Monday, July 27, 2009

Recipes For Cook Up With Vicki No 2!!!

As mentioned in my other blog...Queen of the Armchair...following are the recipes I used from the Donna Hay magazine June/July 2009...


These recipes were used in the Cook Up with Vicki that we have both agreed to do...

the idea being we both cook something from the magazine and blog about it..



If anyone would like to join us you are most welcome...no rules...just choose a recipe from the current issue and blog your meal!!!



The meal I decided to do was:


Pork with Caramelized Pear and Parsnip

Roasted Balsamic Beetroot

Brussel Sprouts with Melted Butter and Parsley

Sticky Date Pudding


Pork sitting atop the parsnip and pear...


Finished meal...



Sticky Date Pudding...made with Gluten Free Flour!!!


Cover of the magazine...

Recipes from the magazine



Pork with Caramelized Pear and Parsnip


4 x 200g pork chops, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 firm pears, chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 lemon, halved
60g butter, melted
1 tablespoon brown sugar



Preheat oven to 200ºC (390ºF). Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Brush the pork with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 1–2 minutes each side or until browned. Place the pear, parsnip, lemon, butter and sugar in a baking dish and toss until well combined. Top with the pork and roast for 25 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and the parsnip and pear are caramelized. Serves 4



Roasted Balsamic Beetroot



1 bunch beetroot, scrubbed, trimmed and chopped

1/2 C (125 ml) Beef Stock

1T Balsamic Vinegar

2T Brown Sugar



Preheat oven to 180c (355F)

Place beetroot, stock, vinegar and sugar in a bowl and toss to combine

Spoon into 2 x 3 cup capacity (750ml) ovenproof dishes

Cover with aluminium foil, place on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour 15m or until the beetroot are tender. Serves 4



Sticky Date Pudding



1 & 1/2 C (210g) chopped pitted dates

1 C (250ml) boiling water

1t bicarbonate of soda

100g butter, chopped

3/4C (135g) brown sugar

2 eggs

1C (150g) SR flour (I used gluten free flour and it worked well)

double (thick) cream to serve



Toffee Sauce

150g butter, chopped

1C single (pouring) cream

1 & 1/2C (265g) brown sugar



Preheat oven to 180c (355F)

Place dates, water and bicarb in a bowl and allow to stand for 5 m

Place the date mixture in the bowl of a food processor with the butter and sugar and process until well combined.

Add the eggs and flour and process until just combined.

Pour into a lightly greased 26cm x 16 cm tin lined with non stick baking paper

Bake for 30-35m or until cooked when tested with a skewer

Cool in tin for 10m. Cut into squares



To make the toffee sauce, place butter, cream and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until butter is melted

Bring to boil and cook for 5m or until thickened slightly

Spoon over puddings and top with cream. Serves 6



I must say the pork combined with the pear and parsnip was utterly delicious...as was the beetroot...as for the Sticky Date Pudding...it worked very well with the Gluten Free flour....I can't remember the last time I had a pudding like this due to the gluten level in the flour... and crikey I thoroughly enjoyed it...


Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Cup Cakes for Lidija...Gluten Free of course!!!

Last week it was our little Grand-daughter's First Birthday and the night before we travelled up to see her I thought I would make a Carrot Cake with Honey Cream-Cheese Frosting...

Into the cupboard and I spotted these very cute Paper Baking Cups that I bought a couple of weeks ago...couldn't resist them... and they can be used for muffins also plus desserts...
So I thought I'd do Cup Cakes instead of a large cake...

Just as well I had pecan nuts in the cupboard...here they are having a quick roast...I love the smell of nuts roasting!!!

All out of the oven...and here they are!!!

Seeing it was a First Birthday...sprinkles!!!

I have made this cake before but these ones were much moister than a large one...


And for anyone who'd like to try...below is the recipe...

CARROT CAKE WITH HONEY CREAM-CHEESE FROSTING
GLUTEN FREE
Preparation time...20m
Cooking time...1 hour
Serves 8

1 and a 1/4 C pure light olive oil

1 and a 1/4 C light brown sugar
4 eggs
3 C coarsely grated carrot
1 C toasted Pecans...roughly chopped
2 and a 1/4 C gluten-free SR Flour
1 t Bicarbonate of Soda
1 t mixed spice

HONEY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

250g Cream Cheese
2 T honey
1/4 C pure Icing Sugar...sifted

1. Pre-heat oven to 180c. Line base & sides of 23cm springform tin with baking paper.
Beat oil, sugar and eggs in the large bowl of an electric mixer until thick and creamy.
Add carrot and pecans.

2. Sift in flour, bicarb and mixed spice, then stir with wooden spoon until combined.
Pour mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50-60m, or until cake starts to shrink from the sides of the tin and the top bounces back gently when touched with your fingertips.
Stand for 10m before inverting onto a wire rack to cool.

3. To make frosting...
Beat cream cheese, honey and icing sugar in the small bowl of an electric mixer until smooth.
Spread over top of cooked cake...

~Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens~

I found that the cup cakes only took about 20m to bake...
Think I'll make these more often now...as they probably will last better that a full cake for us...seeing I'm the only Gluten Intolerant one around here...

If anyone does make them I'd love to know how you go...
Happy Baking...Dzintra♥

Sunday, June 28, 2009

The Mantle Restaurant at TAFE...Chefs de Cuisine...Gary & Lucas!!!

Menu...13th May 2009
Here a couple of weeks have elapsed since my last post...lagging way behind but that's okay I figure...I will catch up with it all...
Gary and Lucas have devised the menu tonight...
These as all the College Restaurant pics are taken on the fly with my camera/phone... Amuse Bouche...
Homemade Ravioli filled with Fresh Crab served on a Tomato Concasse...

Chinese Master Soy Poached Chicken and Mixed Vegetable Salad...

This one looks fabulous...I am a real beetroot lover...
Sage enhanced Risotto served with Oven Roasted Beetroot...
Sadly though I didn't get to taste this one...
This is a very special dish...Roasted Duck Breast served with Shallots and Cherry Sauce on Jasmine Rice and Steamed Choy Sum...
I was working with Gary on this dish...and he has big plans for it...wanting it to be his Signature Dish...he says it still needs developing...
A very secret recipe...well done Gary, and it was delicious!!!
Fillet of Pork with Mixed Mushrooms Ragout and Potato Rosti...

Herb Crusted Tasmanian Salmon Fillet served with Crushed Potatoes and Lemon Butter Sauce...

The only Dessert I managed to get a pic of...
Dark Chocolate Mousse with Spiced Orange Compote...yummm!!!
Have thoroughly enjoyed tonight gang...all the best in your Careers Gary and Lucas!!!
And Gary...you'll get there with your Signature Dish...now I'm waiting for it to pop up on a Menu somewhere!!!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

The Mantle Restaurant At TAFE...6 May 2009

CHEF DE CUISINE TONIGHT IS MEGAN...
Amuse Bouche...Mushroom with Goats Cheese on Basil
Roast Quail with Witlof, Parsnip, Pear and Honey Salad

Carrot Soup with Hazelnut Dukkah
One of the best Carrot Soups I have tasted...Thank You Jason!!!

Baked Scallops with Parsley & Pumpkin Seed Crust

Pan Seared Barramundi
with Pancetta, Cauliflower Puree & Seasonal Vegetables

Pumpkin Cannelloni
with Tomato Coulis and Julienne Vegetables

Eye of Pork Loin
with Celeriac Puree, Apple, Coffee Crumbs and Chocolate Oil

Almond Blancmange
with Baby Figs, Winter Strawberries and Sherry

Pear and Chocolate Tartlet
with Anglaise Sauce

Cognac-Flambeed Mandarins
with House Made Vanilla Ice-Cream

Petit Fours...Turkish Delight (delicious) with Chocolate Heart and Leaf

During the afternoon a couple of Carrot Cakes were cooked for one of Australia's biggest Fundraisers...Australia's Biggest Morning Tea in aid of Cancer Research...
This course will soon come to an end at the end of June...I have thoroughly enjoyed it, especially working alongside the Apprentices in the College's Restaurant...You Guys Rock!!!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Passionfruit Coconut Tart - Gluten Free

Being gluten free can be a bit of a challenge sometimes...I was browsing through the little Australian Women's Weekly booklets at the paper shop one day and came across this little beauty "Young Chef"...in it was this Passionfruit Coconut Tart...Very easy to put together...
served it up with some berries and a dollop of cream...
perfect for a Saturday night...when JoJo asks...what's for sweets Mum!!!
JoJo is our daughter...she has an intellectual disability and food plays a huge part in her life...she often asks the day before...dinner tomorrow? She just absolutely loves food...is a very good taster and responds really well to different tastes...eg Thai, Chinese...

