Tag
Recipes
194 posts.
Turtle Cake and Under the Sea Party
I always remember our lovely birthdays as children. We were able to choose any cake from the Women’s Weekly Cake Book. My mum made so many different cakes from the book over the...
Acai Smoothie Bowl and Easy Muesli
The first time I tried an acai bowl was 4 or more years back at a Jiujitsu tournament. I wasn’t competing as I don’t do jiujitsu, but I was eating – as I’m really good at that.
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Slice
This is a wonderful addition to any party. These yummy desserts have the perfect combination of sweet, tart, creamy and crunchy. Make them big or small depending on what else is...
Anzac Biscuits
We make these biscuits almost every ANZAC day (25th April, a day of national remembrance). I do make them throughout the year as well, as they keep well made in advance and taste...
Caramel Slice
I was looking for a recipe for caramel slice and came across one on the internet that claimed it was the best ever caramel slice. Well, it’s a big claim, but I think it’s pretty...
Nutella and Berry Dessert Pizza
Only recently I tried my first dessert pizza. It was so tasty I couldn’t wait to have it again and try it at home. Rather than making just one dessert pizza I figured it would be...
Bacon Kaboom Meatloaf
I first saw this recipe in my delicious magazine one month, and it turned out so well I decided to buy Billy Law’s book Man Food, as it had heaps of yummy looking recipes. The use...
Dukkah encrusted Croissants with Bacon, Halloumi and Pumpkin
This has got to be one of the best brekkies I have had. I know that’s a big call – and probably sets expectations quite high. So maybe I should just say – give it a go, you’ll...
Pumpkin Fritters and South African Style Cooked Pumpkin
These sweet pumpkin fritters have been a real hit with my daughter and I. Growing up in South Africa, Nick was used to these delights as a breakfast, using up leftover South...
Mango and Yoghurt Ice Blocks
Mangoes have been beautiful this past summer. I’m not a big mango fan, but have been buying 2 a week for Nick and my daughter. I do love these ice blocks though! They may be a...
Nachos
Nachos are a big hit with my family. Introduced to our family by Nick, they have become a regular favourite, so it’s great to put this recipe up on the site so everyone can enjoy...
Cream Cheese and Dulce de Leche Eclairs – MasterChef 2016
I saw a lot of dishes I would love to eat on MasterChef Australia last year. So far I have only managed to make this one, due to busy times at home. In previous years I have made...
Bircher Muesli
I’ve never been a huge fan of muesli or porridge, I think partly due to not liking dried fruits, which would add a lot of flavour. On a recent holiday I tried some bircher muesli...
Elsa Cake (Buttercream tutorial) and an Ice-themed Birthday Party
I had a request for a very special birthday this year. An Elsa cake. I’m sure many parents out there have had the same request after the much loved Frozen movie was released back...
Five-hour Roast Lamb with Beans and Olives
Wow! This was amazing. A wonderful aroma filled the house as this cooked, the meat fell apart and all the lovely juices soaked into the veggies. The original recipe contained...
Iced Vovo Pavlova
I saw the January Taste Magazine’s Cover whilst looking over a number of my food-related emails – it was an Iced Vovo Pavlova – it looked amazing! I made sure I bought the...
Spinach, Bacon and Rice Pie
Nick’s veggie beds have really taken off, he has built 5 lovely raised garden beds (quite a while ago now) for his vegetable beds, and we have already had loads of onions, beans...
Balsamic onion, pear and walnut pizza
I have recently been going through my dozens (and dozens) of food magazines. Unfortunately i just don’t have the room to keep them all, and even if I did, once they get stored...
Ferrero Rocher Cake
We had an amazing cake tonight to celebrate my sisters birthday. It is called a Ferrero Rocher Cake, and it certainly captured the lovely flavours of one of my favourite...
Malteser Cake
After seeing a cake covered in maltesers, how could you NOT make it? And what better excuse than a birthday. It looked lovely and tasted lovely – only very very rich. I couldn’t...
Pražský koláč (Prague Kolache) – Daring Bakers Challenge September 2014
The September Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Lucie from ChezLucie . She challenged us to make a true Czech treat –Kolaches! The challenge this month looked like...
Banana and Blueberry Mini Muffins
When I first decided to make some mini muffins for my bub, I didn’t want to add extra sugar (whatever was already present in fruit would be sweet enough), so I came up with an...
Choc Top Extraordinaire
There have been many lovely dessert recipes on MasterChef this year (like most years). Some of the top chefs in Australia share some of their beautiful recipes, some which can be...
Anita’s Homemade Granola
I’ve never been much of a fan of most breakfast type cereals, including muesli and porridge, but one day Thomas Dux was handing out little trials of granola and yoghurt. Both...
Cinnamon Rolls – Daring Bakers Challenge June 2014
This month the Daring Bakers kept our creativity rolling with cinnamon bun inspired treats. Shelley from C Mom Cook dared us to create our own dough and fill it with any filling...
Eve
One of my biggest cooking challenges since giving birth, was this cake, but I had desperately wanted to make it for Valentines day (as I knew Nick would probably prefer a...
Sfogliatelle Ricci – Daring Bakers Challenge November 2013
Sandie of the lovely blog, Crumbs of Love , was our November hostess. Sandie challenged us to make a traditional Italian dessert, along with its American version – Sfogliatelle...
Slow-Cooked Beef and Mushroom Pie – Daring Bakers Challenge October 2013
Hannah of Rise and Shine was our October 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she challenged us to bake our own double crusted savory pot pies. Using any from-scratch crust and filling...
Coconut Three Milks Cake – Daring Bakers Challenge September 2013
Inma of la Galletika was our Sept. 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and WOW did she bring us something decadent and delicious! Pastel de Tres Leches or Three Milk Cake, creamy yet...
Mawa Cake and Bolinhas De Coco – Daring Bakers Challenge August 2013
Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen was our August 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she challenged us to make some amazing regional Indian desserts. The Mawa Cake, the Bolinhas de Coco...
Passion Fruit Caramel Chocolates – Daring Bakers Challenge July 2013
In a “celebration” of past Daring Baker and Daring Cook challenges, Lisa challenged all of us to search through the Daring Kitchen archives and pick any one we’d like! The REAL...
Crack Pie – Daring Bakers Challenge June 2013
Rachael from pizzarossa was our lovely June 2013 Daring Bakers’ host and she had us whipping up delicious pies in our kitchens! Cream pies, fruit pies, chocolate pies, even crack...
Traditional Swedish Prinsesstårta – Daring Bakers Challenge May 2012
Korena of Korena in the Kitchen was our May Daring Bakers’ host and she delighted us with this beautiful Swedish Prinsesstårta! It didn’t take long to devour this months challenge.
Cinnamon Scrolls
I love fond memories of food from when you were younger or on holidays. I always remember the “love heart” candies and have looked all over the internet for these lollies. I have...
Cashew Kidney Bean Chocolate Brownies – Daring Bakers Challenge March 2013
Ruth from Makey-Cakey was our March 2013 Daring Bakers’ challenge host. She encouraged us all to get experimental in the kitchen and sneak some hidden veggies into our baking...
Raincoast Crisps – Daring Bakers Challenge February 2013
Sarah from All Our Fingers in the Pie was our February 2013 Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to use our creativity in making our own Crisp Flatbreads and Crackers! 🙂 It...
Gevulde Speculaas – Daring Bakers Challenge January 2013
Francijn of Koken in de Brouwerij was our January 2013 Daring Bakers’ Hostess and she challenged us to make the traditional Dutch pastry, Gevulde Speculaas from scratch! That...
Panettone – Daring Bakers Challenge December 2012
The December 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by the talented Marcellina of Marcellina in Cucina. Marcellina challenged us to create our own custom Panettone, a...
Vanilla Slice – Daring Bakers Challenge October 2012
Our October 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Suz of Serenely Full . Suz challenged us to not only tackle buttery and flaky puff pastry, but then take it step further...
Triple Chocolate Cheesecake with Salted Peanut Caramel
Everyone has had the experience when they see a photo of food they just have to make. I started sending emails titled: “I want this” when I saw this cake . I only had to find time...
Empanadas – Daring Bakers Challenge September 2012
Patri of the blog, Asi Son Los Cosas , was our September 2012 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she decided to tempt us with one of her family’s favorite recipes for Empanadas! We were...
Filled Pate a Choux Swans – Daring Bakers Challenge August 2012
Kat of The Bobwhites was our August 2012 Daring Baker hostess who inspired us to have fun in creating pate a choux shapes, filled with crème patisserie or Chantilly cream. We were...
Gaytime goes nuts
The wonderfully talented Christine Manfield featured on the season finale of MasterChef this year. I haven’t watched much MasterChef this year, but I always have to watch for the...
Seedy Crisps – Daring Bakers Challenge July 2012
Our July 2012 Daring Bakers’ Host was Dana McFarland and she challenged us to make homemade crackers! Dana showed us some techniques for making crackers and encouraged to use our...
Battenberg Cake – Daring Bakers Challenge June 2012
Mandy of What The Fruitcake?! came to our rescue last minute to present us with the Battenberg Cake challenge! She highlighted Mary Berry’s techniques and recipes to allow us to...
Challah – Daring Bakers Challenge May 2012
May’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge was pretty twisted – Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to make challah! Using recipes from all over, and tips from “A Taste of...
De-constructed Lemon Tart
We saw chef Jowett Yu on MasterChef (on Dan Hong’s team) make a de-constructed lemon tart for the first Battle for Immunity Challenge this year, I searched the internet a couple...
Armenian Nazook & Nutmeg Cake – Daring Bakers Challenge April 2012
The Daring Bakers’ April 2012 challenge, hosted by Jason at Daily Candor , were two Armenian standards: nazook and nutmeg cake. Nazook is a layered yeasted dough pastry with a...
Pear and Custard Tart
Pears have come into season, and are ripening beautifully on the kitchen counter. This tart is quite easy to make, with the custard being able to be prepared far in advance, and...
White Bread Roll with Dutch Crunch Topping – Daring Bakers Challenge March 2012
Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses! Sara & Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy...
Quick Bread – Daring Bakers Challenge February 2012
The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe...
Scones – Daring Bakers Challenge January 2012
Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers ’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches...
Sourdough – Update from December Daring Bakers Challenge
I made the sourdough from the December Daring Bakers Challenge very soon after my last post about it. Although it did not really turn out particularly well, so I sort of held back...
Sans Rival – Daring Bakers Challenge November 2011
Catherine of Munchie Musings was our November Daring Bakers’ host and she challenged us to make a traditional Filipino dessert – the delicious Sans Rival cake! And for those of us...
Povitica – Daring Bakers Challenge October 2011
The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk . Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look...
Pineapple Sorbet and Tropical Granita with Fruit Salad
Daylight savings has just begun, it is no longer dark when I get home from work (and only mildly darker when I leave). I am able to stop and smell the roses (and this is not just...
Croissants – Daring Bakers Challenge September 2011
The Daring Bakers go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the...
Chocolate Truffles and Peanut Butter Fudge – Daring Bakers Challenge August 2011
The August 2011 Daring Bakers’ Challenge was hosted by Lisa of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drive and Mandy of What the Fruitcake?! . These two sugar mavens challenged us to...
Strawberry Fraisier – Daring Bakers Challenge July 2011
Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in...
Vegetable Burgers with Chilli Mayo
There are some recipes that once tried, just need to be shared with others. I love burgers, my Mum and Nick both make great beef burger patties, and I will often order chicken...
Baklava with Homemade Phyllo Pastry – Daring Bakers Challenge June 2011
Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade...
Marquise on Meringue – Daring Bakers Challenge May 2011
The May 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Emma of CookCraftGrow and Jenny of Purple House Dirt . They chose to challenge everyone to make a Chocolate Marquise. The...
Maple Mousse in Bacon Cup – Daring Bakers Challenge April 2011
The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz . Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container.
Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cake – Daring Bakers Challenge March 2011
The March 2011 Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Ria of Ria’s Collection and Jamie of Life’s a Feast . Ria and Jamie challenged The Daring Bakers to bake a yeasted Meringue...
Chocolate Panna cotta with Florentine Cookies – Daring Bakers Challenge February 2011
The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen . She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe...
2010 Roundup + Have a Happy New Year
Like everyone says at the end of every year – where did the year go? It always feels as though it’s just zoomed on past, especially the last few months. I look back through 2010...
Chocolate Chip Stollen – Daring Bakers Challenge December 2010
The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking . She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family...
Crostata con la Crema – Daring Bakers Challenge November 2010
The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole . She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own...
Chocolate Hazelnut Tart + Win a Ferrero Hamper
This post is sponsored by Nuffnang . As soon as you know it, the end of the year is almost here, with it bringing Christmas holidays and New Years. I loved last year’s holiday...
Cinnamon Doughnuts – Daring Bakers Challenge October 2010
The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up . Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including...
Asparagus, Broad Bean and Poached Egg Tart
Asparagus is on a great special at the moment in the shops and is tasting fantastic too. I always like using fresh, seasonal ingredients, because not only do they have an amazing...
Ciabatta Bread
I’ve always had problems making bread at home. They nearly never end up with the same fluffy lovely texture the bought ones do. So I couldn’t be more excited to share with you...
Decorated Sugar Cookies – Daring Bakers Challenge September 2010
The September 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mandy of “ What the Fruitcake?! ” Mandy challenged everyone to make Decorated Sugar Cookies based on recipes from Peggy...
Caramelised Balsamic Vinegar
I used to love eating bread with olive oil and dukkah, although after going to the Hunter Valley last year, I have a new appreciation for caramelised balsamic vinegar – with...
Baked Alaska and Ice Cream Petit Fours – Daring Bakers Challenge August 2010
The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking . For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa...
Tropical Snow Egg
After our trip to Quay last year , I have wanted to replicate Peter Gilmore’s Snow egg. It never occurred to me again, until I saw Peter Gilmore in a Gourmet Traveller video...
Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake – Daring Bakers Challenge July 2010
The July 2010 Daring Bakers ’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used...
V8 Cake
Yes, that’s right. I decided to make Adriano Zumbo’s V8 cake. Not a car cake as might be thought by the name, but a gorgeous cake composed of eight different layers of vanilla.
Chocolate Pavlova with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse – Daring Bakers Challenge June 2010
The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious . Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse.
Gluten Free Carrot, Zucchini and Apple Cake
When I was asked by Haystac whether I wanted to try out some of the gluten free products by Vitarium , I was excited to work with gluten free flour. The texture was a lot finer...
Pizza Wheels
These pizza wheels go so fast at any party we’ve had. They can be made non-vegetarian by adding some chopped ham or salami. I love them, and there’s not much more I really have to...
Mum’s Trifle
For my Mum’s birthday a couple of months ago, I designed a trifle just for her. Although I don’t normally make trifles, I’ll make anything that my Mum wants for her birthday. So a...
Croquembouche (Piece Montée) – Daring Bakers Challenge May 2010
The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake . Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter...
Vegetable Rolls
Now, I don’t suppose you could call anything with puff pastry healthy. Although, you could say this is healthier than the normal sausage roll. These vegie rolls are packed full of...
Pistachio Macarons
Happy Mother’s Day! Even though these lovely pistachio macarons weren’t made for Mother’s Day – they were made for my Mum – on her birthday. They were the decorations for the...
Vanilla Panna Cotta with Pomegranate and Pomegranate Syrup
After being sent two lovely Royal Pom pomegranates from Catherine at Wordstom , I decided to try my hand (for a third time) at making a vanilla panna cotta with pomegranate...
Butterscotch Steamed Pudding – Daring Bakers Challenge April 2010
The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen . She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very...
Vanilla Mousse Tart with Strawberries and Macaron
In an effort to make sure I am fully prepared for my trip to Melbourne for a cooking class this weekend, I decided to make my own pâte sablée, mousse and macarons. The other...
Orange and Poppy Seed Cake – Guest Bloggers: Sarah and Jeremy
Sarah is a lovely friend, who had given some thought to starting up her own food blog. Although with University, placements, study, work, sport, seeing family and friends, cooking...
Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Bun (Bread) and Butter Pudding
Here’s an idea for those who have ended up with too many choc chip or traditional hot cross buns after Easter. In case you didn’t freeze them, or aren’t going to warm them under...
Raspberry Sorbet
Is it too close to Winter for me to post this recipe? I say, no. At the moment in Sydney we are having very odd whether. It is surprisingly warm, a month into Autumn. I had been...
Orange Tian – Daring Bakers Challenge March 2010
The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings . She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from...
Chocolate Guinness Cake
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! I remember trying a chocolate Guinness cake in my later years of University when a friend brought one in (we had cake days every Friday). I was a little...
Spinach and Sour Cream Dip
This dip is high on the list of dips we make for parties. Even though it may not sound the tastiest (with a packet of spinach in it) – it really is quite lovely. Even those who...
Tiramisu – Daring Bakers Challenge February 2010
The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking . They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month.
White Chocolate Cones with Nougat and Vienna Almond Semifreddo
I am very excited to have come to the end of my first year of food blogging. What better way to celebrate, than by posting the recipe of the dessert in my header (at least the one...
Vienna Almonds
I love Vienna Almonds. In the basement of the Queen Victoria Building, sweet caramelised nuts can be smelt by people walking to or from Town Hall station. I am very tempted every...
Steamed Barbecued Pork Buns – Char Siu Bao
Happy Chinese New Year! The year of the Tiger has just begun and I decided to celebrate by making my first ever steamed barbeque pork buns. The thing I love about barbecued pork...
Golabki – Minced Cabbage Rolls – Cooking Class 14
When I heard we were having “Gwomkes” or “Gwonkys” I was intrigued, as I had no idea what it was. I tried searching for it on the internet, although it’s not spelled the way it’s...
Herb and Orange Chicken with Pineapple and Capsicum served with Pomegranate, Orange and Baby Spinach Salad
We are so lucky in Australia with our beautiful range of lovely, fresh fruit and vegetables. The pineapples this year have been spectacularly sweet and perfect. I haven’t been...
Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars – Daring Bakers Challenge January 2010
The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen . Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources...
Lamingtons
Happy Australia Day! I thought I would celebrate by posting one of Australia’s favourite cakes – the Lamington. It is said to have originated in Queensland around the 1900’s...
Ricotta Hotcakes with Honeycomb Butter by Bill Granger
Everyone probably knows by now that I love pancakes. Many people have recommended I go and try Bill Granger’s pancakes/hotcakes at his restaurant (please disregard my use of the...
Pork and Fennel Sausage Pasta and Chocolate Fudge Cakes with Coffee Syrup – Cooking Class 13
Trying new dishes is one of the best parts with our family cooking classes. I don’t think either of these recipes would have been at the very top of my list of dishes to make.
Chicken Curry with Blueberries and Goji Berry Pilau
I know a number of people will have started this new year with the aim to eat healthier, so I thought I should post this recipe early as it has claimed to be the “world’s...
2009 Roundup, 101st post and Win a Cupcake Cookbook
Here is a roundup of some of my favourite recipes for 2009, I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did. Plus – this is my 101st post. I’m looking forward to what 2010 will hold for...
Chocolate Swirl Croquembouche
I started craving croquembouche again after the second last celebrity MasterChef. I was craving it so bad, that I didn’t think I could wait until Christmas (which is when I had...
Gingerbread House – Daring Bakers Challenge December 2009
The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi . They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble...
Gammon
What is Gammon? This is the first question asked by almost everyone when I mention we are cooking gammon (also called jambon). Gammon is a wet cured ham, rather than a dry...
Lemon Tasting Plate and the MasterChef Cookbook
My family and friends know how much I loved watching MasterChef. Most of my readers have probably also picked up on this from the other recipes I’ve already made from MasterChef...
Chocolate Delice
I was contemplating making the chocolate swirl croquembouche on the second last episode of Celebrity MasterChef, although that will have to wait until the Christmas holiday. I...
Moroccan Meatballs with Chickpeas
Firstly, I’d like to thank Rilsta from My Food Trail for the lovely Jamie Oliver Flavour Shaker I received from her 100th post competition ! I was very happy to hear I had finally...
Toblerone Cocktail
I enjoy cocktails that don’t taste like too much alcohol. Most people would say I would therefore like almost all cocktails, although that isn’t the case. I like a few – and this...
Baked Tomato Meatballs with Fresh Homemade Parpadelle Pasta – Cooking Class 12
Please disregard the following code, it is so I can claim my blog on Technorati ETFW4HDKSSXB I reckon these meatballs are pretty great – especially that you just need to mix the...
Cannoli – Daring Bakers Challenge November 2009
The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives . She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is...
Scones
I love scones. Almost nothing is as good as jam and whipped cream on some fresh scones. Even better is when they’re so quick and easy to make – and these ones surely are. They...
Feta and Ricotta Stuffed Tomatoes and Asparagus, Bacon and Parmesan Pasta – Cooking Class 11
Another cooking class, another new recipe (or two, possibly three – in this case). Trying to fit quite a number of people in a small kitchen, all trying to find something to help...
Bacon, Mushroom and Baby Spinach Pearl Couscous and Orange and Pistachio Cinnamon Pearl Couscous
I was intrigued when I first saw pearl couscous and surprised by the lovely pearl shapes it formed. I was sent a packet of Blu’s pearl couscous soon after, and spent a bit of time...
Strawberries and Cream with White Chocolate Sponge and Ice Cream
When I saw Katrina Kanetani from Pier walk into the MasterChef kitchen on Wednesday night I was so excited as I knew desserts would be on the menu. Katrina was named Chef of the...
Butterscotch Surprise Cake
In my family, we get to choose our own dinner and cake for our birthday. I tend to choose the same thing each year (most of us choose chicken schnitzel), although this year I...
Macarons – Daring Bakers Challenge October 2009
The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S . She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge...
Spanakopita
I have quite a good memory when it comes to foods I want to cook. After watching an episode of Food Safari a year ago, we still hadn’t made one of the lovely Greek dishes we...
White Chocolate and Hazelnut Mud Cake with Hazelnut Macaron and White Chocolate Rings
For my lovely Nick… I wanted to create something quite special for my wedding anniversary. I didn’t get to eat much of the wedding cake on the day, or the day after, and I’m not...
Chicken and Chorizo Paella (Risotto) and Churros – Cooking Class 10
I have wanted to try churros for so long. I have only once tried them at a Spanish restaurant and was absolutely disappointed. The churros were very soggy and the dipping sauce...
Vols-au-Vents – Daring Bakers Challenge September 2009
The September 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon . She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard...
Chicken and Leek Risotto – Cooking Class 9
Trying to guess what we were having for this cooking class was difficult. The host for this evening isn’t known for being adventurous. Most vegetables are normally off the list...
Chocolate Mousse
While watching Nigella Lawson’s Express cooking show quite a while ago, I saw she made a lovely quick mousse , which doesn’t contain eggs and instead uses marshmallows to hold the...
French Onion Soup
I’ve been very busy in the last few weeks. I’ve been finishing off some photo albums (coffee table-style books) that I started almost a year ago. The deadline I had made for...
Caramelised Onion Tart
Now what am I supposed to do with 10kg of onions? Some may think it’s a little crazy to buy 10kg of onions – especially for me who really didn’t fancy them and used to pick them...
Aria Chocolate Tart
Again with the MasterChef recipes…. I was jumping off the lounge screaming when I saw Matt Moran’s beautiful chocolate tart and tasting plate. It looked magnificent! It combined...
Dobos Torte – Daring Bakers Challenge August 2009
The August 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella . They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe...
Greek Baklava
One of Nick’s friends at work brought in some homemade baklava a while ago and once trying it on the train on my way home from work, I said to Nick “ask for the recipe!”, as I...
Spicy Pumpkin Bread
Nick loves making breads… Naan bread , tortillas , bread rolls… and I love eating bread!!!! Therefore, I would say we work very well together 🙂 So when Nick said he wanted to make...
Triple Chocolate Praline Tart
On the cover of Gourmet Traveller a few months ago was one of the most tempting chocolate tarts I have ever seen. Gorgeous rich shiny chocolate on top of a chocolate, hazelnut...
Baci Gelato
When I received my ice cream maker a few years ago, one of the first things I wanted to make was a ferrero rocher gelato or ice cream. I tried to find a recipe, but ended up with...
Fajitas and Tortillas
Now when it came to making some Fajita’s and homemade Tortillas, we went straight to the internet to see what advice there was and how easy tortillas were to make (we had made...
Lemon Marshmallow and Lemon Sherbet
I had wanted to make marshmallows for a while, and then just when I was getting the time to make it, the July Daring Bakers Challenge came and I got to make some lovely Mallows...
Mushroom and Cheese Strudel
Sometimes you find good recipes from the strangest of sources. I find great recipes on the internet, food blogs, magazine sites, magazines and my lovely books (even if many of the...
Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce and Almond Praline
There are many dishes that I have on my list of yummy things to make after watching the MasterChef Australia 2009 series – and this was one of them. You may have already seen my...
Mallows and Milan Cookies – Daring Bakers July 2009
The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth . She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food...
Organising an Indian Feast
This is just a suggestion if anyone needs an idea of when to prepare food for the Indian dishes I’ve suggested in the last few posts. For a Saturday night feast I would suggested...
Coconut and Cardamon Burfi
If you’re still not full after that entire banquet, perhaps you should make a few more naan breads, as this Indian sweet won’t fill you up, but it will end the meal very nicely.
Pista Kulfi
Having never tried Indian desserts, even though I’ve been to Indian restaurants many, many times, I was not sure what to try… I have made a pistachio and cardamom ice cream...
Beef Korma
Although this meal doesn’t photograph very well, the taste certainly speaks for itself. Soft, fall-apart meat with a fantastically tasty, fragrant, mild sauce that goes...
Naan Bread
A lot of trial and error has gone into making naan breads at our place. Salt quantity, rising time, trying to figure out how to cook naan bread in an Australian kitchen… We have...
Butter Chicken
I know a lot of people who would only really order Butter Chicken when they seldom visit an Indian restaurant. It’s often the first dish chosen, but not always mine, as I’ve had...
Cucumber Mint Raita
I love Indian Food!!! As I’m not fond of hot and/or very spicy food, many people were quite surprised to find out that I do love Indian food. Although I’m not suggesting that I...
Nick’s Apple Parcels
After watching one of the latest Masterclass episodes on MasterChef, we were tempted by the raspberry tart made on the show, and the extremely easy method of making shortcrust...
Croquembouche
I was so inspired while watching MasterChef when Adriano Zumbo brought out a massive Croquembouche (a custard filled profiterole stack covered in toffee/caramel). Hearing the...
Fried Rice
Looking for something easy, quick, tasty and reasonably cheap? Well, fried rice is a good way to use up whatever is left in the fridge and easy to alter the recipe by adding fresh...
Bakewell Tart… er… Pudding – Daring Bakers Challenge June 2009
My First Daring Bakers Challenge!! I was so excited to find out what my first challenge would be with the Daring Bakers, and was a little scared when I heard about the different...
Pink Lady Apple, Rhubarb and Cinnamon Jam
When making jams, or anything really, it’s important to use fruits that are in season. This is both due to a better taste, but also reduced costs. So whist deciding to make my...
Almond and Vanilla Porridge
We all know “someone”, who can’t go past a freebee. Who goes around and around to people handing around free samples just so they can collect as much as possible… Well I know a...
The Best Ever Pancake Recipe
Do you have many kitchen bowls or dishes that have a heap of writing on them? A recipe perhaps? Well, I have one (and certainly saw a few more in the range when I bought this one).
Chorizo, Pumpkin and Feta Pasta
Can you imagine how we felt when we had used up only half the amount of pumpkin we had roasted for a pizza, with half a block (100g) of feta still in the fridge? Well I may have...
Pizza
Pizza has so many possibilities… so many gourmet, traditional and common combinations. I guess that’s what makes it so appealing. Make the base, cover in pizza sauce then go wild...
Banana Bread
I don’t like wasting food. I try to eat all fruit and veggies before they start turning bad, but sometimes other things come up and I forget about them. Luckily, with bananas...
Bi Bim Bap – Cooking Class 8
When Nick chose his next Cooking Class dish, no one had heard of it (and don’t ask me to say it, because I’m sure my Australian accent does it no justice, I’ve already spelt it...
Tomato and Basil Bruschetta
I’m not the best person at remembering to send someone a recipe they’ve asked for. Unless I get reminded or leave an email in my inbox marked as “unread”, it’s unlikely I’ll get...
Melomakarona – Walnut Syrup Biscuits
Since being introduced to Greek food, with the main focus on Greek sweets, I just can’t seem to stop trying new biscuits and baklava. A batch of biscuits made with a cup of oil...
Meatloaf with Hidden Boiled Egg – Cooking Class 7
You may be surprised to hear that I can only remember maybe once eating meatloaf and I certainly can’t remember if it had egg in it. This dish was chosen with the special...
Flourless Chocolate and Almond Cake
There aren’t a whole heap of cakes that I’ve made that don’t contain flour… maybe some friands and macarons. I’ve tried a lovely chocolate flourless cake at a bakery near my work...
White Chocolate and Honeycomb Mud Cake
I know I said that I would be trying a white chocolate and hazelnut mud cake after making my first white chocolate mud cake , although I saw this recipe and thought it sounded so...
Phad Thai – Cooking Class 6
For the latest family cooking class there was a desire to find the perfect home-made Phad Thai. Although this was a lovely mix (I especially loved the sugar content 🙂 – although...
Choc-A-Block Trifle
Now this is my sort of trifle! When I first saw this recipe in the delicious Magazine I knew I would one day make it. How could you resist making a trifle that contains chocolate...
Quiche
I haven’t had many good quiches, they’re always a bit too eggy for me. Either a strong egg taste or uncooked egg in the middle – eww. This is one of the reasons other family...
Swedish Meatballs – Cooking Class 5
I’m not sure of the reasons behind Swedish meatballs being chosen for the fifth cooking class… but I’m glad it was! Having never had Swedish meatballs before, I can’t comment on...
Dukkah
I am becoming quite adventurous when it comes to trying new foods, although a few years ago I wasn’t the most adventurous eater. Nick and I were out for a lovely dinner out on...
Cannelloni and Quick Cannoli – Cooking Class 4
It’s my turn for our family cooking class!!! And the “theme” is TUBES 🙂 I wanted to make both a main meal and dessert and what better than Cannelloni and Cannoli? I knew I wanted...
Pancakes – Nigella Lawson
I’m on my way to find fluffy, thick, tasty pancakes. I do admit I enjoy the macadamia pancakes from Pancakes on the Rocks (my favourite choice of their sweet pancakes – which I...
Stuffed Capsicums – Cooking Class 3
You may be wondering what has happened to our family cooking classes… Well they have continued, even with the busy process of moving. Although there was an added delay due to...
Pear and Raspberry Bread
Do you think I’ve gone a bit “pear” crazy and obsessed? Perhaps… I love pears… although for the last few years I’ve bought bad batches of them – not ripening, still hard on the...
Lemon Curd Friands
I have been introduced to a number of foods (mainly baked goods) at work and one of these was the friand, a lemon curd one to be precise. I tried it a while ago and the colleague...
Corn Bread
After seeing corn bread being made on Food Safari for their USA episode, Nick was inspired to make some. We saw versions using corn kernels, corn off the cob and creamed corn. The...
Vodka Cream Pasta
You won’t be single for long!!! Well, this is what was claimed on TV, when a family member of mine saw this recipe on a TV show, with women claiming that once they made this for...
Easy Chocolate Brownies
This is a recipe I use a lot and as Sarah has requested on my About page, I’ve gotten around to posting it 🙂 This is one recipe where I have no idea where it originated. I...
Almond Butter Biscuits
One of my favourite memories of foods growing up is these almond butter biscuits. I remember getting a few at the beginning of every school year and always wanting more and...
White Chocolate Mud Cake
Ever since trying the first white chocolate hazelnut mud cake muffin as a potential for our wedding cake I have thought and thought about trying to get a great recipe. First off...
Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns
I love the smell of hot cross buns and raisin toast… although the only problem with these is my dislike for raisins and sultanas and other dried fruits. Luckily there are...
Midori Splice
Bold cocktails are beautiful, especially when layering is involved. And anything that takes you back to a relaxing holiday on a beach is a definite… either on holiday or back home.
Pumpkin Soup
Now after all the baking and rich dinners that I cook, it’s only reasonable that once in a while we make something which doesn’t contain loads of carbs or sugar. Many of you may...
Strawberry Roulade and Lemon Cream
When I think of a strawberry roulade, I’m mainly thinking about the strawberry jam and cream rolls I used to eat when younger, or the little rolletes that come in the packets at...
Chocolate Chip Friands with Cinnamon and Almonds
Can you believe after that mammoth feast for my Mum’s birthday, consisting of Butter chicken pie with vegetables and rice, home-made trifle for dessert and a poppy seed cake for...
Vanilla Poppy Seed Cake with Orange Frosting
And then there was cake…. as my Mum’s Birthday meal continues… This is one of the first cakes I learnt to make and one of my (very many) favourites. It has no fake orange flavour...
Cherry Compote, Vanilla Bean Custard and Vienna Almond Cream Trifle
My mum’s favourite dessert ever is trifle. A combination of cake, alcohol, fruit, home-made thick custard and cream can’t go wrong. My idea of a trifle is probably a bit different...
Butter Chicken Pie
Happy Birthday Mum! So many birthdays close together… Well I guess with a large family already, when you add friends and extended family the number of days between birthdays...
Beef Wellington – Cooking Class 2
Thank you Gordon Ramsay! Nick has wanted to make Beef Wellington for years and when searching for a video of it he came across a recipe and video from Gordon Ramsay’s the F-word.
Molten Baby Cakes – Soft centered Chocolate Puddings
I visited the Arthouse Hotel near Town Hall station quite a while ago and had to try their soft-centered chocolate puddings. One mouthful and I wasn’t very keen to let Nick have a...
Passionfruit Sorbet
While at Nick’s parents, we discovered a few very healthy passionfruit vines which were growing wild. Being able to pick handfuls of passionfruit each morning was fantastic! Wild...
Apple and Sage Roast Pork
Recently Nick and I visited his parents at their farm which is close to Kyogle. They are growing fruit trees and recently started growing vegetables and collecting eggs from their...
Honey Chicken and Baked Spring Rolls – Cooking Class 1
My sisters and I have wanted to join a cooking class to learn some new cooking techniques and recipes as well as meeting a few new people and having a great time. Although with...
Portuguese Custard Tarts
Fresh home-made creamy thick custard with flaky buttery pastry… who could resist? I doubt many people at all (except perhaps my brother). Even people who wouldn’t normally like...
Chorizo Roast Chicken
Most people love a roast chicken. Unfortunately I’m not normally one of them. I often find it a bit dry and a bit plain. So when I found this recipe in the delicious Magazine...
Carrot Cake
Happy Birthday Nick! Carrot Cake - HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK! Nick loves carrot cake. So when I asked him last year what cake he would like me to make for his birthday, he replied “A...