Pete's Food Trials

Apricot (fudge) Slice recipe with pictures

2012-02-06T16:10:00.000+13:00

Apricot Slice

This no-bake Apricot Slice treat is a variation on a number of different recipes.

Basic Apricot Slice is great but you may as well indulge a sweet-tooth to the max if you're putting in some effort.

That simply means adding white macadamia chocolate bits to the base and complimenting the whole thing with lemon and coconut icing.

For the base

250g butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 can condensed milk

2 cups dried apricots, chopped

2 packets plain (wine) biscuits, crushed

½ cup white chocolate, roughly chopped

Melt butter, brown sugar and condensed milk.

You can melt it in a microwave proof dish for 2 minutes, stir and microwave another minute, then another - and another...

or stir in a heavy based saucepan over a low heat until it's a fudgy-brown colour and everything is melted

Chop up dried apricots

dried apricots

view chopping as active relaxation instead of a chore

add chopped apricots to melted butter, sugar and condensed milk mix

then add the crushed wine (plain) biscuits

If you don't have white chocolate bits, feel free to leave this step out

Press the mix you have just made into a tin (20cm x 30cm) - lined with greaseproof paper

I omitted this step and had a difficult time getting the slice out of the tin.

For the topping

100g butter

1½ cups Icing Sugar (lemon flavoured)

1-2 Tablespoons hot water

¼ cup coconut

grated lemon zest (to your own preference - or leave out if you don't have lemons handy)

Beat butter until fluffy and pale

Add icing sugar and water until light and fluffy

Spread over the slice

Sprinkle with coconut and (optional) grated lemon zest

put it in the fridge for 2 hours to set

Then cut into squares or slice as is and enjoy with a good cup of tea

Apricot Slice

There you have it - Apricot Slice... enjoy

30 pieces of Chocolate Rough Slice recipe

2012-02-02T16:59:00.000+13:00

For the base
1½ cups plain flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup caster sugar
½ cup coconut
175g melted butter

For the topping
1 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup coconut
4 tablespoons condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla (choice is yours: essence, paste or extract)

To make the base
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Grease and line a 20x30cm slice tin.
Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl, then stir in the sugar and coconut.
Add the butter and mix to form moist crumbs.
Press the crumb base mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool.

To make the topping
Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl and stir in the melted butter, coconut, condensed milk and vanilla.
Mix well.
Spread over the base and refrigerate for 2 hours until firm.
Cut into pieces and enjoy

Lemon and fresh mint - ice slush

2012-01-20T14:47:00.000+13:00

With the zingyness of freshly squeezed lemon and invigorating fresh mint - all brought together with smooth shards of blended ice - this non alcoholic drink is the perfect refresher for a hot summer day

lemon and mint ice slushie

Here's what you'll need:
1 large handful of washed, fresh mint leaves (or more - or less - depending on taste. I used more mint than required for the accompanying photos)
juice of 3 lemons
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon citric acid (this helps preserve the colour and flavour)
ice cubes

Here's how you make it:
Place all the ingredients in a blender, filling up to the top with ice cubes
- make sure the lid is on -
turn the machine on and watch as the magic unfolds...
the mint should be finely chopped and the ice a mushy slush
serve immediately with a sprig of mint as garnish.

lemon_mint_ice

lemon_mint_ice slush

to avoid brain freeze - it's quite ok to use a thick milkshake straw for slurping

there you have it - a nice invigorating summer drink -
enjoy

How to make a Vanilla Vodka and Passionfruit cocktail

2012-01-11T15:59:00.000+13:00

Here's an interesting cocktail with Vanilla Vodka and Passionfruit Liqueur as the main ingredients

Passions Perfect in Love cocktail

Vanilla Vodka and Passionfruit cocktail with Parfait Amour and triple sec

What you will need:
* a cocktail shaker - Used to mix ingredients that stirring will not blend properly.
* cocktail/Martini glass
* a Tot measure

home-Bar cocktail utensils

* Vanilla vodka - I bought the one that was on special
* Parfait Armour - This is a purple coloured liqueur made from oranges, with vanilla and plant extracts
* Cointreau - a clear liqueur made from oranges - otherwise known as triple sec
* Passionfruit Liqueur - it's important to get a good quality (thick/syrupy) liqueur

Passions Perfect in Love cocktail ingredients

(Pete's note): If you haven't already got all of these ingredients, it can be an expensive 'exercise'. So buy the bottles of booze as you can afford it - then enjoy the anticipation until your lips finally taste the Passion...

