The cheat's Tiramisu

Last week I reinvigorated my cake decorating skills to make a three layer (single tier) birthday cake for two colleagues. There was plenty of left over sponge, and that sponge which had been trimmed to level off each layer. So, rather than waste it, I froze it, figuring I'd find something to make with it at a later day. Well that day came today.

I've always been a fan of a rich, strong Tiramisu, but I rarely have the time or inclination to make a full dish from scratch. So if you're like me and want to find the quick and easy way to make things, here's the recipe (minus quantities as I do!) for you!

Brew some good quality coffee and allow it go cold. Mix in some Frangelico and Kahlua to taste.

Tear off a chunk of the sponge and place in the bottom of the bowl/glass. Pour over some of the coffee mixture to allow the sponge to go nice and soggy. Add some crumbled bits of Milk Coffee biscuits on top (I was hoping this would add some crunch to the Tiramisu but it just added to the sponge density with the absorption of the coffee - oh well).

Using Philadelphia Cream for Desserts, spread a nice even layer over the top of the sponge/biscuit. Pour a little coffee mixutre on top to ensure the flavour is strong.

Repeat the process starting with another layer of sponge, and finally finish with Cream and some crumbled biscuit and sponge bits.

Dig in and enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup and Chicken Caesar Salad

Saturday night's dinner was a bit of a mash together. Nobody wanted anything heavy and the warm day meant nobody really wanted anything hot either. Looking around the kitchen, I decided on making a big pot of pumpkin soup and a chicken caesar salad.

Now remember when I said I don't use actual recipes.... below is all a guesstimate as to quantities used!

I will confess, I love Butternut pumpkin. Rarely will I buy any other variety. I cut up about 1.2kg of Butternut in to approx. 3cm cubes and roasted at 200 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the flesh becomes soft but not baked hard.

One leek sliced finely with a couple of tablespoons of butter in a medium heat saucepan to allow the leeks to soften but not colour. Add two medium potatoes (peeled and diced to 1cm cubes) and 1L salt reduced chicken stock (you can use vegetable if you like.) Add the baked pumpkin and two tablespoons of honey, and bring to a rapid simmer. Leave simmering until you can see the potato pieces starting to crumble in the stock and the pumpkin starts to mush up. Remove from heat, put lid on saucepan and allow to stew in its own warmth for about 15 minutes. Blend to a puree (I find I have to do this in two batches in my blender.)

You can add cream if you wish at this stage, or just a good dollop of sour cream (or cooking Philadelphia) when serving. The dishes in the image are served with chives from the garden.

Caesar salad has never been a favourite of mine. I think perhaps I consumed a dish once with a vile rendition of sauce on it and it put me off the thought of eating Caesar salad for quite some time. But I noticed we had a rather large Cos lettuce in the fridge, and knowing this household, the lettuce would normally go off before it's even looked at.

I decided to make my own version of Caesar sauce - one whole egg, two tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar, two tablespoons of Dijon mustard and four anchovy fillets with some of the oil from the jar all whizzed up in the micro blender. When the mix comes together, add a grind of salt and pepper and slowly drizzle in about a 1/4 cup of good quality light olive oil. Remember, all quantities give and take depending upon how it tastes and works for you!

The salad was simply a stack of chunky Cos lettuce, toasted slices of Turkish bread, shaved parmesan cheese, crispy pieces of bacon, soft boiled eggs, quick cooked slices of chicken breast, anchovy slices and the sauce.

Disfrute de su comida (or something, in Spanish!)

Tomato and Chilli Salsa

Every couple of months I make up a batch of this Tomato and Chilli Salsa. It's great to just leave in the tub in the fridge then add to the side of your plate with chicken, beef, pork, fish, actually just about anything. It's also great to use as a dip with crackers and cheese platter or to add some zing to your toasted sandwich for lunch! The chilli components are entirely optional if you prefer something a little more gentle on the palette.

You may begin to notice I'm not really a fan of using quantities in recipes (unless it is for a specific baking recipe like cakes and pastries and finer items), hence the below list doesn't give a lot of detail. I'm hoping most people can judge whether a "good dollop" is the appropriate quantity or a "smidgen" is more suited to the recipe!

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Onion - red, white or brown, chopped
• Garlic - crushed or minced
• Chillies - chopped, optional
• Ginger - grated
• Tomatoes - peeled and seeded, chopped
• 1 Cup lightly packed soft brown sugar
• 1 Cup basil - chopped
• 1 Cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 Cup dry sherry
• Sweet chilli sauce

 Method:

1. Soften the onion, garlic, chillies, ginger in the oil. Do not allow to brown.
2. Add the chopped tomato pieces. Remember, a salsa is quite rustic, so there's no need to be fine and delicate with the ingredients. The original recipe I sourced this from suggested to peel the tomatoes too but I find the skin adds more texture to the final product.
3. Once the tomato is warmed through in the mix, add the remaining ingredients: basil, sugar, vinegar, sherry and a good couple of tablespoons of chilli sauce.
   
   
4. Stir until well combined. Reduce to a simmer and allow to thicken and become dark and syrupy over the next 1 to 2 hours. The mix will require stirring frequently to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
5. The salsa will continue to thicken on cooling so it's fine to turn the heat off with a bit of liquid and softness still in the mix.

My Favourite Recipes

Yes, I know; It's been a while since I blogged. My apologies.

Life was on a forwards path, or at least I thought. But now it's taken a turn, it's time to indulge you in one of my past-times which doesn't fail me. Cooking.

Plus, I found a few weeks ago I needed one of my recipes but didn't have the book with me. So, if I publish a small collection of fail-safe-always-need-to-know recipes, I can source them when I'm not near my bookshelf!

So here we go.....

Baileys Irish Cream
400ml can condensed milk
300ml cream
3 eggs
1 Cup Whisky/Brandy (Scotch)
1 Tbsp chocolate topping
1 tsp coconut essence
Mix well in blender and bottle. Consume within 4 days

Sweet Muffins - general mixture 
1 Cup honey
1 egg - beaten
1 1/4 Cups milk
100g butter - melted
2 Cups Self Raising flour

Options to include:
1/2 Cup walnuts
1/2 Cup chocolate chips
2-3 bananas - mashed

or

1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sultanas
stewed apple pieces
cinnamon

Combine all ingredients, making sure flour is mixed in last. Mixture does not have to be entirely smooth when 'fully mixed'. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees.

Carrot and Zucchini Muffins
1/2 Cup SR wholemeal flour
1/2 Cup SR flour
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 grated carrot
1 grated zucchini
1/4 mixed crushed nuts
1/2 Cup milk - scant
45g butter - melted
1 egg

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. 20 minutes at 200 degrees.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
125g butter
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar - lightly packed
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg - lightly beaten
1 3/4 Cup SR flour
1/2 tsp sale
125g chocolate chips
60g walnut pieces

Cream together butter, sugars and vanilla. Add egg gradually, beating well after each addition. Mix in sifted flour and salt. Add chocolate chips and walnuts.
Shape teaspoons of mixture in to small balls, place on lightly greased oven tray. Allow room for spreading. 10-12 minutes at 180 degrees.

Apricot Cream Pie
425g can apricot halves
1/2 Cup sugar
2 Tbsp SR flour
200g light sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
cinnamon - to top

Drain apricots and place in pie dish. Combine sugar, flour, add egg, sour cream and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour over apricots. Sprinkle with cinnamon. 40 minutes at 190 degrees.

Basic Pizza Dough
3/4 Cup warm water
1 tsp olive oil
7g satchel dried yeast
2 Cups plain flour
1/2 tsp salt

Dissolve y east in water. Stir in oil.
In large bowl stir flour, salt and yeast mixture until blended. Kneed for 2 minutes. Cover bowl with greaseproof paper. Let dough rest for 5 minutes. Roll out to required size. Brush top of dough lightly with oil prior to adding toppings. Crust cooks best at 12-15 minutes at 200 degrees.

Bechamel Sauce
60g (3 Tbsp) butter
1/3 Cup plain flour
salt and pepper
pinch nutmeg
2 Cups milk
125g cheddar cheese - grated
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Blend until smooth. Stir over heat for 1 minute. Gradually add milk and stir until sauce boils and thickens. Reduce heat, cook 1 minute. remove from heat and stir in cheeses until they melt.

Pineapple & Cherry Fruit Loaf
1 packet glace cherries, halved
equal quantities of glace pineapple, small chunks, and glace ginger
125g butter
1/3 Cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1 Cup plain flour
1/3 Cup SR flour
1/3 Cup Milk
1 Tbsp cream sherry

Grease and line loaf pan. Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in fruit, half of flour, milk and sherry. Add remaining flour. 80 minutes at 150-160 degrees.

Thai Dipping Sauce
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup vinegar
1/3 Cup water

Simmer to syrup. Add chill, cucumber, onion etc.

Light and Easy Boiled Fruit Cake
375g mixed dried fruits
3/4 Cup soft brown sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 Cup water
125g butter
1/2 Cup sherry
2 eggs - lightly beaten
2 Tbsp marmalade
1 Cup SR flour
1 Cup plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
Optional topping - 1/3 cup toasted muesli, chopped walnuts and cherries.

Place fruit, sugar, spice, water and butter in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove and cool. Add sherry, marmalade and eggs. Fold in sifted flours and bicarb soda. Grease and line 20cm round pan. Two and quarter hours at 160 degrees.

Chocolate Mousse
200g dark chocolate - chopped
20g butter
250ml thickened cream
3 eggs - separated

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler.
Whip cream to soft peaks.
Whip egg whites to soft peaks.
Add eggs one at a time to cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in cream. Fold in egg whites. Pour in to desired servingware and chill for at least an hour.