Delicious Dairy-free Lasagne

One of my all-time favourite meals is lasagne. Always has been and probably always will be! It has also been a favourite of my kids and I have some gorgeous photos of each of them on their first birthday pretty much covered in it from head to toe! Now that they are older they get to choose what they want to eat for their birthday dinner and Oscar, bless him, still always choose lasagne.

When I first had to give up dairy I really thought there was no way I could give up cheese. My husband used to call me a cheese-freak but now I haven't touched any for more than 18 months. Go me!

After so many dairy-free months I have perfected my dairy-free white sauce and use it for all sorts of recipes from tuna mornay to macaroni and 'cheese' and of course lasagne. I use the thermomix to make it because it's just so easy but you can of course do it on the stove top and I have included those instructions as well.

Go ahead and try it, I promise you won't miss the cheese at all!!!

Dairy free White Sauce

500ml rice milk (or any non-dairy milk)
50g olive oil
50g rice flour
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1 ts salt
1/8 ts nutmeg
pepper to taste

Thermomix - place all ingredients in the mixing bowl and cook for 7 minutes / 90 degrees / SP 4.

Stove top - heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice flour and whisk  together. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly then add the milk and whisk to combine. Once smooth add all remaining ingredients and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Use immediately.

To assemble the lasagne just alternate layers of Vegie-loaded Bolognaise sauce with lasagna sheets (gluten free work well) and dairy-free white sauce ending with lots of white sauce on the top. Bake for approx 45 minutes at 180 degrees C or until the pasta is tender and the top is bubbly and golden.

Sticky Date Muffins for my mum

So today would have been my mum's 64th birthday and it also marks 7 years to the day since her funeral. With each anniversary I think maybe it will get a little easier ... but it never does. I had some fun with my boys today but I was also snappy and exhausted and tears were always just under the surface.

Mum and I didn't always see eye to eye, especially when I was a teenager but she was always my confidante, the one person in the world I could guarantee would be on my side. She would literally drop everything if I needed her. That's what mums are for right?

I have loved baking since I was little and mum and I spent many hours in the kitchen together. I think she was relieved though when I got older and wanted to take over more of the cooking duties as I don't she really enjoyed it all that much. She loved tasting everything I baked and she would have loved these sticky date muffins which I made today in her memory. They are pure comfort food, like a big warm hug, and I was comforted enjoying them with my boys this afternoon.

"Life has to end" she said. "Love doesn't."

-Mitch Albom

Sticky Date Muffins 

250g dried pitted dates
400mls water
2 tbs brandy
1 tbs bicarb soda
100g butter
1/2 cup rice malt syrup
1 ts vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange
2 ts cinnamon
2 ts dried ginger
3 eggs
250g white spelt flour, sifted with 3 ts baking powder
6 extra dates, split in half

Line a 12 cup muffin tray and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place the dates, water and brandy. Bring to the simmer for 5 minutes then add the bicarb and stir well. It will foam and froth up. Add the orange zest and vanilla then remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

In a stand mixer or a large bowl with electric beaters, cream the butter and add the syrup a splodge at a time, until well incorporated.

Next add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold through half the flour together with the cinnamon and ginger, then half the cooled date mixture and repeat with the remainder.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tray and top each with half a dried date.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and springing back in the middle (mine were done at 18 mins but it depends on your oven so check once they start to smell amazing). Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tray before turning out. Enjoy warm for dessert with ice-cream (if you're not dairy free) or at room temperature with a cup of tea or coffee for afternoon tea.

Makes 12. Suitable to freeze.

Fruit Scones

Apart from being absolutely delicious, what I love about scones is that they take no time at all to prepare! There are lots of scone recipes out there, most of which contain cream and most of which I find very rich and a bit heavy. This recipe is one I have been making since I was a kid. It's virtually foolproof. I even make it in a food processor and they still turn out well!

