Whole Baked Pumpkin with Chorizo and Pearl Barley Stuffing

A baked and stuffed whole Kent or Jap pumpkin is a real crowd pleaser, and goes a long way as a vegetable side dish. It is a delicious and very economical way to serve pumpkin with an interesting filling which is also versatile, be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Using a smaller pumpkin, weighing about 1200 grams, ensures that it should bake within an hour. 

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Bake, gluten free and with a vegetarian option

 

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Bake, is full of vegetables, gluten free, and simple to make either on the stovetop or as a casserole. It's the perfect meal for a mid-week dinner and also works well as an easy way to stay relaxed and entertain your dinner guests. I know this is originally an authentic American dish, but this particular recipe is claiming it for the Aussies as well. It's delicious!

Pears Baked as in Savoy or French Savoie

 

This is a stunning fruit dessert, inspired by the Savoy region in France. It consists of the simplest ingredients and is delicious despite containing no wine, but it will pair beautifully with your best bottle of dessert wine or sticky. It really is an exercise in simplicity, with pears, butter, cream, sugar, a vanilla bean, and that's all. The pears cook to perfection, surrounded by the most delicious sauce. This is a French recipe so there's no shortage of beautiful butter. Thanks Stephanie Alexander for the inspiration to take the humble pear to the next level for dessert. It's interesting that Stephanie in her acclaimed cookbook, "Cook's Companion" doesn't provide any illustrations for most of her recipes but she doesn't need to, her reputation speaks for itself. There are photos on her website though.

Almond Flour Peanut Butter Biscuits/Cookies Recipe

These gluten free, Almond Flour Peanut Butter cookies or biscuits will be ready to eat within 20 minutes, and I promise you that no-one will be able to resist them. When life gets busy, but a sweet treat is still needed, I bake biscuits, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of the most delicious combinations you will find. These are perfect to have on hand over the weekend, although this recipe makes 36 cookies, too many for us, so I have given some of the batch away to friends. We all have friends and relatives who are gluten intolerant, and I wanted to know I could produce a quick batch of biscuits for them if necessary. I am really happy with the crisp texture of these biscuits, and they are also very satisfying and quite filling to eat. This recipe is from the Marcellina in Cucina blog, she is also a North Queensland girl like me, and I like to follow what she is doing. 

Speaking of North Queensland, we are very lucky to have one of our very talented home grown Opera singers, Paul Ettore Tabone back in Australia from London. Paul Ettore Tabone, the tenor from Oz. In between his Australian shows and performances, he and his partner are living with Paul's Italian parents on their sugarcane farm near Ingham. Paul finished his UK opera season last March with Phantom of the Opera in London, where he played Ubaldo Piangi for four years, until the coronavirus lockdown drew the curtain at Her Majesty's Theatre in London to a close. Meanwhile their loss is our gain, as Mr. HRK and I attended his concert at our nearby Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music here in Mackay recently and it was just lovely. Paul was at his best, vocally. Director of the CQCM, Professor Judith Brown was the piano accompanist for Paul and their synergy on stage is extraordinary.

Paul Ettore Tabone at Her Majesty's Theatre in London

 I feel quite an attachment to Paul and his career, as when he was a Music Theatre student here in Mackay at the CQCM, part of my role at the Central Queensland University Library was as the Music and Performing Arts Librarian at the CQCM, and Paul  was a student for 3 years during this period so by the end of the three years I knew him quite well. As with most small regional universities, one of the benefits is that staff develop a rapport with their students.  It is so rewarding now to see him achieving on the world stage of opera and music theatre. If I've piqued your interest about Paul's career, he is in Australia to start rehearsing for the Sydney season of Phantom of the Opera, which hopefully will go ahead sooner rather than later. He also mentioned they are hoping for an outdoor performance of the show at Sydney Harbour. If you happened to watch the Rugby Union match in Townsville last Saturday Night, at Queensland Country Bank Stadium between Australia and Argentina, either on the TV or were actually at the match, you would have seen Paul sing the Australian National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair, and ending on a beautiful high note.. How's that for an impressive introduction to a football match. 

Cook's notes:

From the start, apologies for any duplication here and in the actual recipe. I have lots of little tips to take in when baking these,and I don't want you to miss them.

• Using a small biscuit/cookie scoop,  a small version of an ice-cream scoop, available from kitchen shops,  will make it much easier to portion out biscuit dough onto the baking tray. However my Mother didn't have one and she made great biscuits. A teaspoon will also do.

