Gherkin and radish salad

Easy gherkin and radish salad is some cos lettuce base, radish thin sliced, sweet gherkins thin lengthway sliced, sprouts and cherry tomatoes!and add a little olive oil and salt if preferred then eat! Enjoy :)

Atlantic Salmon with cauliflower puree, beetroot crush and radish

Serves 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

2 pieces of fresh Atlantic Salmon cut in half
Salt and pepper
olive oil
1/2 yellow cauliflower (or any colour you can get)
1 tablespoon of lurpak butter
1/2 cup of Mixed fresh salad sprouts
1 large radish sliced thinly
Few thin slices of a quality aged cheese for each plate
1 beetroot (organic) peeled and chopped up

Prepare the fish with salt and pepper on top and place onto a cast iron baker slightly oiled. Place in griller on around 180 degrees celcius (quite hot).

Prepare the cauliflower by steaming it in a pyrex dish with lid in the microwave with butter.  When ready puree down into a mash consistency and place into a small pastry bag or similar with wide tip and place in long dobs on the plate.  Place the radish next to each dob maybe 3 or 4 spots around the sides. Then place the cheese on top of the radish.

Then place the beetroot into the pyrex and steam same way and do exactly the same preparation as the cauliflower. Place one or two spots onto the plate around the radish.

Place sprouts around plate.

When the fish is ready take out from oven and place on centre of the plate with the and serve with fresh ciabatta.

Very tasty!

Spicy lamb salad with mango lime dressing

Serves 4 small side plates
Preparation Time: 20 minutes


150g thin sliced lamb shoulder meat
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
1-2  shakes of dried garlic powder
1 small butter lettuce or similar leaves separated and washed
5 diced in half cherry tomatoes
1/4 red onion slices thinly
1 avocado sliced in lengths with no skin
salt and pepper

Mango Lime Dressing:
1/2 mango pureed
1 lime juiced


Combine the spices in a bowl and roll the meat into the spice mix.  Pan fry the meat on low heat with some olive oil.  Turn heat off when cooked and set aside.

Place your lettuce, cherry tomatoes, onion, avocado and salt and pepper together arranged on a small plate.  Place the cooked meat into each and then pour over the mango lime dressing.

Fantastic!!

Caprese style salad

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
This is an easy salad very tasty!

5 small tomatoes cut in flat rounds
5 bocconcini cheese balls cut into flat rounds
10 fresh basil leaves and a few tiny ones to top
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzle
Salt and pepper for top


Place the rounds of tomato,bocconcini and basil on top of one another in whatever way you like on a small plate and drizzle olive oil and shake salt and pepper on top.

Delicious!!!!

Simple Prawn Cocktail

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

1 kg Cooked Prawns (freshest available)
2 avocados cut in quarters
Cos lettuce leaves separated
4 spring onions diced in to small lengths
2 limes cut in quarters
2 lemons cut in quarters


Place the lettuce on the base of the platter.  Then place the fresh water drained prawns on top with other ingredients.

So easy and so low fat and healthy!

The optional dressing used was Lemon and Lime Agrumato Poppyseed Dressing which is made in Yarrawonga Australia by "Rich Glen"   see www.richglenoliveoil.com  for their range of recipe ideas

Turkey Roasted with rosemary stuffing and mandarin

Cooking Time: depends on weight
average of 30 minutes per 500g on 180 degrees celsius
3kg took 3 hours


1 large turkey (this one was approx 3 kg)
4 Mandarins cut in quarters
4 Rosemary sprigs
Salt and pepper
juice of mandarin mixed with 4 tablespoons of olive oil
Stuffing for turkey/chicken
Lurpak butter ( 50g approx in small flat chunks)

Prepare stuffing per pack instructions as some may vary.  Place turkey on a large cooking board and stuff the neck area with the stuffing.  Make small incisions on the turkeys skin with a sharp knife and insert each butter piece.  Place the mandarins with rosemary sprigs into the bottom of the turkey.  Place the mandarin juice and oil over the turkey in a large chicken cooking casserole pot.  Salt and pepper the top and place in oven.  Cook as per above.  When finished let slightly cool and then carve with electric knife.

