My Slow Cooker Chicken, Vegetable and Broad Bean Casserole to Comfort the Soul

This casserole cooked in my slow cooker is brilliant for time poor people trying to feed a busy family with nutritious food and with minimal fuss. I've aimed to make it as uncomplicated as possible, with minimal chopping and preparation.

The Glory of Perth and the Glory of Grandparenting

We are in Perth, Western Australia at Social Manna. Most mornings we have been venturing down to the closest local coffee shops on the Albany Highway, as you do when travelling, for our morning coffee.  This is the renowned coffee and restaurant strip of Perth, so there is plenty of competition and choice. A new establishment called Social Manna has become our favourite. The name reminded me of the expression "Manna from Heaven" which originally refers to a Biblical story where God  miraculously provided food to the Israelites as they wandered through the wilderness. Manna has many food connotations, such as referring to an edible substance from the tamarisk tree, and to a type of flat bread made with honey. What a great name for an eatery.

 Little Hugo our grandson has sometimes come with us to Social Manna, and as we enjoy our flat whites, he handles a Baby Cino with drinking aplomb. If I can steer him past the amazing array of cup cakes and delicious croissants on offer I am doing well, however we have very occasionally weakened and share a cupcake or two with Mr. HRK, but not the chocolate ones tee, hee. Grandparents are created to spoil their Grandchildren sometimes aren't they?







An interesting selection of house made butters are offered for self serve to complement croissants and breads, and the Umami butter was really tasty.

Umami Butter

A variety of wraps, pastries, quiches, salads are also on offer, but on the weekend all seats are taken with locals indulging in a wide selection of breakfast, brunch and lunch meals.



 The decor of Social Manna is in keeping with a trendy restaurant with lots of whimsical and nostalgic items and memorabilia on display. The selection of collector's spoons is impressive and all coffees are served with a spoon collected during someone's travels. I'll have to resurrect the ones that I have stored away at home. I remember the days when it was the done thing when travelling to always take home a spoon and a tea towel as gifts. I still sometimes buy tea towels as gifts though, do you?

 Positively charged Rose Quartz water, and Amytheyst water didn't seem to noticeably increase my energy levels, not as much as coffee anyway,  but it's certainly a nice touch.

 The alphabetically arranged frequent coffee buyers cards are testament to the success of this business, and the more you buy, the cheaper it gets.

We are also in Perth to  meet our beautiful new twin grand babies, Finn and Evie, they are such a blessing, and to spend time with our adorable 3 year old grandson. We came over for his 3rd birthday party and he loved being the birthday boy. He is at an age now where he understands what a party is.

We are helping out where we can, and today we babysat all three beautiful little ones whilst their parents went out for lunch. Their Mother, Myrtille, has hardly been out in three weeks, as the three hourly feeding ritual necessary for premature twins is all consuming, and then catching up on sleep takes care of the available time. Our son Matthew is on Paternal leave as well, however looking after twins and a toddler needs many extra sets of hands,  so it was nice to see them go out, on their own, to enjoy the sunshine of a beautiful Perth day (somewhat of a rarity) and feel human again. In between our stints of grand parenting, we have been exploring Perth. It is a beautiful city, and whilst we are Queenslanders and love Brisbane as a capital city, Perth has so much to offer.

We went to explore the new Optus sports stadium and bridge,  both impressive architectural landmarks for Perth. We were there before the AFL fans and the Soccer fans converged on the stadium for two huge games this weekend, and the locals have been abuzz talking about the games.

As we drove towards the stadium however the weather turned cold and the skies cloudy, a true Mediterranean winter's day, so the photos are somewhat black and white. Believe me though on a sunny clear day the Swan River provides a magnificent backdrop to these architectural achievements. An invigorating walk to the stadium along the beautiful Swan River, and we met these superstar swans, after all it is their river.

 Then a walk along the foot bridge, which resembles a roller coaster, that can also be climbed. Sydney Harbour bridge watch out, you now have a rival.

Where have all the fans gone? They are on their way for the big game.

After all of the walking, talking and exploring, we ventured into the Stadium cafe, and enjoyed sharing a meal of Fish (Hake) and Chips, Western Australian style. Mr. HRK also had a Hot Chocolate which he loved. It is a very impressive cafe/restaurant and from the size of the kitchen, unfortunately that area was partitioned off at lunch, it  hosts some very impressive dinners.

A day out in Perth isn't complete without a visit to the Kings Park Botanical Garden. Parking was at a premium on the day we visited as it is school holidays, and because of where we parked we found ourselves venturing into the Rio Tinto naturescape area, a treasure trove for kids to climb, play and connect with nature, get down and get dirty in the wet sand basins, and hopefully soak up the message of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Refuse. A wonderful concept.









Mr. HRK and I have been to Kings Park a few times  previously so I didn't go overboard with photos, however this stunning orange Diels Grevillea really took my eye, and it was gratifying to see so many Italian bees on the beautiful flowers like the one below.



The majestic views from Kings Park and the Eternal flame over the Swan River and the City of Perth  are breathtaking on a clear day, and this probably sets this botanical garden apart from most others around the world. The mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP are well represented in the skyscrapers on the city skyline.






Despite all of the beauty and amazing food and coffee spots that Perth has to offer there is also an underbelly which is obvious to the visitor and one that residents are fully aware of, that of homelessness. In Victoria Park alone where we are staying, many a vacated shop front along the street has a homeless person sleeping rough outside the front door. There are many social problems causing this, and of course drugs are also attributed a lot of the blame. This is certainly a scourge that a lot of cities around the world are now facing and hopefully some solutions to this problem will be found by Governments, welfare organisations and society in my lifetime. I live in hope.sunny

On a happy note, have a great week my friends and enjoy whatever it is that you are doing.

Thanks for dropping by, and best wishes from Perth, it's a sunny day.

Pauline

Classic Carrot Cake with lots of Cream Cheese Frosting, It's a Birthday Celebration

When a friend is cooking dinner, and you discover it's also their birthday the following day, what do you take to dinner besides a bottle of wine, a birthday cake for dessert of course. 

Green Cabbage Sauerkraut, another batch for Winter

In the Queensland Tropics and warmer climates, Sauerkraut needs to be fermented in Winter, as the fermentation process doesn't activate well in the heat.  The cabbage becomes soft and not as crisp as it should be, and the fermentation process which should noticeably begin at least on the 3rd day after the process begins, can take longer and be slow and not as effective. During a successful fermentation, it is so exciting to see the brine which the cabbage is immersed in begin to bubble up and rise to the top of the bottle or crock that I am using to ferment my sauerkraut. There has been  a lot of discussion on social media lately about making sauerkraut, probably because it is Winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and everybody has their own way of doing it.  It is great to see that so many of us have become interested in perfecting this process in our own kitchens, as the health benefits to our gut are enormous, and it also tastes great with a lot of the meats that we eat. It is also a lot more economical than buying it from the supermarket.

One chopped cabbage, room for another one. The carrot has given this batch the orange colour.

I took a couple of shortcuts during this latest batch and was experimenting as I used a large Fermenting crock which our lovely friends Paul and Jenny lent me, and two whole chopped cabbages still didn't completely fill it. That's a lot of cabbage. Instead  of all that slicing and chopping by hand, I used the food processor to chop the cabbage, and this was much less time consuming, and less dangerous. For the previous batches I have made, I used the largest glass Moccona coffee jars which I found at the Tip Shop, which had worked beautifully but in smaller batches.

This glass crock easily takes two whole green chopped cabbages, and even more if you have it, however it is important leave some room at the top of the vessel for the brine to fill when it bubbles up and ferments.

Still chopping.

This is the box that the Sauerkraut crock lives in when not in use. It is a Mortier Pilon Sauerkraut Crock, in case you are interested.

This is my standard recipe that I use now for making basic Sauerkraut and I don't deviate from it. This amount of salt results in a very active fermentation, and just the right Sauerkraut flavour. The health benefits contained in this beautiful bottle of goodness are enormous.The salt needs to be very good sea salt or rock salt though, Saxa iodised salt just doesn't cut it. I tend to use Himalayan Rock salt most of the time.

Measure 1 tablespoon of salt to 800 g. of cabbage, and add 1 tablespoon of caraway seeds. All cabbages are a different weight, and the amount I use depends on what container I am using for the batch of sauerkraut. I always weigh the cabbage, and then use 1 tablespoon of salt for every 800 g of cabbage. We like the flavour of caraway seeds so I add 1tablespoon of Caraway seeds to each batch, and throw in a sprinkle of mustard seeds for good measure. Other seeds that you like the flavour of can be substituted though. I also like to add a grated carrot to mine for extra flavour and colour, but this is optional. If you grow nasturtiums, why not add a few leaves as well, for extra interest.and they also act as mould inhibitors in your sauerkraut, but aren't essential.

Green Cabbage Sauerkraut recipe

Ingredients:

1 small white or red cabbage, rinsed, cored and cut into small wedges which will fit in the chute of your food processor (approx. 800g cabbage)
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
Sprinkle of Mustard seeds
1 tablespoons Himalayan Salt Flakes (Depending on weight of cabbage, see note above)
(You can also substitute the caraway seeds  or add to the caraway seeds with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dill seeds, celery seeds or white peppercorns if you prefer those flavours or just happen to have those  spices on hand. They will be fermented in the process.) Besides adding  amazing  flavour  to your  ferment, the spices act as mould inhibitors or at least slow it down.
1 grated carrot (optional)




Method:

I shredded the cabbage in my food processor which saves so much time, or if you want to replicate the way sauerkraut has been made during previous European generations, you can either slice it finely or grate it by hand.

Place the cabbage in a large glass bowl and add the caraway seeds and the salt and toss the seeds and the salt through the cabbage with clean hands. I also added a sprinkle of mustard seeds as they are full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories such as selenium and magnesium.

 Let this powerful brew sit for 30 minutes to activate the juices.

Spoon the vegetable mixture into your crock or large glass jars, allowing at least an inch or 3cm at the top of each mixture for juices and expansion because I assure you it will rise  to  the  top of the jar. It's alive.

Press down gently on the cabbage in the crock or glass jar with a wooden implement similar to a mortar which will fit through the mouth of the jar, forcing the briney juices to the top of the cabbage. I very gently used my granite mortar as Mr. HRK is making me a wooden one, and the juices from the cabbage rose to the top as expected. This process is so fulfilling, to see the shredded cabbage condense together, and the brine rise to the top to cover the cabbage. This is essential, and if this doesn't happen you need to add a little purified water, however if the cabbage has been correctly salted you will have enough brine.



The cabbage then needs to be weighed down so that the juices stay at the top and the fermenting process can begin. I use the trimmed core of the cabbage to weigh down the shredded cabbage and help the juices rise above it. A thick cabbage leaf can also be placed on top and pressed down leaving space above it for the juices to rise, and they do as you can see in the photos below. In the crock, I then place the weight that is provided on top of the cabbage leaves and the process begins. In large bottles, the core of the cabbage and the cabbage leaves are enough to fit the top of the bottle snugly. Weigh down the cabbage and allow the juices to sit at the top.







Seal your crock or bottle loosely and keep at room temperature for 3 days. I open mine each morning to check that it is fermenting and to release the carbon dioxide, and you will see the bubbles moving. I also push the cabbage down each day forcing more juices to the top and ensuring the vegetables stay submerged.The longer you leave it to ferment, the more sour and distinctive the flavour will be.

If you feel that your ferment really is drying out, it is important to only use filtered water to top it up as the chlorine in tap water will kill the bacteria needed for fermentation.

Your crock of sauerkraut can then be bottled and moved to the frig after 3 days, or a week at the most,  where it will keep for several months, and the flavour will develop during this period however it can be eaten within a week, or even earlier if you are desperate to try it. Have 10 large warm sterilised jars ready to bottle your sauerkraut, for 2 cabbages worth of sauerkraut. When adding the sauerkraut mixture to each bottle, press it down, forcing the juices to the top of the bottle. The cabbage will absorb  more of the liquid when refrigerated.

I also bottle up the fermented cabbage leaves  in some brine, and often use them in my Beef, Sauerkraut, and Mango Chutney Goulash, delicious and very nutritious.



The photo below is from a previous batch where I used just a large Balls jar to ferment a small batch. It worked ok as well.



 The level of the cabbage moves up to the top of the jar as the cabbage ferments, and is weighed down by cabbage leaves.

Making sauerkraut has been firmly embedded in European and American cultures for centuries because of the food preservation advantages and the health benefits, however it is interesting that we are only just starting to really embrace it in our own kitchens in Australia. It is so inexpensive to make at home as cabbages are also cheap at this time of year. The jars of sauerkraut available to buy in the shops are very expensive and often say that they use a starting culture to activate them, I'm not sure what that is but it's not necessary in my kitchen.

If you would like to experiment more, these are some other sauerkrauts I have made, and I especially like the spicy one.

Spicy Kraut link:

Purple Sauerkraut link:

Chopped Vegetable Ferment in Lovely Layers link:

I would love to hear from you with any other fermenting tips and tricks you may have.

Have fun in your kitchen,

Best wishes
Pauline.

Our Bee and Butterfly Friendly Tropical garden, some Exciting News, and a Delicious Quiche Recipe for you

Salvia, a perennial plant, loved by bees

We have been spending a lot of time in the garden lately, this time of the year in the

Tropics is beautiful one day, perfect the next. The mornings and evenings have turned quite cold here for us, 7 degrees minimum, but the days are sunny and clear. It is so relaxing and energising to be outside that I took some photos yesterday which I hope you will enjoy.  We have been focusing on planting annuals and perennials that our European and  visiting Native bees will be attracted to, and some herbs and vegetables,  and it is all coming together nicely. The birds and the butterflies are benefiting as well.

Basil is a mainstay in our garden, I can't have enough of it, and now that we have a beehive of busy European bees, I have let some of the bushes flower and go to seed, as the bees love the flower nectar. The native bees fly in from their hives to feast as well. Basil bushes look attractive in flower, however the bushes can become straggly, so they will need to be pruned back after flowering or just replaced if they become very woody. I haven't had much luck with sweet basil plants lately, however the Thai basil is very hardy, and is very flavoursome for making pesto. I'll be giving the sweet basil a try again soon though.

Do you remember this resilient old fashioned plant, the Coleus, which probably grew in your Grandmother's, Mother's or Aunt's garden? I think it is making a comeback and I don't know why it fell out of fashion from a lot of gardens in the first place as it is so colourful and the bees love the flowers. Frank the owner of our favourite local nursery, Country Garden's Mackay, recommended we grow it to attract the bees and they love it. It is a cinch to grow anywhere, takes very easily from cuttings, and is heat tolerant. I'm not sure how it would tolerate frost though as we don't get frost here. If you know anyone who is growing a Coleus plant, ask them if you can have a cutting or slip, plant it in the ground, and it should grow. Gardeners love to share. It needs to be pruned into shape regularly though as it grows quickly.

This pretty pink flower is a Buddleia. It is the first time we have grown it,  and we remember it growing like a weed in England, however Frank assures us it will be be a Bee magnet in our garden without any risk of it spreading like a weed, as it does overseas.

In this section of our sunny garden, the Buddleia, the purple Salvia, and the red salvia all invite the bees and the butterflies to visit. The large leafy caladiums provide a colourful contrast and the sunbirds love playing on their leaves after a heavy dew or a shower of rain as the water clings to the leaves and forms mini swimming pools for them to play in. Sorry I don't have a photo of the birds frolicking in the sun, you will just have to take my word for it. In the bottom righthand corner, are the last of the May flowering Chrysanthemums,  and some of my purple ground orchids flower all year round.

Our decorative and functional Garden wall.

The Garden Wall showcasing potted petunias is Mr. HRK's masterpiece and design. We also have lots of lilac and pink Pentas growing along the base of it.  The Pentas is a very hardy tropical plant, that the butterflies love, I am never without it.The bees fly around the Pentas but they are more drawn to the nearby basil and salvia at the moment. Orange, red and yellow Celosias in the square pot  at the end of the Garden Seat, also designed and constructed by Mr. HRK, make another nice show but don't seem to attract the insects. They just look pretty and self germinate very easily.

Our backyard Golden Penda, a tropical rainforest tree, is in flower at the moment and our bees think they have gone to Heaven. We watch them fly back to the hive covered in beautiful Golden pollen. The local Lorikeets haven't visited the tree this time so the bees can feed off the flowers uninterrupted. Whilst it's enjoyable to see the beautiful Lorikeets in the tree, they are aggressive feeders and the flowers and the leaves litter the ground after a Lorikeet feeding frenzy. The flowers also make a nice floral bouquet, if you can reach them.

Here is the Brazilian Red Cloak bush which makes a colourful addition to the backyard rainforest section of our garden, flowering in June. Whilst I don't think it is a Bee magnet, it provides a lot of beautiful red colour. Like all perennials, it responds to a good pruning after flowering.

Comfrey, or the Knitbone plant, is a perennial herb which has a long history of being used as a poultice for healing and for other medicinal uses. It's strong root system also adds valuable nutrients to the soil. I chop up the leaves and add them straight to the garden as a compost or add them to the compost heap to accelerate the composting process.  Once you have it in your garden, you will never be without it. As an added bonus, the insects love the pretty lavendar flowers.

Mr. HRK and I visited the local Riverside city markets in Mackay last Wednesday and came home with some vegetable and herb seedlings from a local grower who germinates his own and they always produce excellent plants. We don't have a large vegetable garden now, but we grow what we enjoy eating and what suits our climatic conditions.It is always a pleasure to pick some organic produce in season that we have grown ourselves.Yesterday we planted spring onions and climbing beans, and I repotted my mint and added a fresh plant to the mix and placed it in a sunnier position. In Summer it will be moved back into a protected spot. Mint is such a wonderful addition to so many dishes and drinks. We grow a lot of herbs, which I am adding to our food on a daily basis, and they also save us a lot of money.



A plate of radishes picked straight from our garden yesterday. I buy Mrs. Fothergill's seedling strips and plant those, and they have never failed. It's a fast crop and the radishes aren't as spicy as those purchased from the supermarket. Delicious and fresh.

I also thought I would share with you one of my favourite quiche recipes, because if you have been outside gardening all morning like me, something quick, easy and nutritious is the way to go.

Quick and Easy Spinach Quiche in a dish

I have just quickly made this quiche for lunch. It took no time at all and is delicious. This one is a cinch to make. If you have fresh spinach or silverbeet on hand, by all means use that, however, defrosted spinach from the freezer is easy to use and always on hand. This is perfect for a quick and easy weekend meal and serves 4. Take out the spinach a few hours in advance if possible to defrost, or use your microwave.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
100ml creme fraiche
100g grated Parmesan cheese or other flavoursome cheese
2 spring onions, diced
150g of frozen spinach, defrosted and drained (1/2 a packet)
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg




Method:

Preheat your oven to 170 deg. C and lightly grease an ovenproof dish or use separate ramekins.
Whisk together the eggs and creme fraiche in a medium size bowl.
Stir in the rest of the ingredients and season with a little salt and white pepper.
Pour the mixture into your baking dish and cook in the oven for about 25 minutes. If you are using ramekins, bake for 10 minutes less.




Serve with a fresh salad for a light nutritious lunch.

Now for our exciting news. Last Saturday, we became Grandparents again, to beautiful little twins, a boy and a girl named Finn and Evie.  Being twins, they were born a few weeks early but thankfully healthy, however this week has been one of daily updates on their progress, lots of phonecalls from family and friends, and planning our visit to meet them. It's been busy. Premature twins require a lot of careful and tender care, however hopefully they will be able to go home tomorrow, after starting to gain some weight and overcoming a little jaundice. Our little Grandson Hugo, is so excited about his new brother and sister. We are ecstatic, and relieved that everyone is well.

I wish I was a better knitter, so that I could be making lots of warm items of clothing for our little darlings as they live in a cold Winter climate. That just might be my next challenge.

Best wishes

Pauline