Fruit Scones

Recipe from The Australian Women's Weekly Original Cookbook, ACP 1977, p194

3 cups self-raising flour

1/4ts salt

1/4 cup sugar

60g cold butter, in chunks

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 cup sultanas or dried fruit of your choice (I used mixed fruit)

Preheat the oven to 270/250 degrees celsius fan-forced. Lightly grease a baking tray and set aside.

Sift the flour into a large bowl and rub the butter in using your fingertips. Stop when the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs. Stir in the sultanas and sugar then add the beaten egg and most of the milk. Use a butter knife to bring the dough together, it should be soft and not too sticky.

Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and gently bring together, patting it out to approximately 2cm thick. Use a 5cm (2 inch) cutter to cut out rounds and place on prepared tray, leaving a centimetre or so between them. Gently press together the scraps and dough and repeat. Brush the tops with milk and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are golden brown and smelling delicious.

Makes approx 12 depending on the size of your cutter.

These are also great to freeze for snacks. Scones do tend to dry out a little when frozen but if you don't overbake them, a quick zap in the microwave will freshen them up. A generous smear of butter also helps!

Meatless Monday - Vegetarian Cottage Pie

Now I don't want to stir up any trouble but it seems there has always been a bit of confusion about the difference between cottage pie and shepherd's pie. To me, a shepherd's pie is a savoury mince mixture topped with mashed potato. A cottage pie on the other hand has a pastry shell topped with savoury mince and mashed potato. See? Worlds apart.

I have always loved cottage pies and they were my first choice at the school canteen back in the day.

If you're on a low-carb diet you will definitely want to skip this one!

Food.Baby's Vegetarian Cottage Pie

Shortcrust Pastry

265g plain flour

125g chilled butter, diced

1 egg yolk

2 tbs iced water

To the bowl of a food processor add the flour and butter. Using the dough blade (the plastic one) pulse until the mixture resembles very coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of the water and pulse again until it combines. The mix will start to clump and pull away from the sides. Stop immediately and turn the dough out onto a floured board. Press roughly together and put into the fridge to rest for at least 15 minutes.

Roll out the dough to about a pencil thickness, enough to cover the base and sides of a 25cm pan. Press into the pie dish and use a knife to trim away the excess. Patch any holes with the scraps. Place into the freezer for 30 minutes while the oven is preheating to 190 degrees Celsius.

Bake for 15 minutes. Don't worry if it shrinks a little as there should still be enough space for your fillings.

Or skip all this and use bought shortcrust pastry.

Savoury Mince Filling

1 x 300g packet Quorn veggie mince

1 can lentils, drained

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can water

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 vegetable stock cube

Salt, pepper and sugar to taste

2 tbs oil

Over medium-high heat, fry the onion and garlic in the oil until softened. Add the veggie mince and lentils and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a fast simmer and cook for around 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and you have a pie-filling-like consistency.

Mashed Potato Topping

1kg potatoes and/or sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped roughly

Salt

50g cheese

20g butter

Milk or hot water

Place the chopped potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Cover and bring to the boil. Once boiling cook for approx 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain and tip back into the saucepan. Add the butter and a splash of milk and mash until smooth. Season to taste.

To assemble

Pour your mince filling into the prepared pastry shell. Top evenly with mashed potato. Sprinkle top with grated cheese and bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbling.

Serve with a green salad and plenty of tomato sauce!

Serves 6.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Maple and Fruit Bread Pudding

I know I've said it before but I'll say it again ... I LOVE bread pudding! It is just about the most comforting food you could ever eat and after the week we've had, a little comfort eating is definitely required.

Oscar came home from daycare last Monday with a fever and by the next day was just downright miserable and refusing to eat or drink. By Thursday he was diagnosed with tonsilitis. By Friday he was covered in a rash which is either rubella or roseola. Being sick at any time sucks but when you're not even 2 and can't tell anyone what hurts or what you need to feel better must be just horrible. While he is on the mend now we still have a week of quarantine at home missing out on all the fun stuff like swimming, daycare, music and playgroup that we normally go to.

