|
|
I’m constantly amazed at how my Thermomix makes the most difficult cooking creations so easy. A few weeks ago I decided to adapt a recipe for a steamed sweet potato puddings. They were delicious and so much easier with the Thermomix.
One of the other things that little miracle machine has done is (re)inspire me in the kitchen. I have always loved trying new things, creating something that I can call my own. That was until life got so busy that I didn’t have time to consider what we might eat for dinner let alone be creative. Dinner just became “whatever is the fastest, healthiest meal with the least amount of dishes possible. Usually it was steak and steamed vegetables, steak and salad or stir fry. Believe me, there is only so much of all of those dishes that one person can eat. Now it is “would you like curry or risotto for dinner?” We will often have Thai chicken red curry, risotto or anything we feel like really. Last week I even made a Chunky beef chilli which I thought sounded a great way to use the piece of rump steak that I wanted to, rather than pan frying it and steaming some vegetables  .
Another thing I love about my Thermomix is the business that it has created for me. I am so lucky to be able to do something that I love, to meet some amazing people and to actually have people thank me for changing their lives and making things so much easier. What a great job I have and what a lucky girl I am!
I hope you get to do something that you love too.
sweet potato and coconut steamed puddings (adapted for the Thermomix from recipe in Dish)
serves 6
Ingredients
1100g water, for cooking
½ tsp ground rock salt
400g peeled and 2cm diced (orange) sweet potato
150g coconut milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
100g palm sugar
25g desiccated coconut
2 eggs
900g water, for steaming
to serve
coconut cream
Fresh fruit of your choice
Toasted shredded coconut
6 x 125ml ramekins
Preparation
Place water and salt into TM bowl, add basket and place sweet potato into the basket. Cook for 16 minutes at 100°C on speed 4. Once potato is fork tender, remove the basket using the spatula and shake off excess water. Discard water from bowl. Place potato into the TM bowl and heat for 1 minute at 90°C on speed 1 to remove excess water. Puree for 30 seconds on speed 4. Remove from bowl and set aside to cool.
Add coconut milk, vanilla and palm sugar to TM bowl. Heat for 2 minutes at 90 °C on speed 1. Inset butterfly. Add desiccated coconut and cooled potato. Mix on speed 2 and with blade running add eggs one at a time thru the hole in the lid. Beat for 20 seconds on speed 3.
Divide mixture between ramekins, filling them 1cm from the top. Pour water into TM bowl and place ramekins into Varoma. Set Varoma in place. Steam for 20 – 25 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1. Puddings should be just set.
Serve with garnish of your choice.
My tips/alterations: *This is best made in ramekins rather than patty cake moulds then attempting to turn them out. *Don’t overcook these as they will dry out and become slightly chewy in texture. You could add more spices to this such as cinnamon, nutmeg and even a little of all spice. *If you like your coconut cream (to serve) really thick then pop it in the fridge for ar least an hour before serving.
ease: 7.5/10. Not difficult, just a few steps
prep time: 15 mins.
cooking time: 45 mins
total: 60 mins
taste: 8.5/10. These have a slightly unusual and very delicious flavour. The coconut and palm sugar come through the potato and the texture is quite light.
would I make it again: Yes, especially if I wanted to do something a little different for my friends.
I may have mentioned before that making desserts is one of my favourite things to do in the kitchen and looking at my last few Newsletters I seem to do a lot of it . Clients often ask me if I actually eat the food I create because they think I should be somewhat larger in size than I am. My response is that I don’t eat what I create, I inhale it. I also exercise and eat a balanced diet but I never restrict myself when it comes to trying the things that I make.
