Crumbing mixture June 9, 2009

Use this mixture to give a bit of an extra zing to crumbed things (schnitzels, chicken nuggets, patties etc.)

 
In a large bowl mix together wholegrain breadcrumbs, powdered parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, garlic powder, salt, pepper, some herbs (things like chives, basil and parsley are good) and spices (whatever you like, try cumin, cardamon, and a touch of mixed spice).

 

Store this in an airtight container, and when you need to crumb something, pour a little out into a plate/flattish bowl, and crumb the item in that. You can then pour in more as needed. Don’t reuse crumbs, as there will be traces of the food you are crumbing left behind (and raw meat will spoil the crumbs)

Pizza Dough June 7, 2009

(makes 2 large thin pizzas, or perhaps 1 thicker crust one)

 
Ingredients:
3 cups plain flour
1 tb dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 tb olive oil
1cup warm water

 
Method:
In a heatproof large bowl, mix all the ingredients together to combine. Knead in the bowl until mixture is all together.

 
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth. Form into a ball

 
Rub/spray the inside of the bowl with oil, and place the dough ball back into the bowl. Cover with a damp teatowel and leave it to rise for an hour somewhere warm. It should double in size

 
If you don’t have somewhere warm (I’m guessing about 30ºC would be good?), turn the oven on for a moment to get it to a nice warm temp, then turn the oven off and place the bowl in there. You could also put the bowl on the top/mantle of a fireplace, or even in a sink of hot water

 
Once doubled, take dough out and punch it to remove air. Break into 1-2 pieces and roll out to desired thickness. Place on your pizza tray.
 
Top with your fave pizza toppings, and bake 220ºC for 20 minutes or 250°C for 10 – 15 minutes.

Pastry Alternative December 13, 2008

particularly for mini pies and things…. bread!

 
you can lightly spray muffin tins and cut a slice of bread into a circle a bit bigger than the space in the tin, roll it with a rolling pin, or press it with your fingers to make it flat, then put it in the tin as you would pastry. Put in your filling, and add a top, ot potato or something… and cook as usual.

 
You can use something like a soy and linseed bread which gives an interesting texture and is better for you than pastry!

Short (Short Crust) Pastry December 13, 2008

Suitable for flans, quiche, apple pies etc.

 
Ingredients:
8oz (1 Cup) Plain Flour
4oz (1/2 cup) Butter
Pinch Salt or 1/4 cup Sugar (Depending on sweet or savoury pastry desired)
Water to mix

 
Method:
1). Rub in flour and butter (That means to add chopped butter to the sifted flour and using your fingertips, rub the flour and butter together until it forms something resembling breadcrumbs). I take this step seriously as the more you rub it in, the lighter your pastry will be.
2). Add sugar if needed, and mix with enough water to form a dough.
3). Knead on a floured board/bench top (If you added too much water, then knead more flour in here).
4). When it is the right consistency, it is ready to use.

Almond Milk (dairy free milk) December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
1 Cup raw almonds
4 Cup water, cold
3TB maple syrup or honey

 
Method:
1. Soak the almonds in boiling water for 15 mins. Remove the skins, allow to dry then place in blender or grind until almonds are a very fine meal.
2. Add half of the water and the honey/syrup and blend on high for 2 mins.
3. Add the remaining water and blend for another 2 mins.
4. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or filter paper to separate the liquid from the almond meal. Keep the liquid as a milk substitute and the meal for use as a facial scrub.

 
May be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

 
(from mellyette79 on http://www.joyousbirth.info)

Spaghetti Sauce December 12, 2008

Ingredients:
1/2 medium Onion
1 Clove Garlic
Fresh Herbs (To taste – I like Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Chives, Thyme and Parsley)
2 Mushrooms
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tin chopped tomatoes
some chopped olives (whatever you like)
1 stick chopped celery
1/4 cup diced capsicum (red or green – I prefer green for a nicer colour to the sauce)

 

Method:
1). Finely chop the onion, mushrooms, celery, capsicum and garlic and fry until the Onion and Garlic are cooked.
2). Add the chopped herbs, olives and tomatoes. Simmer this gently for as long as you can. About 1-2 hours is good.
3). Either serve this poured over pasta, or mix the pasta through then serve.

Basic Pasta Recipe December 12, 2008

A basic recipe for plain pasta. You can use this to make lasagne sheets, ravioli, fettuccine… whatever takes your fancy

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups flour
water to mix

Method:
1). Mix the ingredients together with enough water to make a dough.
2). Turn out onto a floured board and knead well.
3). Roll out into sheets (or feed through a pasta machine), and cut into strips – hang these over the back of a chair to dry. If making ravioli, cut into circles or rectangles, and add the filling then press the pasta closed to form a parcel.

Natural Colourants December 9, 2008

If you don’t want chemical colourings, try some of these natural alternatives. To get the most colour from the foodstuff, take the food (such as a handful of raspberries) and simmer them in liquid until reduced, then strain and use the liquid. The juice for things like blueberries can be brushed over set icing with a pastry brush.

Yellow
Turmeric (Use sparingly in sweeter foods as the taste may overpower)
Saffron

Orange
Annatto seed
Carrot juice

Pink
Beetroot (Buy beetroot, slice it and simmer it in water, or buy canned)
Raspberries
Cranberry juice
Strawberries

Red
Raspberries
Beetroot
Pomegranate juice

Purple/bluish purple
Blueberries
Purple grape juice
Blackcurrant juice
Blackberries
Red/purple cabbage

Reddish Orange
Paprika

Green
Freshly juiced spinach
Spirulina (an algea herbal supplement)

Brown
Cocoa
Strong coffee

Making Stock November 16, 2008

Stocks can be made as a base for soups or stews, or frozen in small portions to add to any dish to add flavour. You can freeze it in small portions after you’ve made it. If you reduce it down so it’s very concentrated you could freeze it as icecubes.

 
Vegetable stock
Next time you are cutting up vegetables, and have those left over ends of carrots or tomatoes… pop them in a ziplock bag in the freezer to make stock with. Take your pot of water and add some salt and any vegetables you wish. things like broccoli and cabbage tend to be a bit smelly, so be prepared for that. Carrot and celery with a little bit of fresh tomato (not the canned stuff) is usually added. You can add herbs and spices if you like. Boil this for several hours, then strain it.

 
Bacon stock
Buy some “bacon bones” or Ham hocks… Bacon bones are cheap, and even though there is no real meat on them (there is a little bit), the bones themselves are perfect for making stock. Pop these into a pot of water and boil this for several hours. Strain it and put it in the fridge when cold. You should notice a layer of fat on top. Skim this off and then pour the stock (it might be somewhat solid) into containers/icecube trays to freeze for later use.

 
Beef/Chicken stock
Next time you have a roast chicken, or some chops….or are cutting up some meat and cut off the fatty bits, don’t throw away the bones/meat…. either freeze them for later use, or make the stock straight away. Pop the whole chicken (leave on any remaining skin and meat bits) into a pot of water, and boil this for several hours. When done, strain it – you might have to pick the left over meat from the bones), and when cool put it in the fridge. You should notice a layer of fat on top, skim this off then pour the stock into containers to freeze.