My new favourite bread recipe

I tried out a new bread recipe a couple of weeks ago, and it's become the family favourite. This one slices even better than the previous recipe, and has a lovely even texture that makes it great for sandwiches and toast.

It's another recipe from Down To Earth, and I've adapted it for the Thermomix, so all the hard work is done. If you're making bread by hand, go over to Rhonda's blog for her method.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons dried yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ cup warm (not hot) water 

• 4 cups baker's flour
• 1½ teaspoons salt
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon milk powder
• 1.5 - 2 cups warm (not hot) water  

Method

Place yeast, sugar and  ¼ cup warm water in TMX bowl. Close lid and mix at speed 1-2 for a few seconds. Do something else for 5 minutes or so, and when you come back it should be frothy.

Add flour, salt, oil and milk powder, and 1 cup of water. Mix at speed 5-6 for 30 seconds, adding more water slowly while mixing until dough starts coming together. I usually need about 1.5 cups altogether, but it depends on the type of flour, the humidity, etc. and may vary. You really need to get to know how the dough feels, and that comes with practice.

Knead dough for 2 minutes on closed lid position.

Tip dough out onto mat/bench/board and knead by hand for a minute until smooth. If the dough seems a little dry, sprinkle some water on it and knead it in as you go. If it seems too sticky, do the same with a little more flour.

Form into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover (I use a little spray oil and cover with cling wrap to prevent the dough drying out, but a damp tea towel can also do the job) and leave somewhere warm and draft-free (not so crucial with the cling wrap) to prove. I've found this recipe rises much faster than the previous one I wrote about, so keep an eye on it.

Once doubled in size, tip out and knead by hand for two minutes. Shape and place in a tin lined with baking paper, or on an oven tray, sprinkle with water and add seeds if desired (we like sesame seeds). Cover (I use the same piece of cling wrap) and allow to rise again - about half an hour should do it.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees C. Bake on centre shelf for 6 mins, then turn oven down to 180-200 degrees and bake for 15-20 mins. You'll know when it's done by the fabulous smell and the golden crust.

Turn out onto a cooling rack. Slices best when fully cooled, but is delicious warm!

Daily bread

I've gone back to making bread lately. I don't think much of the bland stuff you can buy from the supermarket, and I'm not even that fussed with bakery breads, but fresh homemade bread? Warm from the oven? Toasted the next day? Yes please!

For a while I made a loaf every few days using Lauke bread mix and a breadmaker. The big advantage was being able to use the delay function so the process started in the wee hours of the morning, and we woke to the smell of fresh bread, ready for breakfast. It was quick and easy - the machine did all the work, with reliable results, and the bread was an improvement over anything we could buy locally.

Then along came Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Wonderful stuff - and very impressive as it did the initial huge rise in a container on the kitchen bench. Very easy, but a little more hands on (which was a good thing). Still very quick once the batch was mixed, and a delicious taste that only improved as the dough aged. A little messy because it was so sticky, and the container took up a lot of room in the fridge.

Then I discovered the One Minute Ciabatta recipe. A very simple, rustic loaf. A bit like the Artisan Bread in 5, but you just make a single loaf batch of dough. While it took me a little more than a minute (but not much more) to mix it up, it was completely hand made and full of flavour, having been allowed to rise overnight on the bench. And it made fabulous toast! We loved it with fresh rosemary and sea salt sprinkled on top.

And then there's the latest recipe I've been using, from a friend of a friend. It's made in the Thermomix, so the hard work - kneading - is taken care of, although you could certainly make it entirely by hand - it would just mean kneading for at least 8 minutes in stage 3 (below). It promised a crunchy crust, and a soft lightness inside. And it was nice, but not that great. Others did have great results though, so I tried again. Still good, but a bit dense. So I did some research, found some helpful tips, and tried again today. It came out of the oven a few minutes before the rest of the family walked in the door, and half the loaf disappeared rapidly, meeting with loud approval all round. Success!

So this is my slightly modified version. I've included some explanations of why I've done things in a certain way - understanding how the chemistry works certainly helps me in the kitchen!

Basic bread (in the Thermomix)

1. Activate the yeast: Pour 280ml warm water into the Thermomix bowl, and add 1 teaspoon of yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar. I keep the yeast in the freezer, so this gives it a chance to warm up and start doing its thing, and the little bit of sugar gives it something to feed on. After a few minutes it should start looking frothy.

2. Add dry ingredients: 500gm flour (plain or baker's - either is fine), 1 teaspoon of bread improver (apparently this is optional, and I've heard some negative things about bread improver lately, but I have some here so I'll use it up, and then look at alternatives like ascorbic acid or leaving it out altogether), and 1 teaspoon of salt (don't skimp on the salt - it's not a lot, and it makes a difference BUT keep the salt away from the yeast until it all starts mixing together. Apparently straight salt will kill yeast) into the TMX bowl.

3. Mix: Close the TMX, and gradually increase to Speed 6 for 6 seconds or so to mix everything together. Set to closed lid position, and knead on the interval setting for 2 minutes. Tip the dough out onto a board or mat and knead for a minute to form a nice smooth ball.

4. First rise: Put the dough into a lightly oiled/greased bowl and cover with cling wrap or a damp tea towel - make sure it's touching the dough's surface, as this will help prevent the surface drying out and allow the dough to rise more. The dough needs to be in a warm, draught-free spot to rise well. It's been getting colder here in Canberra, so I searched around for ideas and came up with heating a glass of water to boiling in the microwave, then placing the bowl of dough in with the glass of water and shutting the door. The insulated microwave works well as a proofing box! This first rise could take anything from 30 mins to a couple of hours, depending on the conditions, but wait until the dough has doubled in size before proceeding.

5. Shape and second rise: Punch the dough down on a mat or board, knead for two minutes ('push' the dough away from you, fold it back on itself, turn a quarter turn, repeat), roll it out into an oval about 40cm x 20cm, and then roll it up into a big sausage shape (or shape it any other way you like - I don't think it matters too much - get creative!). Transfer to a bread tin or oven tray. Dampen the top with water and add sesame seeds (again, use whatever you like - we just happen to like sesame seeds), pressing them lightly onto the dough.  Cover and allow to rise again for at least two hours.

6. Bake: Preheat your oven to hot - mine goes up to about 250 deg C (a hot oven will allow the loaf to rise quickly by turning moisture in the dough into steam, before it forms the crust, so you get a nicely aerated and soft bread). Remove the cling wrap or tea towel, sprinkle on a little more water (this makes a lovely crunchy crust) and put the loaf in the middle of the oven. Bake for 6 minutes, and then turn the oven down to 200 deg C and bake a further 20 mins. Keep an eye on it the first time you bake it - all ovens are different, and you may need to adjust the timing a little.

When it's done, tip the loaf out into a cooling rack and WAIT: if you give it at least ten minutes to cool it will be much easier to cut. Then try not to eat it all at once :)

Back to the routine

School resumed yesterday, and I'm working, so the routine daily life is getting back on track.

So what did we do in the rest of the school holidays?

Tuesday night the short people spent at their Nanna's. It's the first night the X-man has ever spent away from The Husband, although I've been to Perth a couple of times and to Europe without him. You could (just) count the number of nights without one of us that Miss Tizz has had in nearly ten years of life.

On Wednesday, The Husband collected them and headed out to a friend's property on the other side of Queanbeyan, and they were gone most of the day (while I worked, catching up on things that seem to slide a little when everyone is here all day). By evening, when they arrived home again, I was very glad to see them. And then the squabbling kicked in again *sigh*.

The phone rang that night, with Grandad on the other end. We'd been thinking about heading up to Sydney for a few days, but the holidays were running out, and it wasn't looking too hopeful. That is, until the kids announced to their grandparents that we would be coming up the next day. So we did. I needed to get a day's work in first, so just after 5pm we were on the road, and the weather deteriorated the further north we went. Plenty of rain, fog and roadworks - always a great combination in the dark! But we arrived safely. As always when the kids see Grandma and Grandad after too long a break, it was a little crazy, but we love it (and them)!

Friday was grey and drizzly, but we decided to have a nice long relaxed lunch in Cronulla, as a belated birthday for Grandad and an early one for Grandma. Despite the rain, it was lovely to walk along the promenade and smell the salt air, and Miss Tizz was most disappointed she couldn't paddle. Next time!

Friday evening was spent in front of the television, watching The Wedding. Just beautiful! A big display of pageantry and little glimpses of a couple obviously in love :)

By Saturday night we were home again, and the weather cleared as we drove south (except for Goulburn!). And Saturday night meant the first episode of the new series of Doctor Who - we've been looking forward to it for months. And then Sunday (of course) involved laundry. And our 12th wedding anniversary! And baking ciambella deliciousness!

emergency lunch

No bread in the house. Lunch time. No-one wanting to go out to the bakery. Hungry family. What to do?

5 minute microwave damper

2 cups self raising flour
1 cup water
dash of apple cider vinegar*

Mix everything together in a microwave-proof bowl (don't overmix). Microwave on high for 4 minutes, turn out onto microwave turntable, cook for another 30-60 seconds (times depend on your microwave oven - mine is pretty old).

Slice, slather in butter and jam (or something a little more nutritious, but we were after quick today) and eat while still warm.

Ok - so it's not pretty, but it's fast and filling, and everyone liked it.

* The vinegar has quite a strong smell before cooking, but you can't really smell or taste it at all when done.

The past few days have been hard. A very very dear friend found out her unborn babe had died on Wednesday, and birthed him on Thursday. Her baby, Xavier, was a very much longed for boy. She's on the other side of this wide brown land, and it's never felt quite so wide before. I'm going over soon, but I wish we were closer.

So ... something brief today.

The husband needed a new hot water bottle (despite the warnings, he insists on using boiling water, and eventually the old one sprang a leak. In the bed. He got the wet patch - heh!). Of course, a new hot water bottle needed a new hot water bottle cover. In bright bright orange and black.



Apparently I have to remove the decorative elements though. I did insist they were manly geometric shapes, but no dice.

The other thing I've made this week is coconut macaroons:



1 tin condensed milk
4-5 cups shredded coconut
1/3 cup plain flour

Mix.
Drop teaspoonfuls on a tray lined with baking paper.
Bake at 180 C for 10 mins.

Allow to cool, and try to pack some away before they all disappear at once.

------------------------

And lastly, a gratuitous lemon photo, just because it's beautiful and bright and just what I need.

Chocolate!

We had a family Good Friday lunch yesterday with the mother-in-law, brother-in-law & sister-in-law and their two offspring. None of them are religious, but for some reason that they can't explain (except that MIL promised her mother, and her sons promised her) they don't eat meat on Good Friday. I'm happy to go along with it - I won't knock back a big slab of barbecued salmon for lunch :)

I did desserts, and in keeping with the Easter theme of the weekend, I made white chocolate and passionfruit mousse, served in chocolate Easter eggs.

White chocolate & passionfruit mousse

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup passionfruit pulp
• 150g white chocolate
• 300ml thickened cream
• 3 egg whites
• 6 medium Easter eggs

Method

1. Use an electric beater to beat 3 egg yolks and 1/4 cup caster sugar until pale and creamy. Fold in 1/2 cup passionfruit pulp alternately with 150g white chocolate, melted, and cooled slightly. If the chocolate is too hot, the mixture will seize.
2. Beat 300ml thickened cream until soft peaks form, and in a separate bowl beat 3 egg whites until firm peaks form. Fold into the passionfruit mixture.
3. Break tops from 6 medium Easter eggs and sit eggs in serving glasses. Fill with mousse and refrigerate for 3-4 hrs or overnight until set. Serve with chocolate shards for dipping.

Source

Fresh Living - March 2005, Page 36

Recipe by Michelle Southan

Who's eating my fruit?

Wicking beds



The beds are made, they're settling in, and just waiting for rain, worms & planting. The weather forecast mentioned rain many times last week, but nothing more than a few drops came of it. Tomorrow's forecast for the local area says "A thunderstorm in spots" - what's that supposed be? A fashion statement? I think I may end up resorting to the hose - after all, that's what those white watering tubes in the beds are for:



Next I need to bully the husband into finishing the worm feeders (he has more time & more sharp power tool experience than me). It all seems to be taking forever, but it's getting there ...

At least something's eating out of the backyard

The apples are looking lovely, aren't they?



But turn most of them over, and you'll find something like this:



Telltale signs of codling moth. The pears aren't immune either:



And then there's pear & cherry slug:



... and birds ...



The white cockatoos seem to prefer the pears, and the rosellas (ok - I'm not 100% sure they're rosellas, but they're green & red & blue & very pretty) prefer the apples. At least someone's eating well!

Baking

Speaking of eating, I made up my first batch of dough from the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day book today. The children have been bringing home their sandwiches barely touched, so I thought little crusty rolls, accompanied by a small salad, might be more tempting. The rolls are certainly tempting me!



You can find the master dough recipe on the authors' website, and variations of all sorts floating around the internet. I found this a little salty, and then read that the amount of table salt should be reduced by about a third or more if you're using table salt instead of the kosher salt in the original recipe. But it's certainly delicious and easy, even like this (that blurry one in the foreground is no more!). Mmmmmm ...

Nuts

Macadamias from the tree on my aunt & uncle's farm:



Pecans from a tree on the husband's aunt's property:



And chocolate peanut clusters:



Chocolate peanut clusters

1. Melt chocolate (any type of chocolate will do, but the better quality, slave-free ones will leave you with a better taste in your mouth - literally & figuratively)

2. Add peanuts (or any other type of nut you prefer). Mix to coat thoroughly.

3. Drop teaspoons of the mixture on a tray (foil or baking paper makes them easier to remove) and refrigerate to set.

4. Try to not eat them all at once.

Updates (was going to be quick, but got carried away with the food)

Earthboxes - plants are alive, although I've had some casualties (mostly spinach). It's been bizarre weather, and the snails are rampant, so I will reassess & report again when things settle down.

Meal planning - Week one went fairly well. I stuck with it until Saturday, when it unravelled somewhat (a late brunch, followed by a 4pm 'lunch' of hot chips, and popcorn in front of a DVD at 7.45pm Hmmm ... can I blame the weather?). On the upside, this means I now have tomorrow night's dinner still up my sleeve - the Dutch-style baked beans - which is very handy as I could delay shopping (I have been cocooned all weekend) and it's going to be a busy day tomorrow, so I will make it in the slow cooker.

Despite their input to the planning, the kids kicked up a bit of a fuss over some of the meals, but the husband was pretty keen on the recipes from this book, so we'll use it again.

The verdict on each meal [recipes at the end]:

Simple salad cups & fish - I need fish-cooking lessons :P But despite the fact that it fell apart, it was very nice, and the salad was good too (although Miss Tizz had a little trouble coping with apple in a salad) and I probably could have picked a better dressing.

Sheena's fettuccini with prawns & snowpeas - we were a bit heavy with the parmesan, and it was a really sharp cheese - more than normal parmesan - so it was a bit overpowering and the kids weren't keen. So I got several lunches out of it as well. Not the recipe's fault at all - I will make it again and follow it exactly next time.

Lentil curry & rice - this was very simple and very good. And the husband willingly ate vegetarian food! I had to tone down the heat for the kids (used some of the cream left over from the night before), so would use less curry paste next time, or look for a very mild one.

Chinese noodle salad - loved it! The kids, as usual, complained about & picked out the shallots & capsicum, and baulked at the green stuff (coriander). Wouldn't change a thing though - this was fabulous.

Warm chicken & mint salad - probably the hit of the week. Raw onion isn't too popular around here, so I left it out, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. This one will definitely be repeated, despite the "Ewww! What's that green stuff?!" (it was mint this time).

Sweet & sour meatballs with sweet & sour sauce & rice - we didn't end up serving with rice - there was plenty of food without it, although next time I would do it & probably get another full meal out of it. Managed to use up all the eggs yesterday, so the meatballs were a bit fragile, but otherwise pretty good. I would happily have just the sauce - it's full of veges, & would work as a meal on its own with rice. I haven't typed up the recipe (it's late & I'm tired), but if you want it, let me know.

I only ended up making the Strawberry ricotta cups this week, but there was enough to have this dessert for two nights. Kids were very keen on this recipe, although the husband wasn't thrilled by the slight grittiness of the ricotta.

The verdict on this book: A keeper. The kids will adapt!


The recipes

Simple Salad Cups
1 large carrot, diced
1 large potato, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 red apple, peeled, cored & chopped (I didn't peel it)
1/2 cup pecan nuts, chopped
1/4 cup low-joule salad dressing (no idea if it was low-joule - I picked a wild lime & something bottle off the shelf, because I'm not normally into salad dressings. It was creamy, and fairly strong, so I toned it down with mayo. Still not sure about it ...)
4 lettuce leaves

Steam or microwave carrot, potato & peas until just tender. While still warm, toss through apple, pecans & dressing. Spoon into lettuce leaves. Chill before serving.

Sheena's fettuccini with prawns & snowpeas
500g shelled green prawns
1 cup dry white wine
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp olive oil
500g fettuccine (the recipe specifies mixed tomato, spinach & plain, but we just had plain)
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
200 ml cream
10 snowpeas, topped & tailed & cut into thick strips
ground pepper to taste

Simmer prawns in wine for 3-5 mins. Drain (keep the wine!)
Saute onion in olive oil, add prawns & wine, then remove from heat.
Cook fettuccine in boiling water, drain, then return to saucepan.
Stir parmesan through cooked pasta - keep hot.
Pour cream over prawns & onion - and heat gently - do not boil.
Add cream mixture & snowpeas to pasta. Season to taste.
Serve immediately with a green salad & crusty bread (I managed to make bread rolls, but didn't get to the salad before having to eat & run out the door to a meeting - would have been better with the salad to counter the creaminess)

Lentil curry
3 tblsp curry paste
1 onion, finely chopped
425g can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
2.5 cups boiling water

In a medium saucepan, heat curry paste until aromatic, about 2 mins. Saute onion in curry paste until soft, then add tomatoes.
Place lentils in another pan with boiling water. Bring back to the boil, reduce heat & simmer gently for 20-25 mins, or until lentils are soft. Stir regularly to stop them sticking.
Add cooked lentils to onion mixture & stir well.
Reheat until curry boils & thickens.
Serve with rice, plain yoghurt & salad.

Chinese noodle salad
375g Hokkein noodles
1/4 bunch shallots, sliced diagonally
1/4 packet bean sprouts
1/2 cucumber, finely sliced
1/2 red capsicum, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely sliced
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (did them in the microwave)
3 tbsp slivered almonds, toasted (did them in the microwave)

Dressing
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 bunch fresh coriander, chopped

In a large bowl, pour boiling water over noodles to cover. Stand for 5 mins. Drain, then rinse in cld water.
Combine noodles, shallots, bean sprouts, cucumber, red capsicum, carrot, sesame seeds & almonds in a serving bowl.
Combine all dressing ingredients in a small jar & shake well.
Pour dressing over noodles & toss well.

Warm chicken & mint salad
1 tsp canola oil
400g skinless chicken breast or thigh fillets, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (left it out)
1/2 green capsicum, thinly sliced
1 cup lettuce leaves, roughly torn
1/2 cup mint leaves

Dressing
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add chicken & stirfry until cooked Remove chicken to a large bowl. Toss with onion, capsicum, lettuce & mint.
Put all dressing ingredients in a small jar & shake well. Pour over salad, toss lightly & serve with crusty bread.

Strawberry ricotta cups
2 punnets strawberries, sliced
2 tsp vanilla essence (I use vanilla extract)
6 sachets Equal (no no no! I won't use artificial sweeteners, esp. with the kids. Used castor sugar instead)
500g ricotta cheese
400g natural low-fat yoghurt (we had vanilla, so I used that)
6 whole strawberries & mint sprigs to decorate

Sprinkle strawberries with vanilla & half the sweetener/sugar, then refrigerate for 30 mins.
Beat or blend ricotta until smooth, then stir in yoghurt & remaining sweetener/sugar (didn't use the extra sugar because we had vanilla yoghurt)
Spoon a layer of strawberries into individual serving dishes, top with ricotta mixture, then decorate with strawberries & mint (I gave the mint a miss - not worth more fuss from the kids!)

All recipes from The Diabetes Cookbook for the Whole Family by Melissa Armstrong, Jill Gosper & Eileen Burr, and all the staff of the Diabetes Centre, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.

Ghosties & ghouls

We've never celebrated Halloween, but last week Miss Tizz's Guide leader announced that they were having a Halloween party this week. Costumes, games, food - the lot. Okaaaayyyy ... not really my thing (especially the commercialised, US, trick-or-treat version), but we put together a ghost costume from a sheet:



... and made some spiders (Delta Cream biscuits taken apart, pretzel legs inserted, put back together with some melted chocolate to make it stick, more chocolate on top, and some silver cachou eyes):



... and squashed eyeballs (big marshmallows, Smarties with a little chocolate 'glue' and red decorating gel), little ghosts and severed fingers (Honey Jumble biscuits with decorating gel):



All pretty easy, and none came home, so the girls must have liked them.

And now Miss Tizz is aware of the whole Halloween thing, I may just sit her down on Friday night and tell her what it's really about - not the cutesy Hallmark version *evil grin*.

School holidays - Day 11: Bread & cousins

The breadmaker has been languishing in the back of the cupboard for a while, so it was time to pull him out and put him to work. (For some unknown reason, all the household appliances in this neck of the woods are male, particularly if they can cook. It may have something to do with my culinary reluctance.) Anyway, we forgot to buy bread yesterday, and apparently the crumpets we do have weren't good enough. So the breadmaker was called on to do his duty. I love his delay function - I can throw all the ingredients in and have fresh warm bread ready when we wake. And because that hasn't happened in a while, I woke to a fresh warm 7 year old throw herself at me in gratitude this morning!

As he was already out, and the MIL & cousins were coming over to play today, I pressed the breadmaker into further duty, and made a rosemary and fetta pullapart. Oh my! It was magnificent. Awesome. Delicious. Light & buttery. And so, so easy.



And it worked - it pulled apart, just like it was supposed to! MIL was impressed - first tiramisu, then this. I have so gone up in the world!

The recipe came from baf65 at forumthermomix.com (although i didn't use the Thermomix this time) via brazen's culinary adventures (hers is prettier than mine). Definitely a keeper.

Pullapart loaf

750g Bakers Flour
450g lukewarm water
15g yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
5 tbs oil

Filling - 120g herb butter (you can use herbs, garlic, sundried tomatoes, whatever takes your fancy mixed in with the butter)

Prepare yeast dough and leave to rise (I used the breadmaker on dough cycle).
Roll dough out into a big rectangle.
Spread butter over the dough.
Cut rectangle in half widthways then cut 3-4cm wide strips lengthways.
Fold strips into a concertina and arrange in a springform tin (lined with baking paper on the bottom).
Bake at 180 degrees C for 40-45mins (you can put straight into a cold oven without proving again or you can leave to rise and then put into warm oven)


Oh, and about the cousins. Can you tell me why the volume of four children is far greater than double the volume of two children? Especially when it's a sunny day but they inexplicably would rather play inside when you're desperately trying to get some work done (I mean paying work. I have no problem with housework being interrupted).

School holidays - Day 9: Brunch

I had entertained thoughts of writing an ode to brunch, but I'm adjusting to daylight saving time and want to keep this brief.

What is it about brunch that I find so attractive?

1. It usually means I have been permitted to sleep late, rather than being woken rudely by hordes of demanding offspring (all two of them, but it seems like hordes when they jump all over me in the morning before I've had coffee) who want breakfast - NOW!
   
2. It means I don't need to be anywhere before noon. Not being a morning person, this is always a good start to the day.
3. It means I can eliminate one meal preparation time for the day. Brunch in this house is not followed by a proper lunch. Oh no! It replaces breakfast and lunch. You may get afternoon tea if you're lucky. You know where the fruit bowl is - help yourself.
4. I generally dislike food prep & cooking. A lot. But there's something about brunch food that's not too bad. It's probably more to do with the fact that it can be fairly simple, and it's not rushed. And it can involve just a little bit of decadence.
5. I make what I want, and generously offer the same to the rest of the family. There is no optional menu.
   

This morning (I think it was still this morning, but we hadn't changed all the clocks at that stage, so it may have slipped into early afternoon by the time we finished), we had pancakes with caramelised banana. The small people opted for maple syrup. The husband passed on the pancakes and made himself some eggs on English muffins. And there was coffee, freshly ground in the Thermomix :)

This is the simplest pancake recipe in the world, from my Grandpa, and I haven't yet had a fancy one to beat it.

Grandpa's pancakes

Arise late from slumber. Swan out into the kitchen and ask the children to get out self raising flour, eggs and milk.

Mix 1 cup flour, 1 egg & 1 cup milk (or more, in the same ratio, depending on how many you're feeding). Leave the children to continue mixing as long as they feel like it while you shower and dress in peace.

Heat a small amount of butter in a frypan, and pour in batter, preferably in different amounts to make tiny, medium & HUGE pancakes, as this seems to give the children a thrill. Try to make odd shapes for the same reason. As bubbles appear on the top of each pancake, flip over to cook other side. Make the children line up with their plates as you cook each batch, or keep them warm in the oven (the pancakes, not the children) so you can eat together.

Doesn't get much easier :)

School holidays - Day 2

I was going to write a piece about how much I love brunch, but that will have to wait until tomorrow, because tonight was the final episode of the new Dr Who, Season 4. For the second time in four years, the Doctor has reduced me to tears. Yes, I know it's all made up, but I got a bit ... involved ...

The Doctor really is at his best (whoever the actor that's playing him, but David Tennant is particularly good at it) when he's in pain, and there was plenty of pain at the end of this episode. Catherine Tate is a brilliant actress - she can make you laugh till you pee yourself (not me though - I have really good pelvic floor muscles!) and she can make you feel Donna's desperation.

***

The rest of the day involved another late start, with all four of us in bed for reading and tickles, followed by brunch (again), meeting a friend for coffee & a chat, and stocking up on more yarn. I had plans for a lot of cooking, but only ended up making Thermomix chocolate yogo for the kids.

Thermomix chocolate yogo
recipe adapted from The Crone, approx weights in brackets
3 cups water (600g)
1 cup milk powder (100g)
1/3 cup cornflour (40g)
1/3 cup cocoa (40g)
2/3 cup sugar (can be reduced) (120g)
pinch salt
3 tbsp butter (35g)

Place all ingredients in Thermomix bowl. Cook for 7 min/90 deg C/speed 4. Pour into small containers immediately, as it begins setting very quickly as it cools. Allow to cool, then refrigerate.

School holidays Day 1! Yay (and I mean that most sincerely)

Today is the first official day of school holidays. Two weeks of the short people at home with us, all day, every day. And, surprisingly, I'm feeling quite good about it. It's a bit of a relief all round.

The household stress levels have been getting a bit out of control with all the things we have to do, and all the things we should be doing. And despite the reality that I'm not really on holidays, a great weight has been lifted that for the next fortnight we don't have to get kids off to school and preschool, fork out more money for the latest fundraising venture, make sure notes and homework are in on time and attend committee meetings. No Guides for two weeks. We haven't booked them into any holiday programs or fast track swimming courses. In fact, we have no definite plans to do anything at all.

We may go to Questacon or the National Museum or the National Gallery. We may go to the movies, or have a picnic, or visit friends. We may do a mad blitz on the homefront (ok, so that one has pretty low odds). We may just hang out with each other and play.

The point is, right at this moment, we have two weeks of possibility. Yes, I'll have to work it around my paid work, but holidays are when working from home becomes a huge advantage, and the one plan I do have is to take advantage of it.

So, Day 1: sleeping in while the kids watch cartoons. Brunch very late in the morning. An afternoon of lazing around with the kids reading and doing puzzles, followed by a spot of tiramisu-making, and music to dance and tidy up to before MIL joins us for dinner.

Easy peasy, not very authentic but very adaptable no-fail tiramisu

1 pkg cream cheese (250g) or marscapone or ricotta or neufchatel cheese
cream (300ml or so)
sugar (depends how sweet you want it - maybe 2 tblsp)
coffee - strong (this time I used up some horrible cheap instant vanilla coffee mix packets along with some leftover strong coffee from the plunger - 1-2 cups made up)
brandy (or coffee liqueur, or leave it out)
Savoiardi (ladyfinger) biscuits (or cake, but the biscuits are nicer)

If you don't have leftover coffee, make the coffee, then while it's cooling beat the cheese, cream and sugar together until smooth (an electric mixer is easiest, but not essential). Add alcohol to coffee. Arrange biscuits in serving dish, soak (but don't drown) with coffee, then add a layer of cheese mixture. Add more layers of biscuits, coffee, cheese until you run out of room, ending with the cheese mixture on top. Add some grated chocolate (or the chocolate powder from the cheap instant coffee mix packets) to decorate. Chill for a minimum of one hour before serving.

Chickpeas - and the children approved!

I'm gradually working my way through some of the "seemed like a good idea at the time" foodstuffs lurking in the pantry. On Monday night I pulled out a jar of dried chickpeas of unknown vintage, and figured they probably wouldn't kill us ... So they were duly soaked overnight. Then I got distracted yesterday. So they soaked for about 48 hours all up, and got nice and fat again ...



Tonight I threw them in the Thermomix, along with other vegetable leftovers from the fridge (including carrot, cauliflower & peas, a few spoonfuls of baked beans and some tomatoey-sauce from a previous meal) , a couple of eggs, some breadcrumbs and red curry paste. Process into a thick paste. Heat a small amount of oil in a heavy pan, drop spoonfuls of the mix in, cook until golden. I made some big 'burger' size and some small 'vege nugget' size for the kids.

And they were a big hit!



If you want a 'proper' recipe, try this one.

I am not a natural cook, so to be able to throw something like this together with a bunch of leftovers and have it come out edible is very exciting! Only now I'll probably get all cocky & have to deal with a disaster next ...

Freezer Biscuits (by special request)

A friend asked me to post my recipe for biscuits she tried here a while ago. I can't remember which lot she had - one recipe is here, and the other is below.

Basic Refrigerator Biscuits
Makes 90-120

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a blender or by hand in a large bowl. Stir in last 3 ingredients & mix well. Or just throw it all together in your Thermomix.

Divide dough, roll into sausage shapes (diameter will depend on how big you like your bikkies), wrap in waxed paper or cling wrap & place in fridge (for at least 2 hours) or freezer.

To bake: Cut roll into thin slices & place on ungreased tray. Bake at 180-200 degrees C for 10 mins or until golden (depends on your oven - watch them as they will go from perfect to burnt quickly because of the sugar content). Allow to cool & harden slightly before removing from tray.

You can pretty much add anything you want to these - cocoa, nuts, choc chips, sprinkle cinnamon or 100s & 100s on top etc.

Pear cake

Still working through those pears! Today's effort was a pear cake, with cinnamon & ginger. It's only just come out of the oven, so I'm waiting for it to cool a bit before trying it, but it smells wonderful (and it's made the whole house smell pretty darn good too!).


Pear cake

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
ginger (I used powdered - about 2 teaspoons)
4 cups raw diced pears (or you can use apples)

Mix all ingredients in the order listed. Pour into a greased 9"x13" pan or springform pan. Bake at 180 degrees C for 45 minutes.

Topping:
In a saucepan, mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup milk & 125g butter. Bring to a slow boil for 3 minutes. Pour over cake and return to oven for 4 minutes.

[I ran out of time to do the topping - the baking ran into dinner time - so I'll plan better next time. Probably a little healthier without the extra sugar & butter anyway!]

UPDATE: Could have done with a higher temp in my oven, or less fruit, or something. It came out VERY heavy, although it tasted great, even to someone who's not really into pears. When I cut it, it oozed in the centre, which I'm assuming is because the density doesn't allow it cook properly in the middle. Next time (and there will be a next time, because it tastes good - and would be really nice with custard), I will reduce the fruit by one-third or so, and increase the baking powder a little.

UPDATE 2: My friend The Crone suggested turning it into a pudding - slice it up, follow a bread & butter pudding recipe, add slivered almonds to the top, and bake. Yum!

Pear & pepper soup

I am still working my way through the pears - I had to throw out a whole lot today that couldn't wait for me to get my act together :( At least it inspired me to try out a variation on an interesting soup recipe I found.

Pear & pepper soup
2-3 pears
1 large red capsicum (pepper)
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
900ml stock
A handful or two of red lentils
Salt & pepper to taste (optional)

Peel, core and chop pears & capsicum. Mince garlic. Heat olive oil in pan and saute pears, capsicum & garlic. Add stock & lentils (& seasoning if required). Cook for 20 minutes.

Thermomix version - After peeling & coring, saute pears, capsicum & garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 4. Add stock & lentils. Cook for 20 minutes at 90 degrees, speed 2. Blitz on speed 8-9 for 10 seconds.

It smells & tastes delish! Quite sweet, and I'm sure my kids will hate it, which is fine by me :)

Food - and more food

Had a slow start to the day, but a full afternoon. I found out about a local farm open day last night, so we decided to head and have a look. The family-run farm is called Gleann na Meala - Valley of Honey, and it's located near the village of Hall, just outside Canberra. They grow a lot of salad greens, herbs, potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, zucchini, pak choi and more - all chemical-free. We stomped around the fields and had a good look, and Miss Tizz was able to pick a lettuce to bring home.

She and the X-man also sweet-talked one of the daughters of the family into giving them some tiny potatoes from the packing shed.

The chillies in the photo were very mild - the husband had a few bites before deciding to bring them home to see if he could grow some from seed.

We saw a sign on the road to the farm advertising 'Pick your own hazelnuts', so we headed there next, and spent a fabulous hour stripping hazelnut bushes and chatting with the owners. We came home with 3kg of unhulled nuts.

I've never really liked hazelnuts, but I've only ever had the roasted sort. The fresh ones, however, are magnificent! I'm the same with macadamias - give me bush nuts fresh off the tree and I will spend hours with a hammer breaking the shells to get to the nut, but cooked - no thanks! Not even when you add white chocolate bits and bake them in a biscuit, which is really saying something.

The hazelnuts will keep for several years if we dry them properly - hah! We have been assured it's fine to eat them green, but they will turn brown and hard if you let them dry out in the sun or a warm, well-ventilated spot. Never keep them in a sealed container, as they'll sweat - no Tupperware for these babies!

On the way home we stopped off at the Hall showgrounds and crashed a church picnic a friend had mentioned. Sausage sandwiches taste marvellous after an afternoon in the sun ...

A couple of weeks ago I made up some Big Batch Bikkie dough and froze it in rolls, so today I pulled out a roll and had fresh warm homemade biscuits in about 10 minutes. Wonderful!

Be warned: this recipe makes a HUGE amount. I made one-third of it, and I estimate I will get about 150 biscuits out of it! I make them about the size of a commercial biscuit (an attempt at portion control!), and they come out quite thin and crisp. But just in case you need to feed a tribe, the full recipe is below (and although it looks like a lot of butter and sugar, remember it goes a long way):

Big Batch Bikkies

750g butter

1.5 kg brown sugar

6 eggs

1.5-2 kg self-raising flour

3 tsp vanilla essence

Melt butter and let cool. Mix in the remaining ingredients, starting with 1.5kg of flour, and adding more if the dough is too wet. Unless you have a very large food processer, this is best done by hand. Make balls - 10-20 cent coin size - and place on baking tray, allowing room for spreading. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees C on the top rack of your oven. You don't even need to preheat the oven to the full temp before putting the tray in.

The biscuits will be quite soft while hot, but harden quickly as they cool.

I suggest you keep a close eye on them at first, as they can burn very easily. The original recipe called for 15 mins at 225 degrees C, and I had to throw my first batch out, so you may need to adjust the time for your oven. You can freeze the uncooked dough in rolls wrapped in waxed paper and overwrapped with plastic film or in a long container. Then when the need for fresh biscuits hits you, just take out a roll, cut it into disks half to 1cm thick, and bake as normal. Almost quick enough to get them into the oven as unexpected guests walk to the door!

Lime tart

Very quick, very easy dessert - recipe makes 2 tarts.

Lime tart

2 x prepared sweet tart cases (I was short on time so cheated and bought them this time)

1 cup lime juice

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup cream

4 eggs

Blind bake the tart cases at 180 degrees for 10 mins.

Mix lime juice, sugar, cream and eggs. Pour into hot tart cases and continue baking at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes. Check if filling is setting in the middle by shaking the tray. Once it has set, remove from oven and allow to cool. Garnish with lime zest. Refrigerate to finish setting.

Serve with heavy cream.