To help with balancing things a little I often try to find ways to still get the flavours I love but in a not so traditional way. Baklava is one of my favourite sweet treats. I love the honey flavoured sweet sticky syrup, the light crunch of pastry and the richness of the nuts. I never make it because I can’t control myself when it is in the house. So thank goodness for this somewhat healthier version. By substituting pastry for ciabatta or sourdough, reducing the butter and increasing the nuts we have something that I will eat as often as I like. I hope you enjoy it too.
baklava spread (adapted for the Thermomix from recipe by The Healthy Foodie)
makes approximately 2 cups
Ingredients
50g pistachios
50g almonds
200g walnuts
40g honey
40g water
25g lemon juice
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
to serve
thinly sliced, lightly toasted ciabatta bread or similar
Preparation
Pour pistachio nuts, almonds and 50g of walnuts into TM bowl. Chop for 2 seconds on speed 5. Remove from bowl and set aside.
Add honey, water, lemon juice and spices to bowl. Heat for 2 minutes at 70°C on speed 1. Add the remaining walnuts and chop for 30 seconds on speed 5. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat until a soft paste forms or desired texture is achieved.
Add chopped nuts and stir for 10 seconds, reverse on speed 3 to combine all ingredients.
Serve at room temperature on warm toasted ciabatta or bread or your choice or store in sterilised jars in the fridge until required.
My tips/alterations: *This has a slightly crumbly texture. It is best eaten as soon as it is made however it will store well in the fridge. *Once it is chilled it is very easy to mould. For something a little different shape it into balls and coat with chocolate or use it as a filling in filo (phyllo) cigars. *If you would like this to have a more butter like consistency you can add a little more butter, honey, lemon juice and water then blitz this along with the walnuts for a little longer before adding the shopped nuts. *This would be great made as a gift for friends. *If you would like a similar recipe that does not require a Thermomix then check it out at The Healthy Foodie.
ease: 9/10. 10 times easier and quicker than normal Baklava!
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 5mins
total: 15 mins
taste: 9/10. Both G & I loved this, as did my TM team when I made it for them. I think it is best straight after it has been made, while it is just warm because the spices and honey really come through in the flavour.
would I make it again: This is my new best friend! When I told G walnuts were healthy for him he asked me to make this again
I’ve always been somewhat creative in the kitchen. Sometimes this creativity has served me well and others not so much. Yes, I have had my fair share of disasters in the kitchen but I’m not going to share them right now .
When I decided to develop this recipe I threw caution to the wind and jumped right in. The end result I wanted to achieve was that of sweet risotto and NOT rice pudding.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with rice pudding perse, it’s just that there are so many recipes available (both Thermomix and non-Thermomix) that I didn’t want to create yet another. And hence, Sweet risotto with strawberries, pistachios and limoncello was born.
The strawberries were included because they were in season and gorgeously sweet, the pistachios because I love their green hue and the limoncello was a suggestion from my wonderful Group Leader, Liz. When I mentioned to her that I wanted to try this recipe she gave me a sample from her bottle of limoncello so that I could test it. It was so good I’ve now purchased my own (very large) bottle.
The first time I made this, G liked it but felt that it needed a sauce of some kind. I wasn’t so sure because I tried it as soon as it was assembled whereas he let it cool first. However, I had some strawberries left over so whipped up a strawberry and limoncello syrup. When others tried it they agreed with G.
So I acknowledge two things. I love a collaboration of ideas/suggestions when it comes to creative cooking and G has a wonderful palate that teaches me more than he knows .
sweet risotto with strawberries, pistachios and limoncello (recipe by Fiona at Food 4 Thought)
makes approximately 4-6 desserts
Ingredients
50g shelled pistachio nuts
Zest of ½ large lemon (approx 10g)
50g raw sugar
½ vanilla bean, scraped
40g butter
200g Arborio rice
60g white wine
1 ½ tablespoons limoncello
550g full cream milk
to serve
thinly sliced strawberries
crushed pistachios
strawberry syrup/sauce
Preparation
Pour nuts into bowl and chop for 2 seconds on speed 5. Remove from bowl and set aside. Place lemon zest, sugar and vanilla into TM bowl and pulverise for 20 seconds at speed 9. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat if necessary, until zest is finely ground.
Add butter and cook for 2 minutes at 100°C on speed 1. Insert butterfly, add rice and cook for 1 minute at 100°C, reverse, on soft speed.
