Apple & Rhubarb Crumble Friands

I have been thinking about rhubarb for so long now it's actually become a bit creepy. I've been cooking this recipe up in my mind for a while but I just wasn't quite sure how it would all turn out. I don't think it looks like much but it was delicious and a little bit technical! Since I am in the midst of watching "My Kitchen Rules" (yes I have become one of those people who are suckered into reality cooking shows), I was kind of excited to pull off a dessert with 3 elements!

Friands
95 grams butter
30 grams plain flour
60 grams almond meal (can be found in the baking isle OR usually in the fridge at the health food shop)
2/3 cup icing sugar
3 egg whites

I tried to purchase a friand baking tray but apparently they don't exist in the shops I frequent. I ended up with this shallow muffin tray that I really like. So prepare the pan by adding a little butter or oil to each section and dust it with a little flour (tap out the excess).

In a mixing bowl beat the egg whites until they form a light froth (isn't that a pleasant word). Combine the flour, icing sugar and almond meal and add them to the eggs then add the button on top and mix to combine.

Spoon the mixture into the pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes. These are quite dense so best option is use a thin skewer through the centre to test that they are cooked (obviously if it comes out clean they are done!)

Apple & Rhubarb
2 apples, peeled cored and chopped into small pieces
3 sticks of rhubarb
1/3 cup caster sugar
30 grams butter

Place the apple, rhubarb, butter and sugar into a large saucepan. Let it cook over a medium heat. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on it. After a while the rhubarb becomes quite mushy, hopefully the apples will have softened by this time. Take the mixture off the heat and mash the apples. You don't want this to be too sloppy, make sure it sort of sticks to the spoon for the right texture otherwise it will drip right off the friends. Taste this mixture because sometimes it can be a bit tart - add more sugar if you need to.

Once the mixture has cooled slightly, layer it on top of the friands.

Crumble
I don't feel like I've got this quite right...
5 grams butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 teaspoon rolled oats
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon almond meal
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Using your fingertips rub the butter into the mixture until it is combined. Place in the oven to lightly toast then sprinkle on top of the apple and rhubarb mixture.

Serve slightly heated (microwave) with cream or ice cream.

Cutting Recipes in Half

Sometimes I really struggle to understand how to halve things, this is a helpful little website that I frequently use.

Sago Pudding

The first time I had Sago Pudding was on my honeymoon. My husband and I were all prepared for a Malaysian buffet, however, as we were the only two people in the gigantic restaurant, we were given a set menu. Sago Pudding was the feature dessert. After delicious entrées and mains, out came the pudding. I took one bite, hated it and proceeded to devour it all.

Since then I have craved it. Like seriously. CRAVED. IT. But....I didn't even really know what it was. So here is my understanding of it and my version of it.

Sago or Tapioca is starch taken from the pith of palm stems - here is some very helpful information if you want to know more. I found it very interesting but I'm nerdy like that and enjoy finding out about plants.

Palm Sugar is the boiled down and hardened sap that is collected from the cut sago plant. There are many different types. The one I used is Vietnamese (I believe). It looks weird when you buy it if you're not sure what to expect. I certainly didn't know what to expect and was amazed to find it very prominently displayed at my little corner store.

Coconut Cream, all you really need to know is that it is delicious, but here is some more helpful information. I have also made this with coconut milk and it was equally delicious, just a bit more runny.

Also, before you even start - this is a dessert and it isn't for everyone (see above, where I hated it!). Mr Scrumpalicious eats it "to be polite" and another family member I served it to had one bite and gave up immediately. Apparently it doesn't have a taste or it has a taste but not the right taste....each to their own. I LOVE it. I have a feeling that it has something to do with my obsession with food texture - I will take feel over taste and eating this makes me feel darn happy!

Sago Pudding
1 cup of sago/tapioca pearls (I found them in the "Dessert" section of the supermarket but they also sometimes live in the baking section and the soup section)
1 piece of palm sugar
1 can of coconut cream or coconut milk

I let my cup up pearls soak in 2 cups of cold water for 10 minutes. While this was happening I put my piece of palm sugar and about 1/4 cup water on to a very low heat to let it melt down. Stir occasionally and don't let it burn. Once the sugar has totally disolved let it cool and put it in the fridge. Also put the coconut cream in the fridge.

After 10 minutes I rinse my pearls then place them in a saucepan with about 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to the boil. This is the part that gets...not really tricky...but....needs your full attention. You must keep mixing the pearls or else they stick together and also stick to the bottom of your saucepan and burn. They are very sticky and dense and don't take long to "cook". As you stir you will notice that the pearls rise to the top of the water and become transparent. Once they are transparent they are done - this doesn't take long so keep an eye on it....seriously.

Drain the pearls with a sieve and spoon into moulds or into serving dishes/cups as you like. Remember, they are sticky, slippery little suckers to work with. Pop your plates or moulds into the fridge and let everything cool down.

Serve the pearls with the coconut cream and the palm sugar poured over the top.

Final hint: if the pearls burn they will leave a slimy residue on...everything. To get this residue out of your saucepan try boiling some water in it again, failing that, put about 1/2 cup of vinegar into your saucepan, let it sit over night then scrub it out the next morning. 

Chicken Tagine

There are a few celebrity chefs that I love.

Nigella Lawson is amazing to watch. Her kitchens are beautiful, her food is delightful and she is absolutely spectacular to watch. Jamie Oliver is a kitchen whiz and I love "At Home with Jamie" where he shares all kinds of secrets about his garden.

One celebrity cook I can't stand to watch is Bill Granger. I can't figure out what it is, but on television I don't like him. That said, I have been in love with his cook books since I was in primary school. His books are gorgeous and filled with delicious and achievable recipes. While my Jamie Oliver and Nigella cook books gather dust, my Bill books stay off the bookcase and on the kitchen bench.

