» Recipes Ravenous

Archive for the 'Recipes' Category

Hot Cross Buns

April 28, 2011

Although these baked delicacies are generally specific to a particular time of year, you can actually make them anytime. If you fancy, just don’t put the crosses on! This particular recipe is great for those who don’t like too much fruit in their buns, but if you would rather more, you can always add it. Perfect on a cold afternoon with a hot cup of tea.

Buns

500g plain flour

2 tsp dried bakers yeast

230ml milk (lukewarm)

60g sugar

90g butter

1 egg

1tsp salt

60-100g currant and sultanas (depending on taste)

Egg yolk for glazing

Sugar and milk for glazing

Serve with fresh butter and honey or homemade jam. Makes 16.

Cross Mixture

Make a paste of flour, sugar and milk. It should be the consistency of icing.

Put flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Combine yeast with milk and sugar and pour into the centre of the well. Stir in a little of the flour until it is about pancake batter consistency. Place cubes of butter onto the flour at the top of the well. Cover and place in a warm place for at least 20 minutes. When it has doubled in volume, add egg, salt, cinnamon, currents and sultanas. Knead thoroughly until dough is elastic and smooth. Sprinkle with flour and cover with cloth and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in volume again (about an hour). Divide dough into 16 equal portions and shape into round buns. With scissors, snip the top of the buns so that you make a cross. Brush with egg yolk and allow to rise again in a warm place for about 20 minutes (until each bun has doubled in size). Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Pipe the cross mixture into the crosses on the top of the buns. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with a mixture of sugar and milk and then return to the oven for another two minutes to dry. Enjoy immediately or allow to cool and store in an airtight container.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Hot Cross Buns
Tags: Easter, Hot Cross Buns

Black Olive Tapenade

April 21, 2011

This dip is a delicious entree for any occasion. The almond meal tones down the strong flavour of the olives, and gives it a creamy texture. Don’t be afraid of the anchovies – they add a lovely richness without being overpowering.

Serve with warmed bread, crackers or vegetable dipping sticks. Makes one cup.

2/3 cup pitted kalamata olives

1/3 cup almond meal

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 salted anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained and coarsely chopped

A few sprigs of fresh oregano

Black pepper

Olive oil – about 1/4 cup, depending on taste

Place the olives, anchovies, garlic, almond meal and oregano in a food processor and whiz until finely chopped. With the processor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream until the the mixture forms a smooth paste. Add black pepper to taste. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Black Olive Tapenade
Tags: Black Olives, Kalamata, Tapenade

Red Berries with Ricotta, Mint and Honey

April 14, 2011

A desert to compliment any meal. Creamy ricotta, tart berries and sweet honey – perfectly balanced with the freshness of mint. Just try not to end up wearing it, like Johnny!

Serves 6.

3 punnets strawberries, hulled and chopped

2 punnets raspberries (you can use frozen raspberries if fresh are not available)

200 grams fresh ricotta

handful fresh mint, finely chopped

honey to taste

In a bowl place the berries. Break the ricotta into small chunks and sprinkle over the top. Add mint and honey to taste (about a tablespoon). Mix gently together so that the raspberries don’t fall apart, and serve. Can be made earlier and left in refrigerator if you want the flavours to combine more.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Red Berries with Ricotta, Mint and Honey

Baked Tomatoes with Coriander

April 7, 2011

This delicious dish is perfect for breakfast or lunch. The rich sweetness of the tomatoes is perfectly complimented by spicy coriander and garlic.

Serve on thick slices of sourdough toast with avocado. Serves 6

6 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, halved

6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Extra virgin olive oil, generous slug

Bunch corinader, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lay tomatoes on a baking tray, insides up. Mix garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and brush over tomatoes so each tomato half is fully coated. Bake tomatoes for 15-20 minutes, or until they soften (you still want them to retain their shape), then place under a hot grill for a few minutes until the tops blacken ever-so-slightly.

Sprinkle coriander over tomatoes and serve immediately.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Baked Tomatoes with Coriander
Tags: Coriander, Tomato

Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

March 31, 2011

Everyone loves a cupcake! Stick to the original recipe below or experiment by adding your own flavours – orange, lemon, chocolate….pretty much anything goes! The cream cheese icing gives a decadent twist to the humble cake.

Makes 12

Cakes

2 cups self-raising flour

3/4 cup caster sugar

3/4 cup milk

125g butter, melted, cooled

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla essence

Icing

125g unsalted butter, softened

250g cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla essence

4 cups icing sugar

1 tblspn lemon or orange zest (optional)

Make the icing fist by beating butter, cream cheese and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add icing sugar, beating until incorporated. Add some lemon or orange zest if you want extra flavour. Refrigerate for 1 hour

Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a muffin tin or place paper cases in the holes. Combine flour and caster sugar in a bowl and add milk, butter, eggs and vanilla to flour mixture. Stir gently to combine.

