Buttermilk for baking

Buttermilk is an interesting ingredient that is often overlooked. Of course it has a long history of use in many cultures – I grew up with buttermilk as a staple in our home, and Northern European cultures also drink plenty of it. But somehow the benefits of using it for cooking aren't always appreciated.

I need cake

A bad week – ups and downs and everything in between – calls for some cake. As life moves on we get busy and forget to take a moment to stop and relax and just be still. Stillness requires food of course – and what better food than cake.

The artful artichoke

I’ll start this post by saying sorry -- I’m late! My life has been a little hectic and so, in keeping with that theme, I’ll be adding some more quick-to-make and easy-to-eat recipes. 

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I find that the easiest, quickest way to ensure you have a delicious meal is finding one or two special ingredients to serve as the stars of your dish. I often look to vegetables – in winter hearty vegetables such as pumpkin, eggplant, kale, sweet potatoes, and in summer lighter items like leafy lettuce, fresh tomatoes, red peppers. Once in a while I find something new that becomes my favourite for the season.

Jerusalem artichokes (also called sunchokes) are an interesting vegetable. These little strange, nubbly and knobbly roots (part of the sunflower family and not really related to larger, globe artichokes) are so much more delicious than they look.

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They are easy to cook – no need to peel them either. I sautéed them with plenty of garlic, fresh herbs like bay and sage leaves, sea salt and lots of lemon. Cooking the artichokes over a medium heat for about 15 minutes allows them to become slightly sticky and caramelised but still retains a crunch. These artichokes had layered flavours that were slightly creamy, sweet and definitely nutty - unlike anything you’ve ever tasted! I served mine with a simple soup to make up the perfect dinner in a hectic week.

sautéed jerusalem artichokes

serves 2 large servings

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, sliced

400g Jerusalem artichokes  ( 2 cups), cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces

4 bay leaves – fresh or dried

a bunch of sage leaves

sea salt

1/2  lemon

some water

Place a large pan on medium heat, add olive oil, slices of garlic and let fry out 2-3 minutes to infuse oil. Add artichokes, bay and sage leaves, add pinch of sea salt and cook artichokes – moving them around once in a while. If pan dries out add a little water – place lid and cook for 10 minutes – making sure they don’t burn. Take lid off and cook for another five minutes or until they are cooked but still retaining crunch. Remove from pan and sprinkle with lemon juice.  Serve alone or with another main dish – fish, green salad or soup. Enjoy!

Cheese is what you need

It has been raining every day in Sydney.  Cheesecake is the kind of comfort you need on rainy days or when the weather is cold.

I love the creamy, smooth quality of the cheese against the crunch of the biscuit base and the sweet aftertaste. You don’t need a lot of sugar in cheesecake – somehow its richness is satisfying enough.

Sweet, creamy, tangy and refreshing – are some of the words that come to mind after tasting my baked citrus cheesecake. I used the zest and juice of lemon in the cake and served it with fresh mandarins. I kept the cake simple so that the freshness of ingredients would stand out; fresh ricotta, cream cheese, eggs, lemon and agave made up the body of the cake and I used wholemeal biscuits for the base.

My baked citrus cheesecake was super easy to make so I hope you try it out for yourself!

And for more cheesecake type recipes see here and here.

baked citrus cheesecake

serves 6-8

crust

125g/12 biscuits wholemeal biscuits (you could also use graham crackers, granita)

1 1/2  tbsp melted butter

filling

250g or 1 1/2 cups cream cheese (package)

250g fresh ricotta cheese

3 eggs – 2 whole and 1 yolk

zest from 1 lemon, juice from half

2 tbsp dark agave syrup (use honey or other sweetner if you don’t have it)

1 tbsp demerara sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.

Line the bottom of a 20cm springform pan with baking paper.

To make the crust, place biscuits in a processor and process until biscuits resemble sand-like texture. Place into bowl with melted butter and mix through. Place mixture into pan and press down.  Bake 5 minutes or until golden and take out to let cool.

To make filling: in a processor or with a beater mix both cheeses until softened, add in eggs one at a time, zest of lemon and juice, and agave syrup. Beat until everything becomes smooth . To get a dense and rich cheesecake make sure not to beat too much air into mix – it will just end up flopping in the centre. Once the filling is smooth, pour into pan on top of crust and sprinkle with demerara sugar (I do this to get a little bruléed crust). Cover pan with foil and place into centre shelf to bake* for 45 minutes – remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until centre is firm.  Once baked, take out and let cool – refrigerate for a few hours – if you can wait! To serve, add mandarins or any other citrus fruit – pour over more agave syrup or use jam to add more sweetness. Enjoy!

*These are baking guidelines since ovens do vary – just make sure to keep an eye on the cake checking every 20 minutes or so.