ricotta and raspberry wholemeal pikelets!

These ricotta and raspberry whole meal pancakes are so good but feel so naughty!
light and not too sweet these are a perfect treat breakfast or light lunch.
I serve these with cinnamon caramelized bananas and fresh raspberries.

You'll need:
1/2 cup of wholemeal self raising flour
1/2 cup of light milk
1 egg
1tbsp extra light ricotta
1/4 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries.
15 mls (3 teaspoons) of maple flavoured syrup

serving suggestion:
1 small banana (6 inch or less)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon.

makes 10 medium pikelets.

How to:
1. combine the SR flour, egg and milk together until combined before adding the ricotta and raspberries and mix well.
2. using a non stick frypan cook the pikelets on a low heat, two at a time until cooked through, lightly golden and fluffy.
3. once you have cooked the pikelets slice the banana length ways into about four pieces. combine the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Lightly spray the fry pan with oil and place the banana on the pan and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture. fry for about 30 seconds on each side until lightly browned and caramalised.
4. serve 3 of the pikelets with the banana and a side of fresh raspberries. pour on the maple syrup and enjoy!!

3 pikelets with banana, raspberries and maple syrup is 260 calories.

Healthy and yummy baked beans

Just quickly, I started a 12 week body (and lifestyle) transformation yesterday and I am so into it this time, motivated and enjoying good food so I'm sure I'll be making more time for recipe writting over the next few months :)

Here is my recipe for very yummy and much healthier bakes beans, none of the sugar or preservatives that you'll find in the tinned variety!
So quick and easy... took me 8 minutes all up to make these beans, toast some thick wholemeal bread and poach an egg.

You'll need:
1/2 small onion
1tsp minced garlic
tiny dash of olive oil.
1 can of cannellini beans
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
100mls passata (tomato puree)
salt and pepper to taste

To serve:
1 cup of baby spinach
2 eggs (poached)
1 tomato diced
2 slices of wholemeal toast.

How to:

1. finely dice the onion and throw in a small saucepan over a medium heat with a tiny dash of olive oil, add the garlic and soften.
2. add the passata and fry off for a minute or so before adding the drained beans and Worcestershire sauce.
3. reduce the heat and add the salt and pepper and simmer for three minutes.
4. serve with baby spinach, diced tomato, poached egg and toast :) ENJOY!

this recipe makes enough for two.
when served as suggested 1 serve = 390 calories. (one egg)

a new challenge...

It's been so long since ive been in here!! So much has happened with our new business and our family I havent had any time to keep up!!
I've decided to challenge myself to a 12 week body transformation so I thought it was about time I got back into my recipe  writting zone and create some yummy, low cal recipes to enjoy throughout my new lifestyle :) it cant be all about salads!!!

so over the last few days I have created a few things that would keep me on the right path... a yummy dinner and a nice afternoon tea treat. Beef, spinach and sweet potato lasagna and a banana, oat and white chocolate loaf.

firstly i'll start with the lasagna and then I will post the loaf in another post for ease of reading.

Beef, spinach and sweet potato lasagna:

YOU'LL NEED:

Meat sauce:
1x medium onion
6 medium mushrooms
300 grams of lean beef mince
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 jar of passata
100mls water
salt and pepper to taste

Cheese sauce:
30g of butter
1/2 of plain flour
1 - 1.5 cups of milk
1 cup of grated light cheese
salt and pepper to taste.

lasagna layers:
1 large sweet potato
2 cups of baby spinach (fresh)
1/2 an eggplant
1/2 cup light grated cheese


HOW TO:

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees.

Meat sauce:

1. slice up the mushrooms and onion and put on a medium heat with the olive oil and garlic and brown well.
2. peel and slice the sweet potato into thin discs and slice the eggplant into thin slices... you can salt it if you like, I just like it as is. put aside.
3. add the meat and basil to the onion mixture and brown well...add the tomato paste and fry for 30 seconds before adding the passata and 100 mls of water.
4. simmer for 10 minutes then add salt and pepper to taste.

Cheese sauce:
1. melt butter in a saucepan, once melted throw in the flour and mix until it is well combined and forms a ball.
2. cook for 30 seconds then slowly start adding the milk while constantly wisking to combine, it should continue to thicken as you pour the milk in.
3. cook for a further 3 minutes adding more milk to desired thickness.
4. add salt and pepper and the grated cheese and stir until it melted into the sauce, adding more milk if required. take off the heat and set aside.

Lasagna:

1. put a layer of sauce down in an oven dish and cover with a thin layer of sweet potato, followed by spinach, eggplant and more sauce. Repeat until all the sauce and vegetables are layered. cover in the cheese sauce and cheese and place in the over for 30-40 minutes or until the sweet potato is well cooked. (If the top starts to brown too much cover loosley with foil.)

serve with garlic bread/chips for those wanting to add more carbs and a nice salad.
ENJOY!

teriyaki chicken rice paper rolls.

This recipe was requested by a few friends, I made them for the first time today and they were amazing! very low cal and so quick to make!

Teriyaki Chicken Rice Paper Rolls:

you'll need:
makes 8 rolls

1 large chicken breast
1 ripe avocado (omit for a lower cal option.)
1/2 medium cucumber
1 small carrot grated
1/2 cup bean sprouts
handful of fresh herbs (I used mint, corriander and parsley)
rice paper roll sheets. (found in your asian grocery section)

teriyaki marinate:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
3 drops of sesame oil
sesame seeds.

dipping sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
a few drops of sesame oil
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp brown sugar.
fresh herbs

How to:

1. slice the cucumber and avocado into strips, grate the carrot and place to the side with the bean sprouts.
finely slice up the herbs together and save half for the wraps and place half aside for the dipping sauce.
2. slice the chicken breast into long, thin strips and throw in the marinate. heat a frypan and once hot put the chicken and the marinade in the frypan and cook until  browned and well done. once cooked remove from heat and place to the side with the other wrap ingredients.
3. make the dipping sauce and get a medium bowl with warm water, enough to immerse the rice paper roll.
4. one at a time immerse the rice paper roll in the warm water for 20-30 seconds or until soft.
5. place on a chopping board and select a strip of cucmber, avocado, chicken and small portions of the carrot and bean sprouts in the middle of a wrap. wrap one side, then the bottom up, then the other side over to seal leaving the top open.
6. repeat for all the wraps and serve with the dipping sauce :)

ENJOY!!

Morrocan Beef Soup...

This recipe is one of my favourites! It is a variation of a soup I first tasted in a cute little alley way in Melbourne. I serve this one with fresh baby spinach, some cheese and a huge chunk of crusty bread. A real winter warmer!!

you'll need:
serves 10

250gms diced beef
2 carrots
2 small zuchinnis
1/2 cauliflour
1 red onion
1tbsp minced garlic
1tsp minced ginger
1 can of lentils
2 tbsp turmuric
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 vegetable stock cubes
2L of water
1 cup of passata
chilli (fresh or flakes) to taste
salt and pepper to taste.
Fresh spinach and thick crusty bread to serve.


How to:

1. dice up the carrots, zuchinni, cauliflower and onion
2. fry off with the olive oil, garlic and ginger. brown well.

3. throw in and brown the beef, then add the turmuric, cumin and stock cubes and fry for 30 seconds. add the lentils and water and stir well.

4. add the passata and chilli, salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

5. serve with thick crusty bread and some baby spinach on top.

ENJOY!

the spice of life...

Things around here have been CRAZY! with my new focus of healthy food and increased fitness, Ive been struggling a little bit to get to the other things I love!!

sharing quickly a very quick and easy lunch recipe with you that is low on calories and so yummy!!

CHILLI THAI BEEF SALAD!
serves 1-2

you'll need:
1 lean beef steak
1/2 cup of peanuts (omit these for alergies and a low calorie version.)
1 large tomato
1 small cucumber
2 cups of rocket/baby spianch mix
1/2 red onion sliced finely.
handful of mixed fresh herbs- I pulled some corriander, mint and basil out of my garden for this.

dressing:
1 large green chilli finely diced (omit for a mild version)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1tsp sweet chilli sauce
juice of one large lime
1 teaspoon of minced ginger
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
handfull of fresh corriander and mint sliced finely.


how to:

1. combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
2. slice the beef into very fine strips and fry in a very hot frypan with half of the dressing until browned, I like mine medium.
3. cut up the cucumber and tomato into cubes and throw them together with the sliced onion, fresh herbs and rocket salad mix.
4. once cooked, add the beef to the salad and cover with remaining dressing, add the peanuts and you're done!!
ENJOY!!

this recipe really is my favourite quick and easy lunch! I love how the chilli and corriander give it a yummy kick!

Spinach, zuchinni and Chicken patties...

Here is the recipe for my lean and healthy Spinach, zuchinni and chicken patties. At only 47 calories per pattie they are a great light option for lunches and dinner served with salad or steamed veges. I made a big batch of 20 patties to feed 7 people but I suggest making this many and freezing the raw patties for later use!

You'll need:
(makes 20)

2 large chicken breasts
1 cup of baby spinach
1 regular zuchinni
1 tbsp minced garlic
1.5 cups of bread crumbs
2 egg whites
dash of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste


How to:

1. In a food processor blend the spinach, garlic and zuchinni with a dash of water and process until pureed. transfer to a large bowl.
2. next, blend the chicken breast until well minced, add to the large bowl.
3. combine the spinach mix and chicken mince together with the breadcrumbs, egg whites and sauce. salt and pepper to taste.
4. roll out into small patties (makes 20) and refigerate or freeze until wanted.
5. spray a frypan lightly with oil and cook on a low heat until cooked through and nicely browned on the outside.
ENJOY!!

planning...

I think my favourite passtime of all is planning... I love writting lists and organising how things should go, writting shopping lists and menus and to-do lists! It makes me feel like I have a sesne of control and progress.... even if all it really means is I end up with a pile of paper lol.

My girls were both born in May, three days apart, and their birthday celebrations are so close! Now is the perfect time to start planning! We only have one party a year so I like to make it a big one!! I have the theme selected, very talented friends making the party favours and invitations and im so so excited about writting the recipes and making the menus for the day! I'm not going to share any of those recipes just yet but for today I have two recipes to share. The first is a delicious, no-fuss breakfast and the second is a delicous, lean lunch and dinner idea.

BIRCHER MUSLEI:

I love this creamy muslei for the days that I am in a hurry and need something filling, nutritious and yummy as im rushing out the door! My 10 month old little girl goes nuts for this too! I always make it in advance and leave it overnight and I make enough for 2 or 3 days worth. you can of course change these ingredients up and use low fat where you see fit.

you'll need:
2 cups of museli mix- mine has oats, coconut, sultanas, grains, sunflower seeds and dried pineapple.
1 grated green apple (skin on)
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup of yoghurt - I use full fat vanilla jalna.
1/4 cup of cream or milk
1/4 water.

how to:

combine all the ingredients well and put in a sealed container in the fridge overnight.
to serve you can add some more fresh fruit and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
ENJOY!

Chicken pot pie...

CHICKEN POT PIE.

I love this recipe.. it was my sunday night throw together meal and it turned out great!
This made 6 huge servings and  could easly do 4 for dinner and 4 lunches.

You'll need:
4 sheets of puff pastry
2 large chicken breasts (diced)
olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 large carrot diced
1 large zuchinni diced
1 cup of  brocolli
1 cup of cauliflower
1/2 peas
1/2 chicken stock.
2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup of flour
1.5 cups of milk
salt and pepper to taste

how to:
1. in a saucepan fry off the garlic, chicken, carrot, zuchinni, cauliflower and brocolli in some olive oil until well browned and fragrant. add salt and pepper.
2. once cooked throw in the butter and flour and mix through the chicken and veges. add the milk and stir until there are no more flour lumps (this will thicken upon baking)
3. pour in the chicken stock and peas and transfer the mix to a large baking dish.
4. cover the baking dish with the puff pastry sheet, ensuring that all of the chicken filling is covered.
5. bake at 200 degrees for 20 minutes or until the pie crust is puffy and golden.

I served this with sliced rosmary potato chips and salad.

ENJOY!

Prawn and Chicken Pad Thai...

This mild and yummy recipe is one of my favourites! So healthy and quick to make! the recipe looks daunting but it really is a quick meal if you have everything on the bench ready to go.

Prawn and Chicken Pad Thai
feeds 6

you'll need:
1 packet of Thai rice noodles (thin or thick it is up to you)
1-2 large chicken breast. (diced)
12 raw peeled prawns
1 carrot (diced)
1 zuchinni (diced)
2 spring onions (sliced)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1/3 cup chicken stock
3tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp palm sugar (grated or finely chopped)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
2 green or red chillis sliced (you can omit these for a very mild dish)
handful of fresh corriander (torn)
1 cup bean sprouts
chopped peanuts and  lime wedges to serve


how to:

1. In a small bowl make the pad thai sauce. combine the oil, tamarind paste, chicken stock, fish sauce
soy sauce, palm sugar, minced garlic and ginger and the chillis and combine well.
2. put some water on to boil for the rice noodles.
3. in a frypan/wok grill off the spring onions, diced chicken breast, prawns, carrot and zuchinni in a little olive oil until brown- remove the prawns at this point and place them aside to avoid them going tough.
4. pour in the pad thai sauce and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes or until it has reduced a bit.
5. put the rice noodles on to cook- they only take a few minutes to go soft.
6. divide the noodles between 6 bowls.
7. put the prawns back in the sauce and stir through the corriander. divide sauce between the bowls. Top each bowl with crushed peanuts, bean sprouts and a wedge of lime.
ENJOY!

As promised...

Things around here have been pretty crazy! I've added two lots of swimming lessons, gym sessions daily and lots of cake orders to an already crazy schedule and I am starting to find myself a little time poor! But here are the recipes, as promised!
I wont say much today but I'm going to try and pump these recipes out and I'll be sure to add photos as soon as I make these again!

ENJOY!

Thick vanilla bean custard


you'll need:


2 cups of milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp cornflour
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup milk (additional)


How to:

1. heat the milk in a saucepan, stirring occasionally but do not let it come to the boil.
2. in a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar and the seeds of one vanilla bean until smooth and well combined.
3. combine the cornflour with the additonal milk and stir until there are no lumps left, combine the milk and cornflour mix with the eggs, vanilla and sugar and mix well.
4. pour the hot milk into the eggs mixture and whisk until combined, return now to the saucepan and put over a low heat.
5.whisk continuously over a low heat as it thickens slowly. keep going until it has thickened to desired consistency.
6. eat when warm or leave aside to cool and then refrigerate fro 24-48 hours. this recipe will thicken more upon cooling.

