Lussekatter - St Lucy Buns

December 13th is the feast day of St Lucia (St Lucy). St Lucy is my confirmation saint. It was also the day I was given my precious and precocious Lucy Cat by a good friend of mine. So in honour of all the Lucy’s I decided to bake some traditional feast day buns. Set aside a morning or an afternoon to make these – the dough needs time to raise, and it also takes time to shape them. (though you could just make them in normal bun shapes, but IMO they just wouldn’t be the same.)

These are called Lussekatter which translates to Lucy Cats ... I am not sure what connection St Lucy has with cats other than these delicious light saffron buns. Try one still warm from the oven – heaven!

Lussekatter
1 kg white flour (plain)
500ml milk
45-50 g yeast
a little white sugar
1 egg
2 g saffron
150 – 200 g butter
200 – 300 ml sugar

• Dry saffron in warm oven. Grind fine with a little sugar in a mortar and pestle
• Dissolve yeast in warm water with a little sugar & leave to activate
• Melt butter in a pot and pour in milk and warm to lukewarm
• Blend saffron into milk. (The groundsaffron can also be diluted in a little
• schnapps or cognac and poured into the milk mixture.)
• Pour liquid into mixing bowl and stir in flour, a little at a time, until a loose, thick,
• smooth batter forms
• Blend in the yeast, sugar, egg and then more flour, a little at a time
• Knead vigorously, adding flour as needed until the dough is smooth, thick and shiny
• and doesn’t stick to the bowl ... for the breadmakers out there – this will be a very soft moist dough – resist the urge to overflour it – keep kneading!
• Sprinkle top of dough with a little flour and place a clean dishcloth over the bowl and
• leave it in a warm place and let rise until double in size (can take up to an hour)
• Turn out onto board and break off pieces ofdough and roll with hands into 4 in. (10 cm) long and ! in. (1.5 cm) thick ‘ropes’ (note most of mine were that size, but I did make a small batch of larger ones as well - you can see one at the back of the plate - they will take a little longer to cook)
• Coil each end in, making a figure “S”.
• Place one “S" cross-wise on top of anotherand place on a greased baking sheet
• Press a raisin into the centre of each spiral
• Cover and let buns rise until about double in size (until they feel spongy when pressed lightly with finger)
• Gently brush a lightly beaten egg onto thebuns
• Bake at 375°F (190°C) The buns should have a nice golden brown colour and feel light when done (approximately 10 minutes)
• Place buns on a soft cloth, cover with aclean towel and let cool

recipe from: Ingrid Kroll, 2005. Recipe adapted from
Stora Kokboken: Hushållets Uppslagsbok i Alla Matfrågor. Wezäta Göteborgslitografen. Göteborg, 1945

Haupia - Christmas style :)

 Am just about to head out the door to a Christmas dinner with some of the neighbours. It's a pot-luck affair & I elected to bring dessert. Of course - what else would I bring lol? I racked my brains about what to bring and then decided to do a test run of the haupia for another friends Christmas party next week which has a Hawaiian theme. Haupia is a sort of set-custard made of coconut milk and is really quite delicious. I paired this with some tropical fruits, and some red-coloured dessicated coconut and came up with this fruit platter. I think I could have done a much better job with the presentation, but given this is the first time I have made haupia I think I did OK.

Haupia

4 cups of coconut milk (which is about 2 cans)
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cornflour

Combine the coconut milk and water. Stir till smooth, add in the sugar and cornflour. Cook over a low heat, stirring until it turns thick and shiny. (A bit like making a white sauce!) Pour into a clean baking tray and cool to room temperature, before chilling in the fridge. The haupia will set - it will be wobbly like a gelatin-based pudding but quite soft.

I then used cookie cutters to cut one of my haupia slices into christmas stars, and coated them with dessicated coconut and arranged some tropical fruits around it on the platter.

