Tomato and Ricotta Muffins with Pine Nut-Tomato Streusel

Tomato and Ricotta Muffins with Pine Nut-Tomato Streusel

Makes 12 muffins
Muffins
3 cups unbleached pastry flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup baking soda
14 ounces pureed fresh tomatoes
1-1/2 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Filling
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
6 tablespoons sour cream
kosher salt
Streusel
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons oven-dried tomato - chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
Preheat oven to 320 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter a muffin tin.
For the muffin batter, in a large bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Make a large well in the center and pour in the tomatoes, yogurt and oil, whisking liquids and gradually drawing in dry ingredients until all the liquid is incorporated.
For the filling, mix ricotta, sour cream and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl.
Using a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip (or a spoon, or plastic bag with one corner snipped off), fill each muffin tin one-third full with batter. Place one tablespoon of ricotta mixture in the center of each muffin. Pipe remaining batter to just below the rim.
For the streusel, in a bowl mix all the ingredients except the butter and then with a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until a crumb forms. Spoon over top of muffin batter.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes until lightly brown and firm.

Potato Gnocchi

Potato Gnocchi

4 (about 800g) sebago potatoes (washed), peeled, quartered
Salt & ground white pepper
1 egg, lightly whisked
300g (2 cups) plain flour
20g (1/4 cup) finely grated parmesan
Plain flour, to dust

Add enough water to a saucepan to reach a depth of 3cm. Bring to the boil over high heat. Place potato in a metal steaming basket. Place steamer in saucepan (make sure base of steamer doesn't touch the water). Steam, covered, for 15 minutes or until tender. (It's best to steam rather than boil the potato. Boiling can saturate potato with water, which will increase the amount of flour required and result in a heavier gnocchi.) Transfer to a bowl and use a potato masher to mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the egg and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add half the flour and parmesan and stir until combined. Add the remaining flour, in 2 more batches, until well combined and a firm dough forms. (If dough is too soft, add more flour.) Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll 1 portion into a 2cm-diameter log about 30cm long. Use a lightly floured knife to cut into 2cm pieces. Repeat with remaining dough portions.

Lightly flour your hands and roll each piece of dough into a ball. Use your thumb to roll each ball over a floured fork. Place on tray.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil over medium heat. Add one-quarter of gnocchi (drop onto base of pan in a single layer, but don't overcrowd as they can stick together) and cook for 3 minutes or until they rise to the surface. Use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer to a bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with the remaining gnocchi.

Gnocchi Puttanesca

Gnocchi Puttanesca

The translation of the title of this dish is “whore’s pasta”! There are a lot of stories as to how it got its name, but one of the most common is that it was a dish that the working girls could quickly prepare between customers. Another version is that is was cooked in brothels so customers would be lured in by the enticing aromas. I don’t really buy that one. I think food would be the last thing on the customers minds ;-) It is a relatively modern dish, probably dating back to the end of the second world war. Both Lazio and Campania claim it as their own. This is the Campania version.

Ingredients


2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 small red chilli, seeded, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine
800g canned chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tbs baby capers, rinsed
100g small pitted black olives
800g potato gnocchi (See Separate Recipe)
1 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grated parmesan, to serve
Heat the olive oil in a deep frypan over low heat, add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, anchovy fillets and chilli and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the onion has softened and the anchovies have dissolved. Add the white wine, chopped tomato, bay leaf and rinsed capers, then cook for a further 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Season - remembering that the anchovies, capers and olives are all quite salty - then stir in the olives.

Towards the end of the sauce cooking time, cook the potato gnocchi in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain.

Add the gnocchi and the flat-leaf parsley to the sauce and toss well.

Serve the gnocchi sprinkled with grated parmesan.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 1L (4 cups) reduced-fat milk
• 2 brown onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh continental parsley leaves and stems
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt & ground black pepper, to taste
• 300g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 300g Swiss brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 125ml (1/2 cup) thickened reduced-fat cream
•  
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh continental parsley, extra

1. Combine the milk, onions, parsley, garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, stirring often, for 15 minutes.
2. Stir in the mushrooms and cook, partially covered, for a further 20 minutes or until they are soft. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Discard the bay leaves.
3. Stir the cream into the soup. Transfer 1/3 of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and repeat with the remaining soup. Return the soup to the saucepan and heat over low heat until warmed through. Do not allow the soup to boil. Serve sprinkled with pepper and the extra parsley.

