STEAMOVENCOOKING with Tenina

Haven’t done a steam oven recipe for a while and this was unbelievable! There are fresh early strawberries around at the moment, so they are a perfect pair…with the obligatory dollop of fresh whipped cream, naturally! This was better the next day, stone cold, rather than steamy warm, but either way it is truly decadent and well worth using a bain marie to get the same result, if you don’t possess a steam oven!

NEED:
200 grams each butter and dark chocolate melts
150 grams ground almond meal (or blanched almonds and whiz them up yourself in…you guessed it, the Thermomix!)
200 grams SR flour
4 eggs
dash of vanilla essence
Large pie dish

DO:
Put butter and chocolate into Thermomix bowl and process on speed 9 for 15 seconds or until chopped.
Set timer for 5 minutes, temperature for 37 and then melt chocolate on the stirring function.
(OR; Melt butter and chocolate together in MW on high for 2 minutes, stir until all melted and then transfer to Thermomix bowl.)
Insert butterfly attachment and then add eggs one at a time, beating between each addition.
Add flour and almond meal, then vanilla and continue beating on speed 4 until blended and aerated.
Spread into pie plate.
Process in steam oven for 1&1/2 hours or until set in centre.
Alternatively use individual moulds. Steaming should take a lot less time if you do this.
Remove and cool.

SERVE:
With fresh sliced strawberries, whipped cream and a dusting of either cocoa or icing sugar.

USED:
 

The most amazing rolls you have ever tasted can be sourced right here, right now. Thanks to my friend Megan (who also cooks at Kleenmaid) I have the secret recipe, which of course is now no secret…and even if you have never tried making bread before, this is a great way to begin a journey with yeast, as it is hard to go wrong. You can use the dough for sweet rolls, cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls or my personal fave, Sticky Toffee Pecan Rolls (recipe to follow in a later post!) I had family over the other night and we ate the entire batch as dinner rolls, without a crumb in sight…and they were loudly proclaimed THE best rolls ever tasted…Thanks Megan!

 

NEED:

Step 1
¼ cup warm water
4 teaspoons Yeast granules

Step 2
4 cups warm water
¾ cup powdered milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
7 cups plain flour

Step 3
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1tsp Baking soda
1 tsp salt

DO:

Step 1
Combine warm water and yeast in a small bowl, place somewhere warm and wait for the yeast to activate.

Step 2
While the yeast is activating, combine all ingredients from step 2 in a large mixing bowl. Mix together until smooth. Add yeast mixture to the large bowl and I cup of plain flour. Beat together until stretchy. 

Leave to rise until the mixture is double in size.

Step 3
Poke down the dough then add ingredients from step 3. Combine until a soft dough is formed (you may need to add more flour). Once the dough is ready turn onto a floured bench and kneed the dough, the dough is now ready to use. 

Store unused dough in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. (Wrap tightly in plastic to prevent it taking over your fridge.)

When baking rolls – shape rolls, buns, as desired leave on baking trays to rise then bake in 180 – 200 degrees oven for about 15 – 20 min.

I went on a mission to find pork ribs at my local butcher wholesaler. (There is a great one near me!) They were twice the price as the beef ribs, so guess what? This recipe is for beef ribs, and I must say, that although I only got one, they were well worth the effort. In fact tonight I repeated the marinade with pork fillets and it was even more delicious…no bones to contend with, but I didn’t bake them first, straight on the Crossfire. Timing is everything, so don’t rush these. The longer you can marinade the better.

NEED:
4 kilos beef ribs
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
juice and zest of 1 lemon or lime
1 large oven bag
Fresh mint to taste

DO:
Place all ribs into oven bag.
In small bowl, mix all remaining ingredients.
Pour into bag, tie and lay flat in fridge, turning occasionally for up to 48 hours.
(I did mine for 30 hours and they were melt in the mouth fantastic!)
Bake in oven bag for a few hours on low heat. (Around 140 degrees Celcius)
Alternatively you could steam them in the Steam Oven for around 1 & 1/2 hours in the bag of marinade as well.
When ready to serve, grill on heated Crossfire for about 5 minutes with lid down.
Sprinkle with chopped mint and serve immediately, but not before tasting one yourself!

