Baking Tips from Nestle - some really helpful ones right here.

TIP #1: BUTTER & CREAMING: The Nestle's recipe calls for creaming the room temperature butter and sugar. The goal is to end up with mixture where the butter is just light and fluffy, and stays cold.  In general, if you cream sugar with soft butter or do it too long, the butter can't form or hold air bubbles, resulting in a flat cookie. If at any time you get distracted or the dough is becoming too warm, place in refrigerator as is until chilled. Start with CHILLED butter right from the refrigerator versus room temperature. Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes and chill again. Do not soften the butter to room temperature. Take from fridge and toss it in with the sugar.  Start creaming the ingredients together with a hand-held electric mixer, which is easier to control when making these cookies, rather than a stand one. Run the mixer over the butter lumps to break them up.   The butter lumps will not break up easily, occasionally stop the mixer and rub the butter and sugar together with your fingertips or a pastry blender until they do. Do so quickly and deftly to prevent the butter from melting. Resume creaming only until the butter and sugar mixture has just turned light in color and is still slightly grainy. Do not cream past this point. Refrigerate the mixture right after creaming for about 10 minutes before adding the eggs in the next step. I have found that this really helps. Or, use HALF BUTTER & HALF SHORTENING: The Nestle's recipe uses 100 % butter, which I prefer because of its taste. But, you can substitute it, 1 for 1 with shortening. Shortening produces a softer, thicker, chewier cookie. Butter's melting point is lower, at 92 - 98 degrees F. It melts in the oven before the starches in the flour have gelatinized allowing the cookies ample time to spread. Shortening  on the other hand, has a higher melting point of  98 - 110 F degrees, allowing for the flour's starches to set before the butter melts, resulting in a puffier one.   To get the best of both worlds, you can substitute half of the butter with (butter-flavored) shortening, both on the cool side of room temperature.

TIP #2: EGGS: The Nestle's recipe contains 2 large eggs. Mix them in THOROUGHLY, one at a time right from the refrigerator. Their slight chill helps to keep the butter as firm as possible through the final mixing stage. If you use room temperature ones, it will soften the texture of the dough.

TIP #3: The Nestle's recipe uses ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, but add in 1 to 2 tablespoons or 1/4 to 1/2 cup more than the flour called for in the recipe, making sure not to add too much; extra flour will make the cookies puffier. Use bread flour for a chewy cookie: since bread flour can absorb much more liquid than all purpose flour, more moisture will stay in the cookie.Bleached or chlorinated flours also reduce spread, but I don't use them.  I recommend you always mix in the flour by hand with a large spoon to as not to overmix and toughen the cookies.

TIP #4: CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Use 2/3 of the amount (SOB!!) of regular chocolate chips or use the full amount in mini ones, instead; it's helps to reduce cookie spread.There are way too many chocolate chips in the recipe which also causes the cookies to spread. (But, of course because Nestle's is in the business of selling chocolate chips, hence the large amount) .

TIP #5: Again, the Nestle's cookie-spread is also controlled through the TEMPERATURE of the dough. Keep the dough chilled at all times. It allows the butter to reharden so that the dough is firm and the cookies will spread less. After forming and before baking, if the room is warm, also chill the formed cookie dough on the baking sheet.

TIP #6: When baking the Nestle's cookies, the RIGHT PANS are essential. NON -insulated, non-stick and light colored cookie sheets, without rims are the best to use. The cookies bake the best on them.

TIP #7: DO NOT GREASE the cookie sheets; it will cause the Nestle's cookie to spread. Line them with parchment paper as it works best for preventing it.

TIP #8: PREHEAT THE OVEN and use an oven thermometer to measure accuracy. If the oven is too hot, the cookies will spread too much when put in the oven. Position rack in the center and preheat the oven. Place cookie sheets in the center of the rack. If using more than one, position a rack just above the center and one just below. Stagger the cookie sheets between the two. Rotate half-way through baking and switch the sheets on the racks.

