Off to the big smoke!

I am off to a conference (not a foodie one) in Minneapolis in the US. I have never been to Minnesota before and as any foodie would, I Googled to check where it was!! and to check out the places to explore and eat. After the conference I get to spend four days on my own sightseeing and shopping. Boy oh boy am I going to be busy!! We are spoilt for choice in the Capital but I really want to take this opportunity to try some totally different food. I know their reputation is not great - lots of processed, fast food etc but I am willing to take on the challenge! I am told the best way to find out the good places to eat is to ask the locals - which is what I intend to do!
I was explaining all this to friends today saying I am looking forward to trying some of their wines in particular, the reply was "well NZ makes the best wine, the best lamb and the best coffee in the world", I couldn't argue with that - so why am I even thinking of bothering......! Oh well - I'm sure to get some great shots with my camera!?
I will report on the outcome of my challenge on my return...

Off to the big smoke!

I am off to a conference (not a foodie one) in Minneapolis in the US. I have never been to Minnesota before and as any foodie would, I Googled to check where it was!! and to check out the places to explore and eat. After the conference I get to spend four days on my own sightseeing and shopping. Boy oh boy am I going to be busy!! We are spoilt for choice in the Capital but I really want to take this opportunity to try some totally different food. I know their reputation is not great - lots of processed, fast food etc but I am willing to take on the challenge! I am told the best way to find out the good places to eat is to ask the locals - which is what I intend to do!
I was explaining all this to friends today saying I am looking forward to trying some of their wines in particular, the reply was "well NZ makes the best wine, the best lamb and the best coffee in the world", I couldn't argue with that - so why am I even thinking of bothering......! Oh well - I'm sure to get some great shots with my camera!?
I will report on the outcome of my challenge on my return...

Memorable Mushroom Soup

I needed to be a little more organised and to find a system for my bundles of loose recipes,  so.....  over the last month or so I have had a wonderful time sorting through about 30 years of cuttings, pullouts, jotted downs and handed on recipes. It really has been a labour of love, I enjoyed reminiscing through my collection and it struck me that I have always had an interest in food and cooking and it feels good that I now (finally) have time to indulge in it! Two bulging concertina files later -  one for cooking and one for baking - I'm all set - I am probably the only person who will be able to find anything in my filing 'system' though!! It did occur to me I should write my recipes in a nice book, but each little cutting is a story to me, wouldn't be the same.....

This recipe came from a cutting from the Otago Daily Times. In my corporate life I ventured down to Dunedin every two weeks and (as I am inclined to) cut this recipe out of the paper to make another day. That would have been at least 10 - 15 years ago. I Googled the Terminus Restaurant in Dunedin but it appears to be a Pizza place now. It is a deliciously full soup, and while it is called 'cream of ' there is actually no cream in it - only swirled as a garnish, which is great for me as I am not a fan of heavy creamy soups. Don't be tempted to use margarine - you really need to use butter and while it seems a lot, it does make a difference to the flavour of the soup. For soups I use my favourite cooking pot, which is not strictly a Dutch Oven - but that's how I distinguish it from my other pots.

Terminus Cream of Mushroom Soup 
2 onions chopped
4 cloves of garlic
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 small leek chopped
100g butter
500g button mushrooms, sliced
6 large flat mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
Salt and pepper
6 cups of chicken stock (I made my own)
Cream, basil oil and fried mushrooms to garnish
Cook the onions, celery, garlic, and leeks in the butter until soft, use a large saucepan (or one like my favourite as pictured in the photo).
Add the mushrooms, herbs and seasoning and cook until the mushrooms are soft. Add stock and bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool a little, then puree soup roughly (a Whizz stick makes short work of this).
To serve, heat and garnish with a swirl of cream, basil oil, and fried mushrooms or... chives.
Serves up to 6 people.

Beetroot, fennel and celeriac salad

It is now the time for all three of these vegetables to have their day in the sunshine. I love them all and this recipe caught my eye for its simplicity and unusualness (is that a word?) It is a very easy salad to make, you just need to set time aside to cook everything separately and assemble later. Perfect as a side dish with a beef or chicken main or as a starter on its own. I found this recipe in the vegetable section of the Dominion Post and have slightly altered it to suit my taste. I love the flavours (they work well together) and the crunch of the fennel! To save time (and power) I roast the beetroot when I have other things to bake.

celeriac is ugly looking but tastes great!

Beetroot, fennel and celeriac salad
4 medium sized beetroot
1 large fennel bulb
1 large celeriac bulb
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1tbsp red wine vinegar
Rocket leaves
Thoroughly wash beetroot and trim off stalk and root bits. Roast in tin foil with a little oil and S and P for about 1.5 hours - test with a skewer without opening the foil - when cool peel off beetroot skin and cut into wedges.
Trim off fluffy ends and the hard root part of  the fennel, slice thinly and fry in a little olive oil for a one minute to turn golden brown. Cool
Peel the hard skin off the celeriac, cut into large chip type pieces, fry in a little oil for a 1 minute each side until browned, put aside to cool.
Assemble all ingredients together just before you serve (at room temperature), that way the beetroot does not colour everything pink! Gently toss oil and vinegar into the salad, add salt and pepper to taste and serve on a bed of rocket or green salad. Big fabulous flavours, really delicious!
Serves about 4-6 people.

Beetroot, fennel and celeriac salad

It is now the time for all three of these vegetables to have their day in the sunshine. I love them all and this recipe caught my eye for its simplicity and unusualness (is that a word?) It is a very easy salad to make, you just need to set time aside to cook everything separately and assemble later. Perfect as a side dish with a beef or chicken main or as a starter on its own. I found this recipe in the vegetable section of the Dominion Post and have slightly altered it to suit my taste. I love the flavours (they work well together) and the crunch of the fennel! To save time (and power) I roast the beetroot when I have other things to bake.

celeriac is ugly looking but tastes great!

Beetroot, fennel and celeriac salad
4 medium sized beetroot
1 large fennel bulb
1 large celeriac bulb
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1tbsp red wine vinegar
Rocket leaves
Thoroughly wash beetroot and trim off stalk and root bits. Roast in tin foil with a little oil and S and P for about 1.5 hours - test with a skewer without opening the foil - when cool peel off beetroot skin and cut into wedges.
Trim off fluffy ends and the hard root part of  the fennel, slice thinly and fry in a little olive oil for a one minute to turn golden brown. Cool
Peel the hard skin off the celeriac, cut into large chip type pieces, fry in a little oil for a 1 minute each side until browned, put aside to cool.
Assemble all ingredients together just before you serve (at room temperature), that way the beetroot does not colour everything pink! Gently toss oil and vinegar into the salad, add salt and pepper to taste and serve on a bed of rocket or green salad. Big fabulous flavours, really delicious!
Serves about 4-6 people.

Party time Wasps

I had my book group friends over and produced this little dish of delights to have with coffee. One of my ladies said "are these called Wasps??" ah no - they are called Ginger nibbles! Anyway they loved them and wanted the recipe!

I was told of this treat at an Old Girls Association morning tea and (of course) because they were  'tried and true' I asked the maker (Catherine) for the recipe. She said it is an old one she has had for years. I thought rice bubbles would be fun to work with as I had my little helper with me on this day over the holidays!

They are a lovely group of women - I am the definitely the youngest member, the average age is about 70. We had a chocolate treat (my plan is to make that next!), as one of our group had her 95th birthday, and still going strong! I love talking to them, they have such amazing stories to share and have led interesting lives as dental nurses, teachers, secretaries, wives of diplomats and homemakers. One 70 year old was a PhysEd teacher, she had some stories to tell. My how things have changed!
It gave me the idea of collecting their 'tried and true' recipes and making a little book to raise some money for our schools affected by the earthquakes, it is on my 'things I must do list'!  Each month we have a speaker and although many are hard of hearing they are all intensely interested in what the speakers have to say.

This recipe is a very easy one to make - I think that is my mantra! The measurements are not in metric but it works the way it is so I decided not to mess with it. I had a few rice bubbles left over in my mixing bowl but on checking Catherine thinks it was because I used a measuring cup!

GINGER NIBBLES

6 oz sugar                                                      

½ lb dates finely chopped

2 ½ oz butter

Put in a saucepan, warm together and beat well.  Take off heat cool a bit and add:

4 tea cups rice bubbles (a measuring cup is too big)

1 teaspoon ground ginger                          

2 oz finely chopped preserved ginger
Mix together well

Roll into small balls and shake in coconut.

Something I am really looking forward to!

http://www.foodbloggersnz.com/2012-conference


I am so looking forward to this weekend, I will be in heaven - all that food and talent!
Apparently there are only a few spots left! Take a look at the link to see what is on offer.

Something I am really looking forward to!

http://www.foodbloggersnz.com/2012-conference


I am so looking forward to this weekend, I will be in heaven - all that food and talent!
Apparently there are only a few spots left! Take a look at the link to see what is on offer.

Pumpkin and herbs

Right now I have Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme growing in my winter garden. It is about the only thing I have to harvest apart from my Silver Beet or Chard (as it is sometimes called). I do like pumpkin soup in winter but prefer to make my own. I rarely order it from a restaurant menu cos it so easy to make - at home! Yes, it can be a little boring but if you get the right recipe, pumpkin makes a great, inexpensive, nutritious meal for the family! This soup recipe came from 'Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone' by Deborah Madison. I came across her book in 2010 when staying with Jules and Jane in Hudson, New York. It is a classic book the size of a 'brick' and has been reprinted many times. It can be bought on Amazon and I would recommend it to anyone interested in vegetarian cooking.
For this soup I was inspired to do two things - make my own vegetable stock and fry little sage leaves. I must be a bit weird but they are rather lovely things to fry and are delicious subtle little treat to include on your spoon of pumpkin soup (along with a little bit of the melted cheese!) Trust me it is worth the trouble - YUM!
Winter Pumpkin Soup with Fried Sage Leaves
1 to 1.5 kg of pumpkin
1/4 c olive oil
6 garlic cloves
12 whole sage leaves - plus 2 tbsp chopped
2 onions finely chopped
4 thyme sprigs - finely chopped or 1/4 tsp dried
1/4 c chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
2000ml water or vegetable stock (make your own with celery, carrots, chard, onions, fresh herbs etc)
1/2 cup strong cheese
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Cut pumpkin into big chunks, remove seeds, brush with oil, stuff with garlic, place cut side down and bake until tender for about 30mins. In a small fry pan heat the olive oil then drop the sage leaves and fry for only a minute, remove and drain on a paper towel and reserve. Transfer the oil to a larger pot, add chopped onion, chopped sage, thyme and parsley. Cook until onions are lightly browned. Scoop the pumpkin flesh into the pot along with any juices in the roasting pan, add the peeled garlic, 1 1/2 tsp salt and the water/stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer partially covered for 25 minutes. If the soup becomes too thick just more stock or water to thin it out. Taste for seasonings. When cooled slightly, I used a hand held kitchen whizz to smooth/refine the soup. Reheat, ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with a little cheese and add a couple of the fried sage leaves on top to garnish.

Makes about 6 adult portions

Pumpkin and herbs

Right now I have Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme growing in my winter garden. It is about the only thing I have to harvest apart from my Silver Beet or Chard (as it is sometimes called). I do like pumpkin soup in winter but prefer to make my own. I rarely order it from a restaurant menu cos it so easy to make - at home! Yes, it can be a little boring but if you get the right recipe, pumpkin makes a great, inexpensive, nutritious meal for the family! This soup recipe came from 'Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone' by Deborah Madison. I came across her book in 2010 when staying with Jules and Jane in Hudson, New York. It is a classic book the size of a 'brick' and has been reprinted many times. It can be bought on Amazon and I would recommend it to anyone interested in vegetarian cooking.
For this soup I was inspired to do two things - make my own vegetable stock and fry little sage leaves. I must be a bit weird but they are rather lovely things to fry and are delicious subtle little treat to include on your spoon of pumpkin soup (along with a little bit of the melted cheese!) Trust me it is worth the trouble - YUM!
Winter Pumpkin Soup with Fried Sage Leaves
1 to 1.5 kg of pumpkin
1/4 c olive oil
6 garlic cloves
12 whole sage leaves - plus 2 tbsp chopped
2 onions finely chopped
4 thyme sprigs - finely chopped or 1/4 tsp dried
1/4 c chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
2000ml water or vegetable stock (make your own with celery, carrots, chard, onions, fresh herbs etc)
1/2 cup strong cheese
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Cut pumpkin into big chunks, remove seeds, brush with oil, stuff with garlic, place cut side down and bake until tender for about 30mins. In a small fry pan heat the olive oil then drop the sage leaves and fry for only a minute, remove and drain on a paper towel and reserve. Transfer the oil to a larger pot, add chopped onion, chopped sage, thyme and parsley. Cook until onions are lightly browned. Scoop the pumpkin flesh into the pot along with any juices in the roasting pan, add the peeled garlic, 1 1/2 tsp salt and the water/stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer partially covered for 25 minutes. If the soup becomes too thick just more stock or water to thin it out. Taste for seasonings. When cooled slightly, I used a hand held kitchen whizz to smooth/refine the soup. Reheat, ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with a little cheese and add a couple of the fried sage leaves on top to garnish.

Makes about 6 adult portions

Homemade Alphabet Chicken Soup

I had a 6 year old grandchild with me during the holidays and pondered on what would keep her amused for an hour or so while I worked in the kitchen. I was preparing soup for lunch and decided to make it a bit different so as to include her. I got a bowl of alphabet pasta and asked her to pick out all the letters in her name and told her we were going to make soup named after her! Homework for her - peace for me - she happily did that for about about 30 minutes! which allowed me to get on with the work at hand.

I have recently taken to making my own vegetable stock, it really makes a difference to the final flavour of any soup or casserole. It is simple and satisfying to make and doesn't have the artificial salty after taste the powdered stuff has.  Start your stock with any left over vegetable water, I used the water from cooking pumpkin for a cake. Place this water in a large pot, add any vegetables you have available - peeled and chopped. I use carrot, a bit of the very end of a leek (before the white starts - no waste in my house!), celery - including a bit of the leaves and a bit of parsley, how much really depends on what is in the chiller and the intensity and amount of the stock you need. It is best not to use brassicas as the flavour is a bit overpowering! Allow it all to boil for 30 minutes or so then add salt and pepper to taste. You can now leave the cooked vegetables in the water or (if using for another dish) strain and retain the stock. Leave to cool for a bit before attempting next step.

Mini kitchen whizz and stick - really handy for any small amount of ingredients

Next - get out your wonderful whizz stick and puree all the vegetables in the pot along with the stock - viola! - you now have the base for your chicken soup.
Add about a cup of shredded cooked chicken and your 'alphabets' lots of them is more fun - heat for about 10 minutes and serve with buttered hot Burgen toast or a crispy roll - divine, simple homemade and inexpensive and the grandchild loved it!

Homemade Alphabet Chicken Soup

I had a 6 year old grandchild with me during the holidays and pondered on what would keep her amused for an hour or so while I worked in the kitchen. I was preparing soup for lunch and decided to make it a bit different so as to include her. I got a bowl of alphabet pasta and asked her to pick out all the letters in her name and told her we were going to make soup named after her! Homework for her - peace for me - she happily did that for about about 30 minutes! which allowed me to get on with the work at hand.

I have recently taken to making my own vegetable stock, it really makes a difference to the final flavour of any soup or casserole. It is simple and satisfying to make and doesn't have the artificial salty after taste the powdered stuff has.  Start your stock with any left over vegetable water, I used the water from cooking pumpkin for a cake. Place this water in a large pot, add any vegetables you have available - peeled and chopped. I use carrot, a bit of the very end of a leek (before the white starts - no waste in my house!), celery - including a bit of the leaves and a bit of parsley, how much really depends on what is in the chiller and the intensity and amount of the stock you need. It is best not to use brassicas as the flavour is a bit overpowering! Allow it all to boil for 30 minutes or so then add salt and pepper to taste. You can now leave the cooked vegetables in the water or (if using for another dish) strain and retain the stock. Leave to cool for a bit before attempting next step.

Mini kitchen whizz and stick - really handy for any small amount of ingredients

Next - get out your wonderful whizz stick and puree all the vegetables in the pot along with the stock - viola! - you now have the base for your chicken soup.
Add about a cup of shredded cooked chicken and your 'alphabets' lots of them is more fun - heat for about 10 minutes and serve with buttered hot Burgen toast or a crispy roll - divine, simple homemade and inexpensive and the grandchild loved it!

Mums special savoury cheese on toast

It really is 'cheese on toast weather' here. When I first moved to the Capital I was sure they never had a winter, mmmmmm - I was more than a bit wrong, it has been freezing lately!  While the sun tries to shines now and then, the chilling wind and rain definitely says it is Winter and you crave for comfort food. I was reminded recently of mums special savoury cheese on toast. She was a demon at making something from 'bits' in the cupboard and fridge. This snack was one of her specialities, real comfort food and easy to 'whip up' for a hungry family. Also good for calming the nerves from shaking terra firma!
The ingredients listed below will make enough for 4 slices of bread, it is perfect for lunch along with a cup of soup, or cut into fingers for 'take a plate moments'! I also use the mixture for little bread party savouries.
Savoury Cheese on Toast

Beat 1 egg, add 3/4 cup of tasty grated cheese, four slices of ham finely chopped, about 1 tbsp chopped chives or finely chopped spring onions and salt and pepper. You could use finely chopped bacon but it is best to fry it a little first, finely chopped salami is ok too. I don't add fresh tomatoes as it makes the mixture a little sloppy, but sun dried tomatoes would be ok. Add finely chopped parsley and/or any finely chopped left over vegetables too, experiment a bit according to your tastes. A small dollop of relish mixed in or on the side is really nice as well!
Grill the bread on one side ( I prefer Burgen but any bread will do), spread the mixture on the other side and bake in a hot oven until the top is nicely browned and set  - about 10 minutes. Depending on how many you have to feed, the mixture can be made to go further by adding more eggs, cheese and the savoury ingredients.
Prepare yourself for "can I have another one Mum - pleeeease!"

Mums special savoury cheese on toast

It really is 'cheese on toast weather' here. When I first moved to the Capital I was sure they never had a winter, mmmmmm - I was more than a bit wrong, it has been freezing lately!  While the sun tries to shines now and then, the chilling wind and rain definitely says it is Winter and you crave for comfort food. I was reminded recently of mums special savoury cheese on toast. She was a demon at making something from 'bits' in the cupboard and fridge. This snack was one of her specialities, real comfort food and easy to 'whip up' for a hungry family. Also good for calming the nerves from shaking terra firma!
The ingredients listed below will make enough for 4 slices of bread, it is perfect for lunch along with a cup of soup, or cut into fingers for 'take a plate moments'! I also use the mixture for little bread party savouries.
Savoury Cheese on Toast

Beat 1 egg, add 3/4 cup of tasty grated cheese, four slices of ham finely chopped, about 1 tbsp chopped chives or finely chopped spring onions and salt and pepper. You could use finely chopped bacon but it is best to fry it a little first, finely chopped salami is ok too. I don't add fresh tomatoes as it makes the mixture a little sloppy, but sun dried tomatoes would be ok. Add finely chopped parsley and/or any finely chopped left over vegetables too, experiment a bit according to your tastes. A small dollop of relish mixed in or on the side is really nice as well!
Grill the bread on one side ( I prefer Burgen but any bread will do), spread the mixture on the other side and bake in a hot oven until the top is nicely browned and set  - about 10 minutes. Depending on how many you have to feed, the mixture can be made to go further by adding more eggs, cheese and the savoury ingredients.
Prepare yourself for "can I have another one Mum - pleeeease!"

The Original Apricot Chew

While I am on a Christchurch theme this slice originally came from The Preservatory in Merivale. It was a fabulous cafe I frequented often (when I lived there), to grab a quick coffee or something for dinner or to arrange a nice tray of special things for one of my (then) clients. It was such a great place but sadly due to the earthquakes the building and business is now gone and a temporary cafe in one of 'those containers' now stands in its place. I feel quite nostalgic about it as the cafe was part of my weekly walking route and one of the first places I took my M when we first got together.
I have made this slice many, many times - today I halved the recipe and it still worked equally well. If you stick to the full recipe it makes heaps, everybody loves it and it keeps well in an airtight container if you want to make it ahead of your 'event'.
The Original Apricot Chew
200g butter
400g tin condensed milk
2 x 250g pkt Round Wine biscuits (I have not been able to find these lately - use Super Wine instead)
2 cups apricots (NZ ones are best)
Mix the melted butter with the condensed milk in a large pot.
Chop the apricots (I use kitchen scissors) and crush the biscuits (the Kitchen Whizz makes short work of this job but don't make them into a powder, some lumps are ok and make the it more interesting).
Add biscuit crumbs and apricots to the butter and condensed milk, stir well to combine.

Press into a lined sponge roll tin (mixture needs to be about 3cm high so adjust your tin to suit). Bake about 150 degrees Celsius for about 30 mins until lightly browned.
Cut when cool.

The Original Apricot Chew

While I am on a Christchurch theme this slice originally came from The Preservatory in Merivale. It was a fabulous cafe I frequented often (when I lived there), to grab a quick coffee or something for dinner or to arrange a nice tray of special things for one of my (then) clients. It was such a great place but sadly due to the earthquakes the building and business is now gone and a temporary cafe in one of 'those containers' now stands in its place. I feel quite nostalgic about it as the cafe was part of my weekly walking route and one of the first places I took my M when we first got together.
I have made this slice many, many times - today I halved the recipe and it still worked equally well. If you stick to the full recipe it makes heaps, everybody loves it and it keeps well in an airtight container if you want to make it ahead of your 'event'.
The Original Apricot Chew
200g butter
400g tin condensed milk
2 x 250g pkt Round Wine biscuits (I have not been able to find these lately - use Super Wine instead)
2 cups apricots (NZ ones are best)
Mix the melted butter with the condensed milk in a large pot.
Chop the apricots (I use kitchen scissors) and crush the biscuits (the Kitchen Whizz makes short work of this job but don't make them into a powder, some lumps are ok and make the it more interesting).
Add biscuit crumbs and apricots to the butter and condensed milk, stir well to combine.

Press into a lined sponge roll tin (mixture needs to be about 3cm high so adjust your tin to suit). Bake about 150 degrees Celsius for about 30 mins until lightly browned.
Cut when cool.