So I taste this amazing dip in the States right? But it’s from Costco…and they don’t do a recipe blog, so once again, I’m trying to put stuff together to repeat the taste….Lucky for me I have the Thermomix, the food processor of the Gods….so should be easy yeah?  (Channeling Jamie Oliver right here!) Here is my ode to Artichoke Spinach Dip…without a sniff of Costco in sight!

NEED:
150 grams each sour cream and good whole egg mayonnaise (or make your own!)
200 grams feta cheese
100 grams parmesan cheese
1 jar (320 grams) marinated artichoke hearts
5 large cloves of garlic peeled
250 grams frozen spinach, thawed and drained (Pat dry with paper towel and squeeze excess moisture out before adding)
additional grated parmesan cheese to taste (Thermomix Speed 8 for 3 seconds)
(No salt is required in this recipe as the cheeses have plenty!)

DO:
Drain artichokes and prepare garlic.
Add all ingredients except spinach to Thermomix bowl.
Blend on Speed 8 for approx 30 seconds or until creamy in texture.
Add well drained spinach and pulse for 10 seconds until blended.
Taste and add salt if necessary.
Refrigerate until needed.
Place dip into heatproof bowl.
Sprinkle with grated parmesan and cook in hot oven until bubbly.

SERVE:
With Pita crisps, crostini, water crackers, fresh vegetables or corn chips of choice. Or you can be a bit pukkah (Jamie again!) and put the dip into a bread basket like I did…Wrap completely in foil leaving the top open to toast the parmesan. Wrap the lid in foil also to heat it up and cook in hot oven for approximately 20 minutes. Eat the basket as the dip goes down…I served this tonight for a big family dinner and there was not a crumb left…but then, they are a bunch of hungry horrors at the best of times!

I had a great dessert at lunch the other day and decided to try and replicate it, and if I say so myself…mine is better. (No-one else would say it, so I had to!) I had intended on a rhubarb clafoutis after reading a great recipe for Cherry Clafouti on Foodbuzz, but this idea took over after the lunch! I have had a lot of good feedback about Rhubarb Mousse, so I know rhubarb is on your radars…Love the tangy-ness, the tart-ness, the color, and paired with Raspberry, YUMM-O!

It is a rhubarb, crumble with a cheesecake-y centre…so unsure of exactly what I was making I began with flavor and color in mind, added raspberries for both…and voila! You can see the results and give the recipe a go. Please tell me what results you get….BUT ONLY IF THEY’RE GOOD! Hahahahaha.

NEED:
Base: 1 pkg gingernut biscuits
125 grams butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 cup quick oats
Filling: 1 kilo chopped fresh rhubarb stalks
350 grams frozen raspberries thawed (Fresh are impossible to get where I live, but use them if you can!)
5 tablespoons raw sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
500 grams creamed ricotta cheese
5 large eggs
150 grams sour cream (not light)
2 teaspoons vanilla

DO:
Steam rhubarb with raw sugar in steam oven for 25 minutes.
Cool completely.
Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celcius.
Spray 10 inch spring-form pan with cooking spray.
Make base by processing all ingredients except oats in Thermomix Speed 8 until blended.
Turn blade in reverse and add oats, using stirring function until oats are mixed through.
Push 3/4 of base mix into prepared pan with the back of a spoon, making sure mix is packed down firmly.
Reserve remaining base mix for topping and set aside in seperate bowl.
Bake the base in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes until fragrant.
Without cleaning Thermomix bowl, blend all filling ingredients except fruit until smooth and creamy.
Mix raspberries with steamed rhubarb gently so as not to break the fruit up too much.
Pour cheesecake mix onto base.
Gently put fruit on top of cheese filling and try to distribute evenly throughout cake.
Place crumble (base) mix on top.
Bake in oven for around 75 minutes or until middle is set when you shake it.
Chill completely.

SERVE:
Slice and serve with fresh cream (I used King Island Cream…THE best in Australia!) Of course the addition of cream totally kills the low-fat properties of the ricotta….but you could argue that it halves the fat content that you would have if the recipe called for cream cheese…AND a dollop of cream to serve!  Female logic…you can’t beat it.

