Elsja Down Under

Masterchef July 25, 2010

Masterchef… oh how I will miss thee.

You brought joy and happiness to my life 6 nights a week. SIX nights! You inspired me to perfect my pizza dough and add a pizza peel to our wedding registry. You’ve given me an immense desire to make something…ANYTHING out of spun sugar. You inspired our friend Yorky to go out and buy a food processor for the sole purpose of making this Frangipane tart.  Your macaron tower challenge inspired Sara and I to take a trip to the Lindt cafe so Sara could try (and LOVE) her first ever macaron. I’ve started using fresh garlic rather than the jarred or powdered stuff and I’m very tempted to buy a mortal and pestle so I can grind my own spices.

Some people don’t get the Masterchef craze, but I totally do.  I think you have to like cooking and enjoy food to really appreciate how awesome this show since I love cooking, this show is perfect for me! I actually feel like I learned a lot about cooking and general food knowledge that I can use in my day to day life. That’s not to say I’d actually eat half the stuff they made but at least I feel more educated about it all!

For the most part, I loved all of the contestants. I would have been happy with several different people as winners, but I think the right person won in the end… even if I once thought it should be Marion.

I am so happy that I was able to watch the whole season. Last season I was out of the country for most of it (and I didn’t have tivo so I missed most of the episodes anyways). It really couldn’t have ended at a more perfect time… right before I take off to the States. Speaking of the States, I hear Masterchef is coming to America. Woohoo! Something else to download from itunes, although 6 days a week might get a bit pricey. My only concern is that Gordon Ramsay is evidently hosting and I have a feeling he won’t be quite as nice as the Australian judges. Regardless, check it out. If it’s anything like the Aussie version, it will be an enjoyable show to watch and learn from.

Peachy Sangria May 29, 2010

Last night I attempted a new recipe for Sangria.  Even though I have an actual recipe book completely devoted to Sangria, I did not use that book. Nofor this recipe I simply used my gool ol’ brain and made it up on my own. Naturally I wasn’t sure how it would turn out since I wasn’t following any instructions but I am happy to report that it was delicious!! A lot of people don’t like white wine Sangria so this may not be for everyone- but it is definitely for me!! Natasha and Hayley didn’t seem to mind it either!!

So now I am happy to share my Peachy Sangria recipe with you all.

• 2 bottles of chilled light white wine (trust me, you’ll need at least 2 bottles – I used a Semillon/Sav. Blanc blend)
• 1/4 cup peach vodka
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup tinned/canned peaches (in juice, not syrup)
• 1/2 cup of the peach juice from the can
• 1 pear, peeled and sliced
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 kiwi sliced
• Sprite or other lemon lime soda to top up

1. Add the fruit, sugar, juice and vodka to a pitcher, stir well
2. Add the wine and stir
3. Let the Sangria chill for awhile. I let mine sit in the fridge for an hour
4. Pour into glasses over ice, top up with sprite
5. Drink way too quickly and wish you had made more

YUM!

Obviously you can mix up the fruit… but don’t forget the peaches- otherwise it wouldn’t be very peachy would it?  I was really surprised that it turned out so well using vodka. The only reason I used vodka was because I ran out of brandy so I was a bit worried that it might be weird- but the peach vodka definitely added to the flavor!

Yumdiddly # 4- Homemade Pizza July 28, 2009

So who knew… but my Yumdiddly series is going to continue!

Last week I made some yumlicious homemade pizza and I thought I’d share my tips and tricks with you.

First I made the dough using this recipe:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce/7g) package active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

If you are in the US, you could just go to Trader Joes and buy some pre-made dough, but I don’t have that luxury here- I only have the option of buying a crapier version of a Boboli or I can make my own. Of course I choose to make my own.

So I mixed  all this up together to form the dough (if you have an electric mixer with a dough hook, that really helps- but it can definitely be done by hand). 

Then I let it sit in a bowl covered with a warm, wet towel for about an hour. You actually don’t have to do this, but I find that it makes the dough much easier to roll out.

While rolling the dough, I had my pizza stone heating up in the oven. Now, everyone raves about amazing pizza stones and how they make your pizza so much tastier. I’m not sold on this. I still have to modify my pizza after it’s cooked (ill discuss that later). If you don’t have a stone, just use a cookie sheet of some sort to make a rectangle pizza.

I rolled the dough out so it was pretty big and thin and it covered the entire stone. I trimmed off the excess around the edge of the stone and saved it to make another mini pizza the next day.

Then I covered it in the following (in this order):

• My favorite pasta sauce that I use for pretty much every recipe
• Chopped garlic
• Chopped fresh basil
• Chopped sun dried tomatoes
• Chopped red and green bell peppers/capsicum
• Chopped onions
• Low-fat mozzarella cheese

I didn’t go light on the toppings… this thing was COVERED. I learned prior to making this that you should add toppings UNDER the cheese so that 1) the toppings don’t burn before the cheese cooks and 2) the cheese will get nice and golden. This trick REALLY made the pizza better! I love golden crispy cheese!!

I baked it on 410f/210c  for about 20 minutes until the cheese was nice and brown on top

**Now here’s my special trick **

When I sliced some pizza, I threw it on our sandwich grill thing (or you could just use a pan on your stove top). I let it sit there for about 2-4 minutes until the bottom of the crust started to brown and get crunchy. I do this because even with the pizza stone, I still find that the dough is a bit too soft and flimsy in the middle of the pizza (this is precisely why I’m not quite sold on the benefits of the stone). I like it the crust a bit crispier so placing the pizza on a grill for a few extra minutes before eating makes it even better!! If you like soft, chewy pizza- then just skip this step

Andrew said it was the best homemade pizza he’s ever had and I actually have to agree with him on that one!!!

I promise to start taking more pictures of my yummy creations now that I have full intentions of blogging about them more frequently! I think next I’ll attempt a Hawaiian BBQ chicken pizza. Mmm can’t wait!

Yumdiddly – #3 Strawberry Pocket Pies July 23, 2009

This is the ONLY kind of broken heart I ever want in life…

For edition 3 of my Yumdiddly series I am going to tell you about my sweet little pies.

I made these strawberry pocket pies with great success on the weekend! I didn’t think they were going to be a great success at first because the dough kept sticking to the wonderful Williams-Sonoma Pocket Pie mold. Then I had an “A-ha” moment when I realized I should flour the outside of the dough to prevent it from sticking to the mold but keep the insides clean so they stick to each other… duh.

I even went all out and made my own strawberry filling instead of getting some boring pre-made pie filling in a can (shh… don’t tell… but the only reason I made my own filling is because I couldn’t FIND pie filling in a can)!

I bought layers of shortcrust pastry (pie dough) from the shop and just cut the hearts out with the mold. Then I had all these leftover dough scraps that were too small for hearts. Bummer. But then I had another brilliant idea and I got some cookie cutters and made my very own little flower shaped pocket pies as well. They turned out just lovely. See… 

So if you would like to make these delectable little pies for yourself- here is what you do…

1. Go to Williams Sonoma and buy the mold. Or, if you have cookie cutters that are big enough you could just use those.
2. Buy some dough or make it yourself… I bought mine so I can’t help you if you need to make your own
3. Use the mold or cutter to cut shapes
4. Make your strawberry filling

For the filling, follow this recipe:

• 2 cups finely chopped strawberries
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp corn starch

1. Mix it all up and it will get kinda goopey.
2. Then put about 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of the dough depending on the size of your shape.
3. If you have the mold, read the instructions on the box. If you cut your own dough, put a 2nd shape on top of the first and gently press down the edges of the dough so it seals around the filling. If you put too much filling in, this will be difficult.
4. Once it’s sealed, poke a few little holes in the top.
5. Brush some egg yolk over the top of the pies or if you don’t have egg, you could use some milk.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes until the dough is golden brown and the filling is probably starting to ooze out.

I had enough to make about 3 decent heart shaped pies, 1 hideous wonky heart shaped pie (first attempt), 2 flower pies and then I took the leftover dough, smashed it into a small baking dish, filled it with the rest of the strawberries and made a cute little mini pie open faced pie out of that.

Scrumptious!

