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Pumpkin Muffins

2012-01-27T10:09:00.001+11:00

Still hot & fresh out of the oven

I got this recipe off the Diabetic Living website although I adapted it a little because I didn't have all of the ingredients.

2 cups wholemeal plain flour
1/4 cup low GI sugar (or an equivalent sugar substitute)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Spray a 12 cup muffin tray with cooking spray & set aside.

Place all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and make a well in the middle.

In another bowl mix the eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, orange juice and cooking oil.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. It should appear moist but lumpy.

Divide the batter evenly into the muffin pan.

Bake in a 200C (400F) oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden & cooked through.

Fishcakes

2011-11-08T12:43:00.000+11:00

Adapted from a recipe in a Diabetic Living magazine

3-4 medium potatoes (or sweet potato if you have it) peeled and diced
1 large tin of tuna (or salmon if preferred)
1 medium onion, diced finely
1 garlic clove, peeled & crushed
tobasco sauce (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup fresh basil (or dill)
breadcrumbs (enough to coat the fishcakes)

Place the (sweet) potato into a steamer and cook covered for 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat & mash. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

Drain the fish and add to the potatoes along with the onion, tobasco, basil and egg. Mix until well combined.

Divide the mixture in to 12 portions and shape into patties. Coat lightly with breadcrumbs.

Spray a non-stick pan with cooking oil and cook the patties for around 3 minutes each side or until golden brown.

Serve with a salad.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Veg Parcels

2011-09-16T10:19:00.001+10:00

I wanted to try something a little different for tea. Something simple and no-fuss. What's better than throwing everything together and placing it in the slow cooker?

1 large onion, diced, divide into 4 portions
2-3 medium potatoes, diced (about 1/2 a cup per person)
2 medium carrots, sliced, divide into 4 portions
4 teaspoons crushed garlic (we like a lot of this smelly stuff)
2 chicken breast fillets, divide evenly into 4 portions
parsley
paprika
salt & pepper
butter or margarine

Foil to wrap each portion in. Make sure that it is large enough to enclose all of the ingredients.

Place the potatoes (I used carisma potatoes they are low GI), onion and carrot on a piece of foil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and parsley. Add a dab of butter/margarine (we use a cholesterol lowering margarine so use a teeny bit of that if you have it).

Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Spread the garlic on the chicken & sprinkle a pinch or two of paprika over the whole lot.

Fold the foil over the chicken & vegetables. Make sure that each parcel is completely sealed.

Place it in a slow cooker on low. Cook for about 6 - 8 hours.

I added frozen peas & beans, which I cooked in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes and added to the chicken & veg parcel just before serving. I thought that it might need a little colour. It looks much better with some greenery :D

The chicken was a little on the dry side so I will probably halve the cooking time if I made this again. I also think a sauce of some kind would go really well with this or perhaps a dollop of low fat sour cream or cream for cooking added just before serving might have made it even better.

Mexican Stew

2011-08-12T19:18:00.000+10:00

This is one of the recipes from a new recipe book called 200 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes by Dana Carpender. I didn't use quite as much meat as the recipe required.

500g beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1 x 400g can of diced tomatoes
1 medium brown onion, diced
1 tablespoon chilli paste
1 tablespoon garlic, crushed
1/4 cup sliced jalepenos
1 packet of taco seasoning mix
1 x 400g can 4 bean mix

Brown the beef, garlic, chilli paste and onions in a saucepan. Once brown place in the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes. Set the slow cooker on low for 6 to 7 hours.

Stir in the taco seasoning and the bean mix. Re-cover the slow cooker and turn it onto high and let it cook for a further 20 minutes.

Serve with rice and a dollop of low fat sour cream.

-------------------------------

The original recipe used 1 kilo (2lbs) of meat. 1 teaspoon of chilli powder and the tinned tomatoes had green chillis in them. Since we don't get that type of tin here I just added jalepenos. The garlic wasn't in the original recipe but I like garlic with my chilli :)
Once everything was cooked it was pretty spicy so perhaps next time I wont add as much chilli paste.

You may want to check it around the 5 hour mark. I think it was pretty much ready by then so I turned to slow cooker to heat to keep it warm until I was ready to serve.

Baked bean & Corn Salad

2011-06-25T14:38:00.001+10:00

I got this recipe from the Diabetic Living magazines July/August 2011 issue

Serves 1 person

1 small can salt-reduced baked beans (about 130-220g)

1/2 small red capsicum

1/3 cup (80g) fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 iceberg lettuce leaves, shredded

1 tablespoon extra-light sour cream

1 tablespoon reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated

1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves

Put the beans, capsicum & corn in a small microwave safe bowl & heat on high for 1 minute or until heated through.

Put the bean mix into a medium sized bowl (or just use the one you heated the beans in) and top with lettuce, sour cream, cheese & coriander.

I have no idea why the magazine called it a salad as it doesn't look very salad like. I forgot the cheese and didn't have the capsicum or coriander.but it was absolutely delicious. Something I will definitely eat again.

Chicken & Corn Soup (Slow Cooker)

2011-06-19T10:24:00.000+10:00


I tested out my new slow cooker with this one

1 - 2 chicken breast fillets, skin off, cut into 2cm cubes
1 brown onion, diced
1 - 2 cloves of garlic
2 x 440g tins of creamed corn
2 chicken stock cubes (salt reduced if you have them but regular is okay)
5 - 6 cups of water
1 cup angel hair pasta, break into small pieces

In a saucepan brown the onions, garlic and chicken. This will only take a few minutes.

Place the contents of the saucepan into the slow cooker along with the water, creamed corn & the water.

Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for around 4 hours (or less it depends on how hungry you are).

About half an hour before serving place the pasta into the slow cooker. It really wont take terribly long to cook.

** I prepared this around lunch time and it was all ready to go for dinner at 6. You could leave it longer if you wish. Its not like it will get over cooked.
*** I've also cheated with this recipe and used a whole cooked chicken. If you do it this way you can just make it on the stove top and will take no more than 15 minutes or so from start to finish.
** If you want to make it creamy you can add a scrambled egg into the mix. It reminds me of the Chinese chicken and corn soup I would eat as a kid.

Beef Stroganoff

2011-05-23T17:19:00.002+10:00

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 kg of beef (2 lb), cut into strips about 1cm wide
3/4 cup plain flour, divided into 1/2 cup & 1/4 cup
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
2 onions thinly sliced
250g button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup beef stock
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 x 250g carton sour cream

Trim any excess fat off the meat.

In a bowl combine 1/2 cup flour, mustard and a little salt & pepper. Place the beef strips into the bowl and coat well.

In a saucepan heat up the oil & add the onion. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms & cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from saucepan.

You can add a little more olive oil to the pan then add the beef strips & cook until brown.

Place beef, onions & mushrooms into the slow cooker. Add the beef stock.

Cover & cook for 8 to 10 hours on LOW.

Just before serving, combine the sour cream & flour. Add it to the cooker and stir thoroughly. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until stroganoff thickens slightly.

Serve with bow tie pasta.

Millsy's Chilli

2011-05-20T11:34:00.005+10:00

Last night we had the Missionaries from our Church over for dinner. Elder Mills wanted to prepare a chilli dish for us. So I bought all the ingredients so that he could cook it for us. It's a super quick meal and one that we absolutely loved. I know that we will have this one again. We made enough for 6 people and there was only a small amount left over at the end of the meal.

Ingredients:
2 x 425g cans of Stagg Chilli
2 x 425g cans of baked beans (I used SPC their sauce tastes better)
1 x 420g can of 4 bean mix
1 x 420g can sweet corn
5 ham steaks, cut into 2cm cubes
3/4 or 1 cup brown sugar (do a taste test before you put the whole lot in)
1 cup sliced jalapenos (about half a jar)
1 tablespoon crushed garlic

(optional) 500g diced beef which I placed in the slow cooker for about 6 hours with some diced onion. I wanted to make sure that there was enough meat in the chilli for 6 people as the cans don't always have a lot in them.

All you need to do is mix all of the ingredients together in a large pot and heat through. It takes about 10 - 15 minutes to get it really hot and bubbly.

Serve with cornbread muffins & boiled rice.

Savoury Mince & Pasta

2011-04-18T13:09:00.001+10:00

250g Spiral Pasta (I just halve a 500g packet)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
500g beef mince (you could use any type of mince you like)
1 large carrot, grated
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed & slices
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
salt & pepper (to taste)

2-3 tablespoons gravy mix
1 cup water

Cook pasta as per directions on the packet.

While the pasta is cooking place the oil, garlic & onion in a heavy based pan & cook for around two minutes. Add the mince & brown. (You can drain the meat at this stage, on some kitchen paper, if you wish so that its not too oily/greasy)

Add the carrot & zucchini. Cook for around 5 minutes. Add the sauces, salt & pepper.

Mix the gravy mix and water together. Then add it to the meat mixture.

Once the pasta is cooked (or slightly under cooked) drain & add it to the meat mixture. Stir until all the pasta is coated.

**If the mince doesn't look like it is saucy enough you can add some more water or more gravy mix if it isn't thick enough.

** you can add other vegetables if you wish.

Chantico Mocktail

2011-04-15T11:36:00.003+10:00

Brodie had an assignment for TAFE where he had to make a mocktail that could be served in the restaurant.
Talk about death by chocolate. These were absolutely amazing!

4 large scoops of Blue Ribbon Double chocolate ice-cream
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of Cottees Thick & Rich chocolate topping
crushed ice
1/2 teaspoon of crushed chilli (we actually used more when we made them at home)
1/2 cup whipped cream
a pinch of paprika
Milo (for sprinkling on the whipped cream)
Strawberry

Mix the milk, ice-cream, chocolate topping, crushed ice and chilli together.

Pour into a glass. Top with whipped cream, paprika. Sprinkle with milo.

Homemade Pizza

2011-04-14T18:14:00.003+10:00

4 pita bread/flat bread** or enough to serve 4 people.
1 jar/bottle pizza sauce
1-2 cups of mozzarella & tasty cheese, mixed together
Various toppings: mushrooms, salami, ham, tomato, onion, spring onion, beef, capsicum (bell pepper), pineapple, anchovies, olives.

Turn the oven to 200C (400F)

Line a tray with grease proof paper, it makes cleaning easier. (I forgot to do that this time oops)

Place a pita bread on a tray. Spread a generous amount of pizza sauce on the base. Add the toppings you wish to use.

Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted & golden.

The pita bread turns out lovely and crispy.

**I used a brand called Pitte, it can be used for pizza or souvlakis but I am sure you can find one that you like.

Slow Cooker Spicy Beef Pot Roast

2011-04-04T17:53:00.004+10:00

1kg Roasting Beef (I used silverside)
1 large onion sliced into rings

1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice (or you can use an all spice)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Hoi Sin sauce

Place all the ingredients, except for the meat & onion, into a bowl and mix until combined.

Place the onion rings into the bottom of the slow cooker.

Rub the mixture over the beef. Place the meat into the slow cooker. You can marinate over night but it isn't necessary, it just adds to the flavour.

Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 7-8 hours.

Sauce/Gravy:
Remove the meat from the slow cooker & let it rest before carving. Pour the liquid, including the onions, from the crock pot into a saucepan.
Add 1 tablespoon of cornflour to a cup and add just enough water to make a paste. Pour into the saucepan & heat. Stir until the sauce thickens.

Serve with oven roasted vegetables. I cooked smashed potatoes to go with this as well as roast pumpkin & carrot.

Potatoes & Carrots Au Gratin

2011-03-27T18:27:00.004+11:00

First of all I would like to apologise for not posting more recipes on here. Its not that I haven't tried making new things its just that I don't always remember to take a photo of what I made until its usually on the plate and almost all eaten!

If you have any recipes that you would like me to share or even try please feel free to email. I would happily try them and share the outcome here, with proper credit of course. You can send me an email to bloss90 @ gmail . com

3-4 medium washed potatoes, cut thinly (you can peel them if you wish to but I didn't)
2 medium carrots, peeled & thinly sliced
paprika
1 cup grated cheese

salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons of butter
1 - 2 cups of milk
3 tablespoons of flour or cornflour

Preheat the oven 200C (400F)

Using an oven proof dish. Spray with cooking spray.

Place half of the potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Then place the carrots over the top. (You can also add onion rings at this stage). Layer the remaining potatoes over the carrots.

Sprinkle salt & pepper over the potatoes/carrots. (I also added paprika)

In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese sauce over the potatoes/carrots. Cover with aluminium foil.

Cook for an hour and a half.

**You can add some cheese to the top of the dish, which is what I did, but you will need to remove the aluminium foil so that the cheese can melt & turn a lovely golden colour.

Slow Cooker Spicy Peanut Chicken

2011-02-08T22:53:00.004+11:00

6-8 chicken thigh fillets, skin off
1 large potato, diced
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 cup peanut butter, you could use less or more if you wish.
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 x 400g can of crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, I used 1 tablespoon fresh crushed chilli - we like it spicy
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Place onion & potatoes in the slow cooker. Then lay the chicken on the top.

Mix garlic, peanut butter and flour together. Slowly add the can of tomatoes. This will make a thick sauce. You can add salt & pepper at this stage if you wish.

Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken.

Slow cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Or on high for 3 hours.

Serve on a bed of boiled rice.

*I added grated carrot and zucchini to the dish.

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-19T16:22:00.003+11:00

I only photographed the Christmas trees. The other cookies didn't really look like cookies any more ...

I got this recipe from all recipes

Cookies:
2 cups plain flour (or all purpose flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 165C (325F)

Sift all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.

In a larger bowl cream the butter & sugar with an electric mixer on medium. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until blended.

Slowly add the flour mixing on low. Or you could just fold the flour in with a spoon until just combined. Do not over mix.

Gather the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least an hour until firm.

On a floured surface roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. With cookie cutters, cut the dough into desired shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes (mine took about 20 minutes). Be careful not to brown them.

Place them on a cool flat surface.

Icing:
2 cups Icing Sugar
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
food colouring

Mix the everything except the food colouring together. You may need to add extra icing sugar.

Divide the mixture into three bowls and add a few drops of food colouring to each. I used red, green & yellow.

Place the icing mixture into ziplock bags. Cut a small section off one of the corners so that you can use it to pipe the icing onto the cookies more easily.

Decorate each cookie how you wish. We added smarties, jelly beans and other lollies.

Chicken Casserole

2010-11-04T11:13:00.004+11:00

Photo was taken before cooking - I hope it looks as nice once its done :)

4 chicken thigh fillets, cubed
1 brown onion, diced
4 celery stalks, chopped (including leaves)
1 carrot, sliced
1 zuchinni, grated
3-4 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a bunch of spring onions, cut finely
1 can Cream of Chicken & Corn Soup
1 can of corn kernels or baby corn cuts
1/2 cup water
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with noodles or steamed rice.

Mini Muffin Pizzas

2010-11-02T13:04:00.003+11:00

Inspired by Laura at Real Mom Kitchen

8 English Muffins, halved (or enough to serve 4 people)
1 jar/bottle pizza sauce
1 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Various pizza toppings (salami, ham, bacon, pineapple, mushrooms, capsicum, onion, anchovies, tomato, olives)

Preheat your oven to 200C (around 375F).

You can toast the muffins if you wish before placing the toppings on.

Line a baking tray with grease proof paper (it makes cleaning easier).

Place the muffins on the tray (we did them in batches of about 4 using two trays).

Spread pizza sauce on each muffin and add the toppings you wish to use.

Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.

The boys placed all the ingredients they wished to use on their own muffins (we all did really). Nothing like personalised pizza to eat for dinner! The picture above is what Angus's ones looked like after baking.
It's definitely something we will do again.

Moussaka

2010-09-10T17:25:00.008+10:00

Adapted from Taste.com.au

Serves 6

1 - 2 large eggplants, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
500g - 750g lamb mince
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp allspice
800g can tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 small zucchini, grated

50g butter
2 tbs plain flour
1 1/2 cups milk
pinch of nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup grated cheddar

Preheat oven to 180°C.

In batches, shallow fry the eggplants, thinly sliced, in a little olive oil until golden. (I sprayed the eggplant with some canola oil and shallow fried)

Brown the mince and onion. Add the allspice, tomatoes, zucchini and water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

Place some eggplant on the bottom of an oven-proof dish. Make sure it's large enough to hold it all or you could probably divide it into 2 lasagne type pans (or 6 individual serving dishes). Top with half the mince. Keep layering with eggplant & mince mix. Finishing with eggplant on the top layer.

Melt the butter. Stir in plain flour. Whisk in the milk. Stir over medium heat until it boils. Whisk in pinch of nutmeg and 1 egg. Pour over dish(or dishes) and sprinkle with grated cheddar.

Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes.

**This was a little on the water side once it had finished cooking. If I had known it was going to be like this I would have omitted the extra water or even thickened up the meat mixture.

*** You can also add different spices if you wish. Next time I might try chilli or paprika as my boys often complain its not spicy enough! It needs more zing!

The Cook & The Chef

2010-08-26T09:55:00.003+10:00

I've been watching The Cook & The Chef recently. ABC2 has had it on in the early hours of the morning (thank goodness for PVR's and being able to record TV shows). Gee Whiz Maggie & Simon come up with some amazing recipes!

I have to admit that I learn new things all the time. For instance Maggie was cooking cockles the other day. I just remember them as bait for fishing when I was a kid. I never really thought about eating them. In fact it was also interesting to know that cockles are also called clams. Never knew that. It got me thinking that there are lots of foods out there that we may think are unavailable here in Australia. In fact they probably are already here we just use different names for them. Perhaps its something to research & post about another time.

Zucchini and Eggplant Gratin

2010-08-19T18:27:00.002+10:00

I get tired of making the same old thing every week for tea. When I was at the supermarket the other day they had eggplant on sale for 90cents each. I couldn't not get one at that price. Once I got home I was thinking heck what do I do with it now. So I searched some recipes and found this one at http://www.taste.com.au
Mark, Brodie & I really liked it but Angus, (Mr. Fussypants) only liked the sauce & the cheese. I'm sure if I could disguise the vegetables he would've enjoyed it.

Olive oil cooking spray
250g zucchini, thinly sliced
370g eggplant, trimmed, thinly sliced
1 1/3 cups tomato pasta sauce (I used a jar of Extra Garlic pasta sauce from Dolmio)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (I actually used cheddar)

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spray both sides of zucchini and eggplant slices with oil. Cook, in batches, for 2 minutes each side or until lightly browned and soft. Transfer to a plate. Preheat grill on medium-high.

Layer one-third of the eggplant, zucchini, sauce and cheese in a greased 4cm-deep, 4 cup-capacity, flame-proof dish. Repeat with remaining eggplant, zucchini, pasta sauce and cheese.

Grill for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve.

**I also placed this in the oven on 180C for about 20 minutes while I cooked some chops. Just to make sure that it stayed warm.

Taco Soup (Slow Cooker)

2010-08-11T16:28:00.008+10:00

500g - 1kg minced beef

1 small onion, diced
1 tblspn olive oil
1 pkt taco seasoning
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can (or jar) tomato sauce (I used a jar of pasta sauce)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn kernels
1 can 4 bean mix
- - - - - -
to serve
grated cheddar cheese
sour cream
spring onions, chopped (or chives)

Place the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion & mince. Cook until the mince is browned.

Drain the excess fat from the meat & onions. Transfer this to your slow cooker (crock pot)

Add the taco seasoning and the cans of tomatoes. Rinse the 4 bean mix, then add them & the corn kernels with the liquid from the can to the slow cooker.

Slow cook for approximately 4-5 hours.

To serve place in bowls with some grated cheese, sour cream & spring onions.

Spicy Sausage Rolls

2010-06-17T18:24:00.006+10:00

500g minced pork (I used beef this time)
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chilli paste (I use about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (I use about 1 tablespoon)
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 - 3 sheets of puff pastry
1 egg for egg wash (or you can use butter/margarine)

In a bowl mix mince, chilli, garlic, egg & breadcrumbs. I like to use my hands to mix it. It tends to mix better this way. At this stage you can add worcestershire or tomato sauce if you wish.

On a sheet of defrosted puff pastry lay down a line of mince. Roll the pastry over & crimp the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining sheet(s).

Brush pastry with egg wash or melted butter/margarine. Score the pastry with a knife.

Bake in oven at 200C (400F) for 25-35 minutes.

Ravioli Bake

2010-06-11T18:22:00.004+10:00

This is our new favourite pasta dish. I found the recipe over at DesignZ by DeDe's Blog and adapted it for what I had in the pantry/fridge. Its so easy. You just assemble it and throw it in the oven! Great for when you're feeling a bit lazy.

1 x 625g pkt fresh ravioli (found in the fridge section of the supermarket - I used beef but there are plenty of varieties you can choose from - and don't just limit yourself to ravioli)
1 x 500g jar of pasta sauce
1 x 400g tin of diced tomatoes
300g grated cheese (I used mozzarella but cheddar is fine)
extra water

Pre-heat the oven to 200C (about 400F)

In a jug mix the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes. Half fill the jar with water, making sure that you get all the remaining pasta sauce mixed in with the water. When you've done this add it to the jug of pasta sauce.

In an oven proof dish place half the ravioli in the bottom of the dish. Ladle half the pasta sauce over the ravioli. Then add a layer of grated cheese (about half).
Place the remaining ravioli on the cheese, followed by the pasta sauce and the rest of the cheese.

Place in the oven & cook for about 45-50 minutes.

We only have 4 in our family & this definitely feeds all of us with plenty left over for lunch the next day, unless the boys are really hungry.

**If you want to jazz it up and make it go further you can add browned mince to the dish or even grated veggies like carrot or zucchini. Its really up to you.

Food Blogs

2010-04-19T12:23:00.003+10:00

I've not been up to taking photos & blogging my recipes of late. I should give myself a swift kick up the backside for that. I have however found some really fantastic food blogs to follow (I use google reader a lot). Here's a list of some of the ones I have found & liked.

Good Life Eats
The Double Dipped Life
A Year of Slow Cooking (great crockpot recipes)
Barbara Bakes
Cookin' Canuck
Guilty Kitchen
Not Quite Nigella
SeasaltWithFood
Smitten Kitchen

Food Calculator

2009-12-21T14:01:00.004+11:00

I just came across this food calculator over at Taste.com.au just now & I thought I would share the link. It may come in handy for converting oven temps or to metric measurements.

Pumpkin Pie

2009-10-20T14:34:00.005+11:00

I asked a good friend from Oklahoma for a recipe for pumpkin pie. We've never had it before and I thought it might be a neat way to get Angus to eat pumpkin in something other than mashed potatoes. So I finally got around to baking one today. It doesn't look like the photos that they show you online but it sure smells divine. I've not tasted it yet as it has only just come out of the oven.

The recipe is based on the Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie. But since we don't get tins of pureed pumpkin here I had to make my own puree. I made up about 1 & 3/4 cups.

3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups Pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups Evaporated milk (works out to be one can)
1 unbaked 9 inch deep side pie shell (or use your own 9inch dish with a sheet or two of short crust pastry - remember to grease the dish before you put the pastry in it).
Whipped cream (optional for serving)

Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into the pie shell.

Bake in a preheated 230C (425F) oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180C (350F) and bake for a further 40 - 50 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack.

Serve with whipped cream.

**Can be eaten hot or cold.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

2009-09-28T17:11:00.002+10:00

Meatballs
750g beef mince
1 medium brown onion, coarsely grated
1 grated carrot
55g (3/4 cup) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon chilli paste (or to taste)
1 egg, lightly whisked
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Combine mince, onion, garlic, carrot, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg & salt & pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands until the mix is combined.

Roll 1 heaped tablespoonful of mince into a ball and place onto tray. Repeat until the mixture is all used. Makes about 40 meatballs.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Cook the meatballs in batches for about 8 minutes or until the meatballs are golden brown. Transfer to a plate and repeat until all meatballs are cooked.

Spaghetti Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 410g can of crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup of vegetable stock
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
fresh basil & parsley
salt & pepper to taste

400g packet of spaghetti (cooked as per directions on the packet).

Heat the olive oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic & cook until soft.

Add stock, tomato paste and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer.

Add the meatballs and stir occasionally (and gently you don't want to break up the meatballs) until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are heated through.

Add the parsley & basil to the sauce and stir through.

Divide spaghetti and meatballs into bowls and serve immediately.

Caramel Apple Cream Cookie Slice

2009-09-22T13:04:00.002+10:00

I just found the most mouth watering pictures and recipe for a Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Slice at Picky Palate. It looks divine. You should check it out

Food Investigators Fact Sheets

2009-07-29T12:22:00.003+10:00

I have been watching Food Investigators on SBS recently and came across their fact sheet page with links to all the various things they covered during their shows.

Things such as Superfoods, eggs, bread, salt, chicken soup just to name a few. If you get the chance check it out.

Puffy Dogs

2009-06-14T12:47:00.007+10:00

This is such a quick and easy snack to make. My boys (and the adults too) like to snack on these or have them for lunch. They are perfect for school lunches.

3 sheets of Puff Pastry, thawed (in freezer section of the supermarket)
24 cocktail franks (mini hot dogs)
margarine, melted

Turn oven on to 200C (400F).

Spray 2 baking trays with cooking spray so that the puffy dogs wont stick to the bottom.

Slice the puff pastry into half and then into 4 fingers. Making sure that it is wide enough for the cocktail franks to be covered by the pastry. Make 8 rectangular pieces from each sheet of puff pastry.

Spread some melted margarine on the ends of the pastry. Place a cocktail frank on the pastry and then roll pastry around the frank. Place on tray. Spreading them evenly so they don't stick together once the pastry starts to puff up.

Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Meatloaf

2009-06-05T17:28:00.010+10:00

Adapted from a Meatloaf Recipe at Taste.com.au

500g beef mince
olive oil
1 brown onion, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 rashers of bacon, finely chopped
1 small or medium zucchini, grated
2 carrots, grated
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 egg, beaten lightly
2 1/2 cups bread crumbs
salt & pepper
1 cup grated cheese, for topping

Pre-heat oven to 200C (390F)

Brown the onion, garlic and bacon in a saucepan with a little olive oil. Let cool.

With clean hands mix mince, carrot, zucchini, barbecue & tomato sauce, egg and 2 cups of breadcrumbs. Add the onion & bacon mix. Combine thoroughly.

Lightly grease a loaf tin 7 cm deep, 11cm x 21 cm with margarine, olive oil or cooking spray.
Place meat mixture into the tin. Pressing down firmly.
Mix half a cup of breadcrumbs and the grated cheese. Sprinkle this on top of the meat mixture.

Bake in the oven for approximately 50 minutes or until firm to touch. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with roast vegetables.

Slow Cooked Spaghetti Bolognaise

2009-05-31T14:44:00.008+10:00

I'd never prepared spaghetti using the slow cooker before. I was really impressed with how it turned out. The meat & sauce was much smoother than it usually is if just cooked in a saucepan. You can also add any vegetables to your pot as you wish.

500g beef mince
2 medium onions, chopped finely
3 carrots, grated
1 zucchini, grated
1 swede, grated
1 tin creamed corn
1 400g jar of pasta sauce
chilli to taste
3 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely sliced
Dash of Worcestershire sauce

1 500g pkt of pasta

Place garlic, chilli & onion in saucepan. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes before adding mince. Cook until mince is brown.

Transfer meat mix to slow cooker.

Add carrots, zucchini, creamed corn & pasta sauce. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper.

Cook for approximately 6 hours on low heat.

Cook pasta as per directions on packet. Serve.

Banana Muffins

2009-04-25T13:05:00.003+10:00

Angus was bored this morning and we decided we would bake some muffins to fill in the time. I used a basic muffin recipe and then added 3 mashed up bananas. I use this recipe pretty much for most muffin mixes I just add different fruit like apples and sultanas.

2 cups plain flour
1 tbsn baking powder
2 tspn ground cinnamon (or mixed spice)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 - 3 bananas mashed
1/2 cup margarine or butter melted & cooled
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 180C

Grease a muffin pan (this mix makes 12 muffins) or line the pan with paper muffin cases.

Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon together into a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar and bananas. Mix until well combined.

In a bowl or jug whisk the eggs, milk and butter until well combined.

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Don't over stir or the muffins will have a tough texture once cooked.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin pan.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the muffins are golden and cooked through.

Passion fruit Muffins

2009-04-10T13:11:00.003+10:00

I was given some passion fruit by one of the sisters at Church and I thought I would have to make some muffins with them. They were delicious!

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup yoghurt, plain or flavoured
60g butter, melted
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1 1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup passion fruit pulp

Preheat oven to 180C and grease a 12 hole muffin pan.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until frothy.

Add yoghurt and melted butter. Mix well. Add the passion fruit, coconut and flour. Mix gently.

Fill muffin pan with the mixture and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Thai Fish Balls with Chilli and Lime Mayonnaise

2008-12-05T16:14:00.002+11:00

I got this recipe from the Kraft Website .. it sounds really yummy!

600g white fish fillets, roughly chopped

2 red chillies, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons Light Smooth Peanut Spread

2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1/4 cup coriander, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

1 tablespoon grated lime rind

1 teaspoon lime juice

plain flour, for rolling

oil for shallow frying

lime wedges, to serve

Place fish, chillies, garlic, peanut spread, coriander and fish sauce in a food processor and process until smooth. Place into a bowl and stir in the onion. Cover and chill 5 minutes.

Combine the mayonnaise, coriander, chilli sauce, rind and juice until smooth. Chill.

Shape the fish mixture, using wet hands, into 30 × 2cm balls and roll lightly in flour. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the balls, in 2 batches, for 5-7 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.

Serve with the Chilli and Lime Mayonnaise.

Smashed Potatoes

2008-09-22T12:48:00.008+10:00

I can't remember exactly where I got this recipe from but it sure is delicious. My youngest just adores eating potatoes (it must be his Irish heritage) and he can't seem to get enough of these. These are the ones that I cooked last night.

***I now cheat when I make this. I cook the potatoes in the microwave for about 15-20 minutes depending on how many potatoes I am using***

12 small washed potatoes
Fresh Rosemary (or dried)
Olive oil
4-5 cloves of garlic, squashed

First of all you need to boil the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes, then drain.

Turn the oven on to about 200C. I found that a hot oven works best so that the potatoes turn a golden brown.

Get a baking tray and sprinkle the bottom of it with olive oil so that the potatoes don't stick.

Place the cooked potatoes on the tray. Get a potato masher and squash (smash) the potato.

Sprinkle some more olive oil over the potatoes now add the rosemary and garlic.

Bake in the oven for about an hour. Serves 4.

A Different Corned Beef

2008-09-08T11:46:00.005+10:00

I got this recipe out of my Easy Slow Cooker Cookbook by Barbara C. Jones. Oh my goodness it is so melt in the mouth! The only thing that was wrong with the meat was there wasn't enough of it for second helpings! It was just so delicious!! If you have a slow cooker (or a crock pot as we call it here in our house) you really should try this recipe. You put it on in the morning and by dinner time you just need to do the veggies to go with it. We will definitely be cooking this one again.

2 onions, sliced
Lemon pepper
1 x 1.5 to 2 kg (3-4 pounds) seasoned corned beef (silverside)

Glaze
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (we used a mix of hot english and whole seed)

Place sliced onion in a large slow cooker. Add 1 cup (250 ml) water.

Sprinkled lemon pepper liberally over corned beef and place on top of onion.

Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

Remove corned beef and onion from slow cooker and place in an oven-proof pan.

Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F)

Prepare glaze by combining all ingredients and spoon over corned beef.

Bake for 30 minutes and baste occasionally with the glaze.

Caramel Biscuits

2008-08-29T09:44:00.000+10:00

6 tablespoons (or 115 grams) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 dessert spoon golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup self-raising flour

Cream the butter and sugar then mix in all the other ingredients. Form into walnut sized balls, press down with a fork onto a greased baking tray. Bake until cooked in a moderate oven.

Sloppy Joes Recipe

2008-08-28T18:38:00.005+10:00

This recipe is from Simply Recipes'
One of my online girlfriends, Gail, used to tell me about this particular meal as she would sometimes eat this for her dinner. For the life of me I don't know why I never asked her for the recipe. At least now I can honestly say I found it. I am sure that my boys will love it. I'll have to make it soon now that I know how it's done.

The trick to this recipe is to brown the meat well, on high heat. Don't crowd the pan, work in batches, and don't stir the meat until it is well browned on one side. It helps to use a large cast iron pan, or an anodised aluminium pan, as these pans can handle the heat and are relatively stick-free.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup minced carrots (can sub chopped bell pepper)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
1 1/4 lb ground beef (mince)
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce (or 1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes, puréed)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Pinch ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 turns of freshly ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns

Method

1 Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. (If you are using bell pepper instead of carrots, add those at the same time as the onions.) Add the chopped onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent, about 5 more minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from heat. Remove vegetables from the pan to a medium sized bowl, set aside.

2 Using the same pan (or you can cook the meat at the same time as the vegetables in a separate pan to save time), generously salt the bottom of the pan (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon). Heat the pan on high. Crumble the ground beef into the pan. You will likely need to do this in two batches, otherwise you will crowd the pan and the beef won't easily brown. Do not stir the ground beef, just let it cook until it is well browned on one side. Then flip the pieces over and brown the second side. Use a slotted spoon to remove the ground beef from the pan (can add to the set-aside vegetables), salt the pan again and repeat with the rest of the ground beef.

If you are using extra lean beef, you will likely not have any excess fat in the pan. If you are using 16% or higher, you may have excess fat. Strain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.

3 Return the cooked ground beef and vegetables to the pan. Add the ketchup, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and brown sugar to the pan. Stir to mix well. Add ground cloves, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Lower the heat to medium low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve with toasted hamburger buns. Serves 4.

Cream Cheese Lemon Slice

2008-07-28T14:03:00.003+10:00

1 packet of lemon cake mix
1/3 cup butter or margarine - softened
1 egg
1 cup cream cheese - softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 lemon - grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice or 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend dry cake mix, butter and egg.

Press into a 9x13 pan, ungreased.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually blend in the powdered sugar. Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture and refrigerate it.

Beat the 2 eggs and vanilla into the remaining mixture until blended. Spread over the cake mixture.

Bake at 350° until set, 25-30 minutes.
Cool completely. Spread on the reserved cream cheese mixture.

Refrigerate until firm.

Shepherd's Pie

2008-07-18T09:40:00.001+10:00

2 teaspoons oil

1kg trim lamb mince (ground lamb or beef)

1 onion, finely chopped or grated

1 carrot, grated

1 zucchini, grated

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon dried sage leaves

Salt and pepper, to taste

750g potatoes, peeled and chopped

250g pumpkin, peeled and chopped

125g cream cheese

3/4 cup reduced fat milk

Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat and cook mince until well browned. Add onion and cook until softened. Stir in the carrot, zucchini, stock, paste, herbs and seasoning. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Boil or steam the potatoes and pumpkin until tender, drain. Mash well then stir in the cream cheese and milk.

Place lamb filling into a deep baking dish, top with potato mixture and bake at 180°C for 30 minutes until golden.

Minestrone Soup

2008-07-02T15:49:00.003+10:00

3 cups mixed Vegetables (Carrot, Celery, Onion, Turnip)
2/3 cup Macaroni
1/4 cup Rice
1/4 cup Butter
4 Tomatoes
3/4 cup Haricot Beans, cooked
Salt
4 cups Stock
2 teaspoons Parsley, chopped
2 cups Cabbage, finely shredded

Neatly dice all vegetable, skin and slice tomatoes.

Melt butter in large saucepan, add prepared vegetables and steam until tender. Add stock and heat. Add macaroni and cook 1/2 hour. Add rice and shredded cabbage and cook 15 minutes.

Season, Add beans and parsley. Serve hot with parmesan cheese.

Apple Carrot Cake

2008-06-26T10:11:00.001+10:00

2 cups self-raising flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

75g pecans, chopped

125g Light Spreadable Cream Cheese

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup grated carrot

1 cup grated apple

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons oil

250g icing sugar

25g butter, softened

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine the sifted flour, cinnamon and nutmeg with pecans in a large bowl.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then beat in the eggs. Stir in the carrot, apple, milk and oil. Fold in the dry ingredients to combine.

Pour mixture into a greased 20cm ring tin and bake at 180°C for 30-35 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool.

Beat together the icing sugar, butter and lemon juice until smooth. Top the cooled cake with the lemon icing and serve.

Apple Crumble Muffins

2008-06-26T10:08:00.002+10:00

2 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cups reduced fat milk

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and grated
1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup Smooth Peanut Spread

1/4 cup raw sugar

Combine the sifted flour and cinnamon with sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, and add the combined milk, oil, eggs and apples. Stir gently until mixture is just combined. Spoon into 12 x 1/2 cup capacity lightly oiled muffin pans.

Combine ingredients for the crumble and spread evenly over the top of each muffin, lightly pressing into the muffin mixture. Bake at 180ºC for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Tuna & Sweet Corn Quiche

2008-06-17T12:31:00.002+10:00

225g (8 oz) shortcrust pastry

200g can of tuna in brine, drained
195g can sweet corn, drained
4 spring onions, trimmed & chopped
2 medium eggs, beaten
Salt & pepper
2 teaspoons freshly chopped sage
150 ml skimmed milk

Preheat oven to 190 C (375F).

Line a 20 cm flan dish with the pastry. Trim the edges.

Mix together the tuna, sweet corn, spring onions and arrange them in the bottom of the flan case.

Beat the eggs with the salt & pepper, sage and milk. Carefully pour this mixture over the flan filling.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and cooked.

Cut the quiche into wedges and serve with salad.

Red Chilli Soup

2008-06-16T22:27:00.002+10:00

1 red capsicum, deseeded and diced
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
400g (14 oz) tin diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
700 ml vegetable stock
400g (14 oz) can of kidney beans, drained
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
chopped parsley to garnish

Gently fry capsicum, onion and garlic in oil.

Add chilli powder and cook for 30 seconds before adding tomatoes, puree and stock.

Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in kidney beans and season with salt and pepper. Heat through.

Remove from heat and stir in sugar.

Serve in warm bowls garnished with chopped parsley.

**You can add more chilli powder (0r fresh chilli) if you prefer a spicier soup.

Chicken Stroganoff

2008-06-11T09:47:00.002+10:00

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (180g each) chicken breast fillets trimmed
1 medium brown onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
200g cup mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup light sour cream
steamed white long-grain rice and finely chopped fresh chives to serve

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced.

Heat half the oil in a flame-proof baking dish over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Cook for 2 minutes each side or until light golden. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining oil in pan. Add garlic, onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add paprika. Cook stirring, for 1 minute. Add Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add stock. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat**

Stir in sour cream. Season with pepper. Return chicken to dish. Transfer to oven. Bake, turning chicken occasionally, for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with chives.

Serve with steamed rice.

** Remove baking dish from heat before adding sour cream to ensure sauce doesn't separate.

Broccoli, Ham and Pasta Frittata

2008-06-06T18:25:00.001+10:00

125g dried pasta (e.g. macaroni)

300g broccoli florets

2 teaspoons oil

1 red onion, sliced

50g ham, chopped

1/2 cup corn kernels (frozen or canned)

8 eggs

1/4 cup milk

salt and pepper, to taste

4 Swiss Singles sliced cheese, halved diagonally

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water according to pack directions; drain. Boil or steam broccoli until tender; drain.

Heat oil in a 28cm non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender. Stir in the pasta, broccoli, ham and corn. Whisk together the eggs, milk and seasoning and pour over the top. Lay over the cheese slices.

Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes until almost set. Place under a pre-heated grill for 2-3 minutes until cooked on top. Cut into 4 and serve immediately.

Falafel

2008-05-14T16:40:00.002+10:00

This recipe is from Brodie's school. He cooked this during Home Ec. today and said it was delicious.

1 cup dried broad beans
1 cup dried chick peas
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup fresh chopped coriander
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon mixed spices
salt and pepper

Soak the beans and chick peas in waster and bicarbonate of soda overnight.

Drain the beans and chickpeas and add the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and blend the mixture into a smooth paste. Allow to stand for at least one hour.

Mould the mixture into round patties about 4cm in diameter.

Deep fry until golden brown.

Serve with salad or Tabouleh.

Butterscotch-Apple Cake

2008-04-27T18:45:00.003+10:00

I need to give credit where it's due. I got this recipe from the Noble Pig. This recipe is just decadent and totally yummy!

Butterscotch-Apple Cake
adapted from Taste of the South

1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups finely chopped, peeled apples
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butterscotch morsels
Garnish: caramel sauce and whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, mix together oil and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; beat well. Stir in vanilla, apples and pecans. (Mixture will be thick).

Spread mixture evenly in a greased 9 x 13 -inch baking pan. Sprinkle butterscotch chips over top. Bake for 55 minutes.

Cool completely in pan. Garnish with caramel sauce and whipped cream.

This cake is so moist and rich it will taste like you slaved in the kitchen all day.

Sausage, Onion & Sweet Chilli Mini Pizzas

2008-04-24T18:19:00.001+10:00

2 teaspoons oil

1 brown onion, sliced

4 x 15cm mini pizza bases

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 sliced cheese , cut into quarters, diagonally

4 cooked sausages, sliced

1/2 green capsicum, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

Heat oil in a pan; add onion and sauté until lightly browned.

Place pizza bases on a large baking tray and spread with tomato paste. Top with cheese, sausage, capsicum and onion.

Drizzle with sweet chilli sauce and bake at 200°C for 10-12 minutes until golden and heated through. Serve.

BBQ Dogs – For the Adults

2008-04-24T17:57:00.001+10:00

10 heat and eat mini long rolls

10 chipolata sausages

1/2 cup Smooth Peanut Butter

2 teaspoons oil

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons brown sugar

Baby rocket leaves, to serve

Bake rolls according to pack instructions. Cook sausages until golden brown and cooked through.

Heat oil in a small saucepan and sauté the onion until softened. Stir in the sugar and cook a further 3-4 minutes until caramelised and brown.

Cut rolls 3/4 of the way down the centre almost to the bottom. Spread with peanut butter and top with some rocket, a sausage and onion. Serve immediately.

Chicken Noodle Pancakes

2008-04-19T19:16:00.005+10:00

1 packet of Chicken Noodle Soup mix
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup corn kernels
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain flour
oil for pan frying

Combine the soup mix and boiling water. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Add chicken, corn and eggs. Stir in the flour.

Heat oil in a fry pan. Spoon approximately 1/3 cup of the mix into the pan. Cook until golden, turn and cook other side. Repeat with remaining mixture.

Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and carrots.

Honey and Apricot Cheesecake

2008-04-12T16:03:00.001+10:00

1 cup ginger nut biscuit crumbs

2 tablespoons low-fat margarine, melted

500g block Light Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup honey

2 x 55g eggs

2 tablespoons cornflour

1 tablespoon lemon juice

200g diced dried apricots, soaked in 1 cup water, drained

Combine biscuit crumbs and margarine then press into the base of a greased 20cm spring form pan; chill.

Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and honey using an electric mixer, until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in cornflour and juice until smooth. Stir in the drained apricots.

Pour mixture into the prepared base and bake at 170°C for 45-55 minutes or until just set. Allow to cool in oven with door ajar. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Avocado & Prawn Potato Salad

2008-03-26T16:34:00.002+11:00

1kg baby potatoes

2 avocados, sliced

4 spring onions, cut into lengths and immersed in chilled water to curl

400g cooked prawn cutlets

1/2 cup Potato Salad Dressing

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

Steam or boil the potatoes until tender, drain, cool then cut into quarters.

Arrange the potatoes, avocado, spring onions and prawns onto a large serving plate.

Combine the dressing and lemon rind then drizzle over the salad.

Serve.

Ham & Sausage Pie

2008-03-25T12:53:00.003+11:00

Crust
3 cups of flour
3 Tablespoons of sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
1/8 cup of milk.

Filling
2 cups of Ham, cooked and diced
1/2 kilo of Sweet Sausage, cooked and sliced
1/4 inch thick
1 kilo of ricotta cheese
1 small mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Topping
1 egg
1 tablespoon of milk.

Mix the flour and sugar together, make a well in the centre, add the 3 eggs, shortening and milk, mixing together until dough is easy to handle.

Divide in half, roll out one portion and fit into 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover other remaining half of dough for later.

In a small bowl, beat the 4 eggs.

In a large bowl, mix together the ham, sausage, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in eggs and spread filling in crust.

Roll out remaining dough and and fit on top of mixture, seal edges, cut slit in top, then brush top with mixture of 1 well-beaten egg and 1 tablespoon of milk.

Bake for 45-60 minutes in a preheated 350 F degree oven until crust is golden brown and filling is firm.

Cool slightly before serving.

Bakewell Tarts

2008-03-19T16:38:00.003+11:00

I got this recipe from Brodie. It's one that he made during Home Ec. this term at school. They were really delicious.

The name comes from Bakewell pudding, a popular pudding from the UK. It was made famous by a cook at the Rutland Arms Hotel in Bakewell around 200 years ago.

Pastry
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
pinch salt
65g butter
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/2 egg, lightly beaten**

Filling
2 tablespoons apricot jam
60g butter
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup coconut

Set the oven to 180C.

Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl.

Rub butter into flour and salt ingredients using fingertips.

Add sugar.

Add sufficient egg to mixture to form a firm dough.

Lift onto a lightly floured board, knead until smooth.

Rest for 10-15 minutes - prepare the filling at this stage.

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in the egg then stir in the coconut.

Roll pastry and cut with fluted cutter.

Place pastry into patty tin and spread with a thin layer of apricot jam.

Spread filling over jam.

Bake at 180C for 20 minutes. Decrease the temperature after 10 minutes to 160C.

** to obtain half an egg beat a whole egg and divide it into two equal amounts.

You could always try this with other jams for variety.

Crock pot Meatloaf

2008-03-08T00:01:00.002+11:00

1 egg lightly beaten
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
500g minced beef (less fat works better)
1 small onion, peeled and chopped fine
1 celery stalk, chopped fine
1 small capsicum, chopped fine
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1 tablespoon mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste
2 potatoes, sliced thick

Mix all the ingredients except potatoes.

Shape it into a large round loaf, about 4cm smaller than the sides of the crock pot.

Put the potatoes slices around edge of the meatloaf.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Serve with the potato slices.

**A crock pot is another name for a slow cooker. Mine gets quite a work out when the cooler weather hits. I think its one of the best purchases I have ever made for my kitchen.

Banana Slice

2008-03-03T13:14:00.001+11:00

1 cup self raising flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1/4 cup of milk
1 egg beaten
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup castor sugar
60 grams butter
1/3 cup mashed banana
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Sift dry ingredients.

Melt butter. Mix the egg, milk, butter and banana. Stir into the dry ingredients.

Grease a lamington pan and bake for 25 - 30 minutes in a moderate oven.

Ice when cold with lemon icing and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Passionfruit Cheesecake

2008-02-29T21:39:00.001+11:00

1 1/4 cups sweet biscuit crumbs

70g butter, melted

500g block Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon gelatine, dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water

1 cup cream, lightly whipped

2 x 170g cans passion fruit pulp

kiwi fruit slices, garnish

Combine biscuit crumbs and butter and press into the base of a lined 20cm spring form pan; chill.

Beat cream cheese and sugar using an electric mixer until smooth. Add lemon juice and gelatine mixture and beat until combined. Fold through the cream and 1 can of passion fruit pulp.

Pour mixture into prepared base and chill 3 hours or until set. Serve cheesecake topped with kiwi fruit and drizzled with remaining passion fruit pulp.

Carrot Muffins

2008-02-26T10:03:00.000+11:00

2 1/2 cups Self Raising Flour
2 teaspoon mixed spice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sultanas
1/4 chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups grated carrot
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
80 grams of butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Brush oil on the bottoms of 12 muffin tins.

Wrap the carrot in some to paper towel to absorb some of the water.

Mix flour, spice, sultanas, carrot, walnuts and sugar in a bowl.

In another bowl mix the milk, egg and butter.

Pour the egg mixture into the flour and fold in with a fork. Do not mix it too much: it just has to be wet mostly through. This is the main secret to light muffins.

Spoon into muffin tins, filling each one about 2/3.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until just starting to brown.

Vegetarian Chili

2008-02-24T22:27:00.004+11:00

I got this recipe from one of my email groups. I haven't tried it yet but it sure does sound yummy.

1 medium red capsicum (bell pepper) chopped

1 medium green capsicum (bell pepper) chopped

3 carrots peeled and chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 medium onions chopped

4 large tomatoes, chopped OR

2 cans whole tomatoes drained and chopped

1 can dark red kidney beans (15.25 oz) well drained

1 can garbanzo beans (chick-peas) -- (15.25 oz) rinsed and drained

1 can black beans (15.25 oz) rinsed and drained

2 teaspoon chilli powder

2 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoon marjoram

salt and pepper

In a 4 litre electric slow cooker, mix together the capsicums, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, beans, chilli powder, cumin and marjoram. Cover and cook on the low heat setting about 8 hours or until the vegetables are almost tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Curried Red Lentil Soup

2008-02-22T17:32:00.003+11:00

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1 1/2 cups dried red lentils
1 tomato, roughly chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
crusty bread to serve

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add curry powder/ Cook for a further 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add lentils, tomato, stock and 1 cup warm water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until soup has thickened or lentils are cooked.

Ladle into bowls. Top with sour cream and parsley & serve with bread.

Tuna & Pesto Bake

2008-02-22T17:14:00.003+11:00

500g dried Penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 green onions, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
250g cherry tomatoes, quartered
120g baby spinach
1/4 cup basil pesto
1 cup light evaporated milk
2 x 185g cans tuna in olive oil, chunky style
1/2 cup grated light mozzarella cheese
mixed salad leaves to serve

Preheat oven to 180C (400F)

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain.

Heat oil in large fry pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and celery. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until onion is soft.

Add tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add spinach, pesto and milk. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until spinach has just wilted.

Add pasta to pan with tuna (undrained). Season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.

Spoon mixture into an 2 litre (8 cup) capacity ceramic baking dish. Top with cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Food Safari

2008-02-18T16:48:00.007+11:00

My baby & I have been watching Food Safari on SBS for a while now and we also watched it last year too. They have some fantastic recipes on the show which they then place on the web site.

Each episode concentrates on a different country and its style of cooking. Maeve, the host, has looked at Spanish, French, Thai, Sri Lankan, Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Brazilian, Indian, Maltese, Moroccan, Malaysian, Pakistani and that's just the ones I can remember.

If you get the chance you should check it out!

Sweet Potato and Cheese Muffins

2008-02-18T16:40:00.003+11:00

1 3/4 cups Self Raising Flour
2 tablespoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup grated cheese
3/4 cup grated sweet potato
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup of butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 200 C.

Brush oil on the bottoms of 12 regular sized muffin tins.

Mix flour, sugar, paprika and baking powder in a bowl. Add the cheese, basil and sweet potato and mix well.

In another bowl mix the milk, egg, and butter .

Pour the egg mixture into the flour and fold in with a fork. Do not over mix.. it just has to be wet mostly through, it doesn't even matter if there are small areas of flour about. This is the main secret to good, light muffins.

Spoon into muffin tins filling each one about 2/3.

Bake for 15 - 25 minutes or until just starting to brown.

Nutty Chocolate Fudge

2008-02-17T15:55:00.000+11:00

60 grams butter
4 tablespoon cocoa
200 grams condensed milk
2 cups brown sugar
4 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup nuts

Place all ingredients except nuts and vanilla in saucepan, stir using a wooden spoon over low heat until sugar dissolves, bring mixture to the boil and simmer for 25 minute, test for soft ball.

Remove, beat until smooth and thick. Add vanilla and nuts.

Set in greased pan. Cut into squares once completely set.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry

2008-02-15T17:04:00.001+11:00

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

500g rump steak, thinly sliced

1 onion, sliced into thin wedges

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup water

1/4 cup Crunchy Peanut Butter

2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Hokkien noodles, to serve

Heat half the oil in a wok or frying pan over medium high heat. Cook beef in batches until browned, remove.

Add remaining oil and stir-fry onion and garlic until tender. Add broccoli and stir-fry for 1 minute, then stir in the combined water, peanut butter, chilli sauce and soy sauce. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until broccoli is tender and sauce has thickened.

Stir in beef, heat through, then serve immediately over noodles.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2008-02-10T13:27:00.000+11:00

I was sent this recipe by an email buddy, Andi. She said it's awesome. I haven't tried it yet but it does sound nice

6 Tablespoons butter/margarine
6 cups water
10 chicken bouillon cubes
2 package frozen broccoli
24 ounce package egg noodles
whole onions
2 Tablespoon garlic salt
4 cups milk
1 pound Velveeta cheese

Saute butter/margarine with chopped onion. Boil broccoli & Noodles in separate pots, when done drain both and add together with milk, water, bouillon cubes, cheese, onion, garlic salt, and cheese (all those ingred.) Heat through and makes a large kettle.

Vegetarian Lasagne

2008-02-09T12:38:00.000+11:00

1 Package lasagne noodles
1 Jar favourite meatless pasta sauce
1 Small package lite mozzarella cheese
1 Fresh medium eggplant
3 Tomatoes
Parsley Flakes
1 Package frozen spinach
Salt and pepper
1 Small package of cottage cheese

Thinly slice eggplant into rounds and lay on a paper towel, salt lightly. Lay another paper towel on top and layer with eggplant slices and salt lightly. Continue this layering method until all eggplant is used.

Place a heavy pan on a cookie sheet on top of stack and leave to sit for half an hour to two hours.
Defrost spinach and drain as much water out as possible. (Using a colander)

Cook lasagne noodles in oven at 180C until soft and tender

Mix cottage cheese and defrosted spinach together in a large bowl and add salt and pepper

Using a casserole pan, spread a layer of sauce and then place a tender lasagne noodle on top

Place a layer of spinach/cottage cheese mix, sauce, eggplant slices and then a noodle. Repeat this process until pan is full.

Place sauce and thinly sliced tomatoes on the last layer and then sprinkle mozzarella cheese heavily on top.

Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees. (Eggplant should be soft and a brown colour)

Beef Casserole (Stew)

2008-02-08T10:24:00.000+11:00

1 large casserole pot/saucepan
1 kg gravy beef
4 potatoes peeled and cut into half
1 litre of beef stock
3 carrots peeled and cut into rings
1 cup of peas
1 diced onion
1/4 cauliflower cut into good size pieces
1 dessert spoon of oil
salt and pepper
1 cup of gravy mixed with water
1 teaspoon French mustard

Heat oil in a large saucepan add onions & brown.

Dice beef into cubes removing any fat. Add beef too the saucepan & cook until sealed.

Add stock, mustard, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, salt and pepper and top up with water until completely covered.

Bring to boil then simmer.

When the potatoes are soft add peas and gravy. Continue to simmer until gravy is thickened.

Cooking time is about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Hazelnut & Coffee Muffins

2008-02-08T09:26:00.000+11:00

2 cups Self Raising Flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup roughly chopped hazelnuts
6 teaspoons instant coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons of butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Brush oil on the bottoms of 12 muffin tins.

Mix flour, hazelnuts and sugar in a bowl.

Use just enough boiling water to dissolve the coffee and mix it with the milk.

In another bowl mix the milk, egg, butter and vanilla.

Pour the egg mixture into the flour and fold in with a fork. Do not over mix.. it just has to be wet mostly through. This is the main secret to good muffins.

Spoon into muffin tins, filling each one about 2/3.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until just starting to brown and a skewer comes out clean.

Tuna Patties

2008-02-01T14:13:00.000+11:00

Patties
1 350g can white tuna packed in water, drained and finely flaked
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced (or finely chopped) onion
1 egg
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Lemon Dill Sauce
1/4 cup non-fat chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried dill

In large bowl, combine tuna, breadcrumbs, green onion, egg, milk and lemon peel.

With lightly floured hands, form mixture into patties.

Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.

Cook patties, until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Sauce: combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm.

Add a small amount of flour and mix with a whisk to thicken sauce.

Spoon sauce over tuna patties and serve.

Chicken & Salad Roll/Baguette

2008-02-01T10:40:00.000+11:00

4 long rolls, split, buttered

1 medium sized BBQ chicken, shredded

80g mixed lettuce

1 tomato, sliced

1 red onion, finely sliced

1/3 cup Mayonnaise

Top each roll with BBQ chicken, mixed lettuce, tomato slices and onion.

Drizzle generously with mayonnaise.

Serve warm or cold

***Great for kids school lunches

Nutty Noodles with Vegetables

2008-02-01T10:35:00.000+11:00

1 packet 2 minute noodles

1 tablespoon Crunchy Peanut Butter

1 cup cooked mixed vegetables (i.e. corn, peas, carrot)

Prepare the noodles according pack directions. Stir through the peanut butter and vegetables and heat a further minute or until vegetables are warmed through. Serve immediately.

***This is a great way of using up left over vegetables. If you wish to use frozen vegetables follow the microwave directions on the pack before adding to the noodles.

Savoury Ham and Cheddar Muffins

2008-02-01T10:32:00.000+11:00

1 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup Cheddar Cheese Spread, softened

3 spring onions, sliced

50g sliced ham, chopped

1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese Spread, extra, to serve

Whisk together milk, oil and eggs in a bowl to combine. Fold in the flour and baking powder until just combined.

Add the cheese spread, spring onions and ham and mix until just combined. Spoon into 12 greased ½ cup capacity muffin pans.

Bake at 190°C for 15-20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Spread with some extra cheese spread to serve.

What's in a Name?

2008-01-27T10:16:00.000+11:00

I've come across many different names for various ingredients in the recipes that I have at home. Sometimes I had no clue what the ingredients were. So I thought I would compile a list of the foods that we aren't always sure of to make things easier. I hope I haven't left too many out.

All-purpose flour - Plain flour
Argula - Rocket
Aubergine - Eggplant
Baking soda - Bicarb Soda (bicarbonate of soda).
Bayabas - Guava
Bell Pepper - Capsicum
Beet- Beetroot
Bock Choy - Chinese cabbage
Boullion Cubes - Stock cubes
Broil - to Grill
Burghul - Cracked Wheat
Candied - glace
Cantaloupe - Rockmelon
Cilantro - Coriander
Cookie Sheet - Baking tray
Confectioners Sugar - Icing sugar
Cornstarch - cornflour
Courgette - Zucchini
Double cream - Thick cream
Extract - Essence, such as vanilla essence
Fava bean - broad bean
Frosting - Icing
Garbanzo - Chickpea.
Grill - BBQ
Kumara - Sweet Potato.
Mange tout - Snow Peas.
Marichino Cherries - Glace Cherries
Marzipan - Almond paste
Mutton Fish - Abalone
Papaya - Paw Paw
Scallions - Shallots
Skillet - Frying pan
Sweet Pepper - Capsicum
Superfine Sugar - Caster sugar
Treacle - Golden Syrup
White Vegetable Shortening - Copha

Vegetarian Chilli

2008-01-16T16:24:00.000+11:00

1medium to large eggplant, cut into 2 cm (1-inch) cubes
Olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 large red capsicums, cored, seeded, diced
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, finely minced
1 440g can peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1-2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 cup cooked white beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
1 1/2 cup cooked kidney beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
Zest of one lemon
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cubed eggplant into small, shallow roasting pan. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven, set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat in a 2 litre Dutch oven. Add onions, cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic, cook for a minute more. Add zucchini, capsicums and jalapeños. Cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Coarsely chop the canned tomatoes, add to pot with their liquid. Add wine, cumin oregano, and fennel seeds. Add chilli powder to desired heat. Gently stir in reserved eggplant, simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.

Add beans, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and coriander. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions.

Serves 8-10.

Lamb Stir Fry

2008-01-14T10:21:00.000+11:00

1 onion sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon oil
500g lamb strips
2 tablespoons chopped basil
2 tablespoons chopped chilli
2 tablespoons hoi sin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
250g broccoli
250g bok choy or other Asian greens
1 cup snow peas

Stir fry onion and garlic in a wok or large fry pan with oil.

Add the lamb strips and fry for 4 minutes. Add vegetables and fry until almost cooked.
Stir through other ingredients for one minute.

Serve with steamed rice or noodles.

***You can add any vegetables you would like with this one. Just remember to cut them into smaller sizes for faster cooking.

Stuffed Capsicum

2008-01-14T10:14:00.000+11:00

3 red capsicums (peppers)
440g can black beans, drained and rinsed (or use a three bean mix)
1 cup corn
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
30g light cheddar cheese, grated
30g Gouda cheese, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. coriander
1/4 cup water
nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 175C. Spray 20 x 30cm pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Cut capsicums in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Combine remaining ingredients except the cheese. Fill capsicums with the bean mixture until half full and place in pan. Pour 1/4 cup water in bottom of pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle each half with cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Can be served with steamed veggies, a salad, or baked potato.

Caramel Fingers

2008-01-14T10:11:00.000+11:00

250g butter
1 egg
1 cup mixed fruit
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
nuts

Melt butter and sugar in a saucepan, pour into bowl when cool, add egg and beat well until mixed. Stir in flour, fruit and nuts.

Spread in greased slab tin and bake until golden brown. Ice while hot with chocolate icing.

Florentine Cabonara

2007-12-22T15:37:00.001+11:00

This one is a new family favourite. We actually use more pasta than in this recipe and we double the eggs & bacon because we love it so much & have it as a main meal. It's very easy to make and doesn't take all that long to prepare & cook.

3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup tasty cheese, grated
5 rashers rindless bacon, chopped (or up to 500g bacon pieces)
1 large onion, chopped
350 g spaghetti (we use a 1 kg packet)
300g sour cream
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2-3 tablespoons chilli (or to taste)
3 cloves garlic

Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Add spaghetti's and boil until al dente (around 8 minutes).

While the spaghetti is boiling, lightly fry bacon pieces & onion in a frying pan.

Once spaghetti is cooked, drain and add beaten eggs immediately, stirring through the hot pasta. Add bacon and cheese; stir through and serve.

** You can add all sorts of other ingredients to spice this up or add variety. We sometimes add silver beet from our garden or grated zucchini. It really is up to you what you add or omit from this recipe.

** Feeds four but there are enough left overs for another meal however not necessarily the case in our family due to the fact that we all love this one and with growing boys, they eat so much!

Lemon Delicious Pudding

2007-12-22T15:09:00.000+11:00

60 g butter
3/4 cup castor sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk

Beat softened butter and sugar until it is well mixed and then stir in sifted flour, lemon rind and juice.

Combine the 2 egg yolks with the milk, then gradually add to the mixture, beating well as you go. Beat the egg whites until there are soft peaks, and fold into the mixture.

Pour into a greased 4 cup oven-proof dish. Bake in moderate oven for 35 minutes.

Corn Soup

2007-12-11T14:32:00.000+11:00

4 large ripe tomatoes
1 1/2 cups (300g) corn kernels
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups (750 ml) vegetable stock
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Score across the base of the tomatoes then place in boiling water for 10 seconds. Plunge into cold water and peel the skin away from the cross. Cut in half, scoop out the seeds and chop.

Using the pulse action, process half the corn in a food processor until smooth. If necessary, scrape down the side of the bowl to incorporate all the corn.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomato and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, coriander, pureed corn and remaining corn kernels. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Season.

Serve hot and garnish with coriander.

Chicken Curry

2007-11-23T13:25:00.000+11:00

2 tablespoon curry powder
4 tablespoon butter
1 ½ cups chopped onion
2 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon ginger
2 cups chicken stock
1 can crushed pineapple, with juice
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
2 tablespoon lemon juice

Cooked white or brown rice in a pan, melt butter and add curry powder. Stir for about 2 minutes. Add chopped onions and stir until onions soften. Add flour and ginger. Stir until combined. Add chicken broth and pineapple. Stir in chicken.

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until heated through. Stir in lemon juice.

Serve over hot rice.

Brilliant Brownies

2007-11-11T15:07:00.000+11:00

180g butter, melted
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
3/4 cup (150g) firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
1/4 cup (50g) self-raising flour
1/3 cup (35g) cocoa powder
2 teaspoons drinking chocolate
2 teaspoons icing sugar

Grease 19cm x 29cm slice pan; line base and along two sides with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above the edge of the pan.

Whisk butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the flours and cocoa; pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes. Cover with foil, bake for 45 minutes. Cool in pan; cut into 7cm x 9 cm rectangles.

Sift drinking chocolate over half of the brownies and sift the icing sugar over the remaining brownies.

Makes 24.

Marshmallow Treats

2007-11-11T14:58:00.000+11:00

200g butter
400g can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup (200g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
3 3/4 cups (375g) plain sweet biscuits, finely crushed
3 x 100g packet marshmallows
1 1/2 cups (135g) desiccated coconut

Combine butter, milk, sugar, sifted cocoa and essence in a medium saucepan; stir over heat without boiling, until butter melts. Remove from heat; stir in biscuit crumbs.

Toll three heaped teaspoons of mixture around each marshmallow, using damp hands, press firmly to enclose marshmallows. Roll in coconut; place on trays, refrigerate until firm.

Golden Chicken Risotto

2007-11-03T16:06:00.000+11:00

2 tablespoons water
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups (300g) basmati rice
6 cups (1 1/2 litres) chicken stock or 4 chicken stock cubes dissolved in 6 cups (1 1/2 litres) water
4 skinless chicken breasts, finely diced
1 teaspoon powdered turmeric
20 almonds, blanched and halved
3 tablespoons raisins

There are two ways of preparing this dish - on the stove top or in the oven. They are equally effective. Serve the risotto hot, accompanied with a green salad.

If cooking the risotto in the oven, place all the ingredients in a casserole. Cover and cook in a preheated 180C (350F) oven for one hour, or until the rice has absorbed the stock and is tender.

For the stove top version, boil the water in a saucepan, add the onion and cook until softened.

Add the garlic and cook for two minutes.

Add the rice and one quarter of the chicken stock. Bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more stock, as necessary, to prevent sticking.

Add the chicken breasts, turmeric, almonds and raisins.

Continue simmering a further 20-25 minutes, adding the remaining stock as necessary, until the rice is tender. There should be no liquid in the finished risotto.

Corn Chowder

2007-11-03T15:54:00.000+11:00

2 teaspoons margarine
1 large onion, peeled & chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into 1 cm dice
1 chicken stock cube
pinch mixed dried herbs or 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh mixed herbs
pepper to taste
440g can corn kernels
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
1 1/2 cups skim or low-fat milk
4 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch)

Melt margarine in saucepan. Add onion and cook over low heat until translucent.

Add potatoes, stock cube, herbs, pepper, the corn and its liquid and the water into the saucepan.

Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender (approximately 15 minutes). Add milk.

In a small bowl, blend the cornflour with a little water to male a smooth paste. Add to the soup.

Bring to the boil, then simmer until slightly thickened, stirring from time to time.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Asian Noodle Salad

2007-10-29T11:39:00.003+11:00

1-2 packets fine rice noodles
2 cups julienne carrots, capsicum, cucumber
Very finely sliced raw snow peas
1 cup mixed finely chopped mint, coriander and basil
6 long red chillies, sliced (no seeds)
Chopped nuts (optional)

DRESSING-
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon kecap manis or soy sauce
1 tablespoon oil
1-2 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
1-2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 Juice of lime

Soak noodles in boiling water till soft, then drain and cool.

Make dressing and mix in with all other ingredients

**Kecap manis is a dark brown, syrupy, Indonesian soy sauce. It has a sweeter flavour than normal soy sauce.

Italian Potato Salad

2007-10-29T11:39:00.001+11:00

500 grams Chat Potatoes
2 punnets Halved Cherry Tomatoes
2 cups Chopped Celery in bite size pieces
1 cup Black Italian olives
2 Peeled garlic cloves
1/2 cup Lemon
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Dry Oregano
Salt & Pepper to season

Peel + Boil potatoes until cooked, put aside and leave for 5 minutes to cool.

Add Cherry Tomatoes, celery, garlic cloves ( halved only), Italian olives and salt and pepper.

Mix ingredients until flavours are combined.

Mix lemon, oil and dried oregano and add to remainder of ingredients.

Put in refrigerator for 10 minutes then is ready to serve.

Banana & Raisin Bread

2007-10-29T11:39:00.000+11:00

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
3 tablespoons skim milk
1 1/2 cups Special K cereal
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 cup Sugar (or equivalent such as Splenda)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins

Combine banana and milk in medium bowl. Stir in cereal. Let stand 5 minutes or until cereal is softened.

Beat butter and Equal on medium speed of electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well blended. Stir in cereal mixture. Gradually add combined flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt mixing until combined. Stir in raisins.

Spread batter evenly in sprayed 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Bake in preheated 350°F oven 45 to 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Store tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

Three Bean Casserole

2007-10-05T15:29:00.000+10:00

455 g beef frankfurters, sliced
1 (15 ounce) can pork and beans
1 (15 ounce) can butter beans
448 g chilli beans, drained
1 small onion, chopped
70 g brown sugar
0.4 g dried oregano
30 ml distilled white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl combine the frankfurters, pork and beans, butter beans, chilli beans, onion, sugar, oregano and vinegar. Mix all together and pour mixture into a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until cooked through and bubbly.

Hearty Lentil Soup

2007-10-05T15:20:00.000+10:00

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 leek, sliced
1 carrot, diced
1 parsnip, scrubbed and diced
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 dash soy sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and mix in the onions, carrot, parsnip, celery, potato, and leek. Stir over a medium heat.

Place lentils, tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, a splash of the soy and Worcestershire sauces and wine in the saucepan. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked.

Remove the bay leaves from the soup. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Satay Beef

2007-10-05T14:54:00.000+10:00

1/4 cup Sour Lite Cream
400 g packet Fresh Stir-Fry Vegetable Mix
1 teaspoon Red Curry Paste
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
1 tablespoon Extra Light Olive Oil
400 g packet Singapore Noodles
500 g Round Frying Steak, cut into strips

Whisk peanut butter, sour cream, soy sauce, curry paste and ½ cup (125ml) water together in a small bowl.

Heat half of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over high heat. Stir-fry half the meat for 3-4 minutes until browned and just cooked through. Remove and repeat with remaining meat. Return all meat to pan and reduce heat to medium. Stir in sauce mixture and gently heat through for 1 minute.

Meanwhile, place noodles in a colander and rinse under warm water, while gently separating noodles. Heat remaining oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok over high heat. Add vegetables and stir-fry for 4 minutes until just tender. Add noodles and stir-fry until heated through. Serve with satay beef.

Recipe Site

2007-09-28T17:39:00.000+10:00

I found a new recipe site with quick and easy recipes to follow. If you have the time to check it out here's the addy ~~ Yummy Food - http://www.yummyfood.net/

Zucchini, chilli and ricotta pasta

2007-09-28T17:32:00.000+10:00

300g thin spaghetti (spaghettini)
60ml extra virgin olive oil
1 small red chill, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 medium zucchinis, coarsely grated
zest of a lemon
150g fresh ricotta
60g parmesan, finely grated
30g butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil; place spaghetti in the boiling water and cook until al dente.

Working quickly, drain spaghetti in a colander; use the same saucepan to heat the olive oil to a medium temperature. Add the chilli, garlic, zucchini and lemon zest. Sweat gently for 1 minute but do not allow to brown.

Toss the hot pasta back into the saucepan and add the ricotta, half the parmesan and all the butter. Toss together and season.

To serve divide between two warmed bowls and top with remaining parmesan.

Savoury Mince

2007-09-25T12:51:00.000+10:00

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 gloves garlic, crushed
600g beef mince
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 x 400g cams crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion & garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the mince, for 15 minutes or until browned.

Add carrot. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste. Cook, stirring for 2 to 4 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

**Freeze mince mixture in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

Savoury Mince Eggplant Bake

2007-09-25T12:44:00.000+10:00

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large eggplant, thickly sliced
1/2 quantity (3 cups) savoury mince (see other recipe)
200g mozzarella cheese, grated
mixed salad leaves, to serve

Heat oil in large frypan over medium-high heat. Add eggplant. Cook for 5 minutes each side or until tender and golden.

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 10cm deep, 9cm x 27cm (base) ovenproof dish.

Place half the eggplant over the base of the dish. Spoon over half the mince. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and mince. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 40 minutes or until heated through and cheese is golden and melted. (Cover during cooking if top is browning too quickly). Serve with salad leaves.

Jumping Bean Bake

2007-09-22T16:55:00.000+10:00

2 cups (380g) dried beans (any variety) or 4 cups (720g) canned & drained beans such as lima, borlotti, kidney, soy or haricot
1 cup tomato purée
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
500g ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 medium onions
1/2 cup (30g) fresh wholegrain breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons grated, low fat block cheese

Place the dried beans in a saucepan, cover with water and soak overnight (do not soak the beans in an aluminium saucepan).

Drain the beans and rinse them thoroughly in cold water.

Return the beans to the saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, loosely covered, for one hour or until tender, or microwave on high for 5 minutes, then medium-low for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain beans, discarding water.

If you are using canned beans drain and rinse well.

In a bowl, combine tomato purée, cayenne pepper, garlic and herbs.

Lightly grease a casserole dish, and place a layer of beans on the base, cover with a layer of tomatoes and then a layer of onions. Repeat until all the ingredients are used.

Pour tomato mixture over, top with breadcrumbs and cheese.

Cover and bake in a preheated 180C (350F) oven for an hour, then remove cover and bake for another hour or until the beans start to break apart. Alternatively, cover and microwave for 45 minutes, remove the cover and microwave for another 30 minutes or until the beans start to break apart.

Serve immediately.

** For a thicker version of this dish, mash half the beans and leave the rest whole at the end of step 3.

**Cover and refrigerate for up to two days.