Recipe Of The Week: Blueberry and Lime pancakes

Why Pancakes?

Pancakes for me, have a long yet loved history.

I used to eat pancakes every Sunday morning, made by my mum. Cooked in bubbling butter with golden crisp edges and fluffy centres, I would try them all different ways – sweet with maple syrup, savoury with bacon and even ate them once or twice sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Years later, while working beachside as a chef I used to feature ‘hotcakes’ served with praline butter as a special nearly every weekend in Summer. To be honest, this wasn’t because I was meeting the demand from customers, but because I would look forward all day to enjoying one at the end of my long shift.

And today, every time I go to Holland to visit family, I get to indulge in a plateful of Poffertjes (small fluffy domed pancakes).

Covered in a healthy dusting of icing sugar and a generous knob of creamy butter these tiny pancakes eaten with a toothpick are always as good as remembered.

Any way I eat them, pancakes are always adored!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups full cream milk
1 egg, separated
Juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons caster sugar
20g butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
Melted or softened butter, for greasing pan

In a bowl whisk together the milk, egg yolk, lime juice and zest, caster sugar and melted butter and set aside.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour and baking powder. In a steady stream pour the egg mixture into the flour, whisking, until smooth and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

In the meantime whisk the egg white until stiff and fold into the batter along with the blueberries.

Heat a medium size frying pan over medium heat and brush with a little butter. Ladle 2 spoons of batter into the frypan leaving 2-3 cm between each to form pancakes around 10cm in diameter (be careful as they will spread a lot when they first hit the pan). Cook for 2-3 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface. Flip over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until fluffy, golden and cooked through.

Continue with remaining batter using more butter as needed.

Makes 12 medium size pancakes.

Enjoy them with butter, syrup or on their own.

Bon Appetite.

Make Your Own... Poached Quinces

I am not sure what I love more about slow poached stone fruits – either the sweet spiced aroma that fills the air or the taste.

Poached quinces in particular are my favourite. These unique fruits love long slow cooking. They transform from being rock hard with a creamy white flesh that is inedible raw – to a sweet tender fruit that have a deep red hue.

Enjoy poached quinces with fresh greek style yoghurt, with vanilla bean ice cream or on their own while the cold season lasts.


Ingredients

3 quinces
1 lemon, squeezed
1 cup caster sugar
1 cinnamon quill
1 bay leaf

Method

Preheat oven to 150°C.

Cut the quince into quarters remove the core and peel. Place in a large bowl of water with juice of 1 lemon (this will stop the quinces oxidizing and going brown).

Once all the quinces are cut and peeled, place the sugar and 3 cups of water in an oven proof casserole dish along with the cinnamon and bay leaf.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Drain the quinces and add to the sugar liquid.

Add 1 more cup of water, if needed, to cover the quinces. Cover with a lid and place in the oven.

Bake for 3-4 hours until the quinces are tender and deep red.

Remove from the oven and if desired remove the quinces carefully from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon and set aside. Place the casserole dish over a medium heat and reduce the cooking liquid by half until syrupy.

Serves 4 as a dessert with cream.

Bon Appetite

Store quinces in their syrup refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

This Week's recipe: Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs with Black Olive Pasta

Why Pasta and Lamb Meatballs?

There is nothing quite like pasta and meatballs. Kids and adults alike flock when the word meatballs are mentioned.

Although popular, I do find myself often eating meatballs that are dry and chewy or on the other hand too complicated that you have a hard time remembering that you are eating the classic meatball.

To me the key to a great meatball is to keep the flavours few and simple (at the end of the meal you want to taste the meat). Having said this, flavours should also compliment the meat of choice and not cover it up.

Another key factor to a great meatball is to make sure that they are tender and moist. I always use fresh breadcrumbs when making meatballs. They are easy to make and compared to the dry supermarket version, help maintain a tender meatball every time. Besides fresh breadcrumbs, finely grated vegetables such as carrot, zucchini and onion will help keep the meatball moist and tasty while it cooks.

This Mediterranean version of the classic pasta and meatballs is easy to make and a tasty alternative to the classic. The meatballs are humble with a fresh touch of parsley and the pasta, simply tossed in black olive tapanade and served with a little tomato sauce that the meatballs cooked in. Simple yet tasty – the way a classic meatball should be.


Ingredients
500g fine lamb mince
½ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup greek style yoghurt

80ml olive oil
1x400g tin chopped tomato
300g tagliatelle
100g black olive tapenade
Grated parmesan, to serve

Method
In a large bowl place the lamb mince, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, egg and yoghurt. Mix thoroughly to combine and season well.

Roll the mixture into 16 golf ball size balls and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

In the meantime bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside and keep warm.

Heat the remaining oil in a large non stick frying pan over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and carefully shake the frying pan to turn the meatballs. Cook for 3 minutes turning until they just start to colour. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes and turn the heat down to medium low. Cook for a further 8 minutes, turning, until the meatballs are tender and the sauce is rich.

Toss the pasta in the olive tapenade and divide amongst 4 warm bowls. Top with meatballs, tomato sauce, roughly chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan.

Serves 4

Bon Appetite