ENJOY!

recipes for the sweet tooth!

soI never used to be much of a sweet tooth, always opting for a second helping of dinner over dessert; then about a year ago something changed and I fell in love with eating desserts as well as just making them! cheesecakes, black forest, mousse, custards, mudcake, ganache, choc chip cookies, muffins, macaroons... SO YUMMY!!
As time goes on, I am getting much better at baking and today I would like to share two yummy sweet recipes with you- the yummiest choc chip cookies I've ever made and some delicious and easy vanilla bean custard!

so without further ado:

PUFFY CHOC CHIP COOKIES!
these cookies are crunchy on the edges and chewy in the middle like a subway cookie! so good!
makes about 40
approx 73calories per cookie.

Ingredients:
130g salted butter
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup SR flour
1 cup of plain flour
1 cup of choc chips (I used cadbury dream and milk chocolate melts- chopped)

How to:
1. line 2 (or 4) trays with baking paper. preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcuis. (200 degrees if not fan forced)
2. Beat butter, vanilla and sugars together until creamy, add the egg and beat for about one minute on high until well incorporated- scraping the sides down as you go.
3. add the flours together and mix in well with a spatula until there are no flour lumps.
4. add the choc chips and mix well.
5. roll into teaspoon sized balls and place on baking paper trays about 5 cms apart to avoid them joining while baking.
6. bake for about 10-13 minutes or until they are puffy and lightly golden around the outside but still very soft. the longer you leave them in the crunchier they will be.
7. ENJOY!

Making time for the important things...

It's really hard some days to prioritise the things I have on my plate, and when a moment to rest comes along I can never decide if I should take it, or if I should push on and hope another oportunity shows itself soon!
For the last few weeks ive been crazy busy with school routine, baking, cake decorating, trying to sort out some business things, maintain friendships, get in an hour of gym a day, maintain my relationship.... and so the list goes on! I have been doing heaps of cooking lately but havent had much time for recipe writting, which unbalances me as I really love the escape that writting brings me! I guess this is just one of those times in my life where things just need to keep running and I just need to keep up!! Sink or swim, as they say.

While this year promises many big things for me and my little family, I must remember that the real joy to be found isnt in far off plans or ideas for tomorrow... it is about RIGHT NOW!! choosing all the small moments to really embrace exactly who I am, who I want to be and appreciate every second that I have with the people I love!!

I'm just about to run off to snuggle my babies to sleep and clean the kitchen after a big day of baking so im going to promise to be back in the next few days with some fresh new recipes, but until then, here is my Favourite breakfast recipe, this one is quickly becoming my go-to breakfast and I just throw on a whole heap of salad ingredients I have in my fridge. Very, very yummy and not too bad for you either! I team this wrap with a banana and a glass of water and it keeps me going all morning! no need for morning tea, which is helpful if you're watching your calories! You can replace the bacon with some low fat ham or just omit it all together.

MUSHROOM AND BACON BREAKFAST WRAPS:

youll need -
2 rashers of bacon
4 large button mushrooms
1 egg
cucumber (1/2 cup grated)
carrot (1/3 cup grated)
handful of rocket
low fat mayo (1 tsp)
grated cheese (optional)

how to-
1. In a frypan, fry the bacon and mushrooms together until the bacon is crispy and the mushrooms are nicely browned. remove them from the frypan and quickly fry the egg, scrambling it as it cooks.
2. lay out a fresh lebanese bread (or wrap, mountain bread etc) and spread on the mayo. Put the cucumber, carrot and rocket on the wrap and add the cheese if you'd like.
3. Add the bacon, mushrooms and egg to the wrap and fold it however youd like.
4. ENJOY!!

Huge garden chilli harvest = Chilli con carne!

My vegetable garden has been quite successful over the last 8 months or so, bringing in a pretty constant stream of herbs, silverbeet, rocket, cherry tomatoes and CHILLI! My chilli bush has been thriving in the last few weeks and I like to wait until I have six or more huge red ones to go with all the small ones before I bust out this recipe.
My favourite spicy, hot, comfort food is chilli con carne! I dont think I've ever met a recipe for this that I dont like! Served with spring onion, sour cream and corn chips and you cant go wrong!! I'm still working on my recipe... I dont think I will ever have a final version, so for now, here is my Chilli con carne recipe.

Chilli con carne

you'll need:

600grams beef mince or diced beef.
1 small brown onion
4 tbsp ground cumin
1tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp hot paprika
1 tbsp minced garlic
8-12 small green or red chillis (I used a combination of both)
2 spring onions sliced (1 to serve)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 jar of passata
fresh corriander
2 tins of bertolli beans (or any beans you like)
1 beef stock cube
1.5 litres of water
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

The how to:

1. Slice up the spring onions and put half in a big stock pot and put the other half to the side for garnish. slice the brown onion and all your chillies, add them to the pot with the olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic and let that fry off for a minute or two. try not to breathe the smoke in because it will BURN your eyes and throat.

2. After a few minutes of browing the onion and chillies you can throw in the mince (or meat) and the oregano, cummin and paprika and brown that really well. If it starts to stick to the pan feel free to add some more olive oil.

3. After the meat is browned add your tomato paste to the meat and chillies and fry that off for a couple of seconds before adding in the stock cube, 2 tins of beans (juice included) and the water. stir until well combined.

4. Throw in the fresh corriander (as much as you'd like) and the jar of passata. Boil and reduce this for 45-60 minutes, adding more water if you need it along the way.

5. Serve on rice, as tacos/tortilla wraps or with sour cream, shallots and corn chips!  ENJOY!

perfect pikelets...

I love pikelets... pancakes are ok but I much prefer the smaller, bite-sized version! Before I first started baking I used to google pancake recipes and never really liked any of the ones that I tried; they were either too soggy or too sticky or they would burn before they cooked, so I gave up for a long time.
It wasnt until recently that I thought about it and decided that the key would be using a combination of flours and keep it simple! After months of making this recipe im yet to screw it up and it makes the perfect afternoon snack, lunchbox treat and it is so versatile! hence the name 'perfect pikelets'. You can add fruit or sugar or syrups to sweeten them or you can top them with ham/tuna/salmon and cream cheese or a delicious chutney! The options are endless.

This afternoon I made my favourite- blueberry pikelets and drowned them in maple syrup!

For the pikelets you'll need:
(makes 12 small pikelets)

1 egg
1/3 cup plain flour
1/3 cup of self raising flour
1/2 cup milk.
* I also added 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries.
 (you can get these from coles or woolies in the frozen section, a 1KG bag for $8.99!)

How to:
whisk together your ingredients and use a dessert/soup spoon to measure out each pancake into a pan on a loww, even heat. cook for about 40 seconds each side or until little bubbles form. they should be a light golden colour on both sides when cooked. I make them in batches of three so they are easy to flip.

serve with your desired toppings.

*these are great to make in big batches and freeze for school lunches. spread with butter and honey before freezing and by lunchtime they are defrosted and ready to go!

oh great, a new addiction is not what I need right now!

I want to start off by saying... Telstra pretty much sucks!! I havent been able to get on the internet to do these recipes for over a week because telstra barred my internet because my account had an overdue amount on it that wasnt even mine and it took them a week to fix their own mistake!!! So I've been a little missing in action and now I have three very yummy recipes for you! Starting off with a Chicken, chickpea and beetroot salad, then some chilli con carne and I'll follow that up with some blueberry perfect pikelets. I will do the recipes in seperate posts with photos so you can find them easily again.


My first recipe came about because I discovered ROASTED CHICKPEAS! who knew these crunchy little devils could be so delicious?? well apparently quite a few of you did and I've been living under a rock! They have instantly become my new addiction and I skipped dinner last night so I could eat these instead!!

To me, these roasted chickpeas scream salad!! I started dreaming about what would be in this salad of awesomeness... at the markets last week I went in search of some deliciously fresh ingredients; my list included fresh basil, parsley, corriander, fresh beetroot and rocket. Next was a trip to woolworths to fetch my delicious roasted chickpeas and some other fresh ingredients.

Grilled chicken, chickpea and beetroot salad.

For the salad you'll need:
(to feed 4 people)
2 chicken breasts (diced)
1 tbsp turmuric
Olive oil
1tsp minced garlic
fresh basil
fresh corriander
fresh parsley
packet of rocket
cucumber (diced)
2x tomatoes (diced)
fresh beetroot (sliced)
1/4 pumpkin (sliced)
1/2 packet of chic nuts

for the dressing:
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1/3 good quality ceasar dressing
- dash of tabasco or chilli sauce if you like it spicy.
whisk together until well combined.

Heres how to assemble the salad:

1. rub the diced chicken breasts with turmuric, garlic, some of the fresh herbs and olive oil and throw into a frypan and cook until browned. put aside.

2. put the raw beetroot and pumpkin slices on an oven tray with some olive oil and salt and pepper for about  30 minutes at 200 degrees.

3. divide and tear up the (washed) basil, parsley and corriander leaves into four seperate bowls and throw in the rocket, diced cucumber and tomato.

4. add 1/4 of the grilled chicken to each salad and top with roasted beetroot and pumpkin. throw in a hand full of chic nuts and drizzle with the dressing.

5. ENJOY!

Note: This salad would work really well with pretty much any variation! I added some bean sprouts and grated carrot the second time I made this salad and my partner added crispy bacon bits!
* for a lighter dressing balsalmic vinegar would go great!

In full swing...

I certainly feel alive these days!! so much going on, so many cake bookings and everything is just crazy!
My big girl is settled in nicely at school and eagerly anticipating her first full week of school. Business is coming along nicely with lots of cake bookings for the coming months, so life is looking quite exciting really!
The rain has been crazy on the gold coast in the last week... dirty clothes are piling high, kids are feeling very restless being stuck indoors and we are quickly running out of wet weather activities to keep them happy! "movie day" just doesnt sound as exciting for the 8th day running!!

Waking up to yet another rainy day I decided that it was a french toast and Nespresso kind of morning, i meandered around the kitchen cooking my breakfast when I was presented with  a rare oportunity to sneak out of the house without a baby or two in tow!! My sister and I headed to the local farmers markets to grab a weeks supply of fresh fruit and veges... half of the stall holders were missing and the lack of crowds meant that we could grab ourselves a bargain without fighting through the crowds! We scored a heap of yummy fruit and veges for less than $20 and finished off our trip at the french bakery stall...$6 and two delicious loaves of super fresh bread later we made our way home.

I didnt have to think long about what I was going to do with these:

Basil, beef and Vegetable soup!!

Wet weather makes me a bit soup crazy... well to be honest, any excuse is a good excuse for soup! there is something very homey and calming about cooking and eating soup... any kind will do! But today with a huge bunch of basil and some fresh silverbeet growing in my garden there was no other option for me.

For the soup you'll need:

1 large carrot
2 medium zuchinnis
2 spring onions
1/4 cauliflower
2 tsbp olive oil
1tbsp minced garlic
200gms diced rump steak
1 tbsp turmeric
1tbsp cummin
can of chickpeas (juice as well)
2L of water or vegetable stock
1 cup of passata.
large handful of fresh basil leaves (plus some to garnish)
3 leaves of silverbeet
parsley and chives (optional)
fresh crusty bread to serve.

Here's how to do it:

1. Slice and dice your zuchinnis, carrots, spring onions, cauliflower and throw into a stock pot with the olive oil and minced garlic, brown well.
2. sprinkle in the turmuric and cummin and add the diced rump steak, brown well.
3. pour in the stock and chickpeas and bring to the boil.
4. add the cup of passata, sliced silverbeet and rip up the basil leaves and add to the pot. boil for 20-40 minutes.
5. just before you serve throw in some more basil and the finely sliced parsley and chives, serve with fresh crusty bread and ENJOY!

HAVE A FABULOUS WEEK!!

My new kind of normal...

Reality has finally hit me and it feels like this whole "school mum" thing could definitely be my new kind of normal! We had our first day today and, surprisingly, there were no tears from either of us!

Packing her lunch and doing her hair I felt so incredibly proud to be her mumma! I knew when we arrived and she jumped straight into playing and drawing without any backwards glances that we had done our job right! We nurtured her and encouraged her every step of the way and now we just need to sit back and watch her do her own thing. It is beautiful to watch!

And as the school year starts and my cake making calender is filling up fast it is time to share some food love!
here is my first lunchbox recipe for 2012!

Bacon, Zucchini and cheese muffins:
(makes 18)

You'll need:


3 rashers of bacon
1 small onion
1 cup of self raising flour
2/3 cup of olive oil
2 small grated zucchinis
4 eggs
1 cup of grated cheese


How to:


1. grease or line two muffin trays and preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
2. dice your bacon and onion finely and brown in a frypan with a tbsp of olive oil until tender and the bacon is cooked.
3. in a bowl sift your flour and add your grated zucchini.
4. in a seperate bowl add the eggs, bacon and onion together and whisk well.
5. add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until well combined but be careful not to over stir or your muffins will be tough.
6. spoon mixture into the muffin trays and top with grated cheese.
they should look like this;

7. cook in the oven for 18-22 minutes or until they look like this:

These muffins freeze perfectly and are great for lunchboxes!!
I serve them cut in half and spread with low fat cream cheese and serve with salad so they are great for Mum's and Dad's too!

Reality is setting in...

My baby is growing up. I cant stop it, all I can do is stand and watch. My mind is full of the logistics of morning drop offs, lunch menus and ironing uniforms. I cant stop thinking about how its all going to work out having a set routine for the first time in my adult life! Never before has my life with children been dictated by a routine... my children eat when they are hungry, sleep when they are tired and most days our outings were planned at a moments' notice; choosing to accept last minute offers and sieze the day! Through all the years my beautiful big girl has been the perfect companion; she appreciates a quite and reflective coffee in a cute cafe, loves miso soup at a crazy-busy sushi train, we would be in an out of the car all day running erands without complaint from her... she is the perfect side-kick! Next tuesday morning I have to farewell our old lifestyle and im feeling very nolstalgic to say the least! I'm going to miss my big girl terribly, and everytime I remind her of this fact she pauses as if to find the nicest way around what she is going to say..."but I have to go mum, its ok if you're sad". Such a diplomatic answer, im so proud of you Aalliyah. You make everyone so happy and I know youre going to do amazing things.

So to celebrate the start of the school year, 6:30am rises, plaiting hair, green ribbons and ironed uniforms I am going to be writting up a few recipes a day to help all those with kiddies like mine. The goal is to prepare some delicious and *mostly healthy lunches for their growing minds and bodies.
Recipes to come include:

banana muffins
carrot cupcakes
blueberry pikelets
mini cinnamon donuts
caramel slice
toffees
strawberry puff pastries w/ chocolate sauce
sushi pockets
zuchinni and bacon muffins
vege sticks and yoghurt dip
mini sausage rolls
mini ceasar salads
rice noodles and veges.

I'm off now to enjoy my last thursday afternoon at home with my girl before her first ever term stars next week! I'll be back later with some photos and recipes.

Love rainy day cooking...

There is something very comforting about waking up to grey skies, rain pounding on the tin roof, pulling the doona up and enjoying the cold weather. Hard to believe when only a week before it was nearly too hot to move, let alone sleep!

Our day started slowly and i decided it was the perfect morning to enjoy bacon and eggs with a yummy soy chai latte... it was going to be a slow kind of day.

I love rainy days, something about them makes me want to go a little slower and enjoy the cooking process a little more than normal, and nothing screams 'take your time' quite like a pork roast!

Here is my favourite roast pork recipe, Im finishing it tonight with grilled zuchinni, roast potato and sweet potato and a very yummy apple and onion gravy.

You'll need

For the Roast:
1x pork roast (I use a shoulder roll)
2 x apples (green or red, personal preference)
1 big onion
2 cups of water
1x tbsp of rosmary
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper.
olive oil.
paper towel


To prepare the roast:


preheat the oven to 250 degrees celcius.

1. Place the roast in a decent sized roasting pan and cut the string tying the roast together, you can leave it together if you like but I find that the crackling works better without it. score the skin down to the fat layer and rub dry with the paper towel, ensuring that you dry it very well, the drier the skin; the better the crackling will be. once you've finished drying the skin, rub some salt into the scores and all over the top of the roast. sprinkle on the rosmary and pepper and drizzle on a little bit of olive oil.
2. pour the water into the pan, making sure that you dont get it on the top of the roast.
3. slice up the onion and cut the apple into wedges and arrange around the pork. throw in the crushed garlic and place into the oven.
4. leave the pork in the oven at 250c for 30-40 minutes or until the skin starts to blister and colour.
5. peel and cut up the potatoes and coat in olive oil, salt and pepper and place into the oven.
6.  before you put the potatoes in (after 30-40 minutes0 reduce the oven to 180 degrees and cook both for a further 45-60 minutes depending on the weight and size of the roast. you'll know its done when the fluid runs clear when you insert a skewer.
7. once the roast is done, remove the pork from its juices and put on a plate. remove the crackle and then cover the roast with foil and set aside to rest.

To prepare the apple and onion gravy:

you'll need:

1 cup of water
1 stock cube (any flavour)
1 tbsp cornflour
salt and pepper to taste.

How to make the gravy:

1. remove the apple from the pan juices and put aside until you are ready to serve.
2. scrape down the sides of the pan with a spatula to remove the caramalisation from the sides. Pour the juices and onion into a saucepan and put on the heat to reduce.
3. pour in half of the water and add the stock cube, whisk until well combined.
4. once the gravy is reduced you can make a cornflour paste with the water and slowly pour in until the gravy is the desired consistency. make sure to whisk well after each addition of paste as the gravy will thicken quickly. Keep warm until you serve.


To prepare the grilled zuchinni:


you'll need:

2 large zuchinni
1 tsp of rosmary
1 tsp garlic
3 tbsp of olive oil.

How to make the grilled zuchinni:

1. slice the Zuchinni on an angle to make thin discs.
2. heat a grill plate or pan and add the garlic and olive oil, once hot you can add the rosmary and zuchinni and grill until the zuchinni is tender and caramalised.


Once everything is done you can plate up and ENJOY! Serve with the apple on the side and a nice chunk of fresh bread to mop up the gravy!!

Pushing forward...

True to form, I have become obsessed with writing down ideas, lists, plans and recipes to help make sense of the jumble in my brain, so many lists, and consequently, very little sleep!!

Today saw me dragging two little girls around my local coles grabbing all sorts of exotic ingredients and forgetting to pick up the bread! way over budget but very happy, I came home to get straight into cooking up a recipe that haunted me last night! blueberries. lemon. cinnamon. maple syrup.

My kitchen is now a bomb site but my belly is full of delicious pancakes and thats all that really matters!
So without further ado, here is todays recipe.

Lemon Blueberry pancakes with cinnamon butter and maple syrup.

You'll need:

1.5 cups of plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp of salt
1.5 cups of buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essense
2tbsp melted butter
juice and zest from one lemon
1 cup of blueberries
maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
butter to serve.

How to:


1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, white sugar and salt.
2. in a seperate bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, melted butter and the zest and juice of the lemon. mix until well combined.
3. pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and very gently stir until just combined. (add more buttermilk at this stage if the batter is too thick.)
4. at the last minute pour in the blueberries and cook over a low/medium heat until golden brown on both sides. add a pat of butter to the pan each time for those yummy, buttery crispy edges!

5. while the pancakes are cooking combine the butter and cinnamon together. when the pancakes are cooked plate them and put a chunk of cinnamon butter on the top and cover in maple syrup.
6. ENJOY!

This recipe is great for breakfast or lunch and for a lighter option you can remove the butter from the batter and instead serve with light ricotta and passionfruit pulp.

Welcome to Fascination Creations!!

I am a 23 year old mother to two beautiful girls... Aalliyah Darrach (4.5 years) and Addison Chloe (8 months) and the time has come for my big girl to start the newest chapter of her life- SCHOOL!! its been an amazing 4.5 years staying at home and raising the girl who made me a mumma! kind, rational, independent, creative, outspoken...this girl was born to live a big life, I know it!! The new year has created a shift in the routine of my life and as we embark on this new journey it has got me thinking... I have been doing this SAHM gig for quite a while now, always talking about how 'when my girls go to school' ...I will be better/live fuller/do more and the time has arrived... its time to BE MORE!

My passion is food. Recipes are my addiction and my kitchen is my happy place! I have toyed around with ideas for years about my own catering company, cake making and decorating, high teas, home-made condiments and all things fresh and wholesome and I've decided that 2012 will be the year that I jump into life head first and let the moment take me! My big girl is off to school and it is time this mumma stopped letting the fear of failure hold me back. 2011 was a year of soul searching; I birthed my second (and last) baby into this world and I am growing more and more everyday into the person that I want to be. I want to be the kind of person who appreciates every second, who watched the grass grow and rain fall, the kind of person who takes pleasure in cooking for the people I love and sharing these good moments with anyone who wants to join in. My goal is to make more people WANT to join in!

Fascination Creations is all about my fascination with life, productivity, energy, creativity and of course, FOOD! I believe in being the barer of positive energy in my life and creating a beautiful home for my children. Setting a good example when it comes to healthy food choices and teaching that there is a place for indulgence, with everything in moderation! I know as a mother that this life is a learning curve and I am not perfect; I struggle daily with the things I SHOULD be and some days I just cant manage to do whats right! But ill never stop trying to better myself so that I can show my children how to walk in this crazy world! I will try to be a braver person and encourage my children to follow their passion and I aim to lead by example... I believe that from here, the rest will just fall into place.
So here I am, passion at the forefront for 2012 and I will be exploring all things food!!! At this stage I am choosing to focus on family meals from scratch, low fat and healthy meals, vegan meals, healthy and easy school lunches and of course, my speciality, all things SWEET! what is life without a little indulgence? If its all about balance then I feel it is my duty to share the indulgence, even if it is only so I don't eat it all myself! I must remind myself... Moderation is the key!!

So begins this new chapter of my life and I want to kick it off with my very first recipe of 2012!!
I know its still summer, but the rain is pounding against my window and im feeling very warm and fuzzy and there is nothing I enjoy more than a nice big bowl of home-made soup and fresh bread with lots of butter!
I made this soup last night... cheap, quick, easy and most importantly, DELISH!!
so here goes, my first recipe for 2012:

Creamy pumpkin and bacon soup.
Feeds 5. 

You'll need:

1 butternut pumpkin- medium size. 
1 stick of spring onion.
1tbsp olive oil.
3 whole rashers of bacon- rind removed, fat left on.
2tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups of water 
1 cup of chicken stock.
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of thickened cream
sliced spring onion for garnish.
favourite fresh bread and butter to serve.


To make:


1. remove the skin on butternut pumpkin and deseed. dice into small pieces and throw into a stockpot with the olive oil.


2. cut spring onion and bacon into small pieces and place in the stockpot with pumpkin on high heat. throw in nutmeg and garlic.. let it brown for about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly. 

3. after browning, pour in stock and water and let it reduce for 10-15 minutes or until pumpkin is soft.

4. pour in cream and stir through. once cream is well incorporated you'll need to use a stick blender to blend the soup until there are no chunks of bacon or pumpkin left.

5. salt and pepper to taste and serve with spring onion garnish alongside your favourite buttered bread!

ENJOY!


note.
This recipe is the perfect starter for any occasion! the key to this recipe is to brown the onion, bacon, pumpkin, garlic and nutmeg until it is really fragrant and quite brown (but not burnt) it really will make the world of difference to your soup so dont be too quick to add the stock and water.
Freezes well if you want to make a double batch.