Strawberry Jam

It's strawberry season! Time to pick all those berries and make jam. Homemade jam is easier than you think. You can make fresh, delicious jam in under 30 minutes. Makes a perfect spread, filling or homemade gift! Also great with afternoon tea, high tea or cream tea!

Homemade jam makes a wonderful food gift all year long. Taking a little more effort and making your gifts from your own kitchen can go a long way in showing someone you care.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 850g sugar
• 60ml lemon juice

Method:

Place 2 small plates in the freezer before you begin cooking.

In a blender, puree 3 cups of strawberries until smooth. Set aside the coulis.

In a large saucepan, combine the remaining strawberries, sugar and lemon juice.  With a potatoes masher, roughly crush the strawberries.

Add the strawberry coulis and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently while scraping the sides and bottom of the saucepan. Let it simmer over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or until a thermometer reads 105ºC or the jam passes  the plate test*. Skim carefully while cooking.

Pour into prepare jam jars. Enjoy & put on the toast!!

Note: *
Place 2-3 small plates in the freezer before you begin cooking. Once the jam is cooked, pour a spoonful onto a chilled plate and plate it in the fridge for about 2 minutes. Tilt the plate. If the jam is thick and it runs slowly, it's ready

Fruit Scone

Fruit scones are one of the easiest things you can make with your kids and with very little sugar, are a healthier alternative to some other snacks

Ingredients:

• 225g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 55g butter, chopped into small pieces
• 25g caster sugar
• 150ml milk
• 50g sultanas

Method:

Preheat oven to 180ºC/170ºC for fan oven. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

In a large mixing bowl add in the flour, salt and baking powder. Add in the chopped butter. Using your fingertips rub the butter and flour together until you have a fine breadcrumbs.

Add the sugar into the breadcrumbs. Give it a good mix. Add the milk to the bowl slowly, mixing it in well.

Add the sultanas into the dough. Give everything one final mix. It may be easier at this point to use your hands again to make sure the fruits is evenly mixed through the dough.

Pat then scone dough down until it is about 2cm thick. You can use a rolling pin to do this, but I fund that scones work better if you just use your hands.

Use a circular cutter to cut out your scones and place them on your prepared baking tray. We use large 12cm cutter, but you could use any size and just adjust the cooking time. Finally brush a little milk over the top of each scone.

Bake the scones in the oven for 15-20 minutes or less if you make a smaller ones. The scones are ready when they well risen and have turned a nice golden colour.

Black Bean Meat(less) loaf

Get the taste of meatloaf without the meat. This meatloaf has protein from beans and excellent flavour from fresh vegetables and herbs. You can also make this in a mini versions using mini loaf pan and baked for 20-25 minutes, depending on size.

Ingrediemts:

• 3 tbsp grounded flaxseeds
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup oats
• 3 cups black beans or 2x 16oz cans
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• ¼ jalapeno, more if you prefer a spicier version
• 2 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ cup corn
• salt to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan oven. Grease the loaf pan.

Combine flaxseeds and water, set aside.

In a food processor, grind ½  cup oats into flour. Set a side in a mixing bowl. Then blend 1½ cup beans into a paste and add into the mixing bowl. Add in remaining oats and beans into the mixing bowl.

Saute onions in oil until soft & translucent about 4-6 minutes. Add carrots, red pepper, garlic and jalapeno. Saute for 4-6 minutes or until soft. Add in chilli powder and oregano. Saute for 2 minutes.

Add cooked veggies, corn and flax mixture into oats and beans and combine well. Season with salt and more chilli powder and oregano if needed.

Add mixture to loaf pan and press to smooth out. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Top with avocado & guacamole if desire.

Peanut Butter Cookie with Sourdough recipe

If you are a sourdough baker you know the sourdough discard can be a problem. I am a person who believes in waste not, want not. I don't have the heart to throw them away. That is money and good

ingredients going down the drain.

My solution is finding easy yummy recipes that use up sourdough discard  These cookies have advantage of using starter fed or unfed. This is an easy dessert recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 255g peanut butter
• 112g butter, softened
• 175g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 260g plain glour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 175ºC/165ºC fan oven  assist.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and softened butter with a wooden spatula. 

Add in the sourdough starter and eggs. Mix gently until combined.

In a smaller mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients into the wet in thirds, mixing after each addition.

Roll the dough into one inch balls. Place each ball 2-3 inches apart on your baking paper. The cookies will expand and need space on the baking paper.

Using a fork dipped in sugar gently press the fork into the dough balls and criss cross the dough balls.

Bake for 9-10 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned. The cookies will increase in size when baked.

Remove from the oven and let the cookie sit for 5 minutes. Remove to cooling wire racks. Serve.

Glazed Sourdough Lemon Cake

Waste not, want not. The yummiest ways to avoid food wastage using discarded sourdough is to bake this deliciously sweet and tender cake. 

There is no sour taste, just bright lemon flavour and plenty of sweetness and tartness from the glaze.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1½ cups plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• ½ cup sourdough starter, discard
• ¾ cup milk

For the glaze:

• ½ cup icing sugar
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 3 tsp lemon juice

Method:

Preheat oven to 175ºC/165ºC for fan oven.  Prepare a 2lb loaf pan with cooking spray & line the base with a baking paper.

Combine the vegetable oil, eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and add to the sugar mixture 1/3 at a time, alternating, with the milk and the sourdough starter. Mix on low until just combined. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest by hand. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack. And allow to cool, about 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the icing sugar and lemon juice for the glaze. Pour over the still warm cake. After the glaze has soaked in and hardened, remove cake from pan and allow to finish cooling on wire rack. Slice and serve once cool.

Kering Tempeh-Fried Tempeh with Sweet and Spicy Glace

Deep-fried tempeh with sweet and spicy glace (kering tempeh) is one of the most delicious Malaysia/Indonesia tempeh dish. 

Ingredients:

• 500g tempeh, cut into 2 inch matchsticks
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 red chili, cut into thin diagonal slice
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, cut into thin strips
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• 100g palm sugar or brown sugar as substitute
• 1 tsp salt
• 50ml tamarind liquid

Grind into paste:

• 50g shallots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 red chillies, reduce if prefer less heat
• 1 inch galangal

Method:

Prepare enough oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot enough, deep dry the tempeh until golden brown and crispy. Set aside and drain t remove excess oil.

Heat oil in a wok, saute spice paste, chillies, lime leaves and coriander powder until fragrant.

Add palm/brown sugar, salt and tamarind liquid. Cook until boiling and bubble vigorously. Once the sauce is really thick and reduced, return the fried tempeh into the wok and toss until the tempeh pieces are fully coated with the sauce. Turn off heat and serve immediately or at room temperature.

No Churn Egg Free Mango Ice Cream

Summer is here and so do mangoes. Who doesn't love mangoes?

This ice cream is so yummy and delicious, that you will forget that it is not store bought but made at home !

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mango puree, store bought or homemade
• 2 cups double cream
• 400g sweetened condensed milk

Method:

In a mixing bowl, whisk the cream till soft peaks appear.

In another bowl, mix together condensed milk and mango puree Mix everything well.

Transfer the contents to a freezer safe bowl/container. Close with the lid. 

Freeze for 8 hours or till its firm and set.

Scoop out the ice cream and enjoy!