April 9, 2015 / emma@cookfasteatslow.com Leave a comment

Beef Short Ribs with Red Wine and Rosemary

At this time of year, I love my slow cooker for a number of reasons. I love knowing that dinner is sorted early on in the day, and if I happen to be home, I get to enjoy the smell of it cooking too. I love that it’s easy to produce hearty stews and soups that warm us up on these chilly Autumn days. And I also love that it makes large quantities at a time, which leaves me with a meal in the freezer for a busy day or to give away to someone who needs it.

This recipe I created when I found some yummy looking boneless beef short ribs on sale recently.

Chefs around the world, look away for a minute. It’s here that I need to confess I don’t ‘pre-brown’ my meat before putting it in the slow cooker. I agree with Jamie Oliver on this one – I have tried pre-browning and not, and have come to the conclusion that I can’t be bothered, with spending the time or washing up an extra pan.

So, this is my ‘bung everything in the slow cooker and turn it on’ recipe.

It is rich and flavoursome and the meat just falls apart with the touch of a fork.

Serves a family of 4-6 depending on portion size.

Ingredients

1.2-1.5kg boneless beef short ribs (you could substitute chunks of gravy beef, but it just may cook a little quicker)

1 spanish (red) onion, peeled and roughly chopped

3 bacon rashers, roughly chopped

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 red capsicum, de-seeded and roughly chopped

1 x 400gm can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3/4 cup red wine

a few sprigs of fresh rosemary

2 fresh bay leaves, or dry if you don’t have fresh

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Bung it all in a slow cooker and cook for approx 6 hours on low or until meat is tender.

Take the lid off for the last half an hour to allow the sauce to thicken, or strain the liquid into a small saucepan, add a few tablespoons of plain flour and simmer away to thicken the sauce into a gravy. Due to the fatty nature of short ribs, you may also like to scoop the top oily layer off the sauce before serving too.

Serve with mashed or roasted potatoes, sweet potato, or roasted cauliflower.

This is also a freezer friendly meal.

April 1, 2015 / emma@cookfasteatslow.com Leave a comment

Soft-Centred Chocolate Puddings

Easter. This is one of our favourite times of the year.

We step away from the busyness of our normal schedule and head away to the country for a few days. The boys will make cubbies, race billy carts and play countless hours of soccer and cricket. One of my favourite things to do on this weekend every year, is to start a new 1000 piece puzzle with my eldest son. My middle son will challenge me to games of Bocce, and will beat me every time, and our littlest man will spend hours moving a pile of rocks from one place to the next with a Tonka Truck.

They will wear themselves out in the day and crash at night. As parents everywhere will know, this is a win win for everyone.

Night time descends. The fire is lit and I dust off that book that has been on my bedside table for far too long, or the board game cupboard is raided and I battle it out till my husband wins or one of us is asleep!

It’s simple and quiet and we all feel ourselves breathe deep again.

As comforting as all that sounds, it’s actually not the reason why it’s one of our favourite times of the year.

The fact is we start off this weekend of rest and reflection in church, remembering the ‘Amazing Grace that saved a wretch like me.’ The enormity of what Jesus did for me by dying on the cross, hits me every time. I am overwhelmed, with gratitude, that He would rather die than live without me.

As Easter Sunday rolls around, our boys will wake to find an Easter egg waiting for them and this time the conversation will be around why we use eggs to represent New Life at Easter. New Life, New Hope, Forgiveness and New Beginnings. A fun Easter egg hunt always follows.

Whatever this weekend holds for you, I hope you get a chance to reflect on God’s Amazing Grace in sending Jesus. You may also find some extra time to cook and if so, these Soft-Centred Chocolate Puddings are the perfect Autumn dessert to cook for your family and friends. Enjoy!

Soft-Centred Chocolate Puddings

Recipe from Skye Gyngell’s cook book ‘My Favourite Ingredients.’

A few extra tidbits:

* These puddings could be made with a dairy free spread instead of butter and dairy free chocolate or 70% dark chocolate that contains no milk.

* Quinoa flour can be substituted for the plain flour to make these gluten free.

* They can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated, uncooked. If you make them in advance, make sure you bring them to room temperature before cooking, or, if cooking straight from the fridge, you’ll need to add at least 5 minutes to the cooking time.

Ingredients

150gm unsalted butter, chopped

300gm dark chocolate, chopped

4 eggs

3 egg yolks (place egg whites in a small snap lock bag and throw in the freezer. I have a recipe coming soon to use these!)

150gm castor sugar

50gm (approx 1/4 cup) plain flour

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius

Lightly butter and dust with cocoa, 6 x oven proof tea cups or individual pudding moulds, approx 200ml in size.

Place butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Remove and stir. If it is still not melted, put back in to the microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring after each time until melted. (This process is important, as burning the chocolate in the microwave is very easy. It’s best to melt it 80% of the way and finish off stirring it till completely smooth)

Place sugar, eggs and egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on medium speed until it’s pale, thick and mousse like.

Gently fold chocolate mixture into the egg mixture till combined.

Sift the flour into the mixture from a height, and gently fold through.

Place into pudding moulds and either refrigerate if you are preparing in advance or place onto a baking tray and put straight into the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes. You are looking for a just- cooked and puffed up top, but if you press lightly, you know it’s gooey underneath. You are best to start off cooking it for less time and add a few minutes. If you overcook, they will still be beautiful chocolate puddings, but won’t have a soft centre.

Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream or ice cream.

March 26, 2015 / emma@cookfasteatslow.com 4 Comments

Chicken Noodle Soup

It’s that time of year when our family and many, many around us are unwell. A change of season almost always guarantees someone getting sick in our home and I know we are not alone.

When the kids were little and seemed to always have one thing or another (3 asthmatics = lots of respiratory issues), I use to really struggle with it. The sleeplessness, fights to get medicine in and just seeing them so sick and struggling to breath would have my husband and I weary with worry.

And to be honest, I struggled with the lack of control when sickness would descend upon my kids. I couldn’t ‘fix’ it myself and life invariably got thrown into chaos. For this planning freak, weeks of sickness, meant lots of cancelled plans, missed opportunities and life just not going the way I saw it.

It’s funny what life teaches you along the way though. 11 years of parenting have taught me that I’m not in control, I don’t always know what I’m doing and I can’t fix every sickness or problem that comes my kids way. Tough lessons for a control freak to learn.

I’m a little more chilled these days. Life does that to you. I’m not sure when it was that I realised that I may as well just not fight the stuff I can’t change.

So, kids get sick, I cancel plans, we medicate, cuddle, love, lie in the dark and listen to their breathing, make worried phone calls or trips to doctors, read, watch TV, cuddle, force fluids down, cuddle, watch TV, medicate, love, read and so it goes on.

Even as I type this though, and we are still bunkered down with various flus, ear infections and pneumonia, I feel blessed. Blessed knowing we’ll all be well again soon. Blessed no-one is in hospital this time. Blessed my boys have always received the treatment they need. Not everyone can testify to that.

So, in the midst of panadol and puffers, I count my blessings….. and make Chicken Noodle Soup.

It’s like a warm hug from your mum.

With the family sick these last weeks, this is all we’ve wanted.

We actually picked up the bowls and drank the liquid it felt so good.

For those of you who have made my Sticky Cinnamon Chicken, you will be pleased to see you get another chance to use your Chinese cooking wine and Star Anise in this recipe.

Chicken Noodle Soup

(recipe adapted from Donna Hay’s Fresh and Light cookbook)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1.5 litres chicken stock

1/2 cup Chinese cooking wine

2 whole star anise

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

a few dried chilli flakes, if you want some added heat (otherwise leave it out)

2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1 x 440gm packet of Udon noodles, rinsed

1 bunch of bok choy, washed and thickly sliced

1/2 bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

Place soy, stock, Chinese cooking wine, star anise, sugar, garlic, chilli in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to low and place sliced chicken breasts in and simmer for 5 or so minutes until chicken is cooked.

Add the bok choy and noodles and cook for 3 minutes or until bok choy is tender, but still has a slight crunch.

Place in bowls and serve with coriander.

March 22, 2015 / emma@cookfasteatslow.com 5 Comments

Almond, Cranberry and Quinoa Granola

I recently found myself with an unplanned day at home. 2 boys were home sick and chilling in front of CARS the movie. I could have sorted out wardrobes, worked on the budget or got my ironing up to date, but no, I found myself in the kitchen with a sudden desire to make Granola. I’ve made various recipes over the years and every now and then I have bought a yummy looking one I have found in the shops. The good thing about making your own is you get to control what goes in it. You can add more of what you love, control the sugar content and leave out ingredients you don’t like.

This time I wanted to try using cooked Quinoa in the recipe. Unless you have been living under a rock, you would have come across Quinoa. You’ll be pleased to know it’s not just fashionable for fashion sake. It is INSANELY GOOD FOR YOU!

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), is a powerful SUPERFOOD. Considered one of the world’s most nutrient rich foods, it is a seed that actually comes from the same food family as Spinach and Beets. It is referred to as a ‘pseudo cereal’ as it is cooked and eaten in a similar way to grains and cereals, and can be ground into flour, but it’s not a grain at all. It’s the best non-meat source of complete protein, is suitable for people who cannot tolerate wheat or gluten, full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties, it’s high in antioxidants, high in fibre and is easily digestible.

To prepare it, you bring one part quinoa to two parts water to a boil with a lid on, reduce heat and simmer until all the water has been absorbed.

The Granola lovers in our house (my husband and I and our eldest son) are enjoying this in the mornings with greek yoghurt and fresh berries. I actually look forward to getting out of bed for this…. oh and my coffee too!

Almond, Cranberry and Quinoa Granola

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup cooked quinoa (you’ll need approx 1/3 – 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa to make this quantity)

1/2 cup pepita seeds (pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 cup chopped mixed nuts (I used Almonds and Hazelnuts)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Mix oats, quinoa, seeds, nuts and cinnamon in a bowl.

Add honey, vanilla and coconut oil (it hardens at room temperature, so melt it in the microwave first) and stir till combined and everything is moist.

Spread the mixture out on a large flat baking tray lined with baking paper.

Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, taking the tray out and stirring the mixture around every 5 minutes or so. You will find the outside parts will brown a lot quicker thsn the middle, so it’s best to keep moving it around so it cooks evenly.

With 5 minutes to go, add the shredded coconut.

Once it is golden brown, remove from the oven and leave to cool. It will harden into a lovely crunchy Granola as it cools. Stir in the dried cranberries.

Place in an airtight container. It can last for up to 2 weeks, but it never actually lasts that long in our house!

March 18, 2015 / emma@cookfasteatslow.com Leave a comment

Egg free Chocolate Chip Cookies

A couple of our children’s friends have egg allergies. This recipe was created so I could offer them something yummy when they come to our house for a party or a play. They have become our favourite Chocolate Chip cookie. They are crispy on the outside and chewy in the centre and especially good eaten straight out of the oven!

Egg free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes approximately 35 cookies

Ingredients

250gm unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tin of condensed milk (I freeze the other 1/2 for the next time I want to make a batch)

1 cup self raising flour

1 cup plain flour

3/4 cup oats (or a full cup if you love oaty biscuits)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

250gm packet of dark chocolate chips (you can use milk if you prefer)

Method