Apple Pie Porridge

Adam Liaw's SBS Cookup show recently made Wilbur very happy - dessert for breakfast! I made a couple of changes to the original and soak the oats and green apple overnight. I keep the apple skin on but you could peel it.   I agree with Wilbur - this is very delicious breakfast which really tastes like apple pie ! Enjoy!  Colleen and Wilbur

  

Preparation    5 minutes     plus overnight soak    OR just prepare and cook

Cooking         7 - 10 minutes 

Ingredients  (this serves 2)

1 Granny Smith apple - cored and finely cubed - I leave skin ON

1/2 cup traditional Rolled Oats  

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon Maple Syrup   (I don't usually add sugar to porridge - original recipe was for 2 teaspoons but I found that too sweet)  

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For Topping

Spoonful of Greek yoghurt with a tiny tiny splash of vanilla if desired

plus

a dollop of nice oven-baked Granola (optional)

A few berries for garnish if you fancy

Method

Combine the cubed apple, oats, milk, water, cinnamon, maple syrup and vanilla in a lidded container and place in fridge. Leave to soak overnight if possible.

Mix the greek yoghurt with vanilla and set aside in fridge til ready for dollop topping.

To cook

place the soaked oat mixture in a saucepan and gently simmer approx 7-8 minutes until begins to thicken. Stir regularly, stay with it as you don't want it to catch on bottom. 

Divide porridge between 2 bowls and top with dollop of yoghurt, sprinkle of granola if you like and perhaps a few berries.

Enjoy your dessert breakfast!  Colleen and Wilbur

Soda Bread

 It was Mother's day 2022 and I know it's a day I should be relaxing and reading a book but I find cooking relaxing. So after a wonderful visit from my children and grandchildren I whipped up this quick Irish Soda Bread (thanks to recipetineats).  It is really easy, just ensure you have the ingredients in the pantry, no Buttermilk, no problem just add a little lemon juice or vinegar to some full cream milk.   I was trying to take a photo of the crumb to show you the texture, but maybe a little bit of butter got in the way. :)

Ingredients

2 cups white, plain flour

1 3/4 cups wholemeal flour

3 Tablespoons extra flour

1 1/2 Teaspoons, bi carb soda

1 1/2 Teaspoons salt

2 cups buttermilk

Method

Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius

Line baking tray with baking paper

Combine flours (not the extra flour), bi carb and salt in a bowl, whisk to distribute

Add buttermilk and stir until it is too hard to stir anymore.

Sprinkle the extra flour onto a clean work surface, tip dough out and incorporate more flour if needed

Knead for no more than 8 times, just bringing the dough together into a ball

Transfer to the lined baking tray, shape into a disk and cut a cross on the surface

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and then turn oven down to 200 degrees

Bake a further 20 minutes or until the base sounds hollow when tapped, mine took only 15 minutes

Transfer to a rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing (if you can manage it)

Now you can have bread anytime you like.

Mamma Marmalade

Ricotta stuffed Pasta Shells with cauliflower

Wilbur is our guest cook with his very yummy stuffed pasta shell dish inspired by an Alice Zaslavsky recipe.  It is so delicious and the lemon zest combined with the yoghurt adds such a zing.  Although it looks a little fiddly it is quite easy to prepare provided you have all the ingredients and utensils ready beforehand and well worth the effort. I especially liked the cauliflower base. Wilbur recommends reading the instructions first (or letting someone else read them for you!)  It also makes delicious leftovers the next day so be prepared to fight for your share!  Thank you very very much to Wilbur and I hope you enjoy as much as I did!  Cheers Colleen

Preparation           30 - 45 minutes

Cooking                45 - 50 minutes  of which oven does final 30 minutes

Serves                           4  with a green salad

Ingredients

200 gram Very large Pasta Shells (see photo)  

any unused shells can be lightly tossed in a splash of olive oil and repurposed in another meal or a salad lunch the next day

3/4  cauliflower - cut into small florets

1 large brown onion - peeled and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic - peeled and thinly sliced

12 or so sage leaves - sliced

Splash Olive Oil

1/2 cup chicken stock - salt reduced

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Cracked black pepper and Salt to taste 

25 gram butter - small cubes

375 gram tub smooth Ricotta

1/3 cup Greek yoghurt - strain off any whey

1 cup baby Spinach leaves - (firmly packed) - finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped parsley OR mint  - reserve some for topping

1 egg - beaten

zest of 1 lemon  - (the star of the dish)

100 gram grated cheese - mix of cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan - reserve 50 g for topping

Cracked black pepper - a little or a lot depending on your preference

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg - reserve some for topping

Method

Preheat oven to 200 ℃ (fan forced)

Make the stuffing - in a large bowl, mix the ricotta, yoghurt, spinach, lemon zest, pepper, beaten eggs, some chopped parsley or mint and pinch of the nutmeg along with 50 gram of mixed grated cheese. Combine well. Refrigerate until needed.

Microwave or steam the cauliflower florets and sliced onion until tender.

Drain off most of the liquid and scatter veg into a gratin dish approx 35cm x 20cm x 5cm

Add a splash of olive oil and the stock, sage leaves and garlic.

Sprinkle over the brown sugar, salt and pepper and dot with butter cubes.

Bake for approx 15 minutes until begins to caramelise.

During this time:

Cook pasta shells according to packet (minus 1 minute) then  drain. 

Rinse under cold water to cool down and strain to remove water.  

Separate the shells and pop on a non stick tray ready for stuffing.

Remove the gratin dish from oven and now stuff the pasta shells.

Use a spoon to generously fill each shell with the cheese stuffing then place shells closely together on the cauliflower mix until covered.

Sprinkle over the remaining grated cheese, parsley or mint and a sprinkle more nutmeg.

Cover with foil and bake approx 10 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for a further 20 minutes or until golden.

Remove from oven and let cool for approx 5 minutes or so before serving with green salad.

Enjoy!  Wilbur (and Colleen)