Screw Smores

Slice bannanas in half length ways. Place bannanas, flesh side down, on a hot grill and lower heat, grill for 3 minutes and turn over. Place chocolate and marshmallows on bannanas and leave on heat for another 5 minutes, untill bananas are soft and chocolate and marshmallows are melted.

Serve warm with cream or ice cream

Daring Cooks November Challenge - Sushi

The November 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was brought to you by Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of The Bite Me Kitchen. They chose sushi as the challenge.

Sushi is not something I make at home very often. Firstly becuase once I buy all the toppings and assemble, I have way too much sushi, and it's pretty much the same, price as going out to eat it. If I wasn't able to get good sushi, quite cheeply, I might make it more often. I do make these maki rolls, for lunch boxes and obento.





Tuna and Cucumber - can't beat the classics.


If you are interested in making your own, here are a few resources.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9hVp4Sd9NU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdQzX9SR_gk&feature=related

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sushi_and_sashimi_ingredients_and_styles

I usually cheat, and make the quick rice verson.

2 cups of rice
2 1/2 cups of water

Bring to the boil uncovered, lower heat, simmer untill the water is no longer visable over the rice. Take off heat, cover and let sit for 15-20 minutes.

Place on large plate, sprinkle with sushi vinager, stirring with a chopping motion. Allow to cool. Create your sushi.

My favorite is canned tuna mixed with a little kewpie mayo, layer with cucumber strips and roll. Slice with a wet knife. Serve with pickled ginger and wasabi.

Spanakopita

1/2 pound of phyllo dough, thawed
1/3 cup of oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
generous pinch of salt
generous pinch of pepper
1/2 cup of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup of oregano finely chopped
12 oz bag of fresh spinach
1 bunch of green onions, ends and tips tossed, sliced
1/4 cup of red onion, diced
10 oz great feta cheese, crumbled
1 ½ cups ricotta chesse
12 tbsp butter, melted

Begin by making a garlic oil. This is easy, as you will bring your olive oil to medium heat in a pan, adding your garlic, and let cook until a light golden brown, being careful not to burn it. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon, and let the oil sit in the pan. Next, add roughly a tablespoon of the olive oil to a deep skillet and bring to a medium to high heat. Add half of your spinach to the skillet. Cook this until it wilts, approximately 1 minute. Remove the wilted spinach to a strainer to remove as much water from the spinach as possible. Repeat this process with the rest of the spinach.
Next, bring the remaining oil back to heat and add in your scallions and red onion, cooking just until soft. Add in your parsley, and spinach, mixing well. Remove from the skillet and place in a small bowl to let cool.
To a larger bowl,mix the ricotta and feta cheeses, mixing until nice and creamy. Toss in the cooled spinach mixture, and combine.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. As the oven preheats, melt your butter.
To a large baking pan, use your pastry brush, and lightly coat the pan with some melted butter. Open your phyllo dough, and cover with a towel as it can harden on you if you do not move quickly. You will lightly butter each top of the phyllo, adding six pieces on the bottom, remembering to lightly brush butter on each sheet. Once you have six down, spread the spinach and cheese mixture evenly over the top. Repeat your process with six more sheets. Add more spinach and cheese to the top, and place eight buttered sheets on top.
Bake for approximately 25-28 minutes, until you have a great golden brown color.

Bean and Rice Casserole

2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stick, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and white parts removed, chopped
1 teaspoon of ground chilli powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
2 cloves
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can mixed beans
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 litres stock
½ cup of wild rice
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper

Dry roast coriander and cloves, add stock and beans. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add all vegetables and spices, keep cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes more, stirring every so often. Add the rice and simmer rapidly until cooked. Add the tomatoes, and simmer until thickened and reduced. Season with salt and pepper, add lemon juice and serve.


This keeps in the fridge and freezes very well. The longer you keep it the better the flavours will be.

Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Nut Bread

½ cup of Walnuts
½ cup of Almonds
½ cup of Dried Blueberries
1/3 cup of Goji berries
3 ripe bananas mashed
½ cup of macadamia butter
2 tablespoons of nut oil
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
1 ½ cups of gluten free self raising flour
½ cup of nut meal
¼ cup of soy milk

Cream together butter and sugar; add eggs, bananas, spices, nuts and fruit. Beat in nut meal and flour. Add milk stirring until smooth.

Pour into greased loaf tin. Bake for approximately two hours at 150.

This really depends on your oven; you will have to check it. If the outsides seem to be cooked but the middle is still soggy turn down your oven and continue cooking. This is a loaf so it’s quite solid.

Allow to cool completely, before cutting.

Individually wrap slices and freeze; microwave for one minute when desired.

Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cupcakes

3 eggs separated
1 ½ cups of gluten free flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of chocolate powder
½ cup of macadamia butter
½ cup of soy milk

Whip egg whites until they form stiff peaks, set aside. Beat together the butter, sugar and egg yolks, until light and creamy. Add vanilla, cocoa, flour and milk, beat together, until smooth. Fold in egg whites. Spoon into patty pans, bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm with chocolate ganache and shaved chocolate.

My ganache was made with cream, but here is a recipe for non-dairy ganache.

Vegan Ganache

1/2 C Cacao Powder
1/2 C Agave
1/4 C Coconut Oil

Melt coconut oil over hot water or in the dehydrator (if you are using it) Whisk together cacao powder, coconut oil and agave. Pour into tart shells and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Pho Ga

October's Daring Cooks Challenge comes from - Jaden of Steamy Kitchen from her new book 'The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.'

It was a two part challenge, firstly Pho Ga and secondly to create your own sweet wonton.


Ingredients:

Chicken Pho Broth
2 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 quarts (2 liters/8 cups/64 fluid ounces) store-bought or homemade chicken stock
3 chicken skinless thigh pieces with bones
1 onion
1 3-inch (7.5 cm) chunk of ginger, sliced and smashed with side of knife
3 tbsps. of Kecap Manis
1 to 2 tbsps. fish sauce

1 lb. (500 grams/16 ounces) dried rice noodles (about ¼ inch/6 mm wide)

Accompaniments:
Bean sprouts
Fresh cilantro (coriander) tops (leaves and tender stems)
Deep fried shallots
½ lime, cut into 4 wedges
Sriracha chili sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sliced fresh chili peppers of your choice
Thinly sliced snow peas

Directions:
To make the Chicken Pho Broth: heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves and star anise and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices to avoid burning.
Char the onion and ginger, then brown chicken.
In a large pot, add all the ingredients (including the toasted spices) and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface frequently.
Use tongs to remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat with your fingers, discarding the bone if you have used bone-in breasts.
Taste the broth and add more fish sauce or sugar, if needed. Strain the broth and discard the solids.
Prepare the noodles as per directions on the package.
Ladle the broth into bowls. Then divide the shredded chicken breast and the soft noodles evenly into each bowl.
Have the accompaniments spread out on the table. Each person can customize their own bowl with these ingredients.

Enjoy!