This is a delicious dish that is great for weekend dinners when you have a bit more time to spend in the kitchen but don't have to sit and watch while it is cooking. The other great thing is that it is super easy and is served with couscous. Couscous is my secret pleasure. I love the way it soaks up the juices of everything it is paired with.

Here is my take on Bill Granger's Chicken Tagine from "Simply Bill"

Chicken Tagine
Chicken breast or thigh
1/2 brown onion
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
handful of diced green capsicum
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Couscous
1/2 teaspoon butter
mixed herbs

In a large saucepan place the chicken, onion and spices in 500ml of water. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. The meat should be very tender. As the liquid thickens add the capsicum and the lemon juice and take the lid off until the mixture is at your desired consistency. I like mine a little more juicy to soak into the couscous.

Prepare the couscous (for 2 people I did 3/4 cup couscous to 3/4 cup water). Boil the water and pour over the couscous. Cover with a lid and let sit until water is dissolved. Stir through the butter and mixed herbs. Serve the tagine over the couscous.

Honey Chicken

This is a delicious dinner that I like to make about once every 2 months. It always seems like a lot of clean up but it is worth it and I love it.

When I was a kid we used to get Chinese food very rarely. It was always a super awesome treat for birthdays or Mother's Day. When I moved to the middle of nowhere a few years ago there was no local Chinese food shop to go to so I wasn't even able to have it on special occasions! There were times when I dreamt of honey chicken, no really, dreamt! Eventually I came to my senses and realised - it's chicken and honey.....how hard can it be?!

My Fried Rice & Honey Chicken 
Rice
2 eggs
2 bacon rashers
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
Chicken breast
1 cup flour
1 cup water
Vegetable oil to fry
1/2 cup honey

Cook the rice as you wish. Whisk the eggs and put them into a frying pan with a little piece of butter. Cook like scrambled eggs, once cooked through remove from the pan and rest on a plate. Dice the bacon and fry until cooked. Add to the egg and put the peas and corn on the plate with them. Add anything else you feel is necessary to make your fried rice awesome (like mushrooms, capsicum, shallots). Once the rice has cooked drain the water out and tip the egg, bacon, corn and peas into the rice. Add soy sauce to flavour and let the whole thing sit on low heat.

Cut the chicken into smaller pieces. Mix the batter by combining the flour and water (whisk if it becomes lumpy). Add the water gradually depending on the consistency - obviously you want the batter to stick to the chicken and not drip off everywhere!

Pour about 1cm of oil into a large frying pan and let the oil heat. Dip the pieces of chicken into the batter and place *carefully* into the oil. Let the chicken cook through and brown evenly. Turn carefully and keep an eye on the oil temperature to avoid spitting and burning yourself!

After the chicken is cooked put into a large bown and stir through honey. Serve the fried rice with the chicken on top and drizzle on more honey because it amazing!

*ugly photo :(

Cranberry & Sultana Muffins

Gorgeous red ruby cranberries paired with plump sultanas folded into crispy topped moist dough.

Cranberry & Sultana Muffins
1 1/2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sultanas

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and prepare a muffin tray with paper liners.

Combine the flour, soda, oats and sugar. In a small bowl whisk the buttermilk, oil and egg and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix to combine and fold through the fruit.

Bake for approximate 25 minutes. These are great straight from the oven with a scrape of butter or left to cool and popped into a lunch box each day. They also freeze really well for use later in the week and to assist portion control!

Worth It Vegetable Lasagne

I love lasagne. Meaty, tomato goodness sandwiched between smooth lasagne noodles and blanketed in heavenly, crispy melted cheese. What's not to love? But in this heat it is just not happening for me. This vegetable lasagne, however, is a delightful addition to my summery kitchen. It takes a little while to make but the end result is totally worth it!

Worth It Vegetable Lasagne
Lasagne sheets/noodles (fresh or dry)
1 cup extra light ricotta cheese
handful of spinach leaves
a few leaves of basil
1 egg
dash of cream
1 sweet potato
1 tin crushed tomatoes
1 zucchini thinly sliced and quartered
half eggplant (or 1 labanese eggplant if you can get it), cut the same as the zucchini
a few mushrooms, diced
1/2 onion, diced

Start with the sweet potato, leave the skin on because it is delicious and thinly slice it. Put it in a 180 degree oven for about 15 minutes until it is soft (not crisp!).

As the sweet potato is cooking slice the other vegetables. How you slice them and how thick is a personal preference. I like mine thin, they are easier to cook and have much better texture once the lasagne is complete. Put these vegetables into a sauce pan with a dob of butter. Let these cook away...I think the actual word is sauté (how's that for fancy. It is important that the vegetables are very well on their way to being quite soft as you add the crushed tomatoes and combine. Let the sauce heat through then remove and let cool.

Remove the sweet potato and let it cool. In a small bowl whisk the ricotta and egg. Add the cream bit by bit because this mixture can become too runny very quickly. You don't even have to add cream if you don't want to, I just find it makes it go that little bit further and makes it, well....creamier. Once whisked stir in the spinach leaves and basil. You might want to tear these up or leave them whole.

Let the layers begin. Lightly spray your lasagne pan or line with baking paper. Start with a little of the tomato-vegetable mixture and layer lasagne noodles, ricotta mixture, sweet potato and more tomato-vegetable mixture. Top the whole lot off with a delicious handful (or 2) of cheese because lasagne without cheese is like......well, I wouldn't know I've never been silly enough to do that.

Bake it all in the oven for about an hour until the lasagne sheets are cooked through the cheese is melted and browning.

Serve with a salad and freeze or enjoy the left overs hot or cold.