AUSTRALIAN DAMPER?

A Damper or A Giant Scone?

Sharing homebaked bread-damper to celebrate Australia Day. Following the recipe of a damper, the tradition Australian Quick Bread was wise.  I added a few extra ingredients, the result was alright, but it looked like a giant scone.  Sliced well, and the texture was pretty good.

Sharing the recipe and here it is.
Australian Damper based on best recipes

Damper

Ingredients

Sliced and Dressed Damper.

• 500 g self-raising flour
• 1 tablespoon castor sugar
• a cup sultana
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 75 g unsalted butter chilled cubed
• 350 ml milk plus one egg
• 
  
• Method

1. Mix the flour with the salt in a broad bowl mix in the sugar.  Add the butter and rub it into the flour with the tips of your fingers, until it resembles fine crumbs.
2. Stir in the milk and the egg with a round blade knife (butter knife) to make a soft, but not sticky dough.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a soft, smooth ball.
4. Set the ball of dough onto a tray or baking sheet and flatten gently to make a roundabout 17cm across. Cut a deep cross in the dough
5. Bake at 190C for 30 minutes until golden.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The Preparation

The best is served the bread-damper on the day it's baked, but with careful storage, it's good to be served on the following day. After finished baking, cool the damper on a cooling tray, then cover with baking paper, wrap in a clean tea towel and place it on a dry place. Slice and dress it with butter and ( sprinkle with crushed nuts if you wish).

I like to keep the bread on any kind of baskets, remember to line it with baking paper for a hygienic reason. 

My family love this type of quick mix of bread, using simple ingredients and not too rich.  Did I bake the traditional Damper? Close enough, the real damper has not contained any egg.

The real traditional Damper is not sweet, and it is served warm and buttered.😋

Austalia Day is celebrated every year on the 26 of January, it has been long gone.  But keep the recipe anyway, it is fun baking for the occasion every year.

Thank you for stopping by

Susy

ZUCCHINI

Homegrown Zucchinis were shared at our sports club, I took one home to cook for dinner.  Often we have lots of different vegetables from the members sharing their harvest.
Dishes I have prepared of the zucchini: a soup, half-moon the pink moon, and zucchini omelette.

Zucchini Omelet
Zucchini thin slices, 13 rounds

2 tablespoons soft butter
2 whole eggs and one yolk
1/2 cup cooked cabbage
1/.2 cup cooked meat-chicken, beef or ham
Chives, fresh garlic, salt to taste.
1 tablespoon oil
( Mix all ingredients together except the zucchini slices)


Brush the bottom saucepan with butter generously, place the sliced zucchini on to cover the surface.
Put the pan over a medium-hot stove to cook the zucchini until a little soft.
Pour in the egg mixture, spread over the zucchini evenly.
Cover with baking paper, lower the heat and cook until it firms up for 7 minutes
When it is firmed up, gently turn over, now you could see the brownish zucchini on top.
Place back the baking paper and weighted with a spatula or a large spoon and continue cooking for 3 minutes over medium heat.  Transfer on a chopping board lined with clean paper, garnished with chopped chives and fresh green.
Cut to wedges to served with pickled cucumber or acar.

The Cooking

 Serving

It was delish, real and honest home cooking.  No-fuss for presentation, messy but tasty.

It is a lite dish, enjoy as it is or serve with buttered crusty bread.





The Pink Moon.

The pink moon is ready to steam.

You could tell straight away girls, that it is my own creation, my daughters know me so well that I call all my cooking with strange titles.
AAHHH, why not, we have to have a good laugh, it keeps us young. (to be continued)Continued and Updated Today 3-2-2019.  The pink moon is a dish made out of sliced round zucchini to wrap prawn, and a mouse then steamed.  Serve as it is with a sauce.

The Pink Moons served with Mango Sauce.

To make the pink moon, start with cutting a thin slice zucchini rounds. Scattered with cooking salt, leave it for 7-11 minutes.

Round slices for the pink moon, the diced one to add to a clear soup

The Soup

For the soup, diced zucchini add in the last three minutes cooking broth, served as a clear soup. An intensely nourishing soup served in spring or summer.

Zucchini Soup Garnished with a meatball.

I prepared a white stock the other day, and it was practical cooking, I did not concern about the details.  Boiled chicken bones and chicken meat add in star anise and a pinch of dried parsley.  Cooked for over an hour on and of as I could not be in the kitchen all the time.  The result was that the broth is very muddy, looking not clear, but the flavour was good.  I decided to clarify the stock to make a better presentation.  It worked, it looks clean and healthy, this broth was used for the based of my zucchini soup. 

Clarify a stock is advisable at any time because you could get rid of the bits and the bones, the result is a clear liquid.  You feel safe to give to your family

Clarifying the Stock
One beaten egg white adds little cold water, this mixture is for clarified one-litre stock.

Pour the stock on a colander lined with fine cloth,
very gently to have a clean stock.

Add in the egg white mixture in a hot stock
boil for a few minutes cool down before the strain

The bits and the bones hold onto the egg white, ready to discard.
Do not attempt to taste it as it has lots of small bits of sharp bones-could be.

As I said, the stock was clean but not refined enough, I was happy to use the stock for my zucchini soup to serve for my family.
It was clearing the stock for a safety reason to serve, but it was not making consommé. If you do, do wish to make a consommé, please look up an older post.  I posted a gorgeous consummé with pictures on how to do.  It was on 2 June 2011

Clear consommé

consommé garnished with diced vegetables

Pancakes.

Filling for Pancake Rolls

julienne carrots and zucchini

It was a large Zucchini, and here still some a leftover to julienne and mixed with the tofu to make the filling for pancake rolls.  Spices for the filling: garlic, white pepper and sweet soy.  You could add julienne carrot to make more colourful.


I used the shredded zucchini to add to quick mix bread once upon a time, and the result was great, a delicious savoury bread took them to a BBQ party, and they were agreeable, people loved them.

Another zucchini with deliciousness is to make a chocolate cake, it's moist and light.

Hope, you are out there able to share your idea how to use and to cook fresh zucchini, I love to learn more.  😋

Herbs such as thyme, basil and parsley are excellent, they go very well with zucchini.




Thanks for Visiting
Susy

KAFFIR LIME LEAF

Kaffur Lime Leaves

This beautiful fragrance herb kaffir lime leaf is one of the essential ingredients in Javanese cooking.  Add to fresh salads, and it's dressing, to add to braise the meat for curry, and it makes distinctively flavoured for tofu dishes.

Coconut dressing for Javanese salad it won't be completed without the kaffir lime leaf.

Shredded finely to sprinkle to braised chicken, tofu, to add to a fresh salad and cooked vegetables and use for other garnish.

How to make shredded kaffir lime leaves for garnishes.

Here I am sharing how to use the leaf in cooking braised tofu Javanese Style.

Rice garnished with Tofu flavoured with Kaffir lime leaf.

Braised Tofu

400g firm tofu
a clove of garlic, crushed
1 shallot, sliced finely
3 tablespoons sweet soy
1 tablespoon soy
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup water
5-7 kaffir lime leaves
Method
Place all ingredients in a cooking pot, put the tofu in (whole tofu or sliced to 8)
Cook to a slow and quick-braised for ten minutes, until the liquid, is almost absorbs
Now the cooking is done, and you could use this spiced cooked braised tofu to add to salads or to garnish rice and noodles.  Or you could do further cooking by panfry them and served with rice or to add in soups.
It is so easy to do, if you like tofu, you will try the recipe.

Light Braised Tofu with Kaffir Lime Leaves

Tofu with a pretty print of kaffir lime leaf

I used some of the tofu freshly cooked, diced to garnish rice, and the rest was pan-fried.  Another idea, with this braised tofu, is Juliane them, use it for a filling of pancake roll.

Using kaffir lime leaf for flavouring salad dressing.