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Spoon icing over cupcakes. Decorate with dried fruit, sprinkles, sweets or anything else you like!

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing
Tags: cream cheese, Cupcakes

Honey and Pistachio Biscotti

March 24, 2011

These are delicious Italian biscuits, that go very well with coffee after a meal (or, as Willow found, for breakfast!)

Serve with tea or coffee. Makes 36

1 cup unsalted pistachio kernels

1 cup plain flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/3 cup caster sugar

2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C (If your oven is fan forced, a bit cooler, 150). Line 2 trays with baking paper.

In a bowl, place ½ cup of finely chopped pistachios. Sift flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda over chopped pistachios. Add sugar and remaining pistachios (unchopped). Stir to combine. Add honey and 2 tablespoons cold water. Stir until mixture just starts to come together and then knead with your hands until combined.

Divide dough in half and shape each half into an 18cm log. Press down slightly to flatten. Place on 1 baking tray. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and firm.

Remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven temperature by 20 degrees C (to 150/130).

Using a serrated knife, cut logs into 1cm slices. Place slices, in a single layer, on 2 trays. Cook for 15 minutes or until lightly browned and firm. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Honey and Pistachio Biscotti
Tags: Biscotti, Honey, Pistachio

Homemade Pizza

March 17, 2011

This pizza is so simple, totally delicious and pretty much guilt free (well, depending on your toppings of course!). It’s perfect if you have a group of friends over and not much time to spend cooking. Get your guests involved by having them design their own toppings!

Serve with fresh green salad. Serves 2-4 (depending on how hungry you are!)

Dough
2 cups wholemeal flour
1.5 tablespoons yeast
1.5 tablespoons raw sugar
1/2 liter warm water

Sauce
1 tin crushed tomato
4 cloves of garlic
1 finely chopped red onion
Fresh basil
Zest of 1/2 small lemon

Method
Mix yeast & sugar well in warm water. Put flour in a large bowl and stir in liquid with a fork until a doughy consistency forms (this may not use all the liquid). Leave covered with a cloth to rise (you can leave for as little as 10 mins or as long as 30, depending how much time you have). Preheat oven to 220 degrees C.

Make the sauce while you are waiting for the dough to rise.

Put a generous slug of grapeseed oil in a pan and heat on low. Add onions and garlic and cook until transparent. Add tomatoes, torn basil leaves and lemon zest and turn heat up to reduce the mixture until it is a thick consistency (approx 5-7 mins). Stir frequently to avoid burning.

Knead dough well on a floured surface. Cut into small balls and roll out until 2-4mm thick. Using a fork, dot the base with rough dimples to allow heat to penetrate the dough. Place on a floured baking tray and brush the edges with a little olive oil so they don’t dry out in the oven. Apply a thin layer of the tomato sauce to the base, top with desired ingredients (brushing oil on any large vegetable slices) and place in a hot (220c) oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the toppings are cooked through. Just before serving, add a few torn leaves of basil, rocket or some thin slices of avocado. Enjoy!

Some suggested toppings:

Smoked trout, capers, lemon zest, rocket, avocado.

Pumpkin, zucchini, olives, goats cheese.

Pear, blue cheese, rocket

Fresh tomato, buffalo mozzarella, black pepper, basil.

Mushrooms, olives, prosciutto, basil.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Homemade Pizza
Tags: Homemade Pizza

Field Mushrooms with Quinoa and Cannellini beans

March 10, 2011

This is an utterly delicious and simple recipe given to Willow by the gorgeous mystery man at the market. The mushrooms serve as a hearty accompaniment to the delicate, creamy filling.

Serve as a main with a fresh green salad and crusty bread (delicious to mop up the juices from the mushrooms!) or as an accompaniment to your favourite meat, fish or poultry. Serves 4 as a main (2 mushrooms per person)

8 large field mushrooms

½ cup cooked brown rice

1 cup cooked quinoa

1.5 cups cooked cannellini beans (either tinned or cooked fresh)

Handful of parsley, finely chopped

Handful of basil, finely chopped

Handful of thyme, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, finely chopped

Zest and juice of one lemon

Goat’s cheese

White wine

Extra virgin olive oil

1 hot chilli (optional)

½-1 cup chicken stock

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C. Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove stems. In the bottom of a baking dish place mushrooms in a single layer, cup side up. Put a generous splash of white wine, lemon juice and the stock in the bottom of the baking dish (you want the liquid to be just covering the bottom of the dish). Drizzle oil over the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for approx 10 minutes.

While the mushrooms are baking, heat some oil in a pan and cook onion and garlic until translucent. Mix in the cooked quinoa, brown rice, cannellini beans, herbs, lemon zest and chilli. Add in some stock (1/4 cup) and reduce down. Remove from heat. Add a generous splash of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roughly mix with a wooden spoon, mashing some of the cannellini beans against the side of the pan so that the mixture takes on a slightly smoother consistency.

Spoon the filling into the mushrooms (approx 1/4 cup per mushroom), and bake uncovered for a further 10-15 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.

Crumble a generous amount of goat’s cheese on each mushroom and spoon some of the juices from the pan over the top. Serve immediately.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Field Mushrooms with Quinoa and Cannellini beans
Tags: Baked Mushrooms, Rice

Chloe Rose’s Spiced Chocolate Puddings

March 3, 2011

Oh my! These melt-in-your-mouth desserts are a Chloe Rose specialty. Fairly simple to make, they will soften the heart of any chocolate lover.

Serve with fresh raspberries and clotted cream. Makes approx. 10 serves.

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups Self Raising Flour

2 tbsp Cocoa

1 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

100gms chopped Butter

½ cup firmly packed Brown Sugar

¼ cup Treacle

2 Eggs

225ml Cream

150gms Dark Chocolate

To make the dough: Combine flour, cocoa, nutmeg and cinnamon in a bowl. Add chopped butter and using your fingers, rub into the dry ingredients until you have the texture of coarse sand. Add sugar, treacle and 1 egg. Knead together until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the chocolate filling: Chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. Heat cream in a saucepan until boiling. Take off the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute then using a fork, slowly stir the cream and chocolate until combined. Add the yolk of 1 egg and stir into mixture until smooth. Refrigerate until set, usually a few hours (you can speed this up in the freezer provided you have an air tight lid on the container…… but don’t forget about it as it will freeze.)

Take about 2 tablespoons worth of dough and in your hands and gently tease out the edges so you have a hollowed out ball shape (think back to making pinch pots out of clay in primary school.) Fill with a heaped teaspoon of chocolate filling. This should be set enough that it is smooth and slightly firmer than peanut butter. With the chocolate filling in the centre of your hollow of dough, cup your hands around the dough and seal it in a ball shape around the filling. The chocolate should now be completely encased in dough. Place ball on a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat process.

Pre heat the oven to 180C. Bake balls for 12 minutes or until firm (the balls will flatten out slightly in the cooking process). Serve hot.

* Fresh raspberries are a delicious accompaniment to this dessert. Or whip some cream with a tablespoon of caster sugar and grate some fresh ginger into it and serve on the side.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Chloe Rose’s Spiced Chocolate Puddings

Walnut and Sage Ravioli with Orange

February 24, 2011

Since Ana quit her job (and her lover!) she has had more time to cook and has been experimenting with new flavours and ingredients. She was given this recipe by the wonderful Chloe Rose, who owns a divine gourmet delicatessen around the corner from the girls’ house. This dish is sure to impress.

Serve with a fresh green salad and a cold bottle of your favourite white wine. Serves 4-6.

400g Plain White Flour

1 tsp Salt

5 Eggs

1 tbsp Olive Oil

250gms Ricotta

¼ cup Walnuts

½ cup Sage

1 clove Garlic

2 Oranges

¼ cup Caster Sugar

To make the Pasta

Finely chop the sage and mix with the flour and a teaspoon of salt. In a separate bowl whisk together 4 eggs and a tablespoon of olive oil. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in egg mixture. Mix together with a wooden spoon. When the mixture becomes crumbly start kneading with hands until the dough is smooth. Pat into a ball and leave to rest at room temperature, covered with an upturned bowl, for about an hour.

To make the filling

Finely chop walnuts and garlic. Mix the walnuts and garlic into ricotta with 1 egg. Add salt to taste.

Roll the pasta out into sheets using a pasta maker (you will need to do this in batches). If you don’t have a pasta maker, you can do this with a rolling pin. Place a sheet of pasta on a flat, floured surface. Using a teaspoon dot the pasta sheet with mounds of filling in rows about 3cm apart. Damp the pasta with some water in a circle around each mound of filling. You can use your finger or a pastry brush to do this. Cover filling with a second sheet of pasta. With your fingers press down firmly around each mound of filling to force out any air pockets. Cut around each mound using a ravioli cutter or a knife.

Juice 2 oranges into a small saucepan. Add ¼ of a cup of Caster sugar. Simmer while stirring until the sauce becomes syrupy. Grate in the rind of one orange. To make more syrup, simply double the mixture.

Bring a large, deep saucepan of water to the boil. Gently drop in ravioli. Once the ravioli rises to the surface of the water it is ready.

Drizzle with orange syrup and serve.

* Whole sage leaves quickly submerged in hot, salted grapeseed oil make a lovely crisp garnish for this dish.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off on Walnut and Sage Ravioli with Orange
Tags: Orange, sage, walnut