Cooking & writing all things delicious
Ingredients Method When is a mouldering banana a welcome sight? When you need to bake something, that’s when. Banana-based baking is the ultimate transformation from yuck to yum. Very ripe, very brown bananas might be a bit nasty to look at but think of the …
Ingredients Method About this recipe You know those grey rainy Sunday days in winter that feel a bit blah and uninspiring? Yes, me too. Perhaps today is even one of them. This chickpea concoction can help somewhat with zippy lemon and warm spices. It fits …
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About this recipe
I know gluten free baking can seem like a faff but honestly, if you can bear to fork out for some gluten-free flour then you have a lot of options without much effort. Many ingredients that are simply superb in baking of any kind really come into their own when they form a substantial part of a gluten free bake. In this one, coconut and ground almonds give the muffins some heft and texture that quickly cancel out any thoughts that the texture is lacking gluten. Yoghurt and oil provide richness, and lemon juice and zest give a bit of zing. My final hint for gluten-free goodness is cornstarch – a tablespoon of cornstarch in gluten-free baking adds some fluffiness to the finished product. This recipe only takes two bowls and a muffin tray so along with all of that flavour, you get off lightly on the washing up, so very easy to whip up on work night for morning tea with gluten-free work pals the next day.
Cake ingredients: Icing ingredients: Method: ‘Carrot’ might not be first up when you think ‘I fancy something sweet’ but they are undeniably delicious and we have their sweetness to thank for carrot cake. Carrot cake in some form or other has been enjoyed for quite …
Ingredients Method: About this recipe Oh the lovely leek! Truly one of my favourite vegetables this time of year, when the shadows are a little longer and there’s a bite in the air. Leeks are allium family members, related to onions and garlic, but a …
Ingredients:
Plum and apple mixture:
Crumble topping:
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
Place the apples, plums, cinnamon vanilla and 2 tablespoons of water into a pot – the water should be covering the base of the pan. Depending on how juicy the plums are, you may need to add more water. Place the pan over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer and then turn the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, until the fruit is softened. Add more water if the pan starts to dry and set aside.
Mix all crumble topping ingredients together in a bowl.
Tip the cooked fruit into a 1.6 litre capacity oven proof dish. Tip the crumble topping mixture over the top of the fruit and spread to cover all fruit evenly- use your hands of the back of a spoon to press it in firmly.
Place the crumble in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the topping is golden brown.
Rest for 10 minutes and then serve warm with a big dollop of ice cream or whipped cream (or both!).
About this recipe
Our nights are drawing in here and the weather is tending cold and rainy. Although this means we are all in greater need of comfort – it also means it’s the time of year when just the right type of fruit for a soothing, warming pudding is in abundance!
Crumble is both comforting in taste and in name – how cute and cuddly is the name ‘crumble’? This classic pudding has its origins in World War II Britain, where the topping was created as a substitute for breadcrumbs. My version is a little more luxurious with the addition of some almonds for a bit of crunch and a nice pairing for the plums. You can leave them out and up the flour by 1/4 instead.
My one strict direction is that this must be eaten warm for maximum comfort and the aforementioned cream or ice cream is highly recommended. Stay comfy and enjoy x
Ingredients Method Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line two 20 x 30cm baking trays with baking paper In a medium bowl, mix together masa flour, seeds and the teaspoon of sea salt. Add the olive oil and boiling water. Mix together until all …
Ingredients Method Place all ingredients into a food processor or a blender. Process on high speed until it forms a wet, loose texture. If it is dry and clumpy, add a little more olive oil and process again. Taste and add a little more salt …
Ingredients
Method
About this recipe
Comparing apples with oranges was the name of the game for my fruit bowl for a while there, thanks to Wonky Box. It got me thinking – oranges are lovely in baking, but I haven’t come across many recipes where they are simply chopped up up and added to the mix. Possibly they cause too many problems curdling things, or maybe they are too sloppy? I didn’t get to the bottom of this, but I had a hunch combining them with some sturdy ingredients such as oats and coconut could help mop up any extra juice and produce something pretty hearty and edible. There are a few recipes knocking around on the internet for ‘Morning Glory Muffins‘ that include crushed pineapple. By my reckoning, this is a similar ingredient to oranges in terms of acidity and juiciness. I fiddled around with some of these and tweaked it to produce my recipe with finely chopped orange instead – no curdling, no inordinate sloppiness. The true test however has been passed – my niece and nephews gobbled them up with no sad scraps left knocking around school lunchboxes. Hopefully that is testament enough to encourage you to give these a try!
