Panto is over, which means I get my life back for a couple of months! Huzzah! Also, it coincides with school holidays so I'm not teaching for two weeks. So. Much. Free. Time.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Gluten Free Friday: Bolognese Sauce
This is one of my favourite staples, but somehow I managed to spend 14 months living out of home before making it. The recipe is amazingly straightforward, requires very little active cooking time, and is delicious.
Are you sold yet?
I know its a bit mean putting something you traditionally eat with spaghetti as a GFF post, but there are a bunch of other ways you could use this! I'm thinking of subbing tomatoes for salsa and basil and oregano for chilli flakes and having it on top of nachos, because that's how I roll.
BOLOGNESE SAUCE
Serves
Total time commitment: 15 minutes, plus simmering
From my mum's recipe
1 onion, diced
500g mince
1 carrot
50g tomato paste
400g can diced tomatoes
Basil and oregano, to taste
1. Heat some olive oil in a pan and cook the onion.
2. Add mince and cook until browned.
3. Peel and dice the carrot, and add to pan. I added broccoli stalk and zucchini for extra vegetable power, what of it.
4. Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and basil and oregano, and simmer until everything is cooked, the carrot/vegetables is/are tender, and it isn't overly liquidy.
Are you sold yet?
I know its a bit mean putting something you traditionally eat with spaghetti as a GFF post, but there are a bunch of other ways you could use this! I'm thinking of subbing tomatoes for salsa and basil and oregano for chilli flakes and having it on top of nachos, because that's how I roll.
BOLOGNESE SAUCE
Serves
Total time commitment: 15 minutes, plus simmering
From my mum's recipe
1 onion, diced
500g mince
1 carrot
50g tomato paste
400g can diced tomatoes
Basil and oregano, to taste
1. Heat some olive oil in a pan and cook the onion.
2. Add mince and cook until browned.
3. Peel and dice the carrot, and add to pan. I added broccoli stalk and zucchini for extra vegetable power, what of it.
4. Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and basil and oregano, and simmer until everything is cooked, the carrot/vegetables is/are tender, and it isn't overly liquidy.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Not Your Mama's Pop Tarts
Actually, these probably would be my Mama's choice of Pop Tart, if the choice is between these and the saccharine toaster things.
The pie crust dough is definitely one of the baking basics you should remember. It was delicious and buttery and easy. I'm not actually that big on pie, but winter is coming so I've stored it just in case! In going back to get the links for the pie crust and that, I found the Smitten Kitchen pop tarts recipe. Stay tuned, fellas, because I wanted to make Nutella pop tarts anyway and I think that will be my vehicle to try them.
POP TARTS
Makes 10 small or 6 large
Total time commitment:
Assembly idea from Chez Pim, dough recipe from Smitten Kitchen
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
225g cold, unsalted butter
1 cup water
Filling - I used strawberry jam, but I think Nutella would be equally delicious.
1. Throw some iceblocks into your 1 cup of water. I don't know the science behind this, or why it is useful, but thats what the recipe said. Leave that to sit until you need it. If you're in WA at the moment, it will take approximately three seconds for the ice to melt because it is SO. DARN. HOT.
2. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cube the butter, add it to the dry ingredients, and mix it in with your fingertips. If you want to get all fancy, Deb uses a pastry cutter, but I find that BRUTE STRENGTH is equally easy.*
*I have never used a pastry cutter, so it probably is easier. Carry on.
3. When the butter is kind of pebbly and the size of small peas (or larger, if you're me and have neither the aforementioned brute strength or pastry cutter and a penchant for laziness), add half of the water. If the ice cubes haven't melted by now, for the love of goodness, take them out. Use a spatula to gather the dough together, and add more water a tablespoon at a time until you can get the mixture into one big, doughy lump (by this stage I had given up on the spatula and used my hands).
4. Divide the dough into two and wrap each piece in cling wrap. Chill in the fridge for two hours. I mean chill the dough, not that you personally should chill in the fridge.
5. Hello! Welcome back. Can you please put the oven on to 180C? Cool. Grab your dough from the fridge, break off a piece and roll it out to your desired thickness. As I don't have a rolling pin, I just patted it out to a fairly substantial thickness. If it's too small for your pop tart (you'll fold it in half), roll it back up and add more dough before rolling it out again. This is cooking, people, not rocket science.
5. Spread half of your dough-rectangle with filling, leaving a border around the edges so it doesn't smoodge out like in the picture. Fold the other half on top so you have a little parcel, and seal the edges by pressing down with a fork. Poke some holes in the top so it can breathe, and put it in the oven. I judged their "done-ness" by colour, and I could have probably left them in a little longer.
The pie crust dough is definitely one of the baking basics you should remember. It was delicious and buttery and easy. I'm not actually that big on pie, but winter is coming so I've stored it just in case! In going back to get the links for the pie crust and that, I found the Smitten Kitchen pop tarts recipe. Stay tuned, fellas, because I wanted to make Nutella pop tarts anyway and I think that will be my vehicle to try them.
POP TARTS
Makes 10 small or 6 large
Total time commitment:
Assembly idea from Chez Pim, dough recipe from Smitten Kitchen
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
225g cold, unsalted butter
1 cup water
Filling - I used strawberry jam, but I think Nutella would be equally delicious.
1. Throw some iceblocks into your 1 cup of water. I don't know the science behind this, or why it is useful, but thats what the recipe said. Leave that to sit until you need it. If you're in WA at the moment, it will take approximately three seconds for the ice to melt because it is SO. DARN. HOT.
2. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cube the butter, add it to the dry ingredients, and mix it in with your fingertips. If you want to get all fancy, Deb uses a pastry cutter, but I find that BRUTE STRENGTH is equally easy.*
*I have never used a pastry cutter, so it probably is easier. Carry on.
3. When the butter is kind of pebbly and the size of small peas (or larger, if you're me and have neither the aforementioned brute strength or pastry cutter and a penchant for laziness), add half of the water. If the ice cubes haven't melted by now, for the love of goodness, take them out. Use a spatula to gather the dough together, and add more water a tablespoon at a time until you can get the mixture into one big, doughy lump (by this stage I had given up on the spatula and used my hands).
4. Divide the dough into two and wrap each piece in cling wrap. Chill in the fridge for two hours. I mean chill the dough, not that you personally should chill in the fridge.
5. Hello! Welcome back. Can you please put the oven on to 180C? Cool. Grab your dough from the fridge, break off a piece and roll it out to your desired thickness. As I don't have a rolling pin, I just patted it out to a fairly substantial thickness. If it's too small for your pop tart (you'll fold it in half), roll it back up and add more dough before rolling it out again. This is cooking, people, not rocket science.
5. Spread half of your dough-rectangle with filling, leaving a border around the edges so it doesn't smoodge out like in the picture. Fold the other half on top so you have a little parcel, and seal the edges by pressing down with a fork. Poke some holes in the top so it can breathe, and put it in the oven. I judged their "done-ness" by colour, and I could have probably left them in a little longer.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Lunch.
Back to blogging ASAP, I promise!
And yes, I am eating microwaved potato with chilli and cheese. All of the time.
(that's gluten free, right? And its Friday)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Cooking With Charlie
In the absence of any *actual* blog, because Panto and an essay on the social discourses shaping our view of the female gender and how we as a society react and respond to these discourses (still with me?) are eating my life, watch this funny video by a funny man who says almonds funny.
Levi says cashews funny though, kind of how you would pronounce "a-choo!" but "ca-shew!". In retrospect, he just places the emphasis on the second, rather than first, syllable.
Back to my essay. Tra la la.
Levi says cashews funny though, kind of how you would pronounce "a-choo!" but "ca-shew!". In retrospect, he just places the emphasis on the second, rather than first, syllable.