TIP #9: Place the RECOMMENDED AND CONSISTENT SIZE of dough on the baking sheet for even baking. You don't want some cookies to over bake if larger than the others. Don't make the cookies too large because if you are trying to make them chewy and puffy, you won't be able to get them from the cookie sheet after baking. If you make them small, watch them carefully because cookies burn quickly. Some bakers use small ice cream scoops (#20 disher, to be exact) to help them keep a consistent cookie dough size. If you don't have one, use the tablespoon from your measuring spoon set.

TIP #10: It is better to SLIGHTLY UNDERBAKE the Nestle's dough for chewier cookies. Remove the cookies from the oven a few minutes before they are done, while their centers are still soft and not quite cooked through. The edges should be slightly golden but the middle will look even paler. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for 5 - 10 minutes to harden a bit and remove to a wire cake rack to cool. If using parchment paper, simply remove the cookies on them to a cooling rack. Remove from paper when cooled.

TIP # 11: As with all cookies, make sure the baking pan has COMPLETELY COOLED before placing a new batch of dough on them. The fat in the recipe melts when placed on a warm sheet, causing an immediate spread.

TIP #12: And, always ENJOY YOUR HOMEMADE COOKIES, no matter how they turn out !!

Cooking Tips 1Baking Powder

To test the vitality of your baking powder, add a teaspoon of it to a third of a cup of hot water. If it foams and bubbles, it has enough oomph left. If it just sits there, it's time to run to the store or — here's a thought — you can make your own. Combine a tablespoon of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar and 1-1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch. It may not have the same potency as a good store-bought double-acting baking powder, but it will serve in a pinch.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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)

Stuffed Baguette

Description:
With the beautiful spring weather we have had in the few weeks or so it's got my taste buds looking forward to balmy evenings, a nice glass of wine & platters of nibbles. (preferably served by some hot young Dan Carter look-alike, on the deck of my private yacht.....:-p)

So cruising around a few of my favourite recipe sites I came across a recipe I posted back in 2003! and I don't believe I've made it since.
This makes a great pre dinner appetiser, picnic food or as a side dish at a BBQ. You can make these in advance as long as you keep them in the fridge.

A hollowed baguette makes a perfect shell for any filling you are in the mood for. And once stuffed and properly chilled, it becomes a neat appetiser.
This particular one is filled with all my best friend's favourite things: goat cheese/cream cheese, sun dried tomatoes, olives, spicy salami, crunchy bell pepper, and fresh herbs.

Me, I was not so much a fan of the ingredients she liked so I used to make a filling of cream cheese, spinach, red onion & herbs.

You can use any combination of fillings you like, although I would only use seafood on the day I was planning to eat them.


Ingredients:
Baguette about 14-inch long
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4 oz fresh goat cheese
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper (about 1 medium)
½ cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped Kalamata olives
2 oz finely chopped spicy salami
About 2 tbsp minced Italian parsley
About 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste (very unlikely since there’re plenty of salty ingredients)

*Whatever you use needs to be finely chopped, there is nothing worse than biting into a slice of this and getting a mouthful of nothing but olive, or sun dried tomato...

Directions:
Slice off both ends of the baguette. Using a long thin knife and working from the both ends, hollow the baguette out leaving about ½-inch thick crust all around.
Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth and lump-free. Beat in the goat cheese and garlic. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Stand the baguette on one end (you will probably have to hold it there with one hand) on a piece of cling wrap.
Then fill the baguette with the cheese mixture. Pack the filling tight. I like to use a slender tequila shot glass for pressing the filling in. Wrap the stuffed baguette very well in plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to two days. Right before serving, slice the baguette into ½-inch thick slices and serve. For the most neat looking slices, treat it as a cheesecake – each time slice it with a hot dry knife.

Notes:
It doesn’t become soggy after refrigerating. But the crust does lose its crunch. Which is not a bad thing here, since it is not just a bread now, it is a casing for a really good filling.

It is easier to stuff shorter pieces.

Once the baguette is filled, it’s easier to give it a rounded shape - just press and roll.

Banana Cake with a Cinnamon Swirl

Description:
I tried this recipe yesterday, which I shamelessly stole from BrokeAss Gourmet.

You can check out some more of her cool recipes here

My marbling technique was utterly crap (it looked nothing like the picture) but I threw on some chocolate icing (frosting) & problem solved!
It tastes fantastic & I'm going to have to try it again to see if I can get the marbling right next time.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1 egg
1/8 cup milk
2 ripe bananas, smashed with the back of a fork
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup flour Pantry
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey

Directions:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C ( 350 degrees F). Lightly butter an 8” round or square cake pan. Set aside.
Whisk together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Whisk in egg, milk, bananas, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Continue stirring until batter has been fully incorporated.
Scoop out about 1/3 cup batter and transfer to a small bowl. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the remaining batter into the prepared pan.
Whisk reserved 1/3 cup batter with honey and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. It should be dark brown in color.
Use a spoon to drizzle the dark batter in a spiral over the regular batter. Drag the blade of a butter knife over the batter to create a swirly, marbled look.
Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Balsamic tomato chorizo and rocket fettuccine

Description:
I promised to post this recipe for a friend a while back. It's one that Lee found & tried, & it was so good that it's been on the menu several times now.

Not being a huge fan of olives I leave them out altogether & we add freshly grated/shaved parmesan as a garnish.

It's quick, easy & inexpensive.

Ingredients:
• 400g dried fettuccine pasta
• 2 (125g each) smoked chorizo sausages, sliced diagonally
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 500g jar tomato pasta sauce
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 100g pitted kalamata olives
• 70g baby rocket leaves, to serve


Directions:
1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water, following packet directions, until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat a deep, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chorizo. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside.
3. Add onion and garlic to pan. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add tomatoes. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in pasta sauce and vinegar. Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 1 minute or until slightly thickened.
4. Drain pasta. Return to pan. Add tomato mixture, olives, chorizo & rocket. Season with pepper. Toss gently to combine. Serve.

Pasta with roast pumpkin and rocket pesto

Description:
I tried this recipe a couple of weeks ago with a couple of amendments.

We always tend to use fresh pasta, rather than dried, and at the time I tried this recipe we only had ravioli stuffed with oven roasted vegetables on hand. So I used ravioli & also added about 250gms of grilled bacon pieces.

We had left overs & the next day Lee added some chunks of roasted chicken before reheating, which totally added to the whole taste smorgasbord.

I like this type of recipe, pretty much anything goes...add or subtract the ingredients you want.

Ingredients:
600g butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded cut into 2cm pieces
375g fettuccine
100g Persian feta, crumbled
80g baby rocket leaves

Rocket pesto
1 bunch rocket, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, chopped
50g pine nuts
1/2 cup (40g) finely grated parmesan
1/2 cup (125ml) olive oil

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 200°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Place the pumpkin on the tray and drizzle with oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until golden and tender.
2.Meanwhile, to make the rocket pesto, place the rocket, basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream and process until well combined. Season to taste.
3.Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water following packet directions or until al den-te. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
4.Add half the pesto to the pasta with the pumpkin, feta and rocket leaves. Gently toss until just combined. Divide among bowls. Drizzle with remaining pesto.

Meatball Lasagne

Ingredients:
300g pork mince
300g veal mince
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg
725ml olive oil
1kg brown onions, finely chopped
1kg tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
400ml jar tomato puree (passata)
3 rosemary sprigs
4 thyme sprigs, plus 2 tsp picked leaves
10 eschalots, peeled
20 garlic cloves, peeled
70g grated pecorino
8 small chat potatoes, boiled sliced
5 boiled eggs, sliced
110g buffalo mozzarella, sliced
16 slices prosciutto
1/3 cup parsley leaves
3 tbs marjoram leaves

250g plain flour
8 egg yolks
1 tbs olive oil


Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 165°C.

Step 2: For the pasta dough, process all ingredients and a pinch of salt in a food processor for about 20 seconds until the mixture just comes together. Transfer to a clean, lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes or until smooth. Wrap in cling wrap and set aside for 2 hours to rest.

Step 3: Combine the pork mince, veal mince, breadcrumbs and egg together in a bowl. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Roll the mixture into 2cm balls. Chill in the refrigerator until needed.

Step 4: For the onion and tomato sauce, heat ½ cup of oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden and softened. Add tomatoes, tomato puree, rosemary and thyme sprigs. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add the meatballs. Cover and cook for about 20-30 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the heat.

Step 5: Meanwhile, add eschalots to small saucepan and pour over the remaining 600ml of olive oil to cover. Cook for 1 ½ hours over very low heat, then add the garlic cloves. Cook for a further hour until eschalots and garlic are tender. Drain and reserve the oil. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat, add eschalots, and cook for about 2-3 minutes until lightly golden, then add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes until caramelized. Add the thyme leaves, then remove and drain on paper towel.

Step 6: Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough. Set the pasta machine to the widest setting and dust the pasta rollers lightly in flour. Feed 1 portion of dough through the machine, folding the pasta in half before feeding it through each time. Gradually narrow the pasta machine settings, 1 notch at a time until you reach the second last setting on the machine. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Step 7: Drizzle olive oil, sea salt and grated pecorino over the base of a 3.5L baking dish. Lay over 2 sheets of pasta. Drizzle with a little more oil and sea salt. Scatter over half of the meatballs and spoon over the sauce. Scatter over half of the potatoes, eggs, eschalots, garlic, buffalo mozzarella, parsley and marjoram leaves. Sprinkle over a little more pecorino, then a layer of prosciutto. Lay over 2 more sheets of pasta and push any air out, with your hands. Add another layer of the filling. Finish with another layer of pasta. Spoon over some tomato sauce and the remaining pecorino. Cover with foil, shiny side down. Place in the oven to bake for 45 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove the foil and return lasagne to the oven for the last 5 minutes.

* In the absence of pecorino, parmesan may be used.

Choc Ripple Cake

Description:
I always like to try a new recipe for dessert on Christmas Day. Gave this one a test run last night, not only was it dead easy it tasted fabulous as well.

This recipe uses Chocolate Ripple biscuits made by an Australian Company - Arnotts.



I don't know if you can get them where you are, but you may be able to find a similar substitute.



Ingredients:
300ml cream
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
1 x 250g packet Arnott’s Choc Ripple Biscuits
grated chocolate, cocoa powder (I just crumble a flake chocolate bar)
raspberries or seasonal berries to decorate

Directions:
# In a bowl add cream, sugar and a drop of vanilla essence and whip until stiff.
# Join biscuits together by standing a biscuit on its side and sandwich with the next biscuit using a generous spread of cream. Continue until all the biscuits have been used and resembles a log.



# Cover the log thickly, and entirely, with the remaining cream. Place in refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight to set.
# Before serving, decorate log with grated chocolate, if desired. To serve, cut cake at a slight angle to ensure alternate layers of chocolate biscuit and cream are in each slice. Garnish with grated chocolate, or sprinkle with cocoa powder, and serve with raspberries, if desired.




To add some tempting twists to the cake:
# Brush the biscuits with your favourite liqueur, or strong coffee, before sandwiching together.
# Stir in finely grated dark chocolate into the whipped cream before sandwiching together.
# Decorate the cake with chocolate curls.
# Replace vanilla with 1 tsp of espresso or strong coffee. Replace rasperries with sliced banana.
# Replace vanilla with your favourite liqueur such as hazelnut or citrus liqueur.

Nacho's Stack

Description:
Dinner last night....The picture doesn't really do this dish justice, but with flat camera batteries had to resort to a mobile phone pic. If you make Nacho's you basically don't need a recipe, just make your usual Nacho mixture & instead of piling it onto a bunch of corn chips you layer it between burritos or tortilla's. You may wish to try it the way I make it, I think the sour cream/cheese layer makes this dish special.


