Super Easy Srawberry Ice-cream

              Strawberries are super cheap and sweet at the moment.   Early in the season I treat strawberries like royalty eating them raw and savoring there glorious flavour knowing that summer is on the way.  Now that summer is here with a glut of strawberries I start  thinking towards the cooler months and how I can prolong my strawberry season.  I make jam Strawberry and Black Pepper, Strawberry and rhubarb or I make a coulis in it's simplest form (punnets of hulled strawberries blended raw with sugar - 1 cup of sugar with 2 punnets of strawberries) and freeze it in ice trays.  This will be the base of my super easy strawberry ice-cream a taste of summer in the dark depths of winter.  If you have an ice-cream churner this just so, so simple it would be criminal not to give this recipe a whirl you will not be disappointed.  Minimum effort maximum flavour.  If not then you have a little bit of work to do but it is so worth the effort.

Super Easy Strawberry Ice-cream


2 punnets strawberries Hulled and halved
1 cup sugar
300mls cream
1 shot vodka ( this helps to keep your ice-cream soft but is not essential)


Blend strawberries, vodka and sugar together in a food processor until smooth.  If you don't like the seeds push through a sieve to remove.  Pour the strawberry coulis into the ice-cream churner following the manufacturers instructions.  Slowly add the cream leave to churn until very thick.  Freeze until firm or scoff as soft serve.

If you don't have a churner once the coulis has been made pour into a shallow tray and partially freeze.  Use the pulse setting on the food processor to quickly break down pour on cream and pulse until combined.  Partially refreeze.  Process again and refreeze. Repeat and pour into plastic container freeze and eat.

Orange and Rum Christmas Cake

MR COOL

             Since we here in New Zealand don't get to experience a white christmas I thought I'd bring a little of that white magic to my christmas cake.  So out came the snow-man I invested in some snowflake plunger cutters and raided my cake decorating kit for everything else.  He's awesome and the kids were utterly enthralled with the process of putting him together.

          This recipe is the one I turn to every year I try to make it well in advance but some years life is too hectic.  Now I've dabbled with other recipes and I've used more exotic dried fruits but to me this is what a christmas cake should be rich, dense with fruit and boozy.   I ice it with marzipan and fondant icing since most years I travel with it and as I have discovered royal icing, it's fluffy meringue cousin and rum butter-cream do not like long car trips.  As I type this I had a revelation fruitcake cupcakes swirled high with Rum butter-cream icing perhaps with a hint of coffee and now I wonder will I be able to fit them into my schedule.........gotta love Christmas!

Rum and Orange Christmas Cake


1.5 kg mixed dried Fruit
1 cup rum
2 oranges zest and juice
200grams soft brown sugar
250grams soft butter
4 eggs (at room temperature)
2 teaspoons vanilla
350grams self/raising flour
salt pinch
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1x 22cm cake tin lined twice with baking paper (bottom and sides)


Soak fruit in rum and orange juice overnight (or however long it takes you to get around to it).
Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and orange zest until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.  Sieve flour, spice and salt onto butter mix  and stir gently add the fruit and mix batter until combined.   Spoon mixture into prepared cake tin and bake for 3 hours in a slow oven.  Stick a skewer into cake to check if it is cooked skewer should come away clean.

Summer Dining

Rye and Wholemeal Flat-bread with avocado, snapper and a tomato herb salad

           As the warmer weather arrives I start thinking about light tasty food that can be eaten alfresco with friends and a glass of wine or ice cold beer.  There are all kinds of cheats that can be used for this dish but since I am in purist mode I'll let you figure those out for yourself.  These luscious morsels (ok somewhat bigger than a morsel)  were devoured by adults and children.  Even as I write this I think about all the variations that could be played out on these freshly baked breads, quite frankly I'm beginning to feel like there is not enough time to cook all the things I'd like too.  So prepare yourselves for recipes galore this time of year is glorious.
      




Rye and Wholegrain Flat-bread

2 teaspoons dried yeast
300g plain flour (high grade)
150g wholemeal flour
150g rye flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
50mls olive oil

Combine yeast with 300mls of warm (blood temperature) water and teaspoon of sugar, mix together and leave in a warm spot until the mix froths.  In a bowl combine flours and salt, make a well in the center and pour yeast mix and oil into it.  Using your hand incorporate the dry and wet ingredients until the dough comes together.  Tip onto a floured bench and kneed dough until shiny and elastic (approx 10 minutes) or use  dough hook and do it in a machine.  Cover dough with a clean damp teatowel and set aside for an hour to prove.  The dough should double in size.  Pre-heat oven to 200c.  Turn out dough and divide into eight.  Roll each segment of dough into 15cm long oval breads place on oven trays lined with paper (or pre-heated pizza stones with semolina) drizzle with olive oil sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 7 minutes until golden brown.


Avocado and Snapper Topping

2 large avocado mashed with the juice of one lemon and seasoned well
4 snapper fillets approx 200grms each baked in the oven with lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil and seasoned well.
 100mls of aioli
4 spring onions finely sliced
1 cup picked washed coriander leaves
2 tomatoes pulp and seed removed finely diced.
juice of lemon and olive oil to drizzle (2 tbspns)
lemon wedges to serve

 To assemble (either do it your self or let your guests build their flat-bread to suit themselves.)
 Smear avocado along the flat bread, flake pieces of snapper over the top drizzle with aioli,  sprinkle salad over the top coriander, spring onion and tomato.  Dress with lemon and oil and season.


Aioli

1 egg yolk
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove of garlic crushed finely
200mls olive oil
salt and pepper

Whisk yolk, lemon, dijon and garlic together very slowly pour the oil on to the yolk mixture whisking continuously until all the oil is incorporated.  Season.  If you prefer you can do this in a food processor following the same principles.

Smoked Kahawai

          Look at these beauties ok not the biggest fish ever caught but my six year old was pretty pleased with himself.   The kahawai is not considered a glamorous fish and is often used as bait.  It's fatty flesh lends itself to being smoked and that is exactly what I chose to do. 
So guts out and heads off don't worry about scaling the fish and leave the skin on.  Split the fish down the center and open out the kahawai.   For each fish I cured I used 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves and a good grind of black pepper.  The kahawai was covered and refrigerated overnight to cure.  Approximately 12 hours later the cure was rinsed off and the fish smoked.  In my hot-smoker I used 2 Tablespoons of oak shavings with a drizzle of whiskey and a couple of fresh bay leaves for a light herbal note.

My go-to meal.

Orechiette with broccoli, lemon and chilli

           We all have our own go-to meal.  It's crunch time.  Dinner looms ahead and it's been one of those days.  Take-aways you say to yourself but then you've got to get every-one in the car and out again only to have to repeat the performance again before you even walk through the door..........
           No way you pull out a few simple ingredients and before you know it dinner is in front of you.  It's a humble dish and we eat it more often then I care to admit.  It's a fuss free one pot meal that everyone will eat with no complaints.  Left overs sorry no.  You won't be sorry.



Orechiette with broccoli, lemon and chilli


pasta (your choice)
broccoli (or try cauliflower or zucchini.)
potato (waxy is best)
lemon zest and juice
chilli flakes
pesto
pecorino

Cook your pasta in plenty of boiling salt water until it is almost al dente, add the cubed potato.  When the potato is cooked add florets of broccoli.  Continue to boil until broccoli is cooked how you like it.  Tip into a colander saving a small amount of cooking water.  Tip into serving bowl and toss through lemon, chilli and pesto.  Use the cooking water if you need to loosen up the pasta.  Season.  Top with plenty of shaved pecorino.

Cumin and Pomegranate Molasses basted Chicken

         Sorry folks I'm still stuck in the middle east.  What can I say?  I'm loving the flavour combinations and this chicken rocks.  Even now as I write this I'm contemplating a trip to the butcher to grab a chicken I've ticked off the other ingredients earthy cumin check, fresh coriander check, spanish onion check and the key ingredient pomegranate molasses check.  You can find this in middle eastern food stores and some supermarkets also stock it.  It is a thick dark syrup made from pomegranates  and is gloriously sweet and sour.  Serve the chicken with hot buttered cous cous to soak up all the juices.


Cumin and Pomegranate Molasses basted Chicken
 (with coriander and pickled red onion salad)


1 whole chicken or your favourite chicken pieces
2 tablespoons ground cumin (roasted)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh coriander leaves
1 spanish (red) onion
1/2 teaspoon salt (extra)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lemon juice

Mix spice, salt, oil and molasses in a bowl.
Butterfly chicken ( remove backbone with a sharp knife or kitchen shears, remove wish-bone and flatten.)  Using your fingers lift up the skin around breasts and legs.  Rub the spice mixture over chicken using your fingers push marinade up into and under the skin.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes and roast in a pre heated oven (180c) with 1/2 cup water in bottom of tray for 50 -60 minutes if using a whole chicken or until juices run clear.  Pull chicken out of oven and spoon cooking juices back over chicken at least twice during the cooking time.

Thinly slice the onion and toss with the second measure of salt, sugar and lemon juice leave for 1 hour.  Toss together with coriander and garnish your chicken.

Thyme, Sumac and Sesame Bread

         There is nothing as satisfying as making your own bread.  In this day and age you can decide just how much of your time and energy you wish to use on making your bread.  Yes bread does take time to make there is no getting around it but it is not hands on time the steps to making bread are quick and can be done in a mixer with a dough hook or bread-making machine which will also prove your bread or by hand (it's a great upper body work-out) This recipe is for a crusty flat bread and you can flavour the oil to suit your own tastes ie Rosemary, Chile and Parmesan.  I've taken my flavours again from the middle east.  Sumac is a deep red purple spice which is the dried fruit of a bush most commonly known as Rhus.  The dried berry has a tart citric flavour.  It is often used in spice rubs, marinades and dressings; it has an affinity for chicken, fish and seafood, lamb, eggplant, chickpeas and lentils.  Sumac will keep in an airtight container for several months.

Thyme, Sumac and Sesame Bread

500g plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons yeast dried
1 1/2 cups warm water (blood temperature)  yeast needs warmth to activate however if it is hot                                                                               the yeast dies.
25mls olive oil.

Flavoured oil mix:-
    1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
    1 Tablespoon sumac
    1 Tablespoon fresh thyme or half if using dry.
     75mls oil
     1/2 teaspoon salt

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of your electric mixer (follow manufacturers instructions for bread maker using all the ingredients except flavoured oil)  or in a bowl if doing by hand.  In a small bowl mix the water, yeast, sugar and oil set aside in a warm place until it becomes frothy.  Now I could give you a time but it depends on the warmth of your kitchen.  Add yeast mix to the flour and either using a dough hook or your hands combine the ingredients.  Allow the dough hook to work the dough for at least 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and glossy.  If you are using your hands tip the mix onto a clean working surface which has been floured and knead for 10 minutes.  To knead you will form the dough into a ball and then using the heel of your hand you will push the dough down and away from you  Turn the dough a little and repeat.  Use the weight of your body and find a rhythm.  Cover the dough with a clean damp cloth and place in a warm place to prove the dough will double in size and this will take approximately an hour.
For the spice oil combine all the ingredients.
Knock the dough back and roll out so that it forms a 20cm by 40cm rectangle.  Place on a baking tray covered in baking paper. Using a sharp knife cut the dough across into 12 pieces, Brush liberally with spiced oil and put aside for 10 minutes.  Bake in a hot 200c oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.