Chicken and Ham Terrine

This is a lovely terrine which is great for lunch served with fresh crusty bread and a nice chutney like Branston Pickle.
1 #16 Chicken
200gms Pork Back Fat
150gms Ham
250gms Pork Fillet
600ml Thickened Cream
100ml Brandy
1 Egg
To make the terrine-
2 Tablespoons each of Parsley,Chives and Tarragon ,chopped
20 Slices of fat bacon.
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Spring Onions,washed,dried and finely chopped.
250gms Cooked Ham.

Method
Wash the chicken under a cold tap and pat dry on a clean tea towel.joint the chicken and remove the flesh from all the bones,set the breast fillets aside in the fridge for later use.
Thinly slice enough back fat to line a 28x16x16 terrine dish,cut all the meats and the leftover back fat into
very thin strips and run through a mincer twice,together with the meat from the chicken including the legs.
Now put the minced mixture in a bowl and work with a spatula,stir in the cream,egg and brandy,add 2 teaspoons of salt per kg of meat and season with black pepper-fresh ground is best.
Set the mixture aside in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile heat the butter in a saucepan and saute the spring onion for 3 minutes,let the mix cool then add the chopped herbs,slice the breast fillets and roll in the onion and herb butter mix.
Set aside.
Set the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Line the terrine mould with the sliced streaky bacon. Spread half the farce over the bottom of the terrine, then make a layer of sliced chicken breast, then sliced ham. Continue to layer the ham, farce and chicken mix, until it is all used up, and then top with the remaining bacon..
 Place the terrine in a roasting pan and pour in enough hot water to come three quarters up the side of the terrine. Cook for 1 hour.
 Remove from the oven and place a board and a weight of about 500g on the terrine to compress it gently until it has cooled completely.
Serve with bread and pickles.

Stir Fry Beef And Broccoli

I love this dish and cook it regularly .
250 gms Rump Steak
500 gms Broccoli
4 Tablespoons Peanut Oil
4 Thin slices fresh Ginger,peeled.
Salt and Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic cut into thin slivers
3 Spring Onions,washed,dried and cut into pieces.
1 Tablespoon Dry Sherry
For the marinade
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Thick Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Honey
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Cornflour
1 Teaspoon Peanut Oil

For the sauce
1 Tablespoon Cornflour
4 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1/2 Tablespoon Thick Soy Sauce

Cut the beef into very thin strips and place in a bowl cover with  the marinade which you have made by mixing all the ingredients except the oil together in a bowl and stirring well,pour the marinade over the beef and marinate for 30 minutes then stir in the oil.
Wash and dry the broccoli then cut into florets and set aside,now make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Heat a wok till hot ,add half the oil and swirl it around so that it coats the wok surface evenly,add the ginger and broccoli and stir fry for about 2 minutes adjusting heat as required to stop the broccoli burning,add the salt and 4 or 5 tablespoons of water,bring to the boil and cook ,covered and cook a further 4 -5 minutes,the broccoli should be cooked by still crisp and crunchy.remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a warm place.Wash and dry the wok and reheat ,add 2 tablespoons oil and heat till smoking,swirl around to coat the wok with the oil ,add the garlic,spring onion and beef and toss quickly stir fry the ingredients for about 30 seconds to brown,add the sherry and the previously prepared sauce,stir quickly and toss the ingredients around with a spatula as the sauce thickens.return the broccoli to the pan to reheat quickly and combine with the beef .
Serve Immediately

Homemade Lemon Curd

Homemade Lemon Curd is delicious on toast for breakfast or drizzled on top of your cornflakes to give them a zingy lift.
Here's my late mums recipe .
6 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 Cup Caster Sugar
100 gms Unsalted Butter
Grated rind of 2 lemons.

Place a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of simmering water,whisk together the eggs,juice ,rind and sugar and cook,stirring constantly over a low heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
remove from the heat and add the butter in small cubes,a few at a time,whisk in to the mixture then pour the
mixture through a fine sieve to remove any lumps.
Pour into sterilized jars and leave to cool before putting the lids on.