Thursday, October 31, 2013

Poly-Garden

Good timing!  I had just flicked through a library book on container gardening where I had seen a polystyrene box turned into planter - I was very interested to try it (the thick poly box keeps water and heat in for longer - great for lettuces).  Then out of the blue my lovely father-in-law brought down 2 for me - perfect!

I had some lettuce seedlings on the go so I've planted them in one box and seeds have just been sown in the other.  So far the lettuce seedlings have doubled in size in just 4 days.

My 3 year old got into my seed box just after watching me sow the Tom Thumb lettuces.  I came back to find the last of my marigold seeds had been planted for me too.  Luckily the seedlings will look very different, so if the marigolds do come up I can prick out and move them.  I'll have to get another box  - then he can paint the sides and I can be his very own garden.

Looking forward to having salad right outside the kitchen for lunches - will post our results.


Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Orange Chocolate Muffins

After an action packed day I knew my boys would be wanting something scrummy for afternoon tea - so I experimented with orange chocolate muffins.  They turned out really good!

My instructions may seem strange - sifting dry ingredients over wet, but I don't like to create extra dishes by sifting into different bowls, so I just sift right over the wet.

Orange Chocolate Muffins
Makes 12

50g Oil or Spread
75g Sugar
1 Egg
1t Vanilla Extract
85g Plain Flour
85g Wholemeal Flour
20g Cocoa Powder
1t Baking Powder
Zest and Juice of 1 Orange
Milk
1/2 t Baking Soda

Grease or line 12 muffin tins and preheat oven to 200C on bake.  Cream together oil and sugar then beat in egg and vanilla.  Sift flours, cocoa powder and baking powder (put wholemeal husks back into the mix) over the top of the creamed mixture.  Grate zest over top of the sifted ingredients.  Juice the orange into measuring jug.  Add enough milk to make up liquid to a 3/4 cup, dissolve soda in milk mixture.  Working quickly and gently pour milk mixture into other ingredients and fold until just combined.  Divide mixture into muffin tins and bake for 12 minutes or until they spring back after a light touch.


Housework Can Wait

My boys and I have had an awesome day - not much housework has been done but I felt like we needed a day devoted just to my boys, they have been cooped up quite a bit over the last 3 weeks, due to weather and icky colds.

We spent the first part of the morning spread out on the sunroom floor playing blocks.  When little Dylan was ready for his morning sleep Luke and I played shops and watched some Gummi Bears together till lunch time (still in our PJs).

 
Once nap time was over we had lunch together then got out the play dough. Many shapes and a few arguments later I figured the boys were ready for a run around.  We got dressed and played pirates in the garden.  With the hot afternoon spring sunshine filling the garden I pulled out a paddling pool and wound the hose around the washing line for a shower.  The boys LOVED it!  They were making so much noise our neighbour wondered over to see what all the fuss was about.



Both boys are now shattered, rugged up in the lounge playing quietly.  Mumma Bear better be sure dinner is ready a bit early - I've got a feeling dinner and bedtime will need to be early this evening.


Feijoa and Apple Crumble

I was hunting around in my freezer the other day and found a stash of feijoas.  For a feijoa fiend like me I had struck gold.  I was actually looking for some stewed apple to go with our roast pork, so I grabbed a bag of both apple and feijoa and decided on a crumble for pudding.

Ginger and feijoa are amazing together, I use this combination for muffins too - so good.  I pretty much throw this recipe together with what I can find, so have had to give a best guess on quantities.

Feijoa and Apple Crumble

2C Feijoa chunks (mine are scooped halves in a freezer bag)
1 - 2 C Stewed Apple
100g Butter
3/4C Rolls Oat, quick cook
1/2C Plain Flour
1/4C White Sugar
1t Cinnamon
1t Ground Ginger, heaped

Heat oven to 180C on bake.  Put feijoa and apple into a dish (I use a glass 1.7 litre casserole dish) and stir to combine.  Melt butter in a saucepan then remove from heat.  Stir the remaining ingredients with the melted butter and sprinkle over the top of the fruit.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until fruit is hot and top is golden.  Serve with cream, greek yoghurt or icecream.


Monday, October 28, 2013

Busy Weekend

With the weather improving I haven't had much time to post lately - I'm spending quite a bit of time in the garden.

Since my last post we had an awesome long Labour weekend - the highlight was our Free Range Foodie Saturday lunch based around my new Annabel Langbein - A Free Range Life cook book.  The weather was stunning, the food we easy and delicious, and best of all, we had lots of family visit.  Here are photos from the day.

On Sunday my sister-in-law and I went to a poultry farm to collect eggs for her broody hen.  She selected Sussex Light and Australorp, good multi-purpose birds - eggs and meat.  If both our hens sit well over the next 3 weeks we should both have fluffy chicks to keep an eye on over the Christmas period.

Sunday was spent toiling away in the garden.  Between us my husband and I got fruit trees planted, the lawns mown, some edges tidy, cut back trees, converted a steel drum to a broiler chicken coop and planted out some seedlings.

When we brought our house in Te Kauwhata 6 months ago it had been neglected.  Over grown plants, weeds everywhere and trees in need of shaping.  It seems to be taking a long time to get on top of things, but I have to remind myself that we're not in a race, I have 2 lovely little boys that take up a lot my time and we need to observe our garden over the coming seasons to decide what we need to do.  For example, we were going to chuck and plum tree in the garden last week - but after sitting back, just for 7 days, some lovely Hostas have raised their heads.  We would have destroyed them with the spade if we hadn't waited.

This is what my backyard looks like this afternoon - the sun is shining, a light breeze from over the hill and the roses filling the garden with an amazing smell.  Spring Bliss!

A persimmon tree in its new home and a lime tree waiting to be planted, now that the shabby
old camellias have been cut back

The vege garden is starting to put more and more on our table each month.
Looking forward to tomatoes over summer.

Good afternoon shade in the hottest part of the day

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Brooder Box

Poor Emmy Lou!

With Emmy Lou taking up one of only two nesting boxes our other layers were getting a bit desperate.  Twice I went to collect eggs and found one of the layers trying to get in with Emmy Lou to lay - despite her growls and raised hackles - bird brains I tell ya!

My husband and I set about making her a brooding box and run - quick smart.  We didn't want any more eggs broken or Emmy Lou to get frustrated and not want to sit anymore (our youngest hen was having a practice at nesting the other morning while Emmy Lou was eating - kicked one egg out of the nest and broke another).

We searched through the off-cuts of in our wood pile and put together a plan which included an old kennel our dog has never used (she is an inside city dog - I don't think that will ever change).  It took three evenings after the kids were in bed to finish.  By the cover of darkness last night, we moved Emmy Lou to her new accommodation.  I lifted her gently and Pappa Bear arranged the eggs into the transformed beer crate.  She was eager to get back to her eggs so settled down onto them and in her new little house like a dream.
 

I have seen her twice today, she stretches her wings, tells off the other curious hens hanging around outside, eats, drinks then goes back to the business of sitting on her eggs.












Tuesday, October 22, 2013

A Hunt, a Finger in a Door and an Easy Quiche

While my 3 year old was at daycare yesterday, my 1 year old and I went to town for a charity shop hunt.  Our aim was to find more crockery and cutlery, firstly so we have enough for our Annabel Langbein Free Range Foodie event on Saturday.  And secondly, so I don't run out when we have guests again.

I was lucky enough to find loads of stainless steel cutlery at one shop.  None of it really matches, but I don't mind - I'm going for a shabby-chic look, and matching doesn't matter.  I also found a big pile of dinner plates, a few breakfast bowls and some bread and butter plates.  Again, none match, I'm just going for white - and shabby-chic again.  My collection might be a little more on the shabby side but I don't mind.  At least all my guests will have something solid to eat off on Saturday.

After collecting Mr 3 from daycare in the afternoon, and fixing up a broody hen with eggs, it was time to fix dinner.  After a forage in the garden for greens I was planning for this recipe to be my post, but other things took priority.  I managed to get some before shots, then my youngest got his finger caught in the door, after shots were forgotten.  The savoury yeast adds a lovely depth, and nutritional value to the dish.  I add it to a lot of cheesy dishes, it goes really well.

