O n i o n s

Caramelised    Onions


Easy way to prepare and to cook caramelised onions:

Preheat oven to 175 degree
Place ten medium-large onions, unpeeled on a baking tray
Bake the onions for 35 minutes
Take it out from the stove, keep aside to cool
When the onions are fresh enough, then peel take the skin off
Slice the onions thinly, add 3-5 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Mix and toss the onions, fat/oil and sugar thoroughly, place it on a shallow baking tray
Bake in the preheated hot oven for 10 minutes, stir it now and then, add salt to taste
Bake until golden brown, this caramelised onion is based for other dishes
Transfer into a container, keep aside to cool.  When it's cold covered and refrigerated.

Caramelised Onions

Dishes that can be prepared from this Caramelised Onions

1. Onion Tart
2. Adding to compost salads
3. Topping for pancakes
4. Add some chillies and vinegar to make a relished
5. Adding to onion soup

Onion Tart with Potato and Cheese

Until next time 

Susy

Sweet - Potato

Sweet Potato And Dates Loaf

Baking a quick bread today, I am using the young sweet potatoes that I harvested from my garden.
It is a healthy treat, it's lovely to enjoy for morning or afternoon tea.  The dates are the replacement of the sugar. I wish you all the best to try this recipe, my very own method.

Sweet Potato And Dates Loaf
Delicious, Light and Healthy

Quick Bread

Sweet Potato And Dates Loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup full self-rising flour
1 tablespoon margarine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon yoghurt
1 tablespoon water
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon pine nuts
75 gr sweet potato, grated-cooked
10 dates, chopped

Method
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C
Rub the margarine with the flour
Put in the egg, yoghurt, water and oil, mix lightly
Add in the sweet potato and date
Mix all ingredients together to make a soft mixture
Spoon the mixture on to prepared small loaf tin
Sprinkle the pine nuts over, press lightly
Bake in the hot oven for 25 minutes

To serve:  sliced and lightly buttered.

Happy Baking!

Preparation And Baking

Citruses

Kaffir  Lime   to   Lime


Kaffir Lime
Kaffir lime is different from the lime.  Kaffir lime leaf has a shape of double leaves.   Kaffir lime leaves and the rinds are used in South East Asian cooking. They are used for the components of curry paste, and the leaves are also used for cooking savouries but not for sweet dishes. 

I use the leaves (whole/shredded) and also the rind for my Javanese salad dressing and curry dishes. 
The leaves together with pandanus leaves are used for yellow rice or fragrant rice Javanese style.

Lime
There is verity of limes.  What I have in my garden is the Tahitian lime.  It is so versatile. The rind and the juice are useful but not the leaves.  You could use lime for the mixture in cocktails and refreshing drinks.   It is suitable for cooking cake/sweet, meat, fish and also salad dressing. 

Lime is an essential ingredient in any cooking and drinks or just add sequised of lime in cold water to have a refreshing drink.  I think it is good to have a lime tree, every backyard should have one.

Cold Water with Limes and Herbs

For a Refreshing Drink

Note:  Friends of ours, Ann and Max gave me suggestions about how to get the best out of limes.  Freshly picked limes are not as juicy as the one that is already kept in storage for a few days.  Another way to get the better juice of limes they said: Put the lime in a Microwave for a few seconds (9-10) or softening the lime by rolling the lime under the palm of the hand on the table. 

Excellent ideas Ann and Max, I have to remember that.  Thanks for the tips.

Cooking fish with Tahitian lime and kaffir lime leaves.  Steamed Fish.

Recipe and the instructions below:

Steamed Fish with Limes

The Recipe

 

Steamed Fish With Limes

(Lime and Kaffir lime leaves)

Ingredients:

1-2 pieces fish, hoki fillets

2 cups mix aromatic vegetables

          Carrots, Celery, etc

1 crushed garlic and shredded kaffir lime leaves
Sliced of lime
Salt to taste and some sesame oil
A ½ cup of water
Spiced oil:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Julianne of fresh ginger

Some shredded lettuce to serve
Soy sauce

Method

Use a heavy based pot and place the aromatic vegetables/spices and the water
Place the fish on it, sprinkle with salt, drizzle some sesame oil and add the sliced lemon on top.
Cover the pot, and put in a hot stove, cook the fish for 8-10 minutes.
In the meantime, you organise the spice oil
Heat the oil until hot then add in the fresh ginger
When the fish are cooked, transfer to the serving plate
Rest the fish on the bed of lettuce, discard the limes, and pour the hot-spiced oil over
Serve at once, put a slice of fresh lime; add some soy on top of the fish if you wish.

To serve:  serve hot with noodles or white steamed rice.

Cooking   Steaming   The   Fish

Cooked Steam Fish is Ready
to Dress with the hot Oil

Aromatic Vegetables
and Water to steam the Fish. 

Pouring Spiced Hot Oil
On to The Cooked Fish

The Backyard

My backyard is so untidy at the moment.  The wet weather makes me reluctant to do gardening.   Today was a beautiful day, the sun was out, even though it's cold. I was so eager to work in the backyard.
The roses need pruning, and I have a few of them.  So far I have pruned more than twenty roses: rose bushes, also including ground covers and a standard pink rose.  I did very well really because I started it from yesterday, late afternoon.  I will continue tomorrow to prune the rest of the roses.  Two climbing roses and at least ten standard roses, a few more rose bushes and about eight miniature roses.  A lot of work.

The Rose Bushes
After Pruning

Rose Bushes
Before Pruning

I decided not to prune my hydrangeas this year, I want to see what is going to happen this coming spring.   Last spring, they were blooming beautifully.
The grandchildren love to play in the backyard.  Mary Rose, my granddaughter loves to play at the yard and also loves to pick fresh flowers to make a flower arrangement.  She does it beautifully, she is a little artist.  Master Thomas, my second grandson, enjoys running around in the backyard, every time he comes for a visit.

Hydrangea Garden
In Spring Time

Hydrangea Garden
At Present - Winter

Hydrangea Garden  At Spring Time

Mary Rose Loves The Flowers

Thomas Ran Around with the Cape on

My sweet potato plants looked so tired, the leaves are yellowish.  I thought that it is about time to harvest before the frost is here.  So I dug up, and I have the new sweet potatoes, the size is not big, but I think they are good enough.

I am not sure yet what I am going to do with them.  Maybe a sweet dish or a cake.  Times is similar like croquette but soft and without filling.  Using young potatoes is the best way. Timus is Javanese fried mashed sweet potatoes dumpling.

Today's bonus from the backyard is the harvest of sweet potatoes.  Not bad.

Freshly Dug Sweet Potatoes

Stay Tuned

Susy

P i z z a

Pretty  Pizza


My last post about the Provence Pizza, or the Pissaladiere was great.  It was delightful, only I thought it was a bit too salty.  This time I used the recipe, my adaptation of Jacques Pepin recipe Pissaeldiere with the deference.  I put red colour- Julianne capsicum and fewer anchovies for the topping.  I named the pizza ' Pretty- Pizza'.  I had left over some dough,  so two single pretty pizza rounds for extra baking.  They do look lovely, beautiful on a plate and taste so delicious.

This Pretty Pizza is a treat for people who do not eat cheese.


Recipe:  find at my older post: Provence-Pizza   " Pissaladiere"

The  Pretty  Pizza

Pizza Round with A Salad

Freshly Baked Pizza

The Pizza is Ready to Bake

Pizza Rounds are Ready to Bake

Freshly Baked Pizza Rounds

The Last Roses From The Garden

Until Next Time
Susy

B e e f

Empal  Goreng

(Double Cooked Beef - Braised and Fried)

Delicious, spicy double cooked beef, the traditional cooking from Java.  You need a good piece of meat to do this dish, lean but gelatinous.   Oyster Blade or Gravy beef is suitable for this cooking. One kilogram of the beef-meat, cut into 10 - 12 thick pieces.
Empal needs a long of braising with herbs and spices, then deep fry in hot oil. 

