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PLUM AND APPLE CRUMBLE

April 30, 2012 in Desserts

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My friend, Joey, made a luscious plum and apple crumble over the Easter weekend and the taste of this crumble still lingered and I had to have more and ended up making it last week when my sister, Pepe, and her boyfriend, Andreas, came for dinner. The recipe, which appears on the cover of the current month’s issue of the Food & Home magazine, is by Anna Montali who is a deputy editor of the magazine.

My local supermarket did not have any tinned plums so I bought some fresh plums which are currently in season and stewed it with some sugar. I initially just washed the plums and put them in a pot with about two tablespoons of sugar (can be increased according to taste) and realized that the plums will have to sliced and stoned before being cooked – oops – had to fish the plums out to do this.  The cooked plums must be soft and firm and not mushy.

The variety of plums currently in season is called African Delight and is a red skinned, yellow fleshed cling stone type and delicious in this crumble.

 

The recipe below is for 4 servings – I doubled the quantities and cooked the crumble in a dish instead of individual ramekins. The topping has oats and pistachios which makes it a guiltless pudding.

Doubling the quantity was a good idea – this was the left over  after only 3 of us had pudding.

PLUM AND APPLE CRUMBLE

FILLING

3 Apples, peeled, cored and chopped

2 x 410 tins of plums, drained

2 Tablespoon gin (used whisky)

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

30ml vanilla extract

45ml muscovado sugar

 

CRUMBLE

45mls pistachio nuts, shelled

½ cup cake flour

30gr rolled oats

50gr sugar

¼ cup butter, cubed

 

Preheat oven to 180C and lightly grease 4 ramekins.

For
the filling:

Place the fruit in a pot and mix in the vanilla.

Sprinkle with rest of the ingredients and divide
between the ramekins.

For
the crumble:

In a mixing bowl combine the crumble ingredients
well together and arrange over the fruit.

Bake until the top is golden and the fruit is
bubbling – about 40 minutes.

Serve hot with mascarpone, custard or fresh cream.

 

 

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by mitzireddy

MILK TART SHOOTERS AND DOUBLE LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE

April 26, 2012 in Cakes, Desserts

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The milk tart shooter is one of the things that stands out for me from the Come dine with me SA show last year – it’s the first time that I had heard of it and it stuck in my mind as all the contestants that evening loved it as did I when I had my first taste at a New
Year’s party. I served it during the Easter weekend – it’s creamy and delicious
with the flavour and taste that reminds you of the traditional milk tart.

I got this recipe from our friend, Nikki, from the New Year’s party – this mixture makes approximately 860ml.

MILK TART SHOOTER

Ingredients:

  • One 375 ml bottle Vodka (you can reduce it
    to 300 ml if you prefer less kick)
  • One 395 gram tin of condensed milk
  • One 375 ml tin evaporated milk
  • Ground cinnamon to serve

Method:

  1. 1.  I whisked the condensed milk and evaporated
    milk together and poured it directly into half a bottle of vodka and shook the
    bottle to blend the mixture together. You can reduce the amount of vodka to
    300mls if you prefer less of a kick.

2. Keep in the fridge or freezer until needed – the bottle will not crack. Shake well
before pouring into shooter or shot glasses.

Sprinkle each milk tart shooter with ground cinnamon and serve chilled.

 

 

I received a call from my sister, Dawn, a few weeks ago asking me how to use gelatine for the Crunchie cheesecake recipe that I posted as my niece, Serusha, was in the process of making it. Serusha, a varsity student, has now started showing an interest in baking – and is reading my posts – I am chuffed- so this recipe for the dark and delicious chocolate
cake by Ina Garten is especially for her.

“This is the most fabulous chocolate cake that I’ve ever made,” says Ina Garten, host of Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa. “It’s so easy and so moist and light. There’s buttermilk and a cup of coffee in the batter! The frosting is just buttercream and a little
coffee.”  -  we all have our favourite choclate cake recipes but I have to agree with her . This cake is dark and deliciously moist – and its a recipe that I will be using often.

Double-Chocolate Layer Cake

Ingredients
 

1 3/4 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons bicarb of soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup hot coffee

Icing

¾ cup semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

250gr unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon icing sugar, sifted

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Butter two 20cm
    round cake pans and line them with parchment paper; butter the paper. Dust the
    pans with flour, tapping out any excess.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer,
    mix the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt
    at low speed. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the oil, eggs and
    vanilla. Slowly beat the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until just
    incorporated, then slowly beat in the hot coffee until fully incorporated.
  3. Pour the batter into the prepared
    pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each
    cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then
    invert the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper.

Icing

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate
at high power in 30-second intervals, stirring, until most of the chocolate is
melted. Stir until completely melted, then set aside to cool to room
temperature.