 
Easy Quiche

2-3C Veges (mine were spinach and tomatoes)
1C Cheese, grated
6-8 Eggs
1  1/2C Milk
3/4 C Flour
Salt and Pepper

Optional
1t Savoury Yeast Flakes
2T Pickle, Relish, Salsa



This fills a medium sizes lasagna dish nicely.  Turn oven on to 180C.  Lightly grease your dish.  Chop veges and put into dish with grated cheese.  Beat eggs, milk, flour, salt and pepper (and optional extras).  Pour over veges, poke down any veges trying to float out of the eggy mix.  Bake for 40 minutes till just set in the center.  Let it cool for 10 minutes or so before dishing up.  We had it with boiled potatoes.


We're expecting!

Over the past few days our pretty girl Emmy Lou has been very reluctant to leave the nesting box after laying her spotty little eggs.  Yesterday after returning from a charity shop hunt in town (and a very successful hunt it was) I found only 5 of the 6 chickens in the backyard.  Sure enough, there was Emmy Lou, sitting on her little egg and the imitations I leave in the nesting box - to make sure they all know where I expect their eggs.

I lifted her up to put her out in the yard, like I have been for the last few days, where she has carried on her day as normal, foraging and preening.  But yesterday was very different, underneath her I found a pile of fluffy feathers - where did those come from? - I turned Emmy Lou over, her belly was pink and bare -  and she was obviously very eager to get back to her nest, so I obliged.

If we are going to have a broody hen we may as well gain something from it - we're going to be short an egg a day for up to 8 weeks.  Luckily my sister-in-law lives just around the corner, and she has a roster.  So with a dozen fertilized eggs in-tow she came on around to have a look at my broody hen.  When we opened the nesting box she was as flat as a pancake and greeted us with a warning growl and raised hackles.  Keeping my fingers clear of her nippy beak I carefully lifted her and a bundle of eggs was deposited into the nesting box.  Emmy Lou emerged late in the afternoon to feed and explore the garden, but soon disappeared again to cover her eggs.

My husband and I are going to make a little cat/rat proof run for her so she has privacy and safety as she sits and hopefully raises her 'adopted' young  - and when the run is complete we'll move her and her clutch of eggs by the cover of darkness to the adjoining disused dog kennel, which will be kitted out with an old beer crate stuffed with clean straw.

Silver Laced Wyandotte - Emmy Lou

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Free Range Work Out

I don't know where today went!  I had a couple of guests, helped to plan a fundraising menu for our local playgroup, then planted out marigolds, kale, broccoli and cauliflower in the garden.  Time for a sit down.

I was lazily planing out dinner from my 'A Free Range Life' cook book in the sun, watching my boys run a muck in the garden - I went inside to check for ingredients and glanced at the clock - Holy Heck!  It was 4:30pm and the kids would be begging for dinner by 5!

I didn't care if I was missing a few ingredients, dinner was decided right then and there, Tuna Puttanesca with what ever pasta I could find.  I put some water on to boil, grabbed some tuna and tinned tomatoes from the larder.  Went to grab pasta - there was none!  Okay okay... Um.... I can do this, I know how to make pasta by heart, I still had some time, so I grabbed some flour while I was there.  Frantically I measured out my flour, chucked in some fresh eggs from the garden and read over the Free Range Tuna Puttanesca as I kneaded.  I crammed 10 minutes of kneading into 5 - pushing, rolling, tearing, pulling and turning till I had the smooth ball I was after.  Pasta Dough resting, I checked the pantry, I was only missing 2 ingredients for the sauce (anchovies and capers), my 1 and 3 year old would probably pick around them anyway (I added these to my shopping list though for next time).


After a quick chop of garlic the sauce was on the heat, just as the water came to the boil.  I unwrapped the dough and whirred the pasta machine into action.  Within minutes fresh noodles were being stirred into rolling boiling water - the sauce was nearly ready, patsa cooking - and there he was.  "Mummy, I'm Hungry" says my 3 year old.  "I know buddy, it's nearly ready" I say pulling noodles from the pot. "NEEDLES!!" says my 3 year old, "I love needles mummy".

With instructions for washing his hands and to sit up to the table outside he trotted off to get ready for his 'needles'.  A stir together of noodles and sauce, a couple of minutes on the window sill to cool and dinner was ready.  My 1 year old had just started climbing up my leg (as he does when he's hungry) - I picked him up and took 2 bowls of fresh Fettuccine with Tuna Puttanesca to the garden.

Dinner was amazing.  So simple, so tasty (even with 2 things missing).  My 2 little boys devoured it, and just as the second batch of pasta was out of the pot Pappa Bear came home from work - his dinner didn't last long either.  Happy tummies all round.

I'm looking forward to trying out more recipes this week from my new cook book, A Free Range Life.  I never win anything, and this is even better, I was selected!  Selected to receive an exclusive preview copy of Annabel Langbein's new summer annual.  It's like a big special addition magazine, but no ads - Brilliant.  It's only $19.95 when it comes out on shelves so go grab one for the foodie in your life - you and your tummy won't regret it.




Work and Play

What a weekend!  It started very relaxed (and early) on Saturday morning making sourdough bread.  After my lovely husband woke up we made porridge for our 2 hungry little boys - then the real breakfast began (that the little ones were too hungry to wait for).  Home-kill smoked bacon, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce, all served up on the last of the sourdough from the pantry.

My 3 year old presented me with chocolate and a tin of heirloom seeds - perfect for his green thumbed, choc-o-holic Mumma.  We all mooched around the house in our PJs till noon when Pappa Bear made a batch of sweetcorn fritters and I whipped around and mowed most of the back lawn.  A job I had been meaning to do since that last lot of bad weather passed.

We spent the rest of the day at my sister-in-laws, the kids in the paddling pool, Dads chewing the fat over a beer and Mummas looking over the chickens and emerging seedlings, all enjoying the spring sunshine.  A birthday feast followed - chips, home made fried chicken and coleslaw with home made choc-swirl icecream and lemon meringue pie - YUM!


BBQ Area Before: Overgrown with Ivy, a pile of bricks in the way and layers of dirt and leaves

BBQ Area After: Ivy controlled by Nana last month,
bricks (and clay discovered underneath) removed, brick floor re-laid then dirt and leaves shoveled out
The next day, it was action-stations in the garden preparing for my Free Range Foodie event next weekend.  Chopping down old diseased trees, moving clay and dozens of bricks to clear out our BBQ area, taming vines and re-enforcing edges on our raised gardens.  The kids both helped the way kids help best - stealing tools away, taking rides in the wheelbarrow and stomping in muddy puddles.  The boys even took their bath in the garden that evening - they were too muddy to take inside - so the big fish tub of warm water came out to them.


My awesome birthday present =)
 Our days efforts were rewarded by dining on fresh veges from the garden and pork chops on the BBQ - all sitting around mumma's other birthday present - a new outdoor dining suite.

After catching up on my cooking shows I fell into bed exhausted, happy and just a little bit older.

More to follow this week on my pending Free Range Foodie Mediterranean BBQ.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Mad about bread

Right now it's still dark outside and I should be tucked up in bed waiting to woken up by my husband and 2 lovely boys for my birthday breakfast in bed - but - there was sourdough waiting on the bench.  I could have left it till 7 or 8am, not 5am!  What's happening to me?

I guess it just that I have a real passion for bread now, I have even put away my bread maker that I used to do all my kneading.  I love the feel, taste and smell of the stuff.  I love coming in the from the garden to a kitchen filled with the aroma of baked bread, the tang you can only get from a loved and nurtured sourdough loaf and the chewy but soft crumb that waits beneath a glorious crust.  Beautiful.

My sourdough batter was tucked up like a baby last night.  Warm water, flour and a dollop of my wild yeast, stirred and wrapped up with layers of cloth to do its work over night.  I woke up feeling just a little like a kid on Christmas morning, how could I go back to sleep when there is a little bit of magic working in my kitchen.  I was rewarded to find my batter was full of life and waiting for some good kneading to transform it from a sloppy, bubbly batter to a smooth and elastic dough.

Sourdough Bread

Overnight Batter
650ml Warm Water
250g Wholemeal Flour
250g High Grade Flour
Soughdough Starter (about a cupful - but a bit more or less will do)

In the morning
475g High Grade Flour
125g Wholemeal Flour
20g Salt

Oats/flour for dusting

Before you go to bed combine the overnight ingredients in a large bowl and give a good stir.  Cover the bowl with a plastic bag and wrap with a couple of layers of tea-towels.

