Junglefrog Cooking » Recipes

Bruschetta with arugulapesto – DHSPC #6

Simone (junglefrog) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00:14 +0000

My version...

Let’s just do another easy one, I thought to myself when going through one of Donna Hay’s cookbooks. It should be a simple recipe but enough of a challenge in getting it right. Well… if only I had thought about that a little better.. I failed, I failed miserably in recreating the original that you will see below. It seemed fairly straightforward but the trick in this particular image is not so much the recipe as that is real simple, but the angle of the photo.. You’ll see what I mean soon! In the meantime we are already on the 6th version of the Donna Hay Styling and Photography Challenge and I loved all the entries from last month! I would say spread the word..

Photo; Con Poulos

Above you can find the challenge recipe photograph by Con Poulos. it’s from the cookbook Seasons and let’s face it; it doesn’t scare you just by looking at it, does it? But wait until you analyze this a little further. First of all there is the issue of the size of the props. If you compare the size of the bottle with the size of the bruschetta then it can’t be very big and they appear fairly close together. The tricky part for me however is that the bread in the foreground is big. There is a lot of focus on that plate of food so it is prominently featured in the frame. However I tried to place it and however I changed my lenses I could not – for the life of me – get it right. I’ve tried a wide angle and going in really close but that didn’t give me any blurred background. I tried placing the plate in front and the bottle in the back and using a telelens (which makes objects appear closer together) but then I only got a small piece of the bottle in the frame. I tried so many things I forgot to pay attention to the actual position of the bruschetta but ok…

Plate is too small in the frame here

My plate is probably bigger too or maybe the bread in the original is bigger. It’s shot on a round table and I didn’t have a round table obviously but still I just failed completely in getting it right. I know you are all eagerly awaiting the next challenge so postponing it until I got it right was not an option so you’ll have to do with my failed attempt. Can’t wait to see what you come up with! And please, please let me know how you did it.

Wrong again

I tried it with a smaller plate above (only had a little christmas plate at hand..lol) but again not good! The light in the original is coming from above right and is mildly strong. I had a beautiful clear day and so much light that it was a bit too much but I gave up and just did my own version, which you see as the first picture. Rather different but still with the same elements mostly.

I will try again but also curious what you come up with! Good luck on the challenge! You’re gonna need it (or maybe it is really simple and it is just me..lol)

Feel free to change the recipe to suit your needs and/or allergies/preferences. If you’re vegetarian you can use maybe some slices of eggplant or courgette and if you’re glutenfree, change the bread etc. All options are allowed! The rules are below the recipe.

Bruschetta with mozarella, prosciutto and rocketpesto

Print recipe

Serves:	4
Prep time:	None
Cook time:	None
Total time:	None
Meal type:	Appetizer, Bread
Region:	Worldwide
From book:	Seasons

Ingredients

8 slices bread
1 clove garlic (halved)
extra virgin olive oil (for sprinkling)
3-4 pieces bocconcini (in small slices or you can use regular mozarella)
8 slices prosciutto
black pepper (coarsely ground)

Arugulapesto

1 handful basil
2 handfuls arugula (rocket)
1 handful basil
40g pine nuts (roasted)
20g grated parmesan
1/4 garlic clove
60ml extra virgin olive oil

Directions


For making the arugula (rocket) pesto put arugula, basil, pine nuts, parmesan and garlic into a foodprocessor and puree roughly. While the motor is running add the olive oil and mix until it is a thick, rough substance. Don't make it too fine. Chunks are ok to have.

Heat a gridlepan and bake both sides of the bread golden brown and crispy. Rub this with half a clove of garlic and sprinkle with some olive oil.

Put some of the slices of mozarella on the toast and liberally cover with the pesto. Top this with a slice of prosciutto and finish with some salt and pepper.

Once a month (on the 3rd of the month) I will give you a recipe plus the accompanying photo out of the Donna Hay magazine. I will try to make it seasonal but can’t promise anything.
You have that same month to produce your post. You can post it any day you like just as long as you finish it before the end of that month at the latest.
You have to produce that recipe, alterations to the recipe are allowed to make sure any dietary restrictions are met. But only minor changes!
You have to cook and STYLE the recipe trying to replicate the photo as best as you can. If you think you can do a better job then the original photo, by all means feel free to make your own changes to the styling.
Shoot the dish and then write a blog post about it. It would be great to add notes on how you took the photo and how you styled the dish, so that other people can learn too.
Link back to this months blog post about the challenge and link back to the Donna Hay Challenge page here
Leave a message on the post that is up here for that month, saying that you completed the challenge and link to the post on your site so others can find it too.
If you want to use the original photo in your blog post as well as the recipe be sure to link back to the Donna Hay website plus the photographers website. They will both always be mentioned in the monthly challenge posts.

Each month a winner will be picked who will be featured in the Hall of Fame page. If you like you can add a badge to your site saying that you are taking part in this competition. The badge is featured below and should link back to this page.

Above all this challenge is about having fun styling and photographing a dish by taking Donna Hay as our great example. You can join all months or whenever you feel like joining in. Using an example of the great photographers that Donna works with, I always find that it is a good learning experience to see how did they light the scene, where does the light come from and how did they manage to make it look so beautiful. Try and analyze all of that and then come up with your own version.

While taking food photos is all about finding your own style and certainly not copying anyone else, it does help to analyze how your hero’s do their job. It’s about learning to light and style a scene properly. In no way am I trying to suggest you copy another person style. Find your own unique style! This challenge is just a tool to help you along the way..

Pavlova with pomegranate and cranberry sauce

Simone (junglefrog) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 16:44:01 +0000

Pavlova with cream, pomegranate and cranberry sauce

You did not think I would get rid of my cranberry sauce so easily now did you?

It’s actually quite funny how you sometimes start baking and then have leftovers that turn out to be made into something far superior then your first recipe. I had one of those days today; it was about time to decorate the Christmas tree so I figured I could combine that with some Christmas baking in between. We’re thinking of doing creme brulee as the dessert for Christmas as it is supposed to be fairly easy and at least you can prepare it up front.

Pavlova

I had thought to make three recipes; creme brulee, banana-cinnamon bread and to get rid of all the leftover egg whites also a pavlova. As it turns out my creme brulee was less then successful as I let the cream get too hot resulting in curdled cream and for some reason my banana bread broke when taking it out of the tin.. But the pavlova…. the pavlova was even better then I thought it would be. I was a little worried it would get half brownish as my oven is really not the best anymore but for once everything went according to plan and my pavlova came out looking as gorgeous as I had wanted it to look.

Pavlova with pomegranate and cranberry sauce

Print recipe

Serves:	6
Prep time:	15 minutes
Cook time:	1 hour
Total time:	1 hour, 15 minutes
Allergy:	Egg
Dietary:	Vegetarian
Meal type:	Dessert
Region:	Worldwide
From book:	Modern Classics

Ingredients

4 egg whites
225g sugar
6 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon white vinegar
250ml whipping cream
1 pomegranate seeds (seeds from one pomegranate)
cranberry sauce

Directions


Preheat the oven to 150 C. Whip the eggwhites in a grease free bowl until soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar until the meringue is glossy.

Put the cornstarch through a sieve and fold it into the eggwhites together with the vinegar

On a baking tray lined with baking paper make a circle of about 18 cm wide of the meringue and put it in the oven. Turn down the oven temperature to 120 C and leave it in for an hour. Turn the oven off and let the pavlova cool in the oven completely.

Once cooled you can top the pavlova with whipped cream and as I did with pomegranate and cranberry sauce.

Note

I wanted to keep the topping of this recipe in red but you can ofcourse add whatever you like on top of the pavlova. Raspberries, blueberries, passionfruit or mmm, warm cherries!

All in all I still don’t know what to do for Christmas dessert. I mean this looks pretty good right, but I’m just afraid it will be too heavy after a big Christmas meal. I want something fairly light and fruity I think… Sigh… back to the drawing board. O of course; the creme brulee is still an option. Just need to redo that one and make sure it doesn’t curdle this time. In terms of looks however, this is a real winner!

Pavlova goodness

Cranberry sauce

Simone (junglefrog) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:01:44 +0000

The ultimate cranberry sauce

I did promise you I would give you the recipe for the ultimate cranberry sauce right? Well, here it is… I’ve made cranberry sauce, cranberry compote and cranberry relish before but never before did I find THE cranberry sauce to go with everything. If you look at the small list of ingredients it is really nothing to fancy and it’s also nothing really special but I can assure you that the end result will never have you ask for another cranberry recipe, ever again. It is rich, it is sweet (but not too sweet) and it goes so well with both savory dishes and sweet desserts.

I made this sauce for the simple reason that I had bought too many cranberries so I just figured I might try a couple of different variations to see which one I liked best. We had this the first time with some pork and we were immediately sold. Then I used it to spice up the mascarpone raspberry trifle you saw earlier and that just confirmed the fact that this does go with just about anything.

Cranberry sauce on top of delicious trifle

Cranberry sauce

Print recipe

Serves:	4
Prep time:	5 minutes
Cook time:	10 minutes
Total time:	15 minutes
Meal type:	Condiment, Side Dish
Misc:	Pre-preparable
Region:	Worldwide

Ingredients

250g cranberries
3 pieces star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup sugar
1,5 cup fresh orange juice

Directions


Put all ingredients into a saucepan and brings to the boil. Once the sugar is all dissolved turn down the heat

Leave to boil softly until all craberries have popped open. Take of the fire and remove the cinnamon and star anise. Put in a blender and puree until smooth. Be careful when turning on the blender as it is hot which means it will spatter too.

Once pureed put through a sieve to remove all the skins.

Note

This recipe is perfect for both sweet and savory dishes. Sofar we have had it with dessert and we had it with pork but this will be equally good with turkey!

I am actually thinking of making large batches of this sauce so I can freeze it in and enjoy it for the rest of the year too. I still have quite a few dried cranberries left so I am wondering if I can use those to make cranberry sauce too. Something tells me that is not an option as there would be no popping. Does anyone have any experience with using dried cranberries for making a sauce? Would it work to re-hydrate them first and then cook? Let me know your thoughts! In the meantime I have another bag of cranberries in the fridge that is just waiting for me to make another batch…

Sage and prosciutto corn cakes – Donna Hay Styling and photo Challenge #4

Simone (junglefrog) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 08:00:56 +0000

Sage and corn cake

Are you all excitedly waiting for the new challenge to see if it is any better then the last one?? Well I can assure you it IS better then the last one, although it doesn’t take a lot to make it better. I thought about which recipe to pick a lot before choosing. It is the time right before Christmas after all and a lot of people are stressed and feeling the pressure of performing for Christmas dinner. So I am giving you a real easy recipe this time. A real easy one that you can also use for the actual Christmas dinner itself. Now what more do you want?

The challenge recipe by Ben Dearley or William Meppem

The challenge recipe this month comes from Donna Hay issue 48 and the photo is either by Ben Dearley or William Meppem. It was a Christmas feature with various menu’s and it didn’t specify which photographer took which photo, so I’ll just name them both. Having learned from the previous challenge I tested the recipe this time beforehand and I am glad to tell you that it is correct and works. I couldn’t find instant polenta which the recipes calls for so I used semolina instead. That worked fine. I also did a batch with cornflour. Those were drier and slightly less fluffy so I would advice to go with either polenta or semolina, but if you have nothing else, you can use cornflour and add a little bit more sour cream to make it moist enough. That should work too. I’ll first give you the recipe

Sage and prosciutto corn cakes

Print recipe

Serves:	12
Prep time:	10 minutes
Cook time:	25 minutes
Total time:	35 minutes
Meal type:	Side Dish
Region:	Worldwide
From magazine:	Donna Hay Magazine

Ingredients

170g instant polenta
75g all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sage leaves (chopped)
sea salt
black pepper
360g sour cream
2 eggs
12 sage leaves (extra)
12 slices prosciutto

Directions


Preaheat oven to 180. Place the polenta, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), sage, salt, pepper, cream and eggs in a bowl and mix well to combine. Place extra sage in the bases of 12 lightly greased 1/2 cup capacity (125 ml) muffin tins. Line each tin with prosciutto and fill with polenta mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked. Turn out to serve. Makes 12

Note

I could not find instant polenta so I used semolina flour instead. That worked fine, so if you have no polenta use that. I also made a batch with cornflour and that worked as well although the batter and the final cakes were a littl drier then the one with semolina. I would use a bit more fluids if you bake with the cornflour.

Now… you can see that the first photo here is by me, so I can also post this to foodgawker and the likes.. I’m not entirely satisfied with my result and I am sure you can do a better job. Couple of notes to remember; while the light is coming from roughly behind and a little from the right it is not extremely bright light. As you can see in my photo I was too close to the light source (south facing window) so it is too bright in the background. I also noticed that they actually wrap the prosciutto around the bottom of the cakes giving it a different look. Keep that in mind when following the recipe. I will try and redo them too since I finally found polenta too. I am curious to see the difference in taste.

We ate these pretties together with our red lentil soup and it was quite good. I can see this work really well with some good gravy (as that is what they’re intended to be for.. as a side dish to your Christmas turkey.)

You can find all the rules for the Donna Hay Styling and Photography Challenge on the special page here. Deadline for this entry is December 30th. Due to Newyears it’s gonna be one day early so I can actually post it before the new year. (Can you believe it is almost 2012??)

If you’ve completed your entry please fill in the details through the below list. You will only be able to see it once it is approved. Like an image? Click below! Clicking on the image will bring you to the blogpost of the entry!

Creamy goatcheese with pomegranate

Simone (junglefrog) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:29:19 +0000

Creamy goatcheese with pomegranate and chives

Wow… if you are reading this, that actually means that it worked! You might have wondered where I went to the last couple of days but I have been very busy behind the scenes with changing over all my websites (and there are six in total) from one host to the next.

My friend and Dutch blogger Kay from Kayotic Kitchen first alerted me to the fact that maybe I was paying just a bit too much on my hosting package and then when I went to Germany Meeta told me pretty much the same thing. Time for me to start looking at other options.

While I have been really happy with my hosting company the fact of the matter is that I am now going from something like 1200 euro per year to a total of 90 dollar a year… That is too big of a difference to dismiss!

I’ll spare you all the nerve wrecking details, but as I said; if you’re reading this.. it is working!!

What else is going on here; I had my second meatcourse which I will tell you all about later. I had a couple of really fun cupcake shoots and in the meantime I am starting to think about Christmas menu’s.

It’s been difficult getting my head into cooking mode with all that is going on. On top of that I am also worried what January 1^st is going to bring. With Tom still looking for a new job and the change over to the studio it’s quite a bit of changing around here lately but that’s ok. Change is what makes the world go round right?

So to give you a lovely and very tasty recipe I am bringing you this creamy goatcheese with pomegranate which is fabulous as a quick lunch spread but would also be ideal for any party. Try it you’ll love it!

Creamy goatcheese with pomegranate

Recipe type: Sidedish

Author: BBC good food

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 6

Ofcourse goatcheese and honey is a classic combination but add the pomegranates and the chives and it is even yummier!

Ingredients

150g pack soft, rindless goat’s cheese
250g tub ricotta
50g pomegranates seeds, from a tub
small bunch chives , snipped
1 tbsp clear honey
2 tsp red or white wine vinegar
loaf of crusty bread , to serve

Instructions

Mash the goat’s cheese and ricotta together in a bowl, then use a spatula to roughly spread over a large plate. Scatter with the pomegranate seeds and chives and set aside until ready to serve.
Stir together the honey and vinegar, then as you’re about to serve, drizzle over the plate. Enjoy with crusty bread.

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Junglefrog Cooking » Recipes

Bruschetta with arugulapesto – DHSPC #6

Bruschetta with mozarella, prosciutto and rocketpesto

Ingredients

Arugulapesto

Directions

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Pavlova with pomegranate and cranberry sauce

Pavlova with pomegranate and cranberry sauce

Ingredients

Directions

Note

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Cranberry sauce

Cranberry sauce

Ingredients

Directions

Note

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Sage and prosciutto corn cakes – Donna Hay Styling and photo Challenge #4

Sage and prosciutto corn cakes

Ingredients

Directions

Note

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Creamy goatcheese with pomegranate

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