Vierentwintig Mereltjes

(aka Beef, mushroom and red wine pie)

(and no, it wasn't supposed to be burnt around the edges)
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Leftover milk and apples = pancakes!

While hunting for a recipe to use up 3/4L of milk that is about to pass its use-by date, I came across this recipe. It doesn't use much milk, so it didn't entirely suit my purposes, but it was very tasty (and I got to use some of my left-over apples instead!)


GRATED APPLE PANCAKES

Ingredients
½ cup self-raising flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg, whisked
1/3 cup milk
2 apples, peeled and grated

Method
1) Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon
2) Add egg and milk. Whisk until smooth.
3) Stir in apples.
4) Heat a non-stick pan over low heat. Cook batter in small pancakes (about 10-15cm diameter)
5) Cook for about 2 min on each side.

Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 10 min
Serves: makes about 6-8 small pancakes

Source: Claire Brookman and Jenny Fanshaw, Taste.com.au, http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/17045/apple+pancakes, 12/12/07

Random photography (1)

The view from the Cahill Expressway
Barry
Lots of Spanish roses

Apple pie


And look - pie!

But that's another story....
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Polenta pie

This took quite a long time to make, but I didn't try cooking the polenta and the sauce at the same time (which would have cut a good 15 min off the whole time) But other than the time-consuming nature of this meal, it was very filling and was nice cold the next day. Which, I might add, was when the photo was taken, hence the pretty layering going on - when it was still hot, the sauce tended to run somewhat.

I might also add that the really odd measurements are a result of my halving a recipe that had been converted from Imperial measurements. It made way more numerical sense in oz.


POLENTA PIE

Ingredients
113g polenta
450mL water
200g mushrooms, finely sliced
15g parmesan cheese
salt

Béchamel sauce:
20-30g butter
1tbsp plain flour
375mL warmed milk
20g grated cheese

Method
1) Preheat oven to 220°C
2) Boil polenta in salted water.
3) Let cook slowly for 20 min, stirring frequently.
4) Turn cooked polenta out onto a plate and let cool.
5) Meanwhile, melt butter in saucepan on medium heat until foaming.
6) Add flour and cook (stirring) for 1-2 min or until bubbling.
7) Remove from heat and slowly add milk, while whisking.
8) Return to heat and cook (stirring) for 10-12 min.
9) Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese.
10) Also meanwhile, cook mushrooms in some butter for 3-4 min.
11) Grease an oven-proof tin and layer polenta – béchamel sauce – mushrooms. Repeat, finishing with the béchamel layer and then sprinkle with parmesan.
12) Bake in oven for 30 min.

Additional options
Suggestion: grease polenta pot with butter first, to prevent sticking. (I had to spend a good 10min cleaning the polenta pot afterwards...)

Preparation time: 40 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Serves: 4 people

Source for polenta pie: Elizabeth David, BBC Food, http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/print/polentapie_5283.shtml, 02/12/07
Source for béchamel sauce: Annette Forrest, Taste.com.au, http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/9918/basic+bechamel+sauce, 02/12/07

Fanfic recs - List no. 2

An addition to my ongoing collection of decent fanfic (I tried but just couldn't bring myself to use the word "good" there), enjoy this humorous offering:

The Adventures of Icarus, the Invisible Poltergeist
by After the Rain
Author Summary: In which Mr. Prongs takes Muggle Studies, Mr. Padfoot has a crush on Professor McGonagall, Miss Evans demonstrates where her son inherited his CAPS LOCK tendencies, Mr. Wormtail discovers that his Animagus form is useful for petty theft, and Mr. Moony explains why none of this can possibly be construed as his fault.

And, in honour of my current Mary Russell-fueled Sherlock Holmes kick, this one too:

Sherlock Holmes and the Ravenclaw Codex
by Dolorous Ett
My Summary: Well, it's a Holmes and Potter crossover, told in pure Watson style. Currently WIP, but she's only got two chapters to go, so I'm feeling confident of one day reading the ending!