Celebrating Australia Day. Pavlova Roulade With Lemon Curd, Peaches, Raspberries And Coconut.

Posted on January 26, 2015 by thepaddingtonfoodie


My lemon tree is bearing fruit this summer. Consistently. At last. Perhaps because in spite of my decidedly non green thumb I’ve remembered to water it. Almost every  day. The perfect excuse to make lemon curd. My way. One lemon at a time. In small batches. One pot and ten lazy minutes  effortlessly transforms a little sugar, butter, egg and lemon into a smooth and silky curd. No double boilers. No tempering of eggs. No curdling or catching of the mixture on the bottom of the pan.

To celebrate Australia Day this long weekend, I’m folding gloriously tangy lemon curd through whipped creme fraiche and using it to fill a pavlova roulade. Topped with peak season peaches and raspberries, it’s sure to be a delicious hybrid of our classic national dessert. Sadly, in the stifling heat of mid summer it’s way too hot to turn the oven on for hours on end to produce a traditional and quintessentially Australian pavlova. Fortunately a roulade takes no more than twenty minutes to bake in a moderate oven, and so becomes an easy, no brainer substitution for me. One post, two short cuts with plenty of time to sit back and enjoy the long weekend.

Pavlova Roulade With Lemon Curd, Peaches, Raspberries And Coconut

Pavlova Roulade With Lemon Curd, Peaches, Raspberries And Coconut
Serves 8

Pavlova Roulade
6 large egg whites
generous pinch salt
1 1/2 heaped teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/4 cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 1/2 heaped teaspoons cornflour
1/2 cup icing sugar, for rolling
1/2 cup dessicated coconut, lightly toasted, for rolling

Lemon Curd Filling
50g butter, cubed
1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
1 egg, whisked
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
250 grams creme fraiche

Fruit
2 large ripe peaches, thinly sliced
1 punnet raspberries, washed and dried
3 basil leaves, finely shredded

PREHEAT oven to 150 C fan-forced. Line a large 35cm x 30cm oven tray with non stick baking paper.
TO MAKE LEMON CURD, whisk together sugar, egg, lemon rind and juice in a small saucepan. Add butter cubes and place the pan over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
TO MAKE PAVLOVA ROULADE, place egg whites and a generous pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl, whisk to soft peaks.
ADD cream of tartar and gradually beat in the caster sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is thick and glossy.
FOLD through vanilla and cornflour until just combined.
SPREAD meringue mixture in an even layer over baking paper lined tray. Smooth top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, until soft but firm to the touch.
MEANWHILE place a medium glass or metal mixing bowl and beaters or whisk into the refrigerator to chill. These will be used to whip the creme fraiche.
DUST a clean tea towel with icing sugar, then sprinkle over lightly toasted coconut. Invert the pavlova, top side down, onto the tea towel and carefully peel away the baking paper. Allow to cool for a further 15 minutes.
SLICE peaches into thin wedges.
PLACE creme fraiche into chilled mixing bowl. Whip with chilled whisk or beaters until soft peaks form, about 3 – 5 minutes. The creme fraiche should be light and double in volume. Gently fold through the chilled lemon curd.
SPREAD lemon curd / creme fraiche mixture over the pavlova base . Roll up tightly, Swiss roll style, using the tea towel as a guide.
TRANSFER pavlova roulade to a platter. Scatter over thinly sliced peaches and raspberries. Garnish with finely shredded basil. Serve.

Posted in Baked, Fruit, Sweet Treats, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Eat, Fast and Live Longer. A 5-2 Fast Diet Recipe Idea Under 200 Calories. Tuscan Style Shredded Kale, Fennel And Radish Salad.

Posted on January 23, 2015 by thepaddingtonfoodie
https://thepaddingtonfoodie.com/2015/01/23/eat-fast-and-live-longer-a-5-2-fast-diet-recipe-idea-under-200-calories-tuscan-style-shredded-kale-fennel-and-radish-salad/

Shredded kale as a summer salad  hit my radar a couple of weeks ago dining out at The Fish Shop in trendy Potts Point. Served as an accompaniment to a plate of scallop and corn fritters, it took me completely by surprise. Sweet, silky and deliciously addictive. Not even the merest hint of the biting bitterness so often associated with sturdy greens.

I’m no stranger to this popular superfood, I often add it to hearty winter minestrones or crisp it in the oven in pursuit of fashionable kale chips. But… I can’t remember ever using it raw. Perhaps because I’ve long considered it to be rather grassy and fibrous, favouring tender radicchio for my bitter greens salads. Happily, I’ve now discovered something new.

