The 5-2 Challenge. A Hearty Winter Meal. Pot Roasted Pork Scotch Fillet with Onions and Sweet Potato.

Posted on June 14, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Pot Roasted Scotch Fillet of Pork

Due to the Queen’s Birthday long weekend and a diary full of commitments, this week I have had to complete both my fast days in close proximity  with a single feast day in between. I don’t know if it was the chilly weather but by the afternoon of my second fast day I was definitely craving a hearty winter meal. Most fast days I will skip breakfast and either have two mini meals, or a lunchtime snack and a more substantial dinner. It’s a formula that works well for me.

After twelve weeks of the 5-2 challenge I seem to have adjusted to fasting two days a week.  Luckily I don’t seem to focus on my hunger anymore, which passes in waves and is easily satisfied by a cup of tea. Perhaps this breakthrough is purely psychological as I know I can eat whatever I choose the next day. Although in truth on the days immediately following a fast day I never seem to overindulge. Primarily because I feel fantastic.

In winter when the temperature drops I like to introduce a warming pot roast into my repertoire. An easy, set and forget meal that truly looks after itself. Here is my 5-2 fast day version of pot roast. I used lean, rindless pork scotch fillet at only 169 calories per 100 grams and plenty of vegetables.  Pork scotch fillet carries much less fat than other cuts of pork and is much healthier for you. Moreover it lends itself perfectly to pot roasting, producing a beautifully tender and succulent result.

Breakfast
2 Cups  Tea
4
Lunch
1 Cup Miso Soup With Tofu
33
Mid Afternoon
2 Cups Tea
4
Dinner
1 Serving Pot Roasted Pork With Onions and Sweet Potato
2 Cups Tea
403
4
Total Calories
448

 Pot Roasted Pork Scotch Fillet with Onions and Sweet Potato.

Serves 6 (403 calories per serve)

1 tablespoon olive oil (120 calories)
900g strip of pork scotch fillet, allows a 150g serve of pork per person  (1521 calories)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups Campbell’s real chicken stock (40 calories)
1 cup dry white wine (121 calories)
2 cups brown onion, sliced (96 calories)
4 cloves garlic, minced (16 calories)
2 dried bay leaves (2 calories)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stem and finely chopped (3 calories)
2 celery stalks, finely diced (17 calories)
2 large carrots, finely diced (50 calories)
500g sweet potato, cut into chunks (430 calories)

PREHEAT oven to 180 C degrees.
IN AN ovenproof, heavy based Le Creuset style pot , heat oil over medium-high heat.
SEASON the pork generously with sea salt and pepper. Place in the pot and brown on all sides on the stove top for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
ADD onions, garlic, carrots and celery to the pot. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion is  soft and translucent.
ADD stock, wine, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cover.
PLACE the pot in the oven, and roast for about three quarters of an hour. Add the sweet potato chunks, and cook until tender, about half an hour.
TRANSFER the pork and sweet potato to a platter. Remove bay leaves. With a spoon, skim any fat off the surface of the pan juices. I prefer not to strain the pan juices and serve them as a chunky sauce. Reduce the pan juices a little over high heat if required. Season the sauce to taste.
CARVE the roast into thick slices, spoon over the sauce and serve with the sweet potato.

Posted in Pork, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The 5-2 Challenge. Ancient Grains. Farro Pilaf with Swiss Brown Mushrooms, Silverbeet and Broccolini

Posted on June 12, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Farro Pilaf With Swiss Brown Mushrooms, Silverbeet and Broccolini

After a long weekend of unfettered overindulgence the focus of my my next fast day was on wholesome, nourishing and restorative eating. Recently there seems to have been a resurgence in interest in cooking with ancient grains. Widely acknowledged to be healthy, flavoursome, easily digestible and rich in fibre these grains pack a nutritious punch and are considered to be very, very good for you.  On my last visit to Little Italy to restock my pantry I managed to pick up a packet of farro, an ancient grain said to be eaten by the legions in Roman times. To my mind a perfect grain for a fast day meal.

