Tuna, Pasta and Vege Bake - The Meal that keeps on Giving-Part One

We had friends over for dinner and as usual there were leftovers.
Roast Lamb with Mustard Cabbage and Potato Pancakes
Lemon Posset with Gluten Free Shortbread
Of course the Pasta is not Gluten Free but the Cabbage and the Potato Pancakes are.


I managed to feed the Two Of Us for several more days.
Talk about Leftover Queen
So I devised this Tuna, Vege and Pasta Bake using the Cabbage
Takes in all of the food groups, and is cheap to make
This will feed 4 people
The problem with Pasta Bakes they are not easy to photograph.
they all look much the same when they come out the oven
but I am particularly proud of the taste of this one.

I also put a good dash of Srichacha Sauce. 

Wow this should be in your pantry...
Really gives a dish a real lift

To cook the Cabbage Scroll down
 Pre- heat oven to 180C
75 gms butter
1 cup cooked cabbage 
1 leek washed and sliced 
1 courgette cubed 
75 gms flour 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 cups milk 
Dash of Srichaha Sauce
(Optional but a dash of any hot sauce does give the dish a lift)
100 gms spaghetti broken into smaller pieces and cooked to manufacturers instructions
1 tin tuna ( I always buy the Tuna canned in Olive oil)
Grated cheese enough to cover top of casserole

Melt butter and add leeks and courgettes 
Sauté gently till soft but not brown
Add cooked cabbage 
Mix 
Add flour and cook for about 3 minutes to cook then raw flour out
Add milk and stir till thickened
Let simmer for about 4-5 minutes
You may need more milk this should be a thinnish sauce
The pasta will absorb most of the sauce.
Add tuna and cooked pasta 
Throw into a casserole dish. I actually used the pan I was cooking in.
Cover with grated cheese. 
 Bake for 20- 30 minutes
It should be golden and bubbly
These flavours really melded together

We sat down and gobbled up while watching The Descendants on DVD.
Loved that movie

 How to Cook the Cabbage Courtesy Of Huey’s Kitchen 
50 gms soft butter 
1 large clove garlic, crushed 
1 tbs caraway seeds, smashed 
2 tbs of chopped parsley 
2 tbs Dijon Mustard 
1/2 chopped Savoy Cabbage. finely sliced, ribs and core removed 
1 tbs Olive oil 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan and
Briefly saute the garlic, caraway seeds and parsley with the Dijon Mustard 
Then add the Cabbage with a little oil if needed
Season with Salt and pepper 
Stir well and gently cooked till the cabbage is wilted,
Continually stirring

Serve as I did, with Roast Lamb and Potato Pancakes 
These Pancakes are so yummy. I’ve made them for the grandchildren
They had sausages to accompany, Grandma's Homemade Ketchup
and they loved it

I saw Jacques Pepin make these on his TV Show.
You couldn’t get much simpler than this

Place into a Food Processor  
2 cups peeled and cubed potatoes 
2 eggs 
1/2 cup chopped onion 
2 tablespoon potato starch or Cornflour 
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whiz together till it makes a paste

Add 1 finely chopped spring onion 
Fry in 1 large tablespoon lots in vegetable oil.
I used Rice Bran

Till golden brown both sides
These Pancakes make an easy lunch or starter
Just serve them with some smoked salmon and Sour Cream

Yum

Presto Pasta Nights no 259 -

Its been my pleasure to host Presto Pasta Nights for this week. Ruth from Once Upon A Feast started this blogging event 5 years ago and once a week, bloggers send in their delicious Pasta recipes.
Here is this weeks round up.

First up we have Johanna from Green Gourmet Giraffe
 Johanna celebrated Easter with a big Family lunch. What better way to finish off this superb occasion with this very tasty Fettuccine Napolenta

Next up, we have a post from Stash at The Spamwise Chronicles.  He has some beautiful photos on his blog. Those tomatoes certainly gets my taste buds moving. There is not many things nicer than roasted tomatoes...and they are the crowning glory on his "Carrot Pasta with Shitake Mushrooms, Spinach and Slow-Roasted Campari Tomatoes"

Moving on we have Shelby from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch. She has entered her Chicken Noodle Soup There's nothing better than Chicken Soup aka Jewish Penicillin. My Mother wasn't Jewish but every time we were ill we were spoon fed Chicken Soup. It worked almost all of the time...Shelby's version has me desperately wanting some. Comfort Food at it's best.

Claire of Chez Cayenne has made Farfalle Salad with Asparagus Such a colourful salad. I love those little Farfalle Pasta Butterflies. Really cute and work well in a salad.

Now we have Angela from Spinach Tiger with her Four Cheese Sweet Potato Lasagna She has taken the common old sweet potato and given it new heights, by turning it into Lasagna, and flavoured it with Four difference cheeses

An finally we have my entry, I pinched this from another blog. (I have credited him in my blog)
It was so delicious I had to share. We are at the end of the tomato season here in New Zealand and this is perfect to bring out the wonderful fresh flavour. Fresh Tomato Lasagna

So Ruth thanks for the opportunity to share in this event. It has been fun

Gluten Free Shortbread - Perfect Companion to a Rich Dessert, Lemon Posset

Dinner on Saturday night was a Gluten Free meal. I wanted to make Lemon Posset, the delightful,
So So Simple Dessert. I saw this on one of James Martin's programmes. I love his work.
Not good for the waistline but very good for the soul.
It is his Grandma's recipe.
But it really needs little Shortbread biscuits.
My Coeliac Friend John, of course can't eat the normal little biscuits I would make, so I surfed the net and found this recipe on a blog called Eating Adelaide
Check it out
It is really simple and perfect for those intolerant to wheat.
Gluten Free Shortbread Biscuits
1 cup Corn Flour
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup Icing sugar
Pinch of salt
180 gms butter

Sift the dry ingredients
Grate the butter into the sifted ingredients

Mix with your hands until the mixture comes together into a very soft dough
Roll into a sausage
I made 2 sausages

Chill for at least and hour
Pre-heat oven to 180C (Fan bake 160C)
Line a tine with baking paper
Cut into thin slices and bake for about 15-20 minutes
They will expand a little during cooking
The edges of will start to go brown
But don't over cook them

Remove from oven and carefully place on a rack to coll
Hot they will be very fragile so use a slice to transfer
I ate far too many of them, they were so yummy.
Just fabulous with the Lemon dessert
Lemon Posset
600ml/1 pint 1fl oz double cream 
150g/5oz caster sugar 
2 large lemons, zest and juice only 

Place the double cream and the sugar into a large pan over a low heat
and bring to the boil slowly.
Boil for three minutes, 
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk well.
Into the fridge for at least 3 hours

Serve with a dollop of cream and some Shortbread Gluten Free or Not

Tweed, Tea and Wellies

Is Carolyn Managh going to do for Daylesford, what Peter Mayall did for Provence.
Her delightful stories of this town in Victoria, just 1 hour north west of Melbourne are captivating.
We will all want to move there.
Experience the local art, coffee spas, eccentric local market...you name it ... Daylesford has got it all. The byline of the book "A Haphazard and Colorful Guide to the Fabulousness of Daylesford, Australia" And that is exactly it. I thoroughly enjoyed this journal, based on Carolyn's day to day life.
Having lived "The High Life", with a very successful marketing career in London,
regular trips to France...etc She left and moved to join family in this charming town, where "The sun always shines".
Carolyn's humor, has transformed this little country town to a place, I am dying to visit.
Her trials and tribulations of waiting for her Prince to come are peppered with great little quotes,
 her Father for instance, "Have you forgotten what you do for a living? Start marketing yourself" or "Buy a lavender farm (in Cromwell, NZ) ...you'll meet lots of farmers"
Carolyn herself, has a turn of phrase which had me chuckling all afternoon. e.g. "Being as new to Music, as Justin Bieber is to shaving" And there's more!
Throughout, her love of fashion, food and sparkling beverages found me with my mouth watering. Not good for her waistline or mine if it comes to that.
As much as I love my kindle on the iPad... there will always be a place for real books and this is one of them. Sit it on the coffee table, and flick through.
No matter what page you turn to, there is a delightful little Carolyn tale.
Wonderful photography, ably art directed, by her brother Gerry. A little treasure.
Plus, I see we have a shared love of VW Golf Cabriolets.
She fabulously drove hers around France. Mine only traveled around New Zealand.
Well c'est la vie. Get your copy now. Easily Available online @ tweedteaandwellies.com/shop You won't regret it. 3 Pink Chairs Carolyn

The Best Fresh Tomato Lasagne-How to make the most of Fresh Tomatoes

Great fun, It's my turn to host Presto Pasta Nights this coming week.
Check out the site.

This blogging event was set up by Ruth from Once Upon A Feast 
People from all over the world, share their favourite Pasta Recipes.
She has been running this event for 5 years now.
So now its my turn to host I can't wait to see all the tasty delicacies that will arrive on my computer
So if you have a pasta dish you want to enter, send the link to me @ cajun(dot)moon(at)xtra(dot)co(dot)nz
Also cc your entry to  ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com
You need to have it to me by Thursday April 12th, to be in this weeks event.

 

I found this recipe on an excellent blog site, called www.woodfiredkitchen.com
The blogger is called Don Hogeland and he comes from Seattle.
He is passionate about cooking on his wood fired outdoor oven
and has some excellent recipes and advice
Lots of really yummy things, to read about and try of course
This Fresh Tomato Lasagne really inspired me.
The Tomato season is at it’s peak here in New Zealand and what a wonderful way to use the tomatoes.

Our friend Mary was over, to set up my Easter Display, so I invited her to join us.
Isn't it great. The kids love it, particularly the little chocolate eggs. 

This lasagne is so delicious, four of us wolfed it down and could have “overeaten” more.
In fact I am going to make it again and freeze some, while the tomatoes are at their best.
Be interesting to see how it freezes
I will report back

Re the Mozzarella. I used Cows milk Fresh Mozzarella. It is half the price and to be truthful, with the flavour of ripe tomatoes…you have to have a magnificent palate to pick up the difference.
I used a Pyrex loaf tin to build this lasagne. Perfect for 4 people


1 kilo fresh tomatoes (outdoor if you can get them)
250 gms fresh Mozzarella
8 Barilla No cook lasagne Noodles
5 cups hot water 75C
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 sea salt


30 gms Parmesan Cheese finely grated


For the Bechamel Sauce
2 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon flour + 1 teaspoon
1 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
1 large egg

Melt the butter
Add the flour and stir well
Cook for about 5 minutes to cook out the raw taste of the flour
Meanwhile heat the Milk
When the roux has cooked out
Start adding the milk in about 4 stages
Beat well, as you add
If you do this you shouldn’t get lumps
If you do get lumps just whisk and all will be fine
Season to taste
Cover and set aside

Just before you are about to assemble the lasagne
Beat the egg and add a small amount of the sauce
Add it back to the pot and beat well, till mixed

Preheat the oven to 190C

Make the Béchamel Sauce
Slice the Mozzarella
Slice the tops and bottoms off the tomatoes and discard
(Or save to use in something else)
Cut the tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices

Put 5 cups of the hot water into a wide baking dish
and slip the noodles in one at a time .
Separate them or they will glue together,
swish them around a bit whilst they are soaking
Let Noodles soak for about 15 minutes

Build your Lasagne
First a layer of tomatoes
Drizzle with Olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and oregano
Add a noodle
1/4 of the Mozzarella 

1/4 of the Béchamel Sauce
Sprinkle with Parmesan

Another noodle
Tomatoes
Drizzle with Olive Oil, salt and oregano
Continue the sequence with remaining noodles and filling
Finish with a layer of tomato drizzled with olive oil , salt and oregano ,

Bake at 190C for 40-45 minutes until Béchamel has puffed and the edges are bubbling
Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving

The Best Hot Cross Buns - Finger Lickin Good

I am re-posting this recipe as it is Good Friday and I am making buns for breakfast.

I have done something different, which could be worth trying.

I didn't have any candied peel so I made my own go here to find out how to do it. 

Then for the bun glaze I used the syrup that I candied the peel in.

