The 5-2 Challenge. The Perfect Steak. Seared Beef Eye Fillet With Caponata.

Posted on May 31, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Seared Beef Eye Fillet With Caponata

With each passing fast day I find I  am acquiring an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the calorie value of the food I like to eat. If the truth be known I find calorie counting  incredibly tiresome and dreary. Unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil if I  am to have any success with this eating plan. With each passing week I am managing to put more food on my plate for my meagre allocation of just 500 calories a day. Whilst I don’t exactly look forward to fasting, I definitely appreciate my feast days.

I’m glad to say that I am progressing past the predictable soups and salads. Today’s focus? Beef. Lean, trimmed eye fillet steak to be precise. At only 152 calories per each 100 gram serve it lends itself perfectly to a fast day treat. A little more expensive than your average cut of meat but a little goes a long way. Tonight’s offering was well received.  A rich and buttery medium rare steak.  Seared to perfection. Served with a sweet and  sour, slightly spicy caponata relish.

Breakfast
1 Cup Tea
2
Lunch
½  Toasted Blueberry Bagel With 1 Teaspoon Ricotta
173
Mid Afternoon
1 Cup Tea
2
Dinner
Seared Beef Eye Fillet Steak
238
1 Serve Caponata
80
1 Cup Tea
2
Total Calories
497

Seared Beef Eye Fillet Steaks

Serves 4 (238 calories per serve)

4 x 150 g Eye Fillet Steak (228 calories each)
1 teaspoon olive oil ( 40 calories)
generous grinding of freshly cracked black pepper

TAKE eye fillet steaks  out of the fridge and bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking.
HEAT a griddle pan until smoking hot.
SEASON the steaks with a generous grinding of pepper and  pat with olive oil.
SEAR for 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or longer until cooked to your liking.
REMOVE  from the griddle pan and allow to rest  for 5 minutes.

Caponata

Serves 6 ( 80 calories per serve)

1 tablespoon olive oil (120 calories)
2 anchovy fillets (16 calories)
2 medium eggplant, chopped into chunks (6 cups) (120 calories)
1 heaped tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (3 calories)
2 red onions, peeled and chopped (60 calories)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (8 calories)
2 red capsicums, roasted, deseeded, peeled and chopped into chunks (60 calories)
1/3 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, reserve a handful of picked leaves for presentation (10 calories)
1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (1 calorie)
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar (20 calories)
1 teaspoon brown sugar, to balance the acidity (17 calories)
1 can peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped (32 calories)
¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock (optional) (10 calories)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

POUR olive oil into a large heavy based pan. When the oil is hot melt the anchovy fillets for a few minutes until they disappear into the oil.
ADD the eggplant, chilli flakes and oregano. Fry for about fifteen minutes until soft and golden, stirring often to avoid burning.
ADD onions and garlic and cook for a further ten minutes. Add a little chicken or vegetable stock to the pan if the mixture becomes a little dry.
ADD parsley and roasted capsicum. Stir well to combine.
MIX together the sugar and vinegar. Pour over the vegetables and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes.
WHEN all the vinegar has evaporated, add the tomatoes and simmer for around 15 minutes or until tender.
TASTE before serving and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a little more vinegar.

Posted in Beef, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Warm Sticky Date, Apple and Walnut Pudding With Caramel Sauce.

Posted on May 29, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Sticky Date Pudding

Sticky Date Pudding. A classic winter dessert. Comfort food my family loves to turn to when the weather is miserable and we are cocooned at home. Grated apple added to the batter adds another layer of lusciousness to this well-loved pudding.

This has to be the perfect make ahead dessert. Good enough to serve at a dinner party. The quantities provided make a very substantial pudding. Enough to squirrel away a good portion to the freezer for another time. That’s if I’m on my toes and think ahead quickly before the hungry hordes descend upon the kitchen for seconds. After all I was very fortunate to get this photo for the blog. The dessert bowls disappeared from the kitchen counter before I had time to grab my camera.

