Friday, October 27, 2006

Bluegreen's Beetroot Sheet.

Pickled Beetroot

5-6 beetroot
salt
water
1 cup malt vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 bay leaf 2 whole cloves
4 peppercorns

Cook beetroot in salted water until tender, about 45 minutes.
Combine remaining ingredients in another saucepan, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Cool.
Peel beetroot, leave whole or slice as desired, and pack into hot sterilised jars.
Strain vinegar mixture, pour over beetroot.
Seal.

For Jellied Beetroot, prepare as above, and cut the beetroot into large dice.
Arrange in an oiled bowl or mould, about 3 cup capacity.
Take 1 cup of the pickling liquid, add 1 tablespoon gelatine and stir over low heat until gelatine dissolves.
Pour over beetroot.
Refrigerate until set, then unmould carefully.

Spiced Pickled Beetroot
2kg beetroot
5cm piece fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
12 whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
4 dried bird’s eye chillies
3 cups white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon coarse cooking salt
1 1/2 cups sugar

Choose small or medium-sized beetroot and have them of uniform size if possible.
Leave 2cm stalks on cover with water and add about 2 teaspoons salt.
Cover, bring to the boil and boil gently for 40-50 minutes or until just tender.
Cool, drain and remove skins and top, trim bases.
Leave whole if small, quarter, slice or dice medium-sized beetroot.
Pack into cold sterilized jars.
Wash the ginger, do not peel.
Place on a board and hit with a cleaver or mallet to bruise.
Tie in a piece of muslin.
Tie spices in another piece of muslin.
Put vinegar, salt and sugar into a stainless steel saucepan and stir over heat until sugar is dissolved.
Add flavouring bag, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Remove bags and pour boiling hot vinegar slowly over beetroot to cover completely.
Seal when cold with sterilised lids, preferably plastic.
Store in a cool, dark place and leave for 3-4 days before using.

Pickling Vinegar (this is the recipe I've always used)
1 litre white vinegar
1 cup sugar (or less to taste)
1 teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients together and bring to the boil.
Add any spices, such as peppercorns, cloves, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon mixed spice and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
If you add the spices, let mixture boil for an extra 10 minutes.
Strain and allow to cool before use. (Never use iodised salt for pickling, use plain salt, sea salt or pickling salt.)
Before pickling, vegetables should be left to stand in a brine solution of about 3-5% salt to water. Use jars with plastic or glass lids instead of metal, unless lids are protected from acid reaction with several layers of greaseproof paper.
Vegetables suitable for pickling are: beetroot, cabbage, cucumber, onions, peas, shallots, red cabbage, walnuts, zucchini.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Sweetpea's Ham and Tomato Cheese Scrolls

Guaranteed to to please even the fussiest child and husband !
Ham and Tomato Cheese Scrolls
  1. 2 cups self raising flour.
  2. 30g butter( melted )
  3. 3/4 cup milk
  4. 1/2 cup tomato paste
  5. 1 cup grated cheese
  6. 100g shaved ham

  • preheat oven to 200
  • sift flour into bowl
  • melt butter and quickly with a fork mix through flour
  • pour milk into a small 'well 'in flour mix
  • use a flat edge knife bring the mixture together in a sticky ball
  • turn out onto a floured area
  • knead quickly until smoth
  • roll out roughly with a pin to 24cm x 36cm rectangle (you dont have to be to precise with this ..longer is better )
  • spread sauce , ham and cheese evenly over the dough
  • leave a 3cm border free of tomato (so you can seal it when rolled)
  • roll up firmly (like a swiss cake roll )
  • cut the log into 12 or so slices .
  • arrange on tray close together ..give some room to grow (like scones )
  • make sure the join is turned in(so it doesn't unroll when cooking)
  • bake 20 minutes ..or until golden and cooked thruough
Fend off all hungry kids and adults until cool enough to eat !!!!!

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Ptmummy's Mulberry Jelly

1/2 bucket mulberries
1 cup sugar
800mls water

6 gelatin leaves
1 cup water

Wash mulberries and place in a huge pot with 800mls water and the sugar.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins.

Place the gelatin leaves in a bowl with 1 cup water for five mins.

Strain the mulberries and reserve 800mls of the liquid.

Squeeze the water out of the gelatin and dissolve into the mulberry liquid.

Leave out to cool to room temp, then place in fridge.

Needs about 10 hours to set.

I added a shot of Cointreau to mine as well for an orange flavour.

It is soooo yummy.