Blueberry Muffins

It's been a challenging year trying to get back to being creative in the kitchen again, having lived through renovating at home, so I've stuck with safe choices, and mostly they're dictated by what we've got available in our fridge and pantry. It's a completely different approach, and resisting spending more on our already tight budget. I do recall picking up these blueberries because they'd just come into season and were really cheap at the shops, so there you go. It was just something a little different for breakfast the next day, and we kept some in the fridge so that last a little longer over the next few days.

360g plain flour

370g caster sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

375ml buttermilk

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

70g unsalted butter, melted

250g blueberries

a 12-hole muffin tray, lined with paper cases

Makes 12

Preheat the oven to 170 deg C (325 deg F) Gas 3.

Put the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed.

Put the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract into a jug and mix to combine. Slowly pour into flour mixture and beat until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Pour in the melted butter and beat until the butter has just been incorporated, then turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat until the dough is even and smooth.

Finally, gently fold in the blueberries with a wooden spoon until evenly dispersed.

Spoon the mixture into paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the muffins to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon Drizzle Cake with Candied Orange

The first time I made this cake, it was all decided that very afternoon that I would be serving it for dessert that night. It may have been the fact that I had to use up the oranges in the fridge, but I happen to have the right ingredients at home, so off I started! Oh, we'd also invited our neighbours over for dinner that late morning, so there was no harm in lining friends up for some new cake!

Serves 6

175g softened unsalted butter, chopped
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
3 eggs
1tbs milk
4 oranges
2/3 cup (100g) self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup (60g) almond meal
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (35g) icing sugar, sifted
2 tbs Grand Marnier or other orange-flavoured liqueur
Whipped cream, to serve

Candied orange
1 1/2 cups (330g) sugar
2 oranges, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Grease an 18cm round springform cake pan and line the base and sides with baking paper.

Beat the butter and caster sugar with electric beaters until thick and pale. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the milk and zest and juice of 1 orange. Combine the flour, almond meal and cinnamon in a separate bowl, then fold into the egg mixture until well cobined. Pour the batter into the pan, then bake for 45 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the candied orange, place sugar in a saucepan with 2 cups (500ml) water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add orange and cook for 10 minutes or until softened and translucent. Transfer the orange to a baking tray lined with baking paper, discarding the syrup.

To make drizzle, combine icing sugar, Grand Marnier and juice of remaining 3 oranges in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5-6 minutes until the syrup is reduced by half, thick and glossy.

Prick the top of the cake all over with a skewer, then pour over half of the drizzle. Top with candied orange, then pour over the remaining drizzle. Serve with the whipped cream.

Beef Rendang

I've been wanting to cook this dish for many years now, but just never got round to it. +Nick had also been requesting this many times, and I thought recently that it would be a perfect dish for winter. It's still a bit of challenge finding some Asian vegetables, herbs and spices here in Daylesford, but I'm finding out more from the locals!

Serves: 4-6
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: about 2 hours

1 tbsp neutral-flavoured oil
1 kg chuck steak, beef short rib or other braising steak, cut into 3cm cubes
3 stalks lemon grass, white part only, bruised with a pestle
1 turmeric leaf, shredded (or 3 kaffir lime leaves, shredded)
2 tsp sugar
400ml coconut cream
100g grated fresh coconut (or 130g desiccated coconut)

Base paste
8 eschalots
6 red-birds-eye chillies
6 garlic cloves
3cm piece each of galangal, ginger and turmeric, all peeled and thickly sliced
2 tsp sea salt flakes

To make the base paste, put all the ingredients in a food processor or mortar and grind to a fairly smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the paste, stirring often, over medium heat for about 5 minutes until darkened and fragrant.

Add the beef, lemongrass, turmeric leaf and sugar and toss to coat in the paste. Add the coconut cream and 250ml water and bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, then uncover and cook for 1 hour. In this time the coconut cream should split to release its oil while the liquid boils away. The cooking process will turn from simmering to frying to give a flavoursome dry dish. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly, cover the pot for a while or add a little more water.

Meanwhile, dry-fry the coconut in a frying pan until golden brown. Transfer to a mortar and grind to a paste. The coconut will release its oil during grinding and the paste will become sticky.

