. It doesn't matter what it is, but to be able to sit back and say "I made that" is better than sunshine on a rainy day.

Perhaps my most enjoyable endeavour during this period, was growing my own wild yeast and making my first loaf of fresh sourdough bread from scratch. I know, I know. I am walking on the wild side.

Surprisingly, I found that I wasn't alone in my slightly strange obsession with homemade bread. The requests have flowed for recipes. So by popular demand, I give you:

The Yeast Beast:

The basis of the Yeast Beast comes from a recipe featured on River Cottage Everyday, but has also been influenced by a recipe for a no-knead sourdough that I found on the delightful Miss Buckle's blog.

Living the fun life of fructose malabsorption (FM) I have been experimenting with different flours (Spelt, Kamut, Oat and Rye) as normal wheat is like Draino to my innards. Now before anyone jumps up and points out that Spelt and Kamut are in the wheat family, I know. However, they are easier to digest that common commercial wheat flours, and some with FM can tolerate a few slices of spelt and kamut bread. Plus sourdough is also supposed to be more easily digested. So whilst I and my youngest may be able to tolerate these, there are no guarantees that others with FM can do the same. It's all trial and error.

As you probably know by now, thanks to my Dorothy Shoes post, I feel that a glass of wine really is essential to the creative process. So buy a bottle of your favourite beverage so you can celebrate every step along the way. Growing your own wild yeast from scratch is really about creating new life. And just like children, your yeast will need to be fed on a regular basis and goes bad if ignored. But unlike the moody teenagers you offer to strangers on a regular basis (or is that just me?) your yeast doesn't talk back or leave rancid sandwiches to liquefy under their bed. So there are multiple reasons to celebrate with a glass of bubbly or two.

Now I am sure there are essential baking rules that I am breaking when I make my sourdough, but I am impatient and slow witted at times. Yet despite my stupidity and poor attitude I have managed to make some damn fine bread. Even the one that barely rose and which I subsequently decided was a surprise foccocia was fantastic toasted with some chutney and chedder cheese melted on top. So I say, "To hell with the rules! Livin' on the edge baby" and just see what happens. So far, so good.

My Yeast Beast (aka sourdough starter) was of the spelt variety. Now I did read that you should therefore only make spelt loaves with it, but I didn't read that until after I'd used a mix of flours and it still worked well. Rules were meant to be broken.

I should point out that the growing of the Yeast Beast is a long process. Given that I am at home all day and have no life, that wasn't a worry for me. For those with lives you may wish to stick with other quicker methods or go to the local bakery. I will say that I have found it a rewarding process though. And one of the best breads I have ever tasted.

Stage 1. The Starter. (7-10 days)

I know 7-10 days seems ridiculously long, but trust me it's worth it. Plus, that's 7-10 reasons to have a glass of wine! Every new yeasty bubble should be celebrated.

Now I will admit to some trepidation when I first started, as evidenced by my FB status updates:

"Day 1: Attempting my first sourdough starter. Hoping for yeasty goodness and not a mutant hell beast bent on world domination, but really it could go either way. This time in 7 days hopefully I will hopefully be supping on homemade bread and not loading my shot gun to take down the shrieking hell spawn in my kitchen. Wish me luck.
Day 3: The Yeast Beast is looking good. Though if a lifetime spent watching Sci Fi has taught me anything, you should never get cocky as that always leads to disaster and a world taken over by zombie dogs".

But it all went well and the world wasn't taken over by my mutant Yeast Beast, yet.

Ingredients:

Thumb sized piece of fresh rhubarb.

4tbsp wholemeal organic spelt flour

Warm water.

Clean glass jar

Day 1.

Pour a glass of wine.
Put on some groovy tunes. I've been in a Sarah Blasko phase of late, so that's been my choice.
Go out to garden and grab a piece of rhubarb. Realise it's a nice day and sit outside for a while and relax. Eventually, recall that you were in the middle of creating the Yeast Beast. Go back inside and top up glass of wine which appears to have been affected by the mystery of evaporation.
Find a clean glass jar and fill with boiling water to sterilize. Pour out water and let cool.
In a bowl whisk the flour with enough water to make a batter similar to thickened cream.
Pour into prepared jar.
Drop in rhubarb and cover with plastic wrap.
Put it somewhere warm. My Yeast Beast was grown in my bedroom as it was the warmest room in the house.
Grab another glass of wine and do a little dance to celebrate your magnificent efforts.

They do say you can get bubbles within the first 24hrs, but with Winter here, it took a couple of days.

Warning: initially it can smell really foul, and resemble something that my dog threw up. But by day 4 I started to have the first hints of a yeasty smell. After which it went from strength to strength.

Day 2.

This is where the feeding begins.
Whisk in another 100gms of flour, with enough water to keep the right consistency.
It will smell bad. I recommend a glass of wine to recover.

Days 3-10.

Every 24hrs scoop out 1/2 the starter. You can toss it, but I just put it into the compost.
Add 100gms of fresh flour, with enough water to keep the right consistency.
Repeat this each day.
You will know it is ready for use when it has that sweet, yummy yeasty smell.
Throw out the rhubarb and you are ready for some baking.

