STEAMOVENCOOKING with Tenina

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.

Always partial to a bit of daal with most things curry, this is a stunning dip with naan bread (see future posting) Great with curry, by itself with steamed rice or just serve with steamed veggies to add a flavour boost. You can add some cooked chicken to this and serve with rice, lemon wedges and chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) for a wonderful easy meal! Not strictly ‘daal’ with the addition of coconut cream, but I can assure you, you’ll be singing my praises as soon as you taste this! In fact you’ll be calling me a real ‘dahl’! (Yes folks that is how us Aussies say Darl!!)

NEED:
1 cup dried yellow split peas
2 onions
10 cloves garlic
2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled
Enough stock to cover and add as required. (Approx 4 x split pea measurement)
4 tablespoons turmeric
generous amount of olive oil (2 tablespoons)
1/2 can coconut milk (200 mls)
lemons
coriander or cilantro to taste

DO:
Peel garlic, onion, ginger, place in Thermomix bowl and chop on Speed 9 for 3 seconds (NOT KIDDING!!)
Meanwhile heat oil in heavy pan on Induction max. Turn down to 6 immediately.
Add chopped aromatics and cook till fragrant.
Add rinsed peas and turmeric.
Stir until heated through.
Add all of stock and bring to boil on Induction max.
Turn down to 4, cover with tight fitting lid and leave simmering for several hours.
You may have to turn it down again, 2 is ideal for a long enough period. (8 hours)
Stir occasionally and add more stock or water as needed.
The mix should be quite liquid.
Stir through cocnut milk and the juice of one lemon.
Simmer for at least another hour without a lid to thicken.
Leave in pan to cool.
The mix should become quite solid.
SERVE:The next day warmed through with any accompaniments as mentioned above.
USED:

I realise this is more of a suggestion than a recipe, and it certainly isn’t original in that I’ve eaten it or something akin to it before, but for all you desperados out there who occasionally need a sweet fix FAST, this is the page to bookmark! It is ideal as a school lunchbox snack (unless you are at one of those no treat schools) and if you are in a hurry to produce a slice that looks homemade; this is the one…so pay attention! My tweaked version of Mars Bar Slice. Enjoy your diabetic coma!
NEED:
3 Mars Bars (full size)
1 Boost Bar (or a 4th Mars Bar)
75 grams butter
3 cups Coco Pops
1/2 - full cup dessicated coconut
1 cup choc melts
4 tablespoons thickened cream

DO:
Put all candy bars in large glass bowl with butter.
Melt in Microwave/Grill on Microwave Function for 2 minutes.
Add Coco Pops, and stir vigorously, adding coconut to taste.
The mix should be very thick, if not add more coconut.
Push into square (9 inch) pan, working with damp fingers to smooth top.
Refrigerate until set.
Meanwhile melt chocolate with cream on Induction 2.
Spread over top of slice and set.
Remove from pan in one piece and cut into pieces.

So as you can see, a no brainer, no hassle, about 5 minutes total, easy to store, easy to eat ’slice’….not as creative as my usual entries I know, but everyone has their off days!

So what’s the plural of mousse? Mousses? Mouss-i? Mice? Not sure, but we enjoyed the Rhubarb Mousse in class last night, despite the fact another 24 hours would have allowed me to unmould them…so note to self; These need to be made way in advance of serving!

Delightful, delicious, and very more-ish.

NEED:
500 grams rhubarb stalks cleaned and chopped into 1 inch lengths
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
300 mls whipping cream
additional 3/4 cup caster sugar
few drops rose pink food coloring
1 sachet gelatine
Food Processor

DO:
Place rhubarb, 2 tablespoons caster sugar and vanilla in ceramic dish.
Process in steam oven for 25 minutes. OR:
Steam in Thermomix on 90 degrees for 10 minutes.
Cool slightly. Place in Thermomix bowl.
Add gelatine, food coloring and whisk on reverse, Level 3 for 30 seconds or until blended completely.
Either leave in Thermomix bowl and refrigerate over night or transfer to a different container. (Because clearly you cannot do without your Thermomix for 24 hours!!)
THE NEXT DAY:
Using butterfly attachment, whisk cream with remaining sugar until peaks form. (WARNING: I made sweet butter the first time…no longer than 1 minute on 3 will do!)
Add rhubarb mixture and blend, again in reverse and on 3. This may take over a minute, but just check and when happy, you’re done!
Put mousse into moulds or ramekins.
Chill several hours or overnight.

SERVE:
Drizzle melted white chocolate (Induction 1 for quite a while!) over mousse and then decorate with either a raspberry coulis or reserve some of the steamed rhubarb and make a rhubarb coulis with 1/2 cup caster sugar, at least 1/2 cup cooked rhubarb, and coloring, cooked on Induction 6 until blended. Push through sieve and store in fridge.

USED:

But how cute would these look?

Got any day old Croissant laying around? Me neither, they never last that long…but should on some rare occasion, a croissant or two escapes the hungry hoardes, try this for a decadent morning tea idea.

NEED:
Day old croissant…(This quantity makes 6)
110 grams ground almond meal
250 grams unsalted butter
drizzle almond essence
1/4 cup icing sugar
flaked almonds to finish

SYRUP made from 1 cup water and 1/2 cup caster sugar brought together until sugar is dissolved on Induction 6. Can add a dash of rum at this point. Cool. (Really cool…as in hip!)

DO:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
Cut croissant in half and lay in baking dish.
Pulse butter, almonds, icing sugar, essence and egg together in food processor.

When blended spoon onto croissant half and top with other half.
Pour syrup over and allow to soak in.
Sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake until golden. (Around 20 minutes)
Serve whilst warm.

USED:

This recipe is already on here, but I have been getting a lot of hits for it, so I thought I would take a few photos, and give you a bit of a tutorial on the whole process. Couldn’t be easier…when you know how!

SO: Here goes

NEED:
½ chicken breast per person.
Stuffing of choice. In this instance;
Homemade pesto (little oil)
Prawns

DO:
Butterfly each chicken breast.
Stuff with flavors of choice. (I used pesto and prawns)
Roll over on itself. Carefully lift each breast into hot pan.
Pan fry chicken breasts on Induction high for 5 minutes each side until golden.
Place in Steam Oven tray and process for 15 minutes.
Slice and serve immediately with sauce.

I will need to adjust the sauce recipe from the other entry that is on here. On this occasion I used 250 grams sliced button mushrooms, though brown is nicer. Using the pan that I browned the chicken in I deglazed the pan with a dash of champagne (flat and left over from someone’s lunch!!) Add the mushrooms and fry off. Add more champagne and simmer whilst waiting for the chicken to cook. When chicken is done, add a dash of fresh cream to the sauce, reduce, add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately! And like I said, please remember who you are at all times, as you LICK the plate clean!

OK, OK, I admit it…I have been asked by so many people to put this up and today my clients asked me again, so I thought I’d better get on it! We had a lunch today and my stock standard to showcase the Induction is the risotto, so I’ve put up a few photos…thanks ladies! Now…remember that this is best done on the Induction…I am not sure it would translate very well to any other cooking medium and of course there are some safety issues involved with using a tea towel on a gas cooktop!

NEED:
dash of olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups combined chicken stock and white wine (Less wine than stock…really!)
1 diced brown onion
5 large field mushrooms chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped finely
2 teaspoons Garden Gourmet Basil paste (or substitute handfuls of fresh basil torn roughly)
75 grams unsalted butter
zest and juice 1 lemon
75 grams freshly grated parmesan
Cream to taste, but at least 1/4 cup
1 clean tea towel

DO:
Heat oil in Induction friendly pan on ‘max’.
Add garlic and onion, stir briefly.
Add mushrooms and rice and stir until rice takes on a bright white appearance.
Do not let it catch.
Add all of stock and wine and bring to the boil.
Allow to boil madly on ‘max’ until the mixture becomes a ’slurry’!
Turn Induction down to 2.
Cover pan with the clean towel and THEN the lid, making sure the seal is tight.
Set timer for 12 minutes.
When cooking has finished, add butter and stir as it melts.
Add basil paste, cheese, and lemon zest and juice.
Continue to mix until all the butter has melted.
(If you are using fresh basil, it is now that you should add it.)
Lastly add cream and remember the mix should be quite runny.
Add salt and pepper as desired.
Serve immediately.

USED:

Well we all know it’s coming…the dreaded burnt toast with a scraping of butter, some aging fruit salad with bits of skin still on, a cold, slightly undercooked egg, swimming in bacon grease, and possibly a lukewarm coffee or milo! Yes, Mother’s Day breakfast in bed. Sit up and ENJOY!

OR: Get the kids and or husband onto this blog and cooking some easy but YUMMY breakfast for Sunday, they’ll enjoy it too!

Firstly, check out some Overnight French Toast. And if the worst comes to the worst, you could actually organise this yourself…and all they have to do is stick it in the oven, OR, if you are really clever and have a “Start Later, Stop Later” function on your oven (all Kleenmaid ovens but one have this function) you can set it yourself and then the kids just have to serve it! EASY.

If you are not much of a sweet tooth, try Gratin Egg Cups with some toast (unburnt if possible!) and hot coffee, YUM!

Of course, a breakfast blog would not be complete without some reference to Pancakes and I think I have it well covered here!

If you are running out the door and Breakfast in bed is not your thing…you can pre-mix this lot and just bake in the morning. Friands the trendy muffin of the ‘Norties’ (Yes that’s the 2000’s) are so delicious that you will not be able to stop at one. Of course, berries are a healthy choice, but try adding choc chips, macadamias, replacing the almond meal with polenta, the sugar with grated parmesan, and then add sun dried tomatoes, olives etc etc. for a savoury twist.

If you are throwing caution to the winds and getting off the diet yo-yo, (at least for ONE day) try something more decadent from my Seven Deadly Recipes file…but I suspect that you may have to be making these yourself…or for your mum, if you really need an excuse!

Have a great Mother’s Day, and may your toast be buttered right to the edges!

As promised, the Chicken Pad Thai recipe!  And FYI I have been taking lots of photos of other stuff that is on it’s way…maybe I should call this blog “Get Stuffed”! Any thoughts?

NEED:

1/2 chicken breast per person

4 tablespoons commerical Pad Thai paste (available most Asian supermarkets)

5 cloves garlic peeled and chopped finely

1 brown onion chopped

2 cups bean sprouts

handful rice noodles per person

1 egg per person, beaten lightly

1 cup salted peanuts, re-roasted until fragrant

LOTS of fresh lime juice (Do not be tempted to use the ready made product…NOT THE SAME)

Fish sauce to taste (I use around 1/4 cup for about 6 servings)

Chilli paste or 1 red chilli chopped finely including seeds

handful coriander chopped (cilantro)

Lime wedges

DO:

Heat a little oil in Demeyere Multifunctional Pan with Lid
Roast peanuts and set aside.
Fry off garlic, onions, pad thai paste, chicken, and toss until browned.
Meanwhile soak noodles as package directs.
Beat eggs and stir through mix.
Toss in noodles, bean sprouts and any other vegies of choice.
Add a little stock in necessary and lime juice.
Stir through chopped coriander, garnish with roasted peanuts and serve with lime wedges immediately.
USED:

Well I had a Thai cooking class last night and had requests to post the recipes…so here is one at least (the best one!) Also a photo of my work kitchen before the excitement began!

I will post the other recipes in later posts…so y’all come back now y’hear?

NEED:

3/4 cup jasmine rice

3/4 cup caster sugar

1  cup water

1 400 mls tin coconut cream

1 teaspoon salt

SYRUP:

1-2 400 mls cans coconut cream

1 cup caster sugar

2 teaspoons salt.

DO:

Combine rice in water and coconut cream with sugar and salt.

Cook on Induction 6 bringing to the boil and then continue to cook until all liquid is absorbed.

Keep adding water if necessary.

You want to have a nice sticky consistency.

Set aside or keep warm on Induction 2 until ready to serve.

SYRUP:

Combine all ingredients and cook on Induction 3 (low heat) until thickened.

Taste test. The syrup should be quite salty.

SERVE:

Scoop rice mix into bowls.

Drizzle generously with syrup and decorate with fruit of choice. In Thailand they will usually serve this with fresh sliced mango. In the absence of mango on the shelf, I chose Kiwi fruit with passionfruit pulp.

To be more authentic you can use glutinous rice instead of jasmine rice, but it absorbs a lot more liquid and may need soaking overnight. You can purchase glutinous rice at most Asian supermarkets.