Buttermilk Dates Scones

We have some leftover cream and buttermilk, what to do?

Easy answer, freshly baked warm buttermilk dates scones with big lashings of strawberry jam and a dollop of whipped cream. Yum!

Ingredients

2 ½ cup self raising flour

30g butter

1 tbsp castor sugar

100g of chopped dates

1 ¼ cup buttermilk

Extra flour for dusting the bench top

Method

1.          Preheat oven to 200°C.

2.          Put the flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

3.          Use your fingertips to work the butter into the flour to resemble breadcrumbs.

4.          Make a well in the middle.

5.          Pour the buttermilk in the well.

6.          Use a knife to cut the buttermilk through the flour, add in the dates.

7.          When it is fairly well mixed, dust the bench top with flour.

8.          Knead the dough lightly on the floured bench, just enough to hold it together. Do not overmix.

9.          Pat it down to2cm thickness.

10.      Use a 58mm diameter cookie cutter to press out the shapes.

11.      Place them on a tray together just touching the sides.

12.      Brush the top with a little milk.

13.      Bake for 15 minutes.

Sesame Oil, Ginger and Chinese Wine Chicken Braise 麻油鸡/姜酒鸡

This is a dish that is usually served to women in the post childbirth period to provide “heat” to the womb for healing. It doesn’t stop me eating this anytime I feel like it though. I used Shao Xing wine for this, but I’ve used sweet sherry, a touch of brandy, or Chinese rose wine as substitute.

Ingredients

5 cm chunk of ginger, skinned, smashed with the back of the knife

5 cloves of garlic, smashed

600g of chicken thigh fillet, cut into 3cm cubes

1 can of button mushrooms

5 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and cut in half

1 cup of Shao Xing wine

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp of sesame oil

1 tbsp of light soy sauce (substitute with gluten free soy sauce for coeliacs)

2 tbsp cooking oil

1 tbsp tapioca starch, mixed with 1 tbsp of water to make a paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1.          Heat cooking oil in a deep saucepan.

2.          Sauté the ginger and garlic.

3.          Add the chicken and sauté.

4.          Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, wine and sesame oil.

5.          Add the mushrooms.

6.          Simmer with the lid on for about 15minutes until the chicken is cooked.

7.          Stir in the tapioca paste, and simmer until the sauce thickens.

8.          Add salt and pepper to taste.

9.          Serve with steamed rice.

Pumpkin Salad

We attended a friend’s housewarming BBQ on the weekend and were asked to bring a salad. This is what I made.

Ingredients

200g pumpkin, cut into 3-4 cm chunks about 1 cm thick

10 stalks of asparagus

100g baby spinach

½ red onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup of pepitas, toasted

400g canned chickpeas

Parmesan shavings

A handful of chopped parsley

10ml white wine vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

20ml extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

1.          Soak the cut onions in the white vinegar and sugar.

2.          Grill the asparagus (takes only 1-2 minutes on each side) and the pumpkin.

3.          Drain the chickpeas and the onion, reserve the white vinegar.

4.          Toss the spinach, asparagus and pumpkin with the chickpeas and half of the toasted pepitas.

5.          Mix the olive oil, the while vinegar, balsamic vinegar and parsley until it emulsifies.

6.          Pour over salad, toss.

7.          Sprinkle the rest of the pepitas on top and the Parmesan shavings.