Chicken Coconut Curry

2 tsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1/2 onion, finely chopped (brown or yellow)

Spices
1 Tbs garam masala
2 Tbs curry powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric 

500g chicken
400ml can coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup crushed tinned tomatoes
400g can chickpeas, drained
250g pumpkin, cut into 2cm cubes
2 cups (packed) baby spinach
1/2 cup cashews, unsalted
salt + pepper

Heat oil in a deep skillet or pot over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger, cook for 2 mins until onion is golden. Add spices and stir for 1min. Add chicken, coconut milk, tomato puree and stock. Stir to combine. Add chickpeas and pumpkin. Simmer for 10mins or until pumpkin is tender, and sauce has thickened. Stir through baby spinach until wilted, then cashew nuts. Add salt and pepper. Serve over rice, sprinkled with coriander and extra cashews.

Serves 5
Easy to double recipe
via RecipeTin Eats

Appel's Pumpkin Cake

1 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
1 apple
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs flax seeds
1 cup mashed pumpkin
1 tsp mixed spices
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 1/2 cups SR flour

Simmer dates in 1 cup water. Add apricots to hot mixture then cover to cool. Add all other ingredients. Cook in loaf pan 50mins at 150C.

Minestrone

1 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, sliced
1 tsp mixed herbs
200g tinned tomatoes
2L vege stock
400g can red kidney beans, drained
1 zucchini, chopped
250g dried macaroni
Crusty bread, sliced

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, onion, carrot, celery and mixed herbs. Stir for a few minutes until the onion is soft. Add the tinned tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20mins. Add in the pasta, kidney beans and zucchini. Simmer for 15 mins, until the pasta is cooked. Serve with crusty bread. Cool leftovers quickly in sink of cold water to stop pasta cooking more.

Serves approx 6, can be doubled or more.
Adapted from bettycrocker.com

Incurdulously Gouda, Extra Tasty 3-Cheese Quesadillas

Incurdulously Gouda, Extra Tasty 3-Cheese Quesadillas 

Filling
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
500 g chicken thighs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, quartered and sliced
1 small red capsicum

Spice mix
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix all spice mix ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle chicken with 1 Tbs oil and sprinkle over spice mix, toss well to coat. Heat 1 Tbs oil in a large pan over high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 mins. Add capsicum and cook for 1 min. Transfer to bowl. Reduce to medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 Tbs oil, add chicken and cook until deep golden and cooked through. Transfer chicken to cutting board and dice. Combine with capsicum mixture.

Quesadillas
6-8 tortillas
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup colby cheese
1 cup frozen corn (optional)

Sprinkle one side of tortilla with a bit of cheese, top with filling. Sprinkle with corn and top with cheese. Fold in half. Cook quesadilla in pan or sandwich press for 4mins each side until brown and crispy. Cut in half. Serve immediately with mascarpone dip, guacamole and fresh lime (salsa optional).

Mascarpone Dip (combine all ingredients)

225g Mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup fresh chives
3/4 cup sour cream
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
salt, pepper

Guacamole (mash and combine all ingredients)
1 lrg ripe avocado
1/3 cup sour cream
juice of 1/2 fresh lime
salt, pepper

Via

Lasagne

Pregnancy Cupcakes

To announce my pregnancy to work colleagues I made marbled pink and blue cupcakes with pink or blue patty cake cases and blue and pink sprinkles. Although because the mix of sprinkles I bought was majority blue people thought I was announcing that I was having a boy (in reality I was just too tight to by more pink to even it out).

Lego Camo Cake

I was told Dom likes "anything camouflage", so I decided for Dom and Raph's birthdays to make a marble camo cake! They both also like Lego so I made it in the shape of a Lego brick, which was instantly recognised and got squeals of excitement form them both. It came out awesomely. I couldn't wait for him to cut into it! The Lego shape was created using Oreos and then iced over. So simple and effective!