Cheat Pretzels

NAME: _Cheat Pretzels

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INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:

350g baker's flour
210ml half milk half water
half tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp psyllium husk
2 tsp yeast
half tsp bicarb
1 tsp olive oil

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METHOD:

Let the bread machine knead it and then take it out stick in a bowl coated in olive oil cover with tea towel leave it to rise. About 30 - 60 minutes. Alternatively, you can use the mixer with dough hooks at low to medium speed for about ten minutes, until the dough goes sticky outside, then put in the bowl and proceed as for bread machine.

Don't bother to knock it down, cos what you'll do now is twist off a bit more than a tablespoonful at a time, roll and stretch it under your palms to make a 'worm" about 1/2 to 2/3 the thickness of a lead pencil and about 8" to a foot long, stick it on an oiled baking tray and make it into the B shape as you go. Leave a bit of room for expansion.

For the bread/cheese sticks, same dough, about one and a half tablespoonfuls so it rolls and stretches into a thing a bit thicker than a pencil and same length, then you roll it in grated cheese and stick it on the oiled baking tray.

Either way, brush with half egg half milk and half a tsp of salt egg wash, sprinkle coarse salt on the pretzels so it sticks in the wash, parmesan on the cheese sticks. Let prove for another 20 - 30 minutes.

I baked at around 200 for 25 minutes, took them out and turned them over on the hot tray to dry out a bit - perfect!

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SERVING:
No problems serving these, they sell themselves!

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NOTES:
Real pretzels are made by boiling the pretzels in a caustic/bicarb/lye type solution to make the crust harder and the centre chewier because it's precooked a bit. I cheat by putting the bicarb direct in the flour and using a glaze.

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ENJOY!

Barley Risotto

NAME: _Barley "Risotto"

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INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
1 cup dry pearl barley
water to boil barley

1 cup beef stock
200g bacon
200g mushrooms (see notes [1])
2 tbsp olive/grapeseed oil

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METHOD:
Boil the barley in plenty of water until soft but not mushy. It will get a touch more cooking in the next step so err slightly on the firm side if you must. When cooked, drain and set aside to dry off a bit.

Cut bacon crosswise into matchsticks and place in pan with the mixed oil, fry at medium heat until just starting to crisp. Remove bacon from pan leaving oil and fat in pan. Cut mushrooms into slices (or if using shinoki, cut from base and separate into individual mushrooms) and dry between teatowels then add to pan. Fry over medium heat.until mushrooms are showing slight browning, [2] then add the bacon back in, fry for a few minutes more, add the precooked barley and toss to mix.

Increase heat and drizzle in the beef stock while tossing, (as for risotto,) waiting for stock to evaporate each time before adding more. Remove from heat and toss one more time.

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SERVING:
Serve straight away.

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NOTES:
[1] Mushrooms: I've used sliced swiss browns, shinoki mushrooms, and sliced oyster mushrooms at various times, they all taste great in this recipe.
[2] Frying mushrooms: DRY. They have to be dry. And if necessary, do them in batches so there's no crowding in the pan.

This is a robust meal, you can add fried onion and garlic to the basic recipe, or fine shredded fried cabbage, these each complement the flavours.

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ENJOY! (for sister Liz %)

Had To Share Tempeh Marinade

NAME: _Had To Share Tempeh Marinade

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INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
1 small knob fresh ginger
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp raw sugar
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 cup light soya sauce
1 - 2 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup water

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METHOD:
wash the ginger, don't bother to peel it, just slice it fine, drop in a container with the water, sugar, and salt. Stir. Cover and leave for a day or so in a cold/cool place. After a day, strain out the sliced ginger and throw away. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Use to marinate stuff

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SERVING:
Not to be served - is a marinade for other produce.

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NOTES:
You may get similar results if you bring the water with sugar salt and ginger in it to the boil and then take it off and let it cool down. I haven't tried that method yet.

I used the liquid to marinate thin slices of tempeh before stir-frying. Marinate for an hour at least.

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ENJOY!

Very Pretendy Chooky Curry

NAME: _Very Pretendy Chooky Curry

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INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
200g butter
1 tsp each of the following whole dried seeds:
coriander, fennel, black pepper, mustard, pimento (allspice), 
6 whole cloves
6 - 12 cardamom pods

2 tsp each of the following ground spices:
cumin, turmeric, red paprika, rock salt
1 tsp each
ground cayenne pepper
crushed chilli
ground cinnamon
1/2tsp coarse ground nutmeg

1 clove garlic
1 medium brown onion
1 - 2 fresh limes

500g chicken
1 tbsp plain flour 
1 cup chicken stock

1 sweet potato
1 cup cooked lentils
1/2 cup raisins
2 - 3 tomatoes

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METHOD:
Start the butter melting in a saucepan big enough to comfortably hold all the ingredients. Split cardamom pods lengthways, add them, the cloves, rock salt, and all the dried seeds to the butter, cut a thin (1/2cm) wedge of lime and add that, and increase the heat until the spices start to pop.

Chop the onion into strips lengthways and then cut the strips in half, add to the pan, reduce heat a little. Rough chop the garlic, add that as well.

While the onions and garlic brown slightly, cut the chicken into 2cm cubes, add the chicken and the remaining ground spices and stir occasionally, allowing the chicken to brown slightly.

Now add the plain flour, stir well, and add the chicken stock and two cups of water. Add the juice of the remaining limes (more or less according to taste) bring to a fast simmer and keep simmering for around 20 - 30 minutes.

Peel and cut the sweet potato into 2cm thick slices and quarter them, keep under water. Dice up the tomatoes, discard the seeds and liquid if desired.  At around 20 minutes, drain and add the sweet potato, lentils, tomatoes, and raisins, bring back to a simmer until the sweet potato is cooked through. You may want to add a bit of water so as to barely cover the ingredients, and season with salt to taste, at this stage.

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SERVING:
Serve with pilaf rice or plain basmati, and side dishes as desired.

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NOTES:
None, really - it's not all that pretendy, it's actually just a fairly standard Indian spice mix and as such, will only taste good if your spices are fresh - you can vary things a fair bit to suit your tastes. But damn, it tastes good!

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ENJOY!

Red Red Wine Sauce

NAME: _Red Red Wine Sauce

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INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
1 - 2 cups red wine
1 cup tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp pomegranate syrup
1 cup water
1 chicken stock cube (or replace the cup of water with chicken stock)
2 tsp raw sugar
3 tbsp basil
1 clove garlic

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METHOD:
Heat the oil in a saucepan, finely chop the basil and add it. Crush the garlic clove and add it (with skin) to the oil. Heat gently for five to ten minutes, then add the balsamic vinegar, raw sugar, pomegranate syrup, and tomato paste, stir together and allow to warm together for another five to ten minutes. Add the red wine and chicken stock and bring to a slow simmer, let simmer for as long you like. (I leave mine until 30 minutes total time has elapsed.)

Pass through a strainer and use as required.

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SERVING:
I've served poultry, pasta, and rabbit with this sauce. Use your imagination!

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NOTES:
The sauce should be a bit sweet and the red wine should come through strongly - the pomegranate syrup picks up and strengthens the wine flavour beautifully. Good basil (fresh, or that you've dried for yourself) is another important component.

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ENJOY!

Secret Corned Beef

NAME: _Secret Corned Beef

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INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
Hunk of beef brisket or similar
1litre water (maybe up to two if needed)
1/2 cup rock salt
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 tbsp green peppercorns
5 - 10 pimento seeds
2 - 5 whole cloves
1 cup red wine vinegar with a dash of Balsamic

(I used a pressure cooker, you can just cook it on the stove but your cooking times etc will vary.)

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METHOD:
Put about a third of the water in a small saucepan, add all the seasonings and bring to a boil, allow to simmer for 15 minutes, topping up water if needed to maintain level. After the ingredients have perfused the water and the salt and sugar have dissolved, strain the water into the pressure cooker vessel through a sieve, throw away all the solids.

Allow to cool for 10 - 15 minutes and add the beef, rolling it around to baste all over with the strong brine. Keep turning the beef every 10 - 15 minutes for about an hour, then add the rest of the water (making sure it just submerges the beef, hence the need for possibly a bit of extra water) and bring the cooker up to pressure, then cook for 30 - 35 minutes. (Don't release the pressure all at once, as the reduced pressure will lower the boiling temperature of the water, which will then boil faster, leading to a steam runaway.)

Lift the beef out and let it rest in a bowl under a teatowel for an hour or so - it's easy enough to reheat when you need it.

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SERVING:
Traditionally served with boiled/steamed cabbage, mashed potato, and a white sauce. I serve it with quartered butter-fried brussels sprouts, mash, and a cheesy bechamel style sauce.

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NOTES:
As I said, the meat needs to rest anyway, so you have plenty of time to do other things. It's also good cold in sandwiches and cold cuts plates, and can be fork-shredded and added to a bubble and squeak or red flannel hash.

As I said, you'll take longer if you use a standard saucepan on the stove, also you can marinate the beef in the brine for up to four - six days in the fridge before going on to the cooking stage, if you put it in a plastic bag and seal the beef and brine in that - I'm just impatient and like my beef to still taste beefy. %) The longer you marinate it (within reason) the more the brine will penetrate the beef and the more like corned beef it will taste.

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ENJOY!