Add wine and limoncello. Cook for 1 minute at 100°C, reverse on soft speed. Add milk and cook for 16 minutes at 100°C, reverse on soft speed. For the last 5 minutes tilt MC to allow the mixture to thicken slightly.
Once cooked, pour into Thermoserver and stand while slicing strawberries.
To serve, place 2 tablespoons of risotto in base of glass or bowl. Place single layer of strawberries on top of rice then sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
Top with another layer of risotto. Decorate with strawberries and pistachios. Serve with syrup.
My tips/alterations: *You can make this dish without a Thermomix but following the recipe and cooking it in a pot on the stove. Just watch that it doesn’t burn and you may need to cook it a little longer. *If this starts to bubble out of the hole in the lid of the Thermomix you can tilt the MC and insert on its side. *If you allow it to stand in the Thermoserver for too long it will thicken quite a bit. If you would like a softer consistency just add some milk or even thin cream. *If you want to peel your pistachios (see difference in picture at the end of this post), simply place pistachios in bowl, cover with boiling water, allow to stand for 5 minutes then squeeze them out of their skins.
ease: 9/10. The Thermomix makes risotto a very simple thing to make!
prep time: 10mins + assembling.
cooking time: 20mins
total: 30 mins + assembling.
taste: 8.5/10. Both G & I loved this, and it was something that we have never tried before. The flavours and textures worked really well and the strawberry syrup (recipe to follow) bought it all.
would I make it again: Yes! Especially if I wanted to show friends something a little different.
 L: Unpeeled; R: Skins removed
It was my Birthday a few months ago. As I get older the actual celebration of a Birthday on “the day” means a little less. However, because I have lived away from my immediate family for so long I still get very excited by receiving cards in the mail to mark the special occasion. Wishes of love and happiness are heartfelt from those who care about me.
This year I received one card that was a big surprise and most unexpected. To put this into prospective I need to tell you a little about the sender.
Approximately two months before my Birthday I commenced as an Independent Consultant with Thermomix Australia. It is my own business that I conduct under the guidelines set out by Thermomix. As part of my role they provide free training and ongoing support, something (as a consultant) I feel is quite rare these days. My team leader is amazing and always there with words of encouragement when they are needed.
So really, I guess it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when I received a Birthday card from such a wonderful company but for some reason it did. I think it was the fact that the card had been personally written on rather than a pre-printed version automatically popped in the post, a very nice touch that made me feel somewhat special.
The front of the card had a picture of a piece of cake that looked delicious. And the best part, the recipe was on the inside .
So here it is my friends, I hope you feel special when you enjoy a slice of this with someone you love!
caramel mud cake with toffee cream (recipe from Thermomix Birthday Card – May 2011)
makes 1 x 23cm cake
Ingredients
Cake
200g unsalted butter, cubed
200g white chocolate, in pieces
200g dark brown sugar
150g hot water
50g golden syrup
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 eggs
140g plain flour
140g SR flour
berries and icing sugar, to serve
Preparation
Brush 23cm springform tin with some melted butter and completely cover outside of base with double layer of foil for waterproof. Set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 180°C and place large baking tray of water in bottom of oven.
Place butter, chocolate, sugar, water, golden syrup and vanilla into TM bowl. Cook for 5 minutes at 70°C, on speed 1. Cool slightly. Add eggs 1 at a time onto rotating blades, beating each in for 10 seconds on speed 6. Add flours to TM bowl and set dial to closed lid position. Incorporate gently for 20 seconds on interval speed.
Pour into prepared pan, then place into baking dish of water. Reduce temperature of oven to 170°C and cook for 50 minutes to an hour until set in the centre.
Allow to cool before un-moulding. Serve with toffee cream and raspberries.
Toffee Cream
50g unsalted butter
100g cream + 400g cream
100g dark sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Place butter, 100g cream, sugar and vanilla into TM bowl and cook for 5 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 2 with MC off. Pour out of TM and cool completely (it will partially set).
Insert butterfly into TM bowl and return toffee mixture to TM bowl. Add remaining cream and whip together for 10-20 seconds on speed 4 until cream holds still peaks. Either spread over cake with palette knife or serve on the side.
My tips/alterations: *I cooked this for 1 hour to make sure that it was set but this will vary depending on your oven. *This cake is dairy free. You can switch out the toffee cream and the whole thing would be dairy free.
ease: 8/10. The most difficult part was getting it into the tray of water in the oven!
prep time: 15mins.
cooking time: 55-60mins
total: 1 hour 15 mins
taste: 9/10. This was an amazing cake. Dense – like every mud cake should be, Sweet – without being over the top, Sophisticated – I would make this for guests, anytime! The caramel flavour was stunning. I found the cream a little too sweet but others loved it, so I think that is personal preference.
would I make it again: Absolutely! I’m just waiting for that special occasion and someone to spoil!
I have always found it quite fascinating how our taste buds change over the years. And I have often wondered, is it because of age, because we experience different things or simply because we are more open to trying something new?
No matter what the reason, it means we can often find ourselves enjoying flavours we never expected to. For me, one of these is rhubarb.
Like many, as a child I found this fruit to be stringy in texture, tart in flavour and somewhat challenging to eat, therefore generally avoiding it. I’m not sure when I started to enjoy it. I think it was when I cooked it for myself and added lots of sugar while stewing it to a pulp .
Funnily enough, now I like it lightly stewed with honey or raw sugar in preference to the mountain of white sugar that I used to add. Oh how one’s taste buds have changed!
When I saw the first rhubarb of the season at my local fruit and veg markets I was so excited I had to buy some. Unfortunately, life was really busy and I was unable to pay it the attention it deserved. By the time I found it unintentionally hidden into the back of the fridge it needed some TLC. And although I am a lover of classic flavour combinations, I didn’t want to make anything that used apple and rhubarb together. I wanted something a little different and somewhat special. Fortunately I found a great recipe that I could tweak a little to make into my own. Even better, I could save more time because I could use ‘Hermie’! (For non-thermomix method see “My tips/alterations” below)
strawberry & rhubarb crumble (recipe adapted by Fiona at Food 4 Thought, original from Thermomix Customer Newsletter – August 2010)
serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
Zest and juice 1 lemon
400g rhubarb roughly chopped
120g raw sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
5 – 10g cornflour
250 – 300g strawberries, hulled and sliced
100g light brown sugar
100g toasted hazelnuts, skins removed
120g butter, room temperature
70g rolled oats
70g plain flour
Preparation
Pre-heat oven to 200ºC.
Place rind and raw sugar into Thermomix (TM) bowl and grate for 5-10 seconds on speed 8. Scrap down bowl and repeat if necessary.
Add juice, rhubarb, raw sugar and vanilla into TM bowl and cook for 12 minutes at 80ºC on Reverse + speed 1.
Pour mixture into rice basket and allow juice to drain off. Set rhubarb aside in baking dish. Return juice to TM bowl and add cornflour. Cook for 4 minutes at 90ºC on speed 3. Pour thickened juice over rhubarb and top with sliced strawberries.
Place remaining ingredients into clean dry TM bowl and with dial set to closed lid position, press Turbo button 2-3 times until crumble mixture forms. Sprinkle on top of rhubarb and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes until fruit is bubbly and fragrant.
Serve warm with plenty of whipped cream and/or ice cream.
My tips/alterations: *I like the sauce in my crumble to be thick therefore I added the cornflour, however you can skip this step. *You can use any nuts you like; I would also try macadamia or pecan nuts. *Adjust the amount of cornflour depending on the liquid. *You can make this recipe without a TM you would need to simmer the rhubarb and thicken the juice on the stove first and make the crumble mixture in a food processor. *I served this with custard from the EDC.
ease: 9/10. The easiest crumble I’ve ever made.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 47mins 17 for TM and 30 in oven
total: 57 mins
taste: 9.5/10. This is simply delicious. G rated this as the best dessert I’ve ever made. The topping is the best crumble topping I’ve ever tasted and will be the basis for all my crumble topping from now on. I loved the combination of rhubarb and strawberry, so grown up.
would I make it again: Absolutely! and especially using the TM. Being able to cook rhubarb while walking the door is a blessing.
Like many other households, winter tends to be the time of year when comfort food hits our table. Dishes like curry, pasta, casserole and all those heart warming things that make you feel snug when it is cold outside. And while I love all that winter brings at times I can’t help but feel somewhat weighed down and longing for a little warmer weather.
However, one of my favourite things about the cooler months is the citrus season. G’s Mum has several lemon trees and a gorgeous lime tree too. More often than not, I am the fortunate recipient of the luscious fruit that the trees produce and finding ways to use them is a lot of fun!
I have been making lemon curd for many years and it is one of my favourite things to make to use an abundance of fruit. Normally I would grate the zest by hand, sieve the eggs and add the lemon juice and sugar. Then I would stand at the stove for twenty minutes stirring the mixture until it reached the desired consistency. Although I really wanted to make it this year I didn’t want to it the traditional way because I simply didn’t have the time.
After looking at a few different methods I decided to put my faith into “Hermie” (our trusted Thermomix). The recipe almost looked too simple. The result of me contributing five minutes of my precious time and Hermie doing the rest was an amazingly rich, creamy, tangy curd with a bright yellow hue that reminded me of summertime and the warmer weather to come!
lemon curd (recipe from “My Way of Cooking” Cookbook by Thermomix)
makes approx 600ml
Ingredients
240g (1 cup/8 ozs) sugar
lemon peel of 2 organic lemons
125g (1 stick/4 ozs) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 x 60g eggs
150g (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) freshly squeezed lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
Preparation
Place sugar into TM bowl, mill for 15 seconds on speed 10.
Add lemon peel, mill for 20 seconds on speed 10.
Scrape down jug, add butter, eggs and lemon juice. Cook for 20 minutes at 90°C on speed 2, without measuring cup.
Insert measuring cup and mix for 25 seconds at speed 6. Pour into 2 hot washed jam jars with twist-off lids and close immediately. Cool completely before storing in the fridge.
My tips/alterations: *I used Meyer lemons which gave this a fantastic yellow colour. *I used sterilised jars to ensure these would keep as long as possible. *I love to make mini tart cases and fill them with lemon curd for a quick dessert. * This can be served on wholemeal toast for breakfast.
ease: 9/10. The hardest part is peeling the lemons.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 21mins
total: 31 mins + cooling time.
taste: 8/10 – This was a well balanced curd with a fantastic colour. The consistency was lovely and thick just like my traditional method version.
would I make it again: Absolutely. When the season brings you lemons, make lemon curd!
Even after many years of cooking, gaining valuable experience and improving my technical skills I have never been able to cook a light and fluffy pancake. Don’t ask me why. Maybe it’s the recipes I have chosen in the past or the ingredients I have paired together OR maybe it is simply because I wasn’t using a Thermomix . I’m not sure, I just know that I‘ve never quite got it right.
That is, until today!
We have wanted to make pancakes for breakfast for a few weeks now and given the cold weather this morning it seemed like the ideal day. I decided to trust my fate in an internet search for the perfect pancake using the Thermomix. The Thermomix Forum popped up with (what appeared to be) a great result. I got started straight away so that I had time to allow it to stand for the suggested 30 minutes.
I returned to find my mixture had thickened considerably so I added a little more milk to encourage it to pour more freely. I initiated “Project Pancake” by anointing my preheated pan with butter and pouring over a layer of the mixture. After a minute or so, I had lots of bubbles forming in the batter. “Brilliant” I thought. Bubbles mean light and fluffy pancakes, just what we really wanted for breakfast. I encouraged the edges to release from the pan then flipped it over to discover a gorgeously crisp crust. A few minutes on the other side firmed up the centre sufficiently and created a golden disc. Two seconds after it hit the plate, the pancake was doused with maple syrup and devoured by two delighted and astonished diners. More were made and all were eaten………..rather quickly.
I couldn’t believe how light these were, although they were really filling at the same time. These will definitely become a winter breakfast favourite in our house!
rara’s pancakes (recipe by Maddy, posted on Forum Thermomix)
makes approx 10 large (20cm/8 inch) pancakes – 1.25 l of batter
Ingredients
50g (¼ cup/2 ozs) unsalted butter – cubed
350g (¾ lb) self raising flour
60g (¼ cup/2 ozs) caster sugar
2 eggs
500g (2 cups) milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
to serve
maple syrup, blueberries and whipped cream
Preparation
Place chopped butter in Thermomix jug. Melt for 2 minutes, 50°c, speed 1.
Add in the remaining ingredients, and mix for 30 seconds, speed 5.
Scrape down jug, and mix a further 30 seconds, speed 5-6.
Let the batter stand for at least 30 minutes.
Brush non-stick pan with melted butter and cook on medium-low heat. Wait until mixture bubbles, then turn over. Cook for 1-2 minutes until pancake feels spongy but does not dent when pressed gently.
Repeat with remaining mixture. Keep pancakes in a warm oven until ready to serve.
My tips/alterations: *I let my mixture stand for approx 1 – 1 ½ hours and used approx 600g of milk as I felt the batter was too thick. *Just use a small amount of butter on the pan as that is all you need. *If you have left over mixture simply refrigerate it and just cook it the next day. *You could make this in a blender I think but I am not sure that you will get the same quantity of air throughout the mixture.
 
ease: 9/10. Almost child’s play!
prep time: 5mins + standing time.
cooking time: 30mins
total: 35 mins + standing time.
taste: 9/10 – These were light and fluffy but had sufficient density that made them very satisfying. They were just sweet enough to allow them to be (almost) drowned in maple syrup without feeling like you were heading for a sugar high.
would I make it again: Absolutely. These will definitely be a favourite winter breakfast in our house!
Spending time with friends is something that I love to do. And when they happen to be a fellow foodie it is an extra bonus for me because they tend to feel the same way I do when I talk about food and cooking. I get so exhilarated, almost like a “kid in a candy store”. My eyes get a little wider, I can’t wipe the smile off my face and when I speak the words tend to come out quicker than normal due to pure excitement. All of this could potentially be a little off putting, however I am fortunate that my friends understand I am driven by passion. :)
My dear friend Julia came over last weekend to make tarte tatin. We had been discussing the difficulties of making caramel and wanted to try and perfect it for this simply yet potentially challenging dessert.
Both Jules and I have electric cooktops which means that the heat is not as consistent as a gas or induction appliance. While I am not one to blame my equipment, it does seem to be a common denominator for use both when it comes to caramel making failures. Using an electric cooktop seems to bring about a significant challenge when trying to make caramel using sugar and butter, as the sugar tends to clump and burn rather than actually dissolve. The only success I have ever had is to make caramel using sugar and water in the way described below. And while not traditional it works for me.
Sometimes cooking has to be that way…..do what works for you!
banana and rosemary tarte tatin (original recipe by Nico Moretti “Food for Friends” adapted by Fiona at Food 4 Thought)
makes one 20cm (8 inch) tart
Ingredients
120g (½ cup/4 ¼ ozs) caster sugar
60ml (¼ cup) water
30g (1 oz) unsalted butter, diced
2-3 large bananas, (not too ripe), sliced
2 teaspoons rosemary leaves
1 sheet of puff pastry
to serve
double cream or vanilla ice-cream
Preparation
Preheat fan-forced oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5). Take a 20cm non-stick frying pan and invert it onto sheet of puff pastry. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to create a circle the size of the top of the frying-pan (this should be bigger than the base). Place the pastry into the fridge until required.
Place a medium size heavy based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the sugar and water, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Make sure you have a cup of recently boiled water and a pastry brush handy to wash down the sides of the pot, this will prevent crystals forming. Continue to boil until it begins to colour. Swirl the pan (do not stir) to ensure even cooking. Continue to cook and swirl until dark amber in colour (this will take about 5 minutes), remove from heat and add the butter. Stir to combine. Once combined, immediately pour into frying pan (make sure the pan can also go into the oven).
Place banana slices in a single layer on top of caramel. Lay the pastry on top of bananas. It should hang over the edge. Using the edge of a spoon, tuck in the extra pastry like you would tuck in a blanket. This creates a seal around the bananas and caramel.
Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven, and carefully invert onto a serving plate or board. Serve with cream or ice-cream.
My tips/alterations: *When making caramel be sure not to stir it once the sugar has dissolved as this can cause the sugar to crystallise. The best method is to swirl the pan. *It can be a good idea to have a sink filled with cold water, if you feel the caramel is getting too dark remove it from the heat and place the base of the pan into the water. It will splutter a little but this will stop the cooking process almost instantly. *Always ensure you wear protective clothing (long sleeves, apron, shoes, etc) when making caramel as it gets very hot and sticky and will burn very quickly. If you do happen to splash some onto your skin run it under cold water immediately. *When making a tarte tatin it is important to tuck the pastry in as this contains the caramel as the base (that becomes the top when turned out). *We used an organic puff pastry that Jules found in the supermarket, no nasty additives and it definitely had the crunch factor.
ease: 7.5/10. Like anything, the more you make this the easier it gets.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 30mins
total: 40 mins
taste: 7.5/10 from the man of the house, 7/10 from Julia and 7.5/10 from me. We tried this after we had taken these photos and we agreed it is best served immediately, with vanilla ice cream (which we didn’t have). The flavours worked well together, the banana was soft and sweet from the caramel and the pastry crunchy. All the things you want in a good tarte tatin.
Jules also thought it would work well with the classic apple, pear and also mango.
would I make it again: Maybe. This is not a dessert I cook often, however the simplicity of it (and knowing that I can do the caramel) has suddenly made it more attractive.
Cooking with good quality seasonal produce is something that every great chef will attest to being one of the things that makes for a wonderful dish. I love trying to find different ways of using things when they are in season. I also have a passion for baking cakes and slices and my favourite course of any meal (to create) would have to be dessert.
I have wanted to make this dish ever since I read the recipe about four months ago. Given the strawberry season has almost ceased I think I can say that I made it by the “skin of my teeth”.
In all cooking there are certain ingredients that you expect to see together, tomato & mozzarella, lamb & rosemary and peaches & cream for example. And while combining strawberry with citrus is not necessarily a natural paring that would spring to mind it does work very well. This tart is a fine example of a marriage made in heaven.
strawberry and lemon tart (recipe from Dish Magazine, December 2010/January 2011 edition)
makes one 35cm (14 inch) x 10cm (4 inch) tart (use a tin with a removable base)
Ingredients
pastry
250g (½ pound) plain (all-purpose) flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup icing (confectioners) sugar
150g (1¼ sticks) butter, diced and chilled
1 egg
filling
1 large juicy lemon
½ an orange
1¼ cups caster (superfine) sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
½ cup melted butter, cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
to finish
250g (½ pound) strawberries
icing (confectioners) sugar for dusting
Preparation
Pastry: Put the flour, salt, icing sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse to coarse crumbs. Add the egg and pulse again until the dough starts to come together. Tip onto the bench and gently bring the dough together with your hands. Form into a disc, wrap and chill until firm.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Roll pastry out on a lightly floured bench and line the tart tin. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
Bake the tart blind for 20 minutes, then remove the baking weights and paper. Reduce the heat to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3) and bake for a further 5 minutes. Cool.
Filling: Cut the lemon into wedges and the orange into quarters, remove the pips. Chop the fruit roughly and place into food processor with the sugar. Process until the fruit is finely chopped then tip into a bowl. Put the cornflour in a small bowl and stir in a ¼ cup of the fruit mixture until smooth. Tip back into the bowl and add the remaining ingredients, gently whisking to combine. (Don’t whisk too much as you do not want a lot of bubbles in the mixture).
Pour into the tart case and bake for 25 minutes until the filling is just firm and the top is lightly browned. Cool.
To serve: Halve or quarter the strawberries and pile on top of the tart. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
My tips/alterations: *Use 300g of good quality purchased sweet short crust pastry if you don’t want to make your own. *Blind baking is when you line a pre-prepared case with baking paper and fill it with weights or dried beans. The beans support the pastry as it cooks. Bake in a preheated 190°C (375°F/Gas 3) – 200°C (400°F/Gas 6) oven for up to 20 minutes before removing the paper and weights. The shell should have taken form. Return to the oven for time specified in recipe.
ease: 7.5/10. I used careme vanilla bean sweet shortcrust pastry because I had some in the fridge.
prep time: 20mins plus chilling and cooling.
cooking time: 50mins plus cooling
total: 1 hour 10 mins plus chilling and cooling
taste: 6.5/10. From the man of the house, who didn’t really enjoy the texture of the filling. It wasn’t smooth like lemon curd, rather you knew there was blitzed up whole fruit in there. 7.5/10 From me. I didn’t mind the texture and really enjoyed the flavour combination.
would I make it again: Yes. Normally with a score like this I wouldn’t bother making it again. However, since baking this I have purchased my Thermomix and knowing what it can do I am sure I can get a very smooth consistency for the filling by using it to whiz everything up. It is so much easier than making lemon curd filling!
Besides it gives me another excuse to eat strawberry and lemon tart and that is always a good thing
As mentioned in previous posts, eating a healthy breakfast is important to both G & I. In winter we usually enjoy a bowl of porridge and in the warmer months we both like some kind of cereal. I’ve been making quite a bit of bircher recently but G wanted a change. Normally we would just go for a store bought option but lately we have been reading the labels and have not really been happy with any of the options.
Because breakfast has always been something that I enjoy to eat I don’t mind having quite a big meal early in the day. So I decided to make us some toasted muesli. I would never buy toasted muesli because of the fat content and I actually don’t really like untoasted muesli because it has that raw oat taste that makes me feel like I’m chewing on a spoonful of flour.
I have made this recipe several times over the years and have adapted it along the way. This is my favourite version so far.
cranberry and almond toasted muesli (original recipe by Bill Granger adapted by Fiona at Food 4 Thought)
makes approximately 6 ½ cups
Ingredients
300g (3 cups) rolled oats
125ml (½ cup) apple juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
80g (½ cup) raw almonds
65g (½ cup) sunflower seeds
80g (½ cup) pumpkin seeds
40g (¼ cup) sesame seeds
80g (½ cup) raw cashews
80g (½ cup) sultanas
80g (½ cup) dried cranberries
raspberry swirl yoghurt
½ cup raspberry
1 cup plain yoghurt
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F/Gas 2-3). Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Place all the ingredients, except for the sultanas and dried cranberries, in a large bowl and stir well to combine. Spread the mixture evenly over the baking tray and place in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly browned.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool then add the sultanas and dried cranberries.
Serve with the raspberry swirl yoghurt and milk.
My tips/alterations: *I switched the ingredients a little from the original recipe by removing the coconut and dried blueberries and adding the cashew nuts, sultanas and dried cranberries. You can add fresh seasonal fruit when you serve it if you like. *You can make this gluten-free by substituting the oats with your favourite ingredient.
ease: 9/10. One of the simplest breakfasts I ever made.
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 30mins plus cooling
total: 40 mins plus cooling
taste: 9/10. This muesli is delicious. It has lots of textural and flavour differences because of the range of ingredients. I also love the fact that it is so healthy in comparison to many of the pre-packaged brands. For us this is definitely a breakfast winner.
would I make it again: Yes this will become our alternate when we need a break from bircher.
|
