The Corkless Mind

Tag: Delicious Australia

  • Affogato and chocolate muffins with a coffee sugar

    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. 

    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. 

  • Grilled strawberries and cream.

    Grilled strawberries and cream.

    There’s something so unmistakably classic about the combination of strawberries and cream, that will always transcend food trends. That to me is the very definition of classic food. Inspired by the breathtaking food photography and styling in the March issue of delicious Australia, I couldn’t resist recreating this recipe at home. This recipe is by chef Matt Wilkinson for the March issue of delicious. 
    Like many others scrambling to the stores to indulge in the last little bit of summer produce available before its all vanished off of shelves for a good couple of months and before regret sets in that I didn’t attempt this gorgeous recipe, I knew I had to give it a go! 
    Grilled strawberries with cream and meringue shards. 
    Ingredients:
    – 250g strawberries

    – 1 tsp of olive oil 

    – Black pepper to taste

    – A few basil leaves to garnish 

    – Vanilla ice cream to serve

    – 2 egg whites 

    – 120g castor sugar 
    Method: 

    Preheat oven to 95 degrees C. Starting on the meringue shards first, in a stand mixer or with an electric beater, beat the egg whites until soft peaks have formed. Gradually adding the sugar a little at a time, whilst the mixer is on. Beat until stiff and glossy. On a parchment lined/silpat lined baking tray spread the meringue thinly on the baking tray, and bake for 40 minutes. Break into shards and set aside. 
    Coat the strawberries in olive oil and a little freshly ground black pepper. On a high heat, sear the strawberries until black grill lines are visible (take care to space the strawberries apart) 
    Serve with the meringue shards, a scoop or two of ice cream, basil leaves and freshly ground black pepper. 

  • Zucchini and Haloumi fritters

    Zucchini and Haloumi fritters

     I have recently gifted myself a digital subscription to the award winning Delicious Australia’s food magazine. Honestly, I don’t know why I haven’t done so sooner! I’m a massive fan of their glossy food mag and find myself constantly perusing their websites in search for ideas and inspiration. 
    This recipe is adapted from their February issue, which is packed full of colourful and light summer inspired recipes. This particular recipe looked amazing photographed on their cover but also seemed like something I wouldn’t usually make. Like any fritter recipe, this is super easy and so light and fluffy. The zesty flavour of the zucchini and creamy profile of the Haloumi really complements each other and the accompaniment of the crisp vibrant sugar snaps are just the thing this dish needs for texture and colour. I love how the creamy dressing provides relief for the slight kick of chili in the fritter. 

    Okay, enough explaining the flavour profile, try the recipe for yourself!

    Zucchini and Haloumi fritters

    Ingredients: 

    – 620g Courgette/zucchini (about 5 of them) coursely grated

    – 100g Self raising flour

    – 50g plain flour 

    – 250g haloumi

    – Pinch of chilli flakes ( I added a few pinches) add according to taste.

    – 1tsp salt 

    – 2 eggs lightly beaten 

    – 1/2 cup chopped dill 

    – 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil 

    – 200g of sugar snap peas 

    – 50g julienne beetroot to serve 

    – A few spinach leaves or baby gem lettuce to serve 

    Green Goddess Dressing: 

    -1/2 bunch of mint and dill 

    -Juice of 1/2 lemon

    -120g sour cream 

    -140g Double fat plain yoghurt 

    Method: 

    Place the colander into a bowl and coursely grate the zucchini into the colander. Add the salt and set aside for 15 minutes, then squeeze to remove extra moisture. In a separate bowl, add the grated zucchini, flours, eggs, chilli flakes and dill, mix to combine. 

    In a frying pan, heat the olive oil for a shallow fry on a medium heat. In batches, spoon in a heaped tablespoon of the fritter mixture and fry for 3-4 minutes on either side, drain on kitchen paper and keep warm. 

    Plate fritters with the lettuce/spinach, beetroot and sugar snaps, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Top with a poached egg or two. 
    In a blender (or in my case my NutriBullet) blitz together the yoghurt, sour cream, mint and dill until combined. Drizzle over the fritters and salad 

    **the original recipe calls for smoked ham to be added to the fritter mix, you can, like me completely omit this ingredient or add smoked bacon if you want to take it to next level deliciousness! 

  • Frozen Yoghurt Berry and Pistachio bar. 

    Frozen Yoghurt Berry and Pistachio bar. 

    You might have noticed no Valentine’s themed post… At the the risk of sounding like a grinch, I don’t believe in the capitalist hype around it. What I do believe in is love, celebrated everyday not just between two people but to be shared amongst all. However, you might not feel the same, so to celebrate love today and everyday treat yourself to this delectable treat! 