Zucchini rice and vegetable boats

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Makes 4 boats

2 large zucchini
30g onion diced
handful of broccoli florets chopped
50 g pumpkin diced
50g carrot diced
1/2 cup long grain white rice
1 cup of Chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
Provolone Dolche cheese grated fine for sprinkling
Sunflower seeds (if you like)


Turn on oven fan forced on 170 degrees celcius.  Place a baking dish in oven


Slice the zucchinis in half and scoop out the flesh in the centre (discard as it tends to make the rice bitter). Set the zucchinis on some foil which can be transferred to oven when ready to bake.

Place the diced carrot, broccoli florets, onion, garlic and pumpkin in a small pan with olive oil.  Cook gently for around 10 minutes til soft and set aside.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place chicken stock in saucepan and cook the rice in it for ten minutes.  Drain in small and set aside in bowl with lid covering.

After drained place the rice into the vegetable mix and blend in with wooden spoon.

Place some pepper on the boats and then place mix into boats using a teaspoon and add grated cheese over the top of each.

Salt and pepper the top and bake in oven on foil for around 15 minutes or until browned.

Top with some sunflower seeds if you like them.

Serve with crusty bread

Red Lentil and Vegetable soup (easy)

Cooking Time: 30 minutes with preparation
Serves approx 2 large bowls or four small

1/2 cup red lentils
4 - 5 cups of boiling water (small saucepan just below the top)
2 massell chicken stock cubes
1 carrot diced
1 celery stick diced
A few tiny florets of broccoli
Handful of diced pumpkin
1 small sprinkle of chopped chives
1 small sprinkle of cumin spice
1 teaspoon of butter (lurpak)
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of grana padano


Place all in your saucepan and boil for around 20 minutes and taste to test salt and pepper additions.


Top with grana padano cheese.

Serve with crusty bread or some corn thins with butter

Mandys cats meat deluxe (cat food home made)

1kg beef minced up
500g fresh chicken minced up
Calcium syrup small teaspoon or you can use calcium powder 1 teaspoon.
Cat vitamins i use 'greenpet essentials' which is a natural blend of spirulina,alfalfa,barley and other goodies. A teaspoon is enough to blend in one batch.  Each batch you make you can change vegies etc but never use any onion or cabbages etc. Check online to see which vegies cats cannot eat before adding any new ones .

Prepare a half cup of rice and /or a handful of barley to boiling water add rice/barley and boil for 12 minutes. Strain set aside to cool. Steam vegies until soft and mash set aside.
When vegies and grains are cold mix into the raw meat mix then add a small sprinkle of vitamins.
Then blend in batches in the blender til fine.
Place mix into little freezable containers and use per required. Keep one in fridge you use at a time. 4 days maximum then throw if you havent used it to make sure the meat is fresh.

Golden gingerbread slice

Makes approx 16
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time : 40 minutes approx


100g unsalted butter softened diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups plain flour (sifted)
1 teaspoon bi carb soda
3/4 cup of golden syrup
1 teaspoon of (i used masterfoods) ginger powder
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
1 cup of milk
Icing sugar for making icing for top

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees celsius (fan forced). Prepare a slice tray (25 x 35 cm) and rub the sides with butter lightly and line with baking paper.

Cream together butter with brown sugar and beat until light in colour.  Slowly beat in the egg and then the golden syrup and beat until combined.  Using a wooden spoon combine into the flour, bicarb and the mixed spice.  Then add the milk and blend until combined.

Pour into the prepared slice tray and bake for around 40 to 50 minutes (test with a skewer).  Allow cake to cool in the tray.  When cool you can prepare some icing for the top.

Store in airtight container in fridge for up to five days.

Beef Rissoles with pumpkin

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 7 to 10 minutes

Makes around 15 - 20 small rissoles

1/4 diced pumpkin
olive oil
1/4 red onion
250g beef mince
4 heaped tablespoons of krummies (bread crumbs)
1 egg slightly beaten in a cup
shake of salt and pepper
1/4 garlic clove chopped finely
shake of worcestershire sauce
handful of italian parsley chopped up fine



Steam the pumpkin so it is soft in microwave pyrex dish with lid or equivalent.  Set aside.

Cook onion and garlic in a small fry pan with oil until opaque. Set aside.

Shake the worcestershire sauce into the beef in a large mixing bowl and add the salt and pepper, parsley, egg, cooked onion and garlic and krummies. Blend with either wooden spoon or your clean hands until mixed through evenly.  Adjust if too wet with krummies or too dry with more egg.

Add the pumpkin carefully so it doesn't mash up and stir through gently.  Then form little rissoles to fry in pan.

Serve with home made mashed potato! Delicious!!!!!    ( will blog my mashed potato soon!)

Enjoy!!

Tagliatelle alla carbonara

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves 2

1 teaspoon of olive oil
3 slices of pancetta diced up
handful of garden italian parsley chopped up
small shake of garlic (either dried or fresh)
2 eggs beaten in a cup
4 tablespoons of grana padano cheese grated
4 tablespoons of pecorino romano grated
small shake of black pepper finely ground
375g fresh tagliatelle egg pasta


Place a large saucepan on the stove top and fill with water in preparation to boil the pasta.  Add a pinch of salt and set on heat to start to boil.

Prepare in a bowl the eggs with the two cheeses and pepper and set aside.

Place in a fry pan the oil with pancetta, parsley, garlic and heat slowly until browned then turn heat off.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and this should only take 2 minutes to cook perfect.  Drain the water out and add this pasta to the pancetta mix and turn heat on slowly.  Pour the egg and cheese mixture into the pasta/pancetta and stir with a wooden spoon  quickly on a fairly medium heat until for a small amount of time (around 2 minutes) until it is just shiny still.  Do not let it dry out and make sure to keep moving it around while heating it.

Serve immediately.  Very tasty meal idea for people on the go.

Banana Vanilla bean cream cheese slice

Serves approx 8
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

4 Ripe bananas
125g softened butter cubed
200g caster sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla bean extract
150g flour plain
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
pinch of salt

Icing:
250ml cream cheese
80g butter softened diced
150g icing sugar sieved til it is very fine
1 pinch of vanilla bean extract

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius.  Butter the base of a lamington tin or a slice tin.

Place butter and caster sugar in bowl and cream until pale.  Beat in eggs slowly one at a time.  Then stir in the vanilla.  Add the flour, bi carb and pinch of salt and stir in with wooden spoon.

Then you can add the softened bananas. Whip a little with the electric beater to get this smooth.  Adjust the batter with a little milk if it is too dry/stiff.

Place batter into the buttered tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until skewer comes out clean.  Slice needs to be completely cooled down on a wire rack and then you  can apply the icing.

To prepare the icing add cream cheese to large bowl and the butter and whip until creamy with electric beater.  Add the pinch of vanilla bean and slowly add the icing sugar until it seems thick enough to layer on the slice after it has cooled.

Can be kept in fridge covered for up to a week.

This is a great idea for those bananas that sit in the fruit bowl going over ripe.  Enjoy!

Amaretti

Preparation Time: 10 minutes approx
Makes around 15-20 small ones

2 egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
drop of almond essence
1 cup almond meal
1/3 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons of plain flour
blanched almonds to top each

Rub butter on a flat oven tray or you can use grease proof paper.

Preheat the oven to around 150 degrees fan forced.

Place egg whites and the cream of tartar into a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Then add almond essence while beating and then the sugar.  Keep beating until its glossy and kind of thick.

Gently fold in the almond flour and the plain flour and stir until combined.  Spoon into a piping kit with a star nozzle.  Pipe the rounds to what size you like spacing them about 3cm apart.  Top each with one blanched almond.  Bake for around 20 minutes or until lightly golden in colour.  Transfer them when cooked to wire racks to cool then you can keep these in airtight containers for up to two weeks.

Mango, Banana and Passionfruit smoothie

Makes for 2
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

2 Bananas (placed in freezer for a few hours if possible)
1 Mango diced and a few pieces of mango for decoration
2 Passionfruit
1 cup milk
handful of blueberries for each
Coles Mango ice cream bars (2) split up lengthwise
spoon of mascarpone
handful of ice
Mint to decorate

Set up a blender and place the bananas, mango and milk with ice cream and ice.  Blend until smooth.

Transfer into two large sundae glasses and   place a spoon of passionfruit over the top and decorate with extra mango, blueberries, mascarpone and ice cream.

Snapper with crispy potato coat

Preparation takes approx 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves per each  ( 1 potato mashed makes one coating for one fish)

Snapper fish (fresh Australian used)
Mashed potato (the creamiest potato is best)  microwave the potato diced with a little water then mash it
Lurpak butter for cooking the fish
Salt and pepper
Lemons cut into wedges

This is very easy and very tasty!

Press the fish to remove any excess bones in the pieces. Shake a little salt onto each side of the fish.

Then place the mashed potato onto the skinless side of the fish. Shake a little salt and pepper on top.

In a large fry pan turn on heat and add some lurpak.  Place the potato side face down in the pan.  Cook on medium heat until browning then flip over for another 3 minutes and then move to a foil lined baking tray in the oven to bake for a further 10- 15 minutes on 180 degrees.  This will make sure the fish is cooked through.  Serve with lemon wedges and home style fries.

Vanilla bean cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes approx
Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 25 minutes


2 eggs
Thickened cream
Vanilla bean extract or vanilla bean scraped (1/2 a bean) should be one teaspoon
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup self raising flour

Add the two eggs to a 250ml measuring cup and then fill to the 250ml mark with the thickened cream.  Pour into mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for one minute or two.

Then add the teaspoon of vanilla bean to the mix and the sugar.  Beat this mix for 3-4 minutes. 

Then sift the flour into the mixture with wooden spoon until blended.  Place the mix one by one into the little muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes on 180 degrees celcius (350F) until they look golden brown.  This should make approx 12 and only fill the cups just under halfway as they puff up.

I used the CK icing for the toppings and my own decorations.

Lemon and thyme quinoa with prawns and avocado

  Serves 2
  Preparation  and Cooking Time: 20 minutes


   1 1/4 cup of boiling water
   130g quinoa
    few leaves of thyme from garden
   1/2 lemon squeezed in a cup
   shake of pepper
   8 prawns cooked and set aside
   1/2 avocado diced into pieces


In a saucepan on slow heat place the water and quinoa, thyme and half the lemon juice and boil slowly for around 10 minutes.  Stir as it cooks and then turn heat off and place lid on the saucepan for 5 minutes to soak even more.

Then making sure prawns are cooked properly add them and stir through.  Then add the avocado slices and the remaining lemon over the top, shake some pepper and serve in a bowl.

Mango Tiramisu

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4 approx

One loaf pan lined with foil

250g mascapone cheese
300ml thickened cream
3 tablespoons of icing sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds scraped out)
sponge finger biscuits (amount depends on which way they are placed)
juice of 3 oranges
optional to add a splash of grand Marnier into the orange juice. This one pictured has no alcohol in it.
2 large mangoes, flesh sliced 1 cm thick

to make raspberry sauce:
Juice of one small lemon
100g raspberries fresh
40g caster sugar

In a large bowl place mascarpone cream, icing sugar, egg yolk and vanilla seeds.  Beat on high until thick and combined.

Place orange juice in another bowl and roll a sponge biscuit in the juice one by one making a layer on the bottom of the foil lined loaf pan. Spread some mascarpone mixture over the biscuit layer and top with some mango pieces.  Repeat this step again and cover and place in fridge for approx 2 hours at least.
Keep some remaining mango to serve on top.

To make the raspberry sauce in a saucepan place the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water and heat to dissolve sugar.  Cool a little then add raspberries and lemon juice.  Mix in a blender until smooth and pass this through a sieve.  Chill until ready to serve.

Carefully remove the cake from the tin on the foil and decorate with some mango then slice and serve with berry sauce.

Apple, Blueberry & Cinnamon Muffins

Makes approx 12 muffins
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time 25 minutes on 170 degrees celcius

2 cups of self raising flour
pinch of salt
4 tsp of baking powder
3/4 cup of caster sugar
2 eggs
10 tbsp of butter at room temp if possible or slightly microwave it til it is
1 tsp lemon juice
grated lemon zest (skin) a pinch
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of stewed apples (canned ones i used)
1/2 cup of blueberries (fresh is best)
raspberry jam to fill each (teaspoon each)
cinnamon to shake on top of each before baking


Prepare the butter and sugar beating together in a bowl until creamy.  Then add egg one by one slowly.

Add lemon juice, zest, then milk slowly.  Fold in dry ingredients to the mix and the apples and blueberries are to be stirred in last.  These muffins don't rise too much with the fruit content in them.

Spoon half the muffin case (i used a metal one and then transferred them later to cupcake/muffin papers carefully).  Top that layer with a dollop of jam

Then top with more mix to just below top of muffin case.  This makes a gorgeous jam centre.

Make sure to place blueberries in the batter evenly and some on top.  Shake cinnamon when finished and even a little dash of sugar with it if preferred.

Cook on 170 degrees for approx 25 minutes and enjoy either hot with icecream or cold with a spoon of course.

Melomakarona (Greek style biscuits)

1 1/2 cup of olive oil
1 cup of fine sugar
5 cups of self raising flour
2 teaspoon of baking soda
pinch of salt
zest of one orange( or mandarin)
1/2 cup of orange juice
30 mls of brandy
3/4 cup of walnuts ground
cinnamon for sprinkling

Syrup ingredients:
1 cup of fine sugar
1 cup of honey
1 1/2 cups of water
1 cinnamon stick
2 inch strip of lemon rind
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
3-4 whole cloves


Preheat oven to approx 170 degrees celsius

Combine the zest of orange with the sugar in a large bowl.  Using your clean hands rub the grains all up together so the oil of the citrus blends into the sugar.  The using electric mixer place the olive oil into the mix and blend together.  In another bowl prepare the sifted flour, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl mix together the orange juice and the brandy and then pour this mix into the wet mix.

Then slowly maybe using a cup move the flour cup by cup into the wet mix, blending until a firm dough forms but not too firm.  Not too wet when perfect stop mixing. You may need more oil or more flour so adjust accordingly. Taste batter to adjust if you like more sugar here.

Roll your cookies out onto an ungreased cookie tray (i used baking paper on mine).  Make oblong shapes like long eggs.  Bake in oven for approx 25 minutes on 170 degrees.  Prepare syrup while they are cooking.

To make your syrup place in a saucepan the honey, sugar, water, cloves, cinnamon and lemon rind.  Mixture will need to be brought to the boil and then simmer for approx 10 minutes.  Remove the clove, cinnamon and rind and then you can stir in the lemon juice. Simmer this for around 10 minutes.

Place walnuts on a flat plate.  When you take cookies out of oven while still warm place into the syrup mix and let soak on both sides then move to plate or platter and place walnuts on top. A little extra syrup will adhere them best.  Sprinkle a little dusted cinnamon on top if you like.

These are to be kept in airtight container but not in fridge. Keep in cupboard for a few days. Enjoy with tea/coffee.

Blueberry and Apple Muffins with crunchy oat topping

2 cups of flour (self raising)
1 tablespoon of baking powder
shake of salt
2/3 cups of fine sugar
80g softened butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of full cream milk
1/2 cup of almond meal
400g Pie fruit apples in can (cut up a little )
Handful of fresh blueberries

for the crispy oat almond topping:

1/2 cup almond flakes or slivers
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter

The oat topping mix is to be gently blended with a fork.

Arrange two moulded cupcake trays with butter rubbed into each mould.

Blend the dry ingredients together in one bowl and in another blend with an electric mixer the butter with caster sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs one by one mixing in. Then add the vanilla and blend through.

Transfer this mix into the dry mix and then add the apple. Blend through then add a few blueberries. Only slightly blend this in and start placing batter into each muffin mould.

On top of each muffin place some of the almond oat topping on each.

Bake on 160 degrees for approx 25 minutes

Try custard over them... i dare you....