Sharing a meal....

Is there anything better then sitting around a table with a group of people you love, eating good food and talking about anything and everything? I don't think so.

Is there anything that helps old friends re-connect like devouring hot party pies and sausage rolls, buckets of tea and fresh from the oven apple and blueberry muffins? Nope.

To me, there is just something about having a table full of fresh hot food, a group of loved ones and the digging in and story telling and laughter and understanding that follows. It just can't be beaten.

Last Tuesday when Mum and Dad came for dinner, I decided to put my thinking hat on, and came up with Tapas...Balmer style....(which roughly translates to Tapas....with lots of cheese!)

Our 'humble' platter was made up of

- a loaf of thick white vienna bread which I sliced, fried and topped with mozarella cheese

- mushrooms stuffed with a mix of fetta, spinach and lemon juice;

- baked haloumi

- peppers stuffed with cream cheese

- risotto balls stuffed with mozarella

- polenta coated fried tomatoes

- roasted rosemary and sea salt potato bites

Now the surprise of the evening was the polenta coated fried tomatoes for me. I was a bit worried about how they would turn out, but when paired with a piece of fried bread and some gooey mozarella, they were the stand out of the night for me. And they were so easy....slice a tomato, dip the slices into egg and then coat in polenta, fry in hot oil and season with salt and pepper...couldn't be easier!

And you know, you could make all of this, park yourself on the couch with something alcoholic and the latest season of Game of Thrones or True Blood or whatever floats your boat, but to be honest, the secret ingredient in this dish, is sharing it with people who make you laugh, people who make you happy, people who will listen to the stories of your crappy day and make you forget all about it! And if those people are extra super duper special...you might make them a creme brulee too!

 

Hope you are all having a fantastic weekend!

Mrs B xx

Sausages with Roasted Onion, Tomato and Polenta

Do you ever go through those periods where ingredients just seem to stock pile in your cupboard and you can't for the life of you come up with a use for them? And then all of a sudden you have a real rush on them and basically use your whole supply over the course of a few days?? That happened to me this week.

I have a bag of polenta sitting in the cupboard that has been mocking me for weeks now and to be honest, I had hidden it right up the back so I could no longer see it. All of a sudden this week I needed it to go with these sausages for dinner Monday night and I needed it for dinner Tuesday night - is it international polenta week and no one told me?! Never mind, with this dish we showed that bag of polenta who's boss!

Sausages with roasted onion, tomato and polenta

Serves 2

You will need:
1 tbspn oil
1 onion (diced)
2 tspns crushed garlic
200g tomatoes (diced)
4 thick beef sausages (or you could use any type of sausages - vegetarian, pork, veal etc)
Salt and Pepper
2 cups beef stock
100g polenta
1/2 cup grated cheese or 50g parmesan (whichever you prefer)
1 tbspn butter

Pre-heat oven to 190C.

Add oil, onion and garlic to a roasting pan and place in the oven for 3-5 minutes.

Add the tomato and season with salt and pepper. Roast for a further 10-12 minutes until the tomato starts to break down.

Add the sausages and nestle them down into the tomato sauce. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes or until the sausages are cooked.

When you add the sausages to the roasting pan, get started on your polenta - throw the stock and polenta into a medium saucepan over medium heat, bringing to the boil. You will need to stir the polenta continuously with a wooden spoon, it will get an attitude and start to spit if you don't keep stirring it! Once the liquid is all absorbed and the polenta is smoother and creamy, stir through the cheese and butter and set aside.

Serve sausages on a bed of polenta with a generous amount of the roasted onion and tomato sauce.

This is a really nice easy, modern and tasty take on your average 'bangers and mash' dinner and perfect for those cold winters nights!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Mrs B xx

Eastern Potato and Lentil Bake

Another weekend has come and gone, and again I find myself curled up in bed far too early on a Sunday night, but it is just TOO cold to do anything else!

Last night Mr B and I had tickets to see Miss Pole Dance Tasmania and as it turns out, Mr B's sister and her partner were going as well, so we all decided to meet up beforehand and go to one of our favourite little restaurants, Amigos. Not only do they do the best mexican food, but they make awesome margaritas, ranging in size from regular to fishbowl to 1 litre jugs (which of course the boys had to try!)

After dinner we made our way to the show and I tell you what we were all completely enthralled all night, some of the things these girls could do were nothing short of amazing and required some serious strength! It was a lot of fun to watch and definitely made me wish I had kept going to the classes. I have a pole set up in our spare bedroom and it's great fun and great at building your strength up, but if I was still going to classes I would also be learning new tricks and moves as well. I think I will have to either look at going back to classes or really committing to spending more time practising at home!

This morning Mr B spoilt me with eggs, bacon, toast and coffee in bed - it was really raining hard outside and it was lovely sitting up in bed reading the paper with a beautiful breakfast! Plus he added a local product called Bush Dust (which is made of macadamia nuts, bush tomatoes, herbs, spices and Tasmanian native pepper) to the eggs and they were amazing!

We paid some more money off our new furniture today too which is very exciting, I can't wait to see how it all looks when we finally get it home. And then this afternoon we went to the movies to see Ted and eat choc-tops and popcorn and drink frozen fanta and generally just chill out. This weekend has gone way too fast, but for a change, we weren't so crazy busy that it passed us by, we actually got to enjoy it.

So you have had a great weekend yes?

And you don't want to come home after work on Monday and think about what you have to cook? Let alone spend hours in the kitchen? Have I got the meal for you!

Eastern Potato and Lentil Bake Serves 4

You will need:
1 cup red lentils
1 onion, chopped
2 tspns crushed garlic
1 tsp curry powder
Now I used 1 tspn of Bush Dust here too but you could also use 1 tsp ground coriander and 1 tsp ground cumin instead.
1 stick celery, chopped
2 cups of chopped pumpkin
4-5 small / medium potatoes, peeled, diced and cooked
1 tbspn soy sauce
1 freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra light sour cream
3/4 cup low-fat grated cheese

Pre-heat oven to 180C

Place red lentils in a microwave safe dish and cover with water. Heat in the microwave for 7-10 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring frequently. Drain

In a lightly greased frypan over medium heat, add onion, garlic and spices. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until onions are soft

Add the celery and pumpkin and cook for a further 7-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender

Add the cooked potato, lentils, soy sauce, pepper and sour cream. Mix well to combine

Transfer the mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is golden

And you know what - this is totally one of those dishes that is even better the next day...you don't even have to heat it up, eat it straight out of the fridge...with a fork...or a spoon....whatever takes your fancy!

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Mrs B xx

Mixed Berry and Oat Slice

It is a rainy Saturday morning here, Mr B and I were up early in between showers to feed the lambs and then we jumped back into bed with a cuppa and some fruit toast and watched the rain roll in across the property. It was all snuggly and peaceful and lovely.....and then I kicked Mr B outside to do some work, while I stayed here to write in the blog....ahhh the joys of being able to work from the comfort of a warm bed! 

Anyway, earlier in the year when Mr B and I were on our mini-moon, we stopped at a local honey farm and I may have got a touch excited with the variety of products they had available. You could get honey in every flavour you could imagine, strawberry, raspberry, caramel, lime, cajun, chocolate, mocha....it was all happening. At the time I showed next to no restraint, made at least 3 trips to the register and we came home with an abundance of honey including vanilla, raspberry, lime and cajun honey....some honeycomb...and a beeswax lipbalm. Fast forward nearly 6 months and we have sampled them all, but we still seem to have alot of honey in our cupboard and as with most things that sit in our cupboard for more then a month, I have been eyeing off the raspberry and the lime versions to use in some baking. I think the lime one would make a beautiful coconut and lemon slice, but for the meantime, I had berries on my mind! 

I wasn't sure how it would work out, like if you would notice the raspberry honey in this slice, but it just lends itself to a beautiful subtle flavour that I think works really well - and of course if you don't have access to raspberry honey, normal honey will work just fine. 

Berry Oat-y Slice

125g butter
2-3 tbsp of raspberry honey
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup dried fruit (I used a mix I found at the supermarket of strawberries, cherries, goji berries and sultanas)
1/4 cup skim milk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 160 (fan forced)

Line a slice tin with baking paper.

Place butter and honey in a small bowl or jug (microwave proof) and heat in 45 second bursts until melted and combined. Sit aside to cool slightly.

Combine flour, coconut, caster sugar, oats and berries in a bowl.

Lightly beat egg and milk and add to dry ingredients, along with the butter mixture. Stir to combine.

Press the mixture into the pan using the back of a spoon.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool and then remove from pan and slice. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or in the cupboard.

Mrs B xx

Apple Pie Muffins

Flying visit today everyone as it has been a huge day and I am super tired and in desperate need of a nap before the lambs have their night time feed. 

First of all - huge big exciting news - after 12 months of studying my bum off (despite the fact my bum seemed to do nothing but expand during this period) today I passed my final assessment which means I passed my course and now have my Management Diploma! So many times I was ready to throw it all in but I'm so glad I stuck at it and even more relieved it's done....although the scariest part is that I'm actually really excited about getting started on my Advanced Diploma now......breathing in too many fumes you say? Yes I tend to agree, but excited nonetheless! 

Anyway, enough about that, you know how sometimes people say things taste like something else, but then they are nothing like the real thing.....these Apple Pie Muffins are totally not like that, they are the perfect combination of a light, moist, soft fluffy apple and cinnamon cake topped with even more apple and of course, a beautiful brown sugar crumble.....and you know what? I bet they are mighty delicious heated up with a dollop of extra thick cream too!

Apple Pie Muffins.....

For the muffins
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
1.5 tspns cinnamon
2 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 large or 4 -5 small apples cored and diced (enough to give you around 2 cups)

For the crumble
1/2 cup rolled oats
3 tbspns brown sugar
40g butter softened

Preheat the oven to 200 C and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners.

Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Add the oil, egg and milk and stir gently to combine.

Stir through 1 cup of the apples.

Fill the muffin mixture into the liners until they are roughly 2/3 full

Now in a small bowl or jug, combine the oats, brown sugar and butter. Use a fork to mix it all together.

Top the muffins with the remaining apple and sprinkle with a generous amount of crumble.

Bake for 20-25 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Happy Wednesday everyone

Mrs B x

Chocolate Honeycomb Marshmallow Bites

It has been pretty busy around here lately, with not alot of time for baking - now normally that would be followed with lots of foot stamping, fist shaking and grumbling.....but not when this is the reason for your lack of kitchen time...........

Our two little orphan lambs, Loud Mouth and Blossom are taking up a lot of our time with feeds at all hours of the day and night, and to be honest, when we are not feeding them or feeding ourselves, Mr B and I are flat out catching up on sleep.....but look at those little faces, they are totally worth it. 

So I thought I would stop by quickly, while Mr B is having a nap and I have some time before the littlies are due for their next bottle (listen to me sounding all mother-like!) to tell you all about these quick and easy Chocolate Honeycomb Marshmallow Bites, because let's be honest, I'm all about quick and easy at the moment....

Chocolate Honeycomb Marshmallow Bites

You will need:

1 x 250g pkt of Scotch Finger biscuits

190g block of Cadbury Crunchie chocolate(You could substitute a block of Turkish Delight or Black Forest chocolate in this for something a bit closer to rocky road if you preferred.)
200g milk chocolate melts
60g copha
2 cups mini marshmallows

Place the scotch finger biscuits in the food processor or the blender and pulse until there is just crumbs and no big chunks. 

Combine the chocolates and copha together in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 40 second bursts stirring in between until everything is combined. 

Stir through the biscuit crumbs and marshmallows. Have a sneaky spoonful of the mixture now because it's full of gooey chocolate honeycomb marshmallowey goodness..........

Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 24 hole mini muffin tray and place in the fridge for a few hours to set. 

Ta-Da - easy and delicious!

One thing I did manage to achieve over the weekend was making this cake to take into work today.....chocolate cake sandwiched together with caramel whipped cream, drowned in dark chocolate ganache and topped with some little caramel cake decorations.....it was decadent, indulgent and just what the office needed on a Monday morning! 

Happy Monday everyone!

Mrs B x

Chocolate and Caramel Dacquoise Terrine

It has been a big week in our house, Mr B has been struck down by the flu, we have become an instant family after adopting 2 abandoned lambs and now I have a cold so all in all Mr B and I are very much looking forward to catching up on some sleep this weekend!

Before I descend into a Sleeping Beauty like slumber for the next 48 - 60 hours, let's talk dessert. There is not much that can be said about this dessert besides the fact that it totally kicks butt, it ticks boxes, it scores brownie points, it does the works. 


It's basically 3 sheets of chocolate meringue sandwiched together with caramel whipped cream and chocolate ganache.....I know, right?!

Now I will admit I was scared of this dessert because the last time I tried to make meringues for Mr B's lunches they turned out flat and horrid and generally not meringue-ey. But I was determined to give it a go and so glad I did!!

For the Meringues you will need:

4 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
2 tbspns cocoa powder

Preheat your oven to 150C / 130C fan-forced and line three baking trays with baking paper. I suggest spraying them with cooking spray too. 

Beat the egg whites with your electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and cocoa and beat until sugar has dissolved and stiff peaks form.

Spread the meringue mixture onto your trays so that you have 3 even rectangles.

Bake the meringues for roughly 45 minutes or until they are dry to touch. Turn off the oven and allow them to cool with the door ajar for around an hour.

For the Ganache you will need:
200g dark chocolate melts
3/4 cup thickened cream

While the meringues are cooking, combine the chocolate and cream in a bowl and microwave in 45 second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth and combined. Place in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.

For the Caramel Whipped Cream
1.5 cups thickened cream + 1/2 cup extra
1/2 cup icing sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

Combine the brown sugar and 1/2 cup thickened cream in a microwave safe bowl or jug. Heat for 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth.

In a bowl, combine the remaining cream, icing sugar and caramel mixture. Beat using a stick mixer until thickened. Place in the fridge until ready to assemble.

To Assemble -

Now, I made all of this the night before I wanted to serve it. The ganache and cream are fine in the fridge overnight and I just left the meringues in the switched off oven with the door closed overnight and it seemed to keep them nice and fresh.

When you are ready to put it all together, remove your meringues from the baking paper - I just inverted the trays and found the baking paper peeled off them really easy.

Start by placing one meringue on your serving platter or tray. Spread with just under half of your ganache. Top with half of the whipped cream. Place another layer of meringue on top and repeat layers. Finish by drizzling the remaining ganache over the top and serve!

This dessert is beautiful when it's fresh, but also makes delicious leftovers when the meringues have been in the fridge overnight and come out nice and chewy!!

Although I do suggest not leaving it on the table while you and your guests are trying to have dessert - nobody was entirely thrilled when I, despite having a bowl of dessert in front of me, kept eating spoonfuls straight off the serving platter - just one of many benefits in being the cook and the host!!

Enjoy your weekend!!

Mrs B xx