Warm Sticky Date, Apple and Walnut Pudding With Caramel Sauce.

10 – 12  generous serves

2 cups (250g) plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
225 g unsalted butter
1 cup (250g) brown sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 large granny smith apple, peeled and grated
1 1/2 cups (150g) walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup (185g) dates, pitted and chopped
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 cup (250ml) warm water

For the Caramel sauce

1 1/2 cups (375 g) brown sugar
200 g unsalted butter
3/4 cup (200 ml) cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

DISSOLVE the bicarbonate of soda in warm water and pour over the chopped dates. Cover with cling wrap and set aside for at least one hour, longer if possible. Overnight works well.
PREHEAT oven to 180 C. Butter and flour a 20cm x 20cm square cake tin.
SIFT together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
ADD the apples and walnuts to the softened date mixture.
IN A separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
BEAT in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition,
USING a wooden spoon stir the apple, date and walnut mixture into the creamed butter and sugar  in two or three batches. Alternating with the flour. Be careful not to overmix.
POUR batter into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for up to an hour until a skewer inserted into the centre of the pudding comes out clean.
SERVE warm with caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice-cream.

To Prepare the Caramel Sauce

PLACE all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat then simmer  gently on low heat for 5 minutes.

Posted in Baked, Sweet Treats, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The 5-2 Challenge. A Fast Day Calorie Counting Conundrum. Pea and Ham Soup.

Posted on May 28, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Pea and Ham Soup

One of my favourite meals when the weather turns cold is soup. Warm, nourishing, stick to your ribs comfort food. Top of the list? Pea and ham soup. Everyone else must have had the same idea today. I ventured out to the butcher to purchase a ham hock but every single last one was sold. All that remained were smoked bacon bones. A word of advice from my friendly butcher? It all boils down to a  choice between using ham hocks for the meat or  smoked bacon bones for the flavour. Excuse the pun. So I duly purchased a kilo of bacon bones and some finely sliced prosciutto to use as a garnish for my soup as a substitute for the shredded meat from the unavailable ham hock.

The flavour imparted from those bacon bones was incredible. The result was a delicious and very tasty pea and ham soup. The real fun began when I tried to calculate the calorie count of those bacon bones. Such a fast day calorie counting conundrum that I almost gave up in pure frustration.

I think I spent more time figuring this out than preparing the soup. One site would have me believe that a kilo of lean bacon bones without any meat attached would yield almost 2000 calories. A nonsense when you consider the calorie count of one shredded ham hock is 167 calories. In the end I googled the calorie value of bacon bone stock. Each cup of stock yields 20 calories. Rather than cook the stock separately I incorporated the calorie value of ten cups of bacon bone stock into the recipe. Sometimes common sense needs to prevail.

This recipe for Pea and Ham Soup is well worth trying using either version.  I like to freshen up the texture of my soup by blitzing frozen peas through at the end. It really does add an interesting vibrancy in flavour and appearance to this much loved soup.  The calorie count will be slightly higher, by about 10 calories per cup. if using the more traditional ham hocks.  When all is said and done here is my day on a plate. One thing is apparent, the cooler weather is certainly fueling my cappuccino cravings and playing havoc with my resolve.

Breakfast
1 Skim Milk Cappuccino
70
Lunch
1 Cup Pea and Ham Soup with Prosciutto
160
Mid Afternoon
1 Cup Tea
2
Dinner
2 Cups  Pea and Ham Soup
280
1 Cup tea
2
Total Calories
514

Pea and Ham Soup
Makes 15 cups (140 calories a cup plus 20 calories per each thin slice prosciutto )

1 tablespoon olive oil (120 calories)
1 kg smoked bacon bones ( 200 calories)*
1 large onion, finely sliced (30 calories)
1 leek, finely sliced (27 calories)
2 large carrots, diced (50 calories)
4 celery sticks, diced (34 calories)
2 parsnips, diced (150 calories)
4 cloves garlic, crushed (16 calories)
bouquet garni of 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs thyme and 2 sprigs rosemary (6 calories)
300g (1 1/2 cups) dried green or yellow split peas (1008 calories)
450g  (4 cups) frozen green peas (440 calories)
2.5 litres (10 cups) water plus 500 ml (2 cups)

100 g (about 10 very thin slices) prosciutto, to garnish (200 calories)

SOAK  the bacon bones in a pot of warm water for half an hour to remove a little of their saltiness. At the same time also soak the dried split peas in a separate bowl of warm water and a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to soften. After half an hour separately strain both the bacon bones and dried split peas, discarding the soaking water. Set aside.
FINELY  slice leek and celery. Fry in the base of a large stock pot with olive oil until soft and translucent.
ADD carrots, celery, parsnips and garlic  to the pot. Sauté lightly until vegetables just begin to soften.
ADD bacon bones, split peas and bouquet garni with 10 cups of water.
BRING to the boil, and skim any impurities off the top of the soup.  Turn heat to lowest setting, cover and allow to simmer very gently for 2 to 3 hours.
TURN off the heat. Remove  the bouquet garni and bacon bones. Purée the soup in the stockpot with a stick blender to the desired consistency.
DEFROST  frozen peas in 2 cups of hot water. Add to the stock pot and blend until soup is a vivid green in colour.
RETURN stockpot to the stove and reheat gently over medium heat.
TO SERVE ladle soup into preheated bowls or mugs. Garnish with crispy prosciutto if desired.

* One kilo of bacon bones can be replaced with two ham hocks. According to the Fatsecret website one ham hock yields 167 calories after cooking with the bone removed. Calorie count of two ham hocks is 334 calories compared to 200 for the bacon bones. This would add about 10 calories to each cup of soup.

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

Sunday Night Tray Bake. Roasted Chipolata Sausages With Potatoes, Fennel and Cherry Tomatoes

Posted on May 27, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Sausage and Potato Tray Bake

Sunday night tray bake. Family food.  After the sudden onset of chilly weather and a busy weekend of sport, sport and more sport it fits the bill perfectly. Warm and filling. Quick and easy to prepare. Another dish that looks after itself in the oven. Its a meal that I used to prepare often when my children were younger. Somehow it dropped off the radar but was reintroduced into my repertoire last night with much appreciation.

Roasted Chipolata Sausages With Potatoes, Fennel and Cherry Tomatoes

Serves 6 – 8

1 kg good quality pork chipolata sausages
6 medium potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, core removed and cut into eighths
2 stalks fresh rosemary
1 garlic bulb, unpeeled, top sliced off
50ml  extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) chicken stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 slices of  sourdough bread, torn
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
handful  of continental parsley chopped

PREHEAT oven to 200 C.
ARRANGE sausages, potato, sweet potato, onions, fennel, rosemary and  garlic in a large baking dish. Drizzle over the stock and all but 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Toss well to combine. Season with  salt and pepper.
TEAR the sourdough bread  into bite size pieces and drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to ensure bread is evenly coated. Set aside.
ROAST  the sausage and vegetables in the oven for 30 – 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
SCATTER cherry tomatoes  and sourdough bread evenly over the tray and bake for a further 10 – 15 minutes  until tomatoes are tender and bread golden.
REMOVE the baking dish from oven. Squeeze roasted garlic from its skin and sprinkle over chopped parsley.
SERVE straight from the baking dish with a green salad.
Posted in Pork, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Weekend Brunch. A Spanish Treat. Churros With Hot Chocolate

Posted on May 25, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Churros

I well remember my first taste of churros. Cafe Hernandez in Potts Point. Circa 1985. Open around the clock.  A late night and early morning haunt. Famous for hot chocolate and churros. A Sydney institution that has withstood the test of time. One bite and I was hooked.  Spanish style doughnuts. A real treat. Crisp, crunchy and sugary on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Dipped in a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Incredibly delicious and moreish.

For years I thought churros exotic. Definitely not something I would attempt at home. A guilty pleasure. Not widely available. A few years ago the secret was out. They are quite simple and quick to make. From basic pantry ingredients. Eggs. Water. Butter. Flour. Nothing more complicated than choux pastry. Spooned into a piping bag with a star tip. Fried in oil. Rolled in cinnamon sugar.

The perfect offering for a weekend brunch. Particularly so when the weather is wet and miserable and all I want to do is stay cosy and warm indoors. Churros and hot chocolate. A marriage made in heaven.

Churros With Hot Chocolate
Serves 4

100 g butter, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (90g) sugar, for sprinkling
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, for sprinkling
sunflower oil, for frying

COMBINE butter and water in saucepan, bring to the boil. When butter has melted and water boiling rapidly, add sifted flour and salt all at once.
STIR vigorously until the mixture is glossy and pulls away from the side of the saucepan to form a smooth ball.
TRANSFER to a bowl. Cool slightly and beat in eggs a little at a time.  The pastry dough should be smooth and stretchy and fall easily off a wooden spoon.
SPOON the dough into a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle. Set aside until ready to fry.
COMBINE caster sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Set aside for sprinkling on the hot churros.
FILL a large, heavy bottomed saucepan with sunflower oil, about one-third full.
HEAT the oil to 170C or until a small piece of bread browns in less than 30 seconds.
PIPE churros directly into the hot oil, cutting them with a pair of scissors into the length you want. Be careful not to cook any more than four lengths at any one time, to prevent them from sticking to one another.
FRY for about 3 to 4 minutes until crispy and golden. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
SPRINKLE with the cinnamon sugar and serve immediately with your favourite  hot chocolate.

A Thick Hot Chocolate Recipe

200g good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
250ml (1 cup) milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar

COMBINE all ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

Posted in Chocolate, Small Bites, Sweet Treats, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The 5-2 Challenge. Something Warming. Oven Roasted Capsicums With A Spicy Cherry Tomato, Chickpea And Couscous Stuffing.

Posted on May 24, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Capsicum Stuffed With Cous Cous

Today was unrelentlessly cold, wet and rainy. The perfect excuse for a skim milk cappuccino to brighten an otherwise dreary day. I know I have supposedly sworn off cappuccinos on fast days but this cup was planned for and incorporated into my day’s eating plan. On days like this I crave something warming. Dinner tonight was oven roasted capsicums filled with a spicy couscous stuffing. Seasoned with harissa and ginger. Studded with chickpeas, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs. Colourful on the plate. Big on flavour. Enormously satisfying and filling.

Notwithstanding that errant cappuccino I think this must have been one of most successful fasting days yet.

Mid Morning
1 Skim Milk Cappuccino
70
Lunch
2 Soft Boiled Eggs
150
Mid Afternoon
1 Cup Tea
2
Dinner
Capsicum With Spicy Couscous Stuffing
240
1 cup tea
2
Total Calories
464

Oven Roasted Capsicums With  A Spicy Cherry Tomato, Chickpea And Couscous Stuffing.

Serves 4 ( 240 calories per serve)

4 capsicums  (240 calories)
1 tablespoon  olive oil (120 calories)
1 onion , thinly sliced (30 calories)
1/2 punnet (1 cup)  cherry tomatoes, halved (27 calories)
good chunk fresh root ginger, grated ( 3 calories)
1 tablespoon harissa paste (65 calories)
400g  can chickpeas , net weight 220 g rinsed and drained (210 calories)
3/4 cup ( 120 g )couscous (240 calories)
3/4 cup hot chicken or vegetable stock (15 calories)
handful coriander , chopped (3 calories)
handful parsley, chopped (3 calories)
handful mint, chopped (3 calories)
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon (2 calories)

