School Lunch box idea no. 1 - Green and Gold Muffins

4th official day into School and I'm allready trying to think of new and exciting things to throw into the lunch box! Oh dear.... I had a quick scour through some recipe books and found an interesting idea from a small Tupperware magazine circa 2004. I've tweaked it a bit and I'm really happy with the end result (or should I say, the big school kid thinks they are yum too!) Also, I had to share the pic of "the big school kid" with a very funny zucchini! We had friends over on the weekend and they brought this from their vegie patch. The kids thought it was hilarious. Mr Zucchini was the life of the party!

ingredients

"Most of these things should be found in your kitchen or vegie patch ;)"

2 cobs of corn
1 small zucchini
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons mozzarella cheese
1 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 egg
2 tablespoons greek style yoghurt

how to make your green and gold muffins

Pre-heat oven to 190C fan forced. grease a muffin tray very! well or use cases.

Cut corn kernals off corn and place in a microwave safe container. Place the lid loosely. Pop in the microwave for 1 minute 30seconds. Set aside.

Grate the zucchini. Set aside

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.

In a seperate bowl combine the oil, egg and yoghurt. Add this to the flour mix along with the vegies, parsley and cheese. The mix will be quite wet. Give it a thourouh stir. Spoon into your muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Let stand for a few minutes before turning onto a wire rack. enjoy!

Leek and Sage Scones

It took me a while to get these little suckers right. At first they were too dry, then they were as damp as a wet sponge........finally, I got there!
I happened to flick through an old Welsh recipe book a wee while ago and saw a bread recipe with leek and sage. It sounded like an interesting combination so I thought I would try and make them into scones (hence the trial and error!) These scones are super easy, quick and taste delicious. Perfect for brunch or a picnic......just don't forget some yummy salty butter to serve!

ingredients

225g plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
salt and pepper
60g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
50g grated tasty cheese
1 egg
100ml milk

40g unsalted butter
1 leek (approx 100g worth of white part finely sliced)
salt
about 5 small sage leaves, (about the size of your little pinky or smaller)chopped finely

how to make your leek and sage scones

In a saucepan slowly melt the butter then add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly until lovely and silky and they smell sweet. Add the sage, stir until cooked through then set aside to cool. (for at least 30 mins)

Pre-heat oven to 220C

Put flour and baking powder in a bowl. Mix.
add butter until mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. stir in cheese and leek and sage mix. make a well and pour in milk and egg mix (making sure you reserve about a tablespoon for the tops)

Bring together into soft dough. Knead on a floured bench and roll out to a 2cm thickness. Use a scone cutter. Place scones on a tray lined with baking paper, close together without touching. Brush tops with leftover milk/egg mix. Bake for 12-14 mins.

enjoy!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS - flathead tails with new potatoes, snow peas and beets with a sour cream and dill dressing

We had some pretty amazing seafood down in Ulladulla. Now that we have been back home for over a month now, I am still trying to cling onto those holiday ideals of great food, great weather, great fun!! especially now that Christmas has finally arrived..... I bought some flathead tails from the market (they are also called flathead fillets) We had some delicious beetroot to use up from the garden too. And so this salad was born and my family loved it. I think you could even serve this as a fancy Summer meal with friends! CHEERS!!

ingredients

2 to 3 flathead tails per person (get them boned at the fish market)
approx 1/2 cup plain flour
salt and pepper
vegetable oil
1 small to medium sized beetroot per person
3 new potatoes per person
approx 12 snow peas per person
1 tub of sour cream
fresh sprigs of dill

how to make your flathead tails with new potatoes, snow peas and beets with a sour cream and dill dressing

Grab 2 pots and fill each of them 3/4 full of water. Pop them over a high heat and bring to a boil. Peel your beetroot and cut into bite size pieces. Boil for approx 5 mins or until tender. Cut the potatoes in half and boil for approx 8 mins or until tender. Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, take off the stalky bits of the snow peas and place in a microwave safe dish with 1/2 cup of water and cook for 4 mins (depending on how many you are cooking - this is for 4 people) Drain well and set aside. Take out the sour cream.

get out a frypan and pour in some vegetable oil (the level should come up about 2cm high)Put it over a medium high heat. Lay some baking paper down on a bench and empty the plain flour onto the paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Give it a little shake. Alternatively, do this in a bag and then pour it onto the paper. Lay each piece of fish onto the paper and lightly cover with the flour mix. Tapping off any excess. Check to see that the oil is ready by throwing in some of the flour. If it starts bubbling, it's ready. Pop in your fish and brown for a few minutes. Turn and then brown the other side. Done!
Now to assemble. Pop the snow peas on the bottom. give them a light sprinkle with salt. Add the beetroot and potatoes. Drizzle with sour cream and sprinkle over fresh dill. Place your flathead tails over the top and give it all good grinding of salt and pepper.

