My hand was forced on Saturday morning. Due to an unprecedented amount of pressure being placed on our usually cruisy weekend, I had to brave the cold (and the sheer fact of being out of the house before 10am!) and whip around the local farmer's market in Porirua. I know it was barely last week that I stated how unlikely that was to happen, and along comes the universe to prove me wrong.
There was no time for photos, and since I was on my own I didn't even have the bonus of Isaac's buggy to load up with the good stuff to be found there. Accordingly, since I had to carry it all on my shoulders in reusable bags, I hurried through the stalls, snapping up bargains and checking prices and quality, before doing a second circuit to make sure I had covered everything on my shopping list.
Overall, there were less stalls and so a little bit less in the way of variety and value, but what we must have saved in petrol by not having to drive over the hill to the Hutt certainly made up for that. It would be worth making it out of bed to get down there again in the future, and since I managed it on the coldest Saturday morning that we've had so far this year, I can probably make it happen in the future, too.
Pumpkin update: Still no news. Suspect we may have more luck when it gets warmer.
Seedlings update: Broccoli and spinach were doing well until the rain turned our lawn into a pond, and our cat decided that she couldn't swim through that, so she dug up the planter boxes to, well, you know. Salvaged what we could, but its probably back to square one there.
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Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Searching for Breakfast Inspiration
It was a rather uninspired week on the cooking front. Between family being sick and myself being focused on revising the second draft of my novel, this blog has been a bit, shall we say, underfed. We had a few repeats of earlier meals, as well a few simple things like bacon and egg sandwiches, and leftover pizza from the freezer with fresh veges.
Last night we had alfredo with bacon instead of chicken, which deserves mention. Just cook up the sauce and pasta as per instruction, and fry up 4 sliced rashers of bacon, one chopped onion and a couple of sliced garlic cloves. We had carrot sticks and tomato wedges with it, and it was good.
But today I want to focus on some real rainy Sunday morning comfort food, because today its really, REALLY raining. What better to have on a write-off rainy weekend morning than big, fluffy pancakes? If it hadn't been raining so hard, I would've even made it out to the tree for a lemon, but as it was, we managed with cream, banana, and syrup, as well as fresh, hot coffee. Mmmm.
Fluffy Pancakes (like them Americans make)
115g Flour
1 heaped t Baking Powder
140ml Milk
3 Large Free Range Eggs
1 pinch salt
Separate Eggs. Mix the yolks, flour, baking powder and milk up to a smooth batter.
Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then gently fold the whites into the batter with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix, or the air will all be forced out of the batter and you won't have fluffy pancakes.
Melt some butter in a pan (I do two small pans at once) and place a 1/2 cup of batter in the pan to cook. When the underside is golden brown, flip the pancake and cook through. Serve with syrup, cream, jam, lemon juice, peanut butter, banana, or whatever you like.
This recipe makes about 7 pancakes, which used to be enough for us but is a bit light now, so increase the recipe accordingly if you feel you've been shortchanged.
Last night we had alfredo with bacon instead of chicken, which deserves mention. Just cook up the sauce and pasta as per instruction, and fry up 4 sliced rashers of bacon, one chopped onion and a couple of sliced garlic cloves. We had carrot sticks and tomato wedges with it, and it was good.
But today I want to focus on some real rainy Sunday morning comfort food, because today its really, REALLY raining. What better to have on a write-off rainy weekend morning than big, fluffy pancakes? If it hadn't been raining so hard, I would've even made it out to the tree for a lemon, but as it was, we managed with cream, banana, and syrup, as well as fresh, hot coffee. Mmmm.
Fluffy Pancakes (like them Americans make)
115g Flour
1 heaped t Baking Powder
140ml Milk
3 Large Free Range Eggs
1 pinch salt
Separate Eggs. Mix the yolks, flour, baking powder and milk up to a smooth batter.
Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then gently fold the whites into the batter with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix, or the air will all be forced out of the batter and you won't have fluffy pancakes.
Melt some butter in a pan (I do two small pans at once) and place a 1/2 cup of batter in the pan to cook. When the underside is golden brown, flip the pancake and cook through. Serve with syrup, cream, jam, lemon juice, peanut butter, banana, or whatever you like.
