All posts by Sonte

Squares and Bars

Passionfruit Bars

August 24, 2011 Sonte Leave a comment

While living in Australia there was a Passionfruit vine just outside the door which provided and abundant crop! Apparently the pulp freezes really well but I thought I would try using it in different recipes!

Ingredients

1 cup (150g) flour
1 ½ (7 ml) teaspoon baking soda
½ (2 ml) teaspoon salt
1 cup (85g) desiccated coconut
½ cup (100g) caster sugar
½ cup (100g) butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup (125ml) fresh lemon juice (approx 2 lemons)
2 Tbsp passionfruit pulp

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F (180C)
Spray a 9×13 inch pan with Vegetable oil spray
In medium size mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and sugar.
Using pastry blender, cut cold butter into the flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add coconut and mix well.
Press the crumb mixture into prepared pan and bake in preheated 350F degree oven for 12 minutes or until lightly golden.
Remove from oven and cool.
Reduce oven temp to 300F (150C)
In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and passionfruit pulp until smooth.
Pour over base and spread evenly.
Bake in 300F oven for 15 minutes or until set.
Remove from oven, cool completely before slicing.

About, Quick Breads

Bannock – Fried Bread

August 23, 2011 Sonte Leave a comment

2 cups Flour (sometimes I use half whole wheat flour, half white flour)

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Sugar

Enough warm water to make a soft dough

1 cup Vegetable Oil, for frying

In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Using a fork, stir in enough warm water to make a soft dough; start with about a 1/2 cup of water, stir, add a bit of water, stir.

Continue adding water a little at a time until you achieve the right consistency.

Heat about 1 cup of vegetable oil over high heat; drop a bit of dough in the hot oil, if it sizzles and floats to the top of the oil, it is ready to go.

While the oil is heating you can start forming your bannock; you can cook up to four bannock in the pan at one time.

Using a fork, scoop out about 1/4 cup of dough and drop it into a mound of flour.

With lightly floured hands, pick it up and gently toss it between your hands to lightly coat with flour and start shaping.

Place the dough on a very lightly floured surface and gently flatten to about 1/4inch thick.

Carefully place in hot oil, cook until golden.

Flip and cook for another minute.

Remove from oil to paper towel lined platter.

Continue this procedure with the remaining dough.

When you are first starting to make Bannock, I recommend you have a partner in crime to give you a hand; one person can form the bannock and the other person can cook it. Heaps less stressful!

Enjoy your bannock!

Oh, and there are a gazillion and nine Bannock recipes and methods of cooking bannock…this is just how I was taught to make it.

PS…making Bannock is messy work! But well worth it!

About, Pasta

Macaroni and Cheese

August 18, 2011 Sonte Leave a comment

There is nothing quite so comforting as Home Made Macaroni and Cheese. Everyone has there own twist on the recipe. Sometimes I will add things, use different cheeses, sometimes add a breadcrumb topping, sometimes not…create your own heartwarming, soul soothing Mac and Cheese.

Mac and Cheese - Creamy Delicious Cheesy Delight

Just a note, I often double the amounts so that I can have leftovers for lunches.

6 ounces Pasta (Cavatappi is my new fave! Sea Shells are great, Bow Ties and sometimes you just have to go with good ol’ fashioned Elbow)
1/4 cup Butter (Margarine)
1 small Onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 cup Flour
1 3/4 cups Milk (Soy Milk)
8 ounces Shredded Old Cheddar or a combination of cheeses: a bit of parmesan, cheddar, mozza.
1 – 3 teaspoons Mustard
1/4 teaspoon Paprika

Bread Crumb Topping:
2 slices Multigrain Bread
1 Tablespoon Butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon “The Mix” <- my blend of spices that I use for a lot of things

Put bread slices in processor and pulse until no chunks of bread remain.
Add melted butter, pulse for a few seconds to coat bread with butter; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375F.
Lightly butter or spray a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish; set aside.

In a large pot cook pasta according to directions on package.
Pour into colander to drain; leave sitting in colander.
In the same pot, melt butter; add onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until onion is soft.
Blend in flour.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.
Stir in milk.
Heat to boiling over medium high heat, stirring constantly; maintain boil for about a minute, and keep on stirring.
Remove from heat; stir in mustard, paprika and cheese. Stir until all the cheese is melted.

Pour macaroni into the cheese mixture and stir to coat all the pasta.
Pour macaroni and cheese into prepared casserole dish.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top.
Bake uncovered in 375F oven for 30 minutes.

Breakfast

French Toast stuffed with Peaches

August 18, 2011 Sonte Leave a comment

Peaches are in season! One of my favourite Summer fruits!

Delicious French Toast stuffed with Peaches

4 Eggs
2/3 cup Milk
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Sugar
Pinch of Salt

2 Fresh Peaches
1 Loaf of French Bread

Powdered Sugar to garnish

In medium mixing bowl whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla.
Add sugar and salt; set aside.

Preheat griddle to 350F.

Use a serrated knife to cut thick slices of French bread after removing end pieces.
Using a small serrated knife, cut a slice into the bottom of each slice of bread.
Wash and peel two ripe peaches; cut into thin wedges.
Stuff three slices of peach into each slice of bread.
Dip each slice of peach stuffed bread into egg mixture and place on griddle lightly sprayed with vegetable oil.
Cook for about 4 minutes, turn over and continue cooking for another four minutes.
Stand each piece of French toast on its bottom and cook for about a minute before turning it onto the top of the slice and cooking for another minute.
Remove to serving platter.
Dust with powdered sugar.
Serve with warmed Maple Syrup or Fresh Fruit and Whipped Cream.
Makes 8 slices of French Toast

Muffins and Scones

Blueberry Surprise Streusel Muffins

August 12, 2011 Sonte 10 Comments

Nothing better than fresh out of the oven Blueberry Surprise Streusel Muffins when blueberries are in season! These muffins are great plain too. I often make them without the streusel topping and give them a light dusting of icing sugar instead.

blueberry muffins — Blueberry Surprise Muffins

2 cups Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Sugar

1 Egg, lightly beaten (or Egg Replacer)
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
3/4 cup Milk (or Soy Milk)
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

1 cup Fresh Blueberries (or frozen, do not thaw: toss with 1 Tablespoon Flour in a small mixing bowl)
1/4 cup Blueberry Danish Filling or Blueberry Jam

Optional
Streusel Topping
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Flour
2 Tablespoons Butter, cold

Preheat oven to 375F.
Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners; set aside.

If using, prepare Streusel Topping:
In small mixing bowl combine brown sugar and flour. Rub in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; make a well in the centre.

In a small mixing bowl beat egg lightly; stir in oil, milk and vanilla.

Pour liquid ingredients all at once into flour mixture and stir just until combined.

Use a 3-ounce scoop to partially fill each muffin cup.
Carefully spoon 1/4 teaspoon blueberry danish filling into each cup.
Fold fresh blueberries into remaining muffin mixture then cover filling with remaining batter; top each muffin with (if using) a 1/2 teaspoon of streusel topping.

Bake in 375F preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Rotate pan and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until pick inserted in centre comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

Aysontespli's Kitchen