When the beef has been cooking for 1 1/2 hours and most of the liquid has evaporated, add the coconut paste and cook, stirring often, over low heat for 30 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the meat is frying in the separated coconut oil. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

Chinese Chicken Curry

This is the one stir-fry recipe that I swear by, and I've done it so many times over the years, I've been able to vary it on occasions where food in the fridge needs to be cleared out, substituting ingredients where needed.

If this is your first time trying out a stir-fry, don't be fazed! The list of ingredients below gives you an idea of the essentials that are useful to have at home for a quick meal.

A few rules for a good stir-fry: always heat up the wok until it is very hot. By very hot, I mean seeing light smoke coming out of the wok. Same applies for the oil. Only pour in the oil when the wok is very hot, swirling the oil on the bottom of the wok, and only throw in the first lot of ingredients when you see the oil smoking.

Be prepared with everything before you heat up your wok. You only have 6 minutes to stir-fry this once the oil is hot. For this, I have divided the ingredients below into sections, so you can see you will only have three lots to put together at prep: marinated chicken, chopped capsicum and garlic in a bowl, and the stock/paste mixture combined in a measuring cup. I have only used water for velveting the chicken for this recipe.

Last but not least, have the rice washed and cooking in the rice cooker after marinating the chicken, because you want everything ready at the same time!

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 20 minutes' chilling
Cooking time: 10 minutes

450g (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2.5-cm (1-in) chunks
1 egg white
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 teaspoons cornflour

300 ml (10 fl oz) groundnut oil or water
1 tablespoon groundnut oil

225 g (8 oz) red or green peppers., cut into 2.5-cm (1-in) pieces
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic

150 ml (5 fl oz) Classic Chinese chicken stock or good-quality bought stock
1 1/2 tablespoons Madras curry paste or powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour, blended with 1 tablespoon water

Fresh coriander leaves to garnish (optional)

Put the chicken pieces in a bowl with the egg white, salt, sesame oil and 2 teaspoons of the cornflour and mix well. Put the mixture into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

IF YOU ARE USING OIL for velveting the chicken, heat a wok until very hot and then add the oil. When it is very hot, remove the wok from the heat and immediately add the chicken, stirring vigorously to prevent it sticking. After about 2 minutes, when the chicken turns white, quickly drain it and all of the oil in a stainless steel colander set over a bowl. Discard the oil. IF YOU ARE USING WATER, do exactly the same but bring the water to the oil in a saucepan before adding the chicken. It will take about 4 minutes to turn white in the water.

If you have used the wok, wipe it clean. Heat it until it is very hot, then add the tablespoon of groundnut oil. When it is very hot, add the peppers and garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add the stock, curry paste or powder, sugar, rice wine or sherry, soy sauce and cornflour mixture. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the drained chicken to the wok and stir-fry for another 2 minutes, coating the chicken thoroughly with the sauce. Serve at once.

Pad Grapao Gai - Stir-Fried Minced Chicken with Holy Basil

I still recall eating this dish on many an occasion for weekday lunches in Singapore. I may hold back on the chillies (or at least remove half the seeds in future), but it was worth it! It was a quick and easy meal to put together, but if you live in a cold climate as we do, be sure to have warmed serving dishes on standby, especially while you get your eggs fried after you've cooked this dish. I also ended up using minced beef instead of chicken.

Serves 4

2 tbs sunflower oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 long red chillies, 1 finely chopped, 2 sliced on the diagonal
6 red bird's-eye chillies, finely chopped
400g minced chicken
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
1/2 tsp caster sugar
10 green beans, thinly sliced
4 large Asian red eschalots, thinly sliced
1 cup holy basil leaves
Steamed riced and 4 fried eggs, to serve

Dipping sauce
4 thinly sliced red bird's-eye chillies
125ml (1/2 cup) soy sauce
1/2 Asian red eschalot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup holy basil leaves, finely chopped

To make dipping sauce, combined all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic, 1 chopped long red chilli and all the bird's eye chillies, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken and cook, breaking up lumps, for 4 minutes or until cooked through.

