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Guest Post: Orange Passionfruit Curd Mini Tarts from 6Bittersweets

Posted in Bake, tagged , , , , , , , on February 3, 2011| 29 Comments »

Orange Passionfruit Curd Mini Tarts

Orange Passionfruit Curd Mini Tarts

You would agree with me when I say that you can tell a lot about a person just by looking at the food they post on their blog.  Right?  Well, today I’m going to introduce you to Xiaolu from 6 Bittersweets blog.  First she’s extremely talented.  I can’t even begin to tell you about how detailed and amazing her creations are.  This Mangomisu Cake should speak for itself.  Then, she’s a great photographer.  Here is a link to when she turned a  S’more into a cupcake which won her first Does My Blog Look Good in This Award!  She’s also mainly vegetarian and can make any meat eater seriously consider giving it up.  Check out her Roast Sweet Potato with Miso-Tahini glaze and Spiked Spaghetti so you  get an idea of the super healthy dishes she comes up with.  I could probably go on and on but the one thing that really strikes me is her beautiful writing and how her personality shines through her stories.  When you read Xiaolu’s blog – you feel like you are meeting one of the sweetest persons.  So after you check on these super yummy looking Orange Passionfruit Curd Mini Tarts, please head on over to Xiaolu’s blog so you can see what I’m talking about (make sure you have lots of time because her blog is incredibly addicting!)…. But in the meantime, I’m handing my blog over to Xiaolu….

Thank you so much Xiaolu – you are my first guest post on this blog and it is an honour to be able to have you do this for me.

I’ve had a food blog for 1 1/2 years now. And while the simple desire to catalog and share delicious recipes got things started, it’s the wonderfully talented and caring blogger community and a passion for photography that keep me hooked. I recall Trissa was one of the first bloggers to reach out to me as a new blogger. Her consistent encouragement plus each mouthwatering post to this site really inspired me to build something wonderful for myself. And now, at the start of a new year, she’s bolstered me once again by allowing me this small addition to her lovely site. Thanks so much to Trissa and all of you for having me today!

What is it about miniature treats that gets us so excited? Is it simply the cuteness factor of a regular dessert shrunk down? Perhaps some people favor their portability, as with cupcakes. Or is it simply that getting an entire treat to ourselves, rather than just a sliver, makes us feel that much more special ;p? Whatever the reason, I’m certainly not immune to it and couldn’t resist buying the mini tart pans used to make these orange passionfruit tartlets.

Even if you’re somehow immune to their petite charm, I think these tarts will win you with their refreshing flavors and contrasting textures. They’re a happy meeting of tangy yet sweet fruits whose flavors dance across your tastebuds with every bite. Plus the addition of crunchy poppy seed to the crust means that it’ll hold its own, even against such a luscious curd filling. These tarts are great to serve to guests (mine even licked their plates), but be careful during the preparation. They’re so moreish that you may just decide to keep them all to yourself if you taste one ahead of time ^_^.

Orange Passionfruit Curd Mini Tarts

Orange Passionfruit Curd Mini Tarts

Orange Passionfruit Curd Mini Tarts from 6 Bittersweets

Recipe from Xiaolu of 6 Bittersweets Blog Printable Recipe

Adapted from several recipes in The Pie and Pastry Bible
Makes six 4-inch mini tarts

XIAOLU’S NOTES: You can use any combination of citrus fruits that you want for the topping, really. I chose navel orange, blood orange, and cara cara oranges. Practically all components of this recipe can be prepared in advance, leaving only minor assembly to be done the day you want to serve the tarts.

Tarts were baked using a conventional (non fan-forced oven).  Adjust oven temperatures if necessary.

Poppy seed Mini Tart Shells (Recipe Below)
Passionfruit Curd (Recipe Below)
3 assorted citrus fruits, ends and peel sliced off and sectioned

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150c) at least 15 minutes before baking. Smoothly fill the prebaked tart shells with passionfruit curd and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. The filling shouldn’t change color and should barely jiggle when the pan is moved. Transfer tarts to a rack to cool.