Yes, another BBQ posting…all due to my class participants from late June (who FYI are very silent in the comment department…c’mon guys) and of course a little hangover from a month of summer in the States…they are ‘grilling’ mad, especially around July 4th…so in honor of that…here we are…Grilled (or BBQ-ed) veggie salad. Great with ribs, steak, snaggers, or salmon…all on the outdoor grill!
This is so simple and looks stunning, despite the photo telling you otherwise! It is also totally dee-lish…and you will be making it as a BBQ staple all summer long.
NEED:
1 eggplant
1 each red, green, yellow capsicum
1 zuchinni
1/2 butternut pumpkin
rocket as required
200 grams feta
1 recipe Pesto
zest and juice of 1 lemon
extra virgin Olive oil and salt to taste
DO:
Prepare all vegetables by peeling, slicing and salting eggplant and zuchinni.
Char grill capsicums in Microwave Grill on Grill function for about 10-15 minutes until skin is blackened.
Place in plastic bag and cool until you are able to peel easily.
Slice pumpkin and brush with olive oil.
Rinse off eggplant and zuchinni and pat dry with paper towel.
Fire up the Cross Fire. Allow it to reach 200 degrees celcius.
Place all veggies except capsicum on grill plate and cook, turning as necessary.
This will only take a few minutes each side.
Meanwhile, prepare pesto dressing by adding lemon zest, juice and olive oil to Pesto to thin it to a runny consistency.
Arrange rocket on serving platter, tear peeled capsicum into strips and place on top.
Place other veggies on as well as feta.
Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.

This was the challenge; The Foodie Joust Challenge no less! Write a recipe using ginger, apricots and butter. Well my little cooks hat went on and started working over time! There was Butter Puff Pastry, Apricot Danish with a Ginger glaze. Apricot Brown Butter Ice Cream with Ginger toffee pieces throughout. How about Butter Apricot Chicken with Pickled Ginger garnish, or a Lime, Coconut Ginger cake with an Apricot Butter on the side? Oh the agony of choosing just one…but here it is and for all you Thermomix and Steam Oven lovers, here’s looking at you kids! Oh and if you’re a food blogger yourself, why not go and vote for me on; Left Over Queen Forum. or even enter yourself…it’s been fun!

NEED:
125 grams unsalted butter
2 inch peeled piece of fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
225 grams caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
4 large eggs
110 grams SR flour
200 grams almond meal
3 apricot halves from a can per serving (or fresh if you are lucky enough to be in summer right now!)
Unflavored oil (Grapeseed)
Extra caster sugar for grilling
Plus more caster sugar for toffee bark (see below)
6 large ramekins or 14 small

DO:
In Thermomix bowl chop butter and peeled ginger together for 3 seconds on Speed 9.
Insert butterfly attachment.
Add sugar, ground ginger, nutmeg and vanilla bean paste and whip on Speed 3-4 for around 5 minutes.
The mixture should look almost white.
Meanwhile grease and flour ramekins.
Prepare water bath if you do not have a steam oven.
Add eggs one at a time.
You may have to add some flour at this point to prevent curdling.
Add remaining flour and almond meal and whip briefly until the mix comes together.
It should be a soft batter, (not runny).
Spoon mix evenly into ramekins and process in Steam Oven for 45 minutes.
OR using water bath method, place ramekins in large pan filled to the halfway point with water and steam in 100 degree Celcius oven (around 212 F) for 45 minutes.
Heat griddle pan with a dash of Grapeseed oil and some sprinkled caster sugar.
Grill canned or fresh apricot halves, round side down until browned and caramelized.
Set aside for serving.
OPTIONAL: Toffee bark.
This is really just a bit of cosmetic thing, though a nice crunch with dessert is a plus.
Spray a flat oven tray (with a rim) with oil.
Thinkly spread around 1/2 cup caster sugar so it is even and place under a hot grill for around 5 minutes.
This is quite tricky as one minute you have sugar granules and the next, the oven is up in smoke…so don’t move away! Check and when sugar is runny and golden, remove and cook tray, allowing the toffee to set.
When completely cold, break into uneven pieces and use for decoration.
SERVE: Un mold from ramekin, dredge with icing sugar, arrange apricots and use the little bit of drizzle you’ll have as a syrup over the pudding and apricots. It goes without saying you need dollops of freshly whipped cream…and I must say, diet or no diet, this was delish!

