Makin' Bacon part 2

When I prepared bacon last December, I went to the local butcher for my pork, asking for a boned loin "with a tail".  He was very obliging but I wasn't happy with the size of the eye which gave me a less generous bacon slice.  The piece was about 3kg which I had to cut into two pieces so that they could fit into a large ziploc bag.

This time, I decided to buy 2 rolled roasts made from the same cut but I chose pieces that obviously had a more meaty loin.  When unrolled, one piece had a short tail which I left intact.  The other had a longer tail which I cut off and treated separately.  This will give me "streaky" bacon which is good for dicing into small pieces called "lardons".  One of the pieces will be smoked and the other cured but not smoked for family members who are not terribly fond of the smoky flavour.

Makin' Bacon

I made my first bacon before Christmas and even though it was very salty, the flavour was spot on.  There's still a few chopped pieces in the freezer and it's time for another attempt, taking aboard my experience from last year.

This morning I prepared the cure and used this to massage the meat.  It's now packaged and ready for refrigeration for about a week.

Soft Crescent Rolls

My interest was piqued by a mention in the Best Recipes forum of a product called Pillsbury Crescent Rolls which is available in the US.  They seems to have quite a range of convenience bread and "biscuit" doughs which you buy in cylinders and bake at home.

These are not available in Australia - well not where I live anyway.  So...  I've come up with a recipe that approximates these soft, very morish treats.  There's no reason why you couldn't use the dough for any of the variations on the Pillsbury web site.

These are so lovely and soft.  Such a treat and less butter than croissants but the rich buttery taste is there.

Want to try the recipe?  It's in my online cookbook.  Let me know what you think.

Sourdough Flat Bread

I'm refusing to buy bread these days and I still make the odd baker's yeast bread but prefer my sourdough.  Oops, forgot to make a fresh loaf and wanted something bread like to serve with scrambled eggs.  Ahh, what about making flat bread - a sourdough flat bread perhaps?

All puffy and ready to serve.

Did some research and found lots of help online for all sorts of flat breads.  But I decided to wing it and have to say, I'm pretty chuffed with the result.  Mind you, this is how we've been making bread for centuries and most cultures have a flat bread version. 

Here's my recipe.... 
Note that I added cumin seed to the pan before placing the dough on top to cook.  Added a nice touch to my "Mexican" eggs which were flavoured with capsicum, onion and chilli powder.

Topped with scrambled egg - yes, it's there underneath the capsicum strips.

Breadmaker Sourdough

OK, so I realise that all you sourdough aficionados out there like the artistry of shaping and baking your dough but mostly, I just want a loaf that I slice for toast.  It needs to be squarish to fit in the toaster.

After much experimentation and research, I have come up with a recipe that works for me.

Check it out here.

Yoghurt - looking for cheaper options

OK, so I'm a skinflint - it's a must when the budget is limited but I like the challenge.

The EasiYo mixes certainly are convenient but also expensive.  Granted it's cheaper than buying ready made yoghurt but I remember making yoghurt years ago with heated milk and seeding it with a little bought yoghurt.  There's tons of info online and I've been experimenting.  So here's what works for me.

Half fill the container with filtered water and add 1½ cups of full cream powdered milk.  Put the lid on and shake to mix.  Add 2 tab Greek Yoghurt (powder or prepared), fill to the line and replace the lid.  Give it a good shake then put it into the prepared thermos.  Leave it for about 16 hours and refrigerate.  I serve it with strawberry topping or home made strawberry jam.  Yum.

EasiYo Yoghurt Maker - review

Years ago, when the kids were little, I use to make yoghurt using an electric yoghurt maker that had a number of small tubs - probably a collectable by now.  It was a fair bit of work to make that yoghurt, a bit hit and miss and the finished product wasn't popular with the family.  I've been buying yoghurt ever since.

You are probably like me and walked past the EasiYo display in the supermarket many times and dismissed the idea of making yoghurt using a powder.  Well, a friend served me a dessert with fruit and this lovely sweet, thick creamy topping.  "Greek yoghurt" she announced - "I made it myself."

So here I am with my first batch on the go.  Will it be a success?  Stay tuned.

Jams and Marmalades

I like to make at least 2 batches of jam and marmalade each year as there's very few commercial brands that I like.  The Buderim Ginger varieties are a notable exception.  Cherry is my favourite when I can get reasonably priced fruit.

This week I processed some strawberries and also made some grapefruit marmalade so I've enough for 12 months or so now with a few spare jars to give away.

My recipes are here....

Grow Sprouts!

How to Garden on your Benchtop – Grow Sprouts! | The Micro Gardener:

I may just have to get into growing my own sprouts again. So easy to grow and refreshing on sandwiches.