This recipe makes about 7 pancakes, which used to be enough for us but is a bit light now, so increase the recipe accordingly if you feel you've been shortchanged.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
CurryVirgin
I have to admit, I love eating a good curry, but my efforts over the years to make them have never come out terribly well. Much as I like the tangy sweet beef curry that my mother is so fond of, its always felt like a bit of a British copout, all full of apple and raisins and stuff as it is. Don't get me wrong, its a fine dish, and may well grace these pages in the not-to-distant future, but I decided it was time to try something more authentic.
What I created may not have been authentic, but it was quick and easy, and it tasted really good. I had in mind the leftover chicken from Sunday's roast; I knew we had a tin of Coconut Cream in the cupboard begging to be used; and I thought that this combined with Banana would be delicious. Yes, others before you have also called me crazy, but this time, it was to prove a winner.
Chicken Banana Curry
Cut a large potato into pieces and boil. I would probably do a small potato and a small kumera next time.
Put on a pot of Rice.
In a large pan, fry the following:
2 Chicken Breasts cut into cubes (I used meat off a roast chicken, but you can use fresh meat if you take more time to cook it properly)
2 t Curry Powder (Modify this to suit your Chilli Palate - Not being a curry expert, I just bought a premixed Mild Curry Powder)
1 Chopped Onion
4 Chopped Garlic Cloves
When the meat is brown all over, add to the pot:
1 Tin of Coconut Cream
Juice of 1 Small Lemon
2 t Chicken Stock Powder
2T of Cornflour mixed with 100ml water
Stir in, bring to the boil and let cook for 10 mins.
In a sieve over the boiling rice, blanch a handful of fresh veges: Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, or what have you. Add the potato, veges, and one large sliced banana to the curry pot, and heat through (about 5 minutes). Dish up on rice with water to go around.
I have to say, for a first go at making a proper curry (don't ask me to define proper), I was pleasantly surprised. Would probably also be nice with roti breads and a bit of raita.
What I created may not have been authentic, but it was quick and easy, and it tasted really good. I had in mind the leftover chicken from Sunday's roast; I knew we had a tin of Coconut Cream in the cupboard begging to be used; and I thought that this combined with Banana would be delicious. Yes, others before you have also called me crazy, but this time, it was to prove a winner.
Chicken Banana Curry
Cut a large potato into pieces and boil. I would probably do a small potato and a small kumera next time.
Put on a pot of Rice.
In a large pan, fry the following:
2 Chicken Breasts cut into cubes (I used meat off a roast chicken, but you can use fresh meat if you take more time to cook it properly)
2 t Curry Powder (Modify this to suit your Chilli Palate - Not being a curry expert, I just bought a premixed Mild Curry Powder)
1 Chopped Onion
4 Chopped Garlic Cloves
When the meat is brown all over, add to the pot:
1 Tin of Coconut Cream
Juice of 1 Small Lemon
2 t Chicken Stock Powder
2T of Cornflour mixed with 100ml water
Stir in, bring to the boil and let cook for 10 mins.
In a sieve over the boiling rice, blanch a handful of fresh veges: Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, or what have you. Add the potato, veges, and one large sliced banana to the curry pot, and heat through (about 5 minutes). Dish up on rice with water to go around.
I have to say, for a first go at making a proper curry (don't ask me to define proper), I was pleasantly surprised. Would probably also be nice with roti breads and a bit of raita.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Roast Pumpkin Soup
This meal is all about economy, and rides on the back of the Roast Chicken Amazing Multiple Meal Deal. Since the oven's already going, there's no point wasting all that good energy on just one meal. This recipe tends to make two big lunch servings, which I usually take to work with a bit of toast bread. I also reserve the breasts for a second meal, which makes a chicken go an awfully long way. It also makes an extra half-litre of stock that you can put aside for something else in the future, instead of resorting to powdered ingredients.
Since I stuck with a regular cordon bleu treatment for the chook (salt and pepper on the outside, one skewered lemon and 4 peeled garlic cloves stuffed in the cavity), I could spend some time seasoning the veges nicely. I went with freshly ground salt & pepper, lemon zest, paprika, finely chopped rosemary and grated garlic. This adds something special to both the roast and the soup.