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer,
    beat the butter at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and
    vanilla and beat for 1 minute, scraping down the side of the bowl. At low
    speed, slowly beat in the icing sugar, about 1 minute. In a small bowl,
    dissolve the instant coffee in 2 teaspoons of hot water. Slowly beat the coffee
    and the cooled chocolate into the butter mixture until just combined.
  2. Set a cake layer on a plate with the
    flat side facing up. Evenly spread one-third of the icing over the cake to the
    edge. Top with the second cake layer, rounded side up. Spread the remaining
    icing over the top and side of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before
    slicing.

 

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by mitzireddy

Curried Potatoes Goanese Style

April 24, 2012 in curry, Vegetables

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Coconut seems to be the in the spotlight currently –getting Bob Skinstad in hot water in Saturday’s game between Sharks and New Zealand’s Chiefs. Pinkpolkadot’s  Friday food quiz also asked a question as to how many eyes does a coconut have – and the answer is 3.

Coconut, fresh and desiccated is widely used in the local Durban Indian cuisine where I had grown up but mainly in dessert and sweet baked or fried goodies.

So I was fascinated when I came across recipes using coconut in Indian savoury dishes.  A few years ago I watched Anjum Anand, a chef on the BBC food channel making some mouthwatering Goanese dishes using fresh coconut as an ingredient and this inspired me to make this potato curry.

A plain potato curry is alright but really does nothing for me and I cannot remember the last time I had cooked one and after tasting the Goanese potato curry I am hooked on the taste of the blend of spices in this dish.

The long list of ingredients can be off putting – but it’s definitely worth trying. The potatoes are pre -cooked. Some of the spices are soaked in vinegar and then blended with other ingredients to form a paste. This is then all cooked into a delicious curry with interesting bursts of flavours.

Curried potatoes Goanese style

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds

1 ½ Tablespoons white vinegar

1 ½ Tablespoons warm water

1 -2 green chillies, finely chopped

4 medium sized potatoes

1cup fresh coconut grated (can use
desiccated coconut)

10 cashew nuts

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 tomatoes, chopped

30 mls cooking oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon fresh ginger paste

¼ teaspoon tumeric powder

½ – 1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

½ cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon chilli flakes ( optional)

Coriander to garnish

 

  1. Soak cumin seeds and chopped green chillies in vinegar and warm water for at least
    10 minutes.
  2. Peel and cube the potatoes. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until done. Drain and
    keep aside.
  3. Blend the following ingredients in a food processor to a fine paste: vinegar soaked
    cumin chilli, coconut, cashews, mustard seeds and tomatoes. Keep aside.
  4. Fry the chopped onions in a pan with the cooking oil on a medium heat until just
    starting to brown.
  5. Add ginger, garlic paste and tumeric powder to the pan. Mix and cook for about 2
    seconds.
  6. Add the blended coconut and tomato mixture to the pan and mix well.
  7. Add the chilli powder, cumin-coriander powder, black pepper and salt. Mix and allow
    this mixture to cook on a low heat until it cooks to a thick paste until the
    oil starts oozing to the surface. (5- 8 minutes).
  8. Add the ½ cup warm water to the paste and mix well and cook for about 5 minutes to
    a thick sauce.
  9. Add the sugar to the sauce and mix well. Cook for about 2 seconds.

 

  1. Add the cooked potatoes, chilli flakes and garam masala powder. Mix and cover the
    pan and cook for about 10 minutes, adding more water if the mixtures gets too
    dry.
  2. Serve garnished with fresh coriander.

 

 

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by mitzireddy

FRIDAY FOOD QUIZ NO. 71

April 22, 2012 in Uncategorized

7 Comments »

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning – with Ting Ting, my kitten, curled up on my lap while I write this post quickly before Rajen surfaces.
Pink’s food quizzes can be an addiction – who would have thought a year
ago which is when I started blogging that I would have a need to finish a food
quiz – lol – I put it down to enjoying the challenging questions and a quest
for always learning

FRIDAY FOOD QUIZ NUMBER 71

1. What does “to butterfly” means in culinary
term?

To cut boneless meat or seafood down the
middle but not all the way through and when the two sides are spread out it
should look like wings.

2.
What are traditional peperonata’s main ingredients?   Onions,
tomatoes and peppers

3.
What is a whoopie pie? A cake sandwich – usually 2 chocolate cake like cookies
sandwiched together with a creamy frosting filling.

4.
Mission, Manzanillo, Sevillano and Ascolano are varieties of which fruit? olives

5.
What are traditional financier’s main ingredients and why are they called
financiers? Small sponge cakes or cookies made of egg whites and nuts. No idea
why called financiers  – unless this was
served when discussing finance?

