Grandma's Kitchen Table

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Hummingbird Slice

      My sixteenth recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay was Hummingbird Slice (Click on the recipe for link to it), chosen by Gaye.

      I made just a small size of this recipe, half of it fit nicely into a 6"x6" square baking pan, not because I didn't think we would eat it all, but because I figured we did not to be eating it all...we had some birthday cake and some of last week's TWD BwJ Lemon Loaf hanging around yet.
     The cake goes together quickly and easily once you have all the ingredients measured out.  It bakes nicely (my little pan baked for 22 minutes and the cake was done). 

     The flavors are very similar to carrot cake here in the States, except there is banana in this and no raisins.  It is not frosted like the traditional carrot cake here, with cream cheese frosting, but rather honey is drizzled over the top when serving.  The honey was nice, but I think the cake can stand on its own without additional sweetening as it is plenty sweet as it is.  (Donna Hay is Australian so her recipes reflect her nationality and the food there, which is all rather fun to have a slightly different take on things at times.)

      Mark loves carrot cake so it is no surprise that this was a big hit for him and he has been taking it in his lunch and eating a little at night.  I thought it was delicious as well.  (Originally I was going to give the whole of it away but Mark thought he would like to keep it and perhaps I could make something else to give away, obviously this was a hit.) 

      Gaye's post on this is here and Margaret's post is here at some point today (I know she made it because we baked it together Monday).

      Next week the little group is going into hiatus for the summer and will be back in August, as I understand it.  That said, I am going to continue to make DH recipes and post as I don't want to lose the great fresh produce of summer and I am love, love, loving her recipes for their ease, simplicity, and nutritional value...hopefully I will get one posted each week. 

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Lemon and Dill Smoked Salmon Pasta

      My fifteenth recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay was Lemon and Dill Smoked Salmon Pasta (Click on the recipe for link to it.) 

      I am going to be truthful here, this is Mark's plate as I am not a big fan of smoked salmon (very salty), so I just made it for him as he does like it (salt is one of his favorite food groups, witness his love affair with anything potato chip).

      The recipe is easy and goes together quickly, the longest part being the time it takes to boil the pasta. He enjoyed it very much. This serving (supposedly for one) was enough for dinner with some left to take for lunch tomorrow. 

      Gaye's post on this is here and Chaya's (this recipe was her choice for us this week) post on this is here. 

      Next week, April 25th, is Gaye's selection for dessert:  Hummingbird Slice, click here for the recipe if you would like to join us.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Soft Poached Eggs with Sweet Potato Hash Browns

      My fourteenth recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay was Soft Poached Eggs with Sweet Potato Hash Browns (Click on the recipe for link to it.) 

      I wasn't going to make this recipe as we are not fond of runny eggs.  At all. Ever.  I figured if I wasn't going to make the recipe true to the way she wrote it that maybe I just wouldn't make it as it wouldn't be her recipe if I changed it.  I also was a little skeptical about sweet potatoes going with all of this in hash brown form.  I thought about it long and hard and I told Margaret (it was her pick) and Gaye that I was going to skip it. 

      Then I woke up one morning and decided that it sounded good, if I didn't have to have the runny egg part.  So I lightly fried the egg just past runny and made the rest of it exactly as she wrote it. 

      Those sweet potato hash browns are really good, and they work very nicely with the asparagus and egg.  The sauce on top has horseradish in it so it has a nice little kick that is perfect with the whole thing. A skeptic no more.  I would definitely make this one again for brunch, it was delicious.

      Gaye's post on this is here and Margaret's post is here.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Red Wine Osso Buco

      My thirteenth recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay was Red Wine Osso Buco (Click on the recipe for link to it.) 

      I have never made or eaten Osso Buco before so I was a little intimidated by this recipe.  For starters, I didn't even know how to buy veal or beef shin (shank) as I had never cooked with it before.  Turns out they are readily available in the butcher's meat case, I just didn't really take notice of them before.  Not to worry as this recipe is extremely friendly and turns out perfectly just as written. 

      It's all fairly easy, goes together quickly, simmers on the stovetop for a long bit, and makes guys really happy with the end result.  You see this plate of food?  That was Mark's plate and he ate it in its entirety (well, not the large sized bone and trimmings, of course) as he really liked the taste of the meat cooked this way.  I served it with mashed potatoes and carrots as those are his favorites with a meal like this, they were good choices.  I ate a third of the piece of meat and it was filling enough, the flavor is meaty and has a depth of flavor from the ingredients (beef simmered in wine and beef broth, how bad can that be, right?). 

      Definitely a repeat, especially now that I know how easy it is to buy this kind of meat and how nicely the recipe goes together. 

      Gaye's post on this is here and Margaret's post is here.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Roasted Capsicum (Red Pepper) and Chicken Bruschetta

      My twelfth recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay was Roasted Capsicum and Chicken Bruschetta (Click on the recipe for link to it.) 

      I love little meals on bruschetta. This is a great recipe as you have most all of your food groups in one nice neat little packet served on it's own little edible plate.  And, of course, it all tastes wonderfully delicious, sourdough bread, chicken, tomato, red peppers, basil...all good together with a light homemade drizzle of oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

      It's always nice to have a recipe that you can serve cold, hot, or room temperature so this one covers all that.  I haven't quite yet figured out how to eat it neatly as it doesn't do very well with a fork and knife (sourdough is a little stretchy to cut through at times)...so this might need to be something I just make for lunch at home and not cart about with me for school lunches, etc.  That said, this will be on the lunch menu around here, and the change-outs are endless for a recipe like this...definitely a repeat. 

      Gaye's post on this is here.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Baked Mozzarella and Tomato Dip

      My eleventh recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay was Baked Mozzarella and Tomato Dip (Click on the recipe for link to it.) 

      This recipe could not be easier, and surprisingly, it has a nice depth of flavor and is a great little dip to serve, just some crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic, and spices, and you are good to go.  She recommended serving it with Lebanese Crisps. 

       It's delicious and healthy, beats those mayo/sour cream dips when you are looking for a healthy alternative. I liked the spicing in this recipe a lot. I also served it as a dip with some Italian Pepperoni Rolls that I made today and it was wonderful for those (post on the bread coming Saturday). 

      Gaye's post on this is here, Margaret's post is here, and Chaya's post is here.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Beef Burgers

      My tenth recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay was Beef Burgers (Click on the recipe for link to it.) 

      This recipe was interesting...the burger mix reminded me a lot of one of the meatloaf recipes I use, so it was a little more substantial than a plain meat burger.  It also was supposed to be topped with beets but I figured if I even came remotely near this thing with a beet (not a favorite or even close with the guys), that I alone would be eating it, so I left the beets off. 

      Maybe someday I will put a piece of beet on mine just to try it out as it does sound interesting and Gaye liked it very much, but for this time, I just left the whole thing off.  It had plenty on it as it was...lettuce, tomato, onion...this was a huge burger when it was all piled up.  Since Gaye had made hers before I did and noted this, I smashed my patty down a bit when I was forming it so it wouldn't be quite so high and that did help reduce the height.

      This was a really good burger and I would make it again sometime...probably going to retitle it "Meatloaf Burger" as that is definitely what it reminds me of...a good thing indeed, rather like a meatloaf sandwich in burger form.  Big hit with the guys.

      Gaye's post on this is here, and Margaret's post is here.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Bacon and Roasted Tomato Omelette

      My ninth recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay was Bacon and Roasted Tomato Omelette (Click on the recipe for link to it.) 

      Love, love, loved this recipe.  It's very simple, no fancy ingredients, and takes hardly any time at all...roasting the tomatoes being the thing that took the longest, which was the time I used for assembling the ingredients, plate, etc. for the rest of it. 

      I not only would make this again, I have made it a couple of times since the original time.  I have also used the roasted tomatoes to top a spinach salad and that was wonderful as well.  The tomatoes are roasted with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and black pepper.  Oh, my goodness this is a wonderful combination. Definitely a recipe that is going to see more than occasional action around here.

      Gaye's post on this is here.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Blue Cheese and Caramelised Onion Brioche

      My eighth recipe with Wednesday with Donna Hay was Blue Cheese and Caramelised Onion Brioche (Click on the recipe for link to it.) 

      This recipe caught my attention as it had some old favorites, i.e. apples, onions, and blue cheese.  It seemed a little too substantial for just a snack, so I made it for lunch as I knew Mark would enjoy the flavor combination as well.  Big hit. 

      The recipe comes together quickly once you have the onions caramelized, and the flavors all come through individually, which I love.  The Granny Smith apple is the way to go as it has a strong and assertive apple taste which works well with the onions and the strong cheese, a less assertive apple would have been lost.  I would definitely make this again for an easy, quick, and flavorful lunch.  In fact, maybe tomorrow.

      Gaye's post on this is here.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Beef and Cashew Stir-Fry

      Our seventh recipe here at Wednesday with Donna Hay was chosen by Gaye and is Beef and Cashew Stir-Fry.  (Click on the recipe for link to it.) 

      I don't make stir-fry near enough and I'm not sure why because stir-fry recipes are usually full of healthy veggies and moderate amounts of meat go a long way, not to mention you can prep everything beforehand and have it ready to go for quick assembly and cooking.  This recipe met all those happy circumstances and was delicious as well. 

      The only thing that I changed in the entire recipe was that I used sweet red bell pepper instead of red chili peppers because I am not that fond of a lot of heat.  I did add a pinch of red pepper flakes to give it a little kick, and I thought that worked really well.  I served it over jasmine rice as was suggested in the recipe.  Excellent dinner.

      I would definitely make this again for an easy, quick, and flavorful dinner.  Gaye's post on this is here.  Next week, we are making Bleu Cheese and Caramelized Onion Brioche, click here for the recipe, and please feel free to join us.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Potato and Parmesan Soup with Parsley Pesto

      Our sixth recipe here at Wednesday with Donna Hay was chosen by me and is Potato and Parmesan Soup with Parsley Pesto.  (Click on the recipe for link to it.)

      I love soup for lunch, no matter the season, soup for lunch is just great.  Yesterday I made French Onion Soup and today I made this soup...lucky me, soup for lunch two days in a row.  (And Rebecca, if you reading this and end up being stuck on singing Soup on Your Head by Soupy George all day, it is only fair because I can't get that song out of my mind since you put it there last week.) 

      Loved this soup.  It's easy, it's inexpensive to make, it feels like more than it is, and it is a whole lot of fun with that extra kick of pesto on the top.  Delicious!  This is definitely a repeat.  (Note:  this soup is rich and filling, so while the recipe says it makes enough to serve 4, I would say that you could easily feed twice that number with it as a really big bowl of this would be too much with the richness of it. Serve a small bowl for lunch with a little salad or for dinner as a first course.  Just my opinion, however.) 

      Gaye's post on this is here.  Margaret's post is here.  Chaya's post is here.  Next week, we are making Beef and Cashew Stir-fry, feel free to join us.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Puffed Cheese Omelette

      Our fifth recipe here at Wednesday with Donna Hay was chosen by Gaye and is Puffed Cheese Omelette.  (Click on the recipe for link to it.)

      I have made many versions of omelettes over the years, but I have never made one like this, or for that matter, tasted one like this.  From now on, all other omelettes will pale in comparison.  This is my new go-to omelette recipe. 

      What's the big deal about a really puffy omelette, you might be asking.  It's really really good.  The ingredients can be changed, of course, as all omelettes are subject usually to whatever is hanging around the frig or whatever you are in the mood to buy at the store for them, but it's the technique in this omelette that makes it such a different being. 

      The eggs are separated, the yolks combined with a few ingredients, and then the whites are whipped into stiff peaks and folded into the yolk mixture.  The result is a fluffy, puffy omelette that is light and melts in your mouth. 

      In this version, the mascarpone cheese is placed along one edge and oozes out when the top is folded over...creating instant eye appeal for cheese lovers.  That would be me.  And Mark.  I made one for breakfast on Sunday and we shared it, I took a third and he ate the other two-thirds.  A third seemed like the size of a regular 2-egg omelette because of the puffiness, so with only 2 eggs in the whole recipe, you get a very large omelette with the puffiness of it.  We loved that slightly crisp outside from where it sizzled in the butter in the pan, crisp on the outside and puffy creamy on the inside.
      Anyway, try this one...a few extra steps with whipping the whites but, believe me, you will fall in love.   This is definitely a repeat. 

      Gaye's post on these is here and Margaret's post is here.  Next week, we are making Potato and Parmesan Soup with Parsley Pesto, feel free to join us.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Brown-Buttered Beans

      Our fourth recipe here at Wednesday with Donna Hay was chosen by Gaye and is Brown-Buttered Beans.  These are easy and quick to make and are a delicious combination of flavors. 

      Ingredients:  green beans, butter, pine nuts, lemon, freshly ground black pepper.      

      While Gaye is in Australia and fresh green beans are probably lovely there this time of year being summer and all, the best I could come up with in the way of fresh green beans were ones that were rather more developed than we like, sort of with over-developed beans in the center and not all that appealing, so this recipe is a great way to make these sorts of beans more tasty. 

      Start with the best beans you can get obviously and then with the addition of the nuttiness of the browned butter, the extra buttery nuttiness of the pine nuts, and the bright pop of the lemon and pepper, you end up with a very tasty side vegetable for dinner.  I can't wait to try this with the nice new green beans in the late spring, early summer. 

      I really like having new recipes that are easy and quick for side vegetables, so it is great to find one that makes the most of fresh green beans this time of year, kind of like roasting tomatoes this time of year as the ones in the stores have very little real tomato flavor.  This is definitely a repeat. 

      Gaye's post on these is here.  Next week, we are making a Puffed Cheese Omlette, so if you would like to make it, here is the recipe.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Sticky Chicken Parcels

      Our third recipe here at Wednesday with Donna Hay was chosen by me and is Sticky Chicken Parcels.  These are easy to make, contain easy to find ingredients (you could easily change up the combination of veggies), and are delicious, a lovely combination of flavors. 

      Ingredients for the parcels:  chicken breasts (thighs would work nicely as well), soy sauce, plum sauce, garlic, carrot, red bell pepper, leek, ginger, baby corn, basil and butter. 

      Other than the taste, of course, my favorite thing about this recipe is that the packets are made as a little parchment parcels so you can assemble the parcels all ahead of time, place them in the refrigerator, and pull them out when it is time to bake them.  They bake for about 20-25 minutes and would be perfect for busy nights or for times when you are cooking dinner for others and don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen away from your guests.
      I served them with rice as the recipe suggested, and a small salad.  Definitely a repeat. 

      Gaye's post on these is here.  Next week, we are making Brown-buttered Beans, so if you would like to make them, here is the recipe.

Wednesday with Donna Hay - Smoked Ham and Cheese Toasties

      This year my blogging friend Gaye from Australia and I are determined to make use of our Donna Hay recipes, cookbooks, etc., so we are hoping to commit to Donna Hay Wednesdays (Gaye likes that it rhymes and of course, it rhymes with "Gaye" as well) and the two of us (and whoever else would like to join in the fun) are going to make recipes from the DH website where she has recipes already posted and we don't have to worry about any copyright problems, we can just link to the recipe...which also means if anyone wants the recipe, they can also get it this way. 

      Since Gaye and I are 16 hours apart in time zones and forever the opposite seasons, we are not going to try to actually cook this at the exact same time, but just rather cook the same thing and post it each week on Wednesdays.  This is especially necessary since our common hours of daily activity, i.e. being awake and productive are 3 p.m.-10 p.m. my time, at which time she is busy at work lawyering down there in Melbourne from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. her time.  When she is posting her recipe, it is still Tuesday here for me (Wednesday post) and when I am posting the recipe (Wednesday post), it is Thursday for her...one can see why Gaye and I are meeting up in cyberspace only at this particular time.  It will be interesting learning all these differences and which are seasonal ingredients there for her, could be quite challenging as she is having summer right now and I am having winter! 

      Our second recipe was chosen by Gaye and is Smoked Ham and Cheese Toasties.  They are easy to make, contain easy to find ingredients, and are easy to share around if you can't eat the whole one because this makes a very big sandwich (the above photo is half of a sandwich). 

      Grilled cheese sandwiches are favorites at our house, using just the right bread to get just the right crunchy texture on the outside with the creamy melted cheese on the inside, it's hard to beat a really good grilled cheese sandwich. 

      This sandwich has bread, Swiss Cheese, shaved smoked ham, Dijon mustard, and a creamy cheese sauce inside the sandwich made with more Swiss Cheese.  Totally wonderful.  I made as stated this first time and made note that half the recipe for the cheese sauce would be plenty for the next go at it as it makes a lot of cheese sauce.  Definitely a repeat. 

      Check the recipe out here.  Gaye's post on the first and second recipes is here.  Next week, we are making Sticky Chicken parcels, so if you would like to make them, here is the recipe.

Twitter Chef Avatar Fun: Donna Hay's Roasted Pistachio and Honey Yogurt

 

      We are having a bit of avatar fun over at Twitter, my baking/cooking pals and I, just to shake things up a bit and confuse everyone each month as to who is who and all.  Nancy came up with the great idea of each of us picking a different chef for each month, all of us making anything we each selected to make from that chef's recipes, taking a photo of our efforts, and using that photo as our avatar for that month.  It has been a great way to learn new chefs and cook something in their repertoire. 

      January's avatar chef is Donna Hay, chosen by myself.  I have two of Donna Hay's cookbooks:  Off the Shelf and New Food Fast, which have been shamefully neglected.  I hope to correct that this year, so January is a good place to begin. 

      My blogging friend Gaye, from Australia who baked in Tuesdays with Dorie and French Fridays with Dorie with me, expressed a desire to cook more Donna Hay recipes, so we are hoping to explore them together this year.  Donna Hay is actually Australian and if you would like to learn more about her, here is her site.  

      What attracts me to her recipes are their simplicity and the clean healthy appearances of them...the books I have contain a photo for each recipe (nice to know where one is headed and all) and the recipes are simply and clearly written.  Each recipe is beautifully presented (check out the recipe links on her site and I'm sure you will agree.)  Like I said, shamefully neglected on my shelves as each time I look through them I am determined to cook more from them and somehow that day has not arrived...until now. 

      I'm starting off with a simple recipe that I thought would make a delightful breakfast (or snack) and also make a pretty avatar.  This recipe is all that, and very fast/easy to make and eat!  Delicious!

Roasted Pistachio and Honey Yogurt

Adapted From New Food Fast by Donna Hay

 

 

Pour honey into the base of a small glass or bowl (I used a tablespoon of honey in this small glass).

 
Sprinkle with coarsely chopped roasted pistachios (I used a tablespoon of nuts).
Top with thick creamy yogurt (I used about 3 ounces of yogurt).

 
Delve spoon through the layers to the bottom and drag it through the layers to get a bit of each with each bite.