Chicken Liver, Spiced Rum and Marmalade Pate

This a variation on my Chicken liver and cointreau Pate, the addition of Marmalade and spiced rum give it a sublte sweetness. I hope you enjoy. 

Ingredients

470g chicken livers

50g shallots

160g soft butter

40ml spiced rum of your choice (I used Kraken)

2 teaspoons of a good marmalade

Salt and Pepper

Extra butter to melt and cover pate.

Method

1. Peel the shallots and garlic, place in the bowl fitted with the ultrablade. Mix at speed 12 for 10 sec.  Scrape down the sides with a spatula
2. Replace the ultrablade with the mixer. Add the chicken livers and 20g of the butter, and the rum.
3. Launch P1 slow cook for 12 minutes
4. At the end of the program, drain the livers and rinse the bowl in cold water.
5. Insert the ultrablade once more and place the livers in the bowl with the creme fraiche remaining butter and the marmalade.  
6. Mix at speed 12 for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and mix again for another 10 seconds if the pate needs to be smoother.
7. Pour the pate into small dishes and smooth the top.
8. Melt enough butter to cover your pate
9. Place a little parsley (mostly for decoration) and cover with the melted butter. 
10. Pop in the fridge for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight before eating. (remove the pate from the fridge for the pate to return to room temperature)
11. Serve with crackers, on toast or a sliced baguette. 

Till next year

This year has been an eventful one, my daughter got married in October. Needless to say, it was a joyful and proud time for her father and I, and as with all brides she was beautiful. This has been the reason I haven't been posting much of late, but 2018 is a new year, and there are no significant events planned to take up my time, so I look forward to developing some new recipes.

Well, the silly season is almost over, and I hope you all were able to spend time with those that you love and are important in your life.   My lovely daughter and her shiny new husband have returned home. There is sadness that they are gone, I will miss them, but no matter how lovely they are it's always nice to get your home back.

Christmas day went off without a hitch, in part to CC, my great oven, and a 3 station buffet from Kmart for $45, that kept the vegetables and meat warm over our lunch.  Fantastic buy!

CC has been busy over the last week, making bread, and bread rolls, custard and stuffing for the turkey.  I had bought myself a Christmas present of the CC mini bowl, which isn't available here in Australia, but Amazon France shipped it out in double quick time!  The page is in French, but if you use Google Chrome just right mouse click on the page and choose "Translate to English".  It says they dont ship to Australia, but many of us now have bought and had the mini bowl delivered.  (For me in Tasmania it was only 10 days using the slower delivery option). It arrived on Christmas Eve, so Santa came early.  I will be developing some recipes especially for the mini bowl, so watch this space!

The New Year is fast approaching, I have plans to add lots more recipes to my blog, I hope you all have a safe and happy New Years, I look forward to giving you some inspiration in your kitchens in 2018!

Keep watching this space as I have something new and exciting to share!

My New Obsession

Several weeks ago after joining the Sourdough Baking Australia & New Zealand Facebook group, the lovely Maree Tink, founder of the group and blogger from Around the Mulberry Tree sent me some dried sourdough starter. A lovely tradition when you receive a starter from someone else is to name it.  My starter is called Tinkerbelle in honour of Maree. Well, I haven't turned back since.

Thirsting for more knowledge I signed up for "several" of Teresa Greenway's courses.  Teresa has course information on her site Northwest Sourdough.  Teresa's, courses are easy to follow with clear written and video instruction.  Between her and Maree I have become obsessed with baking beautiful crusty sourdough.  

Another of my favourite bloggers is Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. Celia's blog is a treasure trove of many things but of course, one of my favourites is her section on bread.  Her overnight sourdough was my first bake I made with my "Tinkerbelle".

Overnight Sourdough from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Today I did my second bake of the  #2 Bake Artisan Sourdough Bread Like a Professional course.  I made the Teresa's Tyra loaves. I made these with some beautiful stone ground flour from Callington Mill. The flavour of this flour was deliciously nutty.  We were very surprised at what a difference the flour made. 

