Slow Cooker Baked Beans

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of beans, soaked overnight
• 1 x clove garlic, crushed
• 125g panetta, chopped somewhere between finely and roughly
• 1 Spanish onion, peeled and chopped

• 100g grainy mustard (1/2 jar)
• 1 can of tomatoes
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 500-600ml chicken stock
• 1 x 15ml tablespoon cider vinegar
• Salt to taste

METHOD 

1. Soak the beans in plenty of water for 24 hours.
2. Once the beans are soaked, drain and rinse them and put aside. 
3. Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid.
4. Fry the chopped pancetta briskly in the hot oil and, after about 5 minutes, turn down the heat and add the chopped onion. Cook alongside the pancetta for about another 5 minutes. 
5. Add the mustard, tomatoes, sugar and stock, stirring everything together well. Stir in the rinsed beans. 
6. Bring to the boil and let it bubble for a few minutes. Put a lid on the pan and transfer to the slowcooker on low for 6-8 hours.
   
   
   Adapted from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1059800/Boston-baked-beans.htmlhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1059800/Boston-baked-beans.html
    

Food Processor Cakes

I don't have a Kitchen aid and have no plans to buy one soon. I did however, get a food processor last Christmas and now that birthday season is upon me I'm trying to use it to make some fuss-free and tasty cake! The recipe below works beautifully!

FOOD PROCESSOR POUND CAKE

Ingredients

• 250g butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups SR flour
• 4 large eggs
• A few drops of vanilla

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Grease and line 20cm round cake tin
3. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until pale; scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl occasionally. 
4. Add eggs one at a time, with a table spoon of the flour each time if you are worried about curdling.
5. Fold in flour
6. Pour into tin, bake for approx 40min (I start testing at 30min to see how the cake is going).

Adapted from: https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2012/04/10/food-processor-pound-cakes/

Fire Soup for Coughs and Colds!

INGREDIENTS

2 inch fresh ginger
1 inch fresh turmeric
3 large cloves garlic
Handful of fresh coriander
2 spring onions, sliced (both white and green bits)
1 red chilli, seeds removed
1 litre chicken stock
400g (1 tin) coconut milk
lemon juice
2 tsp honey
2 Tbspns fish sauce (optional)
2 Tbspns olive oil
Salt
1 chicken cooked chicken breast, shredded or sliced (or leftover bbq chicken)
200g rice noodles or noodles of your choice (optional)
Bok choy, chopped (optional)
Extra sliced spring onions and coriander for garnish (optional)

METHOD

1.  Mince garlic, finely grate ginger and turmeric, finely chop coriander and chilli, slice spring onions, mix together in a bowl with olive oil.
2. Heat another tablespoon of oil in large saucepan and add half of the mixture and saute for 30sec, add stock and simmer for 10min.
3. Add coconut milk, lemon juice, honey, fish sauce, salt to taste, simmer another 10 mins.
4. Add cooked chicken and simmer until warmed through.
5. (Optional) Add rice noodles, bok choy, simmer 3min
6. Add remaining minced herbs, garlic, ginger & turmeric mixture, and stir through, simmer 3min.
7. Pour into bowls, and garnish with extra spring onions and coriander if desired.

Adapted from: https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/2009/07/coconut-lemon-chicken-soup/

Ostro: Pear and Date Cake with Maple Buttercream

 INGREDIENTS

100g pitted dates, roughly chopped

1/2 bicarb soda

60ml boiling water

100g unsalted butter, chopped

125g (2/3 cup, lightly packed) brown sugar

2 eggs

100ml extra virgin olive oil

150g plain yoghurt

finely grated zest of one lemon

200g (1 1/3 cups) self-raising flour

1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger

1 pears (about 400g total), peeled, cored and roughly chopped

maple syrup for drizzling

50g unsalted butter, softened

90g (3/4 cup) icing sugar, sifted

1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

METHOD 

- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

- Grease a 24cm loaf tin with butter and line with baking paper

- Mix the dates in a small bowl and sprinkle with bicarb. Cover with the water and allow to stand for 10min (do not throw the water away!)

- Cream butter and sugar til pale and fluffy

- Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition

- Mix in olive oil, lemon zest, yoghurt, dates and water

- Stir in flour and ginger until just combined

- Gently stir in pear and spoon batter into tin

- Bake for 45-50min or until skewer comes out clean

- leave to cool in tin for a few minutes then turn out on to a rack to cool completely

- For the maple buttercream, beat the butter an icing sugar together until pale and fluffy (if using a kitchen aid or similar, for 4-10min or until icing mix does not taste grainy)

- Spread the buttercream over the cake and drizzle a little maple syrup over the top to finish.

I would recommend you purchase the Ostro cookbook to show your support! http://www.julia-ostro.com/cookbook/

Leek Rice

Leek Rice! SO simple (and cheap!) and is tasty with grilled meats (esp BBQ chicken). We originally received the recipe in a Marley Spoon box, and I wanted to make sure I kept hold of it!
- in med saucepan sauté 1 sliced leek in 30g of butter with salt and pepper for 5min
- add 1 cup basmati rice, 2 cups water/stock
- bring to boil, add lid, turn heat right down for 12min
- slide off heat, leave lid on for 8min
Beautiful!

Carys Dawson: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 2 cups SR flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup of dark chocolate chips

METHOD
- Combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, and oil.
- Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until moistened. Mix the chocolate chips in.
- Bake at 200 degrees for 10 minutes, (mini size).
Makes approx. 48 mini muffins. 

No Carb Beef & Zucchini Lasagne

Healthy eating friendly, kid friendly, gluten free, no carb. Wowee.

INGREDIENTS
4 medium zucchini
1 small carrot
1 small brown onion
6 or 7 mushrooms
1 clove of garlic
Tray of premium beef mince
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tin crushed tomatoes
Tub of smooth ricotta (I use Coles brand)
A few handfuls of grated cheese (whatever you have on hand)

METHOD

Preheat oven & prepare vegetables
Preheat oven to 200ºC fan forced. Remove ends of the zucchini and slice into 0.5cm pieces lengthways. Peel and grate carrot. Peel and finely chop the onion. Finely slice the mushrooms. Crush or chop the garlic.

Cook mince
Bring a fry pan to a medium heat with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Sauté onion, carrot, mushrooms and garlic until soft (approx. 4 minutes). Add beef mince, dried oregano, salt and pepper.  Break the mince up as it browns for 3 – 4 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes, bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes to thicken sauce. Remove pan from heat. Set aside.

Make lasagne
In a baking dish, place a layer of zucchini in in the base, then layer half of the mince to cover, then a layer of ricotta (approx 1/3 of the tub, spread with butter knife).
Continue with zucchini, half of the mince, then 1/3 of the ricotta.
Add a final layer of zucchini, then spread a thin layer of ricotta (normally 2-3 large desert spoons).
Sprinkle with grated cheese. 

Bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is golden. Rest for 5 minutes and serve.


Adapted from: http://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/no-carb-beef-and-zucchini-lasagne-20160920-grkvjr