dip

Corn Fritters with Avocado & Sour Cream Dip

/ Amy / 2 Comments

If you’re like me, then you come home of an afternoon strip off your clothes, flick on the A/C and telly then its off to the kitchen to raid the fridge in a ravenous hunger fueled, undie clad frenzy only to find no food, no snacks because you’re “trying to be healthy”. Sound familiar?? I feel for you. So here I have an easy quick fix to your problems, make this on the weekend to have afternoon snacks all week long that won’t make you feel terrible!

Prep time – 10 mins, Cooking time – 10 mins, Serves 4

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Corn Fritters with Avocado & Sour Cream Dip

1 avocado, halved peeled and stone removed

2 heaped tbs extra-light sour cream

1 small red chilli – deseeded and chopped finely

Salt and pepper- to taste

420g can corn kernels – drained

2 eggs – whisked

2/3 cup plain flour

1/3 cup grated parmesan

2 tbs vegetable oil

3 tbs chopped chives

  1. In a food processor add the avocado, chilli and sour cream, process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside
  2. In a large mixing bowl add the corn, egg, parmesan and flour and whisk until well combined.
  3. In a large non stick frying pan heat the oil over a medium/high heat. Spoon a heaped table spoon worth of corn batter into the pan to make each fritter. Cook fritters until each side is golden. In between batches, transfer cooked fritters to a plate and cover to keep warm.
  4. Serve your fritters with the avocado and sour cream dip.
  5. Enjoy!

~A

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Lemon Basil Pesto

/ Amy / 2 Comments

I love this pesto on hot toast with sliced tomato and loads of freshly cracked pepper, and I plan on using it with some freshly made pasta in the near future too. Its a wonderful addition to a cheese, crackers and wine evening and it is such a good way to use your basil if it suddenly grows like crazy!

We had a single lemon basil plant that I picked up at the local markets quite some time ago. It just plodded along, not growing overly well, but not dying either so we let it stay. Then when it go so hot over summer the poor thing just gave up, went to seed and died. 6 weeks later and with the help of a heap of rain we suddenly have a garden bed full of young basil plants. When you have about a square meter of basil to work with pesto seems like the logical choice. Having said that we still have about 1/2 a square meter left after today’s cull! I will have to think about what to make next 🙂

Prep time – 15 mins, Cooking time – 5 mins, Makes about 500ml

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Saki modelling for scale, the basil can be seen behind her!

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Lemon Basil Pesto

4 packed cups lemon basil (regular basil is fine too!)

1 ½ cups grated parmesan

1 ¾ cups extra virgin olive oil

1 cup pine nuts, roasted

6 cloves garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C, line a baking tray with foil or baking paper.
  2. Place pine nuts evenly over the tray and roast for 3-5 mins or until golden brown.
  3. Once pine nuts have been roasted, place all ingredients into a food processor and blend for around a minute.
  4. Remove pesto from processor and place in your favourite jar, and enjoy!

~A

P.S. Props to Sweet Phi Blog for the inspiration behind this recipe, I altered her ratios just a wee bit to make the pesto more to my tastes – that’s the great thing about cooking, you do you!

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Pork and Prawn Dumplings

/ Amy / Leave a comment

These delicious Pork and Prawn Dumplings are sure to get your taste buds firing. Crispy underneath with just the right amount soft deliciousness on top, you wont want to stop at just one! Perfect for parties, or anywhere finger food is acceptable (like my couch with my cat, or Lauren’s couch with her dog) you can’t go wrong with these babies!

Prep time 1 hr, Cook time 30 mins, Total time 1 hr 30 mins, Makes 48

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Pork and Prawn Dumplings

4cm pieces of ginger, peeled

250g Chinese cabbage, finely shredded

250g minced pork

250g prawns, chopped finely

4 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs oyster sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tbs rice wine/cooking sake

Cornflower, for dusting and extra if filling needs to be thickened

2 x 275g pkts gow gee pastries (wrappers)

1/3 cup (80ml) peanut oil

1 tbs salt

  1. Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt then leave for 30 minutes.
  2. While cabbage is sitting, chop the prawn meat finely and place in a separate bowl with the pork mince and spring onions.
  3. Add the sauces directly to the meat mixture and combine.
  4. Returning to the cabbage, thoroughly squeeze to removed all liquid then add to the meat.
  5. Line a large tray with baking paper and dust with cornflour. Wet the edge of a wrapper with a little water and place two level teaspoons of filling in the centre (do not over fill!). Fold the wrapper in half and using your thumb and index finger pleat the edges, pressing them together to create a seal. Place the completed dumplings in a single layer on the prepared tray. **20160216_192206-01
  6. Heat 1 tbs peanut oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat, adding 12 dumplings at a time pleated side up in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes or until brown underneath. Add 1/2 a cup of boiling water to the pan and partially cover with a lid, cooking for a further 8-10 minutes or until the water has evaporated and the dumplings are crisp on the bottom.
  7. They are now ready to eat! Just add in your favourite dipping sauce and you’re good to go.

**Dumplings can be made up to six hours in advance, but must be stored in a air tight container in the refrigerator.

~A + L

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