Ingredients: Method: I’ve recently subscribed to Wonky Box – what a delight! It gives me a nice little pick-me-up throughout my week – make no mistake, I am exactly the kind of geek who finds vegetable-related updates exciting. Tuesday’s announcement of which goodies to expect …
I am just back from a truly fabulous trip away overseas, so please do forgive my gap in posting. While I recover from jet lag and make my way through a substantial stack of dirty socks and other clothing (why does one half of a …
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About this recipe
My peach and almond upside down cake is dense and hearty with a buttery topping of sweet sliced fruit. Inspired by the retro delight of a pineapple upside down cake, this version is comforting and appropriate for winter, with a sweet memory of summery tinned peaches on the top. It’s very sturdy – you can pick it up with one hand for generous bites – and the almonds add some toasty texture throughout.
I really do enjoy a good upside down cake. They look so pretty and make a pleasing centre piece for pudding, but are really very simple and unfussy to make with low risk of disaster in my experience. And many other people have thought so throughout history – although upside down cakes came to prominence in the 1920s and 30s, when tinned fruit was the new thing, the concept dates back to the Middle Ages. Upside down cakes throughout the years have been topped with nuts and fruit, and some were baked in an iron skillet over a hot fire. That version in particular must have been a real winter warmer.
Oh my, when I spotted this beautiful red fruit at the shops I simply could not leave it there – such a gorgeous colour, and somehow I have never sampled one before. This little beauty is a Piqa Boo pear – yes, I agree, what …
Ingredients Method About I had such a great weekend visiting Whanganui a couple of weeks ago. The highlight was of course seeing our dear friends who have made their home there. One of the many bonuses of staying with them was discovering the Feijoabulous recipe …
Ingredients
Method
About this recipe
Struggling to come up with vegan and gluten free baking ideas? Then let cashew butter be your friend. My lovely Fix and Fogg jar of cashew butter was a gift and gosh I love it. It’s creamy and rich and quite the treat – I may not have splurged on it for myself, but once in my possession it has provided a great opportunity for some experimental baking.
Cashews are fascinating little nuts – did you know the bit we eat as the nut is not really a nut at all, but a seed that hangs off the actual fruity bit (more correctly, an ‘accessory fruit‘)? The accessory fruit in this case is the cashew apple with an attachment that houses the seed – our beloved cashew nut. And if that weren’t quite enough cleverness all on its own, cashew tree wood is useful for practical items such as shipping crates in its own right.
I hope you enjoy these cookies – the dough is quite firm that makes it easy to work with, and they have a lovely richness due to the cashew butter. The spices can be mixed up for some variation too – mixed spice and nutmeg go well too. I will keep on experimenting with this cashew butter too so keep watch, I hear it’s good in stir fries!
Ingredients: Method: We’re really in Autumn here now and I’m enjoying the mellow days and slight cooling in the air. I enjoy Autumnal eating – warming soups and stews, sauces and pickles made from the last of the summer tomatoes, feijoas. I was lucky to …
Ingredients: Method: Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Cut the tomatoes, eggplants and garlic in half lengthways. Spray a large roasting tin with olive oil spray, or drizzle with olive oil. Place the tomatoes and eggplants in a single layer in the tin. Place the …
Ingredients:
Method:
In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the ginger, garlic and all the spices. Keep stirring to prevent anything burning.
Once the coriander and mustard seeds start to pop (2-3 minutes), add the lentils, rice and carrots. Stir to coat in the spices. Add the stock or water, bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.
Use an stick blender or transfer to a food processor to mix into soup. Salt and pepper to taste as you like. Serve with fresh coriander on top.
About this recipe…
Oooh who can feel Autumn creeping in? Not you people in the Northern Hemisphere I suppose, but here in my little corner of the world, I’m noticing a definite darkening in the mornings and a chill on the air. What better way to welcome in Autumn than some hearty, nourishing soup. I adapted this recipe from one I found on the website of My Darling Lemon Thyme, and in turn it comes from a recipe of Suzanne Husseini.
The best thing about this soup, in my humble opinion, is the quarter cup of rice – it may seem weird, but trust me, it adds a real creaminess and makes the soup more substantial and filling.
I hope this warms your tummy in these Autumn days.
Ingredients Method About this recipe… I’ve been playing around with this recipe since Christmas. I treated myself to a jar of Roses strawberry conserve to go with festive croissants and needed something to do with the leftovers that wasn’t simply jam on toast. Nothing wrong …
You might have many reasons for choosing a mocktail – driving, dehydrated, just feel like something lighter – and this festive season I decided to give making some a go. I’m new to mixing cocktails and mocktails so do not have my own recipes ready …
This is truly a store cupboard staple as it requires things I bet you already have to hand. Even better, it’s a delight for chilly Winter days – it’s warming and filling with a healthy dose of things that will keep you well, including vitamin C and lycopene.
Shashuka is a popular Mediterranean dish of eggs cooked in tomato and the reason I haven’t called this recipe for eggs baked in tomato “shashuka” as I don’t really feel it has enough sophistication to deserve that title! Some shashuka recipes have all kinds of loveliness including preserved lemon and fresh herbs – my recipe here is just a simple little throw-together. Nonetheless, I do find it very tasty and satisfying and I hope you do too. Stay safe and warm out there x
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Method
I come from a reasonably large family of four kids and I believe this is why I always cook too many potatoes. Potato-duty for family meals was a large scale operation and the mission was successful upon delivery of a large pot or roasting pan …
You can happily enjoy Easter without being carnivorous, what with some of the best things about Easter being non-meaty (chocolate and hot cross buns, loaded with butter obviously). But if you fancy Easter roast lamb, then let me convince you that making your own mint …
I think we all need a little sweetness at the moment. Summer holidays, and the little dash of optimism and refreshment they deliver, feel like a long time ago indeed. Luckily, I have this spiced plum shortcake recipe stored up from my own summer holiday, which was pleasantly full of fresh summer fruit, including a bounty of plums rescued from a fallen branch.
As you may have gathered, I like to know a little history behind the things I cook. Googling for “shortcake” was a pleasant treat as it lead me to this delightful little excerpt on the website for an American bakery with a name that warms my heart. Zig’s Bakery and Café not only looks like a real treat to visit but also (nearly) shares a name with my darling little ginger cat Ziggy. But I’m diverting here….as Zig’s has informed me, shortcake has an admirable history, first appearing in a recipe in 1588, and being the namesake for a character in Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor. There is even a National Strawberry Shortcake Day on 14 June in some US states to celebrate the strawberry harvest.
This plum shortcake is a little more tart than a strawberry version but is nicely sweetened up with a dusting of icing sugar…and a dollop of ice cream wouldn’t go amiss either. I hope you enjoy it if you decide to do some baking to warm your heart a little – the plums create a delightful and lifting aroma as they bubble away, and any leftovers are delicious with oats and yoghurt for breakfast. Take care out there everyone x
Ingredients:
For the spiced plums:
For the shortcake:
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease a 25cm x 18cm baking tray and lightly dust with flour.
Place the plums, spices and sugar into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes. If the plums are not releasing a great deal of juice, add up to 2 tablespoons of water so a thin layer of liquid just coats the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, make the shortcake by mixing the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter and rub it in with your fingers until the mixture is fine and crumbly. Add the whisked egg and combine. Then slowly mix in the milk until the mixture forms a stiff dough.
Roll the dough into a ball and turn out onto a floured surface. Divide into thirds. Press two thirds into the bottom of the prepared baking tin.
After 20 minutes or until the plums have softened but are holding their shape, remove from the heat and allow to cool for five minutes. Remove the vanilla and cardamon pods and cinnamon stick and spoon the plums over the shortcake in the baking tin. Use the remaining shortcake dough to dot over the top of the plums.