Combine soy, fish and oyster sauces and the sugar in a small bowl. Add to the wok with beans, sliced long red chillies and eschalots, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute or until heated through. Add basil and remove from heat. Serve the stir-fry with rice and dipping sauce and top with a fried egg.

Risotto with Bacon and Mushrooms

This was the first risotto I've ever made, and I guess trying the recipe on the packet can actually be a good start. Feel free to substitute ingredients when you've got a feel of getting the consistency right.

2 tablespoons olive oil

30g butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 large onion, chopped

4 rashers rindless bacon, sliced

2 cups arborio rice

4 cups chicken stock, simmered

1/4 cup white wine

2 cups button mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Chopped parsley

Ground black pepper

Heat olive oil and butter in a large heavy based saucepan. Add garlic, onion and bacon and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in arborio rice and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until rice slightly colours, stirring frequently. Add wine and simmer to absorb the liquid, stirring constantly. Begin adding stock, a cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed and stirring well between each addition. After the first cup of stock, add mushrooms. Adjust consistency with each extra water or stock, if necessary. When all stock has been absorbed, remove pan from heat. Stir in cheese, parsley and pepper. Serves 4.

Sticky Honey, Soy & Ginger Pork Ribs

I must admit it's been refreshing trying out new dishes over the past week or so. My cookbooks are still boxed up in the shed, but I have been pulling out a book or two here and there. Trying to live with a minimal kitchen also means using as much of what we've already got at home, so that there's less to pack when we get ready for our new kitchen. I couldn't have found this recipe without Eat Your Books (and the fact that I knew exactly which box this book was in).

I may have had too much water in the roasting pan, so it took ages for me to reduce the liquid for the glaze. I also would've taken it out at 35 minutes, so getting the rice cooker ready and having my evening shower a little earlier might have been a good idea.

Serves 3-4

5cm piece fresh ginger, grated
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) light soy sauce
1/2 cup (175g) honey
1/2 cup (125ml) Chinese rice wine (shaohsing)
1 tbs sweet chilli sauce
1.4kg pork ribs, cut into individual ribs
Coriander, lime wedges and steamed rice, to serve

Combine the ginger, garlic, soy, honey, rice wine and sweet chilli sauce in a large zip-lock bag. Add the ribs, close the bag and shake to coat the pork thoroughly. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.

Remove the ribs from the bag, reserving the marinade, and place on a rack over a roasting pan filled with 1cm water. Roast for 35-40 minutes until sticky and golden. Remove the pork from the rack and set aside, loosely covered with foil, while you make the glaze.

For the glaze, place the marinade in a small saucepan over medium-high heat with any juices from the roasting pan. Bring to the boil, then allow to bubble for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is sticky, watching carefully to ensure it doesn't burn. Brush over the ribs.

Place the glazed ribs on a serving platter with coriander and lime wedges, then serve with steamed rice.

Thit Heo Mam Ruoc - Pork Shoulder, Slow-Cooked with Shrimp Paste and Lemon Grass

I had so much fun cooking this dish, and believe it or not, this is the very first time I've used shrimp paste in my cooking. I couldn't find pork shoulder, so I ended up using pork belly instead. I was just ready for any kind of pork at this point! I may hold back on the salt in future, as there was plenty in the shrimp paste. It was great as pork curry puffs the next night, too!

1kg (2lb 4oz) pork shoulder, with skin and fat
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
4 x 8cm (3 1/4 in) pieces of lemon grass (with white part), finely chopped
2 spring onions (scallions), chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon shrimp paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white pepper
approximately 2 litres (70 fl oz / 8 cups) pork stock

Wash the pork under cold water, then pat dry with paper towel. Place on a cutting board and cut into 4 x 1cm (1 1/2 x 1/2 in) pieces. Add the oil to a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the lemon grass, spring onions and garlic. Fry until the lemon grass starts to brown slightly, then add the shrimp paste with 2 tablespoons of water and increase the heat. Add the pork to the pan and stir through well. Seal the pork, then add the remaining ingredients and enough pork stock to cover the meat by about 2cm (3/4 in), then bring it to a slow simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, adding a little extra stock if required. You should be left with enough liquid to sauce the dish.

Serves 6.

Pad Thai

I've found myself wanting to try new dishes over the last few weeks, and I knew this was one of them as soon as I saw the packet of rice noodles at the shops. This was the recipe on the back of the packet, and I stir fried some chicken before I proceeded with the main dish.

150g Pad Thai Rice Noodles
300g cooked chicken, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finally chopped
2 tbsp chopped spring onions
1-2 tbsp peanut oil
2 tbsp chopped chives
2-3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
juice of 1 lemon
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup bean sprouts, soaked in water
coriander to garnish

Place the Pad Thai Rice Noodles into boiling water, cook for 6-8 minutes until soft then drain.

Finely chop the garlic and onions, fry gently in peanut oil until transparent.

Add all the remaining ingredients except the egg and bean sprouts and continue to fry.

Add egg slowly and continue to mix. Add the drained bean sprouts and continue to fry for 30 seconds.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Spiced Beef Curry - Daging Rempah

I'm all for using cheap cuts of meat to make a great meal, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to do the Simplest Beef Stew again. I've been out of touch with my cookbooks in storage while we're renovating, and it's difficult trying to think up new ideas for dinner.

So when I had the sudden urge for a beef curry, I went digging around the shed for my books, and found this recipe! I had most of the ingredients at home, and it was the thought of a spicy curry on a cold winter's night that got me. As with all good curries, the secret is in the slow simmer, then reducing the liquid, until you get a thick consistency that you will recognise. Imagine all that big flavour soaked in the meat!

I also made up Aloo Gobi that night for some veggies to round up the meal.

2 heaped tablespoons (about 80g) tamarind pulp
600ml hot water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 sprig fresh or 9 dried curry leaves
1 kg chuck or blade steak, cut into 5cm cubes
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
freshly chopped red chilli

Spice Paste (Rempah)
6-10 dried long red chillies
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1/2 stick cinnamon
8 cloves
2 star anise
1 sprig fresh or 9 dried curry leaves

Using your fingers, mix tamarind pulp and water until dissolved. Pass through a fine sieve, discard fibre and seeds and set liquid aside.

To make the spice paste, soak chillies in hot water for 10 minutes (seed them first if you prefer a milder paste), then drain and chop finely. Set aside. Using a mortar and pestle or a small food processor or spice grinder, pound or grind remaining spice paste ingredients, except curry leaves, to a powder. Add chilli and curry leaves and reduce to a smooth paste. (If you are using a food processor or spice grinder, add 1/4 cup water to facilitate easier blending.) Set aside.

Heat oil in a saucepan and toss in curry leaves (be careful - they will pop). Add spice paste, stirring often to prevent burning, and fry until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Add beef and stir well to coat thoroughly with paste. Add tamarind liquid, soy sauce and sugar. Cook very gently for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender and liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if required. Ladle beef into a large serving bowl and scatter with chilli. Serve with steamed rice.

Aloo Gobi (Potato and Cauliflower Curry)

This was originally posted in November 2006, and I've come such a long way since. Aloo Gobi was the dish that inspired me to start cooking, and over the years I've committed this to memory, making little tweaks here and there. I've also been attempting new techniques, cooking it at medium heat, in a casserole, and finishing it off in the oven. Next try: Aloo Gobi in the slow cooker!

+Nick has also made a suggestion recently, that the mushier the potatoes and cauliflower the better, so that's on the list, too!

INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION:


1/2 cup Vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
Large bunch of fresh coriander, seperated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
Small green chillis, chopped into small pieces
1 large cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces
1 tin of whole, peeled tomatoes, grated
Fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Fresh garlic, chopped
1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Tumeric
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Garam Malasa


MAKING THE CURRY SAUCE:

Heat half a cup of vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
Add the chopped onion and one tablespoon of cumin seeds to the oil.
Stir together and cook until onions become creamy, golden and translucent.
Add chopped coriander stalks, two teaspoons of tumeric and two teaspoons of salt.
Add chopped chillis (according to taste).
Stir grated tomatoes into the onion mixture.
Add ginger, garlic and mix thoroughly.


FROM SAUCE TO ALOO GOBI:

Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few tablespoons of water (ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the saucepan).
Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce.
Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).
Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir.
Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top of the curry.
Turn off the heat, cover and leave for as long as possible before serving.