Artichoke, parmesan & green chilli dip

The fact that I made this recipe up should not put you off, its simple and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 x small jar artichoke hearts including juice (I used Sandhurst)
1 x green chilli (deseeded) (or less if you like)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 tbs parsley
2 tbs chives (optional)
Dash of EVO

Method:  Combine all ingredients in food processer and process until smooth, adding more EVO if needed.  Voila!  Makes 1 small bowl

Bejewelled Lamb

I cut this recipe out of Gourmet Traveller ages ago. It's a Ben Shewry recipe. the family loved it. definitely on the make again list.
3 kg boneless lamb shoulder
2 tbsp sea salt
4 litres olive oil
1 bunch of thyme
1 head of garlic, unpeeled, halved widthways
4 fresh bay leaves
1 pomegranate, seeds only
80 gm (½ cup) pine nuts, lightly roasted
80 gm (½ cup) currants, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, then drained ½ bunch of mint, leaves picked, coarsely torn

Labne
200 gm natural yoghurt

Parsnip cream
40 gm butter
4 large parsnips, peeled, core removed, finely sliced
500 ml (2 cups) milk
200 gm sour cream
100 ml olive oil

Roasted spice mix
1 tbsp each of fennel seeds and coriander seeds, lightly roasted
1 tbsp pumpkin kernels, lightly roasted
½ tbsp cumin seeds and caraway seeds, lightly roasted
1 tsp black peppercorns

Method 01
Season lamb with sea salt and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Place in a large saucepan over low heat, cover with oil, add thyme, garlic and bay leaves, weight down lamb with a heavy plate and simmer gently until meltingly tender (5-6 hours). Cool.

02 Meanwhile, for labne, place yoghurt in a muslin-lined sieve placed over a small bowl and stand in the refrigerator to drain (about 2 hours). Transfer to a bowl and whisk in a little salt and white pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until required.

03 For parsnip cream, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add parsnip and sauté until tender (about 15 minutes). Add milk, simmer for 5 minutes, season to taste and cool to room temperature. Place in a blender and blend until smooth, add sour cream and blend again. With motor running, add olive oil in a steady stream. Keep warm. 04 For roasted spice mix, combine ingredients in a mortar and, using a pestle, coarsely grind, then season to taste and set aside. 05 Remove lamb from oil and coarsely shred. Smear a large tablespoon of parsnip cream on each plate, scatter over lamb, then spice mix. Place dollops of labne on and around lamb, scatter over pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, currants and mint, season with sea salt and serve. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spiced Pear Tarte Tatin

Our friend Alison was getting all Frenchified in the kitchen recently so I said I'd pitch in with a French dessert. Naturally my friend Google assisted with a search of 'French desserts' and tarte tatin came up and inspired the following creation. As per usual, I didn't follow one particular recipe, but the one at Taste was the recipe in principle http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/25246/pear+tarte+tatin+with+brown+sugar+mascarpone.

Ingredients:

4 x large firm pears (I chose the type good for cooking)
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
50 g butter
2 tbs water
juice of 1/2 small lemon
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp rasa el hanout
2 sheets butter puff pastry (I use 1pkt Careme puff pastry)

To serve:
1 cup greek yoghurt sweetened with 1 tbs brown sugar

Method.

Peel, core and quarter pears. Put sugars and water in ovenproof frying pan and simmer until a nice caramel colour. Add spices, butter, lemon juice and pears and sauté until pears are JUST soft. Arrange pears in a circle (as per picture) and let them cool down for 20 minutes. Shape sheet/s of pastry in to a round that fits over the pan and tuck the pastry down the sides of the pan over the pears.  Bake in 200 degree oven for 30 mins or until puffed and golden brown. Leave in pan for approx. 10 mins then turn out onto a plate. Serve with sweetened yoghurt, ice cream or cream!!  Yummy

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

I love cinnamon..and these provide the required cinnamon fix

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients 
FOR THE SWIRL 
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 56.5 grams) unsalted butter (melted)
1/3 cup (85 grams) brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

FOR THE CUPCAKES 
1 1/2 cups (190 grams) plain flour
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (113 grams) sour cream
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir all of the ingredients together until combined. Set aside until ready for use. To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C). Line a muffin pan with cupcake papers; set aside. In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl, making sure there are no streaks of flour remaining (do not over mix). Place one tablespoon of batter in each of the paper liners in the prepared muffin pan. Make a small well in the middle of each cup of batter with a toothpick. Stir the filling to make sure the butter is combined, then spoon a scant 1 teaspoon of the filling into each cup. Use a toothpick to swirl the filling and batter together. Add another tablespoon of batter to each cup and repeat the filling/swirling process. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting. Excellent with Coffee Icing and Cream Cheese Frosting (1/2 recipe)

Cream Cheese Frosting 
Ingredients
8 ounces (250g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar (pure icing sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until completely combined. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir in the vanilla until thoroughly combined. Beat the mixture well, until light and fluffy, adding up to a tablespoon of heavy cream, if the frosting is too stiff.

Penne with Pumpkin Sauce

Maybe its because we are at the tail end of Autumn that pumpkin is on my mind.  I tried a delicious pasta dish recently in Degraves St that had a pumpkin sauce, so I tried to recreate this at home. So I started in the usual place (Google!) and found quite a number of recipes that might bear the right result. I went with the Coles online recipe and of course adjusted to suit.

Penne with Pumpkin Sauce

500g kent or jap pumpkin cubed
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
1/2 handful sage leaves
2 cups chicken stock

To finish

400g pasta - any shape will do
3 rashers of bacon chopped
1/2 head broccoli broken into florets
salt/pepper
1/3 cup sour cream (optional)

Saute the garlic and onion in a little EVO and add the pumpkin and chicken stock and simmer until pumpkin is tender.  Put pumpkin mixture, minus the extra stock in a blender and blend until smooth.

Cook pasta to directions, add broccoli for last 3 minutes.

In a pan, saute bacon, blended pumpkin and add sour cream. Dilute w excess stock if required. Add pasta and broccoli and mix together and serve with parmesan.

Bloody lovely

Lamb or Pork Braise

Watching Masterchef recently, I got inspired to jot down a recipe from the only non chef on the show - Matt Preston. But given the oohing and aahing that came from the tasters for Matt's Lamb Braise, I simply had to give it a go.

This recipe can be made with either lamb or pork - I chose pork steaks and it worked out great.

Ingredients:
1 kg cubed lamb or pork
1 tbs flour
2 tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp curry powder
knob ginger - finely grated
140g tomato paste
2 cups pineapple juice
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
Walnuts - optional

Method:
Cube meat and put in sandwich bag and add flour - massage to coat.
Heat oil in saucepan and brown meat. Remove from pan.
Add garlic, ginger and curry powder to pan and saute until fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook off. Add pineapple juice, sugar, vinegar and soy and mix to combine.
Add meat back in and back for 2 hours at a medium temperature.
When cooked, add in walnuts if desired and serve with rice or noodles.  Serves 4 generously.

Pumpkin Fruit Cake

Well I see your pumpkin Judy and I'll raise you :).  I collect recipes from many sources, and often the suggestions that come on the pack of the pack or can can be very good.  I found this one on the back of the Sunbeam mixed fruit packet, and must say that I found it very good indeed, and relatively healthy for a cake. Even better you mix it all up in the one pot.

Ingredients:
500g dried mixed fruit
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
125g butter
1 cup apricot nectar
1 tsp bicarb soda
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 cup cooked pumpkin cold and mashed
1 cup plain flour
1 cup self raising flour

- Preheat oven to 160 d C
- Grease and line a 20 cm round cake tin
- In a largish pot bring to boil mixed fruit, sugar, syrup, butter and nectar, stirring all the time and then simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add bicarb soda then allow mixture to cool
- Add eggs and pumpkin and stir until smooth.
- Sift in flours and mix well to combine
- Place in tin and bake for 70 minutes or until a skewer in the centre comes out clean.