VEGETARIAN FOOD BLOG: SPINACH, RICOTTA AND RICE FRITTERS

Before we go any further with this fritter and patty party, an explanation of what defines each is useful.

Fritter mixture is wet. Sloppy. You can't use your hands to form balls with fritter batter. Imagine a very thick pancake batter, with vegetables and stuff bulking it out.

Patty mixture can still be quite moist. But importantly, you can use wet hands to form large round balls. You place them on a large plate, flatten them slightly, and place in fridge or freezer to firm-up before frying. Being cold keeps the patty in one piece when you fry it, especially when you flip it.

If you've only just stumbled across Billie Bites, here's some background: Billie grew a little fussy. On return from holiday we embarked on a fritter and patty frenzy. Suddenly, vegetables are back in her diet.

She loves cooking, and fritters and patties are perfect toddler fodder. Yes it does involve hot oil, so here's where I insert a disclaimer. However, Billie is very clear that pans on the stove are hot. We've never had any problems or any near-misses. I do of course watch her at all times around hot oil. Hey, those master chef kids had to start somewhere.

This is from the fritter camp. Next up, we'll demonstrate the difference with a patty recipe.

These numbers were a HUGE hit. Billie ate plate-loads. And she was a fabulous sous chef.

SPINACH, RICOTTA AND RICE FRITTERS


2/3 cup brown rice (makes 1 1/4 cooked rice, and can be prepared ahead)
Large bunch of English spinach 
1/2 cup grated cheddar
600g fresh ricotta (if at all possible, use the really fresh, firm stuff)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
freshly ground black pepper
just a little bit of salt
freshly grated nutmeg, or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
handful fresh oregano (or basil, parsley if oregano not around)


Place rice in small pot with double the amount of cold water. Bring to boil with lid on, then turn right down to low and simmer with lid on until water absorbed. Don't stir, just lift lid occasionally and it will be obvious when water almost gone. Turn off and leave lid on for few minutes. Remove rice from pot and place in large bowl to cool.


Meanwhile, pick spinach leaves and wash. Drain, leaving a little water on the leaves. Place in large pot with lid, on medium heat. After a minute shake pot. After another minute lift lid and give quick stir. When just wilted, remove and chop spinach.


Add salt and pepper, nutmeg, spinach, cheddar and herbs to rice. Next add eggs, then ricotta. 


Heat a large heavy fry pan on medium with couple of spoons of oil - olive, rice bran or coconut are best. Once hot, turn down to low and dollop tablespoons of mixture into pan. The smaller the fritters, the quicker to cook. But if they are larger they will soak up a bit less oil. So depending on your priorities...With this recipe I found smaller to be better as the mixture is a slow cooker. 


Flipping rules: Avoid multiple flips. This encourages breakage. Instead gently try the edges with your flipper, and if it comes away easily and does not look about to break into pieces, your fritter is ready to be turned. Flip when solid. Patience is a virtue with these fritters, they don't like to be rushed.


Place on a large plate lined with newspaper to soak up any excess oil and serve as are. No sauce or chutney needed. (Yes, newspaper really works just as well as paper towels. But if you don't have newspaper lying around your kitchen because you read everything online, you may have to go out and buy paper towels.)


Where's the picture? Billie scoffed them all before I could reach for the camera.

SPINACH, FETA AND YOGHURT PIE

This delicious pie was born after a frustrating attempt at a recipe that involved milk. The darn thing never cooked, wouldn't slice and was not appropriate for picnics.

However, this quiche sets easily, slices well and is made for travelling. It also impresses guests, hence I'm making it tonight for a friend for dinner.

BUT, you must use full-fat thick yoghurt. None of that runny, skinny stuff. I also use a lot of eggs.

Homemade pastry really kicks this dish into the upper echelons of eating. However, if getting the rolling pin out is enough to send you running, please wander the freezer section of your supermarket and pick up some short crust sheets.