 

I even cut my kiwi fruit into little stars :)

 

Cucumbers - KOVÁSZOS UBORKA

SUCCESS!!! I did it - I made Hungarian fermented/pickled cucumbers - and they taste AMAZING. It's not just me saying that, either, an independent tester also found them yummy!

They were amazingly easy to make - and I can't wait to get my hands on some more baby cucumbers to make some more. These won't last long around here... we've already hooked into them this afternoon and at dinner time :D



The recipe is  from Zsuzsa and her wonderful blog at http://zsuzsaisinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/fermented-pickles-kovaszos-uborka.html

Burramundi with Oranges

This is a great way to cook fish because even if you do happen to leave it in the oven a tad long there is no way that it will become overdry. This particular version uses oranges and capers which sounds like an odd combination but works well. You could substitute lemons and dill, or lime with chilli and mint - or any other combination of citrus and herbs you can dream up! This version uses barramundi but you can use any firm fleshed fish.

Ingredients4 portions of barramundi
3 oranges finely sliced
3 tps capers whole

Method

Cut 4 sheets of baking paper - enough to envelope each portion. Place fish on the paper, top with the sliced  oranges and sprinkle the capers around. Wrap with the paper so that no steam will escape. Cook in a pre-heated 200 degree oven for about 20 minutes (depending on the size of your portions!). Serve with salad or steamed vegies :)

Carrot, cabbage, and feta salad

Carrot, cabbage, and feta salad

This is a quick crunchy salad that is easy to whip up, looks very colourful, and tastes great.

2 large carrots finely sliced
about the same amount of finely sliced red cabbage
1/4 to 1/3 block of feta
2 tsps honey
1 orange

Mix the carrot and cabbage in a bowl, crumble the feta over.
Drizzle the honey and then squeeze out the juice of the orange over the salad. Toss till combined & serve. A great addition to bbq's!!

Kluski

Pumpkin kluski with red cabbage

Kluski is a kind of generic name for dumplings or thick noodles in Polish. There are different types of kluski, but the ones my babcia and mum used to make most of the time were made of mashed potato and were oh-so-good.  Especially in soups, or just simply fried in a little butter the next day...

Babcia'sKluski
Peel 5 medium potatoes and cook in boiling salted water until tender. Mash them with a small amount of milk. While they are still warm mix in 1 egg, and enough flour from a cup of plain flour so that the dough comes together and is malleable and not sticky. The quantities of the flour will depend on how much moisture is in the potatoes, and even on the humidity of the room. Add it slowly until it comes together. Roll out thick snakes of the dough, cut pieces off, and shape them so they have a little indentation. Ok, I have to admit - I never shape them because I am lazy! But Babcias were always perfect and beautiful!

Cook in large pot of boiling salted water without crowding the kluski. As they float up to the surface remove with a slotted spoon. Serve them with soups, stews, fried with cabbage - or bacon, which was my mums favourite.!

My Pumpkin kluski
My version of kluski uses mashed pumpkin instead of potato - you need to add more flour, and usually another egg to get a good non-sticky dough. It is always softer and more sticky than the potato kluski. Instructions for making it are the same as for the potato. These are a little sweeter because of the pumpkin, and I find they go really well with red cabbage as a wonderful autum dish - the flavours work well, and the dish is just beautiful to look at!

Almás lepény

Almás lepény

Almás lepény is a Hungarian apple cake/pie. It is full of appley goodness! The apples for this version came straight from my dad's apple tree - and you can't get fresher than that. I'm not sure what the variety of apple is, but they were pinky-red rather than scarlet, sweet, and slightly tart. Use any sort of apples you want, as long as they are full of flavour! The pie/cake is light and a little bit moist, and will last a day or two - though it is best straight from the oven.

I've been wondering if I can use the same recipe with different fruits, like pears for instance ... will have to give it a go sometime...

Ingredients
200g plain flour
200g butter
4 eggs seperated
75g brown sugar
60g white sugar
500g diced apples (ours came direct from Dad's tree!)
2 apples sliced
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp baking powder

preheat oven to 200C or 400F

Method
Beat eggwhites and white sugar till stiff.

