Make Your Own... Creamed Corn

During my final year of school I survived mostly on jaffles. Golden toasted bread with oozing melted cheese, tomatoes and plenty of tinned creamed corn all sandwiched in between.

Having left school for a number of years now I am happy to say that the humble can of creamed corn has not been on the shopping list (besides using it in jaffles I am not sure I would know what to do with it!).

This version is much more sophisticated and while it may have the same name, it shouldn't be categorised in the genre as tinned creamed corn.

Creamy slow cooked corn is sweet and rich. Perfect with a good steak and pan fried potatoes, or stirred into a simple risotto. If you must – try an adults only jaffle with Italian Tallegio cheese, homemade creamed corn and a good drizzle of truffle oil.

Ingredients
20g butter
2 eschalots, thinly sliced
Corn kernels from 6 corn cobs
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup thickened cream
2 bay leaves
a pinch of nutmeg
20g Parmesan, finely grated
1 tablespoon spring onions, finely sliced

Method
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the eschalots and cook for 6 minutes or until soft. Add the corn, stock, cream and bay leaves, cover and turn the heat to low. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the corn is tender and the liquid has reduced.

Remove bay leaves and blend until roughly pureed. Fold in Parmesan and nutmeg and season.

Serve with a sprinkle of spring onions.

This Week's Recipe: Onion Bread

Why Onion Bread?

Baking bread at home is not as tricky as most think. People relish in the art of baking cakes, cup cakes, slices and biscuits at home but often opt out when yeast is involved.

Instead I relish in the art of baking with yeast. Unlike a cake, breads are versatile to make. I make the dough (this can be as simple or as complicated as you like depending on what bread you are making), go out for a coffee with a friend, leaving the dough to do its thing while I am out and am rewarded with a lovely risen dough on my return.

I then knock it back – the perfect stress relief punching the fluffy dough with your fists until it is flat again – flavour it as I please and leave it for a few 15 minutes to rise a little before baking.

Bread making for me is a rewarding baking; as you see exactly where your effort lies making it far more rewarding in the eating later.

This bread is fantastic warm from the oven with a good smear of butter, or served with cheese and dips. It is also good for dunking into soup!

Feel free to be creative with any flavour combinations.

Ingredients
25g butter
1 onion, sliced
100ml white wine
500g strong white bread flour
1 ½ packets (or 15g)dried yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon caster sugar
2 tablespoon olive oil
about 250ml luke warm water

Method
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 15 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add 100 ml white wine and simmer for 10 minutes or until the wine has evaporated. Remove from the frying pan and leave to cool.

Meanwhile sift the flour, salt and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast to 100 ml water and stir until dissolved and foamy on the surface.

Make a well in the middle of the flour. Add the yeast and water and olive oil slowly, with your hands, drawing the flour in towards the well until all is incorporated. Adding enough water to make a soft dough.

Transfer to a floured dry surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is soft and elastic and doesn't stick to the surface.

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to rise in a draught free place for at least on hour or until doubled in size.
When the dough has doubled in size, using your fists, punch the dough to deflate. Add your onions and fold the dough to incorporate.

Oil a large baking tray and press the bread out. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 15 minutes, or until the dough starts to look risen.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200°C.

Bake the bread for 10-20 minutes, or until the top is golden and the the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.

Serve straight from the oven or leave to cool on a rack and serve.

Makes 1 30x20cm loaf.

Bon Appetite.

Make your own... Roast Tomato Passata

Enjoy the sweetness of tomatoes all year round. This beautifully rich tomato sauce is great on pastas, pizzas or in stews - bringing a little sunshine to the colder months ahead.

I like to roast my tomatoes as I find they become super sweet while having a gutsy tomato flavour.


Ingredients
3kg ripe tomatoes, such as Roma, sliced in half
2 tablespoons sugar
1 bunch thyme
¼ cup (80ml) olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
Salt
Pepper


Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lay tomatoes on 2 lined baking trays cut flesh side up. Scatter with sugar, thyme sprigs and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until soft when pressed. Remove the thyme sprigs from the tomatoes and place in a food processor and blitz until broken down and quite smooth.

Place a large sieve over a large bowl and pour in half the tomato puree. Using a wooden spoon push the tomatoes through the sieve leaving the seeds and skins behind. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes.

Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and a good pinch of salt and turn the heat down to low.

Cook the onions and garlic for 8-10 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add the sieved tomato puree and vinegar and cook for 30 minutes, stirring, or until rich and thick.

Bottle in sterilised jars and store in a cool place. Alternatively store in containers in the freezer.

