Broccoli, Leek & Blue Cheese Pie

I've got to confess that I've been feeling a little despondent about blogging lately.  Not that I've been short on inspiration for things to cook, but now that we're in the very depths of autumn (in fact, getting perilously close to winter, even) I'm often finding these days that, by the time I get a dish finished and onto the plate, night has fallen.  Those of you who are also bloggers know that this means just one thing - the dreaded "orange" photos.  And so it is that several dishes I've made for you over the last couple of weeks have been rendered completely unblogworthy by the lack of a decent photograph.

One thing I'm not despondent about, however, is this Broccoli, Leek & Blue Cheese Pie - it's so good, in fact, that I've made it twice in the last week.  This is something of a rarity for me, but I can tell you that it won't end there - I will definitely be making this one again and again.

This pie is both easy and economical to make, tastes great both hot and cold, and reheats well should you be lucky enough to have leftovers.  In actual fact the leek filling tastes so good that I ate half of it before it even made it into the pie, and I imagine it could be used as a great accompaniment to some grilled or roasted chicken.

This dish comes from one of my favourite cookbooks, "Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi" by Yotam Ottolenghi, and is my contribution this week to Cookbook Sundays.

Yes I know I have already shared several recipes with you from this book, and it would have been good to introduce you to another one of my books, but a couple of things I had planned for you fell foul to the previously mentioned unblogworthy photographs - obviously I will just have to have another go at some of those things.  In the meantime, hope you'll have a go at this pie, and try to imagine that it tastes a whole lot better than these photos might suggest.

Broccoli, Leek & Blue Cheese Pie

Adapted from a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

from "Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi"

Serves 4

Vegetarian

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

1x packet puff pastry

1x head broccoli, cut into florets

1 tablespoon butter

2x leeks, thinly sliced

2/3 cup cream

handful of fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

1-1/2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard

flaky sea salt

black pepper

100g (3.5 oz) blue cheese

1x egg, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F).  Lightly grease a 23cm (9 inch) tart dish (a loose-bottomed tin is ideal if you have one).

Roll out two-thirds of the pastry into a circle that is large enough to line the base of the tart dish.  Prick the pastry base all over with a fork, then line with parchment paper and fill with baking beans.  Bake blind for about 15 minutes, then remove the paper and baking beans and bake for a further 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.  Bring a medium sized pan of water to the boil, add the broccoli and allow to cook for about two minutes, until just tender.  Drain, refresh immediately in cold water, then drain again and leave to dry.

Melt the butter in a saute pan over gentle heat, add the leaks and saute until soft, but not browned - about 10 minutes.  Add the cream, tarragon, mustard, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine everything and remove from the heat.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Spread the leek mixture over the base of the pastry case, and strew the broccoli over the top, nestling the florets into the leek mixture.  Crumble over the blue cheese.

Brush the rim of the pastry case with the beaten egg.  Roll out the remaining pastry for a lid and place over the filling, pressing firmly around the edges to attach the lid to the base.  Tuck in or trim off any excess.

Brush the lid with the beaten egg, prick in a few places with a fork to allow steam to escape, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.

I'm sharing this pie this week at Cookbook Sundays, where my friends are delving into their cookbook collections and sharing some of their recipes.  Do stop by to see what they're cooking - you might even feel inspired to link up a recipe from one of your own cookbooks.

Cookbook Sundays # 22

 

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>

Cookbook Sundays # 21

 

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>

Slow-Roasted Quince with Cinnamon & Orange & Cookbook Sundays # 20

I don't think anyone has ever described autumn better than the English Romatic poet, John Keats, who in his poem "To Autumn" describes it as "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness".  This is indeed a time when the light is softer, misty mornings give way to glorious golden days, and trees are laden with fruit, including one of my favourites - quinces.

It also seems like a time for reflection - a time when, after the summer months, we begin to retreat indoors, slow down and take stock.  And I have much to reflect on this autumn.

This is a photo of my beautiful cousin Cindy, marrying her partner of some 20 years, back in late September.  Sadly, at the time of their wedding, Terry was in the final stages of his battle with lung cancer and died just two days after the wedding.  What a bitter-sweet occasion that was.  For most of us there, we knew that this would quite possibly be the last time we would see Terry alive, but despite the sadness the occasion was a real opportunity for us all to share some celebration with Terry before his passing.

This is a photo of me taken at that wedding with my Dad and my Aunty Helen.  I'm tempted to say she is my favourite aunty, but in truth I have several aunties and I love each of them in their own way.  Still Aunty Helen has a special place in my heart.  She is the youngest of my father's siblings, and when I was younger I thought she was the absolute epitome of glamour.  Before the grey, she was a stunning redhead, and I wouldn't go quite so far as to say she was the family "wild child" but there was, and still is, definitely a naughtiness about her.  As a younger woman she had a shoe collection that could have rivaled Imelda Marcos, and as a talented seamstress her wardrobe was enviable.  I recall times as a teenager when Aunty Helen would come to stay.  Much to my delight she would share my room, and I would sit on the bed gaping in awe as she unpacked something like 15 pairs of shoes and 10 cocktail dresses for a one week stay.  She would go off on dates or out to dances, and the minute she left the house I would dive into the bedroom to try on all the shoes and frocks.  I can remember occasions as a child, when I was probably being a little trying, when my mother would put her hands on her hips, look at me with absolute exasperation, and say "You've just like your Aunty Helen".  I'm pretty sure it wasn't intended as a compliment, but I was always secretly delighted.

Sadly now, my dear Aunty Helen is rapidly approaching the end of the autumn of her life.  She has been diagnosed with a very rare disease, always fatal.  In the time since that photo was taken, barely six months ago, she has deteriorated rapidly and what remains now of her life can be measured in days and weeks rather than years.  I'm grateful to have the memory of sitting with her at Cindy and Terry's wedding, laughing, reminiscing, and listening to some of her naughty jokes, and am reminded that the things we take for granted in this life can be over in an instant.  The importance of slowing down, cherishing the now, and taking time to smell the quinces can never be overstated.

And so, enough reflection, on with the quince.  If you've never tried quince before I urge you to do so.  I guess the fruit is something like a cross between an apple and a pear, but the taste is really nothing like either.  In fact it's impossible to liken it to anything else.   A bowl of quince on your kitchen bench will fill the whole room with its fragrance, and the perfume as these quince roast for 8 hours is nothing short of heavenly.

This recipe is from one of my favourite cookbooks, "Maggie's Kitchen" by Maggie Beer, and is my contribution this week to Cookbook Sundays - keep reading to read more and particpate.

Slow-Roasted Quince with Cinnamon & Orange Recipe

Adapted from recipe by Maggie Beer from

"Maggie's Kitchen"

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

1.5kg (3.3 lb) quince

2 lemons, juice of

600 ml (20 fl oz)water

1x orange

400g (14 oz) caster sugar

1x cinnamon stick

Preheat oven, on regular bake, to 90 degrees C (194 degrees F).

Peel and core the quinces (reserving the peels and cores), and cut the fruit into eighths.  Pour and rub lemon juice over the fruit as you work to stop them browning.

Tie the quince cores and peels up in a large piece of muslin, and place in a stainless steel saucepan.  Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of the orange in wide strips, and add to the pan, along with the juice of the orange, the water, caster sugar and cinnamon.  Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes or until syrupy.  Remove the muslin bag and discard it.  Reserve the cinnamon stick and orange zest.

Put the quince pieces into a shallow baking dish - choose one which is just big enough for all the quince to fit snugly in a single layer.  Add the reserved zest and cinnamon, and enough of the syrup for the quince to be roughly three quarters deep in the syrup.  Cover closely with a piece of baking paper, cut to fit inside the dish and tucking in the edges.

Roast for 8 to 9 hours, turning from time to time, until the quince have turned a rich ruby colour and tender, and the pan juices are syrupy.  If necessary, remove the paper and increase the oven temperature to 120 degrees C (250 degrees F) for the final hour.

Serve with good quality vanilla ice cream, yoghurt or vanilla-infused mascarpone.

I'm sharing these quince this week at Cookbook Sundays, where my friends are delving into their cookbook collections and sharing some of their recipes.  Do keep reading to see what they're cooking - you might even feel inspired to link up a recipe from one of your own cookbooks.

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 Frances at Bake Club. 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.  And because all good things are made to be shared around, I am also sharing them at See Ya in The Gumbo hosted by my lovely friend Michele at Ms. enPlace, and at Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollam.  Anybody else want a share?

           

 

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>

Cookbook Sundays # 19

 

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>

Bitter Orange Doughnuts

Last night I spent several hours writing a lengthy post, regaling you with my thoughts on festivities such as Christmas and Easter, and some thoughts on the changing seasons.  I even taunted you with mention of the glorious fragrance filling my house as quinces slow roasted away in my oven - something I'll be sharing with you later in the week.  And then the unthinkable happened - as I hit the publish button the whole thing disappeared into the ether never to be seen again.  Toys were thrown out of the cot, unladylike language was used, and I vowed that you were going to have to wait another day to hear about these balls of deliciousness as I was not going to set about trying to recreate my post at 11.00pm.  In fact, I'm not going to even try to recreate it now - I'm going to skip the witty and interesting dialogue and get straight to the subject of the doughnuts.

Making doughnuts is something I've wanted to try for years, but I'd always had the idea that they were too hard.  Still, with time to spare on Good Friday, and wanting to changing things up from the usual hot cross buns, I decided to give them a go. Not that I have anything against hot cross buns, you understand - actually I love them - but it was time for a change and, let's face it, the blogosphere surely didn't need one more post about said HCBs.  And turns out doughnuts were way easier to make than I had imagined.

So doughnuts it was to be, and, since I also wanted to dip into those seldom used cookbooks for this week's entry for Cookbook Sundays, I turned to The Best of Baking by Annette Wolter & Christian Teubner.   This is a book I've had in my collection for over 30 years, and I don't think I've ever used it before.  The book covers baking of every kind - sweet and savory, every day and special occasion, and some real old fashioned favourites.

The original recipe for these doughnuts called for the inclusion of rum in the dough, and a filling of plum jam.  Instead I used some of my homemade "44" liqueur, and filled some of them with my homemade Seville orange marmalade, while I left others plain, dredged in cinnamon sugar as soon as they come out of the pan.  Personally, I loved the "unexpectedness" of biting through the crunchy, sweet exterior, into the soft interior with the bitter-sweet heart.  I can understand though that this might not be everyone's cup of tea, in which case any sweet jam would work well here - I'm planning blackcurrant for my next attempt.

These are undeniably best eaten hot, straight out of the pan, but they kept well for a couple of days, and after a quick zap in the microwave for 25 to 30 seconds they were almost as good as when they were freshly cooked.

Bitter Orange Doughnuts

Adapted from a recipe from

The Best of Baking

Makes 16

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

30g active yeast

250 ml milk

50g caster sugar

500g all purpose flour

2 tablespoons oil

2 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon orange liqueur (I used my homemade "44") or rum

3-4 tablespoons jam (optional) (I used Seville Orange Marmalade)

cinnamon & caster sugar to sprinkle

oil to deep fry (use something neutral such as sunflower or canola)

Heat milk until just lukewarm - a useful guide is being able to just hold your finger in the liquid without having to withdraw it.  Stir in the sugar to dissolve.  Sprinkle yeast over the surface, and stir in gently.  Cover, and set aside 10-15 minutes until frothy.

Sift flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.  Pour the yeast mixture into the flour well, along with the oil, egg yolks, salt and liqueur.  Mix until the flour is incorporated and everything comes together in a light, soft dough.  Place dough ball in a clean bowl, cover and leave to rise for about 20 minutes.

Remove from the bowl, knead very lightly, then roll out to approximately 2.5 cm (1 inch) thickness - dust bench lightly with flour if necessary, but take care not to overdo it.  Cut into 6.5 cm (2-3/4 inch) circles.  If filling with jam - place a scant teaspoon of jam on each circle, and carefully draw the edges of the dough together over the jam filling, pinching the edges together.  Cover and leave to stand for another 15-20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan to 180 degrees C (360 degrees F).  Carefully place the risen doughnuts in the hot oil - work in small batches of just two or three at a time.  Cook until golden brown on the underside, then carefully turn over and continue cooking until golden all over - about two to three minutes altogether.

Pour a generous amount of caster sugar onto a dinner plate, and add cinnamon to your taste.  Mix the two together, and spread out.  As soon as the doughnuts are cooked, remove them to a paper towel to drain momentarily, then toss in the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated all over.

I'm sharing these this week at Cookbook Sundays, where my friends are delving into their cookbook collections and sharing some of their recipes.  Do stop by to see what they're cooking - you might even feel inspired to link up a recipe from one of your own cookbooks.

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 Frances at Bake Club. 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.  And because, if you care about your hips, these doughnuts should really be shared around, I am also sharing them at See Ya in The Gumbo hosted by my lovely friend Michele at Ms. enPlace, and at Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollam.  Anybody else want a share?

           

Cookbook Sundays # 18

 

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>