recipes – Page 3 – St GEORGIA & Boo

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.

this day.. in December

this day in december we decorate our tree,boo naps, we eat honey roasted pumpkin and sage pasta,boo gets creative with water colour,Georgie girl climbs our stairs any chance she gets, our Nash graduates primary school along with our darling Anick they have been best friends since they were ten months old.

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.

mini beef pies

this was the fastest photo shoot i have possibly ever taken… these pies literally had only moments out of the oven before my two-year old and 8 month old came scrambling into the kitchen one after the other.. the two-year old racing to the cutlery rack at a record speed so he could dive into one of the pies with no comprehension that they needed time to cool and i needed to take photos. My eight month old only tummy crawling, sensed the two-year olds urgency on the matter, she too could not move fast enough.. there was simply no time to waste.

Mini Beef Pies

Ingredients

500g premium mince,1 brown onion,3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce,2 tablespoons tomato sauce,1 tablespoon tomato paste,1 teaspoon of dried thyme,1 tablespoon plain flour,salt and pepper to taste, poppy seeds, 4 sheets of puff pastry, olive oil

method

Pre heat the oven to 200°C fan forced. brush three muffin trays with olive oil this should make 18 pies. Have pastry sheets out of the freezer and allow to defrost for 20 minutes. Meanwhile heat a non stick fry pan with a little olive oil and brown the mince, add the finely chopped onion, cook for a few minutes then add the sauces, thyme and flour. If the mix is dry then add a little water. Simmer for 10 minutes, season to taste. While the mixture is cooling down, cut the pastry circles using an egg ring, you should get 9 circles to each sheet of pastry. Line the muffin trays with the pastry, then spoon the cooled mix into the pastry cases, there is no need to blind bake the pastry first. Place the tops on, pressing down around the sides with a fork. brush with olive oil, lightly prick each one a few times with a knife and top with poppy seeds. bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

dill hollandaise eggs

Dill Hollandaise

Ingredients

3 free range egg yolks, juice of half a lemon, 2 teaspoons water, 125grams butter melted (clarified), salt to taste, 1/4 bunch of dill

method

In a heat proof bowl place the egg yolks, water and lemon juice and lightly whisk. place bowl over a low simmering pot of water and continue whisking until mixture begins to thicken and has doubled in volume, then begin to slowly add the clarified butter a little at a time while continuing to whisk until you have a smooth sauce the consistency of a gravy. add the finely chopped dill. If sauce over thickens you can add another teaspoon of water and whisk through. season to taste.

potato and leek soup

its winter. fire places, warm socks, pyjamas and soup.

the children have all returned to school after a two week break. there is peace.. i find myself with a moment.

there are so many things on the list to do,

but not now.

now, i’ll drink tea and make soup.

ingredients

8 large potatoes,3 leeks,1 brown onion,2 cloves garlic,2 teaspoons dried thyme,chicken stock to taste,olive oil, 20 grams butter,water to cover,salt and cracked pepper,1/4 cup cream, chives to garnish

method

slice leeks straight down the middle disregard outer leaves and wash thoroughly under cold water. Chop leeks and onion and sauté with tablespoon of olive oil and the butter until softened in texture. Add the thyme, garlic and chicken stock let cook a minute or so, then add chopped and peeled potatoes. Cook on low heat for approximately 8 minutes before adding enough water to just cover bring to the boil then lower the heat to a simmer until potato’s are cooked through. Blend soup with a hand blender until smooth in consistency return to a low heat and add the cream and season as necessary, serve with finely chopped chives and crusty bread.