Mixed Melon & Salmon Salad

Description:
Lee & I like to steer away from traditional fare at Christmas & this was one of three new recipes we tried out for our Christmas menu.

It was easy to make & looked (and tasted) fantastic!
I couldn't track down the mizuna lettuce & didn't have the time, or inclination to traispe all over town looking for it, so I just used a combination of baby lettuce leaves. The recipe suggests you can replace with curly endive, baby rocket leaves or watercress, but as we were using watercress in another dish I was happy with the mixed lettuce.
We also added a couple of mango's.

Plenty of leftovers & a summer recipe I'll definitely make again.

Ingredients:
* 1/2 rockmelon (850 gms) peeled
* 1/2 honeydew melon (850 gms) peeled
* 125 gm punnet of strawberries (halved) or rapsberries (whole)
* 200 gms mizuna lettuce
* 400-500 gms smoked salmon

Dressing
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 2 tsps sugar
* 2 T chopped fresh mint
* salt & pepper to taste


Directions:
Rinse the lettuce and arrange on a serving platter. Dice the melons and add the berries.
Top with pieces of smoked salmon.

To make the dressing: place all ingredients in a blender or processor. Blend until pureed. Just before serving drizzle the dressing over the salad.

Arancini

Description:
Traditionally Arancini is deep fried. In Italy these small rice balls are usually fried for a snack, but I've cut back the oil and increased the size to make a healthier meal.
These are nice served on a bed of baby spinach leaves and shaved parmesan tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.



Ingredients:
150g (1 cup) plain flour
3 eggs
1 x 200g pkt sage and onion stuffing mix
1/2 quantity of Chicken & Mushroom Risotto (see related recipe)
Olive oil spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place the flour in a shallow medium bowl. Lightly whisk the eggs in another bowl. Spread the stuffing mix over a plate.
Use wet hands to shape a handful (about 1/2 cup) of the risotto into a ball. Repeat with the remaining risotto to make 12 balls.
Roll 1 risotto ball in the flour and shake off excess. Dip in egg, then roll in stuffing mix, pressing to coat. Pinch the top slightly to make a pear shape. Place on the prepared tray. Repeat with the remaining risotto balls, flour, egg and breadcrumbs.
Spray the arancini with olive oil spray. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

I tend to use an ice-cream scoop in step 2.

Dear Jack,

...is the start of the inscription in one of the second hand books I picked up at the Parklea Markets last weekend.

 I love browsing 2nd hand book stores,and whilst a stall at the markets doesn't quite cut it I have to admit they had a pretty decent selection.

The inscription in the book intrigues me, it goes like this.....

Dear Jack,

Hope you like, I loved it so

got you a copy. It is about

chocolate, shoes & magic

Great

Love & Cuddles Joanne

So of course I am dying to know.......Did Jack love it as much as Joanne did????

Chocolate Chip Biscuits

Discovered this unpublished recipe when I was importing my blogs from Multiply. A couple of good tips I've learnt when making biscuits (aka cookies). The butter should be really chilled before creaming it. If it is soft they spread. Also with choc chip ones put your chocolate chips in the freezer overnight.

Description:
Just like Nana used to make

Ingredients:
125 grams butter
50 grams sugar
3 teaspoons sweetened condensed milk
few drops vanilla essence
175 grams flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
50 grams chocolate chips

Directions:
Cream butter, sugar and condensed milk, add essence.
Add dry ingredients and chocolate.
Roll into little balls, and place on a biscuit tray lined with baking paper. Flatten each biscuit with a fork.
Bake at 180’C for 15-20 mins (until lightly golden).
Note: Almonds, walnuts, pecans are all tasty additions to this recipe!

Question of the day

Chocolate and Raspberry Brownies

Description:
Another tick against my 101 project {#42 Try a new recipe from every cookbook I own}

This one I selected from my 2011 MKR Cookbook.
My Kitchen Rules (or MKR for short) is a tv cook-off competition type show, and this year they brought out a cookbook with a selection of the recipes the contestants cooked during the show.
Yes I love this programme {Don't judge me}

However I must admit, after flicking through the recipe book, 99% of the recipes are either bizzare or too pretentious for me, I got the cookbook more as a souvenir.

I was keen to try the Turkey San Choy Bau recipe, but Lee wasn't interested so this was my 2nd choice. I must admit I was a little shocked at just how much chocolate is involved in this recipe & then I noticed how expensive it was to make, also worked out how many dishes I'd need to wash up...well I nearly kept looking, but I'm a sucker for brownies & I love raspberries so I thought I may as well just go for it.

I'm glad I did OMG this is divine!!! I would give this 6 stars out of 5.

Ingredients:
butter for greasing
250gms butter, chopped
250gms chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
4 eggs, lightly beaten
330gms caster sugar
40gms cocoa powder
1/2 t baking powder
100gms frozen raspberries
100gms milk chocolate chips
fresh raspberries & whipped cream to decorate

Raspberry Icing
375gms white chocolate melts
30ml pouring cream
35gm raspberry purée
6 egg whites
80gms icing sugar
100ml thickened cream


Directions:
Preheat oven to 180c
Lightly grease a 30 x 20 cm brownie tin, then line base & sides with baking paper.
Stir butter & dark chocolate in a medium bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until smooth & combined (don't let the bowl touch the water). Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well combined then stir in the cooled chocolate mixture. Sift in the dry and the dry ingredients then gently fold in the chocolate chips and the raspberries.
Pour into prepared brownie tin & then bake for 45 mins approx.
Test with a skewer inserted into the middle, if it comes out clean it's done. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, to make the raspberry frosting : stir white chocolate melts, pouring cream & purée in a medium bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (again, don't let it touch the water).
Remove from the heat & allow to cool slightly.

Using the electric beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the icing sugar & continue beating until smooth & glossy.
In another bowl beat the thickened cream.
Fold both the cream and the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate.

Cut cooked brownie slab into 6 x 6 squares. Spoon or pipe raspberry frosting into the bowl & serve with fresh raspberries & cream.

Tip :- you can store these brownies in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze them up to 3 months.

There is no way the slab will last that long in this house!

Warm Vegetable Salad

Description:
This recipe is a favourite in this household, I generally serve this with grilled chops or a boneless round roast, but it also works well with chicken or steak. It's a great side for a BBQ as well.

*I'll have to remember to take a photo next time I make this.

Ingredients:
2c cauliflower florets
2 c broccoli florets
1 bunch of asparagus
500g baby new potatoes, halved
100g mixed baby salad leaves
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
fresh herbs to garnish (I tend to use parsley & mint)

You can substitute or add veggies to this dish. I made this recently without the asparagus, but added oven roasted carrots,mushrooms, zucchini and whole cloves of garlic.
I've also made it adding cubes of roast pumpkin or sweet potato, sometimes capsicum & I like roasted pine nuts in mine sometimes. Just really depends what I have on hand at the time...

Dressing
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c white wine vinegar
2 T Dijon mustard
1 T Honey

Directions:
- If you are using any oven roasted veggies get those started first.
Ideally you want all your veggies to finish cooking around the same time, so you can let them cool for about 10 mins before combining.
-Boil steam or microwave the broccoli, cauli & apsaragus until just tender. Rinse with cold water & drain well.
-Boil potatoes, drain & set aside to cool.
-In a large salad bowl combine the veggies with the salad leaves & tomatoes.
-In a small bowl or bottle combine the dressing ingredients and whisk or shake until mixed.
- drizzle the dressing over the salad, add your choice of freshly chopped herbs and gently toss just before serving.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Ingredients:
cinnamon roll pancakes
Yield: 4 servings (4 pancakes)
Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 10 min
An absolutely decadent morning treat...

Ingredients:
PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

CINNAMON FILLING:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:
4 Tablespoons butter
2 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract



Directions:
1. Prepare pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, oil and egg, just until batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).

2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a small zip baggie and set aside. You don't want this to remain super-liquidy. It's best if it becomes a consistency similar to toothpaste.

3. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl- heat butter and cream cheese until melted. Whisk together until smooth; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; set aside.

4. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Scoop about 3/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Snip the corner of your baggie of filling and squeeze a spiral of the filling onto the top of the pancake. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

5. When ready to serve, spoon warmed glaze onto the top of each pancake.

Tips:
*Keep the heat low or your pancakes might cook up too quickly. Don't flip them until you see those bubbles starting to pop on top. Flip them with a wide spatula so you can grasp the whole thing without batter and filling dripping all over the place!
*It's best if you pour the batter onto your skillet, wait a minute or so and then swirl the cinnamon onto the batter. That'll give it a chance to set a little before you add the swirl.
*If your baggie of filling begins to get too thick, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it up again. On that same note, it shouldn't be too runny. The consistency of soft toothpaste is perfect. If it's melty and runny, it will tend to run all over your pancakes. Once you micro it, let it sit on the counter at room temp for a while until it thickens slightly.

