Buttery Orange Cake

Buttery Orange Cake 

While I was waiting for the scones to cook, I was flipping through the trusty Women's Weekly COOK book when I came across this Orange cake, and having some oranges in the fridge that needed to be eaten I decided to make this as well :) Ok so it didn't turn into such a lazy Sunday after all! 

SERVES: 12 

PREPARATION: 20 MINS 

COOK: 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES 

Ingredients

250g butter, softened

2 tablespoons finely grated orange rind

1 1/2 cups (350g) caster sugar

4 eggs 

1 1/2 cups (225g) self raising flour

1/2 cup (75g) plain flour 

3/4 cup (180ml) orange juice

Glace Icing 

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon butter 

2 tablespoons orange juice

Method

Preheat oven to moderately slow (170C/150C fan forced) Grease deep 22cm round (my tin is 23cm/9 inch) pan; line base and side with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above edge of pan. 

Beat butter, rind and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined between additions. Fold in sifted flours and juice, in two batches. 

Pour mixture into pan; bake uncovered 1 hour 10 minutes. Stand in pan 10 minutes then turn onto wire rack; turn top side up to cool. 

Make glace icing 

Glace Icing Method

Place icing sugar in small heatproof bowl; stir in butter & juice. Place bowl over small saucepan of simmering water; stir until icing is of a spreadable consistency. Use Immediately. 

Place cake, top side up, on serving plate; spread cold cake with glace icing. 

My Notes

This is a dense & heavy & what I would call old fashioned sort of cake, I tend to prefer a moister cake but this is still very nice with a little bit of a sweet tang. 

Pumpkin Scones

Pumpkin Scones


SERVES: 16 
PREPARATION: 20 MINS 
COOK: 15 MINS 

Keeping with the theme of lying on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea this weekend, what better to go with the cuppa than a  batch of warm pumpkin scones with lashings of double cream and apricot jam :) I whipped out one of my tried and true cookbooks, there had to be a recipe for pumpkin scones in it? and hooray there was! Good on you trusty old Women's Weekly COOK :) 

Ingredients

40g butter

1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar

1 egg 

3/4 cup cooked mashed pumpkin

2 1/2 cups (375g) self raising flour

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup (80ml) milk, approximately 

2 teaspoons milk, extra 

Method

Preheat oven to very hot (240C/220C fan forced). 

Beat Butter, sugar and egg in small bowl with electric mixer until combined (mixture will curdle at this stage, but that won't affect the finished scones). Transfer mixture to large bowl. Stir in Pumpkin, then sifted dry ingredients and enough milk to make a soft, sticky dough. 

Turn dough onto floured surface; knead quickly and lightly until just smooth. press dough out evenly to 2cm thickness; using cutter, cut out 5cm rounds. Place rounds in pans; brush with extra milk. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes. Turn onto wire rack to cool. (I put them into a cane basket and wrap with a clean tea towel to cool) 

Tips

These are one of the great specialities of Australian country cooks, using the natural sweetness and moistness of pumpkin to create a wonderful homely treat. Enjoy them straight from the oven. The amount of milk you need to make a soft sticky dough depends entirely on the moisture content of the pumpkin. 




My Notes

The cookbook suggested that these be baked in 2 20cm round pans, I imagine they would have formed a flower like loaf. Pretty but I baked them separately on a tray to save washing up lol. 

I also found that I didn't have to add any milk, in fact I needed to add a little flour. 

next time I would also halve the amount of nutmeg to a 1/4 teaspoon, a bit rich for me. 

Oh and apparently when cutting the scone mixture you shouldn't twist the cutter! 

Omelette with Sweet & Sour Tomato Sauce

Omelette With Sweet & Sour Tomato Sauce

SERVES: 4

PREPARATION: 10 MINS

COOK: 10 MINS

There was a definite plan on my part this weekend to be lazy! In the plan was lying about on the couch reading, watching movies and cooking something quick and tasty. Daniel had earmarked this Kylie Kwong recipe from the August 2009 edition of Australian Good Food Magazine so I thought it was time to give it a whirl :) 

Ingredients

1/4 cup (60ml) peanut oil

6 eggs, lightly beaten

1 long red chilli, finely sliced diagonally, to serve (optional)

Sweet & Sour Tomato Sauce 

2 tbsp peanut oil

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1cm piece ginger, cut into matchsticks 

1 tsp brown sugar

6 red cherry tomatoes, halved

6 yellow cherry tomatoes, halved (I couldn't get yellow cherry tomatoes so doubled the red) 

3 green onions (shallots, spring onions), finely sliced

2 tbsp shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or dry sherry (I used the dry sherry)

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp brown rice vinegar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Method

To make sauce, heat peanut oil in a wok on medium, until surface seems to shimmer slightly, add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 2 mins until fragrant. Add sugar and cook for 30 secs, until caramelised. Add tomato and green onion and stir fry for 1 min, until starting to soften. Add wine, soy sauce and vinegar and stir fry for 30 seconds. Stir through sesame oil. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Heat oil in a wok on medium-high. Add egg and cook for 30 secs, without stirring. Using a spatula, pull outside edge of egg toward centre, allowing uncooked egg in centre to run to edge. Repeat until omelette is almost set. Transfer to a serving platter.

