Ricotta Pancakes with Spiced Fruit and Chantilly Cream

Recently we went to Zest in Leura, and enjoyed a lovely breakfast, I enjoyed the Middle Eastern Pancakes with Fruit Compote and Chantilly Cream, this is my take on them. The spiced fruit here are also inspired by Maggie Beer, on a recent episode of MasterChef, making a roast pork with apple sauce! Nothing like playing confusion chef!
Ingredients
Pancakes
1/2 cup fresh Ricotta
1 large egg
1/2 cup Plain Flour
1/2 cup Wholemeal Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Icing Sugar
1/2 cup Milk - approx.

Fruit
2 apples, peeled and diced - Jonathan, Pink Lady, Fuji - Red or pink skinned apples for one the other Granny Smith
1/2 punnet Strawberries, sliced *
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
Few sprigs fresh Thyme
Pinch ground Cinnamon
Zest 1/2 lemon
Cream
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon icing sugar
How to
Pancake batter
Blend ricotta and egg, I use a stick blender with the whisk attachment, until light and fluffy. Add to dry ingredients and whisk, adding enough milk to make a semi - thick batter.
Fruit
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leaves of the Thyme sprigs and gently fry to release the aroma, add the apple and sugar and gently toss, until a light caramel forms, add cinnamon to your liking and set aside.
Pancakes
Heat a heavy bottomed fry pan and lightly grease with butter, I use paper towel to do this. Add enough batter to make pancakes to your desired size - I make ours fairly big, cook on the first side until bubbles are coming through all over, then turn and cook for another 2 minutes.
Fruit
Re - warm the apples, they should be soft on the outside with some crunch in the middle, add lemon juice and strawberries and just warm.
Cream
With a stick blender and whisk attachment, whisk cream and icing sugar until thickened.
Serve
Place 2 pancakes on a plate, top with fruit and place cream on the side - enjoy
* if you can't smell the sweetness of strawberries, don't buy them, you will be disappointed!

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Lamb Pide

One of the most wonderful things about living in Sydney is multiculturalism. Food is better the multicultural way.

We like going to a local market, Parklea, where I love getting a Pide - the delicious goodness of lamb, cheese, spices in a crispy thin flat bread...... Drool! I decided I would learn to make them, as I do, here is my take on it.

Ingredients

Pastry

1 cup, or so, Plain Flour

Good pinch of Salt

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Warm water

Filling

500 g Minced Lamb

1 Finely diced Onion

2 cloves Garlic, crushed

1/2 cup frozen Spinach, defrosted and drained

1 Lemon, zest and juice

Moroccan spice mix

Smoked Paprika

Salt and Pepper

Grated tasty cheese

How to

Pastry

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor, turn on and add olive oil through feeder shute. Slowly add warm water until dough forms a ball, this forms a gorgeous elastic silky dough. Place in an oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel, leave to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.

 

Filling

Gently sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil in a Heaney based fry pan, add lamb, cook until well browned. Add spinach and seasonings, leave covered to cool.

 

Assembly

When pastry has rested for at least 30 minutes, cut into four even portions. Take one and roll it out to approx 30 cm in diameter. Place 1/4 of the filling mix in the centre and sprinkle with some grated cheese, gently fold in edges until they meet. Repeat x 3

I cook mine on a George Foreman grill, until nicely browned and the sides sound and feel papery.

Cut each one into 3 strips and serve with wedges of fresh lemon. Yum.

 

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Tuna, Spinach, Feta and Onion Quiché

A rather different quiché I made a few years ago, thought I would have another go......... I must admit, it was much nicer today for lunch, than it was  last night - I think letting the flavours develop makes for a much nicer pastry treat!

Ingredients:
For the Pastry:
125g Softened Butter - cubed
240g Plain Flour
1 Free - Range Egg
Pinch Salt

For the Filling:
100g Tuna in Springwater - drained
60g Danish Fetta - crumbled
1/4 cup cooked, chopped Spinach
1/4 Spanish Onion - thinly sliced (I use a mandolin)
4 - 6 Free Range Eggs
1/2 cup Thickened Cream
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Pinch of Powdered Garlic

How to:
Have a non-stick quiché pan ready, with a removable base.
Throw all the ingredients for the pastry into a food processor, and process, until they come together in a ball, roll out to about 3mm between 2 sheets of baking paper, and line quiche tin, rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 160°C. Prick base of pastry all over with a fork, and blind bake for approximately 20 minutes - leave your pastry a little pale, as it goes back in the oven with the filling, and you don't want to burn the edges! Let it cool.......
Meanwhile, whisk eggs, cream pepper and garlic powder.
Spread tuna, crumbled feta, spinach and onion over the base of the pastry, and fill, not quite to the top, with the egg mixture.
Bake at 160°C until the egg has just set, don't overcook, it will be yucky!

Real men eat quiché!