Merry Christmas everyone! Festive season is well and truly here – and I’m loving every minute of it. I’m a Christmas freak if you haven’t figured that out already! I’ve even discovered a radio station on our digital radio called ELF radio, playing Christmas carols 24/7. Amazing!

This weekend we went to a big Christmas BBQ, which was a great excuse to catch up with friends. I’ve been so busy lately, I feel like I’ve hardly seen anyone. Anyway, the lead up to Christmas is a great excuse to get everyone together before we all disperse off to our little pockets of the globe.

In the spirit of Christmas, I thought I’d make a gingerbread house to take to the BBQ. Now this take a little planning and foresight, as I don’t have much time of an evening. You really have to make it over a few nights – it took me three! The first night I made the cookie dough. The following night I cut out and baked the walls and roof, and the final night was spent doing the fun bit, decorating. Let me tell you, it’s not for the feint hearted; my right hand had cramped from icing for a few straight hours. BUT all in all it was TOTALLY worth it. It was a hit at the party, in all it’s two-story-Amsterdam-style glory! Damn it was cute!

I made my first gingerbread house two years ago – which you can see over here. I also recently shared it on instagram. It was then that somebody told me that it’s tradition to smash it with a rolling pin? Not sure how much fact there is in that, do you know? Anyway, as I made the damn thing, I get to SMASH it! Let me tell you, it takes quite a few whacks to demolish it – quite the sturdy feat of architecture. You can see the image below at the point of impact! Well, I guess you’ll have to wait another two years to see my next one (every year is a bit too much me thinks!).

Are you going to try your hand at making one this year? Let me know if you do! I want to see photos!

x e.

ps. I’ve also included some photos of us from a couple of weeks ago  in Tassie finding the perfect Christmas tree!

The smash!

Gingerbread House

3 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
185g butter, chopped
1/2 cup golden syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 egg whites
3 cups icing sugar

By Emily On 17/12/2013 In Food With 3 Comments Permalink

Christmas is just around the corner folks! Crazy – I know but it’s true. I’m super unorganised at the moment in practically every aspect of my life: with the blog, organising the wedding, work, so I haven’t even thought about Christmas baking. In fact, I’m trying to be super healthy this year (especially with the wedding around the corner) so my baking will be very limited this year – booo. In saying that, we’re going to a big Christmas BBQ this Saturday so I’m planning on baking to my hearts content (get it out of the system) and everybody else can eat it for me. Happy days!

I just love baking. I’ve got a few ideas running around the top paddock, but for now I’ve got this little brekky’ recipe for you. Granola is one of my favourite treats in the morning. It’s pretty special when people make their own home batch for you too. This is a super healthy version, it’s not too sweet but contains all the nutty goodness you’d expect from a delicious granola. Pop it in a nice big jar with some pretty ribbon and you’ve got yourself  a lovely homemade gift from the kitchen. Christmas can’t get much better than that!

Also, just a quick reminder that the Adeline & Lumiere Christmas book is available for sale over here at my Etsy store. It’s only $25 and makes a perfect stocking filler for the one you love, a colleague’s kris kringle, or heck, just a little something something for yourself! It’s also available to buy in-store at the Hill of Content Bookshop, a new shop called Melbournalia (I want everything in there) and in Dymocks Hobart.

Till next time gadgets…

x e.

(ps. 15 days till Christmas!)

Christmas Presents: Homemade Granola

150g dates, pitted
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
95g quinoa
40g  pepitas
50g almonds, chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon30g shredded coconut
handful of crasins (or sultanas)

1. Preheat oven to 150ºC and line two trays with grease proof paper. Put the dates into a medium size bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling water. Let sit for 20 minutes to soften. After this time, add dates (keep the water) to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the water a little at a time and stir by hand until combined.