Makes approximately 1 litre.

This Week's Recipe: Moroccan Apricot and Almond Couscous

Why Apricot and Almond Couscous?

My first memories of couscous were not promising. However it is these memories that made me realise that cooked with a little care and simple seasoning, couscous can be a fantastic cheap and tasty staple.

I remember being at camp in year 10, an all girls school out in the bush for 10 days having to fend for themselves.

Our staples were peanut butter (we had to have major ration patrol on this condiment), Vegemite, white bread, TVP (textured vegetable protein a tasteless creation to help maintain nutrients while fresh food is in lack of dehydrated vegetable protein), fresh vegetables, trail mix, water and couscous. Couscous became a regular menu item, often overcooked without any seasoning.

Typically I came to the rescue, cooking at this camp, as I refused to have anymore meals of wet, tasteless and mushy couscous.

With few options to choose from, cooking at camp was a little experimental. I mixed Vegemite with the tvp to give it depth and attempted satay vegetables by mixing dried herbs and spices with some of our treasured peanut butter.

I also learnt that with a little effort and delicate cooking, couscous could taste rather great.

This recipe is dead easy and is adapted from my school camping days.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dried couscous
2 tablespoons olive oil
250g dried apricots, sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons dried mint
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, squeezed
2 tablespoons flaked almonds, toasted
Salt
Pepper

Method
Bring 1 1/2 cups salted water and olive oil to the boil. In a heatproof bowl mix together the couscous, apricots, onion and dried herbs.
Pour boiling water over couscous and toss with a fork. Cover with cling film and stand for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes use fork to mix and break up all of the grains.
Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
Serves 4
Bon Appetite

Make Your Own... Potato Rösti

Made from grated potato that is formed into rounds and fried, potato röstis are the Swiss version of the hash brown. Traditionally eaten for breakfast, today they are popular both in Switzerland and the world during any meal.

Golden and crunchy on the outside with starchy soft potato on the inside, they are perfect served with smoked salmon, crème fraiche and a little horseradish (as pictured) for a fashionable brunch. Otherwise spice up an average dinner by serving them instead of your typical potato.

Röstis taste great warm or cold making them a perfect left over lunch treat and a easy to make.

Ingredients
4 large potatoes such as sebago, washed and peeled
1 small white onion, peeled
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Method

Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil over high heat and boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain. Allow to cool completely.
Grate the potatoes and onion in a large bowl and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Toss well to combine.
Divide the mixture into 6 balls. Using slightly wet hands form into a firm flat disc around 3 cm thick.
In a large non stick frying pan heat half of the butter and oil over a medium heat. Add 3 of your potato discs and cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown on one side. Carefully turn each over and press lightly with the back of a spatula. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the base is golden brown.
Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Add the remaining butter and oil to the frying pan and cook the remaining rosti.
Serve warm of cold.
Makes 6 röstis.

This Week's Recipe: New Coleslaw

Why Coleslaw?
When you hear coleslaw what comes to mind? For me it is left over bowls of raw shredded cabbage and carrots and sad looking raisins all smothered in a creamy dressing, or tiny containers from a 'certain fried chicken fast food chain' that looks like food, however are soggy, watery and far too sugary.

Although my memories do not speak highly of this iconic salad, coleslaw back in the day was a very popular (and tasty) salad. Often seen at picnics, parties and barbecues, its name originated from a loose translation of a classic Dutch cabbage salad (koolsalade), made with raw shredded cabbage and a light mayonnaise dressing.

There is nothing about the foundation of coleslaw that I do not love – crunchy raw sweet cabbage, creamy mayonnaise, sweet plump raisins and a little vinegar for bite. What I think I missed however was the right execution.

Today with so many variants in the salad world it is time for a new version of this classic; that brings both familiarity, excitement and delicious flavour.

Ingredients
60g raisins
¼ cup (60ml) verjuice
¼ savoy cabbage (600g), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
2/3 cup (100g) pine nuts, freshly toasted

For the salad cream
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon hot water
Salt
Pepper

Method
Place raisins in a bowl and cover with verjuice. Allow to soak for 20 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the cabbage and 2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar.
In the meantime whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Slowly add the hot water whisking to combine. Season to taste.
Drain the raisins and add to the cabbage along with the pine nuts. Add the salad cream and toss.
Serves 6

Top Three Ingredients for February

1.Peaches:With velvety blushed skin and yellow juicy flesh what is there not to love about Summer peaches. A member of the rose family, peaches are sweet and deliciously fragrant. Available from September – March buy them during January – March when they are at their best.

There are over a hundred different varieties of peaches, including nectarines, which are classified as a fuzz less, smaller version. Simply, peaches are classified into clingstone, freestone and semi free stone all dependant on how easily the flesh comes away from the stone.

Within in these categories are white peaches. Compared to regular yellow fleshed peaches, white peaches are champaign in colour deepining to a pinkish hue towards the centre. White peaches also have a milder floral sweet taste making them a great to addition to salads and with cheese plates.
Donut peaches are noted for their unusual flat shape and while becoming increasing popular they have in fact been around for centuries. Donut peaches are generally white and are sweet, floral and juicy with subtle vanilla tones.

Pick peaches that are pink in hues and have a firm (not wrinkly) flesh. Store them in a dry cool place as too much heat makes them dry out and wrinkle faster.

Peaches are great added to any breakfast, or with salads.

Make a tasty salsa to go with fish or corn chips with diced yellow peaches, avocado, finely chopped mint and coriander, a little chilli and plenty of lime juice.

2.Garlic: There is nothing that smells better than garlic cooking. A relative to the onion family, garlic is a cousin of eshalots, leeks, spring onions and chives.

Garlic has been an important part of both cuisine and medicine for thousands of years. Raw, it is pungent, spicy and adds dynamic layers of flavour. These characteristics mellow however when cooked, into a sweeter, slightly caramel and earthy clove.

Unfortunately a lot of garlic sold in Australia comes from Mexico or China. Besides being bad for Australian farming, these bulbs taste dull from travel compared to ones grown in our own home soil.

Look out for Australian grown garlic at farmers markets and your local grocer. The best way to buy garlic is in a plat of 15 or so bulbs. Besides being fresh, they look great and last up to 2 months.

Add a whole crushed garlic clove to a simple lemon and oil dressing and leave to infuse for 30 minutes for extra flavour.
Crush 2 cloves of garlic and mix into 150g softened butter season with salt and pepper, roll in cling film and refrigerate. Add this butter to any meats or fish whilst cooking or even on top of freshly steamed vegetables. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

For beautiful garlic infused oil and sweet caramelised cloves follow my recipe for confit garlic.

Chocolate: It is the most popular food and flavour in the world. With a long history of use in both sweet confection and savoury cuisine, chocolate with out a doubt lures anyones heart.

Chocolate comes in 3 main forms white, milk and dark. Each one is classified by the percentage of cocoa solids with sugar, cocoa butter and milk solids.

Dark chocolate is the most bitter out of the three with a rich earthy quality, containing 60% or more cocoa solids. Milk chocolate is a creamier sweeter version most popular for confectionary, containing 35% or more cocoa solids. White chocolate technically is not chocolate as it does not contain any cocoa solids, but rather milk solids, cocoa butter and sugar. It is the sweetest of the three and is delicious in desserts and with tropical fruits.

With Valentines Day around the corner seduce your loved one with some of these fantastic and easy chocolate desserts!

Double Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Fudge
Valentines Day Cookies
Chocolate Mousse

Make Your Own... Praline

Praline is a sweet made from caramelised sugar mixed with nuts. Traditionally praline in Europe is made with almonds or hazelnuts and is used crushed to sweeten ice cream and creams or left in large shards to decorate the top of elaborate cakes.

Praline today is made and eaten as a simple sweet. In America it is quite often made with the addition of cream creating a butterscotch type sweet.

I like to make my praline with a large mixture of nuts and a little added chocolate. If adding chocolate add it after you have poured your praline onto your baking tray otherwise it will melt.

Serve praline as a sophisticated alternative to a dessert at your next dinner party with either a coffee or dessert wine. Or crushed and sprinkled on top of ice cream.


Ingredient
80g caster sugar
75g mixed unsalted nuts
1 tablespoon dark chocolate buttons (optional)

Method
Line a flat baking tray with baking paper.

In a dry and clean saucepan add the sugar. Place over a medium heat and allow to leave to caramelise. Make sure not to stir the sugar while it is caramelising otherwise it may crystallise. You can however swirl the saucepan carefully to help dissolve all the sugar.

When the sugar is a deep golden colour add the nuts.

Pur onto a lined tray and tilt to spread. Scatter a few chocolate buttons on if using.

Allow to cool completely before breaking and serving.

Note: Sugar gets extremely hot when cooking Please take cautionary steps when making.

Store praline in a dry cool place for up to 3 days. Praline however can start to melt if the weather is humid.

Serves 4 as a sweet treat.

What is your favourite sweet treat?