Thursday, September 25, 2008

Baked rice pudding

INGREDIENTS

15g butter
½ cup (100g) short-grain rice
2½ cups (625ml) milk
1 cup (250ml) cream
¼ cup caster sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Freshly grated nutmeg

METHOD

Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C fan-forced.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and cook, stirring 1 minute to coat rice with butter.

Add milk, cream, sugar and salt and bring just to a boil.

Pour rice and milk mixture into 1.5 litre baking dish; stir in vanilla.

Place dish in a larger baking dish and pour boiling water into larger dish to come half way up the sides of the rice pudding.

Grate fresh nutmeg over surface of rice pudding and transfer to preheated oven. Bake 1½ to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Tzatziki

Ingredients (serves 8)

* 2 x 175g tubs natural no-fat yoghurt
* 2 Lebanese cucumbers, deseeded, grated
* 2 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced
* 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
* 1 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Combine yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon rind, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, lemon pepper and salt in a bowl. Cover. Refrigerate until required

Potato gratin

Ingredients (serves 8)

* 1.2kg desiree potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-2mm-thick slices
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 1/2 tsp plain flour
* 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
* 1 cup (250ml) pouring cream


Method

1. One day ahead: Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a deep, 7-cup capacity baking dish. Place potatoes and garlic in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper then toss to combine. Place potatoes, slightly overlapping, in layers in prepared dish. Whisk flour into a small amount of stock then stir in remaining stock and cream and pour over potatoes. Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are tender and liquid has thickened. Allow to cool then refrigerate.
2. On the day: Preheat oven to 200°C then bake gratin for 30-40 minutes or until golden and heated through.

Ratatouille

Method

Salt the eggplant, drain in a colander for 1 hour and pat dry.
Heat half of the oil in a large saucepan and briefly saute the eggplant until brown, then add the onion and pepper.
Add the garlic, zucchini and tomatoes. Cook until soft, about 15 to 30 minutes. Serve over rice.
Add the salt, pepper and basil. Sprinkle with cheese and serve

Ingredients

* 1 large eggplant, cubed
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* 1 onion, thinly sliced
* 1 chopped pepper (red or green)
* 2 to 4 crushed garlic cloves
* 4 small zucchini, chopped
* 4 tomatoes, chopped
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/3 cup chopped basil
* parmesan cheese

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Goats cheese and capsicum mini frittatas

In muffin pans lined with baking paper