2. Place rolled oats, quinoa, pepitas cinnamon and almonds into a large bowl. Pour the date mixture over the top and stir well until it has coated all oats and quinoa. Spread the oat mixture out over the two trays and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

3. Stir the granola then place back in the oven for a further 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, add coconut and crasins then let cool. Store in an air tight container and consume within two weeks.

By Emily On 10/12/2013 In Food With 2 Comments Permalink

Busy busy busy…and it’s only going to get worse with the silly season fast approaching! Yes – the festive season is hot on our heels, only 5 weeks away. GULP! So with that in mind, I’ve been busy arranging a reprint on the Adeline & Lumiere Christmas book. Last year I was so busy designing the book, arranging the printing, sending them out, it was all a mad rush to ensure everybody had them before Christmas. To make a brand new book was a little bit too much for me this year, so I thought I’d just reprint the book as it was so popular. I’ve added the book on Etsy so you can buy your copy of the book —>  here!  <—- At just $25 each, they’re the perfect present for Kris Kringle or just a stocking filler. I’m hoping to have a few stockists in Melbourne & Hobart but I’ll let you know on my social media channels so keep your ears to the ground. JUST so you remember what the book looks like, I thought I’d pop a couple of pictures in of the page layouts.

Delicious Fruit cake!

Hmm! I’m still pretty chuffed with it – even a year on!

Anyway, now on with the usual recipe. With the impending holiday season filled with naughty eating I thought I’d try to be very healthy over the next couple of weeks. This week is a delicious salad filled with wholesome nutty brown rice to fill you right up, with deliciously roasted pumpkin and capsicum with fresh pomegranate. I swear, anything with pomegranate sprinkled over the top just makes a dish go from zero to hero. Fact. Together I’ve added some pomegranate molasses which I think really makes this dressing. Try this salad this weekend by it’s self for lunch or with a bbq – either way it’s a perfect healthy feed.

x e.

Roasted Pumpkin, Capsicum & Pomegranate Salad

Feeds 2 as a main meal or 4 as a side salad.

1 cup brown rice
700g pumpkin
1 red capsicum
1 handful baby spinach
1 pomegranate1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

1. Cook the brown rice according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, place in a large salad bowl

2. Dice the pumpkin into cubes and pace on a well oiled tray. Sprinkle cumin and season with salt and pepper. Cut the capsicum in half and place in the same baking tray if it fits (saves on washing!). Roast for 30 minutes on 200ºC or until golden brown and the capsicum skins are blistering. Remove from the oven and once cool, peel the capsicum skins off and cut into thin strips. Place all ingredients into the same large salad bowl as the rice.

3. Meanwhile, add the chopped parsley and handful of spinach leaves. Cut the pomegranate in half. Squeeze any excess juice into a small jug and remove the pomegranate seeds into the salad bowl. In the same small jug with the pomegranate juice, add the pomegranate molasses, red wine vinegar and olive oil and mix well.

4. Toss all the salad ingredients together and pour the dressing over the top.

By Emily On 19/11/2013 In Food With No Comments Permalink

Well things have progressed slowly with the wedding plans, although I’ve still got a lot of the essential things that need doing. You know, just things like caterers, buses and accommodation… but THE dress has been bought! It’s amazing and I love it. Yes! Unfortunately you’re all going to have to wait until March to see it. Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s going to come around really soon. Gulp. So much to do!

Righto, as you may (or may not be aware) today is the MELBOURNE CUP! It’s the race that stops the nation. (C’mon number 5, 6 or 17 – I’ve spent up a big fat $2 on each of you!). Anyway, it’s a day of fancy frocks, facinators, French champagne and fast horses – so I thought I’d better arm you with the bestest’ most delicious boozy drink to make at your Melbourne Cup party – too fun! This is a lovely (slightly sweet) fresh drink that would be perfect on a nice warm day (which today is supposed to be (in Melbourne anyway – fingers crossed). So, pop down to the shops, pick up some strawberries (they’re in season), a lime and a wine. Blitz it all in the blender then pop it in the freezer before your guests come around.

I highly recommend you give it a go. It’s something a little different for your Melbourne Cup party, or for any one of your summer BBQs.

Giddy up.

x e.

Strawberry & Mint Riesling Slushie

2 1/2 cups strawberries
juice of one lime
750ml Riesling or another sweet wine
2 tbsp sugar
a handful of mint finely chopped

1. Set one cup of Riesling aside.

2. Place all other ingredients into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Pour the mixture into an ice tray (I used a mini loaf tin which worked perfectly) and freeze for a minimum of four hours.

3. After the mixture has frozen, place it back in the food processor with the remaining cup of Riesling and blitz until smooth. Serve immediately in glass with a cute paper straw!

By Emily On 05/11/2013 In Food With 2 Comments Permalink

I think marmalade gets a bit of a bad wrap. I used to go through phases when I was a kid but generally I quite liked it, just as long as it wasn’t the bitter kind. A couple of weeks ago I thought I’d try my hand at a mandarin marmalade. In fact I actually tried to make it twice, both times with no luck at all. Silly mistake, but the first time round, I’d forgotten it was on the stove. It cooked for too long and almost turned to burnt toffee! Thick and impossible to spread. My second attempt I actually ruined a cast iron pot… I don’t know what my problem was, but mandarin marmalade wasn’t my thing. However, I was dead-set on trying to make some sort of preserve with our delicious citrus fruit before it’s all out of season.

Nothing is without reason though. Whilst making the mandarin marmalade I’d discovered that it was better to blend the fruit before adding it to the pan. I thought I’d apply this knowledge to my simple orange marmalade to ensure a super smooth consistency. The one thing I disliked when I was a kid was discovering a big chunk of fruit in my jam. I can’t say it was smoother than a non-blended marmalade but the texture, for me, was perfect!

So, it may not have been the most ground breaking recipe but at least I learnt something – and that is what cooking is all about.

Now I’m interested, do you guys like marmalade? If not, perhaps you should give it another go?

:)

x e.

Ps. I have a very special recipe coming up shortly. Watch this space!

Sweet Orange Marmalade

6 Valencia oranges or other sweet variety of orange

600g white sugar

1. Wash and peel oranges and put the skins to the side – you’ll need them later. Place the flesh of the orange in the food processor and blitz until smooth. Place the orange juice in a large heavy bottomed pan on medium heat with 3 cups of water.

2. Once the orange juice starts to boil place the sugar in the pan. Meanwhile take the skin of the oranges and cut into super fine slivers. Place about 50g of the chopped peel into the pot and let cook for about an hour. Place a small saucer in the freezer – you’ll need this to check when it’s almost ready

3. After an hour, place a small spoonful on the frozen saucer. When the marmalade is ready it’ll be a good thick consistency.

4. Next you’ll need to sterilize your jars. Wash both the jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinse them thoroughly. Place them in a preheated 140ºC oven for 10 minutes right side up. Ensure the jars aren’t touching each other and in the last 5 minutes place the lids in the oven as well. I don’t like to leave the lids in for too long otherwise the rubber seals in them melt!

Serve on thickly sliced bread with lashings of butter. So simple but so delicious.

By Emily On 22/10/2013 In Food With 3 Comments Permalink

I’m the sort of person if you tell me I can’t do it, I’ll give it my all to prove you wrong. This was also the case when I was about 16. It was my Grandfather’s birthday and I wanted to make something nice. Mum had mentioned that he had fallen in love with the profiterole since living in France. So with this I decided to make a mini croquembouche for him. Mum had warned me: ‘they’re hard to make, my oven isn’t good enough, they’ll surely ruin, it’ll be a waste of time’ but this only fueled my determination to make the best goddamn croquembouche a 16 year old could make! That was it – I had set my mind to it. Mum was happy to help out. Now don’t forget, this was the late 90s, before the days of Googling for a good recipe if you didn’t have one. Luckily for me Mum found a recipe in her old French cooking book and translated it for me so I could get cracking on my mega-creation. This book was the real deal.

As it turns out, my choux pastry was perfect and I nailed the custard! I filled half the batch with coffee and the other half chocolate. I covered them all in toffee and oh my… they were delicious. I’ve never seen a smile so wide on my Grandfather’s face.

I’ve been meaning to make these little guys again, ever since starting the blog two years ago. Although these are eclairs, they’re essentially the same thing (plus I had my mum’s vintage eclair tray that I’ve wanted to use!). These are sooooo good for a special occasion (as it turns out I had a birthday party I could take them to) but I wont lie – it’s a bit of a process, but it’s definitely worth it. This is the first time I’ve made a salted caramel version so I slightly altered my original recipe. I hope you enjoy them!

What’s your favourite French pastry? I have another favourite that comes a close second to these which I hope to bake for you soon ;)

x e.

Choux Pastry

Makes about 20-24 10cm long eclairs.

120g butter
1 cup water1 cup flour, siftedsalt4 eggs – lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC. Bring butter and water to boil, remove from heat and add sifted flour and salt. Return to heat, all the time beating mixture until it forms one ball and leaves the sides of the saucepan, roughly 3 minutes.

2. Place pastry into a mixer and beat until it cools to a luke warm temperature. Then slowly add in the eggs until it’s all thoroughly incorporated.  Place the pastry into a piping bag and pipe 10cm lines onto a lined baking tray (or you could make mini versions). Let cook for roughly 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Custard Filling

 1/2 litre  milk
60g flour1 cup sugar1/4 cup water1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk – lightly whiskedpinch of salt

1. Place 3/4 cup of sugar and the water into a heavy based saucepan. Let the sugar boil for 8-10 minutes or until the sugar turns a caramel colour. You should also be able to smell once it has caramelised. Take the pan off the heat and place the base in some cold water. This will stop the sugar from burning. Add the milk a little at a time and then place back on the heat on low. Keep stirring, the caramel will harden but then soften and melt as the milk warms up.

2. In a separate bowl mix the remaining sugar, flour and salt. Slowly add the eggs whilst beating the mixture to prevent lumps. Add this to the pan of milk a little at a time and just keep mixing for 2-3 minutes! If all else fails and the mixture becomes lumpy you can always bamix it. (I did!) You’ll need to get rid of all the lumps as this may cause issues when piping into the pasty.

3. Place the custard into a piping bag. Create a small hole in the end of the pastry and poke the nozzle into the end and pipe! Hold the eclair and you should be able to feel when it’s full.

Caramel Sauce

100g  butter
150g soft dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons of golden syrup
50ml of double cream

A generous pinch of good quality salt to serve – I used Murry River Pink Salt

1. Place the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cream and whisk together. Bring to a steady simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before drizzling over the top. Sprinkle with a little salt

** These are the quantities I used. I actually doubled the initial choux pastry recipe I used but only made a single batch of custard (I didn’t quite have enough milk at the time to make two). I found the custard filled almost all the choux pastry casings but I did have piping bag problems (it went everywhere) and thought it may be enough after all. Please let me know how you find the quantities. Please email me with any questions.

By Emily On 07/10/2013 In Food With 4 Comments Permalink

A couple of weeks ago the friendly people at KitchenAid were kind enough to send me the Meat Grinder and Sausage Stuffer attachments for my beautiful stand mixer (her name is Roxy and she’s a treasure). I bought her about 2 years ago when we’d just moved back to Australia. I was living back at home at the time and had a little extra disposable income, so I just went out and bought one. I figured the sooner I bought it, the more use I’d get out of it, and that was that. My pride and joy sits on our kitchen bench and always twinkles at me whenever I walk out in the morning. I was so excited when KitchenAid offered me the attachments as I hadn’t even thought about the extra bits and bobs you could get for it. I can already tell I’m going to get a lot of use out of the meat grinder. I wont ever have to buy mince meat again – and now I’ll know exactly what goes into it.

I also know EXACTLY what has gone into these delicious homemade Pork, Apple and Caramelised Onion sausages. I think it makes them even more appetizing too. This is the first time I’ve made anything like this and I totally winged it. I was a little nervous at first so I watched a few youtube videos to learn the basics. There are a few small things I would now do differently if I were making them again. It took me a little longer than I first anticipated, but I really enjoyed the whole process and I reckon I could whip up a batch in no time at all now. Life skills I tells’ ya! It’s good to challenge yourself with small culinary hurdles, and this was most certainly one of them. I would, however, say that the hurdle was more mental as these delicious homemade sausages aren’t actually that hard to make – just give yourself a bit of time first time round! I served mine with gourmet mash – that’s what we call it at our house. It’s not really that gourmet, just good ol’ buttery delicious mash packed full of veggies and garlic. More of a smash than a mash. It’s so good, especially with fresh bangers!

As you may or may not have noticed, this year I haven’t been as regular with the frequency of my posts and I do feel terrible. I’ve mentioned it a few times, I know, but I thought I’d tell you that I’ve decided to scale the posts back to once a fortnight. I’m sure you can all appreciate the time it takes to cook, style, photograph, clean (or coax others to clean for me) and write the blog. I’m finding it a bit hard to fit in other things I need to do on the weekend – like plan a wedding! Don’t worry, I’ll have more time after early March – du dum da dahhhh.

BTW – I haven’t been paid for any of these comments. I only ever write about products and goods I think are worth writing about.

x e.

PS: For all my Aussie readers, these bangers would make for an impressive treat at this Saturday’s AFL Grand Final BBQ… just saying!

Homemade Pork, Apple & Caramelised Onion Sausages

500 g free-range pork mince pork
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 small Granny Smith apples, grated
handful parsley and oregano
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp seeded mustard
1 tsp salt

1.5 meters of natural castings

1. Add a large bowl and all sausage making equipment into the fridge to let them all chill. It’s best to keep all meat and appliances cold so the fat in the sausages doesn’t melt. Clean hands are also essential so wash them regularly. Rinse sausage casings and let soak in fresh water whilst preparing the meat.

2. Add to a hot, well oiled pan the finely diced red onion and cook on low heat until golden and translucent, roughly 15 minutes. Then add sugar, a pinch of salt and balsamic vinegar. Let cook until the onions become sticky and thick. Set aside and let cool.

3. Once the onions are cool in the chilled bowl add all ingredients apart from the casings. Lightly mix everything through but try not to overmix. Drain the casings and pat dry with paper towel.

4. Attach the KitchenAid meat grinder and add the meat mixture into the feed and turn the mixer on. Placing it through the grinder will ensure everything is mixed properly and chopped finely. Once the mixture has been through, then attach the sausage stuffer and slide the casings over the long tube. Place the meat mixture into the top of the grinder again and turn the machine on. Once the meat starts coming out of the nozzle help steer it out and also keep feeding the meat in the top. It is easier to have someone help you at this stage. Once all the meat has been squeezed through, turn the mixer off and trim the casing. Separate the long sausage into normal sized portions and twist 3 or 4 turns one way and then twist the next link 3 or 4 times in the opposite direction. Watch this video to see how the pros do it and extra tips.

5. With a sterilized pin prick the casings to expel any trapped air. Hang sausages and let them dry for an hour or so before refrigerating. They will keep in the fridge for up to one week or place them in the freezer for up to 6 months. OR cook and enjoy them straight away!

Gourmet Mash

6 medium potatoes, peeled an chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
handful of green beans, trimmed
1 cup of peas
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp milk
salt and pepper to taste

1. Add potatoes and carrots into a pot of boiling seasoned water. Let cook for about 8 minutes then add beans and peas for the last two minutes.

2. Once all veggies are cooked, drain and roughly mash with a potato masher. Add butter, garlic and milk a little at a time until you’ve reached the correct consistency. Add salt and pepper and serve with your well cooked homemade sausages.

By Emily On 24/09/2013 In Food With 3 Comments Permalink

I don’t know about you but I had a fantastic weekend! On Saturday a friend of mine had a few of us over to her place for afternoon tea. It was a beautiful afternoon, complete with sparkling rosé and cucumber sandwiches, a great way to spend a sunny afternoon. Later that night we celebrated a friends 30th at a bar/pizzeria in Fitzroy called Feldmans (named after Corey Feldman!). Great pizza, great music, definitely worth checking out.

On Sunday we had a good friend come and visit from Sydney. We thought we’d get out of the city, and took a road trip out to the Yarra Valley. We stopped at Chandon for a wine tasting, this place is so beautiful! Their wine was so delicious so we bought a couple of bottles before heading on to Healesville for lunch at (the always impressive) Innocent Bystander. It was such a beautiful afternoon. Sharing good food with great friends, the sun was shining and the wine was flowing. I didn’t want to drive back to be honest!

Now not everything in the Adeline & Lumiere kitchen goes to plan. This weekend, as you can see, was very busy. I had intended to make a mandarin marmalade and I did just that, but it didn’t quite turn out as planned. I was in a rush so I didn’t read the recipe properly. Actually I didn’t even really follow the recipe. It all just went downhill from there. It was a disaster, so this week I don’t actually have a recipe – sorry! I do have some photos from a shoot I did a couple of weeks ago. This is the famous Drunken Admiral’s chowder. It’s been on their menu since opening in 1979! Delicious. This is one of the dishes I shot for a book they’re putting together about the history of the restaurant (it is said to be haunted!) and surrounds. As well as a handful of recipes. I took all the shots in the book, and my other half is designing it / putting it all together. It should hit the shelves by Christmas, but I’ll keep you posted on that closer to the date. ; )

How was your weekend? Just as busy or more of a relaxing one?

x e.

The Drunken Admiral’s famous seafood chowder

Pirates treasure!

By Emily On 10/09/2013 In Food With No Comments Permalink

If you follow me on Facebook you might have seen one of my updates earlier in the week… the excitement of my latest purchase, the Jerusalem cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.

The other day I popped into my favourite independent book shop The Hill of Content to have a little look around. As soon as I spotted Jerusalem, and had a flick through, that was it. I had to have it. It has the most amazing looking salads and even a ‘stuffed’ section. So good. All week I’ve been reading through it and soaking up the delights of Israel (and remembering our travels through that area), so I’ve been dying to make something from it. I can’t urge you enough to go out and buy this book (through your local book shop of course – we’ve got to support our small businesses!). It wont disappoint, I promise.

If you live in Melbourne (or even just eastern Australia) you’ve most likely been enjoying this amazing weather we’ve had! What winter? We’ve even had our dinner al fresco the other night (well maybe with the help of a little fire-pit going for warmth). Anyway, the antipasto dinners and BBQs are just around the corner… I can feel it!

What did you guys get up to in the warm weather (if it was warm in your neck of the woods).

x e.

Root Vegetable Slaw

Inspired by Yotham Ottolinghi & Sami Tamimi

2 medium beetroot (450g in total)
2 medium carrots
1/4 cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar
25g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
25g mint leaves, shredded
20g flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
salt and pepper

1. Peel the beetroot and carrots and then slice them thinly into matchstick-like size. Alternatively, if you have a mandolin or food processor with a julienne attachment use this – it’s much quicker! Place the chopped vegetables in a bowl and cover with cold water.

2. Meanwhile, place lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, one teaspoon of salt and sugar into a small saucepan. Place on the stove top and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.

3. Drain the vegetables, pat them dry with kitchen towel and return them back into the same bowl. Add the chopped cabbage and pour the hot dressing over the vegetables and mix well. Let cool and place in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.

4. After this time, add the chopped mint, coriander, parsley, lemon zest and a sprinkling of salt. Toss and serve with the Butternut Squash & Tahini Dip and torn up Turkish Flat bread.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Tahini Dip

Inspired by Yotham Ottolinghi & Sami Tamimi

1 large butternut squash (about 1.2kg before peeling) cut into cubes
olive oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
70g tahini paste
120g Greek yoghurt
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp date syrup*
salt

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

2. Place the pumpkin in a well oiled deep tray with cinnamon and a good pinch of salt. Turn the pumpkin over a few times to ensure it is completely covered in oil and cinnamon. Roast in the oven for roughly an hour or until the butternut squash is soft.

3. Once the pumpkin has roasted and cooled, place it into the food processor with the yoghurt, tahini and garlic. Blitz until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor use a potato masher to combine everything.

4. Pour the dip into a bowl, drizzle a little date syrup and sprinkle a few sesame seeds over the top.

*I found date syrup quite hard to find. I eventually found it at Cedars Bakery on High St Preston although it was called Date Molasses. Ceders have delicious take away food and a great range of Turkish/Middle Eastern cuisine ingredients. Cheap and AMAZING!

By Emily On 03/09/2013 In Food With 2 Comments Permalink

As we’re moving into the last few weeks of winter (thank goodness) everyone around me seems to be getting sick, and last week I was no exception. Oh my, I was completely out of it. Bed ridden and full of chicken soup. My apologies for not posting last week, I was absolutely knocked for six.

This week I decided to make some empanadas. Earlier this year we were invited to a friend’s Argentinian themed party where they had an amazing selection of traditional food. Amongst these local treats were delicious beef empanadas served with a chimichurri sauce. This was all brand new to me, and they were so good I couldn’t stop eating them. Unfortunately this was a while ago now, when the days were long and warm, so I thought I’d make something that reminded me of these summery days. I made these from a friend’s amazing retro Time Life cook book that I borrowed recently. I tweaked the recipe a little and served them with a fresh, green, zesty chimichurri sauce. Now the sun is starting to come back out, they’ll make a perfect starter for your next BBQ shindig.

Mmm.

x e.

Beef Empanadas

From Latin American Cooking by Jonathan Norton Leonard

1 onion, finely chopped
good quality olive oil
1/4 cup water
500g mince beef
1/4 cup currants
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

—

1 1/4 cup plain flour, sifted
1/2 cup butter into small cubes
1 tsp salt
1/3 chilled water
1 egg
1 tbsp white vinegar

1. To prepare the filling: into a small bowl, add currants and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 10 and drain. Heat olive oil in a frypan and add onions and water and let cook until water has evaporated. Add meat and cook, stirring continuously until the meat has browned on all sides.

2. Add raisins, chilli, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper and stir through thoroughly. Set the filling aside and let cool.

3. Meanwhile to make the pastry, add flour and butter into food processor and pulse until it resembles powdered breadcrumbs.

4. In a separate bowl, add egg, chilled water and vinegar. Add to flour mixture and pulse lightly to combine. Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured workbench and knead until the mixture just comes together. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

5. Once pastry has chilled, roll out the pastry to a few millimeter thick and cut out the pastry into 15cm diameter circles. If you don’t have a large enough cutter, use a saucer and cut around with a knife. Add a small amount of mixture to the center of the circle, wet the sides with some water and fold over and press down all sides. Start from the left and pinch the pastry down and fold over. Pinch the last section you just folded over and continue. (Check out my instagram video to see how to shape the edges.) Shape the pastry into a crescent shape and place on a baking tray. Continue with the rest of the mixture and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

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Chimichurri Sauce

1 cup parsley (packed)
1/4 cup coriander (packed)
4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt + pepper

1. Add all ingredients into the food processor and blitz until smooth. Keeps for a week in an air tight container.

By Emily On 27/08/2013 In Food With 2 Comments Permalink