The Mighty Barra Burger!

It's been awhile since I posted one of Mum and Dad's Tuesday night specials but last week Mum told me she had something special planned and she doesn't disappoint!!


This golden toasted delight was filled with melt in your mouth barramundi, herb and garlic feta and juicy tomatoes - so good!!!

It's Thursday morning and I'm sitting here in bed eating some stewed apples and vanilla yoghurt, thinking about getting up and going for a jog / walk / stumble around the back paddock and trying not to think about the rest of the day really. I have specialist appointments this afternoon to try and find out whats going on with my iron levels because everyone seems to be totally baffled by the fact that they keep dropping no matter what we do. I think the next step is a hospital stay and some procedures which to be honest I'm really not looking forward to, but just have to wait and see what they say I suppose.

In some lighter and brighter news I got my easter moulds in the mail last night and OH and I have been experimenting with lil eggs and bunnies and I can't wait to show you all our easter goodies! I got some lollipop moulds too and I'm gonna try making some actual lollipops which should be interesting, just need to invest in a candy thermometer first!

Oh and I promised OH I would put his steak, caramelised onion and potato spectacular up as well!! Salt and pepper steaks were heaven!!


I'm off to pipe some crosses on my hot cross cake balls!! But more on them in the easter goodies special!!

Em xx

Tomato, Basil and Bocconcini Chicken with Polenta

This one had been lurking in the recipe folder for some time, I was just unsure about the bocconcini (never tried it) and the polenta (it always blows up on me) but overall it did sound like a nice dish...just kinda hoped someone would do all the hard work for me! But seeing as I have waited and my personal chef hasn't shown up, I thought I better give it a go myself!

All you need is:

1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
2 tspn crushed garlic
2 tspn crushed basil
500g chicken breast fillets, (you could thinly slice them into 4 x thin fillets or I just sliced mine into stir fry kinda style strips)
100g bocconcini thinly sliced
2 cups skim milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup instant polenta (cornmeal)
Some spicy red sauce if you have some handy :)

Preheat oven to 190°C.

Heat tomato in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add garlic and basil simmering for a further 1 minute. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Spray a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil spray. Heat over high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Arrange the bocconcini over the chicken and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken is in the oven bring the milk and stock to the boil in a saucepan over high heat. Gradually add the polenta in a thin steady stream, stirring constantly until combined. If you don't stir it constantly it tends to kinda pop and explode....Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for 6-7 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Season with salt, pepper and some spicy red sauce, or even a tbspn of your tomato mixture from the chicken, just to tie the flavours in.

Divide the polenta among serving bowls. Top with the chicken mixture and serve.

This is a really delicious dish and whilst it does involve a few elements to make, it is well worth it!

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Em x

Pear, Raspberry and Coconut Loaf

I figured this week it was time to start baking with some of the lovely (yet cheaper) fruit available and I have never cooked with pears before so this Pear, Raspberry and Coconut Load was a perfect choice. I just had a slice fresh out of the oven with butter and it is absolutely gorgeous :) plus it has no butter in it so it's nice and low fat too!


All you need is:

2 cups self raising flour
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
270g light coconut milk
vanilla essence
1 cup frozen raspberries
2 pears, peeled, cored and diced.

Pre-heat oven to 180C (fan forced) and grease and line a loaf tin.

Combine the flour, coconut and caster sugar in a bowl.

Add the eggs, coconut milk and vanilla and stir well.

Stir in the raspberries and pear, but don't over stir.

Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf tin and bake for around an hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Equally good served warm with butter or as a treat in the lunch boxes!

Enjoy!

Em x

Low Fat Creamy Mushroom Pasta

I have avoided pastas with creamy sauces for years, living in fear of the calories and the fat, plus for some reason I really do just prefer a pasta with a good tomato sauce. But anyway, I found this recipe for a low fat version of Pasta Boscaiola, roughly translated means pasta with mushrooms, and it sounded delicious plus I had a hankering for pasta with a lovely creamy sauce that wasn't too rich so I had my fingers crossed that this might be it!

All you need is:

250g pasta
1 x onion (diced)
2 tspns crushed garlic
125g 98% fat free short crust bacon diced (rind removed)
200g button mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 cup dry white wine
250ml tub of light cooking cream (I used the Philadelphia one)

Cook the pasta as per packet directions, I used spaghetti and just chucked it in a big pot of boiling water while I made the sauce.

Spray a large fry pan with non stick oil and add the onion, garic and bacon. Cook for 3-4 mins or until onion has softened.

Add mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 mins.

Add the wine and bring to the boil. Stir in the cooking cream and make sure everything is well combined.

Allow the mix to simmer for 5-6 mins, season with salt and pepper if desired.

Check your pasta, if it's ready, then drain and return to the pot. Pour the sauce into the pot and stir well to combine.

This dish serves 4 and it is spot on. It's not too rich or too creamy, but just a lovely light meal that both OH and I really enjoyed (and it's rare that a full fat meat loving man will agree with this little calorie conscious vegetarian girl!)

Hope you all enjoy as much as we did!

Em x

Maple and Date Cake

Ohhh this is such a lovely, light, delicious and moist cake. Works for a morning / afternoon tea or for dessert drizzled with extra maple syrup and cream....oohhh yum yum yum!!

Maple and Date Cake

This made two normal sized round cakes :)

100g butter
200g pitted dried dates, finely chopped
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup water
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup extra maple syrup

Preheat oven to 200°C and grease two round cake tins or 1 loaf tin.

Place the butter, dates, maple syrup and water in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 3-4 mins (or until the butter is melted) stirring every 60 seconds.

Once the butter is melted and everything is combined, remove from the micorwave and stir in the milk.

Stir flour into the date mixture. Add eggs and stir until just combined. Don't overmix though - the mixture should be lumpy (from the dates...not from your flour!)

Spoon mixture evenly into the prepared pan(s) and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until browned and cooked through when tested with a skewer.

Turn cake(s) onto a wire rack and drizzle with the extra maple syrup while still warm so it soaks in.

Enjoy!

Em x

Hoisin Chicken

So when I was doing the grocery list this week I handed the recipe folder over to OH and told him to pick something. He chose this Hoisin Chickenand I admit I was abit dubious about trying it because I dislike ginger but it was FAB-U-LOUS!



All you need is:
2 x chicken breast
1 tbspn Hoisin Sauce
1 tbspn Soy Sauce
1 tbspn Honey
1 tspn Garlic
1 tspn Ginger

Comgine all ingredients excpet for the chicken in a bowl. Add the chicken breast and coat well. Leave in the fridge to marinate for several hours.

When you are ready place the chicken in an oven proof dish and pour sauce over.

Bake for around 20 - 25 mins at 180C (fan forced) or until the chicken is cooked.

Baste with the sauce half way through cooking time.

Serve with steamed green beans and creamy mashed potato!

Yum yum yum!!! I also think this marinade would be delicious in stir frys as the flavour combination just works together so well. There are some strong flavours in there but in actual fact the ingredients all seem to balance each other out.

Enjoy

Em x

St Patrick's Day Goodies

So I searched and searched for an Irish recipe to make for St Patrick's Day and just couldn't find anything that really grabbed me, so then instead of looking for an irish recipe, I started trying to think of a green recipe and I remembered seeing a green vegie stir fry over at The Adirondack Chick and decided to put my own twist on it :)

1 x brocolli diced
1 x zucchini diced
100g baby spinach
1 x onion diced
10 x snow peas diced
1 x greeb capsicum diced
200g tin of water chestnuts
2 tbspns honey
1 tbspn soy
220g thin hokkien noodles

Pre-heat a wok over medium heat and add onion. Cook for 2-3 mins or until softened. Add all remaining vegetables except for the spinach and cook for 7-10 mins or until softened.
Pour boiling water over the noodles in a bowl and seperate with a fork. Drain and set aside.
Add honey, soy and noodles to the vegetables. Cover with a lid and simmer for 5 mins.
Season with salt and pepper. Yum yum yum!!

Also for a little St Patrick's Day treat, here is my recipe for Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting! (It makes heaps, which is lucky, coz you end up eating most of it before it's time to ice the cake!!)

.5 cup of Irish Cream Liqueur (I used Feeney's, but you could also use Bailey's or Kilkenney)
200g butter
2-3 cups icing sugar
2 tbspns cocoa

Combine the butter and icing sugar in an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Add the cocoa and liqueur and beat for 3-4 mins. Now here is where your judgement comes in. Get a tspn and grab a small spoonful and try it, check it for thickness and texture and add more butter / liqueur / icing sugar / cocoa depending on how it's going or you might be happy with it as in, in which case you can frost away or hide in the wardrobe with the bowl and a spoon until it's all gone!

Happy St Patricks Day everyone!

Em x