Orange and Beetroot Ice Cream

I've never been into weird food. Lamb's brains, liver, bacon flavoured soda. I'll pass.
I'm anxious when I hear about people adding cauliflower to their sweets, and even have my reservations abut zucchini in chocolate cakes, although I hear at least that one is quite nice.
So, adding pureed beetroot to ice cream is a real leap for me. I happen to love beetroot, despite its staining tendencies, and fell in love with the thought of churning hot pink to fuchsia coloured ice cream in my machine.
I figured someone had probably already invented beetroot ice cream, so I googled it and found a recipe for it on a lovely blog. The pictures were amazing, and yes, the ice cream was fuchsia!
Somehow mine didn't turn out so hot pink, but it was a lovely shade of pink, and tasted even better than I thought it would. When you hear that a vegetable has been added to ice cream, it can make you pretty weary- so I have to say I was absolutely pleasantly surprised. Of course you are all wondering what it tastes like. Well the first flavour that hits you is that of oranges-a delightful citrus that hints at marmalade and is simultaneously fresh. There are subtle notes of beet on the end. I wouldn't go as far to say that you can pick out the flavour distinctly, but there are definitely beetroot qualities, a certain earthiness, a tang. There are no strong flavours, it is a very smooth and harmonious combination, a delicate quality to the ice cream, along with a silky smoothness that lacks in many home made ice creams.

ORANGE AND BEETROOT ICE CREAM  (Adapted from Saveur)

2 cups milk
4 tsp corn flour (or corn starch)
1 1/4 cup thickened or heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup (or golden syrup)
pinch salt
peel of 1 orange
3 tbsp cream cheese
1/2 cup pureed beetroot (I used beetroot from a 450g can, drained.)

In a small bowl, place 1/4 cup of the milk with the corn flour and set aside In a medium saucepan, place the remaining milk cream, sugar, syrup and salt and whisk to combine.
Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Add the orange peel and cook for 4 minutes Stir the milk-cornflour mixture until combined, and add to the saucepan. Return to the boil and cook, stirring until thick, for about 2 minutes. Remove about 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture and place in a small bowl with the cream cheese. Combine thoroughly until smooth. Add this to the saucepan. Stir in the pureed beetroot.
Chill the mixture until completely cold. I left mine overnight in the refrigerator. Then strain the mixture to remove the beetroot and orange peel. Follow the manufacturers instructions on your ice cream machine for the final step. When churned, place in the freezer for several hours to freeze before serving.

Makes about 1 litre

Boston Banoffee Pie To Die For

I don't know about you, but I've always been rather suspicious of "old wives tales". Don't tell me my baby is a girl because you put a gold ring on a string and twirled it around, I don't go for that sort of thing. But, some of these funny little stories I'm willing to try. If there could be some truth in it, something scientific. When my husband brought home green bananas for his birthday banoffee pie I knew I had to do everything I could to ripen them before the next day. If you live in Australia, you will know that we're having banana price issues, and just to buy one almost breaks the bank. Green ones were the only available, so I found myself a brown paper bag, a tomato and crossed my fingers. The bananas and the tomato went into the bag and I sealed it.
Dare I open the bag and be seriously disappointed?
Yellow bananas!
Gladly I found out the scientific reasoning for their ripening. Fruit produces a gas called ethylene which is a ripening hormone. When an unripe fruit is left with ripened fruit, the hormone also affects the unripe fruit and speeds up the yellowing process. So the banoffee pie went ahead and the bananas were lovely! (24 hours is recommended for ripening in the bag, and a paper bag is essential as the gasses escape plastic bags apparently.)
This pie is absolutely decadent. Shortbread pastry crust topped with bananas, thick caramel toffee and whipped cream, sprinkled with chocolate shavings and more sliced banana. A real feast for the senses!

 

BOSTON BANOFFEE PIE (adapted from "500 Budget Recipes")

PASTRY:
1 1/4 cups plain flour
115g (1/2 cup) diced butter
1/4 cup caster sugar

FILLING:
115g (1/2 cup) diced butter
200g sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup muscovado (brown) sugar
2 tbsp. golden syrup

TO DECORATE:
3 ripe bananas
250ml cream, whipped
50g chocolate to decorate
1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 160C. To make the pastry, place flour and butter together in a bowl and process with hands until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix through the caster sugar to form a soft, pliable dough. Press the dough into a 20cm flan tin and bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat and sit to cool.
To make the filling, place the butter in a saucepan with the condensed milk, brown sugar and syrup. Heat gently, stirring, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring continuously, until the filling thickens and turns a light caramel colour. Cut up two of the bananas into thin slices and arrange as desired over the base of the pastry case. Pour the hot caramel over the top of the bananas and leave until completely cold and set.
To decorate, cut up the last banana into slices and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent discolouration. Arrange them as desired in the centre of the pie and cover in piped whipped cream and curled or grated chocolate. Bon Appitit!

Chocolate Ripple Cake

Some things are better left unmentioned. When I told my husband that the chocolate ripple cake I made for my birthday was the most unhealthy thing I would ever let myself eat he looked at me strangely. "After all," I said "Its just cookies and cream". He couldn't believe it, and then I added "and a bit of fruit juice".
"I'm going to vomit!" he said. "Fruit juice??"
So I understand that the first image that comes to mind is curdled cream and orange juice, but this cake is far from revolting. And far from being able to curdle. Its always been a family favourite for us and is such a simple affair...yet so rich and amazing, you wouldn't expect it to only have three ingredients and take just half an hour to assemble. Its the type of recipe I love best...far from ordinary, delicious, quick, simple and elegant. And practically foolproof.
And, after a large piece of this cake and after that terrible image of cream and fruit juice, my husband had another piece because of its deliciousness. So fear not his comment! It was retracted most hastily! But...if it still appears off putting, you could easily make a boozy version with tia maria or baileys in substitution for the juice...it would be amazing!

CHOCOLATE RIPPLE CAKE

1 packet chocolate ripple biscuits
500 ml cream, whipped
1 cup fruit juice
chocolate shavings to decorate (optional)

Whip cream until thick. Pour juice into a small bowl along side the serving plate chosen for the cake. Starting with one biscuit at a time, dip quickly into the juice, lather one side with cream and stand upright on the plate, immediately wedging another soaked biscuit along side it keep its position. Work in such fashion until you have built a ring of biscuits wedged together with cream. Fill the centre with remaining biscuits and cream. Use the remaining cream to lather the outside of the cake until all biscuit is covered. Grate chocolate over the exterior if desired. Cover in cling wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. This is best served the day after making.
Serves 8-10

 

A Sinfully Wicked Dessert for Valentine's Day

Underneath a light, fluffy cloud of cream lies a dark, handsome, smooth and totally irresistible chocolate ganache, laced with a hint of cointreau, surrounded by...more chocolate. So good it's almost bad. It is not innocent, it is not kind (to your waistline) but it's so worth it. You would probably say yes to more except it is so rich, so creamy and wickedly intoxicating that it would be a crime to go back for seconds. Maybe the next day. But not any time soon.

The culprit:

Chocolate Cointreau Ganache Mousse with Cream

Don't say I didn't warn you. 

It will call you from the refrigerator at the most inconvenient times, tempting you to have that second taste of its wicked goodness. Yes, it was love at first sight.

CHOCOLATE COINTREAU GANACHE MOUSSE WITH CREAM

Mousse recipe adapted from Taste

300g good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 eggs, separated

125ml (1/2 cup) light olive oil

60ml (1/4 cup) Cointreau liqueur

50g cream

150g extra chocolate

cocoa powder to dust

Melt 300g chocolate in the microwave, checking every 20 seconds to ensure it does not burn. Stir until the chocolate is smooth. Set aside to cool.
 Meanwhile, melt extra chocolate in a separate bowl. Spread generously into four cup molds, ensuring the sides are thick, as well as the bottom. Refrigerate until set.
Beat the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until firm peaks form. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition until combined.
Add the melted chocolate and beat until combined. Gradually add the oil and Cointreau, beating until well after each addition.
Gently remove the set chocolate cups from their molds.
Spoon the chocolate mixture into each chocolate cup. Cover and place in the fridge for 4 hours or until firm. Serve with cream and a sprinkling of cocoa or chocolate curls on the top.

NOTES: this recipe can be made one day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Another naughty version of this amazing cointreau mousse:

CHOCOLATE COINTREAU MOUSSE TARTS

Shortbread Tart Cases:

125g butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup pure icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cornflour

Using an electric beater, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flours, and stir until well combined. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll with a rolling pin and press our 20 circles. Place each in the bases of a greased muffin tray. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Cool.

Using the above mousse recipe, pipe chocolate mousse into each shortbread case when cooled. You may find this easier after refrigerating the mousse for several hours prior to piping.

MAKES 20

Quick Fixes For Unexpected Or Forgotten Parties

Ever forgotten that you invited a whole swag of people to come over for dinner weeks ago, and find yourself with a few hours to organise something impressive? Everyone's had one of those days where they just could not get everything done that they wanted to, and then to go and spend hours trying to create a fancy dessert for guests is just out of the question. So I've created a super quick and extra delicious recipe for these moments in time. Not only do they taste superb, they also look fantastic in all their simple but deadly glory.

BLACK FOREST RIPPLE DESSERTS

300g thickened cream
150g chocolate
 300g chocolate ripple biscuits
100g extra chocolate
50g extra cream
12 cherries with stems

Whip cream and fold through melted chocolate.
Place 12 biscuits face up on a serving platter. Spoon a dollop of chocolate cream onto the centre of each. Place another biscuit on top of the cream. Top with another dollop. Place one more biscuit on top of each stack.

Melt extra chocolate. To make ganache, stir into this chocolate the extra cream and immediately pour onto each individual dessert. Top with a fresh cherry and refrigerate until served.

Makes 12

A New Year's Feast

So, I've never celebrated New Years in a low key style, but there's a first for everything, and quite frankly, I think New Years celebrations to be a little over rated. We opted for a dinner party this year, with some of the young couples and it was fabulous!
Being a Friday, we went for seafood. Not everyone is a seafood fan, but you cant go wrong with a beautiful, buttery Salmon steak smeared in mushroom sauce on a bed of warm potato mash, baby spinach and roast capsicum. The meal is a favourite of mine to make and gets compliments every time, so if you're wanting to impress...you have the recipe! The best thing, besides the taste, is that this meal is super easy to make and looks gourmet. Cant go past it!

Hors D'oeuvres:

Photo courtesy of Marcela Saborido

Cucumber Wheels with Curried Tuna, Capsicum and Prawns


2 large cucumbers
2x 95g cans Thai Red Curry tuna
1/4 red capsicum
prawns (optional)

Scrape the fork vertically down the skin of the cucumbers until completely scored. Cut off the ends and cut the cucumber into 1cm discs. Scrape out a little of the centre of each with a teaspoon, making sure that there is still a base. Discard the removed seeds. Spoon curried tuna into the small wells and top with slithered capsicum and prawns if desired.



Main Course:

ATLANTIC SALMON STEAK WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE, MASH, BABY SPINACH AND ROASTED CAPSICUM

Atlantic salmon steak
Red capsicum, halved, deseeded
Mashed potato
Handful of mushrooms, chopped
Evaporated milk
Corn flour
Salt and pepper


Heat oil in pan on stove on high. Sear the salmon on each side for a few minutes until golden. Turn stove to low to cook the steak through, turning and checking occasionally.
Meanwhile, halve the capsicum, deseed and set under the grill on high. Remove when browned, and repeat for the other side.
Cut desired amount of mushrooms into small pieces and begin to brown in a small saucepan. While browning, place 1/5 cup evaporated milk in a small bowl and mix a little corn flour into it. When well combined, add to the mushrooms, with more evaporated milk until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Bring to the boil and remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange baby spinach in the middle of plate. Lay the roast capsicum on top of the spinach and scoop prepared potato mash inside. Lay salmon steak on top of the mash and pour hot mushroom sauce over the steak.


NOTE: this recipe serves one. Increase ingredients to suit.

Dessert:

MERINGUE RAVE SWAN

2 Egg whites
1/2 cup caster sugar
3oz flaked almonds, lightly toasted
100ml cream
1/4 cup strawberries

Preheat oven to 150C.
Beat the egg whites on the highest setting until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add the sugar, beating well in between, until sugar dissolves,  and the mixture is thick, smooth and glossy.
Draw 12 tear shapes onto two sheets of baking paper to use as guides for the swan's bodies. Pipe meringue mixture onto these sheets to fill in the shapes, making the meringue thicker at the widest part of the tear. Insert the tips of almonds at a slight angle over the tops of these tear shapes to resemble feathers. Bake for one hour, alternating the trays at the end of the first half hour. Cool with the oven door slightly ajar.

With the remaining meringue, pipe S shapes onto another lined baking tray. Pipe a few extra in case of breakage. Bake in the oven until golden, and cool with the door ajar.

Beat the cream until thick. Crush the strawberries and add, stirring through the cream.
Just before serving, wedge two teardrops together with cream to assemble the body and insert the S shape to form the swan's head.

NOTES: do not assemble swan and then store in the refrigerator, as the meringue will soften and the swan will not stand.

 After dinner Nibbles:

CUSTARD SHORTBREAD TARTS

Shortbread:

125g butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup pure icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cornflour

Using an electric beater, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flours, and stir until well combined. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll with a rolling pin and press our 20 circles. Place each in the bases of a  muffin tin, taking care to centre the dough so that each forms a pastry case. Bake for 25-30 minutes  until golden. Cool.

Custard:

2 cups milk
4 large egg yolks
6 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. cornflour
40g butter, at room temperature

Place milk in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, combine yolks, sugar and cornflour and whisk over a low heat. When the milk has boiled, add a few tablespoons into the yolk mixture and whisk. Gradually add the remaining milk and whisk vigorously on a medium heat. Custard will thicken. Continue to whisk until boils, and remove from heat. Scrape into a small bowl and sit in a tray of ice, to cease the cooking process. When cooler, add the butter in 3-4 installments, stirring until combined. Add essence, mix and refrigerate. Stores for 2-3 days.

Pipe custard into shortbread cases and drizzle with melted chocolate. De-lish!