Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Garlicky, Garlicky Bread Plait

Garlicky, Garlicky Bread Plait

If you like garlic , you will love this bread. It is easy , light with a crunchy crust, and would feed 20 when pulled apart and served with a meal. The garlic is cooked in the butter, (or oil), and the cooked garlic is added to the dough. The garlic flavored butter is brushed on during baking.You could form any shape you wish, rolls , bread sticks or pull- aparts. Because the dough is soft and silky, it is probably not suited to a loaf.

Set oven to 220 -250o, place dish of water in bottom of oven.


10 cloves of garlic, or 10 teaspoons of minced garlic , bought.
100g. unsalted butter.
300 mls. warm water
500gs. flour. 250g plain (all purpose Flour) and 250g bread flour.
2 teaspoons of dried yeast


Scrape down bowl if chopping fresh garlic.
Chop garlic in TMX. or add 10 teaspoons of pre prepared to bowl.
Add 1 dessertspoon of butter(or 3 teaspoons), and 1 teaspoonful of water to bowl and cook butter and garlic at 100o, soft speed for 10 mins.
Add remaining butter and stand for 10 mins.
Strain garlic from butter. retain both.
No need to wash bowl
Place flour, yeast and water in bowl with 1 dessertspoon of the infused butter, and knead on bread setting for 4 mins.
Add strained garlic to bowl and knead for 30 seconds.
Place in warm spot to double. Can leave in Bowl.
Turn out on to floured bench and lightly knead .
Form into required shape, brush with infused butter, and let double again.
Cook for 10 mins, and brush with butter again.
Turn tray, place back in oven for further 5-10 mins. should be lightly brown.
Remove from oven and turn plaits over. cook another 5 -10 mins until bottom is brown. can brush any remaining butter over bottom.

Care must be taken when turning bread over as it is still very soft.

This can be made the day before required, up to the stage where the bread is formed into shape. Cover and place in fridge. Next day remove from fridge , let return to room temp, (about 30 mins.) and then double in size. then continue with method.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Lebanese Meat and Pine nut Pastries

Lebanese Meat and Pine nut Pastries

These tasty little morsels, are based on Abla's, Soubih el sit ( ladies' fingers) recipe. They are made with lamb mince and spices, all very easy in the TMX. They can be made small, as a nibble, to have with drinks, or larger as in the photo to have as a main with salad. This recipe makes 10 large or 20 small.

1 packet of Filo pastry, 375g. You will not use all of this, but well sealed it will keep in the fridge for months.
Oil of choice, I use Rice Bran oil in a spray tin.

Set oven to 200o FF

1 onion, peeled and 1/4ed
1 Tablespoon of oil
250 -300g. of minced lamb
1/2 teaspoon of each of the following,
Salt
Black pepper
ground cumin
ground allspice
ground sumac
1/4 cup of Pine nuts, cooked in oil until brown.

Drop onion onto spinning blades, speed 5 for 5 seconds.Scrape down sides of bowl.
Add oil and cook, 5 mins, at 100o, speed 1.
Add spices and meat, cook for 10 mins, 100o, speed 1,REVERSE.
After 5 mins, take cup out to allow liquid to evaporate as it cooks.
Cool mixture. Add pine nuts.

Lay Filo out and spray top sheet with oil. With one sheet at a time, fold a third of both sides to overlap. The filo will now be 1/3 of the original size.
Place a full Tablespoon, ( for the large rolls) of cool lamb mix along short side and roll up. Tucking in ends as you go. Spray with oil.
Continue until all meat mix is used.

Bake until brown.

These can be cooked on the stove top in oil if preferred.
Serve hot. Can be made ahead and reheated.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Mustard Sauce for Corned Beef

This sauce has a predominate onion base as well as mustard. It is excellent with pickled meat. It is served hot. We also ate it with roast chicken, and although this sounds like an unlikely pairing is was actually very good. This recipe makes 8 to 10 serves and reheats well in the Microwave.

25g. butter
1 onion
1 Tablespoon of flour
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of corned meat cooking water
1 Bay leaf
2 teaspoons of dry mustard, or more to taste
pinch of cloves
1 Tablespoon of chives.

Drop 1/4ed onion on to spinning blades in TMX, speed 7, 5 seconds.
Scrape down sides and then add butter. Cook for 5 mins., 100o. speed 2.
Add flour and milk and zap speed 5 for 10 seconds.
Add all other ingredients except chives and cook 10 mins, 100o., speed 3.
Stir in chives.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Rice for Sushi Rolls

Rice for Sushi rolls

This amount of rice, when cooked will make 16 Sushi Rolls, sometimes called California Rolls.

400g. rice. (can use Japanese rice 'Nishiki' or a risotto rice)washed well.
460g cold water
1 cup of Sushi seasoning, or rice wine with a little sugar added



Place rice and water in TMX bowl and cook for 10 mins., Varoma temp. Reverse gentle.
Stand in bowl for 15 mins.
Tip onto a flat tray or dish and gently turn over, breaking up any small lumps and adding the sushi seasoning.
Leave to cool.

For this amount of rice I used-
1 large avocado
1 Lebanese cucumber
8 sheets of nori (sea weed sheets)
100g. pack of smoked salmon
Part of a tube of Wasabi

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Persian Fruit Salad

Persian fruit Salad



This Fruit Salad is made with dried fruit, soaked in an apricot 'sauce', flavored with both Orange blossom and Rose blossom waters. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It can be used as a dessert or on breakfast cereal. The Orange and Rose Blossom waters can be purchased from Middle Eastern shops or Turkish shops.

100g Dried Apricots.
250g cold water
450g mixed dried fruit, I used apricots,peaches, pears, figs , plus.
10/15 prunes
Further 1 ltr. cold water
2 Tablespoons of both Orange and Rose Blossom water ,(not essence)
!/2 cup of almonds


Zap dried apricots in TMX ,speed 7 for 7 seconds.
Add 250mls of cold water and cook for 10 mins. at 100o, speed 1.
Zap 7 seconds on speed 7 or until a thick sauce is formed.
Add 1 litre of cold water, dried fruit and prunes, Rose and Orange waters.
Mix, reverse 10 seconds, on speed 5,
Pour into a container and keep for at least 12 hours.
Stir in almonds after soaking period.

Don't be tempted to sweeten until after the soaking period.

10 serves, can be served with cream, yogurt or plain.