Bake for 25 minutes until the shortcake is golden. Remove from the oven and dust with icing sugar after five minutes.
Happy New Year! I was lucky to have a pretty decent 2021, and I know I am in the minority here. It was a shocker for many of my favourite people. Wherever January 2022 finds you (ideally somewhere relaxing and on holiday with many tasty …
My parents are amazing gardeners and I couldn’t resist this little scallopini left over from their crop. Mainly because, what a cute vegetable, everyone! How could you not want to take it home? Little and frilly and kind of like a flying saucer. I’ve eaten …
Butternut is such a sweet little name that, even if I didn’t much fancy the taste, I would still have to create a recipe or two in its honour. So, luckily I find it delicious as well as cutely named. Butternut is lighter, softer and sweeter than other pumpkin and squash varieties with a gentle thin skin that doesn’t require peeling. Pumpkins, squashes and gourds are all part of the same family, cucurbitaceae, and what an impressive family they are. They’ve fed us since around 3500BC and we enjoy every bit of them – there are recipes for their leaves, seeds, flowers, as well as their flesh. They provide excuses for carnivals and competitive gardening; gourds have assisted us both practically as storage containers and water-carriers and as decoration, and let us not forget the many pumpkins sacrificed every year for Halloween. Curcubitales are indigenous to the American continent, so combining pumpkin with tahini is mixing up cuisines somewhat, however given the hardy pumpkin is now grown in all continents bar Antartica, I feel this is is justified. That, and the fact that they pair together very nicely.
Ingredients:
Method
Set the oven to 210 degrees celsius.
Slice the entire butternut in half width-ways, then slice each piece in half long-ways. Scrape out the seeds. Slice each piece width-ways to create crescent-shaped pieces of butternut (pictured). Drizzle with olive oil and place in oven for 45 minutes. Check to ensure they are not sticking one or two times.
Make the tahini dressing by placing tahini, lemon juice, honey and flaky sea-salt in a jar and shake to combine. You may need to add warm water depending on the thickness of the tahini – I recommend starting with one T of warm water and adding gradually until you have a dressing the consistency of runny yoghurt.
When the butternut pieces are cooked through and browned, place on plate or serving platter. Drizzle the tahini dressing over the butternut pieces. Scatter over the parsley and toasted pumpkin seeds and serve.
It was a pretty crappy Summer season in my garden overall, with the grand total of 12 manky-looking tomatoes and two cucumbers (there were three cucumbers, but something ate one of them). The outlier here has been my herb collection. These little guys have gone …
For the second recipe in my ground-breaking series on the humble carrot I bring you…honey and balsamic roasted carrots. This recipe is especially useful if you have a number of the little orange critters languishing in your vegetable drawer and they’re getting on the soft …
Happy New Year! Munching on carrot sticks, brimming with enthusiasm for a year of healthful habits? Nope, me neither. And I need to tell you right now that if that’s what you’re after, you’re probably reading the wrong blog. But, I am enjoying some carrot recipes these days and I would like to share them with you.
I’ve not always been the biggest fan of carrots (hence the ‘meh carrots part 1’ of the title). I was distinctly neutral about them as a child. When included as a member of the traditional meat-and-three-veg line-up, carrots always felt pretty bland – just peeled, chopped and boiled, and plonked alongside the potatoes. I would usually try to cover them with some tomato sauce or mash them into my potato to make them go down a little easier.
I’m pleased to report I have since realised the error of my ways. Over the past couple of years I have developed a number of ways to spruce up the old carrot into something quite tasty. And well I should – carrots are sweet, colourful and cheap, and brimming with all kinds of goodness including beta carotene, potassium and Vitamin K1. They’re also pretty fascinating – would you believe they have only been orange since the 16th century? So says this post, which also provides advice that selection of one’s carrots should include the criteria that the carrots are firm and well-formed, snarf.