I should mention that although the River Cottage recipe says to feed it each day, I, with my brain fog, forgot a day here or there and it was still fine. You can 'refresh' your yeast this way forever. Some Yeast Beasts are known to be nearly 100 years old.

Stage 2: The Sponge:

Yes I know, another stage. But it's worth it. Trust me. Would I lie to you? Leave overnight to ferment.

Ingredients:

2/3rd cup of your Yeast Beast.

300gm spelt flour

250ml warm water

Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl with your fingers.
It's very gooey, but kinda cool.
Cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight. I make mine about 9pm and leave it till about 10am the next day.
It's late so a nice tawny port may be more apt than wine to celebrate, but whatever suits. A warm glass of milk is equally good in the evening.
The next morning it will be bubbly, thick and sticky.

Stage 3: The Dough:

Almost there.

Ingredients:

300gm spelt, or a mix of other flours to make the 300gm. Go crazy. I don't measure and just put in a bit of each till I get the right amount.

10gm sea salt.

I have added a handful of pepitats and mixed GF grains at this point. No real measurements, just what felt right. Apparently you should soak them beforehand. Again I found this out after the fact, but my bread was still good.

Mix it with your hands again.
The dough should be fairly wet but you may need to adjust your flour or add extra water as certain flours absorb more water than others.
Now this is the point where my planning fell down. Kneading. Bugger. When your upper body strength is measured in wet tissues and yours wrists crack and roll, kneading becomes somewhat challenging. I swear I heard the dough snort laugh at my efforts.
You can use a dough hook on a mixer, but I persevered much to my bodies protestations. This is a really good point for another glass of recovery/pain management wine.
Knead for about 10 mins until the dough is silky smooth.
Put dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap again.
Leave the dough to double in size. Can take a long time. With Winter temperatures I ended up leaving it till late afternoon (about 6-7hrs).
Knock back the dough by punching (very therapeutic) ready for proving.
I put a flour covered tea towel in a large bowl on which I put the dough to prove. I have also sprinkled the tea towel with oats and pepitas.
Leave to double in size again.

Stage 4: Baking:

I have used a few methods at this stage but the one from Miss Buckle has given me the best results. I use a cast iron camp/dutch oven in my normal oven.

Heat the camp oven in the normal oven at 200C (Miss Buckle says 250C but I found I didn't need to go so high).
I put a piece of baking paper in the bottom and scattered more seed over that.
Put dough in camp oven and top with more seeds.
Put lid on and bake for half hour.
Take lid off and bake for another 15mins.
When golden and the bread sounds hollow when tapped, it is ready.
Take out and let cool on a wooden board for at least 20mins before carving.
A glass of wine and the busting of some moves, are definitely required to celebrate your creation.

(1) spelt and oat soudough, (2) kamut, spelt and oat sourdough

Then pig out on your baking masterpiece until a sourdough coma ensues.

I found the whole process to be really rewarding. Growing my yeast from scratch using the wild yeast spores in the environment. Knowing what is in the bread. Seeing that final product. Really I am easily pleased.

Happy Baking

Michelle :)

The Sourdough Companion is also a good source of information and ideas.

(Top: Kamut and Spelt sourdough, with roasted tomatoes, cardi cheese, and drizzled with olive oil and red wine jus)

Lactose-free Labneh

2011-10-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

After the success of my lactose-free yoghurt miracle, I have embarked on a dairy frenzy. Cheese making is my new friend. Well, basic yoghurt based cheese making that is. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. As far as my dairy exploits are concerned I'm not even at toddler level, I'm barely even able to roll over. So once more I am in Simpletown.

Labneh may be the perfect place to start in cheese-making as the steps are minimal. You don't even have to source any special, weird, or expensive ingredients. I'm pretty sure even my dog could make it and he's a tad special, and lacks opposable thumbs.

There are a bucket load of recipes for this yummy middle-Eastern cheese. Not that you can really call them recipes. The addition of salt to yoghurt is not exactly rocket science. When it comes down to it, Labneh is more of a process. A process of sieving yoghurt. Though as you can see from my initial photo you can make it look a mite fancy by throwing bits and pieces on top.

The biggest discrepancy in Labneh recipes is in the draining time. Some do it for as little as 4 hours. Others for days, or until the cloth is dry. It really depends on how thick you want you Labneh. If you're a squishy creamy Brie lover, like me, I found overnight was fine. If you want a more solid cheddery texture then, a couple of days it is.

It does reduce considerably from the initial 1lt of yoghurt you start with. I found it leaves a cheese ball about the size of a fist.

Time:

2mins, prep. Overnight to drain.

Ingredients:

1kg Greek yoghurt (see lactose-free yoghurt recipe)
1-2 teaspoons salt

Utensils:

Piece of cheesecloth/muslin for traditionalists. (Bright yellow Chux, or coffee filter, if you are lazy, cheap, doing it late at night and swearing like a sailor as you've just realised you don't own a piece of cheesecloth or muslin).
Sieve.
Bowl.
Can. (Finally a use for that old, dusty, dinted, and slightly rusty can of Homebrand baked beans from up the back of the pantry. Once more, my poor housekeeping saves the day).

Method:

1. Put sieve over a bowl.
2. Line sieve with a clean Chux.
3. Mix salt thoroughly into yoghurt.
4. Pour yoghurt into Chux.
5. Tie up yoghurt tightly to form a yoghurt ball.
6. You'll find a lot of whey (watery part of the yoghurt) drains immediately.
7. Put can on top to weigh down the yoghurt.
8. Place in fridge to drain overnight.
9. In the morning unwrap the yoghurt package to find your beautiful, creamy round of Labneh. The Chux even leaves a great pattern on the top of the cheese.
10. You can leave it whole (see top photo) and eat immediately, or roll in small balls to store and use later.

If rolling:

11. Roll Labneh into small balls. Do this gently as it is quite fragile.
12. Place in glass jar and cover with olive oil.
13. You can flavour the oil with herbs and spices. A few cardamom pods and coriander seeds is yum. But it's a case of whatever takes your fancy, or is in your kitchen.

I topped mine with fresh mint, sumac and good quality extra virgin olive oil. Served with a good spelt sourdough, crackers or raw vegetable sticks. Delicious.

Alternatively, stir through some roasted walnuts and honey and spread on brioche toast for a yummy breakfast or late night snack.

Full of creamy goodness.

Michelle.

(Top: Labneh, topped with fresh mint, sumac and extra virgin olive oil)

Lactose-free Greek yoghurt

2011-10-03T02:00:00.000-07:00

Trying to find a plain, lactose-free yoghurt where I live has been a bit of Mission Impossible. If I want it with berries I can get a total of one brand in my local supermarket. But strawberry flavoured tzatziki is not exactly up there on my 'to try' list. It came down to a choice between a yoghurt-free life, or, pulling my finger out and finding a DIY yoghurt recipe that I could convert to lactose-free.

After a long night of Googling 'how to' yoghurt recipes, and a glass or two or savignon blanc, I finally found one that I thought may do the trick. Even better it was super simple. Perfect for a lazy and easily distracted (ooooh look, bright shiny objects) cook like myself. What I love is that this is also cheap. Apart from the initial batch where you also buy a commercial yoghurt to seed your brew, it only costs the same as a litre of milk. Brilliant.

This recipe from The $120 Food Challenge, is perfect. Simple, quick and as I can now attest, fool proof, well at least on my second attempt. What I love is that once you have your yoghurt you can continue to use your last bit of each batch, to seed the next.

Full Fat is the key here, in both milk and yoghurt. Low fat just wont cut it, believe me I tried. All in the name of research of course (or perhaps, failing to read the original recipe fully).
Acidophilus is also key. Again, just so you don't have to try it, and because shopping whilst yelling at children is not conducive to good shopping skills, I tried a Greek-style yoghurt, which lead to a big fat fail. Okay, mild taste, but very runny. It is now being used for berry yoghurt milkshakes so at least no waste.

Time:

10mins

Ingredients:

1lt Zymil or other full-cream lactose-free milk.
2tbsp full-fat Greek yoghurt

Utensils:

Large heavy based saucepan.
Thermos/Insulated container

Method:

1. Heat milk slowly in saucepan to just boiling. Remove immediately.
2. Let cool to about 30C. Personally, I like Sandra's Pinky Finger Thermometer suggestion, ie if you can hold your pinky finger in the milk comfortably to a count of 10 it's the right temp.
3. Skim the skin that forms on top of the milk, plus 2 extra tablespoons and place in a bowl.
4. Add seeding yoghurt to the bowl. By now the more astute of you will have noticed that I didn't specify a lactose-free brand of yoghurt in the recipe. But as I said, my dilemma is that I have been unable to find a plain variety locally. Eating the resultant yoghurt hasn't caused me any issues, but if you are super-sensitive to lactose, and if you can find a lactose-free version to seed your own, please do.
5. Mix the milk and yoghurt together until it is smooth.
6. Add mixture to rest of milk.
7. Mix thoroughly.
8. Pour mixture into thermos. I saw this technique on an episode of River Cottage ages ago and it works a treat. I used a good old coffee thermos with a small opening so it was a bit of a pain to empty. I am now on the look out for one of the old-style, wide mouth ones from my childhood. The kind my mum would fill with Heinz canned spaghetti so I'd have a hot lunch at school in Winter. Pictures from The Muppets or Star Wars, not necessary, but would be nice. You can also use a glass or ceramic container, wrapped tightly in towels to keep warm.
9. Leave untouched for at least 10 hours. DO NOT MOVE THE CONTAINER.
10. Voilà! You have yoghurt.

11. You can pour off the resultant whey (watery layer) if you want a thicker yoghurt or stir it in for a freer-style yoghurt.
11. Pour into a glass container and refrigerate.

If you can resist it, this yoghurt should last about 5 days in your fridge. Just remember to keep a couple of tablespoons to seed your next brew.

Enjoy.

(Top, fresh tzatziki.
Left, yoghurt with elderberry syrup and frozen berries)