Things to do with Grated Cheese - How About Pinwheels?

I have found a couple of fab easy things to make, when you have people coming around for drinks
Pinwheels
If you go to this link you can get my original post.
These have been very popular.
Often you don't have the correct ingredients and have to improvise

I have been playing with some flavours and my Judges (The Grandkids) have given both of these the thumbs up. Aren't they gorgeous?

A bag of ready grated Tasty Cheese is quite handy to have in the fridge, all done for you.
I wouldn't use it for a sandwich, I'd  rather grate fresh. BUT it is very useful for cooking.
Had some friends coming over unexpectedly for a drink, cupboard was a little bare
I did have the aforementioned Grated Cheese and in the Pantry was some Beetroot Relish
In the Freezer some Flaky Puff Pastry sheets
I love these sheets they defrost really quickly

So to make this Pinwheel version
2 sheets Flaky Puff Pastry
1 cup grated Tasty Cheese
3 large tablespoons Beetroot Relish
Freshly Grated Black Pepper
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon of water to Glaze

Lay the pastry on the bench
Mix together the relish and the grated cheese
and spread over 3/4 of the pastry leaving 1 edge free for rolling
Grate Black pepper over the top

Brush the exposed pastry with some beaten egg
Roll up and push the roll together firmly
The egg will seal the parcel

After you have completed your rolls,
Wrap them in plastic...let them rest in the fridge, preferably for about 2 hours
15 minutes will do if you are in a hurry

When you are ready to bake
Heat the oven to 200C
Remove rolls from the fridge and cut into slices
Each roll should yield approx 10
Place on a Baking Paper lined Tray

Brush tops with more beaten egg and cook for about 15-18 minutes
Just keep an eye on them after 15 minutes, nice and golden
Serve

You will be very popular

The kids requested Pinwheels for their lunch
Had a fossick around in the fridge and found leftover Tomato Sauce from the day 'befores' Pizza.
A wedge of Parmesan Cheese, Bacon, a Red Capsicum, and some Olives
Just like a Pizza, but encased in Pastry instead

3 Sheets Flaky Puff Pastry
1 cup Tomato Pasta Sauce (recipe follows, at end of post)
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
3 Rashers Streaky Bacon finely chopped
1/2 Red Capsicum finely chopped
Black Olives, stoned and finely chopped
Enough Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese 
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon cold water

Lay out the pastry on the bench
As it thaws, cover 3/4 with tomato sauce

Meanwhile put Olive Oil in a cold pan
Add bacon bits and chopped capsicum
and fry till bacon crispy and capsicum soft

Let cool for about 5 mins
Sprinkle  Bacon and Capsicum over the Tomato Sauce 
Throw over Olives
Cover with finely grated Parmesan Cheese
Grate over some Black pepper

Once again brush the uncovered edge with the egg wash
Roll up and press roll down firmly to seal
Wrap in plastic wrap

Leave in the fridge for 2 hours if you can but 20 minutes would be OK
Pre Heat oven to 200C
Remove Rolls from Fridge
Slice and place on a baking tray lined with Baking Paper
Should get 10 slices from each roll

Brush with beaten egg to glaze
Into Oven cook for 15-20 minutes

These little pies are still really good at room temperature
So invite people around so you can make them

Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
1 tin crushed tomatoes
 Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
Slosh of vinegar (white or red wine, cider or rice wine you choose)

On a medium heat add olive oil and garlic
Just cook for about 2 minutes to get the garlic going, (Oooh that divine aroma)
Add the tin of Tomatoes, rinse out the tin with a little water, no waste please
Season with Salt, Pepper and Sugar
Simmer for about 10 minutes, longer if you have time but not really necessary
Add Vinegar

Voila 
Make a double batch, its handy to have on hand

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

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

Christmas Treats for the Yuletide Table

Christmas Treats.
Only 9 days till the big feast

Here are two recipes that you may like to prepare for Christmas Day
Or the day before...or the Day after

First the Meringue Roulade

This recipe came from Tony Astle from Antoines Restaurant in Parnell
Thank you Tony for sharing this
It is so easy and a real crowd pleaser
My guests thought, I was ever so clever!

Ingredients
5 large egg whites at room temperature
340 gms white sugar
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
30 gms cornflour

Wet and line a sponge tin with baking paper
Set oven 180c

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks
Add 340 gms white sugar quite quickly
Beat full speed  for 2 minutes

Add 1 tsp white vinegar and 1 tsp vanilla extract
Straight  away, turn machine down and
Fold in 30 gms corn flour 
Combine well quickly be careful not to lose that air

Pile into prepared tin
Spread roughly
Place in oven bake for 12 minutes only
Remove and cool to room temp 

Sprinkle plenty icing sugar on a sheet of baking paper
Then invert meringue onto paper
Spread with stiffly whipped cream leaving about 2 inch space at far end

Roll as a sponge roll
Serve in thick slices with some beautiful berries

Christmas Bark is not a New Zealand tradition, but it doesn't take long for us to introduce new foods to our feast. This a lovely gift to take to a friend.
So pretty and so so simple to make

I saw this recipe on a Facebook Friends post.
A link from the New York Times
Submitted by a gentleman called Tom Faglon.

Those Pomegranate Seeds are just like glistening jewels
Set in Dark Chocolate with pieces of Crystalised Ginger
Then finished off with a sprinkling of crunchy sea salt flakes

The first time I made it, I ceased the chocolate.
I forgot about adding cold and wet into hot chocolate
So, when I made it yesterday I was more careful and cooled the chocolate
a little and dried the seeds.
Voila, it worked

Nigella has a foolproof way of removing those seeds from the Pomegranate
Cut it in half
Over a large bowl
Bash it with a big wooden spoon
after the third bash they will start to fall out
Just like ruby rain
Keep on bashing
Squeeze the fruit to get the rest of the juice out
Turn them into a sieve and drain the juice

Set that Juice aside, I have a recipe for it at the end of this post
A Christmas Cocktail

Gently dry the seeds, so that when added to the chocolate they won't seize it

So let's start
Line a small baking tray with baking paper
Ingredients
    •    200 grams dark (bittersweet) chocolate pieces (1 cake)
    •    40 grams finely chopped crystallized ginger 
    •   The seeds of a fresh pomegranate  (1 cup)
    •    6 grams flaky sea salt (1 teaspoon)
 
Preparation
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it
Either over a pan of simmering water
being careful not to let the bowl touch the water
Or do as I did, whack it into the microwave
Keep stirring it till it cools slightly

Add the ginger, then

Add half of the pomgranate seeds
Quickly turn out into the prepared tray
Spread quickly to a thin  layer
Throw the rest of the pomegranate seeds over the top

Sprinkle with Sea Salt
Chill for at least an hour

Break up into pieces and devour

Now for the  Christmas Cocktail

Grab a glass
Add several Ice Cubes
Then
2 parts Vodka
1 part Cacao White Liqueur
1 part Pomegranate Juice
Stir

Sip away
Merry Christmas Everybody

Wonderful Summer Nicoise Salad - Perfect for Christmas entertaining. All the right colours.

Salad Nicoise is a favourite of ours.
Perfect for boat food.
Canned Tuna, black olives, red onions, green beans, Boiled eggs, Tomatoes Potatoes, a few Capers and some chopped herbs
All dressed with a tasty French Dressing

All of the food groups just about and it's so fresh and clean
This  particular version is outstanding


And the beauty of it is you can prep early in the day.
I assembled about an hour before.
All ready, sit down have some drinks
Off to the table and serve.
Wonderful summer food
So I have decided to re-post this blog.
This salad is perfect for entertaining.
I made it last night and everyone loved it.
There is quite a bit of prep but once assembled thats it.
An all in one meal
We washed it down with some Champagne.
That was a really good idea

By the way the amounts can vary. That's up to you
This is a guide line

Anna Gare, is best known as a Judge on Junior Masterchef Australia
Also she is in a programme called "The Best in Australia".
It has all the right ingredients, but treated differently
The tomatoes are roasted for the extra flavour.
The red onions Caramelized.
There is mayonnaise on the potatoes and eggs...I would normally use French Dressing
I also used my marinated olives to scatter over the top
And beautiful fresh Seared Tuna, drizzled with a Nicoise style salsa
Perfecto

Serves 4
Ingredients
4 x 120g tuna steaks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil


1 egg per person, hard boiled, peeled and quartered


500 g small new potatoes boiled
Little French dressing


200 g stringless green beans

Roast Tomatoes
4 large Ripe tomatoes quartered or 8 smaller tomatoes.
They are usually sweeter

Sea salt
Little sugar
Olive oil
Fresh thyme


Caramelised Onions
2 purple Onions finely sliced
11/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper

Mayonnaise
2 Cloves roasted Garlic finely chopped ( I used raw garlic)
2 Anchovies finely chopped
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¾ cup Olive Oil

Salsa
1 tablespoon baby capers
1 tablespoon Italian Parsley chopped
1 small Tomato deseeded and finely diced
4 Anchovies finely chopped
1 part of Lemon juice
2 parts of Olive Oil
Salt and Sugar to taste

As many Black Olives as you like

Method

Place tomatoes onto baking sheet and sprinkle with salt & thyme and slow bake for 45 mins in 120 deg oven. This will intensify the flavour.
Put aside.

Cook potatoes whole in a pot of salted water and blanch beans in the same pot towards the end.
When cooled cut potatoes & beans as desired.

Caramelize onions by putting olive oil, sugar, salt, red wine vinegar and onions all into a pot and cook on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are just cooked through- they should be soft and shiny.

Make dressing by combining yolks, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic & mustard.
Whilst whisking, slowly drizzle in oil.
I did it in the food processor

Lightly brush Tuna with oil salt & pepper then sear on high heat, 2 minutes per side.
Don't overcook it. As it rests it continues to cook.

For Salsa, mix all ingredients together and taste for seasoning and citrus factor.

Dress potatoes & eggs with some mayonnaise 

Place on desired platter

Then add in layers, first onions, beans, then tomatoes. 

Just before serving, sear tuna and place on top, then drizzle over with Nicoise Salsa.
Throw olives over the top