Once the tarts have completely cooled, arrange several citrus segments atop the tarts. Then remove tarts from their pans and enjoy!
Poppy Seed Mini Tart Shells

  • 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
  • 1 1/3 cups (6.5 oz.) bleached all purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
  • 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 Tbsp ice water
  • 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
  1. Divide cold butter into 5 tablespoons and 3 tablespoons. Cut all butter into 3/4-inch cubes, and wrap each portion with plastic wrap. Place the flour, poppy seeds, salt, and baking powder in a resealable gallon-size freezer bag. Freeze all of the above for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Transfer the frozen flour mixture into medium bowl. Whisk to combine this mixture. Then using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the larger portion (5 Tbsp) of butter cubes into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
  3. Transfer this mixture and the smaller portion (3 Tbsp) of butter cubes into the freezer bag used earlier. Remove any air from the freezer bag and seal it. Now, use a rolling pin to flatten the butter in the bag into flakes. Freeze the bag until the butter is very firm, another 10 minutes.
  4. Transfer the contents of the bag back to the bowl. Sprinkle 2 1/2 tablespoons ice water and all the vinegar onto the mixture, tossing it lightly with a rubber spatula. If the mixture still seems very dry, sprinkle 1 tablespoon more ice water and toss again with the spatula.
  5. Move the mixture back into the freezer bag. Keeping the bag unzipped, knead the mixture by alternately pressing it, from the outside of the bag, with the knuckles and heels of your hands until the mixture holds together in one piece and feels slightly stretchy when pulled.
  6. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap, flatten it into a disc, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
  7. Remove dough from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature, at least 45 minutes.
  8. Roll dough out to 1/16-inch thickness. Cut out 5 1/2-inch circles of dough and press each of these into a mini tart pan. Prick the bottoms of the dough all over with a fork. Cover and freeze for at least 30 minutes and up to a day before baking.
  9. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 c). Cover tart pans with parchment paper and weigh down using dry beans or pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and remove the beans and parchment. Press down lightly with a spoon on any areas of the crusts that have puffed up while baking. Return to the oven for 7 to 10 minutes more or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and brush with beaten egg white while crusts are still warm. Let cool.
    Passionfruit Curd
    Makes 1 2/3 cups 

  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tsp cornstarch, sifted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp passionfruit puree OR juice from 9 to 10 fruits, divided
  • 6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
  • 1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  1. In a heavy non-reactive saucepan, beat the eggs, yolks, cornstarch, and sugar until well blended. Stir in 3/4 cup passionfruit puree, butter, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the sides of the pan, until mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon but liquid enough to pour. Mixture will change from translucent to opaque.
  2. Once curd is thick enough, press it through a strainer suspended over a medium bowl that contains the zests. Add remaining 2 tablespoons passionfruit puree to the bowl and stir thoroughly; allow to cool. Curd can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

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Chinese Style (Fragrant Braised) Peanuts For Chinese New Year

Posted in Cook, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 27, 2011| 28 Comments »

Chinese Style Braised Peanuts

Chinese Style (Fragrant) Braised Peanuts

Is January really almost gone?  I really thought that things would slow down after the Christmas holidays but oh how wrong I was!  With the new job, days have gone by in a blur. Most of the time I’m meeting new people, learning new systems, products and before I know it, it’s past seven or eight in the evening.  At times my head’s just spinning with so much new information that I long for the day when everything “just clicks”… The good news though, as nerdy as it sounds, is that I’m enjoying it all.  I feel lucky to be where I am now.

Then there’s my other project.   In between work, I’ve also been getting our house ready for auction.  We had it painted and did a little bit of cleaning and styling, and by the time it was done, I was almost regretting leaving.   In fact, the photographer said it was the most photogenic house he had seen in a long while.

So really, there isn’t much time for anything else.  Blogging has continued to take a backseat for the moment, especially, as I mentioned before, being able to visit some of my favourite blogs.  Even the recipes now that appeal to me, are the ones that require minimal effort on my part.

Take these Chinese Style, also known and Fragrant Braised Peanuts, I made the other day, which also coincides quite nicely with Chinese New Year just around the corner.  The inspiration for them came during one  yum cha lunch with my family where I polished off the braised peanuts that came with the roast duck and soy chicken.  As I nibbled on them I thought they tasted like they had been cooked in a traditional Chinese red braising liquid and that there probably wasn’t much to making them.  Sure enough, this tasty snack takes nothing more than placing all ingredients in a pot and allowing to simmer for a few hours.  Peanuts braised in soy, star anise, cassia, garlic, chillies, sugar and hints of citrus, the result is a myriad of lovely and addicting flavours.