    The recipe is adapted from this month’s Delicious Australia magazine. 

    **Make a day in advance.**
    Frozen Yoghurt Berry and Pistachio Bar: 
    Ingredients: 
    – 330g (1pack of biscuits) ( I used Marie biscuits) 

    – 350g Mixed berries(raspberries and blueberries) 

    – 120g coconut oil or melted butter

    – 100g chopped Pistachios 

    – 250g plain double fat yoghurt 

    – 4 tablespoons of honey 

    – Two drops of rose water 

    – Dried rosebuds for garnish 
    Method: 
    In a food processor or NutriBullet, blitz the biscuits until fine, chop the pistachios roughly and add to the biscuit mixture. Add the coconut oil/butter and mix to combine, press down into a baking tray(you could use a muffin tray for Individual servings if you wish) 
    In a pan, on medium heat, add the berries, 2 tablespoons of honey and the rose water until the berries are macerated. Set aside 1/4 of the compote to serve later then leave to cool slightly. In a bowl add the yoghurt and the rest of the honey and stir to combine. Add this mixture to the prepared pan with the biscuit and pistachio mixture, top with the berry compote and swirl into the yoghurt. Place in the freezer and leave overnight to fully set. Take the bars out at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve with the reserved compote mixture and a sprinkling of pistachios. 
    With love, today and everyday! 

    Dominique x

  • Festive fare – Canapés.

    Festive fare – Canapés.

    We all know how stressful hosting can get, especially this time of year, I’m going to make it my mission to take the pressure off and make it a little easier for you. Everybody loves canapés at a party,it’s a great ice breaker for something different to talk about, and when you’ve been waiting ages for the food, because the host decided to try out a new recipe and the tension is high in the air because hangry, canapés seems to save the day. 

    With this post i’d like to show you a few ideas, some rather different to the norm and some old trusty ideas we rely on that never gets old. I was lucky enough to get a copy of a rather elusive Delicious Australia December issue recently, there are so many recipes I need to try out(of course, giving myself ample time to perfect before Christmas) one of my favourite recipes in the issue, is a Jamie Oliver recipe for Brioche Mince pies. The change from the usual mince pies, is quite refreshing. The brioche as a vehicle for the fruit mince is perfect as a sweet textured little hollowed bun, the creme patissiere adds a lovely smooth velvety contrast the sharp mince needs. The fruit mince I made, I deviated from the store bought stuff and made my own, using chopped Pink Lady Apples, Medjool dates and Cranberries, with of course the usual Christmassy spices to spruce it way up. The recipe can be found in the issue or in Jamie Oliver’s latest cookbook, called “Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Cookbook” 
    For the Grana Padano cheese sticks and pinwheels, I got my hands on some store bought Pastry (because life is far too short to make your own for canapés guys!) my theme for these canapés is a little effort coupled with minimal fuss(if that makes sense) cut the pastry into strips brush with eggwash sprinkle over grated cheese, twist (for the sticks)and brush with egg, for the pinwheels repeat, but roll up into a wheel brush with eggwash and sprinkle both with sesame seeds. Bake for 15 mins until golden and crisp. 
    For the baked fig and cranberry Camembert, I spotted some lush seasonal figs at my local deli that I couldn’t resist to take home with me. I scored the top of the Camembert in a cross cross pattern, this makes the cheese ooze out, and the flavours of the honey, fig and cranberries really infuse the cheese with more flavour. Drizzle over honey a quarter fig with a few dried a cranberries. Bake for 20-25 minutes on 180 degrees. Serve warm with the cheese sticks and pinwheels and relish in the complements of being a a complete domestic goddess! 
    A few tips for hosting: 
    -never make a recipe for the first time whilst hosting, practice makes perfect! 

    -keep guests fed with plenty of little canapés to keep the wolf at bay

    -prepare a few carafes of homemade iced tea or watermelon juice that you can spike with some gin or vodka. 

    -keep it simple yet stylish, add a little sparkle with decor on the table by spray painting pine cones and if you can make your own wreaths before the time, get the kids to help if you like. 

    -lastly, enjoy every second of having all your loved ones in one room, life gets a little crazy sometimes so much so that we are all guilty of not taking the time out for each other. 

    If you’re taking a social media/blog hiatus during the festive season, in that case, enjoy every moment making new memories with your loved ones and be safe on the roads if you’re traveling. 
    Happy holidays! 

    Dominique x