Cook Up With Donna Hay....

My latest cook up with donna hay and Irina saw me using the Spices Cinnamon and Star Anise 

Green Apples

and the last of the Season's Mandarins

All from this beautiful issue of donna hay magazine No 69 Jun/July 2013

Beautiful in that there are some lovely Flourless Cakes recipes in it.......Perfect for Gluten Free people

The menu......Mandarin and Soy Braised Ribs

Boiled Rice

Red Cabbage

Fennel 

Telegraph Cucumber with Fennel Tips

Spiced Layered Apple Cake

I started off by slicing the apples in my new super-duper Food Processor

Look how beautiful the apple slices look......seeds'n all!!!

I used Rapadura Sugar instead of White Sugar

The apples had to be held down by cans when finished cooking

donna's version above

and my version ready to be chilled for Dessert

Now it's back to work preparing the Ribs

All done now

Red Cabbage

and Cucumber

And here'tis......all ready

And the flavour combinations were just delicious!!!

The Layered Apple Cake was just sublime nice and cold

With or without some Whipped Cream!!!

I love doing these cook ups especially now that Irina has joined me

If you want to join in just leave a comment or email

It's all easy.......just cook something from the latest magazine and blog it!!!

Bon Appetit......Dzintra

~Dutch Ginger Slice~

~Dutch Ginger Slice~

Oh how I love this beautiful slice!!!

Organic Crystalized Ginger

Rapadura Sugar

Rapadura sugar – is an unrefined sugar, made from minimally processed organic sugar cane. After the cane is harvested it is pressed to squeeze out the cane juice, which is then clarified, filtered and evaporated to remove excess water. The resulting syrup is then crystallized, and is rich with molasses flavour and the vitamins, minerals and trace elements that are naturally found in the molasses of the sugar cane plant, as it is not separated from the nutrient dense molasses part of the sugar cane. It is a high quality whole sweetener. It has a low /medium sweetening power with a marked molasses flavour. Simply substitute 1 cup of rapadura for 1 cup of other sugars.

Thank you to Rustic Pantry for the info above

Butter melting

Adding ingredients

Blanched Almonds atop

All done

Sliced

and ready to have with a cuppa!!!

RECIPE for JEAN'S DUTCH GINGER CAKE

* 125g ginger

* 200g unsalted butter

* 1C Caster Sugar......I used Rapadura Sugar

* 13/4 Plain Flour......I used Gluten Free Flour

* 1 egg

*  Melt butter, add all other ingredients including beaten egg

* Mix well

* Press into greased and lined tin

* Decorate with whole blanched almonds and glaze with egg yolk if desired

* Bake in moderate oven approx 25m

How easy is this!!!

Thank you so much to Jean for this recipe as was given to me which I have a pic of above 

I worked with Jean many years ago whilst in Bathurst......

Bon Appetit and Happy Baking......Dzintra

Middle Eastern Bean Patties with Yogurt and Mint Salsa

Recently I went to my Daughter's Day Programme and did a cooking class with the clients

Above is a pic of the Middle Eastern Bean Patties with Yogurt and Mint Sauce ready for cooking

The patties all lined up ready to go

Trying to do a 'cheffy' pose here whilst thinking how would Matt Moran do this LOL

From left to right here.......Alan, Adam, Angie, JoJo, Mieke and me

A very successful lunch and I'm back again to do another one......this time a Chicken Laksa

Before trying this with the gang I did a practice run at home

The Patties are from Cooking with Quinoa by Rena Patten

Quinoa - pronounced keen-wah - is a grain, but not just any grain. It is considered to be almost a complete food. It is very high in protein, full of vitamins, gluten- and wheat-free, cholesterol-free and usually organic. And it is simply delicious. This title shows you many different ways to use quinoa.

We have just discovered quinoa in our house and love it

These patties have become a firm favourite with us!!!

Uncooked Patties

Cooking

Served with Broccoli and a simple salad

* R E C I P E*

Makes 8-10....you could even get 15 patties.......they are a really good size

Gluten Free, Vegetarian and for Dairy Free omit Yogurt

~ 1/2C quinoa grain, rinsed and drained

1C water

2 x 400g cans red kidney beans - rinsed and drained

3 cloves garlic, grated

4 shallots or spring onions, finely sliced

1t ground cumin

1/2 - 1t chilli powder

3T chopped coriander

1 egg

salt to taste

2T olive oil

YOGURT MINT SALSA

~1/2C Greek Yogurt

1T finely chopped mint

1t extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Place quinoa in small saucepan with the water.  Bring to boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer 10m until all water is absorbed.  Remove from heat and cool.

Coarsely mash kidney beans with fork or potato masher.  

Add cooked quinoa, garlic, shallots, cumin, chilli, coriander and egg.

Season with salt and mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Divide mixture into 8 or 10....but it will do 15 smaller ones and shape into round patties.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in pan.  Add patties and cook until golden on both sides, aprox 3-4 m each side.

To make the salsa mix together yogurt, mint, oil and season as desired.

Serve the patties with the yogurt mint salsa and a garden salad.

A yummy meal highly recommended.....

Bon Appetit......Dzintra

A Gluten Free Chocolate Cake by Donna Hay with White Wings Flour!!!

 When I first bought some Gluten Free White Wings Self Raising Flour I noticed that there was a recipe on the pack for 'melt-and-mix chocolate cake' by Donna Hay

So off I toddled and gave it a go......

Once cooked JoJo decorated it with pink chocolate buttons from Koko Black

A slice cut

Served with cream......

Verdict - pretty good!!!!

RECIPE

Oven 180c fan forced - pre heated

Pan:  greased 22cm round pan lined with non-stick baking paper

* 250g unsalted butter, melted

*3/4C (75g) cocoa, sifted

*1and 1/3C (295g) caster sugar (I used rapadura sugar)

*3 eggs

1 and 1/2C (180g) almond meal

*1 and 1/2C (225g) White Wings Gluten-Free SR Flour, sifted

*3/4C (180ml) milk

CHOC FUDGE ICING

*250g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

*1/2C (125ml) pouring (single) cream

70g unsalted butter

METHOD

*  Place butter, cocoa, sugar, eggs, almond meal, flour and milk in a bowl and whisk to combine

*Pour into pan

*Bake for 1 hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer.  Allow to cool in the tin completely

ICING

*Place chocolate, cream and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely

*Beat the cooled icing with electric beaters until thick and fluffy and spread over cake with a palette knife to serve.

Nice'n easy......

Bon Appetit......Dzintra

Cook up with Donna Hay ~ Porcini and Mixed Mushroom Risotto ~Strawberry,Mascarpone and Almond Tray Tart ~ Chocolate Truffles

First of all a lovely welcome to Irina who has joined me in doing Cook Ups from Donna Hay magazine

We cook something from the latest issue of the magazine and then blog it.....easy peasy

Anyone can join so just drop me a line if you are interested

Menu from Issue 64 Aug/Sept 2012

Porcini and Mixed Mushroom Risotto ~very similar recipe over here

Strawberry, Mascarpone and Almond Tray Tart

Chocolate Butterscotch Truffles with Almond Praline

Salted Dark Chocolate Truffles......because I couldn't resist

Basic Chocolate Truffle recipe over here

The Risotto......you can't see the Mushrooms really well as I went a bit crazy with the Baby Spinach Leaves and Parmesan Cheese.......but wow, was it delicious

I used Porcini......Portobello......Swiss Brown and Baby Mushrooms

I used a Gluten Free Pastry from Rick's Pantry available at Coles

Salted Chocolate Truffles.....not as smooth looking as Donna's......but nice and salty

And the Butterscotch Truffles......delicious with a glass of Butterscotch Schnappes

A very, very tasty meal and a seal of approval for the Salted Chocolate from Mr Armchair

Till next time......Bon Appetit
~Dzintra~

~Vanilla Choc Chip Muffins~

Turns out Sunday morning here is turning out to be Muffin Morning

I love these gorgeous little cases and I have been using two at a time as they seem to lose colour if just used singly

Lately though I have started to use a plainer one on the inside and a pretty on the outside which means now they go twice as far

There are lots of ideas in this issue of Australian Good Food August 2011

This time I chose Vanilla Choc Chip

Instead of Caster Sugar I used Rapadura

it does leave the muffin a brownish colour but it does have some health benefits

The ones I bake don't seem to be as large as traditional one but then again I do use Gluten Free Flour Either way they are simply delicious

VANILLA CHOC CHIP MUFFINS

Oven 180c or 160c fan pre heated

Bake 18-20 m

~ 2 C Self Raising Gluten Free Flour

2/3 rapadura sugar (caster can also be used)

100g melted butter

1 egg

1 C milk

1t vanilla extract

2/3 C choc bits

~  Whisk flour, sugar, butter, egg, milk and vanilla in bowl until just combined

~ Fold through choc bits

~ Spoon into prepared pan

~ Bake till skewer comes out clean

There are quite a few variations so now I'll have to go slowly through them and come back here

Bon Appetit......Dzintra