Chinese Style Braised Peanuts

Chinese Style (Fragrant) Braised Peanuts

Chinese Style Braised Peanuts

  • 750 grams raw peanuts
  • 3 star anise
  • 2 cinnamon sticks or cassia barks
  • 2 dried orange peel pieces (or 1 fresh orange peel)
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 3 dried chillies
  • 50 grams rock sugar or caster sugar
  • 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons five spice powder
  1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot with eight cups of water. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down so that the braising liquid is just simmering. Add some water while cooking if necessary (I added around two cups each hour I boiled the peanuts). Cook for around two and a half hours.
  2. Remove the peanuts from the heat and place in another container. Allow the peanuts to cool before storing in the refrigerator.
Chinese Style Braised Peanuts

Chinese Style Braised Peanuts

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Cocido Madrileño for Kulinarya Cooking Club

Posted in Cook, El Comedor, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 23, 2011| 34 Comments »

Cocido Madrileño

Cocido Madrileño

I’ll be honest, it was a bit of a struggle to come up with a “dish that I would most like to have for my birthday” for this month’s Kulinarya Cooking Club challenge. I have been so busy with the new job and getting everything ready for the sale of our old house, I hardly had anytime to cook.  Luckily, my Mom came to the rescue when she found out I had to make something for January’s theme. She declared that she was going to make Cocido Madrileño for Sunday lunch.  So this month’s Kulinarya Cooking Club dish is brought to you by:

Jen (www.jen-at-work.blogspot.com)
Tressa
Maribel (http://www.foodgeek.webs.com)

and of course… The Blog Monster.

Growing up, I don’t think I knew any other Sunday activity than to go to my Grandmother’s (Mama) house for Sunday lunch.  The house was constantly full of people from my Mama’s seven children, their spouses, all the grandchildren (fourteen), and other uncles and aunts.  Of course, overseeing the daunting task of feeding us all was my Mama.  I remember there was the “big” table where all the uncles and aunts would sit and the “small” table for all the children.  At a certain age,  the kids would eventually graduate to being able to enjoy sitting at the “big” table depending on who made it to lunch that day and whether there was space for them…  But, at the head of the table was always my Mama who meticulously oversaw the menu.

Cocido Madrileño was one of my favourite dishes that easily fed the throng of hungry people that made it to Sunday lunch.  The dish is essentially a medley of meat and vegetables that is simmered for hours resulting in a rich broth or  caldo, that is served alongside the dish.  In my Mom’s version, the meats she uses includes pork belly, beef ribs, chorizo, chicken and these meatballs or pelota (my favourite). If you can find it, adding some blood sausage or morcilla would be a welcome addition too.   As a kid, I remember the hardest thing about having Cocido for lunch was having to sit at the “small” table and waiting for all the adults to serve before we could have our share.  The wait was pure torture.

So if I had to pick a dish that I’d like to have on my birthday – it would be this one. Because birthdays are all about being with the ones your love and if you’re going to be inviting lots of people to help you celebrate, then you might as well make sure you have enough good food to go around.

Cocido Madrileño

Cocido Madrileño

Cocido Madrileño

Cocido is a very flexible dish so feel free to add or change the meats and vegetables you use depending on your taste or what is available. For example, instead of the beef ribs, you could use beef brisket, instead of the smoked ham hock, substitute a slab of bacon or jamon. My husband and I once went to a famous restaurant in Madrid called La Bola that served Cocido with fideos (Spanish noodles)… you could also add that to the soup as well. You will notice I haven’t given exact quantities to this dish as the quantities depend on how many people you are serving this dish to. I always make sure to make more than I need anyway, but that’s because I like dicing the leftover meat and vegetables to make a hearty soup with the rest of the broth for another day.

Meats

  • Pork belly
  • Beef ribs, or chuck
  • Chorizo
  • Smoked ham hock
  • Chicken, cut into pieces
  • Pelota (recipe follows)

Vegetables & Aromatics

  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Peppercorns
  • Bay leaf
  • Garbanzos (Chickpeas), soaked overnight
  • Pumpkin
  • Potatoes, cut into large chunks
  • Carrots, cut into large chunks
  • Stringbeans, tied into little bunches to make it easier to remove from the pot when done
  • Cabbage, cut into eights

Tomato Sauce

  • 2 Cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, crushed

Pelota

  • 500 grams pork
  • 2 slices white bread, crusts removed, diced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. For the pelota, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, shape into balls and set aside until ready to use.
  2. Place the meat and chickpeas, (exclude the chicken and the pelota) in a large pot and fill with water, making sure to have enough water to cover the meats. Add the onion, garlic, peppercorns and bayleaf, take the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting and skim the surface of the pot for any scum. The meat will need around two hours to soften.
  3. After two hours, add the chicken, chorizo, pelota, vegetables and continue to simmer another thirty minutes.
  4. For the tomato sauce, saute the onion and garlic in some olive oil, add the diced tomatoes and cook for around 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
  5. To serve, separate the meats and slice them. Then remove the vegetables, place them in platters. Serve with the caldo, tomato sauce and warm crusty bread.

For more great Kulinarya Recipes – check here.

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Quail Scotch Eggs

Posted in Cook, tagged , , , , , , on January 19, 2011| 32 Comments »

Scotch Quail Eggs

Quail Scotch Eggs

I was introduced to Scotch Eggs by Rie, a dear family friend.  I met her through my older sister who was in the same mother’s group and over the years we’ve come to think of her as a sister too.   She took the scotch eggs to a dinner hosted by my sister one night and  I couldn’t help but think that whoever invented them was genius.  Here was a little quail egg encased in a chicken sausage and then deep fried.  They were not only the most popular party food that night, but I was told they were also a great picnic food and wouldn’t think be a wonderful breakfast on the go?  Now, if only they could make it into a bar!

As I munched on probably my tenth piece, I thought that if there was any left at the end of the night, I would take some home to photograph them so I could share the recipe on my blog.  But because they were so popular, half way through the night I realized that if I didn’t act soon, there’d be none for me to take home.

Throwing etiquette out of the window, I placed a few pieces in a take-away container.  Luckily, anyone who saw, was kind enough not to say anything.

So here is the recipe for the Quail Scotch Eggs from Australian Women’s Weekly which Rie made that night.

Quail Scotch Eggs

Quail Scotch Eggs

Quail Scotch Eggs

Recipe from Women’s Weekly

  • 12 Quail Eggs
  • 275 grams minced chicken
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • plain flour
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • packaged breadcrumbs
  • Oil for deep-frying
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Place the eggs in a pan large enough to fit all of them in one layer, pour water into the pan just so that it barely covers the eggs. Bring this to a boil, making sure to stir gently (this helps center the yolks). Simmer for four minutes and then drain. Place the eggs in cold water, then crack the shells very gently and cool to room temperature. Rie mentioned that the trick to making sure the peel comes off easily is to leave the cracked eggs in the cold water for a few minutes.
  2. Combine the minced chicken, herbs, mustard and season with salt and pepper in a bowl and divide the portions into 12 so that you have enough meat for each of the quail eggs.
  3. Drain the eggs and then carefully remove the shells. Toss the eggs lightly in the flour and then shape a portion of the chicken mince mixture around a quail egg. Continue to do the same for the remaining eggs. (Tip: keep your hands lightly floured to make the shaping easier.)
  4. Dip each egg in the beaten egg, then into the breadcrumbs. Just before serving deep-fry the eggs in hot oil until well browned and then drain on absorbent paper.
Quail Scotch Eggs

Quail Scotch Eggs

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Chicken Wings With Spicy Basque Ketchup

Posted in Cook, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 6, 2011| 52 Comments »

Chicken Wings with Spicy Basque Ketchup

Chicken Wings with Spicy Basque Ketchup

This, my friends, is going to be a very short post. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed the lack of any online presence lately… and there’s certainly a reason for my silence. First, my parents are around for another few weeks – and family always takes priority so I am trying to squeeze in as much time as I can with them while they’re here. Then, there’s the new job which has been keeping me quite busy as I try to  to navigate my way around a whole new business. So something’s got to give –  and in this case – it’s catching up with friends, those I see in person as well as in cyberspace.   So this unfortunately means  there’s also less time now to visit my favourite blogs and I am sorely missing you all (and my RSS feed).

I’m hoping February should quiet down somewhat (but of course, you never know!) and things return to normal…  But I couldn’t let this week pass without sharing another recipe I made for our New Year’s Tapas Party.  If you love chicken wings, you’d be crazy not to try this recipe.  Everyone at the party went crazy for them. I had initially used only half the wings I had bought thinking I had too much food.  Half way through I had to bake the rest which was also promptly devoured.  So advice, when you’re making this – make lots!

