Macadamia Parmesan Pastry base

Oven Ready Chorizo Pesto Flan

Two tart posts in a row (almost)?? And chorizo…sorry guys, but I ate something similar at a cafe recently and as usual, figured I could improve it!

Just a word, well a rant actually. I know I appear to happily write away to myself, churning out a {delicious} recipe a week on average, but my stats are telling me there are at least 1500 of you a month that drop by, so how about a mention? I of course have my regulars and thanks to both of you, (hahaha) but seriously, I don’t get paid a million $$ and in fact the best that I can claim is the occasional food/product gift. Comments just keep me hanging in there and help me remember why I’m here. Rant complete.

SO, back to the tart at hand! There are a few processes involved in this recipe, but should you feel the need for speed, you can always purchase pesto, roasted capsicums and of course, pastry shells…but all at your own risk. And I must say, that for a gal who loves all things pastry, this is a fragrant, crispy, flan base that could almost be eaten in it’s own right as crackers…hmnnn, there’s a thought…oh wait, almost did that already!

Of course with the good ole Thermomix, nothing takes that long really, so start your engines…lets get cracking!

NEED:

1 batch Pesto thinned down with juice 1-2 lemons

Pastry;

75g parmesan

150g roasted and salted macadamia nuts

210g plain flour

1 egg yolk

sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste

1tsp mustard powder

65g ice cold water

Filling;

500g (when peeled and de-seeded) pumpkin cubed

4 small red onions peeled and cut into thin wedges

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

sea salt to taste

EVOO to taste

3-4 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 roasted and peeled red capsicums (red peppers)

2 chorizo sausages sliced thinly

few handfuls baby spinach

250g crumbled feta

DO:

Make pesto and set aside.

Preheat oven to 200oC.

Make pastry by placing parmesan into Thermomix bowl and milling until fine, about 20 seconds on speed 8.

Add macadamias and mill for 8 seconds on speed 8.

Add remaining ingredients and mix for 10 seconds on speed 4 or until a crumbly mixture forms. Tip out onto floured board and bring together with hands to form a disc. Line 1 or 2 loose bottomed flan tins, (I used a rectangular tin and had almost enough for a second 23cm round tin) and place in freezer for 30 minutes.

Blind bake for 15 minutes until golden around edges. Cool.

Filling;

Prepare pumpkin and onion and place onto baking paper lined tray. Sprinkle onion with brown sugar. Salt vegetables and drizzle with EVOO and Red Wine vinegar. Roast for 30 minutes in 200oC oven, stirring once if necessary to help even caramelization.

Layer the cooked pastry shells with roasted onion and pumpkin, strips of red capsicum, sliced chorizo,  a few spinach leaves and the crumbled feta. Drizzle generously with the pesto and return to 160oC oven for around 10 minutes or until the chorizo is sizzling and the spinach wilted.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve sliced cold.

NOW don’t make me get cranky, tell me via comment what your favourite tart is, and we’ll all stay friends!

Now I know a lot of people think I talk drizzle, but on this occasion, I’m not referring to a weather pattern, a grumpy child or something you should really see a doctor about, but those amazing little additions to certain dishes that just seem to add pizazz and a little flair. Have you ever eaten a beautifully cooked steak and wondered why it just didn’t jump off the plate? It was nice, but nice isn’t good enough when you’ve spent $32 a kilo on fillet steak! Right?

SO;

Here are the Top Ten things to add to various meals and dishes to give you that ‘gourmet restaurant’ look, taste and most of all, reputation!

ONE: Gremolata is so great with most savoury things, that you should never overlook it and keep in your fridge as firm staples, garlic, lemons, parmesan and pine nuts! (Hopefully you have some parsley growing in your garden…and let’s not argue here, pull out any curly leaved parsley and replace it IMMEDIATELY with flat leaf or Italian parsley which has so much more flavour and is easier to eat!) Whilst not strictly a ‘drizzle’ a good dose of Gremolata can spice up steamed veggies, is wonderful on any kind of roasted meat, adds crunch and flavour to a toasted sandwich and of course is a wonderful topping on a salad.

TWO: Whilst we’re on the whole garlic, herb thing, if you have never made your own Pesto you are missing a flavour treat. The bought varieties, whilst getting better and better, can never rival your own. Pesto is fantastic on pasta by itself, as a dip or spread with crackers, on steamed veggies, as a pizza sauce, add lemon zest and juice and use as a fresh salad dressing. (see Harvest Salad) I use my Pesto Lemon dressing on a melting Camembert for a real treat. Now remember that a pesto does not have to have the same ingredients in it all the time! Pesto merely means crushed, so go to town with the flavoring of choice, (sun dried tomato, black or kalamata olives, basil, coriander, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, macadamias, parmesan, feta, strong cheddar and oil) Whiz and taste and you will come up with many concoctions…and bought dips or Pesto will never have the same appeal again!

