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Crock Pot Apple Chutney

5/28/2015

Easy crockpot apple chutney:

2.5kg apples (I used braeburn, but any apple will do)
500g raisins
1.25kg sugar...
750ml vinegar
3 tablespoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons cushed garlic
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
3 tablespoons cornflour mixed in 1/2 cup water

Peel, core and chop apples.
Into the crockpot mix the vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic and spices.
Mix in the chopped up apples. Cook on high for 6 - 8 hours. When cooking is about 2/3 way through remove lid and let some steam out. This helps to thicken the chutney as well. About an hour before cooking is complete add the cornflour paste and let it cook through. Bottle into jars and seal.
Keeps at least 6 months IF jars have been properly sealed.

Ideal for cheese boards, sandwiches, curries, salad dressings, cold meats or dips.

Greek Burgers

5/28/2015

Meat - half beef half pork, seasoned with salt, pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, dill, parsley, cinnamon and paprika.
On a bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, olives,feta cheese and tzatziki
Tzataiki - 1 cucumber finely grated. Leave to drain excess water. Season with pepper, dill, coriander,garlic and salt to taste. Add yoghurt and a little good quality mayonnaise and mix well

Apple and Mulled wine mousse Gateau

5/28/2015

Base:
1cup self raising four
1/2 cup toasted dessicated coconut...
1/4 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup yoghurt Mix all ingredients together. Line the base of a 23cm baking tin and roll pastry into it. Bake at 180C for about 15 - 20 minutes or till done.

Apple mix
3 granny smith apples
1/4 cup sugar
1tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon custard powder mixed in about 1/8 cup of water

peel, core and cut the apples. Place into a saucepan with the water and cinnamon. Bring to the boil and stew lightly for about 5 minutes. Add the mixed custard powder into the apple mix to create a thickened pudding. Pour this onto the cooked base in the cake tin. Leave to cool.

Mulled wine mousse

1 cup red wine
1/2 cup water
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
piece of orange rind
sugar to taste
4 tsp gelatine dissolved in 1/8 cup of water
1/2 cup whipping cream beaten to soft peak stage

bring wine, water sugar and spices to a slow simmer and steep gently to extract flavour from the peel and spices. taste to test sweetness adding more sugar/honey/sweetener if required. Mixing continuously add the gelatine into the warm fluid and mix until dissolved. Leave aside to cool and for the jelly to just start setting. Fold in the cream and pour mix onto the cooled apple pudding mixture. Leave to cool. Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate and dried apple crisps

Pflaumenkuchen/ Plum Crumble

2/3/2015

The idea behind this cake is a very traditional German/Austrian recipe with many variations across Europe.

I have adapted the base from a basic 'pound cake mix' that my mother and grandmother used, to a shortbread base - simply because I find it is better especially in the heat and humidity that we get in New Zealand in summer. The basic idea can be adapted to any fruit - apples with cinnamon, pears with ginger, peaches, apricots, all plum varieties and I have even done this cake with feijoas.

The easy shortbread version is based on the 'melted butter shortbread' on http://www.food.com/recipe/melt-n-mix-shortbread-418259. I tend to use only plain flour though.

Add to the shortbread mix a half teaspoon of ground cloves and line a 18cm x 30cm cake tin or deep baking tray with the shortbread.

Stone approximately 1 kilo of plums.

Cover the shortbread with a layer of plum jam before putting the plums onto the jam - open side down.
Sprinkle up to half a cup of sugar over the plums - depending on how tart you like the plums when cooked.
For the crumble mix by hand 300g flour, 200g softened butter, 100g castor (fine) sugar and 1/2 tsp ground cloves. (the cloves with the plum gives an amazing flavour) together till a crumble mixture is formed. Sprinkle crumble mix over the plums.

Bake at 150C for at least an hour or until the top crumble layer is golden. Leave to cool and sprinkle with icing (powdered) sugar before serving.
Serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

Vanilla Cupcakes - and other variations

10/27/2014

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125g butter/margarine
125g sugar (caster sugar is best)
2 eggs
vanilla essence
200g flour (sifted)
2tsp baking powder

Beat butter, vanilla essence and sugar till creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in flour and a little milk (by the tablespoon till batter drops off a spoon) and baking powder. Pour batter into paper cups and bake at 170C for 10 - 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Variations:

Chocolate cupcake:
replace 50g flour with 50g cocoa powder.

