Coconut calamari with rocket and salsa.

Anyone who knows me well enough, know that I LOVE calamari. So here is a  recipe for you.

400g frozen calamari rings ( or more depending on how much you want to eat)
1c plain flour
1/2c desiccated coconut
4c rocket leaves
4 roma tomatoes, deseeded
1 spanish onion
1/2 bunch coriander
french salad dressing ( enough to serve to your liking)
375ml sun flour oil
salt and pepper
2tbs olive oil

Have the amount of calamari defrosted and ready to use before you begin.
Make the salsa by chopping up the tomatoes and onion into a fine dice, add the roughly chopped coriander, season with the salt and paper and drizzle with the olive oil, mix all together.
In a bowl mix the flour and coconut together.
In a medium sized saucepan heat up the oil ( you can test if it is hot enough by placing a wooden spoon handle in the oil and if bubble appear round the wooden spoon you know it's ready)
While the oil is heating place 1 cup of the rocket in the centre of each plate, drizzle lightly with the salad dressing.
Once the oil is ready toss the calamari in the coconut flour and fry in batches ( about 1-2 minutes, or until nicely golden) repeat with all the calamari and place on top of the rocket. Sprinkle  the salsa on
top! YUM!

Blueberry Pancakes

Pancakes are so easy to make, and adding blueberries make them even better!

150g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
150ml milk
1 egg
30g caster sugar
125g fresh blueberries
30g unsalted butter
bananas for serving
maple syrup for serving

(this recipe makes about 8 pancakes, depending on the size)

Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and stir in the sugar. In a jug whisk the milk and egg together. Pour the milk and egg mix into the milk and beat together with a wooden spoon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Heat up a frypan and melt 1/4 of the butter, ladle two spoon of the mix into the frypan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. continue with the rest of the mixture, and serve with some bananas and maple syrup, or whatever you like.

Poached eggs and avocado on toast

Yum.

Tomato and two cheese omelette.

I eat way too many of these, but really they are dead easy and you can put so much more/different
things in them!
But cheese and tomato, I find go so well with eggs that this is my omelette!

2 eggs
5 or so cherry tomatoes cut in half
salt and pepper
2 Tbs milk
1/4c Gruyere cheese
1/4c Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees, slightly warm the seasoned tomatoes off in the oven for about 2 minutes.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk together with the milk and some salt and pepper. using a small frypan(if you haven't got one use a normal one and flip your omelette in half) heat up a dash of oil  and pour the egg mix in stir it around for a few seconds then let it set. Once the bottom has cooked place the cherry tomatoes on the top and sprinkle with the two cheeses. place in the preheated oven and cook for about 7 minutes or until set.
Serve.

Lentils and tomato with coconut cream..and Naan bread

It has been a while since my last update as first my laptop died then I had holidays and then my laptop died again!
But now I'm back from my holidays and have a new laptop I have lots more recipes to come!

This lentil dish is one we made at school during our Indian lesson along with the naan bread and I really liked it so I thought I would share it with you.

naan bread


500g plain flour
5g salt
5g sugar
75ml milk
1/4tsp dry yeast
1 egg
225ml warm water
1tsp baking powder

In a large bowl dissolve yeast in the warm water, let stand for 3 minutes, stir in sugar, salt, milk, egg, baking powder and plain flour. knead into a soft dough until smooth place dough in a bowl and let rise for about 1 hour, or until it has double in volume.
Punch down dough and roll into golf sized balls (120g each) and let rise for another 30 minutes, preheat oven to 250 degree.
Roll the balls into thin oval shapes. place on hot oven trays and bake for 2-3 minutes brush both sides of naan bread with ghee.

Lentils and tomato with coconut cream
60g ghee
1medium onion chopped finely
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 Tbs fresh ginger grated
1 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
150g brown lentils
150g red lentils
600g diced tomatoes
250ml water
160ml coconut cream
1/4 c fresh coriander chopped
2 tsp salt

Soak lentils overnight before you begin to cook.
Heat ghee in a large heavy based saucepan, cook onion till soft add garlic, ginger and mustard seeds make a paste with other spices by adding a tiny bit of water to it and add it to the onions.
cook stirring till fragrant.
add lentils, tomatoes and stock bring to the boil and add salt.  reduce heat and let simmer for about 25 minutes stirring occasionally until lentils are tender and mixture thickens. Just before serving add coconut cream and coriander and stir over low heat until heated through.
Serve with naan bread.

Pumpkin, spinach and ricotta cannelloni

Here is another great vegetarian recipe!And the great thing about Cannelloni is that it can be made ahead of time and put in the fridge until needed!


750g Pumpkin, cut into 1cm cubes
250g frozen spinach
250g ricotta
200g cannelloni tubes
800g diced tinned tomatoes
salt and pepper
1tbs chilli flakes
1 red onion
1 clove garlic
oil
1c tasty cheese

Pre heat oven to.180 degrees celsius Place diced pumpkin on an oven tray, season and drizzle with oil and roast in oven untill soft, about 30 minutes.
Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can and place in a bowl along with the ricotta.
Diced the onion and chop up the garlic and saute off in a pan, set asaide.
Remove pumpkin from oven and place in the spinach and ricotta bowl, season with salt and pepper and give it a good mix, breaking up the pumpkin slightly.
Add the onion mix to the diced tomoates in a sperate bowl and season and add the chilli flakes.
spray a 1.5L (6-cup) capacity shallow ovenproof baking dish, with spray oil.Spread a bit and the tomato mix over the dish.
Fill the Cannelloni tubes with the pumpkin mix, making sure the tubes are completly full and place in the baking dish. continue to do so until all the mix is gone over the base of the baking dish is covered.
pour the rest of the tomato mix over the top of the tubes and sprinkle with the tasty cheese. (at this point it can be placed in the fridge for later)
Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, Serve with a side salad.

chocolate chip cookies

It's so hard to go past a good chocolate chip cookie, well for me it is anyway. So here is a qick easy, and very tasty choc chip recipe for you all!


125g butter, softened
1 1/4c brown sugar
1egg
1tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 c plain flour
1/2tsp baking powder
200g dark chocolate chips

 Pre-heat oven to180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer, until pale.
 Add vanilla and egg and continue to beat until just combined. Sift in the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt then fold in.
 Stir through chunks of chocolate.
 Place tablespoonfuls of mixture 4-5cm apart on the tray. Flatten them down slightly with the back of a fork   Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool a little before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

steak sandwich

4 slices thin of fillet steak
1 red onion
2tbs Balsamic vinegar
1 sourdough loaf 
1 bunch rocket
4 ripe tomatoes
3tbs oil
4tbs aioli


Slice 8 slices of the sourdough bread and spread the aioli over one slice.
Heat a pan with some of the oil, season steak.
slice the tomatoes.
Slice the onion and place in the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until golden.
Add the Balsamic vinegar and cook until caramelised.
Remove onion for pan and set aside keeping it warm. Heat up some more oil in the pan for the steak. 
Cook steaks for about 1 minute each side or until done to your liking.
place the rocket then tomatoe slices and steak onto the slice of bread with the aioli top with caramelised onion and the other slice of bread. Serve.

teriyaki style salmon with stir-fry veggies

1/4c soy sauce
1c water
1/2tsp ground ginger
1/4tsp garlic powder
5tbs brown sugar
1tbs honey
2tbs cornflour
1/4c water
4 portions salmon
3 carrots
1 bunch bok choy
1/4 bunch shallots
3tbs soy sauce

to make the teriyaki sauce place 1/4c soy sauce, 1c water, ginger. garlic powder. brown sugar and the honey in a saucepan and place on the heat. mix the cornflour and 1/4c water together and add to the soy mixture and cook over the heat stiring untill it thickens. Set aside to cool.
chop up the carrots, bok choy and shallots.
place salmon in the teriyaki sauce and evenly coat it.
Heat a pan up on the stove with a splash of oil, once hot place salmon in pan serving side down moving it around for a few seconds to prevent it from sticking, cooking on each side for about 5 or so minutes depending on how thick it is. while it is cooking heat up a wok with a dash of oil and stir fry your veg, carrots first followed by bok choy and the shallots at the last minute along with the soy sauce.
Place the stir fried veg on a plate and place salmon on top. Serve.

cardamon and coffee panna cotta

375ml cream
375ml milk
1/2 c castor sugar
2 1/2 tsp gelatine powder
1 1/2 tbs instant coffee powder
4 cardamon pods crushed

 Place the cream and milk in a saucepan with the coffee powder and cardamon pods and bring slowly to the boil.
Remove the cardamon pods and seeds by draining it through a sieve, return to the heat and add the sugar stirring untill the sugar  dissolves.
Place 2 tbs of boiling water in a small heatproof bowl sprinkle the gelatine over it. Bring a small saucepan of water to boil. Remove from heat. Sit the bowl of gelatine in the water and stir until dissolved. Cool slightly, then stir into the cream mixture. Pour the mixture into serving dishes and place in fridge to set for four hours. serve with coffee beans.

Moroccan pumpkin pasta with sourdough garlic bread

Another Pumpkin recipe for you all!

1kg pumpkin
3tbs Moroccan spice
250g pasta (any kind you like!)
salt and pepper
4 slices sourdough bread
3 tbs oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 bunch parsley

Preheat the oven to180 degrees celsius. Cut the pumpkin into 1cm dice and place on a baking tray that has been sprayed with oil to stop it sticking. Season with the Moroccan spice, a bit of salt and pepper and a dash of oil. Mix to cover it all, and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.
While it is in the oven bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta.
Preheat the grill and drizzle oil over the sourdough bread and rub the garlic into the bread. then finely cut up the garlic also and scatter over the bread. Sprinkle the finely chopped parsley over the bread and toast under the grill taking care not to let it burn (you could also put the bread in the oven if you want).
While the bread is cooking drain the cooked pasta and mix in the pumpkin with a little oil and salt and pepper, reheating if necessary. Serve the pumpkin pasta with a slice of the garlic bread!

Genoise Sponge

We have to make one of these cakes at tafe soon. so I wanted to practice before then, and seeing as today is Mother's Day, it was the perfect oppotunity. The diffterence between this cake and a normal sponge cake is that the eggs a whisked with the sugar over water till thick (ribbon stage) and a normal sponge the egg whites and yolks are beaken separately. I filled the sponge with Vanilla cream and blackberry jam and then had cream on top!

eggs 5
castor sugar 150g
lemon zest 1/4 lemon
cake flour, sifted 150g
melted butter 50g


pre-heat the oven to 185 degrees celcius and lightly grease and flour a springform cake tin.
place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk together and place bowl over a pan of simmering water, bring to 40 degrees celcius stiring it. once it has reached the temprature whisk it vigorosly over the simmering water untill it has become light, creamy and thick (don't let it get too hot). Add the lomon zest.
take off the heat and continue whisking untill it has reached room temprarture. Fold in the flour untill well combined then fold in the melted flour.
pour into cake tin and bake in oven for 20 minutes without opening the oven, then test the cake to see if it is done, bake for longer if needed. take out of the oven and place on cake rack to cool.

(Note: all ovens are different so this temprature may be not right for your oven, this is just a guide, and the recipe from school)

Baby, It's cold outside.

As we are now heading into Winter I thought I would share some yummy Winter warmers to keep you snug during the coming months(all recipes I put on here serve 4 unless I say otherwise).

First is a Pumpkin, Spinach and Pine Nut Risotto.

1kg pumpkin
50g pine nuts
2cups spinach
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
1/2c butter
1/2 c dry white wine
1L vegetable stock
1 1/2 c aborio rice
1/2c parmesan
salt and peppper

Turn oven onto 140 degrees celsius
Chop the pumpkin into 1cm dice and place on a oven tray, season with salt and pepper and oil and roast in the oven for about half an hour or until soft. Toast your pine nuts in a pan taking care not to burn them.
 Finely dice the onion and place in a large saucepan with some oil and the butter and cook until translucent. Add the finely chopped garlic and cook  for 1 minute.
 Add the rice and stir it around untill all of the rice is coverd in the melted butter, add the wine and let that cook for another minute. Slowly add about 1 cup of the stock stiring the risotto continuously. 
Keep slowly adding the stock bit by bit taking care not to add too much at one time. Once your risotto is cooked add the roasted pumpkin and stir it in, trying to colour the risotto all throgh it but not breaking up the rice. Add the chopped spinach and  parmesan cheese. Stir them through.
Place in serving bowls and sprinkle with the pine nuts.

And the second recipe I want to share with you today is a Broccoli and Butter Bean Soup, That I found on http://sortedfood.com/#!/ it is a really nice soup and an awesome site.

 Beoccoli and Bean soup with Brie toasted Sandwiches

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
•  oil
• 1 broccoli
• 750ml Veg stock
• 250ml Milk
• 400g Butterbeans
• 1 lemon
• 8 slices of bread
• 5 Tbs butter, room temperature
• 200g brie 

   Dice the onion and sweat off in a saucepan with the oil for about 3 minutes.
crush the garlic and add to the pan  and cook for 1 more minute.
 chop up the broccoli into pieces,stalk and all, andadd to the saucepan along with the stock.bring it to boil and simmer for 10 minutes before adding the butterbeans, milk and zest/juice of the lemon.
Let it Simmer for about another 5 minutes before liquidising the soup until smooth( I used a normal blender as the stick blender I have is not that great). 
Heat up the sandwich press and butter one side of each slice of bread and then lay 4 of the slices butter side down, slice the brie as finwly as you can and lay the slices over the bread. sandwich the other slice butter side up onto and place onto the sandwich press and let them cook away for about 3 minutes. Serve the soup with a toasted sandwich. (Note: I also added 1/2 cup of baby spinach just before I blended it just for a bit of extra iron for my vegetarian sister)
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( Just a little side note: the photos are not that great, I know, it was bad lighting and I'm not a photographer. But both dishes sure tasted great!)

Chai Latte Macarons

 I made Chai Latte Macarons the other day! ( still working on them, they're not quite perfect yet) but they aren't too bad. Just a bit longer in the oven next time I think!

 I could not find a Chai Latte macaron recipie anywhere online that I wanted to use, as they were all Chai Tea ones. so I did a mix of two others I had made before.
A coffee shell from one and a mascarpone variation filling from a ginerbread spice one. I just added some Cardamon, Cloves, Ginger and Cinnamon.

THE END PRODUCT! Chai Latte Macarons. Practice makes perfect, so I'm going to keep on trying!

Too many cookbooks?

My cookbooks, and this ain't even all of them...too many?!

Mixed berry clafoutis-Made for my sister's 22nd Birthday.

Chai Latte + Cheesecake = Chai Latte Cheesecake