Today’s carrot recipe does require you to grate them but I promise it’s worth it. This carrot salad is very versatile. It’s a welcome addition to a BBQ as the freshness of the carrots and cider vinegar cuts through richer flavours nicely. Equally it makes a meat-free meal for one in its own right, especially if you add a little more protein and a crusty bread roll. I hope you give it a chance!
Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients:
3 x large carrots, peeled
2 T apple cider vinegar
3 T mild oil (I like rapeseed)
1 t brown sugar
1 t dry mustard powder
1 t wholegrain mustard
3 T toasted walnuts, chopped
Method:
Prepare your carrots first – grate them (coarsely is fine if you hate grating carrots as much as I do) and roll gently in a clean towel to remove excess moisture. Don’t overdo this as you still want a bit of the juiciness. No wringing!
Combine the vinegar, oil, sugar and mustard powder by whisking until blended in a small bowl or shaking all ingredients in a jar.
Place the carrots in a serving bowl, sprinkle over the walnuts and pour in the dressing. Toss the salad and serve immediately.
I invented these bad guys because I really dislike making traditional pancakes. Delicate thin batter getting stuck to the pan, wedging itself into odd shapes, lumps, burnt bits. The whole experience makes me hot, sweaty and angry. Especially as I am usually over-caffeinated, flapping around …
Hey friends, how are you all hanging in there? Okay I do hope. We are trucking along well Ngaio. The cats remain delighted with having their humans on tap. The husband remains delighted with our hard-working craft beer industry and its willingness to home-deliver. And …
Sometimes, despite the best of intentions, fruit can go a little south in the fruit bowl. Things in general feel like they have gone a little south lately. This time a year ago our current COVID circumstances would have been unimaginable to pretty much all of us, bar epidemiologists and fans of apocalyptic fiction (like my husband).
I think we could all do with a little comfort baking at the moment. The apple pictured above is in these days and times cause for joy. It provides an excuse – no, it necessitates even – sweet, carb-y treats and ample butter. Of course my reaction to past-it apples is usually stewed apple for healthy porridge, but in the middle of a pandemic? Baking is the only solution.
Along with the comfort baking, I’m feeling very lucky in our little bubble. My rescue cats are in heaven, as depicted. And I’m feeling doubly lucky after the outpouring of love in response to my last post. I wish a heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. You are all a part of my support bubble, which is particularly important when our COVID-restricted physical bubbles are much smaller.
I hope you have an apple or two languishing in your fruit bowl for these scones. Enjoy and take care.
Spiced apple scones – makes 12
Ingredients::
3 cups of plain flour
6 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
3 apples, peeled and grated
5 tablespoons of butter
3/4 cup of milk plus a little extra for brushing
Method
Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar in a large bowl. Add the grated apple and stir to combine. Rub in the butter with your hands until the mixture looks crumbly.
Make a well in the centre and add the milk. Stir to combine and gather the dough together with your hands, kneading a few times until all is combined. Add a little more milk if the mixture seems dry – it can depend on the juiciness of the apples.
Sprinkle flour on a baking tray. Tip the mixture onto the tray and divide into 12 rectangular portions. Brush the tops with the extra milk.
Bake for 12 minutes or until the tops of the scones are golden brown.
Last year’s multiple hospital trips were more significant than I realised last time I wrote. It turns out that, in the long-running battle between me and infertility, infertility was winning. Well ahead, in fact. In hospital, the charge nurse stroked my needle-studded hand protectively. You …
Wheewwww so another nearly two months since my last post with some more drama in between. Two further hospital admissions, including one particularly gripping visit to the emergency room with nurses running, grabbing wheelchairs and shouting ‘code two, code two’ into the PA system, three …
WOAH. That was a month and a half.
The first section was pretty damn fine. My husband and I treated ourselves to a week in Rarotonga to celebrate getting through some rather rubbish stuff over the last wee while, and gosh it was bliss.
Rarotonga is beautiful and delightfully laid-back. You share pristine beaches with dogs and chickens, crabs scurry down burrows beneath coconut trees and pet goats wander in mango orchards. Needless to say I did not do a lot of cooking, but thanks to the bountiful tropical trees in the garden of our accommodation, I had some fun experimenting with various home-made cocktails. Bad photo below of passion-lime and vodka. It improves the more you have.
