Nieve de Limon (Lemon-Lime Sorbet)

If you've been visiting here for a while, then you probably know that one of the places I like to play is at I Heart Cooking Clubs.  Twice a year a new chef is chosen, with whom we spend the next six months cooking according to a different weekly theme.  During that time we really do "get to know" the chosen chef pretty well, and amongst those who participate we get to know each other pretty well too.

The current chef the group is spending time with is Rick Bayless.  Rick is well known I'm sure to most of you in America, but here in New Zealand, not so much - unless you happen to be a Food TV addict, in which case you will no doubt have seen him at some stage.  I have to admit he's not my favourite Food TV personality.  I think this has much to do with the fact that he is a very "high energy" personality (if you didn't know better, you could be forgiven for thinking he's on speed - not that I wish to denigrate here) and, as his show usually seems to be on pretty late in the evening, if I watch it I seem to end up going off to bed in a highly agitated state - you know, like getting the kids over excited right before bedtime - not good!!  So I admit to frequently turning the tele off when Rick comes on.  Add to that the fact that he cooks Mexican food - not that I have anything against Mexican food - and uses a whole lot of ingredients that, not only have I never heard of, but which are largely inaccessible here in New Zealand.

So I confess to a distinct lack of enthusiasm when the group chose Rick Bayless as our featured chef.  I don't have any of his books in my collection.  I couldn't find any of his books at my local library either.  And what's more, the bright, freshness of many of his dishes seem to be very "summery" food - and again we're back to many ingredients which are inaccessible or unsuitable in the depths of the New Zealand winter.

All of which is a whole lot of excuses for not joining in with the group for the last four months.  And I could come up with more, but they are all just that - excuses.  Howewer, I've come to realise that participating in groups like this is important to me.  It is about building communities, and on reflection that means joining in and playing your part, even when it doesn't suit.  It is also about learning and broadening culinary horizons, and keeping an open mind - that's why we're spending six months with our chosen chef and not just one week.  Ok, so I may not be able to get all the ingredients called for in a particular recipe - but I can look for alternatives, and explore why these may or may not work, and in the same way that I can learn from what my fellow group members create, maybe they too can learn something from my challenges.

So all of that was a very long-winded way (is anyone out there still actually reading?) of saying, I've been missing my IHCC buddies, and there may only be a couple of months left to spend with Rick, but I'm giving him a try.

The theme this week is Nieves:  Icy Cold Treats to Cool Off With!  About this point some of you may be thinking, "this woman is a complete lunatic".  Not only have I not been playing for four months, but in the middle of winter I've chosen to jump back in the very week the group is getting into "icy cold treats".  Hell, I could just go and lick the frost off the bonnet of my car every morning if I want something icy cold.  As it happens though, and I've mentioned this here before, no matter whether it's summer or winter my favourite treat is always ice cream or sorbet, so this seemed like the perfect challenge for Rick and I to get acquainted.

Without any of Rick's books to turn to, I checked out the recipes on his website.  There's plenty there to choose from and given that citrus fruit is plentiful and inexpensive here right now his Fresh Lime Ice with Berries seemed perfect - although in my case it is "sans berries" since, unlike the citrus fruit, berries are not available here right now unless they are either frozen or have travelled half way round the world to get here.  I also added some lemon juice into the mix as, even though seasonal, limes are still quite pricey here, and I don't know what limes are like in your part of the world, but here they are rather like bullets and not particular juicy.

My resulting lemon-lime sorbet, had the perfect balance of sweetness to citrusy tanginess and I will definitely be making this again.  If I were to make any changes, I would like to try this with a dash or two of bitters added - lemon, lime and bitters is one of my favourite drinks, and in sorbet form that would make me pretty happy.

Props courtesy of Stevens Homewares, Nelson (details below)

Nieve de Limon Recipe

(Lemon-Lime Sorbet)

Adapted from this recipe by Rick Bayless

Makes about 750 ml

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

fresh limes and lemons

(I used 4 limes and 1-1/2 lemons)

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn syrup

(corn syrup helps prevent your sorbet turning hard and icy in the freezer)

1-1/4 cups water

Grate the zest of 2 limes into a medium bowl.  Juice lemons and limes until you have 3/4 cup of juice.  Add to the bowl with the zest.

Put the sugar, corn syrup and water into a small pot, and heat gently just until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the heat and add to juice and zest.

Cover and refrigerate several hours - overnight is best.

Next day remove from fridge and churn in an ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's instructions.

Freeze for a few hours to firm up before serving.

Rick suggests serving this with fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries), and if they are seasonal for you right now I'm sure that would be a great addition.  A sprig or two of mint or basil would also be a nice touch, again if you have them in season right now.

So after my first experience with Rick, what do I think?  Well, if this sorbet is anything to go by, it seems that we could get along.  At least I'm convinced enough to see what we can make together next week - keep watching this space.

If you would like to get to know Rick a little better, then do go and visit my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs and see what they've all cooked up ...

Props courtesy of Stevens Homewares Ltd 

Stevens Everyday DOF Tumblers, 320ml, set of 4 

"chef'n" ice cream scoop

"Diamond" rimmed bowl, 30cm

I'm also sharing this post at See Ya In the Gumbo hosted by my lovely friend, Michelle, at Ms. enPlace, at Foodie Friday hosted by Designs By Gollum, at Gallery of Favourites hosted by the lovely April, of The 21st Century Housewife.  This will also be a submission to Sweet New Zealand, inspired by Alessandra Zecchini and hosted this month by Kristina at Plum Kitchen.

     

   

Chilli Jam

A friend at work recently loaned me her copy of Annabel Langbein the Free Range Cook, and one of the first recipes that I stumbled on that I just had to try was the Chilli Jam.

As luck would have it I had all the necessary ingredients on hand - red chillies, ginger, garlic, limes, kaffir lime leaves, rice vinegar - so I was good to go.

This is an absolute doddle to make.  The garlic, chillies, ginger and kaffir lime leaves are blitzed up in the food processor for a moment or two until you get a coarse paste.  The paste is then added to a saucepan with water, sugar, lime zest, rice vinegar, soy sauce and fish sauce.  All of which is then brought up to the boil, and then allowed to boil for about 10 minutes until reduced and "jammy".  Lastly the finished jam is poured into sterilised jars.

The finished "jam" carries a bit of warmth from the chillies and ginger, but being balanced out by the sugar is not excessively hot by any stretch of the imagination, and gets a good bit of "zing" from the lime.

Annabel suggests this as making a great dip for vegetable crudites, or tossing chicken pieces in the jam before baking.  I think shrimp would be great bathed in this jam before cooking and serving on some rice, and I think a good dollop would also be a wonderful accompaniment to corn fritters (or any other kind of fritter, actually).  It also tastes incredibly good just devoured by the spoonful straight from the jar!!

As I didn't make any changes to the recipe whatsoever, I'm not going to post it here, but direct you to Annabel's website where you can find the recipe here.

The Free Range Cook is a great book for busy cooks - simple recipes, with minimal ingredients, and with a strong emphasis on using fresh, seasonal, local produce - now that's my kind of book.

Available in New Zealand from Fishpond, in the US from Amazon, and in the UK from Amazon UK.

I am sharing this Chilli Jam at Cookbook Sundays, where my friends are delving into their cookbooks and sharing their recipes.  Hope you'll stop by and see what they've been cooking this week - maybe you'll even feel inspired to link up a recipe from one of your own cookbooks.

I'm also sharing this at See Ya In The Gumbo hosted by my friend, Michelle, at Ms. enPlace and at Foodie Fridays hosted by Designs by Gollum.

       

Tropical Fruit Granola

Let me begin by telling you, and this has absolutely nothing to do with granola, that last night we watched When Harry Met Sally - for the umpteenth time I might add, but there was not much else on and it's one of those movies that's always worth another watch, if only for the fake orgasm scene in Katz's Deli.  Anyways, it disturbed me as I was watching to realise that during the course of the 80s and 90s I wore every single one of the hair-dos Sally paraded in the movie - many of them cringe-worthy when I look back.

Such are the things we do over the years as we struggle to develop our personal style - or certainly so it was for me.  Took me I think the best part of 48 years to really get comfortable in my own skin, and to realise what my own style was without trying to make myself look good in someone else's.

Breakfast is like that.  I know all the rhetoric, which is no doubt backed up by plenty of sound nutritional research, about breakfast being the most important meal of the day.  I'm well acquainted with the expression "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper".  And, I've spent many years trying to follow that advice.  But the reality is that I am just not a breakfast person - not even a morning person, in fact.  The truth is that given the choice I prefer not to rise to a vertical position before 10 am at the earliest, and midday is ideal.  Of course, there are jobs to go to and languishing between the sheets till noon is not always an option.  But no matter how early I do get up I generally like a lapse of a couple of hours to pass between the bed and the breakfast table, by which time of course it often is pretty much lunch time.

Then, of course, the dilemna arises of what to eat - lunch or breakfast.  French toast (check out my Chocolate Panettone French Toast Sandwiches and Caramelised French Toast with Raspberry Compote) and pancakes are popular choices, as is this granola.  Work day mornings, I will on rare occasions scarf down a slice of toast and marmalade before racing out the door, but I'm just as likely to skip breakfast, throw a couple of handfuls of this granola into a tub and take it to work with me for lunch.

This granola is a breeze to make, better than anything you will pick up at the supermarket, cheaper and minus the fat too, and it's loaded with nuts and tropical fruit.  I like to use cashews and almonds, along with cranberries, apricots, figs, dates, mango and papaya, but really you can use any combination you like.  Hope you give this a try I know you won't be disappointed.

Tropical Fruit Granola Recipe

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup almonds

1 cup cashew nuts

(you can substitute these with 2 cups of any nuts or seeds that you like - pecans, walnuts, macadamias, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds would all be good)

1 cup shredded coconut

(go for long thread or even better flaked coconut - avoid dessicated)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

generous pinch of salt

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 cups dried fruit of your choice

(cranberries, figs, dates, cherries, papaya, apricots, mango, pears, peaches, raisins, sultanas are all good - cut larger fruit into smaller pieces)

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C (300 degrees F).

Put the rolled oats into a large bowl.  Add the nuts, coconut, cinnamon, ginger and salt.  Pour the honey, agave nectar and maple syrup over the dry ingredients and using your hands mix everything together well.

Spread everything out in a thin layer in a shallow baking tray (you may need to use a couple of trays), and put into the preheated oven.  Bake until golden brown.  This will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how "toasty" you like it, but keep in mind that it will continue cooking after you take it out of the oven, so take care not to over do it.  Give it a bit of a stir every 10 minutes during cooking.

Once toasted to your liking remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Add your dried fruit and mix well, then transfer to an airtight container for storage.

I sometimes also throw in a handful of yoghurt covered raisins at this stage, and would even consider chocolate coated raisins or peanuts acceptable inclusions for an indulgent treat.

I can enjoy this as a wee snack, by the handful, straight out of the jar, or eaten on its own simply moistened with a bit of fruit juice (personally not too fussed on milk).  It is also great with fresh or stewed fruit, and some Greek-style natural yoghurt.  You could even use this to make your favourite granola bars.

I sharing this post with Sweet New Zealand, a monthly blog event created by the very lovely Alessandra Zecchini, and which this month is hosted by After Taste. This is an opportunity for all Kiwi bloggers (whether you are living in New Zealand or overseas), as well as for non-Kiwi bloggers living in New Zealand, to connect and share some of those sweet treats from your kitchen.  So, head on over and share something sweet.

I'm also sharing this at Foodie Fridays hosted by Designs by Gollum.

Cookbook Sundays # 32

 

If you're anything like me you have dozens of cookbooks gathering dust on your bookshelves, some of which have never even been cooked from.  Sure I spent hours browsing through them when I first bought them, marking all the recipes I was going to make with little post-it notes, and yet still those books languish in the bookcase and never make it to the kitchen.  There are others from which I have made but one recipe which was such a resounding success that I've made it over and over again, and yet somehow I've never made anything else from that book.  Sound a bit familiar?!

Take comfort - you are not alone, and now Cookbook Sundays is your opportunity to change that.  Every Sunday I'm going to share with you a recipe that I haven't made before from one of my ever expanding collection of cookbooks.  And, because I know that if you have read this far then you are guilty of this too, I'm inviting you to join in with me.  Each week my Cookbook Sundays post will have a linky for you to share something you've cooked from one of your cookbooks.

The rules for joining in are simple:

1. Your post must state the author and the title of the book your recipe has come from.
2. Your post must mention Cookbook Sundays and link back to this post.  Including the Cookbook Sundays badge is optional, but always appreciated.
3. You may submit as many entries as you like, and you may use the same cookbook as many times as you like.  Old posts are also welcome.
4. Lastly,  remember that what goes around, comes around - one of the reasons you are participating in this is because you want people to read your posts, so do the right thing and go and visit a few of the other participants - you can even "Like" your favourites. 

Now, go and dust off those cookbooks and get cooking!  Use the linky tool at the end of this post to submit your entry/entries - simply scroll down to where it says "You are next ... Click here to enter", and then follow the instructions.  The linky will be open for one week.

Lastly, if you would like to use the Cookbook Sundays badge in your post, simply copy the code in the box beside the badge below and paste it into your post.  Feel free to also use it in your sidebar if you wish.

<a href="http://couscous-consciousness.blogspot.com/p/cookbook-sundays.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa476/Susan_Busch/CookbookSundaysBadge.jpg" border="0" alt="CookbookSundays"></a> <br>

Important note:  After 8 months and much soul searching of late, I have decided to "retire" from Cookbook Sundays.  I have thoroughly enjoyed hosting this event, and I'm grateful for all of you who have found the time to participate.  Unfortunately, I am increasingly finding of late that I don't have the time necessary to devote to being a "good hostess" as well as putting out regular blog posts, so this will be my last week of Cookbook Sundays.  It may well be that someone who participates regularly would be interested in taking up the mantel of hosting or even co-hosting this event - if so please email me at yoga(dot)tapas(at)gmail(dot)com and we will make it happen.  Thanks for your support over the last 8 months.

Chewy Cherry Chunky Chocolate Cookies

When I was a kid, Mum would have regular baking days, filling the tins with all sorts of heavenly treats - cakes and slices, her scones and pikelets were legendary, and biscuits. Now biscuits as I know them are not to be confused with what those of you in North America call biscuits, which are rather more like our scones. No, our biscuits are more akin to what you would call cookies, except that generally speaking biscuits are never really of the chewy variety. They tend more towards the crispy end of the spectrum, and include such delights as peanut brownies, afghans, Anzac biscuits, gingernuts, and hokey pokey biscuits. They can also be sandwiched together with a filling of jam or icing (or both) - for example, Belgian biscuits, yo-yos, monte carlos and shrewbury biscuits.  As for cookies, how I wonder did I manage to get through the first 30 or so years of my life without ever becoming acquainted with these over-sized, chewy bits of heaven?

These cookies are a variation on the Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

They are about as far removed from a dainty little biscuit as you can get, but chewy and chocolatey and utterly addictive. For all their chewiness, they do have a hint of crunch around the edges on the day they are made, and, if by chance you don't manage to polish them all off on the first day, they are wonderful turned into ice-cream sandwiches and stashed in the freezer. Simply smear a liberal scoop of your favourite ice cream between two cookies, wrap in cling film, pop all your cling film wrapped packages in a snaplock bag, and stow in the freezer. Eat direct from the freezer - heavenly!!

I adjusted the ratio of white sugar to brown sugar, to get more of the rich, caramel flavour that comes through from the brown sugar.  Also, the original recipe called for the inclusion of 2 cups of chopped chocolate (any kind) - I actually subbed one cup out for a cup of dried cherries.  You could alternatively use raisins, cranberries, dried apricots, and/or any kind of nuts - walnuts, almonds, macadamias, or pistachios would all be great. Really the combination of ingredients is limited only by your imagination. I used Whittaker's Dark Ghana chocolate in mine, but white chocolate and dairy milk are also fine if that is your preference.  Do use block chocolate though and chop it so that you get some decent sized chunks of chocolate, instead of using packs of little chocolate chips.

Chewy Cherry Chunky Chocolate Cookies Recipe

Adapted from recipe by Mark Bittman from

How to Cook Everything

Makes 18 to 20 large cookies

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

230g (8 oz) butter, room temperature

130g (4.5 oz) sugar

160g (5.6 oz) brown sugar

2 large eggs

250g (8.8 oz) flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup good quality chopped chocolate

1 cup dried cherries

Begin by preheating your oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F).

Using an electric beater, cream together the butter and both sugars.  Then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to make sure they are well blended.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in another bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter, sugar and egg mixture, beat for a moment to combine.  Lastly add the vanilla extract, and stir in the chunks of chocolate and dried cherries.

Line a baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper, and drop spoonfuls of the cookie dough onto the baking sheet.  They will spread a lot, so make sure they are spaced well apart.

Bake until the cookies are lightly browned, about 10 minutes, and then cool on the baking sheet for a further 2 minutes, before transferring to a rack to finish cooling.

Store in an airtight container or, as suggested above, wrap a pair of these babies around some of your favourite ice cream and store in the freezer.

Alternatively, you can drop spoonfuls of the cookie dough onto a baking sheet and freeze immediately.  Then drop your balls of frozen cookie dough into a freezer bag to take out and bake any time you feel like a fresh, warm cookie - simply add another couple of minutes to the baking time.

"How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman is definitely one of those books that should grace the shelves of every cook, and is available in New Zealand from Fishpond, Amazon in the US, or from Amazon UK.

I am sharing these cookies this week at Cookbook Sundays, where my friends are delving into their cookbooks and sharing their recipes.  Hope you'll stop by and see what they've been cooking this week - maybe you'll even feel inspired to link up a recipe from one of your own cookbooks.