6.
Where does lemongrass originate from? Asia – might be India

7.
Where did Swiss rolls originate from and what are the main ingredients of a
Swiss roll?  Central Europe and not
Switzerland as one would initially answer. Eggs, flour sugar

8.
How many “eyes” does a coconut have? 3

9.
What is “crimini” more commonly known as? mushrooms

10.
What is the cooking method that combines stewing, steaming and roasting called? No idea – it sounds complicated.

 

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by mitzireddy

PEPERONATA

April 17, 2012 in Vegetables

14 Comments »

 

There are days when left over vegetables in your fridge just makes you close the fridge door and order a pizza and then there are days when you can be inspired to make an interesting dish.

This was the case with some leftover peppers in my fridge which I used to
make a peperonata. A peperonata is a colourful stew of tomatoes and peppers.

Although peppers are native to Mexico, it’s interesting to note that today China is the world’s largest pepper producer. From a nutritional point of view red peppers are recommended because of its high vitamin content – one large red pepper contains nearly 3 times more vitamin C than an average sized orange – I have to admit I enjoy eating oranges when it’s in season and especially when it’s sweet and juicy.

I quote Rachel Allen whose recipe I have used to make the peperonata – she says it so well.

‘This is a wonderful pepper and tomato stew that is also very versatile. Serve it as a vegetable accompaniment to a roast or toss it with hot pesto and grated cheese for a quick supper.
It’s delicious in baked eggs or with an omelette. It can be made in advance as it
reheats well and it even freezes well! I sometimes add chopped chilli and fresh
coriander into this instead of basil or marjoram or sometimes if I don’t have
any fresh herbs I add a dollop of pesto in at the end, for that lovely basil
flavour.’

 

PEPERONATA

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or grated
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 red peppers
  • 2 green or yellow peppers
  • 6 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced or 1 x
    400g tin of tomatoes, chopped
  • 1-2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped or torn basil or marjoram

Method

  1. Heat the olive oil in a casserole pot or saucepan, add
    the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cover with a piece
    of greaseproof paper and the lid and allow to cook gently on a low heat
    until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile slice the peppers. Cut the peppers into
    quarters from top to bottom, remove the stalk and all the seeds and then
    cut into short slices crossways or cut into squares about 3cm.
  3. When the onion is soft, add in the peppers, mix,
    replace the lid and cook for another 8 or so minutes until the peppers are
    really soft but not completely.
  4. Then add in the tomatoes and season with salt, pepper
    and sugar.
  5. Cook, uncovered for about 15-20 minutes on a low heat
    until the sauce has thickened and all the vegetables are cooked. Add the
    chopped herbs and season to taste.

 

 

 

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by mitzireddy

FRIDAY FOOD QUIZ 70

April 15, 2012 in Uncategorized

8 Comments »

 

It’s great to see Pinkpolkadot sending out her brain teasers again – this is my first
attempt for this year – it’s been a long time. This has been a bit of a busy
weekend and I am just trying to finish off the quiz quickly – not sure how
accurate my answers are. Pink’s quizzes are always challenging and interesting.

Friday Food Quiz number 70

1.
Where is the dish Vindaye a traditional dish?  - I know this one – Mauritius

2.
What are the main ingredients of a classic French Sabayon?  Eggs yolks and sugar – similar to a zabaglione
– which I love.

3.
What is Ochazuke and from which country? It’s not another name for okra – it is
hot green tea poured over cooked rice and it is a Japanese dish.

4.
What type of dish is Pasha and when is it normally eaten? I will be guessing –
it’s a Turkish dessert.

5.
What is a “silk squash” better known as? Chinese okra or Tori in Hindi

6.
What is Crostatas? Italian baked sweet tart

7.
What is Sunflower greens? It’s the first growth of the sunflower plant ( my
favorite flower).

8.
What differentiates a “Pot pie” from another pie? Baked in ramekins.

9.
What are the main ingredients of the spice “bzar” (or bezar)? Its an Arabic
spice made of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg.

10.
What plant does tapioca come from?  Cassava tree

 

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by mitzireddy

FISH VINDAYE

April 12, 2012 in Fish

7 Comments »

Cookbooks can be an addiction to foodies – I can rarely
resist the urge to flip through a new one and currently  am enjoying one that
I have borrowed from the local library by Annette Kesler called Fresh &
Healthy.  The food photography in this book makes you want to make and eat everything – my extended family know that pickled fish is not high on my list of favorite foods and will have a good laugh that I have made this particular fish dish which is described in the book
as being an exotic version of a pickled fish.

Vindaye is a traditional dish from the island of Mauritius – the fish is cooked for just a few minutes before being combined with the marinade. It can be eaten hot or cold on the same day but tastes much better if left in the fridge for a day or two as this allows the spices to
settle and the fish is more flavoursome.

I served the fish vindaye for lunch yesterday for some friends and it is very tasty – even Rajen enjoyed it – it’s a recipe that I will make again.

FISH VINDAYE

Ingredients

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

5 garlic cloves, peeled

2 small red chillies, seeded and finely sliced

¾ cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon grated ginger

3 bay leaves

1 kg firm fish fillets

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 onions, sliced

3 Tablespoons water

2 teaspoons turmeric powder

2 teaspoon sugar

4 sprigs lemon thyme or fresh coriander

 

Pound the mustard seeds and garlic to a paste in a pestle and mortar.

Mix with the chillies, vinegar, ginger and bay leaves.

Set aside.

Heat the oven to 180C.

Dry the fish with paper towels. Brush with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the fish fillets on a well heated shallow baking tray.

Bake for 6 – 8 minutes until the flesh is opaque.

Transfer to a serving dish.

Prepare the marinade by stir frying the onions with the water for about 2 minutes in a medium saucepan, then cover and steam until the onions are softened.

Stir in the mustard seed mixture, turmeric and sugar.

Cook for 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the hot sauce over the fish.

Sprinkle with lemon thyme or coriander, cover and cool.

Refrigerate the vindaye for 1 to 2 days, if possible, before serving.

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BROCCOLI SLAW

April 10, 2012 in Salad, Vegetables

7 Comments »

 

 

Broccoli which is part of the cabbage family is a vegetable that does not appear regularly in Indian cuisine – this could be because it is a cool –weather crop and does poorly in hot weather.

It’s only as an adult that I have eaten broccoli occasionally.
Being on a healthy eating plan, broccoli is one of the few vegetable that is
allowed as part of our diet because of its high nutritional value. One’s
enthusiasm wane’s after a few weeks of eating the same vegetables and of course
one starts looking for different ways to prepare them and I came across this
recipe for the broccoli slaw by Ellie Krieger in her show Healthy Appetite.
It’s difficult to guess that you are eating broccoli stalks – who would guessed
that it could taste this good.

I want to mention some recipes by fellow bloggers that I have used this weekend –
all delish.

 

Pinkpolkadot’s beetroot salad – used rasberries instead of blueberries – yummy.

 

Bits of Carey’s choc pots – was a huge hit with my guests.

Scrumptious SA – Juno’s Herby rice salad – its my favourite rice salad – one I use often.

This salad is so interesting with all its wonderful flavours and textures of the seeds and nuts. Its also the perfect for using up the left over broccoli from the recipe for the broccoli slaw.

BROCCOLI SLAW 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lowfat Greek yoghurt
  • 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 500gr broccoli stalks (from about1 kg
    broccoli bunches)
  • 1 large or 2 medium carrots

Preheat
oven to 180 degrees C. Place sunflower seeds and 1/4 teaspoon salt on a baking
sheet and shake to combine. Toast seeds until aromatic, about 10 minutes. Cool
and keep aside.

Combine yoghurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon
salt and pepper. Whisk until well blended and keep aside.

Peel tough outer layer of broccoli stalks, rinse and shred stalks in food processor
then shred carrots. Combine shredded broccoli and carrots with dressing and
toss to combine.

Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.

 

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by mitzireddy

ASPARAGUS AND CHIVE TART

April 4, 2012 in savoury tarts and pies, Vegetables

11 Comments »

 

Since getting over my wariness of cooking fresh
asparagus I have enjoyed eating it whenever I could and am not over happy that
the asparagus season is almost over. My favorite recipe is to steam the
asparagus for two minutes, drain, toss it in an olive oil dressing and top it
with sesame seeds and shaved parmesan.
I was inspired to make this asparagus and chive tart after watching Jamie Oliver
on the food channel when he made an asparagus tart with a potato based filling.
I love a savoury pie, tart or quiche with a creamy filling and sourced this recipe from a cookbook called Savoury Quiches and Flans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASPARAGUS AND CHIVE TART

400gr packet puff pastry

3 eggs, lightly beaten

350gr asparagus, trimmed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bunch fresh chives

150ml thick cream

 

Preheat oven to 200 C. Spray and cook a 20.5cm pie
dish.

Roll out pastry to a circle a little larger than the
pie dish and then line the pie dish and trim any overlap from the edges with a
sharp knife.

Line with greaseproof paper and baking bean. Chill
for 15 minutes .

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until pale brown and
beginning to crisp.

Remove the beans and paper.

Brush the pastry base with a little of the egg and
bake for 5 minutes to crisp the base.

Reduce the heat to 180C.

Steam the asparagus for 2 minutes, drain and rinse
in cold water.

Chop each asparagus spear into 3 pieces and trim the
chives to the same size.

Whisk together the cream and eggs, then season.

Lay the asparagus and chives in the pastry case in
neat quarters.

Pour over the egg mixture and bake for 35 – 45
minutes until golden and set.

Cool slightly before serving.

 

 

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