Gingered Carrot Salad #glutenfree #salad #summer #christmas

For a change of pace and to celebrate the arrival of Summer in Australia, (I know that it is technically Spring, but it is hot enough to be Summer) I thought we would share this refreshing carrot salad with you. This salad is a great accompaniment for any barbeque, and also, with seafood, cold meats and salads gracing the tables of Australia on Christmas day, this is a perfect dish for your lunch. 

Ingredients:

8 Carrots - peeled and grated
4 Spring Onions - chopped (reserve a little for dressing)
6 sprigs of Garden Fresh Parsley - chopped (I use the sprigs in the dressing)
1 teaspoon Hot English Mustard
1 teaspoon Seeded Mustard
1 tablespoon Fresh Grated Ginger
Juice of one Lemon or Lime
1/4 cup Olive Oil

  

 Method:

Add carrot, spring onion, parsley and sultanas to a bowl.

Add remaining ingredients plus reserved sprigs and spring onion to blender - blend.  
Pour over carrot, onions, parsley, and sultanas.
Stir in, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, then serve. (A very refreshing side salad and little fuss)

Bon appetite!
   




Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com
 

Pumpkin Pie #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipe #glutenfreebaking

Pumpkin Pie is synonymous with Thanksgiving! This traditional dessert may be served warm or cold with whipped cream.This delicious treat can be baked for any occasion and is suitable for all seasons.

Pastry

Ingredients:

180g Butter - softened1 Egg - lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Caster Sugar
2.5 cups gluten-free Plain Flour
1/4 cup Iced Water
Pinch of Salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C
Place salt, sugar and flour into a large bowl.
Add butter.
Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles crumble.
Add egg and iced water, knead the dough until smooth -  add a little extra flour or water if too dry/ wet.
Spray a 22cm pie tin with a little oil.
Roll pastry dough between 2 layers of baking paper until required size to line tin.
Lift pastry into the tin, ease into side, trim edge. Lightly prick pastry base with fork, refrigerate about 20-30 minutes.
Put into the oven and bake in 180C for 15 minutes.

Filling

Ingredients:

 

1.5 cup Pumpkin Mash - warm

1 cup Milk
1 whole Egg
2 Egg Yolks
1/4 cup gluten-free Plain Four or Rice Flour
1/2 cup Caster Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt 

Method:

Prepare the filling while the pastry shell is cooking!
Place all ingredients in a large bowl.
Beat until smooth using an egg whisk. 
Push mixture through sieve using wooden spoon.
Remove pastry from oven. 
Pour the filling mixture into the pastry shell. 
Bake at 170C for another 25-30 minutes. 
Remember do not over bake. Check the middle and when the filling is set, the pie is cooked.
Remove pie from oven and set aside to cool.
Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.
Ground nutmeg can be added to the filling or sprinkled on top before serving.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

German Marble Cookies #glutenfree #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreerecipe

Christmas is almost upon us. We will share some of our special Christmas recipes with you. Today's recipe is for German Marble Cookies. I have found that they are very expensive in Asian markets, but as they only use ingredients that you have in your pantry, why not bake some at home. They are a delicious, melt in your mouth treat. Bake any time as a morning/afternoon tea treat. You will love them!

 Biscuits

Ingredients:

250g Butter - room temperature
100g Icing Sugar - sifted
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
250g gluten-free Corn Flour or Potato Starch
60g gluten-free Plain Flour - twice sifted
60g Cocoa Powder

Method: 

Preheat oven to 170C
Beat butter, vanilla and icing sugar until soft and creamy. 
Add corn flour and plain flour, mix well.
Separate the mixture into 2 parts. 
Add cocoa powder to the first half. 
The other half remains plain. Add more plain flour if the plain dough is still sticky.
Mix the mixtures together, but do not over mix. This gives you a beautiful marble look after baking.
Roll into small balls with your hand and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Be sure to leave enough spare room.
Use a fork to press the balls to half flat. Remember to flour the fork with plain flour after every 3-4 balls so the dough does not stick to the fork.
Bake at 170C for about 18 minutes. The time needed depends upon the cookie size. 
Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes. 
Cool on a rack.

Topping

Ingredients:

100g Dark Cooking Chocolate

Method:

Roughly chop chocolate.
Place in bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water. 
Make piping bag from baking paper, shaped into a funnel. 
Cut feeder hole in bottom and fill with chocolate. 
Pipe onto cool cookies.  (In drizzle form) 
Makes up to 40-45 pieces.

Tips:

• These cookies are also delicious without the chocolate topping. Sift some icing sugar onto the top. Why not pop into a tin and give as Christmas present. 

• If you wish to give the cookies with the chocolate drizzle, make sure it has set before you pack away.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

Chocolate Cupcakes #glutenfree #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreerecipe

This is an easy classic treat for everyone. After all everyone loves chocolate! If you have kids at home, cook these gorgeous cupcakes with them. Let them decorate the
cakes with their favourite lollies. You will have a lot of fun in the kitchen, so forget about the mess and disaster. Enjoy family time in the kitchen, your kids will learn some great skills, acquire a love of cooking, and  produce some yummy treats...

Cupcakes

Ingredients:

200g Butter - room temperature
1 cup Brown Sugar
5 Eggs - separated 
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
3 cups gluten-free Self Raising Flour
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
150g Dark Chocolate - melted

Method:

Preheat oven to 170C
Beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. 
Add egg yolks one by one, mix well. 
Add melted chocolate and milk.
In another clean bowl, whisk egg white until stiff peaks form . 
Pour half of egg white into the mixture, fold in gently with plastic spatula.
Add dry ingredients into the mixture, remember to mix gently and do not over mix. 
Add remaining egg white. 
Spoon the mixture into the papers until 80% full. 
Bake at 170C about 30 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean in the middle. (The baking time may differ depending upon the size of the papers)
Cool on a rack, decorate with chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

150g Butter
250g Dark Chocolate
2/3 cup Thickened Cream
3 cups Icing Sugar*

Method:

Chop chocolate into small pieces. 
Place in bowl and melt over saucepan of boiling water. 
Add thickened cream and mix well. 
Set aside and allow to cool.
Beat butter in a bowl until white and creamy. 
Add chocolate. 
Add icing sugar (*you can add extra icing sugar if the mixture too wet and soft or, refrigerate for 20 minutes)
Use piping bag and nozzle to decorate the cupcake. 
Decorate with your choice of decoration (m&m, strawberry, icing flowers)
Makes about 20 regular cupcakes.

Contact:lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

German Pork Hock with Sauerkraut and Creamy Potato Mash #glutenfree #germancooking

This is a popular, traditional German dish. I love this dish, and can easily finish a large plate in one sitting. The combination of crispy skin with tender meat inside is to die for. Serve with sour cabbage (sauerkraut) and creamy potato mash. 
I had enjoyed this dish in restaurants, when I realized it is not difficult to cook at home, and is much easier on the budget. So, I like to cook at home now and serve to my dinner guests. I am sure that it is better than similar meals served in many restaurants, especially the sauerkraut and the sauce. 

Pork Hock

Ingredients:
 
3 Pork Hocks (You can cook more if you have a large oven and deep baking dish)
2 Onions - cut in half
1 Large Carrot - cut into 3 pieces
1 Celery Stick - cut into 3 pieces
2 Spring Onion
1 whole Garlic - cut in half
Some Thyme and Rosemary
2/3 cup White Wine
About 1.5 cups Water
Salt and Ground Pepper

Method:

Wash and wrap dry the pork hocks. 
Rub with salt and refrigerate for about 5 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to very hot, I use 220C. Use 200C if you like, there is not big difference between them.
Place pork hocks and all vegetables (expect herbs) in a large deep baking dish and bake in the oven 30 minutes. Turn them once after 15 minutes. Don't worry about burnt vegetables as it gives a beautiful caramelized flavour to the sauce.
Remove from oven. Add herbs, white wine and water. (The water can cover halfway of pork hocks ). Cover with aluminium foil. Place back into the oven and cook at 190C for 1 hour.
Remove the aluminium foil, cook another 30 min with out cover. 
Turn the pork hocks and cook for another 30 minutes. 
Repeat 3 times, all cooking times are 1.5 hours. You can add salt and pepper during cooking time but please don't add too much salt as the sauce is reduced and thickened later.
Remove the dish from oven. 
Gently remove the pork hocks and place in baking tray lined with baking paper. 
Sprinkle with a little salt. 
Bake at 190C about 40 minutes or until crispy skin. (I use 210C as I like a little burnt flavour on the crispy skin)  
Turn the pork hocks and repeat once more until whole of the skin becomes crispy.
Remove vegetables from the sauce. Drain into a saucepan and cook on high heat until sauce is reduced to half. 
Skim the fat/oil off the top. 
If necessary, add little potato starch in water to thicken the sauce. 
Add seasonings and a little butter in the last few minutes.

Sauerkraut 

Ingredients:

1/4 Cabbage, cut into strips 
1/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Water
50g Butter
Salt and Pepper

Method:

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a pan. 
Stir fry cabbage for a few minutes. 
Add both vinegar, sugar and water. 
Cover with lid and cook on medium heat about 20 minutes. 
Add seasonings and butter and cook until all the liquid has been reduced.

Creamy Potato Mash

Ingredients:

4 Potatoes, about 600g - peeled and cut into pieces
70g Butter
1/2 cup Thickened Cream
Salt and Pepper

Method:

Boil the potatoes in a saucepan until soft.
Drain. Mash potato, then add cream, butter, salt and pepper.
Stir over low heat for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Plate up sauerkraut, potato mash, pork hock. 
Add some green beans, baby spinach or asparagus to make the plate more interesting. 
Pour the sauce over the pork hock. 
Serve with a little hot yellow mustard as well. 

Tip: 

• The sauce is the soul of this dish. If you find you have too much sauce, freeze it and use next time - you will find that the sauce is even more delicious, darker, and rich after cooking 2-3 times. 
• If you have leftover roast gravy, this can be added to the sauce as well.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

 

Amaretto Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache #glutenfree #glutenfreebaking

Smooth in texture and decadent in taste this sophisticated chocolate cake is the perfect way to spoil the special person in your life for that special occasion. 

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

250g Butter - room temperature
2/3 cup Brown Sugar (If you prefer a sweeter cake use 1 cup)
5 large Eggs - separated
1 cup Ground Almond Meal
1 cup gluten-free Self Raising Flour
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
150g Dark Chocolate
1/3 cup Amaretto Almond Liqueur


Method:

Preheat oven to 180C
Grease a large cake tin and line with baking paper. (Approx 20cm tin.)
Chop chocolate to small pieces.
Place into a bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water.
Add Amaretto Liqueur and mix well. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add egg yolks one by one.
Add chocolate liqueur and mix well.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder together 2 times, add ground almond meal.
Add the dry ingredients into the mixture, use the spatula to combine the mixtures gently.
In another clean bowl, beat egg white until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold into the chocolate mixture. Do not over mix to make sure you can have a soft and puffy moist cake soon.
Place in oven and bake in 180C about 65 minutes or until firm and skewer comes out clean in the middle (Reduce to 170C for last 20 minutes if top begins to burn.)
Remove from oven, leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool on the rack.
Spread with chocolate ganache and decorate.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

250g Dark Chocolate
50g Butter
2/3 cup Thickened Cream

Method:

Chop the chocolate to small pieces.
Place in bowl with butter and melt over a saucepan of boiling water.
Add cream and mix well. Add some extra cream if too thick.
Cut the cake to 2 layers, spread some ganache between the 2, then over the top and sides.
Cool in the fridge about 30 minutes.
Cut into slices with hot knife.
Great to serve with vanilla ice cream or thick cream.

Tips:

• Add another layer of chocolate ganache after the cake has cooled for a richer taste and look.

• Refrigerate in container, and warm in the microwave before serving.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

Strawberry Mousse #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipe #dessert

Only 6 ingredients are needed to make this delicious classic dessert. With strawberries in season, ripe, plump and full of flavour, why not whip up a few of these for a light, summery dessert that is sure to be a family favourite.

Ingredients:
 

500g Strawberries -wash and hull.
125g Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Caster Sugar*
3 Egg Whites
2/3 cup Thickened Cream
2 Gelatin Leaf or 1.5 tablespoon Gelatin Powder
1/4 cup Boiling Water

Method:
 
Blend strawberries in the food processor until fine.
Soak the gelatine leaf in warm water 5 minutes. Then heat with boiling water until dissolved.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until soft and smooth. 
Add blended strawberries and dissolved gelatine, mix well.
In two separate bowls, beat egg white and thickened cream until stiff peaks form. 
Add into strawberry mixture and combine well.
Pour into glasses or ramekins and set in the fridge for about 3 hours or overnight. 
Serves 6.
* You may need to reduce or add extra sugar depending upon the sweetness of strawberries

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com