Just add 1 tsp gelatine to 2 tablespoons of cold syrup

Gently bring to the boil and then brush over hot buns

What a great idea
They are very sticky but fabulous

Back to the original post
Easter this weekend. Can't have Easter without Hot Cross Buns.
So I have been making Hot Cross Buns over the last week and think I have now cracked a really good recipe. I would like to give credit to someone but I can't find the recipe I used. I have made some changes so I guess that means it is mine now.
I also tried a recipe from Paul Hollywood which I found on The Good Food Channel but it was not as easy. His was more of a bread, this is a bun, The aroma in the kitchen while they are proving and cooking... irresistible.
So here we go my take on Hot Cross Buns.

4 teaspoons (14g) dry yeast
1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
1 cup (250ml) warm milk
4 cups (600g) plain flour
2 teaspoons mixed spice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
80g butter, chopped
1 cup (160g) sultanas
2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed peel
1 egg, beaten lightly
1/3 cup (80ml) warm water, approximately

FLOUR PASTE (For Crosses)
1/4 cup (35g) plain flour
2 teaspoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons cold water, approximately

GLAZE
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon powdered gelatine
1 tablespoon water

METHOD

Combine the yeast with one tablespoon of the sugar and all of the milk in a small bowl;
whisk until the yeast is dissolved.
Cover the bowl and stand in a warm place (on the door in front of a very slow oven is ideal) for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is frothy.

Sift the flour, spices and salt into a large bowl;
Rub in the butter.
Stir in the remaining sugar, fruit, yeast mixture, egg and enough water to make a soft dough.
It took a couple of extra tablespoons of water to get a nice soft dough.

Cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for about one hour or until mixture is doubled in size.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes
When you knead push the dough out to stretch it

Then pull it back over and in

Turn over and keep going till it is smooth and elastic

Divide the dough into 16 portions;


Place hand over the dough and using a circular motion, roll the dough into a ball.

Place the balls, almost touching, on a large greased oven tray.

 Stand in a warm place for about 20 minutes or until dough is almost doubled in size.
 Preheat the oven to 220 deg C (200 deg C fan-forced).

To make crosses
FLOUR PASTE: 
Sift flour and sugar into a small bowl;
gradually stir in enough water to make a smooth thick paste.
Place the Flour Paste into a resealable plastic bag and snip a tiny piece off one corner.
Pipe crosses onto the buns.

Bake the buns for about 15 minutes or until buns sound hollow when tapped.
(I think I took them out after 12 minutes... they could have done with a little more time)

GLAZE: 
Meanwhile, combine all ingredients in a small pan and stir over low heat, without boiling,
until the sugar and gelatine are dissolved.
Transfer the buns to a wire rack and brush the tops with the Glaze.

Voila, Just a pat of butter. Happy Easter Everybody.

Cauliflower and Leek Soup and Cheesey Scones-Great lunch

Being budget conscious, I am back onto making soups.
Cauliflower soup has always been a favourite of ours. and I just did some tweaking and devised this recipe
So simple of course and whipped up a batch of the Cheesey scones, which seriously you would have to be seriously challenged not to be able to make these. Click here for the recipe
I drizzled some Sriracha Sauce on the top for an extra kick. Yum

1 cauliflower broken into floret
1 leek cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
Sea salt and pepper
Chicken stock

Cheese sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1 cup full milk
3 tablespoons grated cheddar

Gently sauté the leeks in melted butter
Add cauliflower toss
Add enough chicken stock to just cover the vege
Bring to boil and simmer till tender
Cool slightly and whiz in the blender
Back into pot

Meanwhile for the sauce
Melt butter
Add flour stir well and cook out for about 3 minutes
Add S&P and mustard
Stir again
Add milk in thirds
Stirring well with each addition
When all the milk is added
Just keep cooking till thickened
Add grated cheese
Stir well again

Add to blended vege
Whisk in well
Bring back to gentle simmer
Taste and season accordingly
Serve

While we are with Leeks... how about a
Leek and Potato Quiche

6 small potatoes peeled
1 tbs butter
Salt and pepper
1 leek cleaned and sliced

1 tbs olive oil
Little water
Salt and pepper
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk
250 mls cream

Shortcrust Pastry - enough to line your tin
I think Short crust is the best pastry to use, you can of course use puff.