In the morning you will have a bubbly batter, add the morning ingredients to this and bring together with your finger tips.  When the dough is looking a little raggedy tip everything onto your bench, giving the bowl a scrape down as you do so.  Now, don't be afraid of the sticky mess in front of you, just start working with it.  Knead, pull, stretch and roll then every few minutes pull the doughy mess off you hands.  Soon you will see the gluten starting to work, your dough becoming smoother and pulling away from the bench cleanly - keep going.  After 10 minutes of giving your arms and the gluten a good workout you should have a smooth, strong and elastic dough.  Form this into a ball and add a slug of oil to your mixing bowl.  Roll the dough in the oil, cover the bowl and leave to start rising.

After an hour grab an edge of the dough, pull it up and over to the center of the dough and give it a push to hold in the middle, turn the bowl by an eighth and continue to pull the sides to the middle until you have worked your way around the bowl, this is giving the gluten structure.  Repeat this stage every hour for 3 to 4 hours.  As each hour passes you will feel your dough becoming more light and airy.  Give 3 hours in warmer seasons, more for cold.

Lightly oil 3 loaf tins (mine are 29 x 14.5 x 7cm).  Divide your dough into 3 pieces, weighing them out so they are the same size for even cooking.  On a floured surface flatten a piece of dough to a rough square with your knuckles, about 22cm wide.  Fold the top down by a third and the bottom up over the first fold - like a letter.  Push the seam down a little to hold.  Holding the short ends lift and gently pull the dough so it is about 50% longer.  Now fold the left and right sides in by thirds.  Using your knuckles again push the dough into a square, to the width of your loaf tin.  Starting from the edge farthest from you, begin to roll the dough into a sausage, rolling nice and tight to keep all the tension you have created from the folding process.  Roll the dough in your oats or flour to coat and place seam side down in you loaf tin.  Repeat with other dough balls, cover, and leave to rest for another 3 or so hours, till the dough is about double in size and feels soft and airy when you squeeze the sides.

Turn your oven on to 250C Fan Bake (a little higher for standard bake), put a roasting tin on the bottom shelf of the oven and turn on the kettle.  Once the oven has reached temperature gently slice the top of the loaves a couple of times, about 2 cm deep -  use long pulls with a bread knife while gently holding the loaf - don't saw it.  As fast as you can put the loaves in the oven and a cupful of boiling water into the roasting tray.  Don't bang the loaves around or slam the oven door - this will deflate air from your bread.  The steam helps your loaves rise by letting the crust stay moist and elastic for longer.  Cook for 10 minutes at this high heat then turn down to 180C and switch over to standard bake, cook for 35 minutes longer.  If you take the bread out of the tins 10 mintues before the bread is due to finish cooking you will get a better crust.

Let the loaves cool completely before you tuck in - you'll squish all your lovely air bubbles down if you try and cut while its hot.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

A day out with my boys

Yesterday was shopping day.  We only go to a supermarket once a month now - sometimes only every 5 or 6 weeks.  I quite often challenge myself to use up all the things knocking around in the back of my larder, fridge and freezer before I can go shopping - half bag of pinto beans, tin of tuna, a few dried shitaki mushrooms, frozen soup.

We save a lot of money going once a month, I do get the odd treat while I'm there, it just doesn't put a huge dent in the budget like it would if I were to go every week.  I don't plan a months worth of meals, I just get versatile base ingredients - tinned tomatoes, flour, sunflower oil, olive oil, spices, cocoa, yeast, sugar, butter, cheese, rice, oats, beans and lentils.

For our fruit and vege we make a weekly trip to a green grocer, I'd say most things are at least 25% cheaper than going to the supermarket.  My biggest bit of advise to save money on your shopping bill is to go and find a good green grocer - you'll never look back.

I plan my weekly meals around what vegetables are in season because they are cheaper and better quality.  In the cooler months root vegetables make for hearty soups, stews and roasts.  This spring I found leeks super cheap so they featured often in my easy quiche, risottos or chicken pie.  Broccoli and cauliflower are well priced at the moment so we'll be having cauliflower cheese, broccoli or cauli florrets steamed and tossed in oil, garlic and pinch of salt (this is one of my favourites).  Both are also good cut into florrets, blached and tossed through a stirfry.  And don't forget the good old iceberg lettuce.  We just happen to have a quarter pig worth of bacon in the freezer - so maybe a Caesar Salad will be on the menu this week too.

I don't set myself any other tasks on shopping day - taking 2 little boys and transporting a months worth food takes quite a bit of effort.  So with our cupboards full, the boys and I spent our afternoon playing around in the garden.  We were happy to find the first bush rose of the season and the grape vines starting to bud.  Plus Mumma Bear got some time out when both boys had a nap.




Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Peanut Butter

This is easy to make, cheaper than buying it off the shelf and healthier too.



Peanut Butter

1kg Peanuts
1/3 C Oil (I use sunflower or canola)
1t Salt - Optional

 Heat oven to 170C.  Roast peanuts in a tray for 20-25 minutes, shaking the tray every 5 minutes to turn the nuts and check if they are done.  You are wanting just a bit of colour - that said, you can roast to what ever taste you prefer.

Let the peanuts cool.  At this stage you can rub some skins off but I leave them all on, more taste, more fibre.  Put into a blender and wizz for a few minutes until chopped down to the size of sprinkles.  With the blender going add the oil a little at a time until you get a good peanut butter consistency.  Homemade won't be as smooth as shop brought stuff, you're after a more grainy consistency.  If you have blended the peanuts warm, keep in mind the mix will stiffen when it cools.  Add salt if you like, blend to combine then put into a jars.  If I make more than one jar I put the extras in the fridge.

Ciabatta Burgers with Kumera and Lentil Patties

After a Sunday roast of pork with pineapple and onion sauce and all the trimmings, then Monday night leftovers I felt like something seriously vege this evening.

I've been meaing to try ciabatta for ages, I figured if I've managed to get a few sourdough loaves to cooperate I could manage a bit of ciabatta.  It was actaully quite easy - just very different from my normal loaves.

The ciabatta turned out soft and chewy and the patties spicy, nutty and sweet.




Ciabatta

400ml Warm Water (38C)
12g Active Dried Yeast
375g High Grade Flour
125g Fine Semolina (plus extra for dusting)
10g Salt
1T Olive Oil

Put water into a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over, leave for 10 minutes letting the yeast activate.  Add in the flour, semolina, salt and olive oil.  Stick a hand into the mix, shaping your fingers like talons and stir for 5 minutes - it gets hard near the end, but stick with it, it's worth the effort.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover the bowl and set aside for an hour (I use shower caps all the time for covering bread as it rises, they fit over mixing bowls and loaf tins perfectly - and no waste).

After an hour pour a slug of oil over the mix, gently tilt the bowl so the oil sits around the side of the dough.  Very gently work your hand down one side of the mix and pull the dough up and over it's self, folding it in half.  Do the same to all 4 sides of the dough.


Repeat the process above twice more, you'll notice the dough getting silkier as each hour passes.

An hour after your last fold turn your oven to 250C and have a small bowl of semolina and a baking tray ready.
When your oven is to tempreature put a good layer of semolina on your work surface and very carefully work the dough out of your bowl.  Ease it gently from the sides so it doesn't rip - you want all those lovely air bubbles to stay put.  Sprinkle the top of the dough with semolina then using big bold cuts, devide into rolls.  This recipe makes 8 good burger sized rolls.  Carefully transfer to the baking tray and slide into the oven.  After 7-10 minutes (when the rolls are looking slightly golden) turn the oven down to 180c and cook for another 10-15 minutes, depending on what size you cut them.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the top when they are hot from the oven if you like.



Kumera and Lentil Patties

1C Lentils washed (I used Puy, Beluga and Split Red - use which ever you fancy)
2 medium Kumera, peeled and quartered
1T Oil
1T Cumin Seeds
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, minced or finely chopped
1T Cumin Powder
1t Paprika, heaped
1 Large Egg
Salt and Pepper
Flour for dusting

Put lentils and kumera in separate pots, cover with 1.5 litres of water.  Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender.  Skim any froth from the lentils as it rises to the surface.  Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

Turn oven on to 180C (fan forced if you can).  Heat a pan over a medium heat, add oil and cumin seeds.  When seeds begin to pop add the chopped onion.  When the onion starts to become transparent add the garlic, cumin powder and paprika.  Cook for another 2 minutes or until fragrant.  Mash lentil, kumera and onion mixture together then work in an egg to bind, add salt and pepper to taste.  Work the mixture into patties with floured hands and lay onto a lightly oiled baking tray.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until the bottom is slightly browned.  Turn and cook for 10 mintues longer.

Serve ciabatta and patties with all the bits you love with burgers.  A yoghurt style dressing would go really nice too.  These are so tasty you'll forget you've gone vege!


Monday, October 14, 2013

Happy Chickens and Something to Think About

No recipe this time, just a topic I feel strongly about and encourage you to have a think on.

I have wanted chickens for years.  I have parted with a few pretty pennies over the last few years on free range eggs, so having my own laid in the backyard from free range, happy and healthy chickens has a lot of appeal (especially since I worked out eggs are a lot cheaper at home too).

Now that I finally have my own hens I can see they are a lot more than just a source of eggs.  Watching their antics in the garden is a real time waster.  The older hens gently purr to the younger hens encouraging them to explore the nest box, they follow me around the garden like a shadow demanding scraps and voice their disappointment when I have none.  I have laughed to tears when they have been so relaxed from their sunny dust bath that they stumble around in the garden in a drunken stuper when disturbed.



 


I could go on and on (much more than I have below) about buying free range eggs if you cannot have hens of your own.  Just have a really good think about what you're eating.

Take Farmer Brown with his smiley Egg Guy putting a happy face to the cruel reality of where your eggs come from.  Heck, they brandish good, good, GOOD all over their website - but I challenge you to find the word chicken - yeah, we won't mention chickens so you just forget about where your eggs really come from.  Go on eating your 'good' battery farmed eggs that come from very very 'bad' chickens.



Do you feel happy eating an animal byproduct from a chicken that has been disfigured (to prevent cannibalism), then caged and forced to produce a prolific amount of eggs by light manipulation and diet, wearing it's body ragged until it is slaughtered if it manages to live to 18 months old.  If that's not enough, let's throw in a bit of forced starvation to force malting (malting slows egg production for up to 6 weeks when it occurs naturally).  All the while, fed with antibiotics to keep it from becoming ill in it's atrocious living conditions where it would otherwise likely dye from respiratory infection and viral diseases?
You might be thinking, who cares - they're chickens?  Forget the chicken and think about the egg, you are eating something that has rolled out of the feces encrusted cages that these birds live, and die, in - do you think your egg emerged nice and clean from the 'barn' it was laid in.  Nope, a dose of detergent and sanitation is required before your egg is safe to eat.  Yummo!

I know this may not apply to all caged eggs, but I think it's better to assume it does and avoid them.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Banana Pikelets

My two boys usually have fruit for afternoon tea, but today the only thing our fruit bowl had on offer was a squishy, sad looking, over ripe banana.  Since their older cousin had visited today they had worked up quite an appetite keeping up with him - so we tried some Banana Pikelets - to fill the gap till dinner time.

They turned out sweet, spicy and delicious.

 

















Banana Pikelets

125g / 1C Plain Flour
1t Baking Powder, heaped
2t Sugar
1t Cinnamon
1 Free Range Egg - from the garden
3/4 C Milk
1 Over Ripe Banana, chopped

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon and make a well in the centre.  Drop the egg into the well and pour the milk on top.  Stir the egg and milk together with a fork, slowly combining with the flour to avoid lumps, being careful not to over mix.  Stir through chopped banana and drop spoonfuls into a greased pan, over medium heat.  Turn after bubbles appear on the top, about 2 minutes, then about a minute on the other side.  Transfer to rack to cool.

Do make sure you let them cool a little before handing over to the kids, the banana chunks are hot.  Would be nice with a smear of honey, but we've run out.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Just because I can - Sourdough Crumpets

I had almost given up on making crumpets - but then I watched Paul Hollywood whip up a batch and I had to try it.

All other recipes I've tried have been flat, dry and I always trashed the mixture after seeing they would be a miserable fail. Boo!

This morning however, it is far from a fail - we have scoffed the most beautiful light and fluffy crumpets I have ever eaten.  And just because I can, I added some of my ripe sourdough batter after the first rise - they are divine.

I don't have crumpet rings, so topped and bottomed 2 pineapple tins (we're having roast pork for dinner tonight so I'm sure the contents will come in handy with no cooking apples at my disposal).

This recipe is a must
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/crumpets_61013


  

Friday, October 11, 2013

Home Made Spread

I am slowly trying to eliminate from our diets all the additives and junk that is in our food these days, I can't afford to buy organic, but I can live with that.

One thing we go through a lot of with cut lunches, toast and baking is spread.  For years I used margarine, but after learning what some of those numbered ingredients are I won't touch the stuff, and butter is expensive.  This recipe I found in a Wendyl Nissen book (Mothers Little Helper), I've changed the recipe a little so it spreads nicely out of the fridge.  I use it in place of butter for just about everything except pastry.

530g oil (use olive oil, sunflower, rice bran or a mix)
500g butter

Gently warm the oil on the stove, to blood temperature and remove from the heat.  Cube the butter and drop in to the oil. Mix and leave for 10 minutes and you should find the butter has just melted.  Stir well and when it's cool enough bung into the fridge.  Give it a whip every hour or so until it resembles table spread - put into a container and keep in the fridge.

Cheese and onion corn scones

Now I wasn't sure this was going to work - I haven't worked with corn flour much.  But after having home made corn tortillas a few times and loving the nutty taste it gives I thought I'd try broadening my use of the pale golden powder that's been hiding in my larder (it's not really a larder - it's the old hot water cupboard in my hall that I've filled with all my dry-goods).

To my surprise, golden fluffy scones resulted from my latest experiment - one I will remember when I have a glut of spring onions in my garden.  I think next time though, a handful of bacon bits would make them extra special.

You'll notice the cheese is only on the top - that's because I'm cheap.  Add a couple of handfuls to the mix with the spring onions if you're feeling generous.

Cheese and Onion Corn Scones


250g/2C Plain Flour
125g/1C Corn Flour (or maize flour)
Pinch of Salt
6t Baking Powder
1t Smoked Paprika, heaped
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
75g of Butter (I use my homemade spread - more on that later)

3 Finely Chopped Spring Onions
1 1/4 C Milk
Grated Cheese - cup of handfuls will do and what ever flavour you fancy

Set oven to 220 C on Bake
Mix the first 6 dry ingredients together then rub in the butter with your finger tips.
Toss the spring onions through the crumbly flour mix.
Time to get your hand very messy, pour in the milk and start mixing with your finger tips.  When it's starts to come together - STOP - wait about a minute while the corn flour soaks up a bit of the milk.  Now massage together a little then tip onto a floured board and chaff the dough a little until it forms a ball (chaffing is a very gentle knead - look it up if you want to get it right - just don't over work your dough) - flatten out onto a boad and get a sharp knife ready.
This part is important - cut your dough into pieces with downwards strokes and lift your knife our int the same direction, never saw or drag your knife through.  You want clean cuts so your scones can rise in the oven.
Put onto a floured baking try, spinkle with cheese and bake for 12 mintues.

If your dough is too wet when if comes to chaffing the mix - don't worry - just tip the wet mixed mess onto your floured tray, pat into a tidy disk with floured hands, sprinkle with cheese and bake for a little longer - a giant scone.  Cut into wedges and no one will ever know of your scone mishap.



Thursday, October 10, 2013

Sourdough Pancakes


Time to start my blog!

I've had this page sitting doing nothing for 6 months with dreams of flaunting my amateur 'food porn', budgeting ideas and gardening experiences.

What better way to start that with one of our new favourites - sourdough pancakes.

 I've had my sourdough starter bubbling away for nearly 2 years now, it lives on my counter, stirred, divided and fed every other day. Mind you, it hasn't always been given the attention it deserves, I have had to rescue it from back of the fridge with layers of slimy enzymes and fuzzy growths after months of neglect - but today it is given the respect and attention it deserves.

 I think what lead to its neglect was the waste from discarding most of my starter mixture whenever it needed feeding (I know it's only a little flour and water - but I have come to be quite thrifty).  One day it came to me to look up 'how to use up sourdough starter' - the first result was sourdough pancakes - with my starter rescued and a new recipe to heart I've never looked back.

Sourdough Pancakes
Put the jug on (you only need a little hot water) and put a fry pan on a medium heat.

Mix together:
2 Cups Sourdough starter (keep your discarded starter in the fridge till you have enough)
1 egg
1 T Sugar
Small slug of oil
Dash of vanilla

In a small cup mix 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda with a dash of hot water (about a tablespoon).  Fold this into your batter.

Cook as you would regular pancakes and scoff with fruit and honey or good old lemon and sugar.