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Simple pizza dough
We make pizza fairly often at our place – with teenaged boys in the house, it’s a real crowd pleaser. However, pizza, like pasta, presents challenges when one member of the household is a coeliac and needs to have a strict gluten free diet. Most of the meals I cook work for the whole family and a gluten dinner for all is the norm. But pizza and pasta – not so much. There’s a fabulous locally made gluten free pizza base that my son eats and when we have pasta I just make two pots of pasta and divide the sauce between them, mainly because gluten free pasta is so expensive we’d all be eating baked beans for the rest of the week if the whole family ate it! I wanted to learn to make my own pizza bases, starting with a regular dough (having failed miserably at all attempts to make a gluten free bread, I’m leaving a gf pizza base to another time) and I think this one is pretty good. It makes two good sized pizzas, and with a salad, an excellent Saturday night dinner. I love potato and rosemary as a pizza topping – it’s really pared back, and more what a real Italian pizza is meant to be like. If, however, your taste runs to super supreme, or even ham and pineapple, this dough will also be great. Suggested music to knead by – Vivaldi’s “Spring” from The Four Seasons, or a bit of Michael Buble, if you like to sing and cook. Makes 2 pizza bases 400 g strong , unbleached flour 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons yeast 1 cup warm water 3 tablespoons olive oil In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt and yeast. Make a well in the centre and add the warm water and olive oil. Take off your rings, put down the spoon and use your fingers to mix the ingredients to a soft dough. It will be all over your fingers, but not for long. With your other hand scatter about a tablespoon of flour onto a clean bench top and scrape all the dough onto the bench. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, adding little bits more of flour if it is too sticky. It should end up being quite soft and elastic. Put the dough into a clean bowl that you have swirled a little olive oil onto the base and sides (no more than a couple of teaspoons), cover with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for about 30 minutes, when it will have about doubled in size. Turn the dough out onto the bench, again scattered with a little flour. Divide into two pieces and roll out into a rough circle – it does not need to be perfect – life’s too short. Place on a tray and top with your favourite toppings. Cook in a very hot oven for about 10 minutes and eat right away. My friend Toss has a wood-fired pizza oven, and if you do too, cook your pizza however long it takes to be just right – it will take less time because of the heat of the oven.
Chicken with ginger and star anise
This dish is full of bright, clean flavours – chilli, ginger, and coriander – but it also has complexity and depth because of the subtle aniseed flavour and caramel overtones in the broth. We love the textures and flavours at our place, especially the slurpability of the noodles, the crunchy fried shallots and the tenderness of the gently poached chicken. It’s so good for you it almost feels medicinal to eat this. On a rainy, miserable Sunday it certainly lifted our spirits. Serves 4 500g chicken breast tenderloins (this should be 8 tenderloins) 1 L chicken stock (use home made or good quality liquid stock. Don’t use stock cubes, because their flavour is too salty and artificial) 2 whole star anise 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 whole red chilli, deseeded, and finely shredded 3 cm long knob fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned 2 shallots, finely sliced on an angle 1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped 50g fried shallots 200g sugar snap or snow peas 400g udon noodles Bring the chicken stock, soy sauce, 1/2 the chilli, the ginger, shallots and star anise to a simmer in a large pan. The liquid should be about 3 cm deep. Place the chicken pieces in the pan and simmer gently for three minutes. Meanwhile, place the noodles in a mediun sized glass bowl and pour enough boiling water over the noodles to cover them. Let the noodles sit for 3 minutes in the water and then drain well. Turn the chicken pieces over and add the peas to the broth. Cook for another three minutes. To serve, divide the noodles into 4 deep bowls, and then place the tenderloins on top of the noodles. If you like you can slice the chicken on an angle into pieces first. Carefully ladle the broth over the chicken and noodles, making sure everyone gets their just serve of peas and the yummy ginger, fresh shallots and chilli. Sprinkle over the fresh coriander, fried shallots and the remainder of the chilli and serve at once. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Eggplant with crunchy parmesan and herbs
Eggplants are a favourite of mine and I find their deep, shiny colour, complex flavour and silky texture quite compelling. For two summers I have grown eggplants in my vegetable patch and they have yielded sensationally. The fruit of the variety I grow is generally long and slender, although sometimes a big, round eggplant appears. They are not at all bitter so preparing and cooking them is very simple. Topped with breadcrumbs, herbs, olive oil, garlic and parmesan, they make a great starter or component of an antipasto selection. You could make this recipe with the typical rounder eggplant variety. Just slice horizontally and then pile on the topping. Serves 4 as a starter 6 long slender eggplants (aubergine) 2 slices ciabatta 40g paremsan cheese 1 clove garlic 2 tablespoons finely chopped herbs (basil, flat leaf parsley and chives work well) 2 tablespoon olive oil sea salt and black pepper Preheat oven to 170 C. Put the bread, parmesan, garlic, herbs and 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a food processor and process until you have fine, pale green breadcrumbs. Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise and lay onto a baking tray lined with silicon paper. Pile spoonfuls of the breadcrumb mix onto the cut surface of the eggplant and press gently to help the breadcrumbs stick. Drizzle over the other tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle over a good grind of black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden and the eggplant flesh soft and silky. Serve hot or warm. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Sticky roasted plums
