Quince Cake

This stunning cake is cooling on a rack on the kitchen bench with two small warm slices missing.  It is so delicious I had to share it immediately

Although it is an Apple and Blueberry cake, I used cooked quinces for my topping.  Stunning.  It is another Donna Hay recipe from her latest book 'fast, fresh, simple'

1 and 1/2 cups of sifted self-raising flour;

3/4 cup of caster sugar;

125 grams of butter, softened;

1 teaspoon vanilla extract;

2 eggs;

1/2 cup of milk;

1 apple, cored and thinly sliced;

3/4 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries (I used frozen as fresh are so expensive at the moment); and

2 tablespoons of demerara sugar.

To start, preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Place flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and milk in a bowl and beat with an electric mixed until just combined. Spoon the mixture into a greased 22cm springform tin lined with non-stick baking paper.

Top the mixture with the thinly sliced apples and blueberries and sprinkle with the demerara sugar (I didn't have any so used ordinary sugar).

Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is cooked when tested with a skewer. Let the cake sit in the tin for 5-10 minutes before turning it out to cool further on a wire rack. The apple slices and blueberries will have sunk slightly into the cake mixture. Serve the cake with ice cream or dollop cream.

2012 Day One

Welcome to 2012 friends.  I was going to reconnect with my blog in a more robust fashion on day one of my holiday 23 December 2011).  I was going to post a witty plot of the day and the musings of a woman on holiday.  But as is often the case these days, we had a kick arse stinking earthquake that ruined all of that.

HOWEVER, today is a new year and although I have no doubt at all that will continue to have shocking earthquakes, I am not going to let those bloody things stop me from doing things.  So, DAY ONE....mmm.

A tiny bit of musing, some shopping, packing for our holiday at our bach, some reading, entertaining and sitting in the sun in our backyard.  A pretty normal day in the life of us since Christmas.  There could be two highlights to this day.

1.  Iron Lady...will tell you later
2.  Another Donna Hay divine dish...it will be a close call. I made this last night and it was stunning in its simplicity and taste.   It tastes better than it looks. Tonight, with the chicken we didn't use I am doing a slightly altered version and am using a courgette out of my garden.  I am also wrapping the chicken in prosciutto not chopping it up so we will see how that goes.   Here is a link to the recipe. 

Tasty

I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious.  Donna Hay is one of my taste gurus.  Her recipes are so tasty and they never fail to deliver.   I did change it a bit as you do and added peas and cucumber instead of snow peas and I fried up a couple of shallots instead of red onion.  This is a lovely after work creation....mmm...

photography Vanessa Levis

ginger beef patties with lime noodle salad

• 100g vermicelli rice noodles
• ½ cup mint leaves
• 300g beef mince
• ¼ cup (60ml) oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 150g snow peas (mange tout), sliced and blanched
• 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 ½ tablespoons lime juice
• 1 ½ tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 small red chilli, chopped

Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 5 minutes or until soft. Drain and run under cold water until cold. Set aside.
Chop half the mint leaves and place in a bowl with the mince, oyster sauce and ginger. Mix well to combine. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Divide the mince mixture into six patties and cook for 2–3 minutes each side or until cooked through.
Place the noodles in a bowl with the snow pea, tomato, onion and remaining mint leaves and toss to combine. Add the patties to the salad. Combine the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chilli and pour over the noodles to serve. Serves 2.

• this recipe is from donna hay magazine issue 47

Taking steps

Last night we hosted a dinner for our friends to help distract them from the state of their house and the fact that they are homeless.  They looked very tired and markedly thinner.  The worry and not knowing what their future holds is really impacting on them.  It was very nice to be able to do something vaguely useful for them, although you may think partying is inappropriate.  We all know that the warmth of others is what gets us through these kinds of things.  Also, some of us are very keen to start moving forward.  Acknowledging and grieving is important but the need to look forward and imagine the future is also a really important part of getting on.   I know that it will be a lot easier for those of us who have little damage and we all come to his at different times.  There are people in Christchurch, especially in some suburbs who are very bored and over it.  They obviously don't see what we see over here on the east. 

Anyway, I want to share with you the most delicious and simple recipe that is going to become a very standard production out of my kitchen.  Anyone who has had to sit and listen or read my blog will know that I LOVE Ray McVinnie and this another ode to him.  It is so simple, but don't laugh, you will love it.  Follow this link.  I am wondering about quince jelly as a possibility.mmmm.

Asparagus tart and crunchy salad

As I was cleaning out the fridge tonight vainly looking for the source of a really ugly smell I devised a delicious dinner with the fix'ns I came upon. I just had to share. Excuse the photos. I am no food photographer.

Asparagus Tart
Filo pastry and butter

• Parmesan - grated (about a handful)
• Feta - leftovers
• Light cream cheese - a spoonful or two
• Lemon - some juice and some rind
• Rocket - some
• Pepper - fresh ground
• Mint - a twist

Mix all those ingredients together and line along the filo in a pie dish...I used a very small one. On top, layer asparagus and use the butter from the filo to brush over. Cook and enjoy. I thought it a little salty but this is easily remedied by the choice and volume of cheese. The blend of mint, lemon, cheese and asparagus was stunning.

Crunchy salad
Knowing this was going to be a rich concoction, I threw together a crunchy salad which was better than I could have imagined

Mixed together with some lemon juice, mint and a touch of good quality mayo I assemble

• Celery - about 4 sticks
• Granny smith apple chopped
• Red onion 1/4 - finely chopped
• Fennel bulb - sliced
• Lebanese cucumber - de-seeded
• Feta - a little left over slice or two crumbled...
• Yum and yum and yum some more.

Week in reverse

It has been a really busy social week around here lately. It has been a very welcome diversion from endless house stuff I must say. In reverse....

500 Days of Summer. Popped out last night with Alex to catch this little gem. As Kate Roger said on 3Film, it is a 'a romance for real people, not just for believers in fairy tales'. It was appealing in its realness, no soft lighting or romantic swells of music. The soundtrack was fab. The characters were flawed and 'whats her name' the lead character was a bit naughty although forgivable when you think back to some of your own romantic misdemeanours. I also really enjoyed the depiction of LA as a real place and not Hollywood Boulevard. Loved my white chocolate and raspberry sorbet ice cream too.

Cricket - we have now entered the world of Saturday sport and much to my enjoyment I got to sit on the grass in the sun watching excited boys and girls learn cricket skills. topped off with a sausage in bread and a very excited child, I was a happy mummy.

Cookai - two nights in a row I got to taste the delights on offer at Cookai Japanese restaurant. John from Greymouth and Rachel texted on the road over to see if an early tea was a goer. Having just spent the day at home with Nic and his cousins I was ripe for an early evening outing. Having spent a very enjoyable evening at Cookai the night before with Karen, I was delighted to be able to suggest a well priced, authentic Japanese restaurant to my friends. Yum.

Kid fun - Taking annual leave to look after your child is one of the delights of full time work and parenthood. Long gone are the days of lying on beaches, shopping trips to Sydney and indulgence of any kind. I am not complaining. I had a great day hanging out with Nic, Olivia and Ben. I especially enjoyed our trip to the park where we played on the half basketball court with Anna and Karen who are in town and came to visit.

Birthday dinner (s) - Jonty turned 49 this week. Two days before the international day of the Older Person. Something I could have got a bit of fun out of but chose not to for some reason. Prior to his actual birthday we went out for another early family meal to the Belgium Beer Cafe and enjoyed and evening of delectable mussels, meat and potatoes in various forms. Great for my ever increasing waist line, NOT! Pudding too-creme brulee. I am a disgrace to all weight conscious women. Friend catch ups - afternoon play and chat with Steph, Frances and George. This included a bike ride on the road. Nic's first. Well done mate, very brave. Also on Sunday was a shared roast lamb dinner with stunning Jamie Oliver heart attack on a plate potato dish with Anne and Tim. Preceding that, on Saturday night, we had a family birthday celebration with Jonty's lot. Again, restraint played no part in the evening. We had spicy lamb and filo pie, pavlova, Paris breast, home made focaccia and wine. Lots. I know I gained a kilo last week. The eating was profound. However, the good cheer and time with friends and family far outweighs the extra tyre around my middle...almost...eek.

Back to reality. House cleaning and open homes.

Ode to Ray

I know there are lots of chefs and cookbooks in the world and I have a reasonable number of them in my bookcase. However, when I am looking for a dish or two that I know will taste divine I always go for my Ray McVinnie collection of dishes and delights. Last night Julian came over for a short dinner visit. I rolled out Ray's 'Greek Beef Stew' - a once a week favourite in our house during the winter. Here is the link to this recipe on the Cuisine website. You will love it ... the cinnamon quills are the key ingredient. I of course don't make 1kg of meat type stews so adjust the amounts I have at random. Always tastes delicious with mashed spud.

To follow this I attempted a new pudding recipe. I love making desserts generally because you can work in layers of flavour and they are always a treat. Again, I went to the 'altar or Ray 'with a request for a pudding using pears as I had been given a bag of them from someones garden. I found the perfect pudding and proceeded to make it while not concentrating and made a few mistakes, however, the result was unutterably delicious. Even without the butterscotch sauce that just seemed a bit hard for a casual meal outside....also too lazy by this time. Warm from the oven it was just perfect. So, thanks again Ray for the Pear & Walnut Gingerbread Pudding With Butterscotch Sauce. And as usual, I didn't have all the ingredients but it still tasted great. No walnuts or dark brown sugar but I used a combo of brown and raw. Plus no treacle, just used golden syrup. I know Ray would have approved.


I have just served the pudding up to the boys for dinner with a large dollop of my homemade strawberry jam, still warm. As you can see I am no food stylist but thought I would add a little pic of my efforts. Yum. Not burnt either. So, my rant about homemade jam.


5 reasons why homemade jam is the best

• 9 jars of jam for under $15 (retail $3-$5 a jar)
• recycled jars (most on a 3rd or 4th use)
• local produce (good for the local economy and I know where it came from)
• NO preservatives, additives and unpronounceable ingredients
• fantastic taste

This is of course, of no great surprise to any of us who make jam all the time or to our mothers and grandmothers who always made preserves from seasonal produce. I have been making preserves for years since I left home but now I am even more committed to it as a small, one household at a time attempt to preserve (excuse the pun), the art of good honest healthy real food cookery. Quince jelly this week.

best smoothie ever

Oops, didnt make it to work this morning. I took a very rare mental health morning. Jonty went off and did the groceries on his own so it was a mental health morning for both of us. Nicholas and I did house work and then made the 'best smoothie ever'...I think sitting on the back door step drinking it together and talking about bees and flowers made it even better. As a full time working mother, moments such as these are rare and very treasured.

The recipe for our best smoothie ever

• 1 banana - quite ripe
• low fat milk
• lite vanilla cream yoghurt
• a handful of frozen berries
• blue plastic cups with silver flowers on them and a back door step in the shade on a hot morning.

mmmmmmmm

Spicy Lamb Pie

Following on from the Waitangi Day ethos of having fun, we went round to Karen and Justin's for a family dinner last night. It was a heaps of fun and I think my tummy muscles are a bit sore from laughing so hard. I am sure the vino played a part in that. One of the highlights of the evening for me was when Nicholas sought out the toilet on his own without being prompted - another excellent step on his toilet training journey. Lovely boy. While our children played we dined on delicious lamb pie, red cabbage coleslaw and crispy potatos...mmm. Karen is a good cook who tries lots of recipes and has a pantry to die for. I often joke that all that food is going to kill her in the big 'quake which negates its value as an emergency store. Anyway, I thought I would put the recipe on this page to share its deliciousness. Thanks Karen

Spicy Lamb Pie

1 tablesp. oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g lamb mince
1 teasp. ground cinnamon
2 teasp. ground cumin
1 teasp. curry powder
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/3 cup currants
500g spinach, shredded
2 tablesp. marmalade
1/4 cup beef stock
12 sheets filo pastry
80g melted butter/non stick spray

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Brush a round pie dish with melted butter/non stick spray. Heat the oil in a pan, add onion and garlic and stir for 2 mins. Add the lamb mince and stir for 5 mins, breaking up any lumps with a fork.
2. Add the spices, wine, tomato paste, currants, spinach, marmalade and stock. Simmer uncovered for 20 mins, or until the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool.
3. Remove 1 sheet of pastry, cover rest with damp towel. Brush/spray filo with butter/spray and cover with another 2 sheets, brushing each. Cut in half, crossways, and line the pie dish with the 2 halves of pastry, leaving any overhanging edges. Spoon the lamb mixture into the dish. Brush the remaining sheets and scrunch each into a ball and place on top of pie.

Bake for 45 mins or until golden on top.

Off to work on this sunny day

Ka kete ano

Waitangi Day

On significant public holidays I like to do something memorable and outdoorsy to mark the day. Not go shopping or do housework like any other weekend day. It was a good day to launch a boat or two.

Jonty and Ruth with the family in the background

We met at South Brighton domain to launch my dad's two new boats. He is a retired builder who loves making boats in his spare time. We launched 'Innovate' and '4 x 2' (4ft x 2ft) this morning on the incoming tide. All the family gathered for the occasion and most of us had a go in the boats. Simon and Jonty were especially keen to get their hands on the 'seagull' and puttered about for a bit. You could tell dad was a bit nervous inititially but very pleased with the result.

Jonty and Dad + boats

Apparently 'Innovate' has a long line in the water and is great for rowing. He is going to enter her in to some races at the 'Antique and Classic Boat Show' at Lake Rotoiti in March. Another full on family event.

In the In the background you can see the hills of Banks Peninsula. Balmoral hill in the centre




You can see in this photo all the work that has gone in to the shaping of the wood for this boat. To make it dad made the hull first and then shaped the ribs to fit in the shell. It has two sets of rowlicks and a few holes that need plugging. Nicholas is in the boat with Jonty and Ruth...my sister.