Lemon and Herb Risotto with Fried Mushrooms

1.5L chicken or vegetable stock, hot
2 Tbs olive oil
2 leeks (white part only), thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups risotto rice
2-3 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
2-3 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs parsley, chopped
2 Tbs chives, snipped
2 Tbs oregano, chopped
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
100g mascarpone cheese
30g butter
1 Tbs olive oil
200g mushrooms
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Heat oil over medium heat. Add the leek, cook 5mins, add garlic and cook further 5mins or until golden. Add the rice and stir until well coated. Add half the lemon zest and juice, then 1/2 cup hot stock. Stir constantly over medium heat until the liquid is all has been absorbed. Continue adding more liquid, 1/2 cup at a time until all the liquid id absorbed and the rice is tender and creamy (25-30mins). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in herbs, parmesan, mascapone and remaining lemon zest and juice, then cover and keep warm.

To cook the mushrooms, melt the butter and oil in a frying pan, add the mushrooms and vinegar and cook, stirring over high heat for 5-7mins, or until the mushrooms are tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Serve risotto topped with mushrooms, garnish with fresh herbs.

Best Choc Chip Cookies

½ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp salt
115g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
220g milk chocolate chunks (or combo)

Whisk together the sugars, salt, and melted butter until a paste forms with no lumps. Whisk in the egg and vanilla, beating until light ribbons fall off the whisk and remain for a short while before falling back into the mixture. Sift in the flour and baking soda, then fold the mixture with a spatula (Be careful not to overmix). Fold in the chocolate chunks, then chill the dough for at least 30 mins or overnight. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the dough with an ice-cream scoop onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 10 cm of space between cookies and 5 cm of space from the edges of the pan so that the cookies can spread evenly. Bake for 12-15 mins, or until the edges have started to barely brown. Cool completely before serving.

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Cookie Monster Cupcakes

 

I made cookie monster cupcakes for Elliott's 1st birthday, something I've seen and wanted to try. They were very easy and effective. I iced them with a regular rosette nozzle (a grass nozzle would be cool too) and used half a marshmallow and choc chips for the eyes, then put half a bought cookie on. I wanted to try Elmo too but kept it simple (next time!).

Happy 1st Birthday Elliott

While I was into the Cookie Monster I made these cookies for Christmas gifts. I made the cookies and packaged them up in blue gift bags that I had cut a cookie monster mouth shaped hole in and glued eyes on. I thought they were very effective too and the cookies are delicious!

Chicken, leek and mushroom pie

 50g butter
1 leek, cut in half and chopped
500g chicken thighs, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup (125g) corn kernels
salt and pepper
2 sheets puff pastry
 

Melt butter in a fry pan, add leek and cook until it starts to soften. Add chicken pieces, and stir constantly until chicken is brown all over. Stir in flour. Add mushrooms and corn, stir. Pour in stock and salt and pepper, simmer for 10mins. Spoon mixture into baking tray. Cover with pastry and brush with milk. Bake in oven 180C 20mins.

Alternatively, instead of pastry, cover the mix with 2 medium potatoes, sliced thinly. Sprinkle with paprika and 100g grated cheese.

Via Kinglake Cookbook

Chickern and Chorizo Paella

 

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large red capsicum, cut into 5mm strips
600g chicken thighs, cut into 3cm cubes
200g chorizo, cut into 2cm slices
200g mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbs lemon zest, grated
800g tin crushed tomatoes
200g green beans, cut into 3cm lengths
1 Tbs rosemary, chopped
2 Tbs parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp saffron threads soaked in 1/4 cup hot water
2 cups paella rice (short grain- Calasparra, Bomba or Velencia- Aborio as second choice)
3 cups hot chicken stock
6 lemon wedges, to serve

Heat olive oil in a large, deep heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add capsicum and cook, stirring, for about 5mins, remove from pan. Toss in the chicken and cook for 10mins, or until browned and remove. Cook chorizo in pan for 5mins, remove. Add the mushrooms, garlic and lemon zest to the pan, cook for about 5mins. Stir in tomato and capsicum, and cook for 5mins. Add the beans, rosemary, parsley, saffron mixture, rice, chicken and chorizo. Stir briefly and add the stock. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30mins. Season with salt and pepper, serve with lemon.

Essential Rice Cookbook, pg. 49

Construction Cake

 

 I've been looking forward to trying a digger/construction cake for a while! Myles' 3rd birthday was a perfect time for it as he loves all things digger/construction! Not sure if he was more excited to eat it or play with it!! I was nervous about cutting into the cake and what chocolates to use but it was very easy in the end and effective. I made two round cakes on top of each other, then roughly ripped some of the top off and placed it on the board. I then iced it all over (it didn't matter if cake crumbs got mixed in the icing as it looked like dirt anyway). I then used crushed choc ripple biscuits to cover the 'hole' with 'dirt', added broken honeycomb and Malteasers and placed the mini construction vehicles on. The only problem was the honeycomb shrunk due to moisture being in the fridge over night, so needs to be added last minute to keep it's colour and shape. After cutting the back of the cake off we let him play in the crumbled down bit, which he of course loved!

Beef and Vegetable Meatballs/rissoles

1 carrot, grated

1 zucchini, grated
½ cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion flakes
½ teaspoon oregano
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
500g mince

½ cup bread crumbs (optional)

Preheat oven to 220C. Mix together zucchini, carrot, oats, garlic powder, onion flakes and oregano. Add the remaining wet ingredients (egg, olive oil and beef mince. Mix well with your hands. Roll golf ball sized amounts of the mix and flatten a little so that they are like little patties. Optional roll the rissoles in breadcrumbs. Place on a lined baking tray (preferably one with a little lip so that juices don't run everywhere while baking). Bake in the hot oven for 15 mins 

Other vegetables to use: Grated parsnip, sweet potato, broccoli stalk or pumpkin

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