Easy Slow Cooker Dulche De Leche. Thick And Luscious Condensed Milk Caramel Sauce.

Posted on November 21, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie


This weekend my girls turn fifteen and I’ve promised them a four layer chocolate caramel ombré piñata cake. Sandwiched with dulche de leche. Smothered in chocolate ganache. Filled with mini m&m’s and jelly tots. A teenage balayage inspired sugar high.

Popular in Latin America, dulce de leche is a decadently sweet, incredibly addictive, thick golden caramel made by simmering milk and sugar over low heat for several hours. Unlike today,  for the longest time, dulche de leche was not commercially readily available here in Australia. For those longing for a nostalgic taste of home, one of the simplest and easiest ways to make dulce de leche was to boil unopened tins of sweetened condensed milk in a big pot of water for a couple of hours. No mess, no stirring, no scorching of the precious caramel. Whilst good quality dulche de leche can now be sourced at specialist delicatessens, resist the urge to use supermarket top and fill varieties. It’s just not the same. Needless to say the home-made version is much, much nicer.

In the last five years or so  manufacturers introduced ring pull mechanisms to their tins of condensed milk and the great exploding condensed milk tin debate began. Recipes for dulce de leche started to carry warnings advising of a small possibility of explosion when boiling the tin,  and the over rider that the risk could be greatly reduced by ensuring the tin is covered with water at all times. Not unsurprisingly this development introduced an exciting frisson of danger into the making of dulce de leche at home.

For the record I have never experienced an exploding tin of condensed milk in my kitchen, but lately, as a precaution, I have taken to slowly simmering tins of condensed milk in my slow cooker, usually on a lazy day spent at home. The process is no more difficult than boiling an egg, albeit for a long eight hours. The reward? Thick, gooey, golden caramel. Heaven on a stick.

Easy Slow Cooker Dulche De Leche

Easy Slow Cooker Dulche De Leche.

I always like to cook three or four tins of condensed milk at a time. It takes exactly the same amount of time and effort to prepare one tin of dulche de leche as it does a whole batch. Once cooled, the unopened tins of dulche de leche will keep indefinitely in the pantry cupboard. A delicious, readily available filling for cakes, biscuits and tarts. Fabulous as an ice cream sundae topping or milkshake flavouring.

USE as many tins of sweetened, condensed (not evaporated) milk that comfortably fit into your slow cooker
LINE base of slow cooker or crock pot with baking paper.
PLACE unopened tins of sweetened condensed milk onto the sheet of baking paper to avoid marking the base of the cooker.
ADD enough warm water to completely submerge tins with water. Cover tightly with lid.
SIMMER on low for 8-10 hours depending on how thick you would like your caramel. Top up with a little more water, if necessary. It is important that the tins are fully immersed in water at all times for even caramelisation.
TURN off heat and allow water to cool completely before removing tins.
ALTERNATIVELY, boil the tins on their side on very low heat in a saucepan with a tightly fitting lid on the stove top for 2 – 3 hours, making sure the tins are completely submerged at all times for even caramelisation and to avoid any potential explosions.
ONCE the tins are completely cold store unopened in your pantry until ready to use.  Unopened the tins can be  stored indefinitely. When opened the boiled condensed milk tins should be thick and a deep golden brown in colour, and needs to be used within 10 days stored in a glass jar.

Posted in Confectionery, Sweet Treats, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Lovely And Light. Savoiardi. Italian Sponge Finger Biscuits.

Posted on November 19, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Light and airy savoiardi have long been a personal favourite of mine. Dating way back to the fourteenth century, this  Piedmontese speciality was invented when the Duke of Savoy, Amedeo VI, asked his pastry chef to create something delicate and refined in honour of a visit from the King of France. Served with a gorgeously boozy marsala infused zabaglione, savoiardi quickly gained popularity and favour in the aristocratic salons of Turin.

Whilst the more familiar store bought savoiardi are usually crisp and sturdy, the home made variety are very, very different. Soft and delicate little fingers of icing sugar dusted sponge that dissolve to delicious nothingness in a single bite. Chalk and cheese really. Impressive to behold, they’re very easy to make with just a handful of ingredients; eggs, flour, sugar and a little flavouring.

Incredibly addictive, a whole tray full disappeared fast. A greedy guilty indiscretion. Our only consolation being at least there wasn’t any butter or oil used in the recipe, so really our lapse in self restraint really wasn’t too bad.

Savoiardi. Italian Sponge Finger Biscuits

Savoiardi
Makes 24 – 30 biscuits

Traditionally piped into long fingers or small round discs, Savoiardi are delicious eaten as is or served with zabaglione. They’re also good sandwiched, sponge cake style with a dollop of nutella or jam.

3 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons caster sugar, divided
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup self raising flour, sifted
1/4 cup icing sugar, for dusting

PREHEAT oven to 180 C. Line three oven trays with baking paper, and if it is a humid day place into freezer to chill. This will help biscuits keep their shape. Fit a large plain nozzle onto a piping bag.
IN A LARGE BOWL, beat egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar until pale and thick, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in orange zest and vanilla extract.
SIFT self raising flour over the batter mixture but do not fold in. Set aside.
IN ANOTHER bowl, beat egg whites to soft peak stage, gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
GENTLY fold stiff egg whites into the rest of the batter, mixing until just incorporated. PLACE the batter into prepared piping bag.  Pipe 8 -10 cm lengths, spaced well apart, onto the paper lined oven trays (about 9 biscuits per tray).
SIFT icing sugar over the piped biscuits. Wait for sugar to be absorbed, then sift over a little more.
BAKE in hot oven  for 8-10 minutes, until biscuits are lightly golden on the edges but spring back in the centre.
REMOVE from oven and slide biscuits and baking paper from oven trays onto wire racks. Allow to cool a little before peeling the biscuits from the paper. Best eaten same day or stored in an airtight container in the freezer. They take just a few minutes to thaw on the bench top.

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Eat, Fast and Live Longer. A 5-2 Fast Diet Meal Idea Under 300 Calories. Spring Stir Fry With Chicken, Asparagus And Snow Peas.

Posted on November 17, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Spring Stir Fry With Chicken, Asparagus And Snow Pea

It’s no secret that the easiest way to negotiate a 5-2 fast day is to fill your plate with a little lean protein and plenty of fresh seasonal vegetables. Taking advantage of all the gorgeous Spring produce, we’ve been overloading our stir fries with whatever is at its peak season best at the markets. In the process easily eschewing the traditional side serving of calorie laden rice.

This week we chowed down on a  vibrant Spring stir fry of chicken, asparagus and rice. Quick, easy, delicious and most importantly filling. Be as generous as you like with the vegetables but limit the quantity of  lean, skinless chicken breast to just 125 grams per person.

Spring Stir Fry With Chicken, Asparagus And Snow Peas
Serves 4 (257 calories per serve)

1 tablespoon peanut oil (120 calories)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce (18 calories)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce (9 calories)
1 tablespoon shao hsing (Chinese rice) wine (20 calories)
2 cm piece ginger, finely grated (3 calories)
2 garlic cloves, crushed (8 calories)
600g chicken breast, skinless and boneless, thinly sliced ( 660 calories)
1 small brown onion, finely sliced into half moons (46 calories)
1 bunch (6 large spears) asparagus, finely sliced on the diagonal (24 calories)
2 cups red capsicum, julienned (48 calories)
100g snow peas, topped, tailed and julienned (42 calories)
3 tablespoons fresh basil, shredded (3 calories)

PLACE oyster sauce, soy sauce, shao hsing wine, ginger and garlic, in a large bowl. Mix to combine. Add chicken strips, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes to marinate.
HEAT wok over high flame until  smoking hot. Add peanut oil and swirl to coat.
DRAIN chicken, reserving marinade, and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes until flesh just changes colour. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
ADD onions to the wok and stir fry quickly for 2 minutes before adding asparagus, capsicum and snow peas. Stir fry for a further two minutes before returning  chicken and the reserved marinade to the wok. Toss well to combine. Stir-fry for another minute.
STIR through shredded basil. Adjust seasoning and serve.

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Skordalia. Greek Potato, Garlic And Lemon Dip.

Posted on November 14, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Skordalia. Greek Potato, Garlic And Lemon Dip.

If there is anything that reminds me of the sparkling blue waters of the Aegean Sea it’s Skordalia. A classic Greek dip made from very simple pantry ingredients; boiled potatoes, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Often served in tavernas as an accompaniment to bakaliaros (beer battered salt cod). Greek fish and chips.

Incredibly versatile, this gloriously garlicky potato dip also makes a wonderful addition to a mezze plate. This summer I’ll be serving it  alongside bowls of hummus, baba ganoush, tzatziki, feta and olives with mountains of pita bread. Or using it to jazz up a humble grilled lamb chop. If we are lucky enough to have any leftovers, I know they won’t go astray. Skordalia is fabulous thickly smeared on toast bruschetta style and easily does double duty as a sandwich spread.

For a smooth and airy textured skordalia there is no substitute to making it the old-fashioned, traditional way with a ricer or mouli to shred your potatoes and a mortar and pestle to bruise the garlic into a luscious paste. Beware the swift blades of a food processor or blender which have the capacity to break down the potatoes too quickly into a dense, glue-y, stick to the roof of your mouth mess. Potatoes and garlic taken care of,  you only need every day kitchen utensils; a bowl and fork, to gently whisk in a slow drizzle of  olive oil, lemon juice and a little potato water.

It’s a gorgeous, addictive little dip that takes next to no time to prepare. For the garlic lovers amongst us it certainly packs a powerful flavour punch. Having the potential to transform even the dullest meal into something wonderful, I’m dreaming of even more ways to incorporate it into my repertoire. Of course, served on the side for the fussier palates in our household.

Skordalia. Greek Potato, Garlic And Lemon Dip.
Makes 2 cups

500g (about 3 or 4 medium) floury potatoes (I used Desiree), scrubbed clean but not peeled
4 large cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated, plus a little extra for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil, plus one tablespoon extra for garnish
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup reserved warm potato water
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

BOIL whole, unpeeled potatoes in plenty of salted water until tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the hot potato water.  When cool enough to handle, peel them from their skins.
MEANWHILE, using a mortar and pestle pound the garlic and lemon zest with a teaspoon of salt into a smooth paste.
PUSH the potatoes through a sieve, mouli or a potato ricer.
PLACE potato shreds into a medium sized bowl and using a fork, stir in the olive oil, a tablespoon at a time.
STIR through pounded garlic and lemon zest paste, freshly squeezed lemon juice and white pepper.
SLOWLY stir through enough warm potato water, a tablespoon at a time, until the skordalia is the consistency of hummus or a thick dip.
TRANSFER skordalia to a serving bowl, drizzle over a little olive oil and garnish with a little finely grated lemon zest and parsley. Serve as part of a mezze platter, on warm toasted bruschetta or as a delicious accompaniment for grilled lamb or fried fish.

Posted in Marinades, Pastes and Dressings, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Big, Bold Mediterranean Flavours. Deep Dish Ratatouille Quiche.

Posted on November 12, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

 

Deep Dish Ratatouille Quiche

Hiding beneath this cheesy golden crust? Big bold Mediterranean flavours of an oven roasted ratatouille. A delicious medley of eggplant, capsicum, tomato and zucchini ensconced in a flaky pastry deep dish quiche. Each bite redolent of the promise of summer.

This week we enjoyed it as an easy mid week dinner, but it regularly also makes a welcome appearance at our Sunday brunch table or picnic basket. Definitely one of those recipes where the sum is much, much greater than its parts. Try it. You’ll see.

Deep Dish Mediterranean Ratatouille Quiche

Deep Dish Ratatouille Quiche

1 roll prepared puff pastry, to line a deep, fluted 21cm round tart tin
5 large free range eggs
300ml fresh cream
3 cups ratatouille, prepared ahead and cooled (recipe follows)
100 grams grated Gruyere cheese
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

PREHEAT oven to 180C fan-forced.
ROLL OUT puff pastry and use to line a 21 cm  (base measurement) loose bottomed tart tin, pressing pastry evenly into sides and base. Trim excess pastry from top. Prick base with a fork.
PREPARE the pastry case for blind baking by lining the shell with baking paper and filling with a layer of dry beans or rice.
BAKE  in hot oven for 20 minutes. Remove baking paper and beans and return the pastry shell to the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool a little before filling.
SCATTER half the cheese evenly over the pastry base. Add a generous layer of ratatouille, then top with   bacon, spring onion, and parsley. Top with another layer of the remaining cheese.
WHISK  together the eggs and cream with a little salt and pepper in a separate bowl, and pour evenly over the tart.
BAKE in preheated oven, lower rack position for about 30 to 40 minutes.
REMOVE and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing to serve.

Ratatouille

1 medium eggplant
1 large red capsicum
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 anchovy fillets
1 heaped tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced into half moons
1 medium green zucchini, sliced on the diagonal
1 tin crushed tomatoes, drained
1/3 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

PREHEAT oven to 200C and line an oven tray with baking paper.
PLACE whole eggplant, capsicum and garlic onto the tray and bake for 30-35 minutes until vegetables are soft and skin blistered.
WHEN cool enough to handle slit open each eggplant and scoop out the soft flesh, dividing it with your hands into long thin strips. Set aside in a clean bowl.
SLICE  open each capsicum and remove the seeds. Peel away the blistered  skin and slice the soft flesh into thick strips. Add to the eggplant.
SQUEEZE the soft garlic out of its casing over the eggplant and capsicum mixture. Stir to combine and set aside.
MEANWHILE pour olive oil into a large heavy based oven-proof pan. When the oil is hot melt the anchovy fillets for a few minutes until they disappear into the oil.
ADD the onion, chilli flakes and oregano. Fry for about ten minutes on low heat until soft and golden, stirring often to avoid burning.
ADD parsley and  zucchini. Sauté for another ten minutes until zucchini is just beginning to soften.
ADD the roasted eggplant, capsicum, garlic and crushed tomatoes. Stir well to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.
MIX together the sugar and vinegar. Pour over the vegetable mixture and cook for another minute or so. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside to cool.

Posted in Baked, Cheese, Eggs, Vegetables, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Eat, Fast and Live Longer. A 5-2 Fast Diet Recipe Idea Under 200 Calories. Tamagoyaki. Japanese Rolled Egg Omelette.

Posted on November 10, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Tamagoyaki. Japanese Omelette Rolls

On 5-2  fast days when I’m feeling hungry I invariably turn to eggs. Low in calories and a wonderful source of protein, they pack a powerful punch, helping keep me feeling fuller for longer. Easily taking care of any pesky, lingering hunger pangs that threaten to derail my resolve. Happily, they can be prepared effortlessly in a seemingly endless variety of ways. A cursory glance through my blog reveals it is littered with a wide array of egg based 5-2 fast day meal ideas. True to form here is yet another to add to the fray which brings the count to twelve. For easy reference, all of the previous eleven ideas are listed at the very end of this post.

Today’s offering? Tamagoyaki. 卵焼き. Japanese style rolled egg omelette. Simple, elegant and understated. Made by rolling together several layers of cooked egg. Popular not just for breakfast but also as a lunchtime bento box filler and sushi rice topper. Usually prepared using  a rectangular mariyakinabe pan, but easily adapted to a regular round frying pan as described in the recipe below. At just 151 calories per four piece serve, it’s not only easy to prepare but can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for an easy meal or pick me up snack.

Tamagoyaki. Japanese Rolled Egg Omelette
Serves 2 (151 calories per serve)

3 eggs (225 calories)
1 tablespoon milk (9 calories)
1 teaspoon mirin (Japanese cooking rice wine) (12 calories)
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce (2 calories)
1/2 teaspoon sugar (8 calories)
1 tablespoon carrot, finely diced (3 calories)
1 tablespoon celery, finely diced (1 calorie)
1 tablespoon long green spring onion (scallion), finely diced (2 calories)
freshly ground black pepper, to season
1 teaspoon vegetable oil, to fry (40 calories)

CRACK eggs into a small bowl, add milk, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar. Lightly whisk together with a fork or chopsticks.
STRAIN beaten egg mixture through a sieve to give your omelette a smoother, finer texture.
ADD finely diced carrot, celery and spring onion to the mixture, stirring gently to combine. Season with a good grinding of fresh black pepper.
GREASE a 20cm heavy based non-stick frying pan with vegetable oil. Place over medium heat.  When hot add half the egg mixture, swirling and tilting the pan so the egg evenly coats the base.
COOK gently (lower the heat if necessary) until the omelette is not quite set on top. Run a spatula around the edges to loosen the omelette from the pan, then starting from one end carefully roll the egg over itself in a tight spiral, leaving the last 1-2 cm of the omelette unrolled.
PUSH the rolled omelette to one side of the pan. Add half of the remaining egg mixture to the pan beside the rolled egg. Lift up the exposed edge of the rolled omelette with your spatula to allow egg mixture to flow underneath.
COOK this new layer of omelette until it is not quite set on top. Again, loosen the edges with a spatula, and beginning at the edge of the rolled omelette, continue to carefully roll the egg over the omelette in a tight spiral. As before, leave the last 1-2 cm unrolled.
REPEAT the procedure once again with the remaining egg mixture.
REMOVE the cooked rolled omelette to a plate. Trim edges and slice with a sharp knife into eight pieces.

Other 5-2 Fast Day Egg Based Meal Ideas

Avgolemono Greek Egg Lemon Soup
Baked Eggs Wrapped In Prosciutto
Brunch Bruschetta With Soft Poached Egg And Avocado Salsa
Chinese Style Egg Omelette
Egg Omelette Nori Rolls Filled With Fresh Salad
Egg Salad With Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette
Savoury Zucchini And Bacon Muffins
Shakshuka. Morrocan Eggs In A Spicy Tomato Sauce
Spring Vegetable Frittata With Asparagus And Broccolini
Stracciatella. Italian Egg Drop Soup
Tomato And Chilli Omelette With Avocado And Fresh Herbs.

Posted in Eggs, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

From The Italian Trattoria. Parmesan, Parsley and Lemon Crumbed Pork Cotoletta.

Posted on November 7, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Parmesan, Parsley and Lemon Crumbed Pork Cotoletta

To me late Spring is synonymous with warm days and balmy evenings.  Time to throw open the doors to enjoy long, leisurely, al fresco evening meals outside. This calls for simple, unfussy platters of rustic food. Big on flavour but oh so easy to prepare. Like Cotoletta. The original Wiener Schnitzel. A centuries old, long standing menu item of many a traditional Italian trattoria since way back when.

Take a largeish veal or pork cutlet on the bone, not too fatty, yet not too lean. One for each diner; after all we want to emulate the generosity of the Italian family table.  Dust in flour. Dip in egg. Coat in a parmesan, parsley and lemon crust. Pan-fry to golden perfection in a generous swathe of olive oil and butter.

Gloriously crisp and crunchy on the outside, deliciously tender and juicy on the inside, a platter of these are a definite crowd pleaser. Serve with lots of lemon, a  salad or vinaigrette based coleslaw to cut through all the richness. Kick back and relax with a large glass of crisp white wine as you graciously accept all compliments.

