tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81511746015379570002024-03-19T02:27:34.495-07:00Heart of the HomeThe kitchen is the heart of every home. Come on in and have a taste of something cooked with love.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-9824922430194396272015-05-04T21:18:00.000-07:002015-05-04T21:18:13.374-07:00Pear SaladBecause it's autumn here and this was just the thing for a lovely, sunny, bright and breezy day :)<br />
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<b>Ingredients (per person)</b><br />
<br />
A large double handful of baby spinach leaves, torn<br />
1 beurre bosc pear (or one with similar soft texture), cubed<br />
50g of soft feta (more or less), crumbled<br />
1T pecans, roughly crushed<br />
1T black cherry vinegar*<br />
1 med-large strawberry<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
<br />
Method<br />
<br />
Finely chop or puree strawberry with vinegar. Let steep. Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients and gently toss. Pour over vinegar, season and consume :)<br />
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<br />
Alternatives<br />
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* Good quality balsamic vinegar should be a passable substitute for black cherry vinegar.<br />
Try walnuts instead of pecans, apples instead of pears, or parmesan instead of feta.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-73995628390550172122015-01-31T17:53:00.000-08:002015-01-31T17:53:09.492-08:00Things I Really Need To BakeBlame it on pregnancy cravings, or the fact that I've been too sick to do much cooking in the last 5 months, or a stress-induced desire for comfort food, or the search for procrastination, or anything else you like, but the fact of the matter is the last few weeks have been one giant, continuing saga of OHMYGOSH THIS THING I MUST BAKE.
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<br />
Obviously, the whole being-sick-and-exhausted-because-growing-new-minion thing has put a damper on my abilities to actually DO any of this cooking, and the list of things I desire to make is growing to such proportions that I'm going to start forgetting things if I don't write them down soon. Which, on the one hand, so what, but on the other: LIST-MAKING EXCUSE FOR THE WIN!! I love me a good list after all.<br />
<br />
And because I'm a) a sharing-and-caring kind of person, and b) am attempting to post more regularly on The Blog, you get to share the list too. Ha.
If you do end up making anything off the list, I'd love to know how it goes :) But without further ado:
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<h4>
Amy's List Of Things I Really Need To Bake</h4>
1) A really good Laos curry. Or Thai, at a pinch. But it has to be GOOD. After visiting Laos/Thailand with school in 2013, I've fallen in love with good, proper, authentic southeast Asian cooking, but my tolerance for mediocrity in this food genre is low, and finding the good stuff near where I live seems nigh impossible. So: I need to learn to cook it myself.<br />
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2) Good spring rolls. Ditto the above.<br />
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3) <a href="http://heartofthehomes.blogspot.com.au/2010/06/sweet-potato-feta-fritata.html">Sweet potato and feta frittata</a>, which I used to make all the time and is the best lunch snack ever, but which I literally have not made in yeeeeears.<br />
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4) <a href="http://heartofthehomes.blogspot.com.au/2007/11/cream-potato-bake.html">Cream potato bake</a>, which is in the same category as (3) but is also, like, the ultimate comfort food. (I mean c'mon, it's potatoes, cream and cheese with a bit of spice. How is this NOT the ultimate comfort food?)<br />
<br />
5) <a href="http://www.raspberricupcakes.com/2009/07/chocolate-peppermint-creams.html">Chocolate peppermint creams</a>, because Mint Slices are my favourite biscuits* in the whole entire world, so a homemade version? OM NOM NOM.
* Cookies, for those from America ;)<br />
<br />
6) <a href="http://www.sonomafarm.com/blood-orange-olive-oil-brownies-recipes.html#.VM1_Gb76_ic">Blood orange oil brownies</a>, because Liana Brooks kept mentioning them on twitter :P<br />
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7) Scones, preferably of the pumpkin or cheese variety. Maybe <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2015/01/caramelized-onion-and-gruyere-biscuits/">these ones</a> from Smitten Kitchen (which, yes, American terminology says biscuits :P).<br />
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8) Jam doughnuts, preferably <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/12/jelly-doughnuts/">these ones</a>.<br />
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9) Homemade ice cream. Any variety, I'm not too fussed. The only thing holding me off here is a present lack of freezer space.<br />
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10) Bread rolls, or scrolls, or a pull-apart, or all of the above. Just, fresh, homemade, devourable <em>bread</em>.<br />
<br />
And in addition to all that, at some point this week or next I need to do a practice cake. Little sister's birthday is coming up and she has requested a pear and white chocolate mud cake, for which recipes apparently don't exist :P Which is fine, I like making up my own just fine, but given it's a Big Birthday I do need to do a test run first. In terrible news, it will also necessitate making a batch of salted caramel buttercream, which OH NOES WORLD IS ENDING, clearly, because you guys? The caramel recipe I use seriously tastes like the inside of Fantales lollies, for those of you who've ever eaten such things. It is glorious; truly, truly glorious.<br />
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So. That's my to-bake list. If I can summon up some energy at some point, I'll make said items and post pictures and recipes and trivia when I do. But for now, I'm going to go find something quick and easy to eat for lunch, before my blood sugar levels drop to zero :P :D<br />
<br />
~AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-11041818641496238862012-09-22T11:10:00.001-07:002012-09-22T11:10:31.542-07:00The ultimate (kitchen) goal of a busy mom is to eat healthy, delicious meals that are prepared on a sane schedule and don't require you to take out a bank loan to pay for groceries. This is, for many of us, a pipe dream. Food isn't cheap and gourmet cooking takes effort, not to mention well-trained taste buds. Not every child will cheer for Brussel sprouts. But it can be done.<br />
<br />
Or, at least, that's my theory.<br />
<br />
My goal for the month of October is to plan out a well-balanced, nutritious menu with old favorites, new foods, meals that can mostly be made ahead, and dinners that can become tomorrow's bento box lunch with very little effort. Really, what I want is Lazy Gourmet on a Rice And Beans Budget.<br />
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Impossible? You never know until you try.<br />
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The first step is creating a realistic menu. I have a hectic week. Sunday is church, Tuesday is afternoon gymnastics, Wednesday is speech, Friday is equestrian lessons. Baking something for an hour so we can eat dinner means we eat really late, or we're home at least an hour before dinner. I don't always have that luxury. So I need foods that are crock-pot and microwave friendly. Something I can cook in under 15 minutes of actual heating or reheating time.<br />
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The other thing I want out of my menu is a well-balanced diet. My family eats meat, but they don't like soups or fish. Pasta dishes are a hard sell around here. I have one kid that hates sauces in all forms and can't stand tomatoes. Things like lasagna and spaghetti get pushed around the plate and left uneaten. To handle my picky eaters I'm planning dinner in five categories: beef, chicken, pasta, vegetarian, and breakfast. Yes, pasta is a hard sell, but it needs to be on the plate if I ever want my kids to learn to love pasta!<br />
<br />
Breakfast will be a choice of muffins, cereal with milk, or oatmeal. It's not a wide selection, but breakfast runs from 5am when I get up to 8am when the babies get up and I am not cooking a special meal for everyone. Baking muffins once a week is doable, eggs and sausage every morning cuts into my writing time.<br />
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Lunch will be sandwiches most days, but I want to send bento lunches at least twice a week. These are cute, fun, and a little bit healthier than PBJ with a juice box. They also take more planning, and that's why they won't be a daily event.<br />
<br />
Now let's discuss the budget... $1.50 per meal per person, or $22.50/day for the family. For two weeks I want the grocery bill to come in around $300 + paper goods (diapers, dog food, ect). This isn't entirely impossible, but it means cutting out a lot of waste. Pre-cut skinless boneless chicken breast is several dollars more than the skin and bone variety. <br />
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I'm going to run off and make a menu, I'll report back here on how this experiment goes.<br />
<br />- Liana Liana Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14587774916354749190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-58515023402222531142012-08-21T12:41:00.003-07:002012-08-21T12:47:14.917-07:00Quick Honey-Wheat Bread2 cups water<br />2 tablespoons yeast<br />1/4 cup sugar<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/4 cup vegetable oil<br />2 cups wheat flour<br />4 cups bread flour<br />1/4 cup honey<br /><br />Heat the water so it's warm to the touch but not too warm (2 minutes in the microwave and let sit for five minutes while you chase a screaming kid).<br /><br />Stir the sugar into the water to dissolve. Add the yeast, stir again. Let it sit for five minutes until frothy.<br /><br />Add the oil. Stir.<br /><br />Add the wheat flour. Stir.<br /><br />Add two cups of bread flour and the honey. Stir.<br /><br />Add the salt. Stir.<br /><br />Add the last two cups of bread flour. Knead for 3-5 minutes.<br /><br />Cover loosely and let the dough double in size, about 1 hour in normal conditions. It will take longer if your house is cold.<br /><br />Grease the inside of your loaf pan (this makes one large loaf of bread or two smaller ones).<br /><br />Knead the dough for another 3-5 minutes. Please the dough in the loaf pan and let it rise until it's an inch over the top.<br /><br />Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.<br /><br />Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes.<br /><br />Total working time... 20 minutes.<br />Liana Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14587774916354749190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-2251351873951143342012-06-17T02:40:00.001-07:002012-06-17T02:43:06.944-07:00One Pot PastaThis was dinner tonight, blog-worthy because it cooks in just one pot in under half an hour. Tasty and filling, the one-pot reduction makes the sauce beautifully creamy and the stock gives it a nice depth of flavour - a definite winner. It's also a spin on a family classic, which doesn't hurt ;)<br />
<br />
1 brown onion, finely chopped<br />
1 baby capsicum, diced<br />
1/2 head garlic, crushed<br />
200-250g mushrooms, sliced<br />
olive oil<br />
1 can nutmeat, diced OR g mince <br />
1 can crushed tomatoes<br />
1 500g bottle tomato pasta sauce<br />
2.5c stock (I used vegetable)<br />
oregano<br />
basil<br />
garlic salt<br />
400g pasta (I used farfelle/bows)<br />
splash of chili oil (to taste)<br />
<br />
Saute the onion, capsicum, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil until soft. Add the nutmeat/mince and fry until browned. Add crushed tomatoes and pasta sauce; stir to combine. Add stock, season to taste with oregano, basil and garlic salt. Bring to the boil. Add pasta and simmer until cooked (10-15 mins). Stir more frequently as sauce reduces to avoid sticking. Add a splash of chili oil to taste. <br />
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Serve with green peas and parmesan. YUM.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-36771239471671468852012-06-10T00:50:00.000-07:002012-06-10T00:58:50.639-07:00Exotic Birthday Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrh4dxWzRJiKPwiwveYfiRA1Glu52N5K57tVEHqlKygPji00ZkXIRng57V6-nfW2v5QkoV9LKAXNAb-s1gQJmFZBhx33Vx9hogqY_UtlPzecnDjUrVO3BgZrjH8E0bF8tdwwChe1NeZUgX/s1600/IMG_1546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrh4dxWzRJiKPwiwveYfiRA1Glu52N5K57tVEHqlKygPji00ZkXIRng57V6-nfW2v5QkoV9LKAXNAb-s1gQJmFZBhx33Vx9hogqY_UtlPzecnDjUrVO3BgZrjH8E0bF8tdwwChe1NeZUgX/s1600/IMG_1546.JPG" /></a></div>
So this past weekend was my mum's 50th birthday celebrations. She had a grand party in her home with half a million people (okay, so a little over half a hundred) and awesome food. The theme for the party was 'exotic', so people dressed up in togas and saris and all sorts of pretty clothes, and we ate Turkish gozleme and Indian curries (authentic!) and baklava and Turkish apricot cake and REALLY YUMMY STUFF. And of course, we'll be eating it for the next month.<br />
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I had the job of designing and making the birthday cake. Mum is a fan of white chocolate and raspberry, so that was a starting point, and I really wanted to try dark chocolate and lavender, just because it sounded fun. Raspberries somehow ended up becoming blackberries - I forget how, but Mum and her husband had picked blackberries earlier in the year and frozen them, so it was cool to use those anyway. And I convinced her in the end to let me use lavender, bwa ha ha, and it came from my garden :o)<br />
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SO. Double-layer cake, bottom layer dark chocolate & lavendar mud cake with lavendar buttercream, top layer white chocolate mud cake and blackberry with blackberry buttercream. Only I forgot to put the blackberries in the white choc layer, so it was just white choc mud in the end o.0 :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9s-TGw-BzjWG-wbt4IhEryHIKMlZet2Rp0cRfbukOYwvPZT-59vgc_YjOqgGQrUY8qQGMGREjasvzbwSLqt9Z4h06yC45kCK0ZDXQgjnkJH08gcHf3nYNgY8-2zadR5y6_Ufjad9mAe3/s1600/IMG_1471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9s-TGw-BzjWG-wbt4IhEryHIKMlZet2Rp0cRfbukOYwvPZT-59vgc_YjOqgGQrUY8qQGMGREjasvzbwSLqt9Z4h06yC45kCK0ZDXQgjnkJH08gcHf3nYNgY8-2zadR5y6_Ufjad9mAe3/s1600/IMG_1471.JPG" /></a></div>
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As for the exotic theme, the colour scheme was green, pink and purple. After speaking to the lady in the cake shop I decided to buy pre-coloured pink fondant, but I'm kind of sorry I did - the pink wasn't hot pink as advertised, but more of a bright candy/Barbie pink.<br />
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I decided to marble the icing, but on reflection I thought two layers of marbling might be too much. We browsed through pictures and decided on stripes:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_K_cdYbl2Ep16LptOjAfq4bQUXEzCNI7B1XSwG3107VParjR-5VLZyStNEgHY2v27PrS4vg-thPya1Az6ABdPUrJzsu2NG2PZCLu5GOLtYCZKsGXGCHZemlWAnKTvNc1png4rDRiedTZ/s1600/IMG_1536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_K_cdYbl2Ep16LptOjAfq4bQUXEzCNI7B1XSwG3107VParjR-5VLZyStNEgHY2v27PrS4vg-thPya1Az6ABdPUrJzsu2NG2PZCLu5GOLtYCZKsGXGCHZemlWAnKTvNc1png4rDRiedTZ/s1600/IMG_1536.JPG" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wf0Eby4IEc-eFC8ZXTdFNhHe7AbkqnoQFNyUOwwmVvNpDT4oeFN_3Sv8d5PEznif-LHnTgMjwOlInBoHLWcRE1nlnme86QPqIa4dgAucYmxDA_3W5VKcKcr6T3T3JZJ8wDspKgnAZPPj/s1600/IMG_1544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wf0Eby4IEc-eFC8ZXTdFNhHe7AbkqnoQFNyUOwwmVvNpDT4oeFN_3Sv8d5PEznif-LHnTgMjwOlInBoHLWcRE1nlnme86QPqIa4dgAucYmxDA_3W5VKcKcr6T3T3JZJ8wDspKgnAZPPj/s1600/IMG_1544.JPG" /></a></div>
I layered the cake up, stuck on the gold flowers, and decided it needed a topper - so off I went with the Middle Sisterous One to shop for silk flowers. We determined while at the craft store that buying gold braid would be quicker and easier than making a gold rope out of fondant to go around the bottom of each layer, but the store didn't have anything decent in proper gold. Then I found sequins B-) It was an exotic cake, after all.<br />
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And it looked gorgeously rainbow cut up and served :D<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja04YStPBv-qSylkTDUUhmCISL19YbWDSvzt8oC9OKbU6w8fw-Iyd5xmf4KXLjEHCr685TsiKfhQFYnLr2pBzqIUdDwub70d_Qjn6po75lVxylPc8Y6JcPqICOBZHMmdh71aUG54THqgg1/s1600/IMG_1584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja04YStPBv-qSylkTDUUhmCISL19YbWDSvzt8oC9OKbU6w8fw-Iyd5xmf4KXLjEHCr685TsiKfhQFYnLr2pBzqIUdDwub70d_Qjn6po75lVxylPc8Y6JcPqICOBZHMmdh71aUG54THqgg1/s1600/IMG_1584.JPG" /></a></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-16237828266013763052012-05-08T01:21:00.002-07:002012-05-08T01:21:56.290-07:00Cream of Pumpkin SoupOn Sunday Mum, my two sisters and myself (plus the Minion) went to the annual Collector pumpkin festival! (Collector is the town). Came away with some beautiful fresh pumpkins and organic potatoes (so easy to clean! Shows you how un-fresh the supermarket ones really are o.0), so clearly pumpkin soup was in order. Also, I discovered in the making that Boyo actually likes pumpkin soup (he merely tolerates most other soups), which is exciting to know! Had cream that needed using and celery leaves that were otherwise going into the bin, and here is the result... :)<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
1 red onion, finely chopped<br />
2t crushed garlic<br />
splash of olive oil<br />
1/2t cumin<br />
1/4t nutmeg<br />
1/4t harissa<br />
1/2t garlic salt<br />
4c stock<br />
1.5c water<br />
1/2 queensland blue pumpkin, cubed about 1/2 - 1 inch<br />
1 sweet potato, cubed about 1/2 - 1 inch<br />
2 med-lrg potatoes, cubed about 1/2 - 1 inch<br />
1/2 bunch of celery leaves and trimmings, finely chopped<br />
100mL cream (I used thickened, but any would work)<br />
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<b>Recipe</b><br />
Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add spices and stir over heat for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add stock and water and bring to boil. Add pumpkin, sweet potato and potato. Return to boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add celery leaves. Simmer 10 minutes or until vegies are soft. Puree, then stir through cream. Serve optionally with a little fresh black pepper and a dollop of sour cream, with hot buttered sourdough toast on the side. <br />
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This is one of the best pumpkin soups I've had (fresh ingredients make a difference, I suspect :D) and I'll definitely be making this one again. The recipe is going into my brown recipe journal that is home to all my standby favourites ;) Yay!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-22778847624130015452011-11-16T20:44:00.000-08:002011-11-17T01:45:13.194-08:00Potato & Rosemary PizzaPizza is a relatively regular staple in our house, regular enough that there are usually some yeast-free bases (for me) lying around somewhere - cupboard, freezer, dog house... O:) We got home last night with nary half an hour to spare before we had to dash off to our first antenatal class (!), and I NEEDED to eat. Lacking anything quicker (toasted sandwiches? No, out of yeast-free bread), pizza it was.<br /><br />However, I wanted to try out something different for a change. Usually, pizza in our house is also very boring: tomato sauce, pineapple, mushroom, some chunks of cream cheese or feta, some baby spinach if we have any (we didn't), and topped with cheese and oregano/basil. After seeing it goodness-knows-where on the web ages ago, I have made potato pizza once before. This time, though, I did something different. I can't actually recall what I did last time, but this time it was really, really good. Evidence: by the time I went to take a photo of it for the blog, this was all that was left:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23ITtqzDkmHehjsY8KZ3Augtof4GlsYCMYyhhjHzbmueqzulyRh9wuh6T8BuqHz09bbhCyWAtyi7c_9HvVMcPKD8LLmHQY0_d2z-ykLONqATYmBegM8hj5BjWDzWN5ykv5Has_G_OvlYT/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23ITtqzDkmHehjsY8KZ3Augtof4GlsYCMYyhhjHzbmueqzulyRh9wuh6T8BuqHz09bbhCyWAtyi7c_9HvVMcPKD8LLmHQY0_d2z-ykLONqATYmBegM8hj5BjWDzWN5ykv5Has_G_OvlYT/s320/photo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675898139310348610" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients (for one small pizza)</span><br />Garlic<br />Olive oil<br />1 small pizza base - I used a thin & crispy-style, because of the whole yeast-free thing<br />Cream cheese - 2 or 3 tablespoons<br />Rosemary - 1/2 - 1 tablespoon fresh<br />3 baby red-skinned potatoes<br />Sea salt<br /><br />Mix the garlic in with the oil. Leave to stand for as long as possible (optional: like, overnight, or a week, or just go ahead and buy garlic-infused oil). Spread the cream cheese over the base as you normally would tomato sauce*. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with rosemary. Finely slice the potatoes and layer over the base*, overlapping a little to completely cover it. Season to taste with sea salt. Bake at 190C for 20 minutes until potatoes start to turn golden around the edges. Enjoy!<br /><br />* You want to go as close as possible to the edge on this pizza, otherwise the crust gets <span style="font-style: italic;">too</span> crusty in the time it takes to cook the potato.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-64284350747871030762011-10-18T16:47:00.000-07:002011-10-18T16:54:25.732-07:00Sourdough Soft Pretzels<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Recipe adapted from various sources. </span></span><br /><br />Soft pretzels really are a labor of love. They aren't quick to make, but they are delicious. This fall I've been on a major "make it at home" kick. I've stopped buying jam and jelly at the store. I can make my own at home and can the resulting deliciousness. We're getting away from store bought bread, and that means homemade loaves that we like.<br /><br />Sourdough is one of my favorite sandwich breads. It suits my lifestyle. Yes, it takes patience and planning to have sourdough starter lying around, but once you have the starter this is a 15 Minute Bread. You stir, abandon, knead, abandon, knead again, abandon, and then bake! Total time actually spent in the kitchen or the house with abandoned bread? Less than 45 minutes if you include the bake time.<br /><br />The pretzels take a little bit more effort, but the basic sourdough bread is there. I usually split my dough so I have a small loaf, and a batch of palm-sized soft pretzels for snacks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sourdough Starter</span><br />- 1 cup flour<br />- 1 cup warm water (90 seconds in microwave)<br />- 1 packet yeast<br />- 2 teaspoons sugar<br /><br />Combine all ingredients in large mason jar. Cover with cheese cloth held down by a rubber band. Let sit on counter for at least three days. The jar will need to be stirred several times the first day, and once every day thereafter. The starter needs to be refreshed (fed) every week whether it is used or not. Add a heaping tablespoon of flour and a teaspoon of sugar or honey every week.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sourdough</span><br />- 1 cup sourdough starter<br />- 1 packet of yeast<br />- 3 cups bread flour<br />- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />- ½ teaspoon baking soda<br />- 1 ½ cups warm water (90 seconds in microwave)<br />- 3 teaspoons butter<br />- 2 teaspoons sugar<br /><br />Heat water and butter – the water should be warmer than bath water but not boiling. Stir together sourdough starter, yeast, sugar, and the bread flour. Add the water and baking soda. Slowly mix in the unbleached flour.<br /><br />Knead for several minutes until no flour stick to the side of the bowl.<br /><br />Set in a warm place to rise for 1-4 hours. You can preheat the oven to 350 for a few minutes, then turn off the oven and stick the bowl in there to rise as long as it isn’t hot. The oven should feel slightly to warm for comfort, but if it is too hot the yeast will due.<br /><br />After the dough has risen knead it again for five minutes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bread--</span> Grease loaf pan or the locking rim on a springform pan (to shape round loaves). Place the kneaded loaf in the pan and let rise until double in size (1-4 hours depending on temp). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pretzels--</span><br />- White from one egg<br />- 2 tablespoons baking soda<br />- Kosher salt or other large rock salt for sprinkling<br />- Large pot of water for boiling<br />Divide dough into fist sized balls. Let balls sit five minutes to relax than roll out into long snakes.<br /><br />To fold the pretzel grab the snake in the middle, cross the ribbons twice, then fold the ribbons back up the the body of the snake and pinch the dough together.<br />Let the pretzels sit and rise for 30-60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 475.<br /><br />Fill a pot large enough to accommodate 2-3 pretzels at a time and fill halfway with water. Add the baking soda and bring to a low boil. A full rolling boil will be to hot.<br /><br />Bake for 4 minutes at 475. Remove pretzels and turn oven down to 350.<br /><br />Drop pretzels into boiling water in batches. Boil for 1 minute on each side.<br /><br />Place boiled pretzels on baking sheet and brush with egg whites. Sprinkle salt over the pretzels. Bake for 15-25 minutes until pretzels are golden brown. Enjoy!Liana Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14587774916354749190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-2377053173213148642011-09-18T21:51:00.000-07:002012-05-08T01:29:25.383-07:00Recipe Swap: Quick Asparagus Galette<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPnoMx68d0Yp73g0r2d_66Y12HlMrEu1-KaZflJb4DJXiCA70UzNljQ7t5O6HKjL7TC4U3EYs7xOO453mwIExkdPfG-oGRL7c37VSARPUmnrza-qVGtrSrUDjpgXuwA_bU7_c2JGv4_gk/s1600/IMAG0041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPnoMx68d0Yp73g0r2d_66Y12HlMrEu1-KaZflJb4DJXiCA70UzNljQ7t5O6HKjL7TC4U3EYs7xOO453mwIExkdPfG-oGRL7c37VSARPUmnrza-qVGtrSrUDjpgXuwA_bU7_c2JGv4_gk/s200/IMAG0041.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
So we were talking the other day at work about how much we'd all like to belong to a recipe swap group, or something similar, and it occured to us that we can perfectly well do so here at work. Hence, for the next little while at least, Monday has been dubbed Recipe Swap Day.<br />
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Today was our inaugral swap, and while many people forgot (:D), there was still enough food to go around :) The theme was Spring, because the weather here has FINALLY deigned to grow warm, and my contribution, thanks to the suggestion of my husband when I was bemoaning lack of time and energy to cook last night, was my Quick Asapargus Galette, something my husband and I invented a little while ago to use up asaparagus. It's yummy, and as promised, very quick; I knocked it together in 10 mins here at school during a free period, then threw it in the oven to bake while I did Other Important Stuff.<br />
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True to all my recipes, the quantities are a little iffy. Basically, the idea is to cover the pastry evenly; use however much of each item you need to do so! :D<br />
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<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed<br />
Feta - about 50g??<br />
Grated parmesan - a couple of tablespoons??<br />
1/4c corn kernels (maybe less?)<br />
2 bunches of asparagus (approximately, depending on bunch size; today the supermarket had nice big bunches with really long stems, so I only used one bunch)<br />
A handful of fresh lemon thyme - probably a tablespoon<br />
Olive oil<br />
Salt & pepper<br />
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Spray a shallow, small, rectangular baking dish (about 20x30cm?) with non-stick, or grease it. Lay pastry sheet in dish so that about a quarter of it overhangs each long edge.<br />
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Sprinkle liberally with parmesan and crumbled feta. Sprinkle over corn kernels. Tail the asparagus spears then lay them lengthwise on top of everything else so that they completely cover the available space. Sprinkle liberally with lemon thyme and season with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper.<br />
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Fold the pastry in and pinch it closed at the ends to seal it. There should be a gap open down the middle where you can see some asaparagus; this is Good. Bake in a moderate to hot oven until pastry is browned, about 25 minutes.<br />
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Serves two people as a light meal, or up to six as an accompaniment.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-52650084024903281092011-08-08T03:25:00.000-07:002011-08-09T03:45:19.757-07:00Unstuffed Mini CapsicumsYes, that's right, unstuffed. Because I was lazy ;) :D
<br />
<br />Anyway, this came about because the vast majority of my family went shopping together on the weekend at the newly-arrived-and-therefore-exciting (sigh) Costco. Amidst all the kerfuffle, a large box of baby red capsicums (bell peppers :P) were purchased and split up between us. Hence the txt message I received from Mum this afternoon, detailing the delicious feta-and-spinach-stuffed capsicums they'd had for dinner last night.
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<br />Plagued by pregnancy cravings and sickness, stuffed capsicums sounded like just the thing for tonight's dinner - only I couldn't be bothered making the stuffing, then stuffing the capsicums, and then baking it all again. Hence, unstuffed capsicums O:) :D
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgTf1chWYCiLl1CiRgm99ooyRxB2G2AlgXcjrBHDzQQwnuseZyK2WF8uO6N2Gm58_RrzOQA8VTWO5ruXMRuWDzNv1RJNCRZcbPhIFHoRgFkS3HfqOQuCUB8iShYwBFLmZ2S8pv_K_jmk7/s1600/IMG_0287.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgTf1chWYCiLl1CiRgm99ooyRxB2G2AlgXcjrBHDzQQwnuseZyK2WF8uO6N2Gm58_RrzOQA8VTWO5ruXMRuWDzNv1RJNCRZcbPhIFHoRgFkS3HfqOQuCUB8iShYwBFLmZ2S8pv_K_jmk7/s400/IMG_0287.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638433858925339586" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span>
<br />1 onion, finely chopped
<br />5 cloves garlic, crushed
<br />300g mushrooms, thinly sliced
<br />olive oil
<br />1.2c long grain rice
<br />2.5c vegetable stock
<br />12 baby red capsicums
<br />sweet chilli sauce
<br />soy sauce
<br />salt
<br />tarragon
<br />100g cream cheese, cubed
<br />baby spinach, to serve
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Method</span>
<br />Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add mushrooms; stir until reduced. Add rice; stir for 1 minute to coat thoroughly. Add stock. Bring to the boil. Simmer with a TIGHT lid for 20 minutes. DO NOT OPEN, or you'll lose all the precious steam. If through a tragedy not of your making, the lid gets lifted (hi there, curious meal-eaters *glare*), add some more hot water to compensate. You're basically just making a pilaf, here.
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<br />Meanwhile, deseed the capsicums (reserving a 'lid' for each) and rinse them. Shake them dry, though not too dry, and replace 'lids'. The lids help preserve the moisture so they become tender, rather than drying out. Bake in a 200C oven for 15 minutes.
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<br />Once 20 mins is up for the rice, turn off the heat and give it a good stir. If, like me, you're unlucky and some stuck to the bottom, transfer to a new pot to avoid contaminating the good stuff with anything burnt. Season with sauces, salt and tarragon to taste, then stir through cream cheese.
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<br />Plate up, and enjoy :o)
<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-25112054208762157262011-07-10T03:15:00.001-07:002011-08-09T03:45:19.763-07:00Curried Pumpkin SoupHad a craving for soup tonight - freezing cold, blustery day - and had half a butternut pumpkin (squash) in the fridge that needed using up. Also, we'd just gone grocery shopping and came home with a lovely little pumpkin (can't recall the type; marbled green skin, lovely orange flesh) that was on sale very cheap. Sadly, the butternut in the fridge had kicked the bucket - but no matter. The resulting soup was very good anyway!<br /><br />I tend to prefer butternut to other pumpkins, as it's sweeter, but the slightly earthier taste of the regular pumpkin worked well in this one. The curried part came from a soup I had back in February that our vet, of all people, cooked, and I wanted to attempt some sort of recreation. This worked well enough that I'd probably buy coconut milk again in order to make it :)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />1 medium brown onion, finely chopped<br />2 heaped teaspoons crushed garlic<br />curry powder<br />5 cups of vegetable stock (chicken would work well, too)<br />2 large potatoes, skins on<br />1/2 a med-small pumpkin (about 1.2kg unprepared)<br />1 can of coconut milk<br />salt & pepper<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe:</span><br />Saute the onion, garlic and curry powder (to taste; about 2 teaspoons??). Once sauted, add just a little bit of stock at first to blend in the curry. Add the rest of the stock and bring to the boil. Add potato and pumpkin, cut into small pieces. Simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Puree, stir through coconut milk and season to taste. Enjoy! :)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-61315895843620256242011-05-05T07:22:00.001-07:002011-05-05T07:22:54.501-07:00Ode to Banana Bread<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My friend says she doesn't bake,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm afraid I can't relate.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">It's a waste of time you say?</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">But what better way to spend a day!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Filling the oven full of treats,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Making the house smell so sweet.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And after all the mess and fun,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I enjoy a treat with my son.</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Banana Nut Bread</span></span><br /><br />1 cup mostly melted butter<br />3-4 bananas<br />1/2 cup brown sugar<br />1/2 cup white sugar<br />1 cap (2 tsp) vanilla extract<br />2 eggs, beaten<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />Pinch of salt<br />2 cups sifted flour<br />1 cup chopped nuts (optional)<br />1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)<br /><br /><br />- Cream butter and sugar<br />- Add beaten eggs<br />- Cream bananas until fluffy<br />- Add fluffy bananas to the sugar mixture<br />- Add the baking soda and salt<br />- Stir in flour slowly<br />- Cream batter until it looks whippe<br />- Fold in chopped nuts or chocolate if using<br />- Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350° for 1 hour<br /><br />Serve with whipped cream cheese or butterLiana Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14587774916354749190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-64719291851264620572010-12-28T01:48:00.000-08:002011-08-09T03:45:19.767-07:00Great Risottos Made EasyI have a bit of a reputation for making a good risotto. My husband, in fact, refuses to order risotto on the odd occasion we eat out, for fear it won't live up to his expectations :D A couple of people recently have asked me for the recipe, and I thought I might as well share it on here with you. Enjoy :)<br /><br />1 onion (or half, if you don't feel like chopping lots of onion)<br />Garlic to taste (I usually use a good 5-6 cloves, but then again, I love garlic. 2 is probably okay too! :D)<br />1c arborio rice (MUST be arborio or it won't be nice and creamy at the end)<br />3.5 - 4c stock (I use chicken stock with orange veggies and vegetable stock with everything else. The amount you need will depend on the rice: stop once it's cooked through and don't worry about any excess stock, as you don't want a gluggy risotto)<br />1/3 - 1/2c parmesan cheese<br />Salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />Make up the stock and put it in a saucepan over a VERY low heat on the stove. You just want to keep it warm so it incorporates easier.<br /><br />Finely dice then saute the garlic and onion in some oil (I like olive).<br /><br />Add the rice, stir so it's coated in the oil, then add enough stock to just cover the rice. Give it a good stir. Bring it to the boil, then turn the heat down so it's just gently simmering. Keep a close eye on it, stirring a couple of times every minute so the rice cooks evenly and doesn't stick, and as soon as you can drag the spoon from one side of the pan to the other in about half a second and still see the bottom of the pan, add another ladle-ful of stock. Continue this until all the stock is gone.<br /><br />Check to make sure the rice is cooked through (make sure it's not crunchy) but turn off the heat as soon as the last stock is absorbed so the risotto doesn't dry out (yuck). Stir through the parmesan until it's all melted, season to taste, and serve!! :)<br /><br />If you want to add things to make it tastier, this is what you add when:<br /><ul><li>Vegetables that need sauteing to soften them go in with the onion at the beginning (eg capsicum, mushrooms).</li><li>Spices go in with the onion at the beginning (heat releases their smell and taste).</li><li>Green leafies go in at the very end, after the parmesan (this includes herbs).</li><li>Other vegetables are best pre-cooked (microwaved or baked) and added once the last stock is absorbed but before the parmesan. (I often microwave pumpkin or sweet potato then grill it with sea salt and olive oil). This is also when you would add any meat (pre-cooked).</li><li>Feta can be added either before the parmesan if you wanted it melted in a bit, or after if you want it chunkier.</li><li>You can also add flavours to the stock - try substituting some of it with red wine vinegar, or a splash of lemon juice, for example.</li></ul>And that's it! Too easy :)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-5173031325514518492010-08-27T10:17:00.001-07:002011-12-27T12:46:58.290-08:00Sweet and Spicy Chili (with the Vegetarian option!)