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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Sticky date pudding (For your love one)~

Ingredients (serves 8)

  • 250g pitted dates, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 1/2 cups boiling water
  • 125g butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups White Wings Self-Raising Flour, sifted
  • Caramel sauce

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 60g butter

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 7cm deep, 22cm (base) cake pan.
  2. Place dates and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Pour over boiling water. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
  3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, fold through date mixture and flour until well combined.
  4. Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a plate.
  5. Make sauce Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sauce comes to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  6. Pierce pudding all over with a skewer. Pour 1/2 cup of warm sauce over warm pudding. Stand for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges. Serve with remaining sauce.

Apple & mascarpone tarts ~

Apples come into season just as the weather gets cooler, so what better way to enjoy them than in this baked dessert.

Preparation Time

45 minutes

Cooking Time

15 minutes

Makes

4

Ingredients

  • Melted butter, to grease
  • 125ml (1/2 cup) maple syrup
  • 80g butter
  • 4 small (about 530g) green apples, cored, each cut into 12 wedges
  • 125g mascarpone
  • 150ml double cream
  • Ground nutmeg, to serve
  • Pastry

  • 150g (1 cup) plain flour
  • 100g chilled butter, chopped
  • 2 tsp icing sugar
  • 3 tsp water

Method

  1. To make the pastry, process the flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and process until the dough just comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
  2. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Brush four 11cm (base measurement) fluted tart tins, with removable bases, with melted butter. Divide the pastry into 4 portions. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out 1 portion on a lightly floured surface. Line 1 tin with pastry. Trim excess. Repeat with remaining portions. Place on a baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  3. Meanwhile, place the maple syrup and butter in a large frying pan. Bring to the boil, stirring, over medium heat. Add the apple, in a single layer, and cook for 5 minutes each side or until tender. Set aside to cool completely.
  4. Gently combine mascarpone and cream in a bowl. Divide the mascarpone mixture among tarts and spoon over apple and syrup. Sprinkle with the nutmeg.

Grand marnier berry tarts with mascarpone cream ~

Enjoy a nightcap of mascarpone and ricotta tarts topped with drunken berries.

Preparation Time

60 - 70 minutes

Cooking Time

20 minutes

Makes

6

Ingredients

  • 450g frozen mixed berries
  • 80ml (1/3 cup) Grand Marnier
  • 1-2 tbs caster sugar
  • Melted butter, to grease
  • 225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
  • 2 tbs icing sugar
  • 100g butter, chopped
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1-2 tbs iced water
  • 2 x 250g ctns mascarpone
  • 125g (1/2 cup) smooth ricotta
  • 2 tbs icing sugar, extra
  • 1 1/2 tbs Grand Marnier, extra 

Method

  1. Combine the berries, Grand Marnier and caster sugar in a bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes to macerate and thaw.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180ºC. Brush six 3cm-deep, 8cm fluted tart tins with melted butter. Process the flour, icing sugar and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water, and process until the mixture just comes together. Turn onto a clean work surface and knead gently until just smooth. Divide the pastry into 6 portions. Roll out each portion on a lightly floured surface until 5mm thick. Line the prepared tins with the pastry and trim any excess pastry.
  3. Place tarts on a baking tray and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill. Cover the pastry with non-stick baking paper and fill with pastry weights or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and pastry weights or rice. Bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Set aside to cool.
  4. Place mascarpone, ricotta, extra icing sugar and extra Grand Marnier in a bowl. Gently fold until just combined. Divide the mixture among pastry cases. Top with berry mixture.

Moroccan-style lamb chops~

Create a meal with a some well-chosen staples from the pantry and a few extras!

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 (1.2kg) small lamb forequarter or shoulder chops, trimmed
  • 1 large brown onion, cut into wedges
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon Moroccan seasoning
  • 400g can crushed tomatoes
  • 400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1cm slices
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • Couscous, to serve

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced. Heat oil in a 10 cup-capacity flameproof, ovenproof dish over high heat. Cook lamb, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until just browned. Transfer to a plate. Add onion and garlic to dish. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until onion has softened. Add seasoning. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.
  2. Return chops to dish. Add tomato, chickpeas, carrot and stock. Stir to combine. Season with pepper. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 2 hours or until lamb is tender. Remove foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly.
  3. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with couscous.

