About Me

My photo
Loving all stylish and wonderful things in life, fashion and interiors. I am English but living my life in the fabulous city of Melbourne in Australia. Welcome and please read on.... (contact me at sjstubbs19@gmail.com)
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts

Sunday, February 19, 2012

In which we do a 30 minute Jamie "spesh"

Mr SE and I are quite fond of watching the Jamie Oliver programmes that are on TV here in Australia at the moment.... They are his 30 minute special suppers and to quote Mr. O are prepared and served in "Well undah firty minites"
They are on fairly early each evening at 6.30pm so we record them and then watch them in a batch and last week we had a go at the Pizza served with a trio of salads - a mozzarella and pesto one , tomatoes with basil and balsamic dressing and rocket and lemon salad... Here above are the fruits of our labour all together...


And here the focus on the main dish the PIZZA. Have to say this is the first time I have made one completely from scratch including the base and we were impressed - it was so easy and also very quick too.


If you want to have a go at Jamie's pizza here is the recipe :


PIZZA
1½ mugs of self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
½ mug of tepid water

TOPPING
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
A few sprigs of fresh basil
½ a clove of garlic
Red wine vinegar
½ a 125g (4½oz) ball of buffalo mozzarella
Parmesan cheese, for grating over
8 slices of salami
1tsp fennel seeds
½ a fresh red chilli
PIZZA: Turn the heat under the frying pan up to high and dust a clean surface with flour. Put 1½ mugs' worth of flour into a food processor, then half-fill the same mug with tepid water and add to the flour with a pinch of salt and a glug of olive oil.
Whizz until smooth, then tip on to the floured board. Sprinkle the top of the dough and the rolling pin with flour (the dough will be quite wet, so be generous with the flour).
Roll the dough to a 1cm (½in) thickness. Drizzle olive oil into the pan, then dust the dough with flour again and very lightly fold it over into a halfmoon shape.
Lightly fold the half-moon in half, then move the dough to the pan and unfold it, pushing it down into the sides of the pan. If you don't have a pan this big, don't cook all of the dough at once, halve it and make two pizzas.
TOPPING: Put a third of the tinned tomatoes into a liquidiser with a few sprigs of basil, ½ a peeled clove of garlic, a splash of red wine vinegar, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Whizz until smooth. Pour over the middle of the pizza base and spread out evenly.
Tear ½ a mozzarella ball into small pieces and dot around the base. Finely grate a layer of Parmesan over, then top with the salami slices. I like to bash the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar and finely chop the chilli, then scatter them over the pizza.
Put the pan under the hot grill for 4 or 5 minutes, until golden and cooked through.


Quite DELISH and if you wanted the rest of the bits that went with the pizza -click on this link :


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1316918/Jamie-Olivers-30-minute-meals-Cheats-pizza-delish-salads-squashed-cherries-vanilla-mascarpone-cream.html

On other notes to tell you. As I type my MOTHER IN LAW is winging her way over the skies to Australia to stay for a few weeks... (No, no I did not say on a broomstick!) . Those long time readers of the blog will know that she (the MIL) is rather a force to be reckoned with and is a little outspoken to say the least. Will keep you updated as we go!


Hope you all had (or are having) a wonderful weekend.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The recipe that goes with the previous post!

I am at my parents' house again this evening as my father is taking me to Heathrow airport tomorrow morning. He has written out the Salmon Mousse recipe for you so I thought I would quickly put it on the blog especially for those who need it quickly for this weekend!!

Smoked salmon mousse (for 8) (apologies for those in USA or Europe as these measurements are all in 'imperial' - hopefully you will have a recipe book which translate!)
  • 3 fl.oz white wine
  • bay leaf
  • 5 fl.oz fish or chicken stock
  • 1.5 tbsp crushed black pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • small squeeze tomato puree
  • 8oz smoked salmon minced
  • 8 fl. oz double cream
  • 7 oz yoghurt
  • small pack (half ounce) gelatine powder
  • 3 fl oz water
  • tsp. oil

Boil wine, bayleaf, stock, pepper, cayenne and lemon juice rapidly for 3 to 4 minutes until reduced by half. Pour through a fine sieve and stir in tomato puree. Mix this liquid into the minced salmon. Whip the cream until stiff and fold the yoghurt in. Fold the cream / yoghurt mix into the salmon. Dissolve the gelatine in the water. Allow it to cool and then stir into the salmon mixture. Lightly oil a loaf tin and pour in the mixture. Allow to set in the fridge and then before serving run a knife round the edge and turn out and decorate as you wish with parsley/lemon/cucumber etc... ENJOY!

I probably won't have time again to blog or comment before I leave and so the next one will be when I return to Australia... Meanwhile you could check out my blogging friend That's Not My Age 's post - for a last fleeting look at the Semi Expat cottage!! (That's Not My Age is featured in the British Press and has a wonderful blog - you would be mad not to follow her ).

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The most deliciously refreshing drink ever - 'Grown-Up Lime-Aid'

Firstly, I apologise that at the moment this drink is not going to seem all that refreshing to those in Northern Hemisphere experiencing minus temperatures and lots of snow but I URGE you to file this little 'recipe' somewhere safely for the lazy, hazy days of Summer to come. And for the rest of us sweltering in the heat (yesterday the mercury hit 43 degrees here in Melbourne!) try this - you won't regret it....


Take a bottle of any dry-ish fizz...Obviously not your best champagne but a decent favourite white with bubbles. Last night we used Prosecco which is highly recommended by that well known Queen of the Domestic Kitchen - Nigella Lawson...... (and what she says I take extremely seriously).

Now, at this point you add freshly squeezed lime juice.... You can either make individual glasses but I think the far better way is to pour the whole bottle of fizz into a pretty glass jug and then add the juice of 6 or 7 limes. Agree, it seems a lot of lime juice but you will just have to trust me on this one. Oh, and a handful of ice too...



Only one small problem with this gorgeous drink.... It tastes very innocent and you drink more than you originally intended! And I will admit to having a teensy, weensy bit of a headache this morning but it was definitely worth it!
(And if you were on the receiving end of a slightly inappropriate/interfering text last night I can only apologise - the Lime-Aid made me do it!)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Easy Christmas Recipe (and fun to make too!)


This festive cookie recipe from Donna Hay, Australia's best-selling cookbook author, is really very easy to whip up for Christmas - it looks lovely with the red jam in the middle of each little cookie - rather like a plate of pretty Venetian glass jewels.....

Ingredients:
6 oz. butter, (185 g.) softened, 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar, 1 egg, 2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour sifted, 1/2 tsp baking powder, Jam (or jelly as it is known in some countries!!) to decorate.


Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180 deg. C.) Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well.
Step 2: Stir through the flour and baking powder and mix to a dough.
Step 3: Roll 2 tsp of the mixture into balls. Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, allowing room for the biscuits to spread, and flatten slightly.
Step 4: Press a finger into the middle of the dough to make an indent. Fill the hole with jam.
Step 5: Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Add a little more jam to the holes when the biscuits are hot.
Step 6: Cool on wire racks.
Makes around 60 or so....
ENJOY!!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

ENGLISH APPLE CAKE

As the season of 'mists and mellow fruitfulness' is in full swing (well at least here in the Northern Hemisphere!) DDD and I made our English apple cake yesterday - totally delicious !! It nearly all went last night as we had a friend over for supper and we served it warm as a pudding with a little double cream - totally delicious but I have cut a slice to photograph for you to see...

RECIPE :
  • BUTTER 130 G
  • CASTER SUGAR 130G
  • 'EATING APPLES - ANY TYPE - 3
  • JUICE HALF LEMON
  • DEMERARA SUGAR - 2 TABLSPNS
  • GROUND CINNAMON - 1 TEASPN
  • 2 EGGS
  • PLAIN FLOUR - 130G (one spoonful taken out and replaced with a spoonful of GROUND ALMONDS)
  • BAKING POWDER - A TEASPN

Set the oven to 180 degrees, Gas 4. Line a cake tin - (I use a 2lb loaf tin). Put the butter and caster sugar into a bowl and and mix until light and fluffy. Cut the apples into small chunks and remove cores etc. as you go. Toss the apples into another bowl with the lemon juice and the cinnamon with the demerara sugar.

Gradually add the beaten eggs to the butter and sugar mixture and then fold in the flour/ground almonds and baking powder. Scrape mixture into the tin and top with the spiced apples. Bake for 55 mins to an hour. Leave to cool in tin for 10 mins so so before turning out. Best served warm.... (especially with cream!)

HAPPY AUTUMNAL DAYS!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

A Recipe for you (long overdue!)

Some time back last month I promised to give you the recipe for the Banana, Date and Orange loaf/cake thingy I made whilst (well in fact for the arrival of) the MIL.... It turned out very well so I thought and Mr SE was partial to it too but the MIL did not comment on it and even though I asked on two separate occasions later whether she would like a slice (with her tea!) the answer was always negative!!!! DO NOT LET THIS PUT YOU OFF THOUGH... - its scrummy and very easy and that, as far as I am concerned, is the best bit.









BANANA DATE AND ORANGE LOAF


What you'll need:


90g butter


Half cup soft brown sugar


Grated zest of 1 orange


Third cup orange juice


2 eggs


1 cup chopped dates


3 large bananas mashed but not pulverised


1.5 cups of S/R Wholemeal flour





What to do:

Preheat oven to moderate (depending on your oven presumably - mine runs 'cold' I think so I set it at 200 but I would imagine around 170 to 180 or slightly less if you have a fan assisted oven). Grease and line a 20cm by 12 cm loaf pan with baking parchment (again, don't think this was the size I had but I am sure it doesn't really matter!!). Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until creamy and then add the orange zest with one egg and beat well. Add remaining egg and beat to a smooth batter. Fold in dates, bananas, flour and orange juice. Blend well.


Spoon into the loaf pan and bake for around 45 to 55 minutes - Cool in pan for 5 mins or so before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.


and then ENJOY!!