Chai Latte

Chai Latte

Ingredients

1/2 cinnamon stick
8 cloves
8 cardamon pods
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 vanilla bean, slit in half
1 dessert spoon of black tea
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of honey
300ml of milk

Method

Simmer everything except the black tea for about 10 minutes on a low heat. Stir the black tea into the hot milk and steep for about a minute then pour through a sieve or tea strainer into heated glasses.

Banana and Kaffir Lime Cocktail

my own recipe

Ingredients

1 banana
1 cup of milk
1 kaffir lime leaf
1 teaspoon of palm sugar
handful of ice cubes
60ml white rum

Method

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend for one minute or until smooth.

Atlantic salmon on warm potato salad with tomato relish

my own recipe

Ingredients

2 Atlantic salmon fillets
2 waxy red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp whole salted capers, rinsed
good squeeze of lemon juice
splash of olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, seasoned and quartered
4 spring onions
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
fresh basil, parsley and rocket leaves
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 180°.
Boil the potatoes in sated water until tender, drain and mix with mustard, capers, lemon juice and olive oil.
Fry the tomatoes and spring onions in olive oil with balsamic vinegar for 3 minutes, take off the heat and stir in basil, parsley and rocket leaves.
Season the salmon, and fry in a non-stick pan with a splash of olive oil until there is a golden crust on both sides, then put in the oven for 3 minutes.
Serve with a lemon wedge.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Braised Lamb Shanks with White Wine and Rosemary

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
5 lamb shanks
12 shallots, peeled
3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons tomato paste
250ml dry white wine
1 bulb of garlic separated into cloves but not peeled
3 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
leaves from 2 rosemary sprigs
leaves from a small bunch of thyme, about 1 tablespoon
1 bay leaf
800ml fresh chicken stock, preferably organic
2 tablespoons of fresh mint, roughly chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Season the lamb all over with salt and pepper and fry for 10 - 15 minutes until browned on all sides.
While the lamb is browning heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan or casserole and fry the shallots and carrots for 10 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Preheat oven to 180°.
Remove the cooked lamb from the frying pan. Add the white wine to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon making sure to get all the richly flavored sediment from the bottom of the pan.
Add the shanks to the casserole and stir in the deglazed pan juices, garlic, tomatoes, herbs and stock. The liquid should just cover the lamb. Cover and simmer on the stove or in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the lamb is tender. Adjust seasoning and scatter with chopped mint leaves just before serving.

Serve with mashed potato.

Galangal and Chicken Soup

Tom Ka Gai

Ingredients

5 or 6 thin slices of galangal
500ml coconut milk
250ml chicken stock
2 chicken breast fillets, cut into thin strips
1-2 teaspoons finely chopped red chillies
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1-2 teaspoons palm sugar
1/4 cup coriander leaves
1/4 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
5 button mushrooms, sliced

Method

Combine galangal, coconut milk and stock in a medium pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chicken, onion, mushroom and chillies and simmer for 8 minutes. Add the fish sauce and sugar making sure the sugar has completely dissolved.
Add the coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Food Goals 2008

My food goals for this year

1. Learn about and cook food from:
- Greece Baklava, Lahanodolmades
- The Caribbean and Jamaica Caribbean Lamb with Pineapple
- France Braised Lamb Shanks, Rillons

2. Learn to make:
- The best tasting pizza
- Quesadillas Complete
- Soufflé Raspberry Soufflé, Chocolate Soufflé

3. Buy these books
- Thai Food by David Thompson Complete
- Cook with Jamie by Jamie Oliver Complete

4. Cook with these ingredients
- Basil seeds
- Galangal Tom Ka Gai
- Scallops
- Saffron
- Agar Agar
- Pandan leaves

5. Find somewhere that sells Masa Harina in Australia and make tortillas Complete

6. Cook a Thai banquet for my friends

7. Find some really good recipes for seafood especially scallops, crab and fish Salmon w Potato Salad and Tomato Relish

8. Make pasta from scratch Complete

9. Invent a beautiful cocktail for summer Banana and Kaffir Lime Cocktail

10. Make a traditional Indian chai Chai Latte

About Me

Seeing as this is my first post I thought i should say a little about myself. Firstly I am obsessed with everything to do with food. I love growing my own food, cooking it, eating it, eating out, inventing new recipes and I always have my nose in a cookbook.

I named my blog 'homemade' because i like everything to be just that. I love all the fiddly things like grinding spices for a fresh curry paste or pressing potatoes through a ricer for beautiful homemade gnocchi because for me jars and packets just don't compare.