Halva & rosewater ice-cream with poached quince and jalebi (Hardest meal)

Equipment

You'll need six kulfi moulds (from Indian stores) or use 1/2-cup dariole moulds.

Ingredients (serves 6)

  • 225g caster sugar
  • 450g (about 1) quince, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
  • 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 2 eggs
  • 300ml thick cream
  • 1 tsp rosewater
  • 100g halva, crumbled
  • Silver leaf*, to garnish
  • Jalebi

  • 250ml (1 cup) thick yoghurt
  • 150g (1 cup) plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 220g (1 cup) caster sugar
  • 1/4 tsp saffron
  • 1 tsp rosewater
  • Sunflower oil, to deep-fry

Method

  1. Place 175g of the caster sugar and 1 litre (4 cups) water in a pan over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the quince and cardamom and boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove the quince, and cook the liquid until syrupy. Return quinces to syrup and set aside.
  2. To make ice-cream, whisk the eggs and remaining sugar until pale. Whip cream until thick. Fold cream, rosewater and halva into egg mixture and pour into a shallow dish. Freeze until frozen at the edges. Remove from the freezer and beat with an electric beater. Pour back into the container and refreeze. Repeat 2 or 3 times. (Alternatively use an ice-cream machine following manufacturer's directions.) Allow ice-cream to soften before transfering to kulfi moulds and freeze until firm.
  3. To make the jalebi, place the yoghurt in a bowl and gradually add 125ml (1/2 cup) boiling water, whisking to combine. Sift the flour and baking powder into yoghurt mixture. Add a pinch of salt and whisk until a smooth batter. Set aside. Place sugar and 250ml (1 cup) water in a pan over low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and cook for 3-4 minutes until syrupy. Add the saffron and rosewater and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Place the oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan, to about 5cm deep, over high heat. When it reaches 190°C (drop a small cube of bread in the oil, it should turn brown in 1-2 minutes), drizzle 1/2 tablespoon measures of the batter in a spiral into the oil and cook for 30 seconds each side until golden. Transfer to paper towel to quickly drain before dipping into quince syrup. Repeat until you have a stack of golden sweet pastries.
  5. Serve the ice-cream garnished with silver leaf, jalebi and quince.

Salmon patties ~

This light and lovely seafood dish is a flash in the pan, but will fast become a family favourite.

Preparation Time

20 minutes

Cooking Time

25 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 4 (about 800g) sebago potatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped
  • 2 (about 500g) salmon fillets, cut into 1cm pieces
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
  • 2 tbs coarsely chopped dill
  • 6 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
  • 3 eggs, lightly whisked
  • 1 1/2 cups (135g) packaged breadcrumbs
  • Vegetable oil, to shallow-fry
  • 1/2 cup (125g) mayonnaise
  • 1 tbs lemon juice
  • 2 tbs coarsely chopped capers
  • 4 small gherkins, finely chopped
  • Mixed salad leaves, to serve

Method

  1. Place the potato in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Use a fork to coarsely mash. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
  2. Add the salmon, lemon rind, half the dill, half the green onions and 1 egg and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Divide mixture into 8 even portions and shape into 6cm discs.
  3. Place the flour, remaining eggs and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Dip a salmon cake into the flour to lightly dust. Dip in the egg then roll in breadcrumbs to coat. Place on a plate. Repeat with remaining salmon cakes.
  4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add half the salmon cakes and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden brown and heated through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with remaining salmon cakes.
  5. Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, capers, gherkins, remaining dill and green onions in a small bowl.
  6. Divide salmon cakes among serving plates. Top with mayonnaise mixture. Serve immediately with mixed salad leaves.

Grilled strawberries with ice-cream (YUMMY! @@)

These strawberries can be done on the barbecue and make a fabulously easy summer dessert.