Ingredients:
The quantities below are for a 3 layered stack. I make my layers quite thick, sometimes I make the stack higher so I just increase the ingredients proportionally.

You will need :-

- A springform cake tin
- 4 burritos or flour tortillas the same size as the base of the cake tin. (trim them down if they are larger)
- 400-500 gms of beef minced
- 225 gm tin of refried beans
- 300 gm jar of chunky tomato salsa (I use a hot one)
- 150-200 gms grated cheddar
- 300 ml sour cream
- 130 gm can sweet corn kernels, drained (optional ; if I'm making this for Lee I don't add this ingredient as he's not a fan)
- 55 gm packet of corn chips


Directions:
Preheat oven to 210 c
Grease springform cake tin

Heat the burritos by either wrapping them in foil & putting them in the oven for 5 mins or in the microwave, as per the instructions on the packet.

Meanwhile brown the mince in a tablespoon of oil in your skillet. Then add the refried beans & salsa and stir through. Simmer gently for approx 10 minutes.

Place the sour cream in a bowl & microwave for approx 30 seconds. Add the corn & stir in the grated cheese, reserving about 50 gms.

Now you can start putting together your stack.
Place a burrito in the base of the cake tin & spread half of the mince/bean mixture evenly.
Top with another burrito.
Spread the sour cream/cheese mixture next. I use 90% of the mixture in this layer, just leaving a small amount for the stack topping.
Top with another burrito.
Spread the rest of the mince/bean mixture to make this layer.
And yes you guessed it, top with another burrito.

Spread the remaining sour cream mixture thinly across the last burrito and then arrange the corn chips on top. Sprinkle the reserved grated cheese over the corn chips. (I usually also add a little grated parmesan)

Cover with foil & bake for approx 15 mins, or until heated through. I like to lightly brown the top of the stack so I throw it under the grill for a few minutes.

Allow the stack to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the cake tin & serve by cutting it into wedges ( a serrated knife works well )

You can garnish it with chopped coriander & serve with an extra dollop of sour cream & salsa. Sometimes I like to team this dish up with my home made guacamole.

Afghan Biscuits

Description:
Taking advantage of the cooler weather I decided I felt like baking tonight. I had tracked down a favourite recipe a few days ago on the NZ Womans Weekly site.

They are dead easy to make!

Ingredients:
200g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1¼ cups flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1⅓ cups cornflakes
Chocolate icing, recipe follows
½ cup walnut halves, to decorate

Icing:
2 cups of icing (powdered) sugar
3 heaped tablespoons of cocoa
25 gms butter, melted
boiling water

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 180°C and line two baking trays with nonstick baking paper.

2. Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and creamy. Sift flour and cocoa powder over creamed mixture and stir to combine. Lastly, stir in cornflakes.

3. Place tablespoonfuls of mixture on prepared baking trays. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until firm and golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

4. Combine icing ingredients, adding a little boiling water at a time until your mixture is a good consistency to spread, but not too runny. If you do add too much water then just add a little more icing sugar until you correct it. Ice the cold biscuits with chocolate icing and decorate with a walnut half.

Note: To convert ingredients and/or cooking temperatures go to :
http://www.onlineconversion.com/

Sticky Rice with Mangoes

Description:
Lee requested this one.

Apart from deep fried icecream I have to confess I have not tried many Asian-style desserts as I rarely order them when dining out.

This was delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1½ cups of glutinous (short-grained) rice, soaked overnight
3 tablespoons palm sugar
3 tablespoons boiling water
3 large ripe mangoes, skin removed & sliced into wedges
400 ml coconut cream

Directions:
1. Drain rice and place in a foil lined steamer. Add fresh water to cover by about 1.5cm and steam for 30 minutes until cooked.


we have a large steamer that can sit over our wok. They come in various sizes and are very cheap at the Asian market

2. Press the steamed rice firmly into an oiled mould (I used a pie dish) and leave until cool.

3. Dissolve palm sugar in the boiling water.

4. Cut the rice into slices (or wedges) with several slices of mango on the side. Pour on the coconut cream and then the palm sugar.