I love Belinda Jeffery

Of course I've never met her and this is completely based on her food. But I do.
I love the way her books give me an insight into her past. I love the photography of the food that I KNOW is still edible even after being under studio lights. How do know...well, because it's Belinda's cooking it has to be.

Most of all I just love the food and the way her recipe's just work.

Mix and Bake is the most useful cookbook I have come across. I used 3 (yes 3!) of its recipes as my wedding cake, her scones are MY scones and as is the case with the following recipe, you can make some tweaks and generally not stuff things up.

Image from Penguin

Belinda (yes I am on first name terms with all of my favourite cookbook authors Belinda, Jamie, Stephanie...) herself says that there are many variations of her "simple upside-down tomato and basil pie" and I think I try something different every time I make it.

Sometimes I halve the amount of canned tomatoes (and it still works), I sometimes replace the mustard powder with dijon or wholegrain mustard (and it still works), I never have Tabasco in the house so chuck in some chili flakes (and it still works) and most of the time I'm out of basil and will use another random herb instead and yes it still works. And of course I don't use egg and it works with "No-egg" replacer.

Tomato and Basil pie...sans basil!

In this particular version it was I added a can of cannellini beans after the tomato. I really enjoy this variation and it packs some extra protein points in.

So try it, Belinda's way, my way, your way....whatever, it still works.

CC.

New celebrity food crush

Hugh Fearnsley -Whittingstall. Your name is rather, well posh. Not really your fault I suppose. With a name like that I would expect your food to completely inaccessible. Its not, its lovely!

OK...thats enough of the fan girl. I picked up the new River Cottage Veg from work this week and it is packed full of accessible recipes that even the most ardent meat eater would love. It also explains to meat eaters WHY they should eat less meat AND is by someone that actually likes meat (as opposed to moi).

Gorgeous photos, intro's that include food sustainability without being overly preachy and fantastic food...what's not to love?

So far I've cooked a yummy baked eggplant and Porotos Granados (Chilean Bean Stew) and thinking tomorrow may be a beetroot soup. I wouldn't normally try so many new recipes a week...but they all look so good and so easy!

I made the stew with few modification......I didn't have enough corn so chucked in a red capsicum and through in a tomato....just because I thought it needed it. I also used dried oregano and bog standard paprika.

Back off bugs

I've been on a carrot hit the last week, mainly as carrots are cheap, I'm stingy and they are quite easy to whack in food without Chuckles noticing. So we have had wraps, stir-fries and finally cake. Although by the time I made it to cake I was running out of carrots and had to supplement with zucchini, which is also cheap and easy to whack in food without Chuckles noticing. The result was an amazing moist fruity cake that if you left off the cream cheese icing would be vegan. I am not vegan so I piled the icing to the sky. Yum!

As you can see Poppet enjoyed her first experience with cake batter.

It also seems that I am pushing carrots on the kids through this years Christmas book. Every year I try and buy a Christmas themed book. I remember being read  A Christmas Carol as a child and to this day Dickens remains a favourite. This years book follows everyone's favourite wombat on a Christmas adventure. 

Image from Harper Collins

Having been on maternity leave this year I haven't kept as up too date with recent publications as I would like, so was pleasantly surprised when I encountered this read by a dear friend at a recent storytime. I rushed out and bought it the next day and am pleased to day that it been read at least once a day this week!

Carrotty Fruity Cake

2 cups of flour

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups grated carrot 

1  cup grated zucchini

1/2 cup oil

1/2 banana

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sultanas / chopped dates

1/2 cup walnuts

Cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to taste.

Preheat oven 180c

Line smallish round tin (large loaf tin would probably also work)

Combine dry ingredients

Add carrot, oil, banana, vanilla and juice.  Stir until just combined.

Add fruit, nuts and spice.

Bake approx. 45 minutes. 

Leave in tin for 5 minutes and then turn on to wire rack to cool. Be careful when turning out as it has a tendency to break.

When cool top with cream cheese icing. 

xxCC