Equipment

You will need 8 bamboo skewers for this recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 1 tbs lemon juice
  • 16 strawberries, hulled
  • 4 tbs honey
  • Ice-cream and caramel sauce, to serve

Method

  1. Soak skewers in water for at least 2 hours to prevent them burning.
  2. Preheat barbecue to medium heat. (Make sure your barbecue has been cleaned after cooking savoury foods.)
  3. Drizzle lemon juice over the strawberries. Warm the honey slightly (20 seconds in the microwave on high) then brush over the strawberries. Thread 4 strawberries onto each skewer and barbecue for 1 minute each side (don't move them around or they may stick). Place 2-3 scoops of ice-cream in a bowl, drizzle with caramel sauce and serve with the strawberries.

Mexican vegetable fritters? (Cucur Vegetable :Malay Translate)

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 1 cup self-raising flour
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 3/4 cup reduced-fat milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 x 125g corn kernels, drained, rinsed
  • 100g green beans, trimmed, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium tomatoes, deseeded, finely chopped
  • 1 small red capsicum, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method

  1. Sift flour and seasoning into a bowl. Make a well in centre. Whisk milk and egg in a jug. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture. Whisk until smooth. Add corn, beans, tomato and capsicum. Stir to combine.
  2. Heat one-third of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup vegetable mixture to pan. Using a spatula, spread until 10cm in diameter. Repeat to make 4 fritters.
  3. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn. Cook for 1 minute or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and vegetable mixture to make 12 fritters.
  4. Meanwhile, combine sour cream and coriander in a bowl. Serve fritters with cream mixture.

Green leaf salad with lime and macadamia dressing~



Ingredients (serves 8)

  • 1 tsp finely grated lime rind
  • 2 tbs lime juice
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) macadamia oil
  • 1/2 tsp caster sugar
  • 250g mesclun salad leaves
  • 1/3 cup (45g) toasted macadamias, coarsely chopped

Method

  1. Combine the lime rind and juice, oil and sugar in a small jug. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Place the salad leaves and half the macadamias in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and gently toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining macadamias and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Widely regarded as one of the healthiest edible oils, macadamia oil contains high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are important in lowering blood cholesterol.

Preparation Time

15 minutes

Cooking Time

40 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 3 (about 900g) chicken breast fillets
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
  • 2 tbs coarsely chopped fresh oregano
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 4 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 1 small lemon, thinly sliced
  • 1 large fresh red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 3 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 bunch rocket, ends trimmed

Method

  1. Slice each chicken fillet widthways to make 3 thin fillets. Place the chicken in a glass or ceramic dish and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the lemon juice and half the oil and sprinkle with oregano. Finely chop 2 garlic cloves and add to the chicken. Gently toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Arrange the tomato, lemon and chilli on the tray. Thinly slice the remaining garlic and scatter over the tomato. Drizzle with remaining oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes soften and the lemon begins to char. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with sugar.
  3. Heat a char-grill on medium-high. Drain chicken from excess marinade and grill half the batch for 2 minutes each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken.
  4. Arrange chicken, tomato, lemon and rocket on serving plates.

Notes

  • An even quicker way to cook the chicken is to drain the pieces from the marinade and cook them in a pre-heated non-stick sandwich press. It's low-fat and will take about half the cooking time.

Super Sizes Burger Recipe to share :D

What's better than a steak burger? A deluxe steak burger, of course! And this one will go down a treat at a Sunday barbie.

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 1/2 cup whole-egg mayonnaise
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 4 x 120g beef scotch fillet steaks, trimmed
  • olive oil cooking spray
  • 4 rashers Primo short-cut rindless bacon
  • 4 bread rolls, halved
  • 4 slices swiss cheese
  • 50g mixed salad leaves
  • 1 cup beetroot relish (see related recipe)

Method

  1. Preheat barbecue plate on medium-high heat. Combine mayonnaise and garlic in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
  2. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Spray both sides steaks lightly with oil. Barbecue for 2 to 3 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Set aside to rest.
  3. Add bacon to barbecue plate and cook for 2 minutes each side or until crisp.
  4. Preheat grill on medium heat. Layer cheese on cut side of bread roll tops. Place under grill for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
  5. Spread garlic mayonnaise over bread roll bases. Top with salad leaves, steaks, bacon and beetroot relish. Sandwich with bread roll tops. Serve.

Secret in between cooking a perfect steak?

Rare, medium or well-done? Steak to order is not a problem with these helpful tips.
  • Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat before adding the steak (this seals the surface, trapping in juices).
  • Rather than oiling the pan, brush the steak with oil to prevent it sticking.
  • Cook a 2cm-thick piece of steak for 2-3 minutes each side for rare, 4 minutes each side for medium, and 5-6 minutes each side for well-done.
  • Turn the steak only once, otherwise it will dry out. Always use tongs to handle steak as they won't pierce the meat, allowing the juices to escape.
  • To test if your steak is done, press the centre with the back of the tongs. The steak will feel soft if it's rare, slightly firmer and springy when it's medium and very firm when it's well-done.
  • Transfer steak to a plate, cover with foil and set aside for 3-5 minutes to rest. This allows the juices to settle and the muscle fibres to relax, which ensures the steak is tender.

How to Make Cheap Steak Taste Good


Is there such a thing as a good, cheap steak? A superior rib-eye, Porterhouse, or T-bone steak is a wonderful thing, no doubt about it. But few of us can afford to indulge in them very often. What about all those other cuts of beef, many of them far less expensive? My mission -- to experiment with cheap cuts and figure out how to make them tender and tasty, and avoid that "liver-y" taste and texture that sometimes results. (I even found out what produces this livery flavor -- it comes from muscles that are active and have a lot of a protein called myoglobin, which is rich in iron.) A bonus for those who watch their saturated fat intake: Cheap cuts of meat tend to have the least amount of fat.
I've experimented with quite a few different cuts and techniques for inexpensive cuts of meat. Here are some things I found out:
  • Skirt steak works great when it's marinated for several hours. Either have your butcher cut it in strips (make sure against the grain) or cut it yourself, before or after grilling -- again, against the grain. It is delicious and a classic in fajitas.
  • Flank steak is often mentioned as an inexpensive cut. But where I live, it's sort of mid-range in price. Like skirt steak, it has a pronounced grain and works well with a marinade, and cut across the grain, as in Korean-Style Beef.
  • Flank steak and skirt steak are best medium-rare, or, most, medium. This happens quickly since the steaks are thin. These meats also cook more evenly if they are flipped more often -- once every minute or so.
  • Top sirloin is one of the least expenisve steaks, but it can easily get that livery flavor. In one experiment, I tried a side-by-side comparison: I got four different pieces of top sirloin, in two identical pairs. In each pair, I marinaded one of each for 4 hours in a standard steak marinade and salted the other one in a technique I found on The Steamy Kitchen Blog. The marinaded ones looked better, so my husband and I were both very surprised to discover that there was no contest: The salted ones far exceeded the marinaded ones, both in texture and flavor. They were delicious. To do the salt technique, take the steaks out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking, and heavily salt them with kosher salt. If you'd like, you can rub other seasonings on as well. Some juice will be pulled out of the meat -- don't worry about this. Before cooking, rinse the steaks (really), and pat dry. You can add pepper at this point, but no more salt. They will be perfectly seasoned. I have also seen instructions to leave the salt on them for up to 3 hours.
  • All Inexpensive Steaks: Make sure steaks are at least room temperature before you cook them, as fast cooking makes them less likely to develop the myoglobin. Warming the meat before cooking produces the best results. You can either by put the meat in a zippered-type bag which is submerged in warm water, or for thick cuts (from Cook's Illustrated Magazine) cooked in a warm oven (275 F. for 20-25 minutes). When the steaks are warmed up, they only need quick cooking in a very hot pan or on a grill to finish them.
Following these tips will turn inexpensive steaks into surprisingly delicious meals. For more help, see Recipes for Every Cut of Steak at About.com's BBQ/Grilling site.

(Source Taken At : http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/cooking/a/goodcheapsteaks.htm)

Thursday, April 28, 2011