It seems the secret to transforming those verdant sturdy leaves into something moreishly delicious is really rather simple. All that is required is to strip them from their ribs and fibrous stalks, before shredding and tossing  into a very large bowl with a little olive oil, salt, lemon and the preferred flavouring du jour (at present I have developed a penchant for garlic and maybe chilli). Then the fun begins; squeeze, pummel, rub or massage those shreds into submission with clean finger tips. The aim is to break down the cell structure of the kale just a little to tenderise the leaves and remove the bitterness. Before too long the volume of kale in the bowl will decrease and the leaves will become soft, sweet and shiny. It only takes a few minutes to produce the perfect mainstay for a very tasty salad. For added interest I’ve been pairing my leaves with finely shaved fennel and radish, a smattering of pine nuts and grating of parmesan. As always, there are no hard and fast rules, add whatever is in season and takes your fancy.

With a family full of picky eaters  discerning palates, who would have dreamed this Tuscan Style Shredded Kale, Fennel and Radish Salad would fast become a popular, much requested fixture in our  household dinner rotation. Happily, not only is it incredibly easy to prepare, it’s also very, very good for you. And… at only 162 calories for a massive (deceptively satisfying) plateful, effortlessly qualifies as a 5-2 fast day meal idea.

Tuscan Style Shredded Kale, Fennel And Radish Salad
Serves 4 (162 calories per generously packed 2 cup serve)

1 large bunch kale, rinsed and dried, ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise (about 500g shredded weight) (250 calories)
finely grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (12 calories)
1 garlic clove, grated (4 calories)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (240 calories)
1 baby fennel bulb (33 calories)
5 red radishes (5 calories)
1 tablespoons pine nuts (58 calories)
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan (44 calories)
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

PLACE thinly sliced kale in a very large bowl and toss with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and zest and a generous pinch of sea salt. Massage with your fingertips for two or three minutes until kale is shiny and well-coated. The leaves should be a little darker in colour and volume decreased by a third. Set aside for fifteen minutes.
MEANWHILE lightly toast pine nuts in a hot heavy based pan. Set aside to cool. Using a mandolin or very sharp knife very finely slice or shave fennel bulb and radishes. Reserve fennel fronds for garnish.
ADD fennel, radish and pine nuts to kale mixture. Toss well to combine. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
TRANSFER salad to a serving platter, scatter over freshly grated parmesan and picked fennel fronds.

Posted in Salad, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Lazy Summer Entertaining. Barbecued Flattened Chicken With A Lime And Coconut Pilaf.

Posted on January 19, 2015 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Barbecued Flattened Chicken With A Lime And Coconut Pilaf

Summertime and the livin’ is easy. Never more so than at dinner time when we fire up the barbecue and dine al fresco on the back deck. My idea of holiday cooking is to marinade chicken, beef, lamb, seafood or even vegetables and simply hand it to my boys to grill. Lately, I have been butterflying chickens and legs of lambs to a flat, even thickness  and dousing them with whatever sauces, spices and herbs I have on hand. The running joke in our house is that in winter I prepare a weekly tray-bake to use up leftover root vegetables left languishing in the fridge, whilst in summer I hit a marinade frenzy to make the most of wilting herbs and bits and pieces. There’s method in my madness. Dinner is always on the table in just a little over half and hour and the heat is kept out of the kitchen whilst I prepare an easy side dish or salad.

I love grilling flattened chicken Portuguese style on the barbecue, weighted down by something heavy – in our case foil wrapped bricks. The chicken is beautifully moist and juicy with a wonderfully crisp, deeply burnished crust. Grilled on a sheet of heavy duty foil helps prevent flare ups and makes cleaning the barbecue afterwards extremely easy. After a long run of salads, I like to serve this with a simple kaffir lime infused coconut pilaf. Perfect for lazy summer entertaining when it’s far too hot to spend much time in the kitchen.