Mix melted butter, brown sugar, and egg yolks. Fold this into the eggwhites. Sift the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder in. Gently fold in the apples.

Pour into a pie dish. arrange apple slices on top. I then sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top, which is why it looks so brown in the pic - not overcooked I promise!

Bake for about 45mins or until a skewer comes out clean.

Serve hot or cold, with or without custard and/or cream.

Red Cabbage with Caraway

Cabbage with Caraway

I just love this - it is quick, easy, yummy, and good for you!! I usually have it with pumpkin kluski (a sort of gnocchi from Poland), and that combo is perfect for autumn - not only do you have the warm oranges and purples of autumn colours, but the flavours as well - and a good warming and filling dish.. It goes well with noodles or with meat. If you haven't had caraway try it - it is a lovely spice, no heat but with a lovely fragrant taste. :)



Ingredients
olive oil for frying
2 -3 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 small head of red cabbage sliced finely
2 onions sliced

Method
Heat oil over a medium heat, add caraway seeds and onion and cook till the onion is translucent.

Add cabbage and cook until the cabbage is soft but still firm. Serve!!

Variations
You can add a bit of butter for a bit more richness, or a splash of brandy for a bit of fruity sweetness - but the original is pretty good all by itself! Some people add a wee bit of sour cream right at the end, but I prefer it without myself :)

Cucumber & Onion Cream Salad

Since my mother died I haven't had the heart to make pierogi or golabki - they remind me too much of her. Today, though, after a long day in the garden and yard hanging lattices and pulling weeds I had a quick and easy salad dinner - fresh garden salad, some cold cuts, and this cucumber salad made the way that my mum used to make it. As you will see it is not an everyday salad - unless you are out working off mega-calories digging ditches - but it really is a yummy salad to add to your repertoire.And it is nowhere near as "heavy" as you might think - the interaction of the acidity of the onion really cuts through the cream.

Cucumber and Onion Cream Salad

oops ... who didn't wipe down the sides of the bowl before taking the picture?

2-3 cucumbers thinly sliced (mum used to peel them, but I never bother to do so)
1 large onion thinly sliced
fat-reduced light pouring cream - enough to just cover the cucumbers and onion.
Salt to taste. You could probably pepper it too if you like.
A fresh sprig of flat leaf parsley, chives, dill, or salad burnett to garnish

Mix together the cucumbers and onions in a bowl. Pour cream over until just covered. Leave in fridge for at least 1/2 hour - the longer you leave it the milder the onions will become as their acid infuses into the cream. I usually leave it for 1-2 hours & the onions are usually very mild by then. Sprinkle with any herbs you might like - I used salad burnett because it is thriving in my garden at the moment, and tastes of cucumber.

Will last in the fridge... actually I'm not sure, we usually eat it all up in one go!! But I do recall my mother saying that it will last a few days in the fridge.

Hungarian potato flatbread - KRUMPLIS LÁNGOS

KRUMPLIS LÁNGOS

Lángos is deep fried yeasted potato dough. It's delicious warm, rubbed with garlic, or topped with sweet chili sauce (though that is probably not a traditionally Hungarian version!) and spread with sour cream. It is also a great accompaniment to soups, stews, curries, or anything where you just want something to mop up the juices!

Lángos served here with sauteed capsicums and sour cream

1-3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup of  milk
1 tsp sugar
2 1/4 tsps dry yeast

mashed potatoes made from:
1 cup cooked potatoes
1/4 cup of milk
1-1/2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt




In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of warm milk, 1 tsp sugar and the yeast. Leave for 15 minutes until frothy.

In the meantime make the mashed potatoes (cook potatoes, drain, add in milk, butter & salt, and mash).
Spread out thinly in the bottom of a bowl to cool. When cool add the flour and the yeast mixture and combine to a soft dough. Knead until elastic.

Cover and let rise for 1/2 hour. Punch down, knead lightly, cover, and let rise for another 1?2 hour.

Shape into 16 balls. Flatten and roll the balls into flat round shapes.

In a large pot heat 2 inches of vegetable oil. Carefully lower a flat bread or two (depending on size of pan) into the frying oil and fry until both sides are golden - should not take too long if the oil is hot enough. (If oil is too hot it will colour immediately but the inside will still be doughy). Cook all the flat breads and serve with your choice of accompaniments.

Bean Casserole

This is tomatoey and smokey and great on a winters night. I use either mild csabai or a smoked paprika which again has no heat in it. This serves 4-6 & is very yummy with mashed potato or a thicker noodle (like a gnocchi for example). You can also add a couple of potatoes and have a thicker one-pot stew. ;)

Bean Casserole

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 2 carrots finely sliced
• 1 stick celery finely sliced
• 1 can beans (I used borlotti but you can use whatever you have)
• 1 440g can chopped tomatoes
• water - fill the can from the tomatoes
• 1 small tub of tomato puree
• 1 stick csabai OR 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika and 200g tofu (for a vegetarian version) chopped into large chunks
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a casserole dish, stir till combined. Bake in a preheated 190 degree C oven for 1.5 - 2 hours or until the veggies and the meat is tender.

For the veggie version: do not put the tofu in at the beginning as it tends to fall apart if stewed for a long time. So cook until the veggies are almost tender, then stir the tofu through and cook for another 20 mins.

Lencse főzelék - Buttered Lentils

In Hungary it is customary to eat lentils on New Year's day. Lentils are apparently a harbinger of wealth, so if you eat them on New Years day you set yourself up for a year of good fortune. Perhaps it is because they look like tiny little coins? This is a yummy little recipe, though I tend not to eat it on New Years day as it is too hot here in Australia! It is, however, a delicous winter meal. If you want an even quicker meal simply buy pre-cooked tinned lentils & make sure they are well drained before moving on to the rest of the recipe! You can also change up this recipe really easily - add some mushrooms (so yummy with this), carrots, celery or celeriac, or whatever other veg you like. It does change the flavours of course, but you can come up with some nice quick winter veggie stews! The recipe below will serve 4-6 depending on how hungry the tummies are!

Lencse főzelék,
served here with 3 slicesof Trunkey Creeks "Kick-arse Kransky"

Lencse főzelék
2 cups of brown lentils
4 cloves of garlic
1tsp salt
1 tbsp paprika
2 bay leaves
225 gms of sour cream (I usually use lite)
125 grams low-fat milk
4tbs flour

optional: lightly fried smoked sausage (eg csabai or smoked kransky) for serving.

Wash lentils in a colander and discard any stones or discoloured lentils. In a pot lightly fry the garlic then pop in the lentils, salt, paprika, and bay leaves. Cover with water - about 2 cups. Cover and cook until the lentils are lovely and tender - should be 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on the water level as you don't want it all to evaporate or you'll burn the lentils.

While the lentils are cooking mix the sour cream, milk, and flour and combine well. When lentils are cooked to your satisfaction stir this through the lentils and cook till the consistency is that of a thick stew.

If you are going to serve with smoked sausage then sliced the sausage and lightly fry it. Serve the lentils in a bowl with a few slices of sausage on top.

Dad's carrot cake

Carrot Cake

This is my darling dad's recipe for carrot cake. My dad is an incredible cook, and has made some of the yummiest cakes and biscuits imaginable. This is the carrot cake I always think of when I'm craving for carrot cake... not too dense, not too moist, good amount of carrot and crunch from walnuts... and that delicously sinful icing. My dad recently gave me his precious recipe collection, so now I get to try them all ... 0oooh la lah! There goes my waist...

1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups finely grated carrot

Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until frothy. Add oil and beat well.
add sifted dry ingredients, walnuts and carrots, and fold in until combined.
place in a greased and floured square cake tin, and bake at 180 degrees C for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly. Cool and top with icing.


Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbs butter
125g cream cheese

Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

Paraj .... Spinach soup ... with egg

Paraj ... spinach soup with egg ...

serves 4

Paraj simply means "spinach" in Hungarian... but it's also shorthand for this yummy soup. I know, I know, it sounds odd at first. Trust me, though, once you get a taste of that creamy & garlicky spinach soup with that bite of eggwhite and the gooey runny egg-yolk you will think you have died and gone to heaven!! It's a really warming, filling, and above all easy week-day dinner dish.

500g chopped spinach (or silverbeet if you can't get real spinach - it will make for a greener soup! You can even use the frozen stuff)
1tbs oil
4 cloves garlic finely minced up
4 cups milk
1 tsp salt
4 eggs

Saute the garlic in the oil. Add the spinach, wilt down and cook away the liquid (most important with the frozen stuff!). Add in the milk and simmer until the spinach is lovely and tender. Puree the soup.

Cook the eggs to your liking. You can fry, poach, or boil them to the level of doneness you prefer. Personally, I like softly poached eggs so that is what I do.

Ladle the soup into a dish, and pop the egg into the centre. Now all that is left is to let your tastebuds enjoy the experience!

Chicken paprika stuffed capsicum

Chicken Paprika Stuffed Capsicums

serves 4

4 large red capsicums
400g chicken mince
1 onion finely chopped
2 tbs paprika
2 cups cooked rice
3 tbs sour cream

Lightly cook onion in a pan till translucent. Add in chicken and cook briefly till meat changes colour. Add in paprika and stir through. Place in a bowl with the rice and sour cream, mix through. Set the pan aside to use to cook the sauce. (see next recipe)

Cut tops of the capsicums, stuff with the stuffing. Put the top back on, and place capsicums in a lightly oiled baking pan. Bake for 40 mins or until the capsicums are soft and tender at 180 degrees C. Serve with a dollop of paprika sauce.

Paprika Sauce

2 cups chicken stock - salt-reduced if possible
2tbs paprika
2 tbs sour cream

Pour chicken stock in pan to deglaze. Heat until warm, add in paprika. Add the sour cream and stir till combined. Reduce down to a gravy-like consistency.

Note: You can make a vegetarian version of this by substituting the chicken with coursely chopped portabella mushroom, and reducing the amount of paprika you use in the stuffing mix.

Pumpkin stuffed with honey & walnut rice

Wintertime is a great time for baked yummy food. This is a very scrummy little pumpkin dish that makes the whole house smell yummy while it bakes.

I like the sweetness and savouriness of the rice - in my opinion it complements the pumpkin really well. I used two small pumpkins but you could do a larger one (like a butternut) - it'd just take longer to cook, and require more stuffing! The recipe is for 2 small pumpkins.

Pumpkin stuffed with Honey and Walnut rice

2 small pumpkins (1 person sized lol)
3 cups cooked rice

1 onion finely diced
3/4 cup walnuts
1 clove garlic
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch salt
5-6 tbs honey (to taste)

Place walnuts, garlic, spices, and salt into a mortar and pestle and grind until a rough powder. Some chunks of walnut are nice for texture so don't grind it down too much.

Mix rice, onion, and the spice mix with honey.

Wash the pumpkin skins (wipe over with water, and then dry off).

Cut the tops off the pumpkins and scoop out the seeds. Place the stuffing into the pumpkins, put the tops back on. Place in a baking dish.

Bake at 180 degrees C for about 45-55minutes or until the pumpkins are soft. Serve as they are - the whole lot is eaten skin and all. YUMMY.

You can also serve with a smidgen of sour cream or with a drizzle of a warm honey soy dressing - but I like it straight from the oven ;)

Note: Instead of just rice you can use 1 & 1/2 cups rice and 1& 1/2 browned mince - lamb mince works beautifully, but beef mince is also fine.

Caraway flatbread ... and some chilli ;)

Sorry about the quality of the picture!! This flatbread is really easy to make and you can change the flavours really easily by taking out the caraway and adding other spices, garlic, onion, or even a sprinkle of cheese into the mix. Much nicer than store-bought flatbread and really tasty!

Caraway Flatbread

Caraway flat bread

250g plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp caraway seeds pulvarised with the salt

1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in 1/2 cup warm water

Method

Put the flour, salt, and caraway into a bowl. Pour in the water and mix until combined into a dough. Knead lightly till it is smooth. Cover the bowl and leave for about 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 10 pieces,  shape each into a ball, and then roll out thinly. Use a bit of flour on the board and dusted on top of each ball so it doesn't stick to the rolling pin. 

Heat a heavy based pan or skillet on a medium heat. Dry fry each side of the bread until golden (about 2-3 minutes each side). I find they are still warm if I make them quickly, but if you work a bit slower or want to make a double batch it's a good idea to have a warm oven to pop them into to keep warm.

Serve with the meal of your choice - in this case Chilli Beans and salad :)

Luscious Leesa's Beer Baron Bread

Luscious Leesa's Beer Baron Bread

My wonderful friend Leesa gave me her recipe for Beer Bread. It is quick to make, smells great, & tastes yummy.... she has also graciously allowed me to share it with y'all. It really is very yummy, and a perfect accompianment to soup or stews.

Ingredients

3C flour

3t baking powder

1t salt

1 can beer

Method

Mix it all together. Chuck it in a loaf tin of some sort. Sprinkle some grated cheese (and bacon if ya want - yum!!) on top. Bake for 50-ish - 60-ish mins at about 200.

Moroccan Pumpkin Soup

Moroccan spiced pumpkin soup, with beer bread

Moroccan Pumpkin Soup

This is a really yummy soup - light and spicy and filling. Mmmmm.... yummm .... perfect for a cool winter evening. Mine turned out much oranger than the pic on the Taste.com.au site, but I have to say the flavour delivered!!

Recipe taken from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/9639/moroccan+pumpkin+soup#

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red birdseye chilli, finely chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3cm piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
• 1.5kg butternut or Queensland blue pumpkin, peeled, seeded (see note), cut into 3cm pieces
• 1/3 cup (70g) yellow split peas
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Coriander sprigs and soup sprinkles, to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over low-medium heat and cook leek, garlic and 2 tsp salt, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add chilli, cinnamon, ginger and cumin and stir for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add carrots, pumpkin and split peas. Stir to coat in onion mixture.
2. Add 1.5 litres water to saucepan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 50 minutes or until split peas are soft.
3. Remove and discard cinnamon stick from soup. Add lemon juice then process or blend soup, in small batches, in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return soup to pan and reheat over medium heat. Serve topped with coriander sprigs and soup sprinkles.

Knot rolls & Cheese and Onion Bread

These two rolls use the same basic bread dough. I love love loved the cheese and onion bread - cooking the onion added such a lovely sweetness to it, and the flavours were beautifully balanced!

Knot rolls and cheese and onion bread - yummo

Basic Bread Dough

2 tsps instant yeast and 1 tsp sugar
2 1/4 cups warm water (or you can use milk for a softer dough)
6 cups sifted plain or bakers flour
2 tsps salt
1 tbs shortening

Step 1: Prepare the yeast liquid by combining the yeast, sugar, and warm water/milk. Set aside for 10-15mins until it is frothy.
Step 2: Mix the flour and salt together, rub in the shortening. Add the yeast liquid and mix to form a dough. Knead until it is smooth and elastic - about 10 minutes by hand.
Step 3: first rising. shape into a ball, put into a bowl & cover it. Place in a warm spot until it has doubled in size - about and hour.
Step 4: punch down, knead lighlty, and shape into loaves or rolls.
Step 5: second rising - cover and let rise till doubled.
Step 6: Bake in a hot oven - 230 degrees celcius - till the loaves shrink slightly and the crust is golden. This will be about 40 minutes for large loaves, 30 minutes for pan loaves, and 15-20 minutes for rolls. I shaped mine into knot rolls - to do this roll out a "snake" and then tie a knot in it! ;)

Cheese and Onion bread.

