Self Crusting Sweet Potato & Broccoli Quiche

I love quiche, but I'm not such a fan of pastry (making it!) and this recipe provides a great solution with the comforting hint of a crust. Once cooked it's easy to cut, to either devour immediately or store in containers for packed lunches or picnics, good cold and I like the combination of sweet potato, the bite of broccoli and mature cheddar and the eggy mixture to bind to it all.

Ingredients

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 small sweet potatoes

1 head of broccoli

1/2 cup of grated cheese, I use mature cheddar

3 large eggs

1 cup of semi-skimmed milk

1/2 cup of self raising flour

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

Method 

Chop the onion and crush the garlic, gently saute both in a frying pan with a little olive oil on a medium to low heat until translucent, for about 5 minutes.

Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes, dry and place in microwave for 3- 5 minutes, so that the skin loosens from the flesh and leave to cool while you prepare the broccoli.

Wash and cut the head of broccoli into small bite sized florets, put in a glass bowl with a splash of cold water, cover and microwave for 3 minutes. Don't overcook. Drain and rinse under a cold tap to stop from cooking.

Peel the skin off the sweet potatoes and chop into 1 cm cubes. Carefully mix the cooked onion, garlic, sweet potato and broccoli together and add to a 23 cm pie dish coated with non stick spray or a pastry brush dousing with olive oil. Try not to pack down the vegetables, sprinkle the cheese on top.

Whisk together the eggs and the milk, sift in the flour and mix again until there are no lumps. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the batter evenly over the vegetables and cheese. Jiggle the dish slightly to make sure there are no air bubbles.

Bake at 220 degrees Celsius for 20- 30 minutes, until lightly browned and set in the centre.

Sophie's Chocolate Brownie

A cafe style, very chocolate-y chocolate brownie. Cooking time is between 55- 65 minutes at 150 degrees. If it's a fan forced oven or if you prefer a more gooey brownie, cook for the lesser time and for a firm dense chocolate slice, cook for the maximum time (slightly easier to cut too). Both delicious.

Ingredients

100 grams cocoa
200 grams melted butter
400 grams castor sugar (or equivalent 2 cups)
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
90 grams flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
200 grams chocolate chips/or whole bars broken up, can be a mixture of milk and dark chocolate depending on desired richness (can also use slightly less for this reason too).

Method 
Preheat the oven to 150 C. Line a rectangular baking tin (20cmx30cm) or deep roasting tray with non stick paper.

Sift the cocoa into a large mixing bowl. Add the melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Mix to a smooth paste. Sift in the flour and baking powder and then add the broken up bits of chocolate. Fold and mix in well. Pour mixture into the tray. 

Bake in preheated oven at 150 C for 65 minutes or 55 minutes for fan bake.

ANZAC Biscuits

Sustaining, moreish, chewy and a sweet hit when your sugar levels are depleting. I remember these biscuits being brought out in reused ice cream containers on day hikes around the plateau of Mt Ruapehu. These succulent oaty delights are claimed to have been made originally by the wives of soldiers fighting in World War I and this is where their name derives from , the 'ANZACs', the Australian, New Zealand Army Corp. The biscuits have been filling the lunch boxes of New Zealand children ever since and are particularly popular around ANZAC day, on the 25th of April every year, a day which commemorates and memorialises all past NZ war veterans.

This recipe is from the Edmonds Cookbook.

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 cups oats
125 grams butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
3 tablespoons boiling water

Method
Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line two baking trays with non stick baking paper. Place the flour, caster sugar, coconut and oats in a bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre.

Place the butter and golden syrup in a saucepan to melt, or microwave to melt. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water. Add the melted ingredients and dissolved baking soda to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.

Roll spoonfuls into balls and press onto baking trays (a light press with a fork, but don't flatten!), allowing for the biscuits to spread while cooking.
Bake for 15 minutes or until firm and golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Tom Yum Gai Soup

The Thai trilogy of flavours- spicy (chili), salty (fish sauce) and sour (lime juice).

This recipe is from Mickey's cooking class at the Apple Guesthouse near the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi, Thailand 2007. Mickey, who taught me and my fellow students, two smiley Roman architects on their honeymoon, about the vital trilogy of flavours in this soup: SPICY (chilli) + SALTY (fish sauce) + SOUR (fresh lime juice). Equals balances of each but to personal taste, Mickey was reluctant to give exact measurements.

Can be made with any meat, chicken/beef/pork/fish and with any vegetables, mushrooms/red pepper/French beans/broccoli.

For 2 servings.

Limes, Galangal, Shallots and Lemon Grass from Tawana Oriental Supermarket, Westbourne Grove

Ingredients for the soup stock
3 cups of cold water
2 knubs of Galangal (similar in look to Ginger but unfortunately cannot be used as a substitute, cut into 1 cm chunks)
2 sticks of Lemon Grass (cut lengthways and on the diagonal)
1 Kaffir Lime Leaf (whole)
6 Shallots (peeled and left whole)

Ingredients for the body of the soup
1/2 teaspoon of chopped medium Red Chilli
1 tablespoon of Tom Yum paste (check the ingredients list - should contain shallots, dried chilli and tamarind paste)
200 grams of Chicken thigh or breast (cut into 1 cm pieces)
5 Mushrooms, quartered. Or 2/3 of cup of any other vegetables; red pepper, beans, broccoli.
2 generous handfuls of freshly chopped Coriander
1 swirl of Fish Sauce per serving or to taste
1 Lime (half a Lime per serving)

Method
First make the soup stock, by placing the cold water in a saucepan on a medium to high heat and adding all of the stock ingredients. Bring to the boil so that the water reduces by 1 cup.

Reducing the soup stock

Next add the chili and the Tom Yum paste to the broth. And lastly on a high heat add the chicken and vegetables and cook for 2- 3 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the heat. Ladle into small bowls (straining out Galanga, Lemon Grass and Kaffir Lime leaf) and add the chopped coriander and finally season with the fish sauce and fresh lime juice in equal balance. Taste and add greater quantities of either if you prefer a more salty or sour soup.

Basic Pancake/Crêpe recipe

Based on a Delia Smith recipe.

For 1- 2 people (ingredients easily doubled or tripled for more batter)
Reminds me of discovering the delicious-ness of savoury crêpe fillings, like ham and Emmental cheese, from a Crêperie window on Rue Mouffetard in Paris and of eating lemon and sugar pancakes on Shrove Tuesday growing up

Ingredients
1 egg
1/2 cup plain flour, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon melted butter
Slices of ham and Emmental cheese (or any sweet nutty cheese), salt and pepper.

Method
In a large mixing bowl break in the egg, lightly whisk and then gradually add the sifted flour a little at a time, whisking in between until smooth and there are no lumps.

Whisk in the milk and the water.

Melt the butter in the frying pan you'll use later to cook the crêpes in and then add that to the mixture. Allow pancake batter to sit for at least an hour, covered in the fridge.

In a non-stick fry pan heat a small amount of butter at medium heat. Transfer the batter into a pouring jug or have a ladle handy to add 2/3 full of a ladle to the centre of the pan, swirl the pan so the batter touches the sides.

Then wait for bubbles to form and burst. Run a spatula around the outside of the crêpe, lifting gently. Gradually move the spatula further and further under the crêpe and then flip over. Cook for a further few minutes on the other side. And during this time you may place slices of Emmental cheese and ham on one half, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, fold in half and cook until the cheese has melted.