Buttery Apples

  This is such an easy recipe to make.

Buttery Apples

Especially good for those nights when 

big brown eyes look forlornly at you, 

hopeful of scoffing a yummy dessert. 

(Still hot but Wilbur and his fork are 

hovering again!)

Stephanie Alexander’s original recipe 

called for more butter and sugar than I 

have listed, but if you want to add more …

It’s not necessary to only use the freshest, 

crispest apples. If you find a couple of sad 

apples (but I am not suggesting fossilised 

school bag relics) be sure to include them 

in the mixture as this is a good way to avoid 

waste and gain happy calories. 

I have also packed a container of the Buttery 

Apples in ‘weekend away’ food supplies and 

it is perfect with a slurp of custard, or eaten as 

part of a holiday breakfast indulgence.

Ingredients

6 – 7 medium sized eating apples. Peeled, cored and chopped into medium chunks.

      Pieces will shrink in size during cooking

               I use mainly Granny Smith and a couple of sad reds

100 gram butter.     (Could reduce to 80 gram if watching butter intake).

3 - 3 ½  tablespoons brown sugar – level, not heaped. Use  3 ½ if only using less sweet Granny Smiths

2  teaspoons Pure Vanilla Paste. Or substitute 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract.     Or use vanilla pod. 

1  cinnamon quill (remove prior to serving)   Or ½  teaspoon ground cinnamon. (More if you adore it)

¼  teaspoon ground cloves.  (Omit if not keen on cloves)

Method

You will be using the stove-top and a wide-based frypan with a lid, preferably a toughened glass lid.

Melt the butter and sugar together over a gentle heat.  Stir gently to combine.

Add the apple chunks and spices.  Mix gently to coat with the butter.

Cover pan with lid and simmer gently for 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on them, stir gently if catching.

Remove the lid and stir gently to coat the softened apple pieces with the sauce. 

Don’t squish the apple pieces – they need to retain their chunkiness.

Increase the heat slightly and allow the sauce to thicken.  It will start to turn golden and caramelly.

You need to watch the sauce and avoid it burning. Gentle heat and gentle, occasional stir to coat.

When ready the apple chunks are soft and coated with an oozy thickened golden sauce.

Options

Re-warm if needed. Serve hot or cool with ice-cream, cream or custard. 

Or add to pancakes, crepes or even muesli.

                                                                                                                               

 Enjoy – Colleen

Sticky Lemongrass Soy Chicken Bites

Sticky Lemongrass Soy Chicken Bites

      These tasty morsels can be served as an 

        appetizer or part of an easy meal with rice 

        or fried rice and lots of Asian greens.                                     

        Marinating can be done the night 

        before needed. The original recipe was in 

        Feast Magazine but it used 400 ml of Fish 

        Sauce. I have reduced and altered to part 

        substitute Low Salt soy sauce.  I hope you 

        enjoy my version – please alter quantities 

        to suit your preference.

  Ingredients  

      1 kg chicken nibblets – various names - sold as chicken wings with wing tip removed   – yields approx 24

      (Side-note:  If you are planning on later making a soup etc, buy 1 ½ kg of the whole wings and remove  tips to reserve to add in to a soup or for a homemade stock).

      PS I have tried recipe with drumsticks, but does not seem as juicy – though could be worth trying.

     Ingredients for My Marinade

   100 ml Fish Sauce

   100 ml Low Salt Soy Sauce –  Low Salt version is important otherwise this will be way too salty

   200 gram castor sugar

   2 stalks lemongrass – white section only - finely sliced.  Peel away the rough tough green outer layers.

   3 cloves garlic – crushed

   ½ - 1 teaspoon ground white pepper.  White pepper has more oomph – this gives it spicy kick

   ½  teaspoon chilli flakes –  (amount not very hot)  Omit if you are not a chilli fan. Or increase if you are a fan.

  Method

  Use a large plastic freezer bag and mix all the marinade ingredients in the bag.

  Place the plastic bag into a rectangular flat baking style dish – hold opening up and add the chicken pieces into the bag.

  Moosh the chicken and squish the marinade into all the chicken pieces.

  Allow the bag to flatten out in the tray, and tie up the top of the bag (I use a peg). 

  Chill in the fridge overnight (min 4 hours) and turn and moosh around as often as you open fridge.

  When ready to cook  - Preheat oven 200 Celsius Fan forced    (need to allow warming up time).

  Prepare 2 medium – large oven trays.  Trays need to have a lip to hold any dripped marinade / fat, but not too deep a tray or they won’t brown.  A tray about 2 cm deep is fine.

  Will need at least two layers of foil in each tray

  And also an oiled rack for each tray to support the chicken pieces. I don’t like the chicken pieces sitting in the rendered chicken fat.  I prefer to let the fat drain off by using the rack.

  Remove chicken pieces from the plastic bag and the marinade mix.

  Place marinated chicken pieces on rack.  

  Reserve the unused marinade in a small saucepan.  (will be needed later).

  Allow pieces to sit on rack and drop some of marinade onto first layer of foil   (say 2 - 3 minutes)

You can either –

  Lift the chicken rack off the tray, remove this oozed layer of foil and return chicken rack to sit above clean foil in tray.   OR

  mop up (paper towel etc) and remove some of the excess that has dripped onto the foil layer

Because of high cooking temp – this marinade would have ugh - smoked/ burnt)

– this step helps reduce burning smell within oven due to marinade sugar content

Place prepared trays of marinated chicken pieces in oven

While the chicken pieces are baking in the oven:

Boil marinade in saucepan 5 mins.  (If it goes too too thick add a dash of water and stir well)

Then gently simmer to thicken slightly so some can be used for basting and rest as a sauce.

Pour the basting portion (about 1/4 - 1/3 cup) into a cup / dish for basting.

The remaining boiled marinade can be used as an accompanying sauce.         

SEE note below

Baste chicken pieces with left over marinade every ten minutes during the cooking process.

This helps glossy end result. Keep an eye on them so they don’t char severely.  Maybe turn the trays.

Bake 35 – 40 minutes.  Depends on your oven.

Options

Serve with steamed rice or fried rice and also a

-        Selection of chopped tomato and cucumber – refreshing

-        Sprinkle of chopped coriander

-        Lots of steamed mixed Asian greens

TIPS / HINTS

Because the marinade has been in contact with raw chicken, it is important to boil the marinade for 5 minutes to ensure it is safe to use as a sauce. 

I specify separating the basting portion from the sauce portion as your basting brush will be in contact with semi-raw chicken when you are basting and by dunking your brush back into your basting portion you could re-introduce raw chicken specks to your baste and risk contamination.

Keeping the sauce separate ensures it has been thoroughly cooked and will be safe to use as a sauce.

                              Enjoy -   Colleen

Kaffir Lime & Pepper Marinated Beef Salad

Tried this Cambodian inspired dish from Delicious magazine.

Wonderful fresh clean flavours with a bit of "zing" to clean the palate. The quantities are for 4-6 servings, however it only fed 3 of my ravenous brood!!

 Ingredients 

• 500g sirloin steak                                                     
• 100ml lime juice (freshly squeezed, of course!)
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup grated palm sugar
• 1 lemon grass stem (inner core only) grated
• 3 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1 small red chilli finely chopped
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 2 eschalots, thinly sliced
• 2tbs peanuts, roasted, chopped
• 1 tbs sunflower oil
• 1 bunch radish, thinly sliced
• 1 cup beans sprouts, ends trimmed
• 1 bunch mint, leaves picked
• 1/2 bunch basil, leaves picked
• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

Method

Place beef in freezer for 20 minutes until firm. Very thinly slice and set aside.

Meanwhile, place lime juice, kaffir lime leaves, palm sugar, lemongrass, garlic and 1 tsp ground black pepper in a bowl and stir to combine. Pour half the dressing over the beef, then cover and set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Combine the remaining dressing with chilli, fish sauce, eschalot, half the peanuts and 2 tbs water. Set aside

Heat chargrill pan over high heat. Drain beef and pat dry with paper towel, then toss with oil. In batches cook beef for 1 minute on each side or until cooked through.

Toss beef with radish, bean sprouts, mint, basil and remaining dressing to combine, then transfer to serving plates. Garnish with remaining peanuts and serve.

Yum!

Cutlets



Pizza Dough

This pizza dough differs from others because it does not require a long rising time, but still makes a delicious base.

Ingredients

1 kg strong baker's flour or 000 flour
10 g salt 
10 g sugar 
20 g dry yeast or 40 g fresh yeast 
660 mls cold water 

Method

Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. 

Make a well in the centre. 

Slowly add only 600ml of the water into the well-never add warm water, it activates the yeast too quickly

Gently incorporate the wet and dry ingredients by gently moving the water into the 
flour mixture.  This will take 3-4 minutes. 

The remaining 50-60 ml of water is only added if required, depends on the nature 

of the flour. 

Place dough on a floured benchtop. 

Kneading the dough develops the gluten strains in the flour. 

If 1 kg of dough is too difficult to manage, divide in half and work in

 two batches. 

Press down and away from your body turning the ball of dough

clockwise. 

After 10 minutes you should have a smooth ball.

Don't skimp on the kneading time, use it as a meditative time or 

take out the frustrations of your day as you push the dough around.

It should have a smooth skin and 

feel like plastic.  Add extra flour if needed.

Divide the dough into individual balls for pizza.  

1kg of mixture can make eight 200g pizzas.  

Create round balls by using the palms of your hands to cup the dough.  

Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel  to stop a crust forming. 

Let them rise for 10 - 15 minutes. 
Using a rolling pin, evenly roll out each of the balls of dough.

Place on a preheated pizza stone or pizza tray and add favourite

toppings.

Cook in a preheated oven 200 degrees for 15 -20 minutes until base

 is crisp and topping golden.

Share with family or friends

Mama Marmalade

Toffee Nut Slice

This nut slice is inspired by Belinda Jeffrey's and is perfect to freeze so you can have a delicious sweet treat in the time it takes to defrost.

 Ingredients

2 cups (300g) plain flour
1/2 cup firmly packed (100g) brown sugar or if you want to be a little more healthy use rapadura sugar (available from health stores)
180g chilled butter

Pecan or Macadamia Topping 

125g unsalted butter
1 cup (200g) firmly packed brown or rapadura sugar
1/3 cup (4 tbsp) honey
11/2 tps pure thin cream
250g pecans (sliced lengthways) or macadamia pieces
11/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Grease and line a 4cm x 21cm x 30cm slice pan with baking paper, making the paper extend over the sides.  This will make it easier to remove the slice from the tin when cooked.

Whiz the flour, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor for 15 seconds.  Add butter and process until mixture resembles damp sand.
Tip into pan and pat out evenly over the base to smooth out.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Start to make topping when base is nearly ready.
Melt the cubed butter over a medium heat.  Add sugar, honey, cream and 1/4 tsp of salt, stir for 2 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved.  Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium low and stir for one minute.  Stir in pecans/macadamias and vanilla.  Remove from the heat.

Remove base from the oven and cool for 1-2 minutes, then spread warm nut mixture evenly over the top.
Bake for 16-18 minutes or until topping is bubbling and deep golden in colour.  Place the pan on a rack to cool completely.

Using a hot knife loosen the edges of the slice and lever the whole slab out onto a board.
Slice into pieces.  Store the slice layered between baking paper in an airtight container, will last up to 5 days in a cool spot, maybe even the fridge in summer.

Mama Marmalade

Chicken and Feta Sausage Rolls

Chicken and Feta Sausage Rolls 

These rolls are inspired by a David 

Herbert recipe and are very addictive.   

As I usually seem to do, I added extra pinches 

of this and that. Also, I have 

successfully frozen half a batch ready 

to bake the following week – which 

were just as delicious and disappeared 

in nano seconds!  (witness Wilbur’s 

hovering greedy fingers in the photo!)

Allow 20 mins preparation,   30 mins pastry resting time    and approx. 20 mins baking time.

Ingredients

Makes approx 36 mini rolls.   (6 long rolls cut into 6 portions each – as in photo)

500 gram chicken mince.   Good quality – needs to be meaty, not watery.  (Lilydale is good)

1 small red onion – chopped

Grated zest of 1 lemon 

Good handful of baby spinach leaves – roughly chopped - about 4 tablespoons

2 slices of multigrain bread       (when later processed will yield 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs)

½  teaspoon dried chilli flakes    (this is not too hot, but omit if you dislike chilli)

150 gram firm feta crumbled    (Use the firm type, not the smooth, or it will lack texture)

Rosemary - fresh if possible -    about 1 teaspoon of fresh leaves chopped

Parsley    3 – 4 sprigs chopped  (Wilbur mistook my chervil for parsley –also turned out YUM)

Salt and Pepper - to your taste

3 sheets ready rolled Butter Puff Pastry – just thawed  - but do not allow to soften too much or will be gloopy and droopy and difficult to work with when rolling.  Thaws  very quickly.

Leave blue plastic on pastry sheet – for time being – aids with moving  pastry sheets about
Cut each sheet in half, so you will have 6 rectangles in total

Pampas brand is fine – use Non-butter type if you are avoiding butter

1 egg, beaten:    this is for brushing the pastry prior to baking

Optional – sesame seeds, either white or black – to sprinkle on top prior to baking the rolls

Method

Quick and easy using a food processor - but pulse only – do not mush to oozy mess. 

If mixing by hand, chop ingredients and mix well to combine in a large mixing bowl.

Whichever way the mix is prepared, ingredients need to be uniformly distributed through the mixture but not processed to mush.   It is good to see some texture and specks of green.

Preheat oven to 220 Celsius – NB - do this during the 30 min resting rolls time (see below). 

Your oven must be very hot before adding trays of rolls.

Prepare 3 medium-large oven trays. (Tiny edges or rolls won’t brown).  Line with bakepaper.

Place bread slices in food processer and pulse til crumbs

Add onion – pulse til onion finely chopped. You don’t want to bite into chunky onions

Add the mince, herbs, lemon zest, spinach, crumbled feta, spices, S&P – very brief pulses.

You just want it just to be mixed and combined – be careful not to over-process.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal balls.  

Use single use gloves if you like, or have your hands a little bit damp to mix so it won’t stick so much.   Make each ball into a long sausage shape tube.

Place sausage mixture tube onto the pastry - long-ways - about 2 cms from the edge of pastry. Fill to the ends.

Do 1 complete roll first to trial method - if you find there is not enough mix for 6 then do 5.

(Hope you find my fancy illustration below useful for how to place the XXXXX mixture)

Eggy wash xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Brush along edge (marked as ‘egg’) with some of the beaten egg on each pastry sheet.

Flip the long non-egged 2cm pastry edge up and on top of part of the meat roll (XXXXX).

LOOSEN the blue pastry plastic away from the pastry, - clean fingernails –

but keep the roll sitting on the plastic – will make cutting easier later.

Continue to roll the pastry towards the top edge.

Lightly brush pastry again, if needed, so both will stick together well. The eggy edge will now be able to seal down onto your roll and form a full sausage roll. 

The seam will be on the base of the final cooked roll.

Press gently to ensure pastry has sealed. But do not flatten.  Should look like a plump roll.

(If the pastry is getting a little soft at any stage, just pop the long rolls onto a tray and put in fridge for 5 mins –no more-  to firm up a bit. Will make cutting into smaller rolls easier).

With rolls still on the blue pastry plastic - Cut each long roll into 6 smaller sausage rolls. 

Now remove each cut portion off the blue pastry plastic.

Place sealed edge down onto prepared trays.  Do not crowd the tray.

Brush tops with remaining beaten egg.          

Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Chill in fridge for 30 minutes on the prepared trays. 

If planning to freeze – refer to option at end of recipe.

Remove from fridge.         

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes. Will depend on your oven.

Make sure you have removed the blue pastry plastic – Do not cook it onto the rolls (Ugh)

Check at 15 minutes – maybe rotate trays to ensure tops will all be crispy and golden.

Serve warm or hot with variety of sauces

Option:

If you decide to make 3 longer length rolls from each long tube instead of cutting into 6 mini rolls, you will need to prick tops with a fork a couple of times to release air during baking, and slightly increase cooking time by 5 – 10 minutes extra.  Again – depends on your oven.

Freezing option:

Place a tray of fully prepared uncooked rolls inside a large freezer bag.  Freeze overnight.  Once frozen, remove rolls from tray. Carefully bag up the rolls to store in freezer and have ready to cook later.  Hide them.

To cook from frozen: 

Allow rolls to partially thaw. 

Bake as usual (see above) -  but add  5 – 10 more minutes baking time.

Tested and approved by Wilbur                                                                   

                                                                                                                              

                                                                   Enjoy – Colleen