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NJNSKZOFWvo/THf0FsFpjSI/AAAAAAAABpE/QjCpAAYzq30/s1600/chilipeppers.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 302px; height: 201px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NJNSKZOFWvo/THf0FsFpjSI/AAAAAAAABpE/QjCpAAYzq30/s200/chilipeppers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510141047682469154" border="0" /></a>I love spicy food, and I'm an unapologetic carnivore. When cold season hits, I serve high octane protein on the basis that if it doesn't kill you, it will knock out any virus that came calling.<br /><br />Everyone knows how to make chili, you dump things in a pot and simmer until it tastes right. So don't take this recipe as doctrine, it's a starter template. Adjust as you like to suit your style.<br /><br />This dish is savory and sweet, with enough heat to handle your worst head cold, and kill small children. If you want something a little less spicy, use fewer - or sweeter- peppers. Or stir sour cream into your bowl when you serve. Dairy kills the heat factor.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span></span><br />- 1 large onion chopped fine<br />- 1 head of garlic <span style="font-size:85%;">(about 18 cloves)</span><br />- 2-3 large bell peppers, seeded<br />- 4-20 chili peppers, seeded <span style="font-size:85%;">(four is spicy, twenty will kill people, choose something else if you<br /> want less heat)</span><br />- 1 packet of chili seasoning <span style="font-size:85%;">-or- chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, a pinch of<br /> cumin or oregano... combine and add as needed</span><br />- 8 slices of bacon -or- 2tbspn butter or olive oil<br />- 1/2 cup of frozen corn<br />- 1/4 cup molasses<br />- 1 tsp cocoa powder<br />- 1/4 tsp cinnamon<br />- 1/4 cup sugar divided <span style="font-size:85%;">(you won't use this all)</span><br />- 1tbspn olive oil<br />- 2 cups beef stock or vegetable stock<br />- 1 pound ground beef/turkey/soy substitute browned<br />- 16oz can diced tomatoes <span style="font-size:85%;">(about four large tomatoes fresh diced)</span><br />- 16oz can tomato sauce <span style="font-size:85%;">(or another four tomatoes, diced)</span><br />- 16oz can kidney beans of any color, rinsed<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Equipment</span></span><br />- crock pot or giant pot for simmering<br />- tin foil<br />- glass baking dish<br />- cutting board<br />- frying pan<br />- oven<br />- plastic bag<br />- plastic gloves for handling chilis<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions</span></span><br />1. Turn the oven on to 400(F), break the garlic cloves apart (leave the peel on), drop in the glass baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, cover with foil and bake until fragrant - about 20 minutes.<br /><br />2. Broil the bell peppers and half of the chili peppers, brushed with olive oil for 2 minutes, or bake for 10, until skin starts to blacken. Using tongs drop the peppers into a plastic bag to sweat. After they are cool, peel the skins.<br /><br />3. Add rinsed beans, tomatoes, corn, beef stock, and seasoning packet to the big pot. Turn on low to start heating to a simmer. I like making this in the crock pot because it can simmer all day.<br /><br />4. Chop roasted pepper and garlic, add to pot.<br /><br />5. Dice the bacon into 1 inch pieces, fry, add onions and turn the pan to medium-low. You want the onions to slowly caramelize and turn brown. This takes 20-30 minutes. If they aren't turning start adding sugar a pinch at a time.<br /><br />6. Drain the grease from the bacon and onions. Add bacon and onions to the pot.<br /><br />7. Bring pot to a rapid simmer.<br /><br />8. Stir in cinnamon, cocoa powder, and molasses. Adjust seasonings as needed.<br /><br />9. Simmer for 1-10 hours on low in a crock pot or 1-2 hours on the stove. Serve with your favorite toppings. In my house we top chili with sharp cheddar, avocado, sour cream, and cream onion and eat with tortilla chips or ladled over a hot dog on a bun.<br /><br />Enjoy!Liana Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14587774916354749190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-63290353792894341672010-07-02T01:31:00.000-07:002011-08-09T03:45:19.772-07:00Mashed Potato-Stuffed MushroomsServes 2<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYyb7s5QTGGiEZUZjMULI4lOPvbbtCnN5snWdlqxCbbzgdereTuHf2MVYfbhA14JnMsjXdKWybMJQkaanQPUe80SVzemhsWriw-yW2jAnPhvaReg4Vw7cYpBpYKgJ9cohRfWoKvMKjjWa/s1600/IMG_9345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYyb7s5QTGGiEZUZjMULI4lOPvbbtCnN5snWdlqxCbbzgdereTuHf2MVYfbhA14JnMsjXdKWybMJQkaanQPUe80SVzemhsWriw-yW2jAnPhvaReg4Vw7cYpBpYKgJ9cohRfWoKvMKjjWa/s200/IMG_9345.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>2 large flat mushrooms - clean them.<br />
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2 extra large potatoes - microwave and mash w butter & milk & salt.<br />
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Add 1/4c parmesan and season with chives, tarragon, dill, cajun, sage, oregano & 1T tomato sauce.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbR9kB3caZQfcv8ILcCoBS9GGf1Ey0F6AK17GXFr-NjK4_PvWIF6pAsiSfNaUH1v3hmVDiqSNkAfYqz80f9MpKextRSf39q0bYEBmoS-k6lMPfvzoO0yL-tI8eUzG9dyRmOk1eZsmfk69/s1600/IMG_9346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbR9kB3caZQfcv8ILcCoBS9GGf1Ey0F6AK17GXFr-NjK4_PvWIF6pAsiSfNaUH1v3hmVDiqSNkAfYqz80f9MpKextRSf39q0bYEBmoS-k6lMPfvzoO0yL-tI8eUzG9dyRmOk1eZsmfk69/s320/IMG_9346.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Drizzle with 1T honey & sweet chilli mixed into olive oil.<br />
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Bake at 170C for 25 mins.<br />
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Serve over baby spinach and eat!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-50040463786665775402010-06-29T01:38:00.000-07:002011-08-09T03:45:19.776-07:00Moroccan Pumpkin and Sweet Potato StewFull credit to Kerryn Boorman for gifting me with this recipe. I think by now we all know my love of orange vegetables, so this recipe is one of my hearty favourites. In fact, since I was just given some butternuts, I might make it for dinner!<br />
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<b>Recipe</b><br />
60 g butter <br />
1 large onion, finely chopped <br />
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped <br />
1 teaspoon ground ginger <br />
1 teaspoon ground turmeric <br />
1 cinnamon stick (or equiv. ground cinnamon)<br />
pinch of cayenne pepper, or ½ teaspoon harissa <br />
500 ml (2 cups) vegetable or chicken stock <br />
1/8 teaspoon ground saffron threads (this is in the official recipe, but given the price of it, I've always omitted it, and the end result seems just fine to me!)<br />
600 g butternut pumpkin (squash) or other firm pumpkin, peeled and cubed <br />
500 g orange sweet potato, peeled and cubed <br />
60 g ( ½ cup) raisins or sultanas<br />
1 tablespoon honey <br />
coriander (cilantro) leaves, to serve <br />
<br />
<br />
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon stick and the cayenne pepper or harissa. Stir over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the stock, add the saffron, then increase the heat to medium and bring to the boil. <br />
<br />
Add the pumpkin, sweet potato, raisins and honey and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the cinnamon stick, transfer to a bowl and scatter with coriander leaves.<br />
<br />
An amazing sweet-savoury that leaves me wanting seconds every time. Note, though, that it <i>is</i> a sweet-savoury; if you don't like your sweets and savouries combined (a la my husband), you may not like this so much.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-85242251957889913842010-06-26T01:16:00.000-07:002010-06-26T01:16:00.414-07:00Fruit and Vegie Box: ContentsAs you know, my lovely fruit and vegie box was delivered to my doorstep on Wednesday evening. In the interests of establishing a baseline for the coming weeks, I thought I'd detail the contents of my box here, and give my first impressions :) And because I want to be able to compare value for money, I'm also weighing everything :)<br />
<br />
<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Contents</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
1 giganti-lettuce (340g)<br />
2 massive navel oranges (863g total)<br />
2 apples that I think are Fujis (277g total)<br />
2 apples, more standard-looking, almost like a red delicious (370g total)<br />
1 pink lady apple (168g)<br />
1 standard pear (272g)<br />
1 packham pear (219g)<br />
3 Imperial mandarins (221g)<br />
1 brown onion (134g)<br />
3 potatos (438g)<br />
1 zucchini/corgette (104g)<br />
1 head of broccoli (289g)<br />
4 bananas (609g)<br />
3 carrots (522g)<br />
cherry tomatoes (255g)<br />
button mushrooms (128g)<br />
<br />
As well as that, I also bought 390g of feta, and a 980g loaf of potato and rosemary sourdough which smells DIVINE. <br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>First impressions:</strong></span></em><br />
<br />
VERY first impression - the bread smells heavenly.<br />
Second impression - hmm, not as much in here as I'd hoped. On further analysis, I think this is because the fruit outweighs the vegetables, and we tend to eat more vegetables than fruit. The website does say that you can email them to negotiate, and I did that because the original list included green capsicum (pepper) and I don't like green; they were happy to switch for me... But note the lack of capsicum in the above list. I also seem to be missing the cucumber they promise on the website list, not that that bothers me, since we don't eat that many salads in winter. And to be fair, the website does say the list is a guide, dependent on availability. So you know.<br />
<br />
On closer inspection, I remain ambivalent. The carrots, lettuce and mushrooms appear particularly fresh, although not better than what I've had before from the supermarket. I think the lettuce is crisper, though. Might last longer. The fruit, though, doesn't seem particularly superior to what I've had before - with the exception of the oranges, which are very heavy for their size, boding well. But oranges are good right now, at the peak of their season, so you know. <br />
<br />
I'll report back in more detail as each item is consumed, I suppose!<br />
<br />
Finally...<br />
<br />
<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Price</span></em></strong><br />
<br />
The box of fresh food cost me $25. The bread was very expensive, at $6.95, but the smell is tooootally worth it. So you know. The feta was $10.95, which equals about $2.81 per 100g.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-41391893082562939552010-06-25T01:35:00.000-07:002011-08-09T03:45:19.781-07:00French-Inspired Mushroom SoupI invented this recipe a year or so ago after I watched an episode of Masterchef. They mentioned on the show that the classic flavours of French food were butter, cream, thyme and I think lemon - so when I went to make mushroom soup for dinner that night, knowing we had some beautiful lemon thyme growing in the garden, I decided to see if I could make a soup that reflected these flavours. <br />
<br />
<b>The Recipe</b><br />
About 50g butter<br />
1 smallish white or brown onion<br />
1 heaped teaspoon crushed garlic<br />
400-600g mushrooms (I used 400g; the fresher the better)<br />
Salt (¼t?)<br />
3/16 c plain flour (hehe. The original recipe called for ¼ cup, but because I added the soup mix I reduced the flour by ¼)<br />
2/3 packet of mushroom powdered soup mix<br />
4c chicken stock<br />
2 2-inch sprigs of lemon thyme<br />
½ - 2/3c milk<br />
About 100g sour cream<br />
2t chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley<br />
¼ - ½ t dried tarragon<br />
<br />
Melt butter in saucepan. Sauté garlic and onion until clear, but not caramelised. Add mushrooms, cook stirring until reduced (~7mins?). Add salt to taste. Add flour and soup mix. Cook for 1-2 mins, stirring constantly. Add first 1.5 cups of stock slowly so flour doesn’t clump. Add rest of stock. Throw in thyme sprigs. Bring to boil, then simmer for 10 mins. Optionally, let soup cool and process to desired consistency (I prefer not to process this soup). Add milk and sour cream. Heat until cream is melted. Add herbs. Serve hot with crusty bread.<br />
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
Is this soup a successful reflection of the key French flavours? I absolutely think so. It's warm and satisfying due to the cream and butter, but light and delicate at the same time because of the lemon. Because it's quite rich, I wouldn't make it every week, but this is definitely a grand soup for special occasions B-)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-18375564947251218712010-06-23T01:14:00.000-07:002010-06-23T01:14:22.567-07:00Fruit and Vegies: An ExperimentI'm tremendously excited. Last week a flyer came in the mail, announcing the opening of a new company that will deliver fruit and vegetables as fresh from the farm as possible to my doorstep. I like the idea of buying farm-fresh a lot; not only is the quality and the nutritional content better, but the money goes more directly to where it's needed. So this idea really appealed to me.<br />
<br />
I did a bit of market research, and found that this company doesn't have much competition; there are only one or two other services in my area, and they're either more expensive and commercial, or specialise in fruit. Now, I'm all for fruit, but we do eat a lot more vegetables in our house than fruit.<br />
<br />
Tonight, the box of goodies arrived on my doorstep. As well as the standard small fruit and vegie box, which claims to be sufficient for 2-3 people for about a week, I also ordered some feta cheese (which is indeed straight from the farm), and some gourmet sourdough, sourced from a local independent bakery.<br />
<br />
In order to decide whether or not this box of goodness is actually worth it or not, my husband and I are going to do an experiment over the next few weeks. We're going to consciously test out fresh food sourced from this fruit delivery place (delivered to the door), from the local supermarket chain (5 mins away), from the discount supermarket (3 mins away), and from the Sunday food markets (30 mins away). <br />
<br />
While cost is definitely an important factor, it won't be the be-all and the end-all. Taste and quality are important, too, as is the ability of presumably fresher food to keep for longer than not-so-fresh food. Each week, I'll make a list of the produce we have, and I'll note how long it lasts - both in terms of before it spoils, and before it runs out! And at the end of the four weeks, hopefully we should have a better understanding of where we can go in our area for really great food.<br />
<br />
After all, don't we all want to eat really great food? :)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-53498086633928464422010-06-21T01:30:00.000-07:002011-08-09T03:45:19.785-07:00Sweet Potato & Feta Fritata<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmys3NpsuM7rvvc0qBma5pTVVgdO1QHzlTpcW7fdqb8I7KthKKSvcf9gMKz370FuY28e2BIScp_EGAz_1Cvdqo5WJJgPQ9hsiafExgrhLknWsk2VGSxUCMPzQ1_0chDu4ZqY-0jDAbxGYO/s1600/IMGP4778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmys3NpsuM7rvvc0qBma5pTVVgdO1QHzlTpcW7fdqb8I7KthKKSvcf9gMKz370FuY28e2BIScp_EGAz_1Cvdqo5WJJgPQ9hsiafExgrhLknWsk2VGSxUCMPzQ1_0chDu4ZqY-0jDAbxGYO/s200/IMGP4778.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><b>The Recipe</b><br />
350g sweet potato, sliced<br />
1/4c water<br />
2tb shredded basil leaves<br />
200g feta<br />
6 eggs, lightly beaten<br />
1/3c thickened cream<br />
<br />
<br />
Grease a ~20cm x 30cm rectangular slice pan. Line the base and two long sides with baking paper. Microwave sweet potato (with the water), covered, on high, for 3 mins or until almost tender. Drain.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6FlGYATL_f5wSBsEgc2vIFxDu0zKZgKms5UVpl5dksCS8DAaIwJi-2uoXnZag0k11x42JL7fo2zBD5s2Fn4tH0r3vcV_5uq0PJWcPL2nkuq-NY6sSfhbfPkum0E9HakSdWz3jJiHb453/s1600/IMGP4783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6FlGYATL_f5wSBsEgc2vIFxDu0zKZgKms5UVpl5dksCS8DAaIwJi-2uoXnZag0k11x42JL7fo2zBD5s2Fn4tH0r3vcV_5uq0PJWcPL2nkuq-NY6sSfhbfPkum0E9HakSdWz3jJiHb453/s320/IMGP4783.JPG" /></a></div>Arrange the sweet potato over the base of the pan. sprinkle with basil and crumbled feta. Pour over combined egg and cream.<br />
<br />
Bake for about 25 mins or until set at 180C. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Serve hot or cold.<br />
<br />
<b>The Results</b><br />
<br />
This is one of my all-time favourite go-to foods. It doesn't come out quite like a quiche or a pie; it's more vegetable-y than that. But given sweet potato and feta are two of my favourite foods, this is something I could never, ever eat too much of. And, bonus, it's just as good cold, so you can take the left overs for lunch! That's if there <i>are</i> any left overs... :D<br />
<br />
(Note for example the fact that I don't have a photo of the slice cooked O:))Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-47264312503313930862010-06-19T01:39:00.000-07:002011-08-09T03:45:19.789-07:00Zucchini Pie<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Recipe</span><br />
<br />
1 small-med zucchini<br />
1 med carrot<br />
1 onion, diced<br />
1 block greek feta, cubed<br />
1/4 small butternut pumpkin, cubed and mostly cooked <br />
5 eggs<br />
½c grated parmesan<br />
½c oil<br />
¾c flour<br />
Cumin<br />
Pepper<br />
Oregano<br />
<a href="http://www.mccormick.com.au/our_products/herbs_and_spices/60">Thai lemongrass & lime</a> spice mix<br />
<br />
Mix all ingredients. Bake in a moderate oven for about 40 minutes.<br />
<br />
Alternative: omit pumpkin and feta and 1 egg, and add 1c grated cheese instead of parmesan.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-12736940383633699462010-06-15T01:32:00.000-07:002011-08-09T03:45:19.794-07:00Asparagus & Corn Quiche<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaTfHnPyqjUhlZ1F3gb_HHDXPfV2XSyhrF1LGxJ57X0clitkyQlr_SA2h-zsGYySwMfHy4f9KCVQFFMgL8WPbZI9JBIhOn8RWqxJCDpJ-8V3inFk7ekNson47OqagcMUSGkK3egJODDwH/s1600/IMG_9343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaTfHnPyqjUhlZ1F3gb_HHDXPfV2XSyhrF1LGxJ57X0clitkyQlr_SA2h-zsGYySwMfHy4f9KCVQFFMgL8WPbZI9JBIhOn8RWqxJCDpJ-8V3inFk7ekNson47OqagcMUSGkK3egJODDwH/s200/IMG_9343.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>1 quantity shortcrust pastry<br />
1 can creamed corn<br />
2 bunches fresh asparagus, chopped into 1.5 inch lengths<br />
5-6 shallots/green onions, finely chopped<br />
about 1/3 of a red capsicum (pepper), diced<br />
1/3c grated cheese<br />
5 eggs, lightly beaten<br />
3/4c cream<br />
salt<br />
majoram<br />
chives<br />
black pepper<br />
<br />
3/4 block feta, crumbled<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease quiche dish. Line with pastry. Bake blind for ten mins or until centre of base is firm. Spread creamed corn over base.<br />
<br />
Mix all other ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Pour into pastry case. Bake for 20ish minutes or until centre is nearly set. Let stand for five minutes before cutting. Eat hot or cold!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5tTTnSPJKWci7_4_U9_A5n-ES3dl6ckL71uXNJbkuHHRQQpbXLbJtmAzo0etGWFcheZtiugziR98r6uij2NWHzSVXXPWjA_gdnp6pZrYvBr66l8GlHMmsjAo9rRa_VJnJTlchQlcw4Iw/s1600/IMG_9342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5tTTnSPJKWci7_4_U9_A5n-ES3dl6ckL71uXNJbkuHHRQQpbXLbJtmAzo0etGWFcheZtiugziR98r6uij2NWHzSVXXPWjA_gdnp6pZrYvBr66l8GlHMmsjAo9rRa_VJnJTlchQlcw4Iw/s320/IMG_9342.JPG" /></a></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-28149352967887129102010-06-10T18:21:00.000-07:002011-08-09T03:45:19.799-07:00Quick and Easy Vegetable LasagnaServes 8ish<br />
<br />
2 cloves garlic, crushed. <br />
1 good sized zucchini (courgette)<br />
8-10 small cup mushrooms (2-3 inches across), rinsed<br />
1 large carrot<br />
1/2 butternut pumpkin (butternut squash)<br />
2 cans crushed tomatoes<br />
1 block feta<br />
1/3c tomato sauce<br />
grated cheese, to top<br />
lasagna sheets <br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 210C. Peel and dice butternut and microwave on high for ten minutes. Fry garlic until golden. Dice the zucchini and mushrooms. Add to pan and saute until nearly cooked through. Grate in the carrot. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, and heat through.<br />
<br />
In a baking dish, spread half the tomato mixture. Put over a layer of lasagna sheets. Cover with butternut; mash down slightly if necessary. Crumble feta over top. Place another layer of lasagna sheets, and top with the remaining tomato mixture. Top with grated cheese and bake for about 20-30 minutes until pasta is cooked.<br />
<br />
Let sit for five mins before slicing in order to prevent it from falling apart so much when serving :)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8151174601537957000.post-75009780944236485672010-06-07T05:05:00.000-07:002011-08-09T03:45:19.803-07:00Butter-based Mushroom/Capsicum/Baby Spinach Pasta SauceI got home at nearly half past nine tonight craving something tasty and wanting more than anything to crash into bed. I'd already planned to make pasta, and lacking a brain to think of a satisfying alternative, pasta is what I went with.<br />
<br />
What I didn't expect was for it to be SO INSANELY TASTY!!<br />
<br />
So. Recipe. Be warned: this is not a skinny recipe :D<br />
<br />
Serves 3.<br />
<br />
About 100g of butter<br />
About 2t fresh majoram<br />
8 mushrooms, sliced<br />
1/4 small red capsicum (pepper), diced<br />
Tarragon<br />
Almost 1/4 carton sour cream (er, 100g??)<br />
Nearly 1 block feta cheese (250g?) <br />
1 handful baby spinach/rocket mix<br />
<br />
Cook sufficient pasta according to directions. Melt butter in a saucepan with majoram. Add mushrooms and capsicum. Saute until mushies are nearly cooked then add tarragon and salt to taste (4 grinds). Add sour cream and melt. Add feta; stir through until heated. Add spinach/rocket and stir through until just wilted.<br />
<br />
Serve with a few fresh leaves on top and a sprinkling of parmesan.<br />
<br />
Yum!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07703964989696491133noreply@blogger.com0