Farro is similar to pearl barley, but  dried in such a way that instead of becoming soft and glutinous when cooked stays firm with a slightly chewy texture and nutty flavour. It is often used as an interesting addition to salads, soups or stuffings and can  be substituted for rice in risottos and pilafs. I used  Farro Perlato. Pearling removes the inedible hull that surrounds the grain and most recipes are written for this kind of farro.  Practically this means the grain doesn’t require pre-soaking and cooks up quickly in about 25 minutes.

My fast day meal consisted of a farro pilaf jam packed with mushrooms, and greens sourced from my father’s winter garden; silverbeet and broccolini. A very hearty and satisfying meal. As I discovered a little farro goes a long, long way. The grains plump up to double their size upon cooking.  All in all this was an incredibly filling 298 calorie meal. Which just goes to show that there is a lot to be said for cooking with whole grains and foods on fast days.

Breakfast 2 Cups  Tea

4
Lunch 1 Mandarin

40
Mid Afternoon 2 Cups Tea

4
Dinner

1 Serving Farro Pilaf With Mushrooms, Silverbeet and Broccolini

2 Cups Tea

298

 

4
Total Calories  

350

Farro Pilaf  with Swiss Brown Mushrooms, Silverbeet and Broccolini

Serves 4 ( 298 calories per serve)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided (240 calories)
1 red onion, finely chopped (46 calories)
1 garlic clove, minced (4 calories)
1 cup farro perlato (704 calories)
2 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock (40 calories)
300 g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced (66 calories)
1 cup silverbeet or spinach, shredded (7 calories)
1 bunch broccolini, sliced on the diagonal into bite sized pieces (71 calories)
1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves, finely chopped (11 calories)
3 sprigs thyme leaves stripped from their stem and finely chopped (3 calories)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper or to taste

HEAT oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté  until soft and translucent.
ADD farro and stir to coat the grains. Then add the hot stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to the boil.
REDUCE heat to low. Cover and simmer until farro is tender but chewy and liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.
MEANWHILE heat the remaining oil in a wok or shallow fry pan. Stir fry mushrooms, silverbeet and broccolini until just tender. Add parsley and thyme. Stir well to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
REMOVE farro from heat and fluff with a fork. Stir through the mushroom, broccolini and silverbeet mixture. Serve.

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

From My Mother’s Kitchen. Light, Airy and Crisp. Angel’s Wings. Italian Crostoli.

Posted on June 11, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Crostoli

For a long time I have been wanting to make Crostoli. Fried ribbons of crisp pastry. Liberally dusted with icing sugar. Eaten all over Italy on celebration days. Easter, Christmas, Christenings and family get togethers. This long weekend we travelled to Canberra and caught up with family. The weather was cold and brisk. The perfect excuse to stay indoors. And make crostoli. From scratch. With my mother and daughter.

Crostoli are made from a sweet pasta dough. Flavoured with lemon zest and brandy. There are many regional variations on the recipe. This is the one I know and love, and grew up with. It is easiest to bring the dough together in a food processor. Once kneaded and rested, it is then rolled through a pasta machine. Thin strips of pastry are quickly fried in very hot oil and generously dusted with icing sugar. Piled high on a platter. So light and airy they should dissolve into nothingness upon first bite. Some say they are the food of angels. Others maintain the fried crostoli resemble angel’s wings.

Incredibly delicious, these are well worth trying at home. We spent a wonderful Sunday morning making these. Three generations in the kitchen.  Cooking, chatting and catching up on family news. Served with a very short espresso after Sunday lunch. One last pointer. These do keep well stored in an airtight container. If they last that long.

Italian Crostoli

Makes about 50 Crostoli

1  1/2 cups plain flour
1  1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 tablespoon sugar
30g butter, melted
1 egg
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon brandy
oil for deep-frying
a generous amount of icing sugar, to serve

To Prepare the Crostoli

PLACE sifted flours and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.
ADD melted butter.  Pulse briefly then add egg, lemon zest, milk and brandy. Continue to pulse until the dough comes together into a ball.
REMOVE dough from the food processor and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in cling film and allow to rest for a minimum 30 minutes.
ATTACH a pasta machine to the side of a bench top and set the rollers on the widest setting.

