Monday, October 26, 2009

Work Experience...Lunch At The Mantle...23rd September 2009

Back at my classes this week and the hours are going much quicker than I thought they would and I am thoroughly enjoying being back in the Kitchen!!!
Today's offerings are:
As always Chef has allocated Courses to us all...and I have Dessert this time...
and what a Dessert it is too...delectable Chocolate Pots with Orange & Polenta Biscuits!!!
Mushrooms being prepared for...Stuffed Mushrooms with Green Salad...

Spatchcock on the trays waiting...

Whole Sole ready for the oven...

Brandy Snaps ready for Dessert!!!

First Entree is Roasted Asparagus with Cherry Tomatoes, Black Olives and Basil...

The next choice is Pan-Seared Scallops with Crispy Bacon and Sage Puy Lentils and Green Salad...
mmm...Scallops...one of my favourite Seafoods!!!

Stuffed Mushrooms atop Green Salad...

Beef Curry with Rice...

Roasted Garlic & Sage Spatchcock with Potato & Prosciutto...

Whole Sole with Herb Crust and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Sourdough...

These are Eve's Puddings but I didn't manage a pic of the prepared ones for Service...
must've been too busy with my Chocolate Pots and Orange Polenta Biscuits!!!
Chocolate Pots with Orange & Polenta Biscuits...

and finally Raspberry Mousse filled Brandy Snaps!!!
A very tasty combination today of flavours and textures!!!
And for all the Chocolate Lovers out there here is the Recipe for the Chocolate Pots...serves 4
285 mls pure cream
200g best quality chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
2 egg yolks
3T brandy
20g butter
  • In a thick bottomed pan heat the cream until nearly boiling
  • Remove and set aside for 1 minute before snapping in your chocolate
  • Stir in until melted and smooth
  • Once melted, beat in egg yolks and brandy and stir until smooth
  • Allow to cool slightly before stirring in the butter until the mixture is smooth
  • Pour into individual serving pots and place in fridge

ORANGE AND POLENTA BISCUITS

~Makes 24 (but I got nearly double that!!!)~

  • 170g butter
  • 170g sugar
  • 255g polenta
  • 100g plain flour (I used gluten free flour)
  • zest of 2-3 oranges, finely chopped
  • 2 large eggs
  • Rub the butter, sugar, polenta and flour together before mixing in the orange zest and the eggs
  • Cover with cling wrap and put in fridge for an hour until slightly firm
  • Place a large square of baking paper on a baking tray and spoon small teaspoons of the mixture in lines 2cm apart
  • Bake in pre heated oven at 190c for around 5-6 minutes until outside edges of the biscuits are lightly golden
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool

This recipe worked beautifully for me using gluten free flour...so enjoy Vicki!!!

And Clarity here is the recipe for STUFFED MUSHROOMS

  • 2 medium red capsicums, quartered, deseeded
  • 250g soft cream cheese...at room temp
  • 2T basil pesto
  • 1T fresh lemon juice
  • seasoning
  • 8 large mushroom flats...stems trimmed
  • 50g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 bunch chives
  • dressed salad leaves to serve

Pre heat oven to 180c...Line 2 baking trays with non stick baking paper

  • preheat grill on high...place capsicum, skin side up, on a grill tray and cook under grill for 8-10m or until charred and blistered
  • transfer to sealed plasic bag and stand 10m
  • remove skin from capsicum and dice flesh
  • combine diced capsicum, cream cheese, pesto, lemon juice and seasoning in bowl and mix well...adjust seasoning
  • place the mushrooms on the lined baking trays stem side up
  • spread filling evenly into the mushrooms
  • combine breadcrumbs and chives and sprinkle over filling
  • bake in preheated oven for 15m or until the mushrooms are cooked through and breadcrumbs are golden
  • serve immediately with the dressed salad leaves

~Recipes from the College~

Nothing left but to enjoy...Bon Appetit!!!


Monday, October 19, 2009

Lunch At The Mantle...16 September 2009

Here I am...back at my second service as part of my work experience...
Today was a special luncheon for a celebratory 32nd birthday for the local VIEW Club...
The theme for the meal was 'A Touch of Class'!!!
As usual...here is the whiteboard out the front that Chef has prepared and allocated meals for us all to prepare...

But first to set the scene...Amuse Bouche...

Mushrooms and Button Onions awaiting to be used in Tournedos of Chicken Chasseur...

My allocation for today...
Homemade Pork Boudin on Rocket Salad...
These are a sausage made out of Pork meat...herbs...spices...a touch of Brandy...
and wrapped in Caul...(from Beef)
Frying away...

And presented on Rocket...
Just delicious...and not too hard to make at home...
I think I'll be trying this!!!
Tournedos of Chicken Chasseur...

Atlantic Salmon Cutlet on Mashed Potatoes...

Lemon Cheesecake...

Meringue with Fresh Fruits...
Petit Fours were a shortbread biscuit half dipped in Chocolate!!!
One more week to go and then the class is on break for 3 weeks and then it's back into it to complete my hours for this course...
Bon Appetit!!!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Steamed Golden Syrup Pudding with Anglaise Sauce...Gluten Free version!!!

A little while ago Clarity saw on my other blog Queen of the Armchair one of the meals prepared at College and requested the recipe for the Steamed Golden Syrup Pudding (with Anglaise Sauce)...
Hop on over to Clarity's blog if you get a chance...and check out her Wonderland...a wonderfully serene one to read!!!
Steamed Golden Syrup Pudding with Anglaise Sauce as prepared at College...
I have adapted this version to a gluten-free version...
and I will take you through the steps that I did...
which is basically following the recipe and instead of using Self Raising Flour I substitued it for Gluten Free Self Raising Flour...and it worked a treat!!!
Since being diagnosed with Gluten Intolerance...I can't remember when I last had a pudding!!!
I can see many more puddings coming up!!!

First of all...soak Diced Dried Apricots in Brandy...
I reckon you could also substitute this with Orange Juice!!!

After creaming the Butter and Sugar followed by eggs add Milk and SR Flour alternately...

Grease and line pan with Sugar...
I don't have pudding moulds like in the pudding pic above...I used this new pink pie dish in a Bain-Marie...
By this time DH had arrived home from work and took this pic...pouring the mix into the dish...

All set to go...

into the oven...

At which time then DH thought it was about time for a glass of wine...
While sipping away...we're wondering...is this going to work in a dish???

Of course it is!!!
How happy are we...it took a bit longer than the recipe called for...
Being a Gluten Free one it is probably a little more dense than one made with regular flour...
Pour Golden Syrup over...

and we're very happy with it!!!
Hubby said it was very tasty (could it be the extra Brandy LOL!!!)...
Served with extra Brandied Apricots and a Gluten Free Custard...I'm in Pudding Heaven!!!
STEAMED SYRUP PUDDING WITH BRANDIED APRICOTS
Serves 10
175g butter
175g sugar
1 orange, zest
3 eggs
75ml milk
250g flour, self raising
25g dried apricots
15ml brandy
25ml golden syrup
5 strawberries
  • Prepare moulds by brushing with butter and lining with sugar
  • Cream butter and sugar...add zest
  • Beat the eggs and add slowly
  • Add milk alternately with the flour
  • Add soaked apricots
  • Stir in half the golden syrup
  • Pipe into dariole moulds, 3/4 of the way up
  • Steam for 20m or cook au bain-marie at 180c
  • Remove when cooked and pour remaining syrup over to soak it in
  • Serve with Sauce Anglaise, Brandied Apricots and Berries...
    (Recipe from the Futura Series of books)
And here's a Pudding of a different sort...pop on over to Gum Tree Designers for their latest freebie Christmas Pattern!!!

Happy Cooking, Happy Stitching and Bon Appetit...Dzintra

Monday, October 12, 2009

The Mantle Restaurant at TAFE...26 August 2009

As most of you know I have recently undertaken a Cookery Course at my local Technical College (TAFE)...as part of my course lastyear I had to do some service periods/work experience and couldn't manage this at the time as I had just had surgery...
I am back at TAFE now for a certain amount of hours with my old teacher to finish off this course together with a bunch of new students...and I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed myself being back there again!!!
Must be something about that kitchen...or just perhaps the food....or being with like-minded people...


Today we cooked Lunch for the Mantle Restaurant (Training Restaurant) at TAFE...
above is the whiteboard with all the courses on and the Teacher has started to allocate a meal for each student...
Asparagus waiting to be prepared for being wrapped in Puff Pastry with Gruyere Cheese...

Making Lemon Pepper Sauce...

Cod waiting for the oven...

Calamari being quickly pan fried...

Creamy Potato Bake ready...

I was allocated Lambs Brains served with Lemon Pepper Sauce and Confit Tomatoes...

Calamari with Lime Juice and Coriander...

Sue presenting her Asparagus wrapped in Puff Pastry with Gruyere Cheese...

Cottage Pie...


Baked Fillet of Cod with Stewed Tomato Spaghetti Zucchini and Pesto Butter Sauce...

Pasta Carbonara...

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Pineapple and Saffron Compote...

Lemon Meringue Pie...

Steamed Golden Pudding with Anglaise Sauce...
And on another note...this weekend I went to see Julie & Julia starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams...what a wonderful wonderful movie...full of delicious food...
stirring up all sorts of emotions...
After that I went and bought myself the novel by Julie Powell ...
and a cook book thinking...I might work myself through it...just like she did and blog this new adventure...maybe a project for next year once this course is well and truly over!!!
I then came home and looked up her blog ...and even commented!!!
If you look on the right hand side of it there is a link...the Julie & Julia project!!!
A must see movie for food lovers!!!
Bon Appetit...Dzintra