Oh how I love the food and flavours of the Middle East

July 15, 2022July 16, 2022 / sbaskitchen / 2 Comments

While the countries that are encompassed in the region, or if you prefer, term “The Middle East” can lead to many arguments, I prefer to use them to bring about discussions of recipes and delicious food that can be shared by all. With food that is vibrant, colourful and aromatic, many Middle Eastern countries share recipes that are very similar, in fact the same dish in the same country can have many nuances, depending on who is cooking it, and what is available at the time.

Glorious Pomegranates

Harissa Spice Blend

Exploring the Flavours of the Middle East-r

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Oranges 1 – A recap!

February 5, 2017 / sbaskitchen / Leave a comment

The oranges are gone, well, with the exception of the few that have been set aside for our breakfast fruit over the next week or so. Overall things went really well, and we have some lovely goodies stashed in the store for future use. We’ve also enjoyed some orange flavoured meals as well.

That being said, the marmalade proved to be my nemisis. The first batch didn’t set and discoloured! What to do… Add Cointreau to the mix, and lable it as Orange and Cointreau Syrup for use with desserts – I have to say it goes deliciously with date pudding !

So what was the problem? More pectin you say? That’s what I thought, anyway. So I saved all the pips from the oranges and lemons used in all the other recipes – I had a lovely little pile of them by the time it come to revisit the marmalade. Neither Gary, nor I, could understand what happened to the first batch, it’s never happened before…

With everything prepared, I started again – it was looking beautiful, time to test for set, and again… it just wouldn’t set and turned dark. Fearing it would burn, I took it off the heat and bottled it. The next morning when I checked, it was syrup, nothing like the lovely jelly like consistency of marmalade. By this time I thought I knew what the problem was – while the pot I was using was big enough, it was tall and narrow, not wide and squat.

Not wanting to waste the fruit sugar and time and effort, this time we decided to try and cook it a little more. It just got darker, and again wouldn’t set. Finally, I had to bite the bullet and use commercial pectin (I have plans to make my own in future, but didn’t have time at this point). Set was reached, it doesn’t taste too bad, really, just sweeter than usual and it looks like treacle! A new wider, shallower, preserving pan style, pot has now been ordered and is on its way. I am hoping that by using it, we will avoid any more marmalade dramas.

So what was cooked? You will have seen some of the goodies in previous posts, but here is the list in full…

Candied Lemon Peel – a by-product of various recipes
Candied Orange Slices
Chocolate Dipped Candied Orange Slices
Chocolate Dipped Candied Orange Sticks
Cumberland Sauce Base – bottled
Dried Lemon Peel – a by-product of various recipes
Dried Orange Peel
Duck, Orange and Crispy Duck Prosciutto Salad
Nana Mac’s Potato and Orange Salad
Orange & Cointreau Syrup
Orange and Mint Jelly
Orange Cake – Gluten Free
Orange Cordial
Orange Glazed Salmon with Garden Fresh Greens
Orange Marmalade
Spiced Oranges
Sugar Coated Candied Orange Sticks
Zingy Citrus Mocktail

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There is one more recipe brewing, but it is going to take another couple of weeks – Collette’s Vin D’Orange. I will put up a post about it when its ready, and let you know what it is like.

Finally given that Jan provided all the oranges for this little marathon, I thought it only propper that I share the recipe for this delicious dessert that she has shared with me – Spiced Oranges & Dates with Greek Yoghurt Cream.

Spiced Oranges & Dates with Greek Yoghurt Cream

Servings: Serves 6
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This simple little dessert is the perfect way to finish a meal. It can be prepared ahead - adding the Yoghurt Cream and pistachios just before serving.

Ingredients

6 large navel oranges
6 fresh dates, pitted, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 tbs pure icing sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
55 g (1/3 cup) pistachio kernels, coarsely chopped

For the Greek Yoghurt Cream

125 ml (1/2 cup) Greek-style yoghurt
125 g light cream cheese
2 tbs honey
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthways
125 ml (1/2 cup) pouring cream
1 tsp pure icing sugar

Directions

To make the yoghurt cream, place the yoghurt, cream cheese and honey in a bowl. Use a small sharp knife to scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the bowl. Use an electric beater to beat until combined. Place the cream and icing sugar in a bowl. Use an electric beater to beat until soft peaks form. Fold into yoghurt mixture. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 2 hours to chill.
Cut top and base from each orange. Use a sharp knife to remove skin and white pith. Holding each orange over a bowl to catch any juice, cut along either side of the white membranes to remove orange segments.
Combine orange, dates and mint in a bowl. Sprinkle with icing sugar and cinnamon. Toss to combine.
Divide fruit among serving plates and serve with pistachios and yoghurt cream.
Garnish with sprigs of mint.

Notes:

My sister Jan passed this recipe to me, she received it from her friend, Mandy, who found it in Australian Good Taste – September 2011, p.80 .
Allow 2 hours chilling time.

Until next time…

Bon appétit!

Links:

Chocolate Dipped Candied Orange Sticks

Nana Mac’s Potato and Orange Salad

Orange and Mint Jelly

Orange Cordial

Spiced Oranges

Spiced Oranges & Dates with Greek Yoghurt Cream

Sugar Coated Candied Orange Sticks

Zingy Citrus Mocktail

Spiced Oranges

February 3, 2017February 3, 2017 / sbaskitchen / Leave a comment

Apparently oranges were preserved this way in days gone by, when citrus fruits were rare and expensive! They are said to pair beautifully with ham, pork and game, and I can’t wait to serve it with duck. Unfortunately we have to wait a little while to taste them.

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Spiced Oranges

Servings: Makes 6 jars
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I think these look like sunshine in a jar...

Ingredients

10 large thin-skinned oranges, washed well and cut into 5mm/1/4 inch slices
600 ml white wine vinegar
1 kg white sugar
1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
8 g whole cloves
6 blades of mace

Directions

Put the orange slices into a large pan and cover with cold water. Simmer gently, partially covered with a lid until the peel is tender – about an hour.
Meanwhile, put all the other ingredients into a pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.
When the oranges slices are tender, drain them and place them, together with the syrup, into a bowl. Leave to stand overnight.
The next day return the orange slices and the syrup to a clean pan and cook for 30-40 minutes until translucent.
Pack oranges into warm sterilized jars and cover with syrup.
Seal and lable.
Store in a cool dark place for six to eight weeks before eating.

Notes:

Adapted from Good Old-fashioned Jams, Preserves and Chutneys (1985) S. Paston-Williams p58.
Mace is an aromatic golden brown spice obtained from the dried net-like sheath that covers the Nutmeg seed, It is yellowish to reddish-tan in color, made up of flat, shiny branched pieces with a fragrant, nutmeg aroma and warm taste. It looks wonderful when left whole in your spiced syrup.
Keep any excess syrup for topping up the jars, as the oranges tend to absorb the syrup.
The flavour is said to be even better if left for several more months.

Source: Spiced Oranges

Links:

Glossary – Mace

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A Parting Gift

November 4, 2016November 4, 2016 / sbaskitchen / Leave a comment

A Parting Gift

Earlier this year, when I finished up my last job, my colleagues showered me with well wishes for our future and some amazing gifts, one of which was a voucher for a cooking class at Culinaire Cooking School in Swan Reach, which is a lovely little town down near Lakes Entrance. Well, what an amazing weekend!

I booked in for the Herbs and Spices class which was to be run over two days. Given that we live just on an hour away, I chose to drive back and forth each day. The first day, on my arrival I was met by a very energetic Christine, and was told that I was to be the only student, how luck was I! Given that we were concentrating on herbs, we headed into her herb garden to gather the majority of the ingredients for the class –

she has so many herbs growing, including lemon verbena, horseradish, tarragon, parsley, sorrel, thyme, marjoram, oregano just to name a few. After a nice cuppa, we got to work, making all manner of goodies including an Asian dressing to be used for our lunch, herb mayonnaises, flavoured oils and vinegars and pestos. I had such an amazing day and went home with a lovely basket of goodies and great enthusiasm about what the next day may bring.

Day two and it was spice day. The morning started with a cup of tea and a chat with Christine and John. Then we started, first up was to identify and group a plethora of spices from all around the world and then we got to use them. Coconut chicken and lemon rice was prepared for our lunch.

We also made a fresh laksa curry paste – so simple, so fresh – nothing like that that comes in jars on the supermarket shelf… Oh and Satay chicken, that you just wouldn’t believe the flavour – again, so simple and fresh. Then there was a mustard, in fact a horseradish mustard. The making of which, was rather funny, given that the day before, when we added horseradish to the mayonnaise, we just couldn’t get the kick that we wanted from it – today it was the opposite. We were using an older piece of horseradish and the more I grated it the more the tears streamed down my face – I said I had horseradish eyes! But boy-oh-boy, the mustard, it is sensational and I think we have used it almost every day since. To finish the day, we prepared a gorgeous sweet spicey wine syrup for fruits.

To my past work colleagues a huge thank you – this was the most amazing gift, I not only gained new knowledge about the use of herbs and spices in cooking, but I feel as if I have a new friend too. Thank you so much Christine, I will be sure to encourage anyone I know, to come and take a course at your cooking school. Oh and I didn’t mention the location, sitting up on a hill overlooking the Tambo river, it is so easy to get distracted by the view from the kitchen through the beautiful garden down to the river.

Feeling inspired, I spent yesterday pickling Asparagus, it is in season and who can resist it at this time of year. The off-cuts have been pressure canned to be used in soups, canapés etc.