Passions Perfect in Love is a Martini style drink - very strong in alcohol content - designed to be sipped -

So if you're drinking - REMEMBER... drink responsibly

Drink responsibly, don't be a bloody idiot

How to make Passions Perfect in Love:

1) get a Martini/cocktail glass and chill it down by placing ice in it

2) fill your cobbler shaker with ice (broken ice cubes are fine). You'll notice the outside forming condensation - perfect for chilled cocktails

3) pour over: 60ml Vanilla Vodka

20ml Parfait Amour

10ml Cointreau

4) give it all a good QUICK shake
This is how you use a Cocktail Shaker:

Once loaded with ice and ingredients, hold top and bottom of shaker, move the wrist and forearm together, shake sharply for a few seconds - about eight sharp shakes

5) empty the ice out of the Martini glass

6) strain what you've just shaken into the Martini glass

Passions Perfect in Love cocktail_top view

7) drizzle 10ml Passionfruit Liqueur down the inside of the glass and let it settle

Passions Perfect in Love cocktail_side view

and/OR... place a maraschino cherry in the bottom of the glass as garnish

Don't drink it with a straw.

chilled

unchilled

Drink it from the top (dry)

to the bottom (sweet).

Enjoy

If you've tried it and liked it, please feel free to leave a comment

Tres Leches_three milk cake_with pictures

2011-12-18T15:42:00.000+13:00

three milk cake (Tres Leches)

Whenmy wife and I first saw this three milk cake (Tres Leches) recipe, we thoughtit may have originated in Iran because of it using pomegranate and the rich threemilk mix. But, oh no; flick left, right across the globe – all the way toMexico - with not a chilli in sight.

Hereis the recipe with pictures...

For the cake

225gflour

¼teaspoon baking powder

¼teaspoon salt

5large eggs, separated

225gcaster sugar

1teaspoon vanilla extract

2teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½cup full-cream milk

Preheatthe oven to 180°C.

Buttera 21cmx12cm loaf or cake tin and line with baking paper.

Sifttogether the flour, baking powder and salt.

Placeegg whites in a large bowl and beat ‘til stiff (to firm peaks) with a cake mixeror your old and trusted electric beater.

Whilestill whisking/beating, gradually add the caster sugar.

Turnthe motor to the lowest speed and whisk/mix in the egg yolks,

followed by the vanilla extract,

and then the lemon juice.

Foldin the flour mix and the milk.

Spooninto the tin

andbake for 40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

For the three milks

200mlcondensed milk

150mlcream

150mlfull-cream milk

Combineall the ingredients in a jug. Our ‘fancy’blue one holds exactly 500mls, so I measured the cream and milk into it first,then topped up with condensed milk.

Turnthe baked cake on to a wire rack and cool for about 10 minutes.

Cutoff the dark sides and feed to the birds – they’ll love you for it – assumingthere are no kids in the house at the time of course...

Placethe cake in a dish slightly bigger than the cake and poke holes in the top witha skewer.

Pourhalf the milk mix over, reserving the remainder.

Cool,then cover and refrigerate overnight so the cake can nicely soak up the milks.

For the marshmallow topping

2egg whites,

125gcaster sugar

1teaspoon lemon juice

1/2teaspoon rose water

2sheets leaf gelatine (or 1,5 teaspoons powdered)

125mlboiling water

Whiskthe egg whites to firm peaks then gradually whisk in the sugar and finally thelemon juice and rose water.

Soakthe leaf gelatine in a dish of cold water for 2 minutes.

Squeezeout the excess moisture then dissolve the gelatine (or add powdered here) inthe boiling water.

Slowlypour the gelatine into the egg mixture while whisking.

Continuewhisking until the mix is cool and firm (about 8 minutes).

Pilethe marshmallow mixture on top of the cake. It doesn't matter if the sides areuneven as you can tidy these up after it has set.

Chillfor at least 1 hour or for up to a day.

Our marshmallow topping didn't quite turn out like the picture in the original recipe but tasty nonetheless. Next time we might double the quantity for the marshmallow...

To serve

1/2cup pomegranate seeds,

1/2cup (70g) pistachios, lightly roasted and chopped.

Removethe cake from fridge 30 minutes before serving.

Usinga knife dipped in hot water, tidy up the sides of the marshmallow if desiredthen cut the cake into 6-8 pieces.