Parmesan, Parsley and Lemon Crumbed Pork Cotoletta 
Serves 4

4  pork cutlets, about 250g each, trimmed and bones cleaned
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
zest of 1 small lemon, finely grated
3 eggs
1/4 cup plain flour
sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
80 ml vegetable oil, for frying
50g butter, for frying
lemon wedges,to serve

USING a meat mallet, gently pound each cutlet to approximately 1cm thickness.
COMBINE breadcrumbs, lemon zest, parsley and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl.
WHISK eggs  in a  separate bowl with a splash of water and a pinch of sea salt.
COMBINE flour with a little sea salt and pepper in a third bow.
COAT each cutlet in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg. Coat in breadcrumb mixture. Place on a plate. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
COVER with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
PREHEAT oven to 150 C.
WORKING in two batches, heat half the olive oil in a large heavy based frying pan over medium heat, add half the butter and when the mixture is foaming add two cutlets to the pan.
FRY for 5-6 minutes each side until crisp and golden. Drain well on paper towels before transferring to a paper lined oven tray to keep warm.
WIPE the frying pan clean with paper towels and repeat the process with the remaining oil, butter and remaining crumbed cutlets.
SEASON  with a liberal sprinkling of sea salt and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Posted in Pork, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Keeping To Time Honoured Christmas Traditions. Festive Fruit Mince Scrolls.

Posted on November 5, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Festive Fruit Mince Scrolls

Last Friday my aunt and I spent a pleasant afternoon chopping and soaking fruit for this year’s Christmas pudding. This week the pudding will be made and steamed and put away in a dark cool place to mature. We’re keeping to time honoured traditions and beginning our festive baking 6-8 weeks before the big day. A sure sign that 2014 is slowly drawing to a close.

Preparing all that fruit for our pudding, I thought I may as well get a head start and also make jars of fruit mince in readiness for the inevitable onslaught of requests for home made fruit mince tarts. There are two favourite recipes that I have used for my fruit mince for over a decade now. Both uncomplicated, fuss free and very easy to prepare, shared in my post Christmas Pantry Essentials. Homemade Fruit Mince. Two Ways. Traditional And With A Modern Twist last year.

Of course, once made, there was no alternative. We simply had to taste test the batch before squirrelling those jars away in the back of the pantry cupboard. We could have simply swirled it through softened vanilla ice cream for dessert, but chose instead to make these deliciously festive fruit mince scrolls.

Sweet Fruit Mince Scrolls

Festive Fruit Mince Scrolls
Makes 12

For The Sweet Dough
1/2 cup milk, warmed slightly
1 1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted

For The Filling
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup (250g) fruit mince, home made (recipe here) or purchased

For The Glaze
1/4 cup flaked almonds
1/4 cup raspberry jam, warmed

To Prepare The Sweet Dough 
COMBINE milk, yeast, and sugar in a jug. Set aside for 5 minutes until frothy. For best results milk should be heated to blood temperature or about 37C.
STIR flour and salt together in a medium sized bowl and make a well in the centre.
ADD lightly beaten egg and melted butter to the frothy milk mixture. Pour into the well. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together into a ball.
TURN dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough will be stiff at first but will become soft and pliable as you knead it.
FORM into a smooth, round ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to stand in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about an hour.

To Assemble And Bake The Scrolls
GREASE a 12 hole muffin tin and line the base of each hole with a small square of baking paper.
WHEN the dough has doubled in size, turn onto a lightly floured surface and roll out with a flour dusted rolling pin into a large rectangle approximately 30cm by 40cm wide and 1/2 cm thick.
SPREAD generously with butter and scatter evenly with fruit mince.
ROLL tightly starting with the long side of the rectangle. Trim the ends and divide the log into 12 equal portions with a very sharp knife or length of dental floss
PLACE the scrolls into a well-buttered  and base lined 12 hole muffin tin. Cover with a damp tea towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for half an hour, until scrolls have doubled in size.
MEANWHILE preheat oven to 180C, fan-forced.
WHEN the scrolls have doubled in size, uncover the muffin tray and bake in a hot oven, centre rack position for 15 minutes.
REMOVE  from oven and lightly brush scrolls with warmed raspberry jam and sprinkle with almond flakes.
RETURN tray to oven and bake for a further 5 minutes or until scrolls are golden and cooked through.
REMOVE from oven and cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Posted in Baked, Sweet Treats, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Eat, Fast and Live Longer. A 5-2 Fast Diet Recipe Idea Under 300 Calories. Oven Baked Sweet Potato And Carrot Rosti.

Posted on November 3, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie
https://thepaddingtonfoodie.com/2014/11/03/eat-fast-and-live-longer-a-5-2-fast-diet-recipe-idea-under-300-calories-oven-baked-sweet-potato-and-carrot-rosti/

A new week, another fast day recipe idea. Inspired, yet again, by my favourite new kitchen gadget, a mint green handheld spiraliser. This time around sweet potato and carrot simply and easily transformed into long thin strands in mere moments. The process no more complicated than sharpening a pencil. Combined with Moroccan flavours and spices they are baked in a hot oven, rosti style, to crisp and crunchy perfection.

I will confess while the rosti baked, I couldn’t resist whipping out  the spiraliser again. This time shredding cucumber into delicate curls for a salad topper to accompany my Sunday brunch offering. Perhaps it’s I who has a new obsession, but I’m loving how this little gadget has managed to up the ante on my family’s vegetable consumption. Long may the novelty value continue. In the meantime I’m using any excuse to squeeze in as many vegetarian meals as I reasonably can without inciting a rebellion. After all my family does love to eat meat.

Happily, everyone in our house always loves a rosti. Who would dare turn up their nose at this sweet potato and carrot version? Topped with a layered rocket, cucumber and cherry tomato salad. Dressed with a lemon yoghurt drizzle. Accompanied by freshly poached free range eggs for the feasters in our midst. Eggs aside, it’s a generous 5-2 fast day meal that can enjoy by the plateful. At just 292 calories for a substantial serve sans egg, I left the brunch table happy and satisfied not thinking about food until much, much later that evening. For the curious, and those who can’t go past the delicious idea of a poached egg, just be aware each egg will add 75 calories to the meal. Happy fasting.

Oven Baked Sweet Potato And Carrot Rosti With Rocket, Cucumber, Tomato And Lemon Yoghurt Dressing.

Oven Baked Sweet Potato And Carrot Rosti.
Serves 2 generously (292 calories per serve)
Quantities suitable to double, just use a slightly larger pan

2 medium (300g) sweet potatoes, peeled (258 calories)
2 medium (150g) carrots, peeled (62 calories)
4 long green spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced (20 calories)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (2 calories)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (4 calories)
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander (2 calories)
1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes (1 calorie)
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for the frying pan (160 calories)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup fresh rocket leaves, to garnish (3 calories)
1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved, to (27 calories)
1 cucumber, shredded or spiralised into long strips (24 calories)

Lemon Yoghurt Dressing
1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt (12 calories)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (6 calories)
1/2 small clove garlic, grated (2 calories)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

PREHEAT oven to 200 C.
USING a vegetable peeler, box grater or spiraliser, shred the sweet potato and carrot into long strips.
SQUEEZE as much of the moisture out of the shredded carrot and sweet potato, a handful at a time as you can. If you have time, sprinkle with salt and leave in a colander to drain for up to an hour before squeezing. The more moisture that is removed the crispier the rosti will be.
PLACE shredded sweet potato and carrot into a large bowl with spring onions, parsley, cumin, coriander and chilli. Drizzle over olive oil. Toss well to combine. Season with sea salt and pepper.
HEAT a heavy based frying pan over a medium flame. Add one teaspoon oil and swirl over the base of the pan to prevent sticking.
SCATTER mixture in a thin, even layer over the base of the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or so over medium heat, pressing down with an egg lifter to flatten, until bottom is just beginning to turn golden brown.
TRANSFER pan to a hot oven and roast for 30-35 minutes until crisp and golden on top.
MEANWHILE whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
REMOVE rosti from oven, allow to cool a little before layering with rocket, cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Finish with a good drizzle of lemon yoghurt dressing. Serve.

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Happy Halloween. Spooky Bubble Tea. Frog Spawn With Beetlejuice. Lemon Infused Tapioca Pearls With Cranberry Tea.

Posted on October 31, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Lemon Infused Bubble Pearls

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. Here is a whimsical spooky take on bubble tea just in time for Halloween. Frog Spawn with Beetlejuice aka Lemon Infused Tapioca Pearls With Cranberry Tea. Blame my girls who have developed quite the obsession with bubble tea, an Asian concoction of icy cold, super sweet fruit or milk based tea with big, fat translucent tapioca pearls. On our last visit to Chinatown I was persuaded to scour the aisles of an Asian grocery store for bags of ‘boba‘ or giant tapioca pearls, one of the key ingredients of bubble tea. Sadly they have lain dormant in my pantry for some months now, it’s almost ironic after all that time they be resurrected today for Halloween.

Spooky Halloween Bubble Tea

I’m sure many of you will remember tapioca pudding; a stalwart of many an old fashioned nanna’s dessert repertoire. Usually made with seed tapioca, milk, sugar and eggs. Flavoured with lemon or vanilla. Variously dubbed fish eye or frog spawn pudding in reference to it’s murky, lumpy, gelatinous texture. Little wonder it quickly went out of fashion. Today’s trendy boba is, in truth, just a giant, supersized version of nanna’s seed tapioca. Prepared a little differently, perhaps, by cooking in copious amounts of water until soft and almost translucent before dredging in a simple sugar syrup. Whichever way you look at it though,  you can’t get away from the fact that a heaping mound of lemon infused bubble pearls bears more than a passing resemblance to frog spawn.

For the beetlejuice I couldn’t go past good old fashioned cranberry iced tea. Dead easy and a deep, dark, almost blood red to boot. The perfect foil for my lemon-y bubble pearls. So there you have it. Spooky Bubble Tea. Waiting to be served. Jugs  of beetlejuice and bowls of frog spawn at the ready. Decidedly non-alcoholic, but deliciously refreshing. Strangely moreish. Of course should you require something a little stronger to fortify the onslaught of all those door knocking ghosties and ghoulies just add a nip of vodka. Who said Halloween wasn’t for the grown ups?

Lemon Infused Tapioca Pearls With Cranberry Tea AKA Frog Spawn With Beetlejuice

Spooky Bubble Tea
Makes 2 litres Cranberry Tea and 2 cups Tapioca Pearls

Frog Spawn aka Lemon Infused Bubble Pearls

4 cups water
1/2 cup premium grade giant tapioca pearls (boba) (check packaging to make sure product is made from 100% tapioca with no additives)

Lemon Sugar Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed juice from one large lemon

FOR THE SYRUP bring one cup of water to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and stir in one cup sugar until dissolved, then add a quarter cup of citrus juice of your choosing. Set aside to cool.
FOR THE BUBBLE PEARLS  measure 4 cups water into a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
ADD giant tapioca pearls  and stir gently for a minute or so until they begin floating to the top of the water.
REDUCE heat to medium, cover with a lid left slightly ajar and continue to cook for 40 minutes. At this stage the pearls will be translucent on the outside with a small white starchy core.
REMOVE saucepan pan from heat, cover with lid completely, and allow the pearls to steep for another 40 minutes. Well-cooked tapioca pearls should be almost entirely translucent with a slightly chewy texture, similar to gummy style lollies. Undercooked pearls will be hard and crunchy in the centre, whilst overcooked pearls will disintegrate into mush.
DRAIN and rinse immediately under cold running water. Transfer to a small bowl and pour over citrus sugar syrup until the pearls are completely submerged. Refrigerate until ready to use. Best used within two days as the bubble pearls gradually harden over time.

Beetlejuice aka Cranberry Tea

4 English Breakfast tea bags
4 cups freshly boiled water
4 cups cranberry juice
2 – 3 tablespoons caster sugar, to taste

PLACE tea bags in a large 2.5 litre capacity heatproof jug. Pour over the water. Set aside for 20 minutes to infuse.
DISCARD tea bags. Add cranberry juice and sugar to the jug, and stir to combine.
COVER jug and place in the fridge to chill.
WHEN ready to serve, take a generous scoop of tapioca bubble pearls, place in a glass and fill with cranberry tea. Add an optional nip of vodka if so inclined.

Posted in What I Love to Cook, What I Love to Drink | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments