Passionfruit Slice...delicious!!!

Here is a delicious slice I came across at Inner Pickle......Passionfruit Slice!!!

Lemon Zest...

About to go into the oven......I used White Wings Gluten Free Flour

All done...

and absolutely delicious!!!

Recipe below...

PASSIONFRUIT SLICE

INGREDIENTS......

1C White Wings Gluten Free Flour

1C coconut

1/2C white sugar

125g butter......melted

1t vanilla

395g condensed milk

1lemon

2 fresh passionfruit (I used tinned pulp)

METHOD......

Mix flour, coconut, sugar, vanilla and melted butter together and press into greased slice tin

Bake in 180c oven and allow to cool

Mix condensed milk, zest and juice of lemon and passionfruit together

Spread on cooled base and bake in slow oven......120c for 10 mins

Allow to cool......and all done!!!

Crunchy base...creamy filling...sensational zingy topping...

Quick and easy!!!

Need I say more...

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

Red Cabbage Latvian Style and a delicious Cauliflower Cheese!!!

Going back to my roots a little here...

From the book Latvian Cooking bought many years ago...

Published by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Latvian Relief Society of Canada, Inc...

comes Sauteed Red Cabbage....absolutely delicious!!! 

Served with some Pork Spare Ribs, Mashed Garlic Potato and Peas...

can't get much easier than this!!!

To see a little more of Latvian Cuisine...go over here and here

SAUTEED RED CABBAGE

~ 1 head red cabbage, shredded

~ 1 large apple, peeled and grated

~1 onion, finely sliced

~1/2t caraway seeds

~1/2 cup wine

~ bacon fat (I used oil)

~ salt and brown sugar, to taste

~ In a large pot, fry onion in bacon fat/oil with caraway seeds

~Add cabbage and apples, mix well

~ Stir in wine

~ Heat up then simmer for at least 1/2  hour (or to your liking, sometimes the longer the better)

~ Add salt and sugar (to taste)

~ Simmer until tender

Next recipe is from the Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine...and wow, inside the best ever Cauliflower and Cheese recipe...perfect on a cold night...or any time you're in need of comfort food!!!

All set for the oven...

Just out...

and ready to go!!!

CAULIFLOWER AND CHEESE

~ 1 large cauliflower broken into florets

~50gm butter

~50gm (1/3 Cup) gluten free plain flour (I find White Wings works well)

~500ml (1/2 C) milk

~100gm Tilsit cheese (I used a tasty one)

~100gm Racette cheese (again I used a tasty one)

~35gm fresh white breadcrumbs

~1/4 C flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

~1 garlic clove, finely chopped

~Oven temp 200c

~28cm x 20cm baking dish

~ Blanch cauliflower until tender (2-3mins)

~Drain well, transfer to dish

~Melt butter in saucepan...add flour...stir till golden (3-5 mins)

~Gradually add milk, stirring well after each addition until thick and smooth

~Add cheese...stir until melted...season to taste

~Pour sauce over cauliflower

~Combine breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic in a bowl...season to taste

~Scatter over cauliflower

~Bake until golden and bubbly (15-20mins)

Enjoy, Bon Appetit...Dzintra

Fresh Fish and a new Gluten Free Recipe Magazine

We were lucky enough to get some fresh fish..like caught the night before down Eden way...

so keep it nice and simple I covered it with some lemons from a neighbour (she gives the away every year as she can't stand them...lucky for us!!!)

Into the oven for a little while...

but the most exciting part...

is this magazine (purchased the day we got the fish) by Rick Grant...Rick also makes frozen pastry which our local supermarket did stock for a while but now out of stock...

apparently it is coming back and I'm hanging out for it!!!

Low-fat Potato Wedges!!!

All very simple...coat the wedges with cumin, paprika, parsley, thyme, some breadcrumbs, a bit of oil...

whatever herb you like...and you're on your way!!!

Serve with some Greek style yogurt, chilli sauce...

so delicious I forgot to take a pic!!!

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

Easy Apple Tarte Tatin...

The weather has been cold...I have been indoors a lot doing a bit of stitching...reading...doing physio to get my arm moving again (although it will take 12 months to get full function back...and I am still struggling to do my apron up)...

  I felt like warming the kitchen up with something that was quick and easy to prepare with ingredients on hand seeing it was coming up to dinner time...

Flicking through my new favourite magazine Australian Good Food I came across Apple Tarte Tatin...

here is my version...

The recipe is easy as...

Peel and quarter 8 apples (I had a choko so I added that as well...how old fashioned is that ha ha!!!)

Melt 40g butter and 1/3C brown sugar...

Add apple and cook, stirring for 5m until soft...

Cut 24cm puff pastry (I used a gluten free pastry sheet) and place over apple...

Bake at 220c or 200c fan oven for 15m until golden

Serves 6...can't get much easier than that!!!

For another version of a Tarte Tatin recipe check out Manu Fieldel's recipe over here

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

Tomato and Basil Soup...

With the last of the summer tomatoes a couple of weeks ago I made a Tomato and Basil Soup... 

from this fabulous Donna Hay magazine...

full of great easy things to make and with lots of the ingredients already here in the cupboards...

And not too much work as I still don't have full movement of my arm...

Our Basil as well...

Recipe is under and I adapted it from the magazine...

Cheat's Tomato, Basil and Bread Soup

~ 2t vegetable oil

~1 brown onion, finely chopped

~ 2 cloves garlic, crushed

~ 400g can whole tomatoes

~ 410g tomato puree

~ 2t granulated sugar

~ 2C chicken or vegetable stock

~ 1/4 C roughly chopped basil leaves

~ sea salt and black pepper

~ 2 thick slices Italian style bread, crust removed, torn into large pieces

~ shaved Parmesan Cheese to serve

~Heat a large deep frying pan over high heat

~ Add oil, onion and garlic and cook for 2 m or until onion is softened

~ Break up whole tomatoes with fork and add to the pan with the puree, sugar and stock

~ Allow to simmer for 5 m or until the soup thickens slightly

~ Stir through the basil, salt, pepper and bread

~To serve, ladle into bowls and top with the Parmesan

Serves 2

Without the Parmesan...

And with the Parmesan...Easy Peasy!!!

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

Valentine's Day 2011...Nigella Lawson style!!!

Catching up here on posts...no cooking done lately by me due to my broken arm...

thankfully (and very gratefully) I am out of the sling and have commenced physiotherapy...ouch

enough of that now...let's get onto our Valentine's Day dinner this year...

Mr Dolce Vita came home with this lovely bag with treats in it...one of which were these organic handmade chocolates by Lindsay Edmunds...

The menu is out of Nigella Lawson's book Nigella Express...

Avocado Crayfish Cocktail (I used Australian King Prawns)

Duck Breasts with Pomegranate and Mint

Flourless Chocolate Brownies with Hot Chocolate Sauce

JoJo gets very excited about any celebratory occassion...

the table was set at 3.30pm when she arrived home!!!

Mr Dolce Vita's contribution!!!

JoJo's not that keen on a whole half avocado...she was more than happy with a simple Prawn Cocktail...

 Avocado Prawn Cocktail...sprinkled with our own Coriander...

half a Pomegranate...

Duck is not something we cook at home...this is a first...and definitely not the last!!!

All on the plate...and absolutely delicious!!!

Chocolate...Double Cream...Coffee...Golden Syrup heating gently...

Brownies before being cut up...

all so delicious I forgot to take a pic!!!

Thank you so much Nigella...terrific combination of flavours!!!

Bon Appetit...Dzintra

sticky pork with buk choy...and a broken arm!!!

typing here one fingered so it's going to take a while...

i broke my arm...

it's amazing how quickly these things happen...

walking along in our dining area...my thongs 'stuck' to the floor and over i went...

splat, right onto my left shoulder...ouch

a day of hospital...x-rays...doctor...etc and i'm in a sling now and have to stay that way for 6 weeks...

followed by physiotherapy to get the arm moving...

providing it heals well without surgery...

this isn't easy being a carer for our daughter jojo who has a disability...

mr dolce vita was luckily here and able to assist me up...

and  has been able to take some carers leave from work to care for jojo and me...and he is run off his feet...

one of the last meals i made before this happened was 'sticky pork with buk choy' from one of my favourite magazines...donna hay

donna sggested a pinot noir for this meal and mr dolce vita was happy to oblige...

the magazine purchased about 5 years ago...

donna's version...

i love my vegies and decided on pumpkin, potato, onion and garlic along with herbs from our little herb garden...

buk choy atop the pork...

vegies roasted...

all cooked and smelling delicious...

and all done in no time...

and this is what i look like...

it still hurts...doctor trip tomorrow to assess it all...

and i wouldn't mind being able to cook that meal again...

the positive side...i am having an enforced break from caring due to a very supportive husband...

bon appetit...dzintra