Placeeach in a bowl (or deep side plate) and pour in a little extra three-milk mix.

Sprinklewith pomegranate and pistachios.

Thenenjoy.

If you don’t havepomegranate and pistachios, then try a topping of whatever suits you. I’ve seenthis cake’s marshmallow topping decorated with (what looked like) edible shaved gold leaf and silverballs, mango, pineapple and peaches, berries...

Tres Leches_three milk cake_with pictures

Specialthanks to Fiona Smith and Cuisine Magazine (Issue 143, November 2010, p82) forthe recipe

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Black Doris plum, rhubarb and white chocolate trifle

2011-12-16T19:41:00.000+13:00

I gotta tell ya straight up – this is one seriouslygood, kick-ass pudding recipe.

Forget Aunty Mable’sstodgy Sherry infested trifle - this one is a real beauty.
(though I will still devour with gusto my aunty Di's traditional trifle)

Whatever you do forChristmas pudding this year - you have to try this Black Doris plum, rhubarband white chocolate trifle…

Never buy store boughtcustard again; this one is actually white chocolate brûlée.

Forget raspberry jelly,THIS slightly spicy jelly with the plum juice and a healthy addition of portwill be the new benchmark. The richness is perfectly balanced by the plums andrhubarb.

If you only want to makeone bowl of trifle, then halve the ingredients. (I’ve typed the halved quantityingredients and placed these at the bottom of the post).

Forthe sponge
8 eggs
250g caster sugar
250g high-grade flour
100g unsalted butter, melted

Preheatthe oven to 180°C. Prepare 2 medium springform cake tins with butter and adusting of flour.

Break the eggs into the bowl of a cake mixer withthe whisk attachment fitted. Add the sugar and turn on to medium-high speed.Beat for at least 10 minutes until the mixture is light and airy and forms athick ribbon.

Scrape out into your largest bowl then sift in theflour and gently but quickly fold through to just combine. Follow with themelted butter in the same manner. Pour the batter into the 2 prepared tins.

Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Test thesponge by pressing lightly in the centre; it should gently spring back. Removefrom the oven and let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on awire rack. Keep in an airtight container until required.

White Chocolate Custard/Brûlée
1 litre cream
100ml milk
200g sugar
1 vanilla bean, split (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)
160g white chocolate, coarsely chopped
10 egg yolks

Preheatthe oven to 130°C.

Place the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla bean in a saucepanon medium heat.

Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer.

Stir occasionallyuntil the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from the heat and scrape the seeds fromthe vanilla bean halves into the hot cream and add the white chocolate.

Stiruntil combined and smooth.

Place the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl.

With awhisk, beat continuously and slowly add the hot cream into the yolks untilincorporated.

Pour the custard mix into a couple of ovenproofdishes that will fit inside a high-sided roasting pan.

Pour hot water into theroasting pan until it comes three-quarters of the way up the sides of thecustard dishes.

Cover with tinfoil and place in the centre of the oven.

Check after 20 minutes and then at 10-minuteintervals. The custard is ready when it is set but still a little “nervous” inthe centre. Remove from the water bath and cool at room temperature beforerefrigerating until required.

Black Doris Plum Jelly
2 x 850g cans Black Doris plums
200ml port
¼ cup brown sugar
6 cloves
8 allspice
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

strips of peel of ½ an orange

6leaves gelatine

(If you don’t have gelatine leaves – but powdered gelatine instead– then use one teaspoon of powdered gelatine for every leaf of gelatinerequired).The standard ‘rule’ is 1½ teaspoons powdered for every 2 leavesgelatin, but I like a slightly firmer jelly for this dish

Drainthe juice of the plums into a bowl and set the plums aside.

Measure out 2½ cups of the plum juice and pourinto a saucepan.

Add theport, brown sugar, cloves, allspice, cinnamon stick and orange peel.

Bring tothe boil then simmer for 15 minutes.

Strain off the solids and keep the hot liquid.

Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold waterfor 5 minutes then, when soft, squeeze out the water and stir the leaves intothe hot liquid.

Pour into a suitable dish and refrigerate to set.

Stewed Rhubarb
800g rhubarb, coarsely chopped
½ cup orange juice
½ cup sugar

Place all the ingredients in a heavy-basedsaucepan, place on medium-low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30minutes until nicely stewed.

Remove from the heat and cool then refrigerateuntil required.

To assemble
4 tablespoons (Black Doris) plum jam
¾ cup port

reserved Black Doris plums, quartered and stonesdiscarded
600ml cream, whipped to soft peaks
150g white chocolate
150g milk chocolate

Cut thesponge into 3cm-thick strips then line the base of 2 large trifle bowls withthem.

In a bowl, mix the jam and port until combinedthen brush or pour over the sponge.

Spread the rhubarb over,

then the plums,

followed by the jelly cut into pieces.

Carefully spread the white chocolate custard overthe fruit and jelly

then follow with the whipped cream.

Place the trifle in thefridge.

To garnish, melt the white chocolate in a doubleboiler then pour on to a smooth clean oven tray and spread out thinly with aspatula. Repeat with the milk chocolate.

Refrigerate both for 10 minutes toset. Remove and with a large knife scrape towards you over the chocolate tocreate thin rolls of delicate chocolate and sprinkle over the trifle.

To serve, scoop out portions with a large spoon,making sure you dig down to the bottom of the dish so each portion has all thecomponents of pudding.
Serves 12.

OR if you have time, inclination and fridge space - then dish into single serve portions.
it's fine to have small bowls of trifle made in advance

but if you layer the trifle into pilsner glasses, then best to serve it within half an hour before gravity takes over and the effect is lost

Hereare half the ingredient quantities if the thought of making so much puddingscares you…

Forthe sponge
4 eggs
125g caster sugar
125g high-grade flour
50g unsalted butter, melted

WhiteChocolate Custard/Brûlée
500ml cream
50ml milk
100g sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
80g white chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 egg yolks

BlackDoris Plum Jelly
1 x 850g can Black Doris plums
100ml port
¼ cup brown sugar
3 cloves
4 allspice
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
strips of peel of ¼ an orange

3leaves gelatine

StewedRhubarb
400g rhubarb, coarsely chopped
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup sugar

Toassemble
2 tablespoons (Black Doris)plum jam

½ cupport
reserved Black Doris plums, quartered and stonesdiscarded
300ml cream, whipped to soft peaks
75g white chocolate
75g milk chocolate

Black Doris plum, rhubarb and white chocolate trifle with pictures

Specialthanks to Al Brown and Cuisine Magazine forthe recipe

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Liquorice Ice Cream

2010-12-05T15:05:00.000+13:00

Liquorice ice cream

500ml (2 cups) each full-cream milk and fresh cream

250ml (1 cup) soft liquorice, sliced

8 medium egg yolks

30ml (2 tsbp) soft brown sugar

Pinch salt

Makes 1 litre (4 cups)

Place milk and liquorice in a large saucepan and heat, stirring gently, until liquorice melts (about 15 minutes).

Remove from stove and add cream.

Beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and creamy.

Add salt and whisk into milk.

Return to stove and cook, stirring constantly over low heat, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Strain into a clean bowl.

Cool, and then freeze until partly frozen.

Remove from freezer, beat well and return to freezer.

Repeat process 3 times. Freeze until hard.

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Aurore and Nick’s Chocolate Cake

2010-12-01T20:41:00.000+13:00

If you get those chocolate cravings and want something light but with that rich chocolate taste, then this is the best hit for your indulgent fix.

Guaranteed to be popular with just about everyone…

Print off a few copies to have handy because I assure you’ll be asked for it everytime you share this delectable treat

400g of good chocolate (milk or dark - or a mix of both. I'm toying with the idea of trying this with mint chocolate and chocolate with macadamia nuts)

175g butter

200g sugar

100g flour

4 eggs

Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water

Mix eggs, sugar and melted chocolate/butter together, then add flour and mix

Put in an elongated loaf tin to make it a cake and bake for 25 minutes at 175C
(or if you prefer you can make up to 16 muffins.)

We've made both the cake version and the muffins.

This is what I reckon a Mars Bar would be like IF it WERE actually a muffin

Place on a wire rack until cooled, then refrigerate until ready to eat

Microwave for 7 seconds to enjoy warm with a good strong coffee or cuppa tea

Stollen – Christmas bread recipe

2010-11-07T21:03:00.001+13:00

For the most part, bread is bread – but stick to the basics and with the addition of some interesting ingredients – it can get very tasty. A choice of sweet or savoury...

This festive fruit bread is the most expensive I’ve ever made but so far, ranks as my all-time favourite. For me, Stollen is the epitome of Christmas celebration food.

If the thought of buying all the ingredients in one go causes you to reach for the phone to get some budgetary advice, start buying some ingredients now, so when Christmas week arrives you can enjoy the process.

I used our bread making machine to take care of the dough making, but if you like the artisan approach to doing everything by hand – go for it.

And - since the recipe makes two loaves, you’ll have one spare to give as a gift.

Stollen – Christmas bread recipe

Ingredients

125g mixed peel

100g raisins

100g dried cranberries

5 tablespoons dark rum I don’t drink rum, but one of those small bottles (think airline food) is the exact amount you’ll need.)

14g dried yeast

60g caster sugar

250ml warm milk (=1 cup)

freshly grated nutmeg

700g flour

pinch of salt

85g butter, melted

4 eggs

100g shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

300g marzipan

2 tablespoons milk for egg glaze

1 cup icing sugar

¼ cup water

Method

Mix together the fruit and peel. Sprinkle the rum over and set aside.

Dissolve the yeast and a pinch of the sugar in the warm (not hot) milk and set aside somewhere warm to activate.

When it starts to bubble (about 10 minutes), sprinkle on the nutmeg and remaining sugar.

Rub the flour and salt together with the butter then stir in the yeast mix.

(this is where the trusty bread machine came in handy – but Please! – remember...only use the dough option – You are NOT using the machine to bake the bread as well)

Beat 2 eggs and add to the yeast mix with the fruit.

The dough should be elastic and firm; add a little more milk if it is crumbly.

Cover with a clean cloth and place in a large bowl.

(If you are using the dough only function on your bread machine then let it rise the dough for you)

Set aside somewhere warm to rest until it doubles in size (about 40 minutes).

Knock down gently, fold over, tip out on a floured surface and knead lightly.

Split the dough into 2 balls.

Roll the first ball into a long oval about 20cm x 10cm and 5mm thick.

Sprinkle half the pistachios over.

Roll out half the marzipan into a log and place in the centre of the dough.

Roll the dough firmly round the marzipan.

Beat 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk and a sprinkling of sugar, and brush the edges of the dough to seal.

Form into a firm, long sausage shape and seal the ends by folding over the edges and tucking.

Repeat with the other ball of dough.

Place the 2 loaves on a baking tray that has been sprayed or lined with baking paper. Set aside again to prove (rise); they will swell, but not quite double.

Glaze all over with more of the egg wash and bake at 170°C for 25-30 minutes.

Remove the loaves from the oven and cool

Meanwhile, make a fondant icing by mixing the icing sugar and water to a thick paste.

Apply the paste liberally over the cool bread

Slice your Stollen anyway you like – thick or thin – and enjoy...

... There you have it, Pete’s Stollen recipe with pictures

Have a great Christmas season

Broccoli Salad Recipe with images

2010-10-20T14:34:00.000+13:00

My wife ordered this at a Café recently and after much analysis of the ingredients,we think we've come up with a version that is pretty close...

Here's how to make it yourself:

1) In a salad bowl, finely slice red and yellow capsicum

2) take a RED onion and cut it in half
cut the half onion in half again, and then slice across

3) finely slice some sundried tomatoes (plain or marinated) and add to the capsicum and red onion mix

4) Add some chopped ham (or if you want a more Kosher version, chopped smoked chicken)

5) Add some broccoli florets that have been dunked in salted boiling water for 2 minutes, then soaked in cold water until cool. Make sure you drain the cool broccoli well...

6) Add 3 heaped tablespoons (or more to your liking) of coleslaw mayonnaise.

7) season with salt and pepper, then mix it all together and enjoy with some freshly baked bread of your choice...

If you're making this with smoked chicken, feel free to add a handful of roasted cashew nuts to it as well.

2009-12-20T13:08:00.000+13:00

Christmas time...

It just wouldn't be the same without some tasty Stollen.
This festive cake can be enjoyed with family and friends, and the spare loaf given as a gift.

As inclination and time permit, I'll be posting the step-by-step photos and blurbs...

South African Koeksister Recipe

2009-08-23T14:34:00.000+12:00

It all started when I was missing the tastes and smells of South Africa.
I had this idea of enjoying some sticky koeksisters - and since no shop sells them here in New Zealand (that I know of), I scoured the internet looking for an easy recipe.

What you see here is my version of the four or so recipes that made sense to me - so here I'll show you step-by-step how I made koeksisters.

Pete's koeksister recipe with photos!.

WARNING:
You have to be well prepared and organised for making these, notwithstanding the time factor involved - but it is definitely worth the effort...

Ingredients for koeksister syrup
* zest of lemon (or orange if you prefer)
* 4 cups sugar
* 2 cups water
* large pinch (1/4 teaspoon) cream of tartar
* large pinch dried ginger powder
* 1 tablespoon golden syrup
* squeeze of half a lemon (or orange)

Method for koeksister syrup
1) grate some lemon or orange peel into a saucepan

2) add the sugar, cream of tartar, ginger powder and water
some recipes had a cinnamon quill in there as well, but I don't like too much cinnamon in my food

3) dissolve over warm heat

4) add the juice of half a lemon and the golden syrup

5) stir until boiling, put a lid on the saucepan and boil for 1 minute

6) remove the lid and reduce the heat - enough to keep boiling for another 5 minutes - don't stir - just let it boil

7) leave the syrup to cool

8) place cooled syrup into 2 separate bowls and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours (in my case - overnight)

The 2 bowls make it easier to have chilled syrup on hand later on - when the fried koeksisters warms the syrup in one bowl, you have a chilled one spare. Apparently, having chilled syrup is the secret to it being absorbed by the dough and keeping it crunchy on the outside.

Ingredients for Koeksister Dough
* 2 cups flour
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1 tablespoon butter (or margarine)
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 egg
* half a cup of water mixed with a dash of milk
* 500 – 750ml cooking oil (I used Rice Bran Oil) - for frying

Method for Koeksister Dough

1) sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl

2) rub butter (or margarine) into the dry ingredients

3) add the egg and water mix

here I got lazy and decided to let our breadmaking machine do the work for me

4) knead the dough until it is soft (5 minutes by hand - or ten minutes in the bread machine)

5) wrap dough in clingwrap and let rest (for 3 or more hours - or in my case, overnight)

Now comes the fun part - making the tasty Koeksisters...

1) unwrap the dough and place it on a sheet of waxpaper - I rubbed a bit of the Rice Bran Oil on the paper
so the dough didn't stick to anything

2) roll out the dough to about 5mm thickness

3) cut the dough into strips (about an inch wide, or whatever width you want) - I used the handy pizza cutter for this

A)
The strips can be twisted from opposite ends

Then fold the ends back on themselves

And twist again

B)
Or, cut one strip of dough into two lengths - leaving one end joined
- some koeksister recipes I've seen cut the strips into 3 and plat, but I did what seemed easier to me

cross each strand over each other - like a plat

When it came time to fry the koeksister doughs, there didn't seem to be much variation between the platted or twisted dough.

Personally, twisted is easier and less fuss to make...

4) set the twisted or platted raw dough aside

here I had to cut these twisted dough bits in the middle to fit my frypan

5) heat oil over a medium heat - if the oil is too hot, they will brown too quickly and not cook enough on the inside

6) while oil is heating, get a deep plate and cover it with a wire rack so the syrup can drain off the cooked
koeksisters

7) take one bowl of syrup out of the fridge and place it in a larger bowl with ice around it

8) place four raw koeksisters in the oil at a time. They will puff up after a few seconds and start to float. Make sure you turn them gently so they brown on all sides.

This whole cooking process should take around a minute for each batch - or until the koeksisters brown nicely (golden brown is what you're after. red-brick brown is probably too long)

9) remove the koeksisters from the frypan and place in the bowl of syrup as quickly as you can, making sure they all get a good coating of syrup. Keep them submerged in the syrup until they
have absorbed a fair bit of it.

10) remove the koeksisters from the syrup and place on the wire rack so the syrup can drip off

11) repeat the cooking process 4 at a time and soak in syrup

12) when half the batch of raw koeksister dough is cooked, get the next bowl of chilled syrup out of the fridge, and continue the process

Serve and enjoy...

To keep any leftovers crisp (as if...), keep them covered in the fridge

so there you have it - Pete's Koeksister recipe

Vodka and Ginger Beer

2009-06-12T08:40:00.000+12:00

Just an easy cocktail I like the sound of and want to have access to wherever in the world I am...

2 shots Honey Vodka (42^o Below)
Top up with Ginger Beer
Squeeze in 1/2 a lime

Enjoy

Recipe for Salmon with black bean and apricot

2009-03-21T16:58:00.002+13:00

I love this dish!

Obviously it's been "modified" to our own tastes from the original recipe, but still tasty...
and - goes perfectly well with the spicy garlic broccoli.

Our supermarket used to sell black bean sauce with garlic, but now just sell black bean sauce, so a clove or two, (crushed or finely sliced) has to be added manually.

Here goes... ONLY THREE INGREDIENTS - Perfect!

1/2 cup apricot jam

(I ran out once, so replaced it with breakfast marmalde - still just as nice)

1/4 cup black bean and garlic sauce

4 salmon fillets

(I hope to try this with trout one day...)

Method: easy as...

turn grill on

stir apricot jam and black bean sauce together

place salmon on a sheet of foil and fold the edges in - (easy clean!)
place this on a grill tray

spoon some apricot mixture onto each salmon fillet

put in oven and grill for around 10-12 minutes - the fish should be just cooked in the centre

feel free to garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and some finely sliced spring onions

serve with the spicy broccoli, steamed vege's and a carbohydrate

My photo below shows my lack of presentation skills, but the comments from friends and guests more than made up for the visual

(I've tried this with jasmin and basmati rice, and variously cooked spud,
all perfectly good to eat with it - but I prefer mashed potato)

Salmon with black bean garlic and apricot jam - recipe with pictures

Spicy Garlic Broccoli

2009-02-05T19:12:00.002+13:00

What better to go with the black bean salmon than this tasty dish using broccoli.

WARNING: It's really tasty...

Less is definitely More'ish.

Ingredients:
500g broccoli florets
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic (sliced thinly - NOT crushed)
1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
1 tablespoon liquid chicken stock (don't make from powder as it makes the end result too salty)
cashews - some whole, some crushed

METHOD
Drop broccoli into boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes or until cooked, but still firm to the bite. Remove and drain in cold water - (this helps keep the green colour).
Heat oil in a large (I use non stick for this) pan over medium heat and add garlic slices.
Cook it until softened, but be careful not to brown it...

and chilli (if you choose)

Add drained broccoli and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes
Add Soy and chicken stock liquid.

Toss together and
serve with the cashews sprinkled on top.

Apple Crumble - easy

2007-03-12T02:49:00.001+13:00

My mother makes the best Apple Crumble and on our last visit home she wrote out the recipe for me. God Bless Mother's they're amazing...

Since then, I've been making it regularly as a comfort food - complimenting it with a great coffee or two as memories of childhood, holidays, family gatherings, etc come flooding back to me.

So, here is my Mom's recipe (my 10cents worth in italics) - with pictures...
ENJOY...

this recipe is a lot easier to master than it sounds - check the matching recipe photos

GERMAN APPLE CRUMBLE:

ingredients
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
125g margarine (don't replace this with butter - it doesn't have the same 'niceness')
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
1 can of apples
[or: 4 (or more) fresh granny smith apples - peeled/sliced/blanched with a cinnamon quill]
more sugar and or cinnamon for sprinkling

method
rub margarine into dry ingredients

whip egg & vanilla essence then add to mixture and mix with your hands

line a baking dish with half the pastry

fill pastry case with apples

sprinkle with sugar (and a little cinnamon if preferred)

grate the balance of the pastry on top (I sprinkle a little brown sugar on top as well)

bake in a preheated 180 Celcius oven for about 30 minutes

After minimal cooling time - slice and enjoy with low fat yoghurt (yeah right!...) or whipped cream

pete's recipe trials

Bread Recipe - Caramelised Onion, Borlotti Bean & Cumin Loaf

2006-11-24T09:25:00.000+13:00

This is my next 'project' - funny, it seems I'm on a bread theme on this blog so far...
http://www.cuisine.co.nz/index.cfm?pageID=50124&r=8

- OK, I got everything sorted, so here is the recipe and matching photos. I have to say, this is one of the tastiest breads I've ever made...

Ingredients:
500g (4 cups) high grade flour plus extra for kneading
1 teaspoon salt
8g instant dried yeast
325ml warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra to oil bowl with

For the filling:
½ cup Borlotti beans, soaked overnight
3 red onions
2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for garnish
3 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 egg beaten
flaky sea salt

Method
for the dough
Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt, sugar and yeast. Combine the water and olive oil in a jug and, mixing by hand, start incorporating it into the flour until all mixed in and the dough has formed into a ball.
Tip on to a floured board and knead or 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. This can be done in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook or a heavy-duty food processor fitted with a plastic blade; process for 1½ minutes.) Roll the dough around in a lightly oiled bowl until coated. Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and leave to rise in a warm place for 1½ hours.

for the filling:
Drain the beans, place in a saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside. Slice 2 of the onions. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat and add 2 teaspoons of the cumin seeds and the sliced onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes until soft.

