Saturday 28 October 2017

Classic Chocolate Chip Biscuits



The little boys were going on holidays so we got up early and made some biscuits for them to take on the long drive. We also made a batch for Granny to have for afternoon tea. The little boys love to help cook and I love teaching them. Henry is learning to crack eggs and while some of the shell has to be dished out of our mixture he is getting better and more confident with this new skill. George likes to tip the ingredients in the bowl. Their favourite part of this recipe was breaking up the chocolate into bits to put in the mix. Some on it did not make it into the bowl but did make it into their mouths. Lucky I brought extra. I try to get my chocolate from the bulk food store but as it is a bit of a drive from where we live I brought Lindt chocolate as it's wrapped in alfoil and cardboard both of which are able to be recycled. Once the biscuits were cooked we taste tested them before we packed the rest up for them to take on their holiday. I had my share with my daughter-in-law and granddaughter for afternoon tea.




CLASSIC CHOC CHIP BISCUIT (recipe from Better Homes and Garden magazine 08/17)
Makes 30 (depending on how big or small you make them)
Waste produced - chocolate wrapping - cardboard and alfoil  (recyclable)
Flour bag - paper (recyclable)

125 grams of melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100 grams dark chocolate (we only used milk chocolate it was what we had in the cupboard)
100grams milk chocolate
100 grams white chocolate


METHOD
1. Pre heat oven to (160 fan forced or 180 conventional)
2. Put butter and sugars into a mixing bowl and combine 
3. Add egg and stir
4. Sift in flour, bi carb, and baking powder and mix well
5. Roughly chop the chocolate and add to the mixture. (you can keep some back to press in after you      have rolled the biscuits and before they go in the oven)
6. Roll dough into teaspoon sized balls and place on a tray about 5cm apart.
7. Gently flatten with a fork until they are about 1cm high
8. Bake for about 12-15 minutes 
9.  Remove from tray and allow to cook on rack
10. Eat .......... with a good cup of tea and a friendly face that you love .....


Try not to eat too many at once ........ we ate too many .... but they were so good .......  and thanks for stopping by Eco Granny. 



Potato and Leek Pie



I am not one of those food bloggers that creates their own recipes. Most of what I cook comes from another source. I don't do photos with fancy lighting or filters. The photos are taken on my kitchen table so they are true to life in how they look. Sometimes the food is a bit 'rustic' which is my way of saying its not perfect to look at but it always tastes good and no one has refused to eat anything so far. I am a simple cook using everyday ingredients that are easy for me to source. The pastry for this pie comes from a book called 'Everyday Cookery' by Helen Bunney this book was a school text book back in Old Granny's day. It is so rare to find this book because anyone that has one keeps it forever! It has all the good old fashioned basics in it and it is my number one cookbook.  However I have created the filling for this pie myself. I have cooked it a few times and everyone loves it. It is a very cheap meal to make and fills up the tummy quite well.  NOTE - Cook the filling first and the pastry second.


POTATO AND LEEK PIE (recipe pastry from Everyday Cookery, filling from Me)
Makes one large pie and on this day made two little pot pies.
Waste produced - plastic from cheese, carton from cream
Composted all peelings

PASTRY
1 cup of plain flour
1 cup of self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 shortening (I use butter)
80ml cold water (I use more water than this adding in 20 ml increments until I get the right consistency)

METHOD
1. Sift flour into a bowl
2. Add salt
3. Add butter and rub the butter through the flour until the butter is rubbed all the way through
4. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the water.
5. Using a knife cut through and through mixing the water into the flour
6. I usually then mix it through with my hand to ensure it has a good consistency
7. If it is too dry and crumbly I add more water until the dough is able to be moulded in my hands          and stay together
8. Turn out onto a floured board and roll it out using a rolling pin



FILLING
800 grams Leeks
800 grams Potato's 
1 egg
1 cup of cheese (any cheese I use hard cheese of Parmesan cheese)
1 cup of cream (use more if you would like a creamier filling)
1/2 cup of water
2 tablespoons butter

METHOD
1. Cut up the Leeks and the potatoes
2. Put some butter into a pan and add the Leeks and Potato
3. Stir for about ten minutes and add the water
4. Simmer until the potato begins to soften 
5. Add the egg, cream and cheese and stir through until the cheese has melted
6. You can add more water or cream depending on the consistency that you would like.
    If your mixture is too wet it will make the pastry soft and if its too dry it will not be as tasty. 
    This part is trial and error and personal taste.
7. Set the mixture aside to cool. I put mine in the fridge. 
8. When cooled add to the pastry and put a top on it.
9. Brush milk on the top of the pastry and bake in a moderate over until golden brown.





This can be served as a stand alone meal or you can add vegetables or a salad on the side. This one has become a family favourite ............. thanks for stopping by Eco Granny. 











Sweet Potato Pie



I have been very busy lately taking care of my grandchildren and spring cleaning which is a task once started can't be stopped. I am trying to live light upon the Earth and our home has too much stuff. The dilemma being if you get rid of stuff it has to go somewhere. So your not really living light because you are moving stuff away from you and it has to either A ... end up in landfill or B .... in another home. The goal is just to buy less but the problem is we have already consumed way more than we need along the way. Therefore in my pursuit of living light I try create as little waste as possible in our consumption of food.  I often cook up everything in the fridge so that it won't go off and then I distribute this to my children so they don't need to cook a meal at the end of their working day. This is called a 'Love  Drop' because for me when someone cooks for you they are showing you they love and care for you.
This sweet potato pie is a lovely meal to have as dinner or lunch you can serve it with a side salad. Nutritious and filling I hope you enjoy it.


SWEET POTATO PIE (recipe from Amy Crawford)
Makes one large family pie
Waste produced (plastic from cheese)
Composted all peelings

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1.5 cups water
1 large sweet potato, cooked and mashed
2 zucchini's grated
1 medium onion
2 carrots, grated
1 cup hard cheese grated
4 eggs lightly beaten
1/3 cup sunflower seeds (i used a seed mix that I already had on the shelf)
1/3 cup currants (I did not add this as I don't like them in cooking)
2 teaspoons coconut oil (I used olive oil as I already had that)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large handful of fresh parsley chopped (I used some spinach that was in the fridge)
A good pinch black pepper



METHOD

1. Cook the quinoa in a small saucepan with the water. Bring gently to the boil and reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for about 12 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and leave the lid on for 5minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. Place all of the ingredients into a bowl.
3. Add the quinoa and mix it all up.
4. Put into a baking dish and cook on 180 degrees for about 40-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown. 

This is a quick and easy meal that I am sure you will love...... and thanks for stopping by Eco Granny.



Monday 16 October 2017

Pumpkin Soup



Cold and wet weather calls for some pumpkin soup. This pumpkin grew randomly in our garden. It has sat on my bench waiting for me to be inspired to cook it up. I am trying hard as always to avoid plastic wrapped food. However in this recipe I use cheese. I have been unable to locate a deli that will let me put it into my own containers. This is an ongoing frustration for me. Hopefully I will find somewhere soon that will support my goal of living plastic free. I have decided to add to each blog the waste that was created from each meal to inspire me to do better.


PUMPKIN SOUP  (recipe from Peter Russell-Clarke)
Feeds six adults 
Waste produced (plastic from cheese and cream cheese packaging)
Composted all food peelings


A small whole pumpkin (about 2kg in weight)
One potato
Two cloves of garlic
1/2 capsicum
One brown onion 
One Teaspoon of curry powder
Vegetable or Chicken Stock two cups
One cup of cheese
1/2 block of  cream cheese


METHOD

1. Cut everything up and peel it.
2. Put in a saucepan a big blob of butter
3. When it melts add the onion, garlic, curry powder, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and the capsicum.
4. Cook it until it is tender.
5. Then add the pumpkin, the potato and the stock.
6. If the stock does not sit just below the vegetables as in the photo above add more. If it goes over then tip it out unless you like your soup thin. I like my soup thick and creamy. 
7. Cook slowly until the potato and pumpkin are soft.
8. Add the cheese and stir it through.
9. Cut the cream cheese into bits and add it to the soup and stir it through.
10. Remove from the heat and let the soup cool down so that it is warm but not boiling.
11. Blend your soup in either a blender or with a hand held stick blender or mash it if you don't have an electrical item to do the job for you.
12. Serve it and eat straight away. I cut some green bits and added a dash of cream to make it look pretty. I hope you enjoy your cooking.  




Sunday 8 October 2017

Lavosh Crackers

One of the things that is impossible to buy not wrapped in plastic is crackers or savoury biscuits. There is nothing better than a cracker with some nibbles or a stand alone snack. We tried out a new recipe last weekend and lucky I had some help from my grandsons and my niece. It's good to teach children to cook from a young age. They are more likely to eat food that they help prepare and learn an important life skill.




LAVOSH CRACKERS (Recipie from Sheree Stone)

1 cup (150g) plain flour
1/3 cup (50g) wholmeal plain flour
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds 
2 talbespoons white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup (60ml)  extra virgin oil
1/2 cup (125ml) water
1 clove crushed garlic
olive oil for brushing


1. Pre heat oven to 160degrees (140 for a fan forced oven)
2. In one bowl combine all dry ingredients
3. In another bowl combine all the wet ingredients
4. Add the wet indgredients to the dry and combine
5. After mixing it together thoroughly (I use my hands). Divide the dough into four pieces.
6. Roll as thinly as you can without the dough breaking apart.
7. Cut into long strips (I used a egg ring and made circle ones and use other shapes for the kids to make them look cute and interesting) Whatever suits your purpose. Brush with olive oil.
8. Bake for up to fifteen minutes or unitl they are golden brown. Turn them onto a cooling rack. Then store in an airtight jar.
9. They will last up to one week ...... yum yum happy eating.