Tyra Loaves

Yummy Buttery Baguettes

The crust of these baguettes was delicate and slightly chewy with a salty flavour (from the butter). The crumb was tender with an al dente bite.

The one thing I would probably do differently next time is to make 3 baguettes from this amount of dough as they were fairly generous in size. But that could just be because there is only the two of us to eat them here!

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. 

Ingredients

340g warm water
1 1/2 Tbs. (2 packages) dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
570 g bakers flour
2 tsp. salt

Method

1. Place ingredients into CC with the kneading crushing blade Pastry P1 2 mins 30 secs
2. This is a sticky dough, remove carefully from CC and scrape dough from blades onto a lightly floured bench. (you want the dough to remain fairly sticky)
3. I used a pastry scraper to lightly knead the dough (basically moved it around until it becomes a smooth ball. 
4. Cut in half and shape into 2 baguettes.
5. To make them smooth and pretty, roll each half of dough into a rectangle and roll up lengthwise. Pinch the edges to seal and place on a lightly greased cookie tray with a seam downwards. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 230 degrees.
7. With a very sharp knife (you can use a very sharp knife, one with a serrated blade or a razor blade) gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. (I did small diagonal slashes on the second)
8. Pour water in a cookie sheet and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. (this forms a steamy atmosphere for the bread)
9. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Half way through, brush the bread with melted butter.

Recipe Source http://www.thesisterscafe.com converted for CC

How to Disassemble the Lid of Your CC for Cleaning

1. Firstly find the widest space of the lid and use your spatula handle to just flip and then this part of the lid is removed.
2. To remove the rubber seal just use a bread and butter knife or the handle of a spoon and remove it, its that easy.

When putting the lid back together, replace the rubber seal, then place on and press down till you hear a good click.

How to use the stopper and Mini and Maxi

1. This is how to use the stopper on mini and maxi
2. Place the stopper with maxi pointing toward the arrow on your CC handle (to the left)
3. Now, turn maxi toward the front, which means maximum steam will be kept inside CC
4. Now turn mini toward the front and the opposite applies, meaning minimum steam kept inside CC
5. You know if you have your stopper in the wrong way as the mini and maxi won't be straight up and down.

Chicken With Capsicum

This recipe was converted from the Australian Women's Weekly Pressure Cooking book. Gorgeous sweet red and yellow capsicums along with the flavours of herbs, wine and tomato paste combine to make a satisfying and delightfully colourful dish.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 chicken thigh cutlets (800 gms)

2 medium brown onions (300gms), sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium red capsicums (400gms) sliced thickly

2 medium yellow capsicums (400gms) sliced thickly

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/3 cup (80ml) dry white wine

1/3 cup (80ml) chicken stock

2 dried bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme

METHOD

1. Select Browning, Heat half the oil and brown chicken in batches until browned, remove from cooker.
2. Continue with Browning, Heat remaining oil and cook onion, garlic and capsicum, stirring till onion softens.
3. Add tomato paste, cook, stirring for 1 minute
4. Return chicken to cooker with wine, stock, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Secure lid
5. Manual quick cook for 15 mins.
6. After pressure released, open lid, season to taste.
7. Serve sprinkled with chopped thyme.

I served this with mashed potato, but rice would work just as well. 

Lamb Shank Vegetable and Lentil Soup

This is another recipe converted from the Australian Women's Weekly Pressure Cooking book. Who doesnt love lamb shanks with their beautiful gelatinous texture.  I enjoyed this soup, but I found it really needed a lot more seasoning, but that could just be a matter of taste.

Ingredients 

2 tablespoon olive oil

3 french-trimmed lamb shanks (750g)

1 medium brown onion (150g) chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium carrots (240g) chopped coarsely

2 celery stalks, (300g) chopped coarsely

155g piece of pancetta, chopped coarsely

1.25 litres (5 cups) water

½ cup (125ml) dry white wine

2/3 cup (130g) french-style green lentils, rinsed and drained

½ cup (60g) frozen peas.

