Sicilian Apple Cake

This apple cake is one of those "wow" cakes. I actually feel like a fraud when people are so impressed, because really its so easy. The hardest bit is peeling and slicing the apples. You can serve it cold or warm with cream, and it freezes well. I often make it in a square tin and cut it into small squares and individually wrap pieces to put in the freezer for an after dinner treat. When l make it for the cafe ( usually  1 a day ) l use a 23cm round tin and dust around the outside with icing sugar. Dont discount this cake, it is truly a winner.

Sicilian Apple Cake Recipe

50 gms walnuts toasted
120 gms melted butter
4 apples peeled and sliced
1/2 lemon zest and juice
150 gms plain flour
1 1/2 teas baking powder
3 eggs
250 gms sugar
1 teas vanilla
100mls milk
1/4 cup sultanas
1/8 cup pinenuts
1 tab brown sugar
1 teas cinnamon
Line 23 cm round tin with baking paper. Pour a little of the melted butter into base of tin and sprinkle toasted
walnuts in. Put sliced apples into bowl with lemon. In seperate bowl whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Sift in flour and baking powder, mix then add milk and remaining butter.
Pour 1/2 batter over nuts and then arrange 1/2 apples on top and sprinkle 1/2 sultanas. Pour remainder of batter on top of apples and  then arrange remainder of apples and sultanas. Sprinkle over pinenuts, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Bake in oven 170o for 1- 1/4 hours. Cool in tin and when cool turn out and dust with icing sugar.

Cooking Pear and Date slice while Prevelly burns

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Finally summer is giving me persistent glimpses of why we endured months and months and never ending months of those cold fronts we were warned about. The jumpers, coats and uggies have been put back under the bed, the fire is only lit to cook our homemade pizzas in, or Tims favourite, deliciously tender lamb steaks or a slab of steak. Now our time off is once again spent fishing until dark or hitting the beach for a swim and snorkel. Yeah. Of course there is no real rest for the wicked and with Margaret River being such a huge holiday destination, my work has also increased with plenty of weddings and generally more people around. I have also taken on the job of cooking cakes for our local cafe, all of which l do in the caravan. At this stage l should make mention of "The Fire". I'm sure you all heard about the Margaret River bush fires. It actually never made the town of Margaret River. It started from a controlled burn the DEC had been doing around Prevelly, which got out of control on one of those truly horrible days where the wind howled a hot northerly blast. That fatal Wednesday l was home in the van (in Prevelly), cooking cakes and Tim was at work at the golf club. I started seeing flames up on the ridge behind us at about midday and was more concerned because on my reckoning this must have been pretty close to Tims work. When l rang him he was oblivious to what was going on and thought that it was probably just the controlled burning. I on the other hand was not convinced. Anyway the long and short of it is we spent the day up on surfers point after having been told to get out but the road is blocked. So basically we were trapped on the point watching Prevelly burn and also another front coming towards us from the other direction. We were finally escorted along the main road to Margaret River through the flames to safety. It was 3 days before we found out whether or not the caravan park had burned or not. Thankfully we had pulled the van out with us and the cake l had in the oven at the time of evacuation, was only a little scorched. This was gratefully devoured at the evacuation center. The cake was a pear and date slice which is one of the cafes favourite, so here is the recipe.Oh by the way, the caravan park escaped the fire (unlike the rest of Prevelly) and we are back in our little spot and so happy to be here.

Pear and Date Slice
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup boiling water
2 teas bi carb
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups plain flour
 1 egg
 1/4 teas salt
 3 pears
Oven 150o
Pour boiling water in with dates and bi carb and stand 15 mins.
cream butter and sugar add egg and beat until light and fluffy.
add flour and salt and mix then add dates with water and chopped pears .
Pour into greased and lined square cake tin and cook approx. 30- 35 mins until firm to the touch.
Prepare topping
Place 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter and 1/4 cup milk into saucepan and stir until it comes to a rolling boil. remove from stove and add 1 3/4 cups shredded coconut, stir. Spread onto cake and return to oven for 10 mins. Allow to cool in tin.

Paella

Chef Rob holding huge prawn

 I dont know about you, but l have eaten some pretty ordinary Paella in my time. So when l started working with our new chef, Rob, (who learned how to make Paella in Spain) l quickly conned him into showing me how. It is truly easy and l've since realised a good way to use up bits and pieces in the fridge. The other night when l made it l used a chicken thigh fillet l had not used, a piece of chorizo sausage and a few prawns from a bag l keep in the freezer. Keep in mind that l am living in a caravan, so if l can do it, so can you. Please use a heavy based pan for this.

PAELLA
1 cup arborio rice
1 spanish onion chopped
1 tab olive oil
1 red capsicum chopped
1 or 2 chicken thigh fillets or fish
1 chorizo sausage sliced
8 prawns
2 tabs smoked paprika
1 pinch saffron threads or 2 teas turmeric
2 tabs vegeta and 1 1/2 cups water hot.
2 tomatoes chopped and deseeded.
1/2 cup white wine or verjuice.

If using chicken, chop into bite size pieces and fry in oil with chorizo. Remove from pan. Add more oil to pan and add onion and fry or 4-5 mins, add capsicum fry for few minutes then add rice and stir until translucent. add spices and stir in then start adding hot stock allowing 1st 1/2 cup to be absorbed before adding remaining stock and wine. stir and then add meats or raw fish and prawns. Taste stock and adjust to taste, more vegeta or pinch salt or paprika according to your taste. Add chopped tomato and then leave on med heat but do not stir until liquid is almost absorbed then finish off in oven. This process should take about 20 mins to cook. l have also included a picture of a paella mix that l also use which takes out all the guess work with the flavouring. If you can get your hands on this use 1 1/2 tabs of this instead of the paprika and saffron and only use 1/2 the vegeta.

Lamb Steaks and red wine sauce

 

view across lake at my work Laurence Winery

 




 


l often wonder what it is in my DNA that sets me apart from other women l know who derive immense pleasure from a solid day of clothes shopping. I myself can think of nothing worse and have even taken to buying my clothes online. But in saying this l do understand the feelings that go with this need, and l indeed get these feelings when it comes to food shopping. This realisation came to me the other day when l was leaving work and driving the 30 minutes down the iconic Caves Road and recognising the excitement rumbling in my mind when l was nearing Mc Henrys Farm shop. One reason involved the great latte l always get there, and then my mind turned to the thought of the fridges full of freshly butchered meat. What goes on in my head? Does anyone else think like this? The funny thing is that l cant even eat the meat. My pleasure instead comes from the pleasure of choosing a cut of meat, and then deciding what to do with it, and of course watching and listening to Tims delight in eating the end product. Like l said, what goes on in my head? So the other day when l was there, l picked up a packet of lamb steaks and some chuck steak, and a latte, of course. I have never used lamb steaks before, but thought that being lamb it would go well with cumin and l know Tim had opened a bottle of spicy red wine and the fridge was full of market fresh vegetables, and l had bought a deliciously Moroccan flavoured dukka, and my little vege garden was overflowing with baby spinach leaves. So all the elements were there and this is what l did with it.
Lamb steaks with cumin and red wine sauce and roasted vegetable salad
press some cumin seeds into steaks and drizzle with olive oil and salt
Red wine sauce  
In a small sauce pot add 1 tab butter and 1 clove garlic crushed, cook until butter melted and garlic fragrant.
add 1 tab brown sugar, stir in and then 1 1/2 cups red wine. Cook this on med heat until it reduces to a saucy consistency, about 5 mins. Keep warm.
Vegetable salad
Preheat oven to 200. Place duck fat or olive oil in baking tray into oven to get hot.
Cut 2 potatoes into large chunks and boil until a little soft, strain.
Cut other vegetables into large pieces, l used sweet potato, 2 shallots, 1/2 zucchini.
Place all vegetables into baking tray in oven and cook until golden. Love using duck fat, especially for potatoes. In the mean time make a dressing with white wine vinegar, a little dijon mustard, light olive oil, 1 teas honey and some dukka to taste.
When veges are cooked, place in a bowl and mix in some baby spinach leaves and drizzle over some dressing.
To cook steaks, get grill pan nice and hot and then cook steaks 1 min then turn 1 min, then turn 1 min and remove. let rest while you plate the salad. drizzle red wine sauce on steak. Done and yum.

Kakavia or greek fish stew

Sourcing local produce and writing about it has always been the reason for me setting up my blog and because we travelled from Melbourne to Western Australia following the coast (except for a few weeks in the Flinders Rangers ), seafood outlets were accessible in almost every town. Unfortunately because we stupidly left our van unlocked one night, we were robbed while we were asleep, and our laptop was stolen along with my blog and photos. So l have had to start again from Margaret River losing 5 months of blogging.
Expecting big things on the fresh produce side of things, imagine my surprise when l arrived in Margaret River only to be told when asked where l could buy seafood and told "well the supermarket sells it". Luckily since then, a local seafood wholesaler has opened his doors to the public. "Whew". The name of the business is
3degressBlue and there fish is all line caught and sourced form local waters mainly off Augusta, where the Indian and Southern oceans meet.Today when l went there they had a good supply of coral trout, groper, dhu fish, bronze whaler,salmon, oysters, prawns and they even have ready to go containers of seafood chowder (made with dhu fish stock) . So armed with a few fillets of groper and some chowder l headed home to make up a deliciously easy fish stew.

