Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Sizzler's Cheese Toast

Ingredients
  • Butter or margarine
  • Kraft Parmesan Cheese
  • Thick white bread
Method:
  1. In a bowl, mix equal parts of butter with the cheese to create a paste.
  2. Spread the paste on one side of the bread.
  3. Fry the bread, paste-side-down over a medium heat until golden-brown while resting a flat plate or lid on top to steam the bread.

Monday, June 29, 2015

3 minute chocolate fudge

3 Minute Fudge
3 Minute Fudge
Ingredients
  • 1 can Sweetened Condensed milk (14 ounces)
  • 2 cups (1 12 ounce bag) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Butter a square pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal of set fudge. Set aside.
  2. In a microwave safe 2 quart bowl, heat chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, on high for 1 minute. Remove from microwave. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir to combine. If needed, heat an additional 30 seconds. Stir until chips are completely melted and chocolate is smooth.
  3. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour fudge into prepared pan. Let fudge cool completely before cutting into 1 inch squares. (you can place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to speed up the process.)
  4. Store in an airtight container. Fudge does not need to be kept refrigerated.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Croissant Bread and Butter Pudding

180g caster sugar 
6 large eggs 
300ml cream 
900ml milk 
1 vanilla bean, diagonally cutinto thin pieces 
1 Tbsp vanilla essence 
6-8 croissants (2-3 days old), halved lengthways
4 Tbsp chocolate hazelnut spread (optional)
sultanas
50g brown sugar 


1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Put caster sugar, eggs, cream, milk, vanilla bean and essence in a large bowl and whisk together.
3. Generously spread chocolate hazelnut spread on cut side of each croissant half. or sprinkle sultanas
4. Put croissant halves, spread-side up, in a large ovenproof baking dish. Pour over custard mixture. Set aside for 15 minutes to absorb.
5. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then bake for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and set.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

1.1.1.1 cake

1,1,1,1 Cake
* 1 cup desiccated coconut
* 1 cup milk (soy, almond, rice milk if lactose intolerant)
* 1 cup caster sugar (normal sugar is fine, see notes below) half a cup is my preference
* 1 cup self raising/rising flour (Gluten Free SR Flour if gluten intolerant)
SPECIAL NOTE:
Original recipe is one cup of sugar, I only ever use HALF a cup and it's perfect, in fact you can use half a cup of stevia not sugar when I have it on hand.
Preheat oven 180C/360F.
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and pour mixture in. Bake for 40 minutes.
Club Tropicana Variation of our 1,1,1,1 Cake:
* Add the zest of one Lime to the cake mix
* Ice with a white chocolate ganache, add some shredded coconut and more lime zest.
BANANA VERSION:
*Simply add a very, very ripe mashed banana (they are best) and mix thoroughly.
CHOCOLATE VERSION:
* Simply replace the coconut in the recipe above with HALF a cup of cocoa instead and you have the EASIEST chocolate cake.
CHOC-COCONUT VERSION:
Simply add half a cup of cocoa to the original recipe (leave the coconut in).
PASSIONFRUIT VERSION AS MADE BY MYSELF WHEN I FIND PASSIONFRUIT ON SALE:
SIMPLY ADD ONE WHOLE PASSIONFRUIT TO THE CAKE MIX & TO THE CREAM CHEESE ICING.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Slow cooker brownies

Ingredients
  • Cooking Spray
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 8oz bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
  1. Lightly coat a 5-quart slow-cooker with the cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly coat that in spray.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each increment until the chocolate is melted. Add the sugar and and vanilla extract then stir to combine. Stir in the eggs, then add in the flour mixture, walnuts, and chocolate and stir until just moistened (be careful to not overmix). Transfer to a slow cooker and smooth out the top.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 3 1/3 hours. Uncover and cook for another 30 minutes. Remove the ceramic insert from the slow cooker and run a knife around the edge to loosen brownies. Let the brownies cool completely in the insert on a wire rack (about 2 hours). Turn out onto a work surface and cut into brownies.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Easy lime and chili buttered chicken

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott/Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
  • 1 size 16 or 18 chicken (1.6-1.8kg or 3.5-4lb), cut into pieces
  • 50g/1.7ozs. softened butter
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lime
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 long red chilli, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon finely grated ginger
  • Fresh coriander to serve
Method
Preheat oven to 220C/440F and place the chicken pieces in a baking tray skin side up. Blend the butter, lime zest, lime juice, chilli, garlic, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce and ginger in a small food processor (or just chop and mix by hand). With hands (latex gloved if you're sensitive to chilli), spread the flavoured butter over the chicken, coating it well. You can do this the night before if you want and just cover the chicken and place it in the fridge. Roast the chicken for 40 minutes, basting halfway through with the juices (take the breast pieces out as soon as they are cooked after around 30 minutes as I find that they dry out otherwise).

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

White chocolate and raspberry cheesecake

courtesy of http://120dollarsfoodchallenge.com/

INGREDIENTS
  • 250g granita or other plain biscuits
  • 125g butter
  • 2 x 250g packets cream cheese
  • 150g (2/3 cups) caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup (125ml) sour cream OR thickened cream
  • 200g white cooking chocolate
  • 200g frozen raspberries
METHOD
Crush the biscuits in a food processor. Melt the butter in a microwave and pour in a thin stream into the biscuits (while the machine is still running) until all are coated. Line the base and sides of a 20cm springform pan with the biscuit mixture and press down firmly. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 160°C.
Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly to break up the larger pieces. Add the sugar and blend until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and blend well between each addition.
Break up the chocolate into small pieces and melt over a double boiler or in 1 minute bursts in the microwave. Add the melted chocolate and cream to the cheese mixture and pulse once or twice just to combine it.
Place half the frozen berries in a small bowl and use a stick blender or a fork to crush them into a thick sauce.
Pour half the cheesecake mixture into the chilled biscuit case. Spoon half the remaining berries and half the raspberry sauce over the top. Repeat with the remaining cheese mixture, berries and sauce, then use a butter knife to gently swirl the berries through the mixture – try not to scrape the biscuit base.
Place the pan on a tray and place in centre of oven.
Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until the surface of the cheesecake is just set. Turn the oven off and leave the door of the oven slightly ajar (it will help prevent the surface from cracking). Allow the cheesecake to cool over the next couple of hours before putting it in the fridge to set completely.