Recipe - White Chocolate and Cherry Cheesecake - Whole cake or individual serves

The below recipe is for the full cheesecake. 

However, if you'd like to do individual serves, simply halve the recipe and used individual moulds (and decreased the cooking time). It will make 6 or 7. Adding a simple cherry coulis is also a nice touch.

Ingredients:

-            Melted Butter for greasing

-            220g white cooking chocolate

-            3 tbsp Baileys

-            1000g cream cheese

-            1 1/3 cups caster sugar

-            4 eggs

-            120g  tiny teddies crushed

-            400g frozen cherries

-            ¼ cup pure icing sugar, sifted

-            1 tsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients:

1.      Thoroughly defrost the cherries

2.      Preheat oven to 160 degrees.

3.      Brush a 24cm spring form tin with melted butter and line the base and sides with baking paper.

4.      Roughly chop the chocolate and put in heatproof basin. Sit the basin over simmering water and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the basin from the simmering water and set aside for the chocolate to cool to lukewarm

5.      Remove the cream cheese from the packaging, roughly chop and put in a large mixing bowl.

6.      Beat cream cheese until smooth then add the caster sugar and beat for 1 – 2 minutes.

7.      Lightly beat the eggs and add to the bowl with the Baileys and cooled chocolate, beat for 1 -2 minutes or until well combined. Spoon half the cream cheese mixture into the prepared tin. Smooth the top and sprinkle with the crushed tiny teddies.

8.      Scatter the cherries evenly over the layer of crushed biscuits.

9.      Carefully spoon the remaining cream cheese mixture over the cherries.

10.   Smooth the top using a spatula.

11.   Sit the tin on a baking tray and bake for 40 – 50 mins or until just set.

12.   Remove tin from the oven and stand on a wire rack to cool.

13.   When cool refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

14.   Dust the cheesecake with icing sugar and cinnamon just before serving

Dinner For Phoebe and Adrian - Fish with Fennell and Seafood

Ingredients

-     Olive oil

-     Tbsp chopped Rosemary

-     2 sml fennel bulbs

-     2 Spanish onions

-     1 clove garlic

-     1 small chilli

-     1 can diced tomatoes

-     Saffron

-     ¼ cup parsley

-     1 tsp sherry vinegar

-     1 cup fish stock

-     a dozen prawns or muscles

-       4 pieces of thick fish

Method

1.    Sauté Olive oil, Rosemary, fennel, Spanish onions,  garlic and chilli

2.    Add tomatoes, Saffro, parsley, sherry vinegar, fish stock

3.    Simmer then add prawns/muscles and fish

4.    Place lid on a  turn down

5.    Take seafood out as it becomes ready

Serve

-     Sauce on bottom

-     Prawns/Muscles round the edge

-     Fish in centre

-    Sprinkle with parsley

-    Serve with rice

Dinner For Phoebe and Adrian - Stuffed Capsicums

When using the below quantities it stuffs 8 whole capsicums but I modified this recipe to make it an entree. I served the dish in halves vs wholes.

Ingredients:

-        500 gm chicken breast. cut into 2cm pieces

-        2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

-        60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil

-        4 cloves of garlic. thinly sliced

-        2 tbsp marjoram leaves

-        2 tbsp salted baby capers. rinsed

-        8 baby red capsicum

Method:

1.         In a large nonreactive container combine chicken, balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive air. Garlic. Marjoram leaves and capers. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

2.         Place capsicum on an oven tray and cook at 180C for 15 minutes or until skin wrinkles and just starts to colour. Remove capsicum to a plastic bag and seal. Stand for 10 minutes, then peel skin and remove seeds.

3.         Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan, add half the marinated chicken and sauté over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove. Cool and repeat with remaining chicken. Process cooled chicken in a food processor until finely chopped and season to taste.

4.         Spoon chicken mixture into capsicum cavities and place in a greased roasting pan. Cook at 180C for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through. Serve immediately, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Dinner For Phoebe and Adrian - Salad With Sundried Tomato Dressing

Off memory I saw this salad on Huey's Cooking? And, I love love LOVE it!!!!

Salad

-    Baby spinach leaves

-    Whole cucumber

-    Mint leaves

-    Toasted pine nuts

-    Shaved Parmesan

-    Squeeze over half a lemon

Dressing

-    3 tbsp olive oil

-    1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

-    5-6 sun dried tomatoes

Dinner For Phoebe and Adrian - White Sangria

White Sangria

·      1 btl Sauvignon Blanc

·      300 ml lemonade

·      300ml Apple Juice

·      Vodka to taste

·      fruits 

Prawn Saganaki

Prawn Saganaki

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced

·         4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

·         4 small tomatoes, coarsely chopped

·         Sprinkle of chilli

·         ½ cup dry white wine

·         1 tbsp thyme

·         2 fresh bay leaf

·         60 gm Greek feta

·         200g prawns, peeled, cleaned

1.       Preheat oven to 220C.

2.       Heat oil in an oven safe frypan over medium-high heat,

3.       add onion and garlic and sauté until starting to soften (2-3 minutes),

4.       Add tomato and chilli and sauté until starting to soften (2-3 minutes).

5.       Add wine and herbs and reduce until slightly thickened (1-2 minutes).

6.       Crumble feta over top, transfer fry pan to oven and roast until sauce thickens and feta begins to melt (15 minutes).

7.       Remove from oven, gently push prawns into sauce, return to oven and roast until prawns are cooked through (3-5 minutes).

8.        Serve hot with crusty white bread and green salad, if desired.

Chicken Kebabs - Shish Taouk

Chicken Kebabs - Shish Taouk.doc

-       1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

-       3 garlic cloves, minced

-       2 tablespoons olive oil

-       2 tablespoons lemon juice

-       1 tablespoon baharat, spice

-       2 tablespoons tomato paste

-       1 cup Greek yogurt (plain)

-       1 teaspoon salt

-       1/2 teaspoon black pepper

-       12 -15 bamboo skewers, soaked

Directions:

1      Soak bamboo skewers, if using, for about an hour (soak extra and freeze any unused ones for later).

2      Stir together ingredients and allow chicken to marinate in it for at least an hour, preferably more.

3      Skewer chicken.

4      Cook skewers on the grill or under the broiler until cooked through (time will vary with size of chunks).

Salmon and Sweet Potato Curry

• 2 medium pieces of salmon cut into large chunks
• 2 tablespoons of curry powder or curry paste
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 5 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon castor sugar
• 500 g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 400 ml coconut milk
• snowpeas
• Lime juice
• Chilli (optional)
• fresh coriander
• ½ a mango (optional)
• Steamed Rice to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in frypan
2. Add onion and chilli and fry approx 2 minutes
3. Add ginger, garlic, chopped coriander stalks
4. Add sweet potatoes
5. Add coconut milk
6. Stir in curry, fish sauce, castor sugar
7. Allow to cook for 20 minutes
8. Add salmon, snow peas and pureed mango and cook for a further 5 mins
9. Season with lime juice, scatter with coriander leaves and serve with the rice.

Dinner For Kathryn, Jade and Corey - Sangria

Manou's recipe: 1 btl R wine; 300 ml lemonade; 300ml OJ; add 3ple sec + fruits

 

Dinner For Kathryn, Jade and Corey - Mushy Peas

Saute garlic and shallots in butter then add peas and chicken stock. When peas are cooked, remove and blend slightly.

Dinner For Kathryn, Jade and Corey - Coq au vin

I honestly cant remember where I first came across this recipe but French food is one of my favourite cuisines, given we have French in the family. So, however this recipe started I have made it my own over the years. Serves 4.

Coq au vin Serves 4 – serve with rice or mashed potatoes

-        2 tbsp olive oil

-        90 gm butter, coarsely chopped

-        1.6 kg free-range chicken, jointed

-        150gm piece of pancetta, cut into 1 cm pieces

-        2 fresh bay leaves

-        2 sprigs of thyme (I teaspoon if using dried)

-        8 small pickling onions

-        1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

-        3 cups red wine

-        2 cups chicken stock

-        3 parsley stalks

-        2 small heads of garlic halved lengthways

-        1 tbsp plain flour

-        200 gm mixed small mushrooms such as pine, Swiss brown and button, trimmed

-        125 ml (1/2 cup) brandy, warmed

1.    Turn on slow cooker

2.    Have both a frypan and casserole dish on the stove top with the empty casserole dish on low heat

3.    In the fry pan, heat oil and 20gm butter over medium high heat, add chicken pieces and cook for 10 minutes, turning until golden, then transfer to the casserole dish keep warm.

4.    Add pancetta to the fry pan and cook through, then transfer to the casserole dish keep warm.

5.    Add onions to the fry pan and cook until golden, then transfer to the casserole dish

6.     Brandy over the chicken, pancettea and onions (all in the casserole dish), and ignite with a long match. When flames are extinguished, add wine, stock, herbs and garlic and season to taste. Bring to the boil.

7.    Transfer chicken, onions, and pancetta into the slow cooker

8.    Cook time as per slow cookers instruction guide (mine is overnight on low or 5 hours on high)

9.    When ready, strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve, discarding herbs and garlic. Heat sauce in clean casserole and simmer for 30 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups. Combine flour and 20gm butter into a paste, whisk into sauce and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon.

10. Heat 50gm butter in a frying pan add mushrooms, cook until golden, season to taste and set aside.

11. To serve, return chicken, pancetta, onions and mushrooms to sauce and cook for 5 minutes, turning to coat and warm through. Serve chicken and sauce scattered with parsley.

Dinner For Kathryn, Jade and Corey - The Chicken Stock

I need stock for my Onion Soup so trialing this stock combo:

You will need:

-          Approx 2 kg bones/carcasses

-          2 onions, coarsely chopped

-          1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped

-          1 carrot, coarsely chopped

-          1 leek, white part only, coarsely chopped

-          2 cloves garlic

-          Half bunch parsley stems

-          2  bay leaves

-          2 tsp thyme

Method:

1.       Preheat oven to 180C.

2.       Remove as much fat as possible from the bones/carcasses

3.       Roast bones/carcasses for XXXX minutes

4.       When done, remove and add to slow cooker

5.       Add to the roasting pan: 2 onions, celery, carrot, leek, garlic and roast vegetables in the oven until they change colour (approx XXX mins)

6.       Add to slow cooker and add cold water to cover all.

7.       Add Half bunch parsley stems, bay leaves, thyme

8.       Cook for approx 8 hours

9.       When the stock is ready, strain it and can use immediately or Cool and refrigerate

Tip # keep looking for fat and remove it by scooping out or letting a sheet of baking paper attract it.

Dinner For Kathryn, Jade and Corey - Dinner Witlof and Walnut Salad

Off memory, I got this recipe off Hughes Kitchen. The recipe says to add Rockforte but occasionally I don't - if I'm cooking for fussy eaters.

Salad:

-       Mixture of witloff leaves and other lettuce

-       Chopped celery

-       Chopped walnuts

-       rockeforte (optional)

Dressing:

-       4 tbsp red wine vinegar

-       2 tbsp Dijon mustand

-       2 cloves garlic

-       Add salt and pepper

-       Approx 12 tbsp of oil (vegetable or olive)

-    Shake

Tip: I always make my dressing the night before as giving 24 hours allows the flavours to really infuse, making the dressing even better

Highlight of my day - My Recipe on the San Remo site

Fried rice with prawns, pineapple, green onion and coriander

This recipe was on Gourmet Traveller’s site and the link is http://gourmettraveller.com.au/fried_rice_with_prawns_pineapple_green_onion_and_coriander.htm but I’ve altered it to work with ingredients I have easy access to.

Serves 4

-          6 cloves garlic, crushed

-          1/3 bunch coriander diced

-          2 tbsp  vegetable oil

-          30 green prawns, peeled, tails and intestinal tracts removed

-          4 eggs, lightly whisked

-          3  tsp shrimp paste, diluted in 6 tbsp water

-          boiled jasmine rice, cold 2 cups (or no rice for a high protein option)       

-          300g chicken mince

-          4 shallots (chopped)

-          180 gm (about ½ cup)  diced pineapple

-          2 cups mixed vegetables (I used frozen but cooked before adding them )

-          6 tbsp each  fish sauce and lime juice

-          To taste:   white sugar

-          To serve: coriander leaves and lime wedges

 Method

1.       Add oil to heated wok, add egg and whisk to scramble

2.       Move the egg to the side and add chicken mince, brown

3.       Add prawns, brown

4.       add garlic, coriander and shallots and cook until golden

5.       add diluted shrimp paste

6.       add pineapple and vegetables

7.       Add rice

8.       Add fish sauce and lime juice and white sugar

9.       To serve: coriander leaves and lime wedges

Stuffed Peppers

I found this recipe quite bland. Husband loved it but it's not one i'll do again. Am now on the hunt for a good stuffed peppers recipe...

Sweet Corn Fritters

I'm getting ready for a lazy Sunday and wanting to have something healthy to nibble on come lunch.

This recipe is adapted from www.taste.com.au and I'm sure I'll do an avocado salsa to go with them tomorrow - if not, no drama, they're tasty enough on their own!

- 500g corn kernels
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 shallots chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives
- cooking spray

Method
1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
2. Spray a fry pan or electric fry pan with the cooking spray
3. Cook the fritter in 1 tablespoon sized batches for 2 mins on either side.
4. Enjoy or cool and refrigerate

Skinless Chicken Drumsticks and Tagliatelle

I love this original recipe - its come down a few generations but I've changed it quite a bit to make it even more tasty and even more healthy :)

Ingredients

-          250g Tagliatelle egg Pasta

-          1 tablespoon olive oil

-          12 skinless Chicken drumsticks (can use chicken wings instead if you prefer).  I used Macro skin free Free-Range Chicken Lovely Legs

-          1 large onion cut in half and then lengthways (like skinny wedges)

-          2 large cloves garlic

-          ½ cup liquid.

o    Use chicken stock or

o   ½ cup water with 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder added.

o   (Option  to add 1 teaspoon brandy cognac to the liquid)

-          1  teaspoon mixed herbs

-          3 cups finely diced mixed vegetables. For example, McCain Mixed Vegetables five variety mix

-          3 tbsp fresh parsley

Method

1.       In a large fry pan heat the olive oil and gently fry chicken

2.       When drumsticks are browned on each side add onions, garlic, mixed herbs and liquid

3.       Cover and cook for about 45 minutes

4.       When there’s 15 minutes to go, turn drumsticks, add vegetables; and cook pasta according to packet instructions

5.       To serve sprinkle with fresh parsley

Taking to Felix's 1st B'day - Veal Meatballs

Meatballs with Tomato, Mint and Parsley - Makes about 50

·         180 ml extra-virgin olive oil

·         2 large onions, finely chopped

·         6 large vine-ripened tomatoes

·         70 gm (1,4 cup) tomato paste

·         1 kg minced veal

·         3/4 cup (firmly packed) each flat-leaf parsley and mint, finely chopped

·         50 gm (1/3 cup) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

·         3 tsp each ground cumin, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg

·         Light olive oil, for shallow-frying

1.       Heat 60ml extra-virgin olive oil in a large, deep-sided frying pan over medium heat, add onion and sauté until golden (12-15 minutes), Set aside to cool.

2.       Meanwhile, preheat oven to 170C. Blanch tomatoes until skins split (30 seconds), then refresh. Peel, halve over a bowl, discard seeds and reserve liquid. Combine 60ml liquid (reserve remainder) with tomato paste and 125ml water in a large bowl. Stir well to dissolve tomato paste, then add veal, herbs, flour, spices and cooked onion, season well, mix thoroughly and refrigerate to rest (1 hour).

3.       Meanwhile, place tomato halves cut-side down in a roasting pan lined with baking paper, drizzle with 60ml extra-virgin olive oil, season to taste and roast until starting to caramelise (30-40 minutes). Cool slightly, and then pulse in a food processor with remaining tomato liquid until coarsely chopped. Season to taste and keep warm
4.   Shape veal mixture into walnut-sized keftedes and place on a tray (makes about 40 balls). Heat remaining extra-virgin olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Dust keftedes with flour and fry in batches, turning occasionally, until golden and cooked (6-8 minutes). Serve hot with roast tomato sauce

This recipe is from the March 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller but i did it without the vine leaves

http://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/keftedes-with-tomato-mint-and-parsley-and-crisp-vine-leaves.htm

 .

Recipe - Easy Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 550g chicken mince
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp chopped basil (fresh is best but if you have to use dried do 1.5 tbsp)
• 2 tsp dijon mustard (if you have to sub, seeded mustard is really the only other one you can get away with in my opinion)
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• Olive oil for frying

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Throw all ingredients (except oil and bread crumbs) into  bowl and just keep on mixing so it’s evenly distributed
3. Add as many breadcrumbs as needed to make the mixture easy to work with i.e not runny
4. Shape the mixture into balls then refrigerate for 30 mins
5. Heat oil to med –high heat in a fry-pan
6. Brown the outside of the meatballs then pop them into the oven for 20 mins or so