Fig Almond and Honey Tart

Figs are in season and if you're lucky enough to have a tree (or a friend/neighbour), you can save yourself big bucks because they cost a small fortune from the fruit and vegetable shop. Luckily I got sent a box full from my mother in law's tree and they were the perfect level of ripeness. 

The tart recipe itself is an adaptation of the Rhubarb and Frangipane tart I posted a few years ago. 

Ingredients (serves 8-10): 

• 200g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 100g butter, cold and cubed 
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons of iced water
• 8 - 10 fresh figs
• 125g butter, room temp.
• 100g caster sugar
• 4 heaped tablespoons of honey 
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups ground almonds
• 45g plain flour 
• 2 tbsp honey, for drizzling
• lightly whipped cream or thick yogurt to serve
• optional: extra honey roasted figs to serve

In a bowl place cubed butter, flour and salt. Rub together using fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. To speed up the process you can do this in a food processor, which makes it very quick and easy, but less therapeutic. Once rubbed in, add the beaten egg yolk and chilled water, mix to form a firm dough. Cover loosely in glad wrap and chill 30 mins.

Make a cup of tea and relax for a bit.
Grease a 22cm tart tin and preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Remove pastry from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Press gently into the greased tin and trim edges.

To make the filling, cream the 125g of room temperature butter and caster sugar till light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then honey, flour and almonds. Mix well. Spoon this filling into the pastry.

Prepare the figs by trimming off the stalk end and any really soft parts from the bottom. Slice in half, and arrange the figs cut side up on the almond filling, gently pressing into the filling.
Warm a couple of tablespoons of honey and drizzle or brush this over the top of the tart, making sure to cover the figs.

Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 50 mins.
Eat warm or at room temperature served with lightly whipped cream* (or yogurt) and more grilled figs**. 

*When whipping the cream, add another spoon of honey to sweeten 

** To grill the figs prepare as above, washing, trimming the top, and slicing in half. Arrange in a roasting dish cut side up and brush with some warmed honey. Turn the grill in your oven on high and place the roasting dish just underneath the grill. Grill for 5-10 minutes checking often, remove from the oven when they start to get golden. Serve warm with the tart and cream. 

Creamy Spaghetti and Meatballs with Fried Sage ~ Dairy free

There's something so comforting about curling up on the couch with a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. It's simple wholesome, bowl food at its best, but that's not to say that it can't be made to serve for friends and family which always impresses. 

The creaminess of this sauce comes from ground almonds, and pureeing the vegetable sauce. Even though the recipe seems long it's actually rather simple. The herbs in the sauce are the same as those in the meatballs and once the sauce is prepared the meatballs just simmer gently in the sauce. This means that none of the delicious meat juice is wasted and instead enhances the richness of the sauce. Also, you'll notice that the sauce includes the slightly odd ingredient of baking soda. I find that this actually balances the flavour fantastically. It adds a richness to the tomato which would usually be enhanced with the addition of sugar. Try it and see for yourself. 

You can easily make this paleo* or gluten free by using zucchini noodles** or substituting for gluten free spaghetti. 

Ingredients (serves 4): 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp dried oregano 
• 2 tsp dried sage (or 2 tbsp fresh chopped) 
• 6 basil leaves
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup good quality red wine 
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes  
• 4 tbsp ground almonds
• 2 tsp baking soda
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: fresh herbs (parsley, basil, sage) 

Meatball Mix:

• 500 gram minced meat (either beef, pork or half and half) 
• 1/2 a cup of breadcrumbs (use gluten free if making gluten free, or 1/4 cup of ground almonds if making paleo) 
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley 
• 2 tbsp finely chopped sage
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp cracked pepper
• 3 tbsp ground almonds

To serve: 

• 300grams of spaghetti, cooked according to packet directions 
• or 4 zucchini's spiralized
• 16 - 20 sage leaves 
• 30 grams of butter, olive oil or coconut oil (for dairy free/paleo). 

First prepare the meatball mixture. Combine all ingredients and set aside in the fridge. 

Heat the oil on a low heat, in a large saucepan with a lid. Gently saute the onion, garlic, dried oregano and sage, and fresh basil leaves. Cook for 3 - 5 minutes till softened. 

Pour in the wine, and simmer for 30 seconds before adding the remaining diced vegetables. Saute for another 5 minutes, stirring often. 