DIVIDE the rested dough into 6 equal portions. For each portion of dough:

  1. FLATTEN slightly with the palm of your hand.
  2. DUST the rollers of the pasta machine with flour. Feed the dough through the pasta machine 2-3 times, folding the dough until you get an even rectangle.
  3. REDUCE setting by 1 and roll the dough through. Repeat, reducing the setting each time, until the dough is approximately 1.5mm thick.
  4. PLACE the length of pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using a sharp knife or fluted ravioli cutter, slice each pastry length into 3 – 5 cm wide strips. Cut a slit lengthways along the centre of each pastry strip.
  5. THREAD one end of each strip through the slit to resemble a bow, as illustrated below:

Crostoli Pastry Strips

To Fry the Crostoli

HEAT oil to a depth of 5cm in a wok or wide shallow saucepan over medium-high. When the oil is ready a scrap of crostoli pastry dropped into the oil will turn golden brown in 15 seconds.
DEEP FRY  crostoli in batches (3 or 4 crostoli  at a time) for 1 to 2 minutes each side until the pastry bubbles and the crostoli are lightly golden and crisp.
REMOVE fried  crostoli from the oil with tongs and drain well on kitchen paper. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking tray to cool completely.
DUST generously with icing sugar to serve.

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

Long Weekend Baking. Melt and Mix. Old Fashioned Coconut Slice.

Posted on June 10, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Chocolate Coconut Slice

I made this slice for our road trip to Canberra. It’s the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend and traffic is guaranteed to be heavy with the opening of the ski season. For my overseas readers, yes we do have snow here in Australia. Strange but true. The upshot is I’m not planning on stopping anywhere en route this weekend. It will be a door to door journey. Both ways.

What to bake when you are in a hurry? Something easy. An old school  melt and mix recipe that requires nothing more than a bowl, a wooden spoon and basic pantry ingredients.

Old Fashioned Coconut Slice

125 g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup plain flour
1/3 cup self raising flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg

Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon softened butter
1 tablespoon milk

PREHEAT oven to 180 C. . Grease an 18 x 27 cm slice tin and line with baking paper for easy lift out.
MELT butter over low heat.
SIFT together the flours and cocoa into a medium sized bowl. Stir in coconut and sugar.
ADD melted butter, vanilla essence and a lightly beaten egg.  Mix with a wooden spoon to combine.
PRESS mixture evenly into the prepared tin. Bake at 180C for 20 minutes or until just firm to the touch.
MEANWHILE prepare the icing. Place all ingredients into a small bowl and beat until well combined and smooth.
SPREAD slice with icing while still hot. Leave in the tin and place into the fridge to cool.
WHEN icing has set, cut into long fingers or small squares. Store in an airtight container.

Posted in Baked, Chocolate, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

The 5-2 Challenge. Fast Day Quick Meal. Tomato and Chilli Omelette With Avocado and Fresh Herbs.

Posted on June 8, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Tomato and Chilli Omelette With Avocado and Soft Herbs

The easiest fast days are the busiest. Sometimes there is not a lot of time to spend in the kitchen calorie counting to whip up a suitable meal. Here is my idea of a simple, nutritious fast day quick meal. An omelette jam packed with all my favourite flavours. Chilli, garlic, lemon, tomato, avocado and fresh herbs. There was even room for a little sesame oil to add just a little more depth of flavour to this simple dish. All in all a very easy but satisfying fast day as I raced about to prepare for a long weekend away.

Breakfast
2 cups  tea
4
Lunch
2 cups Miso Soup With Tofu
66
Mid Afternoon
2 cups  tea
4
Dinner
Tomato and Chilli Omelette With Avocado
2 cups tea
385
4
Total Calories
463

Tomato and Chilli Omelette With Avocado and Fresh Herbs

Serves 2 (385 calories per serve)

4 eggs, lightly beaten (300 calories)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (20 calories)
1 tablespoon olive oil (120 calories)
2 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, deseeded and coarsely chopped (68 calories)
1 small ripe Shepard Avocado, pitted, peeled and diced (250 calories)
1/2 clove garlic, minced (2 calories)
1/4 long red chilli, minced (1 calorie)
1 long green spring onion, finely chopped (4 calories)
2 handfuls fresh soft herbs; parsley, basil or coriander (4 calories)
generous squeeze of lemon (1 calorie)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

COMBINE egg and sesame oil in a small bowl. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
HEAT oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic, chilli, spring onion and tomato. Stir fry for a minute or so.
REDUCE  heat to medium-low. Pour the egg mixture  into the wok and cook until just barely set, moving it around with a flexible spatula, working from the outside edge to the centre to create folds as the egg cooks and firms.
SCATTER over the diced avocado and herbs. then using a flexible spatula fold the omelette in half.
TURN and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate. Garnish with the reserved avocado and herbs, and a generous squeeze of lemon. Serve while hot.

Posted in Eggs, Vegetarian, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The 5-2 Challenge. Fast Day Quick Meal. Tomato and Chilli Omelette With Avocado and Fresh Herbs.

From the Italian Pasticceria. Referencing My Cookbook Collection. Sour Cherry Amaretti.

Posted on June 7, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Sour Cherry Amaretti Biscuits

These gorgeous little almond biscuits are the bomb. Lightly crisp on the outside. Slightly chewy on the inside. Sweet but a little tart. Jam packed with dried sour cherries. For years I have been making the trek across town to my favourite little Italian pasticceria for my very special but not so secret indulgence. Until very recently when I literally stumbled upon a recipe for them in the fabulous Ottolenghi The Cookbook.

For years I have been too daunted to even consider googling a recipe to try baking amaretti at home. They seemed so exotic and complicated.  Outside the realm of consideration. All the while the perfect recipe was sitting patiently at home waiting to be discovered. On the shelves of my rather extensive cookbook collection. It is a little ironic that for years while I have been flicking through my rather well thumbed copy of the Ottolenghi cookbook I have never taken any particular notice of the amaretti recipe. Perhaps it has been overshadowed by the showier, more glamourous offerings in this book. The upshot? These little indulgences taste divine and are unbelievably easy to make. It just goes to show all it takes is the right recipe and an open mind. Who knows this might just open up a whole new world of Italian biscotti baking.

Dried sour cherries are notoriously difficult to source here in Australia. I stocked up at Christmas time when the dried fruits for Christmas cake and pudding making were available in store. They are seasonally available from Whisk and Pin which is stocked in most good delis and health food stores. A good substitute is Whisk and Pin’s more readily available Four Berry Mix, which incidentally also contains dried sour cherries. Failing that I would try dried cranberries.

Sour Cherry Amaretti Tray

Sour Cherry Amaretti
Adapted from Ottolenghi The Cookbook
Makes about 20 biscuits

180g ( 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) ground almonds
120g ( 10 tablespoons) caster sugar
zest of one lemon, finely grated
3 drops of natural almond extract
pinch of fine sea salt
60g ( 6 heaped tablespoons) dried sour cherries, roughly chopped
2 large free range egg whites, at room temperature
2 teaspoons honey
plenty of icing sugar for rolling, sifted

PREHEAT the oven to 170 C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.  Set aside.
MEASURE the ground almonds, sugar, lemon zest, salt and almond extract into a large bowl.   Rub together with your fingertips  to disperse the zest and essence evenly. Stir in the cherries. Set aside.
USING an electric beater whisk the egg whites with the honey until they reach a soft meringue consistency.
GENTLY fold the meringue into the almond mixture with a fork.  At this stage you should have a soft malleable mixture.
USING your hands pinch off  20 tablespoon sized lumps of  dough.   Roll each lump into a ball and drop into a bowl of sifted icing sugar. Toss gently to coat.
ARRANGE the balls of dough on the lined baking sheet, gently pinching the tops to form a triangular shape.
BAKE in a preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Centre shelf position. When baked the biscuits will be relatively pale in colour and  a little chewy in the centre.  Allow to cool completely before indulging.  Store in an airtight container.

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

Dainty and Delicious. Old Fashioned Pinwheel and Finger Sandwiches With a Classic Chicken Mayonnaise Filling.

Posted on June 5, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Old Fashioned Chicken Sandwiches

When was the last time you had a good old-fashioned chicken sandwich? Those dainty tea sandwich offerings associated with high tea and  bring a plate gatherings. Poached chicken combined with herbs and home-made mayonnaise. A little celery for  crunch. Crustless. Cut into elegant fingers or rolled into pinwheels. Here is my interpretation. Dainty. Delicious. Pure nostalgia. An indulgent trip down memory lane.

Old-Fashioned Pinwheel  and Finger Sandwiches With a Classic Chicken Mayonnaise Filling

Makes 36 Tea Sized Sandwiches

For the Poached Chicken

4 large (about 1 kg)  chicken breast fillets
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

ADD the chicken, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns and sea salt to a large shallow pan of simmering water.
SIMMER gently, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan, cool.

For the Mayonnaise 

 Makes about 1¼ cups.

1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, grated
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
sea salt and ground white pepper
1 cup (250ml) olive  oil

PROCESS or blend the egg, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender until well combined.
WITH the motor running, pour the oil in very slowly in a thin stream and process until the mixture is thick and creamy.

To Make the Chicken Mayonnaise Filling

1 quantity poached chicken
1 quantity home-made mayonnaise
4 sticks  trimmed celery, sliced thinly
2 long green spring onions, sliced thinly
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
sea salt and pepper

THINLY slice the poached chicken and chop finely.
PLACE in a large bowl with the mayonnaise, spring onion, and celery.  Stir well to combine.
SEASON with sea salt and pepper to taste.

To Assemble the Sandwiches

Sandwiches  can be made eight hours ahead and stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.

1 quantity chicken mayonnaise filling
2 loaves fresh multi grain bread, sliced very thinly lengthwise to yield 6 long slices per loaf after end slices are removed

For the Finger Sandwiches

DIVIDE half the chicken mixture among three long bread slices. Top with another three  bread slices.
USING an electric or serrated knife, trim the crusts from the bread. Wrap tightly in cling wrap and refrigerate until required.
TO SERVE remove from the refrigerator. Unwrap and cut each sandwich into six fingers. Arrange on a serving platter.

For the Pinwheel Sandwiches

USING an electric or serrated knife, trim the crusts from the remaining six long slices of bread.
GENEROUSLY spread  half the chicken mayonnaise filling among the bread slices, leaving a slight border so the filling doesn’t ooze out when the sandwiches are rolled.
WITH the shortest side facing you carefully roll each slice of bread to enclose the filling, much like a Swiss roll or roulade.  Roll the slice up neatly and firmly. Wrap tightly in  cling wrap and refrigerate.
TO SERVE remove chilled rolls from the refrigerator. Unwrap and using an electric or serrated knife cut each roll into three slices. Arrange on a serving platter.

Posted in Poultry, Small Bites, To Serve with Drinks, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The 5-2 Challenge. Chicken Soup for the Soul. Stracciatella.

Posted on June 4, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Stracciatella

This weekend I was lucky enough to receive a carton of freshly laid farm eggs. Courtesy of Gil and Pat’s chooks. Other than the ultimate treat of poached eggs, these were a welcome addition to one of my favourite dishes. Stracciatella.  Chicken soup for the soul. A classic Italian zuppa. Its name is derived from the word “stracciato”  which means “torn apart”. Sometimes it might also be referred to as rag soup. Simply because the seasoned egg  whisked into the  chicken broth resembles little torn or shredded rags.