The past wee bit has been a little less fun. Long story short, some long-term side effects of last year’s fertility treatment left me with a whacking great deficit in my iron. It all got a little dramatic, ending with admission to hospital where, being woozy with anaemia, I kept trying to introduce all of the nurses to my rather worried husband and mum. Can I just say the staff of Wellington hospital do an amazing job and, several blood and iron transfusions later, I am back in my own little nest and on the way to recovery.
So, I’m sure you’ll understand that I have not been whipping up a storm, or much of anything, in my kitchen to share with you today. While I have been gadding about between hospital and Pacific islands however, my garden has been busy.
My Cape Gooseberry tree is such a little trouper. It came to me from a friend who can’t bear to get rid of any excess seedlings and I have done pretty much nothing to it, save plonking it in a terracotta pot. Despite this, it never lets me down and is currently producing an impressive bounty of fruit.
Have you ever seen a Cape Goosberry fruit before? They are like beautiful little lanterns with a bright yellow berry inside. Their taste is lovely – fleshy and a little sweet, a little like a plum in flavour, witha cheek-sucking tartness at the end. I have it on good authority they are packed with vitamin C, so a handful for morning tea is just what I need at the moment.
I have lots of planned posts coming up, including pudding with hazelnuts and some dark chocolate and ginger creations. Thanks for your patience on this one and if you get a chance to try a Cape Gooseberry, do take it.
Lots of love as always x
Do you get to feeling nibbly late afternoon? Does your mouth start watering as you fantasise about stuffing large handfuls of salt and vinegar chips into your mouth alongside stacks of delicious lovely cheese? Well, friends, have I got a deal for you. Because while …
I am busy looking after my garden, or is it looking after me? It’s working hard, growing many of my favourite treats, including raspberries, zucchinis and cucumbers. My rangy, imperfect little beginner’s garden is very restorative. I can nurture my plants and enjoy some success, …
Cheese is pretty much my number one indulgence when it comes to Christmas. I don’t say indulgence with the purpose of getting all judgmental about food (far from it – one of my main approaches in my blog is to enjoy all food without fads or fashion). I say it because at Christmas I indulge my culinary curiosity by selecting a cheese or two to share with my family and loved ones, something special or unusual that I wouldn’t have just any old day. I’ve found some true favourites over the years, including Kingsmeade Blue and Over the Moon Goat Cheese.
Not that this post is about cheese, but rather one of my favourite condiments, the mighty chutney. I don’t know about you but I find it hard to think about chutney without thoughts of a lovely great slab of cheese, preferably something strong or sharp.
I used to be terrified of making chutney. The dire warnings of my childhood about boiling sugar, coupled with the fact that you had to sterilise jars, made me think it was way out of my league. Slowly but surely however I have grown my chutney confidence.
This recipe is a good one for Christmas because it is just that little bit special to go with little-bit-special cheese. It’s quite sweet and the brandy gives it a touch of something festive. Red currants, combined with peaches, makes it appropriately festive for our Antipodean Summer Christmas, and I am very lucky to have a batch of currants to hand from my sister’s beautiful garden.
Believe me, making chutney is out of nobody’s league. Need a gift at the last minute? Chutney. Have to contribute something for a holiday season dinner? Chutney. If you can make sauce you can make chutney – just put all of the ingredients in a pan and boil.
Happy Christmas everyone, I hope it’s restful and fun.
Ingredients:
1kg peaches, stones removed and cut into chunks
1/2 C red currants (dried are perfectly fine if you can’t get hold of fresh ones)
1 C brown sugar
1 C malt vinegar
100 mls brandy
2 t chilli powder
2 t five spice powder
1 t yellow mustard seeds
1 cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods, squashed so the seeds can escape during cooking
Method:
Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for approximately one hour, stirring from time to time, until the mixture thickens.
Remove from the heat, spoon into sterilised jars and seal.
What I am about to share with you is deeply unorthodox. It’s my own recipe for guacamole, cultivated over the past two decades as I have developed a fully-fledged love of avocados. I always thought the way I made guacamole was pretty standard. You know, …