Salad Dressing
Savoury Coconut Dressing
(Bumbu Gudangan Gurih)

Ingredients of the Dressing

Ingredients
1 cup desiccated coconut- or fresh grated young coconut 
1 cup of water
2 tablespoons grated Palm sugar/coconut sugar
1 shallot and 1 garlic
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 small sliced galangal
1 kaffir lime leaf
Salt to taste (1/2 teaspoon)
1 cup of water extra
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Method
Place the peeled shallot, garlic, coriander seeds, grind them to make a rough paste
In a saucepan, place the coconut, water, sugar, galangal, kaffir lime leaf, cook to soften
Add in the coarse paste, extra water and lemon juice, keep on cooking until all water-juice is absorbed
(about 11 minutes cooking over low heat)
Transfer to a bowl, add the oil, mix together.

Snake Beans

It keeps well refrigerated.

The dressing is delicious to add to cooked vegetables and also for a fresh salad. Boiled snake beans mixed with boiled cabbage, bean sprout dressed with the dressing is very traditional in Java.


You could find more the use of kaffir lime leaf in the older post, please explore you may find more Javanese cooking recipes.

Tofu is a treat for me, and the bonus is my family likes it too.

A lot of recipes for Asian cooking using kaffir lime leaf but this dish I cook confidently as it is my cooking heritage-Javanese cooking.

The fresh kaffir lime leaf freezes well, or you could dry them and keep it as a dried herb.
Have fun and happy cooking.




This morning I have the opportunity to be working by myself, it is very entirely in the house while the family is away.  To take a walk for a bit is the plan and to be in the garden afterwards to clean around the kaffir lime tree which was trimmed yesterday
It is good to be on your own sometime, it's a time to listen, to learn and to care of oneself. Gratefully!
I wish you all for a pleasant morning and enjoy your day.

Thanks for Stopping By
Susy

Indoor Plants

Fiddle Fig Tree
Looking after indoor plants is similar to caring for outdoor plants.  Once you have found the right spot for them, you cannot go wrong.  What you have to do is water and fertiliser regularly.  Do not do too much of everything, too wet soil and over fertilizer is a no-no! Remember that!.  Most indoor plants need enough air circulation and morning sun.  Opening the window to air the rooms is good, and it is beneficial for the indoor plants.

Caring for delicate plants is challenging. For a long time, Susan's fiddle fig tree was not well, and I volunteered to look after it. Took a while to get better, and it was not easy. I struggled at the beginning, but determination and perseverance did pay.  After sometimes the plant has improved.  The leaves looked better, even though I had to get rid of a few, but eventually, the leaves grow back again.

I chose the bathroom area for the plant to live, but it developed problems, the leaves had whitish spots, the plant it could be fungus or the bright morning sun and the plant looked worst.  Since then, with lots of trials, the plant survived, but it's growing very slowly. Eventually, the plant settled down and become better.

I let the plant stays in one place never move it again,  and now this year 2019, the plant looks healthy and is taller, it has more leaves, beautifully green. I am the carer of the Fiddle Fig tree and also the Owner now as Susan has a New One.
I must update the story of this indoor plant soon.

Beautiful Fiddle Fig Tree

By the end of the year, the plant will grow bigger and full up with large leaves.

Other Indoor Plants

From Birdnest Fern to Monstera Deliciosa.

The indoor plants were so popular in the seventies, a few I had grown too and was excellent.  Today I do enjoy having them, I think they give a character of the space inside the house.

Fernery Corner
It gives a cooling effect, I have seen it in some houses.  I like the maidenhair firn, it is a delicate fern and beautiful.  Once upon a time, I purchased a pair of those to add for the Chrismas decoration and were very expensive, sadly they did not live long.  The room where they sat was too hot it could be.
Two friends sharing their indoor ferns with us, and today the maidenhair fern plants are here growing, one is doing alright, but the other one is not so good.  Special care has to be done.

This picture of the maidenhair fern that I was talking about is looking good lots of delicate green leaves.  The truth is it was better and healthier when it got to us.  Thanks, Anne.  I could not bring myself to show the other maidenhair plant because it is looking so sad, the whole pot there is one stem fern growing, sorry Rosemary.
Be updated.


The Swiss Cheese plant or Monstera Deliciosa can be planted outside among the ferns family I got one of those, and it is doing great, and of course, it does look handsome to be inside the house.

Outdoor Plants - Fernery

It has been sweltering days where we live, but today is a refreshing change, delightful indeed.

Have a pleasant weekend!

Until Next Post

Susy