Needless to say this soup never fails to transport me back to my childhood. A stockpot of chicken soup slow simmering on the stove all afternoon. Transformed into an incredible meal with the addition of just a few simple ingredients. I like to use a sparkling clear home-made chicken stock but it’s perfectly acceptable to use tetra packs of store bought stock. This meal is ready in moments. The time it takes to heat the stock and whisk the eggs. Nothing could be easier.

As it so happens, stracciatella is perfect 5-2 fast day fare. A whole big steaming bowl for just 135 calories. So delicious I had two for lunch. Filling. Nourishing. Comforting. Keeping the hunger pangs at bay well into the evening.

Breakfast
2 cups  tea
4
Lunch
2 Servings Stracciatella
270
Mid Afternoon
2 cups  tea
4
Dinner
1 Tuna and Lettuce Sandwich
2 cups tea
230
4
Total Calories
512

Stracciatella

Serves 4 (135 calories per bowl)

6 cups chicken stock (75 calories)
4 large eggs (300 calories) ( 300  calories)
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs (82 calories)
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (4 calories)
80 g  Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated (64 calories)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated (6 calories)
zest of 1 lemon, grated (3 calories)
juice of 1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed (6 calories)
sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

SEPARATE one cup of the stock and chill if it hasn’t already been refrigerated.
HEAT the remaining 5 cups of stock in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
MEANWHILE combine the cold broth, eggs,  bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, lemon zest and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and whisk until well blended.
WHISK the egg mixture into the boiling broth, stirring often, until the mixture forms little rags . Turn the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes or so.
REMOVE from heat and add the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
SERVE in warmed bowls topped with more grated parmesan and parsley.

Posted in Eggs, Poultry, Soup, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sunday Brunch. Sticky Date and Banana Loaf.

Posted on June 3, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Sticky Date and Banana Loaf

Another wet and miserable Sunday. After having spent the best part of Saturday outdoors watching rugby, I drew the short straw and spent a full day from 8am to 6pm warming my usual seat at the aquatic centre watching my daughter compete at a swim meet. I needed to pack a healthy and nutritious lunch and include an energy dense treat she could graze on through the day. This moist and delicious Sticky Date and Banana Loaf ticked all the boxes.

An added bonus? It served double duty as a lazy Sunday brunch option for the troops at home. Toasted with home-made plum jam and a generous smear of fresh ricotta.

Sticky Date and Banana Loaf

1 cup (155g) pitted dates, chopped
1/3 cup (85 ml) hot water
125g butter, softened and cubed
3/4 cup (175g) brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (125ml)  milk
1 3/4 cups (225g) plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
2 medium ripe bananas

PREHEAT oven to 180 C. Prepare a loaf tin by lining the bottom with baking paper and greasing the sides.
PLACE dates and hot water in a saucepan. Simmer on a very low heat until soft and pulpy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mash with a fork. Set aside to cool.
SIFT together the flour, mixed spice and baking powder. Set aside.
MASH the bananas in bowl and add cooled dates. Mix well to combine. Set aside.
IN A SEPARATE bowl cream together  butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time (it’s better if they are room temperature to prevent curdling of the mixture).
ADD the mashed banana and date mixture. Stir well to combine. Then add the flour and milk in two batches. Beat until just combined being careful not to over mix.
POUR batter into the prepared loaf tin. Bake in centre of 180 C oven for an hour to an hour and a half until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Posted in Baked, Sweet Treats, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Pasta Bake. With a Difference. Roast Pumpkin and Ricotta Rotolo with a Sage Burnt Butter Sauce.

Posted on June 1, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Pumpkin and Ricotta Rotolo

I had started the day thinking I would make ravioli filled with roast pumpkin and ricotta. Somehow my day began to back up on itself and before long it was mid-afternoon. The pumpkin was roasted  but I hadn’t even started making my pasta. So I reverted to Plan B. Rotolo. A very traditional Italian stuffed and rolled pasta dish. Lightly poached, then sliced and baked in the oven. A fancy pasta bake in my books. Definitely a much easier proposition to filling, stamping and crimping somewhere in the vicinity of 60 individual ravioli.

I persisted with making fresh pasta sheets for my rotolo. Well worth the effort as it really doesn’t take much time and does produce a lighter result. It is perfectly acceptable to substitute fresh lasagne sheets purchased from the chiller section of the supermarket. If the pasta sheets look too thick, just roll them a little thinner using a rolling pin, or  better still a pasta machine if you have one.

These little slices of rotolo are delicious but deceptively rich and filling. A little goes a long way. Perfect fare to bid farewell to Autumn and welcome Winter.

Rotolo

Roast Pumpkin and Ricotta Rotolo with a Sage Burnt Butter Sauce.

Pasta Dough

2 cups (300 grams) tipo 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
3 eggs

PLACE flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre.  Add eggs and stir with a fork until mixture just comes together.
TURN onto a clean work surface and knead until smooth and elastic for about 10 minutes.  Cover with plastic wrap for at least 30 minutes. Set aside until required.
DIVIDE the dough into four equal pieces.  Dust with flour and flatten with the palm of your hand.
USING a pasta machine each piece of dough through the widest setting of the pasta machine (my machine has 9 settings 1 being the widest and 9 the narrowest)  four or five times , folding the dough in half lengthways each time you  feed it through the rollers. This step laminates the dough and makes the pasta smooth and elastic.
CONTINUE feeding the pasta through the machine, reducing the setting notch by notch. Each sheet of pasta needs to pass through each setting only once.  I like to stop rolling at setting 7 when the pasta sheet is about 2 – 3 mm-thick.
LAY the rolled pasta sheets on a clean tablecloth lightly dusted with flour. Cover with a tea towel until ready to assemble the rotolo.

 

Pumpkin and Ricotta Filling

1 butternut pumpkin (about 900gm), cut into 2cm pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
sea salt flakes and  freshly ground pepper
750 grams ricotta
1 egg
½ cup (40 grams) finely grated parmesan, plus extra for serving
½ finely grated nutmeg

PREHEAT oven to 180 C. Place pumpkin in a roasting pan.  Sprinkle with dried chilli flakes, drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Roast until pumpkin is soft, about 45 minutes. Set aside.
STRAIN ricotta through a fine sieve into a large bowl to remove any excess moisture.  Once strained combine well with egg, parmesan and nutmeg.  Season to taste. Set aside.

To Assemble the Rotolo

LAY the pasta sheets side by side, overlapping slightly, to form a 30 cm x 60 cm rectangle. Trim ends and brush the long edges with water, pressing lightly to join the edges.
SPREAD the ricotta mixture evenly over the pasta sheet, leaving a 2cm border. Arrange pumpkin over ricotta and then, with longest side facing you, and using the tablecloth as a guide, carefully roll the pasta to enclose the filling (much like a Swiss roll or roulade).
WRAP the rotolo in a clean tea towel lined with a sheet of baking paper and  secure the ends with string.
PLACE in a deep roasting pan or fish kettle. Fill with enough boiling water to completely cover the rotolo. Add sea salt to the water and simmer gently until pasta is al dente.  About 20 minutes.
CAREFULLY remove to a chopping board and stand for 10 minutes. Gently unwrap, trim ends, then cut into 8 even slices with a sharp knife.
TO SERVE place slices of rotolo in a ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. Bake in a hot 180 C oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
DRIZZLE plated rotolo with burnt butter sauce and garnish with crisp sage leaves.

Sage Burnt Butter Sauce 

80 grams unsalted butter
16 sage leaves
juice of half a lemon

MELT butter in a pan over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes until golden brown.  Add the sage leaves and stir for 30 seconds until crisp.  Remove sage from pan and drain well on paper towels,
TAKE the pan off the  heat, squeeze half a lemon into the burnt butter sauce  and pour immediately into a serving jug.

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