Tag Archives: recipes

SWEET TREATS

13 Nov

RICH CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKES

If you have never tried a Lava Cake you are missing out. These rich little cakes have to be one of the most indulgent desserts ever and there’s nothing wrong with that! It surprised me to learn that making these was actually really easy and required few ingredients. Please note: It is important to allow the cakes to stand before removing from them from the ramekins. I was overeager in my first attempt which resulted in a (delicious) chocolate mess.  So it’s best to wait.

What you will need:
150 grams of dark chocolate. The darker the better I used a 90% cocoa variety.
150 grams salted butter
2 eggs, at room temperature
80 grams of caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons self raising flour
2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa
What to do:
Preheat your oven to Moderate and generously grease 4 ramekins with butter or oil spray. If you don’t have ramekins you can use a muffin tray. Now melt together your butter and chocolate over a saucepan of boiling water. In a metal or glass bowl beat together your vanilla, eggs and sugar using an electric beater. Beat until the mixture has whitened and become light and fluffy.  Gently fold in the melted butter and chocolate. Sift in the cocoa and flour and gently mix. Pour your mixture into the ramekins and bake for about 10-12 minutes. You want a the inside of the cake  to remain gooey and a shell to form around it. Remove from the oven once done and allow to stand for a few minutes before turning out. Serve with a dusting of icing sugar, some ice cream and of your favourite berries. Serves 4.

Meal Ideas

12 Nov

GARLIC PRAWN & BASIL PASTA

You have probably noticed I have been cooking a lot of pasta lately and not all of it being vegetarian. These resent carnivorous recipes are popping up because my wonderful Dad has come to visit for a few weeks and is the biggest pasta lover I have ever known and happens to also enjoy meat. These recipes however can be easily made vegetarian by omitting any non-vegetarian components like the prawns in this dish or Bacon in my Creamy Alfredo recipe. Enjoy!What you will need:
1 packet of spaghetti pasta
300 grams of peeled raw prawns (or for my International readers shrimp)
4 tablespoons of fresh crushed garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of chilli powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup capsicum (peppers). I used a mixture of red, green and yellow
1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup olive oil
What to do:
In a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook your pasta until al dente. Once the pasta is almost done melt your butter in a frying pan and add the crushed garlic. Lightly fry your diced capsicum and prawns until the capsicum is just tender and the prawns have just turned orange. Do not overcook the prawns as they will become tough. Once cooked toss through your pasta and add the chopped basil, lemon juice and chilli powder. Dress with the olive oil and garnish with a few sprigs of basil. Serves 4.

Meal Ideas

11 Nov

EASY CREAMY ALFREDO PASTA

What you will need:
1 pack of spaghetti pasta
4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 onion, diced
2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 cup sharp parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup baby mozzarella
1/2 cup Pecorino cheese, grated
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
150 grams of bacon, roughly chopped
Cracked Pepper
Parsley for garnish

What to do:
Boil your pasta until al dente. In the mean time sauté your onions and bacon in a frypan with a small amount of oil, the crushed garlic and butter. Reduce the heat to low and add in the cream. Stir frequently and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add your cheeses and continue to whisk until they have melted and your sauce has thickened become smooth. This usually takes around 8-10 minutes. Add some cracked pepper and remove from the heat. Toss thought the cooked and strained pasta and serve with some parsley as garnish. Serves 4.

Summer Meal Ideas

9 Nov

GREEK INSPIRED SUMMER SALAD

It’s almost salad season here in Australia and to celebrate I have made my own version of traditional Greek salad. I didn’t have any olives on hand but some pitted Kalamatas would be amazing in this dish so I highly recommend including them.
What you will need:
1 green coral lettuce
1 red capsicum (Pepper)
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
1 large cucumber
200 grams of Greek feta cheese
Dressing:
1 cup Garlic infused olive oil
1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of ground mustard seeds
What to do:
Tear apart your lettuce and roughly chop the capsicum and cucumber. Arrange in a bowl(s) and top with the cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta. In a jar or shaker combine all your spices, vinegar and oil and shake until combined. A mason jar worked perfect for this and any leftover dressing can be easily stored in it within the fridge. Dress your salad just before serving. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Savoury Delights

8 Nov

BAKED TANDOORI SPICED WEDGES

What you will need:
1kg of potatoes
3 tablespoons of ground paprika
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Drizzle of oil
 What to do:
Pre-heat your oven to moderate and line a baking tray. Par-boil your potatoes. Allow them to cool before cutting into wedges. Leave the skin on as it crisps up nicely. In a mortar and pestle lightly grind together your spices. Now generously coat your potatoes in the spices and transfer to the lined baking tray. Drizzle the potatoes with some oil and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until crisp. Serve with some sea salt. Enjoy!

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