Thai Fish Cakes

/ Lauren / Leave a comment

So I made these bad boys a few nights ago, and its taken me until now to get to post them! Super easy to whip up, these little fish cakes are sure to please a crowd, perfect as an entree or an appetiser.  With a good hint of lemongrass and a kick of chilli, dip them in the salty, sweet cucumber dipping sauce and its a match made in heaven.

Prep time 20 minutes, cooking time 10 minutes, makes 15 fish cakes.

img_20160224_205044.jpg

Thai Fish Cakes

600g white fish fillets – I use Hoki

1 clove garlic

2 kaffir lime leaves, centre vein removed and finely sliced

1 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh coriander

1 tbsp fish sauce

3 tsp red curry paste

Pinch salt

5-6 green beans, finely chopped

Peanut oil for shallow frying

1/4c white sugar

1/4c lime juice

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 lebanese cucumber, seeds removed and finely chopped

1 small birds eye chilli, finely chopped

  1. Place fish and garlic in food processor and blend until finely chopped, then add kaffir, coriander, fish sauce, curry paste and salt.  Blend until just combined.  Place into bowl and add chopped beans.
  2. Form mixture into 15 even sized balls and with wet hands flatten to make 6cm patties, then place on plate ready for cooking.
  3. Dipping sauce – Place sugar, lime and fish into small saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves, remove from heat and add cucumber and chilli, then cool.
  4. Heat oil in large frying pan over high heat, then cook patties in batches for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked through.  Remove from pan once cooked and drain on paper towel.  Cook remaining patties in batches until all are done.
  5. Arrange fish cakes on serving platter with dipping sauce, and a small Asian style salad if desired.

Apple Rose Tartlets

/ Amy / Leave a comment

I’ve always admired food that had been made to look like something else. When I discovered just how easy it was to make these tartlets I jumped on the bandwagon!

Impress your guests with this super simple but impressive treat of beautifully rose-shaped apples in crispy sweet puff pastry.

Prep time 10 mins, Cooking time 40-50 mins, Makes 8

20160227_210804-01.jpeg

Apple Rose Tartlets

2 sheets puff pastry

2 red apples (red delicious are perfect)

3 tsp apricot jam

4tsp water

½ tsp lemon juice

1tsp Icing sugar (plus extra to dust)

1tsp cinnamon sugar

20160227_210738-01.jpeg

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Prepare the apple by chopping in half and coring, then slice finely as pictured.20160227_200016-01.jpeg
  2. Place sliced apple, 3 tsp water, lemon juice and sugar in a bowl and toss, microwave on high for 1 minute or until apple is pliable. Drain liquid.
  3. Cut pastry sheets into four equal strips and lay apple slices as shown below.
  4. Mix remaining water and jam in a bowl then add jam mixture to pastry before folding pastry up and rolling (as pictured). Make sure to pinch the sides and push the apple into the pastry as rolling as it may try to slip out.

  5. Place rosettes into an oiled muffin pan and cook in the oven for approx. 45 minutes (checking from about 40mins onwards).
  6. When cooked dust tartlets with icing and cinnamon sugars and serve.
  7. Enjoy!

~A

Chocolate Mug Cake

/ Amy / Leave a comment

So it’s Friday night and you’re tired after work, but you really feel like something chocolaty. Welcome to my world. Chocolate mug cake to the rescue! No no no, its not a typo, it really is a Mug cake, a super easy one at that. Moist (love that word) and gooey at the bottom, these are great even for guests! Follow the simple steps below and you’ll beat the chocolate craving in no time!

Prep time 15 min, Cooking time 1 min, Makes 1 cup

20160226_210551-01.jpeg

20160226_210701-01.jpeg

Chocolate Mug Cake

40 g Chocolate (could be dark, could be milk doesn’t matter, just get it in there)

40g butter

4tsp dark brown sugar

4tsp self raising flour

2tsp cocoa powder

6 tsp milk

1 large egg (beaten)

  1. Place the butter and chocolate into your chosen mug and heat in the microwave until just melted and mix well.
  2. Add the milk and sugar to the mixture and mix well, ensuring no lumps are formed. (Warming the milk slightly may aid in this process)
  3. Add the flour, cocoa powder and egg mixing well between each ingredient.
  4. To cook place in the microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Do check on your cake from 45 seconds as individual microwaves may vary in power. Do not overcook. Cake should be gooey in the centre.
  5. Enjoy!