2 tsps instant yeast and 1 tsp sugar
2 1/4 cups warm water (or you can use milk for a softer dough)
6 cups sifted plain or bakers flour
2 tsps salt
1 tbs shortening

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1-2 tsps butter

Step 1: Prepare the yeast liquid by combining the yeast, sugar, and warm water/milk. Set aside for 10-15mins until it is frothy.
Step 2: Mix the flour and salt together, rub in the shortening. Add the yeast liquid and mix to form a dough. Knead until it is smooth and elastic - about 10 minutes by hand.
Step 3: first rising. shape into a ball, put into a bowl & cover it. Place in a warm spot until it has doubled in size - about an hour.
Step 4: saute onion in the butter until it is translucent. Cool.
Step 5: punch down the dough, add the cheese and onion to the dough and knead it through by hand until they evenly mixed through. Shape into loaves or rolls.
Step 6: second rising - cover and let rise till doubled. I added a little sprinkle of cheese on top of my rolls before baking.
Step 7:  Bake in a hot oven - 230 degrees celcius - till the loaves shrink slightly and the crust is golden. This will be about 40 minutes for large loaves, 30 minutes for pan loaves, and 15-20 minutes for rolls.

Roasted Pumpkin seeds

Seeing as the local greengrocer is selling huge pumpkin for $2 I've been loving pumpkins ;) Actually I always love pumpkins, esp baked .... yum .... we had a whole heap of seeds just sitting there, and we are always in the mood for a yummy snack ... so we decided to roast them.

So... here it is...

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

pumpkin seeds, scooped from a fresh pumpkin
olive oil - enough to just coat them
salt to taste

Lay the seeds on a flat plate and leave until dry in a dry cool spot. We left them a couple of days. Coat them lightly in olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake at 140 degrees C for 15-20 minutes until they start popping.


Take out of oven, cool slightly, season more if necessary. I'm thinking you could alter this soooo easily by adding in whatever spices your heart desires...

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms

stuffed mushroom served on lettuce

This is more of a method than a recipe - you can change the stuffing ingredients to suit your tastes. I like this version as the breadcrumbs soak up the mushroom juices and the stuffing tastes so yum... but you can use cooked rice with various spices ... or use pesto instead of ghanoush ... this time I threw a few pieces of mozzarella on top.

Ingredients

2 large portobello mushrooms - pop the stalks out and chop finely
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons baba ghanoush
1 clove garlic pulverised
squeeze of lemon (to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Mix all the ingredients (except the portobello mushroom caps) in a bowl until combined. Place portobello mushrooms in a baking tray with a bit of olive oil. Spread over portobello mushrooms. Top with cheese if you want cheese. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil.

Bake for 30-40 mins at 180 degrees C or until the mushrooms are tender.

Bean and vegetable soup

Well, seeing as I have had major problems with my neck and arm, I'm not baking at the moment. I'm hoping this resolves soon, because I'm already sick and tired of being sick and tired!!

It's autumn and the nights are cool here. It is perfect weather for soups and stews. This is one of my favourites! It's light but satisfyingly filling - and very easy and quick to make, which means it is an easy throw together meal at the end of a long day at work. Or in my case, an easy but yummy meal to make when I really don't feel well enough to cook anything complicated.

Bean and Vegetable Soup

3 cloves garlic diced
3 spring onions sliced fine (or 1 onion)
3 carrots sliced
3 stalks celery sliced
1 parsnip sliced
1 tin cannelli beans
1 litre of your favourite stock + extra water if needed.
1 tsp fresh thyme



Lightly fry the garlic and onions till translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and boil until veggies are tender - add in extra cup or so of water if it has reduced too much in the cooking.  Serve with crusty bread and butter. Leftovers taste even better the next day or can be frozen for later use.

Anzac Bikkies - for Anzac Day

I cup each of rolled oats, dessicated coconut, sugar and plain flour,
115g of butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup,
2 tablespoons boiling water (and a little more if needed),
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.

Method:
Heat oven to 180C (moderate or 355F), and line two baking sheets with non-stick paper, or grease them.
Measure and mix dry ingredients into a large bowl.
Melt butter and syrup together in a saucepan. Add the bicarbonate of soda to a cup with the boiling water, dissolve soda and then tip into saucepan with the butter mixture.  The mixture will foam up – this is normal!

Tip wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well. If the mixture is a little dry add a touch more boiling water.

Form into teaspoon sized balls and place on tray, leaving room for spreading.Press down with a fork to flatten.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown. Watch carefully for the last few minutes so they don’t overcook.

Cool on tray until firmed and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight tin.

Fonott kalács - Hungarian Easter Bread

A braided loaf and a ring ...  mmm smells good!

Fonott kalács - A Hungarian Easter Bread

The traditional lenten feast of old required the abstinence of dairy, meat & eggs, and yeast - so this yeasted bread baked for the Easter festival is a rich one - full of eggs, butter (or other shortenings), sugar, and fruit. Love the scent and taste of the lemon zest in this!

 

Ingredients
1 cup lukewarm milk
1 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) softened butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup sugar or to taste
2 large eggs
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup light raisins
1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon milk
 

Preparation:
Stir 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast into milk and let sit for 5 minutes or till activated.

Place flour, salt, yeast mixture, butter pieces, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 eggs, zest and raisins in a bowl, and mix until well combined. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour, if necessary. 

Place dough in an oiled bowl, turning once to coat both sides, cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
 

When risen, punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 3 equal pieces and let rest, covered, about 5 minutes. Roll each piece of dough into 3 ropes about 20 inches long and braid on a parchment-lined baking sheet, tucking ends under. 

Instead of one long egg twist, the braid can be joined to make a circle shape. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
 

Heat oven to 190'C. 

Brush egg-milk glaze over entire surface of braid. Bake 40-50 minutes or until golden brown. Let rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

Note: if you make smaller rings/braids you may need to reduce the cooking time - check on your bread!
 

Scottish Baps

Home-made morning rolls, baked for afternoon tea, with fresh butter and home-made plum jam. Doesn't get much better than this! I love the smell of bread baking on an autumn afternoon!

The recipe sounds involved, but it is actually very easy - it just takes time for the raising of the dough, so make sure you've got the afternoon at home :)

scottish morning rolls - and the old breadbook!

Recipe
1 1/2 tsps active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm milk and 1/2 cup warm water mixed together (lukewarm)
4 cups plain or bakers flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening (I use butter)

mix the sugar into the liquid, then sprinkle the dry yeast on top. Leave in a warm place for 10-15 minutes until the yeast is dissolved and fluffy.

Mix the flour and salt together, rub in the shortening till it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the yeast liquid and gradually incorporate it into the dry ingredients to make a soft dough.

Knead until it is smooth and elastic and no longer sticky - 10 to 15 minutes by hand. Shape into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm draft-free spot until double in size (usually 40 minutes to an hour).

Punch the dough down, knead till it is firm, and then shape it into a bap (round flattened loaf) or rolls (makes 10 rolls, or 1 bap and 4 rolls).

Cover and let rise again. Press each roll gently in the middle. Bake towards the top of a moderately hot oven (200C or 400F) for 15-20 minutes for the rolls, and 20-25 minutes for the bap. Best served hot, and reheat well in either microwave or oven.

A new beginning

I've come to a point in my life where I realise that I have somehow forgotten about the simple pleasures of life - taking long walks in the evening sunshine, having a coffee with friends, baking bread. I recently found an old bread cookbook that I've have had buried in the back of a dusty bookshelf for nigh on 20 years. Time to get it out! Time to start again, re-learning the simple pleasures of life.


Food connects us with our past, with our heritage, with our families and friends, and with our futures! So this blog will be that - a diary of my journey of connection and re-connection!