Barbecued Flattened Chicken With Lime And Coconut Pilaf

Barbecued Flattened Chicken
Serves 6 -8

2 small (1.2kg) free range chickens
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup coriander leaves and tender stems
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup flat leaf Italian parsley
4 long green spring onions,chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 long red chilli, roughly chopped
juice and finely grated zest of one lemon or two limes
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

BUTTERFLY the chickens. For each chicken use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to cut down either side of the backbone.  Discard the backbone. Open the chicken outwards and using a sharp knife, remove the rib bones. Turn over and flatten the chicken as much as you can with the palm of your hand. When done the birds should be flat and open. You can ask a butcher to do this for you.
COMBINE the marinade ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse  to a rough paste. Adjust seasoning to taste.
PLACE the butterflied, flattened chickens into a wide, shallow dish. Pour over the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before barbecuing.
PREHEAT barbecue to medium-high.  Place a sheet of heavy-duty foil over the grill and separately wrap four bricks in double thickness sheets of foil. These will be used to weigh down the chickens as they cook.
REMOVE chickens from the marinade and place skin-side down over the foil covered grill. Place two foil-covered bricks directly on top of each chicken and barbecue undisturbed for a good 15 minutes until the skin is crisp and deeply golden brown. Remove the bricks, carefully turn the chickens over, then replace the bricks to further flatten the chickens  as they cook on the other side.
BARBECUE chickens for 15 – 20 minutes on the second side. Check for doneness by piercing thickest part of each chicken with a skewer – the juices will run clear when cooked.
REMOVE from grill, loosely tent with foil and leave to rest 10 minutes before jointing and serving with a lime and coconut pilaf.

Lime And Coconut Pilaf
Serves 6

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 cups basmati rice
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
250 ml (1 cup) coconut cream
500ml (2 cups) Campbell’s Real Stock Chicken
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 lime, to serve

PLACE vegetable oil  in a large, heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until onion is soft and translucent.
ADD  rice. Stir over medium heat for a minute or so to ensure the grains are separated and well coated. Add soy sauce, stirring constantly until evaporated.
ADD coconut cream, stock and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes until the rice is tender and liquid absorbed. Remove from heat, discard kaffir lime leaves and fluff with a fork. Season to taste with a little more soy, if necessary.
SQUEEZE over fresh lime to serve.

Posted in Marinades, Pastes and Dressings, Poultry, Rice, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Eat, Fast and Live Longer. A 5-2 Fast Diet Recipe Idea Under 200 Calories. Warm Broccoli ‘Rice’ Salad With Bacon, Garlic, Chilli And Parmesan.

Posted on January 13, 2015 by thepaddingtonfoodie
https://thepaddingtonfoodie.com/2015/01/13/eat-fast-and-live-longer-a-5-2-fast-diet-recipe-idea-under-200-calories-warm-broccoli-rice-salad-with-bacongarlicchilli-and-parmesan/

Still in summer holiday mode, I’m toying around the edges of the 5-2 diet. A day here and there to combat a constant stream of overindulgences is all I can currently comfortably manage. In all honesty I’m not yet ready to  commit to a full blown fast day plan of attack until late January when school resumes and a modicum of structure returns to my day. There’s way too much temptation in play.

Yesterday I picked up big vibrant bunches of broccoli at the market. Stalks and all. We eat a lot of broccoli in our house, particularly so in the winter months when there’s a narrower range of  fresh produce available and cruciferous vegetables are at their very best. In summer, spoilt for choice with a wide ever changing array of peak season offerings on hand, poor old broccoli rarely gets a look in. Needless to say it’s been quite a while since it’s made such a welcome appearance at my table.

Today’s summery fast day  broccoli “rice” salad idea is a tongue in cheek take on all those faddish low carb cauliflower “rice” recipes that have been populating the internet and pinterest boards for quite some time now. Granted, looking back through my files, even I’ve successfully road-tested this clever trend before, posting a 5-2 cauliflower “couscous” recipe some 15 months ago. Today’s version “rices” broccoli in place of cauliflower and combines it with classic southern Italian flavours of bacon, chilli, garlic and parmesan cheese. Reminiscent of one of my family’s favourite broccoli pasta dishes.

Served warm (or cold) it’s topped with very thin slices of lightly pickled broccoli stalk for added depth and interest. A throwback to time spent in my mama’s kitchen where the maxim “waste not, want not” was the mantra of the day. And another excuse to put my favourite new gadget – the spiraliser – to good use. No spiraliser? Use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to shave thin slices off a neatly trimmed stalk. No time or inclination to fuss about with the pickling? Simply “rice” those stalks alongside the broccoli florets. The salad is equally delicious either way for a tiny 115 calories per cup serve.

