Cookbook Countdown #4 : Simple Sausage And Bean Bake

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

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Cookbook Countdown #4 : Recipe No. 6 - Simple Sausage and Bean Bake

from my selected cookbook for this month, Bake by Rachel Allen

Just as it is named, this is a simple sausage and bean bake. According to Rachel Allen, you can use any kind of sausage you like for a different result each time. I've used Hot Italian Sausages, and for the beans, I've used borlotti beans since I have that in my pantry. Very easy to cook, firstly, saute the onion and garlic in a little oil until onions are soft, about 5 minutes, Season with salt and pepper, add the tomatoes and beans, and bring to a boil, season to taste with some pinches of sugar. Add the sliced sausages and transfer everything to the baking dish, bake for about 40 minutes until bubbling. 

This is delicious! We ate this with my Homemade Sour Bread (from Rachel Allen's recipe), which I kept frozen and simply thaw and reheat it again, wrapped in foil for a few minutes. We had a most satisfying lunch and request from the kids to cook this again! I will definitely be baking this simple bean bake again, with different sausages the next time. 

Simple Sausage And Bean Bake
(adapted from "Bake", by Rachel Allen or here)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400gm tin tomatoes, chopped
410gm tin haricot beans, drained (I used borlotti beans)
few pinches of sugar
225gm (8oz) sausages (any type works well), cut into 2cm(3/4 in) thick slices

Medium ovenproof pie dish

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F), Gas mark 6.
2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan set over a medium heat, add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook, stirring every now and then, for 5-8 minutes until the onions are soft.
3. Add the tomatoes and beans and bring to the boil. Season to taste with a few good pinches of sugar and more salt if necessary.
4. Add the sausages to the tomatoes and beans, then tip everything into the pie dish and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the sausages are cooked and the mixture is bubbling. Serve with baked potatoes or pasta or lots of crusty white bread.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

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Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup

It's Potluck Week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). We get to select any recipe, from any of IHCC featured chefs (past or present), and once again, I've cooked with Nigella. I like her recipes and her books are the most frequent ones I go to, for our Potluck week. I've made Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup, for one of our weekday lunch.

Quick and easy to cook, and tastes great! For the noodles, instead of ramen noodles, I've used fresh yellow noodles, which just need a quick blanch in hot boiling water. I did not use baby bok choy, but have replaced with Chinese Choy Sum, the last batch of  choy sum harvest, from my container garden. They are tender and delicious!

I've made this for lunch, but it would be great as a one-dish meal for dinner, or even breakfast. We, Asians, love having noodles for breakfast!

Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup
(adapted from "Nigella Kitchen", Nigella Lawson, or here)
Serves 2-4
10 ounces pork tenderloin, cut into thin discs and then fine strips
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons fish sauce
8 ounces ramen noodles
1 tablespoon garlic flavoured oil
6 thin or 3 fat scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh (or frozen) gingerroot
1 quart chicken broth (good-quality carton, can or cube is fine), preferably organic
3 cups (10 ounces) bean sprouts
2 small baby bok choy, torn into pieces
2 teaspoons chopped red or green chiles

1. Put the strips of pork tenderloin into a bowl and add the lime juice, soy sauce, paprika and fish sauce, but don't let this stand for more than 15 minutes.
2. Cook the noodles following the package instructions and then refresh in cold water. Heat the chicken broth until almost boiling.
3. Heat a wok or a deep, heavy-based frying pan, then add the garlic flavoured oil and fry the scallions and ginger for a minute or so. Add the pork and its liquid to the wok, stirring as you go.
4. Cook the meat in the pan for another 2 minutes, then add the hot chicken broth to the pan and bring to a boil.
5. Check that the pork is cooked through, then add the bean sprouts and baby bok choy. Add water if the soupy base has evaporated too much - about 1/2 cup of freshly boiled water should do the trick, but you may not need it.
6. Arrange the drained noodles equally in 2 large or 4 small warmed bowls, ladle over them the pork and vegetables, and finally the soupy stock. Scatter the chopped chiles on top and serve.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week,

April Potluck

and 

Souper Sundays @ Kahakai Kitchen

Cookbook Countdown #4 : Dutch Apple Cake

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

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Cookbook Countdown #4 : Recipe No. 5 - Dutch Apple Cake

from my selected cookbook for this month, Bake by Rachel Allen

According to Rachel Allen, this cake has been made in Ballymaloe for years. They have guests requesting for it specifically every time they visit. After reading about it, I just had to bake this cake.

A slice of freshly baked Dutch Apple Cake with a cup of warm tea.

The batter is made by first whisking the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until the mixture is thick and mousse-like, which takes about 5 minutes. Butter which is melted with the milk is then whisked into the egg mixture. Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into the batter and fold carefully so that there are no lumps of flour. Pour into the prepared baking pan, smooth the surface and arrange thin slices of apples on top, finishing with a sprinkling of sugar over the apples.

According to the book, the apple slices will sink to the bottom which is meant to happen, leaving a light sponge on top with a lovely sugary crust.

I find that only some of the apples sink to the bottom, and mostly remains on top! But I am not overly concerned as when I sliced into the cake, it really is so very soft, spongy and light!

Can you see the apple slices at the bottom of the slice? That few slices of apple managed to find their way there after all!  This is a lovely, moist, soft and spongy cake. I can see why this cake is specifically requested at Ballymaloe. I did reduce the sugar slightly and still find it a little sweet, so I would reduce more sugar the next time.

Dutch Apple Cake
(adapted from "Bake", Rachel Allen)
Makes 12-16 squares
2 eggs
175gm (6oz) caster sugar, plus 15gm (1/2 oz) extra sugar, for sprinkling (I use 130 gm)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
90gm (3oz) butter
75ml (2-1/2 fl oz) milk
125gm (4-1/2oz) plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2-1/4 tsp baking powder
2 small (or 1 large) cooking apples
75ml (2-1/2 fl oz) double cream, to serve

20 x 20cm (8 x 8in) square cake tin

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F), Gas mark 6. Line the sides and base of the cake tin with parchment paper.
2. Using an electric whisk, whisk the egg, 175gm (6oz) caster sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until the mixture is thick and mousse-like and the whisk leaves a figure of eight pattern (this will take about 5 minutes).
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan with the milk, then pour onto the eggs, whisking all the time. Sift in the flour, cinnamon and baking powder and fold carefully into the batter so that there are no lumps of flour. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.
4. Peel and core the apples and cut into thin slices. Then arrange them over the batter. They will sink to the bottom (this is meant to happen!). Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C (350F), Gas mark 4 and bake for a further 20-25 minutes or until well risen and golden brown. 
5. Allow to cool in the tin, cut into squares and serve warm. It is delicious with cream!

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

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