Kumara, Chilli and Coriander Soup

This is one recipe I should have blogged about immediately ... because now I've had it for 2 meals and i'm sick of it! It was delicious though and the colour is amazing. What's also amazing is that i've managed to get my husband to eat soup twice in a couple of weeks!

Kumara, Chilli and Coriander Soup
Recipe from Simple Meals by the Australian Women's Weekly Cookbooks, 2002, p12

100g fresh coriander, roots attached
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped roughly
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbs sambal oelek (asian chilli paste)
1.2kg kumara, chopped roughly
1 litre chicken stock
2 cups water
2/3 cup coconut milk

Wash and dry the coriander. Finely chop enough of the roots to make 2 teaspoons and enough leaves to make a loosely packed 1/4 cup (this is what the recipe said, I just did the whole bunch because I love coriander!).

Heat the oil in a large pot then add the onion, garlic, coriander and sambal oelek. Cook for a few minutes until the onion softens.

Add the kumara and toss to combine with other ingredients. Cover with the stock and water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until the kumara is soft.

Using a stab mixer, blend the soup in the pot or transfer to a food processor in batches. Simmer again for a few minutes until the soup thickens slightly then add the coconut milk and stir through.

Divide into serving bowls and top with a drizzle of coconut milk and scattering of coriander leaves.

Serves 4-6.

You won't need bread with this soup as it is incredibly hearty and perfect for this time of year.

PS. Because I am a weather nut (sad but true) I can tell you that Brisbane had its coldest morning of the year today - just 3.3 deg C. Lovely!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Inspired by Summer Fruit Galette

I love fruity desserts so i'm really enjoying the last couple of picks! This week Michelle of Michelle in Colorado Springs chose Dorie's Summer Fruit Galette. As I don't have Dorie's book I have been relying on either finding the recipe online or waiting until it is posted by the host. Given the host is on the other side of the world that wasn't going to happen until Wednesday my time. And that wasn't gonna get us any dessert tonight!

So I have made something inspired by this week's recipe. It is a cross between a galette and a pizza but with my own twist and using ingredients I already had on hand.

I decided to use Dorie's Good for Almost Everything Pie Crust which I haven't made before. Even though the recipe uses some lard, I went with all butter as it's what I had and I thought it would be dangerous having a pack of lard in the fridge waiting to be used for something else!

Apricot and Raspberry Galette

1 quanity of Dorie's pie crust (I found it on South in Your Mouth)
1/2 cup apricot jam
100g ground almonds
1 x 400g tin apricot halves
2/3 cup raspberries (I used frozen)
Demerara sugar to decorate

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Roll out the pastry into a large round and scrunch/fold in the edges to form a rough pie. Spread the base with apricot jam then sprinkle over the ground almonds. This will absorb some of the juice from the fruit and prevent the crust from getting soggy. Layer the apricots over the top, cut side up, and fill in the gaps with raspberries. Sprinkle with demerara sugar.

Bake for approx 45 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly and the crust is cooked and golden brown.

I also made my own custard to serve with it.

Stirred Custard
From The Original Cookbook by the Australian Women's Weekly, 1977, p220. This is my go-to recipe and it's never failed me yet!

3 eggs
2 tbs sugar
1/2 ts vanilla extract
2 cups milk (reduced fat works fine)

Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla together in the top of a double boiler. Warm milk in a separate pan then stir into egg mixture. Stir constantly over simmering water until custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. This could take 15 minutes or longer. Remove from heat IMMEDIATELY. (Sorry, don't mean to shout there but honestly it will start to curdle if you're not really quick).

Makes 2 cups (I normally do a double batch).

The taste test ...

This was absolutely delicious and after years of stomping and swearing, I have finally found a pastry that works for me! It was easy to throw together in the food processor and after a long rest in the fridge it rolled out to perfection. The texture was great too - crisp, buttery and flaky. It looked more like a fruit pizza when it came out of the oven but whatever you call it, it's a keeper!

Next week we have The Black and White Banana Loaf thanks to Ashlee of A Year in the Kitchen. Yum!

*I am not an official member of Tuesdays with Dorie - just playing along at home!

Steak, Guinness and Cheese Pie with Mushy Peas

This is another fabulous Jamie Oliver recipe and it's perfect for the arctic weather we are experiencing in Brisbane at the moment. Ok, so maybe not 'arctic' exactly but it's definitely pie weather!

Steak, Guinness and Cheese Pie
From Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver, p342

Olive oil
3 red onions, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
4 field mushrooms, peeled and chopped
1kg stewing beef, cut into 2cm cubes
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 440ml can Guinness
2 heaped tbs plain flour
200g tasty cheese
Enough puff pastry sheets to cover the top and bottom of your pie dish
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 190 deg C.

On the stovetop, heat some olive oil in a large ovenproof pot over low heat. Add the onions and fry gently for about 10 minutes trying not to colour them too much. Turn up the heat and add the garlic, butter, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Fry for a few minutes then add the beef, rosemary, a pinch of salt and a level teaspoon of pepper. Once the beef is starting to colour, pour in the Guinness, the flour and enough water to cover (I don't normally need any water).

Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and place in the preheated oven for about 1.5hrs. Give it a stir then place back in the oven to cook for another hour or until the meat is very tender and the stew is dark and rich looking. If there's still a lot of liquid at this point, put it back on the stove top and simmer until the sauce reduces. Remove from the heat, stir in half the cheese and leave to cool while you prepare the pastry.

Butter your pie dish and line with puff pastry, leaving the edges hanging over the sides. Tip the stew into the dish, even it out and top with the remaining cheese. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg. Top with another sheet or 2 of puff pastry and fold in all the edges so the filling is sealed. Make a slit for the steam to escape.

Brush the top with beaten egg then bake for 45 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. Delicious served with mushy peas or veg of your choice.

Serves 6

Mushy Peas
A food.baby original

1 litre water or chicken stock
1 packet frozen baby peas
2 cloves garlic, whole but skin removed
60g butter
1/4 cup cream
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring water or stock to the boil with the garlic. Add the peas, bring back to the boil and cook for approx 5 minutes or until done. Drain well and pour into food processor or blender. Add butter and cream and blend well. Season well with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Spiced Meatball Wrap

This was a really yummy dinner and a great alternative to tacos or burgers. It's also pretty healthy because the meat is baked not panfried and you can serve it with as much salad as you can squeeze into a wrap.

Spiced Meatball Wrap

Meatballs:
500g pork mince
500g lamb mince
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 ts ground cummin
1ts ground coriander
1 1/2ts garam masala
2 tbs rolled oats
1 egg, lightly beaten
1tbs plain yoghurt

Sauce:
1 ripe avocado
2 tbs plain yoghurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
handful of fresh coriander stems, chopped finely

To serve:
Flatbreads
Tomato
Capsicum
Any other salad greens you like

Preheat oven to 220 deg C.

Place all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to combine. I find you get a better result using your hands as it tends to turn to mush in a food processor.

Using wet hands, shape into golfball sized meatballs. You should get 12 meatballs from this mix which will easily feed 6 people. Place on a non-stick baking tray. Do this a few hours ahead of time if you can as the flavours will develop, then store in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through but still juicy.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by mashing the avocado and combining with other ingredients. This is basically a version of guacamole but it contrasts perfectly with the aromatics in the meatballs.

Serve with freshly chopped tomato and capsicum in a flatbread wrap with plenty of sauce.

Serves 6. Delicious!

Lamburger

Toasted turkish bread with lamb steak, caramalised onions, Jarlsberg cheese, pancetta, tomato and beetroot ... can a burger get any better? I think not!

Beans ...

are pretty!

Lemon and Blueberry Pikelets

I love pikelets. Partly because they're delicious little mini pancakes so what's not to love, but also because they take all of 15 minutes from getting the frypan out of the cupboard to sitting down and eating.

This is the type of thing I'm looking forward to cooking with my own kids. But as we are just starting the TTC rollercoaster that is clearly a little while away yet!

Lemon and Blueberry Pikelets
Recipe adapted from the Original Cookbook by the Australian Women's Weekly, 1977, p178

1 cup self-raising flour
pinch of salt
1/4 ts bicarbonate of soda
3 tbs sugar
1 egg
2 ts melted butter
2/3 cup sour milk (made by adding 1ts vinegar or lemon juice to the milk and letting it stand in a warm place until it sours ie. goes squidgy and lumpy - I do this first thing and it's ready by the time everything else is assembled)
Zest of 1 lemon
approx 1 cup blueberries, either fresh or frozen

Sift dry ingredients together and add sugar. Mix to a smooth batter with beaten egg and milk, then fold through the melted butter and lemon zest.

Heat and grease frypan then drop in dessertspoonfuls of batter (I do 5 or 6 at a time but it depends on the size of your pan and flipping skills). Top each with a scattering of blueberries.

Cook until bubbly on top and golden brown underneath. Flip each one to cook other side. This second side may take a little longer than the first if you have used frozen blueberries.

Remove and repeat. Makes approx 12 pikelets. Delicious served hot from the pan with butter, maple syrup or just a dusting of icing sugar.


Note to self - next time wear gloves when handling blueberries to avoid freakish blue fingernails!

Sharing

These are my boys! Leonardo on the left, Picasso on the right. You'll see a lot more of them if you stick around :)

Mediterranean Lamb Salad

This is another throw-together dinner that doesn't really have a recipe, but we make something like this at least once a week. There's just something about the combination of tomato, fresh basil and capers ... I could eat it every night! With it's beautiful colours it also makes a really nice winter meal - it takes your mind off the grey outside.

Mediterranean Lamb Salad

500g large pasta shapes
500g lamb leg steak
1 large red capsicum, sliced into thin strips
1-2 punnets cherry tomatoes (I used 3 roma here because the cherry tomatoes were blah)
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped just before serving
1/2 red onion, sliced finely
200g fetta, diced or crumbled into small pieces
1 jar capers, drained and rinsed
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cook pasta as per packet instructions.

Meanwhile cook the lamb until just done then remove from the pan to rest under foil. In the same pan toss the capsicum over high heat until it is slightly charred and soft (if I had time I would roast it whole and remove the skin - this is a cheat's version).

In a large bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, capers, onion, tomato and fetta. Season with pepper at this stage (you won't need any salt). As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it well and add it to the bowl with the dressing. Slice the lamb into strips and toss through. Chop basil and add last thing before serving.

Enjoy!

Serves 6-8

Tuesdays with Dorie: Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler

Another Tuesday, another dessert! I'm really going to have to start exercising more often to burn off all this sweet stuff. At least there is fruit in this one so I can pretend it's healthy! (We won't talk about the huge scoop of Sara Lee vanilla ice cream on top).

Amanda at Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake chose this week's recipe. I found it online at Cook Almost Anything, and this was a really lucky find because the recipe had been converted into 'Australian'. I completely agree with Haalo's observations there about how Dorie's (and a ton of other cookbooks) are written purely for the American market. We don't measure butter in sticks or cups. It's so much simpler to measure/weigh everything and then you KNOW it's accurate. Particularly when baking is an exact science and requires exact proportions of ingredients. This is actually one of the main reasons I haven't purchased Dorie's book*. Anyway, you can find the recipe at the link above.

I think I have made a cobbler exactly once before. We tend to stick to crumbles in our house because they're easy and always delicious. The cobbler was also incredibly easy to put together - the filling just stirred together and the topping blitzed in the food processor.

As I mentioned last week N loves rhubarb so this was always going to be a winner. I had to use frozen fruit for both the rhubarb and the cherries. They actually did have fresh cherries at the supermarket but it's completely the wrong season so they've been imported (which makes me cranky) plus they were ridiculously expensive.


The only changes I made to the recipe were the proportions of fruit. I used a 350g box of cherries and a 450g box of rhubarb. I also added some extra sugar (approx 1-2 tbs) to account for the acid from the extra rhubarb.

The taste test ...

Well it tasted great but the presentation was lacking - the balls of dough on top didn't spread out at all which was a bit odd. I would also prefer a greater ratio of fruit to topping. Overall we enjoyed it but would definitely tweak the recipe if we were making it again.

Next week we have Summer Fruit Galette!

*Remember I am not officially a part of TWD, just playing along at home!

10 Minute Chicken Noodle Soup

This doesn't really qualify as a recipe, more of a 'meal idea'. Basically it's a 10 minute soup perfect for a cold winter's night. You can put in just about anything you like but always remember to taste the broth to make sure the flavours are balanced.

10 Minute Chicken Noodle Soup

2 L chicken stock (if not making it yourself, use a salt-reduced one)
1 pack soba noodles
500g chicken fillets (I use tenderloins - no cutting required!)
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 thumb size piece of ginger, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced finely
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed and sliced on diagonal
1 tbs tamari (or other soy sauce)
a few drops of sesame oil
1 small red chili, chopped finely
1 bunch fresh coriander

Cook the soba as per directions and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large pot place the chicken stock, garlic, ginger, onion and chili. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to medium. Add the tamari and sesame oil and stir to combine.

Add the chicken pieces and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the asparagus and any other veges you like and simmer until both chicken and vegetables are cooked through (a couple of minutes max).

Refresh the noodles in hot water then drain and divide into serving bowls. Top each serve with a few chicken pieces and some vegetables. Ladle over the broth. Top with freshly chopped coriander.

Enjoy!