Recipes – Page 3 – St GEORGIA & Boo

rustic bread and butter puddings

RUSTIC BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDINGS

ingredients

cob of pasta dura bread unsliced,4 free range eggs,2tsp vanilla extract,250ml cream,1 tsp cinnamon,1/4cup caster sugar,whole nutmeg for grating,1/4cup sultanas

method

roughly chop loaf of bread into cubes leaving the crust on. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs,cream,vanilla and sugar with a fork. In a large bowl add the bread and sultanas and pour over the egg mixture with hands turn and coat the bread and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Grease a muffin tray well and using hands fill each pan right up to the top with the bread mix. This is a rustic look bread and butter pudding so don’t be too neat with it. Any crusts on the top will crisp well when they cook.Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C for 20 minutes. Serve while still warm with maple syrup and a dollop of thickened cream. Eat at any time of the day or night. If your lucky enough to have any left overs store them in an airtight container in the fridge.

roasted pumpkin and pearl barley salad

ROAST PUMPKIN AND PEARL BARLEY SALAD

ingredients

1cup pearl barley pre soaked,1/4 kent pumpkin,4 cloves garlic,olive oil,mix of baby spinach and wild rocket, handful of cherry tomatoes,1/2 sliced spanish onion,1/4tsp turmeric powder,1/2tsp Dijon mustard,1 tsp mustard seeds,4Tbl natural yoghurt,2tsp honey,sea salt and cracked pepper

method

Pre soak the pearl barley for a few hours or over night. preheat the oven to 200°C. In a baking tray add the chopped pumpkin, a splash of olive oil, generously salt and drizzle over one of the teaspoons of honey. Roast for 1/2 hour or until soft and aromatic. When pumpkin is cooked, drain the barley and heat a pan with another splash of olive oil. on a medium heat gently sauté the barley and add the garlic cloves keep stirring to avoid the barley from sticking for 10 minutes, then add the pumpkin.Lower the heat and start to prepare the dressing. In true Jamie style i like using a small jar with a lid to mix the dressing and if there happens to be left overs it can be easily stored in the fridge for later use. Add the yoghurt,2tablespoons of olive oil,turmeric,mustard and honey then replace the lid on the jar and shake, open and lightly season to taste. Then a large bowl roughly toss the salad greens together then add the pumpkin, barley mix and finish with the dressing.

pumpkin and spinach pasta rotolo Jamie Style

This is a fabulous recipe that i have used over and over again. It is really easy, tasty and vegetarian. I like using a whole butter nut pumpkin that i just throw in the oven without any preparation and let it roast in the skin. It holds all the flavour and is really easy to slice and scoop out when cooked, defiantly a must try for anyone who loves roasted pumpkin. I used home-made fresh pasta however bought pasta sheets work just as well, if dried you will need to blanch the sheets for a couple of minutes in boiling water.

ingredients: 1 butternut pumpkin, 1 spanish onion,olive oil,500g frozen spinach,1/2tsp nutmeg,4 cloves garlic,2 can whole tomatoes,6+ fresh pasta sheets,50g feta,300g fresh ricotta,20g parmesan cheese,bunch of fresh sage, 1tsp raw sugar,sea salt,cracked pepper

method: Preheat the oven to 180°C, cook the pumpkin whole in a baking tray for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. when cooked remove and set aside. in a pan add olive oil and diced onion sauté for a few minutes then add cans of tomatoes with the juice, season generously with salt, cracked pepper and the raw sugar, turn heat to low at let sauce simmer for 20 minutes.

In a separate pan add olive oil and frozen spinach and the nut meg then season lightly, cook for 10 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool slightly, then add to the fresh ricotta and gently mix together. With a sharp knife slice the pumpkin length ways and discard seeds and skin, then scoop out flesh and roughly mash with a fork.

On a clean work surface , lay out pasta sheets facing length ways away from you. working quickly so the pasta doesn’t dry out, evenly divide and spread the pumpkin over the sheets. Then add a layer of spinach and ricotta and then crumble over the feta. Roll each sheet up and the cut evenly into four chunks and place facing up into half of the tomato sauce in a deep baking tray. Add remaining sauce over the top and place sage leaves and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the oven until golden and crisp.

recipe slightly modified from Jamie Oliver,jamie’s italy.

butter cookies and words

cooking with toddlers is always going to be anything but methodical. Before pursuit it is absolutely necessary to let go of any concept that the process is going to run smoothly and without fuss or mess for that matter. It almost needs to be seen as organised chaos with the idea that anything could happen and that there may not even be any consumable produce from the event. What is important to remember is, that all of the learning lies within the experience. For us it’s all about the sensory play, our boo thrives on the touch and taste of soft dough and at the moment any activity that encourages his participation, cooperation and patients is welcomed.

BUTTER COOKIES

ingredients:125g softened butter,100g caster sugar,1 free-range egg,200 g plain flour,1tsp vanilla extract,1/4tsp baking powder,sprinkles,extra flour for dusting

method: Beat butter and sugar in a kitchen mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat well, then add the flour and baking powder and mix until a ball of dough forms. At this stage is good to roll dough into a ball and wrap in cling film and put into the fridge to chill for an hour, however this step is completely unacceptable to my toddlers so we always skip it and go straight to here, on a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/2cm thick with cookie cutters cut out shapes and gently press into the sprinkles and lay onto baking tray lined with baking paper. If dough is extra soft from skipping the chilling step, you can, with lightly floured hands roll teaspoons of the mixture and then press them into the sprinkles. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 180°C or until the edges are slightly browned.

recipe adapted from JamieOliver.com Lemon Butter Biscuits

hazelnut meal and pear tart

Hazelnut Meal and Pear Tart

sweet short crust pastry ingredients;125g unsalted softened butter,1 egg,90g icing sugar,30g hazelnut meal,250g plain flour

method

Place butter,egg,sugar and hazelnut meal in an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add the flour a little at a time, until all combined then stop mixing.turn onto floured surface and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Hazelnut Meal Tart Filling ingredients; 50g softened butter,100g caster sugar,100g hazelnut meal,2 eggs,1 tablespoon of brandy, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract,4 pears poached, halved and sliced

method

Roll out the pastry in between baking paper, this helps to keep the pastry from sticking to the rolling pin. Try to get the pastry to 4mm thickness and then use a 25cm tart tin with a removable base. Lift the pastry while on the baking paper and flip into the tin. Just press any breakages back together and smooth out. Trim the edges with a sharp knife and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Pre heat the oven to 160°C. Place butter and sugar in a kitchen mixer beat until light and fluffy, add the hazelnut meal,eggs, brandy and vanilla, beat until combined. Spoon mixture into tart shell and arrange sliced pears evenly around the tart. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the pastry and filling are golden. Serve warm with cream.

white chocolate and mascarpone tart

ingredients: for the biscuit base, 200g granita biscuits, 100g melted butter or enough so it comes together

for the filling, 180g white cooking chocolate, 450g mascarpone cheese, 2/3 cup thickened cream

topping, berries or 100g crushed pistachio nuts and icing sugar

Method

in a food processor crush biscuits then add the melted butter enough that it comes together when pushed with fingers. in a tart pan evenly spread the biscuit mixture push down with palm of hand, refrigerate for 15 minutes. to make the filling combine the chopped white chocolate and the mascarpone in a heat proof bowl. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth add cream. pour into the tart base and refrigerate for 3 hours. for the topping with top with fresh berries, dust with icing sugar or in a food processor add 100g of pistachio nuts and 3 tablespoons of icing sugar blend until fine, sprinkle over top of tart and dust with icing sugar. Serve with a dollop of cream.

lemon slice

lemon Slice

ingredients: 220g butter softened,85g icing sugar,2 1/2 cups plain flour,4 lemons juiced or 90ml, rind of 2 lemons,4 eggs,350grams castor sugar,1 tsp baking powder,3/4 cup designated coconut

Method: grease and line 4cm deep slice pan, in a food processor combine butter and icing sugar then add 2 cups of the plain flour or enough so that the mixture comes together in a ball. Press into the pan and chill for 10 minutes. pre-heat oven to 175°C bake the base for 15 minutes then set aside to cool. Finely grate the rind of 2 lemons and juice all 4. Whisk the eggs and castor sugar then add the remaining flour and baking powder, rind and juice. Pour into the case and top with designated coconut. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden and filling is set. allow to cool in the pan before slicing. serve with cream or store in the refrigerator for school snacks.

slow cooked lamb.. mustard pickle sandwich

we had an abundance of left over food after our christmas day celebration. i must admit I’m one who loves using left overs to recreate something new, the results are usually more flavoursome than the original dish. On Christmas day we served lamb that we had slow roasted in red wine on in weber for about 6 hours, the results were this tender, fall apart meat that was simply delicious. In true Jamie style we used the left overs to make these rustic flavoursome rolls for lunch the next day.

we used RUSTIC WHITE LOAF,Fabriqué å Theiers BREAD KNIFE made in FRANCE,HARMONE organic butter,ROLNIK POLISH sandwich cucumbers,THREE THREES sweet mustard pickles,AGED cheddar cheese,selection of fresh greens

method

slice the bread,spread the butter and a layer of sweet mustard pickles. Arrange layers of roast beef, cheese, pickled cucumbers,greens then serve.

christmas

Christmas day was celebrated at home this year, this being the first time we have been brave enough to play host to the whole family for a day. We set up a long table in the garden under the maple trees which turned out to be the perfect setting. Our big girls set the table with crisp white table cloths and hand made place cards, they picked herbs from the garden and put them into little green bottles, we used silver bone cutlery passed down to us from the nanas and drank Moet Chandon for the occasion, we served pork that we slow roasted overnight with a home made beetroot and apple chutney, lamb on the bone cooked for 6 hours in red wine, honey glazed roasted pumpkin and whole baby carrots. We ate way too much, laughed, shared stories, watched the children play, lazed about in the garden and in all had a really nice day

pecan pie

ingredients

sweet short crust pastry

125g unsalted butter softened,1 egg,90g icing sugar,30g ground almonds,250g plain flour

pecan filling

3 eggs lightly whisked, 180 ml golden syrup,100g brown sugar,50g butter,195g roughly chopped pecans

method

to make the pastry,place the butter,eggs,icing sugar and ground almonds in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the flour a little at a time. stop mixing as soon as it has incorporated. transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface and shape into a disc then wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. remove from the fridge 30 minutes before using if left over night.

roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface until 4mm thick, then gently fold over the rolling-pin and transfer over a 30 cm tart tin with a removable base. gently press into the tin and trim excess with a sharp knife. prick the pastry with a fork and place back into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

pre heat the oven to 200°C, to make the filling, place butter,sugar and golden syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat cook stirring until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. set aside to cool slightly then add the eggs and vanilla, whisk to combine. stir in the pecans and pour into the pastry case. bake for 35-40 minutes or until pastry and filling are golden. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving with cream.

The pastry recipe is borrowed from Manu Feidel i find this is the nicest and easiest pastry recipe to use.

individual sticky date puddings

STICKY DATE PUDDINGS

ingredients

210grams pitted dates,250mls water,1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda, 100grams butter softened,2 eggs,135grams brown sugar,1 cup SR flour

method

combine the dates and water in a pan and bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes, turn off the heat and add the bicarbonate soda, stir through and put aside. in a kitchen mixer cream the butter and sugar until soft and pale, add the eggs and flour and mix until combined. stir through the date mixture. in a well greased muffin tray spoon in the mixture only filling 1/2 way to allow for rising. serve warm topped with the caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream.

CARAMEL SAUCE

ingredients

150grams butter,250ml cream,265grams brown sugar

method

combine all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. pour over puddings.

little tuna patties for little ones

these are the perfect little patties for toddler fingers. they are super quick and simple to make served with a touch of tomato sauce are a hit with any toddler. they are also fantastic served cold in school lunches

TUNA PATTIES

ingredients

185grams tin tuna in olive oil,2 medium washed desire potatoes boiled with skin on,1/2 cup frozen peas,handful of chopped parsley,1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 free range egg,3/4 cup japanese breadcrumbs,salt flakes

method

boil the potatoes whole with the skin on for 10 minutes or until soft when pierced. drain and combine tuna, peas, parmesan,parsley. peel the skin away from the cooked potatoes and roughly grate them into a bowl. Mix remaining ingredients into the potato mix and add the egg,stir to combine and season. place the japanese breadcrumbs onto a plate and with slightly damp hands gently roll teaspoons of the mix into round patties, flatten slightly, then cover in the breadcrumbs. lightly fry in olive oil until golden on both sides.

boston baked beans

This is a fantastic quick weeknight dinner option and left overs for breakfast a couple of days later when the flavours have developed to their full potential, is even better. I tend to make this dish without the bacon most of the time to cater for my vegetarians and it really doest seem to impact on the flavour at all. We often have this dish with scoops of creamy mash potato and fresh bread, its real comfort food for those winter nights or it is just as yummy served with flat bread and sour cream.

boston baked beans

ingredients

olive oil,1 brown onion,4 rashes of free range rindless bacon,1 clove garlic,1 teaspoon of smoked paprika,2 tablespoons brown sugar,2 tablespoons tomato paste,2 tablespoons golden syrup,2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce,4 cans borlotti beans rinsed,3 cans of whole peeled tomatoes,season to taste

method

Using a large heavy based sauce pan gently fry the onion in the olive oil a few minutes then add garlic and chopped bacon if using, cook until bacon is slightly browned. Add paprika, sugar,tomato paste, golden syrup and worcestershire sauce. Stir for a few minutes until combined and fragrant. Add beans with the whole tomatoes, bring to the boil and then simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. serve with buttered toast or mashed potato.

this day in November

This day in November, early morning wake up for mamma and papa,COFFEE and CUDDLES in bed from BOO, freshly laid eggs for perfect SCRAMBLED, a little art from SKYE,WASHING, garden PLAY time,swim in paddle pool for little ones and COUS COUS lunch.

COUS COUS SALAD

Ingredients: cous cous, sultanas, flaked almonds, grated carrot, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, sea salt,table spoon of salad dressing if desired.

Method: prepare cous cous as directed, grate one carrot, mix all ingredients together and serve cold.

doughnut french toast Nigella style

DOUGHNUT FRENCH TOAST

ingredients

4 eggs,1 tablespoon maple syrup, 80ml milk,4 slices of ciabatta bread, 25grams butter,50 grams caster sugar

method

beat the eggs with the milk and the maple syrup. soak the bread in the egg mixture covering both sides. heat the butter in a fry pan and fry the bread golden on both sides. put the sugar on a plate and then dip the cooked bread into it until well coated like a sugared doughnut.

Recipe adapted from NIGELLA EXPRESS.