Long Time Coming

Posted on May 9, 2016 by soulfoodie92

Its been a longtime since I have posted on here. Its been a busy start to the year and now its already May! I don’t know where the first four months of the year have gone but I can defiantly say that the years are going faster and faster!

Its getting colder in New Zealand now as winter is approaching we get a great variety of produce available as the seasons change. Ive had great fun in the kitchen photographing and testing some new recipes for the blog. Coconut and Mango Passion Cheesecakes, Feijoa and Apple Crumble, Rhubarb, Vanilla Bean and Granny Smith Preserve plus some great savory dishes . Butternut Squash Cheese Bake, Sole with Capers and Shallots in Brown Butter the list goes on. Now I better get typing so you all can enjoy these tasty items to !

Feijoa and Apple Crumble

Feijoa is such a unique flavour which i really love and something i get very excited about once they come into season. Here is a super simple and fast recipe for feijoa and apple crumble with fresh custard.

Ingredients
5 feijoas, peeled and sliced
2 apples, cut into 3 cm chunk (skin on)
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup water
Crumble Topping
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup coconut
1/4 cup brown sugar
130gm butter, melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Custard
20gm custard powder
30gm white sugar
300ml milk
1 tsp vanilla

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
Combine sliced feijoa, apple, sugar and water in a medium size pot bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes until feijoa’s are soft and apple is tender.
Pour into oven proof dish.
Make the crumble topping by combining all ingredients and stiring well, top the stewed fruit evenly with crumble mix.
Bake for 20minutes until golden and bubbling.
While the crumble is baking make the custard.
Combine custard powder, sugar and a small amount of milk in a bowl to form a smooth paste, whisk in remaining milk and transfer to a pot.
bring to the boil and stir until thick.
Remove crumble from oven and serve with hot custard and ice cream if you dare.

Serves 4

Fresh Berry Tarts

Posted on January 2, 2016 by soulfoodie92

Summer is here and I finally got around to typing one of the most simplest recipes up. Flaky pastry topped with vanilla custard and fresh Central Otago Cherries and Raspberries with a scattering of white chocolate crisped up in the oven and would be perfect served with vanilla ice cream or cream.

I used what fruit I had on hand these would also be delicious with sliced apricots, peaches or any stone fruit and berries!

Fresh Raspberry, Cherry and Custard Tarts

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cherries, stones removed
1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 cup white chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup cold vanilla custard
1 sheet of flaky pastry, cut into 4 squares

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degress.
Line baking tray with baking paper and space the 4 cut out squares of pastry evenly apart on tray.
Dollop 1/4 custard on the base of each piece of pastry, trying to keep it roughly in the center spread out slightly leaving a ring of pastry around the edge. Top with cherries, raspberries and white chocolate.
Bake for 15 minutes until golden serve warm finished with fresh mint and a dusting of icing sugar and a side of ice-cream or cream.

Serves: 4

Icing Sugar Pavlova

Posted on October 19, 2015 by soulfoodie92

With an abundance of eggs coming from our girls everyday I really needed to use them up. I got the idea in my head that Pavlova was on the cards. I was so excited I had not made a pav since Christmas. Sadly my sugar jar was empty! I nearly cried! Only type of sugar I had was icing sugar or confectioners sugar so it was either going to work or fail drastically. Here’s how the icing sugar pav turned out.

The Icing Sugar Pavlova

With a crisp and crunchy outer shell and a marshmallow center topped with vanilla cream and slightly tart boysenberries this pav went down a treat.

Ingredients

6 egg whites
2 3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp cornflour, sifted
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 tbsp boiling water

Boysenberry Compote

1 cup frozen boysenberries
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup icing sugar

Whipped cream to serve

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, add the first 5 ingredients and whisk for 12 minutes until glossy, light and hard peaks are reached, see picture below.
Line baking tray with baking paper and, scrap out egg mix trying to keep it all in the center piled up this makes it easier to shape into a circle.
Using a rubber scraper or pallet knife move it side to side pushing the meringue out evenly in a circle shape, to shape the sides drag your pallet knife up from base to top, like in the picture below.
Bake at 200 degrees for 2 minutes then drop 100 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
In medium size pot add boysenberries, water and icing sugar, bring to the boil and then simmer until thicken slightly.
Turn oven off and leave meringue to cool inside, once cooler open the oven door slightly. Allow to cool and set aside.
Once cool top with whipped cream and boysenberry compote.

Slices: 8-10

Add first 5 ingredients, whisk for 6 minutes add boiling water and continue to whisk for further 6 minutes.

Meringue should be glossy, light, fluffy and hold stiff peaks.

Place heaped meringue onto lined baking tray and shape.

Using pallet knife draw if from the base to the top to add a nice design and structure to the pav.

Ready for the oven, bake at 200 degrees for 2 minutes then drop to 100 degress for a further 1 /12 hours.

Ready for the oven, bake at 200 degrees for 2 minutes then drop to 100 degrees for a further 1 /12 hours.

My finished pavlova has a few cracks on the top but i can hide that with cream all and all not bad.

Side view slight crack but I like that you know its home made perfect in-perfection.

Top with whipped cream and boysenberry compote.

Crisp outside and marsh marsh-mellow center the perfect homemade meringue.

Crisp outside and marsh marshmallow center the perfect homemade meringue.

Sinful Chocolate Boysenberry Cheesecake

Posted on August 2, 2015 by soulfoodie92

Sinful Chocolate Boysenberry Cheesecake

I received a goodie parcel from Equagold a few days ago and as today is my day off a “Saturday to most”. So I decided that it was time to hit the kitchen and get the creative hat on. I was thinking cheesecake however I didn’t want to make the classic biscuit crumb so i opted for my moist chocolate velvet cake.

The end result is bloody delicious if I may say so myself. WOW sums up my reaction when my fork hit the chocolate boysenberry cheesecake!!! Words basically cannot describe this dessert it was basically like being in heaven! Creamy velvet chocolate cheesecake with a moist velvet cake finished with slightly sweet boysenberry gel! No need to buy chocolate and melt it into this cheesecake, Ive used Equagolds Premium Dutch Cocoa Powder it is just divine, you cant tell that its cocoa not melted chocolate.

Equagold is creating outstanding products if you would like to get your hands on Equagolds Dutch Cocoa Powder I have used in this recipe please click this link : Equagold Online Store

If you want to impress someone or treat yourself this is the recipe for you!!

Ingredients:
Velvet Cake Base
1 1/4 cup white flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 Equagold Premium Dutch Cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
250ml water
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp white vinegar
Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
250gm cream cheese, room temp
2 heaped tbsp Equagold Premium Dutch Cocoa, sifted
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp Equagold vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp gelatine
1 tbsp boiling water
Boysenberry Gel
1 1/2 cup frozen boysenberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp gelatine
1 tbsp boiling water

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
2. In large mixing bowl sift all dry ingredients for the velvet cake, once sifted whisk the dry ingredients to aerate and evenly mix together.
3. In a separate bowl combine all liquids for the velvet cake, pour into the center of the dry ingredients and mix through to combine. (Do not over mix)
4. Pour into a lined spring form cake tin and bake for 25-30minutes until when tested with a skewer it comes out clean.
5. Remove from oven and turn put onto a cooling rack, once cold using a bread or serrated knife cut the top of the cake off. *see the picture
6. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer attach the whisk attachment, in the mixing bowl combine, cream cheese, sifted icing sugar and cocoa and vanilla. Whisk together until smooth.
7. Scrap down the sides and be sure to get the bottom of the bowl, add cream and whisk to combine.
8. in a small bowl sprinkle gelatine over boiling water and microwave for 15 seconds, stir well and whisk into cheesecake filling.
9. Using the same cake tin as you baked the cake, reline and this time line the sides, a little cooking spray before you put the baking paper around will make it stay in place.
10. Place the trimmed cake base in the bottom of the lined cake tin, followed by the cheesecake filling. Smooth over and place in the fridge.
11. Now onto the final stage, take a small saucepan combine boysenberry’s, sugar and water. Bring to a simmer and cook until sugar is dissolved around 4 minutes, add squeeze of lemon. Bloom the gelatine the same as for the cheesecake filling step and add to the boysenberry mix.
12. Allow to cool and pour over the cheesecake filling, place in fridge for 1-2 hours. 13. Serve with whipped cream or yoghurt.

Serves:8-12

Sift all dry ingredients for the velvet cake.

Whisk together wet cake ingredients and add to dry.

Stir to combine and pour into a lined medium sized spring form cake tin.

Bake at 180 degrees for 25-30minutes.

Once cooked and cooled, remove the lump over the cake to make it flat. ( you can eat the off cuts 🙂

Leveled cake.

Whisk in 1/2 cup cream, scrape down the sides.

In stand mixer bowl combine cream cheese, sifted icing sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.

Add dissolved gelatin mixture, mix well to combine.

Line cake tin bottom and sides.

Add trimmed cake followed by cheesecake filling.

Smooth over and refrigerate.

Combine 1 1/2 cup boysenberries in medium pot with sugar and water. Simmer for 4 minutes add gelatine mixture, cool.

Pour over cheesecake filling and refrigerate for 1-2 hours if possible over night.

Remove baking paper. Using a hot knife cut a medium size wedge.

Serve with whipped cream and a dusting of icing sugar and cocoa.

Enjoy

Christmas Mango and Strawberry Pav

Posted on December 6, 2014 by soulfoodie92

It’s that time of the year again when the sun shines and we create new memories. Christmas is just a few weeks away and why not make this perfect summer pav to empress the family!

Looks and tastes great plus it’s a great way to use up left over eggs!

Iingredients:

150gm egg whites, room temp (4-5 eggs)
1 cup caster sugar
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tbsp corn flour

To Decorate:
250ml cream, whipped
1 mango, diced
250gm Strawberries, sliced
1/3 c Passionfruit pulp

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees.
In clean bowl whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, whisking well until mixture is glossy and stiff. (hold peaks when whisk removed)
Add vinegar and sifted cornflour, whisk until just combined.
Line baking tray with baking paper, draw a large circle as a guide if needed i like mine more rustic.
Spoon meringue mix into the centre of the circle piling it high then pushing out towards the edges to make a rough circle. Don’t make it to skinny though!!
Drop oven temp to 120 degrees and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, Do Not open the door during the cooking process. Turn of oven and leave pav to cool inside it.
Once cool wither store in an airtight container for 1-4 days or decorate like seen below.

Great for making a couple days ahead of christmas to reduce stress on the day!

Serves: 6-7

Separate 5 room temp eggs. Cover yolks with clingfilm and refrigerate.

Seperate 5 room temp eggs. Cover yolks with clingfilm and refridgerate.

Whisk egg whites to soft peaks.

Gradually whisk in sugar.

Whisk until glossy and firm peaks have formed.

Whisk until glossu and firm peaks have formed.

Add vinegar and sifted cornflour. Whisk to combine.

Spoon meringue onto baking paper lined tray. Try to make it stay in the centre.

Shape meringue into a rough circle.

Once cool store in an airtight container or top with whipped cream mango, strawberries and passionfruit.

Enjoy.

Easy 7 Step Dessert

Posted on November 30, 2014 by soulfoodie92

Strawberry Bliss

Great way to enjoy fresh produce is by keeping it simple.

Creamy yoghurt with crunchy ginger nuts and fresh strawberries with bursts of mint and lemon. Perfect light dessert even the kids could make!!

Ingredients:

1/2 packet ginger nuts
2 cups berry yoghurt
1 punet strawberries, roughly diced
1/2 juice lemon
1 tbsp. icing sugar
3 mint leaves, thinly shredded

Method:

1. Blitz half a packet of ginger nuts in the food processor.

2. Roughly slice 1 punet of fresh strawberries.

3. Add juice of half a lemon.

4. Followed by 1 tbsp. icing sugar, stir to combine.

5. Add 3 shredded mint leaves and stir to combine.

Layer strawberries, ginger crumb and yoghurt and repeat.

6. Layer stawberries, ginger crumb and yoghurt and repeat.

7. Finish with ginger crumb and enjoy!

Ginger Poached Pears with Almond

Posted on August 21, 2014 by soulfoodie92

Are you stuck on what to make for dessert in these cold months. Well do I have the one for you. Warming ginger poached pears with cinnamon and lemon served with creamy vanilla ice-cream and syrup. This is a great dessert with not much fuss. I love ginger and it goes perfectly with the pears and bonus clears any unwanted colds.

Ginger Poached Pears with Almond

Ingredients:

3 brown pears
1 cup sugar
2 ltr. water
¼ cup shaved root ginger
½ cinnamon stick
Peel of 1 lemon
4 tbsp. sliced almonds
vanilla ice-cream to serve

Method:

In a medium size deep pot combine sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, and water.
Peel and core pears, add to pot, cover with circle of baking paper. *see pic below
Bring to boil and reduce to a simmer for 25-35 minutes until pears are tender will splice of a knife when tested. (you can think a poached pear is cooked but when you cool it can be hard so make sure they are cooked properly.)
Split syrup in half and reduce by half or until thickened slightly.
Strain and remove all ginger shavings, they will be used to garnish.
Serve warm pear with vanilla ice cream, reduced poaching syrup, poached ginger shavings and sprinkle of sliced almonds.

Serves: 3

In medium deep pot combine sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, shaved ginger done with a peeler like seen above.

Peel pears evenly starting from the top moving to the bottom.

Remove the core, can be done with a melon baller or tsp.

Make sure you remove all the seeds.

Ready to be poached.

Add 2ltr of water to poaching pot followed by prepared pears.

Cover with circle of bakingpaper, bring to the boil and simmer for 25-35 minutes.

Remove pears from poaching liquid, cool. Split poaching liquid in half and reduce.

Serve warm pears with vanilla ice-cream and drizzle of hot syrup finished with the poached ginger and almonds.

Banana and Salted Caramel Filo Pastries

Posted on July 19, 2014 by soulfoodie92

Not your usual filo filling but hey I love to live on the wild side and experiment with new things! It was my first time making Salted Caramel and I had a heap of over ripe bananas and left over filo pastry. So I thought why not sounds like a tasty combination of flavour.

Boy was I right!! Salty sweet caramel with soft banana, crunchy light filo casing and toasted walnuts with smooth creamy mascarpone with was an easy tasty dessert!!

Banana and Salted Caramel Filo Pastries

Ingredients:

3 over ripe bananas
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 heaped dessert spoons of salted caramel
8 sheets filo pastry
200g butter, melted

50g walnuts, roughly chopped

100g mascarpone
cinnamon for dusting

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.
Line large baking tray with baking paper or a silicon mat.
Combine banana and cinnamon in small bowl, mash with a fork.
Take filo pastry lay it out flat and cover with a damp cloth. (This prevents it from dry and cracking which makes it hard to use!)
Take two sheets of filo pastry, cover the remaining. Lye it down flat, brush evenly with melted butter, fold in half vertically.
Place two heaped spoonfuls of mashed banana in the let hand corner of the folded pastry followed a heaped dessert spoon of salted caramel.
Brush around the mixture with a little butter.
Fold the parcel in a triangle over to the left and repeat folding until you have a small strip left, brush with melted butter and seal. Place seal side down on baking tray.
Repeat until mixture and filo pastry is used up.
Brush all finished triangle pastry parcels with butter and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Bake for 15-16 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with mascarpone and a dusting of cinnamon.

Makes: 4 filo triangles

Combine banana and cinnamon mash with a fork.

Cover filo pastry with a damp cloth to prevent drying out and hard to work with.

Take two piece of filo, brush with butter and fold in half vertically.

Once mixture is in the left hand corner brush around with butter and fold over to form a triangle. Repeat until only a strip of pastry left.

Brush with butter and seal. Place seal side down on lined baking tray.

Brush with butter and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake until golden brown.

Serve hot with a dollop of mascarpone and a dusting of cinnamon.

Easy Salted Caramel

Posted on July 19, 2014 by soulfoodie92

Salted Caramel

This recipe for salted caramel only calls for 5 ingredients and is pretty easy to make. Great for sundaes, cupcake filling, milkshakes anything you can dream of you can use it in.

I made banana and salted caramel filo pastries finished with walnuts, mascarpone and a dusting of cinnamon.
Perfect for a late night sugar hit on a quiet Friday night.

Ingredients:

1 250 g can condense milk
5 tbsp. golden syrup
1 tsp. vanilla essence
50g butter, cubed
1 tsp flaky sea salt or 1/2 tsp table salt

Method:

In a small pot combine condense milk, golden syrup and vanilla. Heat over a low to medium heat until well combined, bring to a simmer constantly stirring to avoid burning.
After 2 minutes add cubed butter stir in until well combine, add salt and stir well.
Cook until the mixture thickens around 5-8 minutes, still stirring constantly.
You will know the caramel is done when it coats the back of a spoon and when you run your finger through doesn’t run. *see picture below.
Allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or eaten!

Makes: 1 cup salted caramel

Combine condensed milk, golden syrup and vanilla in a medium size pot.

Add cubed butter followed by salt, stir well to combine simmer for 5-8 minutes until thickened.

Once mixture is thick and coats the back of the spoon and doesn’t run like above your caramel is ready.

Cool and store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge.

Cool and store in a airtight container or jar in the fridge.

Strawberries and Cream

Posted on June 18, 2014 by soulfoodie92

Here’s a recipe for a wonderful no-bake strawberries and cream cheesecake. homemade strawberry jelly with crunch malt biscuit base and vanilla cream center. This is a great show stopping dessert that will have any followers smiling and asking for more!

Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake

Ingredients:

250 gram malt biscuits
150 grams butter, melted

500 grams frozen strawberries
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
3 tsp. gelatin powder or agar agar*
3 tbsp. water

2x 250 gram tubs cream cheese
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla essence
1 lemon zest and juice
2 tsp. gelatin powder or agar agar*
2 tbsp. water
250ml cream, whipped to soft peaks

Method:

Add biscuit’s to food processor and pulse until fine crumb texture is reached, add melted butter and pulse until well combine.
Line medium spring-form cake tin with baking paper, tip crumb into the base and press firmly into the tin. Place in the refrigerator.
In a medium pot add frozen strawberries, sugar and first measure of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes stirring to avoid berries from sticking and burning.
Using a metal masher, mash berries and add juice half lemon.
In small microwave save bowl add first measure of gelatin and 3 tbsp. water together, stir and heat in microwave for 30 seconds.
Remove and stir until dissolved, pour into strawberry mix and stir to combine.
Leave berry mix to sit for 2 minutes, skim off the white foam with a ladle and discard.
In stand mixer combine cream cheese, lemon zest and remaining juice, vanilla essence and sugar. Beat with a whisk attachment until smooth and no lumps are present. Repeat the same method as before with the gelatin this time using 2 tsp. gelatin and 2 tbsp. water, whisk into cream cheese mix.
Scrap down sides of bowl, add 1/4 whipped cream and stir in. ( this helps to lighten the mixture before folding in remaining cream.)
Add remaining cream and fold through cream cheese mix until well incorporated, don’t over mix this will drop the mixture.
Pour cream cheese mix into spring-form tin over the base, smooth the top. Pour over cooled strawberry jelly and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until jelly is set.
Using a hot knife cut cheesecake into pieces, serve by itself or with cream/yoghurt.