Potato & Roasted Fennel Soup

Give this soup a try, by roasting the fennel and including prosciutto it gives a great depth of flavour.

Ingredients

2 large fennel bulbs
2 garlic cloves, halved
2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon extra
1 leek, pale section only, thinly sliced
6 slices prosciutto thinly sliced into strips
4 cups of chicken stock
500 grams of potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters
snipped chives or fennel fronds to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Place fennel and garlic on a baking tray, drizzle over half of the oil and toss to coat.
Bake for 25 minutes until fennel is tender.
Heat remaining oil in a saucepan and cook the leek and half of the prosciutto for 5 minutes until the leek has softened. Add stock, 2 cups of water, potatoes, fennel and garlic.
Increase heat and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes, until potato is tender.
Using a stick blender to create required consistency, Tip: I take out a cup of the liquid before blending and only adding sufficient to achieve required thickness.
Fry remaining prosciutto.
Ladle soup into gorgeous bowls like mine created by ceramic artist Kim Aitken and top with crunchy prosciutto and chives or fennel fronds.

Mamma Marmalade

Anzac Biscuits - for a time to remember and reflect.

My version of the Anzac Biscuit combines Australian cooking tradition with ideas from New Zealander Annabel Langbein. When you return from the Dawn Service and have a cuppa with an Anzac Biscuit on April 25, remember these sweet versions were not the biscuits designed to last in transit that our Soldiers ate.  Over time, cooks have enhanced the humble biscuit  - but the core ingredients remain – Rolled Oats, flour, sugar and golden syrup or treacle and most importantly, thoughts of home.

My belief is that Anzac Day is not about celebration. It is a time to remember those who fought for our country.  On April 25 we reflect on their sacrifice and give thanks for our freedom.  Memories of visiting memorials, especially those in small Australian towns, and also of my travels to Gallipoli and the memorials to those who fought and suffered on both sides of the conflict will remain with me always. 

Lest We Forget.

Preparation:   15 minutes (allow additional time needed if soaking raisins)

Baking:             15 minutes – approx.   Will depend on your oven

Line 3 flat biscuit trays.  Makes about 36 small or 20 larger biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup Rolled Oats

1 cup Plain Flour - sifted

1 cup Desiccated Coconut

1 cup Brown Sugar

Pinch each of cinnamon and cloves

½ cup raisins          OPTION:   soaked overnight in ½ tablespoon rum

½ cup slivered almonds

2 tablespoons golden syrup  OR   treacle – which will give a slighter darker, less ‘sweet’ taste.

125 gram butter – melted

2 tablespoon water

½ teaspoon Baking Powder

Method

Preheat oven to 160 oC.     Prepare 3 biscuit trays.

Using a large bowl, combine oats, flour, coconut, sugar, spices, nuts and raisins.

TIP: (when the Baking powder is added to butter mix later on, it will froth up a little  - so use a saucepan with enough room for this to double in size for a minute or so)

In the separate saucepan gently heat the butter, water and golden syrup.

Add the Baking powder to the melted butter mixture.  Stir a little.

Add immediately to the prepared dry ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine.

Roll into small balls -  bit smaller than an apricot – and place on prepared trays. 

3 trays should have 12 ball on each, well separated.

Using the back of a fork, gently flatten for a cooked ‘crispier’ more traditional result  OR  just flatten slightly to achieve biscuits that will be a little softer and chewier after baking .

You could vary between trays if you like.  I prefer the flatter crisp traditional biscuit.

Bake until golden.  Approx  15 minutes.  If not golden you may need to rotate trays in your oven.

Should not take more than 18 minutes.   TIP: The biscuits will then harden during cooling .

Remove from oven and cool on trays on raised racks.    NB biscuits harden on cooling.

Once cooled down, remove from tray and allow to rest on cake rack to ensure base is dried off.

Store in an airtight container.  Biscuits should keep for approx. 1 week.

