Try out 43 New Recipes

Yes, probably should have cleaned the plate a little..
Very straight forward and did not take half as long as i thought they would. Am going to make again for NYE :)
It caught my eye on pinterest and decided to give it a go!

I made tonight’s dinner out of necessity .. the Ricotta’s use by date was today! It’s much, MUCH simpler than potato gnocchi – but I am not familiar enough with gnocchi to know what I did wrong. The texture was definately edible .. but dense and slightly grainy, not as light as my potato gnocchi usually is.

• 350 grams of fresh, drained ricotta
• 1/2 a cup of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 10-12 tablespoons of plain flour
• 2 small eggs or 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• a pinch of salt

• Place the ricotta, Parmigiano, eggs, nutmeg and salt in a bowl and stir until everything is well combined
• Add your flour tablespoon by tablespoon combining after each addition until you have a soft dough. The dough should be workable-not too soft and sticky and not too firm.
• Knead the dough gently and form into a ball. Divide into 6 portions
• Proceed to roll out each portion into a long rope shape-the rope should be about 2 cm thick
• Using a floured knife, proceed to cut the rope into 2 cm portions. Place on a baking paper lined tray.
• Cook the gnocchi in some salted boiling water-these are cooked when they float to the top
• Top with your favourite sauce – my beautiful boyfriend made his famous napolitana .. absolutely delicious.

http://souvlakiforthesoul.com/ricotta-gnocchi

The almond meal in the bottom of my fridge has been calling my name – “bake me, kepi … baaaaake me!”

And yesterday afternoon – that I did! The shapes weren’t perfect and I overcooked a couple – but overall a good first effort, I think!

• 250g softened butter
• 2 1/2 cup pure icing sugar
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1 orange, rind finely grated
• 1 egg at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup almond meal

• Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 flat baking trays with baking paper.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter, 1 cup icing sugar, vanilla and orange rind until pale and creamy. Add egg and beat until well combined. Sift flour and baking powder over mixture. Add almond meal. Stir until dough comes together.
• Using 1 tablespoon dough per biscuit, roll out into 8cm-long sausage shapes. Bend to form crescent shapes. Place on baking trays, allowing room for spreading. Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden. Stand for 5 minutes on trays until firm.
• Place remaining sugar in a bowl. Coat warm biscuits, 1 at a time, in sugar. Place on a wire rack to cool. Sift any remaining icing sugar over biscuits when cool.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/548/kourabiethes+greece

These were delicious – I also added a few sunflower seeds on top because I wasn’t sure if I had enough pepitas. Great picnic food, the family loved them.

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 250g piece peeled, seeded butternut pumpkin, coarsely grated
• 7 slices (100g) prosciutto, finely chopped
• 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 1/4 cups finely grated parmesan
• 150g firm feta, cut into 5mm dice
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 30g pepitas

• Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease 2, 12×1/3-cup capacity muffin tins.
• Heat 2 tbs oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add pumpkin and prosciutto and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and cool.
• Sift flour and 1/2 tsp salt into a bowl. Stir in parmesan and 3/4 of the feta.
• Whisk together egg, buttermilk and remaining oil until combined, then season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
• Pour buttermilk mixture over flour. Add pumpkin mixture and, using a large metal spoon, stir briefly until just combined.
• Spoon mixture among holes of prepared muffin tins. Combine remaining feta and pepitas in a bowl and scatter over tops of muffins.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in tins for 5 minutes then turn on to a wire rack.

Delicious for the first day – but gets a little dry and hard to eat after that. So probably suitable for a massive family picnic or somewhere it will be devoured immediately!

• 250g Unsalted Butter
• 1/3 cup soft brown sugar
• 825g tin peach halves in natural juice
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 3 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 1/2 cups sifted self raising flour
• 1 cup plain yoghurt

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius, grease a deep 23cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
• Melt 50g of the butter and pour on the base of the tin. Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar over the top.
• Drain the peaches, reserving 1 tbsp of the liquid. Arrange the peach halves, cut side up – over the sugar mixture.
• Beat the caster sugar, lemon zest and remaining butter with electric beaters for 5 – 6 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the egg gradually, beating well after each addition – the mixture may look curdled but once you add the flour, it will bring it back together.
• Using a metal spoon, fold in the flour alternately with the yoghurt (in two batches), then the reserved peach liquid. Spoon the mixture over the peaches and smooth the surface.
• Bake for 1 hour 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
• Cool in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out onto a large serving plate.

Ingredients

• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 6 cloves garlic – minced
• 1/2 onion – Chopped finely
• Salt and pepper to taste
  (I also used a little hot chilli powder)

• Put all ingredients into a food processor EXCEPT the oil and lemon juice. Be very careful not to over process – you still want chunky leaves – not a parsely paste.
• Remove to a seperate bowl and mix in the olive oil and lemon juice to taste.

After I finished this one up tonight – I had to sprinkle some on my ice-cream. Yummo!

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raw nuts/seeds (macadamias, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried fruits (craisins, dates, figs, pear, peach, coconut flakes)

Method

• In a small saucepan, stirring constantly, bring just to a boil the water, oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and make sure that they’re all coated in the liquid.
• Spread over the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 25 – 40 minutes or until golder brown. Stir occasionally fo the mixture browns evenly.
• Place on a wire rack to cool.
• Store in an airight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks.

I loved the Australian Masterchef season 2 .. and loved my boyfriend when he brought home the official cookbook! It certainly spiced up our Friday night Pizza night.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 red onions, sliced
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• Semolina, to sprinkle
• 160g creamy blue cheese
• 6 slices proscuitto, torn
• 2 pears, sliced
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1 bunch rocket
• Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Method

• Heat oil in a large frying pan and cook onions over low-medium hear for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until very soft and caramalised. Stir in vinegar and sugar and season to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 240 degrees while rolling out pre-made pizza dough. Sprinke bases with semolina. Spread with caramalised onion, crumble blue cheese over and arrange proscuitto and pears on top. Sprinkle with walnuts.
• Bake for 10 minutes or until base is crisp underneath. Serve topped with rocket leaces and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

I’m getting really bad at this – I keep forgetting to take a pic until I’m almost already finished!!

I don’t cook with coconut OR seafood .. so I was glad to find this very simple recipe. Good after work meal – served with rice.

• 750g Green Prawns
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 Tbsp minced shallots
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 4 Tbsp lime juice
• 4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 4 Tbsp dry white wine
• 4 Tbsp coconut cream
• 1 cup chopped spring onion
• 1 cup chopped coriander
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes
  salt/pepper to taste

• Shell, de-vein and butterfly the prawns
• Heat the oil in a frey pan over medium heat
• Carefully add prawns and cook for about two minutes. Remove prawns from oil and set aside.
• Add shallots to pan. Add Garlic, limejuice, vinegar and wine. Reduce mixture by half and stir in coconut cream.
• Add prawns to pan, then green onion, coriander, vanilla and sesame oil. Simmer over low heat for a further 5 minutes or until prawns are cooked through.
• Mix in toasted coconut flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with extra shallots.

I didn’t quite follow the instructions on the lemon butter so it wasn’t the right consistency .. but the meringue saved it and I did a much better job on the pastry this time around. I don’t think it will take more than one more pie to nail it :)

Ingredients

• 70g (½ cup) self-raising flour
• 130g (3/4 cup & 1 tblsp) plain flour
• 30g (1 tblsp & 3 tsp) caster sugar
• 120g cold butter, cut into pieces
• 1 large egg

• 56g (6 tblsp & 1 tsp) cornflour
• 170g (3/4 cup) sugar
• 180ml (2/3 cup & 2 tsp) fresh lemon juice
• 230ml (2/3 cup & 1/4 cup) water
• 60g butter, cut into pieces
• 3 large egg yolks

• 3 large egg whites
• 170g (3/4 cup) caster sugar

Method

1. Begin by making the pastry. Place the self-raising and plain flours, caster sugar and butter in a food processor. Process on medium speed for about 20 seconds, until mixture resembles fine fresh breadcrumbs (there shouldn’t be any large chunks of butter).
2. Add egg and process on medium speed for about 15-30 seconds, until egg is incorporated and mixture clumps together.
3. Form dough into a flattened round and place in a freezer bag or wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
4. Combine cornflour, sugar, lemon juice and water in medium saucepan. Stir until mixture is smooth.
5. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and stir constantly until mixture reaches the boil (this will probably take about 7-10 minutes). Reduce heat to low and continue stirring for about 30-40 seconds, until mixture changes from cloudy to transparent and becomes thick and smooth.
6. Remove saucepan from heat and vigorously stir in butter and egg yolks. Continue stirring until all the butter has melted and the ingredients are well combined.
7. Pour filling into a small container, cover and refrigerate until cold.
8. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced). If you are not using a fan-forced oven, adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position.
9. Roll out pastry between two sheets of baking paper or on a lightly floured board to fit a 23cm (9 inch) pie plate (pastry should be about 4mm thick and 29cm diameter). Lift pastry into pie plate and gently press into dish. Trim pastry overhanging the sides.
10. Place a sheet of baking paper on top of the pastry and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice.
11. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced) for 10 minutes. Remove weights/rice and baking paper and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the pastry is a light golden colour. Allow pastry shell to cool completely.
12. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius, or 190 degrees Celsius fan-forced. If you are not using a fan-forced oven, adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
13. To make meringue, place egg whites in a large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed until at soft peak stage (when the beater is lifted, a peak will form and then droop over). Add the sugar gradually, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Once all the sugar has been added, continue beating until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy. To test whether the sugar has dissolved, rub a small amount of meringue between your thumb and finger. If you can still feel sugar crystals, beat the meringue for another minute then test again.
14. Spoon lemon filling into cooled pastry shell and spread evenly. Dollop meringue on top of the lemon filling. Spread meringue to cover filling. Form peaks in the meringue with a spoon (we press the back of a spoon against the surface of the meringue, then lift the spoon to form a peak).
15. Bake for about 7-10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly coloured.
16. Allow pie to cool to room temperature. Cover pie and refrigerate until cold.
17. Slice chilled pie into wedges and serve. Store pie in an airtight container in the refrigerator