Another hole empal recipe: Using a large piece of meat, cook a whole beef when it's cooked then cut into chunky pieces. Bruise the flesh before frying.
Good cuts of meat for this particular recipe are a beef blade roast or a gerello.

A good empal has to be tender, moist, and it was full of flavours: savouries and a touch of sweetness.

Ingredients and Spices for the Empal (Pictured)

Aromatic Ingredients and Spices

for Cooking Empal

The Ingredients: Meat, Aromatic and Spices, Water

The Meat and Water 

The Meat is Ready To Braise

Using a Very Heavy Based Pot

Empal is Served

Steamed White Rice, Keringan, Empal 

With Salad and Sambal

The Recipe:

Empal Daging

Doubled Cooked Beef-Braised and Fried

Ingredients

1 kg beef-oyster blade

(Cut into large thick cubes, 12 cubes)

1-litre water

Herbs, Aromatic and Spices

2 salam leaves (Javanese bay leaves)

2 small onions, peeled and sliced

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

2 small pieces of fresh galangal

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons grated palm sugar

2 teaspoons tamarind pulps

Method

Grind the spices, using the pestle and mortar. 

-         Grind the coriander seeds with the salt, add in garlic, onion

Rub in the spices mix to the raw beef then add the rest of ingredients

Put in on a pot, stir in the water then cook over medium heat, bring to simmer

Cover the pot, keep on cooking, braised the beef for two hours until the meat is tender

Taste for the seasoning, and take the meat out of the pan.  In this stage, the liquid is only very little left.

To Fry the Empal

Using fresh oil, place oil onto a frying pan to deep-fry the beef

When the oil is hot enough (but not too hot), put the beef-meat in, 3 pieces at a time

(depend to the size of the frying pan), fry the beef until golden brown

Take them out and put them on a plate.  Do the rest until all the meat are fried

To serve:  Serve as a side dish for steamed white rice

Happy Cooking, Try the Recipe!

Susy

W i n t e r

Winter Garden

The vegetable patch is so empty.  I got a dozen cabbages, they are just about to settle in, I planted a week ago.  The herbs are resting; however the lamb lettuce is growing slowly and the radicchio spreading happily.  The radicchio,  the king of salad, is brighten up the garden, the winter garden. 

Newly Planted Savoy Cabbages

Lamb Lettuces and Radicchio

Beside the gloominess of winter, there is the beautiful yellow bright colour of citruses, most of the fruits are ripening up.  Thanks for citruses, they are the light of winter.

The Mandarins are Ripening

R o a s t i n g

Mini   Roast

I like to share this experience with cooking for two.  I have not been cooking a roast dinner for a while, and I do miss it.  A roast for two, why not!!  Mini roast cut, about 775 g which I have just purchased, is a lot of meat for two.  But the point is roasting a small joint is not that easy.  However, I went ahead to do it.

It started very well; I sealed the meat then  I pot roasted, so I added some stock to get it going.  I thought 25 to 35 minutes should be long enough, to roast the meat.  I prepared simple garnishes, diced potatoes and sweet potatoes.   The whole dish looked delicious until I carved the roast meat.  Yes, it's a bit hard but not tight.  It's eatable. The potatoes cooked but not the way I like it, they looked beautiful though.

I think the meat was overcooked for 10 minutes.  It should be roasted for 25 minutes and resting for 10 minutes. The whole process of cooking, including the garnishes, should be only 35 minutes.

Mini Roast

Roast Pork is Garnished

with

Diced Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

  

Points To Remember to Roast Small Cuts

1. Seal the meat all over-properly over hot heat for 9 to 10 minutes
2. Lower the heat and cook further, cover the skillet/cooking utensil for 12-15 minutes
3. Rest the meat for a third of the cooking time at least (8-10 minutes)

Garnishes:

While roasting the meat cook and prepare garnishes.  Get old potatoes for roasting.

The    Result

1. The roast meat is carved more natural and more beautiful.
2. The meat is slightly pink in colour but cooked.
3. The texture should be soft and juicy.

You have an excellent and enjoyable roast dinner, and you want MORE!

C  o  o  k  i  n  g      P  r  o  c  e  s  s

Sealing the meat, all over for 9 minutes
That was the mistake

Sealing the meat should be only 6 minutes.

Add in broth and cooking for 11 minutes
Add stock, cover the skillet
cook for 10 minutes

Diced Potatoes - Young Potatoes

A Big Mistake

It is not for Roasting.

The last Ten minutes Cooking

Meat should be Resting.

Cooking the Potatoes with the Meat
For the last 10 minutes Cooking
The Meat is Cooked to Long

S c o n e s

Pumpkin Scones


It has been raining for the past few days here in Victoria, Melbourne, where I live.   I had plans to do gardening and reporting orchids, but of course, it is not easy and almost impossible.  Baking is the answer on a wet and cold day like to day. 

I have a friend to come over today, I have not been seeing her since early this year.  This baking is for her as well.  I am looking forward to catching up with her and enjoy morning tea with my home baked scones - pumpkin scones. 

Susy's Pumpkin Scones

Golden and Light

Susy's Pumpkin Scone

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup self-rising flour

30 g butter, margarine

1tablespoon full mashed roasted pumpkin

(Or pumpkin puree)

¾ cup milk

12 seeded dates, chopped
1tablespoon currants

Method

Preheat the oven up to 200 degrees C

Sprinkle some flour onto the dates and currants, set aside

Rub the butter/margarine with the powder thoroughly

Add in the currants and the dried dates, toss gently
Stir in the milk and add in the mashed pumpkin, and mix

Mix together gently to make a soft dough

Place the dough in a floured board and knead quickly and lightly

Flat the scone-dough about 1 ½ cm thickness, cut with a scone cutter

It makes about 10-12 scones place onto a lined baking tray

Bake in the preheated oven for 18 minutes

Wrap the cooked scone in a cloth

Serve on the same day, cut the scone into two and buttered.

Enjoy with tea or coffee.

Baking Scones:  Susy's Pumpkin Scones

Scone Dough

The Pumpkin Scone

The Pumpkin Scone

Ready to Bake

Baked Pumpkin Scone

Beautiful and Golden

Wrap the Scone in a Cloth

Until Serving Time

Thank you, Dianne, it was a lovely catch up indeed.  Have a great holiday in Europa next month, and see you when you get back. 

We will enjoy the free range eggs Di and thanks, it's absolutely a treat for us, much appreciated. Susy.

Have Fun and Happy Baking to Everyone.

Until next time.

Susy

P r e s e r v i n g

Preserving Olives  

I am so pleased that I have harvested the kalamata olives.  Today I decided to preserve the olives.  I put the olives in a pot and add it water. I make sure that the olives are submerged in the water, so I put a plate on top.  Now I put the lid on to the pot, and I keep it in the dark place.  From now on I have to change the water daily up to fourteen days. It is essential because it is the way to get rid of the bitter taste of the olives.

I leave it from now, then I will be back to continue what I have to do after two weeks.  I will keep you informed about the next process.  It takes time to preserve olives, but it is fun to do, mainly I got this olive from the backyard, my husband's olive tree.

From the Olive Tree to the Container: The Process of Preserving Olives

Freshly Picked

Home Grown Olive

Clean the Olives

Place Them on a Pot

Add in Water

To Cover the Olives

Put a Plate on Top

The Olives is Submersed in Water

All the Time

Cover the Pot

Ready to Keep in a Dark Place

Until next time

Susy