I would like to share this with you...especially Vicki for your DIL...

Passionfruit Coconut Tart

1 Cup (80g) dessicated coconut
3/4 C (165g) caster sugar
1/2 C (75g) plain flour...I used Gluten Free Flour and it was fine...
4 eggs, beaten lightly
1 and a 1/3 C (330ml) milk
125g butter, melted
1/2 C (125ml) passionfruit pulp
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 T icing sugar

  • Preheat oven to moderate (180c/160c fan forced). Grease 24 cm pie dish
  • Combine coconut, sugar and flour in large jug
  • Stir in combined egg, milk, butter, pulp and juice
  • Pour mixture into dish
  • Bake uncovered...aprox 1 hour or until set
  • Cool in dish
  • Serve tart dusted with sifted icing sugar

How easy is that!!!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Emma's turn now...29th April 2009 at The Mantle, TAFE

My course is quickly coming to an end...6 weeks to go...2 of which I have to spend in the Dining Room taking orders...serving food (normally cooked by us students)...I will be on waitering the last night of the Restaurant opening for the year...and Hospitality related businesses will be there...it will be good to be on the other end and see the Patrons...

Here we have the menu for Chef de Cuisine for the evening...Emma!!!

Polenta Chips with Garlic Aioli...
I know you have asked for the recipe for Aioli... Micki, I will try to make one here perhaps after the course and post it up for you...this was soooo delicious!!!
I just loved these roasted tomatoes coming out of the oven...

Ricotta Tortellini...

Fragrant That Chicken Broth...

Tea Smoked Salmon...

Duck Breasts, for...


Duck Breast with Fresh Braised Lentils, Thyme and Fondant Potato...

Apple rings for...

Roasted Loin of Pork with Salted Apple Salad and Potato Puree...

Blood Orange Curd Tartlet with Orange Mascarpone and Balsamic Glazed Strawberries...

Petit Pots au Chocolate

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Fresh Pear Coulis...

Petit Fours...
Another successful night at our Training Restaurant...
The young apprentices are coming up with delicious menus...I'm sure they are all going to do well as they all are in the final stages of becoming 'Chef'...
As for me...I thought I would continue to try out new recipes at home at least weekly...
I have purchased some lovely lovely inspiring cookbooks...
And I am cooking along with Vicki over in California through my other blog...Queen of the Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries. We are using the Donna Hay magazines and I think we are going to have a lot of fun doing this...choosing the recipes...and then blogging about it...
I look forward to the next cook-up with you Vicki...
Thanks for stopping by...and Happy Cooking, Dzintra ♥

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The Mantle Restaurant at TAFE...8th April, 2009

Hello and welcome back...I'm running a little behind here with posting the menus up from my classes...these are from 8th April 2009... Champagne Granita Oysters...

Ocean Trout cured with Pickled Cucumber and Apple Salad...delicious!!!

Tiger Prawns Fresh Linguini with Chilli, Lemon and Garlic...




Leek and Parmesan Tart served with Rocket and Pear Salad...


Kingfish Fillet with Parsley infused Potato Puree and Courgette Fritter...

Breast of Duck Five Spiced with Rice Noodles, Asian Greens and Soy Dressing...

Eye Fillet with White Onion Puree, Parisienne Potatoes and King Brown Mushroom...

Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream and Strawberry Mint Salad...

Apple Tarte Tatin with Double Cream...

Banana Pudding served with Butterscotch Sauce and Honeycomb Semi-Freddo...

Petit-Fours...

And presenting Chef de Cuisine for tonight...Dean
I think Dean has a great future in the Hospitality Industry...having been offered a position on completion of his Apprenticeship up at Byron Bay on the North Coast of New South Wales...Onya Dean!!!
Thank You Dean...a great Menu for us Students!!!