Nigella's Potato And Pepper Bake

Mr P. gave me Simply Nigella - the divine Miss N.'s latest cookbook for Christmas. She looks very serene and lovely on the front cover.  I guess divorce has suited her well.   And I love the colours she uses in her book - lovely pastel shades of green and pink. She is delighting in the "joyful realities of making a new home," and tells us that the colours of her kitchen (which make her smile) are reflected in the colours of this book. You go girl!

I have meandered happily through her recipes, and have found lots to try out.  So for Mr P.'s birthday dinner on the weekend, we had potato and pepper bake - capsicums to us Aussies:)  Though I fear 'peppers' will soon become the norm as our language gets swamped in the global tidal wave of Americanisms.  "Sigh."  Sorry, where was I?  Oh that's right, about to peel and dice hundreds of potatoes - well, 16 actually.  Yep I counted 'em!  Why? you may well ask - 'cos I hate peeling potatoes so I counted them down.



ingredients:


2 kg. waxy potatoes - I used Ruby Lou, a good versatile spud

2 x 290g. jars of chargrilled capsicums

2 x 15mls tablespoons of coriander seeds

salt and pepper to taste

100g. fetta, diced (optional)


Method:

Peel and dice the spuds; Nigella suggests you slice them into 2.5 cm rounds then quarter them - it worked!

Spill them gaily into a large roasting dish

Toss on the capsicums (and their oil) that you have cut into strips, if they weren't already like that in the jars

In go the coriander seeds and salt and pepper

Toss everything together - or get Mr P. to do it with his hands

Bake at 220C for an hour

Lob on the diced fetta


Tips:


I could only find 280g. jars of capsicum; either go with this or throw in a bit extra from some brined strips like I did, that were already in my fridge

Nigella doesn't include salt and pepper but I feel salt especially is essential with spuds

The fetta was my idea and I think it gave a lovely bit of tang and interest to the dish

If you don't have a 15 mls tablespoon, just use 3 teaspoons per tablespoon instead

FYI - the roasted coriander seeds were really a delight - crunchy and tasty and added a lovely bit of texture

I had a bit of extra lime juice floating around from my salad dressing so I threw that on top of the finished dish too


This dish goes well with salad, and/or baked chicken or fish

simply Nigella indeed - only 3 ingredients   

 dice up the potatoes - or get Mr P. to do this too :=)       

snip up the bigger bits of capsicum with scissors    

throw on the coriander seeds

you guessed it - Mr P. did the tossing here  

add the fetta  

my tablespoon doodle  

     

A - Z Guidebook: Kaikoura New Zealand - And My Sunday Photo 17 April 2016

Mr P. and his lady friend in Kaikoura New Zealand      

Hubby and I have been to New Zealand half a dozen times over the last several years, and really love it there.  Friends from Brisbane moved to the South Island a while ago, and bought the Old Convent in Kaikoura.  This became a quirky, meandering B & B, full of charm and history.  And a restaurant, and a bar, and a chocolate shop....Here we have Mr P. with his slightly scary lady friend, enjoying the garden in the afternoon sun.



I am joining up this month with Tiffin Fiona's travel linky - we are currently up to the letter K; and My Sunday Photo.

All Together Greek Cake

Finally folks I have got around to making this cake!  I took a clipping out of a magazine some years ago, and it has been sitting in one of my cooking folders for ahem ...some time.  Finally I have made it.  Now we will see if it is as fabulous as the cooking editor claimed. 

This cake is very sweet, I warn you now.  There is sugar in it of course, plus a syrup made with sugar AND honey.  Whew!  Oh, and how about the block of butter in the cake?  Perhaps you can dance off the kilojoules Zorba style, if that is a worry to you.:=)   

a nutty, sweet treat  

A slightly adapted recipe from an old Woman's Day mag.

ingredients:


For cake:

3 cups semolina

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

3 eggs

250g. butter, melted

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped - or use pine nuts, almonds etc.


