The Corkless Mind

Affogato and chocolate muffins with a coffee sugar

This is another amazing recipe from Delicious Australia, and was said that it was inspired by a three ingredient dessert bread recipe by the revered Matt Preston. He is someone I look up to, aspiring to be as great a food writer as he is, with so many of the greats like the late A.A Gill being the ultimate food writer for me.
This recipe can also be found in the latest issue of delicious Australia. Do yourself a favour, subscribe to their magazine. It’s like Christmas every single month, for me there’s nothing better than being gifted premium food articles and aspirational food writing and of course mouth watering food photography that visually inspires me to recreate those spectacular shots.

I added my own little twist to the recipe with the addition of dark chocolate and coffee liqueur. My sister and her soon to be husband gifted my partner and I a bottle of locally produced Beaver creek coffee liqueur that I cracked open and used in the batter for that extra kick of coffee.

Affogato and chocolate muffins in a coffee sugar:

Ingredients:

300g self-raising flour, sifted

750ml vanilla ice cream, softened

165ml canola/sunflower oil

1 free-range egg, lightly beaten

150g caster sugar

3 teaspoons of instant coffee granules, crushed

2 tablespoons of coffee liqueur

100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped.

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Sift the self-raising flour in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the softened ice cream, egg and oil till combined. Add this to the flour and fold gently till just incorporated. Add the coffee liqueur and chopped chocolate and gently fold again to combine slightly. Pour into a muffin tray and bake for 20 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. To make the coffee sugar coating, lightly crush the coffee granules in a pestle and mortar and add to the caster sugar, and taking each muffin and dipping into the sugar mix until coated on the top and/or sides if you will. Serve with your favourite espresso or coffee liqueur.
Brussels Sprout and sweet potato gratin.

These days I’m leaning towards greener pastures, or so I’d like to think. I find myself wanting to eat more green, more plant food. Eating plants/vegatables has a very lacklustre underrated reputation as something of a side dish to your main meat dish. This perception can be something of the past. Lately with the help of many innovative chefs there are many restaurants or pop ups ‘hero-ing’ the humble veg placing it front and center. At the risk of lecturing, our burdened planet is taking so much strain trying to produce enough for so many and consuming red meat on a regular basis certainly doesn’t help with the on going crisis of climate change, collectively we can all make a difference, by consuming less and eating ethically reared red meat.

This recipe comes straight from this month’s delicious Australia issue, a bright and interesting Jamie Oliver feature, focusing on Brussel sprouts as the ‘hero’ ingredient. Again, Brussel sprouts doesn’t exactly have the best reputation, however from what I’ve seen in this issue, there certainly are ways to make them tasty and interesting without compromising on nutrition.
Sprout and sweet potato gratin:
Ingredients:
-20g unsalted butter

-2 onions, sliced thinly

-5 garlic cloves, sliced thinly

-4 thyme sprigs

-1 large sweet potato or 2 large potatoes (sliced into rounds)

-2 cups of (500ml) milk

-100ml double cream

-200g creme fraiche

-600g Brussels sprouts, sliced thinly

-grated lemon zest of 1 lemon

-1 cup (80g) of Grana Padano or any other Parmesan

-50g stale breadcrumbs I used sourdough, but you can use whatever you have on hand

-50g chestnuts or macadamia nuts, finely chopped

-3tablespoons of olive oil
Method:
Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Melt butter in a flameproof baking dish or large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and half the thyme, and cook stirring for 8 minutes or until the onion is soft.
Add the sliced potato and stir well, then pour over the milk. Bring to the boil, the reduce heat to low and simmer. Stirring constantly to release the starch from the potato slices, for 3 minutes or until the potato is heated through.

Remove from the heat and stir through the cream and creme fraiche, then fold through the sliced Brussels sprouts. Add the lemon zest and half of the Parmesan. Season, and stir gently to combine, before grating over the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan.
Place the bread in a food processor and pulse get breadcrumbs, place in a small bowl, add the chestnuts or macadamia nuts (whichever you could find or have on hand) oil and remaining thyme, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the nut crumb over the top of the vegetable mixture. Transfer to the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the top is bubbling and golden. Remove the gratin from the oven and set aside for a few minutes to cool slightly, then serve with a seasonal crisp salad.
Babylonstoren Olive Workshop

Every visit, every single time, I always find something new at Babylonstoren. This to me is what keeps me coming back every time, the excitement of exploring something different in the same lush gardens. If you remember, I joined a group for the Bee workshop last October, which was amazing to experience first hand going into the apiary and interacting with the bees and more importantly being educated about bees and their critical importance to life and the food chain, this gave me a higher level of respect and love for bees.
To run you through what went down last week Wednesday, we started the day with a short scenic bus trip to the olive orchards where harvesting was well under way already(this time of the year is peak to harvesting times). Our hosts Klass Stoffberg, Linda Costa and Hannes introduced themselves and gave a brief lesson on the FS17 olive orchard which stood in front of us. We were encouraged to help pick the olives by individually picking them of the tree and not shaking off the tree. The former is the preferred method to harvest, as this creates less damage to the tree and olives.

Another short bus trip down to the olive factory this time, a quick stop by the tasting room for a comforting coffee and biscotti on a overcast nippy day which proved perfect for a walk in the orchards! After refreshments, a walk down to the cellar and through to the other side, was a bustling olive factory, a quick tour followed by an olive oil tasting was enthralling and insightful to learn about the different varietals of olive oils and how they are grown in different soils and environments depending on their nutritional needs.

Lunch was served at the Greenhouse at a long table, conducive for a talkative lunch hour. Lunch was a tasty lamb pot pie with a vibrant salad picked fresh from their lush gardens or course served along with a can of their award winning Extra Virgin Olive oil. Dessert, a very tart passion fruit cheesecake with chocolate soil.

The lecture that took place after lunch, I have to be honest was my favourite part of the day! Yes I know, I am a nerd, a food nerd at heart, I do love learning and I believe that we never stop learning. A tasting of faulty olive oils and a worksheet of its positive and negative characteristics were present of which we had to complete to fully understand the difference between its faulty and positive characteristics. A faulty olive oil could have one of four characteristics, namely:

▪️Rancidity/oxidation

▪️Acidity/wineyness

▪️Musty/moldy

▪️Muddy sediment
Did you know? in order for an extra virgin olive oil to be classified as such, it must have no defect or a defect of 2,5% or less out of 10 and fatty acids of 0,8% to be classified as EVOO. The CTC seal on all our local EVOO packaging is not only a stamp of approval of its quality and integrity but an assurance that the EVOO has gone through a local tasting panel.

How to taste EVOO? Warm a small cup in your hands, take a small sip and allow it to coat your mouth. You should be experience fruitiness hitting your tastebuds and peppery notes coating the back of your throat. This is a good indication of the quality of the oil and its high antioxidants.

The tasting of table olives was rather surprising to me, because I enjoy only one type of table olive which is the Kalamata. This all changed when I tasted the Beroni and Manzanilla table olives these specific ones were quite large in size and meaty in taste, with no bitter perfume or zesty flavours, which is what I hate from normal green table olives.

The day ended with a brief exploration mission in the ‘healing garden’and a barefooted walkabout in the chamomile lawns with a likeminded new friend!

The wealth of knowledge one acquires at these workshops are immeasurably worth it! By no means do I consider myself to be an ‘olive know-it-all’ at least now I can tell the difference between an EVOO and a refined olive oil. An added bonus about these workshops, are that you meet likeminded people and end up going home having made a friend or two!
For more information on the workshops at Babylonstoren, follow the link and be sure to book way in advance to secure your spot. https://www.babylonstoren.com/experience/workshop
Roasted pumpkin infused yoghurt

Pumpkin epitomizes Autumn in the comforting warm taste and colour lending it’s beautifully sweet flavour to just about anything I can think of to add it to. Which brings me to these gorgeous yoghurts that I am beyond obsessed with, pumpkin and cinnamon double cream yoghurts that I have recently considered an indulgent treat. The flavour of the pumpkin surprisingly enough shines through but not overpowering with a soft hint of cinnamon of course to complement the pumpkin. However, these store bought yoghurts are quite pricey, and find I prefer making my own when I have the time. I had some leftover pumpkin and decided to make a pumpkin pie recipe from renowned and local chef Bertus Basson’s new cookbook ‘Homegrown’ which is featured in this month’s Woolworths Taste issue.

Pumpkin infused yoghurt
Ingredients:
250g Pumpkin (cubed)

300g Plain yoghurt

2 T maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon
Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Place the cubed pumpkin in a roasting dish, drizzle with the maple syrup and add the cinnamon. Roast for 20-25 minutes until fully macerated. Set aside to cool. In a blender, or in my case my NutriBullet, add the pumpkin and blitz till smooth, then add the yoghurt with another dusting of cinnamon if you like, and blitz till smooth. Serve as a snack or with your morning granola.

If you want you could add some pears to the roasting tray along with the pumpkin, or what ever you like that is in season. Im in love with these gorgeous autumnal pears and couldn’t resist adding the pears to the photos. They’re super sweet and crunchy, usually I roast them with a little honey and serve with a few slices of Brie or Camembert as an indulgent snack.
English muffins

Sweet or savoury? A thin layer of strawberry jam or silky smooth lemon curd topped with a dollop of cream or simply served with lashings of melted butter on a toasted English muffin. Best served in bed with a piping hot cup of tea. This is the epitome of weekend ‘breakfast in bed’ kind of spoils! While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with buying store bought, which I love doing, but when I stumbled across the recipe on Delicious UK, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try it out for myself! Remember to make the starter a day before the time. For the savoury filled muffin, I made creamy mashed potatoes with roasted pork bangers and made a honey mustard glaze to drizzle over the bangers, roasted for 20 minutes on 200 degrees C until golden brown. Toast the muffins and serve. For the sweet inspired muffins, I poached a few figs in earl grey tea until the flavour has taken to the figs, or simply roast the figs in a balsamic glaze until macerated, them serve with store bought ricotta cheese with some of the liquid from the roasted figs.
English muffins:
Ingredients:

For the starter:

-50g strong white bread flour

-2g dried active yeast

-50ml milk
For the dough:

250-300ml milk

8g dried active yeast

400g strong white bread flour, plus extra to dust

1 tsp fine salt

1 tsp caster sugar

30g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease

Vegetable oil for greasing
Method:
* Make the starter at least 12 hours, or up to 24 hours, in advance. Mix  the 50g flour and 2g yeast in a large bowl, then stir in the 50ml milk to form a thick paste. Cover with cling film and leave somewhere fairly cool (but not cold) and dark (the mixture will expand a little and bubble up).

* For the dough, heat the 250-300ml milk in a pan to just steaming. Leave to cool till lukewarm, then stir in the 8g yeast and set aside. Put the 400g flour in a large mixing bowl with the salt and sugar, then stir in the starter. By the time that’s done, the warm milk should be frothy. Add it to the bowl with the melted butter, then stir to bring it together into a dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes until elastic and smooth (or use a stand mixer and dough hook for 8-10 minutes).

* Transfer to a lightly oiled mixing bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave somewhere warm to rise until doubled in size for 1 hour (or leave overnight in the fridge). Once risen, knead the dough again on the work surface to redistribute the air bubbles (also known as knocking back), then roll out using a rolling pin until 2-3cm thick. Use an 8cm round cutter to stamp out 8-10 discs from the dough, re-rolling the dough. Put the discs on baking paper, scatter with a little flour and cover loosely with cling film. Leave to prove (rise) for 25-30 minutes until puffed.

* Heat a wide, heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat and grease with a little butter. Carefully transfer 3-4 of the muffins into the pan using a broad spatula, turn the heat down to low-medium and cook for 6-7 minutes, making sure they don’t burn on the underside. Once golden on the bottom and the sides are starting to look cooked, carefully flip the muffins and repeat. Transfer to a wire rack while you cook the rest. Split in half, butter and eat straightaway or cool completely before toasting.

*If kneading by hand, add 250ml warm milk in step 2, and use as little  flour on the surface as possible. Too much extra flour will make them hard. If you’re making the dough in a stand mixer, use 300ml milk. The softer the dough, the better.  Keep an eye on the dough while it’s rising and proving (step 3).If it rises too quickly, make them before the allotted time.

You should get 10 muffins out of the dough (step 3). If you find you have to re-roll the dough, the last couple won’t be as uniform as the first batch, but they will still taste as great.

For more guidelines you can visit Delicious UK for a great step by step tutorial on how to achieve the perfect English muffin.
Happy weekend! x
Satsuma and coconut granola

I have never considered myself to be health obsessed or fit.
However, as one ages and times change, circumstance dictates otherwise and almost forces one to be health conscious and smart about what we put into our bodies. You might have noticed lately I’ve been eating a little healthier than usual, and for that I feel a little more energetic. With that in mind, I do have my cheats here and there with balance being key, I certainly don’t plan on depriving myself anytime soon.

Two weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend a meet and greet with Jessica Sepel hosted by the awesome Wellness warehouse. Jessica is a renowned nutritionist and health author born in South Africa and later moved to Australia where she pursued her career in nutrition. In the intimate setting of the wellness warehouse café, Jessica shared with us her journey to eating clean to fuel mind and body adequately to keeping cortisol levels at bay for a calmer wellbeing. Having just finished her South African book tour for her second book ‘Living the Healthy Life’. I have a feeling this one is going to be another resounding success. Inspired by her talk, I made one of her super tasty homemade granola recipes which is from her first book, The Healthy Life.
Making your own granola at home is the best thing you can do if you’re trying to cut sugar out. Store bought granola is often riddled with tons of refined sugar amongst many other nasty stuff. This recipe is incredibly easy and takes just 20 minutes in overall time. I love the toasty taste of the coconut and nuts together with the fresh zestyness of the satsuma. Possibly one of my favourite granola’s I’ve tasted thus far! Because oranges are not in season just yet, I’ve replaced them with Satsuma citrus, which is a soft citrus and kind of reminds me of a milder tasting naartjie or clementine. I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit here and there, feel free to put your own spin on this one too.
Satsuma and coconut granola:

Ingredients:
-140g Almonds, roughly chopped

-50g walnuts

-50g pistachios

-50g sunflower seeds

-50g pumpkin seeds

-100g rolled oats

-4 tbsp of dessicated coconut/coconut flakes

-1 tsp of ground cinnamon

-2 tbsp of satsuma/orange zest

-2 tbsp of maple syrup/raw honey

-75g coconut oil, melted

-juice of one satsuma/orange

-pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. In a large bowl, mix the oats, nuts, both seeds, cinnamon and salt together with the zest. Melt the coconut oil if solid, until liquid, add the juice of the satsuma and maple syrup, and stir to combine. Add this mixture to your dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are just combined. On a parchment lined tray, spread the granola evenly then bake for 10 minutes, stir the granola after the first 10 minutes, then bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden. Store in an airtight container. Serve a few dollops of double cream plain yoghurt and fruit.

To give you an idea of what more you could use the granola for, you could make a delicious yoghurt parfait as a midday or brekkie snack. Just stack ingredients in a jar or glass and serve topped with mint and berries.

And just like that you have your very own homemade granola!