Zucchini Cheesecake/Slice

A couple of months ago, I found myself browsing the book section of a department store one day when I picked up 'I Quit Sugar' by Sarah Wilson. While I am not one in favour of giving up sugar in all its forms, I am definitely in favour of consuming good things in moderation. For me, it's all about less and best. I am a conscientious eater, but when it comes to special occasions, I believe we should all be able to have a little cake. And if you know that that cake was made from scratch with love and the very best ingredients, then all the more reason to enjoy it guilt-free!

So why would I get the book then? While I love making cakes, coming up with new flavours, and so on.. I do have to be careful. If I were to eat cake all the time not only would I be the size of a house, but I wouldn't feel too crash hot either. 'I Quit Sugar' offers lots of useful advice about how we can cut back on sugar in everyday eating, plus it has loads of great healthy recipes. There are lots of high-protein recipes too, which as we all know goes a long way in keeping us full longer and keeps us from raiding the cookie jar at 3pm. And as a vegetarian, I'm always thinking about my protein intake!

In the book this dish is called a zucchini cheesecake, but I prefer to call it a 'slice' as in my mind a anything ending in 'cake' ought to be sweet. Hrmmm... but then again, I suppose banana bread really ought to be banana cake, because there's nothing savoury or bread like about it, is there?! This slice is listed in the breakfast section of the book. When we have this at breakfast I love it with some thyme roasted tomatoes and wilted spinach. I have enjoyed this at lunch and dinner too. It's great alongside a salad with a zingy lemony dressing. Ricotta is a good source of calcium and protein, so not only is this yum, but it's good for you too!

After making this a few times myself, I suggest you to opt for a good quality full fat ricotta from a proper deli rather than a supermarket. It really does make the difference for this recipe. For those of you in Brisbane, try New Farm Deli, Ingredients Deli in Kenmore, or Fruity Capers Deli in Toowong Village. All three are purveyors of quality cheeses.

Zucchini Cheesecake
Recipe from 'I Quit Sugar' by Sarah Wilson. Serves 8

Ingredients
coconut oil, butter or ghee for greasing
2-3 large zucchini
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
550g ricotta
1/3 cup grated parmesan*
2 green shallots (or 'green salad onions' as they are called in supermarkets here in Australia), chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped dill
zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, well beaten
1/3 cup crumbled fetta**

* Original recipe calls for a whopping 3/4 cup of parmesan, but I found this much too salty.
** I think Dodoni or Bulgarian work well

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius and grease a 23cm cake tin or medium sized baking dish.
2. Grate the zucchini - you need 2 cups grated zucchini. Combine the zucchini and salt in a colander or sturdy sieve and let sit for 15 minutes, then use your fingers or a spoon to press out as much moisture as you can.
3. Combine the ricotta, parmesan, shallots, garlic, dill and lemon zest, then stir in the eggs and zucchini.
4. Pour into the dish and bake for 1 hour. Sprinkle with the fetta then return to the oven for 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted. The slice is est when left to cool completely so that it sets properly. Serve at room temperature.

If you end up making this I hope you enjoy it! I look forward to bringing you some more of my favourite recipes from this wonderful book. Kudos, Sarah Wilson!

xx

Rhubarb, Vanilla and Almond Semi-Freddo

Another instalment as part of my Cookbook of the Month feature! This time it's a semi-freddo recipe by Kate Bracks. Semi-freddo is Italian for 'half cold' and is a great alternative to ice cream if you don't own an ice cream machine or, if you're like me and you do own one, but you simply have no room in your freezer to pre-freeze the bowl! It has a lovely texture, much like a frozen mousse I'd say.The other good thing about this recipe, quite obviously, is that rhubarb is the star ingredient! I am so happy to see rhubarb available once again! Rhubarb haters and nay-sayers like Mr Ladybird won't getting very excited about a dish like this, but then again, more for the rest of us! This keeps in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Although you don't need an ice cream machine for this, I would recommend use of electric hand beaters as per Kate's recipe. I don't own electric hand beaters so used a whisk, and I just about whisked my arm off in the process!

Rhubarb, Vanilla and Almond Semi-Freddo
Recipe from 'The Sweet Life' by Kate Bracks (with some notes from me in italics).


Ingredients
300g rhubarb, washed
100ml orange juice
1 tbsp caster sugar
4 egg yolks
75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped*
300ml pouring cream
70g (1/2 cup) silvered almonds, lightly toasted
* I replaced with with half a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste

Method
1. Spray a 22cm x 8cm (base measurement) loaf tin with oil spray and line with baking paper, extending over the two long sides. Place into the freezer.

2. Trim the rhubarb and chop into 2cm pieces. Combine with the orange juice and 1 tablespoon caster sugar in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 8-10 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb has collapsed and the liquid has become slightly syrupy. At this point I recommend tasting the rhubarb mixture. If you find it too tart add caster sugar to taste. Transfer to a bowl to cool completely.

3. Combine the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla seeds in a heatproof bowl that fits snugly over a saucepan of gently simmering water (ensure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl). Use electric hand beaters to whisk until the mixture is thick and pale, and has reached about 85 degrees celcius on a sugar thermometer (if you don't have a sugar thermometer, it should be too hot to leave your finger in there!).

4. Tip the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on slow speed until it has returned to room temperature.

5. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks.

6. Fold together the cooled egg mixture and cream until combined thoroughly. Stir in the cooled rhubarb and toasted almonds.

7. Tip the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for a minimum of 5 hours, but preferably overnight, until firm.

8. Allow the semi-freddo to soften slightly before scooping into serving bowls (I simply sliced mine like a terrine instead).


Ladybird x

Classic Banana Bread

Good afternoon!

Here is the third recipe I am sharing from this month's Cookbook of the Month, 'The Sweet Life' by Kate Bracks. Yes, this is another basic recipe, but that is what I am loving about this book. Each chapter of the book is divided into two sections: The basics; and, Beyond the basics. Sometimes something simple is all you want, and it's recipes like these that I feel are the litmus test to a cookbook.

Ahhh the simple things.. a good banana bread would definitely be among them, but here are my top ten favourite simple things (in no particular order) :

1. A hot shower
2. A good cup of coffee
3. A warm hug
4. Clean bed sheets
5. My pillow
6. A good night's sleep
7. The smell that fills the house when something is baking
8. My baby's smile
9. Putting my feet up at the end of a long day
10. A nice glass of wine

Out of everything on this list, the one thing that eludes me most is a good night's sleep. We're pretty sure The Emperor is teething now as we can feel a sharp little gnasher starting to poke through his lower gums, so the poor guy is obviously in quite a bit of discomfort. This means frequent night waking and not much sleep for Mummy dearest... Who knows when the day will come that I get a full night's rest again, I have almost forgotten what it feels like it's been so long. But when it does come, it will be so utterly, utterly delicious!


American Banana Bread with Walnuts
Recipe from 'The Sweet Life' by Kate Bracks


Ingredients

100g regular (i.e salted) butter, at room temperature, chopped
220g (1 cup) caster sugar
2 eggs
2 very ripe large bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g (2 cups) self-raising flour
60ml (1/4 cup) buttermilk (or milk with a squeeze of lemon juice)
50g (1/2 cup) walnuts, chopped*
*Simply omit if you're not a fan of walnuts in your banana bread

Method


1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius. Grease a 21cm x 10cm (base measurement) loaf tin and line the base with baking paper, extending over the two long sides.

2. Use electric beaters to cream the butter and sugar until pale. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the mashed banana and vanilla extract. Sift the flour into the mixture. Add the buttermilk, and fold through until thoroughly combined. Stir through the walnuts.

3. Spoon into the loaf tin, and bake for 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This is a great classic banana bread recipe. So after testing three of her basic recipes I'm happy to give all three the thumbs up, and I look forward to trying out some of the 'Beyond the basics' recipes soon. Stay tuned!

Ladybird xxx

Cookbook of the Month - April 2012

Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you're enjoying some quality time with your loved ones over the Easter break.

Today I am delighted to let you all know that the Cookbook of the Month feature is back on Diary of a Ladybird! This month's featured cookbook comes from the 2011 winner of MasterChef Australia, Kate Bracks. Her newly released book 'The Sweet Life' is a sweet book indeed, a compilation of mouth-watering dessert recipes. Some will ring a bell to the MasterChef fans out there with recipes such as Kate's apple pie, coffee cake and her date and hazelnut torte. But there are plenty of fantastic looking, fresh and innovative  recipes too and and I'm so excited to share some of them with you all as I taste-test my way through the book.

Here is the first recipe I've tried so far - a great basic chocolate cake. This one is great for getting little ones involved in the kitchen, and I think the result is one that would please kids and adults alike. A great texture and not too sweet.. am definitely going to make this one again!

The Australian colloquialism 'bung' essentially means to quickly throw together, so this is the type of cake recipe where you throw it all in a bowl, stir it together, and you're done! :)

Bung-In Chocolate Cake
From 'The Sweet Life' by Kate Bracks


Cake
300g (2 cups) self-raising flour
350g (1.5 cups) caster sugar
35g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
350ml (1 1/3 cups) milk
150g butter, melted*
* Kate notes in her introduction that, in all her recipes, she recommends the use of regular (i.e. salted) butter rather than unsalted butter.

Icing
200g (1 1/4 cups) icing sugar mixture
2 tbsp cocoa powder
30g butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Grease a 23cm (base measurement) square tin and line the base with baking paper.

2. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the wet ingredients. Whisk gently, gradually taking in the dry ingredients from the side of the bowl. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth.

3. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then run a knife around the edge to separate the cake from the tin. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To make the icing, sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract, and enough milk to get it to a paste consistency, stirring vigorously until smooth. You may not need all the milk. If it is too thick, add more milk. If it is too runny, add more icing mixture.

5. Once the cake has cooled, smother the top with chocolate icing.

Nom nom nom... stay tuned for more from 'The Sweet Life'!

Ladybird xxx

A Floral Themed High Tea at Patisse

I recently had the pleasure of attending a lovely high tea at Patisse in Sydney.. not just any high tea, but one created by Vincent Gadan and the hardworking team at Patisse in Waterloo. Does the name ring a bell? It may for all those Masterchef fans out there. Vincent Gadan is the talented, French-born pastry chef who faced up to (and won) a roast challenge against Hayden. He also appeared again on the series for a masterclass with some of the contestants. Recognise those score cards in the frame on the table?

When I learnt that Patisse was starting monthly themed high teas I jumped at the chance, and I attended their high tea debut on July 31st. The theme? Floral: Rose, lavender and violet. But no scones and clotted cream in sight here - this was a french take on high tea.

The selection of sweets and savouries for guests was as follows:

Savoury

Wagyu Pie – cocktail size

Spinach and Feta Quiche – Cocktail size

Chicken Sandwich finger

Roast vegetable sandwich finger

Sweet

Lavender Madeline

Pistachio and rose cake

Violet Tropeziennes

Verrine of Lavender

Some pictures of the food for you to drool over. First, our roasted vegetable finger sandwiches...

Spinach and feta quiches fresh out of the oven, the pastry buttery and flaky... mmmm!

The beautiful sweets plate... a bouquet of flavours and textures!

Check out this thing of beauty - the verrine of lavender... I gave this one a miss as I don't eat gelatine, but it was certainly pretty to look at.

And lastly, the sweet highlight from the high tea for me.. the Pistachio and Rose Cake - a beautifully moist cake coated with pistachios and topped with orange blossom yoghurt and rose petals... absolutely lovely.

We also enjoyed a tea tasting as part of the high tea, something I have never experienced before. We sampled beautiful teas by a new Australian company called The Rabbit Hole. Their organic teas were selected to accompany the floral theme of the high tea, and they were beautiful! In fact, you'll actually be hearing more about them on my blog soon.. so stay tuned tea lovers!

Towards the end of the high tea we were all introduced to Vincent who welcomed us and spoke about the menu he created for the day.

All in all an enjoyable high tea, and definitely something a little different from many high tea offerings in Sydney. Check out the Patisse website for information about upcoming high tea events.

Ladybird and guest attended high tea as guests of Patisse

Patisse
Shop G01, PYD Building
197 Young St
Waterloo NSW
Ph: (02) 9690 0665

http://www.patisse.com.au/
Monday to Saturday, 8:30am to 4pm

Sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and almond praline

How are we all going with Masterchef this season? Or do you watch it at all...? I guess I can only speak for myself and what I've heard from my family and friends... It is great to have Masterchef back on again (and I never quite got into the whole celebrity/children's versions). However, I must say, I'm not enjoying it as much as I did the first season, even the second season.. I am no longer a 'religious' viewer, and nor do my family and friends follow it with the same fervour as they once did. I'm not quite sure what it is, but it seems to me that Masterchef has become a little larger than life, a little over-dramatic perhaps... At any rate, may the best cook win!

Regardless of your sentiments on the show, please allow me to take all you Masterchef fans on a nostalgic journey back to Season 1 in 2009. Do you remember the Sticky date pudding challenge?! How many of you bookmarked the recipe on the website and never got around to making it..? Anyone? Well, I know I did.. cleaning up my bookmarks recently I decided it was high time I got around to it making it!

This is a winter classic -absolutely wonderful :)

Sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and almond praline
Recipe from Masterchef Australia (Season 1)

Ingredients

180g dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1¼ cups (310ml) water
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¾ cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar
60g butter, softened and chopped
2 eggs
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

Almond praline
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
¼ cup (35g) slivered almonds

Butterscotch sauce
50g butter
1 cup (220g) brown sugar
1 cup (250ml) cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
 1. Preheat oven to 180˚C (160˚C fan-forced). Lightly grease eight (½ cup capacity) metal dariole moulds.

2. Place dates and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Remove from the heat. Add bicarbonate of soda, stir until dates start to break down, set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

3. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl using a hand beater, gradually add eggs one at a time, beat until light and fluffy.

4. Add date mixture, stir to combine. Carefully fold through sifted flour, divide mixture evenly between the eight moulds, until 2/3 full.

5. Place moulds in a baking tray, carefully pour water in tray until it comes up 1/3 of the side of the moulds. Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until golden and skewer comes out clean.

6. Meanwhile, for the almond praline, combine sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan over medium heat and cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden. Scatter almonds onto a baking paper-lined oven tray, pour over caramel and cool until set. Break praline into pieces.

7. For the butterscotch sauce, combine butter, sugar, cream and vanilla in small saucepan over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring sauce to the boil, reduce heat and cook for 5-6 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.

8. To serve, invert the hot pudding onto a serving plate, top with butterscotch sauce and shards of praline.


CUPCAKE variation
As I only have 4 dariole moulds, I used the leftover pudding batter to make some delicious cupcakes!

Here's how...

Sticky date cupcakes with butterscotch buttercream and almond praline
makes 10-12 cupcakes

Cupcakes
For the cupcakes, follow the above pudding recipe and divide among a cupcake paper lined muffin tin, filling each three-quarters. Bake at 180 degrees celsius on an upper shelf for 30 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Sit in tin for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Butterscotch buttercream
Cream 125g softened unsalted butter, 1½ cups sifted icing sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add 4-5 tablespoons cooled butterscotch sauce (recipe provided above) in an electric mixer until the desired consistency is achieved. Pipe or spread over the cooled cupcakes, and finish with a shard of the almond praline (recipe provided above).


So tell me, if you are a viewer, what are your thoughts on the current season of Masterchef Australia?

Ladybird x