Chai crepes with fresh figs and strawberries

We enjoyed these beauties on a recent camping holiday. 

When travelling I love discovering the fresh local produce from the farms.

So much goodness - these figs and strawberries, as well as blueberries and oysters, just to name a few.

I absolutely love chai and decided to substitute it for milk in my classic crepe recipe, worked a treat.

I actually bought this Sticky Chai (from Three Ropes in Parramatta) as my secret santa present for the food bloggers picnic but forgot to take it, let me tell you it has not gone to waste.

The chai is simmered with some water and honey before adding milk (we use soy) and letting cook for a few more minutes, let cool and strain.

The crepe mix consists of flour, chai, egg and melted butter.

Cook in a pan on medium hot heat for a couple of minutes each side.

Served with fresh fruit and drizzled with honey, no reason you can't enjoy fantastic food when your camping.

Chai crepes

1 cup plain flour (whole spelt is delicious)

1 1/2 cup cooled chai tea 

1 egg

1 tablespoon melted butter 

Whisk everything together to make a smooth butter, it should be quite runny, if too thick add extra chai.

Heat a pan to medium hot, add a little butter (just for the first one).

Add about 1/4 to 1/3 of batter and swirl so it covers most of the pan.

Cook for a couple of minutes each side. 

Sausages wrapped in pastry

I was planning to post this pre-Christmas to tell you about Manu's Menu and her wonderful recipe menus to inspire some beautiful cooking over the festive period. 

But alas we had home internet dramas so no posts from me, but really there is nothing lost as her recipes are perfect for any occasion!

In fact my sausages were completely inspired by Manu's recipe for Cotechino en Croute.

To be honest I didn't even know what cotechino is but Manu has perfect step-by-step recipes with photos that make cooking any of her recipes possible.

So I decided to instead of using fancy Italian sausage (sorry Manu!) to use some beautiful maple bacon sausages from the farmers market.

These were really a simple concept that makes a sausage taste super delicious.

I browned my sausages then wrapped in some short crust pastry.

By cutting slits in puff pastry you can create a design to stretch over the pastry wrapped sausage.

Then bake the sausages until lovely and brown.

I served them simply with some balsamic maple spinach.

What a delicious dish! 

My family love sausages and so I like to try and find creative ways to serve them, do you have any favourite sausage recipes?

Please hop over and check out Manu's blog, you will definitely find something you love!

I was lucky enough to win my copy of her Christmas Menu's but you can buy your own, does not cost much and you will love it :)

Spelt Banana Sourdough Pancakes with Maple Butter and Cherry Vinegar Strawberry Compote

My sourdough starter is about 15 months old now. 

When I get the chance I like to make some sourdough pancakes, or waffles. 

This version was so delicious I had to share it.

It was a yeasted batter in that I included dry yeast as well as sourdough starter, along with spelt flour, salt, milk, mashed banana, egg and butter.

Its given a good mix then left to sit for 2-3 hours.

Meanwhile I mixed maple syrup and softened butter together, then put them in silicon moulds in the fridge. 

The strawberry compote was made with strawberries, sugar (I used organic coconut sugar), water, pepper and delicious Kangaroobie Cherry Vinegar.

Once the batter has puffed up, spoon into a medium heat buttered pan. 

Once they start to look 'dry' around the edges flip them.

I absolutely loved them. 

So much flavour in the slightly sweet banana pancake, with delicious melting maple butter and the most amazing strawberry concoction on top.

Spelt Banana Sourdough Pancakes

1 cup whole spelt flour

1 cup milk 

1/2 cup sourdough starter

1 tsp dry yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1 mashed banana

1 egg

1tbsp melted butter

Whisk all ingredients in the mixture together.

Leave covered for 2-3 hours until its risen in size.

Spoon into medium heat pan with a little butter, it will start to look dry around the edges after a couple of minutes, 

flip and cook for another minute.

Serve with maple butter (1 part maple syrup mixed with 2 parts softened butter, set in fridge) and strawberry compote.

Chocolate Pretzel Beer Toffee

I stumbled upon this recipe for Chocolate Pretzel Beer Toffee by The Beeroness.

I'm telling you now that if you want to make a homemade gift for that beer lovin' guy or gal in your life then this is the recipe.

In fact I don't even like beer but this toffee is incredible, the balance of flavours with the sugar, beer and butter just works.

The toffee is made with just that - beer (amber ale), butter and sugar (I used raw).

Its thick and glossy, then sets hard but not too hard.

The chocolate (70%) is melted with hot beer tipped over it. Mine did seize but I managed to rescue it with more beer!

Then top the chocolate with smashed pretzels.

Set in the fridge then cut into generous sized chunks.

I'm hoping the recipients are happy!

Duck, Lychee & Watermelon Salad , Kambrook Christmas Cooking Class and Chai Banana Blitz2Go Smoothie

Recently I was invited by Kambrook to a Christmas cooking course at The Hospitality Establishment.

It was a fun afternoon filled with food, cooking and eating, learning some new 'perfect for Christmas' recipes, and witnessing how Kambrook appliances can make it all go so smoothly.

Our hosts Tony and Garth were very knowledgeable and added so much to making the afternoon enjoyable.  

It was a very relaxed class where you could sit back and relax, or get involved in the cooking (like me!).

We cooked a four course meal: 

- beautiful fresh scallops cooked in the Kambrook electric frypan with a delicious thai dressing wizzed in a Kambrook Blender, 

- salad of duck, lychee and watermelon with the duck cooked in the Kambrook electric frypan and the dressing made in a Kambrook Processor, 

- tender roast pork cooked in the Kambrook Turbo Convection oven served with an amazing cauliflower puree made using Kambrook stick blender, 

- Christmas pudding cooked in the Kambrook Pressure cooker with brandy custard 

- and Christmas Inspired macarons made using the Kambrook electric mixer.

So the first of the recipes I have recreated at home is the duck, lychee and watermelon salad.

It is such a beautiful recipe using fresh ingredients, and can be done in a short period of time.

I'm not so sure how well received it would be if I cooked it for my family at Christmas as they don't usually eat duck, but if I could convince them to try.....it would be love at first bite.

Would your family like duck for christmas?

What I particularly like about this recipe is the addition of palm sugar praline, you smash into the dressing after you puree the base ingredients (garlic, ginger, eschallot, coriander roots, and chilli).

It took the dressing to another level, along with much lime juice balanced with fish sauce.

The duck component is breast simply seasoned with pepper and fish sauce, then pan fried skin side down for crispiness and then cooked on the other side. The resting of the duck after cooking is so important.

All the beautiful fresh salad ingredients of mint, coriander, lychees, and watermelon are tossed together, top with the sliced duck and pour over the dressing. 

Delicious.

Another great surprise on the day was the gift of a Kambrook Blitz2Go Blender.

I couldn't believe it!

It is a clever little thing too, where you add your ingredients directly to the bottle, screw on the blade then flip it upside down to blend in seconds.

Simply remove your bottle, swap the blade for a lid, and your ready to go.

This is my little Chai Banana smoothie recipe - blend a frozen banana with 1 cup chilled soy chai tea, a teaspoon of honey and a spoonful of natural yohgurt.

A perfect pick me up on a hot day.

I am so thankful to Kambrook for inviting me, and being so generous with the gift. 

Please do go check their facebook page, they share great stuff and have giveaways too.

I also wanted to thank The Hospitality Establishment for the great afternoon and the generosity of them allowing me to share their recipe.

They run many cooking classes, I would love to go back and do one if anyone is interested in joining me?

Duck and Watermelon Salad

Recipe by The Hospitality Establishment

(I have written it as on the recipe sheet provided)

Ingredients

4 duck breasts

8 lychees, peeled, halved, deseeded

1/4 cup coriander leaves

1/4 cup mint leaves

100 g watermelon

1 large red chilli

2 eshallots

1 tbs crushed peanuts

20 ml fish sauce

pinch of black pepper

Method

Slice duck skin, just to meaty part.

Marinate duck in pepper and fish sauce, sit for 10 mins.

Heat Kambrook frypan up until just smoking, lay duck breasts skin side down and cook for 8 mins. Turn over and cook for 6 mins. Remove from pan and rest for 6 mins uncovered.

Slice duck into small pieces.

In a large bowl mix lychees, mint and coriander leaves.

Slice watermelon into small pieces, slice eschallots and julienne red chillli.

Mix all ingredients together and sprinkle with crushed peanuts.

Ingredients - Dressing

4 red chillies

1 knob ginger

2 eschallots

2 cloves of garlic

20 ml fish sauce

3 coriander roots

50g palm sugar

pinch white pepper

Juice of 8 limes

Method - Dressing

In the Kambrook food processor wizz chilli, garlic, pepper, ginger, eschallots and coriander root until a fine paste has formed.

Add palm sugar and wizz until sugar has dissolved.

Add lime juice.

Season with fish sauce, add small amounts and taste until desired balance is achieved.

Note: I added cucumber to my salad, and I used the palm sugar and peanuts to make a praline that was incorporated into the dressing, a method shown to us with the scallop dressing.

Ginger Brulee Tarts

When I saw A Table for Two post this recipe for Ginger Brulee Tarts as part of a monthly baking challenge I was in.

I love baking tarts and have been longing to try the famous Bourke Street Bakery ones, but hey the next best thing is to bake it yourself, right?

Really baking a tart is a simple thing.

Just start with the pastry. 

I have though discovered, that somewhere along the way I became really bad at following recipes.

I did not follow the recipe strictly, I used icing sugar instead of caster and I added an egg yolk to my pastry.

Just be gentle and patient with the pastry is my advice, mix it gently, rest in fridge, roll out, add to tin, rest again in fridge then prick (or use baking beads) and bake.

I used a well greased cupcake tin as my two favourite tart tins have come to the end of their lives.

The filling is really just a custard. 

Again, not following the recipe, I used milk not cream and it was lovingly infused with ginger, cardamon and cinnamon.

The milk is combined over heat with the egg yolks and sugar until a thickish custard is achieved.

Because I used milk, mine was really not going to set enough, so I poured it into my pre-cooked tart shells and popped them back in the oven for s short while until the custard set.

Once ready to eat I sprinkled over some sugar and used my mini little blow torch to make a crunch.

They were delicious, soft custard, the crunch of the toffee top, the depth of flavour from the spices, all incased in delicate pastry.

I'm even more excited to try the Bourke Street Bakery version - one day!