• Stir the peanut butter well before measuring, just like tahini.
• Don't get distracted during the baking process, you will need to keep an eye on these little gems in the oven to ensure they aren't burning.
• If you are intending these biscuits to be completely gluten free, check all the ingredients, the peanut butter, vanilla extract and the chocolate chips to ensure they are 100% gluten free and suitable.
• Total preparation time is 20 minutes.
• Almond flour is quite expensive, however it brings wonderful texture to these biscuits, and they are quite filling. It has a lighter texture than almond meal, and is rich in magnesium, protein, and Vitamin E.
• Looking for a variation to this recipe, no problem. Why not add 1/2 teaspoon of ginger or cinnamon to the mixture. We love ginger here, so I sometimes add one whole teaspoon of powdered ginger, this certainly adds some extra pizzazz.
• Instead of chocolate chips, use some regular M&Ms for fun, they are gluten free last time I looked, or raisins, or chopped nuts, such as pecans, cashews, or walnuts, or dried berries.

Ingredients:

MAKES 36 BISCUITS

2 1/4 cups almond flour

1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy), stir well in bottle before measuring to include the oils 

1 egg

3/4 cup castor sugar, or superfine white

1/2 cup (4 oz/115 grams) unsalted butter (softened)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chocolate chips (plus more for decorating)

Method:

 Preheat your oven to 180 deg. C/350 deg F.

Line two large baking trays with baking paper.

Add the almond flour and baking powder to a bowl and whisk to remove any lumps.

Add the softened butter, peanut butter,and sugars to your electric mixing bowl. Beat until it becomes nice and creamy. This combination creams up beautifully.

Add the beaten egg and the vanilla extract then beat again until completely combined.

Remove bowl from the electric mixer, and stir in the almond flour and baking powder mixture.

Add the chocolate chips, and stir through. The mixture will form a ball in your bowl.

Using a small biscuit/cookie scoop, select scoops of dough and  place on the baking paper allowing room for spreading. or if you don't have a cookie scoop, roll a heaped teaspoonful of dough into small balls and place on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes until lightly browned. However check at 8 minutes that they aren't burning, this all depends on how hot your oven is. They might even need 12 minutes. Leave to slightly cool on the baking tray before removing to the cooling rack using a knife to lift them.They will crisp up as they cool.

Enjoy your week,

Warm wishes,

Pauline

Rhubarb Fool with Crunchy Granola topping

This is an Australian version of Rhubarb Fool, and might I say a healthier recipe for this traditional British dessert. It also works well for breakfast, if you like yoghurt and fruit style breakfasts, even though rhubarb is technically a vegetable often served as a dessert. It is a simple dish to bring to the table, combining honey with the bright, tart flavour of rhubarb, and layering the rhubarb compote with yoghurt, or even thickened cream if you wish. The nutty granola topping exceeded  my expectations and has the wow factor, and is also great to snack on. Rhubarb is in season at the moment, so it is an economical buy and easily found at the supermarkets or Farmers Markets. It doesn't grow well where I live because of the mild Winters and humidity once Spring arrives, so I try to track down a supplier which sources well from down south.  However in cooler Australian climates and the Northern Hemisphere where you are spoilt for choice, good quality rhubarb will cook up beautifully. This is a cinch to make and a dream to eat.

When I saw the very talented Paul West, demonstrate this dish on the ABC lifestyle program Gardening Australia, I was fascinated as we have spent quite a lot of time in England over the years, but I have never been offered Rhubarb Fool to eat although I had heard of it. The Fool originated in England in the 15th or 16th century, so it's a classic. By now there are many interpretations out there of how it can be served. I like to eat elements of a dish separately, and then if I want to mix them together I can. Many of the recipes combine the rhubarb and cream or yoghurt together in the serving dish and that could be easier I suppose, but I like to be able to identify the individual flavours. How about you my friends, do you prefer to have them mixed together or served separately, and have you ever eaten Rhubarb Fool before? Is it too much of a pun to say that any fool can make this dish?

This recipe can also easily suit gluten free diets.

Let's cook:

Ingredients:

Serves 4

6 rhubarb stems or a small bunch, leaves removed and base trimmed, chopped into 5 cm lengths
1/4 cup lemon juice (Half a medium sized lemon, half an orange will also work)
1/2 cup of water
2 tablespoons local Australian honey ( or your local overseas honey)
2 tablespoons Natural yoghurt or thickened cream (A ratio of 3:1 - yoghurt and thickened cream is delicious and still on the healthy side.)
1 tablespoon finely chopped Stem Ginger in Syrup (If you are passionate about ginger like I am, you can also add some interest and heat by adding some finely chopped and drained stem ginger in syrup to the rhubarb or through the yoghurt, about 1 tablespoon, more if you like it hot)  I love to make my own Stem Ginger in Syrup and here is the link to my recipe. LINK

Method:

Place the chopped rhubarb pieces into a cold fry pan, and arrange in one layer
Add the water and lemon juice to the rhubarb
Drizzle the honey over the rhubarb
Heat the fry pan to a medium heat, and cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, or until the rhubarb is softened but still holding it's shape
Remove the rhubarb from the heat and allow to cool




Crunchy Granola recipe:

1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons local Australian honey ( or your local overseas honey)
1/4 cup flaked or slivered almonds
2 tablespoons pepitas or linseed
3/4 cup Macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (a must)

Method:

Place your pan on a low heat and add the coconut oil and the honey.
Add the flaked or slivered almonds, the pepitas, and the macadamias. Cook over a steady heat for 5 minutes to toast the nuts.

Allow to cool.

So delicious

To serve, place two tablespoons of yoghurt into a small glass or bowl, and top with one generous tablespoon of rhubarb and a little extra syrup. Finish with one tablespoon of granola. I made this for the two of us and there were plenty of leftovers for the next two nights.

Presentation:

• Doll it up at the end with a couple of mint leaves, or something pretty and edible. If you decide to go without the granola, traditionally it can also be served with a shortbread biscuit, just for something sweet and crunchy.

Best wishes, 

Pauline

Flourless Chocolate Patty Cakes for Valentine's Day

Indulge yourself with these gluten free and very low sugar Chocolate Patty Cakes (Cupcakes)

Jump straight to the recipe:

I found this recipe on the Healthy Chef website and just had to make these as a treat for Valentine's Day ♡♡. They are deliciously moist with lots of rich chocolate flavour, low on sugar, and took inside 20 minutes to prepare. This is such a clever recipe, which can accommodate most allergies, and can be modified to suit the dietary requirements of most guests.

We have been very busy lately, planning a road trip from Cairns along the Savannah Way and into Western Australia and down to Perth. There will be some camping involved, and we will  also be staying in cabins and hotels when the muscles need some pampering. I have been planning some camping meals of course and Mr. HRK who has discovered online shopping for camping equipment, bought us a Dream Pot. We cooked our Corned meat and vegetables in our new Dream Pot a couple of nights ago which was exciting. It's like having an extra powerless slow cooker on hand to use in the kitchen. So now I am trying out new recipes and planning some meals for the trip. There will be more of that later on the blog. 

We are also going to be first time grandparents, hence the trip to Western Australia for the birth, so I am also extending my skills and sewing some little things for the new addition to the family. 

It is all very exciting, and lots of projects are in progress. These chocolate delights were a nice deviation from the other projects.

Flourless Chocolate Patty Cakes (Cupcakes)

Ingredients

1 ½ cups almond meal/ground almonds, or hazelnut meal

¼ cup good quality cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free if needed)

2 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla paste or extract

¼ cup  macadamia nut oil or olive oil (I used macadamia)

¼ cup full cream milk or almond or soy (your choice)

2 tablespoons organic maple syrup or honey

Let’s Cook:

Preheat your oven to 160 deg. C.

Combine the almond/hazelnut meal, cocoa powder and baking powder.

Add the eggs, oil, vanilla, milk  and honey, then mix well with a good spoon to form a smooth batter.

Spoon into 12 small individual patty tins or cases.

Bake for 25 minutes until risen and cooked through. They will start to crack slightly on the surface when cooked which looks nice.

Serve with Greek yoghurt or raspberry puree, or cover with chocolate icing, depending on the occasion, or serve just on their own.

If you are feeling very intolerant to gluten, lactose, or nuts etc this recipe works very well. Other substitutes can be used. e.g. For nut free cupcakes substitute almond meal for ¼ cup coconut flour, then increase number of eggs to 4, and add an extra tablespoon of honey or maple syrup.

Jump straight to the recipe: