deense

Recipe Time

2013-08-06T10:32:32Z

I made this last night and it was amazing, so I promised the recipe. Gluten free and dairy free and actually vegan not that it has to be!

POLENTA BAKE

Polenta (1 cup) - cook with 1 litre vegetable stock, chopped jalapeno, and chilli seasoning
Kidney Beans (1 can) - sautee with chopped onion, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, chopped capsicum and 2 tablespoons salsa (Black bean salsa is best)
Pumpkin/Butternut Squash - Chop in small pieces and steam til just tender
Corn tortillas
1 jar black bean salsa - either chipotle balck bean from mission or the byron bay co.
Dozen cherry tomatoes chopped and mixed with salsa.

Take a 9x13 pan. Spread with polenta over the bottom. Then 2/3 the bean mixture, then tortillas, then pumpkin, then rest of bean mixture then more tortillas. Top with Salsa. Bake for 20 minutes at 190.

So there you go. My made up polenta bake recipe. If you want to add cheese before baking, go for it.

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deense @ 2012-08-31T15:14:00

2012-08-31T05:12:55Z

Alright all. I audition for a baking show on Sunday. The cake I was going to make and had my heart set on is good, but it's not GREAT. So I found a list of cakes all within my skill range all of the sort I have made before. I am leaning toward a couple (the top three actually) and a bit stuck.

Things to remember:
We bake at home and bring in the baking to the audition.
There are no facilities for refrigeration/heating.
We will have time to plate and things there.
It should be individual. I have picked these things because they are all pumkin based, brown sugar based or the peanut butter/chocolate. These are three of my favourite things to bake with, and here in Oz Pumpkin isn't really a sweet (it's a savoury/vegetable), peanut butter/chocolate isn't the MASSIVE thing that it is in North America and brown sugar is pretty much like blood to french canadians.

So, 18 hours to vote, tomorrow is BAKING DAY ALL DAY LONG! I only have time to make at most two, and I would love some feedback.

The list of things I’m thinking of making. In some sort of order of my preference:

Apple Cider cake with pumpkin seed brittle (am considering making pumpkin spice cake with apple cider sauce)\ http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/warm-apple-cider-cake-with-pumpkin-seed-brittle

Chocolate Peanut butter cake (I would layer it)
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/08/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/

I think If I made any of these three cakes below I would make the pumpkin seed brittle to go with. I think If I make the one above, peanut brittle on the top would make it insane.

Dulce de Leche Vanilla cake
http://iadorefood.com/recipes/dulce-de-leche-vanilla-cake/

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/11/candy-corn-for-really-lucky-grown-ups/

Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer cake
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/brown-butter-pumpkin-layer-cake.aspx

Layered Pumpkin Pie 1 (I would make the pastry)
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-pie-spectacular-10000001932527/

Layered pumpkin pie 2
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/old-fashioned-paradise-pumpkin-pie/

View Poll: What should I make???

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So you want to buy my cookies (An instructional post for Aussies)

2012-08-11T04:07:16Z

Cookies! Yes I am baking cookies in order to help support myself whilst I'm not working/only temping. They are available for anyone in Australia, details as follows:

Choc Chip, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter choc chip, Oatmeal, Oatmeal Raisin/walnut/pecan, pumpkin, double choc and likely other things you can think of:
$8/Dozen ~ $14/2 Dozen

Snickerdoodles, coconut drops, thumprint cookies.:
$10/2 Dozen, $18/4 dozen

All prices plus postage. $9.00 for up to 2 dozen, $14.00 for up to 3 kilos. Within Sydney pickup/delivery organised.

Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free - + $1 per dozen

To order: Email me at dpirko @ gmail dot com

Bank transfer preferred, paypal also accepted.

Cookies baked and mailed within 48 hours of payment being received.

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Adventures in baking

2012-02-16T03:27:20Z

As part of my eating better thing, I realised I needed to make myself some yummy breakfast/snack food. I have a few challenges to face - no gluten, no dairy, anaphylactic allergy to almonds. That last one makes it very very hard to buy any sort of granola or granola bars. I also am trying to reduce sugar and fats, and most of those are quite high in that as well. But... I still want something tasty dammit!

I went on a massive search for a granola bar recipe I liked. The winner was Smitten Kitchen's gluten free granola bar recipe.

Then, in typical Dee style, I changed about half of it.

Dry:
2/3 cups quick rolled oats (if gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free oats)
1 cup Quinoa puffs (protein not a carb, and gluten free!)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oats processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Approx 3 cups dried fruits and nuts
I used - 3/4+ cup dried cranberries, 3/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds, 3/4 cup toasted pepitas, 1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut and 1/2 cup crushed walnuts

Wet:
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
3 tablespoons applesauce
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon water

Then follow the directions on the smitten kitchen website. I will say that it only needs about 25 minutes in the oven and to make sure that you don't spread it too thin or you'll get crunchy burnt edges. Which in themselves are still yummy, but are not granola bars. Also I recommend the chilling them in the fridge before cutting method.

THEY ARE YUMMY. You will likely want to eat them all.

Now for the bad iphone pics

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PartyPartyPartyParty

2012-02-02T23:15:41Z

I am so damn excited. My 6² birthday party is tomorrow. Sadly, it's likely going to rain. This is the wettest Sydney summer on record and they've predicted that there will be rain on 23 of the next 28 days. Awesome, huh? Anyway, it puts a dampener on my plans of having the party in my courtyard, but I'll manage inside the house. Decorating won't be quite as cool, but I will manage! (I own too much stuff) But you can check out some of the decorating things I've made so far on my Instagram here: http://followgram.me/deensey

As you all voted in the poll, I thought I'd write up the finalised menu! Not including a few dishes brought by others (and a cake a friend is making I cannot WAIT to see) we are having:

Savoury
Coconut Prawn Lollipops
Cheddar Pinwheels
Cucumber sandwiches in hearts and crowns
Mac & Cheese muffins
Mini tacos
Mini burgers

Sweet
Fruit Sushi
Mushroom Cupckaes
Fairy Bread in hearts and crowns
Pies on sticks
Strawberry Mice

Other/Decorative
Octopus in Dip
Cucumber Chickens
Radish Mice

Jello shooters in orange slices
teapot cocktails

So... Yes. LOTS OF FOOD.

Also, a huge thank you to everyone who donated a couple of dollars to my birthday tattoo fund. It is awesome and means a lot.

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