Yumdiddly- #2 Chicken Pasta Bake July 20, 2009

And now for my 2nd installment in the Yumdiddly series…

Chicken Pasta Bake

Now, this is nothing phenomenal, but it’s quick and easy (and most of all tasty) so I thought I’d share my recipe with you.

• 3 cups of spiral pasta (or any fat, short pasta)
• 1 large chicken breast, cut into small pieces (2 inches or so)
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (roughly 24 oz)
• Ricotta cheese (about 6 oz or 3/4 cup)
• 1 carrot
• 1 small zucchini
• olive oil
• Lots of shredded cheese (we mostly used Parmesan and some cheddar)

Optional:

• Chili paste/flakes
• garlic
• oregano
• 1 bottle of red wine

1. Peel and slice zucchini and carrot

2. Cook pasta and drain (oh and throw the carrot slices in with the pasta so they softens up a bit)

3. While pasta is cooking, sautee the chicken pieces in the olive oil, garlic and chili. Sprinkled on some oregano to make it look fancy (I guess it doesn’t taste bad either). I don’t measure stuff… just throw in what you like.

4. Cook chicken until it’s nearly done (it can still be a little pink). Andrew hates overcooked chicken… since you’ll be baking this- you don’t want to cook it too much at the beginning.

5. Mix the pasta sauce and the ricotta cheese in your favorite mixing bowl. Mine happens to be my green melamine bowl from Williams Sonoma. Kinda sad these bowls now come in a 4 pack and I only have 3!!!

6. Add chicken, veggies and pasta to the sauce and cheese. Mix it all up. Feel free to sing some Italian opera if you are so inclined.

7. Dump it into a baking dish that has been sprayed with some sort of cooking spray.

8. Cover the whole dish with mounds  of shredded cheese

9. Bake uncovered at some random temperature until the cheese is a crispy, golden, melty dream come true. (I think I had this on about 200 C or 400F  for about 10-12 minutes).

Oh… and the wine doesn’t actually go into this dish, I just like to drink it while I cook and eat!!

Andrew thought there was too much ricotta but overall he really liked it… I thought it was perfect- there can never be too much cheese, right?

Up Next:

Strawberry pocket pies

Yumdiddly #1- Grapelberry Fizz

This weekend was full of yummy drinks and dinners and treats so I thought I’d tell you about them in a series of Yumdiddly blog posts.

Here comes post number 1- Friday Game Night

Kristin hosted a game night and 10 of us gathered in Northbridge to play some Cranium and Apples to Apples… games = good times. Not only was it fun, it was a tasty night as well. The takeout Thai was good and  so was the phenomenal brie and sweet chili dip- I really need to buy some of that stuff!! Kristin even made a nice little dessert of fresh strawberries and ice cream. On top of all the great food, I also finally got to try my dream drink. By “dream drink” I don’t mean that it’s the best drink I’ve ever had or anything. I literally mean I had a dream about this. A few months ago I invented it in my head as I slept and therefore decided to try it out to see how it tastes. Well I think my nifty new drink concoction was pretty good and a little too easy to drink.   I like to call it “Grapleberry Fizz.” It’s not the classiest of names, but it’s fun to say and describes all aspects of the drink- so here’s the recipe in case you want to try some Grapleberry Fizz for yourself!

 (Measurements aren’t precise since I made it  using about 5 different ratios throughout the night)

• 1 short/lowball glass
• grape vodka (I did about 2 shots)
• soda water (filled ’til glass was about 3/4 full)
• cranberry juice (topped up)
• fresh squeezed lime juice (to taste)

So the review?? It was good- sweet but not TOO sweet and reminded me of a grape sucker. Andrew thought it was disgusting and Kris thought it tasted like grape Hubba Bubba.

Coming up on the next Yumdiddly…

Chicken Pasta Bake

Oreo Balls… YUM June 28, 2009

And now for more ball baking adventures… except with these particular bites of heaven, I didn’t even have to turn on the oven. These were WAY easier and quicker to make than the cake balls (and I think they taste better as well).

Recipe:

• 1 package of Oreos (16oz)- I used reduced fat
• 1 tub of cream cheese (8oz)- I used non fat
• 1 bag of white chocolate chips

1. Crush the oreos into fine crumbs- you could use a food processor but since I don’t have one, I just used one of these…
2. Add in the  cream cheese and stir until it becomes a mushy paste
3. Roll the paste into little balls about the size of a walnut and place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper
4. Freeze balls for 20-30 minutes
5. Remove a few balls at a time (so the others can stay cold while you’re working) and dip the balls into the melted white chocolate
6. Tap off excess chocolate and place on some more wax paper
7. Add some oreo crumbs to the top for decoration

ENJOY

Mmmmmuffins April 21, 2009

Last week one of Andrew’s friends told me he wanted to bake. Yes, a boy… a pilot boy wanted to bake! Since Andrew would probably NEVER want to bake with me, I jumped at the chance to bake something.

So when I asked this boy what he might want to bake he blurted out the following:

“Muffins! Maybe blueberry muffins… NO, how about white chocolate raspberry muffins?”

A man who knows exactly what he wants!

So I went home and did what I do best… googled. I typed in “white chocolate raspberry muffins” and this was the first link I clicked on: Exclusively Food. I read a bunch of the comments and it seemed like these were some pretty damn good muffins. So I texted Andrew’s friend, let him know I had a recipe and we set up a baking date.

These muffins were a little TOO easy to make. Not that it’s a bad thing, but our big baking adventure turned into a 15 minute session. Oh well, we can always bake more later right?

So the result?

YUMMMMMMUFFINS! They are so very delicious and so very bad for me. I definitely recommend them if you like this kind of thing. And really, who DOESN’T like this kind of thing??

Here’s a not so pretty picture of the little bites of heaven. Too bad I don’t have a fancy camera and good lighting to take photos with.

Sangria Saturday February 1, 2009

I’ve had my Sangria recipe book for probably over a year and yet I still had never used it. I just didn’t have a pitcher to put it in and of course you need the perfect pitcher to make Sangria! I suppose one also needs reason to make it as well. 

Well, thankfully Shannon got me my fabulous Sangria pitcher for Christmas and last night we had a Mexican fiesta at our place with Andrew’s brother Paul and his girlfriend, Veronica. We made yummy fajitas and fatabulous guacamole and to top it all off, I made my first batch of Sangria! Time to cross # 84 off of my list! And the best part? It was actually GOOD! WOOHOO.

I decided that since it was my first batch ever, I’d go with the simple, classic recipe. But of course, I had to doctor it up a bit to make it extra special. Here’s the recipe I used… with my modifications noted as well

Classic Spanish Sangria

• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 lime, sliced
• 1/2 lemon, sliced
• 1 1/2 ounces brandy (3 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 750 ml bottle light red wine
• 12 ounces club soda, chilled
• ice

Yeah that sounded alright… but I needed to double it… and, I like different fruit. Sooo, here’s what I did:

• 2 oranges, sliced
• 3 strawberries, sliced
• 1 pear, sliced
• 1 nectarine, sliced
• About 6-7 Tbsp brandy
• About 7 Tbsp sugar
• (2) bottles of light red wine
• Sprite (lemonade)
• ice

So I put all the fruit in the pitcher, added the sugar and brandy and stirred it all up. Then I poured in the wine and let it chill for a few hours. When pouring it into glasses with ice, I’d fill about 2/3 full with the sangria and fruit and then top up the glass with the sprite/lemonade.

I was impressed. I do like Sangria- but I’ve had some crap versions. This one got the nod of approval from the 4 of us who drank it. So much in fact that I attempted to make some more later in the night.

Our Mexican fiesta was a great success… it was just the 4 of us but we had a great night. We ate a bit of the cheese platter that Paul and VK brought… then, we pigged out on the fajitas and guac… then, we watched a bit of tennis, planned a bit of the Wii, enjoyed a game of cranium and then played some card games into the wee hours of the morning. I thoroughly enjoyed our Sangria Saturday!

Now I can’t wait to try out other new and exciting Sangria recipes! Who’s up for a fiesta?

Did Someone Say Yum? November 17, 2008

I don’t think I’ve ever shared my  favorite personally created recipe with you all. It’s not too hard to call it my favorite because I’ve really only ever created about 3 things on my own- so there’s not much competition. Regardless, this one definitely is on top. And since I shared it with a few people on a forum *AND* they seem to love it (yes people actually used my recipe to make their own dinner) I thought I’d share with everyone else too. We had it for dinner tonight and I could eat two more bowls but then Andrew would have to roll me around the house.  Sooo here it is for all my dearest friends and random internet strangers:  

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large (300g) chicken breast
• 1 15oz can (420g) cream of chicken soup
• 1 jar of salsa (375g)
• 1 small can of corn (310g)
• 1/4 large green bell pepper/capsicum- chopped
• Bag of corn tortilla chips
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese (optional… but it’s so much better with cheese)
• Coriander/Cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dump the salsa, cayenne pepper, corn, cream of chicken soup and bell pepper in the slow cooker- then stir it all up

2. Place the chicken breast in the mixture. No need to cut the chicken yet

3. Pour about 2 cups of crushed tortilla chips into the mixture and mix around.

4. Cook on low for 5-6 hours (you can leave it longer if you have to)

5. Uncover about 10 minutes before serving and gently shred the chicken into pieces with a fork, let cook for a few more minutes

6. Scoop the deliciousness into bowls and sprinkle cheese, crushed corn chips and cilantro/coriander over the top

Chili…Yum April 8, 2008

Yum. I love me some chili. So I make it pretty often here in Australia. Not the most Aussie of delicacies- but I don’t carrrre. I make it for myself and myself alone. (I’d make it for andrew too but he refuses to eat ground turkey so one day when I decide to eat meat, I’ll make him a beefy version).

My mom used to make very simple, basic chili and it was my favorite! When I moved to Australia, I couldn’t find the exact ingredients she used, so I had to improvise- and I ended up creating my own version which is significantly different from hers, but I love it. Since I usually just wing it and throw things in without measuring (which is primarily how I cook most things), I didn’t really have a way to share the recipe with anyone… So as one of my 101 in 1001 tasks, I decided to make my chili and actually record the recipe for once as I make it.

Sooo here it goes… #80 - Write down my recipe for chili… is now COMPLETE! Dang at this rate I’ll be finishing the 101 tasks in 101 days! Ok not really. I just have lots of free time to kill!

This chili is a little sweet and a little spicy (like me)… so cut back on cayenne and sugar if you like!

Elsja’s Chili
**I’d like to copywright this recipe, but I’m probably the only one who would love it enough to do so, so I think I’ll be alright.**
2 cans chopped tomatoes (plain, not with any fancy other ingredients added)
2 cans kidney beans (with juice)
1 ½ cans of water (just use tomato can)
1 package ground/minced turkey or chicken (600g/about 1lb)… or use beef if you prefer mammals to poultry…
1 large onion, chopped
½ cup ketchup
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp margarine or olive oil
2 ½ Tbsp Mexican chili powder (yes you can find this at woolies)
¼ – ½ Tsp cayenne pepper ( ½ will be spicy!)Salt and Pepper to taste
 

• Melt butter in a sautee pan and add onions. Cook on medium heat until onions start to “sweat” (that means to turn clear, not brown- something I learned from my cooking basics book I posted about in my last thread).
  
• Add turkey/chicken , cayenne pepper, and Mexican chili powder to the cooking onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir often and cook thoroughly.
  
• In a large pot mix together beans, canned tomatoes, water, ketchup and brown sugar. Add turkey and onions to the pot.
  
• Bring to a boil over medium heat. STIR OCCASIONALLY/FREQUENTLY to keep the beans/turkey from sticking to the bottom of the pan (I learned my lesson).
  
• Cover and reduce to low heat. Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Continue to stir occasionally- just to be safe
  

YUM. Going to go eat some for din din with some low-fat Jatz (those are like Ritz for you US folk)!


PS.. the sky outside is officially 100% cloudy and pink. I have a feeling I’ll be hearing some thunder soon. Oh… “is it STILL raining” you ask? Why YES… IT’S STILL FREAKING RAINING!


Dinner time.