Pumpkin?!

Anyone who knows me is aware of my ambivalence to this particular veggie BUT Naomi who came sailing with us last night made this from one of Ken's pumpkins. REALLY good!!

Kara'a (libyan pumpkin dip)

500g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, and chopped into 2cm cubes


1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 lemon, juice only

80ml extra virgin olive oil

pitta bread, to serve

1. Put the pumpkin in a saucepan with 150ml of water, and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until soft.




2. Drain the pumpkin and return to the empty pan. Season well with salt and pepper and mash with a fork until smooth. Set aside.



3. Dry-roast the caraway and cumin seeds in a small frying pan over a medium-high heat for a couple of minutes until aromatic. Crush the toasted seeds using a pestle and mortar then add the garlic, chilli, and a pinch of salt, and work into a smooth paste.



4. Stir the spice mixture and lemon juice into the mashed pumpkin, then mix in the olive oil.



5. Serve either hot or cold as part of a mezze, accompanied by lots of hot griddled pitta bread.

drooling at the thought- Sambol Udang

500g med to large-sized prawns or shrimp, shelled or un-shelled
4 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 cup water
1-2 tsp palm sugar or dark brown sugar
salt
8 shallots
2 tsp belacan, also spelt belachan or blacan [dried shrimp paste]
4 cloves garlic
5 tbsp chili paste/sambol oelek
4 candlenuts [buah keras/kemiri nuts] [Substitute: macadamia nuts]

In a small bowl, mix tamarind paste and water using your fingers, strain, discard seeds, set aside.
Using a mortar & pestle or blender, grind shallots, garlic, belacan, candlenuts, chili paste into a paste
Heat wok on high, add oil, stir-fry ground paste till quite toasted and oil starts to ooze, about 5 mins
Add onions, tomatoes, tamarind, sugar, salt to taste
Cover, reduce heat to med, simmer till tomatoes are well stewed [mash with spatula] and sauce thickens
Add prawns, stir-fry until just opaque - do not overcook!
Dish onto serving plate, allow to sit 10 mins or so, for prawns to absorb flavors
Serve with steamed rice or Nasi Lemak [Coconut Rice]cucumber slices and enjoy

Sinful again -Key Lime Pie

i know I was going to try and post regularly but a certain person is keen to share most of my free time and that is nice. Needless to say the kitchen has been in full swing because that person likes his tucker and is an appreciative audience.
yesterday I had a lunch for some mates and it was fun and I cooked this little beauty based upon a recipe from Taste but tweaked by moi and very very well received.

Key Lime Pie.
Mmmmn mmmmn yummy!

Ingredients (serves 6)
200g gingersnaps
1/4 cup ground almonds
100g butter, melted
4 eggs, lightly beaten
395g can condensed milk
2/3 cup (160ml) cream
Finely grated rind and juice of 4 limes

Method
Preheat oven to 170°C. Line base of a 20cm springform tin with baking paper.

Process biscuits until fine crumbs. Add almonds and butter, process until combined. Press mixture firmly into the base and 3cm up sides of tin. Refrigerate until firm.

Whisk eggs, milk, cream, lime rind and juice until smooth. Pour into biscuit crust.

Place on tray and bake for 40-45 mins or until set. Cool. Serve with extra lime slices.

The rest of the menu was Lamb Tagine with Apricots
Roasted Japanese Pumpkin with Tahini
Potato, pea and Sweet Potato in Peanut/Chilli/Tomato Soup.
Salad
with my preserved lemon
hot mint and coriander yoghurt
tzatzik
Cous cous
AND YUMMMY

Sinful first!

A while back this recipe was sent to Matt Preston of The Age and he published it with a gorgeous pic taken by Marina Oliphant when they tested the recipe
Marina's picture below followed by my recipe.



http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/tried-trio/2005/08/08/1123353245725.html

Caramel, Macadamia and Hazelnut slice
INGREDIENTS
Base:
150g (1 cup) plain flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
60g (1/2 cup) hazelnut meal
90g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
90g dark chocolate
80g unsalted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
Topping:
100g hazelnuts
395g tin condensed milk
2 tbsp golden syrup
50g butter
100g macadamia nuts
100g dark chocolate,melted
METHOD
· To make the base: Sift flour and cinnamon into a bowl. Stir in hazelnut meal and sugar.
· Melt chocolate and butter together and cool. Add to dry ingredients when cooled. Add egg and mix well.
· Press mixture into lined and greased tin (a standard 18x28- centimetre tray or similar) and bake for 15 minutes at 180C.
· While the slice is baking, toast hazelnuts in the oven for eight minutes.
Remove and de-skin by placing in a brown paper bag and rubbing furiously.
- Remove base from oven. Have a cup of tea and bit of a sit with the paper while it cools to room temperature in the tin.
· To make the topping: Mix condensed milk, golden syrup and butter in saucepan and heat, stirring until it almost boils.
· Pour mixture over the base and top with nuts.Bake for 15 minutes and leave to cool.
· Drizzle lines of the melted chocolate over the top until covered with a lacy coating of chocolate.Cut with a bread knife.

When artistic creativity fails me

I turn to the kitchen. Cooking up a storm fills the void sometimes and the results are worth it. My personal outlook on food changed a while back due to some health issues but the over riding fact is now I am healthier than I have been in years,
This is not going to be a daily blog or possibly even weekly but I will post a recipe a week if time permits.
Most easy and healthy, some decadent and naughty but I subscribe to the philosophy that one of my tutors imparted.
To be an artist means to totally immerse yourself in the qualities of life. And food is an important quality of life.
Bon Appetit!