Mandarin Cake

Now that mandarins are in season why not try this, moist gluten free treat for your friends and family, ideal desert recipe for those on restricted diet to manage IBS, low Fodmap.   I packaged up a slice for a good friend to take home and she later told me it never made it, she ate it in the car. Thanks to Donna Hay for this desert cake and the absolute bounty of my homegrown organic mandarins.

Ingredients

2 small mandarins unpeeled
1/2 cup instant polenta
3/4 cup almond meal (make your own by whizzing up whole almonds in a food processor)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs best if at room temperature
1/2 cup caster sugar

Mandarin syrup

2/3cup caster sugar
2 tablespoon water
1/3 cup mandarin juice

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Line base and sides of a greased 20cm springform tin with baking paper.
Cook mandarins in a small saucepan, cover with water placing a saucer on top to keep mandarins submerged, for 30 minutes or until soft.
Cool slightly and then process in a food processor to make a purée.
Combine polenta, almond meal and baking powder, mix to combine.
Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer for 10-12 minutes until thick and tripled in volume.
Fold in the dry ingredients into the eggs, in two batches.
Pour into prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes and cooked through testing with a skewer.
Cool completely in the tin.
For the mandarin syrup, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan stirring until combined.  Bring to the boil, cook without stirring swirling the sugar mixture until it caramelises approx 7-8 minutes.
Slowly add the mandarin juice, stirring until combined.  Cool to room temperature.
Remove cake from tin and spoon over the syrup.

Yum yum.
Mama Marmalade

Pomegranate and Luscious Lime Ice Cream – Super Easy

Once again Nigella is the inspiration for this “ooooh yummmm” decadent treat. Similar to the Pina Colada ice cream recipe already posted, this dessert does not require an ice cream machine – just whip the cream, mix the fruits in and hide the results in the freezer.  

I use multiple labelled  small airtight freezer containers (a few are in the photo below) and hide them liberally throughout the freezer to satisfy Wilbur’s hunter-gather instincts.

Yes, this does contain almost a million happy Nigella calories -  but -  I serve it in very small portions  (smaller than shown in the photo) and with gorgeous fresh fruits - so this amount easily makes 12 dainty indulgences.

Preparation  10 – 15 minutes

Cooking     NIL       

Freezing   6 hours or overnight.         Best used within a fortnight.

Serves   12  - small but indulgent

Ingredients

2 pomegranates  - juice and seeds

2 limes – choose deep green fresh fruit –  using the zest of 2  -  and the juice of 1 maybe 2

175 gm icing sugar

500 ml thickened cream

Optional but desirable  -  1 teaspoon Monin Rose Syrup

To de-seed pomegranates using a wooden spoon    SEE BELOW -   Tips and Hints

Method

Juice and de-seed the pomegranates (see below).  Reserve a few seeds for decoration.

Zest the limes very very finely. You do not want lime floss between your teeth.

Juice the limes   NB. Put the juice of each lime in a separate cup because depending on the juiciness of the limes you may only need 1 but more likely to need 1 and a bit.  Taste and adjust if necessary during the mixing.

Whisk the cream and icing sugar together using either an electric mixer or hand whisk.

Before cream mixture is fully whisked, add the pomegranate seeds and juice , all zest and juice of 1 lime. 

Whisk a bit more and taste.  If you think it needs a little more lime add some of the reserved juice.

Whisk until the cream mix forms soft peaks that hold their shape.  Done.

Spoon into multiple small airtight freezer containers and secure lids tightly.

Label.

Freeze (hidden) at least 6 hours or overnight.

To serve

Spoon a delicious dollop over berries and decorate with the reserved pomegranate seeds.

TIPS and HINTS

To de-seed pomegranates using a wooden spoon  (!)

    

Be ready to save the dribbly juice when you slice your pomegranates in half (you will halve them as if you are slicing at their ‘waist’ – not halving down from where the stem was)

Turn the pomegranate half  -seed side down -  into your palm over a wide bowl.  Allow your fingers to spread slightly so the seeds will shower down into the bowl.  Gently but firmly smack the fruit skin so the seeds and also the juice will be released.  Some seeds remaining may need to be gently popped out.

Remove and discard any of the rough thick white pith that may have dropped into the bowl.

TIPS AND HINTS

Different varieties of Pomegranates = different colour seeds

Not all pomegranates varieties have the deep deep  ruby-jewel coloured seeds - some are paler but are just as delicious. Sometimes the paler seeded variety has a sweeter flavour than the ruby seed variety.

I learnt that from SBS Food Lovers Guide which is a fabulous timeless TV show

 http://www.sbs.com.au/food/show/food-lovers-guide

                                                            Enjoy!  Colleen

Moroccan Shepherd’s Pie - my way

Inspired by an Annabel Langbein recipe.

This is great way to serve mince / diced lamb (or other meats)  and add lentils, pulses and lots of veggies  to the family dinner - delish !  And the left-overs taste even better the next day. 

I make a double quantity of the meat/lentil mixture, cook and portion into freezer bags which I flatten slightly to speed up defrosting later (double-bag so you can add a paper label in between the two bags then you know what it is later - no freezer mysteries!)

Then as needed, I just defrost, only needing to cook and mash the sweet potato topping - then reheat the lot for a nourishing dinner.

PS: if the family wonders what chickpeas are - is it a crime to tell them chickpeas are similar to chicken nuggets only smaller and yummier??  Wilbur believes this, and would I lie to him?

Serves:            6 plus leftovers - flavours are even better the next day.

Preparation:   20 minutes and sweet potato can be cooking during this time too

Cooking:        40 minutes on the stove (incl 20 min simmering - so you are not really cooking 40 min!) 

                     then  20 -30 mins baking in oven 

Ingredients:

500 g lean mince or diced meat (fat removed)   -   preferably lamb, beef good too. I don't recommend using pork or chicken as the spices need a stronger meat for balance which is why lamb is my preference.

Chickpeas (cooked -or a tin, rinsed and drained) -  add half a cup (more is better) to balance the meat portion

2 onions chopped

1 - 2  garlic cloves crushed   (your preference)

Australian Olive oil.                  

Handful of red lentils (helps thicken) -  I add -    but depends on how thick you like the final dish

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoon each of ground cumin and turmeric

½ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and cloves (could also add a quill during simmer then remove)

Dash chilli to your taste       - I use a pinch of dried chilli flakes

Splash Worcestershire sauce     

 a pinch of freshly grated lemon rind 

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 large carrot grated (or very finely diced)

400 g can tomatoes (crushed or diced okay)

3 cups beef stock or vege stock if preferred –  VIP - salt reduced.  Have 1 litre ready - freeze unused.

TIP:

Amount of stock depends on  thickness preferred, and how many red lentils you added to soak up the stock.    

Can add more stock or even water, during the simmering process if necessary.

Finely chopped rosemary – this herb can overpower - so add about 1 ½ teaspoon -  and also a bit more to add to the mash later

½ cup chopped parsley

Plus Salt and pepper – depending on your taste. Should not need much salt.

Mash     

1 large sweet potato (needs to generously cover the filling) - cubed, cooked and mashed. 

                      TIP: I often roast pieces of sweet potato and save in the fridge or freezer for later.  Makes the

                      sweet potato taste richer and easy to add to lots of different recipes.

Mash in your preference of splash of olive oil etc, S&P , and tiny pinch fine diced rosemary

Topping - Sprinkle of black sesame seeds and a dash chopped parsley/mint etc

Method

Use a pan suitable for stove top cooking -  approx. 3” or more deep, large enough to simmer above ingredients ( NO lid necessary).  Also need an ovenproof baking dish – large rectangular  to bake pie

Preheat oven to 200 C. 

On the stove, in the pan - Brown the meat (if preferred – in oil  and then add salt & pepper – I add later)  

Add onion, garlic, the spices and stir in.  Approx 6 -7 mins til onion softens

Add tomato paste and stir in well.  Allow to cook over heat for  minute or two. (Mellows the paste)

Add carrot, canned tomatoes, Worc sauce, chickpeas and lentils, the Stock, rosemary 

Stir well then simmer 20-30min.

Check and adjust the Stock(add more if too thick)   until a thick but still juicy.(will dry slightly in oven)  

Mix in parsley and lemon rind and now taste it - maybe add S&P if you think so.

Transfer to large ovenproof baking dish.  

 

Top generously with mash and sprinkle with sesame seeds and some chopped parsley

Bake and brown in oven – approx. 20 mins – depends on oven

Serve with your choice of chutneys, bowl of Greek Yoghurt and chopped mint -  etc or sprigs of basil     and lots of green veggies and /or salads

Enjoy! Colleen