Prosciutto & Spinach Wrapped Fish

Ingredients (serves 4)
250g yellow squash, thinly sliced
2 bunches asparagus, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 slices prosciutto
8 large English spinach leaves, trimmed
4 (150g each) boneless white fish fillets (such as ling or blue-eye)

Method
Preheat oven to 230°C/210°C fan-forced. Place squash, in a single layer, in a large baking dish. Top with asparagus. Drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Place 1 slice prosciutto on a chopping board. Top with 2 spinach leaves. Place 1 fish fillet on spinach. Wrap prosciutto around centre of fish. Repeat with remaining prosciutto, spinach and fish.
Place wrapped fish, seam-side down, on asparagus. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish is just cooked through. Serve.

Notes & tips
I didn't use any squash because I don't really like it. Due to ratty looking spinach at the time, I used baby spinach leaves and I had 2 slices of prosciutto per piece of fish.

Blueberry & Sour Cream Cake

• 225g flour
• 175g butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp sour cream
• 200-400g blueberries (if using frozen, defrost first)
• 3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 160°C and lightly grease the sides of a spring-form tin and place baking paper in the base.
Sift flour and caster sugar into large bowl. Add butter, baking powder, vanilla extract, sour cream and eggs. Mix until smooth.
Add blueberries and stir/fold in gently.
Pour mixture into tin and bake on fan-forced for 45 minutes (some ovens may vary, keep an eye on it). Remove sides when tin is cool enough to touch and cool cake (being under a fan will dry it out).

Icing

• 200g soft philly cheese
• 100g icing sugar
• 100ml sour cream

Beat soft cream cheese, icing sugar and sour cream with electric beater, until smooth. Spread over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to set.

Avocado & Crisp Prosciutto Pasta

2 avocados (peeled, deseeded and cubed/sliced)
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
600g fresh spaghetti (or 4 portions dried spaghetti)
1 cup basil leaves (roughly torn)
8-10 slices prosciutto (grilled until crisp and broken into shards)
100g smoked salmon
100ml Greek yoghurt
1 cup shaved parmesan cheese

1. Heat a large saucepan of water over high heat until boiling.
2. Add pasta and cook as per packet directions, or until al dente. Drain and refresh.
3. Return pasta to saucepan and add avocado, yoghurt, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper stirring on low heat to combine.
4. Once heated through add basil, crispy prosciutto and smoked salmon.
5. Serve with shaved parmesan cheese.

Chicken and Thai Basil Stir-fry

2 tbsp peanut oil
600g chicken thigh fillets or tenderloins, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
2 small chillies
4 fresh kaffir lime leaves
1 medium brown onion
100g mushrooms, quartered
1 tin bamboo shoots
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup of Thai basil leaves

1. Heat half of the oil in wok, stir-fry chicken in batches, until browned all over and cooked through.
2. Heat remaining oil in wok, stir-fry garlic, ginger, chilli, lime leaves and onion until onion softens and mixture is fragrant. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until mushrooms just tender.
3. Return chicken to wok with sauces and stock, stir-fry until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat; stir through sprouts and basil.
   
   Per serving: 15.9g total fat (3.5g saturated fat); 1367kj (327 cal); 9.2g carbohydrates; 35g protein; 3.4g fibre

Divine Dip

This is a pretty full on dip, but very well worth it!

Serve it Nice and cold! Makes a large dip!

Ingredients- Have all these cold as possible

2 Jars Salsa

3 Avocados, diced up! or mashed if it happens that way XD

1 Large Spanish onion, finely Diced

3 Large Tomatoes, finely diced

300 mls light Sour Cream

1 bottle of Coleslaw dressing

500gm grated cheese

2 packets of Dorito Chips or rice crackers..

Method

This Dip is made in Layers

Combine the Sour cream and coleslaw dressing together..

Bottom Layer* Pour in 2 jars of Salsa

* then add diced Onion and Tomato- spread it out..

*Then layer with the Advocado

* Layer with the Coleslaw/Sour cream mixture

Place into the fridge to get really cold (freezer works too, but just for a little bit)

When serving- add the cheese on top..

Eat with the chips/ crackers! and enjoy.. really really yummy!! It does cost abit, but it feeds alot.. and is very filling... do with friends, makes for fun and good eating times!!

Spinach Cob Dip

Right, I swear on this, so if you have not yet made it. Do it. Do it. Do it. I promise you, you wont regret it!!!!

Easy peesy.

Ingredients

1 Cob Loaf, not sliced

1 french stick

1 packet Spring Vegetable Soup mix

1 tub of Philly cheese

300 mls Light Sour Cream

250gm Spinach- usually the frozen small box works great. Heinze have a new product- Spinach finely chopped in freezer section- works excellent.

Method

Pre- Heat oven to 170 degrees 150-160 for fan forced

Get your spinach and defrost, either leave out for a bit or do in microwave.. When defrosted, place into a clean tea towel, bring up the sides and twist down together, keep twisting to wring out the moisture in the spinach. This is really important, if you don't do this, the dip will be a runny mess.

get a nice big bowl and combine wrung out Spinach with Sour Cream, Philly and spring Vegetable packet. Combine well.

cut a hole into the top of your Cob loaf, and gut it.. Making sure to leave the walls and floor of the cob in tact. Beak up the bits of bread.

Fill your cob shell with mixture, and place onto a large baking tray. Around cob place your bread dipping bits. Cut up the french stick and place around as well, for extra pieces.. you'll need them ;)

Place in oven for 30 mins or until dip is warmish... it will go a little more fluid when its cooked perfect. Its not really served hot.. as if it gets too hot the mixture goes very weird and become more like putty and hard to eat.

My tip- just check it every so often, turn if need be and give a stir to help evenly warm through :)

When done, get in first and eat it XD LOL

Shepards Pie

Very simple, but has great taste.

Pre Time 10 mins, cooking 25mins Serves 4.. ( I find it could do more than 4)

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbspn Olive Oil

1 Medium Chopped Brown Onion

I Medium Carrot chopped finely ( Little cubes works good)

1 Stalk Celery, chopped finely

1 kg Lamb Mince ( really economical- I usually can pick it up for about $7)

1/4 Plain flour

1 1/2 cups Beef stock

1/2 Barbeque Sauce

1/2 Tomatoe sauce ( if you have run out use 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste)

1/2 Cup Frozen Peas

1 Cup Cheddar Cheese

approx- 4 Large potaoes made into mash :)

Method

Peel and cut your potatoes, get your carrots, celery and onion preped..Start cooking your spuds for the mash

*Heat oil in large deep pan/ Sauce pan; Cook Celery, Onion and Carrots till soften and goes slightly brown

*Add Lamb, keep mixing with wooden spoon to break up the meet and cook for about 5 mins till well browned

*Add the Flour, stir in and cook for 2 mins

*Gradually add and stir the beef stock, followed by the sauces.

*Add the peas, then simmer uncovered for 10 mins

While the meat filling is being cooked- Make your Mash as the spuds should be cooked by now :)

When your meat filling is done- add to a large oven proof dish. Top with the mash and add the cheese on top.

Put under a grill until the cheese gets a lovely browness to it :)

really easy, simple and my family loves it.

You can add more veggies to the mix, it's really up to you!

* I was thinking of adding some herbs.. but alittle unsure.. rosemary might work really well.. a thought for next time!

Sand Cake

Ingredients

125g Butter

3/4 Cup Caster Sugar

2 Eggs

1 Tbs Cornflour

1 Cup SR Flour

1/4 Cup Milk

1 tsp Lemon essence

* I like to add a few drops of yellow food colouring to cake mix, just to make it feel more lemony =)

Lemon icing (optional)

60g butter, softened

2 lemons, rind finely grated

2 cups icing sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C.

Line a greased 9cm x 21cm (base measurement) loaf pan with non-stick baking paper or cooking spray.

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Using electric beaters, beat for 6 minutes until pale and creamy. Spread evenly into the cake tin. Cook for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Stand for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the icing, place the butter and lemon rind in a small bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon until well combined. Gradually add the icing sugar and lemon juice, mixing until well combined. Spread over the top of the cold cake.

Quick Quiche with French Salad

Quiche

4 Large Eggs

1 Onion (finely chopped)

1/2 Cup Grated Cheese

4 Rashes Bacon

1/2 Cup SR Flour

1 1/2 Cups Milk

Serves 4

• Beat eggs in separate bowl.

• Mix all ingredients together

• Pour into a well greased flan.

• Bake for 30 mins at 180 degrees or until set.

* You can use pretty much filling you want to use, I often add chicken & mushrooms, and slices of tomato on top for decoration.

Salad

Lettuce

1/2 Spanish Onion

6-12 Cherry Tomatoes halved

1/4 Medium Cucumber

6-8 Snow Peas Chopped

French Dressing

2 Tbs White Vinegar

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Tps Crushed/Minced Garlic

2 Tps White Sugar

Salt & Pepper

* You can pretty much add whatever you like, this is usually what we have in ours =)

Its a pretty simple meal - but tastes damn good, and (as the heading suggest) is rather quick to make

Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

This happens to be my fav roast chicken dish. Due to the time constraint I don't cook it often enough, and I like to share it so I leave it for people coming around. Stolen from my good friend Henna's Blog, it is truely amazing.

Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

for the chicken
1 large chicken
1 large lemon
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon of rosemary, dried and ground
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of honey
1 tablespoon sea salt
some olive oil
chilli to taste

for the potaoes
1 kg of potatoes
1 large lemon
200 ml olive oil
1 heaped tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon of rosemary, dried and ground
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sea salt
chili to taste

Cut the zest off the lemon, chop it very finely. Quarter the remaining lemon along its length.
this is desperately irritating to do. I peel then chop the zest finely, it takes forever...

Mix the spices and the lemon zest with salt and honey; add some olive oil so the rub will be moist but not too runny.
I find this gets messy as I stir with my hands.

Rub the chicken with the spice mix, using all of it. Stuff the peeled and quartered lemon inside the chicken’s chest cavity.
use it all, it just adds flavour to the spuds if it falls off in cooking

Leave the chicken to rest.
Half an hour is fine, two hours or three is better.

Meanwhile, clean the potatoes if necessary, and cut (unpeeled) into wedges.
I peel the spuds out of habit

Mix the lemon juice, the olive oil, spices, honey and salt.
Spice with a little chilli if you like, but normally the lemon alone will have enough zing to keep things interesting.
have never added chilli, will have to try it!!

Put the potatoes in a big bowl and toss with the dressing until they are evenly coated.
messssssssy

Pour the potaoes onto a high-rimmed baking tray (or into a large oven dish), the chicken on a gridiron above them and put into the oven at about 180°C. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes (or more for bigger batches), and turn once or twice so both the chicken and the wedges have a chance to brown evenly on all sides.
now henna says all the liquid in the tatas should disappear, but I can never get it to. This means they dont crunchy up like they should, but are still so fricken yummy

Take out of the oven and leave to cool for a moment, then serve.
the most amazing chicken roast EVA!

Lamb with Tomato Mint Raita

I love Indian food and this recipe will entertain your taste buds! Its simple, quick and easy, not to mention low fat.

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons ground Cumin

2 teaspoons ground Coriander

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 cups (375ml) Low fat Yogurt- natural set.

Cooking oil spray, or just oil

2 small tomatoes- 260gm- Seeded and chopped finely.

1 Tablespoon finely shredded mint leaves ( I find dried works really well if you can get ahold of fresh)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

9 lamb fillets or one bone chops- even 70ogm diced Lamb works well in this recipe. the choice

is really up to you.

(skewers if your using Diced Lamb)

Packet of Puppodoms, mini ones work well. ( your choice to use these)

Lettuce, cucumber, salad to your liking.

METHOD

Combine, cumin, coriander, garlic and half the yogurt, in a large bowl; add Lamb, coat with yogurt mixture. Place in the fridge..

Prepare a light salad lettuce and cucumber go really well with this. But make to your likes and place in fridge.

Take out Lamb in Marinade and cook Lamb on heated oiled grill plate, or BBQ. (fry pn if nothing else is available :)) until brown, or until cooked to your likely- keep brushing any left over yogurt marinade in the bowl over the Lamb. Don't use the other half of the yogurt to do this :) Also- if using diced Lamb, I find it really easy to make Skewers.. It cooks really easy, especially on a BBQ and then all you do is slide the meat of onto your salad.

While thats cooking- combine remaining yogurt, tomato, mint and juice in a small bowl.

make your Puppodums! (easy way is to spray with cooking oil or coat with oil, zap in microwave for 30sec to a minute each puppodum)

Put your salad in bowl, place meat on top, poke a Puppodum in the side and drizzle Tomato Mint Raita over the top.

Simply Yum!!!!!!

Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes

This is a Brilliant and very affordable Dinner, with extreme YUM YUM factor. Definitely not a great deal healthy.. swap the butter for olive oil- and remove skin from chicken to make healthier if needed :) And maybe take out bacon...lol

This recipe comes from the Womans Weekly cookbook, however slightly altered to suit taste ect.

Prep time- 10 mins Cooking Time- approx 40 mins

INGREDIENTS

8 Chicken Drumsticks

4 medium Potatoes, Peeled and quartered (use baby potatoes if you wish too)

8 thin slices of butter

1/3 cup of melted butter

2 Bacon Rashers, chopped coarsely

2 cloves garlic ( 2 tspn minced garlic works too)

2 Tablespoons of Rosemary

1/4 cup of Green olives (from deli or jar is fine)

Lemon wedges

METHOD

*Pre-heat oven to 240 Degrees/220 Degrees for Fan Forced

*Slightly peel back the skins on the chicken, cut 2 deep slashes in each Drumstick. Then place a pinch of the garlic on the meat, followed by a slither of butter. Pull up the skin over the top of the butter and garlic to cover.

*Place Chicken Drumsticks and potatoes into large deep baking dish. Add the rest of your garlic to the melted butter and brush this over the potatoes, sprinkle all with Salt and Pepper.

*Roast uncovered for 30 mins approx.

*Take out and add Bacon, and Rosemary, bake for another 10 mins or until browned and the skin on the Chicken is nice and crispy.

*Add the olives on top, then serve.

*Serve with lemon wedges if you like, our family doesn't mind the flavour, its personal choice.

ENJOY

Mel's Cookies!

So, my first recipe to contribute is my chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies! The initial recipe comes from taste.com.au which I altered slightly. My comments are in italics

Chocolate Chip and macadamia cookies

Preparation Time

10 minutes

Cooking Time

20 minutes

Ingredients

• 150g softened butter
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate bits
• 1/2 cup halved macadamias
  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick paper. Beat 150g softened butter, 1/2 cup caster sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and well combined. Beat in 1 egg.
   my oven's dicky as so i heat to 180 and keep a close eye on them
   
2. Stir in 1 3/4 cups plain flour in two batches. Stir in 1/2 cup dark choc bits and 1/2 cup macadamias until evenly distributed. Spoon tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on the lined trays. Press down slightly.
   Keep a handful of chocy-bits to put into the top of the cookies. just looks nicer.
   
3. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until light golden and cooked. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
   Depending on how my oven's feeling depends on how long this takes. I check at the 15min mark to make sure the bums aren't burnt. Goldern brown is good and they harden a little on cooling, sometimes o.O
   

FAB :D

Excellent work mel! This is fantastic and the perfect solution for our cooking adventures! Me likes!

Love the look too!!

Hmm now to get cracking on some good old recipes!

Tasha xo

First post by Mel

Just testing the waters as this is mine and Tashie's cook book!!!! Lets see how it goes?