Merry Christmas Guys............See you 2011!!

high tea - part 1 - herbed mushroom and ricotta vol-au-vents

While we were away we spent a couple of nights in Kiama either side of our break to stay with family. We decided to eat at a restaurant that had been around since I was little and I hadn't been there in years. It was time to have a taste of "Chachi's".

Hubby ordered the pasta with chorizo and the kids got pizza and ice cream (a winning combination in our household)and I had the crostini. Which reminds me of another story...... Some of the girls in my mothers group branched out a few years ago and created a book club. A recent book was, "The Road Home" by Rose Tremain. The main character Lev works in a fancy restaurant in London where the head chef makes the staff his famous crostini each night before their big night ahead.......I really had to have that crostini.

It was perfect. Delicious crusty bread, slightly salty ricotta, mushrooms tossed with garlic and fresh, fresh rocket leaves. So simple and so delicious. Here's my version in a vol-au-vent!

ingredients

makes approx 12 medium sized vol-au-vents(I used Erica's kitchen brand which had 6 in a pack but you could always use smaller ones if you are feeding more people or use a different brand - buy the best you can afford)

2 tablespoons butter
approx 12 button mushrooms, sliced finely
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
small mix of finely chopped fresh parsley and Fresh thyme
salt and pepper

fresh ricotta from the deli, about 150g

rocket sprigs, 1 per vol-au-vent

how to make your herbed mushroom and ricotta vol-au-vents

If you have the time, warm the vol-au-vent cases very slightly in the oven.
Heat butter in a saucepan over a high heat. Quickly fry mushrooms with the garlic, herbs and a little salt and pepper. When cooked through, adjust seasoning if needed and set aside. Dollop ricotta into the base of each vol-au-vent case. Top with mushroom mix and then add a sprig of rocket.

Serve as part of a high tea, afternoon tea, brunch or even a lovely light dinner. enjoy!

Bring out the ouzo! - Mykonos Toasted Sandwich

Idon't always plan the family meals for the week. Usually I like to buy a few things and then see what we all feel like. However, last week I had about 5 nights of meals sorted. 3 of those happened, one remains on hold in the freezer and the other, well it morphed into something else. I was all set for making my stuffed capsicums and then I just didn't feel like it. The weather was hot and dry and I felt like something light and summery. I had to use up some greek yoghurt and salad and suddenly I was taken back to the Greek Islands all those years ago. For every meal, as I travelled around the islands, I enjoyed home-made Tzatziki, wild grown tomatoes, crusty bread and usually a yeeros filled to the brim with lamb. Here is my version of those simple dishes smashed together and made into a steak sandwich. Opa!

ingredients

Serves 2 adults and 2 children

Lamb and marinade
500g lamb strips (You want large strips [see pic]. The kind you can sear on each side for a minute or two easily with tongs. Thin and small stirfry strips won't really work in this dish)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground coriander
a good grinding ground pepper
about 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
a dash of olive oil

tzatziki
200g greek yoghurt (I like Jalna brand for its thickness)
1 small lebanese cucumber, skin on, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, finely diced
lemon juice to taste (1 to 2 teaspoons)

ripe tomatoes (3-4 slices per sandwich, very lightly salted)
baby lettuce leaves
8 slices of whatever bread you'd like to use, well toasted
butter (for the lettuce side)

how to make your mykonos toasted sandwiches

first of all, make your tzatziki. In a plastic container with a lid add the yoghurt, diced cucumber, diced garlic and lemon juice. mix well, pop on the lid and put back in the fridge until your ready.

Now wash your tomatoes and lettuce, lightly salt the tomatoes and set aside.

Pop your bread in the toaster ready to push down; or if using thicker bread then pop under the grill.

Pop the lamb strips into a bowl with the remaining 7 ingredients and give it a good toss together.

Throw a dash of oil in a pan and put it on high heat. When really,really hot pop the bread down in the toaster and then place each piece of meat in the pan. Allow a minute or so then turn over and cook for another minute or until done to your liking.

Butter one side of the toast and lay the lettuce and tomato on this half. On the other half spread the tzatziki, then lay some of the lamb strips and serve immedately.

If your unsure whether your kids will like the tzatziki you could always use less garlic or go for something else like hommus.

Welcome back - Mushroom, Spinach and Fetta Quiche

When my husband and I were on our Honeymoon in Tasmania we tasted some pretty amazing food all over the Island. Lots of dishes stand out but some things are best enjoyed as memories. Such as the organic beef we had at Freycinat, there is no way I would ever do that dish justice! One food that we ate quite alot of was quiche. In Hobart there was this great little deli that had quiche lorraine and mushroom, spinach and fetta quiche in their window. They both were so delicious that whenever we were in Hobart throughout our stay we would go there and grab a piece, some beautiful bread, some vino, some olive paste and enjoy it all in a local park that overlooked the river. 6 years later and the memories are still so vivid to me. I hadn't made a quiche in ages but my son was in daycare for the day and my good friend was visiting me, it was time to get re-aquainted. This is my version of that dish.

ingredients

4 large flat mushrooms, sliced thinly (you can use 12 button mushrooms if you like, depending on availability and your presentation)
100g baby spinach leaves, stalks removed (you can use english spinach just remove stalks and all traces of grit)
100g of a good fetta cheese, crumbled
6 eggs
1/4 cup of milk (or single cream, it's up to you)
2 sheets of shortcrust pastry (depending on how big your quiche dish is)
knob of butter plus an oil spray
salt and pepper

how to make your quiche

Defrost pastry until flexible, about 15 - 20 mins. Pre heat oven to 200C. Grease or spray with an oil spray the base and sides of a quiche/tart pan (approx 21 cm diameter. If it's smaller than this just make sure that the sides are higher) Place pastry over tart pan making sure pastry hangs over the sides a little as the pastry will shrink in the oven. Prick the bottom a few times with a fork. Place over baking paper making sure the sides are covered. Now weigh it down with some rice, risoni or dried beans. You'll need about 2 cups. Place in oven for 10 mins. Now take out baking paper with weights, discard and pop back in the oven for 5 mins to brown very slightly. Take out and cool. Reduce oven temp to 180C.

Slice mushrooms. Heat pan with knob of butter on high heat. Add mushrooms, salt to taste and toss quickly. Add more butter if needed. When soft, take off heat.

Wash spinach then place in a heat prrof bowl. Boil kettle then cover spinach to blanch. Drain in a colander straightaway and refresh with cold water. Drain very well and set aside.

Crack eggs in a bowl, whisk in 1/4 cup of milk and pepper to taste. Place mix over pastry then arrange spinach on the bottom, fetta cheese in the middle and top with the mushroom slices.

Cook quiche for 20 - 25 mins or until the egg mix has set (just give it a little wobble to check)

Take it to a picnic or enjoy as a light lunch with a salad!

Cumin get it! - Vegetarian pie

The flavours in this dish always remind me of a beautiful Lamb stew that has been braising on the stove for a couple of hours. Except, there's no meat in sight. This is a vegetarian pie or hot pot I guess you could also call it. Whatever it is, it's YUM!I also love the ground cumin in this dish. I think it just takes it to a whole new level as opposed to using say, Thyme or oregano.
When you want to feed a number of people then make this! Everyone will be happy. If you do have a few die-hard-meat-eating males, just bbq some lamb chops for them (or better still get them to do it!). That should keep them quiet... Trust me, everyone will love the flavour of this dish.


ingredients

500g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 3cm cubes
300g flat mushrooms chopped into small pieces
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 leek, white part thinly chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 x 800g tin of chopped tomatoes
250ml vegetable stock
2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
250g green beans, topped and chopped in half
chopped fresh coriander (I like to use the whole bunch but you can use a half cup if you like)
6 desiree potatoes, unpeeled and sliced thinly
approx 1 cup parmesan cheese


how to make your pie

heat some oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the pumpkin, mushroom, carrot, zucchini, leek and garlic and cook, stirring for 5 mins or until leek softens. Pre heat oven to 180C.
Add the cumin and atir for 30 secs until arromatic.
Add the tomato and the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook covered stirring occasionally for 15 mins. uncover and simmer for 10 mins. Add the chickpeas and beans and cook stirring for 5 mins or until beans are bright green. Add the coriander and stir to combine.
Place mix in a large ovenproof dish. top with the potato slices slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese (to taste). Bake in the oven for 40 mins or until potato is cooked through and slightly browned.

Serves 6 - 8 people with a rocket salad, some beautiful bread (our friends brought some Garlic Brasserie bread which was to die for) and some white wine.

#I also made a Caraway damper to accompany this dish except that I didn't cook it long enough. Left with pure dough in the middle, we ate the yummy bits, which were yummy but yes, dough = not yummy. So I will work on this recipe and when I've perfected it, I'll pop it up on the blog.

Make it a little bit fancy - Sausages and veg

I love trying out different flavoured sausages. One thing I miss about living in the Inner West is AC Butchery in Leichhardt. They have an amazing selection of sausages to suit everyone. I have to say though, our local Butcher is pretty good too. I have asked them for a few things like chicken and rocket sausages and they have given me a strange look and with other things they have said with a wink,"Let's see what I've got out the back".
I've used Herb and Garlic sausages with this dish but you could use another kind if you like. I think something fairly simple would work best in this recipe. Have a play around with it!

ingredients

6 sausages (2 per adult and 1 per child - you could easily add more, just adjust your cooking time)
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
a good tablespoon of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
black pepper, freshly grinded
1 leek
4 carrots
4 potatoes
Green beans, enough for everyone (or any other vegetable you'd like to serve)
a good strong red wine like a pinot noir or a merlot perhaps


how to make your sausages and veg with red wine reduction

First thing, pop your sausages into a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to just under the boil and reduce to a very light simmer (otherwise you'll bust the skins) Cook for 15 mins. Meanwhile prep your veg. Chop the leek in half and then each half into half again until you have 4 equal pieces. Place in your roasting pan (The snags will sit on top of these) Chop your carrots into quarters, lengthways and place in the pan. Chop up your potatoes into largeish wedges and pop into your pan. Pre heat your oven to 200C. Now put the oil into a small saucepan and add the herbs and lots of pepper. Warm gently over a low heat. When the fennel starts sizzling, take it off the heat.
When your snags are ready, take them out carefully and place on top of the leeks. Pour the herbed oil over everything, cover with foil or lid and cook in the oven for 35 mins. At the end of 35 minutes, check to see how it is all going. If it's browning nicely put back in the oven for another 10 mins. If cooked but not browned, take off lid and put back in the oven for another 10 mins putting the heat up slightly to 220C.

When done, take out of the oven and remove sausages and veg from the pan and either place on your plates or put on another tray, keep warm. You want all the lovely juices from the pan now. Drain into a small saucepan and add 1/2 cup of wine. Put ovet a high heat and bring to the boil. Boil for about 5 - 10 mins, ensuring you are left with a thickish syrup. Cook your beans, either in the microwave or on the stove. While this is happening you can decide whether you want to puree the leeks and potatoes together or leave them as is. If you want mash potato whizz the leeks until smooth and then mash with the potato and a little butter or enjoy just as they are.

When everything is plated up, drizzle over the red wine reduction on the Adults plates. Think of it as a meal the kids will eat and with a touch of 'sauce', a special dinner for you guys.

Do Winter, Old School Style - pea and ham soup

Don't let the photo scare you, this is one tasty soup. Check out those retro colours! This soup is very simple to make and really doesn't take that long to put together. You can walk away and let it do its thing, add the peas, then walk away again. The tricky part is separating the meat from the bones at the end. You'll need a bit of space to do this as well as a sturdy pair of tongs and a small sharp knife.
This meal is very,very filling so it could easily feed 4 adults and 2 children with some lovely crusty bread; or leftovers can easily be frozen for up to 2 months for a quick and easy meal. Make sure you buy your ham hocks from a reputable Butcher and ask them to chop each hock into 3 pieces. It's also a relatively cheap cut of meat too. The smoky flavour it gives this soup is to die for!

ingredients

1 onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 parsley stalks, no leaves(I saw this in an old pea and ham soup recipe ages ago and have done it eversince. Try it!)
3 ham hocks, about 1 to 1.5kgs worth
3.5 litres water plus an extra 500ml for later
500g split green peas
fresh lemon juice, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste (you won't need a lot of salt)

How to make your soup

In a large saucepan add some oil and pop over a medium heat. Add your onion, celery, carrot and garlic and fry off until nicely done. Make sure you don't burn it. Then add 3.5 litres of water, your ham hocks and your parsley stalks and bring to the boil (this may take a little while) once boilng, reduce to a medium simmer,cover and cook for a good hour. When your hour is up add your split peas and 2 cups hot water. Pop the lid on and cook for another 45 mins or so. Give it a stir every now and then in case the peas are catching on the bottom. When it's ready take out the hocks and get rid of the skin and bones. Puree your soup with a hand held blender (I like it a little chunky)Pop half of the meat back into the soup, stir it through, add your lemon juice, salt and pepper, stir it through and ladle into your bowls. (Some pea and ham soups also add mint, but I really don't think it needs it) Top each bowl with some of the meat and serve with some crusty bread.

Too easy. Enjoy!

Cheap and Cheerful - Chicken and Rice

This is another dish that I grew up. I remember my Grandmother making this and when she grinded the pepper it seemed to go on for hours. She loved the peppery flavour the simple spice imparted. However, when I started eating grown up food I remember complaining about this. So for many years, untl my palate had grown up a little, my family would add the pepper after the cooking process or my Grandmother would make one especially for me, in a seperate roasting pan. She always knew how to keep everyone happy. Now I absolutely LOVE lots of pepper in this dish. The success of this meal kind of counts on it.

Depending on how many people you are feeding I generally do 2 chicken legs per person or 1 per child. This recipe will feed 4 people easily. Traditionally we ate this dish with some crusty bread but I think you can have too many carbs!

You'll need:
1 onion, chopped
500g uncooked, medium brown rice
8 chicken drumsticks
salt and pepper

Pre - heat oven to 190C and place baking paper in a roasting pan or use a creamic dish with a lid (no baking paper required) Heat oil in a fry pan and add your onion. Fry over a low heat so the onion softens. Turn up the heat a little and add your rice. Stir to slightly fry the rice. Now add salt and plenty of pepper. (You may want to see how you like the pepper taste after it's cooked so maybe go easy the first time you make it - it's up to you) Take off the heat and pour into your roasting pan. Now place the chicken drumsticks on top of the rice and pour over 2 cups of water. Cover tightly with 2 layers of foil or put on your lid and pop into your oven and bake for 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours.

The chicken will be falling off the bone so take them out carefully and hopefully the rice will be lovely and crispy around the edges, mmmmmmm my favourite part!

Heyyyyyy Macaroni! - Macaroni Cheese with baby spinach

I love traditional Macaroni cheese but I always feel so guilty after I've eaten it. Well, now I don't have to feel guilty. Just add spinach! This dish is really simple, fairly quick and everyone will love it on a really, really cold night. In place of the baby spinach I'm sure you could even use a cup of peas or maybe even some leftover roast pumpkin. Have fun!

First of all get a large pot of water on to boil and add a dash of salt. Measure out 300g pasta and set aside.(doesn't have to be macaroni - up to you but with the timing, a pasta that needs 14 minutes cooking time works well)Now pre-heat your oven to 190C. Get out your oven proof dish and set aside. Get out 100g baby spinach leaves, wash them, drain them well and set aside. When the water starts boiling add the pasta and set your timer.
Melt 50g butter in a large saucepan (If you don't have another large saucepan that's fine, it just means when you mix everything together you'll be using the pot that the pasta is cooking in) When it has melted remove from the heat and add 50g plain flour, mix in to make a roux. When it has all come together pop back over the low heat and very slowly add 500ml milk, stirring constantly. When it starts boiling let it cook for 1 minute, stirring occaisionally, then take off the heat.

Drain the macaroni and mix it with the sauce, baby spinach, salt and pepper and 100g parmesan cheese. Check your seasoning. Pour into your ovenproof dish and scatter with another 100g parmesan cheese. Cook in the oven for 15 mins or until lovely and golden.

Serve immediately on it's own or with a simple garden salad.Serves 4 - 6 people. You could swap half the parmesan for a tasty chedder cheese too. This recipe is adapted from the really cute little cookbook, "Love your leftovers".

I like 'em rich - My Bolagnaise Sauce

I think most people grew up with their families version of Spaghetti Bolagnaise. There is no right or wrong with this meal. I've known people to even add vegemite. My own Bolagnaise has evolved over time. Now with small children I make sure I add some vegies in there too.
My most standout memory was when my husband and I were on our honeymoon in Tasmania. We had a quick meal at an Italian restaurant in Hobart before seeing a show at the Theatre. The place was packed and we were squeezed into a tiny table next to the Gelato freezer. I ordered a simple Spaghetti Bolagnaise. What was delivered in front of me will never be forgotten. I could taste lamb, rosemary, red wine, sweet, sweet tomatoes. The balance of richness and saltiness and sweetness was unbelievable. I often think back to that beautiful meal and I've tried to emulate it ever since. Here's my version, I hope you enjoy it too.....

Chop 1 brown onion, 1 stick of celery and 1 carrot finely. Add some oil to a frying pan and pop over a low heat. Add the vegetables. Chop up 2 cloves of garlic finely and add to the vegetables. Let them sweat down for about 5 minutes until they are lovely and soft. When ready add 500g lamb mince. Brown the meat over a high heat then add 4 slices of prosciutto or about 30g worth, torn up(alternatively you can use 2 rashers of bacon, diced - The prosciutto will give it a more richer flavour but it will also give it a lot more fat so you may prefer to use bacon instead, it's up to you) Now throw in your herbs. I like using dried herbs so i use a mix. A touch of marjoram, a touch of oregano and a touch of thyme and then I use some fresh finely chopped rosemary. I love the flavour of rosemary so I use a good teaspoon but see how you go, you may want a more subtle flavouring. Stir and when it is fragrant add a good half cup of red wine. When the liquid has nearly all evaporated add your tin of chopped tomatoes and a touch of salt and pepper. (You don't need a lot of salt because of the bacon or prosciutto and you'll add more pepper just before serving. I just like to add it to tomatoes.) Give it all a good stir. Turn the heat down to medium. For the sweetness I add some ripe cherry tomatoes which I keep in a bowl at room temperature in the kitchen. Chop about 8 or so in half and add to the frypan. Now fill the tin that had the tomatoes in it with water and add to the pan. Depending on how long you want to simmer it for. I add 2 full tins of water to simmer it for an hour and a half but you can just use 1 full tin of water for about 30 - 40 mins. It's ready when all the water has gone and you are left with a rich, thick Bolagnaise. Serve with spaghetti and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Happy memories!

Mother's Day Picnic - cauliflower and cannelini bean puree and caramelised onions

I love Picnics. I think it's a mix of that happy outdoor feeling and fantastic food. It's usually homemade, something that people have grown up with or at the very least, wonderful comfort food. With my sons allergy to eggs I miss whipping up a quiche to take to these outdoor events but there are so many other things that can be enjoyed. Here are a few..... I bought some rare roast beef; ham off the bone and some sopressa della nonna. Lovely crusty bread, juicy grape tomatoes and I made some Cauliflower and cannelini bean puree and caramelised onions. Delish!

Allow about 45 minutes to get the 2 made before you head off to your picnic.

Cauliflower and Cannelini Bean Puree
Chop up 1/2 a cauliflower into smallish pieces (the bigger the pieces the longer they will take to cook - the smaller the pieces the liklihood of burning so be careful)Pre-heat your oven to 200C and grab your oven tray. Line it with baking paper, chuck on your cauliflower pieces and liberally drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Pop in the oven and cook for 30 - 35 mins. When softened and some of the cauliflower has browned up, take out of the oven and pop in a bowl. Drain a tin of cannelini beans and rinse through with water. Add it to the cooked cauliflower and grab your bamix. Give it a whiz until smooth. (I have to say,I like it left a little chunky but it's up to you) season to taste with salt and pepper and add some more extra virgin olive oil if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature or even cold. If you have some you can dress it up with a little chopped parsley.(Also delicious with lamb cutlets and roasted cherry tomatoes)

Caramelised Onions
In a large frypan melt 40g butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Chop 3 large brown onions and add to the pan along with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Cook over a lowish heat until they are very soft and have a lovely brown colour. (approx 25 mins) Then over a medium heat add 1/2 cup of water to the pan, give it a stir and cook until water has evaporated. Serve. Dress it up with some thyme leaves if you like. (Great with barbequed sausages and soft rolls)

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mums out there. I hope you got spoilt rotten like you deserve....xx

Oooh-lah lah - chicken and vegetable pie

This recipe comes from 'Real Living' magazine. I've changed it a little, but then I tend to do that to a recipe. The original also said you could use the meat from a BBQ chook but I thought it was easier just cooking some chopped up thigh fillets rather than trying to cut all the meat off a chicken. See what you think.
I always feel a little bit French when I make this dish. I'm not sure if it's the leeks together with the chicken and butter or maybe it's the pastry. Who knows? It's just something that flashes through my mind while I'm cooking it. I usually serve this pie with mash potato and peas. If I add a little less flour to the dish the sauce doesn't go as thick; this mixed with the mash potato on your plate is heaven. But you don't have to. It's up to you. It is much easier to portion up when the sauce is thicker, especially when you are serving guests. You can see the delicious mess in my photo!

The list of stuff:
3 Tablespoons butter
2 leeks, sliced thinly
1 - 2 sticks of celery, sliced thinly
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 cup chicken stock
200g button mushrooms, cut in half
600 - 700g chicken thighs, cut into uniform bite size pieces
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 - 4 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry (depending on the size of your pie dish)
1 egg, beaten lightly to brush the top of the pie. (I don't usually bother but it's up to you.)

Have everything chopped and ready to go. Don't take out your pastry just yet as the filling needs to cool for about 20 mins.
In a frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and cook mushrooms until golden. Meanwhile, in a seperate, smaller saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and cook leeks, celery and carrot, until softened.
Add the chicken to the mushrooms and cook through.
Add the flour to the leeks, celery and carrot and cook stirring for 2 mins then chuck in the chicken stock. Heat until thickened.
When the chicken is ready add the vegetables, mix to combine and season with salt and pepper. Throw in your parsley and stir through.Cover with a lid or tea-towel and Set aside to cool. Take out your pastry. Allow at least 20 mins for it to defrost so it will be flexible enough for you to use.

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Line your pie dish with a sheet of pastry, allowing a lip around the edges. Pop in your slightly cooled chicken mixture. Then top with pastry, crimping the edges to seal and cut a few slits in the top, allowing the steam to escape. Bake for 45 mins until lovely and golden. Sit for 5 mins (if you can wait that long!) then serve.

Serves 4 people with just the pie or about 6 with the mash potato and peas.

The best pies I have ever tasted are from 'Hayden's Pies' in Ulladulla on the New South Wales South Coast. They are all heavenly! If you are ever in the area, I can't reccomend them enough. And 'Jasper Peel' bakery too for awesome pizzas, breads and sweets.....It's a Foodie's paradise!

food for thought - fish and chat potato chowder

You can probably tell by now that I LOVE soups. This one is my other favourite. My husband loves seafood but I don't cook a lot of fish at home. I'm just not that confident with it. Then I came across this recipe about a year ago and thought I'd give it a try. It is, without a doubt, absolutely beautiful. When you make it, just make sure that the vegetables at the beginning have been sweated down enough so that they are lovely and soft, otherwise you will crunch your way through the soup and it just wont taste as amazing. This soup is meant to melt in your mouth with the beautiful fresh fish,a dash of cream and yummy bacon and potatoes.....mmmmmmmmmmmm

The list of stuff:
olive oil
250g smoked speck, pancetta or bacon, chopped finely (I've only ever cooked this with bacon and it is very yummy)
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 baby fennel bulb, trimmed (fronds reserved) and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 and 1/2 tabelspoons plain flour
1 cup dry white wine
8 baby chat potatoes, each cut into 8 pieces
2 and 1/2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
500g skin removed, bones and bloodlines removed of Blue eye, chopped into chunks
1/2 cup pouring cream or single cream
2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley

Heat oil in a large heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Cook bacon for 3-4 minutes until starting to brown. Reduce heat to low and add onion, celery, fennel and garlic, cook stirring for 4-5 mins or until vegies are soft. Add flour and stir until well combined. Pour in wine and bring to the boil then simmer over med heat for 3 mins or until liquid has reduced by half. Add the potatoes, milk and bay leaf and simmer rapidly for 12 mins over med-high heat. Stir in the fish and cream and simmer for a further 5 mins or until fish is cooked through. (make sure the fish isn't overcooked either or else it will taste like rubber) Season to taste then ladle into serving bowls and top with chopped parsley and reserved fronds. Enjoy!

Have everything chopped and ready to go, except for the fish, you can prepare this during the 12 min time frame.

Italiano! - quick minestrone soup

This is my version of minestrone soup made simple, without all the pfaffing about. It's all about the vegetables and the bacon in this dish. I don't even use garlic but I'm sure you could add a clove if you wanted to try it. It's simple ingredients, cooked simply in around 30 mins.The bacon, when cooked over a high temperature, imparts such a lovely smokiness through the soup when added near the end. Enjoy it with some crusty bread or just on it's own.

The list of stuff:
1 red onion diced
2 carrots, peeled, halved and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 potatoes, diced (peeled if needed)
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 litre chicken stock
2/3 cup angel hair pasta
175g packet of bacon

Heat some oil in a large pot and add all the vegetables. Gently fry for 5 mins. Add stock, tin of tomatoes and bring to the boil. Now turn down heat and simmer for 20 mins. Add pasta and simmer for another 6 mins. Now chop your bacon, however you like and fry over a high heat in a seperate frypan, either in its own fat or in a little butter. If you are going to freeze the soup, do not add the bacon. Just add the beans and let the soup cool, then freeze. If you are serving straight away. Add the bacon and the beans to the soup and heat through for 2 minutes. Serves 4.

an old friend - stuffed capsicums and zucchinis

There are many versions of this dish but this is the one that I grew up with. The red capsicums in this dish, which impart a beautiful sweetness, are traditionally served with yoghurt and the zucchinis (usually grey) are served with lemon wedges. But rules were meant to be broken! We like it with both. Enjoy!

First of all, get your saucepan out, whack in some oil and get it over a low heat. Chop up one brown onion finely and throw it in. Stir it every now and then. You want them to soften and not burn. Pre-heat your oven to 190C. Meanwhile, grab your capsicums or zucchinis or both. Take out the centre of the zucchini with a sharp knife. Cut a hole in the top of the capsicum, removing the stalk,the seeds and membranes. Set aside. When the onion is ready add 500g beef mince (or lamb mince) and cook through. Add 500g brown rice and stir through the cooked mince.Turn off heat. Add quite a bit of salt and pepper and stir through. Get your oven proof dish out and place your capsicums, standing up. Fill them (and the zucchinis if using)with the meat/rice mix. Place the remainder around the capsicums and underneath the zuccninis. Now add 2 1/2 cups cold water over the mix, ensuring that you don't put any water into the capsicums or else they will collapse when you take them out. Put on the lid or top with a double layer of foil and pop into an oven at 190C and cook for 90 mins.

After 90 mins, take off the lid or foil (don't discard) add another cup of water, this time the water should be hot. Pop the lid/foil on again and cook for a further 40 mins. Take off the lid/foil. It should be lovely and crispy. The top rice on the capsicums will not cook all the way through but they are completely edible.

Serve 1 capsicum or 2 zucchinis per person with a little extra meat/rice mix and some lemon wedges and greek yoghurt. Oh and make sure you give it all a good sprinkling with freshly grinded black pepper. This would serve 4 - 6 people.

From my family, to yours.

skinny dip - avocado, chive and lemon dip

This is a lovely little dip. You can serve it with corn chips, rice crackers, grissini or flat bread. I usually serve it like a condiment with cold meats, cheese and bread. It is so quick and easy and you can do all sorts of things with the left over yoghurt. My next post will show you one in particular.

List of stuff:
1 ripe avocado
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons plain greek yoghurt
sea salt and pepper

Process the flesh of the avocado with the garlic. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill. Scatter with chives just before serving. I like this dip a little chunky but it's completely up to you.

I buy avocados in packs of 4. After I've used 1 for the vegetarian burritos and 1 or 2 in salads I usually make this for something a bit different, otherwise it will go straight to the worms!

easy peasy - bacon and pea pasta

I make this dish at least once a week. If we've been out and about and get home around dinner time (and the kids are going feral!) I know that I can make this in 15 minutes flat and everything will be ok again. If we have unexpected guests drop in I'll just add some chopped mushrooms or I'll add some sliced squash and zucchini that I've pre-cooked in the microwave. It's as easy as having a packet of peas in the freezer, pasta in the cupboard and a pack of bacon and parmasen in the fridge.

Grab a big pot, put in some hot water, a dash of salt and pop it over a high heat. Meanwhile chop up one brown onion and 250g bacon (or you can just use a 175g pack) When the water boils, pop in your pasta. You've now got about 12 mins to get everything cooked. Put some oil in a saucepan and let it heat over a low heat. Add the onion and bacon together and turn up the heat a little. You want the onion to soften without burning and you want the bacon to cook through. This will take about 6 - 8 minutes. Then add 1 cup of frozen peas, stir through. It will take about 4 - 6 minutes for the peas to cook through. When the pasta is ready pull it out with tongs or a pasta spoon. You want to hold onto as much moisture as possible. Place pasta in bowls, add the bacon and pea mix and then top with a really good parmasen and lots of freshly grinded black pepper. Serve.

If you want to add chopped mushrooms or the squash and zucchini chuck them in when you add the peas. I like to think of this dish as my "Get out of jail free card".

hola! - vegetarian burritos

This meal is so easy and so tasty. For me, the mint and the coriander make this dish and all the other elements are a bonus! I usually make this on the day I've bought all the ingredients and leave the non-perishables at room temperature. Don't be affraid of the long list of things. This is so easy and most things you'll have in the fridge anyway.

List of stuff:
8 burito tortillas (or we just use lavash wraps)
2 corn cobs (or you can use a 420g tin of corn kernals)
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 red capsicum, deseeded and chopped finely
1 420g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 420g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 420g can low salt diced tomatoes
1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped (I probably use less than this and I just use the small leaves so I don't need to chop)
1 avocado and 1/2 lemon, juice only
1 small butter lettuce, leaves washed and seperated
1 carrot, grated
1 lebanese cucumber, halved and sliced thinly
250g pack of light tasty cheese
1 jar of medium salsa
1 container of low fat sour cream

The prep:
Heat oil in a large frypan or pot and add onion, garlic and capsicum. Cook for about 5 mins on medium, you want them to start tos soften. Now chuck in your corn kernals, kidney beans, cannelini beans and tin of tomatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occaisionaly.
Now you can get your platter ready with the lettuce, carrot and cucumber. Pop your cheese, salsa and sour cream in bowls if you like. Mash the avocado and mix through the lemon juice to taste. Pop in a bowl. When the bean mix is ready, fold through the herbs and serve. You can heat through the Lavash/tortillas if you like, it's totally up to you.

Kids LOVE this meal.They love helping themselves to what's on the table. I'm lucky that our little ones are addicted to fruit and vegetables, like I am to chocolate!