THREE: Marinated Feta…Try cubing some fresh feta, (Danish is my latest craze) and placing it in a clean jar with some lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper (no salt) a garlic clove or two, possibly a whole chilli. Top up with a good quality olive oil…even add olives if you want. Leave this jar in the fridge for a couple of days and then serve with Steamed Vegetables, as a side dish or cold accompaniment to meat or fish, blend the cheese a little more and add some more lemon juice or vinegar and this drizzle will be awesome on most things! Get a loaf of crusty bread and use as a dipping oil. Pour over flat Turkish bread and then roast in a hot oven for only a few minutes. Serve with a salad of fresh greens! Gently steam asparagus, chop and mix with feta, then wrap in phyllo pastry, (follow package directions) and bake strudel in Microwave Grill for around 3-4 minutes. Eat immediately with a little more of the filling served on the side!

FOUR: Do the salsa! Carribean Salsa is again, not a drizzle, more of salad really, but so great with all things fried. Try it with Prawn Cakes, Steamed Fish Parcels or Crusty Fried Chicken! It adds color, oodles of flavor and lots of vitamins. You may find yourself adding this one to most Barbeque menus. Don’t use canned pineapple, whatever you do…it just isn’t the same! You could replace the pineapple with mango if you are lucky enough to have them in season.

FIVE: This is the last savory ‘drizzle’ I’ll allow! I think my favourite thing to drizzle’ on anything from roast meat to salad is a herb oil. Because the steam oven is so fantastic for blanching without the hassle, I do these all the time. You need to blanch whatever herb you are using to preserve the color…so if you have a steam oven, place the herb of choice (basil, mint, rocket and parsley, coriander..cilantro, even lemon grass if you strain the oil before using!) loosely in the steam oven tray and process in steam oven for about 1 minute tops! (No walking away from this one!) You want the herbs to be bright green and just a little softer than completely fresh! If they are hot, dunk in cold water, but they should be OK to puree in the food processor immediately. To every cup of tightly packed herbs, add one cup of oil. You can add chilli, lime juice, lemon juice, a pinch of salt. These will keep in the fridge, but should be used within a week for best flavour. Basil oil with lemon is terrific with roast chicken and I serve it all the time in the store to great acclaim!

SIX: Your fridge is naked without some lemon butter in it! As long as it is homemade!  I use Lemon Butter folded through cream on Pavlova, or for any dessert that needs a lemon twist for that matter. I love it in my Sour Cream Pastry in little tarts which you bake in a 160 degree oven for only about 8 minutes. The pastry stays crispy and the lemon is sweet and tangy. You can fold it though a fruit salad…not much, but just a drizzle! It is beautiful as a topping on pure vanilla ice cream…and should you be caught short for a quick hostess gift, tie a ribbon round the old jar of Lemon Butter and voila, the hostess gift with the mostess!

SEVEN: I always have frozen berries in my freezer and a quick sauce that you can make for pancakes, ice cream, dessert, plate decoration is to heat up 2 cups berries, with 1/4 cup sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice, generous teaspoon of vanilla extract and a tablespoon of vanilla custard powder. Bring to the boil on Induction 6, stirring occasionally. Serve hot or cold as the palate directs!

EIGHT: My favorite caramel sauce which is great with almost anything fruity (Sticky Date Puddings, Banana Crepes, as a dressing for Apple Crumble) is so quick, you could miss the whole thing if you blink! In a saucepan, melt 75 grams of butter, add 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup of whipping cream and when sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil (Induction 10). Just as you are ready to serve, add a dash of rum. Let the alcohol burn off and serve immediately. (This also stores well in the fridge.)

NINE: No list about drizzles would be complete without a chocolate sauce recipe…so my ganache is as follows: On Induction 3 melt 1 block dark chocolate (220 grams) with 1/2 cup whipping cream. At this point you may add sieved berries of your choice or as in the case of Raspberry Dream Cheesecake  a dollop of raspberry jam or some zest and juice from an orange. This sauce can be thinned down with more cream or butter if desired and is truly decadent eaten whilst hot over vanilla icecream…and SOOO easy!

TEN: What is the penultimate drizzle? I had to ponder this one, but as it is coming close to midnight, my quick decision is; Strawberry Dessert Syrup. Puree a punnet of strawberries with the juice of 1 orange and a generous amount of natural honey. Drizzle this over fruit salad, on the plate of a stunning dessert, over the cream on a pavolva, fold it through the cream for any dessert and don’t forget to add and mix and experiment and try something different. This too will keep in the fridge, or freeze it in iceblock form and use in a summer punch!

So there you have it…another night spent drooling at the computer…and now to bed and to dreams of what I must cook this weekend so I may photograph them for you! No wonder the kids are calling me a food nerd! Move over food…she’s a blogging nerd as well!

NEED:

125 grams Cream cheese

75 grams Parmesan grated with Microplane

2 cups SR flour

pinch salt

soda water to mix

FILLING:
cherry tomatoes
1 small jar pizza sauce
1 small jar pesto (or make your own)
finely chopped garlic
1/2 diced onion
fresh basil leaves
Extra grated Parmesan

DO:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
Make dough by putting Cream cheese, flour and soda water into Thermomix bowl and using the ‘knead’ button for about 1-2 minutes to bring the dough to a workable consistency.
Using extra flour, and a Rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle.
Spread dough with pizza paste, and then pesto to taste,
Sprinkle with onion, garlic and basil.
Roll dough over on itself.
Cut into rounds, turn scroll side up and put into buttered ceramic dish.
Push a cherry tomato or two into the middle of each scone.
Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Cook for 20-25 minutes until golden.

USED:

DO:
Mix fish sauce, oyster sauce, stock and sugar in small bowl.
Heat oil in wok and stir fry garlic until light brown. (Induction 6)
Add chilli and meat. Stir fry on high (Induction max) for 2 minutes until meat is cooked.
Add onion and fish sauce mix and stir fry for another minute.
Add snow peas and basil leaves and stir fry until the basil begins to wilt.
Serve immediately  with steamed rice.

TO STEAM RICE:
In a flat ceramic dish layer 1 cup of rice to 2 cups water or stock.
Process in Steam Oven for 25 minutes or until water is absorbed.
Fluff with a fork.

 NEED:
2 red onions peeled and cut in wedges
4-6 tomatoes halved (work on ½ tomato per person)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 red capsicums
2 zuchinni cut lengthways in ribbons with a potato peeler
4-6 flat mushrooms (or 1 per person)

TO SERVE:
Basil oil and Feta and Rosemary Polenta wedges

DO:
Heat oven to 160 degrees.
Line tray with baking paper, spread onions and tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil.
Turn to coat and season with salt and pepper.
Roast approx 1 hour. Add mushrooms and roast a further 20 minutes.
Meanwhile roast capsicums whole on oven shelf.
Remove when skin is blackened and place in paper bag until cool.
Peel skin, remove seeds and cut into pieces. Set aside.
Heat oiled grill plate over medium heat and brown polenta wedges, and zucchini ribbons on both sides.
Add capsicums to grill just to warm through.
Assemble by putting piece of polenta on each plate, topping with array of vegetables and drizzling with basil oil.

BASIL OIL:
Process 1 large handful of basil oil in food processor and with motor running. Add extra virgin olive oil in thin stream until blended.
The oil should have a runny consistency.
Add pinch of salt and pepper, or squeeze of lemon and zest  if desired.

FETA, ROSEMARY POLENTA WEDGES

NEED:
6 cups water
Salt and pepper
2 cups instant polenta
1 tbspn butter
¾ cup crumbled feta
½ teaspn ground nutmeg
1 tspn finely chopped rosemary

DO:
Bring water, salt and pepper to boil.
Add polenta in thin stream as you stir.
Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in feta, nutmeg and rosemary until evenly combined.
Spread cooked mixture in a shallow oiled dish to form a 3 cm thick slab.
At serving time, cut into wedges and grill or pan fry.
Polenta is quite tasteless, so make sure you are generous with the flavoring of choice.
You can add any cheese, herbs of your choosing.

Pesto is so great for so many things. It has a bright fresh Italian flavour and is excellent with all types of pasta, even on it’s own! Fresh is always best and so the recipe here! Toss through freshly cooked pasta, use as a pizza topping, in my recipe Pizza Scrolls, as a stuffing for chicken or just as a dressing on fresh steamed vegetables, or with roasted meat. Also serve reduced with more oil and lemon juice as a salad dressing. Or you can serve with cheese and crackers or as part of an antipasto platter…and hey Pesto, you have added a wonderful touch with little to no fuss!

NEED:
100g fresh parmesan
100g pinenuts
2 handfuls fresh basil leaves
5 cloves peeled garlic
EVOO to taste
Sea salt to taste

DO:
Gently toast pinenuts in a dry pan on Induction max. (Watch the whole time!) Set aside.
Place parmesan into TM bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 10 until very fine.
Add the garlic, basil into Thermomix bowl and blend for 5 seconds on speed 7.
Add pinenuts and then in a steady stream add at least 1/2 cup olive oil, possibly more, through the hole in lid whilst the blades are rotating on speed 3-4. Add salt and taste. Add a squeeze of lemon if desired. (This will preserve colour and add a zing!)

This will keep in sterilised jar in the fridge for around 3 weeks.