Method

1. Heat half the oil in C4M, choose manual browning
2. When the temperature is reached press ok and brown the shanks in batches on both sides.
3. Remove shanks, add remaining oil.
4. Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery and pancetta, stirring till vegetables soften.
5. Return shanks to cooker with water and wine and secure the lid
6. Choose Manual – Quick Cooking – 15 minutes (original recipe said 10 but I found the lamb shanks needed a little more)
7. Add Lentils, secure lid, and quick cook for another 10 minutes
8. Remove shanks and coarsely shred meat, discard bones.
9. Return lamb to cooker with peas, Manual – Browning and simmer uncovered till peas are tender. Season to taste.

Chicken Liver and Cointreau Pate

 Antipasto plate for dinner, this silky smooth pate will be a perfect addition served on my olive and sundried tomato sourdough. Sick of paying the price for good pate at deli's I decided to give it a go and make my own.  Well, all I can say is, that had I known how easy it was to make pate in the Cuisine Companion I would have saved myself a considerable amount of money!

Ingredients

470g chicken livers

50g shallots

2 cloves garlic

160g soft butter

40 ml Cointreau

100ml Creme Fraiche
Grated rind of one orange

Salt

Pepper

Extra butter to melt and cover pate. 

Method

1. Peel the shallots and garlic, place in the bowl fitted with the ultrablade.  Mix at speed 12 for 10 sec. Scrape down the sides with a spatula.
2. Replace the ultrablade with the mixer . Add 20g of the butter, the cointreau and the chicken livers. Launch P1 slow cook for 12 minutes
3. At the end of the program, drain the livers and rinse the bowl in cold water.
4. Insert the ultrablade once more and place the livers in the bowl, add the remaining 140g of butter, orange rind, creme fraiche and season with salt and pepper.  Mix at speed 12 for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and mix again for another 10 seconds if the pate needs to be smoother. 
5. Pour the pate into small dishes and smooth the top. 
6. Melt enough butter to cover your pate.
7. Place a little parsley on top of the pate and cover with melted butter. 
8. Pop into the fridge for at least 2 hours before eating. (remove from fridge for Pate to return to room temperature)

TIP

Pate freezes well, and thats exactly what I will be doing with the left overs! 

Hope you enjoy!!

Classic Minestrone

I made this lovely hearty soup, converted from the Australian Womens Week Pressure Cooking Book for my lunch guests.  With oodles of parmean cheese grated on top and some lovely crusty rolls made from my bread recipe. My guests went home very satisfied, and I had heaps left over to freeze. I forgot to take a picture, so, will have to wait till I take some out of the freezer to add my picture!

INGREDIENTS

1 Ham Hock (1kg)

1 Medium Brown Onion (150g)

1 Stalk Celery (150g) trimmed, halved

1 teaspoon Black peppercorns

1 dried bay leaf

1.5 litres (6 cups) water

2 cups (360g) cooked white beans (I used 2 cans of butter beans)

1 large carrot (180g) chopped coarsely

2 medium zucchini (240g) chopped coarsely

2 stalks of celery (300g) chopped coarsely

3 cloves garlic, crushed

410g (13 ounces) canned diced tomatoes

1 cup (100g) small pasta shells

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

½ cup (40g) flaked parmesan cheese

METHOD

1. Combine ham, onion, halved celery peppercorns, bay leaf and water in C4M; secure lid Select Manual - Quick cook 20 minutes
2. Unlock lid. Strain stock into large heatproof bowl; reserve ham, discard vegetables and peppercorns. When ham is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bone; discard bone, skin and fat, shred ham coarsely.
3. Return stock to cooker with shredded ham, beans, carrot and zucchini, chopped celery, garlic, undrained tomatoes and pasta; secure lid. Select  Manual - Quick Cook 3 minutes.
4. Unlock lid, season to taste.Serve soup sprinkled with basil and cheese.

Not Too Sweet Banana and Coconut Cake

I love a good banana cake, as well as a toasty coconut cake. So this one ticks both boxes.  Not too sweet, but lovely and moist.  Have it warm with vanilla bean ice cream, or a slice with a tea or coffee for afternoon tea.  Either way I am sure you will enjoy it. 

Ingredients

2 Large Over Ripe Bananas (330g)

40g Golden Syrup

50g Coconut Sugar (you could use brown sugar)

50g Shredded Coconut

2 Eggs

Pinch of Salt

300g Self Raising Flour

80g Plain Yoghurt

Extra Tablespoon of both Coconut Sugar and Coconut. (I used flaked Coconut). Sprinkle this on top of the cake before putting it in the oven. 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170deg, and grease loaf tin well.
2. Place banana and golden syrup in bowl and pulse 6 or 7 times till combined
3. Add everything else and Pastry P1 2 mins. Stop, and scrape down with a spatula after 1 min. Finish P1
4. Pour batter into a greased, and lined loaf tin and bake for approx 35 - 45 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. 
5. Place on a rack and let cool. 

NOTES

• I slice and freeze this as there are only 2 of us to eat the goodies I make.
• Lovely served warm with some icecream
• You could always make some caramel sauce to drizzle over it for a delicious dessert.

Rosemary's Pizza Dough

Who doesnt love pizza, really I think it should be a whole food group on its own.  I think with pizza that less is more.  Less cheese, less topping, means more taste, or what I am trying to say is that you can taste all the ingredients, where if you have too many ingredients they tend to blend together.

I love making homemade pizza, in fact I am always disappointed if I get lazy and order in.  They are NEVER as nice.

This recipe is meant to be for one pizza, but I like my pizza’s thin and crispy so it makes two small dinner plate size pizza’s

Bolognese Buns

Now known as Bog Buns!

We are often stuck for what to have for lunch on the weekend, also these would make a great picnic option as well.  I had a small amount of bolognese sauce left over just enough to be annoying, and would probably have ended up in the bin, until I had the bright idea to pop it inside a bread roll!

My dough was made from my Perfect White Bread recipe, I let this prove the first time, and then portioned the dough into 10 pieces, the dough weighed 1kg, so 10 100g pieces.  Then I rolled these out into about 5 or 6 inch circles, made a dent in the middle with my tablespoon measure and then popped a tablespoon of bolognese sauce into the dent topped with some brie.  Pull the dough up around the filling and twist to form a seal. Turn the bun over so the seal is downwards and cup the dough and turn in circles to create a nice tight bun. Place on a sheet covered with baking paper. Cover and let double in size, glaze with an egg and milk mix and then sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan.

Just use this idea for any fillings, leftover curried chicken, semi dried tomato with brie and salami. Just use your imagination.

Golden parmesan crusted rolls with a surprise in the middle! 

Inside the bun is spicy bolognese sauce and melted brie

Pork and Veal Meatballs with Hidden Veg Sauce

This recipe was created by my lovely daughter, her soon to be husband has an aversion to vegetables, so she is always looking for way to sneak vegetables into his diet. 

Like me, she has had her steamer for quite some time and decided it was time that she tried to do some layered cooking, and this was the result!

The meatballs are steamed in the external steamer while the sauce is cooking in the bowl. She served them in a warm pana da casa roll with a little bit of cheese. Yummo!!  Who needs Subway!!

My Perfect Loaf

Since I bought my cuisine companion almost 2 years ago,  I have rarely bought a loaf of bread.  This recipe has been tested over and over by the lovely members of Loving the Tefal Cuisine Companion Facebook group.

First of all, I don't call this bread my Perfect White Bread because I think I have discovered the BEST loaf of bread on the planet.  I call it that because after many many changes in the development of the recipe, I came up with a recipe that was easy for even non-bakers to create a good loaf of bread. Even my husband cooks this loaf!!

One of the things I love most about this loaf is its versatility, I have made loaves, rolls, and scrolls, both savoury and sweet.  I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do.

Firstly I want to say that bread isn’t that scary, I find it one of the most relaxing things to bake. I love the feel of the silky dough, it's like adult play dough!!

People get caught up in things like the temperature of the water and how long to let the yeast react before adding the other ingredients,  I say don't fuss!!  as long as your water isn’t really cold or really hot, just somewhere in between, (think babies bath water) you won't kill the yeast, there is no need to wait for the yeast to activate either, modern dried yeasts are very forgiving.

So number one - take a breath and relax, prepare to have fun!