Roast Pumpkin Soup
Chop up and roast a whole pumpkin as part of a roast dinner. I know that I will only need to serve about a quarter of it for dinner, which leaves the rest for soup. Boil up a stock from the chicken back and neck after it has roasted, along with all the scraps from prepping the veges, plus an extra onion and maybe a potato. Generally there's enough in the way of peelings and stuff to make about a litre of stock.
Simmer this away on the back of the stove while watching Sunday night TV, then strain it into a bowl and pop it in the fridge for 1/2 an hour to allow some of the fat to separate off the liquid.
Scrape the pumpkin off its skin and chop up whatever leftover veges you have - usually some potato, kumera, and onion, and place them all in another bowl. Add about 400ml of stock and puree up with a hand blender, until it reaches a thick and smooth consistency with some chunky bits.
Today I was home on "looking-after-the-sick-family-sick-leave", and had some for lunch, with a big dollop of sour cream. Delicious, and just what I felt like on a cold and rainy day.
Tonight I'll be Making the Most of the Roast again, using the breasts from last night's chook to make a coconut and banana curry. I'll let you know how it turns out!
Since I stuck with a regular cordon bleu treatment for the chook (salt and pepper on the outside, one skewered lemon and 4 peeled garlic cloves stuffed in the cavity), I could spend some time seasoning the veges nicely. I went with freshly ground salt & pepper, lemon zest, paprika, finely chopped rosemary and grated garlic. This adds something special to both the roast and the soup.
Roast Pumpkin Soup
Chop up and roast a whole pumpkin as part of a roast dinner. I know that I will only need to serve about a quarter of it for dinner, which leaves the rest for soup. Boil up a stock from the chicken back and neck after it has roasted, along with all the scraps from prepping the veges, plus an extra onion and maybe a potato. Generally there's enough in the way of peelings and stuff to make about a litre of stock.
Simmer this away on the back of the stove while watching Sunday night TV, then strain it into a bowl and pop it in the fridge for 1/2 an hour to allow some of the fat to separate off the liquid.
Scrape the pumpkin off its skin and chop up whatever leftover veges you have - usually some potato, kumera, and onion, and place them all in another bowl. Add about 400ml of stock and puree up with a hand blender, until it reaches a thick and smooth consistency with some chunky bits.
Today I was home on "looking-after-the-sick-family-sick-leave", and had some for lunch, with a big dollop of sour cream. Delicious, and just what I felt like on a cold and rainy day.
Tonight I'll be Making the Most of the Roast again, using the breasts from last night's chook to make a coconut and banana curry. I'll let you know how it turns out!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Buffalo Meatballs with Orange Pasta Sauce
I learned a few things from my initial attempt to make Pizza Sauce. Firstly, it pays to have some idea of what you're doing before you waste a lot of time, food and power converting good ingredients into mush. So this time, I did my research. Tomatoes were relatively cheap at the market today, so I got a bag and found a recipe for pasta sauce. Then I modified the recipe to match what I had on hand, and as a result, I ended up with a rather unique Orange Pasta Sauce. There are things I would change about it next time, but it worked for what it was. Because this was a trial run, I halved all the ingredients from the base recipe (apart from the carrot, which I used to substitute both capsicum and celery). If I was making a recipe I was confident was great, it would make more sense to do double the recipe and keep some for later. So don't be surprised if you get a paltry amount of sauce out of this. It did enough for 4 adult servings and one toddler.
Together with the Pasta Sauce (Mk II), I made fresh meatballs, boiled up some noodles, and steamed some fresh veges (for a change). Lovely stuff.
Special Orange Pasta Sauce (No Oranges Required)
Boil a pot of water on the stove, and have a pot of iced water standing by. Pop 5 tomatoes in the boiling water, watching for the skins to split (about 1 minute). Remove the tomatoes to the ice water and leave for a few minutes. (See, I knew that I'd read something like that somewhere). Remove the skins (so easy!) and slice, scooping out the seeds.
Chop 4 into a bowl and puree. Chop the last one roughly and put aside. Heat a splash of Olive Oil and a hunk of butter in a medium pot, and cook 1 chopped onion, 3 small chopped carrots (see, orange!), and about 6 finely sliced cloves of garlic. Cook until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes, the chopped tomato, 1/2 handful of chopped Oregano leaves, 1 pinch of dried Italian herbs, 1 small bay leaf, and 30ml of Red Wine. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 1 /2 hours. Add 15ml of Tomato Paste Concentrate, and simmer for a further 1 1/2 hrs. Discard the bayleaf and serve as required (see below).
Buffalo Meatballs (No Buffalo Required)
In a large mixing bowl, place about 500g of mince, 5 finely chopped garlic cloves, freshly ground salt and pepper, a grate of nutmeg, a pinch of dried mixed herbs, 1t of mustard powder, and 2t of paprika. Break in one Free Range Egg and mix thoroughly, until the mixture holds together nicely. Lay out 2 plates and sprinkle both with flour. Using a pair of soup spoons, roll the meat mixture out into even sized balls. Roll the complete meatball in the first plate of flour, then place on the second plate.
This helps to stop the meatballs sticking to the plate before you get to cooking them. Heat a layer of oil in a pan, and place the meatballs in it. Turn the meatballs as they brown, taking care not to let them stick or burn.
When the meatballs are ready, place in an oven dish lined with oiled tinfoil. Grate colby cheese followed by parmesan cheese over the meatballs and fold the tinfoil over, without covering them. Place in the oven at 200C, for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon some Special Orange Pasta Sauce (or other Pasta Sauce - I won't take it personally) around the meatballs. Bake for another 10 minutes, then switch the oven over to grill and place the meatballs under it. When the cheese has browned up nicely, pull out and dish.
To Serve
Boil up a pot of long noodly pasta (whatever you prefer), drain when cooked and stir the Pasta Sauce through it. If you are using a freshly cooked pasta sauce, you can dish immediately. If you are using a jar or can of sauce, return to the stove and heat through. Layer the noodles, then the meatballs, and dress with EV Olive Oil, freshly ground pepper, and parmesan cheese.
Then try to find a plate at the table with anything left on it.
Together with the Pasta Sauce (Mk II), I made fresh meatballs, boiled up some noodles, and steamed some fresh veges (for a change). Lovely stuff.
Special Orange Pasta Sauce (No Oranges Required)
Boil a pot of water on the stove, and have a pot of iced water standing by. Pop 5 tomatoes in the boiling water, watching for the skins to split (about 1 minute). Remove the tomatoes to the ice water and leave for a few minutes. (See, I knew that I'd read something like that somewhere). Remove the skins (so easy!) and slice, scooping out the seeds.
Chop 4 into a bowl and puree. Chop the last one roughly and put aside. Heat a splash of Olive Oil and a hunk of butter in a medium pot, and cook 1 chopped onion, 3 small chopped carrots (see, orange!), and about 6 finely sliced cloves of garlic. Cook until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes, the chopped tomato, 1/2 handful of chopped Oregano leaves, 1 pinch of dried Italian herbs, 1 small bay leaf, and 30ml of Red Wine. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 1 /2 hours. Add 15ml of Tomato Paste Concentrate, and simmer for a further 1 1/2 hrs. Discard the bayleaf and serve as required (see below).
Buffalo Meatballs (No Buffalo Required)
In a large mixing bowl, place about 500g of mince, 5 finely chopped garlic cloves, freshly ground salt and pepper, a grate of nutmeg, a pinch of dried mixed herbs, 1t of mustard powder, and 2t of paprika. Break in one Free Range Egg and mix thoroughly, until the mixture holds together nicely. Lay out 2 plates and sprinkle both with flour. Using a pair of soup spoons, roll the meat mixture out into even sized balls. Roll the complete meatball in the first plate of flour, then place on the second plate.
This helps to stop the meatballs sticking to the plate before you get to cooking them. Heat a layer of oil in a pan, and place the meatballs in it. Turn the meatballs as they brown, taking care not to let them stick or burn.
When the meatballs are ready, place in an oven dish lined with oiled tinfoil. Grate colby cheese followed by parmesan cheese over the meatballs and fold the tinfoil over, without covering them. Place in the oven at 200C, for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon some Special Orange Pasta Sauce (or other Pasta Sauce - I won't take it personally) around the meatballs. Bake for another 10 minutes, then switch the oven over to grill and place the meatballs under it. When the cheese has browned up nicely, pull out and dish.
To Serve
Boil up a pot of long noodly pasta (whatever you prefer), drain when cooked and stir the Pasta Sauce through it. If you are using a freshly cooked pasta sauce, you can dish immediately. If you are using a jar or can of sauce, return to the stove and heat through. Layer the noodles, then the meatballs, and dress with EV Olive Oil, freshly ground pepper, and parmesan cheese.
Then try to find a plate at the table with anything left on it.
Call Yourself a Market?
A few weeks ago, we swung past the Tawa market, but from the signs and the number of people and trucks about, we thought that it mustn't have been up and running yet, so we went to the Hutt instead.
Today, as things worked out, it was far more convenient for us to go to the Tawa Market, and since it was already an hour since its official start time, I took Isaac and we drove down there, expecting to find a half-dozen vendors at least.
There was one truck, and a stall selling eggs for three times the price you can get them at the Hutt Market. I put Isaac back in the car, went home to pick up C, and we went to the Hutt instead.
Since when is one grocery truck a market? I checked over the prices, and I might as well have gone to a supermarket if I was going to get my veges there instead of at the Hutt Market.
So now it looks like we'll be trekking over to the Hutt every week, unless by some miracle we manage to get in to the Porirua Market, which is pretty much driving away by 8.30am. I can't see that happening anytime soon.
Just a little moan. Now I'll move on to the Saturday Night Dinner Post: Homemade Meatballs with Special Orange Pasta Sauce.
Today, as things worked out, it was far more convenient for us to go to the Tawa Market, and since it was already an hour since its official start time, I took Isaac and we drove down there, expecting to find a half-dozen vendors at least.
There was one truck, and a stall selling eggs for three times the price you can get them at the Hutt Market. I put Isaac back in the car, went home to pick up C, and we went to the Hutt instead.
Since when is one grocery truck a market? I checked over the prices, and I might as well have gone to a supermarket if I was going to get my veges there instead of at the Hutt Market.
So now it looks like we'll be trekking over to the Hutt every week, unless by some miracle we manage to get in to the Porirua Market, which is pretty much driving away by 8.30am. I can't see that happening anytime soon.
Just a little moan. Now I'll move on to the Saturday Night Dinner Post: Homemade Meatballs with Special Orange Pasta Sauce.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Almost a Vegetarian Night
There are many good reasons why we should all try to make one or two meals a week vego. Aside from any ethical or moral reasons, which I can't really declaim about since I'm a well-publicised eater of meat, it makes sense both in terms of our physical and financial health to put less meat and more veges on the table.
As well as our new tradition of getting to the market every week, and the extra veges that's putting on our plate every night as a result, we also decided that we would try to cook at least one vegetarian meal every week, just like we do at least one leftover meal out of a big roast or lasagne or whatever. Last week we made nachoes with a tin of chilli beans and a tin of baked beans, which was really good.
The next day, I was glad that I work in a large, open space.
Tonight, we had wedges on the menu again, just because they are easy and yummy. I decided that this would be a good opportunity for a vegetarian meal, even though C had planned on us having them with fried bacon and onion, which I completely forgot about. So all was moving nicely towards our having a vege meal this week, when I remembered that I had forgotten to take my lunch to work today. And once a piece of lasagne has thawed from the freezer, it really has to be eaten.
So tonight we ate vegetarian wedges, with a pile of steaming brocolli, cauli and carrots, a big serving of garlicky cabbage, and sour cream and sweet chilli sauce.
With a side of lasagne.
We tried. That's all anyone can ask, surely.
As well as our new tradition of getting to the market every week, and the extra veges that's putting on our plate every night as a result, we also decided that we would try to cook at least one vegetarian meal every week, just like we do at least one leftover meal out of a big roast or lasagne or whatever. Last week we made nachoes with a tin of chilli beans and a tin of baked beans, which was really good.
The next day, I was glad that I work in a large, open space.
Tonight, we had wedges on the menu again, just because they are easy and yummy. I decided that this would be a good opportunity for a vegetarian meal, even though C had planned on us having them with fried bacon and onion, which I completely forgot about. So all was moving nicely towards our having a vege meal this week, when I remembered that I had forgotten to take my lunch to work today. And once a piece of lasagne has thawed from the freezer, it really has to be eaten.
So tonight we ate vegetarian wedges, with a pile of steaming brocolli, cauli and carrots, a big serving of garlicky cabbage, and sour cream and sweet chilli sauce.
With a side of lasagne.
We tried. That's all anyone can ask, surely.
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