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Topics - JulieO

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31
Tips and Tricks / Helping to stop avocados from going brown
« on: October 12, 2014, 09:31:27 pm »
Thought this little video was interesting.  :)

http://www.reshareworthy.com/how-to-keep-avocados-from-turning-brown/

32
Recipe Book Recipe Reviews / Banana Bread - New EDC page 142
« on: September 18, 2014, 08:34:01 am »
When my daughter was staying with us at Christmas, she made this cake a couple of times.  I thought it was the nicest banana bread I've eaten, so today needing to use up 4 very ripe bananas, I remembered this recipe.

I did something a little different this time, I made up a topping where I put half inside the cake (poured half the batter in the tin, sprinkled with half the topping, then poured in the remaininder of the batter and finished off with the other half of the topping before baking.  So, so nice.  Will include that in case anyone else would like to try it.  :)

Topping
30g brown sugar
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
50g  chopped walnuts or pecans - use a knife, more control (today used walnuts, but have used pecans before)
50g chocolate chips (optional - didn't use)

Combine sugar and cinnamon with your fingertips in a med bowl, breaking up any lumps of sugar.
Add nuts (and choc chips if using).  Stir through with your fingers until well combined.  




Linked CC

33
Vegetarian / Beetroot & Goats Cheese Tart
« on: July 02, 2014, 09:54:39 pm »
This is a favourite recipe of mine, using the TM for making the pastry.   The photo is from when I made it the first time.   I used Tenina's method of cooking the beetroot.

BEETROOT & GOAT’S CHEESE TART (thyme flavoured pastry)
Pastry

100g plain flour
50g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
½ tsp thyme leaves
2 tbsp chilled water

Add flour, thyme leaves and a pinch of salt to TM bowl.  Turbo twice to sift and combine.
Add butter and Turbo 2-3 times to cut butter into flour.
Add water through opening in the lid, then process on speed 6 until the mixture comes together in a ball. Enclose in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Beetroot
About 200g fresh beetroot, trimmed

Place whole beetroot into simmering basket and insert into TM bowl. Add enough water to come half way up the sides of the simmering basket.
Cook 35-45 min/100ºC/speed 3. Remove basket and drain water. When beetroot are cool enough to handle, peel and coarsely grate. Set aside.
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry and fit into a lightly greased 20cm tart tin. Chill for 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to 180°C.

Line pastry with alfoil and fill with weights.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the alfoil and weights, then bake for about 10 minutes or until dry and pale golden.

Filling
15g unsalted butter
2 tsp olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs
2 tsp caster sugar
75g soft goat's cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
75ml thickened cream
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

125g crème fraiche or sour cream
2 tsp bottled horseradish
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon juice

Heat the butter and oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, for a few mins until softened.
Add grated beetroot, vinegar, thyme and sugar.  Cook, stirring, for a couple of mins or until thickened and syrupy.
Spread beetroot mixture over the tart base, then crumble over goat’s cheese.

Whisk egg, cream and nutmeg together, then pour into tart cases. Scatter with extra thyme. Bake for 35 minutes or until set.

Meanwhile, combine crème fraiche, horseradish, Dijon, and lemon juice, then season. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Serve warm or cold with the horseradish cream.


34
Non Thermomix Recipes / Helenic Grain Salad
« on: April 11, 2014, 09:57:19 am »
Boo, here is the recipe (from George Colombaris).

Very simple but I just love it.  :D

HELLENIC GRAIN SALAD - serves 2 as a main (I have it over 2 nights).
½ bunch coriander, chopped by hand
¼ bunch parsley, chopped by hand
¼ red onion, finely diced by hand
½ cup freekah (or cracked wheat or quinoa)
¼ cup Puy lentils
1 tbsp each: toasted pumpkin seeds, toasted slivered almonds (or flaked), toasted pine nuts, baby capers
¼ cup currants
Juice of ½ lemon
1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive (didn’t use as much as this, just a drizzle really)
small grind of sea salt (or to taste)
½ pomegranate, deseeded, to serve (today I used craisins but last time I used the pomegranate)

Place freekah and lentils in separate small saucepans, add some water and place on to heat until boiling.
Reduce temp and simmer until they are both just cooked.  The freekah will be done first.
Drain well in a sieve and rinse the lentils under cold water and drain again.  Allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, place the coriander, parsley, red onion, freekah, lentils, toasted nuts, capers, currants, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well and season to taste.

Divide between 2 bowls, top with pomegranate seeds and a dollop of the dressing.

Dressing
¼ cup thick Greek yoghurt
pinch ground cumin
1 tsp honey

Mix together until combined.


35
Bread / Bacon, onion & cheese scones
« on: March 23, 2014, 06:13:52 am »
BACON, ONION & CHEESE SCONES makes approx 12
2 rashers bacon, diced approx into 1cm cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped with v slicer
250g SR flour
50g butter, cubed
100g mature cheddar, cubed
1 beaten egg combined with 100ml buttermilk in a small jug
black pepper

Heat a little oil in a sauté pan.  Add bacon and onion and cook over low-med heat until the onion is soft.  Remove and drain on kitchen paper.  Set aside to cool.

Place cheese into TM bowl.  Grate 6 secs/speed 8.  Leave in the bowl.
Add the flour to the bowl then the cubed butter.
Press Turbo a couple of times about 1 sec each time,  just to cut the butter into the flour.
Add the bacon and onion and combine 20 secs/Interval speed.

Then, set the TM to Interval speed, and while blades are turning, pour the buttermilk mixture through the opening in the lid, and allow to mix; about 22 secs in total.
 
The dough might be a bit sticky getting out but you should find that it’s fine once out of the bowl, so don’t add too much flour to the bench top that you turn it out on.

Press the dough into a slab with your hands, about 3cm thick.
Using a round cutter, cut rounds and place on a greased or lined baking tray, close together (mine were touching to fit them all in).
Brush with a little milk or beaten egg (I used a little buttermilk).

If you like a golden top you could grate a little more cheddar on the top of each scone. (I did).
*Place on the high rack and cook 180C for about 18-20 mins until golden. 

*(original instructions was for 210C for 12-18 mins, I found they were browning up too quickly and were not quite cooked inside, so turned down heat to 180 for another few mins.  Will try at the 180 from the start next time.) 

Serve hot or cold, lightly buttered if desired.  These were just as nice cold as straight from the oven.  :)


36
I thought I'd seen a review of this cake somewhere but couldn't find it under this topic, so have made a new one.  Please delete if I've missed it.  :)

This was very easy and quick to make.  I used a small heart shaped tin which was the perfect size for this cake.

I used the ganache that is in the same book, but instead I used sour cream in place of the thickened cream.  I really like using that as it leaves a lovely tang without it tasting sour.  If you've never used it before I suggest giving it a try sometime to see if you like it.

Again I haven't tried it myself, but my family gave it the thumbs up.  It looked lovely and moist when I cut it.  I like that it doesn't make a big cake too and the amount of ganache in the recipe is the perfect amount.

Linked JD





37
Bread / Double Cheese & Garlic Pull Apart - converted from SFI - March 2014
« on: February 19, 2014, 12:25:57 am »
DOUBLE CHEESE & GARLIC PULL APART
**4 garlic cloves, crushed (mine were big so used 3)
80g cheddar cheese, cubed
70g parmesan, cubed

Place parmesan cubes into TM bowl.  Grate 6 secs/speed 8.  Remove to a med bowl.

Place cheddar cubes into TM bowl.  Grate 6 secs/speed 6.  Remove and add to the grated parmesan. Set bowl aside for now.   No need to clean TM bowl.

Dough
½ cup water (just from the tap, not heated)
2 tsp dried yeast
30g butter, cut into small cubes
1 tsp raw sugar (or to taste)
370g bread flour
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
½ cup milk
*50g finely chopped salami - optional

Place water, yeast (avoid the blades), butter and sugar into TM bowl.  
Mix 1 min/37C/speed 1 ½ MC on. (if butter hasn’t melted, do another 20 secs on 37).
Add flour, salt and milk.
Knead 4 mins/Interval speed.  Remove from bowl.  It may seem a little sticky when you first take it out of the bowl, but bring together in your hands and it should be lovely and smooth and not sticky at all.  
Form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover bowl with clingwrap and put in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Grease a 6cm deep, 10x20cm base loaf pan well with olive oil spray.

Using your fist, punch down dough, shape into a ball.
On a well floured surface, roll out to a 15x25cm rectangle.

Combine crushed garlic with the 2 cheeses (found using a fork was best) then scatter all over the dough.*

Starting from 1 long side, roll dough up like a Swiss roll.  Cut into 12 slices and shape into balls. (I just left as scrolls and put in the tin in the zigzag pattern).

Place 6 balls in a zigzag in base of pan.  Place remaining balls on top in an opposite zigzag.  Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap.  Set aside in a warm place for 30 mins.
Preheat oven 200/180C fan.
  
Bake 25-30 mins or until golden and loaf sounds hollow when tapped.  Brush top with melted butter (optional) and place onto a wire rack to cool.  

*FOR EXTRA FLAVOUR, ADD 50g  FINELY CHOPPED SLICED SALAMI. ADD WHEN ADDING THE GARLIC AND CHEESE TO ROLLED OUT DOUGH.

The only thing I found with this was the garlic tasted slightly raw to me, so wondered if cooking it a little before adding to the cheese would get rid of that?  Either that or use less garlic, not sure, but something to play with next time. :)


**Our Judy suggested using either of Tenina's recipes (confit of garlic or her garlic paste)  in place of raw garlic.  Should help to remove the raw garlic taste I mentioned above. 






38
Recipe Book Recipe Reviews / Review Pizza Scone Scrolls - KIS Page 71
« on: January 19, 2014, 01:22:48 am »
I made these for lunch today and my family really enjoyed them.  So quick to make really, though next time I will make the filling before the dough to allow the filling to cool and for ease of cleaning the bowl.

I used my own roasted tomato & red wine sauce instead of the sugo today which added extra flavour.  My little grandson loved these.  Will def make again.  (I used 2 pans today too).

Sorry about the photo, was taken in dappled light but you get the idea.  :D

Linked JD


39
Chit Chat / Baking potatoes in alfoil
« on: November 21, 2013, 12:22:33 am »
Read this today and thought I'd pass it on.  These things always make you think.

http://theskinnypear.com/the-1-reason-you-shouldnt-use-aluminumfoil/

40
Today I have made Bearnaise Sauce with Prawns.  Worked out perfectly!  

I used 500g whole green prawns and shelled them myself as I find they have more flavour than the ones already peeled.  I would just go with how many you want to serve on top of each steak and buy that amount as it makes plenty of sauce.

The sauce was at just the right consistency, not too thin and not too thick and the flavour was spot on in my opinion, nothing over powered.

As this was just for 2 of us today, I have vacuumed packed the remainder of the sauce for another time.

Linked JD


41
I made this warm chicken salad today and after making the dressing and having a taste test, thought it would be really lovely as it tasted quite good on its own.  

I didn’t clean out the bowl after making the dressing thinking any extra flavour wouldn’t hurt while the pasta was being cooked in the internal basket and the chicken in the Varoma.

It only took an extra 4 mins cooking time than stated and after putting it all together, I was rather disappointed in the taste; as in there was hardly any flavour what so ever!

Can’t explain it, used the full lot of dressing as stated, most of which got sucked up by the pasta.  

A shame really because the chicken cooked to perfection and was lovely and tender/moist. (I cut my 2 chicken breast fillets in half vertically, putting the 4 pieces on the Varoma tray with the eggs in the bowl underneath, then sliced thinly before adding to the salad).

Basically there just wasn’t enough flavour in the dressing to give the whole dish a flavour hit which let it down.


42
Chit Chat / Kindle Paperwhite
« on: February 18, 2013, 05:13:04 am »
I know a few on the forum have bought the new Kindle and I thought I'd ask for an update as to whether you are happy with it compared to the older models (for those who had them).

I was looking at the other versions last week in Dick Smith's and I couldn't get over how much lighter they are compared to my Kindle2. 

The paperwhite is now in stock and I will go and have a look at them tomorrow, but thought I'd ask for any feedback now that you've had a chance to use them for a few weeks.  :)

43
Cakes / Cinnamon Scrolls - Adapted from a Cindy O'Meara recipe
« on: February 10, 2013, 12:22:31 am »
I have been asked in a PM to direct them to this recipe that they’ve seen mentioned before on the forum, one I adapted from a Cindy O’Meara recipe.
After being unable to find it anywhere myself, I’ve re-posted it.

I’ve only ever made these once and that was back in 2009 when I was a newbie, so hopefully the recipe will still work out okay today.


CINNAMON SCROLLS
620g plain flour 
2 tsp dried yeast
240g milk  (I used reduced fat)
75g raw sugar 
80g butter
1 tsp sea salt
2 lightly beaten eggs
melted butter for basting

TOPPING
80g brown sugar
80g butter
50g pure maple syrup 
45g walnuts or pecans  (I used pecans)     
100g raw sugar 
3 tsp ground cinnamon

Place milk, sugar, butter and salt in TM bowl.  Heat on 37°C/2-3 mins/speed 2, or until butter has just melted. Allow to cool for a couple of mins if too warm.

Add flour, eggs and yeast to mix and combine 20 secs/speed 3 – 4. 
Then 15 secs/speed 2.

Knead 2½ mins/Interval speed.  Remove to a lightly oiled bowl, cover in clingwrap and put in a warm place until doubled in size.  Prepare topping.

Topping
Place whole nuts in TM bowl and chop 1 second/speed 7.(certainly pecans wouldn’t want any more than this, not sure about walnuts).  Remove from the bowl and put aside.  (Don’t worry about getting every speck out of the bowl as they will be mixing with the next step anyway).

Place brown sugar, butter and maple syrup into TM bowl.  Cook for 1 min/80°C/speed 4 or until melted.  Spread over the base of a 30x25cm pan. (you will be putting the dough on top to bake)

If wanting to make some to freeze, divide the syrup between 3 x 20cm square tins and sprinkle the nuts over each lot.

Sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly over sugar syrup and set aside. Mix together raw sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

Once dough is ready, divide the mixture into two and roll out into ovals of approximately 50 x 35cm.

Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter.
Sprinkle half the cinnamon mixture evenly on each of the dough ovals. Brush around the edge of the dough with more of the melted butter to help stick together.
Roll up dough lengthwise, seal the long edge and then slice into 4cm wide pieces.

*Place the rolls on their cut sides in the pan(or pans if some are going into the freezer), lined with topping mix.  Cover pan with a clean tea towel, place in a warm spot and leave to rise until nearly doubled in size ( about 40 mins)  Preheat the oven to 180C (160C if fan forced).

Place cinnamon rolls into oven and bake for 30mins (22 ½ if fan forced).  I finished off under the grill for a min or so to brown off a little more.

*If freezing:
Place 4 of the rolls into each tin, cover lightly with a tea towel and allow to rise until doubled in size.
The ones you are freezing; cover with oiled clingwrap and cover again. 
Place in freezer and when required, remove straight to a preheated oven and bake.


44
I really liked this and would make again for sure.  

I juiced Pink Lady apples to get the apple juice and I sieved out the raspberry seeds before pouring into the little ice cube moulds.

They are nice to just eat on their own, the mixture would be lovely made into icy poles.

I put a couple into a glass of bubbly (just to try of course)    ;D


45
Made both the salad and Raspberry Balsamic Reduction today.

All the different elements came together to make a lovely and different salad, one that I will make again for sure because I loved it.

The creaminess of the torn bocconcini with the sweetness of the honeyed pecans, raspberries and beetroot went so well with the onion, greens and drizzle of reduction.

I decided to serve it with a Za’atar (Yotam Ottolenghi) rubbed salmon fillet to make the meal more filling, and again this went so well with it.

I used fresh raspberries,  I just think they are nicer than using frozen ones in this dish.  Crusty bread to mop up the juices really topped it off.




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