turkish delight

i made this for the first time a couple of years ago "for a laugh". my arms have just recovered, so i asked 15-year-old kitchen whiz liam to "help" this time (ie be the mixing robot- hahaha, dastardly, i know). it turned out delicious, though a double batch is advised, given the enormous amount of work this is.



400g white sugar
150ml water

1 tsp lemon juice

50g (100ml) cornflour (not wheaten cornflour)

175ml cold water

5-10 drops red food colouring

1.5 tsp rose essence (queen brand works well), or to taste

optional flavours:

80g lightly roasted, unsalted pistachios shelled

for dusting, sift together:

25g (50ml) cornflour

50g pure icing sugar

heat the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan; stir continuously over medium heat until brought to the boil. reduce heat to as low as possible and don't stir any further.  wash down the walls of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush occasionally to hinder the creation of large crystals in the sugar syrup. keep simmering the syrup for 15 minutes or just before soft ball stage (110C if you have a candy thermometer): stop before the sugar starts to turn golden. 

place the cornflour in a medium-large saucepan and use a whisk to mix in the cold water. stir constantly over low heat, using the whisk to scrape into the corners of the pan. as soon as the thickening starts, remove the saucepan from the heat and keep stirring. return to the heat for 30 seconds and continue stirring; the mixture should be thick and smooth like mashed potato.

pour half a cup of the sugar syrup into the cornflour paste and mix well until the paste is smooth again. gradually add the remaining syrup (about a quarter of a cup at a time), stirring it in well each time.

bring the cornflour-syrup mixture to the boil, stirring thoroughly and constantly. as soon as bubbles appear, turn the heat as low as possible, using a diffuser if necessary. 

keep stirring thoroughly and gently for about 20-30 minutes, the mixture should be thick enough for a spoon drawn across the bottom of the pan to leave a path which takes at least 10 seconds to close up. to test the texture of the finished sweet, dip a spoon into the mixture and then into a glass of cold water for 30 seconds. keep cooking for 5 more minutes if you want it chewier, otherwise take it off the heat.

scrape mixture into lined pan using a silicone spatula; allow to cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours, then cut and dust with icing sugar mixture and store in brown paper.

nori rolls

ahh, nori rolls; super tasty power food, work colleague impresser and comfort delight in one. i'm glad to have given this a go at home (much easier and quicker than expected), as i am limited to the tofu or pickle rolls at sushi places which contain poor quality ingredients.

this dish becomes more than a handy snack when made with organic tofu, traditional pickled ginger and wasabi powder (no artificial colours or sweeteners). the most important part is to cook the rice correctly, then it's just a matter of filling and rolling however you like.

3c japanese rice

3.25 water

0.3 rice vinegar or rice vinegar/rice wine blend

2Tbs sugar

1tsp salt

rinse rice in a large bowl or sieve. place the rice in rice cooker and add water. cook for 15-20 minutes. spread the rice thinly on a large ceramic bowl or plate so it cools quicker. dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar; sprinkle on the rice and fold together gently (don't squash the rice).

my favourite fillings are shredded carrot, panfried tofu, avocado, toasted sesame seeds, pickled ginger, shredded daikon root.

you don't need to wet the seaweed sheets before rolling; they will soften with the moisture of the rice. these keep well overnight in an airtight container in the fridge. 

new obsession: rice salad

i am loving rice salad right now. 2c of brown rice cooked with 4c water and a pinch of salt makes enough for 6-8 hungry people, and it's a great outdoorsy day lunch.

cook the rice, allow to cool for an hour if possible and mix in a large bowl with any combination of finely chopped or cubed yummies such as: apple, almonds, dill pickles, red cabbage, sultanas, red capsicum, parsley, toasted sesame seeds, raw onion, fresh mushrooms. add lemon juice and olive oil (plenty, as it will be absorbed by the rice), herbs and ground spices to taste. this is even better the next day, and shared with friends!

fried rice a thousand ways

i completely, utterly, unabashedly adore rice. steamed rice with spicy satay sauce or soy sauce and sesame oil... oh, so good!


this is a little more work, but so worthwhile; it can be done alone but it is best done, as it is many mornings each week, with another person: one to chop and one to fry.


anything can be used (especially little leftover veggies), but my proportions are usually 20% rice, 30% extra firm tofu, 50% veggies. i use a wok and a frying pan to speed things up.