PREHEAT oven to 180 C.  Line a small baking dish with baking paper.
HEAT olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion for one to two minutes  until just softened.
ADD the harissa and ginger to the pan and cook for a minute or so until fragrant.
ADD couscous to the pan. Stir through to coat with the spices then pour over the hot stock.
REMOVE from heat and cover the pan with a lid or foil. Leave for about 5 mins until the couscous has soaked up all the stock and is soft.
FLUFF up the couscous with a fork, add halved cherry tomatoes, drained and rinsed chickpeas, herbs and lemon juice. Stir well to combine. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
CUT the stems and one centimetre off the top of the capsicums. Scoop out the seeds and membranes.
FILL the capsicums with the prepared couscous mixture. Stand upright in a baking dish. Bake covered with tin foil for 30 minutes, and uncovered for a further 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Posted in Vegetables, Vegetarian, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bring a Plate. Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea. Freshly Baked Scones With Jam and Cream

Posted on May 22, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Scones

Tomorrow Thursday May 23rd is the official date for this year’s Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea. For 20 years the Cancer Council has used this initiative to raise much needed funds for cancer research.

The idea is simple but effective.  Cancer is  something that touches most families. Many of us are close to someone who has battled cancer or perhaps even lost a loved one to cancer. Some of us may even be facing our own personal battle.

Right around the country,  in our  homes, schools and workplaces, Australians will come together tomorrow morning over a cup of tea to raise awareness about cancer. In the process we will raise much needed funds for cancer research through a gold coin donation.

I’ll be attending a casual get together. Nothing too elaborate. I’ll be bringing with me a plate of freshly baked scones. Warm out of the oven. Wrapped in a tea towel. Served with raspberry jam and whipped cream. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.

Freshly Baked Scones With Jam and Cream

Makes 16

3 cups self-raising flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
80g butter, cubed
1 to 1 1/4 cups warm milk
generous squeeze of lemon juice
jam and whipped cream, to serve

PREHEAT oven to 200 C.  Lightly dust a flat baking tray with plain flour.
SIFT self-raising flour into a large bowl. Add sugar and stir well to combine.
USING your fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
MAKE a well in the centre of the flour. Add warm milk and lemon juice. Using a flat-bladed knife mix until the dough just begins to come together.
TURN onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until a soft dough forms, adding a little more milk if necessary.
PAT dough into a 2cm-thick round. Using a 5 cm diameter round cutter dipped in flour, cut out 12 rounds. Press dough together and cut out another 4 rounds.
PLACE scones onto prepared baking tray at least 1 cm apart. Brush tops with a little milk.
BAKE for 20 minutes or slightly less (depending on your oven) until golden and well risen. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm with jam and cream.

Posted in Baked, Sweet Treats, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

The 5-2 Challenge. A Surprisingly Low Calorie Count. Cauliflower, Potato and Leek Soup With Crispy Prosciutto.

Posted on May 21, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Cauliflower, Potato and Leek Soup

Autumn has finally descended upon Sydney. There is a definite chill in the air. Cooler weather is synonymous with comfort food. In my books there is nothing more comforting on a chilly day than a big bowl of warming soup.

A couple of months ago I posted a recipe for a deliciously creamy Non Dairy Potato and Leek Soup. This is exactly what I felt like eating today. However, it being a fast day I would need to be careful with the tedious  calorie count.

Since embarking on the 5-2 Challenge I have become a slave to calorie counting and  ingredient substitution. Quite recently I successfully substituted Cauliflower and Cannellini Bean Mash for regular mashed potatoes. All the texture and creaminess of a comforting mash for a fraction of the calories. With a small head of cauliflower in the refrigerator I set about reinventing a potato and leek soup recipe to accommodate my fast day. I used just enough potato to give the soup structure. The result was awesome. Deliciously creamy with just a hint of cauliflower. Just 74 calories for a standard 250 ml cup leaving more than enough room for a crispy garnish for my soup.