Back to my essay. Tra la la.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Daring Bakers: Yeasted Meringue Cake
I'm posting late because UB and I have had ridiculous months and when we went to make it I had no flour or money so it got postponed, but its here now. And by jove, is it ugly. I don't even particularly like the taste, but I was planning to eat it all because I hate being wasteful, until (mercifully) some raw mince fell on it and rendered it (more) inedible.
Never cooking during an existential crisis again.
Never cooking during an existential crisis again.
If this has somehow enticed you (or you want to see some other, delightful versions!), you can do so here.
The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast. Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Jammie Dodgers
If there's one thing I love in this world, its British sweets. My first job was at a British lolly shop and they told us we had to try everything. Huzzah! So I developed a healthy(?) love for Jammie Dodgers, Jaffa Cakes, Bassett's Jelly Babies, and all that sort of lark.
Jammie Dodgers are one of the foundations of my relationship with Levi. Those, Russell Brand, and Agrum and Turkish Bread. The latter two because I was trying to explain to him when we met at the ball that I wasn't going to the after party, I was going to a friend's place to have Agrum and Turkish bread, and he didn't know what either of those things were. Then to make sure I would get to date him, I wowed him with my knowledge of British things. Russell Brand wasn't big back then, okay, so it made me look cool. I also think that the week between when we met and when we started dating was the only week I've consistently worn perfume, I don't know why I thought that would help but its been three years so I guess it worked! Anyway, he approves of these, and being English I would say his opinion counts for quite a bit.
JAMMIE DODGERS
Makes 12
Total time commitment: Half an hour, plus 1 hour chilling and 10 minutes cooking
Recipe from Video Jug
160g almond meal
160g plain flour
160g butter
100g caster sugar
One lemon
Raspberry Jam
1. Cream butter and sugar, then add almond meal, flour and lemon zest (I used grated lemon rind). Roll into a ball and cover in cling wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Leave out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes to warm up. Preheat oven to 180C.
3. Roll pastry flat, and cut circles out with a pastry cutter (or a glass, either or). Cut a smaller circle from half of these circles (am I confusing you yet?). I used the wide end of a piping nozzle for the inner circle. Essentially - look at the picture, the top half will have a little hole you can see the jam through, and you want the bottom to not have a hole or it might get messy.
4. Put the biscuits onto a lined tray, pop in the oven for ten minutes. While they're in the oven, melt a few spoonfuls of jam and squeeze in a little lemon juice. Mix together, and then spoon onto the biscuit bases and top with a biscuit top.
Jammie Dodgers are one of the foundations of my relationship with Levi. Those, Russell Brand, and Agrum and Turkish Bread. The latter two because I was trying to explain to him when we met at the ball that I wasn't going to the after party, I was going to a friend's place to have Agrum and Turkish bread, and he didn't know what either of those things were. Then to make sure I would get to date him, I wowed him with my knowledge of British things. Russell Brand wasn't big back then, okay, so it made me look cool. I also think that the week between when we met and when we started dating was the only week I've consistently worn perfume, I don't know why I thought that would help but its been three years so I guess it worked! Anyway, he approves of these, and being English I would say his opinion counts for quite a bit.
JAMMIE DODGERS
Makes 12
Total time commitment: Half an hour, plus 1 hour chilling and 10 minutes cooking
Recipe from Video Jug
160g almond meal
160g plain flour
160g butter
100g caster sugar
One lemon
Raspberry Jam
1. Cream butter and sugar, then add almond meal, flour and lemon zest (I used grated lemon rind). Roll into a ball and cover in cling wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Leave out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes to warm up. Preheat oven to 180C.
3. Roll pastry flat, and cut circles out with a pastry cutter (or a glass, either or). Cut a smaller circle from half of these circles (am I confusing you yet?). I used the wide end of a piping nozzle for the inner circle. Essentially - look at the picture, the top half will have a little hole you can see the jam through, and you want the bottom to not have a hole or it might get messy.
4. Put the biscuits onto a lined tray, pop in the oven for ten minutes. While they're in the oven, melt a few spoonfuls of jam and squeeze in a little lemon juice. Mix together, and then spoon onto the biscuit bases and top with a biscuit top.
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