Oriental Fried Noodle Salad

1 pkt (100g) Changs Original Fried Noodles 
½ Chinese cabbage (wombok) 
6 green onions, sliced 
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted (or peanuts)

Dressing
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup castor sugar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup oil

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a saucepan. Stir well over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Cool. Toss the cabbage, chopped green onions and almonds in a salad bowl. Add dressing and mix well. Just before serving add the noodles and toss thoroughly.


Option: add 300g shredded chicken or pork.

via

Mocha Brownies with Caramelised White Chocolate Ganache

Mocha brownies
170 g unsalted butter
170 g dark chocolate
1 Tbs instant coffee
3 large eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar (180g)
3/4 cup plain flour (100g)
3 Tbs cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 20cm square baking tin. In a medium bowl set over a small pot of simmering water, gently melt the butter and chocolate together. Stir in the instant coffee then set aside to cool. Beat the eggs and caster sugar together until pale and thick - they should form smooth ribbons when lifted with a spoon (about 3-5 minutes). Add the melted chocolate mix and fold in to fully combine. Sift over the flour, cocoa and salt, and fold to just combine. Pour into the baking tin and bake for 20-25 mins or until just set and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with some moist crumbs (not completely clean). Cool to room temperature.


Caramelised white chocolate ganache
300 g white chocolate
1/2 cup cream (125ml)
1 tsp vanilla paste
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 130°C. In shallow rectangular baking dish, break up chocolate into small pieces (no need to line the dish). Place in the oven for 10 mins, then remove and stir (the chocolate will be white and melted at this point). Bake for about another 50 mins to 1hr, removing and stirring about every 10 mins, until the chocolate is a deep brown. Your chocolate may seize and crumble, especially if it has less than 30% cocoa (most supermarket brands have less). Don’t worry! Just keep stirring until it is a nice toffee caramel colour. Tip into a medium bowl. Heat the cream until it just bubbles at the edges (but don’t boil it), then pour over the caramelised chocolate. Stir with a whisk until you get a smooth ganache. If there are still some small white chocolate granules, use a blender to get it smooth, but won't make much difference to end product. Stir in vanilla and salt. Place in the fridge to cool until almost set but still spoonable (a thick Nutella-like consistency). Beat until lighter in colour, thick and frosting-like. Spread over the cooled brownie base.
Trouble shooting: If it's still quite liquid and doesn't lighten when beaten or ever seems to split (get oily)- refrigerate for 10mins then beat again. More trouble shooting tips.

Tastes great after being refrigerated to firm up. Cut once set.


Via The Brick Kitchen 

Fernwood Recipes

Zesty Prawn and Spinach Spaghetti

Lemon Chicken with Yoghurty Quinoa Salad

Lentil and Beef Salad

Lamb Chops with Couscous Salad  

Via Fernwood Fitness magazine

Mexican Beef Burrito Wraps

2 tsp olive oil

500g minced beef 
½ tsp chilli powder 
½ tsp ground cumin 
½ tsp Beef Stock Powder 
1 pkt French Onion Soup Mix 
1¼ cups water 
310g can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 

torillas 
grated cheese 
avocado
tomato
lettuce
sour cream

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the beef and brown over a high heat. Stir in chilli powder, cumin and Beef Stock Powder. Combine the French Onion Soup Mix and water. Add to the pan and bring to the boil, stirring. Add the kidney beans, then simmer, uncovered, over a low heat for 10 mins, stir occasionally. Place meat mixture along centre of each tortilla. Top with cheese, tomato, avocado, lettuce and sour cream. Fold the tortilla over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll up firmly.

via

Dad’s Japanese Salmon

500g salmon

2Tbs soy sauce

2Tbs mirin

1-2tsp sugar

tsp chilli flakes

2 eggs

Tbs sesame seeds

tsp sesame oil

1 Tbs ginger

3 cloves

Sesame oil

Snow peas

Beans (or broccoli)

Udon noodles

Cut up salmon into cubes. Combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar and chilli and marinate salmon for at least 20mins. Whisk together eggs, sesame seeds and oil and pour into circle to fry. Once cooled, roll up and cut into rounds. Fry sesame oil with garlic and ginger. Strain salmon and cook. Add marinade, veges and noodles. Serve with egg rounds on top.

Quiche

1.5 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup milk
4 large eggs
1 cup diced ham
1/2 cup frozen corn
2-3 spring onions, sliced
1 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 180C and lightly grease a pie dish. Press pastry into the pie plate, folding over, stretching and squishing until it fits, trimming if desired. Sprinkle ham, corn and spring onions on top of pastry. Whisk together milk and eggs and pour mixture over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 25-35 mins until pastry is golden brown and eggs are completely set.

Apple Slice

1 cup plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
250g butter 
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg, whisked 
stewed apple

Preheat the oven to 180C. Sift together the plain flour and SR flour then stir in the sugar. Rub the butter into the flour mixture. Add egg and mix into a firm smooth dough. Divide the dough into two. Roll out one to fit into a greased lamington tray. Spread the stewed apple over the top. Top with the rolled out other half of dough. Score the top sheet of pastry into desired slice serving sizes. Bake for 25 mins. Allow to stand in tray until cold.

Stewed apple
Peel, core and dice 6 apples into about 1 to 2cm cubes. Add apples, 4 Tbs water, 2 Tbs sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon to a saucepan. Bring to boil with lid on. Simmer until softened.

Via

Pretzels

1 cup milk
1 packet active dry yeast (7g)
3 Tbs brown sugar, packed
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus for kneading 
140g unsalted butter
1 tsp fine salt
1/3 cup baking soda
2 Tbs coarse salt

Warm the milk and sprinkle in the yeast. Let the yeast soften, about 2mins. Stir in the brown sugar and 1 cup flour with a wooden spoon. Soften butter and stir into the mix. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and the fine salt to make a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 mins. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1hr. Preheat the oven to 230C and grease a large baking sheet. Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. (If the dough seems tight, cover and let rest until it relaxes.) Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 75cm rope. Form each rope into a pretzel shape. Dissolve the baking soda in 3 cups warm water in a shallow baking dish. Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Bake until golden, 10mins.
Makes 8
Food Network


To double recipe don't double yeast.

To brush soda solution:
1/4 cup water
1 tsp baking soda via

Make Ahead 
Pretzels baked without salt can be frozen for up to 1 month. Spray the frozen pretzels with water and sprinkle with salt before reheating in a 135°C oven until warmed through, about 10mins. via

Chocolate Coconut Self-Saucing Pudding

1 cup plain flour 

2 tsp baking powder 

2 Tbs cocoa powder, plus 2 Tbs extra

1/4 cup desiccated coconut

1/4 cup caster sugar 

40g unsalted butter, melted 

1/2 cup milk

1 egg 

vanilla

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa and a pinch of salt into a large bowl, then stir in the coconut and caster sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, milk, egg and vanilla with a wooden spoon, then mix with the dry ingredients. Pour the mixture into a greased ceramic pudding dish. Sprinkle the extra cocoa and brown sugar over the pudding, then carefully pour 1 cup boiling water over the top. Bake in the oven until the centre has puffed and the pudding feels firm – this should take about 40-45 mins.

Delicious.com.au

Yakitori

Chicken Yakitori

500g chicken breast fillets
1/2 cup mirin
1/4 cup recap manis
1tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 green onion, sliced

Slice chicken into thin diagonal strips; thread strips loosely onto skewers. Place skewers, in single layer, in large shallow dish. In a small jug, combine mirin and kecap manis. Pour half the marinade over skewers; reserve remaining marinade. Cover; refrigerate 3hrs or overnight. In a small saucepan, simmer reserved marinade over low heat until reduced by half. Meanwhile, cook drained skewers on heated oiled grill plate (or grill or barbecue) until chicken is cooked through. Serve skewers drizzled with hot marinade and sprinkled with sesame seeds and onion.


Salmon with Thai flavours

1 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1Tbs fish sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped vietnamese mint
1/3 cup finely chopped coriander
2 zucchini (240g)
400g piece salmon fillet
2 Tbs lemon juice, extra
1 Tbs peanut oil

Combine juices, fish sauce, sugar and herbs in small bowl. Cut ends from zucchini; using vegetable peeler, slice zucchini into long thin ribbons (you need 24 ribbons). Remove all skin and bones from fish; slice thinly into 24 long slices. Loosely weave zucchini ribbons together with a slice of fish onto skewers. Place skewers, in single layer, in large shallow dish. Add citrus mixture, cover; refrigerate 3hrs or overnight, turning occasionally. Place skewers on serving platter; drizzle with combined extra juice and oil. Alternatively grill before serving.

via Womens Weekly, Party Food and Drink

Choc Dipped Jam Shortbread Biscuits

125g butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 egg
vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup cornflour
jam
chocolate

Beat the butter and together. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add the flours and knead to combine. Wrap the dough in plastic and keep in fridge for 30mins.  Separate into tsp sized balls and press into oval shapes. Mark biscuits with fork. Cook in oven 180C for 10-15mins till slightly cooked. Melt chocolate over a double boiler. When biscuits cool down, sandwich 1 tsp of jam between two biscuits and dipping melted chocolate.

via Youtube

Ham, Feta and Spinach Frittata

8 eggs 
1/2 cup thickened cream 
Salt and pepper 
100g Danish fetta, crumbled 
10 cherry tomatoes, halved 
20g baby spinach
1/4 cup spring onion, chopped 
150g Double Smoked Ham, sliced 
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded 
Salad, to serve
Tomato relish, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a baking dish with baking paper. In a medium sized bowl, add the eggs, thickened cream and salt, whisk until combined. Add all other ingredients, except the mozzarella and combine. Pour mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake for 25 mins or until cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 mins before removing from the tray and serving with salad and relish.

Serves: 6
via

Spinach Dip

1 Pkt frozen spinach

1 onion, chopped

1 tub sour cream

1 pkt spring onion soup mix

1 cup mayonnaise

Mix spinach and onion together over heat until warm. Mix soup, sour cream and mayonnaise together. Add semi-warm spinach mixture to soup mix. Mix together and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold (nice in cob bread case).

Vanilla Custard

1 cup milk 
1 cup thickened cream 
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks 
1 Tbs cornflour 
1/3 cup caster sugar

Combine milk, cream and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until hot (do not allow to boil). Remove saucepan from heat. Whisk egg yolks, cornflour and sugar in a heatproof bowl until well combined. Slowly pour hot milk mixture over egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 15 - 20 mins or until custard thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon (do not allow custard to boil, as it might curdle). Serve custard warm or cold over stewed fruit, pancakes or crumbles.

Rhubarb Dream Bars

Crust
1 cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, room temperature

Filling
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups diced rhubarb

Preheat oven to 180C. Line the bottom of an 20cm slice pan with baking paper bringing it up the sides so that it will be easy to remove the squares after. Combine the crust ingredients in a food processor and then press into the prepared pan. Bake for 15min. (crust will still remain very pale in colour.) Meanwhile mix together eggs, sugar, flour and salt and whisk well. Stir in rhubarb. Pour onto the hot crust and continue to bake for 40-45min. Let the bars cool and remove with the parchment paper. Cut into squares.

via Noshing with the Nolands

Tapioca Pudding with Mango

1 cup water 
100g brown sugar 
3/4 cup seed Tapioca 
1/4 cup (60ml) coconut cream 
1 Tbs vanilla extract 
Pinch of salt 
1 tin mango slices 
2 Tbs shredded coconut, toasted

Bring 1 cup water to boil in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and cook until sugar has dissolved. Cook over medium heat and reduce until syrupy. Bring a large saucepan of water to boil and add seed tapioca, stirring to prevent sticking. Simmer for 15mins or until tapioca is just transparent. Drain through a sieve and rinse with cold water. Stir brown sugar syrup, coconut cream, vanilla and salt through seed tapioca. Divide amongst 4 small glass and allow to set in fridge (about 2hrs). Serve topped with mango and toasted coconut.

via Mckenzie Seed Tapioca packet recipe idea