Meanwhile, reheat sauce on low. Spoon over omelette and serve with chilli & steamed rice 

My Notes

The cooking time for this dish is over estimated, it is SO quick to make so have all your ingredients measured out and ready to go!

I didn't halve my tomatoes I squished them as they softened. 

You would be hard pushed to serve 4 with this dish :) or maybe we are just greedy! it served 2 with no rice. 

Absolutely mouthwatering delicious snack :) 

Roasted Pumpkin Kumara Shallot Garlic & Cumin Soup

Roasted Pumpkin Kumara Shallot Garlic & Cumin Soup
SERVES: 6 
PREPARATION: 15 MINS
COOKING: 1 1/2 HOURS


MMMMM it is that time of the week for Zuppa Depenzo! (depends what's left in the fridge!) I tend to just make these up as I go along. :) 

Ingredients
850g chopped & peeled butternut pumpkin
600g chopped & peeled kumara (sweet potato) 
5 large shallots (or 10 smallish ones) 
1 bulb garlic (cloves unpeeled)
1tsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup olive oil 
salt & pepper 
2 litres of chicken stock. (Home made is great!) 
parsley 
sour cream


Method
Preheat oven to 200C
Place all vegetables including garlic into heavy based roasting tray and toss with  olive oil and cumin seeds. Season with salt & pepper 
Roast in oven for 1 hour, turning at 30 minutes. Remove roasted garlic from skins. 
Place chicken stock and roasted vegetables into large saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool slightly 
Place into blender until smooth. (keep your hand on the top when hot as the lid will BLOW off, and then you will have soup ALL over your kitchen!) Trust me I have done it lol 


Serve with chopped parsley a dollop of sour cream and crusty bread.  

New York Cheese Cake

New York Cheese Cake
SERVES: 8
PREPARATION: 20 MINS
COOKING: 65 MINS

I have had this Vogue Entertaining & Travel magazine sitting around since....oh it's the June/July Issue from 2005! and I have NEVER made anything from it until now....(hangs head in shame!) 

This was a nice easy recipe and my first EVER real cheese cake, if you don't count the packet ones I used to make when I was a teenager :) Oh and did I mention absolutely delicious!!!

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups Graham Crackers crumbs (What? don't know what these are! so I used crumbed Arnott's Marie Biscuits *shrug* lol)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter 

750g cream cheese at room temperature

4 eggs

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

grated zest of 1 lemon

2 cups of sour cream

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Mix the biscuit crumbs with 1/4 cup sugar and the melted butter (oops I didn't add the sugar!) and press into the bottom and sides of a 23cm ungreased 23cm   spring form cake pan. Chill while preparing filling.

Beat the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, 2 teaspoons of the vanilla, and the lemon zest until smooth. Pour into chilled crust and bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until the cheese is set and starting to turn golden in spots. Remove from the oven (leave oven on) and cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack. 

Stir together the sour cream, remaining sugar (ahhh this is where I added 1/2 cup instead of 1/4 cup) and vanilla and spread over cooled cake. Return to the oven for 12 minutes until glossy and set. Cool completely, cover, and chill for at least 8 hours. 

My Notes

Silly mistake not adding the sugar to the biscuit crumbs!

oh and I added 3/4 cup melted butter to the biscuit crumbs as 1/2 cup wasn't enough. 

When your at the shop getting the sour cream....choose the plain type...I bought 2 tubs of garlic and parsley sour cream! 

another tip is when making a baked cheesecake is to place a small bowl of water in the oven to stop the cheesecake from drying out & cracking. 

Moussaka

Moussaka
SERVES: 4 - 6
PREPARATION: 30 MINS + 40 MINS STANDING TIME 
COOKING: 1 HR 10 MINS

This little recipe comes not from a cook book or foodie magazine but from  Better Homes and Gardens  which is a bit of a lifestyle home improvement TV show that also has a magazine :). This recipe is From one of their regular chef's Fast Ed, from a section called Food in a Flash.....nothing fast about making this one lol. It's been yonks since I have had Moussaka and I'm looking forward to it. :p From the April 2010 Issue. 


Ingredients
2kg eggplants, cut into 1cm thick slices
1/4 cup salt flakes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
600g beef mince
400g can diced tomatoes
1 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp brown sugar
1 bunch oregano, finely chopped (I couldn't get fresh so had to use 2 tsp dried oregano)
Salt and Pepper to season
1 cup breadcrumbs
150g grated vintage cheddar cheese
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp plain flour
400ml hot milk
1 tsp ground nutmeg
120g grated parmesan
300ml cream, very cold
4 egg yolks 

Method

Preheat oven to 190C. Sprinkle eggplant with salt flakes and stand in colander for 20 minutes. Rinse well, then pat dry. Set a frying pan over a medium heat and cook eggplant in half the oil for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly golden. Drain on paper towel.

Briefly fry onion and garlic in remaining oil, then add beef mince. Stir with a whisk to remove any lumps and cook for 5 minutes or until browned. Add tomato, allspice, sugar and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then set aside.

Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs over base of a 26cm square baking dish and top with a third of the eggplant. Top with half the mince mixture and half the remaining breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat with eggplant, mince, breadcrumbs and cheese, then top with remaining eggplant. 

Combine butter and flour in heavy based pan and set over a medium heat, stirring well. When mixture resembles wet sand, whisk in milk (don't forget it has to be hot milk! I forgot!) nutmeg and parmesan. Bring to the boil then remove from heat. Whisk in cream, then stir in egg yolks. Pour mixture over Moussaka, put in oven and bake for 1 hour. 

Set aside to cool for 20 minutes before serving. 

Serve with Greek Salad. 

My Notes

I found I needed more oil when frying off the eggplant 

I think the cheese sauce was too thin and needed more flour, will see how it comes out when cooked.....


Well this is one recipe which won't be repeated! what a shame! It was just a awful gluggy gray mess. The cheese sauce was really floury. So much effort went into it as well :( oh well you can't win them all...........now what am I going to do with the leftovers?  

Saturday Night - Chicken Ricotta & Lemon Pie

Chicken Ricotta & Lemon Pie 
SERVES: 6
PREPARATION: 15 MINS 
COOKING: 30 MINS 

Well this one wasn't made on a Sunday but close! Saturdays tea is from another recipe I have tried out from the 1st MASTER CHEF magazine. It was really tasty! read my notes at the end for a couple of things I noticed. You can make this in an oven proof frypan (which I don't have) or a spring-form cake tin (which I do have!)

Fabulously zingy pie packed with greek flavours, great cold the next day for lunch as well! give it a try. 

Ingredients 
250g baby spinach
650g chicken breasts thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed
2tsp chopped rosemary leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 
7 sheets filo pastry
1 lemon zested
6 eggs 
1 1/2 tbs plain flour
200g ricotta

Method

Preheat oven to 220C. Place spinach in a bowl, pour over boiling water and stand for 1 minute or until spinach has wilted. Drain and then refresh under cold water. Squeeze dry and chop finely.

Place chicken in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, rosemary and tbs of oil, and combine.

Heat a 26cm oven-proof or regular frying pan over high heat. Cook chicken in 2 batches, for 1 minute each side or until browned. Transfer to a bowl and reserve pan if using an oven proof one.

Brush reserved pan or a 26cm spring form cake pan with 1 tbs oil. Working quickly, fold 6 sheets of filo pastry in half, then arrange in the pan so they overlap, covering the base and extending 2cm above the rim. Drizzle with the remaining 1tbs oil. Cut the remaining sheet of filo pastry into shreds and scatter over the base (this helps to keep the base dry). Add the chicken. reserving juices in the bowl. 

Add lemon zest to chicken juices, then add eggs and flour. Whisk to combine. Pour over chicken. Scatter with spinach and ricotta. Scrunch overhanging pastry to form a rim. (see my notes)

If using an oven-proof pan, place over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes, then transfer to oven and bake on the lowest shelf for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling has set. If using a cake pan, bake for 20 minutes (see my notes) on a heavy based baking tray. Serve straight from the pan. 

Tips

Don't brush pastry edge with oil, as it will brown too quickly. 

If the pastry turns golden before the filling sets, cover the top of the pie with baking 

paper. 

My Notes

I generally prefer to work with the filo pastry from the fridge section of the supermarket (Antoniou Fillo) as I find it a lot easier to work with than the frozen type. However when you can't get hold of it the frozen type will have to do. It's really important to bring the pastry to room temperature in the box for at least an hour before you use it, otherwise it just crumbles. In between keep the pastry covered with a clean dry tea towel. 

Instead of scattering the spinach and ricotta over the top after the egg mixture was added, I added it before hand to get a more even distribution through the pie rather than just over the top. 

the 20 minute cooking time was NO where near the filling being set, I cooked mine for 35 - 40 minutes before filling was set. However I used a 22cm spring form cake pan and this could be the reason why.