                                             Enjoy.  Colleen

Rocky Road – My Rapturous but ‘Rugly’ (Really Ugly) Decadent Rocky Road

Festive seasons are the perfect time to share family favourites. My 'Rugly Road'  is a family and friends festive essential. 

It is impossible to hide this temptation successfully in the fridge as it seems to disappear although ‘no-one’  at my house ever admits to sneaking a piece.  So enjoy -  before it vanishes!

The ingredients are just a guide. 

If you don’t like dark chocolate then use milk chocolate, although it is worth buying a good brand as it will affect the flavour – an extra $ spent on the ingredients really makes a difference to the overall taste.  Regarding the nuts – if you have your favourites mix and match or add a little more – just be sure to use unsalted nuts. Ditto with the other ingredients – the chocolate is just meant to thickly coat the ingredients and adhere them into a delicious treat as it cools.

Turkish Delight – oh yes. I mean the good deli stuff – shake off the icing sugar (I save this to use in desserts later on).  I regard this as the star of my Rugly Road.  My absolute addiction is the pistachio and rosewater variety – never as good as in Istanbul, but close.

Preparation:   This is enough for a heatproof rectangular dish  approx. 25cm x 18 cm  or you could use a couple of small loaf tins.  Line well with nonstick paper.

Ingredients

350 g marshmallows – cut in half only if using very large ones. They shrink a little when the warm chocolate coats them

Small handful coconut flakes – toasted.

¼ cup dry roasted almonds – halved

¼ cup pecan pieces

½ cup (70g) shelled pistachios - roasted

¼  - 1/3 cup raw macadamias – lightly toasted

400 g Turkish Delight  - proper Turkish Delight (I like the pistachio and rosewater) – chopped

1/3 - ½ cup dried cranberries – craisins 

and / or a few semi dried wild figs halved

and / or a few golden sultanas

a few glacé  red cherries – halved.  Look for natural glacé cherries, no artificial sweeteners.

400 g good chocolate – I often use 200g milk and 200g 70% dark chocolate – melted.  See below.

Edible rose petals and some shaved chocolate to decorate top.

Method

Dry roast coconut on low in a wide frypan – stir regularly.  Only needs a couple of minutes. Do not burn. Remove from pan. Allow to cool

Repeat for the nuts. Dry roast until just toasted.  Remove and allow to cool.

Prepare pans with non-stick paper.

In large bowl – mix all ingredients except the chocolate together. Combine well so they are ready  - soon you will add in the chocolate which is prepared as below.

Melt chocolate in a heat proof bowl, allow to cool slightly.  

I use the microwave, lowest temperature setting and set for 30 seconds, stir, then repeat and repeat until almost melted. Then for 10 seconds etc until gently melted.  Never allow moisture or water to touch the chocolate or it will go grainy. Be careful not to melt for too long or it will start to burn.

Stir and fold into dry ingredients so all ingredients are well distributed.

Pour gently into pans and smooth top. Don’t pour too thick or it will be too hard to cut later.

About 2 – 3 cm thick is quite enough.

Decorate with the edible rose petals and shaved chocolate. Push in very gently to adhere to top.

Refrigerate minimum 3 hours.  Cut into serving pieces. I cut it into bite size pieces when it has chilled.  Use a strong knife and dip knife in hot water, wipe, then slice to make cutting easier.

                                                            Enjoy!  Colleen

Vegetable and Creamy Ricotta Lasagne

Meat-free  - and a flexible recipe that works either as tonight’s dinner (with great leftovers!) or - can be prepared in advance for entertaining and is easily portable for times when you need to bring ‘something’.  The flavours mean this dish works perfectly as the main course -  but it can also be used as a side accompaniment to many meat dishes, especially with an Italian flavour base.

No Béchamel Sauce needed – the creaminess comes from the ricotta. Measurements for this lasagne dish are a guide only and will depend on the size dish you wish to serve.  The choice of vegies is up to you -  If you are not a fan of sweet potato leave it out and add more pumpkin – easy.

Because this uses fresh lasagne sheets it requires less cooking and not as much liquid as when you use the dried sheets.  My tip is to have some saved pumpkin and sweet potato that has been roasted from an earlier meal on standby in the fridge (so handy for so many weekday meals).

Serves:              4 – 6 depending on the size of your baking dish.

Preparation:    30 - 45 minutes

Baking Time:   30 - 40 minutes

Ingredients – please note these are approx. amount for baking dish 30 cm x 25cm x6 cm deep

If you find you have bits left over - just make up a second smaller dish with the odds and ends and bake ready for lunch during the week.

2 medium eggplants – cut into 1 cm discs then lightly brushed with a little olive oil

1 butternut pumpkin – cut into ¼ chunk then peel and cut into thin slices

1 sweet potato – peeled and cut into thin slices

Olive Oil - to coat the baking dish and prepare vegetables

Baby spinach leaves – approx. 350 – 500 gram

Mushrooms – Portabello or Swiss Browns preferably.  About 4 – 5 handfuls

½ red capsicum – finely diced

1 red chilli – deseeded and finely diced  - leave out if you are not a Chilli fan

2 cloves garlic – crushed - optional

Lots of fresh basil leaves – approx. 1 cup or a bit more

Herbs – about a tablespoon -  your choice of chopped up  - small sprig rosemary, oregano,  thyme leaves, parsley

Pepper to taste

1 large tin crushed tomatoes – approx. 800 gram

2 tablespoons red wine  (optional)

300 – 400 gram fresh Ricotta.  Best from a deli or supermarket deli.  Not the tub.

A small amount crumbled fetta – Optional.  Adds a deeper, saltier tang.

Fresh lasagne sheets.  The supermarket refrigerated brand is fine

Grated mozzarella cheese – enough to sprinkle over top

A little freshly grated parmesan cheese – just to sprinkle over the top

A few extra herbs chopped to sprinkle over the top

Method

Preheat oven to 180 o C

There are a couple of ways of doing this lasagne –

If you precook/steam/grill most of your vegies it cuts down on baking time.

If using from raw, remember they will give off moisture during baking and require longer to cook.

The precook method.  

Steam the sweet potato and pumpkin. Drain off some of the moisture but allow it to be moist.

Lightly grill eggplant rounds and allow to rest whilst preparing rest of veg.

Gently fry off the capsicum, chilli, garlic, mushrooms and add spinach at the end.  Retain the juices as they are packed with flavour.

Mix the tomatoes, herbs and red wine.

Assemble your lasagne.

Don’t worry too much about the sequence of layers – you just need some layers of veg, lasagne sheets and then enough tomato mix to moisten and then cover with crumbled ricotta to give a creamy layer. Always finish with enough tomato mix to ensure the top is moist and then cover with the remaining ricotta and finally sprinkle over the mozzarella and parmesan which will give a golden cheesy crust to the entire dish.

Place a layer of fresh lasagne sheets in the base of well oiled dish.

Cover with a layer of some of the eggplant

Spread over with some of the sweet potato / pumpkin

A layer of basil leaves

Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets

Spoon over enough tomato mix to cover

Crumble over some of the ricotta and a little fetta

Spread with a little of the mushroom, spinach mix and basil leaves

Another lasagne sheet layer

More tomato mix and ricotta crumbled over

Another layer of eggplant then More pumpkin, more mushrooms then

Final layer of Lasagne sheets

Now gently push down to remove air and ensure all layers are bathed in tomato.

Cover with Tomato mix and ricotta cheese.

Sprinkle over the grated mozzarella then parmesan and herbs.

Bake for about 20 – 30 minutes if vegies have been precooked.  Or about 40 minutes if raw.

Lasagne is cooked when golden, hot and you can insert a knife and there is no resistance from raw veggies.  Allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting – will be easier to serve.

If you find the top is starting to brown too quickly cover loosely with some gladbake and alfoil.

If top is not golden enough after dish has been cooked pop it under the grill and crisp up.  Stay with your grill!!

Serve with your choice of green salad or green vegetables.

                                                         Enjoy!   Colleen