Mothers Day

Sorry there was no blog yesterday but we are having problems with our electrics, one of the problems from owning a house that was built in 1892.

Miss Fish arrived home from work today, and announced that it was Mother's Day on Sunday, and what present did I want. Now Miss Fish is very good at buying presents for other people, she even bought herself an easter egg for easter !

So I pondered her question for a moment and replied that I wanted a day that I didn't have to do anything. She looked at me and smiled and replied "I will get you a cookbook", how well she knows me. I love cookbooks at last count I have "cough" 150 "cough". This includes my hardback Womens Weekly cookbook from high school, from back in the umm... 1970's. This also doesn't include the 10 or so folders full of recipes I have cut out over the years. I didn't realised that I had that many cookbooks until I counted them. Also I don't know how everybody has theirs sorted but I have mine sorted by cuisine and author, if the don't cook in a particular cuisine. I also have a folder with photocopies of often used recipes, so that if they are slopped on while I am cooking, they can be thrown away and new copies made.

So what will I be cooking for myself for Mother's Day, I am not too sure, I will go consult my cookbooks and perhaps cook something that we haven't had before exactly cooked exactly the way I like it.

Perhaps from my new yet unused Thai cookbook, or from my little used French cookbook that I bought a decade or 2 ago, or even from my favourite Chinese or Italian cookbooks.

I will let you know when I have thought about it.

So are you cooking a favourite meal for you Mum, or is she cooking so that she gets what she wants ?

Pizza

Now home made pizzas made from scratch aren't to hard to make. You just need to putter about at various times during the afternoon, to start things and then let them take care of themselves.

This is a recipe that I cut from a magazine many years ago. There are 2 versions of the tomato sauce, the one using fresh tomatoes I use when I have plenty of tomatoes in summer. Most of the time I make the sauce using a can of chopped tomatoes.

Pizza

grated mozzarella cheese and toppings of your choice

Tomato sauce - using tinned tomatoes 1 can tomatoes chopped or whole, 2 cloves garlic peeled, 1/4 onion sliced, 1 tsp dried oregano or 8 - 10 fresh leaves or 1 tbsp fresh parsley

Line a small tray with baking paper, place the garlic and onion evenly in a layer, sprinkle over the dried herbs (If using fresh herbs add to sauce after cooking when you are blitzing it). Pour the tomatoes over top, ensuring that no onion or garlic is exposed. Bake 180.c oven for 15 - 25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has thickened. Remove from the oven carefully pour into a small bowl or jug, blitz with a bamix, or process in a food processor until a smooth sauce. (If using the fresh herbs place with the sauce then blitz together).

Tomato sauce - using fresh tomatoes

6 - 8 medium sized tomatoes cut into half, 2 cloves garlic peeled and flattened, 1/4 onion sliced, 1 tsp dried oregano or 8 - 10 fresh leaves or 1 tbsp fresh parsley, 2 tbsps olive oil, salt and pepper

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place tomatoes, cut side up on tray. Put onion and garlic in between the tomatoes. Sprinkle with dried herbs, salt and pepper. Drizzle over olive oil. Bake in 180.c oven 20 - 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to get wrinkly and collapse. (Depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes it can take more or less time for them to collapse).

Remove from the oven carefully pour into a small bowl or jug, blitz with a bamix, or process in a food processor until a smooth sauce. (If using the fresh basil place with the sauce then blitz together).

Either of these sauces can be made earlier in the day or even the day before, where it can be stored covered in the fridge.

Base

1 sachet fast acting yeast, 1 heaped teaspoon honey, 1 1/2 cups tepid water, 3 cups plain flour - you will need extra for kneading and rolling the dough, 2 tbsps olive oil, pinch salt

Place the water in a small bowl or jug, whisk in honey, then 1/2 cup flour (leaving 2 1/2 cups) sprinkle the yeast over top, leave 15 minutes or until the yeast has bubbled on top.

Place remaining 2 1/2 cups flour and salt into a large bowl, mix together and make a well in the centre. Pour in yeast mixture, start to mix together, this is best done with your hands, when it is nearly mixed together add the oil. Keep mixing in the bowl until it comes together into a ball. Flour you working surface and knead until smooth, this takes about 5 minutes of not very hard kneading.

NOTE If the dough is bit sticky just ensure your work surface is well floured. I have found over the years if the dough is sticky you get a better rise, and a crisper crust.

Now I make this in a metal bowl, which I then wash in hot water then quickly dry it, then spray it with oil, then place the dough in. I then spray the top of the dough, before covering with cling wrap. This gives the dough a good start in a warm bowl. If using another type of bowl continue as above. Leave in a warm place 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until doubled in size

HINT - Now when I cover the dough with the cling wrap. I don't stretch it across the top of bowl, but loosely drape it directly over the dough and up the sides, which creates a mini hot house. This seems to help the dough rise.

Dough before it rises - note I made a double batch of dough this time.

After it had risen

Pre heat your oven as high as it can go.

Tip out onto a floured surface, punch down, then divide into portions for each base. From 1 amount of dough I can get 3 large pizzas, with thin bases, or 2 large pizzas with thick bases. (from double mixture I get 4 large and 3 small pizzas with thin bases). Roll out to cover your trays which have been lightly oiled. Top with the tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and your choice of toppings. Bake 12 - 15 minutes depending on the heat of your oven. Now when the pizzas are cooked but the base isn't really crisp I slide them carefully from the tray onto the oven rack, where I leave then for another 5 minutes or until the base is crispy. You don't have to do this if you don't wish. Cut into slices, eat and enjoy !

Slow Cooker - Potroast

Now that the weather is getting cooler, it is time to think of warming meals. Which means stews that cook slowly all day and make the house smell wonderful. It also means pot roast.

Now this is an easy meal that once started can be left to cook by itself, you only have to add the vegies at a later time. It is a true one pot meal.

Now my parents gave me a slow cooker as a present a couple of years ago, I am not one to get upset to get cooking implements for my birthday - now an iron would be a different thing you might find that thrown at you - but a slow cooker I am happy with. Now this slow cooker is very large so it is perfect for pot roast and cooking corn beef (silverside).

I used to cook it in a large saucepan, but I usually needed another saucepan when I added the vegies as there wasn't enough room. In the slow cooker it is much easier. It takes 6 hours on high, but you can set it going in the morning on low, but when you add the vegies I would put it up to high, as they will cook in 1 - 1 1/2 hours, also you don't need to cut you potatoes small pieces the size of a tennis ball are best.

Pot Roast

1 piece of topside I used a piece 1 1/2 kgs, you can also use a whole chicken, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tsp dried mixed herbs, 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce, 50 gms butter & 1/4 cup plain flour (if cooking in a large slow cooker 100 gms butter & 1/2 cup plain flour) enough beef/chicken stock to cover meat (you can do half stock and half water) Peeled potatoes and pumpkin cut into tennis ball size pieces, peeled carrots cut in half lengthwise and sliced into pieces 7 -8 cms long

Melt butter in a frypan, brown meat on all sides, place into the slow cooker (if using a large pot remove meat onto a plate) add flour whisk 1 minute. Add tomato paste whisk 1 minute. Add some of the stock, whisk to ensure that you get no lumps, when smooth add remainder of stock, herbs and worcestershire when boiling pour over meat (or add meat back to pot, bring to the boil cover, reduce heat to a simmer). Ensure there is enough liquid to cover the meat, if using a slow cooker I leave approx 4 - 5 cms room to allow for the vegetables to fit in, without the sauce overflowing. Cook 5 hours in the slow cooker add the vegies cook for a further 1 - 1 1/2 hours. I check after an hour the vegies are usually done. (If cooking in a pot cook 2 hours add the vegies, bring back to a boil then reduce heat to a rolling simmer cook approx 1 hour until the vegies are done)

Next remove the meat slice place on a plate with the vegetables pour over some of the thick sauce and enjoy.

April Daring Bakers Challenge - Maple Mousse served in a edible container

Blog-checking lines: The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blogCheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container. Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!

I created this mousse, but it didn't quite set so it is in a glass bowl, for the container I couldn't come at bacon. So I made meringue nests.

Maple Mousse:

Ingredients:
• 1 cup (240 ml/ 8 fluid oz.) pure maple syrup (not maple-flavoured syrup)
• 4 large egg yolks• 1 package (7g/1 tbsp.) unflavoured gelatine
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml. g/12 fluid oz) whipping cream (35% fat content)

Directions:
1. Bring maple syrup to a boil then remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and pour a little bit of the maple syrup in while whisking (this is to temper your egg yolks so they don’t curdle).
3. Add warmed egg yolks to hot maple syrup until well mixed.
4. Measure 1/4 cup of whipping cream in a bowl and sprinkle it with the gelatine. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Place the bowl in a microwave for 45 seconds (microwave for 10 seconds at a time and check it in between) or place the bowl in a pan of barely simmering water, stir to ensure the gelatine has completely dissolved.5. Whisk the gelatine/whipping cream mixture into the maple syrup mixture and set aside.
6. Whisk occasionally for approximately an hour or until the mixture has the consistency of an unbeaten raw egg white.
7. Whip the remaining cream. Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the maple syrup mixture. Fold in the remaining cream and refrigerate for at least an hour.
8. Remove from the fridge and divide equally among your edible containers.

Meringue (optional):

Ingredients:
• 3 large egg whites at room temperature
• ¾ cup (165 g./5.5 oz) sugar

Directions:1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F/150 degrees C.
2. Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer beat for a few minutes until the whites become stiff. Now add the sugar, a little at a time, whisking until the mixture is stiff and glossy. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down and the mixture won’t fall out.
3. Place baking parchment on to a clean baking sheet. Using a spoon or a piping bag, dollop the meringue into circles that fit inside the rim of your edible cups. (See mine, I wanted height but they fell a bit...which is OK...freeform art)
4. Put the tray in the oven, then immediately turn the oven down to 250 degrees F/130 degrees C. and bake for 45 minutes.
5. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for a few hours.
6. Place meringues as decoration on your maple mousse which has already be spooned into your edible containers.

So enjoy making them.