Dips
Beetroot - Baked/ boiled beetroot (I slow cook as is ~3 - 4 hours or microwave each ~ 8min). Blend. Add sourcream/ natural yoghurt, lemon juice, ground cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon. Mix.
Guacamole - mashed avocado, sour cream, lemon juice, crushed garlic. Mix.
Hommus - cooked/ tinned chickpeas (I slow cook them ~3 - 4 hours), tahini, lemon juice, crushed garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander powder. Blend
Babaganoush - as for hommus but replace chickpeas with baked eggplant (I microwave a big one for ~ 5min).
Nacho Bean - cooked/ tinned red kidney beans, sour cream, chopped red onion, chopped tomatoes, ground cumin, ground coriander powder, fresh coriander, fresh/ dried oregano. Mix.
Paula's Banana Cake
150g butter
150g white or caster sugar
2 eggs
200g self raising flour
2 large or 4 medium bananas, mashed
walnuts (optional)
Beat all ingredients together. Spoon into cake tin. Bake 180oC, 40 - 45min or as muffins for 15 min.
Easy Eggless Chocolate Cake
Anna up the road is allergic to egg, so this is a handy cake to feed to her. Great texture when you beat it really well and it's a cheap bake as there are no expensive ingredients.
3 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup olive oil
2 cups cold water (you may need a smidge more or so if the flour is esp. dry)
2 Tbs cider vinegar (apparently *must* be cider vinegar, but I tried malt vinegar and it turned out well) 2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine all dry ingredients, then add oil and cut in slightly. Add vinegar to water and add to rest of mixture a bit at a time, beating well; then add vanilla. Pour into 2 greased/ lined cake pans or one big one and bake at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes for two cakes or 50 minutes for one big one. This also makes good cupcakes. Bake those for around 20 minutes.
Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Yummy gluten free recipe
250g dark, cooking chocolate
2 tbsp milk
120g hazelmeal or almond meal
½ cup (125g) caster sugar
6 eggs, separated
1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Line a 20cm spring form tin with baking paper
2. Put chocolate and milk into a microwave proof dish and melt over medium heat in 30 second interval, stirring. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Mix the hazelmeal, sugar and egg yolks into the chocolate mix.
4. Whisk the egg whites to form stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into the chocolate mixture & spoon into prepared tin. Bake for 40 min or until firm. Cool in tin for 5 min.
Good with fresh berries & lots of cream. Can also be made as muffins, baked for ~15min.
Emily's Energy Muffins
A favourite recipe handed on by Rocky via Emily, and handed onto Paula, Hanny, etc. First featured in the ABC Delicious magazine.
1 1/4 cups (275g) caster sugar ( I use 1 cup)
2 cups (300g) plain flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sultanas
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup grated apple
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 eggs
1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil (I use 3/4 cup olive oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Icing sugar, to dust
Preheat oven to 180°C. Use 18 paper cases to line muffin pans.
Sift sugar, flour, cinnamon and powder into a large bowl. Add sultanas, carrot, apple, coconut and walnuts. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, oil and vanilla.
Add to the dry ingredients and fold until just combined - do not overmix.
Spoon into muffin pans and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve dusted with icing sugar, if you can be bothered.
Friands
1 ½ cups icing sugar mixture
1 cup almond meal
½ cup plain flour
5 egg whites, lightly beaten
180g. unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup dessicated coconut (optional)
1. Pre-heat oven to 200oC. Lightly grease 12 friand or muffin moulds.
2. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add egg whites and butter and stir again until the mixture is smooth. Spoon evenly into moulds and bake in the oven for about 20 min or until the tops have started to crack and the edges are golden brown.
3. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire cake rack to cool completely. Dust friands with icing sugar before serving.
Variations: Before baking, friands can be topped with raspberries, rhubarb or blueberries. 2 tablespoons poppy seeds and the grated rind of 2 lemons, oranges or mandarins can be added to the dry ingredients. If using citrus in the mixture, a glaze of melted marmalade can be brushed on the cooked friands whilst they are cooling. Friands are best eaten on the day they are made.
Lemon Drizzle Cake - Gluten Free
A yummy cake recipe using potatoes that I spotted in Susie's BBC Good Food magazine.
200g softened butter
200g castor sugar
4 eggs
175g ground almonds
250g of well mashed potatoes
(good with a potato ricer likes the ones IKEA sells)
zest of 3 lemons
2 tsp gluten free baking powder
For the Drizzle
4 tbsp granulated sugar
Plus the juice of 1 lemon
1. Heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Butter and line a deep 20cm round cake tin.
3. Beat the sugar and the butter together until light and fluffy, then gradually add the eggs, beating after each addition.
4. Fold in the almonds, cold mashed potato, lemon zest and the baking powder.
5. Tip into the tin, level the top, then bake for 40 - 45 minutes.
6. Turn onto a wire rack, for 10 minutes of cooling.
7. Mix the granulated sugar and lemon juice together, the spoon over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
Gluten Free Flourless Orange Syrup Cake
Another tasty gluten free cake.
2 oranges
250 grams castor sugar
250 grams almond meal
6 eggs
1 tspn baking powder
For the Syrup
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 cup water
Place oranges in a microwave safe bowl, cover with water and gladwrap. Microwave for 10 minutes on high. Strain and cool.
In food processor, combine oranges and remaining ingredients and process until smooth, making sure no ingredients stick to the sides of the bowl.
Spray bottom and sides of a springform pan with cooking spray and pour mixture in. Bake in oven at 180 degrees for one hour. Test with a fine skewer. Allow to cool in tin before removing. Pour over syrup.
Syrup
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Allow to boil for five minutes till reduced. Pour over cake.
Carrot Cake
Kate S's recipe from the day's when we had a weekly cake roster.
1 cup plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate soda
½ tsp mixed spice
1 cup castor sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ tsp vanilla
1 ½ cup of grated carrot
½ cup of vegetable oil
2 eggs
Icing
125 g cream cheese
2 Tbs butter
1 cup icing sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
1. Sift the flour, bicarbonate soda and mixed spice.
2. Add the grated carrot, walnuts, vanilla, castor sugar and oil to the sifted flour. Stir till mixed well.
3. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and then add to the mixture.
4. Stir till combined.
5. Pour into a greased 8” cake tin and bake in a moderate oven (180 degrees) for 40 minutes.
6. When cooked, allow cake to cool before icing.
Icing
1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together (using electric beaters) until smooth.
2. Add the icing sugar and cinnamon and stir well to combine.
Good to double the recipe and bake 2 identical cakes. Sandwich half of the icing between the cakes. Can sprinkle the top with dessicated coconut.
Date and Nut Cake
I have a weakness for fresh dates bought from Lebanese stores, so I usually use them since they are cheaper and better than standard supermarket ones, but both do fine.
250g stoned dates
1 cup boiling water
90g butter
1 cup sugar
1tsp vanilla
1 egg beaten
1 ½ cups self-raising flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
Place dates in large bowl and pour boiling water over. Leave for 2-3 minutes or until they soften. Add butter and sugar and mix until well combined. Blend in vanilla and egg. Sift flour with bicarbonate of soda, and fold in with cinnamon and salt. Stir in nuts. Turn into a greased and lined 21 cm x 11 cm loaf tin or 20 cm round or square cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 25-30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Leave in the tin for 2 minutes, then turn onto wire rack to cool.
Cakewoman's Mudcake Recipe
This was originally Paula's Family Circle recipe, that Cakewoman uses in her business.
250g butter
250g dark chocolate (good quality)
2 tbs instant coffee powder (optional)
150g SR flour
150g plain flour
60g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
550 g sugar (I sometimes use just 400g but the cake ends up less muddy)
4 eggs
2 tbs oil
125ml buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 160. Line a cake tin with baking paper
2. Put butter, chocolate and coffee in a pan with 185mil of water. Stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Sift flours, cocoa and bicarb into a large bowl. Stir in sugar and make a well in the centre. Add the combined eggs, oil and buttermilk and using a large metal spoon, stir to start incorporating the dry ingredients. Gradually stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
4. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 & 3/4 hours.Test the centre with a skewer - it can appear slightly wet - remove the cake from the oven unless the centre looks raw. Leave the cake in the tin until it is completely cold then turn out and wrap with plastic wrap.
ANZAC Biscuits
Shame about the butter and sugar, but some healthy breakfast ingredients go into these next 4 recipes…
1 cup flour
1 cup coconut (or ¾)
1 cup sugar
1 cup rolled oats
120g/ ½ cup butter
1 Tbsp golden syrup
½ tsp bicarb soda
2 Tbsp boiling water
1. Mix flour, coconut, sugar & rolled oats.
2. Melt butter & golden syrup.
3. Dissolve bicarb in boiling water.
Add to butter mix.
4. Make well in dry ingredients.
5. Spoonfuls onto greased tray.
Bake 180oC for 15-20 min.
Cornflake Cookies
2 cups flour
½ tsp baking powder
250g margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla flavouring
1½ cups cornflakes
Preheat oven to 180oC. Sift together flour & baking powder. Beat margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients and cornflakes, mix well for about 2 min. drop by tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake about 10 min or until lightly browned.
Chocolate Crackles
A staple for kids birthday parties in Australia.
4 cups rice bubbles
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
250g copha, chopped
3 tbsp cocoa
Mix the rice bubbles, icing sugar, cocoa & coconut in a large bowl.
Melt copha in the microwave, allow to cool slightly, then add to rice bubbles mixture, stirring until well combined.
Spoon mixture into paper patty cases and refrigerate until firm.
Chocolate Weetbix Slice
Handed on by Rocky
3 well-crushed Weetbix or 1 cup cornflakes
1 cup SR flour
1-2 tbsp powdered cocoa.
1 cup dessicated coconut
½ cup sultanas (optional)
½ cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence.
155g butter
Icing mix: 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, few drops vanilla, 1 teaspoon melted butter and enough hot water to mix into a smooth paste.
Mix dry ingredients. Add melted butter. Cook in moderate oven for 15 min in lasagne dish. Ice while hot and let cool.
White Christmas
Handy for Christmas presents for the daycare staff.
250g Copha
140g (1 cup) pure icing sugar
180g (1 cup) sultanas
100g (slightly rounded 1/2 cup) chopped glace cherries/ dried cranberries
100g (2/3 cup) finely chopped dried apricots
85g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
106g (1 cup) full cream milk powder
40g (1 1/4 cups) rice bubbles
2 tsp vanilla (optional)
Line an 18cm by 28cm (inside top measurement) slice pan with baking paper.
1. Mix all dry ingredients.
2. Add melted Copha mixed with vanilla.
3. Firmly press into a baking tray.
4. Cover and refrigerate until slice is cold and set.
Nana’s Christmas Pudding
Good to do in the Slowcooker
1 kg of mixed fruit or sultanas, currants and raisins
brandy
2 tsp bicarb of soda
handful nuts (optional)
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
mixed or lemon peel (optional)
grated carrot (optional)
½ cup breadcrumbs
50g margarine or butter
4 eggs
1. Cover fruit with brandy overnight. Add bicarb to give good colour and flavour.
2. In a large bowl sift and mix flour, spices and salt. Add peel, carrots and breadcrumbs.
3. Rub in butter.
4. Beat eggs and add.
5. Add fruits and mix well.
6. Grease basin and add the mixture. Seal the basin, using aluminium foil, secured with string.
7. Put basin in a large saucepan. Cover with water half way up the basin.
8. Boil for 4 hours, Keep topping up water to half way.
9. On the day, boil for another 3 hours.
Pumpkin Soup
This is a yummy Asian style pumpkin soup that the kids like and it is good for fighting colds. You can also make a more standard one with beef/ vege stock rather than chicken stock, cream/sour cream rather than coconut milk and a bit of curry powder/tomato paste rather than the ginger and lime leaves.
6 cups peeled and cubed pumpkin (or use kumara)
2 cups chicken stock
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled & chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 tin coconut cream
salt & pepper
2 fresh kaffir lime leaves, or very finely shredded zest of 1 small fresh lime
Gently fry onion, garlic and ginger in a saucepan. Put in pumpkin and stock. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the pumpkin is very tender, about 12 minutes. Pour in two-thirds of the coconut cream and process until smooth with a stick blender.
If using the kaffir lime leaves, fold them in half and, using a sharp knife, trim away the hard central rib. Cut the leaves into threadlike shreds. Ladle the soup into bowls, add the remaining coconut cream, forming a swirl on top of each bowl, and garnish with the lime leaf or zest.
Can be refrigerated or frozen, but keep it out of reach of snotty-nosed offspring.
Pasta goes with…
Artichokes, garlic, fresh herbs and ricotta
Bacon,onion, tomatoes fried up with chilli flakes and pepper then tasty cheese/ parmesan melted in.
Bacon, leek, parsley, nutmeg and cream/ evaporated milk.
Basil, rocket, garlic, olive oil and walnuts
Broccoli, anchovies and garlic
Guacamole with walnuts blended in and tossed with baby spinach leaves and parmesan
Olives, garlic and anchovy fillets
Oven roasted/ grilled roma tomatoes and kalamata olives
Pesto mixed with ricotta or cottage cheese
Roasted onions and garlic
Fettucine with Creamy Spinach and Grilled Tomato
This yummy spinach recipe and the one after were handed on from Rocky.
6 Roma tomatoes
40g butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped
500g English spinach, trimmed (or buy the frozen packet stuff)
1 cup (250mL) vegetable stock
½ cup (125mL) thick cream
500g spinach fettucine (the green stuff - it's bland without it)
50g shaved parmesan
Cut each tomatoes into six wedges and grill.
Heat the butter in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and onion and cook over medium heat for 5 min, or until onion soft.
Add spinach, stock and cream. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Simmer rapidly for 5 min.
While spinach is cooking, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until al dente. Drain and return to the pan. Remove spinach mix from the heat and season well. Cool slightly then process in the food processor until smooth. Toss through pasta until well coated. Divide among serving bowls, top with the grilled tomatoes and parmesan.
Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
Filling:
10-12 cannelloni tubes
225g ricotta/ cream cheese
250g frozen spinach, thawed
2 egg yolks, beaten
½ tsp salt
pinch of ground black pepper
pinch nutmeg
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Sauce:
1 can chopped tomato
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
½ cup cream (optional)
Topping:
½ cup grated cheese
1. Mix filling ingredients. Fill cannelloni
2. Heat oil, mix sauce ingredients and simmer 10 min.
3. In greased baking dish, pour half sauce. Lay cannelloni. Pour rest of sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake 200oC, 25-35 min.
Chickpea and Spinach Soup
Cathy passed on this one. She can't do mushrooms, but she can do spinach.
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 tsp ground cummin
2 tsp ground coriander
1.2 litres veg stock
350g potatoes, skinned and finely chopped
425g can chickpeas, drained
1 tbsp cornflour
150ml double cream
2 tbsp light tahini
200g spinach, shredded
cayenne pepper
salt, freshly ground black pepper
Heat oil in large saucepan, cook garlic and onion until soft and golden brown, ~5 min.
Stir in cummin and coriander, cook for further minute.
Add stock, potatoes, bring to boil and simmer for 10 min.
Add chickpeas, simmer until both chickpeas and potato are tender, ~5 min.
Blend cornflour, tahini, cream, lots-o-seasoning. Stir into soup with spinach. Bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for a few minutes. Season with cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with a little cayenne pepper.
Spicy Lemon Capsicum Rice
I can get all the ingredients from the Chinese and Thai groceries stores near my work, including the very strong chilli oil.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chilli oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red capsicum, seeded & chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tsp ginger, finely grated
1½ cups jasmine rice
1½ cups chicken stock
1 cup water
½ cup coconut milk
3 spring onions, chopped
3 tbsp desiccated coconut
(or grated carrot)
3 tbsp lemon juice
Coriander
1. Heat oils. Fry onion, capsicum, garlic & ginger for 2 min.
2. Add rice. Stir for 2min.
3. Add stock, water, coconut milk. Boil & reduce heat. Cover & simmer for 20-25 min
4. Remove, stir through spring onions, coconut, lemon juice and coriander.
Bean Nachos
Yummy on rice with cheese melted on top or on wraps. Or on cornchips with good dollops of sour cream, avocado, chopped tomatoes, lettuce and grated cheese.
4 large ripe tomatoes (or 1 tin)
1 tbsp oil
2 small red onions (brown will also do)
1 small red chilli, chopped finely (skip if you don't have it)
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup white wine ( I use Chinese Cooking Wine)
2 tins red kidney beans (I use a cupful of dried beans, pre-softened in the slow cooker, or just add dried beans with all the ingredients and slowcooker the lot).
1. Heat oil. Cook onion, chilli, oregano, cumin and chilli powder over medium heat for 2 min.
Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste & wine and cook for 5 min until liquid reduces. Add beans. Can also add some chopped coriander.
Dahl
1 cup red lentils (or even yummier with mung beans)
3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp turmeric
1 L boiling water
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1. Add lentils, curry, salt, turmeric and boiling water to a heavy saucepan. Bring to boil, then fast simmer for 30min.
2. Meanwhile, fry onions until soft, then add tomatoes for 2min and add to lentils/ mung beans any time during cooking.
Works well in the slowcooker and with chopped carrots and potatoes added.
Root Vegetable Crumble
Alexa passed on this recipe
1.5kg chopped mixed root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, potatoes, swede, turnip, etc)
2 large onions, chopped
2 x 440g tins of tomatoes
1L vegetable stock
chilli powder
2 heaped tbsp flour
salt & pepper
Saute onion in margarine, add chilli to taste sparingly. Add vegetables and cook gently for 10 min. Stir in flour and cook for 1 min. Add rest of ingredientsand cook until vegetables are just tender and fluid thickened.
Crumble Topping:
200g margarine
275g flour
100-170 porridge oats
2 tbsp sesame seeds
100g chopped nuts
100-170g grated cheese
Mix flour and margarine together to resemble breadcrumbs. Add oats, mix. Add nuts and sesame seeds, mix. Add cheese. Spread over vegetables.
Cook 1 – 1½ hours at 190oC.
Spicy Vegetable Bake
My sister-in-law Tracy's recipe
zucchini
capsicum (mix colours)
onion/ red onion
garlic cloves
mushrooms
tomatoes
Chop and bake at 240oC for 30-40 min.
Can add tomatoes after 10 min.
Dressing:
100mL virgin olive oil
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp ground turmeric
2 heaped tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp lime juice
Mix!
For a different flavour, skip the dressing and sprinkle with crumbled feta and kalamata olives.
Good with couscous, with crusty bread, or as a side dish for BBQ'ed meat.
Kedgeree
Tania served this up for us when we stayed with her in NZ.
1½ cups basmati rice
4 Tbs olive oil
6 medium onions, thinkly sliced
2 Tbs cumin seeds
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
zest of 1 lemon
3 Tbs butter
6 hard boiled eggs, shelled & quartered
600g hot smoked salmon, skinned, boned & quartered (we use the tinned stuff)
1 cup cream
chopped flat leaf parsley
1. Cook rice
2. Heat oil over moderate heat. Add onions, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, turmeric & lemon zest.
3. Fry gently without browning ~15 min, until onion soft. Remove.
4. Use 2Tbs butter to grease ovenproof dish. Layer with rice, then onions, then eggs, then salmon. Repeat & finish with rice on top.
5. Pour over cream. Dot with butter & sprinkle with parsley.
6. Cover with foil. Bake 40-45 min. Serves 6.
Tomato & Orange Chutney
We had this on top of the Kedgeree.
1 orange, finely sliced, then each slice quartered.
1 cup sugar
400g tinned whole tomatoes, mashed
½ tsp cardamom seeds
1tsp ground ginger
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 small dried chillies, seeded & finely sliced
½ tsp salt.
1. Place oranges in saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to boil. Remove from heat, drain.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
3. Simmer 25min, until thick.
4. Remove from heat & cool.
Makes 2 cups