Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups (TSL Style!)

Tags

Chocolate, Dairy Free, food, Gluten Free, Paleo, Pana Chocolate, Peanut butter, Peanut butter cup, Recipe, Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, Sugar

TSL’s Chocolate Macadamia Butter Pieces
(Image by TSL)

Make a list of important things to do today. At the top of your list, put ‘eat chocolate.’ Now, you’ll get at least one thing done today.(Gina Hayes)

I remember the first time I ever tried a Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup. It was well over twenty years ago, now. I was on a working-holiday in Lake Louise at the time. My very good buddy, Michelle, introduced me to this sublime wee number of super-sweet confectionary and we both lamented the fact that we could not find them in New Zealand back then…

Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup
(Image from here)

How times have changed! Reece’s are now readily available down under. But, here’s the thing, I try pretty hard to reduce the amount of sugar I have in my diet. And, let’s face it, because I do most of the cooking at Casa TSL, that means LM and the teenager also suffer from major sugar withdrawal. We have cut down our sugar consumption significantly. And, I just don’t eat such preservative-and-sugar-laden-yet-so-still-good stuff like Reece’s pieces anymore. 

Regular readers will know that LM has a seriously sweet tooth*. That hasn’t changed. We still indulge in our after dinner chocolate treats from Pana Chocolate. And sometimes, I get the urge to experiment a little…

And, yesterday was one of those days…

My good blogging buddy over at Clean Eating With a Dirty Mind posted about her version of Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups back in April. And, then I saw another version at Lexi’s Clean Kitchen recently. Clearly, it was time for me to take action!

I took a pinch of CEWADM’s recipe and combined it with a dash of Lexi’s. Then I added my wee Australian-influenced spin (macadamia nuts!). The end result was these seriously fab’ little morsels which have received the LM seal of chocolate approval.

TSL’s Chocolate Macadamia Butter Pieces
(Image by TSL)

They are surprisingly easy to make AND they only have five ingredients. Michelle, if you’re reading this, I’ll make you some next time you’re in town!

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. (Charles M. Shulz)

Chocolate Macadamia Butter Cups (TSL Style)

You’ll need:

1 cup dark chocolate (72% or higher). I used 120g.
1/3 cup macadamia butter. I used my favourite Hand ‘n’ Hoe roasted macadamia butter but choose your favourite nut or seed butter)
1/2 Tbsp raw organic honey. Not an exact measurement. Sweeten to your taste.
1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract
Pink Himalayan sea salt flakes for sprinkling

You will also need about 12 mini muffin liners

Directions:

In a small bowl mix your macadamia butter, honey, and vanilla extract. Place bowl in freezer to firm up.

Break your chocolate into small pieces and melt by placing into a heat-resistant bowl over a pot of barely simmering water and stirring until smooth.

Drop about 1/2 a tablespoon of chocolate into the base each of your muffin liners. Swirl to coat thoroughly. Place into fridge.

Remove your butter mixture from the freezer and roll into small balls.

Take your muffin cases out of the fridge. Place a butter ball into the center of your chocolate and slightly flatten.

Top with the remaining chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt. Place in the fridge until set.

ENJOY!

Store any remaining butter cups in the fridge.

Makes about 1 dozen

TSL’s Chocolate Macadamia Butter Pieces
(Images by TSL)

*On our first date, when I asked if there was anything I needed to know about him, he said (and I quote), “I don’t share desserts”.

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I Like Dogs…

Tags

Bella, Bella the poodle, Dog, Friendly Book, John Grogan, Margaret Wise Brown, Marley & Me, Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog, Poodle, Roger A. Caras

Bella at the Park
(Image by TSL)

I like dogs
Big dogs, Little dogs
Fat dogs, Doggy dogs
Old dogs, Puppy dogs
I like dogs
A dog that is barking over the hill
A dog that is dreaming very still
A dog that is running wherever he will
I like dogs
(Margaret Wise Brown, ‘The Friendly Book’)

(Images by TSL)

A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty. (John Grogan, ‘Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World’s Worst Dog‘)

(Images by TSL)

If you don’t own a dog, at least one, there is not necessarily anything wrong with you, but there may be something wrong with your life. (Roger A. Caras)

(Image by TSL)

‘Capturing Cultures’ at Real Food Projects

Tags

Fermentation, Fermented Food, food, Holly Davis, Kate Walsh, Kimchi, Korean cuisine, Lacto-fermentation, Real Food Projects, Whole Food

‘Capturing Cultures’ with Holly Davis
(Image by TSL)

You may recall an earlier post about the fabulous Real Food Projects initiative that is the brain-child of Kate Walsh, based here in Sydney? Well. Last week my sister and I attended our first class. It rocked!

I’ve been wanting to experiment with my own lacto-fermented vegetables for a while now. I find the whole subject fascinating, not least because of the probiotic benefits of eating such fare. But, I’ve been a little bit scared. In this age of pasteurised this and sanitised that, fermenting food is just the teeniest bit out of the box.  I mean, we’re talking live bacteria here. The potential for disaster seems so huge… And, that is why I signed myself up to Holly’s class, out of the many on offer at Real Food Projects. A hands on session about making kimchi.

Kimchi, for the uninitiated, is a lacto-fermented spicy pickled cabbage and vegetable concoction. It is the national dish of Korea. And, it is YUMMO!

Kimchi, Holly’s Way
(Image by TSL)

I cannot think of a single food from any other country that is half as important to a nation’s culinary traditions as kimchi is to Korea’s. (Mei Chin)

As a result of this class, I’ve fallen a little bit in love with Holly Davis. Not in a weird, she-needs-to-start-looking-over-her-shoulder kind of way. I’m just a wee bit in awe of her warmth and passion for whole foods, specifically lacto-fermented foods. And, she made it all look so easy…

Kate Prepares Nibbles…
(Image by TSL)

Holly Chops AND Talks…
(Image by TSL)

A Good Massage…
(Image by TSL)

We all walked away with our own wee jar of kimchi along with a recipe and comprehensive instructions on how to make our own kimchi from scratch. So far, my wee jar is fermenting nicely.

There has been a slight bump in the road. LM and I tootled off to Campsie (aka ‘Little Korea’, here in Sydney) yesterday for the requisite fish sauce and Korean dried chilli flakes (apparently a potent source of Vitamin C!) necessary for my first batch of kimchi. We needed a translator – despite several young Korean boys who didn’t know how to make kimchi attempting to assist, we had no luck with the suggested brand of chilli acquisition. Fortunately, my lovely (Korean) neighbour has offered to take me to her favourite Korean grocer. She also makes her own kimchi and is so keen to help me in this adventure that I feel sure that my kimchi will be AWESOME!

I will keep you posted on my kimchi-making exploits as they occur…

The very delightful Holly Davis offers seasonal cooking classes, tailored to your dietary requirements. You can check out her website at food by holly davis. She’s fab’!

If you live in Sydney and love food, I urge you to sign up to the Real Food Projects newsletter (here). Kate Walsh sounds like she has many exciting things coming up in the near future…

The Iron Cove Bay Run (Take II)

Tags

Bay Run, Bay Walk, Iron Cove, Janeane Garofalo, long term health, Sydney, Sydney Walks

The Iron Cove Bay Run
(Image by TSL)

The forecast suggested ‘showers’ for Sydney yesterday morning but, Bella and I decided to risk the Bay Run Walk, anyway. And, because we’re such risk takers, we didn’t even take an umbrella. Controversial! I like to live on the edge.

The last time I posted about the Bay Run Walk was in March last year. I must have been playing around with an iPhone ap’ at the time, because all the images have a retro-ish feel to them. (You can see the post here if you’re interested.) This time, I took a real camera.

Bella
She’s desperately hoping I didn’t lose her ball AGAIN. I did. My throwing arm is not going to get me far.
(Image by TSL)

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. (Joseph Addison)

Recently, I have been reading about the importance of incidental exercise on long-term health. I note in my last Bay Walk post that, at the time, I was managing to complete the 7 kilometre circuit 2 – 3 times a week. It seems I have fallen off the wagon. Today was the first time in a while… I had almost forgotten how lovely it is.

Dinghies at Leichhardt
(Image by TSL)

Still and Overcast
(Image by TSL)

View Towards the City
The sun was trying hard to make an entrance…
(Image by TSL)

I’m a walker. I enjoy walking, which I think psychologically expresses my feelings of wanting liberation without exerting myself too much. (Janeane Garofalo)

Approach to the Rowing Club
(Image by TSL)

Wattles in Winter
(Image by TSL)

Towards the City
(Image by TSL)

Not Much Traffic Today…
(Image by TSL)

Still No Wind
(Image by TSL)

View From The Bridge
(Image by TSL)

Just In Case You Were Wondering…
(Image by TSL)

More Boats
(Image by TSL)

STILL Waiting For Ball
(Image by TSL)

 

Have a great week!

Luke Mangan’s SERIOUSLY GOOD Osso Bucco

Tags

Anthony Bourdain, Cook, Jamie Oliver, Luke Mangan, Marsala, Osso Bucco, Ossobuco, Recipe, Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks, Slow Cooking, Slow Food, Winter Recipe, Winter warmers

Osso Bucco
(Image from here)

My most popular post ever, by a considerable margin, is the one about Jamie Oliver and his best ever pukka spiced slow-cooked lamb shanks. Thousands of people have clicked on this one. Lovely-jubbly Jamie. His recipes work. I can’t recall ever having had a dud.

But, a girl can only eat so many spiced shanks. And, we can’t turn to Jamie every night of the week, can we?  So today, I bring you another recipe that works. Every time.

Luke Mangan is the Michael Corleone of Sydney. A colossus. Don’t go drinking with him. Last time I hung out with him, I crawled home like a whipped dog. (Anthony Bourdain)

Luke Mangan is a Sydney-based chef, and up there as one of Australia’s best known celeb’ chefs. I know him best as the man behind Glass Brasserie at the Sydney Hilton, but he has his fingers in lots of pies around the Asia-Pacific region and is currently working on cookbook number 5.

Luke Mangan
(Image from here)

This recipe for Luke Mangan’s Osso Bucco is so good, it’s even LM’s current go-to number for the nights that he’s cooking. He always doubles the recipe. And, if it’s good enough for LM…

Osso Bucco with Sweet Potato Mash & Broccolini

Serves 4

Ingredients

1kg veal Osso Bucco
½ cup flour
seasoning
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 onion chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup carrot, chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 cup dry Marsala
2 cup veal stock
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
8 pieces broccolini
Extra virgin olive oil
Extra seasoning to taste 

Mashed Sweet Potato
3 large sweet potatoes
¾ cup cream
½ cup butter
¾ cup maple syrup

Gremolata
1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

For the gremolata

For gremolata, combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

 
Method

Season flour and coat the veal shanks in the flour mixture; tap off any excess.

In a large heavy pan, heat the oil and butter and sear the osso bucco pieces on all sides, turn bones on sides to hold in marrow and add more oil and butter if needed.

Remove the browned osso bucco and set aside.

Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and parsley to the pan and cook until softened, season to taste.

Turn heat up to high and add the dry Marsala to deglaze the pan.

Return the osso bucco to the pan adding the stock and tomatoes.

Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 1 ½ hours or until the meat is tender, basting the meat a few times during cooking. (LM cooks it longer – until the meat is falling apart)

While the osso bucco is cooking, wash the sweet potato and pat dry.

Place sweet potato in individual tin foil pieces, adding a drizzle of olive oil and seasoning.

Place in a pre-heated oven on 180 degrees and cook for 45-50 minutes. (sweet potato will be cooked if a knife can go straight through each piece)

Remove sweet potato from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

When the osso bucco is cooked remove from stovetop and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Scoop out the flesh of the sweet potato and place it into a sauce pan adding the cream, butter and maple syrup.

Place saucepan back on the stove to re-heat and season to taste.

In a pot of simmering water add 1tsp salt. Place the broccolini in pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, remove with tongs and place on absorbent paper. Drizzle broccolini with extra virgin olive oil and season to taste.

To serve

Place a large spoon of sweet potato on each plate, followed by the osso bucco and sprinkle with gremolata. Arrange broccolini next to the osso bucco and serve.

Bon appetite!