Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Basil Pesto - Recipe of the week

This recipe has been adapted from the Super Food Ideas magazine June2010.

For the Gnocchi

750g Unpeeled Sweet Potato
500g Desiree Potatoes
1 egg yolk
2 cups gluten free plain flour (I use Orgran)


For the Pesto
(you can also use store bought pesto)

2 Cups of fresh Basil leaves
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup pine nuts, I have also used cashews
1/4 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup of oil, I use 100% canola, olive oil is a favorite too

Method
For the Gnocchi

1. Steam the sweet potato and potato for 45 mins until tender. Set aside to coll enough to handle. Remove and discard the skin. Mash until smooth. Cool completely
2. Add egg yolk and flour. Stir to form a dough - I use my mix master for this because it gets a better result than by hand. Add more flour if it is too soft - I probably added another 3/4 cup. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Line 2 trays with baking paper.
3. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each into a 35cm long log. Using a lightly floured knife cut into 2 cm pieces. Roll each into a ball and then run over a floured fork to form grooves. Place onto the lined trays until ready to cook.

For the Pesto

1. Process the basil, garlic, parmesan, nuts and lemon juice until finely chopped. With the motor running slowly add the oil.

Putting it together

1. To cook the gnocchi, boil water in a large pot. When the water is boiling hard, cook in batches. When the gnocchi rise to the surface they will be cooked. This takes about 3 minutes.
2. Transfer to a bowl and stir through some pesto. Serve with shaved parmesan and rocket.
   

Caramel Parfait Glace with Salted Peanut Caramel and Milk Chocolate Mousse

Don't you just want to eat this? I might try the caramel by itself!! Click on the image to follow through to the Masterchef website and you will find the recipe.

My Clever Husband

Have I told you how clever I think my husband is. This morning I went out for a massage, I have had a migraine this week and the doctor suggested a massage to help. When I came back home hubby had made this icon thingy on my sidebar that when I put in a new recipe of the week it will be filed over there and you can click on it to just see my recipes. I'm glad he is around because my technology skills are pretty sparse and not much would happen here if he didn't help.

So click over on the sidebar to find all of my recipes.

Enjoy!

Just so you know I am feeling a little better after the massage, my vision has returned to normal which is a huge plus and my head is not pounding. And the bonus is I get to go back in a week for another massage.

Congratulations Jess and Simon - Recipe of the Week

A few weeks ago my brother-in-law Simon announced his engagement to Jess. We are all so excited about their proposed marriage and welcoming Jess into the family. This past weekend we got to celebrate with them.

I wanted to share a recipe this week that I used to make their cake. It is from The Cook's Companion by Stephanie Alexander - which is one of my favorite cookbooks. I have to say I didn't follow her method because it did not work with the bowls etc they way she suggested so I will post my method and let me know if you have a better suggestion.



Marieka's Chocolate Cake

150g bittersweet chocolate grated
150g ground almonds
130g unsalted butter
130g caster sugar
7 egg yolks
9 egg whites

Chocolate Ganache
375g bittersweet chocolate chopped
1 cup cream

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

• Butter a 20 cm cake tin - I used a square but they suggest a round one - and line with baking paper.

• Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, them transfer into a clean bowl and set aside.

• Cream Butter and sugar till pale in the mix master.

• Melt chocolate in the microwave for approx. 1 minute, stir every 20 seconds. Stir in the almonds.

• Add the chocolate mix to the creamed butter and sugar. Combine on a low setting in the mix master.

• Add egg yolks one at a time until all combined.

• Fold through egg whites till all combined - my mix master has a folding setting otherwise you may need to do this by hand.

• Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45-60 mins. Cool in the tin before turning out.

Chocolate Ganache

• Put the chocolate and cream into a saucepan, over a low heat cook till all melted and combined.

• Transfer to the mix master and whip till creamy and cool.

• Pour over cake....

• Serve either straight away, or wait till ganache is set.
  

Calling all Gluten-Free Vegetarians

I have spoken about our diet restrictions before, we have to cater for Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, No- seafood and no preservatives / chemicals. If you have something that you cook that you think I might like to try send me an email to laura (at) lilyandme (dot) com (dot) au

I would love to try your dish.

My friend Mandy has sent me this recipe which we will try this week. Thanks for sharing Mandy.

Pumpkin Polenta with spinach and chickpeas
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 cups polenta
4 cups vegetable stock (I use massel)
2 cups chopped pumpkin (1.5 cm squares)
1 cup non-fat buttermilk (or skim milk)
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 sprinkle of pepper
1 sprinkle of cinnamon
1 tin chickpeas
1 packet frozen spinach

Directions:
Add chopped pumpkin, polenta and stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally (watch for spitting). Add buttermilk and the grated cheese. Lower heat and stir continuously for about 5 minutes. Add all spices (except cinnamon) and cook for another 5 mins. Next, add spinach, cinnamon and chickpeas, cooking for a final 5 minutes.

Recipe of the Week

The Very Simple not so pretty but always eaten quickly
Llewellyn's Favorite Meatballs

1kg Premium Beef Mince
2 large spoon fulls of rice flour

1. Put mince and flour into mix master
2. Mix until all combined
3. Roll into small balls
4. Place onto a greased baking tray
5. Bake for approx 25 mins at 180 degrees
6. Serve with steamed veggies and mashed potato, or gluten free pasta
   

Generation Recipes

Today I had the pleasure of a visit from my Mum, Grandma, Sister and niece. It was a great time of catching up, kids playing and cooking with my Grandma. A few years ago Grandma showed me how to make toffee. She says that her mum could only cook two things but did them both well and that was toffee and soup. She told me today that she remembers her mum clearly getting upset when other mothers sent burnt or "stick-jaw" toffee along to school fetes. Obviously she had a lot of practice at this.

Toffee is a great thing to be able to make for a few reasons including the price (is very cheap) and although it is a sweet it doesn't have any nasty ingredients added. Before Grandma shared her method with me I had tried numerous times from a cookbook and from my experience can say that this is one recipe that you need to learn from someone with a bit of experience. Unfortunately there is no "scratch and sniff" application on the Internet, but I hope the pictures are helpful.

"Toffee - My Grandma's Mum's Recipe"

Turn the hot plate onto high and add 2 cups sugar - spread this over the bottom of a large soup pot.

Dollop in 2 large desert spoons of golden syrup









Add 2 desert spoons of butter











Add 2 desert spoons of vinegar











Enough water to wet the sugar but not all of the sugar, don't put the pot under the tap, get a cup measure and add gradually - sorry no picture for this.

Let mixture come to the boil and let boil until it smells like butterscotch but not burning. Do not stir the mixture at any time!!!!! And do not go away from the stove at all!!!!Watch like crazy.....

Get ready to move fast now.










To test if mixture is ready have a glass of water and a teaspoon ready. When you think it is right take a small amount from the pot and drop it into the water. When it is ready the toffee will snap when taken out of the water. Test again until ready.








When you think it is ready pour the mixture quickly into two lined slice tins and let cool. When cool tip out of the pan, this may need a bit of persuasion, and break into pieces. ENJOY!

If you did not cook the toffee for long enough toffee will be chewy and if you went too long it will have a burnt flavor. If it didn't work this first time try and try again.

For a bit of variation to this recipe you could add nuts, sprinkle with coconut or hundreds and thousands.

Thank you so much Grandma for sharing this with me..We love you!

















If you have any recipes that have been passed down through your family. I would love to hear from you. Send me an email or comment, and pictures are always a plus.

Recipe of the Week

Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns

1 pkt Basco Gluten-Free Bread Mix
3 tsp caster sugar
1 Cup milk
1 egg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 Cup Sultanas

Cross's

1 Cup Pure Icing Sugar
1 tbsp Nuttelex
a dash of water

Method:

1. Grease 8 hole large muffin tin, preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. Place Bread Mix, egg and milk in mix master and mix till combined.
3. Add cinnamon and sultanas and continue mixing until you get a muffin like consistency
4. Divide mix to make 8 large muffins
5. Bake for approx. 25 mins - depending on oven
6. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
7. For the Cross mix, combine icing sugar, nuttelex and enough water to make a stiff icing.
8. Place icing into a sandwich bag and cut off a small part of the corner. Pipe a cross on the top of the muffin.

6yr old exclaimed that "these are much better than last year mummy".. Don't you love kid's!

The buns are pictured above, and only lasted as long as it took 6 people to sit around the kitchen table and eat them. I wish I could press a button and have more appear on the table. This recipe is good straight from the oven, or even on the day they are baked, but in true gluten-free style deteriorate quickly. They were OK the next two days but much better eaten the day of baking.

If you wanted them to be dairy free as well you could use the dairy free Orgran bread mix instead of the Basco one that I used.

Recipe of the Week

We have a university student who lives with us. After his recent trip home to visit his parents his mother sent some of this fudge for us....... well we have fallen in love with this recipe for many reasons, mostly because it is YUM! but also it is cheap to make and very quick. It also falls into the OK basket for the low chemical diet I follow for my kids too.

Caramel Fudge

1 Can of condensed milk
1 cup of brown sugar
125g butter
1 tablespoon of golden syrup
1 tablespoon of glucose
200g white chocolate

• Microwave for 8 mins on medium stirring every 2 mins
• Microwave for another 3ish mins stirring every 1 min until thick and bubbling.
• Add 200g chocolate and stir until smooth
• Pour into a lined square cake tin
• Cool
• Refridgerate

Microwave times vary depending on machine.....

Recipe of the Week

Sweet Potato Dahl

from more gluten free and easy by Robyn Russell
http://www.glutenfreeandeasy.com/index.html

1 red onion
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon Madras curry paste
1 cup split red lentils
1 cup grated sweet potato
1/2 teaspoon garam masala

In a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat, saute the onion, garlic and ginger in the oil for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft.

Add the curry paste and cook until fragrant, then increase the heat and add the lentils and sweet potato. Stir over high heat for 1-2 minutes to toast the lentils slightly, then reduce the heat to low, add 500 ml of water and stir well to loosen the brown residue on the bottom of the pan. cover and simmer for about 15 mins, or until the lentils havew softened.

Add the Garam masala, stir again to combine, then cover the pan and set aside for 10 minutes.

Serve with rice and poppadoms.

Serves 2 adults and 3 kids with lunch leftovers for the next day.

I have cooked this twice, the first by the recipe and the second time I was in a rush and put everything into my slow cooker on low for 3 hrs. It was a lot more mushy than by the recipe but still taste great. It has been a hit with the kids both times and SUPER CHEAP!!!!!

Recipe of the Week

Zucchini Slice

1 large zucchini grated
1 cup low-fat tasty cheese grated
6 eggs
1/2 cup gluten free plain flour

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees, grease slice tin.
Combine all ingredients, place into tin and even it out across the tin.
Bake for 20 - 25 mins.

Serve with any salad you desire.

Recipe of the Week

Black-Eye Bean Salsa

2 cups of dried Black-eye beans
1 large tin of corn kernals
1 red capsicum diced
1 green capsicum diced
2 cucumbers diced
1 red onion diced
2 celery sticks diced
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes sliced into quarters

Method:

Boil beans in 3 litres of water for about 1 hour until inside of beans are soft. Drain water and put beans into a large bowl ready for the salsa.

Combine all ingredients in the large bowl and serve with 2 packets of corn chips (you can buy a lower fat variety in the health food section), low fat sour cream or cottage cheese and sweet chilli sauce.

(Rob still asks "Where's the meat" but gives an enthusuastic thumbs up for this meal)

This recipe feeds approx. 6 - 8 adults.