I'm also sharing this post at Food on Friday: Chocolate hosted by Carole at Carole's Chatter.

I am also sharing this post with Sweet New Zealand, a monthly blog event created by the very lovely Alessandra Zecchini, and which this month is hosted by After Taste. This is an opportunity for all Kiwi bloggers (whether you are living in New Zealand or overseas), as well as for non-Kiwi bloggers living in New Zealand, to connect and share some of those sweet treats from your kitchen.  So, head on over and share something sweet.

Cookbook Sundays # 31

 

If you're anything like me you have dozens of cookbooks gathering dust on your bookshelves, some of which have never even been cooked from.  Sure I spent hours browsing through them when I first bought them, marking all the recipes I was going to make with little post-it notes, and yet still those books languish in the bookcase and never make it to the kitchen.  There are others from which I have made but one recipe which was such a resounding success that I've made it over and over again, and yet somehow I've never made anything else from that book.  Sound a bit familiar?!

Take comfort - you are not alone, and now Cookbook Sundays is your opportunity to change that.  Every Sunday I'm going to share with you a recipe that I haven't made before from one of my ever expanding collection of cookbooks.  And, because I know that if you have read this far then you are guilty of this too, I'm inviting you to join in with me.  Each week my Cookbook Sundays post will have a linky for you to share something you've cooked from one of your cookbooks.

The rules for joining in are simple:

1. Your post must state the author and the title of the book your recipe has come from.
2. Your post must mention Cookbook Sundays and link back to this post.  Including the Cookbook Sundays badge is optional, but always appreciated.
3. You may submit as many entries as you like, and you may use the same cookbook as many times as you like.  Old posts are also welcome.
4. Lastly,  remember that what goes around, comes around - one of the reasons you are participating in this is because you want people to read your posts, so do the right thing and go and visit a few of the other participants - you can even "Like" your favourites. 

Now, go and dust off those cookbooks and get cooking!  Use the linky tool at the end of this post to submit your entry/entries - simply scroll down to where it says "You are next ... Click here to enter", and then follow the instructions.  The linky will be open for one week.

Lastly, if you would like to use the Cookbook Sundays badge in your post, simply copy the code in the box beside the badge below and paste it into your post.  Feel free to also use it in your sidebar if you wish.

<a href="http://couscous-consciousness.blogspot.com/p/cookbook-sundays.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa476/Susan_Busch/CookbookSundaysBadge.jpg" border="0" alt="CookbookSundays"></a> <br>

Cookbook Sundays # 30

 

If you're anything like me you have dozens of cookbooks gathering dust on your bookshelves, some of which have never even been cooked from.  Sure I spent hours browsing through them when I first bought them, marking all the recipes I was going to make with little post-it notes, and yet still those books languish in the bookcase and never make it to the kitchen.  There are others from which I have made but one recipe which was such a resounding success that I've made it over and over again, and yet somehow I've never made anything else from that book.  Sound a bit familiar?!

Take comfort - you are not alone, and now Cookbook Sundays is your opportunity to change that.  Every Sunday I'm going to share with you a recipe that I haven't made before from one of my ever expanding collection of cookbooks.  And, because I know that if you have read this far then you are guilty of this too, I'm inviting you to join in with me.  Each week my Cookbook Sundays post will have a linky for you to share something you've cooked from one of your cookbooks.

The rules for joining in are simple:

1. Your post must state the author and the title of the book your recipe has come from.
2. Your post must mention Cookbook Sundays and link back to this post.  Including the Cookbook Sundays badge is optional, but always appreciated.
3. You may submit as many entries as you like, and you may use the same cookbook as many times as you like.  Old posts are also welcome.
4. Lastly,  remember that what goes around, comes around - one of the reasons you are participating in this is because you want people to read your posts, so do the right thing and go and visit a few of the other participants - you can even "Like" your favourites. 

Now, go and dust off those cookbooks and get cooking!  Use the linky tool at the end of this post to submit your entry/entries - simply scroll down to where it says "You are next ... Click here to enter", and then follow the instructions.  The linky will be open for one week.

Lastly, if you would like to use the Cookbook Sundays badge in your post, simply copy the code in the box beside the badge below and paste it into your post.  Feel free to also use it in your sidebar if you wish.

<a href="http://couscous-consciousness.blogspot.com/p/cookbook-sundays.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa476/Susan_Busch/CookbookSundaysBadge.jpg" border="0" alt="CookbookSundays"></a>