OLIVE OIL CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

I had three choices.

To eat this mousse selfishly with the Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao in one hand, in morning light, in my cotton jammies, to serve it at a playful children's party or to serve it as a dessert after a dinner........ in a more elegant fashion.

But we all know that the party and the elegant dinner was just a figment of my imagination, so yes, I dived into it while in my jammies with Oscar Wao's brief life just within reach.

The morning was blessed to be bright and sparkling. So I did the photo shoot based on the three different settings that were mingling in my head. (just to prove to myself that mousse can be breakfast food is versatile). 

                                   No friends, that isn't a fly. That's an over-roasted chip off a pistachio nut.

Who would have thought chocolate mousse could be made without eggs but with olive oil instead? George Calombaris, one of the judges for Junior Masterchef Australia did. After all he is a sweet Greek.

But I didn't get it from his cookbook. I got it off a page from Delicious magazine in an advert for Bulla Thickened Cream. 

I can't help it. I get attracted to recipes from adverts. And to Bulla thickened cream. And to Delicious. And to mousse.

However, I was worried that the note and slick of olive oil would come strong and odd in a mousse. So I handed it to H rather gingerly. Then, from the mouth of the most cynical eater came these words..."It tastes like ice cream." He finished it. And why wouldn't he? It was chocolaty. It was pretty. And it was healthy.

I'd like to believe in healthy.

                                No friends, it isn't a fly. It's an over-roasted chip off a pistachio nut.

The recipe.................
  
Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse...George Calombaris


Yield...4 servings


100 gm dark chcolate ( I used Tudor Gold 55% cocoa)
50 gm dark chocolate, 70% cocoa (I used the same above)
100 ml evoo
1 cup (250 ml ) thickened cream
1-2 drops lemon juice
1 cup 9140 gm) pistachio kernels, toasted & roughly chopped


Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water) and stir until melted. Stir in the olive oil, then remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.


Meanwhile, in a chilled bowl whip cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into chocolate mixture until combined. Divide the mousse amoung 4 serving bowls and chill in refrigerator or serve immediately.

MALAYSIAN SWEET POTATO DOUGHNUTS ~ KUIH KERIA

These actually made it to the Top 9 on Foodbuzz. Scabs and all! Thank you Foodbuzz community :) Happy Buzzday.

I remember sugar scabs being made in a black, heavy, demented looking wok in our wet kitchen. On a gas stove right below a chimney. My god. We actually had chimneys!?!

Anyway, for years I never could figure out how those sweet scabs  materialized. It looked easy and obvious enough but when you expected them to stick to the fried doughnuts when you chucked them in they wouldn't. Not unless you put the doughnuts in at just the right moment. While the crystallized sugar was still damp and bubbly. 

When the bubbly sugar solidified and if too much caked the doughnuts like an armour you could always knock or peel the excess scabs off the doughnuts before serving. 


(This is getting a little too rustic for comfort)

Anyway, I think we, as in Malaysians,  may be the inventors of sugar scabs. I haven't seen it anywhere else except on Malaysian Sweet Potato Doughnuts. I am so glad we did. It gives such an exciting contrast in textures. Crunchy vs chewy.

These are the doughnuts I grew up with.

If you were expert enough like our maid of old you would know to make just enough sugar scabs for the amount of doughnuts you had fried earlier. If you didn't, like me, you could provide a year's ration for the Malaysian Ant Army. Ten times over. 

Recipe..........my version

Yield : 6 medium doughnuts


1 1/2 cups of steamed, completely cooled and mashed sweet potatoes ( I used slightly more than 1 1/2)
About 3/4 cup of plain flour or less
1/2 tsp salt


Mix all above ingredients together. Press together until you get a soft but firm ball of dough. There is no need for any liquid. (I used the red/purple skinned Japanese sweet potato for this. It is less fibrous than the local yellow variety so you don't need to press it through a sieve). You could add less flour if you prefer a less chewy doughnut. If the mixture is sticky flour your hands while shaping if you don't want too chewy a doughnut.


Shape into rings or roll out on a board to about 1/2 inch thick and cut using a doughnut cutter. (This is what I did).


Heat a pan. Add about 1 inch of any vegetable oil and heat the oil till hot. Drop the doughnut dough rings in gently and fry until golden on one side. Turn over and fry till other side is golden as well. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper.

Sugar Scabs.........

You might want to halve this recipe.

1 cup sugar
2 T water


Pour one cup of sugar into a heavy based pan. Add the water. Heat over medium heat and stir until the sugar melts. Keep stirring until the sugar thickens, gets gloppy and shows signs of becoming crystallized. Drop in the doughnuts and mix into the thick sugar paste. Cook a little while more until the sugar crystallizes completely and solidifies and turns completely white. Lift off the doughnuts and and knock off excess sugar scabs. Serve.


Note :

If the sugar crystallizes before it adheres to the doughnuts simply add a few drops of water and stir again.

As much as I dislike posting dull and un-sharp photographs I have to. It's been really grey outside from morn to dusk. For many many days. Especially on days that I decide to make, bake and photograph. Please bear with me. 

I am submitting this to Muhibbah Monday. Find out more here...

AVOCADO COCONUT ICE-CREAM

Avocados are one of the creamiest fruits I have ever come across. Its creamier than bananas but has not the sweetness at all. Its green is absolutely gorgeous, its a dream to slice through when ripe and I get a strange pulse of satisfaction from scooping it out of its shell. I have eaten this simply mashed and stirred into yogurt with honey drizzled over the top and I loved it.

When I saw Chef Corbin make this on Restaurant Makeover I thought I had discovered my ultimate creamy health food in my favourite colour. It was easily made in a blender with coconut milk, some cream and some sugar or honey. Blend. Freeze. Scoop. I watched and heard the mm-hmms. Then I made some.

If you're draped in a very gloomy day like I am today and are/am/is me please don't eat this. I felt a tad gloomier after eating this. 

It didn't do it for me. And I have no idea what to place my finger on. 

Avocado? Coconut milk? Cream? 

Or all of the above? I suppose. Because I love all of them but I did not love them all together. I felt like I had on my favourite green shoes with my favourite blue dress with my favourite pink lipstick. All together on me. Imagine that. 

Photographs are poor. The heart was not in it as much as the sun wasn't out.

Recipe................

1 avocado, scooped out from shell, seed removed

a splash of coconut milk

a splash of cream
Squeeezes of honey

Blend. Or process. Omit freeze and scoop.  Smear it on your face instead. Leave on for 15 minutes. Wash off. Pretty face.

Mashed avocado makes a good moisture mask especially when combined with honey. You have no idea what foods I use on my face.

CHEESE, OLIVE AND BUTTERMILK HERBED BREAD

Thank god the thyme and the Italian parsely I had bought in 2 little packets 5 days ago have not wilted to a day over useless. To quote (with a twist) season 10  Idol judge ST.

Finally I got down to making this fantastic looking cheese bread that I spotted at the lovely Sugar and Everything Nice by Jo. It looked incredibly irresistible I had to make it. It was one of the most savoury quick 'breads' I have ever eaten. The pepper, the saltiness, the slightly chewy sun dried tomatoes and the parmesan cheese added soo much flavour. I loved it. So good for breakfast as I am simply not into sweet breakfasts. 

I thought the flavour of the spring onions was quite Asian and it instantly reminded me of cucur udang or prawn fritters. Moist pink minced prawns played havoc on my mind. I imagined a shrimped, hot peppery, herb-y, cheesy quick bread. Wow. No? Wow yes.

The recipe..........

Very much like a muffin in method and texture. I omitted the olives though because olives are not a staple in this house.

Cheese, Olive and Buttermilk Herb BreadRecipe Adapted from "Mix & Bake" by Belinda Jeffrey

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustart powder
60g freshly grated parmesan
60g grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup green olives, sliced
8 pieces sundried tomatoes, sliced thinly
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup mixture of spring onion and Italian parsley
2 tsp thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thye
2 eggs
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (or use 1 1/4 cup less 1 Tbsp fresh milk + 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice. Set aside for 10 minutes before using)
Egg wash (optional) made from 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tsp water
Extra thyme springs and sea salt, for topping

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180C or 350F. Generously butter a large loaf tin (23 x 13 x 6cm) and either line it with butter parchment paper or dust with flour. Set tin aside.

2) Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt, pepper and mustard powder into a large bowl. Whisk with a whisk to incorporate the dry ingredients. Add both cheeses, olives, sundried tomatoes, spring onion, parsley and thyme and stir them thoroughly together.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the oil and buttermilk until they are well combined.

4) Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir together to form a thick, sticky batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly.

5) Brush the top of the batter with the egg wash and then sprinkle some thyme leaves and sea salt onto the loaf.

6) Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If the top starts to burn, place a piece of foil to cover the top of the loaf and continue baking. Leave in tin for 5 minutes before turning ot onto a wire rack.

7) This loaf is best served on the same day. Wrap left overs tightly and store in refrigerator. Gently reheat in oven if serving left overs.

Gloomy skies are such a nightmare....