Honeycomb Rocky Road September 7, 2009

Not a recipe as such… but to make these, just melt chocolate (I made 2 separate lots in milk and white chocolate)….  then pour a layer about .5cm thick onto a tray (you might want to use non-stick baking paper or a silicone sheet)…. use about 1/3 of the amount of choc you have, then top with marshmallows – pretty close togther.  I used one pack of pink & white marshmallows…. the whites went into the white choc one and the pink ones in the milk chocolate one.  Then crush some honeycomb chocolate bar (I used “violet crumble”) and sprinkle between the gaps in the marshmallows.  Then top with the rest of the melted chocolate and sprinkle more honeycomb on top.  Allow to set then cut into chunks with a heated knife.

Gift idea – Cookie Mix in a Jar August 29, 2009

• http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2009/08/mix-things-up.html
• http://myfivemen.blogspot.com/2008/03/cookies-in-jar-recipe.html
• http://www.akronohiomoms.com/archives/773
• http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/12/02/holiday-gifts-8-homemade-gifts-in-a-jar-with-free-printable-gift-tags/
• http://hallmarkladybugs.blogspot.com/2008/12/cookie-mix-in-jar-easy-economic-and.html
• http://www.dominosugar.com/content/158/baking_gift_ideas.aspx

Mint Icecream August 12, 2009

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/006066mint_chocolate_chip_ice_cream.php

Berry Muffins/Cupcakes August 10, 2009

(I divide the batch in half and do half raspberry and half blueberry.)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (approx) – room temperature
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups SR flour
handful of berries

Method:
Cream butter & sugar, add 1 egg, beat well then add the other egg, mix in half the milk and flour, beat well then add remaining milk & flour. Beat until pale and creamy.  Add the berries and stir to mix them in.  Spoon into muffin tins.   Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 10 – 15 mins until golden on top.  Best eaten while still warm

Bread August 10, 2009

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water
2 tb dried yeast
2 tb sugar
2 tb olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
3 cups bread flour (or plain flour)
1 cup wholegrain mix (see note)

Method:
Pour the water into a large bowl. I actually boil the kettle while I get everything organised and use 1 cup boiling water and 1 cup cold tap water to make water that is warm. The bread recipe I use suggests using hot tap water but you should never consume water from the hot tap!).  Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into this, give it a stir and leave it for 10 mins.

Then stir in the wholemeal flour, the oil and salt. Add the wholegrain mix and the remaining flour, a cup at a time, mixing well. Turn this out onto a floured bench and knead for 10 mins. You will need to add more flour as it gets sticky.  Then lightly oil the bowl you mixed it in, and the surface of the bread, cover the bowl with plastic wrap (I use one of those shower-cap looking things), and put it somewhere warm to rise for an hour. After an hour, knead it again. Then put it into a breadtin and cover it again, leaving it in the warm place to rise for half an hour.  (I use the top of our heater, which is nice and warm, you could turn the oven onto as low as it will go and leave the door open a bit if you have nowhere else warm to put it).  Once risen, slash the top (this apparently lets it rise better), and you could sprinkle it with sesame or poppy seeds if you wish, or some wholegrains.  Bake at 180ºC for about 30 mins, until the bread is browned and sounds hollow.

You aren’t supposed to cut into warm bread because it can ruin the texture, but it’s so damned hard not to!!!  if you like warm fresh bread (and who doesn’t!), you can do what we sometimes do, and use a smaller loaf tin for the loaf of bread (since it goes stale fairly quickly anyway, if you don’t use bread that much it’s a waste making a whole loaf), and make a couple of extra small loaves using teeny loaf tins, so we can eat the small loaves when they come out of the oven – because you have to test your bread worked…. yes indeed….quality control or something……several sample tests… just to be sure!…….(with butter slathered on)….. nom nom!

note: I buy a wholegrain mixture for adding to bread, that has rye, barley, corn, linseed and oats in it – and I often use a little over half a cup of this and the rest of the cup of crushed linseeds, or I use a full cup of the wholegrain mix.

recipe from here – http://20yearchallenge.blogspot.com/2008/10/basic-bread-recipe.html

Wholegrain Cheese & Ham Rolls August 9, 2009

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water
2 tb dried yeast
2 tb sugar
2 tb olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
3 cups bread flour (or plain flour)
1 cup wholegrain mix (see note)
1 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped ham
2 tb chives

Method:
Pour the water into a large bowl. I actually boil the kettle while I get everything organised and use 1 cup boiling water and 1 cup cold tap water to make water that is warm. The bread recipe I use suggests using hot tap water but you should never consume water from the hot tap!). Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into this, give it a stir and leave it for 10 mins.

Then stir in the wholemeal flour, the oil and salt. Add the chives and wholegrain mix. Add the remaining flour, a cup at a time, mixing well. Turn this out onto a floured bench and knead for 10 mins.  You will need to add more flour as it gets sticky.  Then lightly oil the bowl you mixed it in, and the surface of the bread, cover the bowl with plastic wrap (I use one of those shower-cap looking things), and put it somewhere warm to rise for an hour. After an hour, knead it again. Then spread it out and sprinkle the cheese and ham over it, fold and knead it to mix this through. Form into golf-ball sized balls and place them on a baking tray about 1cm apart if you would like a “pull-apart” type loaf, where the buns are connected but you can pull them off… or about 3cm apart for separate ones. You can sprinkle some more ham over the top if you like. Bake at 180ºC for about 15-20 mins, until the bread is browned and sounds hollow.

Goes nicely with soup or for a picnic. If taking on a picnic, try to time it so they come out of the oven just before you leave, then wrap them in a clean teatowel and put them in an insulated container to keep warm.

note: I buy a wholegrain mixture for adding to bread, that has rye, barley, corn, linseed and oats in it – and I often use a little over half a cup of this and the rest of the cup of crushed linseeds, or I use a full cup of the wholegrain mix.

Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding August 9, 2009

Ingredients:
1/2 cup melted butter
3 tb cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1 cup SR flour
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup raw sugar additional
2tb cocoa powder additional
1 1/4 cups boiling water

Method:
Mix the flour, sugar and first lot of cocoa together. Add the egg, melted butter and milk, and beat until smooth. Spoon this mixture into a greased baking dish (needs to be about a 6 cup capacity) and smooth off the top. Mix together the additional sugar and cocoa, and sprinkle this ontop of the pudding mixture, then carefully pour the boiling water over the back of a large spoon (this helps to stop the water creating holes when you pour it on). Bake at 180ºC for about 30 mins (until the top bounces back when pressed)

Chicken Sausage Rolls August 9, 2009

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
1 carrot
1 zucchini
1 tin (drained and rinsed) lentils
1 clove garlic
1 tb dried basil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp curry powder
Bread (about 3 crust slices – the crust is better because it is less soft/moist, you don’t want the mixture too moist or your sausage rolls can ooze)

Method:
Chuck that all in a food processor and blend until it makes a sausage mince consistency. Cut a sheet of pastry in half, a spoon the mixture out to make a line down the side of one half of the pastry sheet (about as thick as a thin sausage), roll the pastry over, and cut it into sections to make sausage rolls. Bake at around 200ºC for about 15 mins or until pastry has browned.

Rainbow cake June 14, 2009

http://omnomicon.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-make-rainbow-cake.html

Capsicum stuffed with rice June 14, 2009

I thought I’d give this a go, to see how it worked.  Not bad I thought.

I cooked the rice in a rice cooker, with garlic, onion, a teaspoon of vegetable stock, a teaspoon of lemon pepper and some mushrooms….

then when that was cooked I spooned it into hollowed out capsicums and put those in the oven for about 15-20 mins to cook the capsicum.  I served them with chicken and vegetable kebabs, corn and broccoli

Chicken, Leek & Spinach Risotto June 14, 2009

Ingredients:
2 chicken thigh fillets (skinless)
1 cup (uncooked) arborio rice
½ a leek, finely sliced
1 large garlic clove
1 tin cream of mushroom soup
3 tsp skim milk powder
3 cubes or ½ cup chopped spinach
Handful of grated cheese (optional)

Method:
In a large frypan, cook the chicken until starting to brown, add the leek, garlic and rice. Allow that to heat for about 30 seconds to a minute (don’t let the rice or garlic burn), and then add about 1 cup boiling water. Stirring well. Mix the milk powder with about 1/2 cup of boiling water, and add that to the pan. Stir until that liquid has been soaked up, then add the tin of mushroom soup, spinach and cheese if you wish.  Keep stirring and adding more water as needed, as the rice mixture starts to soak up the liquids. When it is almost ready – when the rice is just a little firm, remove from heat and put a lid on the saucepan and leave stand for 5 minutes before serving and the risotto should have finished cooking in the residual heat.

Pastry Pizzas June 14, 2009

These are simple and make great party food.  Just take sheets of frozen puff pastry, spread with tomato paste or pesto, add toppings and bake!

Simple toppings work best,  because the pastry is thin you can’t have too much topping.  Try:

• Ham, cheese & tomato paste (with olives or pineapple on top)
• Basil or olive pesto with cheese
• basil pesto with ham, cheese, mushrooms & olives

You can cut the pastry into shapes before adding toppings if you like.

