Recipe - Birthday Cake for Isaac's 7th Birthday

Isaac’s birthday cake was inspired by this image http://www.ivillage.com/sports-party-kids-birthday-cake/6-b-295586 as he loves his basketball and soccer.

The cake on the inside was simply the marble cake recipe that you can’t go wrong with https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4027749285670807303#editor/target=post;postID=1700243939101595233;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=0;src=postname, just with the qty’s doubled as it was a large cake tin.

Spotlight came in handy for the cake board and icing – just add dye and water!

I'm content with the result as I haven't really done cake decorating before.

Getting My Paleo On - Granola

Why have I not made my own Granola before??? It is so quick and easy!

I simply put the following into a blender:
Walnuts
Cashews
Silvered almonds
Craisons
Goji berries
Dried Apricot
Desiccated coconut
Coconut oil
Maple syrup

I blended it to the consistency I like.

Into the oven to bake at 180 till it was baked to my liking.

Done!

Nb all the nuts were unsalted

Recipe - Mushroom and Barley Soup

Ingredients

Serves 4

·       200g pearl barley

·       40g butter

·       200g onion, diced

·       10g garlic

·       10g rosemary

·       3g fresh thyme

·       20g dried porcini (soaked overnight in 500ml hot water)

·       20g salt

·       1g pepper

·       100g shitake mushrooms

·       200g swiss brown mushrooms

·       200g field mushrooms

·       80g sherry

·       850ml chicken or vegetable stock

·       Chopped parsley to serve

NOTE: This can of course be made with all one kind of mushroom to equal 500g

Method

1.       Cook barley in 1½ litres of water for an hour and strain.

2.       Melt butter and fry onion until translucent. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and cook together.

3.       Strain porcini and chop, reserving liquid. Add chopped porcini, precooked barley, stock, reserved porcini liquid and sherry to the onion mixture.

4.       Chop the shitake, swiss bown and field mushrooms and saute in extra virgin olive oil, seasoning with salt and add to the barley and stock. Cook for approx 10 minutes and season with black pepper.

5.       Serve topped with chopped parsley.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/cookandchef/txt/s2251277.htm 

Recipe - Marbled Chocolate Crumble Cake

Ingredients

  

For the crumble topping

• 125 g plain flour, sifted
• 75 g caster sugar
• 75 g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
• 75 g dark or milk chocolate, in chips or roughly chopped into pieces

For the cake

• 225 g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 225 g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 225 g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 50 ml milk
• 25 g cocoa powder
• icing sugar, for dusting 

Method

1. For the crumble topping: Using your fingertips, rub together the flour, sugar and butter in a large bowl until it resembles thick breadcrumbs, then mix in the chocolate pieces. Set aside in the fridge while you make the sponge.

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4. Butter the sides and the base of a 23cm cake tin - if you’re using a springform tin, make sure the base is upside down so there’s no lip and the cake can slide off easily when cooked.
2. Cream the butter until soft in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract together in a small bowl for a few seconds or just until combined, then gradually add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, beating all the time.
3. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in carefully, then add the milk and mix gently to combine. Tip half the cake mixture into another large bowl, then sift the cocoa powder into this bowl and fold it in.
4. Place the two different cake mixtures in the prepared tin by alternating heaped tablespoons of the vanilla batter with the chocolate one. Using a skewer or the handle of a spoon, gently draw swirls through the cake mixture to create the marble effect - try not to overmix or you won’t get that wonderful marbled effect. 
5. Scatter the crumble mixture evenly over the top of the cake mixture and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the crumble is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then loosen around the edges using a small, sharp knife and remove the sides of the tin. Place the cake (sitting on the base of the tin) on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
7. Use a palette knife or metal fish slice to loosen the bottom of the cake from the base of the tin, then slide the palette knife or fish slice under the cake and carefully ease it onto a plate. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Source

 

Recipe - Chicken and Kale Casserole (Own Creation)

Ingredients:

·       40 g butter

·       Coarse salt and ground pepper

·       2 tablespoons unsalted butter

·       1 onion, diced

·       3 garlic cloves, minced

·       1 bunch kale, chopped

·       1 Suede, diced

·       1 Leek diced

·       1 celery stick, diced

·       Chicken (breast, thigh or tenderloins), in large chunks

·       3 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste

·       Slivered Almonds

·       3/4 cup Parmesan, grated (2 1/4 ounces)

·       Cannellini beans

·       I cup chicken stock 

Method

1.         Heat a large saucepan over med-high heat, add a little oil and butter

2.         Brown chicken then set aside

3.         add in this order, leaving about 2 minutes in-between each:

ü  Onion

ü  Garlic

ü  Leek

ü  Celery

ü  Suede

ü  Cannellini beans

ü  Almonds

ü  Chicken stock

4.       Season to taste

5.       Add chicken back in, and the Kale then cover with a lid

6.       Reduce to low heat

7.       When kale is wilted and chicken is cooked through, stir rough lemon juice

8.       To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan

Recipe - Chunky Fish & Vegetable Stew

Chunky Fish & Vegetable Stew (Could also be used as a Pie Filling, or a Pasta Sauce by Chopping the Veggies extremely fine)
Serves 4

You'll need

·       350 g fish fillets (firm fish that doesn’t disintegrate easily), chopped into medium chunks

·       350 g salmon fillets, chopped into medium chunks

·       400 g smoked fish (such as haddock), chopped into medium chunks

·       1 onion, finely diced

·       1 carrot, peeled and finely diced

·       2 celery sticks, finely diced

·       200g cabbage, finely diced

·       3 sml tomatoes, finely diced
Small bunch spinach, finely diced

·       40 g butter

·       60 g plain flour

·       Handful of Coriander and stems very finely chopped

·       1 cup fish stock

·       100g fetta, diced

Method

1.       Melt butter then add, allowing two minutes before adding the next ingredient:

o   Onion

o   Celery

o   Carrot

o   Cabbage

o   Tomatoes

o   Spinach

o   Coriander

2.       Add the fish

3.       Sprinkle flour over and mix well

4.       After 3 minutes pout over the stock

5.       When fish is just cooked, stir through the feta

Recipe - Chicken Shepherd's Pie

 

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         2 onions

·         2 cloves garlic

·         1kg chicken mince

·         2 tablespoons plain flour

·         2 tablespoons tomato paste

·         1 stick celery, diced

·         1 thin carrot, diced

·         1 cup chicken stock

·         2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

·         1 bay leaf

·         2 tablespoons chutney

·         2 cups tomato passata

·         1 tsp dried oregano

·         Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

·         tasty and parmesan cheese

·         1 kg small waxy potatoes

·         80g butter

·         150ml warmed milk

 

Method

1.       Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan or saucepan, on a medium heat and cook onions until are almost softened

2.       Add garlic for about 2 minutes until onions and garlic are soft

3.       Add chicken mix and cook, stirring, breaking up the mince until browned.

4.       Add flour and tomato paste and cook stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes.

5.       Add sliced celery and carrots and cook for 2 minutes

6.       Add stock, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, chutney, passata, dried oregano

7.       Bring mixture to the boil then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

8.       Stir through parsley

9.       Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

10.   Peel potatoes and cut into 2.5cm pieces. Rinse potatoes under running water until water runs clear. Place potatoes into a large saucepan and cover with cold water and some salt. Cover and bring to the boil over a high heat. Once boiling remove lid and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender and a skewer can be inserted easily. Drain potatoes well.

11.   Place potatoes back into the dry saucepan and gently shake the potatoes in the saucepan over a low heat for 1 -2 minutes to remove excess moisture. Remove from heat. Transfer potatoes to a straight sided bowl or mash in saucepan.

12.   Mash potatoes until smooth.

13.   Stir through the butter and warm milk. Season to taste.

14.   Spoon pie mixture into an oven proof serving dish and top with potatoes.

15.   Sprinkle a combo of tasty and parmesan cheese over the top

16.   Bake in moderately hot oven (200°C) for 20 minutes or until golden.

 

Recipe - Dark Chocolate, Pear And Pistachio Cake

 

Chocolate Lovers Unite! This is one rich and delicious recipe – have the cream handy for those that don’t love the intensity of a good chocolate hit. On this note, only use a thin layer of icing – I did go overboard!

You'll need

·         200 gm dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped

·         70 gm (¾ cup) pistachio kernels, plus extra to serve

·         150 gm softened butter

·         150 gm caster sugar

·         3 eggs

·         150 gm (1 cup) plain flour, sieved

·         1 tsp baking powder

·         1 Packham pear, cored and coarsely chopped

 Chocolate Ganache

·         150 gm dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped

·         150 ml pouring cream

Method

1.       Preheat oven to 160C. Process chocolate and pistachios in a food processor until coarse crumbs form, set aside. Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating until well combined, then stir in flour and baking powder. Stir through pistachio and chocolate mixture, then pear, pour into a 22cm-diameter springform cake tin greased and lined with baking paper. Bake until an inserted skewer withdraws clean (30-40 minutes), cool in tin for 10 minutes, turn out and cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

2.       Meanwhile, for chocolate ganache, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Heat cream in a saucepan over medium heat to just below boiling, add to chocolate, stand until chocolate melts (3-5 minutes), then stir until smooth, set aside until slightly thickened (5-10 minutes). Smooth over top and sides of cake, scatter with pistachios, set aside to set (20-30 minutes), then serve. Cake will keep, stored in an airtighter container, for 3 days.

This recipe is from the April 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

http://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/recipes/recipe-search/fare-exchange/2010/5/dark-chocolate,-pear-and-pistachio-cake/

 

 

Recipe - Anzac Biscuits

Ingredient
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
¾ cup coconut
125g  (4 oz) butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon boiling water to start ... then add more if you need

Method

Combine oats, sifted flour, sugar and coconut. Combine butter and golden syrup and melt.

Mix bicarb soda and boiling water and add to butter/syrup mix. Stir into dry ingredients.  

Lightly mould each biscuit by hand then place on lightly greased oven trays – allow room for spreading.

Cook in slow oven (ie set at 150) for 25 to 30 minutes.  Loosen while warm then cool on trays.   They will feel soft, but will harden as they cool.

Recipe - Donna Hay's lemony peach cake - with a punnet of raspberries added

Donna Hay's lemony peach cake - with a punnet of raspberries added

• 175g butter, softened and chopped
• ¾ cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
• ¼ cup (70g) natural yoghurt
• 3 peaches, sliced
• icing (confectioner's) sugar, for dusting
• double (thick) cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Place the butter, sugar and lemon rind in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 6–8 minutes or until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, baking powder and yoghurt and beat until just combined.
Spoon into a lightly greased 25cm-round cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Top with the peaches and bake for 1 hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream. Serves 6.

Recipe - Steak with 2 Sauces (That takes 15 minutes to cook - total)

Recipe – The Perfect Steak

I don’t think I’ve actually cooked a steak before, not being a non-red meat eater myself, but I did for my partner tonight and apparently I nailed it! N.B I did repeatedly ask if he was just being polite …

Ingredients

·         steak

·         salt and pepper

·         Olive oil

·         Butter

·         4 sprigs of fresh thyme

·         2 cloves garlic, cut in half and in half again

·         ¼ of a cup stock (can use beef or chicken)

·         1 tsp of seeded mustard

·         a handful of parsley

·         juice of ½  a lime (could have used lemon)

·         a whole chilli

The Steak

1.       The steak was about 3cm thick so I took it out of the fridge approx. 30 mins before cooking, as it helps when the meat is room temperature

2.       I seasoned it with salt and pepper (both sides)

3.       Heated enough of a 50/50 oil/butter mix to ensure the fry pan was coated in a  thin layer

4.       Sautéed thyme and garlic till fragrant then threw out the thyme but kept the garlic

5.       Placed the steak on the oil and worked with a 3:1 ratio. In this case, because of the thickness it wasn’t quite 3:1 – rather 8 minutes on one side then 3 minutes on the other – this achieved medium- rare

6.       Took steak off the heat onto a plate and covered in with alfoil, resting it for 3 minutes while I did the following …

Steak sauce

7.       Poured in stock (can use beef or chicken) – approx. ¼ of a cup

8.       Added 1 tsp of seeded mustard

9.       Deglazed the frypan on high heat till sauce thickened slightly

Extra flavour

10.   Into a small food processor added

·          garlic (from the first stage)

·         a handful of parsley

·         juice of ½  a lime (could have used lemon)

·         a whole chilli

·         salt

·         pepper

·         just enough olive oil to moisten the ingredients

To serve

·         alfoil came off the plate

·         I spooned the sauce (mustard and sauce) over the steak ensuring that as it cascaded over the edges, the base of the plate was coated with a thin layer

·         I spooned the garlic and parsley flavour on top (just a little) and popped the remains in a small service dish so he could use as much or as little as he pleased.