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A Very Aussie Christmas & A Very Simple Berry Pie

Posted in Bake, tagged , , , , , , , on December 28, 2010| 41 Comments »

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2010

Coming from the Philippines where adorning  homes with Christmas decorations has become a national pastime that begins in September, my first impression was that Australians weren’t very keen on Christmas.  I couldn’t get used to Santa in a body suit, trading turtlenecks for singlets, or a “white Christmas” referring to spending time in Bondi beach.

Jenni's Berry Pie

Jenni's Simple Berry Pie

It’s taken almost five years but the Aussie Christmas has certainly grown on me. This year we spent Christmas day at my Aunt Jenni’s house in Canberra.  I meant to share these pictures with you sooner but it’s taken me awhile to rouse myself from the food induced coma brought about by the eating binge over Christmas.

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Easy Homemade Christmas Gifts: Queso de Bola (Cheese) Spread for Kulinarya

Posted in Cook, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 20, 2010| 34 Comments »

Queso de Bola Spread

Queso de Bola Spread

Because the holiday season is already so stressful, there are some things that you should never do in December.

Getting married is one of them.

This of course is from first hand experience when eight years ago, three days after Christmas, I said “I do.”  When I got engaged my then fiancé said “pick a date” and there was no doubt in my mind that we would get married around the Christmas holidays.  I had visions of a string quartet playing Christmas carols at the wedding reception, pointsettias hanging around the ballroom and because my Mom was taking care of the catering, I asked for a Holiday themed menu including glazed hams and roast turkeys.

The stress started as early as September when the dressmaker told me that because I wanted a beaded dress, whatever my current weight was then was what my weight had to be at my wedding.  There was no room to put on any holiday weight as this would mean major adjustments to the dress.

It was hard to enjoy engagement parties and holiday get togethers when every time I’d want to stuff myself silly I’d envision a little bubble over my head and inside was the dressmaker shaking his head saying “Tsk… tsk… I told you not to eat so much!”

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2011 Food Trends & The Spotted Pig’s Deviled Eggs

Posted in Cook, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 14, 2010| 38 Comments »

Deviled Eggs

Deviled Eggs

 If  2010 was all about local and sustainable food, I’m hearing that 2011 will be all about the Pie.  At least this is the prediction from Andrew Freeman & Co, a US based firm that consults on marketing to hotels and restaurants around the US.  In their 2011 Trend List, pies were listed as the next cupcake.  From sweet to savoury, deep fried (oh my!), and bite sized minis, pies are set to dominate the food scene in the new year.

Here are some other predictions from the list :

  • New Mom & Pop – self-financed/self-built restaraunts with less than 40 seats, designed for friends or family where the owners’ hands touch every ingredient and every part of the restaurant.
  • Single Purpose Restaurants – that serve variations on one thing. 
  • Powders, crumbles, dusts and dirts – never has it been so good to be dirty!
  • Haute Dogs – move over burgers, gourmet hot dogs from duck sausages with pate and red wine mustard to lamb and pork merguez served with fig chutney will feature more prominently on menus in 2011.
  • In 2011 vegetarians will have more to smile about as chefs start to realize that there’s more to a restaurant menu than meat.
  • Popsicles – spiked, salty, sweet and savory!
  • Bellies – here I was thinking I would lose the belly in 2011 – apparently not!  We’ll be seeing not only more of pork bellies in the new year but also lamb, and goat even.
  • More Food Apps – creative marketers are taking advantage of the popularity of the new Ipad.  Take for example Murdoch Book’s Around the World in 80 recipes or Martha Stewart’s Cookie app  or Martha Stewart’s Living offering among other things, built in timers, shopping lists, videos and step by step instructions.

The list also covers some hot ingredients that will feature prominently in 2011: pimiento cheese, whey, kumquats, smoked anything (think olive oil, butter, and cumin), hay, popcorn, hummus, pretzels and honey.

As for me?  In 2011 I’d like to see deviled eggs make a come back.  Whenever my husband travels the first question I ask him is “did you miss me?” and the next question I ask is “what did you eat?”.  On his last trip a few weeks ago, of all things, he raved most about the deviled eggs he had at The Spotted Pig. 

 “Can you make deviled eggs?”  he asked. 

A quick search on the internet led me to this recipe.   My husband says this is an exact replica of what he had in New York so I’m sticking to the recipe – no tweaks at all.  I hope you try to make it yourself, it’s perfect as a canape for the holiday season as well – and really, the more people that make it, the more my prediction will come true!

Spotted Pig Deviled Eggs

Spotted Pig Deviled Eggs

 

  • 12 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon malt vinegar
  • Maldon sea salt
  • Peperoncino red chili flakes, pulsed in a spice grinder into approximate 1/16th-inch pieces.
  • 3 tablespoons thinly sliced chives

 1. Place eggs in single layer in medium saucepan. Cover with cold water about 2 cm higher than the eggs. Place over high heat, bring to a simmer, shut off heat, and wait for at least ten minutes (for medium and 17 minutes for large). Drain eggs, and peel under cool running water. With thin knife, carefully slice eggs in half.

2. Place egg yolks in bowl of food processor. Add olive oil, mayonnaise, mustard, and both vinegars and process until smooth puree forms, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Season to taste with salt.

3. Transfer mixture to pastry bag fitted with plain tip or to plastic zipper-lock bag with corner cut off. Select 12 best egg white halves (reserve remaining egg whites for another use), and pipe filling mixture into them by starting outside the indentation, completely filling the indentation, and overflowing the other side of it, leaving a curled “tail” at the end.

4. Sprinkle eggs with Maldon salt, Peperoncino, and chives. Drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

When making deviled eggs, here are a few tips:

  • The older the eggs you use, the better.  To test whether your eggs are fresh, place the egg in a bowl of water.  Eggs that lay on their side are fresh which eggs that stand on one end are older and better to use as they are easier to peel.

 

  • To get the egg yolks centered, lay the eggs on their sides for a day before use.

 

  • Cook eggs in one layer with about 2 cm of water above the eggs as using too much water will throw of the timing for cooking the eggs.

 

  • Do not overcook the eggs as this creates a green layer to form around the yolk.

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Slow Cooked Beef Ribs with Chorizo

Posted in Cook, tagged , , , , , , , on December 12, 2010| 33 Comments »

Beef ribs with chorizo

Beef ribs with chorizo

They say, necessity is the mother of invention.

These last few weeks, I would say that moving is the mother of improvisation. As we countdown to moving homes, I find myself limited as to what I can cook because I’ve either packed something away or I’m trying to use up miscellaneous ingredients that have been hiding in my freezer or pantry.  I had some friends over for dinner a while back and I discovered some chorizos and beef ribs hibernating in my freezer and an almost empty tin of paprika and decided that I would make a Spanish inspired beef stew.

I mentioned in a previous post that I learned to brown tough cuts of meat in the oven rather than frying over the stove top – after trying it again for this recipe I have to say, this is definitely my preferred method – it’s less messier and healthier because some of the fat is rendered from the meat using this technique.

I love the beef and chorizo combination – this is dish is so hearty and so easy to put together.  Many stews taste better the next day as all the flavours develop overnight…I wish I could say the same for this dish – I suspect it would, but I wouldn’t know as we finished it in one sitting.

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Easy Tapas: Pinchos Moruños

Posted in Cook, tagged , , , , , , , on December 10, 2010| 22 Comments »

Pinchos Morunos

Pinchos Morunos

Today at work we chatted about our favourite pastimes as children. I mentioned that , to pass the time during summers, my siblings and cousins would meet at my grandmother’s place every day. We would swim, watch (music) videos, eat, sleep, fight, swim some more, eat some more and definitely fight some more. Almost like a day care for grandchildren.

Today, I am much more civilized. If I have any spare time I like to pour over the pages of cookbooks, food magazines and food blogs. I love stacking cookbooks by my beside pouring over them to get myself to sleep.

My husband was recently away for three weeks so I left all the cookbooks on his side of the bed. In an attempt to tidy up one Saturday morning, I covered the books with the bed cover. A friend came over and did a double take when she entered the room.

“Is that your husband?” She whispered. We both had a good laugh when she realized that I had accumulated enough cookbooks to make her think it was him under the sheets.

Equally as addictive is my love of food blogs. I have recently discovered many great food blogs like this one and there are many that I visit regularly. I find their stories, recipes and photography inspiring and definitely, they take up less space that the cookbooks! A few weeks ago I came across Peter’s swordfish souvlaki and I was reminded of a Spanish tapa called Pinchos Moruños. These moorish inspired Spanish  skewers are usually made from pork but the recipe is easily adaptable to chicken, lamb and yes, I think even swordfish! It’s so easy to make, just marinate a few hours (overnight is preferable) and grill. They are great served with lebanese bread and aioli (Spanish mayonnaise).

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