I contemplated oven baked croutons but on a whim googled the calorie count of  crisp crumbled shards of prosciutto. Surprisingly, according to the Fatsecret website 100 grams of prosciutto contains just 200 calories. Sliced to order by my very obliging deli 100 g yielded 10 paper-thin slices of prosciutto. Crisped over a dry griddle pan they provided the perfect finishing touch to a very creamy soup. The total calorie count for this meal was so impressive I managed to squeeze in two small slices of a seeded bread stick.

All in all a very satisfying fast day coming in just under my daily 500 calorie limit.

Breakfast
1 cup  tea
2
Lunch
Soft Boiled Egg and Slice of Toast
135
Mid Afternoon
1 serving Cauliflower Soup With Prosciutto
94
Dinner
2 Servings Cauliflower Soup With Prosciutto
188
2 small slices seeded French bread stick
75
1 cup tea
2
Total Calories
497

Cauliflower, Potato and Leek Soup With Crispy Prosciutto

Makes 10 cups  (74 calories per cup of soup plus 20 calories per each thin slice prosciutto)

1 tablespoon olive oil (120 calories)
1 brown onion, diced (46 calories)
3 cloves garlic, crushed (12 calories)
4 celery sticks, sliced (34 calories)
2 leeks, white part only, sliced ( 54 calories)
3 medium potatoes (1 1/2 cups) peeled and diced (160 calories)
1 medium head cauliflower, divided into small florets (144 calories)
2 litres  (8 cups) chicken or vegetable stock (160 calories)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to season

2 tablespoon  chives, snipped (2 calories) to garnish
10 slices (100g) prosciutto, very thinly sliced (200 calories) to garnish

HEAT oil in a large cast iron or similar saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft and transparent.
ADD the leeks and cook, stirring, for a further 5 minutes until leeks soften. Do not allow the leeks or onions to brown.
ADD the cauliflower, celery and potato and cook, stirring for a further 5 minutes, until the potato begins to soften a little.
ADD the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until potato is cooked. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
PUREE soup in batches in the jug of a blender or in the pot with a hand-held immersion stick blender.
HEAT a griddle pan over a high flame. When hot quickly sear prosciutto slices on both sides until crisp.
REHEAT soup just before serving.  Check seasoning. Ladle the soup among serving bowls.  Serve immediately garnished with snipped chives and crumbled prosciutto.

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

Sunday Night Dessert. Deconstructed Cassata Siciliana. Sweet Roulade Filled With Cassata Cream.

Posted on May 20, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Sponge Roulade With Cassata Creme

This dessert looks fabulous, tastes delicious but is incredibly quick and easy to make.  My deconstructed take on Cassata Siciliana. A festive, much loved but elaborate celebration cake. It’s Sunday and not wanting to spend my day in the kitchen, I’ve simply borrowed its key components. A light and airy vanilla sponge. A sweet ricotta filling. Studded with nuggets of candied citrus and dark chocolate. Surprisingly straightforward to adapt into a sweet roulade. Nothing more than a thin sheet of vanilla sponge, rolled and filled with a ricotta cream.

The  vanilla sponge can be whipped up in no time at all from basic pantry ingredients. It needs just 10 minutes or so in a hot oven. Once cooled it can be rolled and filled with just about anything. Jam and cream, fruit puree or even ice cream. Today I’ve chosen a cassata cream.

A Sweet Roulade Filled With Cassata Cream
Serves 6

For the Sponge

3 eggs
80g (1/3 cup) caster sugar, plus extra for finishing
1 tablespoon warm water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
80g (a little over 1/2 cup) plain flour
salt

PREHEAT oven to 190 C.  Grease and line the base of the 22 x 33 cm Swiss roll or small roasting tin with baking paper.
WHISK the eggs, vanilla and caster sugar together in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until the mixture is pale, light and fluffy.
FOLD in warm water with a metal spoon. This should help prevent the sponge from cracking when you roll it later.
SIFT over the flour and salt and fold into the mixture using a large metal spoon. Avoid over mixing as this will knock the air out of the sponge.
POUR  the mixture gently into the prepared tin. Smooth with a palette knife or back of a large spoon.
BAKE in hot oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the centre of the cake is slightly springy and the edges have shrunk a little from the sides of the tin.
REMOVE the sponge from the oven and turn out over a large sheet of baking paper sprinkled evenly with caster sugar. This sheet of baking paper will be used as a guide to lift and roll the roulade. The sugar will help prevent the cake from sticking to the paper as it cools.
LEAVE to cool for ten minutes then carefully remove the tin and its lining paper from the top of the cake, and leave to cool completely. Place a slightly damp, clean tea towel over the cake while it cools to help prevent it drying out and cracking when you roll it.

For the Cassata Cream

400g fresh ricotta
55g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
50g  dark chocolate, finely chopped
50g  candied orange peel, finely chopped

USING an electric mixer beat the ricotta, heavy cream, sugar, orange rind and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth.
STIR in the chocolate, and orange peel. Set aside.

To Assemble the Roulade

SPREAD cassata cream in an even layer over the sponge  cake leaving a centimetre or two around the edges to ensure the filling doesn’t ooze out the sides when rolled.
WITH the shortest side facing you, begin to roll up the sponge as tightly as possible, using the sugared sheet of baking paper to lift and roll.
ONCE rolled transfer the roulade to a serving platter ensuring the join is underneath. Decorate with candied orange peel. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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

Pizza Friday. Mixed Mushroom, Confit Garlic and Goats Cheese Pizza.

Posted on May 18, 2013 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Mushroom and Goats Cheese Pizza

We are very lucky to have a fabulous pizzeria in our neighbourhood. Pizza Moncur. Just around the corner from our house. One of the many perks of inner city living. The problem is that this little pizzeria is so fabulous that rain, hail or shine there is always a queue impatiently waiting to secure one of the prized tables. Of course there is always the option of take-out, but I love the ambience and service so much that I will always prefer to eat in.

One of my favourite Pizza Moncur offerings is a Mushroom, Confit Garlic and Goats Cheese pizza. It’s simply divine. Last night my husband and I were meeting friends for dinner. There were balls of pizza dough and tomato sugo in the freezer, a log of goats cheese and a punnet of mixed mushrooms in the fridge. Hidden away in the corner of the top shelf of the refrigerator there was an almost empty jar of one of my pantry staples confit garlic. What to feed the girls? A no brainer really. My version of  a Mushroom, Confit Garlic and Goats cheese pizza. Totally inspired by Pizza Moncur. Delizioso.

Mixed Mushroom, Confit Garlic and Goats Cheese Pizza

1 ball pizza dough (recipe here)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely diced
500g mixed gourmet mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
4 cloves or more confit garlic, quartered  (recipe here)
3 – 4 tablespoons tomato sugo (recipe below)
75g  mozzarella, shredded
100g soft  goats cheese, crumbled
sea salt and pepper

PREHEAT oven to 250 C. Place a cold pizza stone in the oven.
IN A WOK sauté onions  in olive oil on high heat until translucent. Add mushrooms and continue to sauté  until soft. Stir in the confit garlic and season with one tablespoon of the fresh thyme, sea salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
STRETCH pizza dough over a sheet of baking paper to fit the pizza stone
LIGHTLY spread prepared tomato sugo over the pizza base. Scatter shredded mozzarella cheese and remaining thyme evenly over the sugo and top with the cooled mushroom mixture.
TRANSFER to hot pizza stone and bake in hot oven for about 15 minutes or until pizza base is crisp and golden.
FINISH with crumbled goats cheese to serve.

Tomato Sugo

This is a very simple tomato sauce. Perfect for pizza toppings, bruschetta or tossed through pasta.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1/2 small garlic clove, minced
1 400 gm can of crushed tomatoes
sea salt and pepper
HEAT the olive oil in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes until onion is translucent.
ADD tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 15 – 20 minutes until tomato mixture is reduced by half.
STORE in refrigerator in an air tight container until ready to use. Suitable to freeze.

Posted in Pizza, Small Bites, Vegetarian, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments