Recipe: Coffee Rub Kangaroo on Fig & Blue Cheese Salad with Roasted Beetroot

Dear Lovelies,

Ok, I admit it - the title of this post is quite a mouthful. Yet it doesn't even begin to capture all the yummy ingredients in it, let alone how amazing this tastes!

I did not come up with this myself from scratch. It is simply my own spin on two separate recipes I combined, as I liked some ingredients in one recipe and some in others. 


Turns out that this was a great decision, as the distinct, deer-like flavour of the kangaroo goes super well with the sweetness of the figs and blueberries. It's not overly sweet though (which I don't really like in a salad - in the end it's still a savoury dish), as the sharpness of the blue cheese cuts through it.

For best results, the kangaroo should not be cooked further than medium rare. 

Can be served warm or cold. It takes approximately 40 minutes (plus 30 minutes marinating time for the kangaroo) and feeds 3-4 people. Or 2 very hungry people :-)

For the kangaroo in coffee rub:
♥ 500g Kangaroo loins (steak and fillet also works)
♥ 2 tbs ground Coffee
♥ 1 tbs Brown Sugar
♥ 1 tbs Red Wine Vinegar
♥ 1 tsp each ground Coriander and ground Cumin
♥ 1 tsp Paprika
♥ 1/2 tsp each Salt and Pepper

For the salad base:
♥ 300g Rocket
♥ 50g Baby Spinach leaves
♥ 3 Figs
♥ 1/2 cup of Walnuts (roasted and in small pieces)
♥ a handful of Blueberries
♥ 75g of Blue Cheese (a semi hard or hard style, nothing creamy)

For the roasted vegetables:
♥ a bunch of Dutch Carrots (approx. 150g)
♥ 4 small Beetroot (one large on quartered works, too)
♥ 1/3 cup Olive Oil

To help you with time-management, the following order of steps is best:

Marinate the meat, then roast the vegetables. While they are in the oven, you can arrange the salad bed and lastly, fry the meat.

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

2. Prepare the meat: in a plastic bag or tupperware container, mix all ingredients and add your meat. Make sure you whirl it around in the spice mixture thoroughly. Put aside to warm up to room temperature for approx. 30 minutes.

3. Create little aluminium foil parcels by placing your bunch of carrots (green tops cut off) and beetroot in them separately, pouring the olive oil over it and wrapping it up. Place the veggies in an oven dish and roast them in the oven for 40 minutes.

4. Wash and spin dry your rocket and baby spinach and arrange on a platter. Quarter the figs and put them around the outside. Roast the walnuts, crumble the blue cheese and sprinkle both over the rocket and spinach leaves. Save the blueberries to sprinkle on top once the kangaroo and roasted veggies have their place.

5. Time for the kangaroo to jump into the frying pan. Sear all sides using high heat, cooking each side for approx. 4 minutes (cooking times will vary depending on type and thickness of meat). The vegetables should be ready now or you may have already taken them out - place the kangaroo in aluminium foil, wrap it up and place it in the still warm oven to rest for approx. 10 minutes.

6. Slice the kangaroo and together with the roast veggies arrange on salad bed. Don't forget to sprinkle your blueberries over it. Enjoy!

OPTION: For those of you who can't live without salad dressing: use the meat juice that has built up when the meat rested as a base, place in a small tupperware container. Add 2 tbs of balsamic vinegar and 2 tbs of live oil and shake vigorously. Pour over dish.

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

Recipe: Cream-filled Lamingtons (gluten free)

Dear Lovelies,

Happy Australia Day!
Today is the day when everyone in Australia celebrates the things that we are grateful for in the country that we live in. As most people will be at the beach having a BBQ, there was no real main meal recipe that I could blog about. But every great BBQ celebration deserves a desert and what would be more suitable in Australia than Lamingtons?

These cream-filled little sponge cakes covered in chocolate and coconut flakes made me fall in love with them the first time I set foot onto the Australian continent.

This recipe uses almond meal and tapioca starch/flour instead of grain based flours, not because I am gluten intolerant, but I enjoy the small alterations and welcome an alternative to conventional cooking methods.
Whenever possible, I also use organic ingredients and in general make sure to use unprocessed ingredients of high quality.

If you prefer the Lamingtons to be a dairy free desert, simply leave out the cream.

It takes approximately 1 hour.
For 25 bite-size Lamingtons you need:

For the cake base:

♥ 3 eggs

♥ 75g (1/2 cup) tapioca flour (note: tapioca flour = tapioca starch)

♥ 175g (3/4 cup) almond meal

♥ 2/3 teaspoon baking powder (note: not all baking powders are gluten free)

♥ 150ml (2/3 cup) coconut oil

♥ 3 tablespoons raw sugar (dissolved in 6 tablespoons of hot water)

♥ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate ganache:
♥ 75g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
♥ 150ml (2/3 cup) coconut oil
♥ 2 tablespoons of the dissolved raw sugar you made for the base
♥ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
♥ 3 tablespoons coconut or almond milk
♥ 1/2 block of Dark Chocolate (70%)
♥ 225g (1 1/2 cup) coconut flakes

For the cream-filling:
♥ 100ml cream
♥ 1 tablespoon of the dissolved raw sugar you made for the base

1. To start with, preheat oven to 150 degrees celsius (fan forced) or 170 for a conventional oven.

2. Grease a 2 cm-deep, 20 x 30cm baking tray with olive oil and line with baking paper making sure that the paper comes up the sides of the tray as well.

3. Dissolve the coconut oil, 3 tablespoons of the dissolved raw sugar and vanilla extract and whisk together for about a minute (or until all granuals have dissolved) before setting aside. Measure out the tapioca flour and almond meal separately and also set to the side.

4. Beat eggs for 5 minutes until thick and foamy before gradually adding the coconut oil mix and then the baking powder, tapioca and almond meal mixture as well. Mix everything together using a whisk and fold together until there aren't any lumps visible.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tray and spread evenly. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Place the sponge cake onto a wire rack and set aside to cool completely (If the cake is warm the chocolate won't set).

6. When the sponge cake has cooled down, trim the edges off and cut into 4 strips.
Note: this is when you can place a small amount of cream between the two cake pieces, alternatively you can use jam, chocolate or anything that you would prefer.

7. To make the chocolate icing, combine coconut oil, cocoa, vanilla, coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of the dissolved raw sugar in a pot and warm up. Add half a block of Dark Chocolate 70% and stir until smooth. Spread coconut on a plate.

8. Dip the cake strips first into the chocolate mix and then into the coconut flakes.

Enjoy!

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

Recipe: Marble Cake with Cherries

Dear Lovelies,

It's been raining here for days and although I'm usually quite unimpressed with difficult weather conditions, I'm being a real couch potato for once this rainy Sunday.
My only adventure today was to bake a Marble Cake from scratch. Sounds horribly difficult? If I can do it - anyone can!

This is what you need:

♥ 400g Flour (3 1/3 cups)
♥ 250g brown Sugar (2 1/4 cups)
♥ 250ml Milk
♥ 250ml Sunflower Oil
♥ 4 Eggs
♥ 375g Cherries (out of a glass if not in season)
♥ 30g Cocoa (100%)
♥ 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
♥ 1 Vanilla Bean
♥ 1 block of baking chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees (fan-forced) or 180 degrees (conventional) and smear some butter on a baking tray of your choice.
2. Mix all ingredients except for the cocoa and cherries in a bowl until you have a smooth dough.
3. Pour 2/3 of the dough into your baking tray and mix the cocoa into the last third of the dough.
4. Spread your cherries onto the dough - make sure they're as dry as possible.
5. Pour the cocoa dough on top and watch a Youtube tutorial like this one *here* on how to create a pattern (Something I still have to practice..)
6. Let your Marble Cake bake for approximately 60 minutes and test if it's ready by poking a skewer into the cake - when you pull the skewer out and there's no residue that means it's ready.
7. Allow cake to cool down. Melt a block of baking chocolate and spread on top.

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

Recipe: Wonton Raviolis

Dear Lovelies,

No cooking skills, patience, time or any of the above?
Here's a bullet proof recipe which is not only simple, but really quick and healthy too!

It takes approximately 25 minutes and for 2 people you'll need:

♥ 1 pack of Wonton Skins (20 should be plenty)
♥ 300g Mince (beef or pork)
♥ 2 Leeks
♥ 1 Egg
♥ Spices (Paprika, Cumin Seeds, Salt, Pepper)
♥ Bread Crumbs and Tomato Sauce

♥ Start by preparing your mince. Put it in a bowl, add the egg, 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce, 6 tablespoons of bread crumbs and 2 teaspoons of paprika and cumin seeds each.
♥ Add salt and pepper to your liking and stir well.

♥ Place a little meatball the size of a Hazelnut in the middle of a Wonton Skin and squish it a bit so you can easily fold the Wonton into a triangle.
♥ Extra Tip: If you want to be certain that your Wonton Raviolis won't come apart, simply run your finger under water and then over the edges of the Wonton skin to moisten it before you fold it over.
♥ Fold every corner and push the edges down using a fork.

♥ Wash the leek thoroughly and cut it in strips approximately the thickness of a thumb so it cooks quickly.
♥ You will have mince leftover which you can use to prepare little meatballs. Put them in the frying pan with the leek and crank the heat up (no oil necessary).

♥ Once your meatballs are nice and brown all over, add approximately 750 ml of water and when it boils slowly slide your Wonton Raviolis in.
♥ Let it simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, cut one little meatball to see if it's cooked through and Voila! Enjoy it while it's hot!

 

Oh and for those who are wondering about the difference between a Wonton and a Ravioli? It's simply the amount of egg used to produce the dough. There's typically more egg in Ravioli dough.

With Love,

Coffeebeanlilly

Oats! And how to prepare a yummy Bircher Muesli!

Dear Lovelies,

Is it just me or are you guys always searching for different breakfast options as well?
I love breakfast! I even get up earlier just to ensure that I have enough time to eat breakfast properly. But of course just like everyone else I value my sleep and I understand that there's days when every extra minute of sleep counts.
Let me show you a very healthy, yummy, filling AND time saving breakfast option. You can prepare enough for all five work days, pop it in the fridge and it won't go bad as you mix the yoghurt in seperately every morning.

Here's what you need:

❤ 3 cups of rolled oats (invest in the good stuff, it's worth it!)
❤ 1 apple or 1 pear (depending on personal taste)
❤ 1 lemon
❤ 1 cup of orange juice and 1 cup of water
❤ Mixed berries, mixed nuts (oven baked, yumm!) and a pinch of cinnamon

1.) Grate the apple/pear into a bowl and then squeeze the juice of the lemon over it
2.) Pour the oats into a bowl and add grated fruit with lemon juice to it
3.) Mix in one glass of orange juice and one glass of water and stir
4.) Put as many nuts and berries in as you want

That's it! Make sure you put clingwrap on top or put it into an airtight container to be able to store it in the fridge for a few days.

Now you have the perfect basis and to complete your Bircher Muesli you simply take some out of the bowl each morning and add yoghurt of your choice.

I prefer Jalna *click* as it is a natural yoghurt without added sugar and it is pot set! Quality guaranteed!

With Love, 


Coffeebeanlilly

Food Inspiration: Curry Risotto w/ Prawns + Riesling

Hello Lovelies,

I have to admit it right at the start: I'm not a brilliant chef! But I L*O*V*E good food and therefor I'm quite keen on trying to cook things myself.
Today's inspiration is a curry risotto with prawn skewers. Don't worry, easiest thing on earth ;-) I love cooking risotto because as you need white wine for the cooking process, you might equally want to pour one glass into the pot and one glass into your belly :-) that makes cooking fun.

It takes approximately 40 minutes. For 2 people you need:

♥ 250g (10 table spoons) Arborio rice (normal rice won't do)
♥ 2 cubes of stock (preferably vegetable stock) makes 1 liter
♥ 2 onions and one clove of garlic
♥ 1 small leek and vegetables of your choice (I used half a zucchini and 2 small carrots)
♥ sunflower oil, salt, pepper, 3 teaspoons of curry
♥ 200ml white wine

♥ 300g King Prawns plus 4 wooden skewers
♥ 20g herb butter and a squeeze of lemon


Let's start:

Preparation:
♥ prepare the king prawns by squeezing lemon juice over them before putting them on the two skewers, no salt needed
♥ prepare the stock and keep it in the pot on low heat the whole time! (Arborio rice doesn't like cold liquids)
♥ chop up everything you need
♥ pour yourself a glass of wine

Cooking:
♥ pour some oil in a seperate, big pot, heat it up and add the curry (it needs heat to develop all its flavour)
♥ add the finely(!) chopped onions and garlic and cook until glazed
♥ add the Arborio rice and let it simmer for 5 minutes
♥ add the leek or any kind of vegetables you want as long as they are in small pieces
♥ deglaze everything with 200ml of white wine and turn the stove top down to a low heat
♥ keep stirring and wait until it is boiled down
♥ once there's no liquid anymore you can start adding a ladle full of the warm stock

 

ATTENTION: this is the most important part: use warm stock only AND be patient! Only pour one ladle in at a time and wait until it's boiled down!

♥ repeat the step until you're out of stock or until the rice has the texture you like
♥ pour some oil in a frying pan, medium heat and put the prawn skewers in
♥ fry each side for approximately 2 minutes, then spread the herb butter over them and let them simmer for another minute
♥ take the frying pan off the heat and start serving, risotto first, prawn skewers on top

With Love & ENJOY!

Coffeebeanlilly

Coming soon...

Hier entsteht in Kürze ein Blog über Dinge, die das Leben schöner machen. Stay tuned! :)