The remedy? Bread pudding for breakfast!

While I love bread pudding I don't love bourbon and wanted to make it child-friendly in any case. I pretty much completely changed Dorie's recipe but I was inspired by it. A big thanks to Sharon of Simply Southern for choosing it this week.

For my Maple and Fruitbread Pudding I used the following ingredients but followed Dorie's method of preparation and baking.

250g fruit bread (mine was homemade and packed with dried fruit and mixed spice)
4 eggs
3 cups reduced fat milk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 ts cinnamon
1 ts vanilla extract

The taste test ...

The youngest and sickest taste tester gave this a big "yum yum!" I have to agree. Absolutely delicious. A little sweet for everyday but perfect for a special breakfast or dessert.

For the real deal aka Bourbon Bread Pudding make sure you visit Sharon of Simply Southern.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Nutty, Chocolatey, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake

This week Jennifer of Cooking for Comfort chose a recipe with possibly the longest name I've ever come across! The Nutty, Chocolatey, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake. To tell the truth I was debating whether to make this or not. My thighs really don't need a chocolatey, sour cream anything at the moment. But I know N's lab mates are always up for cake so I figured I could just give it away. Unfortunately the universe/my oven didn't cooperate.

Despite the oven always cooking hotter and faster than I expect, this time... it didn't. My beautiful bundt cake with the crispy golden crust was massively underbaked. As it was cut each slice collapsed in on itself leaving a gooey, doughy centre. As you expect this made for a very sorry looking photo. See above.

But still, it was delicious! Chocolate, orange zest, cinnamon, walnuts ... it was a marriage made in heaven. It even came out the pan perfectly, something I know others were struggling with. (I used a silicone pan greased with olive oil spray in case you were wondering).

We ended up just picking at the cooked parts and throwing the rest away. Such a shame. But I'm really not sure what I could have done differently. It baked for the full 65 minutes, the top was crisp and golden, it was pulling away from the sides and a skewer came out clean. Oh well.

Thanks to Jennifer for a great pick anyway! It was really tasty and I love making bundts. Make sure you visit the other TWDers for better results and Jennifer's blog for the recipe.

Daring Cooks March - Risotto

This month's Daring Cooks challenge was all about comfort food. The meal? Risotto!

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

I adore risotto so we tend to have it quite regularly. I do admit to cheating though and using premade stock. Not this time though.

The recipe in the MasterChef cookbook (which I happened to receive for Christmas) was for a pumpkin risotto. Hubby hates pumpkin with a passion so I chose to do a roast chicken and garlic risotto instead.

You don't really need a recipe for stock. I roasted 2kg of chicken drumsticks with 2 whole heads of garlic at 200 degrees for a couple of hours. I sauteed a couple of leeks in olive oil then added the chicken and garlic. Covered the whole lot with water, brought to the boil then simmered for 2 1/2 hours. Removed the meat from the bones and stored separately. Refrigerated the stock overnight then removed the fat on the surface. Bring the stock back up to the boil then strain and you are ready to go.

The verdict? Yum! The homemade stock really takes this dish from easy weeknight meal to dinner party showstopper. Absolutely delish and very easy to do.

Thanks for a great challenge girls! You can find the challenge recipe on MelbournefoodGeek or Jessthebaker.

Chicken Noodle Soup

It's official. Oscar has his first cold. I think he's done really well to get to 9 months without picking up any bugs, particularly as both hubby and I had the flu a few months ago.

Despite it being the middle of a hot summer, chicken noodle soup was definitely in order. While Oscar only got a little of the broth and some finely chopped chicken, the rest of us got the whole deal including noodles made from scratch.

