July 2010 Daring Cooks - Nut Butters

The July 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Margie of More Please and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make their own nut butter from scratch, and use the nut butter in a recipe. Their sources include Better with Nut Butter by Cooking Light Magazine, Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and Food Network online.

Here's my recipe using a nut butter. I was actually reading a vegan cookbook the other day that talked all about using nut butters, in desserts and as a cream substitute, much healthier . I think I will have to start, giving it a go.

Gado Gado

150g unsalted peanuts, dry-roasted in the oven until dark
2 tbs peanut oil
2 eschalots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp chilli paste or sambal oelek
2 tsp finely grated palm sugar (see note) or raw sugar, plus extra to taste
2 tbs tamarind concentrate (see note)
1 tbs lime juice
2 tsp shrimp paste (see note) or 4 anchovy fillets
270ml can coconut milk

Finely grind peanuts in a food processor. Heat oil in a deep frypan over medium-low heat. Add eschalots and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until onion is soft. Stir in peanuts, chilli and shrimp pastes, sugar, tamarind, lime, coconut milk and 1 cup (250ml) water until well combined. Increase the heat to high and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Adjust salt and sugar to taste.

Serve with various steamed and fresh vegetables, tofu and satays.

Quiche - it's low fat!

400g reduced fat shortcrust pastry
300ml light ricotta
300ml Philadelphia cream for cooking
3 egg whites
3 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked spinach
1 White onion finely sliced
2/3 of a cup of cherry tomatoes sliced in half

Mold pastry too a 8inch tart pan and prick with a fork. Bake in an oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until just browned.

Layer spinach and onion in the bottom of the pastry shell. Beat together the eggs and white, beat in all remaining ingredients, except the tomatoes. Pour over spinach. Place the tomatoes on top.

Bake for 30 -40 minutes at 180. Serve hot or cold.

One Year Today

Strawberry Shortcake

Basic Vanilla Cake


1 cups self raising flour
90g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup of sugar
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons of milk

Preheat oven to 180. Line eight muffin pan holes with paper cases. Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs, beat until thick and glossy. Sift in flour and add milk. Beat until smooth and creamy.

Pour into a greased lined 6 inch round cake tin. Bake for 20-30 minutes on 170c
Allow to cool before turning out and cooling completely.

Cut through the middle to create two layers, set aside.

Filling

2 teaspoons icing sugar
300ml whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip together until thick and creamy

2 Punnets of strawberry's finely sliced
4 tablespoons of strawberry jam

Spread strawberry jam on each cake layer, slather with cream and top with strawberry's. Place one layer of cake on the other.

Serve and enjoy the classic combination.

Meat and Vegetable Pie

Ingredients (serves 4)

Plain flour, to dust
375g block frozen puff pastry, thawed (Pampas brand)
Melted butter, to grease
2 (25 x 25cm) sheets ready-rolled frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed (Pampas brand)
1 egg, lightly whisked

Beef filling
700g lean beef blade steak, cut into 3cm cubes
2 tbs plain flour
60ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
1 large celery stick, thickly sliced
310ml (1 1/4 cups) good-quality beef stock
2 tbs finely chopped fresh curly parsley
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly cracked black pepper


Method
To make beef filling, place beef in a medium bowl, add flour and toss to coat. Heat 2 tbs of oil in a medium heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, using a wooden spoon to stir often, for 6 minutes or until light brown. Transfer to a medium heatproof bowl. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining oil to pan. Add onion, carrots and celery, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Return beef to pan with stock, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is tender. Increase heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for a further 10-15 minutes or until sauce is a thick gravy. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer beef filling to a medium heatproof bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to partially cool.

Meanwhile, line a tray with non-stick baking paper. Lightly flour a clean surface and use a rolling pin to roll out puff pastry, rotating occasionally, to a 30cm square 3-4mm thick. Invert a shallow 25cm (top measurement) pie plate on pastry and use a sharp knife to cut pastry 2mm from edge of plate. (Do not drag - the pastry layers may stick together and the edge won't puff into separate crisp layers in the oven.) Lift pastry onto lined tray, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge until required.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Brush a pie plate with melted butter to grease. Place shortcrust pastry sheets on a clean surface and cut 1 sheet in half. Brush 1 edge of whole sheet with water and lay a half sheet along this edge, overlapping by 1cm. Press to join and smooth out join. Repeat process on an adjacent edge of whole sheet, overlapping ends of half-sheets as well. Gently lift pastry onto greased plate and ease into plate to line. Smooth pastry and press around top rim of plate. Hold plate and rotate while using a small sharp knife at a 45° angle to cut away excess pastry.
Use a fork to prick pastry base evenly about 25 times. Place in fridge for 15 minutes to rest (to help reduce shrinkage during cooking). Blind-bake the pie base before adding filling to ensure it is well cooked and crisp. To do this, place a 30cm square of non-stick baking paper or foil over the pastry and top evenly with about 1 cup of dried beans or rice to stop the pastry from bubbling. Place pie plate on a baking tray and cook in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Carefully remove paper or foil and beans or rice (see note) and bake for a further 8-10 minutes or until golden. Transfer the pie plate to a wire rack and, if necessary, use a clean tea towel to carefully pat down any pastry that has puffed during cooking. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Increase oven temperature to 220°C.

Spread cooled filling evenly into base. Remove puff pastry from fridge. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush pie edge with a little cold water. Place puff pastry on top of pie and gently press edges together to seal. (Do not press the outer edge, or it will not puff well during cooking.)
Use a small sharp knife to cut a 4cm cross in pastry centre to allow steam to escape during cooking. Lightly brush top with whisked egg.Place pie on baking tray and bake in oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 190°C and cook for a further 20-25 minutes or until well puffed, golden and heated through. If necessary, shield areas of pastry top and edges browning faster than others with pieces of foil. Serve immediately.


Source
Good Taste - July 2001, Page 48
Recipe by Anna Phillips

JUNE 2010 - Daring Baker's Challenge: Chocolate Pavlovas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

Obviously, I didn't make a chocolate meringue, instead a raspberry pavlovia. Aussie Aussie Aussie.....

I opted to tone down the rich sweetness of this challenge, so head over to the website for the original. Which tops the meringue with chocolate mousse and a creme. This mousse is AMAZING, and quick setting. For me I still found it a little too rich together, save in very small potions. I will make these two dishes again, but separately, with fresh fruit and cream.

Classic Australian Pavlova
Cooking time about 1¾ hours
Ingredients (serves 8)

4 teaspoons cornflour
6 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/3 cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered raspberry
4 drops red food coloring


Preheat oven to 200°C (395°F). Dust lightly with 1 teaspoon cornflour a sheet of baking paper place on a baking tray. Place a 8” (20cm) x 2.5" (60mm) springform cake tin without a bottom as a container to hold the whipped egg whites on the floured baking paper.

Using an electric mixer on the highest setting, beat egg whites and cream of tartar (or salt) in a narrow deep bowl until soft peaks form (using a narrow deep bowl ensures the beaters are well into the whites and will build up the greatest volume). Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating constantly until thick and glossy. Add remaining 3 teaspoons of cornflour with the last tablespoon of sugar. Dissolving the caster sugar should take about 10-12 mins if using normal granulated sugar about 15 mins. (Test mixture by feeling a small amount of the meringue between two fingers if it is grainy beat longer.) Fold through vanilla and vinegar.
Spoon meringue into the springform cake tin. Shape the uncooked meringue using the springform cake tin as a guide into one giant meringue. Remove the springform cake tin and place the uncooked meringue cake into the oven. Reduce oven to 100°C (212°F). Bake for 1½ to 2 hours or until dry and crisp, test by tasting a teaspoon of the meringue from the top if it doesn't taste of egg it is done don't worry about the small hole made by this testing it will be covered by the topping. Test at 1½ hours and then every 15 mins until ready. Turn off oven and cool completely in oven (pavlova may sink and crack during cooling).





Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

1 ½ cups (355 mls) heavy cream (cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent)
grated zest of 1 average sized lemon
9 ounces (255 grams) 72% chocolate, chopped
1 2/3 cups (390 mls) mascarpone pinch of nutmeg
2 tbsp (30 mls) Grand Marnier (or orange juice)
Put ½ cup (120 mls) of the heavy cream and the lemon zest in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let sit at room temperature until cool.
Place the mascarpone, the remaining cup of cream and nutmeg in a bowl. Whip on low for a minute until the mascarpone is loose. Add the Grand Marnier and whip on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. (DO NOT OVERBEAT AS THE MASCARPONE WILL BREAK.)
Mix about ¼ of the mascarpone mixture into the chocolate to lighten. Fold in the remaining mascarpone until well incorporated

The Daring Cooks June, 2010 Challenge - Pâtés and Bread

Our hostesses this month, Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, and Valerie of a The Chocolate Bunny, chose delicious pate with freshly baked bread as their June Daring Cook’s challenge!

Chicken Liver Pate

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients (serves 12)

1 Kilo chicken livers
200g of duck or bacon fat
400g butter, at room temperature
4 large eschalot (French shallot), peeled, finely chopped
1 cup brandy
Salt & ground pepper
Juice and zest of one orange
2 cloves of roasted garlic (roast whole in the oven 180 for 20 minutes, then squeeze out flesh)
1 sml teaspoon sugar
80g unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup fresh continental parsley roughly chopped


Method
When making chicken liver pate, it is crucial to buy very fresh livers. Choose livers that have moist and shiny flesh without any dry patches. Remove from the packaging, place on a plate, cover with foil and keep in the coldest part of the fridge. Use within 2 days. To clean the livers, use a small sharp knife to remove and discard any white sinew. Some livers have greenish patches which must be trimmed or they can give the pate a bitter flavour. Place the trimmed livers in a colander, rinse gently under cold water and then drain. Pat dry with paper towel.

Melt butter and fat in a large heavy bottomed pan on a low to medium heat. Do Not Burn. Add the Eschalots and ½ the Garlic. Brown slightly then add livers and sauté for 3 minutes. Add brandy, orange remaining garlic, salt pepper and sugar. Continued sautéing on a medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until the livers are just off pink in the centre. Transfer to a food processor add parsley and blend until just smooth.

Spoon the pate mixture evenly into ceramic or glass ramekins or small dishes, and use the back of a teaspoon to smooth the surface. Set aside. Place the unsalted butter in a small saucepan and place over medium heat until it just melts. Pour the butter evenly over the surface of the pate. The butter will solidify and prevent the pate from discolouring (due to oxidation) and will lengthen keeping time. Once the butter sets, cover the pate with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight to set and develop the flavours. The pate can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge. Serve with toasted thinly sliced baguette (French stick), mini toasts, crackers, or with slices of nashi fruit or pears.

Check out the site for the baguette recipe.