Sunday, April 29, 2018

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (set method)
Equipment
·      Small round tin
·      Baking paper (to fit in the bottom of tin)
·      Measuring cups/spoons
·      Small mixing bowl
·      Rolling pin
·      Chopping board
·      Whisk/ egg beater
Ingredients
·      Biscuit crumbs (from 8 biscuits)
·      Butter, 50g, melted
·      Cream cheese, 1 heaped Tbsp
·      Icing sugar, 1 heaped Tbsp
·      Cocoa powder, 1 tsp
·      Lemon juice, 1/2 tsp
·      Vanilla essence, ¼ tsp
·      Gelatin, 1 tsp
·      Hot water, 3 Tbsp
·      Cream, ¼ cup, whipped
·      Chocolate chips, 1 ramekin.
Method
1.    Crush up the biscuit with the rolling pin on the chopping board.
2.    Melt the butter in a measuring cup in the microwave and then mix it with the biscuit crumbs.
3.    Line the bottom of the tin with the baking paper.
4.    Pack the buttery biscuit crumb into the bottom of the tin.
5.    Place into the fridge.
6.    Beat the cream cheese, cocoa and icing sugar until they are soft.
7.    Mix the lemon juice, vanilla essence and hot water together.
8.    Dissolve the Gelatin in the lemon juice mixture. Heat in the microwave if necessary.
9.    Stir the Gelatin mixture in with the cream cheese mixture.
10. Fold in the whipped cream.
11. Add the chocolate chips to this mix and pour into the chilled base from the fridge.
12.  Return to the fridge to set for 20-30 minutes.
13. Carefully remove from the tin, cut up and serve.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Grilled Steak with creamy garlic mushroom sauce.

Grilled Steak with Garlic Mushroom sauce
Equipment
·      Small fry pan
·      Chopping board and sharp knife
·      Measuring cup/spoons
·      Tongs
·      Serving plate
·      Ramekin for sauce
Ingredients
·      Rump steak, 2 portions, needs to be trimmed of fat and silver skin
·      Mushrooms, 2, sliced
·      Garlic, 1 clove or ¼ tsp, crushed and diced finely
·      Cream, 1/8 cup (3 Tbspns)
·      Seasonings (salt/pepper/herbs)
·      Butter for mushrooms.
·      Oil for frying
Method
1.    Slice up the mushrooms and crush/dice the garlic.
2.    Heat up the small fry pan (medium heat) and add butter.
3.    Quickly add garlic, then mushrooms.
4.    Toss and fry until soft.
5.    Add the cream, reduce the heat and simmer until thick.
6.    Pour out the sauce into a mixing bowl and keep warm. Season if required.
7.    Clean the fry pan and reheat.
8.    Wait until the pan is hot before adding a small amount of oil.
9.    Fry the steak one piece at a time, waiting for the blood to come through before turning over.
10.  Test for “degrees of doneness” before removing from pan. Poke the meat with your finger.
11. Rest the meat on a plate for 5 minutes before serving with the sauce.


Things to remember when cooking steak:
·      The steak should be at room temperature before cooking (bring out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking).
·      Trim the steak of fat and silver skin.
·      Heat up the pan to medium hot.
·      Add a little oil. Grilled, not deep fried.
·      Season the steak after cooking.
·      Flip only once. Wait for the cooking juice to come through before flipping.
·      Cook to correct Degrees of Doneness
1.    Blue (very rare)
2.    Rare
3.    Medium rare
4.    Medium
5.    Well done
6.    Very well done
See the pictures below for a better idea. Also use the finger poke test. Fatter steak will take longer to cook in the middle.

·      Resting the meat for 5 minutes after cooking allows the muscle fibers to relax which means the meat is more tender and easier to cut/chew. This should be applied to all meats after cooking.

Sunday, April 8, 2018

Banana cake with Chocolate icing.

Banana Cake with Chocolate Icing
Equipment
·      Small cake tin (greased and floured)  
·      Sharp knife
·      Mixing bowl
·      Measuring cups/spoons
·      Wooden spoon
·      Whisk
·      Sieve
·      Cooling rack

Ingredients
·      Butter, 75g, soft
·      Sugar, ½ cup
·      Eggs, 1
·      Soft banana, 1/2 large mashed (or 1 small mashed)
·      Vanilla essence, ¼ tsp
·      Flour, 1 cup
·      Baking soda, ½ tsp
·      Salt, ¼ tsp
·      Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp
·      Milk, 1/4 cup
·      Lemon juice, ½ tsp

Method
1.    Cream butter and sugar until light.
2.    Beat in the egg.
3.    Stir in mashed banana and vanilla.
4.    Sieve in the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda).
5.    Fold into creamed mixture with milk and lemon juice.
6.    Pour into the greased and floured cake tin.
7.    Bake at 1800C for 20-30 minutes until cooked.
8.    Remove from oven and let cool down before turning out.
9.    Ice with chocolate icing.
Icing
·      Icing sugar, ½ cup
·      Cocoa, 1 tsp
·      Butter, 2 knobs, melted
·      Hot water, 2-3 tsp


Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Marinated Chicken and Potato Salad.

Marinated Chicken with Potato Salad

Equipment
·      Wooden chopping board
·      Sharp knife
·      Tongs
·      3 Pots (per table)
·      Enamel dish for chicken
·      Oven tray
·      Peeler
·      Sieve
·      Large Mixing bowl
Ingredients
·      Chicken breast (one per pair) or legs (2 per pair)
·      Selection of marinades (acids, sauces, seasonings)
·      Potatoes, 1 large or 2 medium or 3 small per group
·      Spring onion, 2 lengths of stalk
·      Eggs, 2
·      Mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp
·      Salt/pepper, to taste
Method
Oven on to 1800C
1.    Mix up marinade (no more than ¼ cup) and pour into the enamel dish. Roll the chicken in the marinade and leave on your workstation.
2.    Fill up a pot ½ full of hot water and bring to the boil (high heat). Add a pinch of salt.
3.    Wash, peel and wash the potatoes. Dice up (1-2 cm2 ) and place in pot.
4.    Boil potatoes until just soft (10-15 minutes).
5.    Slice up spring onion while waiting.
6.    Drain the potatoes through a sieve and let cool down.
7.    Place the eggs in the clean pot, cover with hot water and bring to boil.
8.    Boil for 8 minutes and then run under cold water for 2 minutes.
9.    Peel the eggs and dice up.
10.  Add cooled potatoes, egg and spring onion together in a bowl with the mayonnaise and mix together.
11.  Roast chicken in the oven for at least 30 minutes on the oven tray. Cook until no more blood can be seen and the flesh is white. Use the tongs to turn the chicken over.
12. Remove the chicken from oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Make sure the chicken is cooked properly by inspecting the flesh around the bone. Serve the chicken on a mound of potato salad.