Savoury Crackers (Biscuits) June 14, 2009

I made these crackers by adding multigrain mix (linseed, oats, rye, cornmeal etc.) that I bought from a store selling breadmaking supplies. This made a multigrain cracker, which I felt was more wholesome, but you can make it without this.

Ingredients:
1 cup wholemeal SR flour
Pinch Salt
3 tb butter
1/3 cup grated cheese
1 tb dried chives (or other herbs)
¼ cup water

Optional:
¼ cup multigrain mixture (or linseeds, bran flakes etc.)
dash of water extra

Method:
1). Put the flour and salt into a large bowl, and rub in the butter.
2). Mix in the cheese, chives and any additional grains.
3). Make a well in the centre, and add in the water. If you have added extra grains, you may need to add a little more water to make the mixture come together into a dough-like consistency (it should be fairly dry not sticky).
4). Knead until mixture has come together and is smooth.
5). Turn out onto a floured surface, and roll out as thin as you can, to about 2-3mm thick. Use cookie cutters (or cut squares with a knife) to cut shapes out and lay them on a greased or lined baking tray.
6). Brush the tops with milk, and bake in a preheated oven at 200ºC for 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown (mine in the image above were probably a touch overcooked).

Allow to cool completely before putting in an airtight container.

Fish fingers June 9, 2009

Pretty much the same as my chicken nuggets recipe Just take a piece of fish (I personally only buy Australian fish, as imported fish can not only take a while to be shipped here, but also swim in less clean water than ours)…. make sure it’s deboned and skin removed…. stick it in a food processor with some bread, any spices you like, and blend to a minced consistency…. Roll out into little logs, flatten them, roll in breadcrumbs, place on a greased tray and cook at 180ºC for about 15-20 mins, turning halfway through.
You can freeze them and reheat as needed…. then you have the convenience of fishfingers, but you know exactly what is in them.

Crumbing mixture June 9, 2009

Use this mixture to give a bit of an extra zing to crumbed things (schnitzels, chicken nuggets, patties etc.)

 
In a large bowl mix together wholegrain breadcrumbs, powdered parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, garlic powder, salt, pepper, some herbs (things like chives, basil and parsley are good) and spices (whatever you like, try cumin, cardamon, and a touch of mixed spice).

 

Store this in an airtight container, and when you need to crumb something, pour a little out into a plate/flattish bowl, and crumb the item in that. You can then pour in more as needed. Don’t reuse crumbs, as there will be traces of the food you are crumbing left behind (and raw meat will spoil the crumbs)

Chicken Nuggets June 9, 2009

Ingredients:
6 chicken thigh fillets (skin removed)
2 slices wholegrain bread
1 garlic clove
1tb spices (I used lemon pepper & cumin)
Breadcrumb mixture (breadcrumbs, sesame seeds + spices)

Method:
Pop everything but the breadcrumbs into a food processor, and blend until it forms a paste-like consistency. Take spoonfuls and form into nugget-like shapes and toss in a breadcrumb mixture. Spray a baking tray with oil, and bake the nuggets at 180ºC for about 15-20 mins, turning over halfway through.
You can freeze these and reheat as needed. Makes about 25 nuggets

Slowcooker Lentil Soup June 7, 2009

Not so pretty to look at I admit, but tasty

Ingredients:
1 c dried green lentils
1 c chopped leek
1 bacon bone (one of the rib bits is best)
About 6 baby potatoes
1 tb ground cumin
1 c corn kernels

Method:
1). Wash and chop the potatoes into bitesize pieces. rinse the lentils.
2). Put everything except the corn into the slowcooker, with just enough water to cover the ingredients.
3). Cook on high until the potato is soft and breaking apart (about 5 hours)
4). Use tongs to remove the bacon bone, pull off any meat you can.
5). Use a potato masher to gently mash the soup. How much you wash depends on how smooth you want the soup to be. Mash just a little to make a chunky soup, or mash a lot (or even use a stick blender to puree it) if you like a smoother soup.
6). Stir in the bacon and corn into the slowcooker and turn it off. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes and then serve. Or allow to cool and spoon into containers for use later.

Pizza Dough June 7, 2009

(makes 2 large thin pizzas, or perhaps 1 thicker crust one)

 
Ingredients:
3 cups plain flour
1 tb dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 tb olive oil
1cup warm water

 
Method:
In a heatproof large bowl, mix all the ingredients together to combine. Knead in the bowl until mixture is all together.

 
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth. Form into a ball

 
Rub/spray the inside of the bowl with oil, and place the dough ball back into the bowl. Cover with a damp teatowel and leave it to rise for an hour somewhere warm. It should double in size

 
If you don’t have somewhere warm (I’m guessing about 30ºC would be good?), turn the oven on for a moment to get it to a nice warm temp, then turn the oven off and place the bowl in there. You could also put the bowl on the top/mantle of a fireplace, or even in a sink of hot water

 
Once doubled, take dough out and punch it to remove air. Break into 1-2 pieces and roll out to desired thickness. Place on your pizza tray.
 
Top with your fave pizza toppings, and bake 220ºC for 20 minutes or 250°C for 10 – 15 minutes.

Carrot Muffins May 24, 2009

These are yummy, and the crumble topping makes them look a bit fancier than your average muffin!

ok, yes, I know these aren’t really muffins in the pic, but I cleaned out the cupboards and rediscovered my mini loaf pans, and just had to make some.. there are proper muffins in the pic below.

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Ingredients:
1½ c SR flour
1 c wholemeal SR flour
2 tsp mixed spice
¾ c raw sugar
¾ c sultanas (or ½ c sultanas and ¼c walnuts)
1½ c grated carrot
1 tb golden syrup
2 tb vegetable oil
1¼ c milk
1 egg, lightly beaten

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Topping:(optional)
2 tb plain flour
¼ tsp mixed spice
1 tb butter
1 tb raw sugar
1 tb rolled oats
1 tb desiccated coconut

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Method:
1). Mix the flours and spice in a large bowl. Add the sultanas, carrot and sugar, mixing well.
2). Mix the milk, golden syrup, oil and egg together, then mix this through the carrot mixture
3). fold this together gently, not mixing it too much (overmixing can make muffins tough)
4). Spoon the mixture into muffin tins.
5). If adding the topping, mix all the ingredients together, rubbing in the butter until you have a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle this over the tops of the muffins.
6). Bake in a 180°C preheated oven for 20 mins, until muffins are browning and a skewer comes out clean.

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Muffin recipe from here:
http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/recipes/survival_I/treats2/carrot_muffins
topping recipe from here – http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/new-idea/747/apple-and-carrot-muffins/

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This mixture was enough to make 12 cupcake sized muffins plus some mini loaves.

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Other carrot muffin recipes that look nice:
http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/new-idea/747/apple-and-carrot-muffins/
http://www.freshforkids.com.au/recipes/pdf/FFKcarrotzuccmuffins.pdf

Tim Tam Cupcakes May 19, 2009

Ingredients:
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
125g unsalted butter, room temperature
200g sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
180ml cream
1 packet Tim Tams

 
Ingredients for frosting:
180g white chocolate, broken into pieces
180g cream cheese, cut into pieces
185g unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

 
Method;
1). Combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
2). Cream the butter and sugar, until it is light and fluffy.
3). Mix the eggs into the creamed butter & sugar, one at a time and add the vanilla.
4). Add the flour mixture and the cream in alternating lots while mixing well. Beat until the mixture is smooth.
5). Crush the timtams, and sprinkle half this into the mixture (Keeping the other half aside).
6). Spoon the mixture into muffin/cupcake trays (will make about 12-18 depending on the size).
7). Bake in a preheated 180°C oven for 20-25 mins, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn cupcakes out onto a cake rack to cool.

 
Frosting:
1). Place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with a little simmering water, and add the chocolate to the bowl to melt it. Allow it to get warm but not too hot.
2). Beat the cream cheese together with the butter until it forms a light, fluffy mixture.
3). Mix in the melted chocolate and continue to mix well to combine.
4). Pipe or spread the frosting on straight away (before it sets) and sprinkle the remaining crushed timtams on top.

 

 
(From – http://thatsnoice.com/tim-tam-cupcakes)

Toddler/Preschool Bentos May 16, 2009

Bento is a great way to encourage your child to eat lots of vegetables and healthy things, and it can look fun!

It doesn’t even have to take a long time, and you can make them up the night before.

Herb & Corn Yorkshire Puddings May 16, 2009

Ingredients:
1 cup Self Raising Flour
1 egg 1 cup milk
pinch salt
Pinch mixed herbs (or use spring onions, basil etc.)
1/2 cup corn

 
Method:
1). Mix the ingredients together and beat well to remove any lumps.
2). Spray/grease the insides of a muffin tray.
3). Place the muffin tray in the oven for about a minute, then bring it out and pour the pudding batter into the muffin spaces (makes 12).
4). Bake at 180ºC for about 15 mins, until the tops are golden.

 
Personally I think these are best served hot with gravy and mint sauce (either as part of a roast meal, or on their own) But they can be eaten cold if you’re packing them as a lunchbox filling.

Less Fuss, 2 meal Roast May 6, 2009

Normally I like to go all out with my roasts… I bake them slowly, basting often, separate the pumpkin so I can make it burn a bit (Mmmmm burned pumpkin!)… sometimes even popping it under the grill if it’s not burned when everything else is ready…… but more simple can be good too… and this “recipe” of sorts shows how you can make a roast span over 2 days with minimal effort for the second night.

 
When you buy the roast meat, buy a portion bigger than you would normally need. It doesn’t have to be twice as big if you’re happy to bulk it up with vegetables and yorkshire pudding.

 
In a large (twice as big as your meat is) baking dish (I use the black enamelled kind with a lid), place the roast in the centre, and then in one end put (single layer if you can) whole, washed, skin on baby potatoes, and in the other end larger pieces of pumpkin (I prefer skin off, but thats up to you). Add about 3cm (3/4″) water to the dish and put the lid on. Pop that in the oven at about 180ºC for 1.5 hours. Go read or do something to pass the time.

 
Then bring the roasting pan out and carefully drain off all the water/juices into a saucepan (keeping it). Return the roasting pan to the oven, uncovered.

 
Make the yorkshire pudding mixture (1 egg, 1 cup milk, 1 pinch salt and 1 cup flour [you can use either, SR flour makes a lighter 'pud', plain makes a dense one]) Put a little olive oil in the wells of a muffin tray, and put it (empty) in the oven for about 30 seconds, bring it out and pour the ‘pud’ mixture in (about half fill them), being careful because the oil may sizzle a bit, then put it in the oven for about 15 mins until golden brown. You can bring the roast out and leave it somewhere with the lid on if you think it’s cooked enough.

 
Get your other vegies ready if you’re having them (we do steamed peas, corn and broccoli usually), and make the gravy. You can spoon off the oil from the top of the roasting pan juices (or leave it in)… and add some gravy powder if you like, and some extra water. Make about twice as much gravy as you normally would.

 
Serve your roast, serve up only half of the meat, putting the remainder in the saucepan of gravy. After the meal, when the gravy has cooled, put a lid/covering on and put the pan in the fridge.

 
Roast day 2 – simply take out the pan of gravy/meat and heat this on the stovetop while you get some vegies happening (I forgo the effort of roasting more and just toss some spuds, pumpkin and other veg in the steamer), and make another batch of yorkshire puds. You can get 2 nights out of the meat, and all you have to do the next day is reheat it. The gravy keeps it lovely and moist, so you don’t have dried out leftovers. If you wanted to, you could probably cook a double batch of spuds, pumpkin and puds the first night, and stick them in a baking dish and reheat it in that while your gravy/meat is heating… but it probably won’t be as nice as making new veg.

Potato & Lentil Patties May 2, 2009

(large “Ball” patties)

Ingredients:

For the patties:
1 tin lentils
4 cups (approx) boiled/steamed potato
1/2 cup corn
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 tsp salt
6 rashers rindless/shortcut bacon (optional)

For breadcrumbs:
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (approx)
2 tb parmesan cheese
2 tb mixed herbs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon pepper

Method:
Mash the potato with milk until very smooth and creamy. Chop and fry the bacon, then add all the patties ingredients together and mix well. Mix the breadcrumb mix together in a dish. Form the potato mixture into patties or balls and coat with the crumbs. Spray a baking tray with olive oil, lay out the patties and spray the tops. Bake at 180ºC for about 20 mins.

(smaller flat patties)

Spiced (Chai) Sultana Scrolls April 20, 2009

Ingredients:
1 cup wholemeal SR flour
1 cup white SR flour
2tb sugar
1/2 cup Butter (Softened)
1/2 to 1 cup sultanas
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamon

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Method:

Mix together the ingredients in a bowl. Turn out onto floured board and knead. break dough into 4 pieces. Take each piece and press it into a rectangle (about 1cm thick). Roll the dough from one end. Cut the scroll in half, and place with cut side down onto a baking tray. Leave about 2cm between each if you want them to just touch, closer if you want them to form one large “pull apart”, or about 3cm apart if you want them to be separate. Brush lightly with milk and bake at about 180 until going golden on top and sound hollow to tap. Cover with a teatowel to keep them soft (I line a large serving bowl with a teatowel, slide the hot scrolls into this straight from the oven and put a teatowel on top) Best eaten while still warm (can be microwaved to heat them up)

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Rolling instructions (with pictures) below: