easy chicken broth.

Yesterday was cold and wet, with the top temperature barely hitting 17 deg ...... it seemed like a good day to do some cooking and or baking.

 So made a chicken broth, complete with onions, garlic, chicken, carrot, some lime and chilli and plenty of greens ....

all I did was brown a couple of sliced onions, garlic and chopped carrots. Then a couple of litres of chicken stock and some chopped left over chicken pieces if you have any.  Add some spinach (though you can use a block or two of the frozen spinach) and a bunch or two of washed, chopped Bok Choy or any other green.

Let simmer for 20 mins.

It is then ready to eat with some crusty bread!

You can even leave it till the next day to reheat and have for lunch.

Maybe even add a few rice noodles before serving.


enjoy this tasty soup at any time.

Tasty Fun with the Tagine!

A few people have asked about my tagine, what I cook in it, how I use it and do I have any recipes.  We have eaten tajine cooked foods many times, but it was not until we were in Morocco last year, eating from a tajine at an outside cafe,  that I decided to actually purchase one as soon as I moved back to Australia.

 

I was lucky enough to find one on 'special' at Harris Scarfe for $39.00 AUD that was marked down from the original price of $169.00 AUD ..... I doubt I would have paid the full price for it, but it has been a great investment at just $39.00!

Like most slow-cooking methods, making a tagine is easy and requires very little work from the cook - the pot does it all!

So I spent a little time today gathering information about the humble tajine to share with you.

First of all,  What is a tagine?

The word tagine - or tajine - refers to both the conical-shaped dish and the food that's cooked inside it, which is usually a blend of delicious sweet and savoury flavours. Traditionally the ingredients were packed into the pot, the lid was popped on tight, then it was cooked slowly over a smouldering charcoal fire. At home it's cooked slowly in the oven or on the stovetop.

Traditionally used by nomads as portable ovens over charcoal braziers for making stews, usually containing meat, the tagine is used for both cooking and serving, but care should be taken to protect your table when using the tagine as a serving dish as the base will be very hot.

Some tagines are designed for the oven or stovetop, while others are simply used as decorative serving dishes. Traditionally, tagines are made from earthenware, but these require special care, so for convenience many cooks prefer tagines made from metal or flameproof glazed ceramic. Just thinking of Moroccan food immediately conjures thoughts of spicy, slow-cooked meat dishes cooked gently in one magical pot: a tagine.

The cooking principles are ...

The conical shaped lid helps preserves the moisture in the food as the steam condenses on the inside of the lid.  The shape of the lid also creates circulation within the dish, infusing the food with spices and flavours.

The low indirect heat produces a rich, aromatic flavour as the food can slowly simmer for hours and the resulting meat becomes meltingly tender.

there are serving tagines.....

these Moroccan tagines are often highly coloured and patterned and are not suitable for cooking and are not dishwasher safe.

and there are cooking tagines......

Traditional Moroccan tagines: These are made in Morocco of glazed terracotta and ideally require seasoning before use.  They can be used in the oven and over a low gas flame preferably with a heat diffuser.  These are not dishwasher safe, please wash by hand in warm soapy water.

Other cooking tagines: There are a selection of ceramic tagines of colours and patterns which can be purchased.  These are fully glazed and usually do not require seasoning before first use.  They can be used in the oven but not on the stove top and are dishwasher safe.

then there are the newer metal ones .....

A traditionalist would be horrified to know people actually use the metal tagines! But to be fair I think anything that makes life easier is OK by me. Mine is metal and I am extremely happy with it.  I leave it sitting on the stove top all the time, it is never stored away. By having it on the stove top it is convenient and it allows me to use it at anytime.

see image below where it takes 'pride of place' in my kitchen ..

My tagine did not need to be 'seasoned', all it needed was a wash in warm soapy water and it could be used immediately.

This one cannot be used in the oven nor can it be washed in the dish washer.

I use this on a VERY LOW HEAT on the stove top.

Please don't be frightened or worried about using a tagine, once you have one you will never be without it. You must choose the one that suits you best. Be it ceramic, metal or clay ..... if you purchase a clay or ceramic tagine, do take the time to learn what you need to do to season it. Time well spent at first will help further down the track.

But cooking in a tagine is simple and easy.

Do not get too concerned about finding the right recipes. Many recipes can be adapted for the tagine..... main thing to remember is keep the heat low and use very little liquid.

Actually I haven't used recipes when cooking in this tagine.

The beauty of the tagine is that it's a great serving dish, too. Just remember the base is hot so protect your table.

One time I had a couple of lamb chops, so placed them in the centre and added quartered potatoe's and carrots around the chops, half a chopped onion and a large amount of varied spices. Then a half cup of tomato based pasta sauce over the top, popped the lid on, left it for about an hour and it was ready. It was that easy.

 

Same thing another time, but added diced steak, extra vegetables and half a cup of beef stock.  Then served it with steamed rice.

another one is to cover the base with a very thin layer of olive oil, then lay one sliced onion, about 4 cloves garlic chopped, a couple of carrots - large slices - then plop a couple of pieces of chicken in the middle. Chop about 4 potatoes into quarters (depending on size) lay them around the edge.

Now you can do what you like. I usually put into a small jug about 1/4 cup water, add chopped coriander, paprika, cummin, and a teaspoon or more of any of the middle eastern spices, tumeric etc; whatever takes your fancy. Then pour over the top of the chicken and vegetables. Put lid back on and LEAVE IT ALONE!

VERY LOW heat ...... about one and a half hours.

even easier, just last week, had one large chicken breast, so diced that and added vegetables, spices and towards the end a few fresh herbs. It was delicious.

another plus?

the absolutely deliciously warm smells coming from the kitchen is enough to make anyone hungry.

If you want some roast vegetables to serve with dinner but don't want to turn the oven on - quarter 3 or 4 potatoes, sweet potatoes or even some small pieces of pumpkin. Add a very small amount of olive oil in the bottom of the tagine, throw in the vegetables and sprinkle with any seasoning you may like - including salt - and pop the lid on. Watch the heat though and check after about 5 minutes as it won't take too long to 'roast' these vegetables. Stir them around to brown all sides and they should be ready in about 15 minutes. Depending on the size of each piece. These 'roast vegetables' are very tasty indeed.

A tagine full of yummy vegetables is another dish altogether, just add whatever you want to. Fill the tagine with potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, onions, beans etc then half a cup of chicken stock. Add some seasoning and these vegetables will be the yummiest you have ever had. Everyone will want extra vegetables now. Can't be any quicker and easier than that!

If you have unexpected guests, grab a chicken breast out of the refrigerator and dice it. Place it in a bowl with any seasoning you like. (I use a lot of the Middle Eastern or Moroccan seasonings) you can add turmeric, coriander, garum marsala or anything else that makes it nice and tasty. Leave it marinade for at least 15 mins (longer if possible) and then add a little oil to the tagine and cook the chicken pieces, keep turning them so they don't burn. They will be ready in about 5 minutes.
Serve on a plate (don't forget the toothpicks) with other appetizers plus a nice glass of wine. Your guests will be impressed!

 

Be adventurous with your tagine
your guests will be happy
your partner will be happy 

your family will be happy
your tummy will be happy

and you will be happy with the results too!

it's all about
Tasty Fun with the Tagine!

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a berry nice cake indeed!

Looking for a quick and easy afternoon tea or even a dessert?

Look no further than the humble cake mix in a pack!

I always have one or two cake mixes on hand and usually have the White Wings Madeira Cake mix in the cupboard as it can be quite versatile. All you need are two eggs, 3/4 cup of milk and the cake mix!

above: image from the White Wings website

As we all know, a Madeira Cake is usually baked in a loaf pan and with lunch guests arriving within the hour I needed to try something quick and easy, a little different, not too sweet and this is how it turned out:

above: White Wings Madeira Cake Mix, a packet of frozen mixed berries, eggs and milk.

Place the cake mix in a large bowl, add milk and eggs according to the packet directions and blend well.

above: instead of placing the cake mix in a 'loaf pan', add it to a square pan lined with baking paper.

Once the cake mix is added to the pan add a selection of frozen berries to the top of the mix. Sprinkle with some vanilla sugar. Place in pre heated oven (180 deg / 160 deg fan forced) for about 45 minutes.

above: leave on a wire rack for 5 minutes to cool

 
above: once cooled, it can be cut into squares.

a bit of a twist on the usual Madeira Cake, but still tasty and it can be served for afternoon tea or served for dessert with cream or custard.         

a berry nice cake indeed!

I first uploaded this post on 12 May 2012 and up until early October 2013 have had 735 hits. Now it has been moved to a new site am anxious to see the traffic now!

tasty marinated mushrooms

After a nice long walk around the town a week or so ago, we came back home at about noon and after a quick lunch, got stuck into being 'productive'. 

I decided to do some marinated mushrooms and here is how I do them:

Make sure you have at least two clean glass jars with a wide opening.

You will also need:

canned whole mushrooms 

olive oil

cider vinegar

wine vinegar

garlic

salt and pepper

Italian seasoning and if it is available in your supermarket, the spicy Italian Seasoning is a great addition too.

The above are the items needed, you can decide on the amounts used. Today I used three cans of mushrooms, so will give you those quantities.

Open and drain three cans of mushrooms, place them in the clean glass jars.

Crush 6 gloves of garlic, 4 caps of cider vinegar, 8 caps of wine vinegar, salt and pepper, a teaspoon of Italian Seasoning and 2 cups of light olive oil in a jug. Mix well.

You can place the above ingredients in a blender, but it will make the mix quite 'frothy'. Better to mix with a spoon or fork.

Pour the garlic / oil mix over the drained mushrooms that are in the jars. Leave them stand for at least 24 hours. Longer if possible. Though I do tend to turn them over every few hours to start with. That way I know all the mushrooms are well and truly coated with this delicious olive oil / garlic marinade.

Serve with cheese, crackers or other appetizers and drinks. Make sure you have some toothpicks handy for guests to handle the slippery little mushrooms.

Sit back and enjoy!


since June 2012 only 43 people have read this particular blog post, now I have shifted it to this URL in October 2013 I will see how it goes!

banana bread

When John works from home or perhaps over the weekend he is often looking for something to 'munch on'!

The Banana Bread I made earlier this week always goes down well.

Well it was easy to decide what to bake considering I had two banana's that were well past their "use by date" sitting in the fruit basket.

The recipe I used is as follows:

1 1/2 cups of SR flour
1 cup sultanas
1/3 cup brown sugar    

1 tablespoon of honey

2 or 3 ripe bananas

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

I placed the flour in to a large bowl, added a cup of sultanas with the brown sugar.

Everything else went into the blender and was whizzed until it looked smooth. I added it to the flour / sugar mix and stirred.

Place it into a greased loaf pan, sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon on top and pop it into the oven at 180 C deg for about 45 mins.

You can vary the above by adding chopped nuts, or use 2/3 cup sugar instead of the sugar / honey combo I use.

You can also omit the sultanas.

If you have sultanas that look kind of old and 'dry', pop them into a microwave safe dish with a half cup orange juice for a minute or two to 'plump' them a bit before adding to the above flour / sugar mix.

When the bread has finished baking, remove from the pan and let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.


enjoy a bit of Tasty Fun!

creamy pumpkin soup

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Who does not like creamy pumpkin soup on a cold winters day, or any day for that matter?

Our daughter certainly enjoys it and it's also a favourite amongst other family members. My brother has quite a large patch of pumpkins this year and so I took advantage of that to make a large pot of Pumpkin Soup.

The recipe is as follows:

above: peel and chop about 1 kg of pumpkin and two large potatoe's.

above: to a large pan on the stove top, add 2 tbsp of light olive oil, 3 cloves of crushed garlic and one finely chopped onion.

 above: cook for 2 - 3 minutes, until softened but not browned.  

Add

• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

gently stir for about 1/2 a minute.

above: add the chopped pumpkin and potatoe to a 'slow cooker' or add to the large pan already on the stove with the onions and spices. I added mine to a 'slow cooker'.

above: to the pumpkin and potatoe add the cooked onions and spices.

above: add a litre of chicken or vegetable stock.

above: in the 'slow cooker' place the lid on top and leave till cooked. Approx one hour or more. Turn the temperature down till ready to serve.

If using the large pan on the stove, add the vegetables and stock to the onions and spice mix, stir well. This will cook on a low heat in about 40 minutes. Stir every now and then. Do not let the vegetables stick to the bottom.

above: Before serving, let it cool slightly, then blend till smooth in batches. Return to pan to reheat.

Stir in light cream and add some parsley.

This is a very easy soup to make and will be enjoyed by all on these cold winter nights!

easy and tasty fun!!

pikelets, drop scones, griddle scones or flapjacks?

Came across a great blog post recently about pikelets and drop scones, it is called THE CLAYTONS BLOG.

Highly recommend reading that particular post. People often become confused about pikelets, griddle scones, flapjacks and or drop scones.  For me, any one of them is just like a "mini pancake". Though always thought that drop scones were just a little thicker than the pikelets.

Sometimes when people are making pikelets they add something acidic, perhaps lemon juice or sour milk. I know a few recipes that have yogurt as one of the ingredients.

Anyway, after browsing that blog I decided I had better make a few 'pikelets' for morning tea....

I used one cup of plain flour and a tablespoon of baking powder, placed them in a large mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, some cinnamon and mixed spice .....

In the blender I added 1/4 cup of milk, 1/2 cup canned pie apple, a teaspoon of vanilla essence, a tablespoon of margarine and an egg and whizzed them for a minute. Then add the liquid mix to the flour mix and mix with a fork as seen below.....

spray or grease your stove top griddle pan or fry pan....

when the pan is hot, drop spoonfuls onto the hot pan....

when the tops start to bubble, that's when you flip them over.

Serve as soon as they are ready with butter. Now the ones above have apple and spices in them, they will be more 'liquidy' than usual due to the apple, you can reduce the amount of milk if you wish, or you can omit the apple and spices all together and have them plain. But do serve with butter, jam, conserve, honey, or anything else that you might like!I think most cooks would have their favourite.There are many other variations too .... eg: leave out the sugar and add cheese and herbs.

if you would like to try a plain recipe, the following is one I located off the Internet .....

Drop scones, also called Scotch pancakes, pikelets or flapjacks are easy and fun to make, and perfect for morning tea or even as a simple dessert. 

• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 egg beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon butter

Method:

1. Mix flour and sugar. Make a well in the centre. Add milk to egg and pour into well. Using a wooden spoon, gradually beat in the flour.
2. Heat frying pan. Grease lightly with butter. Put tablespoons of the mixture onto the hot pan. When bubbles appear on surface of the scones, turn with a spatula. Allow to brown on other side and cook through.
   
3. Serve them hot with butter, as an accompaniment with soup or with jam and whipped cream for afternoon tea. Store wrapped in a tea towel, to keep them soft.
   
   
   have tasty fun!!

this blog post had 295 readers from June 2012 

till moving it across to this site in October 2013.


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a tasty roast

Most of us enjoy a nice piece of succulent roast beef, everyone has their favourite way to prepare and roast.

Wikipedia's description of Roast Beef is as follows:

Roast beef is a dish of beef which is roasted in an oven. Essentially prepared as a main meal, the leftovers can be and are often served within sandwiches and sometimes are used to make hash. In the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, and Australia, roast beef is one of the meats traditionally served at Sunday dinner, although it is also often served as a cold cut in delicatessen stores, usually in sandwiches. A traditional side dish to roast beef is Yorkshire pudding.

In the UK, roast beef is the signature national dish which holds cultural meaning for the English.

Some prefer roast beef to be served "rare" or "pink", meaning that the center of the joint is cooked so that it retains a reddish color. Others prefer roast beef to be cooked medium or well done.

Another website describe it as:

Roast beef is perfect for a Sunday roast or a midweek meal. Recipes range from a traditional rump roasts to modern tenderloin roast and all in between.

Some may prefer a pot roast ... and the difference is ....

Pot roast is of course that stringy beef that comes from a shoulder roast, a chuck roast,  originating from the front part of the cow. It takes a slow, moist roast very well and falls tenderly apart as soon as you remove it from its broth.

Pot roasting is perfect for large, inexpensive and less tender cuts of beef as the long, slow cooking infuses them with flavour and makes them extremely tender. The beef is browned all over and then very slowly braised with a little liquid in a covered pan. A piece of Bolar Blade is perfect for this.

Roast Beef has a steak like texture and will stand firmer when sliced and comes from cuts like  sirloin, scotch fillet, rib eye, topside, or rump - all butchered from the back part of the animal.

This week I purchased a piece of Bolar Blade. Now this would normally be used as a pot roast, its a cheaper cut of meat and usually needs long, slow cooking.  I decided to try it roasted.

Here goes.....

above: create small pockets with a sharp blade for the garlic cloves.

below: use any seasonings you wish, but I used the McCormicks "Steak Spice", Cumin and Coriander. Mix the spices you are using with some light olive oil.  Rub over the beef.

 
and let it 'rest' in this mix (oil and spices) for up to an hour....

if you have a cast iron pan, griddle pan etc, place it on the stove top to heat. Also turn on your oven to about 180 deg c.

above & below: when the plate is hot, sear your roast on all sides, this will help seal in the juices. This will only take a few minutes.

below: place the roast in a baking pan in the oven. At this point you can drizzle a small amount of light olive oil over the beef.

 

and while that is taking place, add a small amount of water to the cast iron pan to 'lift' the tasty roast pieces that were left behind. Leave to cool.

below: add pumpkin, potato's and carrot to the baking pan with the roast. These will take about an hour. Depends on the size you have cut them though.

below:  while the meat and vegetables are cooking, prepare the gravy / sauce using the meat juices from the pot.  This will be quite rich,  you can water it down somewhat if you desire.

below:  when you take the meat out of the oven, let it sit for about 10 minutes prior to carving.  Here you can see the meat juices and garlic pieces, just unfortunate that you cannot smell how delicious this really is!

below: while carving, leave the vegetables to finish their cooking in the oven.

and dinner is ready ........

I have not cooked a 'roast' for over 7 years, so am in no position to 'teach' anyone how to prepare or cook a roast. All I am doing is 'sharing' what I did for dinner on Monday night!

Stay tuned for what ever else I decide to cook or bake!


have some Tasty Fun!!

this blog post had 790 readers from
June 2012 till moving it across to this site in October 2013.