steam the rice the night before, and allow to cool overnight in the fridge. 


cut tofu into 1cm or smaller cubes. pan fry with salt, ground pepper and garlic powder or fresh ginger, remove from heat and set aside.


chop all veggies into 1cm pieces; my favourites are carrot, cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower, enoki mushrooms (the long stringy ones found prepackaged in asian supermarkets) and snowpeas, but will use anything i have.


heat the wok and fry all the veggies at once; cook for 2 minutes, then add in a crushed clove of garlic; cook 3-4 more minutes, then tip the veggies into the frying pan on top of the tofu and set aside. 


lower the heat in the wok, add a little oil and then the rice. try to keep it moving for a minute, then add crushed garlic to taste (2 cloves might do it, though i do more); fry for another 1-2 minutes, then add the veggies and tofu back in. fry together for 1 minute, then add soy sauce and serve. drizzle with sesame oil for extra deliciousness!

vietnamese rice paper rolls

beautiful salad ingredients wrapped in rice paper with fried tofu; delicious, fun and healthy!


it's also my favourite hot weather meal due to the minimal cooking and refreshing flavours, which can be included to taste- here are my favourites, all of which can be found in most asian grocers and many supermarkets:


shredded carrot
finely sliced cucumber
mint
coriander
bean shoots
fried tofu
satay or hoi sin sauce (i like to drizzle some inside the roll rather than use a dipping sauce)
shredded black fungus (sold dry, soak a handful in boiling water for 5 minutes, then pan fry with ginder and garlic for 5 minutes)


the rice paper needs to be wet, not soaked; you can either run the sheet you are about to use under a tap, or dip in a bowl of water (it does not need to be hot or warm) so that the whole sheet is wet. lay the sheet on a dinner plate, and line up a little of each desired ingredient about 2cm inside one of the edges of the paper; then you're ready to roll!


don't worry if your roll doesn't work so well the first time, or falls apart- it'll still taste great!

collingwood

crispy bean curd rolls

i can't remember when or where i ate the dish that inspired these rolls, but the memory of the textures and flavours is impossibly vivid. crisp, light wrapping; chewy tangles of vermicelli and beansprouts; the rubbery crunch of black fungus... too good!


1 package dry bean curd sheets 
1c mung bean vermicelli, soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes then drained
1c shredded black fungus, soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes then drained
1c shredded carrot
3-5 cloves garlic, crushed
3-5tsp grated ginger
1c bean sprouts
finely chopped fresh chilli, to taste
1tsp ground five spice 
1tsp ground pepper
2Tbs sesame oil
0.25c vegetarian oyster sauce (mushroom sauce)


set a large bamboo steamer on top of a pan of gently boiling water. without unfolding, lay the bean curd sheets on the steamer, cover and turn every couple of minutes to keep them soft. over medium heat, fry all ingredients except vegetarian oyster sauce for 5-7 minutes; remove from heat and stir in oyster sauce.


remove the bean curd from the steamer and unfold so that it is two thick. slice into workable pieces (depending on the size of the sheets, try for pieces approx 20cm x 20cm). spoon filling into the sheet; roll and tuck in the ends, and fry in a frying pan until golden (3-4 minutes).


serve with chilli sauce!

coffee flavoured coffee cake

now: i love cake as much as the next person

except: when i'm trying to find the unfindable

what: a coffee cake recipe with streusel (i know, what the?!) topping

ie: a coffee flavoured cake with crumbly sandy junk on top

OMG GOOGLE YOU LET ME DOWN

let me make some helpful key words for future "COFFEE FLAVOURED COFFEE CAKE" seekers  

topping:

0.5c gluten free flour

0.25c chestnut flour

0.25c coconut flour

0.3 brown sugar

4tsp ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves

0.25c canola or other neutral oil

cake:

0.75 non-dairy milk

1tsp apple cider vinegar

0.3c sugar

0.5c canola or other neutral oil

0.25c coffee reduction (i used up leftover stovetop espresso; on lowest heat, allow 1c coffee to reduce with 3Tbs sugar until thick and syrupy; do not allow to burn)

1.25c plain flour

2Tbs coconut flour

2tsp baking powder

0.5tsp salt

preheat over to 180C. 

grease an 8"/20cm round springform tin. mix milk and vinegar in a small bowl; set aside for 1 minute to curdle. stir in sugar, oil and coffee reduction.

make the topping: in a small-medium bowl, mix flours, sugar and spices. drizzle oil and mix with fingers or a fork until crumbs form and mixture is like damp sand. set aside.

in a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. pour in wet mixture, and mix gently until smooth. scrape batter into pan; sprinkle evenly with topping.

bake for 30 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

this would probably work better if the recipe was increased by 50%, or the tin was 6"/15cm.

purrfection

happy bday mamacat! with <3 font="" frm="" the="" tinies="">

flower for iris's birthday: 42, the meaning of life!

fathers day biscotti

1c sugar
3tsp egg replacer (orgran) mixed with 6Tbs water
1-2 lemons, finely grated rind
1tsp vanilla essence
2c plain flour
0.5tsp baking powder
150g whole raw almonds



heat oven to 170C and line a baking tray with baking paper.


mix the sugar, egg replacer mix, rind and vanilla in a large bowl.


gently mix the flour and baking powder into the liquid until combined. add in the almonds and knead lightly until the dough is homogeneous. add a little flour or water a teaspoon at a time if the dough is too sticky or too dry.


divide the dough in two and form logs about 15cm long, 3-4cm wide, and flatten slightly on top. bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 30-45 minutes. leave the oven on!


use a serrated knife to cut the logs into 0.5-1cm thick slices. lay flat on the baking tray, and return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. remove from oven and allow to cool; store in an airtight container.

CLASS: learn how to make natural cosmetics!

come and learn how to make your own handcream, lipstick and other cosmetics with all natural ingredients! sunday 30 october at ceres community environment park.


more info soon!

corncakes with tartare sauce

1c frozen corn kernels, thawed

1c soymilk

1.5c cornmeal

1tsp baking powder

0.5tsp bicarb

1tsp salt

2Tbs agave or maple syrup

2Tbs oil

1 lemon, juice and rind

2Tbs herbs/spices to taste: smoked paprika, cayenne, dried ground rosemary and thyme

blend the corn and soymilk in a food processor four about 30 seconds. add all remaining ingredients and blend until combined. 

preheat a non-stick pan on medium heat for 1 minute; add a teaspoon of oil and measure out 3 large tablespoons of mixture for each cake. cook for 2 minutes then flip; cook for 3-5 minutes or to taste.

tartare sauce

total cheat, but yum: finely chop 1 gherkin or medium pickle, mix into 3Tbs mayonnaise. that's it!

sarma: serbian cabbage rolls

so delicious! the filling is lovely stuffed into green capsicums. even better the next day! the rice can be cooked and baked on it's own in ramekins or a baking dish if you don't have cabbage or capsicum.


4Tbs olive oil
finely chopped:
1 onion
3 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 small green capsicum 
2 cups white rice
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
700ml tomato sauce or passata or tinned tomatoes - reserve 0.25c
2Tbs dried herbs (oregano, basil)
2Tbs paprika
salt, pepper to taste
1 head of cabbage, approx 1.5kg, 25cm diameter


preheat oven to 190C.


on low-medium heat, saute onion until translucent. add celery, carrots, capsicum and cook for 5 minutes. add garlic, cook for 1 minute. add rice, 0.25c tomato sauce/passata, and all seasonings; cook for 5 minutes. 


meanwhile, remove the 3-4 outermost leaves, and reserve. trim the base of the cabbage and cut an X in the base. steam the whole cabbage until leaves are limp (about 7-9 minutes). gently peel off whole leaves and remove the tough spines that make rolling difficult; resteam the remaining cabbage head if leaves aren't soft enough to remove. 


fill each leaf with 3-4Tbs of filling. fold the leaf over the filling, and place in a lightly oiled baking tray (at least 35cm long). repeat with all leaves until filling is gone.


pour the remaining tomato sauce/passata over the rolls, then top up with a little stock or water until the rolls are covered two-thirds the way up.


cover with reserved cabbage leaves or foil; cook for 1 hour.

raspberry lemon pancakes

un. bel. ievable.

0.75c plain flour

0.5c cornmeal (very fine polenta)

2tsp baking powder

0.5tsp salt

2Tbs sunflower/canola oil

1.25c soy milk

1/3c water

1tsp vanilla

3Tbs sugar

zest of 2 lemons

0.5c frozen raspberries

heat a non-stick pan on low-medium heat. sift flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar into a medium bowl. in a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients, then stir gently into the dry ingredients until just combined.

lightly oil pan; make pancakes the size you want (i drop two tablespoons of mixture on top of each other to form each pancake of about 10cm). when bubbles appear on top of each cake, flip with a silicone spatula and cook for another 2-4 minutes or to taste. serve with maple syrup and a squeeze of lemon juice.

ohhhhhhhhhhhh yes.

falafel wraps

i haven't made falafel from scratch yet, but the packet mixes i buy are great: mix with water and add spices and shredded carrot to taste; shallow fry and crunch away! i eat them on fried corn tortillas with babaganoush, salad and ribbons of moroccan preserved lemons. wonderful!

babaganoush

oh eggplant, you are so wonderful. this is my favourite eggplant recipe of all time.

1 medium (500-600g) eggplant

to taste:

tahini

olive oil

lemon juice

smoked paprika

salt

chilli powder

crushed garlic

on a gas burner, sit the whole unpeeled eggplant over the flame. turn gently so that the whole eggplant is burnt on the outside and soft and cooked inside. carefully rinse the burnt skin off under cool running water. 

blend the peeled eggplant with all the other ingredients. add the flavours a little at a time and adjust as needed.

tapioca pudding

so good for breakfast!

0.5c tapioca pearls (small)

1c water

0.5tsp salt

0.5c coconut cream

3Tbs brown sugar

cinnamon and grated orange zest to taste- or other flavourings (scraped vanilla pod, rose water, fresh or tinned pinapple or lychees)

in a small saucepan on low-medium, heat the tapioca, water and salt. the mixture will thicken fairly quickly, so keep stirring gently until the pearls start going translucent. stir in the sugar and coconut cream, and keep stirring until the pearls are almost fully translucent. remove from heat and gently stir in flavourings of choice.

black sticky rice and coconut pudding

my favourite winter breakfast; a hearty, decadent, tropical desserty dish that makes a dreary morning special. this is rich, and makes a fairly big batch- at least a week's worth of brekkies!

rice

2c black glutinous rice
150g palm sugar (shaved or grated)- brown or raw sugar will suffice
1 orange, finely grated zest
200ml coconut cream
0.5tsp salt

custard  

800ml coconut cream
2tsp agar agar powder
2Tbs arrowroot powder
0.25c water
50g palm or other sugar
1tsp salt

if possible, soak the rice overnight in 1L water. drain half the water; bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium, stirring and adding water as needed (as for risotto). it will take approx 40 minutes to cook; be patient and stir every 5 minutes until rice begins to be purple and starting to thicken. taste rice for desired consistency (should be a little al dente but cooked).

remove from heat; stir in coconut cream, sugar, orange zest and salt. pour into individual ramekins or a 25cm round pudding basin or baking dish, smoothing top with spatula.

on low, heat the coconut cream in a small saucepan; add sugar and stir to dissolve. in a small bowl, mix arrowroot and agar agar with water to form a paste. gently whisk this into the coconut cream until it thickens into a smooth custard. remove from the heat and pour gently over the rice to form a 2cm thick custard. cool in fridge or eat warm.

party bear birthday card for bez

the message inside rather unsubtly exhorted berin to stop cheating in our games of words with friends.

the most perfect chocolate cake. ever.

just divine, and so quick to make.

cake

1c soy milk 

1tsp vinegar

0.5c sugar

0.3c oil (sunflower, canola or other light oil)

1tsp vanilla 

1c plain flour

0.3c cocoa 

0.75tsp bicarb soda

0.5tsp baking powder

0.5tsp salt

preheat oven to 180C.

whisk soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. whisk in the sugar, oil and vanilla.

sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. add in two batches to wet ingredients; mix until just combined.

lightly grease an 8 inch springform pan. pour in the batter and bake for 30 minutes, until a knife inserted through the center comes out clean. cool in tin for 5 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack. optional: slice cake in half horizontally and spread with 4Tbs warmed marmalade or raspberry jam.

icing

0.5c copha or coconut oil (at room temperature or warmed very slightly)

0.5c margarine

3c icing sugar, sifted 

0.25c cocoa, sifted

1tsp vanilla
1Tbs strong espresso or 2tsp coffee powder dissolved in 1Tbs hot water (or 2Tbs soy milk)

beat the coconut oil and margarine together until well combined. add the sugar, cocoa, vanilla and coffee; beat for 5-7 minutes til smooth and fluffy.

moroccan preserved lemons

10 lemons
200g rock salt
3 bay leaves
2 whole dried chillis
1tsp coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick, broken into smaller pieces


jab each lemon with the tip of a sharp knife through the skin into the pith 5-10 times before soaking overnight in a large bowl of water. 


the next day, drain the water and quarter the lemons. place them back in the large bowl with the salt and all seasonings; mix well to coat, then pack into clean glass jars with plastic lids that seal well. 


store in a cool, dark cupboard for 3-5 weeks, gently shaking the jars every day or two. 


to use, remove the flesh and discard- use only the pith and rind. slice finely or chop into moroccan stews, in a salad or in place of pickles on burgers or wraps; or serve lemons as an antipasto cut into slices mixed into a bowl of whole black olives.

brooch/hairclip for melissa's 10th birthday

polenta pizza

amazing, simple, satisfying and infinitely customisable!

base

1c polenta

4-5c water, boiling in medium saucepan

1tsp salt

3Tbs dry herbs of choice (thyme and rosemary are lovely)

ground pepper

add the salt to the gently boiling water. slowly pour the polenta into the water, stirring with a long-handled wooden spoon (to avoid the hot polenta bubbles burning you!). keep heat on low and continue to stir until polenta is cooked (about 30 minutes, but taste as you go).

when cooked, stir in herbs and pepper. grease a baking tray with olive oil, and spread hot polenta in a 1-2cm thick layer on the whole tray. allow to cool or refrigerate.

cover with tomato sauce and pizza toppings of choice; zucchini slices, marinated spicy eggplant, olives, capers, sundried tomato, fresh basil and grated carrot are the best!

tofu, mushroom and spinach quiche

this will make a 25cm pie; serves 4 if you're lucky ;)

crust

1.5c plain flour (i used 0.5c each brown rice, spelt and gluten-free flours)

1tsp sugar

0.5tsp salt

0.5tsp baking powder

0.3c margarine

0.3c cold water

2tsp vinegar

filling

300g firm tofu

1 small leek

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1c mushrooms, in 1cm thick slices

1 bunch english spinach or 4 large leaves of silverbeet, coarsely chopped

0.25c nutritional yeast flakes

3Tbs cornflour

1Tbs plain flour

0.25tsp ground nutmeg

salt, pepper to taste

optional topping

3Tbs ground almonds

4-5 chopped sundried tomatoes

heat oven to 180C. 

mix together the dry ingredients. with your fingers, crumble the margarine and dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl til it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. mix the water and vinegar; add to flour mix in 3 batches, mixing gently between each addition. knead lightly only until the dough sticks together in a ball. return to mixing bowl and sit in freezer for 20 minutes while you make the filling.

slice leek into 1cm rounds; chop onion finely. saute for 3-5 minutes on medium heat with a little oil until onion begins to go translucent. add mushrooms and garlic; cook for 5-8 minutes until mushrooms are mostly cooked. turn heat to low if contents dry out, or add a teaspoon of water. add spinach/silverbeet, allow to wilt then remove from heat.

remove dough from freezer and place between two 30cm pieces of baking paper. roll into a 0.5cm thick round and lay carefully in the pie/quiche dish, patching up any holes with overhanging pastry. bake for five minutes, remove from oven.

in a food processor (or in a bowl, mixing with a fork), blend tofu, yeast flakes, cornflour, flour and seasonings til smooth. stir in to vegetables, pour into crust. bake for 40 minutes; if using topping, sprinkle on top of pie, cook for another 5 minutes.

serve with a tangy green salad.

cauliflower and leek soup

this is gorgeously creamy and filling. keep it simple or add cumin and nutmeg for a warming lunch. serve topped with croutons; or as pictured above with dukkah, brown rice and fried firm tofu.

500g cauliflower (0.5 a medium head)

1 small leek

0.5 small onion

1c water

1 vegetable bouillion cube (or use 1c stock)

0.25c ground almonds

0.25c soy milk

ground spices to taste 

salt, pepper

coarsely chop the cauliflower, leek and onion and simmer in saucepan with water and bouillon cube or stock for 15 minutes or until soft. remove from heat, add in almonds and soy milk. blend until smooth; adjust seasoning to taste.