Recipes from Mrinali

Vegetarian Moussaka (makes 2 trays)

Slice, salt & drain 2 eggplant 20 minutes.  Roast with oil and place on bottom of baking trays. 

Filling:  Combine in a bowl 3 cups cooked brown rice,  2 fried onions,  finely chopped herb such as sage, parsley or basil, large can of tomatoes/and or tomato paste, salt and pepper & cinnamon. 

Souffle Topping:  Fry 3 T butter, with 3 T. Plain flour for 1 minute, then add 3 cups milk at once.  Stir until thickens, remove from heat and add 1 500 g tub cottage cheese, salt pepper and freshly ground nutmeg, and 3 eggs. Mix till combined and spoon on top of dish. On top of souffle scatter a handful of grated tasty cheese – optional.

Bake 40 minutes or until top is golden and risen.  Serve with Greek Salad

Sweet Potato & Sage Ricotta Tart

extra virgin olive oil, 1 kg fresh ricotta, 2 cups grated parmigiano reggiano

6 eggs,  2 cups trimmed rocket leaves washed & dried, 

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley,  1 bunch sage, leaves only, 

1 heaped tspn sea salt,  fresh ground black pepper, 

1 large peeled sweet potato,  2 tbspns butter

Oven 160c - grease 25cm springform tin with olive oil. 

Place ricotta, parmesan & eggs into f.p. & blend till smooth.  Add rocket, parsley & half sage, salt & pepper & blend.  Spoon into tin.  Shave sweet potato with vegetable peeler into long ribbons & arrange on top.  Season & drizzle with a little olive oil.  Bake 1 hour & 10 minutes.

To serve heat butter & fry remaining sage till crisp, pour over top.  Cool till room temperature before removing from tin.  (Looks spectacular!)

 Curried Parsnip Tarts

Filling can be prepared day before.

1 pack puff pastry

 4-5 parsnips peel and slice, 3 or 4 carrots peeled and slices, 

3 or 4 slices of pumpkin chopped small - Blanch vegetables in a small amount of water, or steam for a few minutes only.  Reserve cooking liquid.

3 or 4 onions, chopped

4 T butter,  4 T wholemeal flour, 

1 T mild curry paste/powder, 1 T each ground cummin and turmeric

2 cups milk,  250 gm grated tasty cheese

salt, pepper and fresh chopped coriander leaves.

Fry onions until soft, add curry spices and fry one minute longer, add flour and continue frying for a further minute.  Gradually whisk in the reserved stock and milk until smooth, bring to boil and simmer one minute.  Remove from heat - should be a thick sauce.  Add salt, pepper and cheese, then mix in vegetables with coriander or parsley.  Cool.  This amount will make 2 or 3 large Quiche size tarts.

Grease tart dishes and line with Puff Pastry.  Spoon mixture in and spread.  Cut thick strips of puff pastry and lattice tops.  Bake at 180oC for 35-40 minutes or until golden and crisp on top.  Freezes extremely well and keeps flavour.

Pumpkin Gnocchi

750g pumpkin, peeled, chopped and steamed.  Mash & return to saucepan, add 2 tablespoons butter and cook stirringing over low heat until pumpkin has thickened and dried.

Remove from heat and stir in 1-1/4 cups plain flour, 1 egg yolk, black pepper.  mix to soft dough.

Roll spoonfuls in palm of hand to form a flat disk, press with fork on one side to indent.

Cook in boiling water until they rise to surface.

To make sauce, place 125g butter and 2 tbspns thyme leaves (fresh) over low heat & stir until golden.  Pour over gnocchi with parmesan & pepper.

Chocolate Sour Cherry Cake

 125g soft butter                         150g caster sugar

2 eggs                                                   185g (1-1/4 cups) S R Flour

1/4 cup Dutch cocoa                              1/2 cup milk

100g dark chocolate finely chopped,        3/4 cup drained Morello cherries

Cream butter & sugar etc. add eggs one at time (with a spoonful of flour so mixture does not curdle)  - mix well.  Stir in combined sifted flour & cocoa alternatively with milk in 2 batches, then gently stir in chocolate and cherries.  Spoon into greased, base-lined 22cm tin and bake 180c 1 hour or till cooked.  Stand 10 minutes then pour hot syrup onto hot cake - stand 4-5 hours.

When completely cold, melt 100gm dark chocolate with 1 Tbspn double cream, mix and glaze cake.  Serve sliced with thick cream.  Serves 8-10.

 Syrup : 3/4 cup cherry syrup, 1/4 cup- 75g sugar, combine with 1/3 cup water & stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Very rich, keeps well under refrigeration for up to 10 days, (if you can keep your hands off!) 

Sour Cherry Tart

 
2-1/2 cups plain flour     for 2: 5 cups plain flour

2/3 cup icing sugar                     1-1/3 cup icing sugar

120gm cold butter                      240gm cold butter

3 egg yolks & water      4 yolks & cold water

 
Process flour & icing sugar.  grate cold butter into flour & mix.  Add egg yolk and cold water mixture.  process until mixture just comes together.  Form into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Roll out on floured surface & line 3.5cm-deep round 23cm flan tin.  Cover & refrigerate again while preparing filling.

Almond filling:

(60gm) 120gm soft butter,  (1/2) 1 cup castor sugar,  (2) or 4 eggs,

(1-1/4) 2-1/2 cups ground almonds or almond meal

20ml Amaretto, (or simply use 2 teaspoons almond essence.)

Beat butter & sugar till light & fluffy, add eggs and beat well.  Add ground almonds and essence and beat till smooth.

 You can bake the pastry blind, however the filling is not sloppy so I bake them all at once.

Fill pastry cases with half mixture each.  Drain Morello cherries and cover top with as many as you can.  Bake at 170-180oC for 35-40 minutes, or until centre is set.  When cold, dust with icing sugar.

 French Apple Tea Cake - for 2 medium

 
5 or 6 large apples, peel core and chop & raspberries if in season

4 cups self-raising flour,  4 tsp baking powder

2 cups caster sugar,  1 mug milk,  8 T melted butter,  8 eggs

freshly grated nutmeg

Grease and line cake tin - (10 or 11 inch)

Place chopped apples into base - can also add some raspberries if in season.  Put all remaining ingredients into bowl or food processor and beat to a smooth batter.

Pour over applies in tin, level top and bake 40 minutes until lightly golden at 160oC.

Meanwhile cream topping ingredients together as follows:

3 T butter softened, 1/2 cup castor sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence and 1 egg.

Remove cake from the oven, spoon topping over and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes, until topping is golden brown.  Cool cake in the tin, and then turn out and dust with icing sugar.

 Zucchini Tea Cake  -  2 medium

4  cups sugar,  6 eggs beaten,  6 tspns vanilla,  1 cup oil, 

1 kg zucchini - wash, grate and drain on paper towel

 
Mix dry ingredients:  4 cups Self Raising flour,  2 cups plain flour

2 tspn each bi-carb soda, salt, and cinnamon. 

(1 cup chopped walnuts optional)

Gradually add sugar to eggs - beat till fluffy.  Add vanilla, oil and zucchinis.  Fold in flour - Bake 180oC 1 hour.   Glaze with lemon icing.

Lemon Tea Ring - for 2  **

 6 cups plain flour,  4 tspns baking powder,  1 tspn salt,  4 cups sugar

500gm butter,  8 eggs beaten,  1 mug milk,  grated rind of 2 or 3 lemons

1 cup chopped walnuts - optional

Grease ring tin or loaf tin.  Sift flour, sugar, bak powder and salt into bowl.  Rub in butter with fingertips, or grate cold butter into mixture.  Mix in beaten eggs and milk then fold in lemon rind and walnuts.

Pour into tin - bake in moderate oven 160-180, until firm and test with skewer.  - 50 minutes.  Mix juice of 2 lemons with 1 cup sugar and pour over top of cake - allow to cool in pan.  Keeps extremely well!

Sweet Potato Tea Cake

 600gm orange sweet potato, peeled & grated

2 cups brown sugar loosely packed        

2 cups plain flour

1 tspn cinnamon

1 tspn grated nutmeg    

225ml vegetable oil

4 eggs separated

2 tspns bi-carb soda blended w. 5T water

120gms dessicated coconut

shredded coconut for topping

Place sweet potato & half sugar in a frypan and cook stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine flour, spice and remaining sugar in bowl.  Make well in the centre and stir in all wet ingredients except egg white.  Fold in coconut & sweet potato mixture.  Almonds 250gm chopped - optional.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, fold through half at a time.  Spoon into greased ring or loaf tin, sprinkle with shredded coconut, bake 170-180 for 1-1/4 hours or until cooked when tested with a skewer.  Keeps extremely well!