Another musing

Mmm earl grey tea ice cream, with some sort of crispy apple thing, or perhaps the ice cream is with a caramellised hazelnut and pastry tart.  Add a spoonful of apple compote on the side.


Seared tuna on a deep fried sticky rice ball.  With either a tomato consume or a pea sauce.


Fried circle of polenta with juicy roast chicken and onion gravy piled on top.


Teriyaki tofu with a crispy coating, on fluffy rice and asian greens.


Thats all for now.

Ice Cream again - and getting there

 My very first blog post was about making ice-cream. As part of my on-going quest to make my own food, preservative free - as natural as possible. And that way I can eat more of the naughty things - right?

So I tried two recipes - one the traditional custard way.  It turned out like a flavoured iceberg.  possibly due to a churning schedule I couldn't keep to.  The next recipe was basically a frozen chocolate ganache, recipe here. Very delicious, but not a real ice cream and thigh bulgingly full of fat. So I tasked myself to buying an ice cream machine. Off to trusty Trademe I went and after a good amount of researching and umming and ahhing bought myself a machine.

I've used it twice so far, the first recipe from the premium ice cream section of the recipe book that came with the machine.  This was a custard based version, with silver top milk and cream.  It was good, very rich and chocolatey.  I've just made my second lot, this time banana and chocolate - and can I say it is phenomenal.  Made using a lighter recipe, this one doesn't leave a layer of fat in the mouth and tastes so fresh with the fruit.

Chocolate and Banana ice cream

1.5 cups milk (I used trim)

1.25 cups cream

1 banana

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar (castor is best)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

pinch salt

Warm 1/2 cup of milk and add the sugar to dissolve a bit - don't make the milk too hot, or you will have to wait for it to cool before adding to the mixture.

In a food processor, blender, hand mixer or whatever, blast all the ingredients. Pour into a jug and chill.

Churn in your ice cream maker to the manufacturers directions. Mine always comes out super soft, so needs extra freezing after.

Now thats gotta be a health tonic in comparison to the store bought stuff.

This week!

Ok so this week I will be making ice cream as made by Laura on 'hungryandfrozen'  It looks like a super easy recipe (which is what I love) and also simple ingredients (which I also love).

So I have just scoured her site looking for this oh so simple recipe- and I couldn't really find it. Well I found one for ginger ice cream which looks simple - so I will have to adapt it to chocolate.  I do like adapting recipes so should be sweet as! Ill also perhaps try less sugar. Cos I'm like that about sugar. 

Chocolate Ice Cream

25g butter

100 gms of good quality chocolate   

1/2 cup icing sugar 

300mls cream 

In a heavy based pan, melt the butter and half the chocolate together gently. Once that's done take it off the heat and stir in the icing sugar and vanilla. Then whisk the cream till it's significantly thickened but not actually whipped into peaks. Mix in the other half of the chocolate, broken into chunks. Mix in the melted chocolate. Pour into a container and freeze. You don't need to churn this - just let it soften slightly before serving. 

I like this recipe cos you don't have to churn, and it doesn't contain eggs. I don't have anything against eggs, it just seems like a harder way to make it.

Ill try this this week, and if it turns out well will perhaps take some for Xmas eve dinner at Williams sister's house. As well as another lot for the next day at mum and dads.

What was left: