Ricotta and Spinach Gnocchi with Walnut Butter

Another winner here from Annabel Langbein, vegetarian never tasted better. Can be made gluten free by substituting rice flour for the plain flour.

Ingredients

400g fresh ricotta (from the deli not out of a tub)
2 eggs organic
1 egg yolk organic
1/2 cup packed cooked spinach, ensure all the water is squeezed out, chopped finely
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, (please don't use ground nutmeg see Hint below)
Finely grated zest of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup of plain flour, plus extra for dusting.

Walnut Butter

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves

Method

Mix ricotta, eggs, egg yolk, spinach, parmesan, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt, pepper and flour.  Stir until evenly mixed it will be quite wet.

Have a large pot of boiling water on a rolling boil.
Preheat Oven to 200 degrees Celsius

Use a teaspoon to make walnut size balls of the ricotta mixture dropping onto a plate of flour, toss and gently coat.  Try and ensure they are of the same size. Makes approx. 30 in number.

Working in batches of 4 to 5 at a time so not to overcrowd the pan, shake excess flour off the gnocchi then gently drop into the boiling water.  Simmer until they rise to the surface (approx. 2-3 minutes). Once at the top cook for another minute then gently lift out with a slotted spoon and place on a greased baking tray. Repeat until all gnocchi are cooked.

At this point you can cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or drain on paper towel and freeze.  Bring back to room temperature before baking.

To make walnut butter, place butter, walnuts and thyme in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat until walnuts turn golden.

Pour butter over gnocchi and place in oven until sizzling, approx. 6-10 minutes.

Delicious !!

Mamma Marmalade





Hint: Whole nutmeg are available in Indian specialty food shops or even your local supermarket, they impart a much better flavour when freshly grated.  I use a micro plane for ease of use and pop the rest of the nutmeg in a small bottle ready for next time.

Coconut Peanut Biscuits. Super Quick, Super Easy.

Easy, speedy biscuit recipes are always handy. Fete cookbooks usually include a version of this magic biccie trick.  And ...  NO flour NO eggs .   Plus you can freeze a log of mixture for another quick bake emergency day!

Preparation     5 minutes

Cooking          10 -  11 minutes

Makes             36 biscuits.  3 trays of 12.     I like to cook 12 and freeze 2 logs for later

Ingredients

400 gram Condensed Milk

½ cup Peanut Paste (I like to use Crunchy).  Pop in microwave on low for 20 seconds to soften

1 cup Slivered almonds

1 cup desiccated coconut

2 cups Shredded coconut

Method

Preheat oven to 175 °C

Use a large bowl and pop on a pair of single use plastic gloves

Mix the condensed milk and peanut paste together.

Stir in the nuts and coconut lightly with your hands until well combined but try not to squash it or it will be like cement

Divide your mixture into thirds.  Approximately is fine.

From each one-third roll make 12 balls and space well apart on a flat biscuit tray.

Bake for approx. 10 – 11 minutes until golden.  Will be still a little soft but will firm up on cooling.

Cool on wire rack.

TIPS AND HINTS

To freeze biscuit dough:

from the full mixture:  Divide the dough into approximate thirds. 

Use non-stick paper and roll the mix into a 25 cm / 10 inch log.

Wrap the non-stick paper log in kitchen plastic, add a name tag (and the cooking instructions!) then store in a freezer bag.

To use:

Remove from freezer and allow to defrost a little

Cut 12 rounds from the log.  Roll into rough balls and cook.

                                                                enjoy!   Colleen

Chicken with coconut and lemon

Looking for flavour packed mid week meal or weekend entertainer meal, this Thai inspired chicken curry meets all your requirements.  Try to use chicken thighs on the bone that way the chicken stays moist and gains flavour from being cooked on the bone.  Belinda Jeffrey has come up with another winner.

Ingredients


1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
2 onions, finely sliced
6 very large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh ginger
2 - 4 small red chillies, finely chopped
6 fat cardamom pods
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
5 teaspoons sweet paprika
3 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
1 medium-sized lemon, scrubbed and dried
1 x 140ml can coconut cream
1 x 400g can diced or crushed tomatoes
Sea salt, to taste
8 chicken chops or large whole chicken thighs (bone in)
Coriander or mint leaves, to garnish

Method

Preheat Oven to 180 degrees C

Heat oil and fry sliced onions, ginger and chillies, when soft and nearly cooked add the garlic, so it doesn't burn.  In a mortar and pestle or with the flat blade of a large knife, crush cardamom pods and remove black seeds, crush.  Add cardamom pods, paprika, turmeric and red curry paste to pan and cook for a few minutes further until paste is cooked off.
Arrange chicken pieces snuggly in a ceramic roasting dish, with fairly deep sides.
Remove skin and pith from lemon and dice into small pieces, add lemon, coconut cream, tin tomatoes and a little salt to the spice mixture and stir until well combined.

Pour mixture over chicken and cook in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  After 40 minutes turn chicken over.  If the top of the chicken is browning too fast cover with foil.

Before serving scatter fresh coriander leaves over, best served with steamed rice and cucumber strips in yoghurt and steamed Asian vegetables or Thai salad.

Enjoy !

Mamma Marmalade



 

Theresa’s TemptingTrifle – Blueberry Limoncello Dessert

Enjoying an afternoon with friends is wonderful – and when they arrive with a Tempting Lemony Trifle to share – there are smiles all round! So "thanks Theresa for bringing dessert" … and most generously … sharing the recipe … and now we share it with you! 

Hope you enjoy this treat with your friends and family as much as we did.

Preparation and Cooking      allow 45 - 60 minutes  

Chilling time                          6 hours

Ingredients

1 cup (220 gram) Castor Sugar  (you need 100 gram first,   then 120 gram later)

300 ml water

100 ml Limoncello Liqueur

375 gram blueberries = 350 gram and 25 gram blueberries (25 gram will be uncooked and reserved for scattering whole as a topping)   A punnet is usually 125 gram so need 3 punnets.

½ teaspoon Arrowroot powder – this will later be mixed with 2 tablespoons Cold Water

5 eggs – separated

250 gram Mascarpone

4 tablespoons Lemon Curd.     (A good tasting purchased one is fine if you haven’t made it)

1 Madeira Cake.  – cut into 2 cm thick slices.  Usually sold as a Loaf  approx. 350 – 450 gram or homemade.

Whipped Cream  (I suggest whipping approx 300ml of thickened cream)

2 tablespoons Flaked Almonds – Toasted.    (to be sprinkled on just prior to serving)

Method

Use a saucepan and Dissolve 100 gram Castor Sugar in the water over a low heat.

Increase heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes to make sugar syrup.

Place the Limoncello in a separate bowl and stir through only 1/3 cup of your sugar syrup.

Add 350 grams of blueberries to the sugar syrup in the saucepan.  Heat gently for a couple of minutes until the blueberries soften slightly and release some colour.

In a small cup stir the Arrowroot with 2 tablespoons water until smooth.

Add to saucepan blueberries and warm through, stirring gently until thickening.  Set aside to cool.

Next, using an electric Mixer – beat egg yolks and the remaining 120 gram Castor Sugar until pale and thick in a large bowl.  (NB bowl needs to be large enough for later recipe steps)

Add and Beat through the Mascarpone and Lemon Curd.

Next, using a large bowl and an electric Mixer – beat egg yolks and the remaining 120 gram Castor Sugar until pale and thick.  (NB bowl needs to be large enough for later recipe steps)

Add and Beat through the Mascarpone and Lemon Curd.

In a separate bowl – use the electric mixer (with clean attachment) whisk the eggwhites until soft peaks form.  

Very gently, (so as not to lose the air) fold these whisked eggwhites into the Yolk, Mascarpone, Lemon Curd combination.

Use a 1.5 litre serving dish and place one layer of cake slices on bottom.

Brush cake with some of the Limoncello syrup.

Spread with one-third of the Mascarpone mixture.

Pour over one-quarter of the Blueberries and one-quarter of Blueberry syrup

Repeat the layers.  You should have approx. one-quarter of cooked Blueberry mix left to reserve.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Just prior to serving –

have the toasted flaked almonds prepared and the reserved one quarter of cooked blueberries

and the reserved 25 gram of blueberries ready for topping.

Whip the cream.

Top the trifle with the whipped cream.

Drizzle over some of the cooked blueberries and syrup.  Any left over can be served in a jug.

Sprinkle with the flaked almonds and a few fresh blueberries.

                                          Enjoy!  Colleen    -   with thanks to Theresa!