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    Thursday, January 30, 2014

    Excellent Gazpacho - Summer Perfect for those on The Paleo Diet

    Watermelon Gazpacho

    My Friend John is a Celiac, on a Gluten Free diet and recently he has embraced The Paleo Diet.
    It’s a challenge this diet but through John and through his wife JT, I have access to a couple of Paleo Cookbooks
    I found this recipe in a book called
    Nom Nom Paleo- Food For Humans

    This is probably the nicest Gazpacho I have ever had.
    I guess it is the Watermelon... it adds a sweetness.
    The coriander was an odd choice I thought, but it was just there in the back ground.
    Little added back taste

    I have only got an average blender, so I found that the best way to get the vege pureed was to whizz them in the food processor
    Then when I added the liquids and watermelon
    I finished off in the blender

    1 kg ripe tomatoes
    1 hot house cucumber  approx 450 gm peeled
    2 small shallots peeled and coarsely chopped
    1 med red pepper seeded cored and diced
    4 fresh stalks of coriander with leaves chopped
    3 cups cubed and seeded watermelon (about 500 gms)
    1 extra tomato for garnish chopped
    2 tbs sherry or cider vinegar
    ⅓ cup extra virgin Olive Oil
    Plus a little extra for garnish

    1 tsp sea salt
    Freshly ground black pepper
    Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional


    Fill a a large pot with water and bring it to the boil
    Prepare a large bowl with iced water
    Make a small cross on the bottom of each tomato

    Cut a small X on the bottom of each tomato and drop them into the boiling water
    Blanch for 30 seconds
    Remove and drop into iced water

    After a few minutes the skin will just peel off easily
    Core and roughly chop them

    Finely dice ⅓ of the cucumber and set aside for garnish

    Roughly chop up the rest of the cucumber

    Toss the tomatoes, cucumber, shallot, red pepper and coriander into blender and puree until the vegetables are liquified.

    Add the watermelon, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using)

    Taste and adjust for seasoning

    Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until fully chilled

    If the soup separates, just pop it back into the blender for a quick whizz

    Ladle into cups or bowls

    Garnish
    Toss the diced cucumber and tomatoes with Sea salt and Freshly ground black pepper and couple of teaspoons of olive oil

    Top the soup
     I served little dinner rolls with the Gazpacho
    This is from the recipe from this post Easy Bread

    The main course was simple,
    Sicilian Fish  For the recipe click here
    Roasted Kumera and a Rocket Salad
    Naturally there were some left overs
    Pre-dinner I put out some prawns and smoked mussels
    There were leftovers
    So next day what did I make BUT
    Fish Pie
    In The Save With Jamie Series. He mentioned that it was a good to keep some Frozen Fish in the Freezer. It is snap frozen immediately it is caught.
    Not that great to pan fry but perfect for Fish Pie or Fish Cakes
    A great standby
    Turned the Bread Rolls into Crumbs
    Grated 100 gms cheddar cheese
    I had some cooked Kumera, no necessary but an added extra

    Made a simple Bechamel Sauce

    1 litre whole milk
    1 bay leave
    1/2 onion studded with 3 cloves
    8 black freshly ground black pepper corns
    75 gms butter
    50 gms white flour
    2 tablespoons Chopped Parsley
     

    Heat milk with the bay leave, black peppercorns onion and cloves to infuse flavour
    The melt butter in pan
    Add flour and cook for about 5 minutes to get rid of raw taste
    Strain milk and add to pan



    Whisk well to combine and bring slowly to the boil stirring all of the time
    To make sure there are no lumps
    Simmer for about 5 minutes

    Take off heat set aside

    Meanwhile prepare seafood
    10-12 cooked prawns
    10 smoked mussels
    2 filets Frozen white fish



    Chop mussels into 3
    Cut up fish
    Remove tails from prawns

    Add to Bechamel sauce
    Add cooked Kumera



    Pour into Gratin dish
    Mix Breadcrumbs and Grated Cheese together
    Sprinkle over the top

    Bake 180C for 30 minutes
    Till bubbling and turning golden

     Dish up and devour






    Monday, January 06, 2014

    Easy Bread Dough - Thank you Jamie


    I have been making bread for quite a few years, and have many different recipes for making dough.
    This particular technique, I learnt from Jamie, in his "Save With Jamie" Series.
    Make the  dough in the food processor,,,which I have done before, BUT instead of turning out after mixing, then kneading and placing into an oiled bowl
    Leave it in the food processor to prove
    Saves on Washing up too
    Punch down and turn out onto the bench and shape into required rolls or bread

    It makes a very nice soft white bread
    Yes I know... White Bread!
    Well I'm sorry, but there is a time and place for white bread, especially when it is home made


    Had two of our Gorgeous Granddaughters for a sleeplover...
    I made buns for Hamburgers for them.
    Very popular

    and today I made a loaf for our lunch, for some delicious fresh bread sandwiches

    This is so so simple
    I like to have more tepid water on hand, than I need.
    It depends on the day, humidity etc... as to how much water you will need for your dough.
    Set some aside.

    500 gms plain strong flour
    1 pkt dry Yeast
    Good pinch salt
    Glug of olive oil

    450 mls tepid water

    Dissolve the yeast in 300 mls of the water
    Let sit for about 5 minutes to let the yeast start to work

    Place flour, salt and oil in food processor
    Whizz to combine


    Add yeast and water
    Whizz and then add more of the reserved water in through the hole at the top as you need it
    The dough should be more on the wet side
    Let the machine work the dough
    It should start to ball and leave the side of the bowl

    Stop... put the stopper on the top
    Leave for about an hour
    the dough should have doubled in size

    Turn out onto floured board
    Punch down and knead for a minute to combine

    Break into  balls
    just fold each ball under itself to make a nice smooth ball

    I made 4 rolls from this quantity but I think they were a bit big
    So make 6
    Cover with a clean tea towel and leave about 20-30 minutes to prove and double in size
    Into 200C pre-heated oven and cook till golden
    Should take about 15-20 minutes

    If you want to make a loaf
    Split the dough into 2
    Roll into balls
    Tuck them into themselves to make a nice tight surface and place into
    a greased loaf container

    Leave to prove about 30 mins and bake in 200C oven about 30 minutes
    till golden and sound hollow when tapped
    Look at the crumb

    This is what it looks like when you rip it apart
    Great "pickings"

    Then, this is what I call a real sandwich
    Door stop fresh bread
    Cheese, Salami, Beetroot and Lettuce
     Tastes as good as it looks

    Pizza Pie - More Good Ideas from Save With Jamie

    So, Jamie Oliver has come up with yet another good idea for the home cook

    I, of course am the Leftover Queen.
    Waste Not, Want Not, my Motto
    But so many people, throw perfectly good food away
    So good old boy Jamie, has come up with another best seller

    "Save with Jamie"
    Bringing more great ideas, for getting the best out of your budget

    I am lucky enough to be able to watch the series on my ipad
    So this morning, I was planning to go to the Supermarche and top up the fridge
    I was watching him make a Chicago Pizza Pie, using the leftover from another dish in the programme

    Hey don’t go shopping girl... use what you have
    In the fridge was some leftover White Castello Cheese
    A cold sausage chopped
    Some remains of salami chopped
     ½ a red pepper
    Grabbed an onion from the pantry and finely sliced it
    Some cheddar cheese in knobs and some grated Parmesan


    Now this is a thick based pizza
    It fed 3 of us for lunch, dinner and breakfast

    You can also use this dough to make bread or rolls
    Or a thin based pizza if you'd rather


    I made the dough... very simple, in the food processor, barely kneaded
    I like to have more tepid water on hand than I need.
    It depends on the day as to how much you will need for your dough

    500 gms plain strong flour
    1 pkt dry Yeast
    Good pinch salt
    Glug of olive oil

    450 mls tepid water

    Dissolve the yeast in 300 mls of the water
    Let sit for about 5 minutes to let the yeast start to work

    Place flour, salt and oil in food processor
    Whizz to combine

    Add yeast and water
    Whizz and then add more of the reserved water in through the hole at the top as you need it
    The dough should be more on the wet side
    Let the machine work the dough
    It should start to ball and leave the side of the bowl

    Stop... put the stopper on the top
    Leave for about an hour
    the dough should have doubled in size

    Turn out onto floured board
    Punch down and knead for a minute to combine

    I made 2 pizza pies from this amount of dough
    Break into  balls
    just fold each ball under itself to make a nice smooth ball

    Meanwhile prepare 2 pans
    Oil and then sprinkle with dried breadcrumbs
    This will help to make a non stick surface and will also give the bottom of the
    Pizza Pie and nice crunchy bottom

    Stretch out the dough and push into pie tin
    Cover with a clean tea towel
    Leave for about 20 minutes to prove
    it's very similar to what I make, but I normally cook mine
    Actually I think simmering it for at least 10 minutes makes a richer thicker sauce
    but you don't have to, just follow this procedure

    1 tin of best tomatoes
    2 cloves garlic finely chopped
    1/2 chili chopped or  1 tsp fried chili flakes
    Little salt
    Pinch sugar
    2 tablespoons good vinegar
    Good sprinkle dried oregano

    Pop everything into blender and whizz till smooth


    Meanwhile, gather your toppings
    Spread sauce over bases
    And build, using whatever you want on top

    Into pre-heated 200C oven for about 20 minutes

    Voila

    Pizza Pie
    Yum