cakes, cookies and an odd roast dinner

Parmesan Chicken Breasts with Crispy Posh Ham

2010-08-04T09:44:00.005+04:00

I think the best cookbook I have bought this year would be Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food. It is a book aimed at teaching people to cook proper meals, but even if you can cook, there are some corker recipes in there.

This chicken breast is very tasty. I didn't use prosciutto, but rather streaky bacon which he does suggest to use. (Either that or Parma Ham)

*Taken from Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food, page 242, published 2008*

Ingredients

30g Parmesan cheese

2 sprigs of fresh thyme (I used dry)

2 skinless chicken breasts, preferably free-range or organic

freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon

6 slices of prosciutto

Olive oil

Method

Grate your Parmesan. Pick the thyme leaves off the stalks. Carefully score the underside of the chicken breasts in a criss-cross fashion with a small knife. Season with a little pepper (you don't need salt as the prosciutto is quite salty). Lay your breasts next to one another and sprinkle over most of the thyme leaves. Grate a little lemon zest over them, then sprinkle with the Parmesan. Lay 3 prosciutto slices on each chicken breast, overlapping them slightly. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves. Put a square of clingfilm over each breast and give them a few really good bashes with the bottom of a pan until they're about 1cm thick.

Put a frying pan over a medium heat. Remove the clingfilm and carefully transfer the chicken breasts, prosciutto side down, into the pan. Drizzle over some olive oil. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, turning halfway through, giving the ham side an extra 30 seconds to crisp up.

Either serve the chicken breasts whole or cut them into thick slices and pile them on a plate. Serve some lemon wedges for squeezing over, and a good drizzle of olive oil. Lovely with mash and green veg or a crunchy salad!

Serves 2

Stay Tuned...

2010-08-03T21:01:00.000+04:00

...I might just have found my Recipe blog mojo back!

Cheesy Feet

2009-06-01T19:37:00.001+04:00

Nigella made hers (& therefore named hers) using Feet cutters. I used a Crocodile cutter and a Kangaroo one I have. They are so easy to make and very tasty indeed. (Monet loves them!) I will be making batches more in times to come...

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's 'Feast', pg 253, published 2004*

Ingredients

100gm Cheddar cheese, grated

25gm soft butter

50gm plain flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200C.

Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the dough comes together. Just be patient; it will happen, I promise you. Form into a fat disc, wrap in clingfilm and let it rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Roll out the dough on a floury surface to roughly 3mm in thickness, and cut out your feet with your cutters. You can keep re-rolling this dough and cutting out feet until it is all used up.

Put them on to a lined baking tray sheet and cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes (depending on size). The biscuits will continue to crisp up as they cool on a rack, so take them out when they're still a little soft in the middle.

Crunchy Pork Chops

2009-06-01T19:07:00.000+04:00

A nice coating to try on your pork chops next time... I served mine with scalloped potatoes and roasted capsicums...

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's 'Feast', pg 345, published 2004*

Ingredients

2 x 250g pork chops

1 egg

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp dried oregano

50g breadcrumbs

1 tbs freshly grated Parmesan

250ml groundnut oil or similar for frying

Method

Trim the thick white fat off the pork chops, cutting carefully around the outside edge. Lay the chops between two pieces of clingfilm and, using a mallet or a rolling pin, beat them until the meaty part of the chop is half as thick. You will need to beat around the bone, so turn them over once as you go.

Beat the egg in a shallow wide bowl with the mustard, oregano and salt and pepper. And, on a large plate or platter, combine the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan.

Press each of the chops into the egg mixture, coating both sides. Then dip the eggy chops into the breadcrumbs, covering them evenly. Let them lie on a wire rack to dry slightly while you heat the oil in a large frying pan. When a small cube of bread sizzles if dripped into the oil, you can get frying. You need to cook the chops until they're a deep golden colour, about 5-7 minutes a side (depending on how thin you've managed to get them and how cold they were before going into the oil).

Serves 2

Chilli Lime Chicken and Pasta

2009-04-11T19:08:00.000+04:00

Ooo I like this recipe a lot. It is fresh tasting, light and easy to put together. Nice to eat on a warm summer's day...

*Taken from Women's Weekly 'Meals In Minutes', pg 54, published 1998*

Ingredients

4 (680g) chicken breast fillets

8 large cherry tomatoes

300g fresh lasagna sheets

100g baby rocket leaves, torn

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon drained capers

2 teaspoons finely grated lime rind

2 small fresh red chillies, seeded, chopped finely

Method

Cook chicken on heated oiled griddle, in batches, until browned both sides and cooked through. Cut chicken, on the diagonal, into 1cm-thick pieces. Cook the tomato halves, both sides, on same griddle until just soft.

Meanwhile, tear pasta into large, uneven pieces. Cook pasta in large pan of boiling water, uncovered, until just tender; drain.

Divide pasta among serving plates; top with chicken, tomato and rocket, drizzle with combined remaining ingredients.

Serves 4

Lemon Tart

2009-03-22T20:14:00.004+04:00

Having always wanted to make a Lemon Tart but never having made one, I thought I would make one. It was a little time consuming, only because of the pastry but it was worth the effort.

A hint here, if you don't have cooking beads or spare rice, a good idea to blind bake is to cover the pastry with baking/parchment paper then fill with scrunched cooking foil. Works very well.

*Taken from The Australian Women's Weekly 'All-Time Favourites', page 44, published 1977*

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (185g) plain flour

1/3 cup (55g) icing sugar mixture

1/4 cup (30g) ground almonds

125g cold butter, chopped

1 egg yolk

Lemon Filling

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind

1/2 cup (125ml) lemon juice

5 eggs

3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar

1 cup (250ml) thickened cream

Method

Blend or process flour, sugar, almonds and butter until combined; add egg yolk, process until ingredients just come together. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth; wrap in plastic, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line 24cm round loose-based flan tin. Lift pastry into tin; press into side, trim edge. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour.

Cover pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice, place on oven tray. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 15 minutes. Remove paper and beans, bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned; cool. Pour lemon filling into pastry case then bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until filling has set slightly; cool. Refrigerate until cold; dust with sifted icing sugar, if desired.

Lemon Filling Method

Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl; stand for 5 minutes.

Serves 8

Irish Stew

2009-03-22T19:59:00.004+04:00

This is my recipe - I think I used to have a basic recipe taken from who-knows-where and over the years I have added and omitted ingredients. This is a recipe I must make each St Patrick's Day...

Ingredients

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 kilo diced leg lamb

3 potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes

10 baby onions, peeled and cut in half

1 sprig of rosemary

1 sprig thyme

2 tbsp HP Sauce

1 tbsp Worcester sauce

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced

220ml can of Guinness (1/2 can)

1/2 litre water

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Cornflour to thicken

Method

In a hot cast iron saucepan, add oil and brown the lamb pieces before adding the rest of the ingredients, bar the parsley and cornflour. Cover and cook very slowly for about 90 minutes. Taking a little of the stock from the pot mix in some cornflour then add to the rest of the pan to thicken the stock. Cook until all ingredients are tender and cooked through.

Serve with crusty bread (or traditional soda bread)

Strawberry and Cinnamon Torte

2009-03-17T20:48:00.004+04:00

Yum. Easy. How could you resist not making it??

*Taken from a Good Food Magazine '101 Tempting Desserts', pg 160, published 2006*

Ingredients

175g/6oz ground almonds

175g/6oz butter, softened

175g/6oz golden caster sugar

175g/6oz self-raising flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk

450g/1lb strawberries, hulled and sliced

icing sugar, for dusting

whipped cream mixed with greek yoghurt, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan-forced). Butter and line the base of a loose-bottomed 23cm cake tin. In a food processor, mix the ground almonds, butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, egg and egg yold until evenly mixed.

Tip half the mixture in the tin and smooth. Spread with the strawberries on top. Top with the remaining cake mixture. Spread smooth.

Bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 5 mins. Check after 40 minutes - if the torte is getting too brown, cover loosely with foil. When cooked, the torte should be slightly risen and dark golden brown.

Cool slightly, then remove from the tin. Slide onto plate and dust with icing sugar. Serve warm, in wedges, with spoonfuls of cream and yoghurt.

Serves 6-8

Hot Thai Beef Salad

2009-03-01T19:50:00.000+04:00

A nice, quick recipe for a warm day. Mind you, I found it quite spicy with the use of one chilli; I could only get my hands on the bird's eye ones so that might explain it!

*Taken from Margaret Fulton's 'Margaret Fulton's Kitchen' pg 158, published 2007*

Ingredients

500g rump or sirloin steak

freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup torn mint leaves

1 large red onion or 2 large spring onions, thinly sliced

2 red chillies, sliced (I used 1)

juice of 1 large lime or 1/2 lemon

2 tbs fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

a handful of mixed salad greens

1 cup cherry tomatoes

a handful of rice vermicelli

vegetable oil, for frying

2 tbs roughly chopped roasted peanuts (omitted)

1 red chilli, halved (omitted)

lime wedges for serving

Method

Season the steak with the pepper and cook on a hot ribbed griller or under a preheated grill for 5 minutes on each side or until done to taste. Remove and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Cut steak into very thin slices and place in a bowl with any meat juices.

Meanwhile, combine the mint leaves with the onions, chillies, lime or lemon juice, fish sauce and suger. Stir well and add to the beef slices, tossing. Combine with the mixed salad greens and cherry tomatoes and set aside.

Heat some vegetable oil in a wok, testing the heat with a few strands of vermicelli. It should swell immediately of the oil is hot enough. Fry the vermicelli, scooping out with a wire strainer as soon as they puff and turn pale golden. Drain well on paper towels and cool, then arrange in a bowl.

Pile the beef salad on top of the crispy noodles. Scatter with peanuts and chilli and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4-6

Curried Leek and Kumara Soup

2009-02-25T19:02:00.000+04:00

A quick, easy and very tasty soup to make. I only used about 1 litre of chicken stock and 3 large kumaras (about 1.4 kg) and 1 tablespoon curry powder, instead of the required amount.I also didn't add the yogurt for lack of any. Apparently a good soup to freeze, before adding the bacon pieces...

*Taken from Women's Weekly cookbooks 'Meals in Minutes', page 72, published 1998*

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium (150g) onion, chopped roughly

2 large leeks, chopped roughly

2 tablespoons curry powder

4 large (2 kg) kumara, peeled and then chopped roughly

2.5 litres (10 cups) chicken stock

2 bacon rashes, chopped finely

1/3 cup (80ml) yogurt

Method

Heat oil in large pan; cook onion and leek, stirring, until leek softens. Add curry powder; cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add kumara and stock. Bring to the boil; simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until kuara is just tender. Blend or process mixture, in batches, until smooth. (Can be prepared ahead to this point; refrigerate overnight or freeze.)

Cook bacon in small heated dry pan, stirring, until browned and crisp; drain on absorbent paper.

Cook soup in large pan until heated through; serve topped with yogurt and sprinkled with bacon.

Honey Chicken

2009-02-23T18:51:00.000+04:00

Very nice indeed this recipe. Pretty easy to whip up, even though I don't have a wok (I used my frying pan). I used chicken breast instead of thigh fillets and I omitted the snowpeas because of a lack of having any!

*Taken from Murdoch books 'Australian Family Favourites', page 56,published 2007*

Ingredients

500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into cubes

1 egg white, lightly beaten

40g (1/3 cup) cornflour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

1 green capsicum, cubed

2 carrots, cut into batons

100g snowpeas, sliced

90g (1/4 cup) honey

2 tablespoons toasted almonds

Method

Dip the chicken into the egg white, then lightly dust with the cornflour, shaking off any excess.

Heat a wok over high heat, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the side of the wok. Add the chicken in tow batches and stir-fry each batch for 4-5 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and just cooked. Remove the chicken from the wok and drain on crumpled paper towels.

Reheat the wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and stir-fry the sliced onion for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the green capsicum and carrot, cook. tossing constantly, for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the sliced snow peas and cook for 2 minutes.

Ensure the wok is still very hot, then pour in the honey and toss with the vegetables until well coasted. Return the chicken to the wok and toss thoroughly until heated through and well coasted in the honey. Remove the wok from the heat and season well. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the toasted almonds. Serve with steamed white rice.

Serves 4

Easy Sponge Cake with Strawberries and Cream

2009-02-20T11:01:00.004+04:00

When I first made this I thought, nahh won't make that again, due to it sinking a little and part of it fell apart. But after decorating it and then finally eating it, I can say that I would make it again. It is delicious!!!

*Taken from Murdoch Books 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 366, published 2007*

Ingredients

30g butter, melted

60g plain (all-purpose) flour

60g cornflour (cornstarch)

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

4 eggs

170g caster sugar

2 tablespoons hot milk

300ml whipping (pouring) cream

1 tablespoon icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

2 tablespoons strawberry jam

500g strawberries, hulled and sliced in half

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease two 20cm round cake tins with the melted butter and line the bases with baking paper. Dust the sides of the tins with a little flour, shaking out any excess.

Sift the flour, cornflour, cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, then repeat the sifting twice more.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl for 5 minutes, or until pale and think. Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold in the sifted flour mixture and the hot milk until they are just incorporated; take care not to overmix. Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins, then bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and have shrunk slightly from the side of the tins. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Combine the cream and icing sugar in a bowl, then whip until soft peaks form. Place one sponge cake on a serving plate and spread with jam. Top with half the cream and half of the sliced strawberries. Cover with the second sponge cake. Spread the remaining cream over the top and top with the remaining strawberries. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Scotch Beef Carbonnade

2009-02-19T12:01:00.003+04:00

This was quite a hearty meal and was quite rich tasting. It said to make the Garlic and Herb Croutons to serve with it, but I had some Garlic Focaccia and served it with that instead. Not needed to be served with a side dish, just a bowl of this was fine. (Though you do need bread or croutons etc.,)

*Taken from 'Hello' Magazine, Middle East edition*

Ingredients

700g lean Scotch Beef braising steak, cut into 1cm cubes

50g flour, seasoned with black pepper

1 tbs olive oil

2 onions, peeled and sliced

1 glove garlic, crushed

1 tbs tomato puree (I used tomato paste)

1 tsp English Mustard

300ml stock

1 tsp brown sugar

1 bouquet garni

Freshly ground black pepper

2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

For the garlic and herb croutons

25g butter

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 French Stick, sliced into 8 even chunks

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C. Toss the beef in the seasoned flour and shake off any excess. Heat the oil in an ovenproof casserole, add the beef and cook to brown all over. Add the onions and crushed garlic to the casserole and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Cover, transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Just before it is ready to serve, make the croutons. Mix the butter together with the garlic and parsley.

Lightly toast one side of the sliced bread, then spread the garlic and parsley mixture on the other side and toast until golden.

Serve the carbonnade piled into warm bowls with two croutons on the side.

Serves 4

Chunky Vegetable Soup

2009-02-03T18:32:00.006+04:00

This is always a firm favourite vegetable soup in our house. I have been making it for years and always satisfies. Thick and hearty. Enjoy.

*Taken from Family Circle's 'Comfort Food', published 1999, pg 57*

Ingredients

50g butter

1 leek, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 large potato, chopped

1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

1 swede or turnip, peeled and chopped

225g sweet potato, chopped

1/2 cup (115g) soup mix

2 litres vegetable stock or water

1 cup (155g) frozen peas

125g green beans, chopped

and the two ingredients I always forget;

1/4 cup (15g) chopped fresh mint

1/3 cup (20g) chopped fresh parsley

Method

Heat the butter in a large heavy-based pan and cook the leek, celery, carrot, potato, parsnip, swede or turnip and sweet potato, stirring for 5 minutes.

Add the soup mix and stock or water. Bring slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/4 hours or until the mix has softened.

Add the peas and beans and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the chopped mint and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot. Delicious with crusty bread.

Serves 6

Bacon and Herb Muffins

2009-02-03T18:13:00.006+04:00

*I know* It has been ages.....

Here is a recipe for some savoury-type muffins. You could really put anything in them but these were nice, warm with a spread of butter on them. Mmmm.... I had no fresh herbs so used dried instead and no Parmesan here either. I used English Tasty Cheddar. Okey dokey?

*Taken from Women's Weekly 'COOK' published 2006, pg 509*

Ingredients

6 Bacon rashes (420g), rind removed, chopped finely

3 cups (450g) SR Flour

60g butter, chopped coarsely

1 tbs coarsely chopped fresh basil

2 tbs coarsely chopped fresh chives

2 tsp coarsely chopped fresh oregano

3/4 cup (60g) finely grated Parmesan

2 eggs

1 cup (250ml) milk

Method

Preheat oven to moderately hot (200C/180C fan-forced). Grease 12-hole muffin pan.

Cook bacon in heated lightly oiled small frying pan, stirring until crisp. Drain on absorbent paper; cool 10 minutes.

Sift flour into large bowl; rub in butter. Stir in bacon, herbs and cheese, then combined eggs and milk.

Spoon mixture into holes. Bake, uncovered 20 minutes. (I cooked for 30 mins). Turn onto wire rack to cool.

Makes 12

Pizza Chicken Melts

2008-07-30T08:38:00.004+04:00

I had this recipe, a photocopy taken from one of those small BBC Good Food, 101 Recipes, that my mother had. This was really nice and will make again soon. A nice alternative to plain chicken.

Ingredients

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

50g cheddar cheese, grated

4 cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 tsp pesto sauce

green salad, to serve

Method

Preheat the grill to high. Sandwich the chicken between cling film or 2 plastic food bags and beat firmly with a rolling pin or the bottom of a saucepan to flatten. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden.

While the chicken cooks, mix the cheese and tomatoes together. Take the chicken out of the pan and wipe out the with with kitchen paper. Return the chicken to the pan, spread each breast with a teaspoon of pesto, then pile the cheese and tomatoes on top.

Put under the hot grill for a minute or so (protect the handle with foil if you think it is likely to burn), until the cheese has melted. Serve with a green salad.

Serves 2 (easily doubled or halved)

Curried Lamb Casserole

2008-07-30T08:20:00.006+04:00

My blog friend, Kikimiss, passed on this recipe for me which we did enjoy. Next time I would opt for four-quarter lamb chops instead of the neck chops. I served mine with simple steamed rice.

*Taken from Family Circle's 'Casseroles and Pies, Step-By-Step', page 34*

Ingredients

1 kg lamb neck chops

1/4 cup oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tbs grated fresh ginger

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground chilli powder

2 tbs Madras curry powder

2 cups chicken or lamb stock

1 tbs soft brown sugar

1 tbs tomato paste

3 whole cloves

1 large apples, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup sultanas

Method

Heat 2 tbs oil in heavy based pan. Cook meat quickly in small batches over medium heat until well browned. Drain on paper towels.

heat remaining oil in pan. Add garlic, ginger and onion, stir over medium heat for 3 minutes or until soft. Add garam masala, chilli and curry powder. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Return meat to pan, add stock, sugar, tomato paste, and cloves. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer. Cook covered for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Add sultanas and apple. Cook covered for a further 30 minutes. Serve with pilaf rice.

(Can add 400ml coconut cream to make a rich creamy curry.)

Serves 4

Basic White Bread

2008-07-02T06:30:00.000+04:00

Oh this bread is lovely - trust me. Mine turned out great, so much so I am making it again as I type. I use my mix master with the kneading attachments to do the kneading - takes about 8 mins or so. I usually cover, first the yeast, then the dough with cling film and leave it on the floor in our spare room which is always warm. (On hot humid days here in Cairns I tend to leave the yeast/dough to do its thing outside.)

*Taken from the Women's Weekly publication, 'Cook', published 2006, page 480*

Ingredients

3 tsp dried yeast (7g packet)

1/2 cup (125ml) warm water

2 tsp caster sugar

2 1/2 cups (375g) plain flour (I use 00 flour)

1 tsp salt

30g butter, melted

1/2 cup (125ml) warm milk

Method

Whisk yeast, the water and sugar in a small bowl until yeast dissolves, cover; stand in warm place for about 10 minutes or until mixture is frothy.

Sift flour and salt into large bowl; stir in butter, milk and yeast mixture. Turn dough onto floured surface; knead about 10 minutes or until dough is elastic. Place dough into greased bowl, cover; stand in warm place for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to moderately hot (200C/180C fan-forced). Grease oven tray.

Turn dough onto floured surface; knead until smooth. Roll dough to 18cm x 35cm rectangle; roll up from short side like a swiss roll

Place on tray; cut four diagonal slashes across the top. Cover; stand in warm place for about 20 minutes or until risen. Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes. Turn onto wire rack to cool.

Malaysian Chicken Curry

2008-06-25T04:12:00.000+04:00

This is a fabulous recipe from Gordon Ramsay. It is really tasty and even though it looks time consuming, it isn't. I made this early one morning and re-heated it up for dinner that evening as curries generally taste better 'the next day'. This recipe made a lot so it served us a couple of good-sized meals. Will definitely be making this again in the future. You should too.

*Taken from Gordon Ramsay's 'Sunday Lunch', page 116, published 2006*

Ingredients

For the Curry Paste

5 garlic cloves, peeled & roughly chopped

4-5 long, red chillies, trimmed, deseeded & roughly chopped (I used 3)

3 lemongrass stalks, trimmed, outer leaves removed & thinly sliced

5cm piece root ginger, peeled & chopped

4 large shallots, peeled & chopped

1 tsp ground tumeric

2-3 tbs groundnut oil

For the Curry

1 kg skinless & boneless chicken thighs

2 tbs groundnut oil

2 onions, peeled & thinly sliced

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

4 kaffir lime leaves

1 cinnamon stick

3 star anise

400ml coconut milk

100ml Chicken stock

1 tsp palm sugar (or soft brown sugar)

2 tsp light soy sauce

2 tbs fish sauce

400g green beans, trimmed & cut into 5cm lengths

handful coriander leaves, roughly torn

Method

First make the curry paste. Put the garlic, chillies, lemongrass, ginger, shallots and tumeric in a food processor and whiz to a paste. With the motor running, trickle in the groundnut oil and blend well, scraping the sides of the processor several times. (Or you can pound the ingredients together in batches using a pestle and mortar.)

To make the curry, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. heat the groundnut oil in a large cast-iron casserole or heavy-based pan. Tip the curry paste and stir over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until they are beginning to soften.

Season the chicken piece with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and stir to coat them in the spice paste. Add the lime leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, coconut milk, stock, sugar, soy and fish sauces and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is tender.

Skim off any excess oil on the surface of the curry. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Tip in the green beans, put the lid on and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the beans are tender. Scatter the coriander leaves over the curry and serve with rice.

Serves 6

Chicken, Vegetable and Pasta Soup

2008-06-24T08:17:00.000+04:00

I love a good hearty soup and this is no exception. Very tasty indeed and Monet really loved it! I found this recipe in my folder of 'ripped-out' recipes. It was originally in the July 2006 issue of Australian Women's Weekly magazine.

Ingredients

40g butter

1 large carrot, halved, thinly sliced

2 trimmed celery sticks, thinly sliced

1 large leek, halved, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 bacon rashes, chopped coarsely

500g chicken thigh fillets, sliced thinly

1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock

2 cups (500ml) water

1 cup vermicelli soup pasta (or risoni or stellini)

50g baby spinach leaves

Method

Heat the butter in a large saucepan; cook the carrot, celery, leek and garlic until softened. Add the bacon, cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add the chicken, cook, stirring, until the chicken is lightly browned. Add the stock and water, simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the soup pasta, simmer, covered, for about a further 5 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

Remove from the heat, stir in the spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with parmesan cheese flakes if desired.

Serves 4-6

Marshmallow Biscuits (aka Wagon Wheels)

2008-06-23T07:59:00.004+04:00

Lyndon spotted this recipe on 'The Age' website recipe page and seeing that Wagon Wheels are Lyndon's favourite biscuits, I made them today.

They are a bit fiddly to make but I think they are worth it. I made mini ones and a few bigger ones. I also used milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate. When using the jam, I put the amount into a small zip-bag and snipped off a little bit of the corner to use as a bag to pipe it rather than spooning it.

Ingredients

60g butter

100g (1/2 cup) firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence

225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour, sifted

110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar

1/2 cup water

3/4 tbs gelatine powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

8 tsp raspberry jam

150g dark chocolate, chopped and melted

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 160C (fan forced)

For the biscuits

Place butter and brown sugar in a large (I used small) bowl and beat with an electric beater until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Fold in the sifted flour. Place mixture onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 5mm thickness. Cut out 16 circles with a 6cm round biscuit cutter and place on a lightly greased oven tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on trays.

For the marshmallows

Combine the caster sugar and water in a small saucepan , then sprinkle gelatine powder into the mix. Stir over low heat until sugar and gelatine dissolve. Bring to the boil, stirring and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. When almost cold, pour mixture into a bowl, add vanilla and beat with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes (took really about 8-10 minutes), until mixture is very thick.

To assemble

Spoon marshmallow mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain tube and pipe marshmallow around the edge of half the biscuits. Spoon a little jam into the center of the marshmallow and top with the remaining biscuits, pressing gently. Rest biscuits in the fridge for about 15 minutes until marshmallow is firm then place on a cake rack and spread over melted chocolate.

Store in an airtight container.

Makes 8

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

2008-06-23T02:35:00.001+04:00

I found this recipe on the side of a 'You'll Love Coles' SR Flour packet. The result was a perfect lemon cake and very easy too...

Ingredients

125g Butter, softened

1 cup Caster Sugar

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

3 Extra Large Eggs

1 tbs lemon juice

1 1/2 cups Self Raising Flour, sifted

1/2 cup Greek-style Yoghurt

Icing Sugar, for serving

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Grease and line base of a 20cm cake tin. (I used a loaf pan.)

Beat butter, sugar and lemon rind in a bowl until light and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in the lemon juice then flour, alternately with the yoghurt until combined. Spoon into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool. Dust with sifted incing sugar and serve with berries and cream if desired.

Baked Corned Beef

2008-06-18T11:32:00.003+04:00

This recipe is GOLD. Very, very tasty and absolutely delicious when served with the potatoes recommended. (I didn't use kipfler ones though - they were unavailable at the time.) I also served this with cooked cabbage which really set the meal off. The meat was really, really tender and the sauce from the potatoes mixed extremely well with the meat.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Cooking at Home', page 162, published 2008*

Ingredients

1.5 kg piece corned beef

2 bay leaves

2 tbs black peppercorns

2 carrots, sliced

3 celery sticks, sliced

2 leeks, trimmed and sliced

1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley

1 whole bulb garlic, unpeeled, cut in half length ways and cloves separated

4 sprigs thyme

For the Mustard Kipflers

8 large kipfler potatoes, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

200ml pouring cream

4 tbs Dijon mustard

3 tbs seeded mustard

sea salt and freshly grounded black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the beef in a large ovenproof dish and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then remove the beef and drain the liquid. Return the beef to the dish, add the bay leaves, peppercorns, carrots, celery, leeks, parsley, garlic and thyme and cover with boiling water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until tender.

Meanwhile, to make the mustard kipflers, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water for about 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add the onions, cream and mustards, then season.

Remove the beef from the dish ans discard the other flavourings. Cut the beef into slices and serve with the mustard kipfler potatoes.

Serves 6

Fragrant Chicken Curry

2008-06-16T05:57:00.001+04:00

I'm always on the lookout for a good chicken curry recipe. I found this tucked away in my cupboard, photocopied from some book. (I think it might have come from a BBC 101 Recipes type book, but I am unsure which one..)

It was super easy to make and the result was delicious. Very tasty indeed. Just the right amount of heat for my liking. Instead of chicken breasts I used chicken thighs and I also halved the recipe. I served it with poppadums and steamed jasmine rice. It is also very low in fat (something like 4 grams)

Ingredients

3 onions, quartered

4 fat garlic cloves

5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled & roughly chopped

3 tbs moglai (medium) curry powder

1 tsp tumeric

2 tsp paprika

2 fresh red chillies, seeded & roughly chopped

40g fresh coriander

1 chicken stock cube

6 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

2 x 410g cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed

natural low-fat yoghurt, naan bread or poppadums to serve

Method

Tip the onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder, ground spices, chillies and half the coriander into a food processor. Add 1 tsp salt to blend to a puree (you may need to do this in 2 batches). Tip the mixture into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Crumble in the stock cube, pour in 750ml boiling water and return to the boil. Add the chicken, stir, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Chop the remaining coriander, then stir all but 2 tbs into the curry with the chickpeas. Heat through. Serve topped with the reserved coriander and the natural yoghurt, with naan bread or poppadums on the side.

Serves 8

Chicken Peri-Peri Marinade

2008-06-13T02:40:00.004+04:00

No photo here, just a recipe for my own reference to make a 'Nando's'-like marinate for chicken breasts. Very tasty indeed and very much like a Nando's chicken breast when popped into a Hamburger bun with sliced iceberg lettuce and tomato...

We found this recipe via the Internet in a Yahoo discussion site.

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tbs cider (or white wine) vinegar

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp angostura bitters

1 tsp hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

1 dried hot red chili (I omitted this)

1 fresh red chili

2 cloves garlic

Chicken Breasts

Method

Combine the lime juice, vinegar, paprika, bitters and hot pepper sauce in a glass baking dish.

Wearing kitchen gloves, split the dried chili with a sharp paring knife and remove the seeds. Do the same with the fresh pepper. Mash the peppers with the garlic into a smooth paste using a mortar and pestle. Add the paste to the lime mixture in the baking dish and combine.

Toss the chicken breasts in the marinade until they are completely coated. Cover and let marinate several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

BBQ or grill, basting regularly until cooked through.

Risotto Cakes with Basil Sauce and Pancetta

2008-05-26T02:50:00.003+04:00

It has been a while....but I'm back here....

This recipe appealed to me for one reason or another, mainly because the male member of this household isn't a big fan of risotto and I thought this was an excuse to actually make some risotto... The result of this recipe is really nice, though it did use a lot of dishes I found, which doesn't bother me because I have an electrical appliance that washes them. My 'cakes' didn't stay together very well - got a bit stuck on the frying pan. Maybe after forming the cakes, put the cakes in the freezer to set for 10 minutes...

*Taken from 'COOK', a Women's Weekly publication, published 2006, page 389*

Ingredients

1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine

1 medium brown onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 cup (200g) arborio rice

3 cups (750ml) chicken stock

2 tbs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tbs chives, finely chopped

2 tbs Parmesan, finely grated

1 egg white, beaten lightly

4 slices pancetta (60g)

4 oak-leaf lettuce leaves

Basil Sauce

1 tsp cornflour

1 tsp water

3/4 cup (180ml) evaporated milk

2 tbs basil, finely chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to hot (220C/200C fan-forced).

Heat 2 tablespoons of the wine in a large saucepan, cook onion and garlic, stirring, about 2 minutes or until onion softens.

Add rice and remaining wine; cook, stirring, about 3 minutes or until wine reduces by half. Stir in stock; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered 15 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Remove from the heat; stir in the parsley, chives and cheese. Cool 15 minutes; stir in the egg white. Using hands, shape risotto mixture into four patties.

Place pancetta on oven tray. Bake, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until crisp; drain on absorbent paper. Break pancetta into pieces.

Reduce oven temperate to moderate (180C/160C fan-forced).

Cook risotto cakes in large heated lightly oiled frying pan until browned both sides. Place cakes on oven tray; bake, uncovered, 10 minutes or until heated through.

Meanwhile, make basil sauce.

Blend cornflour with the water in a small saucepan; stir in milk. Stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens slightly, stir in basil.

Serve risotto cakes on lettuce leaves. Drizzle with basil sauce; top with pancetta.

Serves 4

Polenta-encrusted Fried Chicken with Sweetcorn Mash, Fried Bananas and Green Tomato Relish

2008-03-03T08:03:00.004+04:00

I have made this a couple of times and both times I have enjoyed it. Loads of flavours (the bananas are a nice addition) and really different too, however there is a lot of ingredients in it and it does take a bit to make...

*Taken from Jamie Oliver's 'Jamie's Kitchen', page 206, published 2002*

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast fillets
200g flour
1 tbs allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chilli powder
2 eggs
200g polenta
2-3 tbs butter
2 bananas
-for the mash-
8 medium potatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
255ml milk
4 cobs of corn
1 bunch of finely sliced spring onions
-for the relish-
100ml vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 shallots
400g green or red tomatoes, chopped
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 handfuls of fresh mint, chopped

Method
Carefully cut each fresh corn cob in half and strip the kernels off by sitting each cob on its end and slicing down the sides. To make the mash, boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked. Drain and return them to the hot pan with the milk, corn kernels and some salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, then turn off the heat. Thrown in the spring onions. Mash up with a masher, season and keep warm.

To make the relish, put the vinegar, sugar and sliced shallots in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook until reduced by half. Add the chopped tomatoes and warm through. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and add the olive oil. The herbs are added just before serving.

Take each chicken breast and make 2 slices into the meat lengthways so that the breast fans out into 3 'prongs'. Mix the flour with the spices and salt and pepper and spread it out on a plate. Now beat the egg in a bowl with a fork and pour the polenta on to another plate. Place the 2 plates and the bowl next to one another. Dip the chicken breasts in the flour first, shaking off any excess, then in the egg and finally in the polenta. This will give you a lovely polenta crust.

Heat a large frying pan and gently fry the chicken in 2 tablespoons of the butter for about 5 minutes on each side, turning it half-way through. When the chicken is cooked and golden brown, remove it from the pan and keep warm. Peel the bananas and cut it in half lengthways. Fry in a little more butter until tender and golden.

To serve, spoon a mound of mash on to each serving plate with a piece of banana on top. Place a piece of crispy chicken on top. Stir the parsley and mint into the relish and put a big dollop on top of the chicken.

Serves 4

Lebanese Chicken

2008-02-06T05:40:00.001+04:00

Eaten fresh of the BBQ or eaten cold the next day, a nice and tasty way to eat chicken. I marinated mine the night before, cooked on the BBQ grill (not flat plate as stated in recipe) and served it up with a fresh green salad and home-made hash browns. Delicious.

*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 166, published 2007*

Ingredients

250g (1 cup) Greek-style yoghurt

2 tsp soft brown sugar

4 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

7g chopped flat-leaf (italian) parsley

3 tbs lemon juice

1 x 1.8 whole chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces

cooking oil spray

Method

Put the yoghurt, brown sugar, garlic, cumin, coriander, chopped parsley and lemon juice in a large non-metallic bowl and mix together.

Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refridgerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Lightly spray the barbecue plates with oil, then preheat the barbecue to medium heat. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and season. Cook the chicken pieces on the flat plate, turning them frequently, for 20-30 minutes, or until they are cooked through.

Serves 4-6

Risoni Salad

2008-02-05T03:23:00.000+04:00

A lovely, light tasting side salad. Try it for something a little different.

*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 152, published 2007*

Ingredients
200g (1 cup) risoni
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
40g baby rocket leaves
1 1/2 tbs shredded basil leaves
1/2 small red onion, finely sliced

Method
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the risoni and cook for about 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, then drain again. Put the risoni in a large bowl with the oil, vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, rocket, basil and onion. Mix well, season to taste and refridgerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4 as a Side Salad

Minestrone

2008-01-31T06:28:00.000+04:00

Nothing better to warm the soul than with a hot cup of soup. Not so good in the tropics of Australia (made us sweat!), but it was cheap, tasty and easy to make. I didn't cook the macaroni first, I added raw macaroni towards the end and let it cook in the soup.

*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 15, published 2007*

Ingredients
80g (1/2 cup) macaroni
1 tbs olive oil
1 leek, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 carrot, sliced
1 boiling (waxy) potato, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
100g green beans, cut into short lengths
425g can chopped tomatoes
2 litres (8 cups) vegetable or beef stock
2 tbs tomato paste
425g tinned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbs chopped flat-leaf (italian) parsely
shaved parmesan cheese, to serve

Method
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the macaroni and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the leek and garlic and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

Add the carrot, potato, zucchini, celery, green beans, tomato, stock and tomato paste, Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the cooked pasta and the cannellini beans. Spoon into bowls and garnish with the parsley and parmesan cheese.

Serves 4 - 6

Coleslaw

2008-01-31T03:15:00.000+04:00

Coleslaw is a pretty basic salad to make and there is probably got a zillion recipes out there to make it, but this one tasty. I don't always add the red cabbage (a bit pricey at times) and when I took this photo I didn't have the parsley added, nor the red cabbage. I have to say, the Food Processor gets a good work out in this recipe...
*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 143, published 2007*

Ingredients
1/2 green cabbage
1/4 red cabbage
3 carrots, coarsley grated
6 radishes, coarsley grated
1 red capsicum (pepepr), chopped
4 spring onions, sliced
15g chopped flat-leaf (italian) parsley
250g (1 cup) whole-egg mayonnaise

Method
Remove the hard core from the cabbages and shred the leaves with a sharp knife. Place in a large bowl and add the grated carrot, radishes, red capsicum, spring onion and parsley.

Add the mayonnaise just before serving, season to taste and toss ntil well combined.

Serves 8-10 as a Side Salad

Banana Cake

2008-01-31T02:55:00.000+04:00

I'm always on the hunt for goood Banana Cake recipes, as I've *always* got excess bananas in my freezer department of my refridgerator. The toasted coconut on the top was a nice addition. The recipe states to bake for an hour, but that was far too long (in my oven at leaast). I baked mine for 40 minutes, so make sure you keep a close on the the time.

*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 401, published 2007*

Ingredients
125g butter
125g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp natural vanilla extract (I used 2tsp vanilla essence)
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
125ml (1/2 cup) milk
250g (2 cups) Self Raising Flour

Butter frosting Ingredients
125g butter
90g (3/4 cup) icing sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
15g (1/4 cup) flaked coconut, toasted (I used shredded coconut)

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Brush a 20cm round cake tin with oil or melted butter and line the base with baking paper.

Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until light and creamy. Add the eggs gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add the extract and mashed banana and beat until combined.

Transfer the mixture into a large bowl. Dissolved the soda in the milk. Using a metal spoon, fold in the sifted flour alternately with the milk. Stir until all the ingredients are just combined and the mixture is smooth. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Leave in the tin for 10 minsutes before turing onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the frosting, using electric beaters, beat the butter, icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Spread onto the cooled cake, sprinkle with toasted cococnut flakes.

Fajitas

2008-01-26T05:22:00.000+04:00

(Sorry, the photo doesn't look that appealing, but don't let this photo put you off. This is so work making!)

Oww...these were delicious. I set all the prepared ingredients in the center of the table and everyone helps themselves... I cooked the meat on the BBQ - which was quick, easy and smelt out the neighbourhood (mmm!). Instead of using beef you could easily use chicken and the result would be just as delicious. There was a lot of meat (for 4 adults) so you really didn't need quite so much)

*Taken from Murdoch Books 'Australian Family Favourites' published 2007*

Ingredients
185ml olive oil
2 tbs lime juice
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 red chillies, chopped (I used 2)
2 tbs tequila (optional) (I omitted)
1 kg rump steak, thinly sliced into strips
1 red and yellow capsicum, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
8 flour tortillas
guacamole, shredded lettuce, diced tomato and sour cream, to serve

Method
Combine the oil, lime juice, garlic, chilli, tequila and some pepper. Add the meat, cover and marinate for several hours or overnight.

Drain the meat and toss with the capsicum and onion.

Just before serving, wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in a 150C oven for about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, you could 'zap' them in the microwave) Cook the meat and vegetables in batches in a hot heavy-based frying pan until cooked. Put the tortillas on a serving plate and sit in the middle of the table with the meat, guacamole, lettuce, tomato and sour cream. Let everyone assemble their own fajita.

Serves 4

Sausage and Egg Salad with Anchovy Dressing

2008-01-12T15:57:00.000+04:00

A bit of a bizarre salad, but really tasty, great flavours and easy too. What a combination hey? Kind of like a 'throw-it-together' meal... I used Beef and Cracked Pepper flavoured sausages.

*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Tossed', published 2006*

Ingredients
4 eggs
250g green beans, trimmed and halved
2 tbs olive oil
4 good-quality sausages, cut into 1cm slices
2 thick slices crusty white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1cm cubes
200g mixed salad leaves
150g roasted red capsicum, sliced

Anchovy Dressing Ingredients
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice
3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 tbs shredded basil leaves

Method
Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, add the eggs and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beans and cook for a further 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the eggs and beans under cold water, draining the beans well. Crack the egg shells slightly and leave to cool in cold water.

Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add the sausage slices and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until golden and cooked, turning once. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.

put the frying pan back over medium heat and add the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, add the bread cubes and fry, turning now and then, for about 2 minutes, or until golden on all sides.

Put all the anchovy dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Mash the anchovies well, mix thoroughly, then season with black pepper and set aside.

Once the eggs have cooled, peel them and then cut them into quarters. Put the sausages, beans, salad leaves and capsicum in a serving bowl. Add the dressing and toss gently. Top with the eggs and croutons and serve.

Serves 4

Baked Banana Cheesecake

2008-01-03T09:08:00.000+04:00

I made this, a first for me. A baked cheesecake. Pretty easy to make and full of flavour. I made it on the occasion of my father's birthday...

*Taken from 'The Australian Women's Weekly All Time Favourites' published 1997*

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
1/4 cup (40g) icing sugar mixture
90g butter
2 egg yolks
1 tbs water, approximately

Banana Filling
2 x 250g packets cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (approx 3 large bananas)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbs vanilla essence
1 tbs rum, optional

Method
Grease 22cm springform tin.

Sift dry ingredients together; rub in butter, add egg yolks and enough water to make the ingredients cling together. Press mixture into a ball; knead on floured surface until smooth. Cover with plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Press pastry evenly into prepared tin to cover base and sides, trim edge, lightly prick base with fork. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Cover pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice. bake in moderately hot oven 10 minutes; remove paper and beans, bake 15 minutes or until browned lightly. Cool.

Pour filling into pastry case. Bake in moderate oven about 1 1/4 hours or until set; cool. Cover cheesecake; refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Banana Filling Method
Beat cheese and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth; add remaining ingredients, beat until smooth.

Serves 8-10

I Haven't Forgotten This Blog (in case you were wondering!)

2007-12-22T06:20:00.001+04:00

It has been a while hasn't it?

I have a few recipes up my sleeve to post here. I'll get around to posting them soon enough.

I presume you've all made that delicious cake in my previous post by now! Still one of my favourite cake recipes which I will be making again for my father's birthday in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks for visiting and stay tuned....

Strawberries and Cream Meringue Cake

2007-10-11T14:38:00.000+04:00

I was a little unsure how this would turn out but I need not have worried. It was delicious - just like out of a cafe display case. Pretty posh and very yummy.

The recipe calls for 'golden caster sugar', I just used ordinary caster sugar so the cake turned out a little paler than the piccie they had in the book...

*Taken from BBC Books 'Good Food Magazine 101 Tempting Desserts' published 2006* - a UK mini cookbook

Ingredients
-for the cake-
100g butter, at room temperature
plus extra for greasing
100g golden caster sugar
1 large egg, plus 2 egg yolks (keep the whites for the meringue)
85g self-raising flour
25g shelled pistachios, finely ground
2 tbs milk

-for the meringue-
2 large egg whites
100g golden caster sugar

-for the topping-
284ml carton double cream, softly whipped
200g strawberries hulled, sliced or left whole

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan forced. For the cake, butter and lime the bottom of a 20cm/8in round, loose bottomed sandwich tin with greaseproof paper. Beat the butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg and egg yolks. Gently stir in the flour and ground nuts alternately with the milk. Spoon into the tin and level it smooth.

Make the meringue. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Whisk in the sugar, a couple of spoonfuls at a time, until smooth and glossy. Spoon into the tin and spread it. Bake for 45 minutes until the meringue feels crisp.

Leave in the tin to cool, then loosen the edges with a knife and remove. Peel off the paper and leave until cold. Spoon the cream over the meringue, then the strawberries.

Serves 8

Banana Cake

2007-10-01T10:04:00.000+04:00

I'm always on the hunt for quick, easy and simple Banana Cake recipes. And I think I may have found one. I always have bananas 'hanging' around our place, but as you know, they tend to turn brown pretty quickly if not eaten on time. What I tend to do is place the browning bananas in the freezer, complete with skins. They aren't good for eating once you do that but boy, are they god for baking!! When I want to use them, I take them out the freezer about an hour before hand.

In this recipe I used 4 small-medium sized bananas.

I used my mix master for this recipe, only stirring in the mashed bananas by hand.

The recipe stated to cook in a 'little hotter moderate oven' for an hour, but I found my cake, cooked in a small square tin, baked in around 25 minutes. you've been warned!

*Taken from the CWA's (Victorian division) 'Cookery Book', published 2003*

Ingredients
125g butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups SR flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
pinch salt
2 tbs milk
1 tsp bicarb of soda
3 ripe mashed bananas

Method
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, and then sifted dry ingredients.

Add the soda, which has been dissolved in the milk. Lastly fold in the bananas.

Bake for 1 hour (!!) in a little hotter than moderate oven.

When cold, ice with lemon icing.

Green Chicken Curry

2007-10-01T07:05:00.001+04:00

Always on the hunt for a good Green Chicken Curry recipe, this one came pretty close. Our only complaint was that it was a bit too spicy for our likings (and Lyndon loves spicy foods!) Next time I would minus one of the tablespoons of curry paste, but otherwise this was pretty tasty...

*Taken from Murdoch Books 'Australian Family Favourites'*

Ingredients
250ml (1 cup) coconut cream
4 tbs green curry paste
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
250ml (1 cup) coconut milk
4 Thia eggplants (aubergines) or 1/2 purple eggplant, cut into chunks
2 tbs shaved palm sugar or brown sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
4 mukrut (kaffir) lime leaves, torn
1 handful Thai basil leaves
1-2 large red chilies, sliced
coconut milk or cream, for drizzling

Method
heat a wok over a low heat, add the coconut cream and bring to the boil. Stir until the oil separates out.

Add the green curry paste, stir for 1 minute then add the chicken. Cook the chicken until it turns opaque, then add the coconut milk and eggplant. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender. Add the sugar, fish sauce, line leaves and half the basil, then mix together.

Garnish with the rest of the basil, the chilli and a drizzle of the coconut milk or cream. Serve with rice.

Serves 4

Baked Potatoes filled with Salad

2007-10-01T03:24:00.000+04:00

These were delicious and made very 'light' eating. Felt rather healthy too believe it or not. I added just a little grated cheese to the baked potato after cutting it and instead of prosciutto I used bacon. I didn't make the dressing due to a lack of red wine vinegar in my cupboard (I forgot I had run out!) so instead I made a dressing of balsamic vinegar, mixed with a little olive oil.

*Taken from the Murdoch Book 'Australian Family Favourites' and 'Tossed'*

Ingredients
4 large baking potatoes
4 prosciutto slices
310g tinned corn kernels, drained
2 celery stalks, sliced
100g baby English spinach leaves

-for dressing-
2 1/2 tbs tomato juice
1 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Thoroughly scrub the skins of the potatoes and prick them several times. Transfer to a roasting tin and bake, uncovered, for at least an hour, or until tender when pierced with a sharp knife.

Meanwhile, whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Season and set aside.

Put a frying pan over high heat. Add the prosciutto and dry-fry for a few minutes on both sides, or until crispy. Break the prosciutto into small pieces and set aside.

Sit the potatoes on a chopping board and make two deep incisions crossways over the top so they open out into quarters - be careful not to cut all the way through.

Put the corn, celery and spinach in a large bowl, pour over two-thirds of the dressing and toss well. Sit the potatoes on four serving plates and spoon a little dressing into each potato. Spoon the salad mixture into each potato, letting it spill over a little. Top with prosciutto and serve at once.

Serves 4

Steak Baguette with Rocket and Mustardy Mayo

2007-10-01T03:14:00.000+04:00

These were very nice and pretty filling. We cooked the steak on the BBQ (because we can) and I actually cheated and didn't make the mustardy mayo, as I had dijonnaise in the fridge and used that instead. The shame, I know...

*Taken from Murdoch Books 'Australian Family Favourites', published 2007*

Ingredients
3 tbs olive oil, plus extra for frying
1 red onion, sliced
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp thyme
1 tbs Dijon mustard
3 tbs mayonnaise
100g rocket
500g beef fillet, cut into 4 thin slices
2 thick baguettes, cut in half, or 8 thick slices of bread
2 tomatoes, sliced

Method
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small saucepan. Add the onion and cook very slowly, with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft but not brown. Remove the lid, add the sugar and vinegar and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and just browned. Remove the pan off the stove and stir in the thyme.

Meanwhile, make the mustardy mayo by mixing together well the mustard and the mayonnaise in a small bowl.

Drizzle the rocket leaves with the remaining olive oil and season.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the extra oil in a frying pan over high heat and cook the steaks for 2 minutes on each side, adding more oil if necessary. Season to taste.

To serve, put out the bread, along with separate bowls containing the onion, mustardy mayo, rocket leaves, steak and sliced tomatoes. Let everyone make their own baguette.

Serves 4

Sometimes I Just Love The Photos of Food I Have Made...

2007-09-28T10:13:00.000+04:00

...Do you agree with me?...

Lasagna

2007-09-26T15:35:00.000+04:00

If you are anything like me you always say that your own mother's or Grandmother's lasagna recipe is the best. But I have found and made a recipe that did beat my mother's lasagna. It is so delicious, full of flavour, not too cheesy, not unlike something you would order at an Italian Restaurant. True. Try it...

I actually added a teaspoon of beef stock to the simmering meat sauce. I also added the tomato paste to the browning mince to intensify the flavour...

*Taken from Murdoch Books 'Australian Family Favourites', published 2007*

Ingredients
-for meat sauce-
1 tbs olive oil
750g minced meat
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1-2 tsp sugar

-for the bechamel sauce-
60g butter
3 tbs plain flour
750ml (3 cups) milk

375g fresh lasagna sheets
125g (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and brown the meat in batches. Remove from the pan. Add the remaining oil and cook the onion and celery until soft. Return the meat to the pan and add all other ingredients. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour and Cook for 1 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Return to the heat and stir constantly until the sauce boils and thickens. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Lightly brush a 2.5 litre (10 cup) ovenproof dish with oil. Spoon one-third of the meat sauce into the dish. Top with a single layer of the lasagna sheets, then spoon on one-third of the bechamel sauce. Repeat layering twice more, and top with the cheddar cheese.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden and heated through.

Serves 6

Spaghetti Bolognese

2007-09-26T15:20:00.000+04:00

I have only ever made up my own bolognese sauce, I have never followed a 'proper' recipe. Traditional sauce for spaghetti is actually meant to take a while to 'brew' away, which I didn't realise. This recipe simmers away for 1 and a half hours. Nice. And the result was delicious. This recipe calls for red wine, which I didn't add. Instead I increased the amount of beef stock.

*Taken from Murdoch Books 'Australian Family Favourites' published 2007*

Ingredients
2 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
500g lean minced beef
500ml (2 cups) beef stock
375ml (1 1/2 cups) red wine
850g tinned chopped tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
3 tbs finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
500g spaghetti
grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Method
Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery and stir over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Increase the heat, then add the beef. Stir with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps. Add the stock, wine, tomatoes, sugar and parsley. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Season.

Just before serving, cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and serve with the meat sauce and the Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4-6

Birthday Custard Sponge

2007-09-26T04:28:00.000+04:00

This was really nice though I thought the cake seemed a little too 'egg-y' for my liking. Next time I make this recipe I will do away with the Buttercream Filling and use whipped cream instead. I have to say the Chocolate Icing was delicious. I used quality Milk chocolate (instead of dark) and the result reminded me a lot of the icing you get on chocolate jam donuts here in Australia.

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's 'Feast' published 2004*

Ingredients
-for custard sponge-
200g plain flour
3 tbs custard powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 eggs
225g soft butter
200g caster sugar
2-3 tbs milk

-for the Buttercream Filling-
125g icing sugar
4 tsp custard powder
75g soft unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp boiling water

-for the Chocolate Icing-
60ml water
2 tbs golden syrup
125g caster sugar (or use 50g if using milk choc)
175g dark chocolate
Hundreds and Thousands

Method
-for the cake-
Make sure everything you need is at room temperature before you start. Preheat the oven to 180C and butter and line two 20cm sandwich tins.

Put all the ingredients except the milk, into a food processor. process to a smooth batter, and then add the milk a tablespoon at a time to make a soft dropping consistency. Divide between the two cake tins and bake for 20 minutes. The cakes will have risen and feel spookily puffy; this is because of the cornflour in the custard powder.

Let the tins sit on a cooling rack for 5 minutes and then turn them out on to the rack, peeling away the paper.

-for the Buttercream Filling-
Process the icing sugar and custard powder to get rid of any lumps, and then add the butter, processing again to make the buttercream come together. Feed the boiling water down the funnel with the motor running to make the filling easier to spread. Then sandwich the cooled sponges with the custardy buttercream.

-for the Chocolate Icing-
Combine the water, syrup and sugar in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve over a low heat. Let it come to the boil and then take it off the heat.

Break up the chocolate into small pieces if you are not using chocolate buttons, and then add to the pan, swirling it around to cover in the hot liquid. Leave to melt for a few minutes, and then whisk the icing to make it smooth and shiny. Pout over the buttercream filled cake, letting it drip down the sides, and then sprinkle generously with the hundreds and thousands before the icing sets.

One-Pan Sage-And-Onion Chicken and Sausage

2007-09-25T09:13:00.000+04:00

I saw Nigella Lawson make this on her programme recently and thought it looked simple and tasty. It was. Next time I make this though I would add another onion to the pan. It was very simple to make... I served it with a green side salad and roast potatoes.

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's 'Feast', published 2004*

Ingredients
1 large onion or 2 small onions
125ml olive oil (she states not to use extra virgin but I did!)
2 tsp English Mustard
1 tbs dried sage
ground pepper
1 lemon
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 kg chicken, jointed into 10 pieces
12 sausages (I used Italian sausages)
2 tbs chopped sage leaves

Method
Peel and cut the onion into eighths, and put into a freezer bag with the oil, mustard, dried sage, a good grinding of pepper, the lemon juice, the squeezed-out husks cut into eighths, and the Worcestershire sauce. Squidge everything around to mix (the mustard needs help to combine) and then add the chicken pieces. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight or for up to two days.
Preheat the oven to 220C. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature in its marinate.

Arrange the chicken pieces in a roasting tin, skin side up, with the marinade, including all the bits and pieces, and tuck the sausages around them. Sprinkle the fresh sage leaves over the chicken and sausages and then put the tin into the oven to cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the sausages over halfway through to colour them evenly.

Arrange the chicken and sausages on a large platter.

Serves 6

Warm Mediterranean Lamb Salad

2007-09-24T06:36:00.000+04:00

Oh my. Now, this salad was delicious! Very restaurant quality indeed. Nice, fresh ingredients and the use of the BBQ helped make this dish into Lyndon's Top 10 Melody-cooked dishes. Loads of flavour, very lovely. Mmmm...

*Taken from Murdoch Books publication 'Australian Family Favourites'*

Ingredients

500g lamb backstraps or loin fillets

125ml olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp thyme leaves

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 small red capsicums

5 slender eggplants, thickly sliced on the diagonal

2 tbs olive tapanade

100g semi-dried (sun-blushed) tomatoes, sliced

1 Lebanese cucumber, seeded and chopped

150g green beans, trimmed and blanched

150g Nicoise or Ligurian olives

100g baby rocket leaves

dressing ingredients

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs lemon juice

Method

Put the lamb in a non-metallic bowl. Combine half the oil with the garlic, thyme and pepper, then pour over the lamb and toss to coat. Set aside

Heat the grill to high. Cut the capsicums into large flat pieces, discarding the seeds and membrane. Arrange skin side up on the grill tray and grill until the skin blackens and blisters. Leave to cool in a plastic bag, then peel away the skin and cut the flesh into thirds/

Meanwhile, preheat a barbecue chargrill to high. Toss the eggplant in the remaining oil to coat, then grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden.

Cook the lamb on the hot chargrill plate for about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or until done to your liking. Remove from the heat, cover with foil and leave for 5 minutes.

Thinly slice the lamb across the grain and toss in a bowl with the capsicum, eggplant, tapanade, tomato, cucumber, beans and olives. Add the rocket. Put the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well. Pour over the lamb salad, season and toss to combine.

Serves 4

Coconut Ice

2007-09-24T06:11:00.000+04:00

I had forgotten all about Coconut Ice, until I came across this simple recipe....yummy.... And the littlest member of this household loved it. Of course.

*Taken from Murdoch Books publication 'Australian Family Favourites'*

Ingredients

250g (2 cups) icing (confectioners') sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

400g tinned condensed milk

315g (3 1/2 cups) desiccated coconut

2-3 drops pink food colouring

Method

Grease a 20cm square cake tin and lane the base with baking paper.

Sift the icing sugar and cream of tartar into a bowl. Make a well and add the condensed milk. Using a wooden spoon, stir in half the coconut, then the remaining coconut. Mix well with your hands. Divide in half and tint one half pink. Using your hand, knead the colour through evenly.

Press the pink mixture over the base of the tin, cover with the white mixture and press down firmly. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm. Remove from the tin, remove the paper and cut into pieces.

Makes aprrox. 30 pieces

Roast Beef and Spinach Salad with Horseradish Cream

2007-09-19T07:27:00.000+04:00

This was very nice indeed. I cooked the beef and onion on the BBQ. It was tasty and filling and made a perfect warm spring Sunday dinner for Lyndon and I. The leftovers have gone to work with Lyndon...

*Taken from the Murdoch publication 'Tossed'*

Ingredients
Horseradish cream
125g (1/2 cup) thick plain yoghurt
1 tbs creamed horseradish

2 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs cream

2 garlic cloves, crushed

a few drops Tabasco sauce, or to taste

for the salad

200g green beans, trimmed

500g rump steak

1 red onion, halved

1 tbs olive oil

100g baby English spinach leaves

50g picked watercress leaves
200g semi-dried (sun-blushed) tomatoes

Method

To make the horseradish cream, whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl, with a little black pepper to taste. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil, add the beans and blanch for 4 minutes, or until tender. Drain, refresh under cold water and drain again.

Meanwhile, preheat a griller or barbecue hotplate to high. Brush the steak and onion halves with the oil. Cook the steak for 2 minutes on each side, or until seared but still rare, then remove from the heat, cover with foil and leave for 5 minutes. (Cook the beef a little longer if you prefer it medium or well done.) While the steak is resting, cook the onion 2-3 minutes on each side, or until charred.

Toss the spinach, watercress, tomato and beans in a large salad bowl. Slice the beef thinly across the grain, then layer over the salad. Thinly slice the grilled onion, add to the salad and drizzle with the dressing. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.

Serves 4

Moroccan Eggplant with Couscous

2007-09-17T07:17:00.000+04:00

This salad made an excellent side dish for a BBQ we had and by all accounts, everyone enjoyed this flavoursome salad. Will definitely be making it again in the not too distant future...

*Taken from the Murdoch publication 'Tossed'*

Ingredients
185g (1 cup) instant couscous
200 ml olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 eggplant (aubergine)
3 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cloves
50g butter
2 1/2 large handfuls parsley, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbs capers, rinsed and drained

Method
Put the couscous in a large bowl and add 375ml (1 1/2 cups) boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes, then fluff up with a fork.

Heat 2 tbs of the oil in a large frying pan and gently cook the onion for 8-10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan.

Cut the eggplant into 1cm thick slices, then into quarters and place in a large bowl. (I cut my eggplant into about 1cm cubes)
Mix the cumin, garlic salt, cinnamon, paprika and cloves in a small bowl with 1/2 tsp of salt, then sprinkle over the eggplant, tossing to coat well.

Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook, turning once, for 20-25 minutes, or until browned. Removed from the pan and allow to cool.

In the same pan, melt the butter, then add the couscous and gently cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the onion, eggplant, parsley, lemon zest and capers and take off the heat. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Serves 4 as a side salad.

Cupcakes

2007-09-06T10:15:00.000+04:00

This recipe is probably one of the most simplest recipes to make and the result is usually pretty tasty too. Nigella uses a food processor, but because I (currently) don't have one, I use the mix master. I have actually made this recipe by hand too and works just as well, just a bit more muscle power is needed. I simply ice these cakes using a butter icing...

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess", published 2000*

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter, softened

125g caster sugar (3/4 cup)

2 large eggs

125g self raising flour (1 cup)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbs milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c.

Put all the ingredients except the milk in the food processor and then blitz till smooth. Pulse while adding milk down the funnel, to make for a soft, dropping consistency. Spoon and scrape the mixture into muffin tin lined with papers, trying to fill each one equally.

Put into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes (only about 10 mins needed for mini cupcakes) or until the cakes are cooked and golden on top.

Cool on wire rack and decorate as wanted.

Makes approx 24 small cupcakes or 12 muffin size cupcakes

Pesto Corn Hotcakes with Salsa

2007-09-06T08:34:00.000+04:00

These were pretty nice, especially if they were served as an entree. A serve of 2 hotcakes is plenty (we had 4 each). Instead of the salsa these could be served with a couple of rashes of bacon I think and could be served for Brunch. I thought the salsa was a little over powering.

*Taken from 'New Idea' magazine*

Ingredients
for the Hotcakes
125g can corn kernels, drained
125g can creamed corn
3 eggs, separated
1/3 cup milk
1 cup Self Raising Flour
1 tbs basil pesto
Fresh Basil leaves to garnish

for the Avocado and Bacon Salsa
3 bacon rashes, finely sliced
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 avocado, finely diced
1/4 cup basil leaves, finely shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Method
To make salsa, heat a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring, until browned and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper. Cool for 10 minutes. Combine bacon, onion, tomato, avocado and basil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make hotcakes, combine corn kernels, creamed corn, egg yolks and milk in a medium bowl. Stir in flour and pesto until combined.

Beat egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric beater until firm peaks form. Fold half the whites into corn mixture, then fold in remaining egg whites. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Lightly spray with cooking oil. Cook three hotcakes at a time. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of corn mixture into pan. Cook for about 2 minutes. When bubbles appear, turn hotcakes over and cook for another 2 minutes, or until lightly browned underneath. Remove and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve warm hotcakes topped with avocado and bacon salsa. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Serves 4

Irish Stew

2007-08-29T06:59:00.000+04:00

I love a good Irish stew. If we ever go to an Irish Pub for some food, I always order the 'Irish Stew'. Always. Goes lovely with fresh bread or soda bread. This recipe is pretty hearty and can warm your 'tootsies!'

I made half this recipe and instead of lamb chops, I used diced lamb (only because the supermarket didn't have any chops out) and I also added a big, big splosh of Worcestershire Sauce, which I think is the key to any good Irish Stew recipe...

*Taken from the website 'Taste'*

Ingredients
1.25g lamb neck chops
1/2 cup plain flour
3 brown onions, sliced
1kg sebago potatoes, peeled, sliced
2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
2 tbs tomato paste
3 cups boiling water
3 beef stock cubes, crumbled
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped to serve

Method
Cut chops in half. Place flour in a plastic bag and season with salt and pepper. Place chops in bag and shake well to coat. Transfer chops to a plate. Reserve flour.

Preheat oven to 130C. Place onions, potatoes and carrots in an ovenproof dish. Top with half the chops. Repeat layers with remaining onions, potatoes, carrots and chops.

Whisk reserved flour, tomato paste and 2 tbs cold water in a large jug until well combined. Slowly add boiling water, whisking constantly. Add stock cubes and parsley. Stir to dissolve stock cubes.

Pour flour mixture over chops. Cover and cook for 4 hours or until meat tender and sauce thickened. Sprinkle with mint and serve.

Serves 6

A Leave of Absence

2007-07-30T09:48:00.000+04:00

I am going away for a couple of weeks so I won't be posting here at cakes, cookies and an odd roast dinner.

So, I will leave you to discuss amongst yourselves your favourite cookbooks. Can you recommend to me a recipe book that I would use a lot, like I did with Karen Martini? (There are over 20 of her recipes from the 1 book in this blog!) Are there particular books you use all the time or are there books that you want to cook out of but just haven't yet? I look forward to reading what you write.

Thank you and happy baking and cooking in the next few weeks!!

Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2007-07-30T09:34:00.000+04:00

This was good for the soul this soup and quick to make. Instead of using the 2 ripe tomatoes, diced, in this recipe, I cut back on the stock and added a 425g can of crushed tomatoes in stead. Instead of ditalini pasta I used tiny star shaped Italian pasta and a bit extra than stated, to thicken up the soup. The recipe also states to use chicken thighs but I used 1 chicken breast instead.. It was very tasty but Monet didn't think much of it. Typical.

*Taken from Family Circle Book 'Quick Short Chicken Recipes' published 1999*

Ingredients

1 tbs oil

1 carrot, sliced

1 leek, chopped

2 chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2cm pieces

1/4 cup ditalini pasta

1 litre vegetable stock

2 ripe tomatoes, diced

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the carrot and leek over medium heat for 4 minutes, or until soft. Add the chicken and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the chicken has changed colour.

Add the pasta and the vegetable stock, cover and bring to the boil. (I added the can of tomatoes at that time too.) Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked. Add the tomato halfway through cooking. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve with fresh crusty bread.

Serves 4

Coriander and Lime Chicken

2007-07-30T07:46:00.001+04:00

This was delicious and very easy to make. Does not take much time at all to make either and I love that!

*Taken from the Family Circle book 'Quick Short Chicken Recipes' published 1999*

Ingredients

2/3 cups (160g) coconut cream

1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock

1 1/2 tbs lime juice

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

4 chicken breast fillets

plain flour, for dusting

2 tbs oil

2 tbs chopped fresh coriander leaves

fresh coriander leaves, extra, to garnish

Method

Whisk the coconut cream, stock, lime juice and ginger together in a medium bowl. Cut the chicken across the grain into 1 cm slices and lightly coat with flour.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Add the coconut cream mixture to the pan and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half and thickened slightly.

Return the chicken strips to the pan, add the coriander and simmer for 1 minute to heat the chicken through. Garnish with the extra coriander leaves. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 4

Play Dough (cooked)

2007-07-26T10:40:00.000+04:00

I'm always after a good play dough recipe. One that lasts. And I have finally found one! This recipe is quite brilliant and is oh-so professional. I'd even go to say that this recipe is even better than the 'real thing'. Yes, it is that good.

I made a batch of this over 6 weeks ago and it is still getting a good workout and is as good as the day that I made it. I store it in a large zip-top plastic bag when not in use.

*Taken from the side of the McKenzie's Cream of Tartar tub*

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
4 tbs McKenzie's Cream of Tartar
2 tbs cooking oil (I think I used olive)
1 cup salt
food colouring
2 cups water

Method
Mix the ingredients in a saucepan, stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture congeals. (I think it took a while longer than that!)

Pork Chops with Apple and Red Onion Chutney

2007-07-26T06:52:00.000+04:00

This was quite nice (please excuse the crap photo I took of it!) and the chutney was delicious. I served this with hassleback potatoes, a recipe I will indeed post another time!) The recipe also states to use green cabbage, but I used the ordinary everyday white-type one. Is there much difference?

*Taken from Murdoch Books 'Fast Food'*

Ingredients

125 g butter

2 small red onions, sliced

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, then cut into quarters and sliced

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/3 cup honey

4 pork loin chops (about 250g each)

2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

725g green cabbage, thinly shredded

Method

To make the chutney, melt 50g of the butter in a saucepan, then add the onion, apple, cloves and honey. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes over low heat. Increase the heat to medium, cover and cook for another 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to a thick chutney. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, season the chops well on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and 50g of the butter in a large frying pan and saute the chops over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat, leaving the chops to rest for 2 minutes.

While the chops are cooking, melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan, add the caraway seeds and cabbage and cook, covered, over medium-low heat, tossing a few times with tongs, for about 12 minutes, or until tender.

To serve, place a port chop on each plate and serve the cabbage on the side. Top with a spoonful of chutney.

Serves 4

Orange Sweet Potato and Ditalini Patties

2007-07-20T06:21:00.000+04:00

These were really tasty, besides the fact that for the life of me, I could not find any ditalini pasta anywhere. Instead I used tiny little star shaped pasta, I don't think there is any need to actually use the pasta specified, but what ever pasta you use, make sure it is tiny. I served mine on a bed of mixed lettuce leaves and a big dollop of creamy mayonnaise.

*Taken from 'Fast Food', a Murdoch publication Book, 2002*

Ingredients

2 orange sweet potatoes (about 800g in total)

1/2 cup (90g) ditalini

30g toasted pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 tbs finely chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan

1/3 cup (35g) dry breadcrumbs

plain flour, for dusting

olive oil, for shallow-frying

Method

Preheat the oven to very hot 250C. Pierce the whole sweet potatoes several times with a fork, then place in a roasting tin and roast for 1 hour, or until soft. Remove and allow to cool. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under running water.

Peel the sweet potato and mash the flesh with a potato masher or fork, then add the pine nuts, garlic, basil, Parmesan, breadcrumbs and the pasta and combine. Season.

Shape the mixture into eight even patties (about 1.5cm thick) with floured hands, then lightly dust the patties with flour. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the patties in batches over medium heat for 2 minutes each side, or until golden and heated through. Drain on crumpled paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately. Great with a fresh green salad.

Serves 4

White Chocolate Cheesecake

2007-07-20T06:05:00.001+04:00

Owww...I love a good cheesecake. Especially ones that taste like this... Cheesecakes are very simple to make, but only if you have the use of electric beaters...

*Taken from the 'Kraft' website*

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chocolate cream filled biscuit crumbs

60g butter, melted

500g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

200g white chocolate buttons, melted

1/2 cup thickened cream

2 tsp gelatine, dissolved in

1/4 cup boiling water

3/4 cup thickened cream, extra, whipped

1 tbs drinking chocolate, for dusting

Method

Combine biscuit crumbs and butter together; press into the base of a lightly greased 22cm spring form pan. Chill.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, white chocolate, cream and dissolved gelatine, continue beating until smooth.

Pour mixture onto prepared crumb base and refrigerate 2 - 3 hours until set, or overnight. Remove cheesecake gently from pan, spread over with whipped cream and dust generously with drinking chocolate.

Mini Baguettes

2007-07-06T05:12:00.000+04:00

Once upon a time, making bread, without the use of a bread maker, used to scare me. Not anymore. It is rather easy, but I don't knead the dough by hand, my mixmaster does that part, which I guess why bread making doesn't scare me anymore! If the recipe states to knead the dough for 2 minutes then yes, I do it by hand then.

This recipe is delicious and is very crusty. The bread freshness doesn't last too long (an afternoon), so don't expect to make this with the aspect of keeping it for another day, as it won't last. It'll all be gone anyway, so no need to worry.

*Taken from the Murdoch Book 'The Essential Baking Cookbook' published 2000*

Ingredients

7g sachet dried yeast

1 tsp sugar

3/4 cup (90g) plain flour

3 cups (375g) white bread flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbs polenta, to sprinkle

Method

Place the yeast, sugar and 1 1/4 cups (315ml) warm water in a small bowl and mix well. Leave in a warm place for 10 minutes, or until bubbles appear on the surface. The mixture should be frothy and slightly increased in volume. If your yeast doesn't foam it is dead and you will have to discard it and start again.

Mix together the flours and salt and transfer half the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture. Using a large metal spoon fold the flour into the yeast mixture. This should form a soft dough. This forms the 'sponge'. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and set aside for 30-35 minutes, or until frothy and risen by about one third of its original size.

Mix in the remaining dry ingredients and add up to 1/4 cup (60ml) warm water, enough to form a soft, but slightly sticky dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If the dough sticks to the work surface while kneading, flour the surface sparingly, but try to avoid adding too much flour. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size.

Lightly grease two large baking trays and sprinkle with polenta. Punch down the dough and knead for 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into 3 portions and press or roll each into a rectangle about 20 x 40 cm. Roll each up firmly into a long sausage shape and place seam-side down, well spaced on the prepared trays. Cover loosely with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to a hot 220C. Lightly brush the loaves with water and make diagonal slashes across the top at 6 cm intervals using a safety blade. Place the trays in the oven ans spray the oven with water. Bake the bread for 20 minutes (I baked for 15) spraying the oven with water twice during this time. Lower the temperature to moderate 180C and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the crust is golden and firm and the base sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Baguettes are best eaten within a few hours of baking.

Lumberjack Cake

2007-07-05T10:09:00.000+04:00

If you ever want to taste just a divine homemade slice of deliciousness, this is the cake. It seriously felt like I was sitting at some fancy cafe eating a slice of cake, rather than in my home environment. It was soooo good!! The element in my fan-force oven has died so I had to bake this the 'conventional' way so it burnt a little on top, but it still tasted that good. Lovely and dense and moist. Everything a good cake should be.

*Taken from 'The Essential Baking Cookbook' a Murdoch Publication, 2000*

Ingredients

200g fresh dates, pitted and chopped

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

125g unsalted butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, grated

1 cup plain flour

1/2 cup self-raising flour

icing sugar, optional, to dust

Topping

75g unsalted butter

1/2 cup soft brown sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 cup shredded coconut

Method

Grease a 20cm round springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Preheat the oven to moderate 180C.

Put the dates in a small saucepan with 1 cup water and bring to the boil. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda, then remove from the heat. Set aside until just warm.

Cream the butter and sugar in a small bowl with electric beaters until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in the date mixture and the apple, then fold in the sifted flours until just combined and almost smooth. Spoon into the tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine all the topping ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients well combined. Remove the cake from the oven and carefully spread the topping over the cake. Return the cake to the oven for another 20-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the cake is cooked through.

Remove from the oven and leave the cake in the tin to cool completely, then turn out and place on a serving plate. The cake can be dusted with icing sugar just before serving.

Incredible Baked Lamb Shanks

2007-07-04T10:30:00.000+04:00

Incredible alright! I made these ages ago and hadn't posted the recipe so here it is. They were simply delicious and very easy to make, though they take a while to bake... I served mine with creamy mashed potato. What lovely comfort food!

*Taken from Jamie Oliver's 'Cook with Jamie'*

Ingredients

6 sprigs of fresh rosemary

150g cold butter

15 fresh sage leaves

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

4 lamb shanks, crown or French-trimmed

12 cloves of garlic, unpeeled

2 large carrots, peeled and finely sliced

1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

1 leek, washed, halved and finely sliced

olive oil

2 wineglasses of white wine

Method

Preheat oven to 200C. Pick the leaves off 2 sprigs of rosemary, whiz them with the butter, most of the sage and the thyme in a food processor and season with salt and pepper. Using a small knife, take one of the lamb shanks and cut between the meat and the bone from the base of the shank upwards. You want to create a hole big enough to put your finger in, making a sort of pocket, Do this to all the shanks and divide the flavoured butter between them, pushing it into the pockets. This will give a wonderful flavour to the heart of the shanks.

Tear off four arm-lengths pieces of tinfoil and fold each in half to give you four A3-sized pieces of foil. Divide the garlic and veg between them, making a pile in the middle of each square. Rub the lamb shanks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then put one on top of each pile of veg and a sprig of rosemary and a few sage leaves on top of that. Carefully pull up the sides of the foil around the shank and pour a swig of wine into each. Gather the foil around the bone, pinching it together tightly. Any excess foil can be torn or cut off with scissors. Repeat for all 4 shanks, then place the foil parcels on a baking tray with the bones facing up. Put in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is as tender as can be.

Serves 4

Old-School Pork Chops with Apples and Sage

2007-07-04T08:56:00.000+04:00

I made these a while back and remember they were very delicious and went well with Savoy Cabbage with Worcestershire sauce and crispy roast potatoes, which is what is suggested by Jamie. With the cabbage it was as easy as using a Savoy cabbage and frying it with some Worcestershire sauce for about 8 minutes and finishing it off with a large knob of butter after it has been removed from the heat. I need to make these again.

*Taken from Jamie Oliver's 'Cook with Jamie'*

Ingredients

4 x 250g pork chops

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

olive oil

2 good eating apples (I used Fuji) unpeeled, cored and each cut into 8 wedges

a knob of butter

a handful of fresh sage leaves

Method

Preheat oven to 200C. Lay the pork chops out on a board and using a sharp knife, cake 2cm/1 inch deep cuts all along the fatty side of them, about 1cm apart. It helps render out the fat and will also make the skin crisp. Sprinkle the chops with the salt and pepper.

Pour a glug of olive oil into a hot pan. Carefully place your chops in it and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until they are golden brown. If you need to, open out the little pieces of fat along the edge so they don't stick together.

When the chops are nearly done, lift them out of the pan and put them on to an oiled baking tray. Add the apple wedges and a knob of butter to the pan and fry until lightly golden. Lay 4 wedges of apple on top of each pork chop. Dress your sage leaves in a little olive oil and top each apple stack with them. Put the baking tray into the oven for 4-6 minutes until everything is golden.

Serves 4

Food For Thought...

2007-07-02T06:46:00.000+04:00

...now I feel hungry!...

Turkish Bread

2007-06-27T09:32:00.000+04:00

I love fresh bread. I especially love fresh homemade bread, fresh from the oven (or bread maker). Unfortunately when we moved to Cairns, I had given my Mother-In-Law my breadmaker to look after, which is now something I regret! I made bread quite often in it. But I shall not complain as living in Far North Queensland is like one big proover itself at times, so there is no need for a bread maker. When flicking through my cookbooks and came across a Turkish Bread recipe, well, how could I resist? I love, love, love Turkish Bread and miss the fact that I can't just go and buy it like I did from the South Melbourne Market each week (and was about a metre long!)

This recipe was pretty basic with ingredients already in my pantry. I did not use white flour bread though, I just stuck with Plain flour. I also used my mix master for the inital kneading process. Instead of dusting the tray with flour I used semolina.

*Taken from 'The Essential Baking Cookbook', a Murdoch Books publication*

Ingredients

2 x 7g sachets dried yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup (60g) plain flour
3 1/2 cups (435g) white bread flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup (80ml)

1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 tsp water

nigella or sesame seeds, to sprinkle

Method

Place the yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup (125 ml) warm water in a small bowl and stir well. Add a little of the flour and mix to a paste. Leave in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes, or until bubbles appear on the surface. The mixture should be frothy and will more than triple in size. If your yeast doesn't foam it is dead, so you need to discard it and start again.

Place the remaining flours and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the sponged yeast, olive oil and 1 cup (250ml) warm water. Mix to a rough dough, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Add minimal four as the dough should remain damp and springy.

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour to triple in size. Punch down and divide into three. Knead each portion for 2 minutes and shape into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and leave for 10 minutes.

Roll each portion of dough into a rectangle 35cm x 15cm. Cover with damp tea towels and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes. Indent all over the surface with your fingers (I used my knuckles), brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with the seeds. Preheat the oven to a hot 220C (425F).

For best results, bake each loaf separately. Place a baking tray in the oven for a couple of minutes until hot, remove and sprinkle lightly with flour. Place one portion of dough on the hot tray and bake for 10-12 minutes (mine only took 6-8 mins), or until puffed and golden brown. Wrap in a clean tea towel to soften the crust and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, repeat baking the remaining portions of dough.

Makes 3

Jam Donut Muffins

2007-06-15T03:17:00.000+04:00

These are rather yummy, a cross between a jam donut, a cinnamon donut and a plain sweet muffin! I made mini-muffins which I found to be the right size for these little treats, because you really only need a mouthful or two, otherwise I could imagine them being a little 'too-much', if you know what I mean. I usually freeze my baked goods (muffins/cookies) and each night we nibble on a muffin (or cookie) with our 9pm cup of tea. (Lyndon and I are like a couple of old folks!) These jam donut muffins are perfect for freezing and perfect for eating with a 9pm cup of tea.

*Taken from Red Dirt Mummy's blog*

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups self-raising flour

pinch of salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup caster sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

raspberry jam

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a mini muffin tray.

Sift the flour, salt and cinnamon together into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, caster sugar, egg and milk together. Add to the flour and stir until just combined.

Half fill the prepared muffin tins with the batter. Add 1/4 tsp jam to each muffin, then cover with more batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until risen and golden. Remove from oven.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. In a small bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons caster sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. While the muffins are still hot, dip their tops into the melted butter and then into the sugar and cinnamon mix. (I actually brushed the melted butter over the tops when the muffins were still in their tins just as they exited the oven. I then sprinkled the tops with the sugar and cinnamon mix.)

Place on a rack to cool.

Makes 24

Mediterranean Burgers

2007-06-14T06:35:00.000+04:00

Simple to make and nice to eat...

*Taken from Murdoch Book's 'Fast Food'*

Ingredients

1 large red capsicum

500g lamb mince

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 small onion, grated

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbs pine nuts, chopped

1 tbs finely chopped fresh mint

1 tbs finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp chilli sauce (I used sweet chilli)

1 tbs olive oil

4 Turkish or pide bread rolls

1 cup (220g) ready-made hummus

100g baby rocket

1 small Lebanese cucumber, cut into ribbons

chilli sauce, to serve (optional) (I used sweet chilli)

Method

Cut the capsicum into large pieces, removing the seeds and membrane. Place, skin-side-up, under a hot grill until the skin blackens and blisters. Cool in a plastic bag, then peel and cut into thick strips.

Combine the mince, egg, onion, garlic, pine nuts, fresh herbs, cumin and chilli sauce in a large bowl. Mix with your hands and roll into four even-sized balls. Press the balls into large patties about 9cm in diameter.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the patties over medium heat for 6 minutes each side, or until well browned and cooked through, then drain on paper towels.

Halve the rolls and toast both sides. Spread the cut sides of the rolls with hummus, then lay rocket leaves, roasted capsicum and cucumber ribbons over the base. Place a patty on the salad and top with the other half of the roll. Serve with chilli sauce.

Serves 4

Caramel Pork and Pumpkin Stir-Fry

2007-06-08T05:08:00.000+04:00

I was a little unsure what this recipe would taste like but when I say "Oh. My." you know it must be good. It was so very delicious and if I had of served it up in Asian Takeaway Plastics then you would have sworn it was from a restaurant. Yep - it was that good. It kinda tasted like Cantonese food. I will definitely be making it again, especially because Monet liked it so much, along with her father!

The recipe calls for a pork fillet, but I used butterflied pork steaks (?). To thinly slice raw meat for Asian-type meals, what I do is partially freeze the meat as it makes cutting so much easier. Trust me on this. I didn't use my wok either. I used my ever-trusty large frying pan. I also cooked my Asian greens in my steamer I use in a saucepan, rather than the method stated here.

*Taken from the Murdoch Book 'Fast Food'*

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups jasmine rice

500g pork fillet, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2-3 tbs peanut oil

300 g butternut pumpkin, cut into 2cm x 4cm pieces about 5mm thick.

1/3 cup (60g) soft brown sugar

1/4 cup (60 ml) fish sauce

1/4 cup (60 ml) rice vinegar

2 tbs chopped fresh coriander leaves

1.25 kg mixed Asian greens (bok choy, choy sum, gai larn)

Method

Bring to the boil, a large saucepan of water. Add the rice and cook for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain.

Combine the pork with the garlic and 2 tsp of the peanut oil. Season with salt and plenty of pepper.

Heat a wok until very hot, add 1 tbs oil and swirl to coat. When just starting to smoke, stir-fry the pork in two batches for about 1 minute per batch, or until the meat changes colour. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining oil to the wok and stir-fry the pumpkin for 4 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart. Remove and add to the pork. Keep warm.

Combine the sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar and 1/2 cup (125ml) water in the wok and boil for about 10 minutes, or until syrupy. Return the pork and pumpkin to the wok and stir for 1 minute, or until well coated and heated through. Stir in the coriander.

Put the mixed Asian greens in a paper-lined bamboo steamer over a wok of shimmering water for 3 minutes or until wilted. Serve immediately with the stir-fry and rice.

Serves 4

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-06-08T04:56:00.000+04:00

If you are ready for a sugar rush (I know, there is a lot of sugar in these!), then these biscuits are for you. When you have mixed the ingredients all together and you have placed teaspoonfuls onto a baking tray, do not flatten the biscuits out. They will naturally flatten whilst baking. The recipe states that it makes 30 but I got more like 40.

In the above photo, the middle cookies were baked for about 2 minutes less than the others either side of them.

*Taken from the back of packet of Cadbury Milk Chop Chips 230g pack*

Ingredients

125g butter

1 cup soft brown sugar

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

1 1/2 cups Self-Raising flour

3/4 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Method

Preheat oven to 160C.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla essence and egg. Stir in the flour until combined. Add the Choc Chips, mix.

Place teaspoons of mixture on greased baking trays and bake in moderate oven for 10-15 minutes.

Makes 30

Spaghetti Nicoise

2007-06-07T09:42:00.000+04:00

Surprisingly, this was rather delicious! And very, very tasty...

*Taken from Murdoch Book's 'Fast Food'*

Ingredients

350 g spaghetti (I used angel hair spaghetti)

4 eggs

3 x 185 g cans tuna in oil

1/3 cup (50g) pitted and halved Kalamata olives

100g semi-sundried tomatoes, halved lengthways

4 anchovy fillets, chopped into small pieces

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

2 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs baby capers, drained

3 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, place the eggs in a saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain, then cool under cold water then peel. Cut the eggs into quarters.

Empty the tuna and its oil into a large bowl. Add the olives, tomato halves, anchovies, lemon rind and juice, capers and 2 tbs of the parsley. Drain the pasta and rinse in a little cold water, then toss gently through the tuna mixture. Divide among serving bowls, garnish with egg and the remaining chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Serves 4-6

Chicken and Leek Pies

2007-06-06T03:13:00.000+04:00

I once wrote in my cookbook that this recipe reminded both Lyndon and I of the old KFC Chicken Pie's they sold many (many) years ago... Monet actually ate this pie (she takes after her dad!) but she did pick out the peas and corn kernals (which I add!)

*Taken from the Murdock Book 'Fast Food'*

Ingredients

60g butter, 1 leek, thinly sliced

4 chicken breasts (about 200g each), cubed

50g plain flour

1 cup (250ml) chicken stock

300ml cream

1 cup fresh or frozen peas, blanched

1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed

Method

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the leek for 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Add the chicken and cook for 45 minutes (I cooked for about 10-15 mins), or until cooked. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until it starts to bubble. Add the stock and cook until the mixture starts to thicken. Add the cream, reserving 1 tablespoon to glaze the pastry. Cook until the mixture just starts to boil. Stir in the peas. Season. Remove from the heat. Preheat the oven to moderately hot 200c.

Divide the filing among four individual pie dishes or ramekins. Top with a circle of pastry, cut just bigger than the top of the dish, then press around the edges to seal. Brush the surface with the reserved cream. Make a small slit int he top to allow steam to escape. Place the dishes on a metal tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Serve with a green salad.

Serves 4

Quick Apple Crumble

2007-06-06T03:01:00.000+04:00

I had bought some apples very cheaply on my weekly shop and decided to make an apple crumble, one of my favourite comfort foods. This was quick, easy and oh-so-yummy. Enjoy.

*Taken from the website 'Taste'*

Ingredients

800g canned apple (I stewed my own)

3/4 cup plain flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

150g butter, chilled, cubed

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup desiccated coconut

Method

Heat oven to 200C. Spoon apple into a 6-cup capacity ovenproof dish.

Place flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and process until it resembles breadcrumbs.(I did this method by hand). To this, add the oats and coconut and mix.

Spoon oat mixture over the apple and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Pan-roasted Pork Cutlets with Balsamic Vinegar and Thyme

2007-05-30T07:50:00.000+04:00

This dish was surprisingly very beautiful to eat. It would also be lovely omitting the pork and adding beef steak... I served it with some steamed carrots and on a bed of garlicky, cheesy mashed potatoes, which is recommended in the recipe.

*Taken from Tobie Puttock's 'Daily Italian'*

Ingredients

2 x 200g pork cutlets

1 tbs thyme leaves

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

1 tbs olive oil

2 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar

Method

Using a sharp knife, cut a crisscross pattern into the flesh of the pork. Mix the thyme with a pinch of salt and pepper, then massage the mixture into the grooves created by the incisions.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the pork for 1-3 minutes on each side, or until the flesh is nice and brown.

Splash in the vinegar, making sure to turn the pork over so that both sides get a coating. Once the vinegar has nearly evaporated, remove the pork from the pan and allow it to rest. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan, and give it a shake to loosen the vinegar. Arrange the cutlets on plates, and drizzle with a spoonful of the pan juices. Serve with a green salad and mash potatoes.

Serves 2

Margaret Fulton's Pavlova

2007-05-30T07:40:00.000+04:00

Another wet day here at home, so what better thing to do but bake? With plenty of eggs sitting in the fridge and some cream nearing it's expiry date, what's better than to decide to bake a pav! I used 4 egg white and 1 1/2 cups caster sugar in this recipe, which Margaret recommends for a smaller, family-sized pavola, but leaving everything else the same. I also always dust my baking sheet with cornflour when baking pavs to ensure it doesn't stick!! Enjoy.

*Taken from 'Margaret Fulton's Kitchen'*

Ingredients

6 egg whites, at room temperature

a pinch of salt

2 cups caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 1/4 cups cream

fresh fruit to decorate

Method

Preheat oven to 200C. Place a piece of baking paper onto a baking tray and mark a 23cm circle on it to use as a guide (the pavlova will spread a little).

In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt at full speed until they stand in stiff peaks. Sift the sugar and gradually sprinkle into the egg white mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating at high speed until all the sugar has been added. Lastly fold in the vinegar and vanilla. Spoon large dollops inside the circle on the baking sheet and smooth over the top lightly. Place in the oven (reducing the heat to 150C) for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and leave pavlova in the oven until cold. (If using a gas oven, bake at 150C for 1 hour, reduce heat to 120C for a further 30 minutes and then turn heat off and leave the pavola in the oven until completely cooled.)

When the pavlova is cooled, slide onto a large, flat cake plate, removing the baking paper. Don't worry if it collapses slightly, you should also expect cracks on the surface. Whip the cream until stiff but still shiny and spoon over the top of the pavlova. Decorate with fresh fruit and serve.

Serves 8-10

Banana Bread

2007-05-18T06:35:00.000+04:00

This recipe was so (so) simple, that I am not lying to you when I say that Monet practically made it by herself! Sure I measured out the ingredients but she used the sifter, mixed and help add the wet ingredients. The only thing she really didn't do was put it in the oven and she most definitely liked the bowl!! I will no doubt, be making this recipe again. It was easy and the result was delicious...

*Taken from the Australian website 'Taste'*

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups Self Raising Flour

1/4 cup plain flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2/3 cup firmly packed, brown sugar

1/2 cup skim milk

2 eggs, lightly whisked

50g butter, melted, cooled

2 bananas, mashed

Method

Heat oven to 180C. Grease a loaf tin with melted butter then line with baking paper, draping the paper over the sides.

Sift together the SR flour, plain flour and cinnamon into a large bowl. Mix in brown sugar. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, eggs, butter and bananas. Combine this with the flour and sugar mixture. Mix until well combined.

Pour into prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Enjoy!

Chargrilled Chicken and Sprout Salad

2007-05-17T03:10:00.000+04:00

The book states this is for 4 people but this served both only Lyndon and I. I guess if you had extra guests you could serve it up with something else to make it go further. It was pretty easy to prepare and was tasty too.

*Taken from 'Tossed. A Murdock Book'*

Ingredients
600g chicken breast fillets
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbs lemon juice
1 cos lettuce, leaves roughly torn
50g snowpea sprouts, white ends trimmed

yoghurt and caper dressing
200g low-fat, thick plain yoghurt
2 tbs capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
4 tbs lemon juice

Method
Put the chicken breasts in a shallow, non-metallic dish. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, cumin, coriander and lemon juice. Pour the mixture all over the chicken, rubbing it in thoroughly to coat all sides. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.

Nearer to serving time, make the yoghurt and caper dressing. Put all the ingredients om a s,a;; bowl and add a few grinds of black pepper and 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it slightly. Whisk well and set aside.

Heat a BBQ grill or chargrill pan to medium. Add the chicken and cook for 6-8 minutes on one side, then turn over and cook for a further 4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly, then slice into strips.

Put the lettuce and snowpea sprouts in a serving dish and add the sliced chicken. Pour over the dressing, mix gently and serve.

Indian Marinated Chicken Salad

2007-05-17T03:08:00.000+04:00

This was a tasty salad to make, even though it was a little fiddly to make. It was refreshing to eat though and a little different! I served it as a main meal for 3 adults, but is more suited for 2...

*Taken from 'Tossed. A Murdock Book'*

Ingredients
1 1/2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
325g chicken breast fillets (I used tenderloins)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced on the diagonal
60g picked watercress leaves (I used baby spinach)
80g (1/2 cup) freshly podded peas (I used frozen)
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 small handful coriander leaves

yoghurt dressing
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
2 tbs thick plain yoghurt
1 tbs chopped mint
1 tbs lemon juice

Method
Combine the lemon juice, garam masala, turmeric, ginger, garlic and 1 tsp of the oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and onion, toss well to coat all over, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove the onion from the chicken marinate, then heat 1 tbs of the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the chicken over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Cut each breast across the grain into 1 cm slices.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan and saute the zucchini and marinated onion for 2 minutes, or until lightly golden and tender. Toss in a large bowl with the watercress. Cook the peas in boiling water for 5 minutes, or until tender, then drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Add to the salad with the chicken, tomato and coriander.

To make the yoghurt dressing, dry-fry the cumin and coriander seeds in a frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Put the seeds in a mortar and pestle and pound them to a powder. Mix together with the yoghurt, mint and lemon juice. Gently fold the dressing through the salad and divide into 2 bowls.

The Best Sweet Muffins

2007-05-11T14:49:00.000+04:00

I took this recipe from the Australian Dairy website. And how lovely they are... Mmmm... As I used a mini muffin pan, I ended up making about 60 from this one mixture. Muffins always freeze well so most of them are tucked away in the freezer for now. I actually divided the mixture up into two bowls. In one I added frozen raspberries and choc chips. In the other I added one mashed ripe banana and chopped up jersey caramels. Deeeellllliccciiousssss....

Ingredients
3 cups Self Raising Flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
170g butter, melted

Raspberry and Choc Chip Variety
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup choc chips (white or milk)

Banana and Carmel Variety
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup chopped Jersey Caramels

Apple and Cinnamon
1 tsp cinnamon
1 apple, peeled and chopped

Method
Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the caster sugar. Whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Add any variants.

Spoon mixture into buttered muffin pans.

Bake for 200C for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Allow to cool.

Makes 12 Muffins or 48 mini Muffins or 6 Texas Muffins

New Banner

2007-05-10T08:26:00.000+04:00

I hope you like my new banner. Thanks to Rachel for giving me hints on how to correctly put my own picture behind my Blog name.

Choc, Apricot & Almond Slice

2007-04-27T10:20:00.000+04:00

Having bought the oats to make the previous recipe of Anzac Biscuits, I looked around for other 'oat' recipes. This one comes from the pages of 'Woman's Day' - top, quality magazine (tongue in cheek there). Not the best slice I've ever made, but still nice all the same.

Ingredients

125g butter, chopped

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbs golden syrup

2 cups rolled oats

100g milk chocolate, finely chopped (or use choc chips)

1/2 cup SR flour

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/3 cup slivered almonds

Method

Preheat oven to moderately slow, 160C. Lightly grease and line an 18 x 28cm slice pan.

Combine butter, sugar and golden syrup in a medium pan. Stir over low heat for 4-5 minutes, until sugar dissolves.

Transfer butter mixture to a large bowl. Add oats, chocolate, flour, apricots and almonds. Mix well.

Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden.

Once slice is cold, cut into serving size pieces and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 20

Anzac Biscuits

2007-04-25T04:24:00.000+04:00

These biscuits were made by the Australian mothers/sisters/wives of the 'diggers' of WW1, and sent over to them. Hence the name, Anzac Biscuits. They keep really well and are very delicious. For a cruncher biscuit, bake for a few minutes longer...

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup plain flour, sifted

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup desiccated coconut

125 g butter, chopped

1 tbs golden syrup

2 tbs boiling water

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

Preheat oven to moderately slow, 160C. Lightly grease (or line) 4 baking trays.

In a medium bowl, combine rolled oats, flour, sugar and coconut.

Combine the butter and golden syrup in a small pan. Stir over low heat for 2-3 minutes, until melted.

Combine water and soda in a small jug. Stir into warm butter mixture. Pour mixture into dry ingredients. Mix well.

Roll rounded teaspoons of mixture into balls. Arrange on prepared trays, leaving a space between each to allow for spreading. Press lightly to flatten.

Bake for around 15 minutes or until golden. Stand 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

makes approx. 36

Roasted Vegetable and Gruyere Pasties

2007-04-18T10:50:00.000+04:00

I couldn't find celeriac anywhere so I used some sweet potato instead. I also couldn't find Gruyere cheese (! I know!!) so I used some good old tasty. No jap pumpkin here either, so I used Kent (which I prefer anyway!) I don't own a food processor, so I used my mix master on extra low speed, using dough hooks, to mix the pastry together. But after all that, it was pretty simple really.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
Pastry
3 1/3 cups (500g) plain flour
1/2 tsp table salt
3 tbs olive oil
1 cup (250mls) cold water

Filling
3x2 cm slices jap pumpkin, cut into 1 cm pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
1/2 celeriac, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
70ml extra virgin olive oil
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
5 golden shallots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
1 tsp ground fennel
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped
150g grated Gruyere
1 egg, lightly beaten
100g ricotta
1 extra egg, beaten with 1 tbs olive oil
sesame seeds (optional)

Method
Preheat oven to 165C. For the pastry, combine flour and salt in a food processor and, with motor running, drizzle in olive oil. Add water and pulse until mixture just comes together. Knead gently on a lightly floured work surface, then wrap in plastic film and place in the fridge for 2 hours.

To make the filling, combine the pumpkin, carrot, potato, parsnip and celeriac, in a large baking dish. Add 50 mls of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 1 hour, turning occasionally. Turn off oven and leave vegetables inside for 1 hour (they should shrink and intensify in flavour).

Heat remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over low-heat. Add shallots, garlic and leek and cook for 8-10 minutes or until soft and caramelised. Stir in ground fennel and parsley. Add roasted vegetables and stir gently to combine. Stir in Gruyere and beaten egg. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Preheat oven to 200C. Divide pastry into 4 pieces, making 2 slightly larger than the others. Roll the 2 larger pieces on a lightly floured surface to 5 mm-thick ovals. Spread vegetable mixture evenly on each, leaving a 2 cm border. Scatter ricotta over vegetables. Roll remaining pastry into 2 thin ovals and cover vegetables. Press and twist edges of pastry to seal and glaze tops by brushing with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using, and salt and pepper. Place pasties on a large baking tray lined with baking powder. Bake for 25-30 mins or until cooked and golden. Remove from oven and leave for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 2 large pasties.

Serves 6-8 as a light lunch

1500 Recipes in Three Books???

2007-04-11T09:15:00.000+04:00

Can you believe that the three little books in the photo below hold 1500 recipes?It's true. And they are great books if you are looking for a particular cupcake, cookie or appetiser recipe/idea!!

Makes Me Hungry Just Looking At My Photos...

2007-04-10T08:42:00.000+04:00

Basic Butter Cake

2007-04-10T08:00:00.000+04:00

My sister will laugh when she sees this recipe posted... We used to make this cake allllll the time when we were old enough to be let loose in our mother's kitchen, usually after our weekly Saturday game of Netball. I have great memories of the colourful cakes we used to make and she reminded me of this a few weeks ago... I decided to make a rainbow cake with Monet's help late this morning, though Monet got all grumpy when I divided the mixture up and went loose with the food colouring... She didn't seem grumpy when I dished her up a slice though, later on!

To make this Basic Butter Cake into the 'rainbow', after all ingredients are mixed, simply divide into the required number of bowls and go for it with the food colouring. When all of the mixture is coloured, simply place heaped spoonfuls into the prepared pan...

*Taken from the Australian Women's Weekly 'Cake & Slices Cookbook'*

Ingredients

125g butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 cup milk

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.

Cream butter, essence and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time, beat until combined. Stir in half the sifted flour and half the milk, then stir in remaining flour and milk. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Leave in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire to cool. Ice as desired. (I iced mine using a thick butter icing).

Keeping time: 2 days

Banana Sour Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2007-04-04T07:20:00.000+04:00

The original recipe had a chocolate frosting, but I have omitted the chocolate and added extra icing sugar... Yummy. A delicious and easy recipe without the use of nuts (how come most banana cake recipes have nuts in them??)

*Taken from Australian Women's Weekly's 'Cakes & Slices Cookbook'*

Ingredients
125g butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 ripe bananas)
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups self-raising flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

-for frosting-
125g packet cream cheese
30g butter
2 cups icing sugar (you may need more)

Method
Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin, line base with paper; grease paper.

Cream butter, essence and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time; beat until combined. Stir in half the banana with half the sour cream and half the sifted dry ingredients, then stir in the remaining banana, sour cream and dry ingredients. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 1/4 hours. Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool. Spread cold cake with frosting.

Frosting
Beat cream cheese and butter in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar. Beat until thick.

Keeping Time: 2 days

Kitchen Appliances (part II)

2007-04-04T06:20:00.000+04:00

I'm in love with a few things in my kitchen today.

First thing. My new measuring cup. (Thanks Marianne!)

Can you see how clever it is? You can read it from the side AND the top. I love that.

My Mixmaster. How easy is one of these things to operate to mix ingredients? And lastly, my dishwasher.Do I have to explain why? I love the fact that now when I bake, it doesn't matter how many utensils, bowls, cups etc., I use, because I don't have to wash them.

I'm in love with those items today.

How about you?

A Post About Take Away Food

2007-04-03T07:14:00.000+04:00

We feel as if we have hit the jackpot at our new home. In the group of shops up the road is a 'Kebab/Fish'n'Chip' shop, a 'Thai' takeaway and a 'Pizza joint'. We've tasted all three and all three are very delicious! No regrets. No awful pizza, no terrible thai, nor no soggy chips...
How delicious do they look? We had some the other night and trust me, they taste better than they look!!!

In Cairns City we had a lousy choice of good takeaway food. We had to drive to a 'fish'n'chip' shop and were always disappoointed with some aspect of the food. Our local Thai place was nice though and there was a good pizza joint down the road but it was really pricey.

We love good (inexpensive) takeaway that is within walking distance of our home.

Do you like take away food? If so, what?

Jool's favourite Saturday Afternoon Pasta

2007-03-21T04:53:00.000+04:00

This was a pretty tasty and easy pasta recipe. I love recipes that you don't have to go out and buy ingredients for, so this recipe was right up my alley! It had a bit of a bite to it but that was good! This recipe says it serves 4, but I halved everything and I still had heaps...

*Taken from Jamie Oliver's 'Cook With Jamie'*

Ingredients
Olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 level tsp ground cinnamon
a bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked, stalks chopped
2 x 400g tins good-quality plum (Roma) tomatoes
2 x 300g jars good-quality tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
500g good-quality rigatoni or penne
zest and juice of 1-2 lemons
a small handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

method
Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook the onion, chilli, cinnamon and basil stalks on a medium to low heat for 5 minutes until the onion has softened and is slightly sweet. Turn up the head and add your tomatoes, tuna and a good pinch of salt. Break the tomatoes up using the back of a spoon, then bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

meanwhile, cook the rigatoni in a pan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. When al dente, drain the pasta in a colander, reserving some of the coking water. Toss the pasta into the tuna and tomato sauce with the roughly torn basil leaves, a glug of olive oil, the lemon zest and juice and Parmesan and mix well together. Loosen the pasta with a little of the reserved cooking water if needed. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Mini Dim Sims

2007-03-10T04:51:00.000+04:00

In my time I have made up my own version of spring rolls, which I always enjoy. But I have never been motivated or even remotely interested for that matter, to make my own Dim Sims. I live with the Dim Sim King (Lyndon loves a good dimmie) and I thought I might take a chance and make some, after I spied a packet of Dim Sim wrappers in the fridge department of my local Coles.

Well, weren't they delicious? They were easy to make, not at all fiddly (truly) and I will probably be making them again in the very near future. And to top things off, Monet loved them and so did Lyndon!! Next time I would probably add a little chopped Chinese cabbage to make them a little more authentic. I fried half and I steamed half. Either way they took hardly anytime to cook and either way was nice.

This recipe was taken from the back of the Dim Sim wrappers pack, but I added quantities.

Ingredients
1 packet 30 dim sim wrappers
350 g mince (I used chicken)
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 egg

Method
Mix all ingredients together until combined. Using dim sim wrappers, place a teaspoon of combined ingredients on each. Fold the ends in and roll, using a little water to make the two ends meet.

Either fry until golden, or steam until cooked through.

Enjoy with soy sauce.

Makes about 30.

Warm Roasted Potato with Spicy Sausage

2007-03-07T03:09:00.000+04:00

We have a bit of a 'thing' here for chorizo sausage and when I spied this recipe in my new cookbook I had to make it. It was very delicious and very easy so I will definitely be making it again in the not too distant future.

*Taken from the Murdoch Book 'Tossed'*

Ingredients

800 g small waxy potatoes, unpeeled

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

4 small chorizo sausages (about 500 g), cut into 1 cm slices

100 g rocket, leaves trimmed and roughly torn

100 g semi-sundried tomatoes

crusty bread, to serve

seeded mustard dressing

3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs seeded mustard

2 tbs white wine vinegar

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Scrub the potatoes and pat them dry. Put them in a roasting tin without any oil or seasoning and bake for 20 minutes, or until they start to soften. Remove from the oven and gently squash each potato using a potato masher, until the skins burst and they are slightly flattened. Lightly drizzle the oil over each potato, sprinkle with the sea salt and gently toss to coat. Roast for a further 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden.

Meanwhile, put a frying pan over high heat. Add the chorizo and dry-fry for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Transfer to a serving dish with the rocket and tomatoes.

Put all the seeded mustard dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well and season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the crispy potatoes to the salad, pour the dressing over and toss well. Serve hot or warm, with crusty bread.

Serves 4

Tuna Fritters with Whipped Fetta

2007-03-06T06:12:00.000+04:00

These would have to be the tastiest tuna fritters I have ever tasted. Repeat. Ever tasted. They were delicious and if Lyndon liked them, well, that is really saying something. I think it is the combination of Tabasco sauce and lemon zest which really 'lift' them. Very simple to make with cheap ingredients. Try them.

Since I don't own a food processor, I used my Bamix with the 'mincer' attachment. I also find it better to place the uncooked fritters in the fridge to 'set' for at least 20 minutes before frying.

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients

100 g fetta

100 g ricotta

50 ml pouring cream

185 g canned tuna in springwater, drained

2 tsp lemon zest

2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped

3 splashes Tabasco sauce

2 eggs

250 g potatoes, cooked and mashed

3 spring onions, sliced

3 cups (210 g) fresh breadcrumbs

1/2 cup (75 g) plain flour

olive oil, for frying

lemon wedges, to serve

watercress sprigs, to serve (optional)

Method

To make the whipped fetta, place fetta, ricotta and cream in a food processor with 3-4 tbs water and blend until smooth and light.

To make the fritters, place the tuna in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add lemon zest, parsley, Tabasco sauce and 1 egg and process. Add potatoes and process until combined. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in spring onions and 3 tbs of the breadcrumbs. Use your hands to shape mixture into small fritters about 6cm in diameter.

Beat remaining egg. Dip fritters in flour to coat. Dip into beaten egg, then in remaining breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry fritters for 2 minutes on each side or until cooked, then drain on kitchen paper. Serve with whipped fetta, lemon wedges and watercress if desired.

Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup

2007-03-02T02:35:00.000+04:00

I don't know where I originally got this recipe but over the years I have added and changed a few things, so I am claiming it as my own recipe now! We love this soup, especially Monet!!

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely

4 cups chicken stock

1 cooked chicken breast, chopped into small pieces (or use left over roast chicken like I usually do)

1 can creamed corn, (use either 310g or 440g tin)

1 handful frozen corn kernels

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 handful of uncooked vermicelli pasta (optional - good for thickening)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Method

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and fry the onions until soft, but not brown. Add the chicken stock to the pan followed by the chicken, creamed corn, corn kernels, spring onion and pasta (if using). Bring slowly to the boil (or wait until pasta is cooked through, if using). Add the egg in one long stream, using a fork where it meets the liquid soup, to beat into the mixture. Cook for one minute. Enjoy.

Serves 4-6

You Like?

2007-03-01T10:15:00.000+04:00

I saw this Pot Holder in my local Coles the other day. I thought it was pretty 'kitch'...

...and I thought it was about time I threw out the last one I bought in the Year 2000!

Eggplant Parmigiana

2007-03-01T07:28:00.000+04:00

This was actually pretty tasty and was something different too. The anchovies in the recipe really brought out the flavour. It was more like an eggplant lasagna rather than a parmigiana! I added on top a few sliced black olives and a sprinkling of crumber fetta cheese....

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
2 large eggplants (I used 1)
3/4 cup (110g) plain flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten with 3 tbs water
2 cups fine breadcrumbs
350ml olive oil, for frying
100ml extra virgin olive oil
4 cups (1 litre) tomato passata (I used 500ml)
1 cup (80g) grated Parmesan
200g mascarpone
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
10 slices fontina* cheese
4 sprigs oregano (I used dried)
2 sprigs basil, leaves picked
salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

Method
Cut eggplants length ways into 1/2 cm-thick slices. Dust eggplant with flour, then dip into egg was then breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Fry eggplant slices for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

Preheat the oven to 170C. Place 2 tbs of the extra virgin olive oil in a large ovenproof dish and swirl to cover base. Spread about a third of the tomato passata in base of dish. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons Parmesan. Place marscarpone, anchovies and remaining Parmesan in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Place one layer of eggplant slices over the base of the dish. Spoon another third of the tomato passata over eggplant, top with a layer of fontina and spoon over a few dollops of mascarpone mixture. Sprinkle with half the oregano and basil. Repeat layers, seasoning each layer. Finish with cheese and herbs. Drizzle with remaining extra virgin olive oil and cover with foil/

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden.

Serves 6

*Fontina is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese with a sweet delicate flavour. (I looked high and low for this cheese and was unsuccessful in finding it. Instead I used what I had in the fridge - some lovely cheddar cheese and a bit of fetta)

Double Potato and Halloumi Bake

2007-02-27T02:15:00.000+04:00

This is a very simple dish to make and would be delicious served with anything. To be honest with you, I could of just eaten a whole plate piled high of this. It was very yummy. And besides, I have a thing for roasted garlic...

You can replace the halloumi cheese with feta if you wish and I also added a carrot to the dish.

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's 'Nigella Bites'*

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato

1 large Desiree potato

1 red onion

1 yellow pepper

1 red pepper

1/2 head of garlic

4 tbs olive oil

black pepper

125g halloumi cheese, sliced as thinly as you can

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6

Cut the sweet potato into rough 4cm cubes and the Desiree slightly smaller (2 1/2 cm) as the sweet potato will cook more quickly. Halve the red onion, then cut each into 4 to 6 segments, discarding any tough outer skin. De-seed the peppers and cut into 2 1/2 cm squares, and separate the cloves of garlic. Put everything into a large roasting tin and using your hands, give the vegetables a good coating of olive oil. Season with black pepper, but no salt as the cheese will make it salty. Cook for 45 minutes, by which time the vegetables should be cooked through and here and there tinged with brown. You'll need to turn the oven up to a maximum or light the grill for the endgame: so place the thinly sliced cheese on top of the bake, and put it back in the very hot oven or under the grill until the cheese has melted and turned slightly brown on top, about 5-10 minutes. Serve straight out of the roasting tin.

Serves 2-3

Food Photos

2007-02-24T05:31:00.000+04:00

I got some food photos I have taken, enlarged yesterday to 6x8s and I might get a few more done. I figure I will frame them and put them on a wall in my new kitchen (which we move into in 3 weeks time today!)

I got these ones enlarged...

Do you like them? Do you think there are other food photos I have on this blog worthy of blowing up and framing? Or do you think it is altogether a silly idea?

Chorizo, Rocket & Red Onion Salad

2007-02-23T06:06:00.000+04:00

This salad was delicious!!! I should have made more!!

*Taken from 'Super Food Ideas' magazine*

Ingredients

1/4 cup pine nuts

500g chorizo sausages, sliced

2 red onions, cut into thin wedges

1 tbs thyme leaves

100g baby rocket (I used baby rocket & baby spinach)

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Method

Place pine nuts in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook, shaking pan, for 5 minutes or until light golden. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Cook chorizo, in two batches, for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until light golden. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion and thyme to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes or until onion begins to caramelise.

Add onion mixture, chorizo, rocket and vinegar to pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined. Spoon salad onto plates and serve.

Serves 4

Pasta Shells with Ricotta, Tomato & Basil

2007-02-22T05:31:00.001+04:00

As fiddly as these were to make they were delicious. Truly delicious. They were meant to be made using Conchiglies (large pasta shells - you know those huge ones??) Well, I couldn't find any so I just used normal large size pasta shells that you can pick up in any supermarket.

These can be served at room temperature or you can heat them in the oven and serve hot with grated Parmesan on top. This is what I did. I put cheese on top then popped them into a hot oven for about 8 minutes in individual bowls for both Lyndon and I. Yummo!!!!

*Taken from 'Allegro Al Dente - Pasta & Opera'*

Ingredients

6 ripe tomatoes (I used Roma/Plum)

2 tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

salt to taste

1 tsp sugar

300g (10 oz) fresh ricotta (I used 200g)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 conchiglie (large pasta shells)

Fresh basil leaves

Method

Dunk tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, then peel off skin, cut in half, squeeze to remove seeds and chop remaining flesh. Heat olive oil, add tomatoes, garlic, salt and sugar and cook until tomatoes are soft and sweet.

Beat ricotta with a wooden spoon until light, adding salt and pepper as you go.

Cook pasta shells in plenty of salted, boiling water until al dente. Do not overcook or they will tear easily when stuffed. Drain pasta, tuck a basil leaf into each shell, and half fill with ricotta. Top with a spoonful of tomato sauce.

Serves 4

As I used smaller pasta shells I found it easier to put the ricotta into them via the use of a piping bag.)