Normas Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
4 Large cloves garlic
Pinch of salt
4 teaspoons french (dijon, seedy, homemade) mustard
2/3 cup good olive oil
1/3 cup vinegar (white wine, apple cider, apple scrap, kombucha, jun)
1-2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice (taste as you go)
Method:
Crush the garlic with the salt - either by hand using the blade of a knife or a mortar and pestle
Scrape this into a jar. I'm sure Norma used to add a little oil before adding the mustard, just a teaspoon full. Then add the mustard and mix really well, so that it is kind of creamy.
Add the oil, a teaspoon full at a time, mixing continuously. Remember that you're emulsifying it.
Then mix the vinegar and finally the lemon/lime juice.
It does make a big batch so reduce amounts if wanting to make a smaller amount. It does keep fairly well so during salad season, a big batch isn't such a bad idea.
Pickled Beetroot
There are two ways to pickle - Lacto fermented or
Vinegar. Beetroot is probably nicer done in a vinegar pickle, but I often do
both types. The vinegar pickle is more like regular tinned beetroot. For both
methods, you need to roast the beetroot first - simply cut the stalks off and
put on a tray in the oven. It may be better and quicker to prick them first and
then wrap in foil. When cooked, allow them to cool enough to handle and then peel the beetroot and slice or cube them before placing into jars.
4 large beetroot - roasted, peeled and sliced
Spices as below or perhaps some other pickling spices - eg mustard seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick.
Spices as below or perhaps some other pickling spices - eg mustard seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick.
If Lacto Fermenting, place in a large jar with plenty
of room to allow the beetroot to be submerged and still give a good 2-3cm’s
head space. Make a brine - 1 tablespoon salt to 1 Litre of water. Ensure the
beetroot is fully covered and if needed place a weight on top to keep the
beetroot submerged. Leave for 4-5 days to ferment and then place in the fridge.
Vinegar
Pickle
700ml vinegar
1/3 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon each of the following:
ground cinnamon
ground
allspice
ground
cloves
white
pepper
Mix the vinegar and spices in a saucepan and bring to
the boil. Put the sliced beetroot into jars and pour over the hot vinegar. Seal
and store. I’m not sure how long this pickle will last in the cupboard, but I
don’t think it will have a long shelf life due to the way it’s been made. Maybe
6 months - place in the fridge after opening.
Four beetroot will make approximately 2 x 500ml jars of
pickled beetroot.
I am
lucky enough to have been gifted a large sauerkraut crock, so I can do 2 large
cabbages at once. Which I did in 2018 and it got me through a year. If you
don’t have a crock, you will need a large jar to do a whole cabbage – maybe a 2
litre jar. I usually do a couple smaller batches of kimchi or other mixed veg
kraut to vary things.
I
usually leave both these for about a week, but it’s a personal preference –
whether you like it a bit fresher or fermented longer. If it’s in glass, it’s
easier to see what it looks like and usually you can tell by the change in
colour.
1 cabbage – before finely slicing, keep a couple of
the outer leaves intact.
1 tablespoon salt
Slice the cabbage and mix through the salt. Leave it
for an hour or so and then come back to it and start squeezing the liquid out.
Leaving it allows the salt to start working on breaking down the cabbage and it
is much easier to squeeze. Squeeze in a kneading motion until it’s very soft
and you have a lot of liquid. You need to be able to push the cabbage down
under the liquid. Place into your crock or jar, pushing and packing it down as
you go. Then place a full leaf and a weight on top to weigh it down and keep it
under the liquid. I use a large smooth rock that I scrubbed really well (before
I got my crock and the weights that came with it)
Kimchi
This is
not a traditional Korean kimchi! It is basically just a fermented mixed
vegetable but I add some fish sauce to it so that I call it kimchi.
Vegetables
– any or all.
Cabbage
– use red, white or wombok
Carrot
– grated
Onion
– sliced
Capsicum
– sliced
Kale
- sliced
Ginger
– grated
Garlic
– grated
Chilli
– chopped and quantity to taste
1-2
tablespoons salt – this depends on how much you have, based on 1 tablespoon per
cabbage.
1
tablespoon Fish Sauce
1
tablespoon Whey from yoghurt or kefir, or old kraut juice.
Ingredients
500 g white
beans
2 medium brown
onions, diced
1-2
tablespoons rapdura sugar, honey or maple syrup (optional)
2-4 cloves
garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons
tomato paste
2 tablespoons soy
sauce
1 tablespoon
fish sauce
3 tablespoons
apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon
salt
Good grind of black
pepper
Chilli to
taste
1 litre (4
cups) bone broth
Method
This can be
started on the top of the stove and finished in the oven or you can just do the
whole lot in the crock pot and cook for about 8 hours. If using the crock pot,
you don’t need to bother browning the onion, but you can if you want to muck
about with it.
- Cover beans with warm water and leave to soak for
12-24 hours.
- While the beans are soaking, cook some bone
broth. I just use bones (pork, chicken or beef – any or all and preferably
some pork trotters or chicken feet or wings). I usually do a 24 hour
broth.
After 24 hours
soaking time:
Easy method –
drain beans and add all the ingredients to a crock pot. Cook over night or all
day on low. OR, more time consuming method below:
- In a flameproof casserole, sauté onion in some
butter or lard. (if using meat, add here, see note at bottom)
- Drain beans and add to casserole with enough bone
broth to cover – this will be approximately 1 litre of broth.
- Add
remaining ingredients, cover and bake in a slow-moderate oven (160-180)
for about 6 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more broth if its
drying out.
N.B. Belly
pork, speck, bacon or ham bones can be added if you like, although these days I
don’t add anything else, I just use bone broth.
Recipe adapted
from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions.
Feta (Quark instructions inserted below)
Start this in the morning and it will carry over into
the next day.
Milk – I do 4-5 litres and get three cheese baskets,
which gives about 250g fresh cheese each.
Flora Danica (Multiple Strain Mesophile) starter – use
¼ teaspoon to 20 litres of milk
Rennet- 1 drop single strength rennet to every litre
of milk
- Warm
milk to 20-30 Celsius (I use it straight from the cow)
- Add
starter and let sit for half an hour.
- Add
rennet and stir.
- Incubate
for 10-16 hours at room temperature. The curd will be very firm and there
will be a small amount of whey on the top of the curd.
- Place
cheese cloth into hoops/baskets on top of a draining rack. Carefully place
“slices” of curd into the baskets until they are full.
- Leave
hoops to drain overnight – you will need a large dish to catch all the
whey.
- For Quark – Place the curd into a cloth and tie
it so that it can hang. Hang the bag of curd over a bowl overnight. You
can mix some salt into this before storing or keep it without salt. It
will keep for about 2 weeks.
- The
next day, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon on top of each cheese and leave for
approximately 2 hours.
- Remove
the cheese, turn over and sprinkle more salt on. Leave another 2 hours.
You can salt it again if you think of it.
- This
can be consumed as a fresh cheese (chevre) and eaten within 2 weeks or for
longer keeping, put into a brine or place in oil with herbs.
Brined cheese – after a week or two, this is a crumbly
style feta.
Marinated cheese – stays very creamy and can be used
as a spread or used in salads etc. This cheese lasts for months in the fridge,
provided it is covered with oil.
Quark - use in place of cream cheese or ricotta. I use it to make baked cheesecake or baked ricotta (recipe way down below)
Marinated Feta
Quark Draining
Pork Shanks Braised in Master Stock
Pork Shanks (one of ours is usually enough for two people)
Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Place the shanks in a dish big enough
to just hold the shanks and cover with master stock and then foil.
Cook for two hours and then take out and reduce the stock. Place the shanks on another tray and return to the oven to brown the rind a bit. When the stock is reduced, cut the meat off the bones and then strain the sauce over the meat - serve.
Cook for two hours and then take out and reduce the stock. Place the shanks on another tray and return to the oven to brown the rind a bit. When the stock is reduced, cut the meat off the bones and then strain the sauce over the meat - serve.
I served ours with stir-fried vegies with noodles. When you reduce the stock, take out about a cup full and put some ice in to collect the fat. Use this fat to stir fry the vegies and the stock can then be used, mixed with a little flour, to thicken the sauce for the stir fry.
Duck Braised in Master Stock
Serves 4 – 6 (depending on size of duck)
1 duck or equivalent pieces
2 onions,
finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
300 g field mushrooms, sliced
Master Stock – see below – this makes a very large
amount and you will only need a fraction for this recipe.
1.
Cut the legs and wings off and cut into pieces. Bone
out the breast and take off any other chunks of meat. You should just have a
carcass left.
2.
In a fry pan, heat some oil and gently brown the duck
pieces. Add the master stock to just cover the duck. Simmer until cooked –
about ½ hour.
3.
Take out the duck pieces, turn up the heat and reduce
the stock.
4.
Add the chopped mushrooms, onions and garlic and
continue to cook until cooked through.
5.
Pour over the duck to serve.
6.
For an Asian look, using a cleaver, chop the duck
pieces into chunks and place on a platter before topping with the sauce.
An alternative is to cook the duck in the oven – it
will take about an hour, adding the mushrooms and onions about half way
through. This won’t reduce down as much, so may need to be thickened with some
cornflour.
Master Stock
6 litres water
3 cups shao hsing wine
2 cups dark soy sauce
1 cup light soy sauce
2 cups yellow rock sugar
12 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup sliced ginger
8 spring onions, chopped
1 teaspoon sesame oil
10 whole star anise
¼ cup cassia bark or 4 cinnamon quills
1 piece dried orange peel
Place all ingredients in a large stock pot and bring
to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes to allow the flavours
to infuse. The stock is now ready for use, or can be set aside to cool and
frozen.
For about 1.5 kgs meat, you boil 6 eggs and then
slightly crack them, but leave the peel on. Bring the master stock to the boil
and add the beef chunks, the boiled eggs and gook for about an hour. Peel the
eggs and serve with the meat and some stock. Very nice and very different! Oh
and add some vegies as well.
Brawn
Makes approximately 1kg of brawn if using a head.
2 Trotters (optional, but does give extra gelatine)
2 Carrots
1 large Onion
1 stick Celery
3 cloves Garlic
1 Bouquet Garni (substitute with mixed herbs)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon peppercorns
2 Carrots
1 large Onion
1 stick Celery
3 cloves Garlic
1 Bouquet Garni (substitute with mixed herbs)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon peppercorns
Place the head in a very large stock pot and add the
roughly chopped vegetables, herbs, S&P and enough water to come about half
way up the pot. Bring to the boil and simmer for the best part of a day.
Take off the heat and place the pot in a cool spot
overnight. This is so that the fat settles to the top and hardens.
Next Morning:
When you’ve got it all separated (roughly chop the
meat if necessary) and the stock has reduced considerably, tip some of the
stock onto the meat until you have what you think is enough liquid to hold it
all together. Adjust any seasonings – you can add fresh herbs or some nutmeg if
you like, but mostly check it for salt.
Leave for 24 hours in the fridge before unmolding and
slicing. It can be frozen if necessary.
N.B If the head seems just a bit too much, you can
substitute the following:
2 Pigs Ears
1 Pig Snout
4 Pork Cheeks
1 Pork Tongue
2 Pigs Trotters
4 Pork Cheeks
1 Pork Tongue
2 Pigs Trotters
Only cook for about 3 hours.
Lard Pastry
Before you begin you will need to have some lard –
this is made by rendering Pork fat. To do this, you take a chunk of fat, cut it
into smaller chunks, place in a pot with about ½ to 1 cup of water (depending
on how much fat you have – you just need enough to get the fat starting to melt
without it burning) and put on a very low heat. It will take most of the day
and make sure it’s a really low heat, as you don’t want it to burn.
Once it’s all melted strain it into a jar or tin. In
hot weather keep it in the fridge. Lard makes the best chips, but you can use
it to cook anything. You can reuse the lard when making chips – just put it
into another jar and keep it for deep frying – keep this in the fridge and
it’ll last for ages.
This recipe will make one large and one small pie. I
usually use what I need and then freeze the rest. It’s very flexible and can be
rolled out quite thin. I love it, as it is nice and short and VERY hard to
stuff up! I’ve always been told that you need cold hands to make good pastry.
When you make this pastry it doesn’t matter.
You can use this for savoury or sweet pies and it has
a lovely “short” texture.
200g plain flour
200g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon salt
200g lard (at room temperature)
180 ml cold water
Sift flours and salt together and then rub lard in
quickly. Make a well in the centre and work in the water. Knead for 2-3 minutes
until you have springy, elastic dough. Form into a ball and chill for 20
minutes before rolling out. There is no need to chill the pastry once the pie
plate has been lined, nor is lard pastry every baked blind.
Recipe from The Cooks Companion by Stephanie
Alexander. The comments are my own.
Mushroom Soup
Serves 4
Butter for frying
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
600 g field mushrooms, sliced
1 litre milk
125 ml cream
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to Taste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
600 g field mushrooms, sliced
1 litre milk
125 ml cream
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1. In a fry pan, heat the butter and brown the onions and garlic until softened and caramelised, add the mushrooms and salt and pepper and stir until the mushrooms are wilted.
2. Add the milk and bring to the boil and then simmer gently for about 20 minutes uncovered.
3. Stir the cream into the soup and blend or process until smooth. Reheat gently and add chopped parsley.
4. Serve with fresh crusty (homemade) bread.
Mushroom Pasta
Serves 4
Oil
11/2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
300 g small swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tspn salt
1 cup cream
1 cup tomato pasata sauce
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
300 g small swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tspn salt
1 cup cream
1 cup tomato pasata sauce
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Pasta
1. Start water to boil for pasta – cook pasta while doing the rest of the dish.
2. In a wok or fry pan, heat oil over medium to high heat and brown onions and garlic.
3. Add mushrooms. Stir fry until mushrooms are cooked. Add soy and season with salt and pepper.
4. Add cream, pasata and parsley and heat through.
5. Mix in cooked pasta and serve.
Variation: Add chopped chicken or bacon after browning the onion.
N.B. A mixture of unusual mushrooms makes this interesting.
Mushrooms with Wild Rice
Serves 4
Oil
1 Large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
300 to 400 g swiss brown or a mixture of unusual mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Coriander or Parsley or Sage
Wild rice, cooked – ½ cup raw rice
Brown Rice, cooked – 1 cup raw rice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
300 to 400 g swiss brown or a mixture of unusual mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Coriander or Parsley or Sage
Wild rice, cooked – ½ cup raw rice
Brown Rice, cooked – 1 cup raw rice
1. In a wok or fry pan, heat some oil or butter over medium to high heat and brown onions and garlic.
2. Add mushrooms. Stir fry until mushrooms are cooked. Add soy and season with salt and pepper. Add precooked rices and stir until all ingredients are mixed and hot.
Ingredients
Rosellas
Sugar
Water
Water
Method
Peel the calyx (the petals) from the seed pod. Cook the seeds until softened and you can see the seeds through the pod - put enough water in to cover the seeds well. Strain the liquid and then add ½ cup of liquid to each packed cup of petals. Cook until soft and then add 1/4 cup sugar * to each cup of petals. Continue to cook until set.
If using a thermomix, cook the petals and the calyx liquid for 20 minutes, speed 2, 100 degrees, Reverse. Then add the sugar and cook 30 minutes, speed 2, 100 degrees, reverse. If not set, cook in 5 minute intervals at varoma temp, once again in reverse speed.
* The original recipe has 1/2 cup sugar to each cup of petals, but I have reduced that. If you are concerned about keeping quality, it would be a good idea to water bath the jam.
Duck – Two Ways
Each meal serves 2 people or could serve 3-4 if you have two courses.
Preheat oven to 180 C
1 Duck
For the Duck Breast Salad
Salad Leaves
Capsicum, sliced thinly
Spring Onion, chopped
I small orange
1 small onion
Basil
Parsley
1-2 cloves garlic
Olive oil
For the Duck Casserole
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
200g Mushrooms
Herbs – tie a sprig of parsley, oregano or thyme and a bay leaf together with some string.
1 cup Tomato Puree or crushed tomatoes
1 cup of Red Wine
1 cup chicken stock or water (if needed)
Duck Casserole
1. De-bone the duck, taking care to keep the breasts in a neat shape. Cut the legs and thighs into pieces, and gut of the wing drum stick. Trim off the remaining meat. Reserve the bones and wing tips to make some stock.
2. Prepare the casserole first. Brown the duck pieces (keeping the breast aside). Take out and put in a small casserole dish. Brown the onions and garlic. When softened and browned, deglaze with the red wine. Add to the casserole dish, with the chopped mushrooms, herbs and tomato. If you think you need it, add some water or stock.
3. Bake for about ½ an hour. Check and stir and then bake for another ½ hour.
4. Serve with Potato Mash and vegies.
4. Serve with Potato Mash and vegies.
Duck Breast Salad
1. Baked Duck Breast – peel the orange place it and the onion on a baking tray. Top with the duck breasts – drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Bake for about ½ an hour. While this is cooking, prepare the salad – toss the salad leaves with the capsicum and spring onions – mix some of the basil leaves (torn) with this.
3. On a wooden board, chop the garlic, the rest of the basil, some parsley and the garlic. Mix these together, squeeze over some orange juice and drizzle with olive oil.
4. When the duck breasts are cooked, place on top of the herb dressing and rest for about 5 minutes. Slice and place on top of the salad. Serve.
Pasta (serves 4 as a main course)
200g flour
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
Place the flour on the bench and make a well in the centre. Place the eggs in the well and add a pinch of salt. With the tips of your fingers, gently mix the eggs and gradually incorporate some of the flour. Keep incorporating until the dough is dry enough to start kneading. Kneading pasta takes time and effort. Keep kneading until the flour is fully combined. As you knead, scrape and gather any stray bits that don't absorb into the ball and add to the middle of the dough. Use flour to clean your hands of any sticky bits and incorporate them into the dough too. Keep kneading until fully combine and the bench is clean.
Cover the pasta dough with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rest for about 10 minutes. When you return to kneading, rub a little oil on your hands. Keep kneading until the dough is as smooth as a baby's bottom (about 10 minutes).
Pass through a pasta machine. On setting one, pass through three times, folding in half after each pass. Then pass through each setting until 5 or 6 (I prefer 5). You can either use the fettuccine setting to cut into shape or if you want to you can make stracci. This is when you cut abstact shapes out of the flat sheet.
Egg Custard
200g flour
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
Place the flour on the bench and make a well in the centre. Place the eggs in the well and add a pinch of salt. With the tips of your fingers, gently mix the eggs and gradually incorporate some of the flour. Keep incorporating until the dough is dry enough to start kneading. Kneading pasta takes time and effort. Keep kneading until the flour is fully combined. As you knead, scrape and gather any stray bits that don't absorb into the ball and add to the middle of the dough. Use flour to clean your hands of any sticky bits and incorporate them into the dough too. Keep kneading until fully combine and the bench is clean.
Cover the pasta dough with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rest for about 10 minutes. When you return to kneading, rub a little oil on your hands. Keep kneading until the dough is as smooth as a baby's bottom (about 10 minutes).
Pass through a pasta machine. On setting one, pass through three times, folding in half after each pass. Then pass through each setting until 5 or 6 (I prefer 5). You can either use the fettuccine setting to cut into shape or if you want to you can make stracci. This is when you cut abstact shapes out of the flat sheet.
Egg Custard
500 ml milk
4 eggs
¼ cup sugar
Vanilla
Mix sugar, eggs and milk in a saucepan. Heat over low to moderate heat (not to hot or it may curdle) until it thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon. Tip into a bowl and add a dash of vanilla for flavouring.
Gluten Free Crumble
½ cup maize flour
½ cup quinoa flakes
2 tablespoons butter, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup coconut
½ cup nuts, chopped (any nuts, but macadamia is good)
Mix the butter into the flour and quinoa flakes with finger tips. Add the sugar, coconut and nuts. Place on top of stewed apples, pears or apricots.
N.B. substitute plain flour and rolled oats if you prefer.
Fried Eggs
Serves 2
Lard or Oil – about ½ cup
4 eggs
2 tablespoons Spring onions, chopped
1 Chilli
Oyster Sauce
Rice to serve – please try brown rice with this, because it really is good with it.
Start cooking the rice, as it will take the longest.
Heat the oil or lard in a wok. Add the eggs, one at a time. It needs to be enough oil so that the eggs are swimming in it and you can splash it over the eggs to cook the tops. The rice should be cooked before you start cooking the eggs, as well as everything else ready to go. To serve: place the rice on plates, top with two eggs each, sprinkle the chilli and spring onions over the top and then drizzle with oyster sauce.
N.B. If you are doing it for more people, you may need to use a large flat frying pan and off course more oil.
Mayonnaise
(makes 1 ½ cups)
1 whole egg, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Dijon-type mustard
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice (or vinegar)
1 tablespoon whey (optional)
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
¾ to 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil or use grape seed oil for a milder flavour
Generous pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
In a food processor, place egg, egg yolk, mustard, salt and lemon juice and optional whey. Process until well blended, about 30 seconds. Using the attachment that allows you to add liquids drop by drop, add olive oil with the motor running. Taste and check seasoning. Add more salt or lemon juice if you like.
N.B. The addition of whey in homemade mayonnaise will help your mayonnaise last longer. If you have added whey, let the mayonnaise sit at room temperature, well covered, for 7 hours before refrigerating. With whey added, mayonnaise will keep for several months will become firmer with time. Without whey, mayonnaise will keep for about 2 weeks.
To get whey: drain some natural yoghurt through either muslin or a clean chux sitting in a strainer. Use the natural yoghurt in a curry meal or use it in tzatziki dip.
Mango Ice
500 g Frozen Chopped Mango
1 tablespoon chopped mint
The zest of one lime
About 2 tablespoons yoghurt – either use sweetened yoghurt or add a little honey to sweeten if using natural yoghurt.
1. Process all together in a food processor until smooth.
2. Serve immediately or put into the freezer until required.
Serve with or without icecream.
This could be very nice served in martini glasses with a dash of vodka and drunk while sitting around a pool!
Asian Style Coleslaw
Serves 4 - 6
Approximately 4 cups of mixed vegies, sliced/shredded/chopped, including but not limited to:
Cabbage
Carrot
Capsicum – any colours
Red onion or spring onions
Beans
Snow Peas
Snow pea sprouts or bean sprouts
Cucumber – cut in half lengthwise and de-seed before slicing
Dressing:
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice – about ½ a lime
1 Teaspoon Fish Sauce
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
Mix all ingredients in a jar and then add to vegies and mix through. Fresh Chilli could be used instead of the chilli sauce, but you would then add a little sugar.
Icecream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar/honey/maple syrup/rapdura sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence/Extract/paste
500 ml cream
Whisk together the milk, sugar, egg and vanilla until sugar has dissolved. Add cream and mix to blend it all together.
Put into Icecream Machine and mix as per normal.
To Add fruit - chop or process it and add in the last five minutes.
Chocolate Icecream - add 1/2 cup cocoa powder with the milk and eggs and increase the sugar to 3/4 of a cup.
If you don't have an icecream machine - just put it into the freezer and mix it a few times while it's freezing so that it doesn't freeze too hard.
Baked Ricotta
Preheat oven to 180 C
250 g ricotta
1 tablespoon each of chopped parsley and basil
1 chilli
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1. Mix half the herbs and chilli with the ricotta. Add the garlic, egg, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Lightly grease a ramekin with olive oil and place the ricotta in. Sprinkle the remaining chopped herbs and chilli over the top and then drizzle with olive oil.
3. Bake for about ½ and hour or until lightly browned on top and is set. Test this by pressing gently in the middle of the ricotta.
Serve hot with crusty bread or crackers. It’s just as good cold too.