Chicken Noodle Soup

For the broth:

1 x 2kg chicken, preferably organic
1 carrot,
1 stick of celery
2 cloves of garlic
1 red onion
2 bay leaves
water

Rinse the chicken under cold water and place in a large stock pot.Chop the onion, carrot and celery into large chunks. Add to the pot with the garlic and bay leaves. Cover with cold water and place over high heat. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour, skimming any scum that comes to the surface.

Remove the chicken from the broth and refrigerate. Remove and discard the vegetables and bay leaves (you may need to strain the broth to remove the onion and any sediment). Pour the broth into a large jug and refrigerate for at least a few hours. Once cold, remove most of the fat that has risen to the surface and discard. If you don't do this the soup may be too oily.

Once the chicken is cool, remove the meat from the bones and shred or chop it into pieces. Refrigerate until needed.

For the noodles:

Recipe adapted from Romaine's Chicken and Dumplings

1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 egg beaten
1 tbs butter
1/2 ts salt
5 tbs cold water

Add the flour, salt and butter to the bowl of your food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles course sand. Add the egg and pulse a few times to combine. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between additions, until the mixture starts to form a ball.

Remove from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Flour a large board or work surface and roll out the dough into a thin sheet (basically as thin or thick as you would like the noodles to be). Use a sharp knife to cut into the desired shape. I cut long ribbons about 1/2 inch wide, then cut each ribbon into 4 inch strips.

Cover with a tea towel and allow to dry for 20 minutes.

For the soup:

1 large carrot, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 zuchini, finely diced
salt and pepper to taste
Your cooked chicken and cooled broth
Noodles

Pour the cooled broth into a large saucepan and bring it to the boil. Check for seasoning at this stage and add salt and pepper to taste. Once boiling, add the vegetables and noodles and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the chicken and stir through until hot.

Serves 6.

It doesn't matter how hot the weather is, there is just something so comforting about chicken noodle soup, and the homemade noodles really made this dish something special!

Ten in 10 Update 2 and Jam Drops

Well, another week done and it's been really up and down. We had some sad news on Thursday when we found out my uncle (Dad's brother) passed away suddenly overnight. Totally unexpected and I still can't believe it.

I'm the sort of person who cooks and cleans when I'm upset so the house looks great and I made some yummy cookies which I will get to in a moment.

First an official update for Ten in 10...

Things I did well this week:

1. Exercised 5 days out of 7. I was aiming for 7 days this week but overslept 2 mornings after being up a few times in the night with Oscar.

2. Switched workout dvds. The old one was becoming too easy so I guess that means my fitness is improving!

3. Weighed myself once! Lost 0.6kg which I am really happy with.

Things to work on for next week:

1. Eating consciously/watching portion size. I ate 4 jam drop cookies before I even knew what I was doing. Oh well.

When the urge to bake struck I was going to make Moogie's chocolate-filled poppyseed cookies but I think my poppyseeds were rancid. Ugh.

But I love these jam drops. Very homey and comforting. They are really sweet though so I would use only dark chocolate and a tart jam or marmalade. The flavour is more mellow the second day but they don't hold together as well. That's if they last that long!

Jam Drops/Choc Drops
Recipe adapted from Modern Classics #2 by Donna Hay, p18

180g (6oz) softened butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 ts vanilla essence
2 cups plain flour
1/2 ts baking powder
jam and chocolate melts to decorate

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Stir through the flour and baking powder and mix to a dough.

Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, allowing room for each biscuit to spread, and flatten slightly. Press a finger into the middle of the dough to make an indent.

Fill the hole with jam (preferably something tart like raspberry or rosella) or a chocolate melt. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and add a little extra jam or another chocolate melt to each biscuit while they are still warm. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Makes approx 30 large or 60 small biscuits.

Ten in 10 Update & Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

I realise having a diet update and a chocolate pudding recipe in the same post is a little contradictory but just go with me! I wouldn't last more than 5 minutes on a deprivation diet and while I've gone there in the past ... no more! I intend to get fitter and healthier over the next 10 weeks but I still want to have the foods I enjoy, just in moderation.