Add the ground almonds and tinned tomatoes and top up with half a can of water. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes till vegetables are all soft. 

Remove 3/4 of the sauce mix to a food processor or blender and mix to make a thick sauce. Return to the pan. Add the baking soda, it will foam up a little, stir until the bubbling stops, then taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. 

Take the meatball mix from the fridge and use wet hands to shape the mixture into 21 even sized meatballs (about ping-pong ball sized). I say 21, so that you have a sacrificial taste-tester at the end. As you roll the balls, drop them into the pasta sauce, repeat until all of the mixture is used. 

Place the lid on the pan and reduce the heat so that the sauce simmers gently. After ten minutes, gently stir the meatballs to turn them all and coat them in the sauce. 

Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. This is a good time to get the pasta on the boil in a large pot of salted water (for as long as the packet directs). Once cooked, drain well and toss in 3 tbsp of olive oil, this keeps the pasta from sticking to itself. 

After the second simmer, choose a sacrificial meatball to remove from the sauce and cut in half. Check that it is cooked right the way through, and if it is, of course you'll need to perform some quality assurance testing and taste it. 

To serve, stir through a handful of fresh, chopped herbs into the sauce. 

Dish the spaghetti (or zucchini noodles) into bowls. Serve topped with 5 meatballs and a large ladle of sauce. 

In a clean frying pan heat your butter, olive oil or coconut oil. Add the sage leaves and allow them to get coated. Sizzle on a medium heat till crisp. Top the bowls with the fried sage leaves. This makes a lovely alternative to parmesan.
If you don't have fresh sage, you could just as easily toast a few tablespoons of ground almonds with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 clove of crushed garlic, till golden. This also makes a tasty dairy free pasta topping. 

*If going for the paleo version simply remove the breadcrumbs from the meatball mix and replace with an extra 1/4 cup of ground almonds. 

**To make zucchini noodles spiralize 4 zucchinis and toss through 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 a tsp of salt. Eat immediately or refrigerate. These will keep till the next day and also make great leftovers. I eat them raw, with the hot sauce if eating them that day, but if eating the next day I'll heat them with the sauce. 

Spring Spaghetti with Garlic Almond Crumb

This is one of my favourite ways to eat spaghetti, aside from bolognaise or puttanesca. Okay, I love spaghetti, but this one is pretty special. It's a dry style as opposed to a sauce. Served with lightly fried broccoli, spring onions, add poached eggs, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and then covered in the crunchy, spicy breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs can be made in advance and set aside to cool. 

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves of garlic 
• 1/2 cup of almonds 
• 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs - try panko crumbs if possible
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 400 grams dried spaghetti
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 - 4 spring onions, finely chopped on an angle
• 2 cups of broccoli florets
• 4 or 8 eggs
• 1 tbsp white vinegar 
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan (optional) 
• salt, pepper and olive oil, to serve

Peel and crush the garlic, roughly chop the almonds, then heat first measure of olive oil in a heavy based saucepan over a low heat. Add the garlic and almonds and sizzle, stirring for a few minutes, till cooked, but not burnt. Add the chilli, oregano, breadcrumbs and next measure of olive oil (approx 2 tbsp), and continue to cook on a low heat till they are golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In a pot of boiling water, cook the broccoli florets for 1 or 2 minutes, drain and set aside to cool a little. Fill the pot with more water and bring to the boil for the eggs. 

Cook the spaghetti in another pot, according to the packet directions. 

Meanwhile, in the same pan that you cooked the breadcrumbs, add another tbsp of oil, and the broccoli, spring onions and spinach. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes on a medium-high heat till a little crispy. 

To begin plating the pasta, drain and toss through with a little more olive oil. Separate into serving bowls. Top each bowl with a spoonful of the broccoli mix. 

When the egg water is at a low simmer, add the vinegar, crack eggs in one at a time and with a slotted spoon, gently make sure they are not stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until whites are done. Scoop out with the slotted spoon and place 1 or 2 eggs on the top of the broccoli, sprinkle with a little parmesan and a quarter of a cup of breadcrumb mixture. 

Salt, pepper, and yes, more olive oil. 

You won't regret it. 

Enjoy. 

Orange Polenta Cake

Entertaining? Need something delicious, impressive, yet easy and foolproof to whip up. This is your cake. 

It takes only 15 minutes to prepare, then a quick syrup poured over the top. It makes an impressive dessert or is delicious in the afternoon with a cup of tea. 

Oranges are in season at the moment, so make sure you use freshly squeezed oranges in this dish. Polenta is made from finely ground corn, and is used in sweet or savoury dishes, and can even be used as a gluten free substitute to breadcrumbs to coat meat for frying. You can find it in the international or pasta section in your supermarket. 

Ingredients (Serves 8 - 10): 

• Rind of 2 oranges - about 3 tbsp 
• 1/2 cup orange juice - about 3 squeezed oranges
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil - use a light flavoured oil like rice bran or canola 
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp honey 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 cup polenta 

Syrup 

• Rind of 1 orange 
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice 
• 1/3 cup sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Line and grease a 20cm round cake tin. 

In a large bowl whisk orange juice, rind, vegetable oil, eggs, honey and sugar together. 

Add flour, ground almonds and polenta. Quickly mix to form a thick batter. 

Pour batter into greased cake tin and smooth the top with the back of a wet spoon. 

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, check by piercing with a skewer, that it comes out clean. 

Set aside to cool. 

Over a low heat, mix syrup ingredients, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes till thickened. 

Pierce the top of the cake with a skewer and drizzle the warm syrup over the cooled cake. 

Dust with icing sugar and serve with a big dollop of greek yogurt. 

Enjoy! 

- Stefani

Rhubarb Frangipane Tart

I was visiting friends recently admiring their bountiful vege patch only to notice a favourite treat of mine. Rhubarb. To be honest, I'm not actually sure if it is a fruit or a vegetable, it doesn't have seeds, so perhaps it is more a vegetable, but it's best served tart and sweet anyhow.
As I cut the stalks from the plant they bled their red juice all over the scissors so I knew it would be tasty. The stalks were a deep red on the outside, but bright green in the middle. The leaves, which are poisonous were discarded.
Many people add a lot of sugar to rhubarb when they cook it as it is very tart, sour, naturally, however I quite enjoy that contrast, especially paired with a buttery sweet filling like frangipane. So, when I cooked the rhubarb, I left if tart, not adding any sugar, just half a centimetre of orange juice, and a teaspoon of organic vanilla essence.
Frangipane is a french cake or tart filling consisting of creamed butter and sugar, eggs and usually almonds, but any nut can be used.

This recipe was adapted from my friends plum tart recipe. See below for other flavouring ideas. 

Rhubarb & Frangipane Tart

Ingredients

• 200g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 100g butter, cold and cubed 
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons of iced water

• 8 stalks rhubarb
• 2 tsp vanilla essence 
• 1/4 c orange juice, fresh or bottled
• 125g butter, room temp.
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 140g ground almonds
• 45g plain flour 
• brown sugar, for sprinkling

Chop rhubarb into 5cm lengths and place in a heavy based saucepan with orange juice and 1 tsp of vanilla essence. Cover and simmer on a low heat for about 15 mins, until the liquid is red, and rhubarb is soft. Once cooked, feel free to taste it, if you like you can add sugar, but beware that stirring it will cause the rhubarb to turn to mush. I leave mine without sugar, but that's my preference.  Leave to cool in saucepan

In a bowl place cubed butter, flour and salt. Rub together using fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. To speed up the process you can do this in a food processor, which makes it very quick and easy, but less therapeutic. Once rubbed in, add the beaten egg yolk and chilled water, mix to form a firm dough. Cover loosely in glad wrap and chill 30 mins. 

Make a cup of tea and relax for a bit. 
Grease a 22cm tart tin and preheat oven to 180 degrees. 

Remove pastry from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Press gently into tin and trim edges. 

Now cream the 125g of room temperature butter and caster sugar till light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then flour, almonds, and remaining vanilla essence. Spoon this filling into the pastry. 

Carefully spoon pieces of the rhubarb flesh onto the frangipane filling and press down gently. 
Sprinkle a few tablespoons of brown sugar over the top 

Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 50 mins. 
Allow to cool slightly before cutting and devouring. 

Serve with any leftover stewed rhubarb and plain yogurt or vanilla ice-cream. 

We all went back for seconds, so maybe just cut larger pieces! We also all agreed that it tasted better the next day... so feel free to make in advance or save some for later. 

Variations - for me and you to try next time. 

• Pear and Ginger. Poach pears in water or wine with a few slices of fresh ginger. Slice and press on top. Add 2 tsp of ginger to the pastry dough also. 
• Plum and Cardamom. Tinned or fresh black doris plums, stoned, halved and pressed in cut side down. Add 1 tsp of cardamom to the frangipane mix. 
• Balsamic Fig. Half figs, press into frangipane cut side up, spoon 1/2 a teaspoon of balsamic into each fig half. Sprinkle with sugar 
• Pistachio and Raspberry. Swap ground almond for ground (unsalted) pistachio, or half and half. Press tinned or fresh raspberries into the frangipane. 

Should you try this recipe or any of these variations, please comment and let me know how they went. Or of you have any other flavour suggestions let me know. 

Happy Creating

Ginger Crunchathon

It all started two weeks ago when my Facebook feed started filling with pictures of Chelsea Winter's Oaty Ginger Slice Recipe. So of course, I started craving it. Big time. 
We were on a road trip zigzag-ing from west to east coast beaches over the Easter Holiday's and the hunt began, each cafe/stop we made along the way, I was scouting for the ideal crunch to sample. Many discussions about the desired texture, not too dry, the right ratio of icing to base, varying textures between oaty crunchy bases and gooey  gingery caramely icing, plus I like things with bits, layers, dimensions, contrast. 
Unfortunately none, of the samples along the way sufficed. Too much icing, not enough texture, pasty boring bases.... So, there was only one resort left. Come to the conclusion, that if I am going to be that fussy, I might as well make my own. After trawling several online blogs, forums and recipes I amalgamated my own recipe using what I had in my pantry. Though I admit most of my inspiration came from this fabulous example of Oaty Ginger Crunch. I think the key word here is crunch. Love the texture. Because it's full of oats coconut and a dash of golden syrup, the base resembles an Anzac Biscuit. Yep, a biscuit favourite combined with my favourite slice. Pure Genius. 

So anyway, I got to baking and the result, well, try it for yourself. 

I've used weights as measurements which means that there's no need for using every single measuring cup you own, just pop the bowl on the scales and add each ingredient (though you will then need to add, which on the few hours sleep I've had can be difficult!) 

In the recipe I've put LSA, which is a mix of ground Linseed, Sunflower Seeds and Almonds, however I didn't have quite enough, so I added some whole linseed and sunflowers too, they added a great dimension, so if you have them on hand I recommend adding too. Otherwise just ground linseed, almond or sunflower seeds will add the desired texture and 'nutritional boost'. I use quotation marks because you're kidding yourself if you want to call this nutritious, but every little bit helps right? 

I've topped it with a mixture of chopped roasted almonds, crystallised ginger and Ceres Organics Sweet and Salty Coconut Smiles. The feedback I've had so far on this recipe is that it's pretty darn tasty, or f#^k!ng good, to be precise. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. 



Ingredients 
Base
150g butter
30g golden syrup
1 Tbsp of ground ginger
125g white sugar
50g LSA mix, (Linseed Sunflower and Almond - however straight ground linseed, or almonds, or sunflower seeds will also work) 
110g rolled oats
70g desiccated coconut
140g self-raising flour

Topping
90g butter
90g golden syrup
3 Tbsp ground ginger
190g icing sugar

Optional toppings:
1/4 cup toasted chopped almonds
2 Tbsp crystallised ginger, finely chopped
Ceres Organics Coconut Smiles 

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C

Line a 20 x 30cm slice tin with greaseproof baking paper. 


In a gently heated suacepan melt butter. Once it begins to melt add golden syrup ginger and sugar.

Stir till it has all melted together. 

Remove from heat and add LSA, oats, coconut and flour, mix till well combined.


Spoon into tin, using the back of the spoon to press it down firmly. 


Bake for 15 mins until golden.

Put aside and leave in the tin to cool. 

The unbaked base - plenty of whole linseed also, great texture

Once cooled prepare the topping. 

Melt butter in saucepan on a gentle heat, again once it starts melting add the golden syrup, powdered ginger and icing sugar. 

Stir over the heat till smooth and topping thickens. 

Pour over the base, I lift and tilt the tin to help spread it around evenly. 

Now sprinkle with the chopped almonds ginger and coconut. Leave to set. 

Once set, you should be able to lift it out with the baking paper straight onto a chopping board. 
Slice into squares, 24 if you make them small or if you want bigger bits, 12 or 15 pieces.