Each year we travel to the small country town of Stanthorpe to celebrate the New Year with our dear friends Ewen and Elissa. They own a vineyard and winery and our time there is spent eating beautiful food and drinking their wonderful wines, laughing at anything and everything and talking about the things that really matter. The area where they live is also well known for its orchards of plums, nectarines, cherries and peaches and they are blessed with generous neighbours who provide them with boxes of fruit from their trees each summer. These sticky baked plums are gently roasted in the oven after being drenched in a simple mixture of brown sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. They are soft and tart-sweet and their juices are a stunning deep ruby red. We ate them for dessert on New Year’s Day with toasted panettone and greek yoghurt, as we sat on the verandah overlooking the vines. Bliss! Serves 6 1 kg plums 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup soft brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla paste Preheat oven to 150 C. Carefully cut the plums in half and remove the stones. Place the plums, cut side up, in a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Mix together the lemon juice, brown sugar and vanilla paste and pour over the plums. Place in the oven and bake for 20 – 30 minutes, or until the plums are soft and the pan juices syrupy. Serve them warm or cool. They taste great with greek yoghurt and toasted brioche or panettone. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Pikelets and memories
The first recipe I ever cooked was pikelets*. I was about ten and eager to help out in the kitchen, sensing even then that the kitchen was where all the action was. My mother was a good, plain cook; hospitable and always concerned that there might not be enough food to feed her guests. Her hand written recipe book had two recipes for pikelets, but the one from her friend Shirley was always the one she made. I can remember still the thrill of making them ‘all by myself’ and the happiness I felt when my family ate them all up. That was the beginning of my cooking journey – cooking for the love of food and the people I love. My mother died last year and as I was going through her things I found that old recipe book. A flood of warm memories washed over me when I turned the faded pages; both of cooking these old fashioned recipes and of my gracious and lovely mother. Next time you are preparing afternoon tea, why not make these pikelets. They are best served warm with jam and a dollop of cream and a cup of tea (in a cup and saucer, not a mug!) And if you have a daughter or a son, get them to make them with you. Makes about 24 pikelets 2 eggs 1/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour 1 cup of milk jam and cream, to serve Put the eggs, sugar, flour and milk into a large bowl and whisk together until well combined and you have a fairly thick batter. Heat a flat frying pan on a medium heat (my mother always used her Sunbeam electric frying pan, and I do too). Put in a little butter and then drop tablespoonfuls of mixture into the pan. Hint: if you drop the mixture off the side of the spoon the pikelets will be oval shaped; off the tip of the spoon will give perfect circles. When bubbles appear on the surface, carefully flip them over and cook for a minute more before taking out of the pan. To keep the cooked pikelets warm, wrap in a tea towel while you cook the remainder of the batter. *For those outside of Australia and New Zealand pikelets are most likely unknown. They are actually similar to pancakes, although much smaller (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm across) In Scotland they are sometimes called drop scones. Not eaten at breakfast, only for morning or afternoon tea. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Poached apricots with vanilla and star anise
Apricots are just amazing when they are gently poached; so much better than eating them fresh. They are sweet and juicy and tangy and speak to me of summer. I poached these apricots in a simple sugar syrup with vanilla, a strip of lemon rind and a star anise, flavours that go really well with the apricots. You can eat these warm or cool; for breakfast, brunch or dessert; with cream, thick yoghurt sweetened with honey, or with ice cream; on top of your meusli, or just on their own. Serves 4 750g fresh apricots 1/2 cup raw caster sugar 1 cup water 1 vanilla bean 1 star anise a strip of lemon peel (be careful to just use the peel, and none of the bitter pith) In a wide based pan place the sugar, water and star anise. Carefully split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds and then add the seeds and the vanilla bean to the other ingredients in the pan. Heat over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Wash and then cut the apricots in halves. Carefully prise out the seeds and then place the apricots in a single layer in the pan. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer and cook the apricots for about 5 – 6 minutes until they are soft but still hold their shape. Be careful to keep a close eye while they are cooking otherwise you’ll end up with apricot schmoosh. Leave the lemon rind, vanilla bean and star anise in the pan with the apricots while they cool as the flavours will continue to develop and become more intense. Eat them warm or cool. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Sticky Asian lamb
Sticky, sweet and spicy lamb cutlets, with a slightly astringent dipping sauce is a perfect starter for a dinner with friends – good friends, who don’t mind slurping and eating with their fingers to get every last morsel off the bone. It tastes best if the lamb can be marinated for several hours, or even overnight, to really let the flavours sing, but otherwise it’s simplicity itself to prepare and cook and returns significant benefit for a small investment of time and effort. This recipe took its inspiration from Australian chef Matt Moran. Serves 4 – 6 1 kg lamb cutlets lime cheeks, to serve Marinade: 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 1 tablespoon fish sauce 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 tablespoons tamarind paste (available at supermarkets and Asian groceries) 2 teaspoons sambal olek 1 teaspoon ground coriander 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 spring onions, finely chopped 2 tablespoons lime juice Dipping sauce: 2-3 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1 tablsepoon brown sugar 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 small garlic clove, very finely chopped 1 long red chilli, de-seeded, and finely chopped To make the marinade, place all the ingredients in a small food processor and process until a fairly smooth paste. You could also use a stick blender for this task. Coat the lamb cutlets with the marinade (use your hands) and then cover with cling wrap and put in the fridge for several hours or overnight. To make the dipping sauce combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well to ensure the sugar dissolves. Check for seasoning and add a little more lime juice or fish sauce if necessary to balance the flavours. It should taste neither too salty or sweet, and have just enough warmth from the chilli to cut through the richness of the meat. Just before you are ready to serve, heat a grill pan or a BBQ to a medium heat and cook the chops for 2 – 3 minutes each side, turning once. Rest the lamb for a couple of minutes and then serve with the dipping sauce and lime cheeks (and napkins). Wine choice: A cabernet sauvignon is a good match for the slightly sweet and spicy lamb.
Ricotta and tomato tart
The beauty of late summer, aside from a welcome relief from constant humidity and long, hot, sweaty nights, is the abundance of tomatoes that ripen almost before our eyes. There are a great variety of tomatoes available now – yellow pear tomatoes, vine ripened red tomatoes, green heritage varieties, cherry tomatoes and luscious roma tomatoes. I have used a number of varieties in this tart that brings together crisp pastry, creamy, herbed ricotta and gently roasted tomatoes. It’s a delicious light lunch for four served with a green salad and some chewy bread. I like to pile the top of the tart with fresh basil leaves as I serve it, warm rather than piping hot. I have so much basil this time of the year, it doesn’t even feel like a luxurious thing to do this. 1 1/2 sheets of frozen butter puff pastry 250 g soft ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, finely chopped (any combination of chives, parsley, oregano, basil and thyme that you have to hand) 40 g finely grated parmesan cheese sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 large, ripe red tomatoes, or 250 -300 g mixed tomatoes a handful of fresh basil, to serve Preheat oven to 200 C. In a medium bowl mix together the ricotta, fresh herbs, and parmesan, and season well with salt and pepper. Place the full sheet of pastry on a sheet of silicon baking paper on a flat baking tray. Cut the half sheet of pastry into 4 strips and place around the edges of the full sheet of pastry, pressing down lightly to join them together. Use a sharp knife to make some decorative diagonal marks on the pastry edges. Carefully spread the ricotta filling onto the pastry, right up to the edges. Thickly slice the tomatoes, or if using a mixture of tomatoes slice small ones lengthwise and round tomatoes into slices and place all over the ricotta filling, quite close together. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the ricotta filling lightly browning around the edges. serve warm with a salad and fresh, crusty bread. Printable version: Ricotta and tomato tart
Flatbread with smoked olives, brie and prosciutto
Flatbreads have ancient origins, with the simplest and earliest forms just a mixture of some sort of flour, water, and sometimes salt, kneaded together, patted flat and fried over a fire. I love flatbreads, and have a weakness for chapatis, toasted pita bread, and tortillas. I’ve tried lots of recipes and this one is my absolute favourite – inspired a little from a Jamie Oliver recipe, and a little from the back of an Atta flour packet. It uses a couple of raising agents, so it isn’t a true flatbread, but the end result is very light in texture and the bread soft and almost fluffy. There is also a delicate sourness that comes from the yoghurt, and that’s what I like most about it. Paired with delicious smoked olives, soft and creamy brie and some salty prosciutto, it makes a perfect starter or pre-dinner snack. The flatbread can also be used to mop up a curry, smear with hummus or tzatziki, roll around a spicy meatball with tabbouleh, or serve as a base for a one person sort-of-pizza. They freeze well, too, so can be kept on standby for after-school teenager’s snacks. Makes 12 500g self-raising flour, plus a little extra 3 teaspoons sea salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 500g greek yoghurt 1 tablespoon butter, melted Smoked Sicilian olives, brie and thinly sliced prosciutto, to serve In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder and yoghurt and bring together to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a board or bench top which is lightly dusted with the extra flour and knead lightly. Form into a ball and then cut into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and then roll out flat with a rolling pin to form a rough circle, about 10cm in diameter. Heat a heavy based griddle pan until quite hot. Don’t add any oil to the pan. The flatbread will not stick as long as you don’t try to turn it too early. Cook the flatbreads on the griddle, turning once after a minute or so, or when there are nicely browned marks from the ridges of the pan all across the surface of the bread. As you take each flatbread out of the pan, brush one side with a little of the melted butter. Keep warm while you cook all the flatbreads and then serve. Printable version Flatbread with smoked olives, brie and prosciutto
Honey glazed carrots
This recipe exemplifies what I mean when I talk about simple food. Only the lightest touch of cooking is given to these sweet little Dutch carrots, but that is all that is needed. Naturally delicate, Dutch carrots are just beautiful when steamed until tender and then glazed with butter and a drizzle of honey. It’s worth the time it takes to very thinly peel the carrots and carefully trim them. I love the just-pulled-from-the-ground look they have with the little green tops still attached. After we took these photos, we scoffed the lot just on their own, but they are a wonderful accompaniment to a Sunday roast, or as a side dish with an evening meal. You can cook everyday carrots this way too, but you should try the Dutch carrots next time you see them at the fruit and vegetable shop. I am sure that any under ten year old in your life will be entranced by them, if they can snatch them away from the grown-ups! Serves 4 500g Dutch carrots (3 medium sized bunches) 1 tablespoon butter 2 teaspoons honey sea salt Trim the tops off the carrots, leaving about 2.5 cm (1 inch) remaining. Either wash well, or very thinly peel the carrots. Pay careful attention to getting any little bits of dirt out of the tops. Steam or cook in a microwave until just tender – about 3 – 4 minutes. Put the butter and honey in a medium-sized frying pan and heat until the butter begins to sizzle slightly. Carefully toss the carrots in the honey and butter until well coated and shiny. Tip onto a serving platter and drizzle over any glaze left in the pan. Season with the sea salt and serve. Posted by:mawarre I love to cook (and eat). Based in Brisbane, Australia, I write about the food I cook for my friends and family. Post navigation
Carrot cake – seventh time’s a charm
This classic – the carrot cake – is simple to make, full of sweetness, spices and walnuts, and covered with a glorious cream cheese icing. I’ve been making it since I was about twenty (a very long time) so why it took me seven goes to get it cooked and photographed and onto this blog is beyond me! If you want to read this sad and sorry tale of food blogging then head to the bottom of this post. Otherwise, forge ahead, make this toothsome concoction for your family, friends or workmates, and enjoy their smiles of satisfaction. Makes a 20 cm round cake, and serves 8 – 12 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed 1 lemon 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour (make it gluten free by substituting gluten free flour – it works well)) 1 teaspoon grated cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg pinch salt 2 cups grated carrot 1 cup chopped walnuts 2 eggs 3/4 cup canola oil 1 medium sized banana, mashed 250 g cream cheese 3/4 cup icing sugar Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease a 20 cm round cake tin and line the base with silicon paper. In a large mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, grated rind of the lemon, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, grated carrot and walnuts. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, oil and mashed banana and then combine with the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. Spoon into the cake tin and smooth the top. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a skewer, gently inserted into the middle of the cake and removed, comes out clean. Turn out of the cake tin and cool on a wire rack. When completely cold, ice with the cream cheese icing. Keeps for 3 days in an airtight container. To make the icing beat together the cream cheese, the juice of the lemon and the icing sugar, until thick and glossy. The cook, the cake, her blog and her disasters First attempt: Recipe testing – looks good, tastes good, family eats cake. Second attempt: Bake cake, ice cake, get ready to photograph cake, it rains, family eats cake. Third attempt: Bake cake, realise plain instead of self raising flour used, cake is actually pudding, family try to eat cake but can’t, dog eats cake. Fourth attempt: Bake cakes in muffin tin in hope of good result, forget they were in the oven, burn cakes, throw cakes away. Fifth attempt: Bake cake, cake sticks to bottom of tin, cake collapses, cook despairs, family eats cake. Sixth attempt: Bake cake, ice cake, take photos, bad photos, cook rages, family eats cake. Seventh time’s a charm: Bake cake, ice cake, take photos, photos OK, cook writes blog post, family eats cake, family vows not to eat carrot cake again.