FISH STEW

1 onion chopped
2 sticks celery chopped
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 carton fish stock
1 tin crushed tomatoes or 6 chopped fresh tomatoes
4 potatoes cubed
100mls white wine or verjuice
salt and pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup finely chopped parsley.
1/2 kg fish.
Fry onion garlic and celery in olive oil for 5 mins. add wine and reduce until almost evaporated. Add tomatoes, potatoes and stock and cook for 15 mins. Add fish and gently simmer until cooked, about 15 mins. Add lemon juice,salt and pepper and parsley. l also add 2 teas vegeta and another splash of verjuice just to give it an extra zing. Serve with crusty bread to sop up the lovely sauce.

The Ultimate Flatbread Recipe,

Tim and l are not big bread eaters so l find that buying prepared bread is a waste so this option for us is ideal and l urge you to give it a try. I usually make up a full batch and then pull off portions and freeze them and pull them out as needed. I use these flat breads for all sorts of things such as souvlakis, sprinkle them with grated parmesan to dip in soups, sprinkle with sumac or dukka to use with dips, scramble eggs with some fresh basil and baby spinach and roll up to make breakfast wrap, roasted vegetables and feta roll up and put in sandwich press, so many uses, huh?
 I got this recipe from Stephanie Alexander and its defintely a keeper.

FLAT BREAD
125 grms plain flour
1 1/4 teas salt
 2 teas olive oil
1/3 cup tepid water

Mix all with hands until it comes together, place on floured board and knead for 4 mins. Rest for 30 mins.
Pull off a golf ball size and roll out with rolling pin. I brought a small rolling pin which is easy to store in the van and is perfect for this. You can dry fry these, but l prefer frying them in a little olive oil. Fry each side until lightly bubbled and brown.

For a delicious breakfast using these breads, fry 2 eggs , bacon, tomato and mushrooms, place on flatbread and sprinkle some prepared dukka, a tiny sprinkle of cumin and light sprinkle of lemon juice. salt and pepper.
Let your imagination run wild really. They will be a huge hit.

Cauliflower and Macadamia soup

   Today Tim and l decided that we were sick of cowering away from the dastardly weather and we were going to embrace the howling wind and driving rain and revisit the beautiful rocky coastline and see it in its winter glory. So off to Merchant Rocks we went, considerably more clothed than when we last went there with our friends, De and Stan (who have since done the sensible thing and headed to Broome).  The last time we were there we picnicked on the rocks which sheltered us from the hot sun and intermittently threw in a line and shark spotted for Stan while he was spear fishing. So the contrast was worth experiencing. So wild and raw and of course breathtaking. Merchant Rocks is part of the national park about 20 mins off Caves Road South of Margaret River. There is also a fantastic camp ground there called Conto which is run by National Parks and is available for caravans and campers for a small fee.
By the time we got back to our cosy little van it was time to whip up another tummy warming meal. Leaping out to me from my fridge was the whole cauliflower l brought from the market for only 1 dollar and of course it was begging to be made into a hearty soup. I dont think people realise how easy it is to make a delicious soup with minimum ingredients, but l encourage you to just give it a try. I use pretty much the same recipe and adapt it to any vegetable that takes my fancy, but my main stay is what l call my magic powder, Vegeta stock powder. This stock powder is something l would recommend any traveller take with them, it adds flavour and the special touch to any savoury dish. Anyway l waffle on, so here is my recipe for cauliflower and macadamia soup.

1 whole medium size cauliflower
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic sliced
3 med peeled potatoes chopped
2 tabs vegeta stock powder
2 teas curry powder
100 gms macadamia nuts ( l use salted and roasted ) ground.

In medium pot add a little butter and olive oil. Add onion, garlic and potatoes and fry for a few minutes.

Add cut up cauliflower, curry powder, vegeta and cover with water, Add nuts and simmer for approx 20 mins. Taste at this stage and season to taste or add more curry or vegeta, its up to you really. Remove form stove and use stab blender to turn this into a creamy delicious soup, adding more water if needed.

As l said you can adapt this recipe to other vegetables in season, l love using zucchini by just using the onions potato and vegeta and 1 teas dried chilly flakes and zucchini, so simple, or broccolli soup just omit the chilli, as l said just experiment and see what you can come up with. easy peasy.