Spring Rolls August 4, 2010

Ingredients:
500g pork mince
1/4 cabbage
3 good size carrots
handful of bean vermicelli
handful of bamboo shoot slices (optional)
handful of dried shitake mushrooms (optional)
about 2 tb finely chopped fresh ginger (optional)
handful chopped leek or spring onions (optional)

Spring roll wrappers (I find the ones from Asian grocers to be far better than the pampas ones you get in the supermarket)
Sauce:
1 egg, beaten
about 2tb soy sauce
about 2tb oyster sauce
about 1/4 tsp cumin (optional)
about 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
a pinch of mace (optional)
dash (1/8 cup maybe) water

Method:
Brown off the mince in a dry frypan (I always fry mince dry, since it loses oil anyway and that’s enough to stop it sticking in my non-stick pan)… Soak the mushrooms and vermicelli in boiling water to soften.  Add the leek/onion and ginger to the mince and cook them off….  Finely chop (I use a food processor) the carrot, mushrooms, bamboo and cabbage.  Add the chopped veg to the pan and cook that until they start softening…

Chop the the vermicelli into small pieces and mix that through.  Mix the sauce ingredients together and pour that over (the egg should thicken things up), then roll the spring rolls up…

Put a heaped tablespoon in the corner of the sheet

Start to roll it up until you reach the centre

Fold one side over, then fold the other side over

Then roll almost to the end, wet the last point of the spring roll paper, and continue rolling it up.  The water sticks the spring roll closed.

(You can make mini spring rolls by cutting the sheet in half, but I find it more fiddly)

 

You can  just cook them in the oven as is….  but the outer goes a bit crispy… you can brush them with oil and oven cook them, but I have found the tastiest way is to shallow fry them in very hot oil for a second until the pastry outer starts to darken and bubble, then put them on paper towels to absorb excess oil and put them in the oven to finish off cooking.

I like them with chilli plum sauce.  To make that, mix equal parts chilli sauce and plum jam (you can microwave the jam to make it mix through well).  You can make a batch of this up and keep it in the fridge.

Curry Puffs February 21, 2010

Ingredients:
500g mince
1 tin lentils
1 small onion
carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, broccoli
Curry powder, Cumin, Cardamon
Salt & pepper
Pastry

method:
Brown the mince and finely chopped onion. Drain off remaining fat/oil. Drain and rinse the lentils, then squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Chop enough vegies to make about 2 cups worth, and steam these until cooked. Mix all the ingredients together. Season with spices to taste – I never measure things, but I try 1tb curry powder, 1/2 tsp cardamon and about 1tsp cumin, and add more if you need it. Cut pastry sheets into 9 squares, put a spoonful of mixture into the centre and fold into a triangle. Pinch the seams closed. Bake at 200ºC for about 15 mins.

Meatball Patties February 21, 2010

I find a flatter meatball is easier to eat… so I make these as a sort of golfball size meatball and then flatten it a bit.

Ingredients:
500g mince
1 carrot, grated
1 small zucchini, grated
1 small onion, diced (optional)
1 tin lentils
1 large egg
Spices to taste
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Method:
Drain and rinse the lentils, and press them into the colander to squeeze out extra moisture. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Form into balls/patties and place on a lightly sprayed oven tray. Bake at 180ºC for 15 mins, then flip them and bake for a further 15 mins.

Apple & Blueberry Tarts November 29, 2009

These are really simple, look cute and are delicious.  They also make great lunchbox snacks.

Ingredients:
3 apples
handful of frozen blueberries
2 tb raw sugar
1 tb cornflour
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice

Method:
Peel and core the apples, and chop into small pieces.  Put them in a saucepan with enough water to cover them by about 1cm, and simmer until the apples are soft.  There should be only a small amount of water left at this point.

Roughly mash the apples to remove most of the lumps.  Then mix the cornflour with a little water and add this to the pot, over heat, until the mixture thickens.  Add the blueberries and sugar.  Mix well and the blueberries should squash a bit and turn the apple mixture into a purple colour while still leaving lots of whole blueberries (you could mash them together if you don’t want to have whole blueberries)

Set aside to cool.

Lay out sheets of shortcrust pastry, and cut them out with a scone cutter.  Grease muffin tins and lay a pastry circle into each one, to make a tart case.  I used these silicone mini tart cases to get that wavy  tart shape. Spoon about a tablespoon of mixture into each one.

I like to cut a small star or other shape from the scraps of pastry, it’s less fiddly than making a full lid, and seems to give them a nice finished look (and makes them stackable!)  You can brush this with milk, but it’s not necessary.

Bake for around 15-20 mins at 200ºC.  Set on a wire rack to cool, or eat while still warm.  Makes about 24 small tarts.

Apple Tarts November 29, 2009

These are really simple but look cute and are yummy.  They also make great lunchbox snacks.

Ingredients:
5 large apples
1 tb cornflour
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice

Method:
Peel and core the apples, and chop into small pieces.  Put them in a saucepan with enough water to cover them by about 1cm, and simmer until the apples are soft.  There should be only a small amount of water left at this point.

Roughly mash the apples to remove most of the lumps.  Then mix the cornflour with a little water and add this to the pot, over heat, until the mixture thickens.

You may add sugar to this mixture if you like, but I have found if you use sweet apples, it isn’t needed.

Set aside to cool.

Lay out sheets of shortcrust pastry, and cut them out with a scone cutter to get that wavy edge.  Grease muffin tins and lay a pastry circle into each one, to make a tart case.  Spoon about a tablespoon of mixture into each one.

I like to cut a small star or other shape from the scraps of pastry, it’s less fiddly than making a full lid, and seems to give them a nice finished look.  You can brush this with milk, but it’s not necessary.

Bake for around 15-20 mins at 200ºC.  Set on a wire rack to cool, or eat while still warm.

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.

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… to a cracker recipe I found in a magazine (torn out and stuck in my recipe book, so I don’t know where it was from).   This made a tasty 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.

The dough can be a bit hard to work with, so thin and it’s a bit delicate……so click the “more” for my guide to working with it.

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 a piece of 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.

Chicken Nuggets June 9, 2009

Ingredients:
6 chicken thigh fillets (skin removed)
1 slice 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

Pork & Turkey Meatballs March 24, 2009

Ingredients:
500g Pork Mince
200g Turkey Mince
50mls brandy
3 eggs
5 slices wholegrain bread
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp salt
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Method:
Mix all ingredients together. Form into golf-ball sized balls. Cook for 50 mins at 190ºC

(Recipe from a friend)

Risotto Cups March 22, 2009

Good for a party or entertaining. Simply take flatbread (“Mountain bread” type very thin bread works best), cut it into squares and put them into rammekins, muffin tins or some sort of bowl shaped heatproof dish (depending on the size you want), put a piece of baking paper inside then fill with beans or rice, to “Blind Bake” until the bread starts to go golden brown and crispy. This makes an edible “bowl” you can serve the risotto in!

Then fill with the risotto. If making muffin sized ones, you may need to give the guests a fork to eat with as the rice could be too messy to eat as a pie.

Savoury zucchini muffins February 22, 2009

Ingredients:
150g bacon or ham (chopped)
1 small onion (chopped)
1 cup of self-raising flour
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon mustard (optional)
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup grated cheese

Method:
1). Lightly fry the bacon and onion.
2). In a large bowl, combine the flour, oil, eggs, mustard and paprika. Mix well.
3). Add the cheese, zuccini and (cooled) fried mixture. Stirring well to combine.
4). Pour mixture into muffin tins, and place in a preheated 200C oven until golden brown and cooked through. 15 mins for mini muffins or 20-25 mins for larger muffins.

From http://alteredcutlery.blogspot.com/2007/11/muffins.html

Savoury Zucchini Mini Muffins February 22, 2009

Ingredients:
2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp mustard powder
2 tb chopped chives
1 cup grated cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 cup Stock
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tb olive oil

Method:
1). Mix flour, mustard, chives, cheese and zucchini together.
2). In a separate bowl, add the stock, eggs and oil, mix well.
3). Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture, and stir gently to combine
4). pour into greased muffin trays and bake in a preheated 200°C oven for 20 mins, or until they are golden brown.

From http://www.girl.com.au/savoury-zucchini-mini-muffins.htm

Healthier Kids Party Foods December 13, 2008

Dried fruit in place of lollies – you could thread onto thread or bamboo skewers (cut the pointy end off) to make it more interesting.

 
Fruit Kebabs – Cut fruits and slide onto skewers. Use things like banana, kiwi fruit, strawberries, grapes, shapes cut from melon/apple, pineapple, mandarine segments etc.

 
Homemade chips – thinly slice (can use a potato peeler) potato and sweet potato and spray with olive oil then bake in the oven until crisp.

 
Toast Fingers - Remove crusts from wholemeal bread, and spread with margarine/low fat spread, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and grated cheddar cheese. Grill until golden brown and cut into strips.

 
Colourful dips – Make colourful dips (beetroot, guacamole etc.) and serve with melba toasts, rice crackers, vegetable sticks, tortilla chips or toast fingers.

 
Curly celery – Cut celery into desired lengths then cut slits through the celery stalk about 3/4 of the way down. Place into ice cold water in the fridge for around 10 mins and the slits should curl up

 
Funny Face Sandwich – Slice of wholemeal bread cut into a circle shape. Spread with cream cheese and decorated into a face (alfalfa hair, egg slice sultana eyes, carrot nose, tomato mouth etc.)

 
Punch - Use a small amount of low calorie fruit based cordial or a tin of fruit salad with natural juice, a few drops of food colouring and mineral/soda water to make it fizzy. Or use fruit juice and mineral water. Float cut up fruits on top for interest. (You can freeze fruits in icecubes too)

 
Magic Drinks – Serve drinks in clear plastic cups with a drop of food colouring (or pureed fruit like raspberries, blackberries and blueberries) already in the bottom…. when clear drink is poured in, it changes colour like magic.

 
Slushies – Blend melon (watermelon, rock melon etc.) with crushed ice and other fruits if desired.

 
Mini Pizza - spread pita bread or homemade pizza base cut into small rounds with tomato paste and top with toppings kids like. or have kids make their own.

 
Homemade Party Pies – Use a vegetable and mince mixture. You can cut shapes with small cookie cutters to put on top for fun, or pipe on mashed potato.

Savoury Pastry Tarts December 13, 2008

Vol-au-vents are those pastry things that are like a pastry doughnut with filling in the middle. Normally you either buy Vol-au-vent cases, or make your own. Buying them is easy, but they have a lot of pastry (so are more fattening), and every time I see them in the supermarket, some cases are always broken.. making your own is tedious (to say the least) as you have to cut rings out of pastry and lay them ontop of eachother on one circle) to form the case. This way is a cheater’s way of making a similar thing, that is slightly less fattening as it has less pastry

 
Ingredients – Salmon & Corn:
Puff Pastry sheets
Corn
Garlic
Onion
1 tin smoked salmon (generic brand is fine)
Milk
2 tablespoons (approx) Plain flour
cheese (optional)
Curry powder
Salt and pepper

 
Method:
1). Get your frozen pastry out and let it defrost while you make the filling.
2). Put about 2 tablespoons of flour into a saucepan, and add about 1-2 cups of milk, mix well to remove lumps, and bring this to the boil. It should thicken nicely. Your white sauce shouldn’t be too runny, or when people eat the pies, the filling will oooze out and burn them on the chin…. not nice…
3). Fry garlic an onion until soft.
4). Add the (drained) salmon, corn and Garlic and onion. You can add a touch (1/2 teaspoon) curry powder if you like, and cheese too if you like. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
5). Allow it to cool (you can use it while still warm, but its best not to be hot).
6). Cut pastry sheets into 9 squares and place each square into a lightly greased muffin tin. The corners will poke up – leave them (it makes little “handles” to hold onto when they are cooked). Fill the pastry cases with the mixture and bake at about 200C for around 15 minutes, until the pastry has cooked.

 
 
Ingredients – Chicken & Mushroom:
Puff Pastry sheets
Garlic
Onion
3 large mushrooms
1 chicken breast (or 3 thighs) cut into very small pieces
Milk
2 tablespoons (approx) Plain flour
cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper

 
Method:
1). Get your frozen pastry out and let it defrost while you make the filling.
2). Put about 2 tablespoons of flour into a saucepan, and add about 1-2 cups of milk, mix well to remove lumps, and bring this to the boil. It should thicken nicely. Your white sauce shouldn’t be too runny.
3). Fry chicken and mushrooms until chicken starts to brown, add garlic an onion, fry until soft.
4). Add the chicken mix to the sauce and cheese too if you like. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
5). Allow it to cool (you can use it while still warm, but its best not to be hot).
6). Cut pastry sheets into 9 squares and place each square into a lightly greased muffin tin. The corners will poke up – leave them (it makes little “handles” to hold onto when they are cooked). Fill the pastry cases with the mixture and bake at about 200C for around 15 minutes, until the pastry has cooked.