Warm Broccoli 'Rice' Salad With Bacon, Garlic, Chilli And Parmesan

Warm Broccoli ‘Rice’ Salad With Bacon, Garlic, Chilli And Parmesan
Makes 5 cups (115 calories per cup serve)

3 medium heads (600g) broccoli, florets and stalks (204 calories)
2 teaspoons white sugar (40 calories)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (5 calories)
3 rashers (150g) shortcut bacon (144 calories)
1 tablespoon olive oil (120 calories)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced (8 calories)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chilli flakes (3 calories)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (5 calories)
2 tablespoons parmesan, finely grated (42 calories)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

To Prepare The Broccoli
SEPARATE broccoli into florets and stalks.
TRIM away any tough or woody outer layers from each stalk, then using a sharp knife, vegetable peeler or spiraliser, slice or shred into long thin strips. Set aside.
WORKING in batches, pulse the florets in a food processor until it breaks down into rice-sized pieces.

To Prepare The Salad
PLACE thinly sliced broccoli stalks into a bowl. Sprinkle over sugar and a generous pinch of sea salt. Toss to combine then pour over vinegar. Leave to stand as you prepare the remainder of the salad.
FINELY dice bacon. Add to a dry wok over high heat and cook until golden and crisp.
REDUCE heat to medium, add olive oil, garlic and chilli. Fry until fragrant.
ADD broccoli ‘rice’ to the wok. Sauté for 3 – 5 minutes until broccoli just begins to soften a little, stirring often to ensure it doesn’t catch and burn. Remove from heat and stir through balsamic vinegar.
STRAIN lightly pickled broccoli stalks through a sieve and pat dry with with paper towel.
TO SERVE, transfer broccoli rice to a large serving platter, scatter over thinly sliced stalks. Finish with a grating of parmesan cheese.

Posted in Salads, Vegetables | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

In Celebration Of My 500th Post. Summer Stone Fruit And Whipped Creme Fraiche Tart.

Posted on January 10, 2015 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Summer Stone Fruit & Whipped Creme Fraiche Tart

Sometimes milestones have a way of quietly sneaking up on you and taking you by surprise. Like this one. A little over two years and 500 posts later, I’m amazed that I’m still blogging. Albeit nowhere near as prolifically as in that first year. At first it was easy. So many fabulous recipes to share. Some family favourites handed down through the generations, others retrieved from my vast cookbook collection or Aladdin’s cave of magazine and newspaper clippings residing in my bottom kitchen drawer. All tried and true.

Along the way I stumbled across Michael Mosley’s intriguing BBC documentary Eat, Fast And Live Longer. Something else to write about. How to create interesting plates of food a foodcentric faster would want to eat for under 500 calories a day. That idea captured the imagination of many of my followers. Hence once a week interspersed among my hedonistic feasting there’s a fast day meal idea. The emphasis very firmly on fresh, healthy and vibrant whole food; cooked from scratch, visually appealing and full of flavour.

To be perfectly frank, sometimes the muse abandons me, leaving me stranded high and dry, scratching around searching for something, anything to write about. Those days take a marathon effort to get anything up into the ether. We’ve all been there, done that. That’s why I’m surprised that I’ve actually managed to cook, photograph and write my way through 500 posts.

So to all my followers, commenters, likers and viewers thank you for your encouragement and inspiration. It is you who have made writing The Paddington Foodie worthwhile. In celebration of my 500th post I’m sharing a simple but delicious Summer Stone Fruit And Whipped Creme Fraiche Tart. In keeping with my current relaxed summer holiday vibe it doesn’t take much effort at all to prepare. Fill a home-made or store bought shortcrust pastry shell with lashings of whipped creme fraiche and top with beautifully ripe thinly sliced summer stone fruit.

To be honest whipped creme fraiche has been something of a revelation for me. Whip as you would regular cream using pre chilled beaters and bowl to achieve light and tangy clouds of air. Perfect for dolloping. I love the contrast of the slightly sour creme fraiche against the natural sweetness of the fruit. Finish the tart with a scattering of finely grated lime zest and a dusting of icing sugar. Fast, fresh and impressive.

Whipped Creme Fraiche

Summer Stone Fruit And Whipped Creme Fraiche Tart
Serves 6

1 shortcrust tart shell, homemade (recipe follows) or store bought
1 x 250g tub creme fraiche, chilled
1 large white peach, halved and stone removed
1 large yellow nectarine, halved and stone removed
2 plums, halved and stone removed
finely grated zest of 1 lime
a little sifted icing sugar, to dust

PLACE a medium glass or metal mixing bowl and beaters or whisk into the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes
MEANWHILE slice peach, nectarine and plum halves into very thin wedges.
PLACE creme fraiche into chilled mixing bowl. Whip with chilled whisk or beaters until soft peaks form, about 3 – 5 minutes. The creme fraiche should be light and double in volume.
DOLLOP whipped creme fraiche into the cooled tart shell. Smooth over with a palette knife.
ARRANGE thinly sliced plums, nectarines and peaches in a spiral over the creme fraiche.
SCATTER over finely grated lime zest and dust with icing sugar. Serve

Easy Shortcrust Pastry Tart Shell
Sufficient to line two 20cm tart shells

250g plain flour
100g butter, chilled and diced
100g icing sugar
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten

PLACE flour, icing sugar and butter into bowl of large food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
ADD egg and pulse again until the dough comes together. Wrap in cling wrap, then rest in the fridge for half an hour.
PREHEAT oven to 180C. Grease and line the base of a 20cm loose bottomed tart tin.
REMOVE the chilled pastry from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the pastry until 3-4mm thick. I find it easiest to roll my pastry between two sheets of baking paper. Use the remaining pastry for another tart; pastry can be stored in the freezer for up to 4 weeks.
LINE tart tin with pastry. Peel away the top layer of baking paper from the rolled pastry and invert the pastry sheet into the tin.  The bottom layer of baking paper will now be on top. Peel away, gently press the pastry into the tin and trim any overhanging edges.
CHILL  pastry lined tin in the fridge for 15 minutes before preparing  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 tart shell to the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes until crisp and lightly golden. REMOVE from oven and allow to cool completely before filling.

Posted in Baked, Fruit, Sweet Treats | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Eat, Fast and Live Longer. A 5-2 Fast Diet Recipe Idea Under 300 Calories. Ottolenghi’s Pomegranate, Tomato And Roasted Lemon Salad.

Posted on January 6, 2015 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Roasted Lemon, Pomegranate And Tomato Salad

First post back after an extended Christmas New Year break and I’m slowly and rather reluctantly easing myself back into a 5-2 fast day routine. It’s alarming how quickly two weeks of unfettered feasting and convivial bonhomie can suddenly feel like the norm. And even more confronting how difficult it is to find my blogging mojo after a two week hiatus. It’s summer, the sun is shining and beach beckoning with a stack of holiday reads to get through. Bright idea number one. Write a post whilst idly wiling away time at the beach. Really? That was doomed from the very start.

Ever since its release I have been coveting Yotam Ottolenghi’s new offering, Plenty More. There’s a definite thrill in acquiring a new cookbook. Yes my shelves are groaning, even warping under their weight, but I just can’t bear to part with any of these dear and constant friends. There’s a story behind most of them. Nothing beats the very first browse through, scanning for that elusive recipe that draws my eye again and again, so much so that I instantly know that it will inevitably become a new firm favourite in my repertoire. For me browsing recipes online is not quite the same. I like to feel the heft of a tome in my hands as I flick backwards and forwards through the pages. I love to annotate and am not too precious to leave dog eared pages in my wake.

From this perspective Ottolenghi’s cookbooks never disappoint. The shining star this time round was a gorgeous tomato and roasted lemon salad (page 66). I’ve made it several times already, falling in love with it immediately and even serving it alongside lamb back straps and flattened barbecued chicken at a New Year’s Eve dinner. It’s delicious and effortless to throw together, making the most of our seasonal summer produce.  Best of all  it’s so very easily adaptable as a 5-2 fast day meal idea. One vibrant platter serves two at just 287 calories per serve. I like to think of it as feasting while fasting. Till next time adieu.

Ottolenghi’s Tomato, Pomegranate And Roasted Lemon Salad
Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty More
Serves 2 (287 calories per serve)

Pomegranate Molasses is tart and sweet and  available from good delicatessens and providores, and not too difficult to source. A fair substitute would be a thick, syrup-y aged balsamic vinegar.

500g  mixed small tomatoes (I used cherry heirloom), halved (90 calories)
1 cup pomegranate arils (seeds from 1 medium sized pomegranate) (144 calories)
½ small red onion, very finely sliced (15 calories)
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves with tender stems (6 calories)
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, torn if large (6 calories)
1 lemon, halved lengthwise, pips removed and thinly sliced (12 calories)
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh sage leaves (2 calories)
1 teaspoon sugar (16 calories)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (240 calories)
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (40 calories)
½ teaspoon ground allspice (3 calories)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO PREPARE ROASTED LEMON, preheat oven to 170 C and line an oven tray with baking paper.
BRING a small saucepan of water to the boil. Add lemon slices and blanch for 2 minutes to remove bitterness. Drain and pat dry.
GENTLY toss lemon slices with one tablespoon oil, sage, sugar, and  a liberal sprinkling of salt in a bowl. Spread out in a single layer on prepared oven tray.
BAKE in hot oven until lemons are no longer wet and only slightly colored, about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
TO ASSEMBLE SALAD, whisk together pomegranate molasses, allspice, and remaining tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.
ADD roasted lemons, tomatoes, onion, parsley and mint. Toss gently to combine. Check seasoning before transferring to a platter to serve.

Posted in Salad, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Tis The Night Before Christmas. The Tale Of Mr Nobody And Our Festive Fruit Cake.

Posted on December 24, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Merry Christmas 2014

There’s a mysterious somebody in our house who nobody knows. He’s a frequent visitor, especially at times of major family celebrations, but must be quite shy and reserved as despite much coaxing and cajoling has been most reluctant to reveal himself. I do know he has a penchant for chocolate, ice cream and turkish delight and is incredibly adept at unearthing all the little hiding places I like to squirrel away my cache of festive treats. Perhaps he’s one of Santa’s mischievous little elves. This year he raided my carefully guarded pack of chocolate covered fruit and nut, saved to adorn our traditional Christmas morning fruit cake. Of course I use the term he loosely, as he could quite easily be a she.

Tis the night before Christmas and I’m too tired to deal with our gluttonous intruder’s shenanigans. It’s hot and humid and I was up early to do a morning market run to pick up flowers, cherries and all the last minute festive bits and pieces. Our fridge is groaning but I have been extremely careful not to over pack it. Flashback to a most inconvenient Christmas Eve two years ago when it shuddered violently in protest and packed it. Any impending disaster was diverted only by our unenvironmentally friendly drinks fridge in the garage and a flotilla of ice laden eskies. Of course the blame was squarely levelled on my 6kg brining turkey and an enormous leg of baked ham.Uncharacteristically that year, with so many rich pickings, Mr Nobody stayed away.

This afternoon with almost every item ticked off my to do list, I turned to my very last and favourite task, decorating our Christmas fruit cake. Since our children were very young we have always breakfasted on chocolate fruit cake, cherries and a vanilla custard anglaise on Christmas morning. It’s a family tradition that goes hand in hand with present opening. The cake is always adorned with white chocolate and an assortment of dark chocolate covered fruit and nuts, lovingly sourced from a specialty chocolatier weeks in advance. Obviously the allure of fine chocolate proved far too irresistible to Mr Nobody. What followed was a frantic search through every cupboard and an unwelcome eleventh hour visit back to the shops  and its teeming hoardes of desperate last minute shoppers.

If the recipe looks familiar, its one I posted two years earlier when this blog was in it’s infancy, albeit in mini form in the guise of end of year gifts. Here’s hoping that your Christmas Eve is relatively stress free and tomorrow brings much love, laughter and goodwill. This will be my last post for 2014 as I’ll be taking a break from this blog until the New Year. So to all my dear readers and followers, have a wonderful Christmas and may the year ahead be full of contentment and much joy.

Festive Fruit Cake With Chocolate and Kahlua
Adapted from a recipe by Nigella Lawson

If making a gluten free version of this cake substitute the flour for an additional 1 1/2 cups of ground almonds. Without the flour the cake lacks a little structure but firms up beautifully when refrigerated.

Makes 1 large 25 cm round  cake

1 1/2 cups (350 grams) dried soft prunes, chopped
1 cup (185 grams ) raisins
3/4 cup (125 grams) currants
1/2 cup (60 grams) dried cranberries
175 grams unsalted butter
1 cup (175 grams) dark brown sugar
3/4 cup (175 ml) honey
1/2 cup (125 ml) Kahlua coffee liqueur
2 oranges, zest finely grated and juiced
1 teaspoon mixed spice
2 tablespoons good quality cocoa
3 free-range eggs, beaten
3/4 cup (75 grams) ground almonds
1 cup (150 grams) flour or substitute another 1 1/2 cups ground almonds for the flour if making a gluten free version.
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

To decorate
100 grams white chocolate, melted
75 grams dark chocolate coated fruit and nuts
100g fresh cherries, a few to pile on top and the remainder to scatter around the plate
a fine sprinkling of edible glitter or tiny silver or white cachou balls
pretty ribbon to tie around the cake
assorted miniature Christmas decorations

PREHEAT oven to 150 C. Grease and line one 25 cm round spring-form baking tin, making sure a baking paper collar extends at least 5 cm above the tin. This helps protects the top of the cake from burning.
PLACE the fruit, butter, sugar, honey, coffee liqueur, orange zest and juice, mixed spice and cocoa into a large wide saucepan.
HEAT the mixture until it reaches a gentle boil, stirring the mixture as the butter melts. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.
REMOVE the saucepan from the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
AFTER 30 minutes, the mixture will have cooled a little. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and baking soda, and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients have combined.
CAREFULLY pour the fruitcake mixture into the prepared cake tin. Transfer the cake tin to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The top of the cake should be firm but will have a shiny and sticky look. At this point, if you insert a skewer into the middle of the cake, it will still be a little uncooked in the middle.
PLACE  the cake in its tin on a cooling rack. Once the cake has cooled completely, remove from the tin and decorate.

To decorate

TIE a pretty ribbon around the cake and place on a cake stand or serving platter.
MELT white chocolate and dollop into the centre of the cake.
SCATTER over chocolate coated fruit and nuts and a good handful of cherries. Dust with edible glitter or a sprinkling of tiny silver or white cachous.
ARRANGE miniature ornaments on very top.
SCATTER the remaining cherries around the base of the cake.

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

Eat, Fast and Live Longer. A 5-2 Fast Diet Recipe Idea Under 100 Calories. Frozen Yoghurt Drops With Cranberries and Pistachio.

Posted on December 22, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Frozen Yoghurt Drops With Cranberries and Pistachio.

With Christmas just three sleeps away and festive feasting in full swing, it’s not entirely surprising that the wheels are slowly wobbling off my 5-2 fasting wagon. I remember reading somewhere that on average Australians gain 0.8 to 1.5 kg over the Christmas period. One to two kilograms might not sound like much but researchers have identified that weight gained over the holiday period is rarely lost.

Sadly socialising and a paltry 500 calorie fasting day limit just don’t go hand in had. So… at times like these I go into damage control, stocking my fridge and freezer with what I like to think of as mindful treats. Something a little naughty but deliciously nice. Like these little Frozen Yoghurt Drops With Cranberries and Pistachio. At first glance they resemble christmas-y white chocolate pastilles but are nothing more than frozen honey sweetened yoghurt discs scattered with a little coarsely chopped dried fruit and nuts. At just 26 calories per bite, and effortless to prepare, they’re my perfect antidote for a very cool Yule.

Frozen Yoghurt Drops With Cranberries and Pistachio
Makes 16 tablespoon sized drops (26 calories per serve)

1 cup plain low fat Greek Yoghurt (140 calories)
1 teaspoon honey (21 calories)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped unsweetened dried cranberries (85 calories)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped shelled and roasted pistachios (171 calories)

LINE two trays with baking paper. Make sure that the trays are small enough to easily slide into the freezer.
STIR honey through yoghurt. Transfer mixture to a piping bag.
PIPE eight round discs onto each paper lined tray. Alternatively dollop tablespoons of the mixture onto the tray, smoothing each with a palette knife.
SCATTER cranberries and pistachios evenly over the yoghurt discs.
PLACE trays in the freezer for at least an hour. When yoghurt discs are completely frozen peel from the baking paper and store in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to serve.

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Vietnamese Street Food. Pork Belly Banh Mi With Crackling.

Posted on December 19, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Pork Belly Banh Mi With Crackling

Mention Vietnamese street food and I immediately think of pork banh mi. The ultimate sandwich. A freshly baked crusty baguette roll filled to bursting with roast pork and pate and generous handfuls of carefully chosen accompaniments; pickled carrot, cucumber ribbons, soft lettuce leaves, fresh herbs, chilli and mayonnaise. I first encountered banh mi in Hanoi  fifteen years ago and immediately fell in love with this very simple, clever fusion of colonial French cultural influences on traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Each delicious mouthful satisfying, moreish and completely addictive.

These holidays to satisfy my cravings, I reintroduced my children to the delights of banh mi, driving across town to inner city Enmore to visit Great Aunty Three. An authentic Vietnamese street food cafe,with a huge foodie following, tucked away on the corner of Enmore Road and Phillip Street; right across the road from a familiar but enduring landmark from way back when, The Enmore Theatre. We most definitely were not disappointed. With my family of new converts happily in tow, we also discovered a new outpost of Great Aunty Three has very recently opened closer to home in Wentworth St in Surry Hills.

Inspired by Great Aunty Three and an enduring love for slow roasted pork belly and crackling, I served up home made banh mi for dinner last night. A very lazy way to feed an appreciative crowd on a balmy summer’s night. The pork belly, cooked to perfection using this tried and true recipe,  virtually looked after itself  in the oven. A quick trip to the bakery for fresh baguettes, and the grocer for the pate and salad accoutrements,  I was done and dinner was quickly and effortlessly served. Of course easier still would be to serve chicken bahn mi (another popular menu item), simply by picking up a couple of rotisseried or barbecued chooks from the chicken shop up the road.

Pork Belly Banh Mi

Pork Belly Banh Mi With Crackling
Serves 6

1kg piece boneless pork belly, roasted (recipe here)
6 large crusty white long baguette style rolls, halved lengthwise
60g chicken liver pate
6 large soft butter lettuce leaves
2 Lebanese cucumbers, spiralised or peeled into ribbons
1 cup coriander sprigs
1/2 cup mint leaves

Pickled Carrots
2 carrots, spiralised or peeled into ribbons
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt

Spicy Mayonnaise
1/2 cup whole egg mayonnaise
3 long green spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
1 long red chilli, finely sliced on the diagonal
fish sauce, to season

PREPARE pickled carrots. Place vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and remove from heat. Place peeled or spiralised carrot in a bowl and pour over vinegar. Leave to stand for an hour, strain through a sieve and refrigerate, covered,  until required.
PREPARE spicy mayonnaise by combining whole egg mayonnaise, spring onions and chilli in a small bowl. Season with a little fish sauce. Cover and refrigerate until required.
SEPARATE crackle from roasted pork belly. Shred meat and using a sharp knife slice crackle into shards. Set side.
SPREAD pate over one side of each split roll. Spread the other side with spicy mayonnaise.
DIVIDE shredded pork and crackle evenly among the rolls.
ADD lettuce, pickled carrots, cucumber, mint and coriander. Serve.

 

 

 

Posted in Pork, What I Love to Cook | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Summer Seafood. Pan-Fried Garfish Rolls Filled With Lemon And Basil Scented Panko Crumbs.

Posted on December 17, 2014 by thepaddingtonfoodie

Rolled Garfish Filled With Lemon and Basil Scented Panko Crumbs

Our long summer holidays spell a rolling caravan of beautifully fresh, simply prepared seafood feasts. Fish and chips at the beach. Freshly shucked oysters au naturel. Platefuls of fried flathead fillets with beer battered potato scallops. Calamari fritti.  Slow baked salmon in a preserved lemon chermoula and soft herbs.  Prawns on the barbie, or even simpler;  crusty prawn baguettes. The list goes on and on.

Yesterday at the fishmongers I spied a rarely available treat. Delicate fillets of sweet fine fleshed garfish. Scrupulously fresh, still smelling of the sea. Usually I can only buy these small and slender, pointy nosed fishes whole. Needing to set aside all of my squeamishness to clean and fillet them myself at home. Always reminding myself the delicious reward at the end of the task is well worth the effort.

Cleaned and filleted garfish really doesn’t require much preparation at all. It’s delicious dusted with just a little seasoned flour and pan-fried. Or for something a little more sophisticated with a whole lot of wow factor there’s this idea. Little garfish rolls filled with lemon and basil scented panko crumbs. Simply roll each fillet around a heaped teaspoon of the panko crumb filling, secure with a toothpick and pan fry in olive oil or butter until golden. If garfish is a little  difficult to come by, or you’re not quite up to the challenge of filleting your own, try substituting sand whiting. It’s fillets are generally of a similar size and texture to garfish and a whole lot easier to source.

Rolled Garfish Filled With Lemon and Basil Panko Crumbs

Pan-Fried Garfish Rolls Filled With Lemon And Basil Scented Panko Crumbs.
Serves 4

16 (500g) small garfish or sand whiting fillets, skin on
4 tablespoons olive oil and/or butter
2 long green spring onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 tablespoons panko or bread crumbs
6 basil leaves, finely shredded, plus a little extra to garnish
finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons plain flour, seasoned with sea salt and pepper
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

PREPARE the filling by sautéing spring onions and garlic in a small fry pan over medium heat in 2 tablespoons olive oil and/or butter until soft and transparent. Remove from heat and stir through panko crumbs, shredded basil, lemon zest and juice. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
LAY garfish, skin-side down, on a flat work surface. Season with a little sea salt and pepper then place a heaped teaspoon of the filling  at one end of each fillet and roll up as tightly as possible.
SECURE each roll with a toothpick, Dust lightly with seasoned flour.
PAN FRY garfish rolls on their sides in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and /or butter,  in a fry pan over medium heat, until golden and cooked through. Just a few minutes on each side, turning to get an even colour all over with a quick final sear of the top and bottoms should do the trick.
SERVE with shredded basil and a squeeze of lemon.

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