Monday, 1 March 2010

English Muffins

This recipe made about 16 with the egg rings we have but they are quite small. Am planning to try these again once I either get bigger egg rings or get some tuna tins. Taste just like the real thing with a hint of crumpet!

Mix in a big bowl
3/4 cup milk powder
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2cups hot water

In a jug mix
1 pinch sugar
2 heaped teaspoons dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water

Let the big bowl cool down then add 3 cups flour one wholemeal and 2 white and the yeast mix. Mix together then let six about 20 minutes.
warm a non stick frypan on medium then fill greased egg rings about 1/2 to 3/4, cook a couple of minutes, turn then do ther side. They puff up nicely. When cool, cut in half, rejoin and freeze. Nice toasted but so good fresh too. Makes the shop bought ones seem really stale. So much cheaper as they are getting expensive to buy.

Nette's Pizza Dough

My good friend Nette and former sister-in-law stayed with us late last year and made us pizza. It was so good and we have made it a few times since. So since we are in baking mood today, this is how its done. Thank you Nette!

In a jug place
1 tablespoon dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
leave 5 to 10 minutes to thjink about itself

Then in a bowl put

3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Whisk all together. You can do this a food processor if you have one. Add the yeast mix and process for a few minutes. This overheats my processor so I knead it by hand for 8 to 10 minutes.
Let it rise in a covered bowl till doubled, then punch down and knead for a couple of minutes. Divide dough into two balls and roll out to fit your pizza tray.

Spread with pizza sauce then grated mozzerella, then toppings of your choice.
Bake in a 250 degree oven 10 minutes or so.
YUM.

Bread


Thought I would try making some bread today as we are out and I can't face going to the shops.


So I thought I would try it the old fashioned way as I don't have a bread maker any more. I got the recipe from Rhonda's Blog at Down to Earth




In a jug I put


1 1/2 tsps dry yeast


1 tablespoon sugar


65 ml of warm water


Set it aside to prove for about 5 to 10 minutes,




In a bowl put


3 3/4 cups flour.


3 tsp gluten flour (I didn't have any so used bread improver)


1 tablespoon butter


1 1/2 teaspoon salt


1 tablespoon milk powder


250 ml warm water


the yeast mix




Mix all together with hands and kned pulling all the dry stuff in. Turn onto the bench and knead for ten minutes. Put the timer on it will feel like forever and you will work up a sweat. Good exercise!


Put the dough ball back in the bowl and cover with a tea towel or glad wrap, pop some where warm to rise. (Here I just put it on the bench - everywhere is warm!)


When it has doubled in size, punch down and knead for two minutes. Shape into a log and put in a loaf tin. Sprinkle withs eeds if you like and cover again and put in the warm spot to rise.


Heat the oven to 220 and when the loaf has risin to the top of the tin, pop in the hot oven for 10 minutes. turn the oven down to 200 and bake a further 15 to 20 minutes.




STAY AWAY FROM THE BREAD!




Once cool, slice, butter, eat. YUM!

Fritters

These are great for using up leftovers and make a great snack for kids or for a lazy tea.

Mix the batter with:
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
When it is smooth, add whatever you like till the mix is crowded.
Try combinations of:
  • leftover cooked meat cut up small
  • leftover cooked vegetables
  • grated carrot, zucchini, pumpkin etc
  • grated cheese of course!
  • bacon
  • onion, cooked up a bit
  • beans or lentils, cooked or baked beans
  • corn, either kernels or creamed
  • anything else that rocks your boat

Heat some butter and oil in a pan and fry 1/4 cup dollops a few minutes each side till browned. Serve with tomato and/or sweet chilli sauce and salad. Great for lunhes next day too.

Monday, 25 January 2010

Anzac Biscuits


Tomorrow is Australia Day and Debs is excited! We are having A&P& Godzilla over for a BBQ tea. Nothing outrageous as it's a school night. Today, in preparation, Debs and I made Anzac Biscuits. They turned out very well. Debs likes them. A lot.
So here is the recipe I used. Pretty standard one.

1 cup plain flour
1 cup brown sugar (though regular works too)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut
125 g butter, melted
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon bi carb soda

Preheat your oven to 175 degrees C. (I need 160 on mine so test your oven)
Mix the flour, sugar, oats and coconut together.
Melt butter in a saucepan, add syrup and water and mix well.
Add bicarb soda and wait till it foams then mix in with the flour mixture in the bowl.
Roll into balls about the size of a walnut, and place them, well spaced on a tray.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, cool on tray then put on a cooling rack.
If you like them chewy, err on the 12 minutes side, if you like them crunchy, add a little more golden syrup.
Makes about 24.

Sunday, 24 January 2010

Mulligatawny Soup

It is wet and windy here. So we are stuck indoors and it is soup weather. KISA wanted me to try a mulligatawny as he had one in Tasmania and loved it. So I googled it and found this one. Tweaked it, he loved it so now it is appearing here for you all to try.

Mulligatawny Soup

3 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1/2 green capsicum, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1 litre chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
good grind black pepper
2 sprigs parsley, whole
1 tin tomatoes
3 chicken thigh fillets, chopped, or 1 cup cooked chicken if you have some leftover
1/2 cup cream
1 cup cooked rice

Melt butter and stir fry onions, carrot, celery and capsicum fo 10 minutes. Add the flour and curry powder and nutmeg and stir fory for a minute or so. Add stock, salt, pepper, and tomatoes. Add raw chicken if using, simmer for an hour. Remove the parsley sprigs.
Blend soup, add cooked chicken if using instead of raw, add cream and warm through a little. Add rice and serve.
I served with the garlic bread. I was popular.

Saturday, 2 January 2010

Golden Syrup Dumplings

Tonight, the last night of my forties, we decided to have dessert for dinner. Debs idea, all her fault. So I cooked up an Australian Speciality...Golden Syrup Dumplings. Dedicated to our resident backpacker, Deborah.

2 cups water
1/2 cup golden syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter

1 cup self raising flour
30g butter, cubed
1 egg
1/4 cup milk

Heat syrup ingredients in frypan slowly till simmering, ensuring sugar dissolves and it doesn't burn.
Rub butter into the flour till like breadcrums, add egg and milk, and mix gently to a dough. Divide into 8 sections and gently roll into balls. Don't over handle the dough or they get tough.
Drop balls of dough into simmering syrup, simmer 5 minutes, then turn dumplings and simmer 5 minutes more.
Serve with ice cream or cream. Ice cream is better in my opinion.