It's a funny old world. We had empires run by emporers, and kingdoms run by kings. now we have countries.....

Got annoying neighbours? Rename your wifi network "police surveillance van #003" that should keep them on their toes for a while....

Sunday.....brilliant!

There are 5 things in life you cannot recover: A stone...after it's thrown. A word...after it is said. An occasion...after it's missed. The time...after it's gone. A person...after they die. Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably And never regret anything that made you smile.

Tiramisu

Description:
I made this recipe for the first time a couple of months ago when we were having friends over for dinner. I was extremely nervous because it's Lee's all time favourite dessert. Judging by the comments I got it was a total success, definitely worth the time & effort to find the ingredients for this one.

Ingredients:
6 eggs (at room temperature)
120 gms icing sugar
500 gms mascarpone* (at room temperature)
240 ml espresso coffee
3 T dark rum
3 T Kahlua
20-25 sponge finger biscuits**
around 3 T dark chocolate shavings or grated chocolate

* We had trouble finding mascarpone, after going around half of Sydney it seemed we finally found some at a large supermarket. However a friend assures me that an acceptable substitute, if you can't find any is :
-8 ounces cream cheese,
-1/4 cup of thickened or whipping cream, and
- 2.5 tablespoons of sour cream.
Just combine well, and don't use low fat, you can really taste the difference.

** When I first read the recipe I had no idea

Directions:
1>separate the eggs and whip the whites until stiff peaks form
next, with clean beaters and bowl, whip the yolks and sugar until very pale and fluffy. This could take a while so be patient. Then, mix in the mascarpone until just combined.
Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mix, taking care not to knock out the air.
Mix the coffee and alcohol in a bowl. Dip each sponge finger for 1 second on either side.
In a 25 x 25 cm square dish, layer some mascarpone mix, then a tight layer of dipped sponge fingers, and continue until full with a thick layer of mascarpone on top. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
When ready to serve, sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings and enjoy!

Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.

Butterscotch Brownies

Description:
I died and went to caramel heaven. These are divine!

Ingredients:
100g butter, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
100gms Jersey caramels, roughly chopped

Optional extras ( or substitutes)
100gms of white choc chips, if you don't like nuts
100gm mars bar, roughly chopped
pure icing sugar, to serve


Directions:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 4.5cm deep, 18cm (base) square cake pan.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Transfer to a bowl. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in flour, baking powder and peanuts. Spread mixture into pan. Sprinkle with caramels.
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until firm and crisp on top. Allow to cool in pan. Cut into squares. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Chocolate Brownies

Description:
I give this recipe 5 stars. Easy n tasty, what more can you ask for?

Crisp on the outside, melt in your mouth centres.....just the way I like them!

I'd heard about "magic brownie pans" & we went looking for one yesterday, but our mission was unsuccessful. As it turns out I didn't need it, they came out beautifully in just a regular pan, but I'm curious if anyone has one & what you think of it.

I also ran across an interesting recipe for "butterscotch brownies". I might give that one a whirl next time I'm in the mood to bake ;)

Ingredients:
250g butter
2 cups caster sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain flour
80g (3/4 cup) cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
Icing Sugar, to dust


Directions:
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line a 20 x 30cm (base measurement) slab pan with non-stick baking paper. I used an 18 x 18 cm pan & they came out fine, I think they would be too thin in the larger sized pan
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in the sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and stir until mixture is thick and glossy.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder over the egg mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in the vanilla. Spread over the base of the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan to cool completely. Cut into pieces and dust with icing sugar.

I've given up blogging for lent...0nly 26 days to go...

Roasted Smashed Potatoes

Description:
This is an incredibly easy way to cook potatoes that are guaranteed to be crispy on the outside and cooked to perfection on the inside.

I saw this recipe on a show hosted by Julie Goodwin, our Australian Master Chef, more of Julies recipes can be found here : http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/homecookedwithjuliegoodwin/

Ingredients:
12-16 baby chat potatoes
generous pinch of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven 200°C/180°C fan forced

Cook potatoes in a saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, but not mushy. Drain. Smash each potato gently, so that the skin splits and the potato is slightly squashed. Place onto a baking tray and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Roast in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and crispy.

(I usually turn these once half way through & if serving with lamb I'll usually throw on a sprig or 2 of rosemary)