I have to admit that this recipe, whilst clever and easy, is not mine and full credit and a big thank you must go to my cousin the chef, Crispy Raykels of Rotarua in New Zealand. What is mine is the BBQ twist and the Rum Caramel Sauce. If you like crispy pastry, (pun intended Crispy) and you like sweet banana, gooey caramel, a few nuts and a lot of easy, then this definitely rates a mention on your BBQ this summer! Make ahead by a day and keep in fridge until ready to cook. Unfortuneately the photos are average as I was in ‘point and shoot’ mode due to the fact I was mid class at the time. Food Stylist required!!! But you get the idea yes?

NEED:
2 sheets of thawed filo pastry per serving
melted butter for brushing pastry (approx 300 grams for 8 servings)
1/2 banana per serving
1 mini or 1/2 normal sized mars bar
SAUCE:
125 grams unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
dash of rum
1 disposable foil BBQ tray

DO:
Brush melted butter on and between first 2 sheets of filo.
Keep other filo damp by covering with a moistened clean tea towel.
Cut a peeled banana in half and make a ‘hot dog’ (see above pic) with the mars bar and banana posing as bread bun and hot dog!
Wrap in filo and brush with more butter as needed.
Place in foil tray.
Repeat until all servings have been made.
Place tray on top basket of turned off Cross Fire BBQ.
Close lid and leave until browned and ‘crispy’!
SAUCE:
On Induction 4 in heavy based pan, heat butter and sugar until sugar has dissolved and it starts to resemble a sauce.
Turn heat up to 6, add cream.
Bring to boil on 10.
Add rum to taste.
Serve immediately over Crispy Bananas and add whipped cream or ice-cream to taste.

This is so delicious that I ate way too many, dripping with butter, and although I tried with the first lot to add flavour (parmesan, garlic, coriander seeds etc) I subsequently decided I liked to have plain as I could then add flavour later. Great with the Daal of the previous post, great with melted butter, or even {shudder} golden syrup, honey, jam or what the hell??? Vegemite! SO Aussie BBQ Naan…at your service!

NEED:
1 egg lightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil (can use ghee to be authentic)
3/4 cup Greek style plain yoghurt
4 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast granules
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warmed milk

DO:
In small bowl combine egg, oil and yoghurt.
Put flour, salt, sugar, baking powder into the Thermomix bowl.
Add yoghurt mixture and warm milk.
Using kneading function, knead for 3 minutes.
Add more warm milk if the dough does not come together.
Place into a large oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave to rise for up to 2 hours.
Preheat Pizza stone on Cross Fire BBQ with hood down until temp shows at least 200 degrees celcius.
Turn dough onto floured surface and knead by hand until smooth.
Divide dough equally…about 100 grams per portion.
Roll out to 1/2 cm thickness. Stretch by hand into a tear shape.
Place onto hot Pizza stone for approx 5-8 minutes.
You should not have to turn them over.
Serve immediately with toppings of choice.

I had of necessity to pre-make these for my BBQ cooking class, and I froze the dough unrisen in portion sizes. They defrosted and rose perfectly and were delicious, even 3 days later!

Well I always thought so, but now I know so…yes I have joined another cooking community and they are cooking with gas (and induction, and steam oven, and Thermomix, and Cross Fire and so on and so on!!!) They’re a friendly bunch with heaps of great food and recipe websites, so check it all out here; SimpleDailyRecipes.com
I look forward to a long association with Great Cooks Blogroll and many more happy readers coming my way!
On a completely unrelated, (but of course food) topic…I had a class tonight and promised all attendees some great recipes in the next few posts…so as a teaser and for the sake of a more interesting post, (not that Great Cooks Blog Roll is UN-interesting!!) I have put up some photos of tonights festivities…recipes to follow in the next few days. Tonight was all Cross Fire BBQ related, so stunning pizza, naan bread, a roast beef on the spit, Roast Veggie Salad, a Raspberry Marshmallow Surprise, Crispy Bananas and Rum Caramel Sauce…oh the drool list goes on and on… and bear in mind we had a heap of people there, so my food styling was out the window…it was point and shoot all the way, so not awesome photos…but, keep coming back for all the recipes, and in the meantime, stop salivating all over your computer! See you soon!