Boxing Day Hash

If you want your leftovers to taste as delicious as the main event then try this recipe using up excess ham off the bone.  If you are like our extended family there was not much left of the turkey, loin of pork or whole fillet of beef but there was still an excess of ham. We have made this dish for the last 10 years or so and is always a favourite. Don't think Christmas time is the only time to try this dish it works well any time of year.

Ingredients

2 large potatoes

1 small red onion or 4 shallots 

1 clove garlic crushed

Oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups diced ham

3 tablespoons of sour cream

2 teaspoons dried mustard powder or 1 large teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Salt & Pepper

Serve 

Toasted fresh bread, garnish with chopped chives

Method

Peel and cut potatoes into cubes.

Cook in salted boiling water until par cooked.

Drain.

Heat a tablespoon of oil and butter in a heavy based frying pan.

Add drained potatoes and cook until brown, tossing gently to fry each side.

Then add diced onion or chopped shallots and fry till soft. 

Add garlic and stir.

Tip in chopped ham and warm through.

In a small bowl combine sour cream and mustard of choice.

Add to pan and gently toss to combine.

Season with Salt and Pepper

Serve warm on freshly toasted quality bread.

Top with chopped chives.

Yum

Mamma Marmalade

Pfeffernüsse Scandinavian Pepper Spice Biscuits - Happy Christmas!

Christmas is a time to pause, reflect, share, appreciate life, our community and loved ones. 

We wish you a truly Happy Christmas.  May we all be a little kinder to each other - small gestures of thoughtfulness can change a person's day.

Unleash the kindness,  feed your Inner Cook -  and Happy Christmas 

with love and good Cheer from Colleen and Mamma Marmalade   ...   and Millie! 

ps. If you fancy a doggy cravat as cute as Millie's  - plus gorgeous artisan products pop into Handmade Uki in the beautiful Northern New South Wales township Uki in Australia - such an enjoyable drive through the Destination Tweed region  - cheers

Pfeffernüsse Biscuits by Feed Your Inner Cook

Pfeffernüsse biscuits are made throughout many European countries, but I like to think of them as Scandinavian!  Fragrant spices, citrus and pepper combine for an aromatic delicious festive treat - and they are perfect for homebaked gifts.  
Your kitchen will smell divine - Enjoy!  Colleen

Preparation   10 minutes and allow 10 minutes to roll dough
Cooking         10 - 15 minutes
Makes             50 - 60 small yummy biscuits

Ingredients
1/2 - 3/4 cup Icing Sugar - sifted with pinch of cinnamon  Do this first and set aside in a bowl

125 gram butter - softened
110 gram (1/2 cup firmly packed) brown sugar - dark if possible
fine zest of 1 large lemon and 1 large orange
I also add a half pinch of Gin Gin & Dry - Lemon Powder to boost the citrus if needed 
90 gram (1/4 cup) good flavoursome honey
1 egg 
40 gram (1/4 cup) Candied Mixed Citrus Peel - I substituted 1/3 for uncrystallised ginger - chop these up very very finely before adding. Don't want big chunks in the small biscuits
350 gram (2 1/3 cups) Plain Flour  - sifted 
1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda -  sifted with the following spices
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder - sifted
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper  (when tasting might want to add a dash more)
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon  ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground Allspice   Note Allspice is a specific type of spice berry
1/8 teaspoon ground Cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground Aniseed preferred but  If not available substitute ground Fennel seed
Pinch good quality Salt

Method
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and set aside for later.
Preheat oven to  155-160◦C  and line 3 biscuit trays

With an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and citrus zest.
Gradually beat in the honey then the egg until just combined.
Mix in the chopped candied peel/ginger
Gently Stir through the combined Flour, Bicarb, Baking Powder, spices, pepper and salt until soft dough texture.  Only takes a couple of minutes.

Roll teaspoon sized balls of dough in your hands and place on the trays a few centimetres apart.  They spread about double size.
Bake for approx 10-12 minutes. Turn trays at halftime.
Biscuit tops should start to crack and be just cooked trough, not overbaked.
Remove from oven.
Whilst biscuits are still warm - toss 5 or 6 at a time in the icing sugar and coat generously.
Cool on wire rack.  Dust with a little remaining icing sugar and store in airtight containers.

Millie loves Feed Your Inner Cook

Happy Christmas from Millie and Feed Your Inner Cook Team!

Cheers !   Colleen

Grilled Peach and Prosciutto starters

Ho Ho Ho it's that time of year where you need a few good platter crowd pleasers up your sleeve and this one is fresh and light as well as looking sophisticated.  I went to a little more trouble by creating a wreath look with fresh olive tree foliage and raspberries.

Ingredients

2 large peaches, destoned and quartered
8 slices of prosciutto
1/2 French stick, sliced on an angle 1 cm thick
Olive oil
120g goats cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon thyme

Method

Heat a gridle pan.
Wrap each peach slice in prosciutto.
Drizzle a little olive oil on each bread slice and cook on gridle until toasted and brown.
Add a little more oil to the pan and cook peach wedges.
When toast has cooled spread a thick layer of goats cheese, sprinkle on lemon thyme.
Top with a peach wedge wrapped in prosciutto.
Season with salt and pepper.


Merry Christmas
Mamma Marmalade

Almond and Lemon Ricotta Biscuits

I previously posted a delicious Lemon Ricotta Biscuit recipe from Giada de Laurentiis which I really enjoy making and sharing.  
Recently, I had some leftover ricotta and decided to make an almond variation. They were a great success and perfect with a cuppa.  Hope you enjoy making them too!  
Great for a little 'thank you' or 'visiting friends' gift too!   
Either recipe would make for a yummy homemade gift for Festive giving!
                                              Cheers Colleen 

Almond Lemon Ricotta Biscuits by Feed Your Inner Cook 

Almond Lemon Ricotta Biscuits: Feed Your Inner Cook

I have little frozen icecubes of lemon juice on standby but sometimes don't have a fresh lemon for a hit of lemon zest or the zest lacks zing.  I found (and personally paid for) an amazing fruit product at Regional Flavours in Brisbane from GinGin and Dry  GinGin and Dry FaceBook - foil packed, dried powder lemon zest.  I think it is such a wonderful standby in the pantry - I have added the tiniest pinch when baking, cooking salmon, sauces - so versatile and the flavour/aroma hit is sublime.  I love supporting products from local towns - click on the names for the links for more information.  Excellent stuff. Plus their lime zest is a knockout too.  

Ingredients
makes  approx 40 small biscuits
Baking   12 - 15 minutes.     NB  need to allow cooling time before icing biscuits.

handful flaked almonds - toasted (for garnish)  (pop them on the biscuit tray and do this for 2 minutes whilst oven preheating - watch -  as they burn quickly )

200 gram fresh ricotta - mashed with a fork
60 gram butter - softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 egg
1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup Plain Flour  (sifted)     
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Lemon Icing
1 cup pure icing sugar - sifted
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice  (amount depends on sugar absorption)

Method
Preheat oven to 180 -190 oC.
Prepare 2 biscuit trays.  
While oven is preheating - pop the flaked almonds on a biscuit tray and toast (approx 2-3 minutes - Don't Burn them! ) remove almonds and reserve for garnish after biscuits iced.

Beat the ricotta, butter, lemon rind and sugar until smooth in an electric mixer bowl.
Add the egg and beat again to combine.
Fold in with a metal spoon by slowly adding the sifted flour and baking powder along with the almond meal.
Use two dessert spoons to dollop small portions of the dough onto the trays (1 get 20 per tray)
If you want them to look nicer - dampen hands with a dash of water and roll the dough balls into small balls.  Then flatten just a little with the side of a table knife.
Bake 12 -15 minutes until golden around edges.
Allow to cool on tray at least15 minutes.
When completely cool - drizzle with the prepared icing and scatter with the flaked almonds.

Icing
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl.  Add the lemon juice gradually (amount needed depends on the sugar absorption rate) until a thick paste with a bit of runniness.
Beat the mixture really well (I use a fork) and ensure no lumps.  
Drizzle over the cooled biscuits and scatter with the flaked almonds.

                                           Enjoy!  Colleen