Increase the heat to medium and stir in the sugar and vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes then stir in the beans and parsley. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Roll the dough into a 65cm-long roll and flatten to 15cm width.
Arrange the onion and bean mixture along the middle.

Brush the long edges with some beaten egg then roll the dough over the filling and press the edges together to seal. Roll the bread over so the seal is underneath. Shape into a ring and press the ends together.

Place on a lightly floured baking tray, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.Slash the top of the bread diagonally at 6cm intervals with a sharp knife and brush with beaten egg. Slice the remaining onion into wedges and toss in a little olive oil.

Arrange on top of the bread and scatter with the reserved cumin seeds and flaky salt.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden. Serves 8.

pete's recipe trials

Saffron and Pumpkin Grissini - recipe with pictures

2006-11-12T01:03:00.000+13:00

Saffron and Pumpkin Grissini

Cuisine magazine (Issue 119 November 2006) has quite a few recipes we're keen to try.

Page 138 has this recipe on it:

Saffron and Pumpkin Grissini by Fiona Smith.

Ingredients:
350g pumpkin, peeled
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
125ml hot water
450g (4 cups) high grade flour plus extra for kneading
8g instant dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra to oil bowl with

Cook the pumpkin in simmering water until tender and drain.
Place in a bowl, cover with a dry tea towel and leave to dry out for 10 minutes.Mash and set aside to cool.
Soak the saffron in the hot water for 15 minutes. Check the saffron water is still warm; if not, heat it to warm.
Put the flour, yeast, salt and cooled pumpkin in a food processor fitted with a plastic blade. With the machine running, add the saffron water and oil through the feed tube. Process until it forms a soft mass (this didn't quite happen for me so I had to mix the gluggy mass myself) then process for 30 seconds more.
Turn out on to a floured board and knead for 2 minutes.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and rest for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Knead the dough again lightly, flatten to a 40cm x 15cm rectangle then cut into 1cm strips. Roll and stretch each strip to about 30cm and place on a lightly floured oven tray (you will need to bake in two batches – unless you have two big ovensJ).
Bake for 16 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake a further 15 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container (I used our spaghetti holder) for up to 2 weeks.
If the Grissini soften, crisp them up in a 160°C oven for 10 minutes.
Makes 32

Pumpkin and Saffron Grissini

Courgette, Feta, Chilli and Mint Flat Bread recipe

2006-11-01T11:30:00.000+13:00

Courgette, Feta, Chilli and Mint Flatbread

Chilli and mint is always a great combination.
Add courgettes to the mix and your taste buds are in treat-territory..
It also goes great in a salad - or with pasta - and definitely goes well with this flat bread.

For the flatbread
250g flour (industrial quality preferred)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
150ml tepid water
½ teaspoon dried yeast

For the topping
2 courgettes, very finely sliced lengthways
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 large red chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped
4 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
150g feta cheese, crumbled

To Serve
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped mint leaves
extra virgin olive oil

For the flatbread
In a bowl, combine flour and salt.
Make a well in the centre and add the olive oil, water and yeast.
Stir the water, yeast and olive oil with a fork to combine.
Gradually mix the flour into the liquid to form a dough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured workbench and knead until the dough is smooth and silky.
Return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until it has doubled it's bulk (on a good day this can take about half an hour).

Punch the dough down then roll into a square on a well floured surface.
Ideally, this bread is baked in a wood-fired stone oven but not many houses have them incorporated into the design - so a pizza stone - or heavy baking sheet in the bottom of a hot oven (220C) will have to do.
Bake the flatbread for 10 minutes
Top with the ingredients below and continue baking for another 10-12 minutes - or until the flatbead is crisp and appears slightly golden around the edges

For the topping
Combine all the ingredients, spread over the flatbread and bake as above

To serve
Sprinkle the hot bread with coarsly choped mint and a good drizzle of olive oil.
Then cut the flatbread into finger-lenghth slices and serve straigh away
Makes 20-24 pieces.

If you have people in the family who absolutely abhor chilli - use finely chopped red capsicum instead - (though in this case I did sneak a drizzling of store bought sweet chilli sauce over the mix before the second baking stage).

Anyway, here are the photos and if you like what you see, please feel free to try it out for yourselves...

Courgette, Feta, Chilli and Mint Flatbread