Overall it's been a great week!

Things I did well:

1. Kept track of what I ate (I'm using a great FREE resource called Calorie King which tracks calories, offers menu plans and generally helps keep me aware of what I'm eating)

2. Exercised 5 days out of 7. I'm going to try for 7/7 this week but honestly even 5 days is fantastic. Anytime I've attempted a program like this in the past, lack of exercise has been my stumbling block. It's just not something that comes naturally but I feel great afterwards and I actually miss it when I skip a day.

Things I can do better next week:

1. Late afternoon snacking. I definitely get the 4pm munchies so I need to have plenty of healthy snack options around. I tend to graze during the afternoon and seeing just how the calories add up has been eye-opening.

2. Plan my meals. I not only need healthy and filling dinners but also leftovers for N to take the next day, where possible. So steak and salad might be a great dinner but it's not great second time round. I will hopefully plan better for next week.

3. Throw away the scales! I know I said I wasn't going to get stuck on the scales but I ... weighed myself every day. *hangs head in shame* The number yo-yo'ed up and down all week to finally settle a measly 200 grams down from last week. So. I will weigh in once a week (on Saturday). The end.

And now onto the good stuff!

By Friday I was really craving something sweet. N reminded me of my 'no bake' policy for January so he decided to whip up dessert for us!

We thought this recipe originally came from his grandmother but now we're not so sure. Wherever it came from it's easy to make at a moment's notice and is absolutely sublime with a big scoop of ice cream!

N's Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
90g (3oz) sugar
1 tbs cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
1 tbs melted butter/vegetable oil

For the sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 rounded tbs cocoa powder
210ml (7 fl oz) very hot water

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Place the sauce ingredients into the bottom of a 1 litre casserole dish and stir to combine. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, sugar, salt and cocoa. Add the milk and melted butter and mix until just combined. Spoon the mixture over the sauce. It does not have to placed evenly as the cake will rise to the top and the sauce will remain underneath.

Bake for approx 45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving with cream or icecream.

For a larger quantity, double the amount of pudding mixture but only 1 1/2 times the sauce is sufficient.

** Update - Thanks to Liss who directed me to the recipe calculator at Spark Recipes, I can now offer the following nutrition info for my chocolate pudding.

Enjoy! :-)

Spiced Sugared Nuts

With all the Christmassey fare I've made over the years, I can't believe I've never made nuts. Until now, that is! I saw the recipe for these spiced sugared nuts in the December/January edition of Super Food Ideas magazine and knew they would be perfect as a gift.

They have a crisp, crackly coating of sugar and spices and the chilli adds just enough heat to cut through the sweetness. These nuts are definitely moreish!

Spiced Sugared Nuts

3/4 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
400g assorted, unsalted mixed nuts
1 eggwhite, lightly whisked

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350F). Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Place the nuts and eggwhite in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add the spice mixture to the nut mixture and mix well.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Spread over the nut mixture in a single layer and bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and cool completely on the tray. Break up any large clusters. Serve immediately or wrap in a cellophane bag tied with ribbon for a lovely Christmas gift.

Makes 4 cups.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Cran-Apple Crisps

Well, first thing you'll notice is there are no cranberries in my crisps. I've bought frozen cranberries many times and although we are only 52(!) days away from Christmas, there were none to be found.

By the way, a big thank you to Laurie for being flexible with this month's posting days. I am saving the Chocolate Caramel Chestnut cake for my dad's birthday next week!

Em of The Repressed Pastry Chef chose Dorie's Cran-Apple Crisps this week and without the cranberries I don't know if I'm a good judge of these or not. Basically it was just an apple crumble. Tasty, but usually our fallback dessert if we haven't planned ahead.

The taste test ...

Like I said, your standard apple crumble. I'm sure the cranberries would elevate this to something more special and give a great contrast with the sweet crumble topping. Oh well, we did enjoy it with a big scoop of vanilla icecream. An easy Saturday night dessert! I'll stock up on cranberries next time I find them just to pop into something like this.

Thanks Em! You can find the recipe (and no doubt some gorgeous photos) on her blog.

Brownies - ok NOW i get it

My first attempt at the Tribute to Katharine Hepburn Brownies from this week's TWD has been bothering me. So today I made them again and while I have never really been a brownie fan, NOW I get it. These were fan-freakin-tastic!

Things I did differently this time:
- used an 8" pan I bought especially
- baked for 25 minutes at 160 deg C then another 5 mins at 150
- left them to cool in the pan completely
- used Green & Black's Organic Maya Gold chocolate (dark chocolate with orange, cinnamon and nutmeg flavours)

This time around I had a brownie which was densely fudgy with a rich, complex flavour. I would actually go so far as to say these are the best brownies i've ever had. Woo hoo!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Katharine Hepburn Brownies

This week's pick was chosen by the fabulously talented Lisa who designed the new TWD logo! As an Australian I'm also excited to have discovered her blog Surviving Oz. Lisa chose Dorie's Tribute to Katharine Hepburn Brownies and I was keen to have a go at these, having sat out the last brownie challenge due to Oscar's arrival.

I consider brownies to be quintessentially American so they were the perfect pick for the fourth of July. As the 4th is also my grandma's birthday I killed 2 birds with 1 stone, so to speak. I really wanted to take something nice as she is in hospital at the moment and could do with some yumminess.

I don't have an 8" pan so had to go with a 9" metal one. To compensate I dropped the temperature by 10 deg C and baked for 25 minutes. Basically what I ended up with was a very flat chocolate slice, definitely not a brownie. It was cooked to almost dry on the edges and very well done in the middle.

It was too late to make anything else so I did take them down the coast to my grandma.

The taste test ...

The flavour was awesome - richly chocolate-y with a subtle cinnamon/coffee hit in the background. It was only the texture that was off. And to be honest if I'd just called it a chocolate slice and slathered some icing on the top no one would have known it was a stuff up! I would like to make these again sometime, tweaking the cooking temp and time. Despite my reservations they were a definite hit and a great addition to our birthday lunch of party sausage rolls, mini quiches, cupcakes and birthday cake in a surprisingly comfy visitor's lounge in the hospital.

Oscar even had a new outfit for the occasion!

Make sure you check out Lisa's blog for the recipe.

UPDATE - I made these again and they were awesome! Check it out here!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Parisian Apple Tartlet

Oh what a great month of TWD picks! The lovely Jessica of My Baking Heart chose the Parisian Apple Tartlet this week. It is a dessert that you can whip up in just a few minutes using ingredients you will likely already have on hand. With just puff pastry, apples, butter and brown sugar, this is definitely a case of the results being greater than the sum of its parts!

The taste test ...

You can probably already tell I was a fan of this one! Simple, elegant and truly delicious. We served ours with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream. I love having both hot and cold elements to a dessert. We will be making this again!

Thanks to Jessica for a fab choice. Make sure you check out her blog for the recipe.

Tuesdays with Dorie: 4 Star Chocolate Bread Pudding

This week's pick made me very happy as I love bread pudding! I hadn't tried a chocolate version before so was curious to taste the results.

As it was around Easter I decided to replace the challah/brioche with leftover hot cross buns. I made a smaller version than the recipe using 4 buns each sliced into 9 rough cubes which fit perfectly into the dish. I also figured this would add enough dried fruit and spice so I left out the raisins.

The taste test ...

I think I must be a bread & butter pudding purist, because while I liked this I didn't love it. We actually had a little piece leftover that ended up in the rubbish. That NEVER happens in this house! I think the chocolate flavour overwhelmed it. Maybe it was using hot cross buns rather than plain brioche. But then chocolate hot cross buns are fabulous. I just don't know!

Thanks to Lauren of Upper East Side Chronicle for this week's pick. You can find the recipe on her blog!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Banana Cream Pie

As an Aussie, to me a Banana Cream Pie conjures images of 1950s America. However like lots of recipes while it may be retro, it is definitely delicious!

I decided to make minis using my brand new baby tart tins purchased on a whim a few weeks ago. Because they are so shallow, I knew I wouldn't be able to layer the pastry cream and banana and decided instead to combine the two. By mashing the banana and folding it through I ended up with the most luscious banana custard you can imagine. Sure it looks like baby food but I would eat this straight out of the bowl any day!

I'm sure you can guess what happened though - the mashed banana really affected the consistency of the pastry cream and it oozed everywhere when I cut it. Bummer.

I then simply piped the whipped cream on top (I actually forgot I needed sour cream for this so mine was plain cream). I really need to work on my piping skills but a sprinkle of cinnamon and a banana slice for decoration makes all the difference!

The taste test ...

Fabulous! I loved the contrast between the crisp buttery crust, sweet spiced custard and smooth cream. Even a mini was a bit too much for one serve but I gave it a good go. These were pure comfort food and incredibly easy to make. I can see this becoming a real family favourite.

Thank you to Amy of Sing for Your Supper for this week's pick. We loved it! You can find the recipe on Amy's blog.

Daring Bakers March - Lasagne

Being a lady of leisure now (aka on maternity leave) I was really looking forward to making this month's challenge. That and the fact I absolutely love lasagne! Even bad lasagne is good lasagne to me and this one was out-of-this-world good!

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

It was definitely time consuming though so I made it 3 stages - the ragu and bechemel the day before, the pasta dough on the morning and then the rolling and assembly right before baking. And we still ended up eating quite late!

We received a pasta machine as a wedding present last year which was a huge help. I am in awe of all those who made this completely by hand!

I'm disappointed my pasta wasn't such a vivid green as I had hoped. I used a 250g box of frozen spinach but by the time I squeezed out all the water I was left with just 110g. Maybe fresh spinach would have more zing, colour-wise? Oh well. I also added an extra egg to make up the liquid and it worked perfectly.

Spinach pasta before kneading - rough and ready

And after - smooth and elastic

Hubs rolling the dough

Our drying racks

Assembling the dish

The finished dish - we followed the baking instructions to the letter and still got golden, crunchy bits on top (thank goodness, those are the best bits!)

Ready to eat!

This was hands down the best lasagne I had ever had. It was absolutely packed with flavour and not at all greasy. I managed to stretch the ingredients to make 2 complete dishes (although I did run out of bechemel for the second one) so we now have one waiting patiently in the freezer to enjoy once we are home with bub.

This is perfect dinner party food and we will definitely be making it again!

Thanks to our hosts for a wonderful pick this month. It's a great tie-in with the new Daring Cooks which I have registered for also.

Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna
Serves 6-8 as a main course

Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)
2 jumbo eggs
300g fresh spinach, rinsed, dried and finely chopped or 170g frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
400g unbleached plain flour

Béchamel Sauce
60g unsalted butter
60g unbleached plain flour
570ml milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Ragu
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
60g pancetta, finely chopped
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced
1 small carrot, minced
125g veal mince
125g pork mince
250g beef mince
30g thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma
160ml dry red wine
375ml beef stock
500ml milk
1 tin plum tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup (or more) freshly grated Parmigano Reggiano ( I used a full 250g block!)

To make the ragu, Heat the olive oil in 30cm frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and minced vegetables and sauté, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 10 minutes, or until the onions barely begin to color. Add the minces and slowly brown over medium heat. Stir often, scooping under the meats with the wooden spatula. Protect the brown glaze forming on the bottom of the pan by turning the heat down. Cook 15 minutes, or until the meats are a deep brown. Turn the contents of the skillet into a strainer and shake out the fat ( I didn't need to - there was barely any fat) then return them to the pan and set over medium heat.

Reducing and Simmering: Add the wine to the skillet, lowering the heat so the sauce bubbles quietly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up the brown glaze as the wine bubbles. Stir ½ cup stock into the saucepan and let it bubble slowly, 10 minutes, or until totally evaporated. Repeat with another ½ cup stock. Stir in the last 1/2 cup stock along with the milk. Adjust heat so the liquid bubbles very slowly. Partially cover the pot, and cook 1 hour. Stir frequently to check for sticking. Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pot. Cook uncovered, at a very slow bubble for another 45 minutes, or until the sauce resembles a thick, meaty stew. Season with salt and pepper.

To make the pasta, mound the flour in the center of your work area and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach, and use a wooden spoon to beat them together. Gradually start incorporating flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last of the flour into the dough. It should look like a rough, messy lump. Start kneading the dough, using the scraper to scoop up any unruly pieces. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, knead for about 3 minutes. It should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading for about 10 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth, satiny and very elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it relax at room temperature for 30 minutes – 3 hours. Cut off about a quarter of the dough, and re-wrap the rest to prevent it from drying out. Roll into a roughly long and thin rectangular shape. Set your pasta machine to its thickest setting and roll the dough through the machine. Continue rolling through each setting, cutting the dough into sections if it becomes too difficult to handle, until it becomes as thin as possible without tearing. You should be able to see your hand through the dough. Repeat with remaining dough, and either use immediately or dry at room temperature and store in a sealed container or plastic bag for 1 day.

To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Sift in the flour and whisk until smooth, stirring without stopping for at least one minute. Whisk in the milk a little at a time. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and a hint of nutmeg.

To assemble the lasagne, have all ingredients on hand. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Layer the ingredients repeating in this order – pasta sheets, béchamel, ragu, Parmigano Reggiano, and finishing with a layer of pasta, béchamel, cheese, salt and pepper. Cover the baking dish with foil, taking care not to let it touch the top of the lasagne. Bake for 40 minutes or until almost heated through. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. When cooked, turn the oven off and let the lasagne rest inside for a further 10 minutes, then serve. This is not a solid lasagne but one that slips a bit when cut and served.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Lemon Cup Custards

Wow there was a lot of tension in the ranks about this one! Personally, I love lemon, love custard and love eggs so had absolutely no problem with it. Thanks to Bridget of The Way The Cookie Crumbles for choosing such a simple, delightful recipe!

After reading about the lack of lemonyness, I let the milk simmer for about 10 minutes before bringing it up to the boil and then let it steep for over an hour. I baked them for just over 45 minutes because I wanted firm not jiggly custard. They got a little browner on top than I anticipated but I really liked the effect!

The taste test ...

Luscious, creamy and exactly what you want from a baked custard. I thought it was brilliant to get this effect from a custard which doesn't contain any cream. The lemon flavour was subtle but definitely there and really elevated an otherwise very plain dessert. I was originally planning on topping these with some stewed blueberries but in the end decided they didn't need it.

We will definitely be making these again and playing around with other flavour combinations.

You will find the recipe on The Way The Cookie Crumbles.

N's First Omelette

When I first met him, N was allergic to egg. This was staggering because it meant he had never tried cake, quiche, custard, meringue or pancakes. Can you imagine?? We did some research and found a treatment which cured his egg allergy (and yes it was a true, medically diagnosed food allergy from birth which played havoc with vaccinations etc) once and for all.

I'm amazed I hadn't cooked one for him before but he assures me that after more than 6 years together this was his first omelette. And he liked it!

After all my whinging about the weather the temperature has dropped about 10 degrees since yesterday which made it perfect to have an omelette on hot buttered toast for dinner.

We filled them with sauteed onion, garlic, mushroom, ham and asparagus with a smattering of chedder.

Delish!