For syrup:

3 cups water

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 tsp orange blossom water (optional)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

a large handful of walnuts for the top


Method:


Lightly grease and line the base of a 23cm cake tin

Put all the cake ingredients except the nuts in a large mixing bowl

Whizz away for a couple of minutes with electric beaters or a big wooden spoon

Toss in the nuts and stir them into the batter

Pour the batter into the lined tin

Bake at 180C for 35-40 minutes till golden on top and a skewer in the middle comes out clean

About 10-15 minutes before the cake is cooked, make the syrup by putting everything bar the nuts into a heavy based saucepan

Bring it to the boil while stirring, till the sugar dissolves

Then let it rip for 15 minutes at a mad boil till it just starts to thicken - watch it very carefully in the last 5 minutes as it can erupt like Vesuvius over your saucepan

Pour the syrup over the slightly cooled cake and let it absorb for an hour or so

Throw your nuts over the top to decorate


Confession time:  I waited too long to make the syrup so the cake was cold when I poured it over.  So I hurriedly poked the cake with my skewer to make lots of holes for it to soak in.  And I had to stand over it and keep pouring the syrup on bit by bit.  Okay well, I still have about a cupful that just would not go into the cake.  I suggest you do what I am going to do if you have this problem - serve slices of cake with a jug of the delicious, gooey liquid.


Tips:


Mr P. suggested it could be made in an even bigger cake tin so it is less dense and the syrup would go in more easily.  Obviously you have to adjust the cooking time if so; a shallower tin would take less time to bake.  I suggest using a rectangular tin like a lamington tray which is usually 30 cm x 20 cm x 3.5 cm.  Mr P. did some weird mathematical equation using Pi (not the edible kind), which somehow told him you need a tray at least this big to hold all the batter!

you guessed it - ingredients      

ready to beat  

pour in the melted butter     

the nuts go into the batter    

spoon your batter into the lined tin  (Mr P.'s wonky shot)   

honey into the syrup mix      

starting to boil like a mad thing    

Mt. Vesuvius here we come - watch it carefully    

pour on the hot syrup   

shiny, walnut-y cake  

Okay, so I liked this cake.  It has crunch with the walnuts, and nice flavours with the cinnamon and orange blossom water. But I have to tell you, I don't love this cake.  I am a "give me a bit of cake with my inch-thick icing" kind of gal.  So blame me not the cake. Mr P. thinks it's great, and I think a lot of you will too.

my honey pot doodle

Flavours Café Boonah - Review

What do you do on a country drive apart from looking at the scenery?  Find a nice place for lunch of course.  I had recently read Tiffin Fiona's Scenic Rim post, and we were inspired to head out that way last weekend.  Hubby and I head to that region at least two or three times a year for a nice ramble around the place.  It is usually lush and green, and very rural even though only an hour or so from Brisbane.

the front of the café    

I had done a bit of research on places to eat, and Mr P. remembered that I had mentioned Flavours Café as a possible for lunch.  It is in a lovely 100 year old building that used to be the office for the Boonah Butter Factory.  They are celebrating their centenary this year.


I was happy to see the café is licensed so I chose a piccolo of sparkling Henkell, while Mr P. had his usual ginger beer.  I would have liked something a bit more upmarket to drink, but beggars can't be choosers.:=)

Piccolo $6.90 

ginger beer $3.80 

I then went for a Ploughman's Platter with smoked salmon.  You could choose the cold meats option but I am a bit iffy about salami and so on, so salmon it was.  I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh and filling this dish was.  I always think it is a bit of a risky choice, but this was terrific.

Ploughman's Platter $19   

I think this was a bargain.  The salmon was plentiful, the potato wedges were crispy, the house-made relish and chutney were both zingy, and there was a nice twist with camembert.  One thing I missed was the blue cheese which is on the menu but sadly not on my plate.  And one teensy disappointment was the pickled onion, which I assume is house made also.  It was just a bit too acidic, and would have benefited from a wee bit of sugar.  


Mr P. had a beef burger, which has a house-made beef pattie and onion jam.  He has been complaining lately that burgers are not coming with relishes or sauces and are therefore rather dry.  Not sure why this is happening everywhere, so he was happy to see onion jam on his burger.  Though he did say it could have benefited from an additional relish or sauce.  This was the best beef pattie ever, says Mr P.

beef burger $13 and chips $3    

I tried some of the pattie after he had told me how good it was. And yes it was terrific - smoky and nicely char-grilled and very plump. A real winner.  Oh and did I mention the chips?  Beer battered, Australian made and 13 mm!  My wedges were tasty but these chips were fabulous.


Flavours has an all day breakfast menu, children's menu, and a late afternoon menu, with gluten-free and vegetarian options.  They serve Scenic Rim beer, as they like to support local business. We enjoyed our lunch here, and were happy to find that the building has been placed on the Heritage Register.  There are lovely features inside like pressed metal ceilings and hoop pine floors.  This is a pleasant spot to assuage your hunger and have a refreshing drink.

love these "pencils" at the local school down the road from the café   

Ph: 07 5463 2699
8 Railway St., Boonah Qld



 

       

Roast tomato and capsicum relish

Even though it is officially Autumn here, it is still 30C every day and not much cooler at night.  We are still sleeping naked with just a sheet over us.  Just pretend I didn't say that if the image is too much for your tender sensibilities.:=)

So here I am making tomato relish in my huge 9 litre chutney/jam pot, which to me brings thoughts of large amounts of veggies for soups and stews, to keep you warm on a cold winter's day.  But relish is good any time of year, isn't it?  I wanted to make a tasty version for Mr P.'s sandwiches, using the local tomatoes that we bought at Boonah on our recent country drive.  

Mr P.'s lunchtime sandwich - he couldn't wait!   

Mr P. and I were amazed that in a smallish country town they had so many greengrocers.  We also dropped in at Poppi's Health Food Store, soon to be joined by a wholefood cafe.  I think it has only just moved into the old bank building last week. You can still see the bank vault with the huge metal door, which now has shelves for healthy foods.  We were amused to hear a grumpy old couple stomping around the shop, complaining that the café wasn't ready for customers yet.  (And no, that grumpy couple wasn't us!)

Anyway I am wittering on here.  Let's get to it.  Here is my roast veggie relish cum chutney, using local Boonah tomatoes, home grown garlic from Maree of Around the Mulberry Tree, and chillies that I picked from our neighbour's bush and froze some time ago.


An original recipe by SherrysPickings:


ingredients:


To roast:

1 kg. tomatoes

500g. red onions

700g. red capsicum (red peppers)

2-3 large garlic cloves

2-3 small red chillies (the hot ones)

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbs olive oil

1 tsp sea salt 

a few grinds of black pepper


To boil:

2-3 tsp minced/chopped ginger

big pinch nutmeg

2 pinches allspice

700 mls. vinegar

500g. white sugar

1 tbs yellow mustard seeds or 1/2-1 tbs mustard powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbs sea salt 

scant 1/2 cup (85g.) sultanas or raisins



Method:


Roughly chop the tomatoes, onions and capsicums

Throw them into a large baking dish

Add the roughly chopped garlic and chillies 

Now add the brown sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper

Give it all a good stir

Bake for 30 minutes at 180C till they have started to cook down and are getting a bit black at the edges

Give the veggies a stir and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes

Take the dish out of the oven and stir in the ginger, nutmeg and allspice

Put aside while you grab a large pot and place the vinegar and white sugar in it

Stir together and keep stirring while the sugar dissolves

Bring the mixture to the boil and let it boil for 10 minutes

Tip in the roasted veggies with the mustard seeds, cayenne, salt and sultanas

Boil for about 40-50 minutes till it has reduced and thickened - make sure you keep an eye on it, and stir regularly

Let it cool for a few minutes then grab a stick blender and whizz away till smooth

Spoon into sterilised, hot jars (wash in hot soapy water and dry in a low oven for 15 minutes) and seal immediately



Makes about 1.2 kg of relish


Tips:


I used a microplane grater for the ginger which minced it easily

You can roast the veggies a day ahead as I did and make the relish the next day (or 2)

I used a mix of vinegars - white wine, verjuice, and apple cider vinegar

I boiled the relish fairly gently for about 45 minutes, then turned up the heat and boiled it for another 15 minutes, but it would be quicker with the faster boil from the get-go

gather your ingredients  

throw the roughly chopped veggies into a baking dish  

in goes the brown sugar, olive oil and salt    

looking squishy and smelling fragrant   

microplaning minces the ginger beautifully  

stir the vinegar and sugar together and boil for 10 minutes   

boil for 40-50 minutes till thickened - or longer if needed  

blitz till smooth   

rich, fruity relish ready to go

hey you can see next door's tank back there :=)  

Mr P. had to eat some straightaway on his lunchtime sanger   

    my spoon doodle - lots of stirring involved here   

My Sunday Photo 3 April 2016

beautiful sculpture of a Clydesdale   

We went out for a country drive on the weekend, and ended up in a country town called Boonah.  It is rimmed all around like a bowl by lovely little hills.  It is actually called the Scenic Rim region, due to the hills.  There is a vineyard and a lavender farm nearby, and they seem to really be getting into the regional food trends.  We had lunch in a 100 year old building (I know that is not old to you British types - ha ha!) that used to be the offices for the Boonah Butter Factory, which had numerous farms in the district supplying the milk for the butter.  It has pressed metal ceilings and timber floors and is a lovely spot to share a meal.   

The Clydesdales came with the squatters back in the 19th century, and were a valued part of the history of the region.  This sculpture welcomes you into the town from the highway.  Mr P. and I jumped out of the car and took a few photos of this splendid public artwork. I really love public art, and we think this is a beauty!

In My Kitchen - April 2016

I was confused this past month.  My brain just could not compute that Easter was in March not April.  I kept thinking Anzac Day was just after Easter, and hubby's birthday. Thankfully, I am now actually a month in credit!  The autumn weather hasn't really started either which has confused me even more.  When will it cool down, folks?

There hasn't been a huge amount happening in my kitchen in recent weeks.  I think my brain has been having a bit of a blog hiatus.  I have noticed that quite a few bloggers have slowed down lately. Something in the air perhaps?  I know Maureen our lovely host has been in the wars lately, so I send her/you my best wishes!

beautifully soft and fragrant pods   

In my kitchen are these stunningly fragrant and squishy vanilla pods from Madagascar. When I opened the packet, my kitchen was full of this amazingly fruity, spicy aroma. Normally I buy them online from north Queensland farms, but the crops were destroyed late last year when a huge storm blew in, so here we have these instead. This led to my latest batch of vanilla extract steeping for the next few months.  I was reminded when I read one of Maureen's posts that I needed to get it on the go pronto.

vanilla beans doing their thing for the next few months     

I poured in about 625 mls. of vodka with 20+ pods.  You know the basic "recipe" is one cup vodka to 8 vanilla beans.  I find it a wee bit funny that some of them are apparently 'pods' and some 'beans'. Not sure what the difference is!  BTW don't buy the beans at a supermarket if you can help it; they were almost 6 times the cost of buying in bulk online.  I nearly choked when I saw the price of one bean!

home grown garlic - not by me :=) 

I was sent some home grown garlic by the lovely Maree of Around the Mulberry Tree. Thanks so much Maree!  It has been divvied up and thrown into the freezer to keep me going over the next few months.      And if you are wondering, that cute little wooden thingy is a garlic crusher I bought years ago at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.

gooey melting Brie with honey and walnuts      

Over Easter, we had friends pop by for arvo tea.  We indulged in this gooey, gorgeous mess.  Pour honey over your fave soft cheese, sprinkle on some chopped nuts and bake in a moderate oven for 10-15 minutes till it starts to ooze like this.  Sooo darn delish!  Serve with pita bread that you have heated for a few minutes in the oven. Oh yes, you could throw on some herbs and sea salt flakes too.  

pretty little tumbler made by our friend Miss B.     

Yep you guessed it!   Another of our friend's pieces.  You can find her work in various cafés and restaurants around northern NSW and Canberra.  Sorry if I sound like an ad., but she makes great stuff and you really need to see this:=)  The weird thing was I was checking out Serena's blog Anything But Toast last month and funnily enough there was a photo of a crème brûlée that she had eaten in a Canberra restaurant - Locale.  And guess what!  It was made in Miss B.'s bowl.  I was really pleased to suss this out.

pretty little saucer to go with the tumbler  

Miss B. knows a chap down her way who makes these lovely saucers to go with her tumblers.  They are made of local camphor laurel, and smell divine.  (Hard to believe that camphor laurel is a Class 3 Declared Pest Plant).  The wood turner is in his 70s, and only has one arm!  True story.

tea towel 

Some readers may remember I love to collect - and use - tea towels. Mr P. and I went off to the Queensland Museum over Easter to check out the Medieval Power exhibition from the British Museum collections.  This is a beauty to add to my bulging drawers.

who could resist this cute fridge magnet?   

And last but not least, here is Nigella's latest.  I got this from Mr P. at Christmas, along with a few other cookbooks.  I haven't actually delved into it yet but I will - soon.

Nigella looking fab as usual   

She refers briefly to becoming happy again after a hard time (the divorce obviously), and this was the result.  Feel Good Food.


Join in with other happy bloggers around the world, sharing their kitchen delights.  Our host is the wonderful Maureen on her Orgasmic Chef blog.  Thanks Maureen for taking over the hosting this year.