To make this pie really stand out from the crowd I use coconut oil, as well as butter, for the pastry. This idea comes from Cynthia Lair's Feeding the Whole Family.  Coconut fat has no cholesterol and lots of other good stuff going for it. You need to appreciate the faint taste of coconut, but it's not over-powering. Coconut oil comes in jars as a solid form - like the consistency of ghee - and is great for frying as does not burn. It's available from health food shops but if you haven't got any, stick with butter.

SPINACH, FETA AND YOGHURT PIE

Pastry: 
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons cold butter
2 tablespoons cold water (the colder the better)


Filling:
1 and a half cups full-fat thick yoghurt
6 eggs
Bunch fresh spinach leaves (English spinach, NOT silver beet)
1 block feta cheese, crumbled
pepper - a few grinds


If making your own pastry, put flour in food processor and add fats. Pulse until crumbly, then slowly add water while pulsing. Mixture should gather into a ball after enough pulsing, or it may need a bit of help form your hands. 


If you don't have a food processor, use a large mixing bowl and cut butter and coconut fat into the flour. Slowly dribble water in, mixing with a fork, until you have a moist, pliable dough. 


Gather into a ball and place in container in fridge for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to medium hot. Then roll pastry out on a floured surface or a piece of baking paper. Make it quite thin and line a greased round pie tin. Bake it 'blind', ie empty, for ten minutes. ( I use a sprung cake tin, which then can be removed before serving. But any pie dish will do.)


Wash, dry and chop spinach then combine with crumbled feta. Whisk eggs and pepper then gently combine with yoghurt. Place spinach and feta in pie crust. Pour eggs and yoghurt evenly on top and bake in centre of oven for 35-40 minutes. Check, and put back in oven for another ten minutes if not set or lightly browned. Do the cake test - place a knife or skewer in center, and if doesn't come back clean it needs more oven time.


Allow to settle and cool a little before slicing. This pie also works very well cold.

SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFED POTATOES and A SPECIAL REQUEST

One of my fondest memories of intermediate school (junior high, year 6) is learning to make stuffed potatoes. I then made them for my family a few times as I progressed from baking to cooking actual meals.

But stuffed potatoes have been left behind in my culinary adventures of late. Until last week when I was a little, ahem, in need of stodge after too much fun at the work Christmas party.

And actually, with the addition of plenty of spinach, these potatoes are not just tasty but nutritionally sound.

I can't report back on how Billie fared as Miles and I didn't manage to save her any. But I'm sure she would approve.

 

CHEESY SPINACH STUFFED POTATOES

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1/2 bunch spinach

1 cup grated cheddar

butter

5 medium potatoes

salt and black pepper

Bake potatoes in a preheated moderate to hot oven until done - about 30 minutes for medium potatoes  or 1 hour for large potatoes. Pierce skin with fork or knife before placing in oven.

Meanwhile, wash and drain spinach and place in large pot with a knob of butter on medium heat. Shake or stir every minute for five minutes, or until just wilted. Place on board to cool and then chop.

 

Carefully slice tops off potatoes and scoop flesh out into a large mixing bowl. Take care not to pierce skins - better to leave a bit of potato in bottom to be safe. 

Mix potato flesh with grated cheese, a few knobs of butter, spring onions, spinach and pepper. Add a little more salt if necessary. 

 

Spoon mixture into potato skins, packing it in and over filling a little until all mixture used up. If you have any leftovers, spoon onto the little potato lids and place on tray next to stuffed potatoes.

Bake in oven until browned on top - about 10 minutes. Check heated through before removing and serving.

FOR BABIES 6 MONTHS AND OLDER: Mash up some potato and pureed cooked spinach

FOR BABIES 9 MONTHS AND OLDER: Reserve some of the stuffing before butter and salt added

FOR TODDLERS 12 MONTHS AND OLDER: Serve whole stuffed potato

 

 

And now for something completely different...

I do love a request. So despite there being no photographic evidence, and despite this being similar to other dishes I have presented on these pages, I can't resist. I took this salad to a lovely lazy Sunday BBQ at Cath's place the other week. I didn't record the measurements so I hope I get this right. Here you go Cath:

BEETROOT AND LENTIL SALAD WITH GOATS CHEESE

 Bunch baby beet root, or couple of large ones

1 cup French Puy lentils (those small black ones), or regular brown ones

Handful of spinach leaves, washed and drained and torn if large

Dressing:

3 T olive oil

1 T balsamic vinegar

Juice of a lime

salt and black pepper

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

First cook the beets. Steam or roast whole. DON'T remove the skins or tails, just chop off the stalks, but leave a bit on as you will remove them later with the skins. This stops the beets bleeding. If you have a pressure cooker, cover about half the beets with water and cook once at pressure for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils. Rinse first then place in small pot with a cup of cold water. Bring to gentle simmer with lid on, and cook gently until just soft. Check during cooking and add more water if needed. Particularly if using the Puy lentils, be careful not to overcook until mushy. The beauty of these lentils is their texture.

Prepare dressing. When lentils are cooked place in large bowl and gently stir dressing through.

Cool cooked beets and remove skins and tails etc. Chop into large chunks and add to lentils. Add walnuts.

When ready to serve, add spinach and then gently combine sliced goats cheese.

 

FOOD THAT MAKES YOU HUM

I warned you a few posts ago that I was busy stocking the kitchen with Japanese ingredients.

Triple A Salad - Arame, Almond and Avocado Green Salad

So here comes the Japanese-inspired dishes, or at least Japanese ingredient-inspired. I strongly recommend you make a note to grab the bits and pieces for this delicious salad next time you're wandering the aisles of a well-stocked supermarket or little Japanese/Asian grocer.

This is food that makes you hum. Tonight after Miles and I devoured the whole salad bowl we almost bounded around the house, both eager and energetic to take on the Billie-bath-bed routine - rather than sluggish and impatient to crash on the couch.

Okay, I admit Billie didn't eat this one, but then she wasn't actually offered it. Instead I was very happy she chowed down the spinach dahl left-overs, mixed with brown rice, yoghurt and mango chutney. Very happy, because lately vegetables have not been winning the popularity contest at Billie's end of the table. Here's the dahl - I just swapped the red lentils for brown this time: billie bites lentil dahl recipe

This is a superb salad. Extremely tasty and satisfying. It does need to be served with some protein and carbohydrates - we just had a small amount of dahl and brown rice, which obviously isn't the best team mate, but it worked as two courses. Tofu, tempeh, fish, soba noodles, potato...any of these would work well. But you don't need anything with much flavor.

This is just slightly adapted from a Mary Shaw recipe. Mary taught at Bastyr University and ran a cooking program for the Ashland Food Co-Op in Oregon. Another credit goes here to my recent wonderful kitchen companion, Cynthia Lair's Feeding the Whole Family, which published the recipe.


TRIPLE A SALAD - ARAME, ALMOND AND AVOCADO

Arame, Almond and Avocado Green Salad

Salad:

1/4 cup raw almonds

4 cups salad greens - try spinach, rocket/arugular, and lettuce

1/8-1/4 cup arame, soaked in 1 cup cold water

1 ripe avocado, sliced into long strips

Dressing:

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

3 Tablespoons brown rice vinegar

2 tablespoons runny honey

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Heat oven to 180C/350F. Roast almonds on dry, flat tray for about 7 minutes or until giving off that nice almond smell. Set aside to cool and then coarsely chop. 

Wash the salad greens and spin or pat dry with tea towel.

Combine all dressing ingredients in large deep salad bowl and whisk. Drain arame (don't need the water) and add to dressing with salad greens. Toss well, gently fold through avocado, and sprinkle cooled almonds on top. 

FOR BABIES 6 MONTHS AND OLDER: Mash avocado or offer slices. 

FOR BABIES 9 MONTHS AND OLDER: Offer salad, minus the almonds (for choking purposes)

FOR BABIES/TODDLERS 12 MONTHS AND OLDER: Offer the whole salad (good luck)

BACK TO THE OFFICE - ITALIAN MANASTA AND MORE

One of the most scary things about returning to the office this week was FOOD.

How was our family going to eat? I refuse to go back to paid work so I can spend my part-time wage on lunches and takeaway dinners.

So billie bites may be about to become a whole lot more useful for some readers. I've often been told the recipes look good, but there's just not time...

Eating well is all about time management, organisation, planning, budgeting, and shopping. If the cupboards are well-stocked you're more than half-way there.

Now I have a huge disclaimer to announce: A BIG thank you and congratulations has to go to Miles for taking the reins of part-time house-husband. So actually, Miles did most of the cooking. And very well. Especially considering he had to work any minute Billie slept.

However, essential to this successful changeover was a big, well-planned shop on Sunday. As much as we wanted to get out in the sunshine and take a much-needed walk to the beach, to the shops we all went.

EATING WELL IN A BUSY HOUSEHOLD

PLAN JUST A FEW MEALS: 
I used to head to the shops with a strict list after planning the weeks' meals. But this leaves you stuck with overpriced spinach and skipping past the bargains.  So write a list, perhaps after flipping through a few cookbooks or blogs, with several meal options. That way when you discover fresh peas are expensive this week and the store doesn't stock frozen ones, you can throw that idea to the wind. 

KEEP AN EYE ON SEASONS:

Asparagus is in now because it's spring in the southern hemisphere, so take advantage. Avoid it for the rest of the year. It's tricky keeping up with appropriate prices for fruit and vegetables and I'm definitely still learning, but the more you browse the green grocers the better you'll get at eating well on a budget.

COOK IN BULK:

I screwed this up on Sunday night when I cooked one of Billie's favourites - her Italian great grandfather's manasta. I only made enough of this simple nourishing spinach and white bean dish for one dinner and a too-small office lunch for me and a little for Billie. However, when Miles took over on Monday he cooked an entire bag of black beans in the pressure cooker, froze half of them and turned the rest into delicious chili beans. These stretched over two Mexican burrito dinners, a hearty lunch for me and also for Billie.

STORE CUPBOARD STUFF:

Sorry to trundle out that old dogma, but it's true. If you always have most of these in store you'll never have to reach for the takeaway menu (unless you want to treat yourself). Off the top of my head I suggest: Rice, flour, oats, polenta, cous cous, quinoa, dried beans - black, kidney, chickpea, great northern etc- and some tinned beans for emergencies, lentils, tin tomatoes, nuts - almond, brazil, walnut etc, nut butters, dates, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, tamari/soy sauce, and the list can go on...I know they're not technically store cupboard, but I reckon keeping eggs, milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt around can make your life that much easier too.

Manasta is one of those dishes that makes you feel good just preparing it. On the eve of my return to paid work I was quite anxious, but once I started cooking this tasty, healthy and very easy dish I felt relaxed and calm.

This Italian stable comes from Billie's Great Grandpa Lou whose family hails from Naples. His wife Eve taught me to make it when we visited their Baraboo, Wisconsin home during the fourth of July holiday weekend. Eve is one of the most amazing home cooks I have ever met - we dined on blueberry pie, blueberry pancakes, pumpkin pudding, Mexican egg salad, spinach and ricotta lasagne, chili beans, and this Manasta. Technically a soup, and I recommend serving it with good bread, but it's more the consistency of a stew/casserole. I recommend doubling this recipe.

GREAT GRANDPA LOU'S  MANASTA

1 cup dried great northern beans (white beans)

1 large bag English spinach

1/2 cup olive oil (yes, you need this much - it is Italian after all)

6 large cloves garlic 

1 t fennel seed

   

Soak beans in four cups of water for several hours of overnight. Drain and place in pot with another four cups of water and bring to the boil before simmering for a couple of hours. If you have a pressure cooker use that instead - much quicker and you don't need to soak for as long. Or you could use canned beans but then you don't get the soupy stuff.

Wash spinach and leave a little of the water on the leaves. Place in large pot with lid and cook on medium for about five mins. Shake and stir every minute until just wilted. Remove from pot to cool before chopping.

Heat oil in large pot and cook garlic gently for few minutes. Add fennel seed and cook for just one minute. Add beans, cooking water and spinach. Salt to taste (just a little if serving to baby/toddler and then re-salt adults' later. Simmer for few minutes to blend flavours.

Serve in bowls with good, thickly-sliced bread. Works well as a side dish too, which is what Eve did.

Squeeze a very small amount of lemon juice over just before serving - the vitamin C is needed to absorb the iron from the spinach. Or serve with a tomato salad, fruit etc.

PS Miles also made sushi while he was on. But that's just showing off...

So then I had to catch up, and made this batch the following evening.

SPINACH RICE TORTE

 At last, the recipe many have been waiting for. Some have been waiting for years.

This spinach torte went down a treat at Billie's first birthday party on the weekend. Her friend Marilla, just one day younger, couldn't get enough.

Now when I say spinach, I mean spinach. I'm afraid silverbeet - often called spinach in Australia - just doesn't cut it in this dish.

I make a hunza pie - yet to make an appearance here - which is very well suited to silverbeet. But please only make this torte with 'English' spinach - and fresh is always best.

This Italian dish is perfect picnic fodder, travels well, lasts a few days in the fridge, is delicious at room temperature and has been the star of many shared buffets.

I have adapted this from Julie Biuso's Italian Cooking - a great New Zealand classic.

SPINACH RICE TORTE

1 large bunch of spinach

1 T butter

1 cup arborio rice, or another Italian rissotto variety

3 T olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

fresh ground black pepper

fresh ground nutmeg

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 T extra butter, melted

Preheat oven to 200c. Butter or oil a flan dish - ceramic is best as doesn't stick. If you don't have either use a cake tin with a removable base.

Place rice in a small pot filled with water and a bit of salt. Bring to boil, then simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until just cooked. Drain and set aside to cool.

Pick and wash spinach leaves. Flick dry but leave a little water on leaves. Place butter in a large pot with spinach and cook on a medium heat. Shake/stir every minute or so. Once wilted, but not too cooked, remove from pot and leave to cool. 

Saute onions for a few minutes in oil before adding garlic. When very soft and a little browned add to rice. Chop spinach and add to rice with eggs, 3/4 cup of the cheese, nutmeg, and pepper. Combine with a large fork. Taste and add salt if needed. 

Pour into flan dish and drizzle top with melted butter and rest of parmesan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is crisp.

Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

HEARTY SPINACH POLENTA PIE and A MEAL IN A MUFFIN

Muffins have a made a few appearances on billie bites, but I have a confession to make: Billie didn't actually manage to eat those. She wasn't quite ready to deal with the texture. Too crumbly or something.

But times have a changed. When I pulled out these vegetable muffins at our wee mothers' group gathering at Bronte Park this week, Billie instantly began her arm-flapping routine reserved for letting us know she wants some of that food please. This was despite her already haven eaten a hearty lunch at home. She demolished one and a half muffins, enjoying the freedom of being able to make as much mess as possible.

This was a little experiment to see if there's a limit to how much vegetables pack into one batch of muffins. At first when they came out of the oven I was concerned they were too moist. But after being left a few minutes to cool they were a fabulous mini meal. You could reduce the carrots, perhaps.

MEAL-IN-A-VEGETABLE-MUFFIN

220g self raising flour (half wholemeal)

1 cup grated strong cheddar, or 2 cups mild

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup milk

2 medium carrots, grated

2 small courgettes/zucchini, grated

1 handful parsley, finely chopped

1 spring onion/scallion, finely chopped

Generously grease 12 muffin tins with butter, or line with paper baking cups. Preheat oven to 200 c. 

Sift flour into large bowl, add cheese and parsley and spring onions/scallions. Set aside. Whisk eggs, oil and milk together and add carrot and courgette. When everything is ready, gently and quickly combine wet and dry ingredients in large bowl and swiftly divide into muffin tins. Lingering at this point is not good for your muffins. Place in oven for about 20-25 mins or until browned on top and cooked through. Remove from tins and cool on wire wracks. Nice warm but Billie and I enjoyed left-overs the next day.

Navajo Tribal Nation - Monument Valley

Now for dinner...
I returned home from our re-acquaintance with the ocean to learn friends were coming for dinner. And a gluten-free friend at that. So I dived for the polenta jar and re-created this warming pie which proved popular with the Chicago in-laws. Despite it being the height of summer there.

HEARTY SPINACH POLENTA PIE

2 litres water

350 g polenta

1/4 t salt

 3 T olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

800 g tomatoes

1/2 t salt

2 T fresh oregano or basil, chopped

2 T parsley, chopped

Bunch English spinach

2 cups grated strong cheddar, or Parmesan

First prepare the polenta. Bring 2 litres of water to the boil in a large pot. Grease two large wide square or rectangle pie dishes. Or you can use one pie dish and one baking sheet. Sprinkle from a height 350g polenta and 1/4 t salt, stirring as you go. Turn heat to low and stir almost constantly until thickened. It will probably only take a few mins. When you can almost stand the spoon up in it remove form heat and whip through a tablespoon of butter and grind in some black pepper. Pour and spread evenly into pie dishes/baking sheet. One layer will be left as is in the dish and the other will be removed when cool and set to layer on top of the other.

Preheat the oven to 220 c. Prepare the red sauce (or use a good quality jar if in a hurry). Heat oil in a pot. Saute onions and garlic, add tomatoes and salt and black pepper. Simmer on low with lid off for about 30 minutes (or until you are ready to use). Add fresh herbs and remove from heat.

Pick spinach and wash. Lay uncooked leaves flat on top of polenta layer in large pie dish. Layer up half the bunch. Spoon over a third of the sauce. Sprinkle some of the cheese over. Now place the other polenta slab (you can cut it into manageable pieces) on top and then cover with another third of the sauce and the rest of the cheddar. Place in hot oven for about 20 mins or until golden and heated through.

Cook the remaining spinach in a large pot with a knob of butter on medium heat for 5 mins. Shake half way through. 

Serve the pie with the wilted hot spinach on the side, and a spoon of the remaining sauce, reheated.

Makes very good leftovers for lunch.

Interesting research into how diet affects babies' future obesity and allergy tendancies

EXTREME FOODS, HEALTHY MONDAY AND A SUPERIOR SALAD

Since stepping off the Sydney-Chicago flight on Wednesday night, there's been a lot of pancake and burrito-eating. Family reunions tend to be centred around food, and here that means the local diner. Or the favourite diner in the neighbouring suburb. Or the fast-food outlet trussed-up to look like a fancy family restaurant.

But when an order of vegetable omelet comes with hash browns, a side of blueberry pancakes and toast for Billie - in other words our family of three can split one meal that costs $US6.75 - why would you bother cooking?

Well, after a few days you just do. You crave fresh vegetables and fruit, cheese that's not melted and a salad that's not sweet. (Why, oh why, do Americans put sugar in everything?)

The balance of the not-particularly healthy ubiquitous diners and fast food outlets are farmers markets - such as Oak Park's 34-year-old one where we picked up affordable organic vegetables on Saturday - and the impressive Whole Foods Market franchise.

On my previous visit to Oak Park (an 'urban village' on Chicago's western fringe) I was taken to Whole Foods a few hours after landing. It blew my mind.

So on Healthy Monday, this organic/healthy/sustainable/fair trading/locally produced but MASSIVE and CHEAP supermarket was the main destination for Billie and I.

In Australia, I buy bits and pieces of organic food - milk, yoghurt, teas, breads etc but it's often too darn pricey.  As usual, today I studied the price tags of every item before it made its way into Billie's stroller/shopping cart.

A dozen organic large free range eggs for $US3.99? Organic raspberries at $US.300 a punnet? A block of organic tofu for $US1.69? And apparently the big regular supermarket chains offer some organic lines even cheaper.

Oh, and fresh organic mozzarella for $US3.99 - several large pieces. So that became the protein in our vegetarian Healthy Monday Superior Salad tonight:

SPINACH, MOZZARELLA, ASPARAGUS  SALAD WITH CRANBERRIES

Fresh baby spinach leaves, washed and picked
Three ripe tomatoes, quartered and then cut again
1 orange pepper/capsicum, cut into chunks
1 large round of mozzarella cheese, chopped in smallish pieces
Handful Brazil nuts, chopped in half
Handful dried cranberries
Bunch asparagus, chopped into thirds of quarters and then lightly steamed
Vinaigrette

Assemble all ingredients except dressing and asparagus. As soon as asparagus is cooked, add to salad, dress and serve. This is a light meal - serve with bread perhaps. Or corn chips, guacamole and salsa as we did (only because we had leftovers in the fridge).

Yes, this is not really a baby recipe, but Billie would love mozzarella given half a chance.
Sorry - no pics as using mother-in-law's computer...

Muffins on Cockatoo Island

I've swapped sunny England for rainy Sydney (yes, you read that correctly) to come and visit my friend Sarah. She's suffering from a touch of RSI at the moment so I've been given the keys to the blog in order to share some of the new heights of culinary expertise lucky Billie has been getting her newly-arrived incisors into.                             

I'm happy to report that it's all true, by the way - Sarah really does spend a lot of time creating delicious new dishes and Billie tries all of them. I was greeted last night by a massive helping of chili and a slice of steaming cornbread (officially my new favourite thing) which cut through my jet lag nicely. This morning I found Ms. Allely making her own muesli, using exotic ingredients like coconut oil to transform oats and nuts into a sweet, toasted treat served with yoghurt and freshly sliced apple. While she crunched up nuts and melted honey, I attempted to feed Billie and Billie attempted to cover me, the table, the floor and herself in porridge, while still somehow managing to remain adorable.

The best recipe so far has been feta and spinach muffins, which were thrown together in oh, y'know, half an hour, and taken with us on a visit the Sydney Biennale on Cockatoo Island. Most of them were hoovered up by the time we made it onto the ferry, but we managed to save a few for when we actually felt we deserved lunch.

Sarah has just whispered 'shall I make us a little desert?' so I'd better sign off in order not to miss the next exciting eating event.

Emma Rubach (Billie Bites British Correspondent and chief taster - apart from Billie and Miles that is.)

SPINACH AND FETA MUFFINS

Here's a basic muffin recipe adapted from one emailed to me by Hannah while I was in the midst of a pregnancy induced muffin-making frenzy. You can add sweet or savory flavours, what ever you fancy, to this very versatile recipe. 

100 g self-raising plain flour 

120 g self-raising wholemeal flour 

Two eggs, beaten

 3/4 cup milk 

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

200g feta, crumbled into small pieces about the size of your little fingernail.

Small bunch of chopped spinach (about two big handfuls) 

Grease, with butter, 12 muffin tins; preheat oven to 220 c. Sieve flour into a large bowl, add dry ingredients, in this case the spinach and cheese. In a small bowl, mix the eggs, milk and oil together (and any wet ingredients if you're using them - tomatoes, berries, what have you). Make a well in the dry ingredients and quickly but gently mix in the wet ingredients. Immediately spoon into the baking tins and place in the centre of the oven. Check after 15 minutes and remove when lightly browned on top. Up end onto a wire rack and eat while warm or pack for a picnic.

CORN, COURGETTE AND CHEDDAR MUFFINS

As requested by Cara, simply add two cups of grated courgette (three small courgettes) one cup of grated cheddar, the kernals of one corn cob to the above recipe.

RHUBARB PEAR AND GINGER MUFFINS

One pear chopped finely, two cups finely sliced rhubarb, half a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger, a tea-spoon of ground ginger and half a cup of sugar.