Blog - What's Cooking Ella

What's Cooking Ella

Apple Berry and Rhubarb Crumble

31/5/2015

This recipe I first tried because of my mother. My mum loves rhubarb and would regularly talk about how at work they served rhubarb and how she enjoyed it. So one day when she was coming over I thought I'd try this recipe to surprise her. I myself had never tried rhubarb before. She loved it, as did my entire family, and now this has become a regular light dessert after dinner at my house. I must also mention my non dessert eating uncle tried it and loved it also, I was very pleased with that.

This dessert is so simple to make.

Sometimes I make it with just apple and berry, sometimes rhubarb and apple, sometimes rhubarb and berry. I prefer thin sticks of rhubarb to thick ones, but I buy whatever I can find. If the rhubarb is thick, just slice it into smaller pieces. Whatever I have in the house gets thrown together and it works every time. Also if you don't have walnuts, use hazelnuts or slivered almonds or any other nut you like.

I double up the quantities when I need a larger crumble.

If you have never tried a crumble, you really must, it is such a lovely dessert.

Recipe

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Serves 6-8

2 large red apples, peeled, cored and sliced
8 stalks rhubarb, thickly sliced
250g strawberries, halved
250g mixed frozen berries
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1/2 cup water

Crumble Topping:
100g flour
100g caster sugar
60g cold unsalted butter
30g walnuts
60g rolled oats

Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan forced.

Place the apple, rhubarb and berries in a 2.5L ovenproof dish.

Sprinkle over the sugar and pour in the water.

In a small food processor, place the flour, caster sugar and cold butter. Blitz for 5-10 seconds until well mixed and there are no lumps of butter. Add the walnuts, blitz for 2-3 second, so they are chopped but not too finely. Stir through the rolled outs. Spread evenly over the top of the fruit.

Bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbly. Serve with vanilla custard and/or vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

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Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

31/5/2015

This is my husbands favourite stir fry. For years I was trying to get it right, and make one he would like, then I came across this recipe in a Julie Goodwin cookbook and he loved it. My kids love it also, so much so, they always hope there are leftovers so they can take it for school lunch the next day.

My family like a really saucy stir fry, so the rice or noodles get all that extra flavour, so I don't remove the water after I cook the broccoli, Julie does, so if you want a drier stir fry remove the water if you want it saucier keep it.

My biggest tip, chop and get everything ready before you start, so that the cooking flows once you start putting things in the wok.

Mushrooms are pictured above, that was just added, as I had them at home that day, it was about 200g, I fried them with the shallots. They were a great addition, so if you like mushrooms, add them. I also love fresh coriander leaves with it also, but it to is optional.

If you are looking for a simple midweek meal, give this one a try.

Recipe

Recipe adapted from Julie Goodwin's cookbook Our family Table

Serves 4-6

Preparation time: 30 minutes + 1 hour marinating
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

1 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon water
800g lean rump steak, sliced thinly across the grain
1/4 cup (60ml) oyster sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce, extra
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons water, extra
2 teaspoons cornflour, extra
2 tablespoons water, extra
Peanut oil, for stir frying
6 shallots, sliced into 3cm lengths
500g broccoli, stalks thinly sliced, , florets sliced into bite sized pieces
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar, extra
1/2 cup water, extra
12 snow peas

Boiled Rice or noodles, to serve

Combine the light soy sauce, sugar, cornflour and water in a medium bowl, whisk well to combine. Add the thinly sliced rump steak, mix well to ensure all of it is well coated, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

I love a rice cooker as it ensures perfect rice every time. Once cooked it keeps it warm until needed. I turn it on now, so by the time the stir fry is cooked, my rice is ready.

In a small bowl mix together the oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauce and 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.

Heat a wok over high heat, working in batches, add 1 tablespoon oil, and a small amount of the beef-you will need to do this in 6-8 batches. Stir fry until browned and nearly cooked through, remove the meat from wok and place in a clean bowl. Repeat until all the meat is cooked. You may need to wipe the wok with a paper towel every now and then to remove any build up of marinade in the wok base.

Wipe the wok clean. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, add the shallots, stir fry for a minute, until just starting to soften. Set aside with the meat.

Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the hot wok. Add the broccoli, garlic, sugar and salt, stir fry for 30 seconds, then add 1/2 cup water. Put a lid on the wok, simmer for 3 minutes, or until the broccoli is cooked but still crisp. Now Julie would remove it from the wok and drain. I don't as I like it saucier.

In a small bowl place the extra cornflour and 2 tablespoons water, whisk well to remove lumps.

Add to the broccoli the beef, shallots, snow peas, oyster sauce mix and cornflour mix. Allow the mixture to boil and thicken slightly. If you like a little spice, add some chilli sauce now, I generally don't.

Mix well, serve immediately over rice or noodles.

Enjoy!

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Bacon and Egg Bread Cups

31/5/2015

I love when I find super easy recipes that taste great. I watched a video by Cooking with Manuela (I do like her videos) the other day and I thought my family may love this. I was right.

This breakfast has it all, bacon, eggs, bread, cheese and shallots. What I also love is there is very little mess, there is no splattering bacon, no egg frying. Very simple, very tasty.

I am a person who tries recipes and will never claim they are mine, I think credit must be given to where I got the recipe or idea from. I do however, adjust recipes to suit my families tastebuds. For instance here I added shallots, as we love them. This is how I cook, and you should to, try new things, but adjust to suit you or your family.

The eggs need to be baked to your liking, 15 minutes, I find too runny, 20 minutes I love, 25 minutes, for me is already too cooked, the yolk is no longer runny. So I advise to start checking the eggs at 15 minutes, then check every 2-3 minutes until you baked them how you like them. Remember every oven is different so cooking times will vary slightly.

Here I also tried it with thickly sliced white bread and with a rye bread. We prefer the white bread as it goes crisper, however the rye bread was lovely also, so use whatever bread you like.

I used bacon as that is what I had in the house, but you can use pancetta, if you prefer.

The recipe says mozzarella cheese, but use tasty if you prefer or any cheese you love that melts.

This is one easy breakfast/brunch to prepare. So give it a go, it will not disappoint.

Here is a link to Manuela's video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG2m3vwDY5g

Recipe

Recipe adapted from http://cookingwithmanuela.blogspot.com.au/

Makes 6

6 slices white bread (or brown, if you prefer)
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
3 large full rashers bacon or 6 slices streaky bacon
6 eggs
2 shallots, finely sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan forced.

Cut all the crusts off of the bread. Then use a rolling pin and roll each slice of bread until flat. Place the bread carefully into your muffin tins. Try not to tear it. Any lumpy bits, just press to flatten.

Sprinkle in some grated mozzarella.

Wrap the prepared bacon (see picture below) inside of the bread, you want it to sit inside the muffin tin but come up above the tin, so it will hold all of the egg.

Add one egg into each muffin hole.
Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with shallots.

Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. We like it cooked to 15-20 minutes so that the egg yolk is still very runny. Everyone's oven works differently so start checking from 15 minutes, but bake until the eggs are how you like them.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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Chocolate Banana Bread

31/5/2015

This is the second chocolate banana bread recipe on my site. My kids love the other one, but for me it was just not what I loved. So I kept searching for another recipe that I would love as well and this is it. (I am still keeping the other one on the website as when I make it my kids do love it).

This banana bread I made with over ripe bananas that I had frozen, all other ingredients I had in my pantry. It is so easy to make, it literally takes 5 minutes to throw together, no butter needs to be softened, whipped, nothing. Just put it in a bowl and stir. I used a whisk, but if you don't have one use a fork.

My whole family loves this chocolate banana bread, including my husband.

Give it a try, this will not disappoint.

Recipe

Recipe adapted from www.taste.com.au

Serves 8

1 1/2 cups self raising flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 lightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas (I mashed 3 bananas)
1 cup chopped milk or dark chocolate

Preheat your oven to 180C160C fan forced. Grease and line a 19cm x 11cm loaf tin.

Mash the bananas in a medium sized bowl with a fork.

In a large mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda.

Add the eggs, milk and olive oil, whisk to just combine.

Stir through the bananas and chocolate until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into your prepared tin.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Test with a skewer or gently press on it, it will feel cooked.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before lifting out of the tin and allowing the banana bread to cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Find the recipe at www.whatscookingella.com/chocolate-banana-bread.html
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Bacon and Mushroom Pasta Bake

31/5/2015

The kids are back on school holidays so no more sandwiches for them. Today I decided to make this pasta bake for them. They loved it. I loved it.

This was very easy to make, using very simple ingredients. Originally the recipe uses speck not bacon, but I had bacon at home so I used it, if I had speck at home I would have used that, to me, speck and bacon are interchangeable. If using speck use 1 x 250g piece speck, rind removed, cut into lardons.

Even though I loved it and I will post the recipe as I made it, I would probably slightly decrease the amount of cheese next time, for it is quite rich, but this is a minor issue and if you love cheese, make it as it is, ignore me.

Make sure you use a small onion as stated in the recipe as when you sauté it, it becomes sweeter and a large onion will make the dish too sweet.

And if you don't like mushrooms don't make this, the flavour the mushrooms bring to this dish is simply amazing, every bite with mushrooms is just so nice.

So here is a simple dish, that you can make your family and trust me, there will be no left overs.

Recipe

Recipe adapted from Manu Feildel's Cookbook 'French for Everyone'

Serves 4

200g penne
Sea salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
250g bacon, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
200g button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
50g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
2 cups (500ml) milk
50g plain flour
150g gruyere, finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes less than directed on packet instructions, it needs to be just under cooked as it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain, set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the bacon for 5 minutes or until well browned. Using a slotted spoon transfer to a bowl, leaving the oil in the frying pan.

Add the onion and mushrooms to the pan, fry for 5 minutes or until softened. Transfer to the bowl with the bacon.

Preheat the oven to 220C. Grease a 1.5 litre capacity baking dish with the extra butter.

Heat the milk in a small heavy based saucepan until hot but don't allow to boil.

Melt the butter in a large heavy based saucepan, over medium heat. Add the flour, whisk for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low, gradually add the milk, whisking after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and all the milk has been incorporated. Add 100g gruyere, whisk in until melted and smooth again. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the pasta, bacon and mushroom mixture and parsley to the sauce. Stir, mix well. Transfer to your prepared dish. Sprinkle over the remaining gruyere.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the top is golden. Serve with a green salad.

Enjoy!

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Simple Steak Sandwich

30/5/2015

I have tried this steak sandwich a few times now, and I love the flavours, it is delicious. But I always had a problem with the meat, I found it tough. I have tried it with veal schnitzel, I also tried minute steak, I cooked them quickly, but still you bite into the sandwich and the meat was hard.

Well, I have found the meat I love. Now I only make this with beef scotch fillet or a porterhouse steak. I cook it to a maximum of medium and I enjoy every single soft, succulent bite. The steaks should only be around 1.5cm in thickness. If you buy really thick steaks, fry or barbecue them to your liking, then slice them thinly onto your sandwich.

For the bread, use your favourite bread.

I added mayonnaise and tomato sauce to my sandwich which wasn't in the original recipe and you get one of the most delicious sandwiches you will ever try, and it is so quick to prepare.

Make sure you take the steaks out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes (I take them out up to an hour) before cooking them, that way they don't stew as they are too cold.

So if you need a quick meal idea, try this it is so good.

Recipe

Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook 'Modern Australian Food'

Makes 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion, sliced thinly
4 scotch fillet steaks (about 1.5cm in thickness)
8 slices bread, toasted
25g baby rocket or baby spinach or lettuce leaves, whatever you prefer
12 cornichons (baby gherkins), sliced lengthways
8 teaspoons mayonnaise, more if you prefer
8 teaspoons tomato sauce, more if you prefer

Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat; cook onion, stirring, until golden. Remove from heat, set aside in a bowl.

Season steaks with salt and pepper. Add the steaks to the same pan, cook steaks until done to your liking.

Assemble your sandwich: Place 4 pieces of the toasted bread on a serving platter or on individual plates. Spread the bread with mayonnaise. Place the rocket (or baby spinach or lettuce leaves) on top of the mayonnaise, top with the steak, onion and cornichons. Drizzle on some tomato sauce and top with remaining piece of toast.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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Mochaccino Marbled Mud Cake

30/5/2015

This is a really, really good mud cake, one of my favourites. It has a slight coffee taste to it that is just beautiful. Again, like my chocolate mud cake, it is not thick and dense, it is lighter than other mud cakes I have eaten.

If you look at the photo below, the marbling in this cake is beautiful, each shade distinct and beautiful.

My mum is hard to impress as a cook, as she is so good herself, but I know a cake is good, when my mum asks to take home all the tops of the cakes that I take off to level the cake. She had them with coffee over the next few days, and loved it.

Now for the cake above, you will need to make two times the cake and three times the White Chocolate Ganache.

If you love a mud cake, try this one, it will not disappoint. And if you serve it with some vanilla ice cream it is even better.

Recipe

Recipe adapted from an Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook

Serves 16

Dark Chocolate Coffee Batter:
100g dark eating chocolate, chopped
125g unsalted butter, chopped
220g caster sugar
2/3 cup (160ml) water
110g plain flour
2 tablespoons self raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg

White Chocolate Coffee Batter:
180g white eating chocolate, chopped
185g unsalted butter, chopped
220g caster sugar
3/4 cup (180ml) milk
150g plain flour
50g self raising flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

White Chocolate Ganache:
300g white eating chocolate
1/2 cup (125ml) thick cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 160C/140C fan forced. Grease and line with baking paper a deep 25cm round cake pan, extend the paper 5cm above the edge of the pan.

Add the dark chocolate, butter sugar and water to a medium saucepan, stir over low heat until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add the plain flour, self raising flour, cocoa and egg. Using a whisk, whisk until just combined and smooth.

Now make the white chocolate coffee cake: To a medium saucepan add the white chocolate, butter, sugar and milk, stir over low heat until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add the plain flour, self raising flour and eggs. Using a whisk, whisk until just combined and smooth.

In a small bowl combine the boiling water and coffee granules, stir to combine.

Place half of the white chocolate mixture in a medium sized bowl. Stir in the coffee and water to one half of the white chocolate mix. Stir the vanilla extract in the remaining white chocolate mix.

Drop alternate large spoonfuls of the dark, white and coffee cake mixtures into the centre of the pan. Each spoonful should go on top of the last spoonful right into the centre of the pan. This will form rings that will spread to the sides of the pan. I find this the easiest way and prettiest way to marble a cake like this.

Then get a knife or skewer and ever so lightly marble the cake, it doesn't need much swirling.

Bake the cake for 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until it feels baked, you can test with a skewer; cool cake in pan.

If I am having the cake at home just for us, I don't bother trimming the cake, as I like the crisp top bits, but if for a party, trim the cake so it is level.

White Chocolate Ganache: Place the chocolate, cream and vanilla in a medium sized bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, just don't let the bowl touch the water.
Stir until chocolate has melted and the mixture smooth. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator, refrigerate for 1-2 hours, but give it a stir every 10-15 minutes. Take it out of the refrigerator once it is of a spreadable consistency. Do not forget about it, as if it gets too set, you won't be able to spread it.

Place cake on a serving plate, spread ganache all over the cake, dust with extra sifted cocoa.

Serve as is, or decorate for a birthday cake

Enjoy!

Decorate with wafer biscuits and Ferrero Rochers and you have a gorgeous birthday cake.

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Mini Pizzas

29/5/2015

Here is one for the kids.

I had two of my kids home from school today (plus a friend), and I had to think of what to feed them today. I wanted something quick and easy, as I had a busy day. I found this recipe in a kids cookbook and I thought why not.

So after doing my groceries, and after making a dessert for a party I had the following day. I threw these together in less than 10 minutes.

The boys loved them, I had a slice to and it was lovely. A quick, warm snack that had a lovely flavour.

Well once my daughter got home from school and found out what the boys ate I had to make her some to. She loved them also.

So if your kids are like mine and refuse to have cold sandwiches at home (as they get them at school), try these, they are so easy to prepare. As for the toppings, you can top them with whatever you like really, don't like pineapple, don't add it, want only ham, don't add cabanossi, you get the idea.

If you have an extra ten minutes make this super quick and easy tomato sauce, it replaces the tomato paste, and gives a real pizza feel.

Basic Pizza Sauce:
1 x 400g can Italian diced tomatoes
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the oil and garlic in a small saucepan and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce is thick. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

This is something my kids love, and as they get older, they make themselves. Hope you love them as much as we do.

Recipe

Recipe adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook 'Kids in the Kitchen'

Makes 4

Assemble just before serving

4 pitta pocket breads
4 tablespoons tomato paste
150g cabanossi, sliced thinly
6 slices double smoked ham
1/2 red capsicum, thinly sliced
16 baby bocconcini, halved
440g can pineapple pieces in natural juice, drained
1 1/2 cups (180g) grated cheddar cheese
Dried oregano, for sprinkling (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to hot 220C/200C fan forced.

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Place 2 pitta breads on each tray.

Place 1 tablespoon of tomato paste on each pitta bread, spread out evenly.

Place the ham on to each pitta bread. Now top with cabanossi, capsicum, bocconcini and pineapple. Sprinkle with cheese.

If using, sprinkle on some oregano, season with a little salt and white pepper.

Cook, uncovered, about 12-15 minutes or until the cheese melts and is browned lightly.

Enjoy!

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Oysters (The way I love them)

29/5/2015

I love Oysters.

I love Natural Oysters.

But by adding a few simple fresh ingredients to oysters they become amazing oysters.

My husband loves Oysters to and this is his recipe. He says I should have a page on my website titled 'What's Cooking When Ella's Not Cooking'. He has been making this for a while now and anyone that has tried them absolutely love them.

He actually taught me not to just swallow oysters as I thought you had to do, he said they need to be chewed and enjoyed for all their gorgeous flavour and creaminess. So if you were taught just to swallow an oyster whole try and chew into it next time, a fresh oyster has the most beautiful flavour.

I remember I first started eating oysters only if they were Oysters Kilpatrick or Oysters Mornay. Nowadays, although I still like them that way, I love a fresh Natural Oyster over Kilpatrick or Mornay any day.

I love large Pacific Oysters while my husband prefers the smaller Sydney Rock Oysters. So we always get both.

And the Flying Fish Roe is just amazing, they are little balls of flavour, and as they pop in your mouth, you get a gorgeous burst of extra flavour that is subtle and beautiful.

If you have chives in the house, feel free to add some finely chopped chives to each oyster, it works beautifully. My husband even added a splash of Gin a few times, although it was lovely, they don't need them.

Next time you want to serve up Oysters try this recipe, it will not disappoint.

Recipe

Serves 4

12 Sydney Rock Oysters
12 Pacific Oysters
1 spring onion, finely sliced
1/2 long red chilli, deseeded, finely sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
1-2 lemons, cut into wedges
1 small container Flying Fish Roe

Place the oysters on a serving platter. Season lightly with freshly ground black pepper.

Sprinkle on the spring onions. Add a slice of chilli to each oyster.

Squeeze the juice of 1 of the lemons evenly over each oyster.

Place a dollop of flying fish roe to each oyster.

Place the remaining lemon wedges around the platter.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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Banana Bread 3

29/5/2015

Here is a really simple, yet tasty banana bread recipe that I came across and had to try.

I have tried many, many banana bread recipes in the hope of finding one I love. Well the one I love the most is on this website simply called Banana Bread, it uses Rum and Cognac to add extra flavour to the banana bread. It can be quite expensive to make, and I don't always have them both at home.

This one is far easier, tastes great and can be made with pantry items. You also don't need to wait for butter to soften. It is moist and delicious. My kids loved it, I loved it.

I have said before that I love cakes that use buttermilk, not sure why, but they just taste better.

I used 3 medium sized bananas to get the 1 cup of mashed bananas.

Give this a go, it won't disappoint.

Recipe

Recipe adapted from www.chef-in-training.com

Makes 1 loaf

2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed bananas
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 185C/165C fan forced.

Spray a 11cm x 21cm loaf pan with cooking spray, then line it with baking paper.

In a large bowl add the eggs, buttermilk and oil, whisk until well combined.

Add in the mashed bananas, caster sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, whisk to combine.

Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt, mix in carefully, don't over mix it.
Pour into your prepared tin. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Start checking after 1 hour to see if it is ready by inserting a skewer in the centre, if it comes out clean, it is ready.

Once baked, remove from loaf tin and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Slice thickly and serve.

Enjoy!

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