Cook the potatoes
Drain, cool and slice 1/4 inch
Meanwhile sauté leeks gently in olive oil
Season with S&P
After about 2 minutes add a splash of water
Cover and steam for about 3 minutes till they are just tender

Remove and set aside
Add butter to pan and gently sauté the potatoes
Till they are just starting to turn golden
Cool again
Preheat oven to 190c
Roll out your pastry to fit the quiche tin
Bake blind for 15 minutes

To Bake Blind 
Cut a piece of baking paper enough to cover the pastry
Scrunch it up in your hands
This will make it easier to line the pastry

Fill with baking beans or as I do, split peas
This will keep the pastry in shape

Remove from oven
Take out baking beans and brush with beaten egg
Back into oven for 5 minutes

Now to assemble
Place the potatoes over the bottom
Then throw the leeks on top
Meanwhile beat the eggs and the cream
Season with S&P
Grate the Parmesan into the egg mix
Then pour over the vegetables

Turn oven down to 180c oven for 25-30 minutes till just set

Best eaten at room temperature

The Best Easy Cheesey Scones

My friend Elpie gave me this recipe last night, while we were having drinks...it is so simple I even remembered it this morning, without even writing it down.
You can whip these up in 20 minutes.
She has kindly let me share this, with you all.
When I tasted them this morning, with my coffee. It immediately brought back memories of when I was a little girl. I could swear this is how the old lady next door made her scones.
The smell, the texture, images flooded into my mind, my mouth was watering.
The longest part of making these scones, is actually waiting for the oven to heat up to 230C.
No rubbing in of butter, just toss the ingredients together, pat into shape and cook.
Just an addition to the recipe, I have just made them with a 1/2 tsp oregano and 1/2 tsp of Vegeta Chicken Stock Powder, great extra flavour

So Pre-heat oven to 230C

1 cup of plain high grade flour
2 1/2  teaspoons of baking powder
Pinch of salt
Good pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1 cup grated tasty cheese
1/2 cup milk


Sift the dry ingredient into a big bowl
Add cheese, stir

Add milk
Quickly mix and turn onto lightly floured bench
Pat into a circle
Cut into wedges
Place on a lined baking sheet (you could just flour it if you wish)

Bake for 8-10 minutes
Remove
Break open and put a nice pat of butter on top

Fabtastic

Soup and Sandwich Anyone

I must stop banging on about the Avondale Market, click here to read about this wonderful Market
But I am thrilled with the wonderful fruit and vege.
These tomatoes were 99c a Kilo and I used them to make my Grandma's Tomato Sauce

but also I made this beautiful soup.
It couldn't be simpler
Its really important to add sugar and salt to tomatoes.
Such a simple flavour boost. Not enough to be bad for you.
Don't forget, moderation in everything.
Plus I like to add a little vinegar when I am cooking tomatoes.
Even though Tomatoes are acidic, that little sweet acid from the cider vinegar is just another boost.

So to prepare the soup

2 kilos of ripe tomatoes
Just cut off any spots and roughly large chop the tomatoes
Onto a baking sheet
Sprinkle with Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Also sprinkle over with about a tablespoon of sugar
Throw on a few sprigs of thyme
And then drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Bake at 150C for about 30-40 minutes
Meanwhile peel 2 red onions
Slice and saute in a little olive oil
Season with Sea Salt and Pepper
Cook till tender
Set aside

When everything is ready
Combine everything in a blender
Whiz
Back into the pot
Taste and add 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
You may need more seasoning
It's up to you
Taste again

If you want a smoother texture, work it through a mouli

An egg sandwich completes this Soup and Sandwich meal.
For a change, how about using Soft Tortilla
You will need 2 Tortilla
Olive oil
1 egg
Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Sriracha Hot Sauce (Optional)

Heat a medium pan
Add splash Olive Oil
Place first Tortilla in the pan
Break and egg on top
spread it over the Tortilla
Season and if you like this sprinkle over some Sriracha Sauce

Put another Tortilla on top
Push down
After a minute or 2
Turn over

Cook another minute or two
Turn onto a board
Cut into wedges
Voila
Lunch