Merry Christmas - Tomato & Sweet Chilli Relish

Merry Christmas, my friend!

We have just come back from a holiday in Melbourne.  It was only a four days trip but we had a good look around of the CBD and tried many Melbourne specialities food including Malaysian, Vietnamese, Japanese, American, French, chocolates and the most highlight was visiting the Queen Victoria Markets twice for the fresh fruit and gourmet food. We also did a lot of shopping from European department store to discounted outlet centres and I would have to say we hadn't done such a good shopping for a long time. It really is a gastronomic trip and we just love everywhere we go in Melbourne!

Gourmet burger has been a big hit in Melbourne, there are many burger eateries in the cities. As BBQ is one of the tradition way to celebrate Christmas and New Year in Australia, this recipe of tomato relish could give your burger another level of satisfaction than the good old tomato sauce.

Enjoy a great time with your family and friends and will see you next year!

Tomato & Sweet Chilli Relish

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
400g ripe tomato, chopped
1/4 cup Thai sweet chilli sauce
1/4 cup raw sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Method:
Put oil into pan and saute onion till brown, add remaining ingredients. Boil, turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Homemade Almond Butter

My frist time making almond butter was more liked making a coarse paste as I really didn't know what "oil comes out" meant.  After reading detoxinista step-by-step instructions, I finally get a success making smooth almond butter.  I was only using an old model of blender and it worked well even I was a little worry when steam came out after 20 minutes of blending.  It's a stage of the heat generated cooking the almonds and the whole process takes about 30 minutes. So be patients and the final product  is delicious as a dip for crackers or put into beverages.

Almond Butter

Ingredient:

2 cups raw almond kernels

Method:

Put the kernels into the blender with the S blade, blend until the oil comes out and smooth. You may stop the blender in between to scope down the side and let the blender has a little rest.

Getting ready

Pour almonds into the blender

After 15 seconds, coarse almond meal formed

5 minutes later, almond meal starts to form into a rough paste

10 minutes later, a thick paste is formed, you also notice the butter is heated with little steam

10 more minutes, the butter is nearly ready to form a smooth, light texture

5 more minutes, the butter is ready

Homemade Cumquat Marmalade

There is this very cute 90 years old lady selling jam and homegrown fruit for the church every week.  The fruit of the jam is donated by local farmers and made by volunteers with lots of love and kindness.  Their specialities are rosella jam in March, strawberry jam and cumquat marmalade in August, mango chutney in December. The day I went to visit her, her little store was full with bottles of cumquat marmalade and she was saying delightfully, "there is cumquat everywhere!"

I bought a bottle of marmalade and 1 kg of cumquat from her.  I didn't expect there would so many seeds in cumquat so it took me a while to cut up the fruit.  But it really worth the effort because the jam is tasty (as good as the one I bought) and I am pleased that I finally make jam without using the bread machine. And now, I have jam everywhere in my fridge and pantry!

Cumquat Marmalade
(make about 5x500g bottles)

Ingredients:
1 kg cumquats
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1.25L water
6 cups raw sugar
1 tablespoon jam setta (optional)

Method:

1. Wash cumquats, drain.  Quarter cumquats with knife but not cutting all the way through. Remove seeds and cut off the hard pitt from the centre if needed.  Don't worry if you do not remove all the seeds, it would float out later. 
2. Process cumquats in a blender then combine the cumquats mixture, lemon juice and water in a large saucepan.  Stand for at least 2 hours.
3. Bring the mixture to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Spoon out any seeds if you see them floating at the surface.
4. Add sugar to the mixture and boil for another 30 minutes. Skim scum with a metal spoon if necessary. 
5. The jam should turn thick and bubbling. Test the jam if it is set by dropping 1 tablespoon of hot jam onto a chilled plate, move it with finger after 40 seconds.  If it crinkles and thicken, its done.  If not, add 1 tablespoon jam setta and boil for another 5-10 minutes and repeat the test until the jam is set. 
6. Pour hot jam into sterilised jars, covered with transparent papers that have been dashed with lemon juice then tighten the jars with lids and rubber bands.

Adopted and modified from the cookbook "Classic Preserves Jams Chutneys Relishes" from the Australian Women's Weekly.

Beetroot Chutney

After making several bottles of jam a few months ago, I want to try making chutney and preserve.  Beetroot is one of my favourite purple vegetable, however it does stain your hand after handling.  So if I only get my hands dirty for once and enjoy the chutney for a few months in a bottle, that's not a bad idea! It's also a nice gift for Christmas.

I serve it with turkey minced burger and it is tasty enough that you can skip the tomato sauce!

Beetroot Chutney
(make 2 bottles, about 3 cups)

3 beetroot (500g)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 cardamon pods, bruised
2 green apples (400g), chopped
1/2 red onion (85g), finely chopped
1 cm ginger, chopped
1 garlic glove, finely chopped
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Keep the skin on the beetroot and cook with boiling water in pan or microwave till cook.  Use a fork to poke into the beetroot, if it gets in then it's ready.  Drain.
2. Cool then peel the skin off.  You can wear gloves to prevent the juice stain on you hands.
3. Chop half the beetroot into fine dice, blend the remaining beetroot till smooth.
4. Put the beetroot puree, apple, onion, ginger, garlic, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and salt in a saucepan.  Add in spices (you can tie spices in muslin bag), make it to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.  Add chopped beetroot and simmer for 10 minutes more.
5. Store chutney in sterilised jar and it can keep in the fridge for 3 months.

Source: modified and adopted from the cookbook, "The Australian Women's Weekly: Classic Preserves Jams Chutneys Relishes"

  

Homemade Orange and Lemon Marmalade

If you start making jam, it's unlikely that you'll ever stop.  I made enough jam to give to my family and to keep for myself.  Just when I want to pack up, my daughter's piano teacher gave me some homegrown orange and lemon again.  So this continue my jam making journey....

I didn't have enough orange to work out a recipe for marmalade the last time when I had those unwaxed organic oranges.  For full story, please click here. This year I had a bit of a trouble as I mistaken an orange looking lemon making the first batch of jam too tangy. So I made another lot and mix it with the first batch untill I'm happy with the taste. The addition of lemon to the marmalade makes it tastes different (the taste that I prefer) but you can omit that if you don't like it too tangy.  Mrs piano likes to have her marmalade with bacon and egg, I'd never tried that though.  I'd prefer to make my marmalade almond muffins again.

Orange and Lemon Marmalade

(bread machine method)

1/2 lemon, flush only, chopped

About 4 oranges, included the grated zest and chopped flush to make up 550g with the lemon flush

1 2/3 cups sugar

2 1/2 tbsp Jam Setta

Method:

Put the chopped fruit into the bread machine followed by sugar and Jam Setta.  Press the "jam" button and finish the cycle.  Pour hot jam into sterilised jar and seal.  Keep into the fridge to keep it fresh. 

  

Mini Cheesecake Topped with Homemade Pineapple & Passionfruit Jam

I have been blogging for nearly 2 years but I have never had a post for cheesecake.  In an actual fact, I love cheesecake but nobody like it in my household.  Every time when I walk pass the cakes shop and my eyes will be loading onto the cheesecake.  I have this block of cream cheese in the fridge for so long (not expired yet) and it has been calling me to make into cheesecake every time when the fridge door is opened.  I decide to make into several small one so that I can give them away and I could still have some for myself, therefore I won't be too guilty eating the whole lot.

This post come with the pineapple and passionfruit jam recipe I mentioned from the previous post.  For the bread machine method to make strawberry jam to make the jam drop cookies, please click here.  If you ever wonder what's the different between preserves, jams and jellies, preserves resemble jams but have larger chunks of fruit while jams are mashed fruit cooked with sugar until thick.  Jellies are very firm, translucent spread made of fruit juice boiled with sugar.




Mini Cheesecake Topped with Homemade Jam
(make 8)

1 packet of Nice biscuits (or digestive biscuits)
100g margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the filling:
250g low-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs, beaten

For the topping:
Pineapple & Passionfruit Jam or Jam of your choice
300ml Thickened Cream, whipped with a tablespoon of icing sugar

Method:

1. Process biscuits into fine crumbs through the processor.  Place crumbs into a bowl, add in melted margarine and cinnamon.  Mix well. 
2. Spoon and press the crumbs into 8 x 12cm tart cases. Fill the side with crumbs as well.  There could be some leftover crumbs. Keep the base chill in the fridge while making the filling.
3. Beat cream cheese and sugar until soft and creamy,  then add in eggs, lemon juice and essence.  Stir though till smooth.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 150c for 20 minutes or until the filling is cooked.  Leave the door ajar and cool the cheesecake in the oven for 10 minutes.  
5. Leave the cake cooled at room temperature.  Then spread a layer of whipped cream over the top and pipe some cream around the edge.  Spoon in some jam in the middle of the cake.  Keep the cheesecake into the fridge. 

Pineapple and Passionfruit Jam (Bread Machine Method)
( make about 700g)

460g net fresh pineapple flush, chopped into pieces
40g net passionfruit pulp (about 3 passionfruit)
1 2/3 cups of caster sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons Jam Setta

Method:

1. Use the pulse action, coarsely process the pineapple. Don't over-process as the jam will be too smooth.
2. Add the pineapple and passionfruit into the bread machine followed by sugar and the Jam Setta.  Select the "button" and start the cycle. 
3. Meanwhile, clean the bottle with soapy water.  Switch on the oven at 120c and tip the bottle upside down into the oven rack.  Sterile the bottle in the oven for 10 minutes or until the moist is evaporated.
4. Pour jam into the bottle, moisten one side of preserver covers (clear plastic) with vinegar and place over the damp side up over bottle while jam is still hot.  Cover with the lid and plastic band. If possible, keep in fridge to keep the jam fresh.

Strawberry Jam - Bread Machine Method

On every strawberry season, I'll make some jam using the bread machine.  The good thing for making jam is that you don't need very nice looking strawberry.  The odd one, such as the small one that may be too sour, or the one that is a little bruised and funny shaped are the best to making jam.  As I find that the jam made from the bread machine is a little too runny (that can be a good sauce with ice-cream).  I will bring it back to the stove, adding extra jam setta if needed until it becomes thicker to ready for bottle.  You can make it using the traditional method, cooking at the stove and stir until it is set if you're prepared to stand for an hour or two at the kitchen.  But just let me warn you that you'll need a big enough saucepan and get yourself cover so that the hot jam won't spat at you.  After all this work, homemade jam really taste the best!

It is overwhelming for the local businesses sponsoring the Pink Luncheon I'm holding for Breast Cancer.  For every business that I approach, they are all willing to donate some gift or gift voucher.  I think many of us will have be affected or know somebody that are affected by cancer and that we would all like do to our small part to make a cure for it.  We have raffles for fuel voucher, Gift Cards and door prizes ranged from baby goods, gym membership, dinner voucher and beauty product.  Now I just need people to come along and have a great time as well as bringing up the awareness.

Strawberry Jam
(make 2 small bottles)

Ingredients:
500g strawberries (hulled and chopped)
1 2/3 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons Jam Setta, 1/2 tablespoon extra if needed
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Method:

1. Put strawberries, sugar,jam setta and lemon juice into the bread machine, select to "Jam" and press "start." 
2. Clean the glasses with soapy water.  Turn the glasses and lid upside down into the 120c oven for about 10 minutes or until all the water is dried out.  This process sterilise the bottle.
3. Pour the jam into a medium size saucepan, add in 1/2 tablespoon of jam setta if needed and let it boils for 5 minutes and stir ocassionally.  To test the jam is set by placing 1 tablespoon of hot jam over a very cold plate, if it crinkle within 30 second then the jam is set.  (If the jam is already set from the bread machine, omit the extra jam setta and pour the jam into bottle straight away)
4. Brush the transparent preserve cover with lemon juice or vinegar, place the wet side up and seal the bottle.  When the jam is cold, put the jam in the fridge for a longer shelf life.

Tips:  You can add a teaspoon of vanilla essence into the bottle and then rinse off to get rip of the odour.