20160226_210531-01.jpeg

Cider Glazed Pork Cutlets

/ Lauren / Leave a comment

Pork cutlets are great at the best of times, but add a sticky, sweet cider glaze and you’ll have your guests talking for weeks to come!  Seen here served with a side of sweet potato mash, steamed broccolini and apple and onion jam, you can serve it with whatever sides you like!

20160223_201129-01.jpeg

Cider Glazed Pork Cutlets

Prep time ~ 5 minutes, cooking time ~ 30 mins, Serves 4

4 pork loin cutlets

Salt

Pepper

2 tbsp butter

3 cloves

1/3c Apple Cider Vinegar

2c Apple Cider (I used Somersby Apple)

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

  1. Melt butter in large heavy based frying pan.  Season cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Once butter begins to froth in pan, add the pork cutlets, cooking 5-7 minutes each side until golden brown.  Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.
  3. Add garlic to cutlet pan, and stir for 30 seconds until fragrent, before adding the cider vinegar, stir well, scraping up any browned juices from the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add apple cider and dijon mustard, and bring to the boil.  Cook until sauce becomes thick and glossy (this can take up to ten minutes depending on the size of your pan)
  5. Once sauce has thickened, return the pork cutlets to the pan, to warm back through, cooking a further 1-2 minutes each side.  Spoon glaze over cutlets as they are cooking.
  6. Serve with your favourite vegetables and a serve of Apple & Onion Jam – recipe can be found HERE

Apple & Onion Jam

/ Lauren / 1 Comment

Credit for the idea behind this recipe goes to a dear friends of ours, Kiara and Adrian, thank you so very kindly for introducing me to the amazingness that is this delectable, incredibly simple and relatively quick condiment that pairs fantastically with any sort of pork, be it roast pork, crispy pork belly or just a good old pork cutlet.  It transforms a simple piece of meat into an experience not to be forgotten!

20160223_214743-01.jpeg

Apple & Onion Jam

Prep time ~ 15 minutes, cooking time ~ 45 minutes, Serves 4-6

4 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

2 onions, peeling and thinly sliced

90g butter

4 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

  1. Melt your butter in a large shallow pan, then add the apple and onion and cook over a medium heat until apples and onions have just started to break down, approx 20-25 minutes.  The mixture will soak up most of the butter and the pan *should* be fairly dry.
  2. Sprinkle in the brown sugar, mixing in until dissolved, at this stage you will notice the pan regains some liquid with the sugar, continue to cook until mix starts to just turn sticky.
  3. Add balsamic vinegar to the pan and stir, cook out until mix is quite sticky, the final product should be quite “jammy” but should just still maintain structure

One Pot Cottage Pie

/ Amy / Leave a comment

A great comfort food that will give loads of left overs, this cottage pie is especially great in the winter time. I however am a crazy person and have made it smack bang in the middle of summer. Thank goodness for air conditioning!

This is a great pie to make when you have lots of left over vegies that just need to be eaten. With a cheesy potato-y top, it’s a sure fire way to get kidlets to eat their vegies!

20160223_210014-01.jpeg

One Pot Cottage Pie

Prep time 15 mins, Cooking time 50 mins, Serves 8 – 10

1 large onion – diced

1kg beef mince

4 cloves garlic – chopped finely

2 carrots – diced

½ head broccoli – chopped into small heads

¼ red cabbage – sliced finely

¼ green cabbage – sliced finely

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen beans

5 large potatoes – mashed

810g tin crushed tomato

¾ cup grated cheese (I used a mix of parmesan and tasty)

½ cup red wine

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

3 tbs tomato paste

3 tsp sugar

4 heaped tsp beef stock powder

3 heaped tsp Gravox traditional gravy – powdered

3 sprigs fresh oregano

3 fresh bay leaves

1 tbs butter

¼ cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

20160223_210022-01.jpeg

  1. Prepare a large pot that can be used on a stove top as well as oven by heating some oil on a medium/high heat.
  2. Brown the onions and garlic
  3. Add the minced beef. When half cooked sprinkle over the powdered beef stock and mix through. Cook until beef is no longer pink.
  4. Add all the remaining ingredients (except the mashed potato, cheese, butter and milk) and combine.
  5. When bubbling reduced the heat and simmer on medium for 30 minutes or until the liquid is reduced.
  6. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
  7. Meanwhile prepare the potatoes. Dice into 3cm cubes and boil until soft. Drain and add butter and milk and mash well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  8. When mince mixture is reduced remove from heat, spoon over mashed potato and sprinkle generously with cheese.
  9. By this time the oven should be at temperature. Move entire pot of mince and potato to the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and gone golden.
  10. Now you’re ready to serve!

~A

Strawberry & Cherry Lemonade Crumble

/ Amy / Leave a comment

Think strawberry lemonade in cake form! This delicious Strawberry and Cherry Lemonade Crumble is just that! With a delicious crumble topping that doubles as the base as well, this crumble can be served cool as a slice or warm with ice cream and is sure to be a hit at any social gathering.

It’s simple, effective and delicious; the only hard part is waiting an hour while it cooks!

Makes – 8-10 slices, Prep time – 20 mins, Cooking time – 60 -75 mins, Total time – approx. 3hrs (to allow for cooling before cutting)

img_20160222_123511.jpg

wp-1456108259249.jpg

Strawberry & Cherry Lemonade Crumble

Base and Crumble

115g unsalted butter – melted

½ cup raw sugar

¼ cup dark brown sugar – packed

1 ½ cup plain flour

Filling

1 large egg

½ cup sour cream

1/3 cup caster sugar

2 tbs lemon juice

2 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup plain flour

Strawberry and Cherry Layer

1 heaped cup frozen strawberries – chopped

1 heaped cup frozen cherries – chopped

1/3 cup caster sugar

2 tbs lemon juice

¼ cup plain flour (can use less if mixture is not very runny)

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly oil a round fluted flan tin with a loose base, and place onto a large baking tray (makes removing the tin easier due to the loose base).
  2. Create the base and crumble topping.
    1. Melt the butter add the sugars and whisk to combine
    2. Add the flour and stir to combine. When combined the mixture should be crumbly and dry with some larger pieces.
    3. Set aside ¾ cup of crumble mixture.
    4. Place remaining crumble mixture into the pan and using fingers press into the base and sides of the tin until firmly packed and smooth.
    5. Set aside.
  3. Create the filling.
    1. In a bowl crack the egg, add the sour cream, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Either whisk by hand or beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
    2. Add the flour and continue to mix until smooth.
    3. Bring back the pan and pour the filling mix onto the base you have just made. Make sure to jiggle the pan and use a spatula to ensure a smooth surface.
    4. Set aside.
  4. Create the strawberry and cherry layer.
    1. In a bowl add all ingredients and toss well to combine.
    2. When using frozen berries there will be a lot of moisture released when they thaw so add in the flour a little at a time stopping when mixture looks thick, but not cakey.
    3. Smooth the fruit layer over the filling and smooth as best you can with a spatula.
  5. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup of crumble mix over the fruit layer. To make larger crumble give the mix a small squeeze before sprinkling over the top.
  6. Bake for 60-75 minutes. This time will depend on your oven and how much liquid is in your fruit mix. Bake until golden brown on top and you can see the fruit starting to bubble through. It is better in this instance to watch from about 45mins, you want to be watching your creation more so than the clock.
  7. When baked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool for a few hours, to speed up this process you can also place into the fridge.
  8. If serving with ice cream, serve hot right out the oven. If wanting to turn it into more of a slice ensure it is fully cooled before cutting as it will likely fall apart!
  9. Enjoy!

wp-1456108264709.jpg

~A

Easy Pork Stir-fry

/ Lauren / Leave a comment

You know, I’m not going to lie – it happens to the best of us, there’s days where you just really cant be bothered with getting too creative and when you have grumbles coming from all corners of the house because they’re hungry, getting something on the table ASAP is your top priority!  This is a really simple, tasty stir-fry, which I kind of refer to as a bit of a “cheating” meal when it comes to cooking it (its not by any means unhealthy though!).  Also, if you want to make everything from scratch, you can do that too, just takes a bit longer to prep the veg!

wp-1456048856609.jpg

Easy Pork Stir-Fry

Prep time ~15 minutes, Cook time ~ 15 minutes Serves 4-6 people

6 large Pork Spare Ribs, cut short ways, into 0.5-1cm batons

1 large onion, cut into thin wedges

1 tbsp crushed garlic

1 tbsp peanut oil

1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

850g bag Birds Eye Frozen Oriental Veg (or any other variety that you like)

1 sachet Maggi Sweet & Sticky Pork Sauce (you can find it with the other meal bases)

1 pack Thin Hokkien Noodles (cooked as per packet instructions)

1/4c Oyster and Sweet Chilli sauces

  1. Heat your oils in a large wok until hot, add onion and garlic, cooking until onion just starts to soften.
  2. Add pork pieces, and cook, stirring until browned all over.
  3. Get your noodles soaking, before adding the veggies and sauces to your wok and stirring thoroughly.
  4. Continue cooking until veggies are hot, and sauce has thickened slightly, then add drained noodles to wok and stir.
  5. Serve immediately with a nice cold beer or a cider.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

/ Amy / Leave a comment

Today I woke up and decided to bake. It’s been a while, I have to be honest, but since starting this blog my creativity and want to bake has been sparked. I thought what better way to kick off then with some classic chocolate chip cookies.  These cookies are super easy, nice and chewy, and the best part is they are full of chocolate!

Prep – 20 mins, Baking – 12 mins, Makes – 18-20

wp-1456029228190.jpg

wp-1456029415910.jpg

Classic Choc Chip Cookies

1 ¾ cups plain flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

70g unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed

½ cup caster sugar

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cup chocolate chips – I used half milk chocolate, half dark chocolate.

wp-1456029027958.jpg

  1. In a large bowl add sift the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt together and set aside.
  2. Melt the butter in another bowl, then mix both sugars in with an electric beater (or if you’re feeling strong stir it enthusiastically by hand). You will know when to stop when the mixture is combined and smooth and shiny.
  3. Into the sugar mixture add the egg, then the egg yolk, and finally the vanilla, beating in between until combined.
  4. Pour the flour slowly into the mixture and combine. Once smooth add the choc chips.
  5. Set cookie dough in the refrigerator to cool for about 10 minutes (cooling the dough helps the cookies keep their shape when baking)
  6. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
  7. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Once the dough is cool, scoop into balls (about 1 heaped tablespoon worth) and place onto the lined trays. Bake for 10-12 minutes (depending on your oven this may be more or less time). Remove the cookies when the edges are just starting become golden and the centre looks just slightly undercooked, as this will keep the centre chewy.
  8. Once removed from the oven place the cookies (while still on the baking paper) onto a cool surface and allow to sit for 5 minutes. During this time they will still cook slightly. Once cooled enough to touch transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

If there is any remaining dough remember to keep it in the fridge between batches of cookies.

wp-1456029032681.jpg

Enjoy!

~A

Country style Chicken and Leek Pie

/ Amy / Leave a comment

Chicken and Leek pie is one of those things that just screams comfort food to me. Deliciously creamy on the inside with amazingly crunchy puff pastry on top, this pie is sure to appeal to just about everyone! This is a favourite of my husband’s and one of the only ways I can get him to touch leek! He especially loves it when I add the “swirls” as he calls them, on top.

Prep time 10 mins, Cooking time 40 mins, Serves 4-6

wp-1455882246926.jpg

wp-1455880750079.jpg

Country Style Chicken and Leek Pie

2 Skinless chicken breast fillets – diced into 2cm cubes

1 Large leek – chopped into rounds, about 1cm thick

2 tbs butter

1 tbs plain flour – to thicken

½ cup thickened cream

½ cup milk

2 sprigs of thyme

1 tsp Chicken stock powder

1 sheet short crust pastry (for the base, you will need enough to cover the base and sides of your baking dish)

2 sheets puff pastry (for the pie lid, and of course the swirls!)

Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

  1. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees C. In a large frying pan over a medium/high heat add 1tbs butter and the chopped chicken to the pan and cook until golden. Set aside but keep warm.
  2. Add ½ tbs of the remaining butter and chopped leek to the pan and sauté until the leek is tender. Set aside with the chicken.**
  3. In the pan now add the remaining butter and flour, stirring until combined, then add the cream and milk, stirring gently.**
  4. Reduce to a low head and add to the cream mixture the chicken and leek, the thyme and chicken stock. Let simmer for a few minutes until the sauce is thick enough to your liking.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare your baking dish by lightly greasing and laying down a sheet of your short crust pastry and press into the sides and base of the dish lightly. When ready fill the dish with the chicken mixture. Lay a sheet of puff pastry as a lid to close the pie, pressing down around the edges of dish to seal. For extra points, go ahead and slice the remaining sheet of puff pastry into 1 cm strips. Roll these strips up to resemble the sliced leek and place on top of your pie lid.
  6. Brush the pie with egg wash and place into the oven and bake for 30-40minutes, or until pastry is cooked and golden brown.
  7. Enjoy!

imageimage

**Added extra – If you would like to add some white wine into the dish you would do so at this stage, sautéing the leek until the alcohol has evaporated. Also, if you want to get extra fancy, why not try adding in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.

~A