Cookbooks

I feel I have really neglected my blog since my last entry.  Life  has been pretty hectic, with the children back at school and the days getting shorter it seems there are never enough hours in the day!  I have been cooking, I promise,  scrumptious, slow cooked meals and warm hearty dinners and pies and casseroles.  All from my range of cookbooks and magazines that I collect and plenty from my own cookbook that is waiting very patiently to get published. Although I am very excited because this month NZ House & Garden has published a food feature, with some of my recipes.  It's called "Spice of Life" and it looks (and tastes) divine!  Thank you so much to Sally Butters and her team for a fabulous job! Go out and get a copy its on sale now in the shops.

Writing is a passion, I love books, I think technology is great too with Ipads and Kindles ect taking over the world, I still think there is a place for books.  Call me old fashioned but I love holding a book, turning the pages, it's tangible, you can put it  down and pick it up at your leisure. The same goes for cookbooks, the ones that are published beautifully look amazing just sitting on your coffee table to admire.

I have my favourites, that I use again and again. I never tire of buying new ones (so there is a hint for gifts!)  I love adding to my collection, I get an amazing feeling when I look through a gorgeous cookbook, the wealth of information of countries and their cuisines.  The ones that I really like are the ones that tell a story, of a world completely different to mine, you can learn so much about a country through the food.   I admire all chose amazing chefs out there who have the talent to create some amazing food.   I like collecting magazines too, this provides some light reading as well yummy recipes, and then I cut up my favourite ones (as the magazines take over the house!) and put them in a folder to refer back to.

I have a wish list of cookbooks that I want, and I don't think that I will stop collecting them, and hope that one day I will be adding mine to the collection. Watch this space!

Enjoy the article in NZ House & Garden!

Till next time

Ashia

Red Velvet Cupcakes for Mothers Day

Well Mothers Day (In NZ, Australia and USA) is actually this Sunday.  I am still trying to get used to all the different dates for all the  different celebrations now that we are living in New Zealand.  But I think dates aside, I don't really need any excuse to bake.  I will do this quite happily in any hemishpere on any date!

What a perfect way to say thank you to your mum, by giving her something home baked. (By all means indulge her with store bought presents too...we all like getting spoilt!)

Red velvet cupcakes is the epitome of indulgence in cupcakes, I feel.  That luxurious deep red (I know they don't quite look that gorgeous deep red yet, more like a dark pink that cant quite decide which colour it really is).  The secret is in the baking, then the colour morphs into the deep red velvet.

There are so many variations out there, but I was inspired by Nigella's version in "Kitchen".

For the cup cakes

250g Plain Flour
2 Tbl Cocoa powder
2 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Baking soda
100g Butter (soft)
200g Castor sugar
1-2 Tbls of Red food colouring (you can use the gel paste, and then you will require alot less as they are very concentrated) I used a liquid form, adjust your amount according to the shade you prefer, it does get darker when you bake.
2 Tsp Vanilla essence/extract
2 Eggs
175 mls Buttermilk
1 Tsp Vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 170 c and line your muffin trays with paper cases, I used a gorgeous black and white patterned case, so it was a real contrast with the red.

2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl

3. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and and fluffy, and then add vanilla and all the food colouring, I know it  sounds crazy, but just do it, its liberating!

4. While continuing to beat, ad a large spoonful of the dry mixture  and then 1 egg and then another spoonful of dry mixture and then the egg and then the rest of the dry mixture.

5. Next beat in the buttermilk and vinegar and then divide the scrumptious mixture into the muffin trays.  Bake them for 20 min  and then leave to cool on a wire rack.

Creme Cheese Frosting

I love the tangy element in this frosting, i think all butter frosting is gorgeous but this just adds that sophisticated kick

500g Icing sugar
125g Creme cheese (full fat)
125g Soft butter
1 Tsp lemon juice
Sprinkles of your choice for decoration

Using a hand held mixer, blend the icing sugar and butter and creme cheese, add the lemon juice and beat until you have a smooth icing.  Decorate as you please, either swirls or ice the cupcakes using a spatula.

Tip
Un iced cup cakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. defrost at room temp for 2-3 hours.  The icing can also be frozen separately. defrost in the fridge overnight. Beat before using.

 

 

 

            The result,  a sumptuous cake perfect for all those yummy mummies out there!

Happy Mothers Day!

Enjoy

Till next time

Ashia

Adam on Sticky Diner

In the school holidays, I get a phone call, from Sticky TV, to say, Adam had applied to go on the show.  I knew nothing about this! Kids!  So after having a chat to him he replied," oh yeah I applied last year... he had completely forgotten about it!
Anyway they were looking to see if he was interested in taking part in "StickyDiner", he ummed and aahed and then decided he would give it a go for a laugh.

So him and a friend (Ethan) were going to work as a team. The camera man arrives at home on the first day of the school holidays.  The boys are a little unsure, bit of trepidation, and the cameraman is filming a segment for the profiles for each team. they wanted the boys to be cooking/baking something while they asked questions ect.

The boys did really well, they were great with their answers and very tidy as the baked some Anzac biscuits (as it was Anzac Day on the Thursday) 

This was their result!  They talked about their tactics on Friday (which was when Sticky diner was being filmed)   and eased into their roles as TV chefs. Adam laughed and said " I beat you to it mum"!

On the Friday, we dropped them off at the studios in Kumeau, and unbeknown to them, they were up against two girls from their school!  They cooked their dishes using limited ingredients. They had to make a starter, main and a dessert.  They made toasted pita bread and their own hummus!, Honey glazed chicken breast with tomatoes and a chocolate sponge pudding.  Unfortunately they didn't win, but came away with an  Edmonds Cookbook each.  I was so proud of Adam taking part, and what a great fun thing to do in the school holidays.  It will be aired last week of May and 1st week of June.

 

Till next time.

 

Ashia

 

 

 

 

 

Spicy Mince Pastries

With the colder weather coming I like nothing more than to have gorgeous comfort food, pies, pastries,  soups, casseroles and slow cooked dinners.

These pies are great as you can prepare them and freeze them.  When you are stuck for what to cook, just pop them into the oven straight from the freezer!
You can use any filling you like, I make a spicy vegetarian filling using, potatoes, peas and carrots or this meat version.

500g mince (lamb, beef or chicken)
1/2 Tsp cumin
1/2 Tsp salt (or to your liking)
pepper to taste
1/2 Tbl oil
1 Tbl soya sauce
dash of Worcester sauce
Pack of Edmond's flaky pastry (you can make your own, but this is quick and easy)
sesame seeds for sprinkling
1 beaten egg for egg wash

1. Heat oil, in a saucepan with a lid, add mince and cook until brown.

2. Add the spices and the sauces and put the lid on and cook on a low heat until the mince is cooked. This wont take too long 15-20 min.  You need to make sure that all the liquid has evaporated, you need a dry filling.  Once cooked leave to cool.

3. With your Edmond's pastry, cut each sheet into 1/4's and fill each 1/4 and bring it together making a triangle, pinch the edges together and then using a fork, press down so the filling is tightly encased. 

4. Place the triangles on a lined baking tray, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds ( at this stage you can also put them in the freezer to use another day)  and then pop in a pre heated  oven (200 c) for about 15-20 min, until golden.

Serve with a salad or steamed vegetables.

Tip-  If you are freezing them for another day, I usually put them on a baking tray and once they are frozen, take them off the baking trays and place in a zip lock bags and pop back in the freezer.





Enjoy!
Till next time

Ashia