Red Velvet cupcake:
add 25g baking powder and 10ml dark red food colouring to the batter.

Apple and spice cupcake:
peel, core and grate 2 medium size apples. Add to the batter with 2 tablespoons cinnamon, mix well and bake as above.

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Italian style meatballs with a twist

10/13/2014

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This is a recipe that 'happened' just by sheer chance - I was in a rush but needed to get some food on the table....the result my version of an Italian meatball sub.

500g lean beef mince
salt, pepper
1 onion finely diced
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 cup bread crumbs
water
1 tin crushed and sieved tomatoes
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 sweet chilli sauce (as in Asian foods)

mix the beef with the onion, salt, pepper, oregano bread crumbs and water. Season to taste.

In a pot bring the tomatoes, balsamic and chilli sauce to a simmer and allow to simmer until the sauce starts thickening.

Roll the mince into little balls and drop into the tomato sauce to cook until done. Serve on a baguette with lettuce and mozzarella cheese.

Canape alternative - prepare the sauce as above and fry the meatballs in a pan till done. Serve on a platter with the sauce as a dipping sauce.

Pasta alternative - serve the above on a bed of spaghetti sprinkled with mozzarella or parmesan cheese and a side salad.

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Garlic Cheese pull apart bread

10/7/2014

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Kiwi inspired Beetroot Risotto

9/18/2014

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1 cup Arborio rice

1 beetroot roasted and diced

2 cups chicken stock

1 onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove crushed

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

50 - 100g Butter.

salt and pepper to taste.

Saute onions till they appear glassy and translucent but not brown. Add garlic and rice and stir frequently. Slowly add the wine, stirring continuously. Once the fluid has cooked and evaporated start adding the stock, while constantly stirring. Continue until rice is almost cooked. Add the beetroot and stir through. If necessary add some water and allow to cook a little more. Once the rice is cooked slightly 'al dente' add butter and cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To complete this New Zealand take on Risotto serve with Morrocan spiced grilled Lamb Chops and tomato relish, and green vegetables to contrast the beetroot redness.

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Curry Risotto with steamed fish and chutney

9/18/2014

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1 cup Arborio rice

2 onions chopped

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon curry powder(or more to taste)

2 cups stock

2 fillets of white fish seasoned with lemon juice, salt and dill

100g butter

2 tablespoons chutney

fresh coriander to garnish

Saute onions until glassy but not brown. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder and stir fry for 1 minute, then add rice and keep stir frying for another 2 minutes. Slowly add stock, bit by bit, adding more water if needed. (at this point don't add extra stock due to the salt content). Add butter to the mix and let it melt into the rice.

Steam the seasoned fish fillets until just cooked.

To serve place fish fillet on top of the rice, and garnish with chutney and fresh coriander.

as an optional extra you can add a little browned butter over the fish.

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Cheesy Herb Bread

8/8/2014

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Cheese and Herb Loaf:

500g wholemeal flour
1/2tsp sugar...
1 sachet yeast
1/2 tblsp garlic powder
1tblsp dried chives
1 tblsp dried parsley
1/2 tblsp dried basil
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2tsp coffee creamer
300ml water

Dissolve coffee creamer in a little bit of hot water and top water to 300ml. Add sugar and yeast and stir - leave 10mins till frothy.
Combine all other dry ingredients and 2/3 of the cheese -create a well and pour in the yeast mix. Stir and combine to form a dough. Knead for 10mins and leave to rise.
Knead again, put into a greased breadpan and bake at 200degrees for 35minustes. Remove, leave to cool slightly and serve with butter and soup

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Author

First and foremost, I am proudly of German and Austrian descent! However, I was born in the middle east, grew up and went to school in South Africa, then worked in the financial sector for nearly 20 years both in SA and the UK. Now, with my Kiwi husband and son I live in New Zealand and love it. I have now blended the cultures and nationalities that make me the person I am to create my own style of food. I make my own sausages, will soon be smoking them too, flavoured with tastes of Germany, the middle east, South Africa as well as the traditional English pork sausage flavoured with tastes of my childhood. Above all,the German in me stands out in all my sausages - if its not meat, it does not go into a sausage! Cakes,Torten and blends of cultural recipes are my forte - Black Forest Pavlova anyone?

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