Tuna and potato salad with anchovy dressing

Even though it was published here I’m a vegetarian, that is not true – I don’t eat red meat, but like poultry and love fish.

This salad is very simple, but the dressing takes it to a whole new level.

Tuna and potato salad with anchovy dressing
from Donna Hay magazine

600g kipfler potatoes, cleaned and halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 roma tomatoes, sliced
¾ cup basil leaves
425g (15oz) can tuna in oil, drained

Anchovy dressing:
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
1/3 cup red wine vinegar – I used ¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F. Place the potatoes in a baking dish, add the oil, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Roast for 45 minutes or until golden.
Make the dressing: place the anchovies, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine (the anchovies will melt). Set aside.
Toss the potatoes with the tomatoes, basil and tuna. Drizzle with the anchovy dressing and serve.

Serves 4

Orange blossom water marshmallows

I told you I’m absurdly partial to sweet recipes and I’m sure you’d noticed that already. :)
I love making spoon desserts and cupcakes, for instance, but there’s something that really makes me extra happy: to share what I make. Maybe that is why I’m such an avid cookie baker – they’re easy to package and to carry around; place some cookies in a bag and you can really make someone’s day nicer.

Marshmallows are the same – that’s why you always see them around here. :)

Orange blossom water marshmallows
adapted from here

2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
½ cup (120ml) warm water
330g caster sugar
½ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons glucose syrup
1/3 cup (80ml) water, extra
1 tablespoon orange blossom water

For rolling the marshmallows:
¾ cup (105g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon corn starch, sifted

Lightly oil a 20cm (8in) square cake pan and dust with icing sugar.

Place the gelatin and warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer, stir well to combine and set aside. Place the sugar, glucose and extra water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil and cook without stirring for 5-6 minutes or until soft ball stage (115°C/240°F) on a sugar thermometer.

With the mixer running at high speed, gradually add the hot syrup to the gelatin mixture. Add the orange blossom water and beat for 10 minutes or until thick and fluffy. Pour into prepared pan, cover with foil or baking paper but do not let it touch the marshmallow. Set aside overnight in room temperature.

Place the icing sugar and corn starch in a bowl and stir to combine. Turn the marshmallow onto a surface lightly dusted with a little of the icing sugar mixture and carefully remove the pan. Cut into squares with a lightly oiled knife.

Dust with remaining icing sugar mixture and store in an airtight container.

Makes 36

Toblerone cookies

I’ve been feeling like a certain cat lately – not so keen on Mondays... :)

These cookies could certainly cheer one up, even Garfield – it’s too early for lasagna, anyway. :)

Toblerone cookies
adapted from here

¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (117g) light brown sugar, packed
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (140g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
200g milk Toblerone, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth, then stir in the flour, baking soda, salt and 150g Toblerone.
Drop leveled tablespoons of dough onto each sheet, 5cm (2in) apart. Press the remaining chopped Toblerone over the surface of the cookies.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until dry-looking and covered with even cracks but not quite firm to the touch. Leave to cool and firm up on the baking sheets for a few minutes before carefully peeling away from the paper.

The cookies will keep in an airtight tin for up to 3 days.

Makes 22

Lemon pistachio friands + something new

There’s something new here today – and I know you’ll forgive me for the self-centered moment. :)

After receiving emails and comments asking me about the kind of training I have, the equipment I use for my photos, etc., I’ve decided to add an “about me” page to TK – and that would have to come with a lemon recipe on the side, of course. :)

Lemon pistachio friands
adapted from here

190g unsalted butter
60g all purpose flour
200g icing sugar, plus extra to dust
60g almond meal (ground almonds)
60g unsalted pistachios, finely ground
5 egg whites
grated zest of 2 lemons

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Melt butter and use a little to grease a 12-hole friand pan. Dust with a little flour, shaking out excess.
Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl, then stir in the almond meal and the ground pistachios.
Place egg whites in a small bowl and lightly froth with a fork. Add to dry ingredients with melted butter and zest, stirring until completely combined. Fill each friand hole two-thirds full. Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven, leave in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

The friands will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

Makes 12 – I halved the recipe above and got 9 friands, 6 using 3-tablespoon capacity star shaped pans + 3 using 1/3-cup (80ml) capacity muffiin pans

Banana pancakes

I love holidays – who doesn’t? :)

Lazy days like today call for a special breakfast, like these banana pancakes – they are delicious with fresh fruit, especially strawberries. A wonderful way to start the day. :)

Banana pancakes
from Simple Essentials Fruit

2 cups + 2 tablespoons (300g) all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup (116g) brown sugar, packed
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 ½ tablespoons (21g) unsalted butter
½ cup maple syrup or honey, to serve

Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, buttermilk, eggs and bananas in a large bowl and mix to combine. heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add a little of the butter and pour 1/3 cup (80ml) of the mixture into the pan and cook, in batches, until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn the pancakes and cook for 1 minute or until golden. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Serve in stacks layered drizzled with the maple syrup or honey.

Serves 4 – I halved the recipe, used ¼ cup (60ml) of batter per pancake and got 12