Frozen Tiramisu

Last week when we made our fortnightly journey over to Mum and Dad's for dinner it was a cold, wet, windy and generally miserable evening.

All of a sudden it was like being back in the middle of winter rather then the early throws of spring and I have to say that whilst I like lying in bed listening to the rain falling outside as much as the next person, I do not like having to go out in it one little bit.

So walking into Mum and Dad's wet and severely wind blown, I was all set to get my grumpy on but then Mum put a plate of her vegetarian shepard's pie in front of me and all was right with the world again. This was one of my favourite meals when I lived at home and still is today.

Content with my happy belly I didn't really think much about what we would be having for dessert.

That was my first mistake.

Mum and Dad and Mr B and I have been having this dessert war for months now with no sign of it easing up and when Mum put this Frozen Tiramisu on the table I knew the bar had been raised.

My first clue really should have been when I phoned Dad the night before and he answered the phone with a frenzied 'I can't tell you what we're cooking for tea tomorrow night!'

 ........Ok, well I was only ringing to say hello?

Anyway, yes, FROZEN TIRAMISU!!

It was creamy and chocolatey and coffee-ey and amazing!

Frozen Tirzmisu - Serves 10-12

3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup strong black coffee
135g caster sugar
1 cup water
4 egg yolks
250g mascarpone
300ml thickened cream whipped
10-12 savoiardi  biscuitd
75g dark chocolate grated
Extra grated chocolate to serve

Grease a 1 litre loaf tin with cooking spray and line the base and sides with plastic wrap.

Place the brown sugar and coffee in a small saucepan over low heat and bring to a simmer. Once sugar has dissolved set aside to cool completely.

Place the caster sugar and water in a separate saucepan over high heat until it reaches 120C on a candy thermometer. Place egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until foamy. Whilst the mixer is still running, gently pour in the sugar syrup and beat for 6 minutes or until cooled to room temperature. Fold in the mascarpone and cream.

Dip 1/2 of the biscuits into the coffee mixture and arrange in the bottom of the prepared tin. Spread over 1/3 of the mascarpone mixture and sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated chocolate.

Repeat the layers of mascarpone and chocolate and finish with the remaining biscuits soaked in the coffee mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 6 hours or overnight. Remove the loaf from the tin and serve immediately sprinkled with extra grated chocolate and whipped cream.

And I couldn't resist cutting my piece in half to get this shot of the inside!

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Homemade Crepes

I think I have mentioned before that Mr B and I do our weekly groceries online and then collect them from the store at a set date and time. Well recently I was doing our regular online order and happily working my way through the list of things we needed.....

'pumpkin, chocolate melts, avocado, crepes.....' but when I found said crepes I couldn't believe how much they were - and not in a good way!

So I did the only thing I could do, I decided to make them myself and I was so pleased with how they turned out (aside from that minor incident when I flipped one out of the pan trying to be all cool and it landed on my thumb.....very hot crepe vs. thumb = jumping up and down whilst waving your burnt thumb in the air...) that I think our crepe buying days are over!

Basic Crepes - Makes 10

125 g plain flour
2 tablespoons caster sugar
A pinch sea salt
2 eggs
300ml milk
30g butter, melted

Place the flour, sugar, salt, eggs and 100 ml of the milk in a large bowl. Slowly add the butter and whisk together until smooth. Gradually add the remaining milk, whisking as you go to ensure there are no lumps. The batter should be perfectly smooth and very runny. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for an hour to rest.

Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan (or crepe pan if you have one) over a medium-high heat. Add 1/2 tspn of butter to the pan and allow it to melt before wiping most of it from the pan using a piece of paper towel.

Carefully pour 1/4 cup of the crepe batter into the pan and swirl it around so that it is quite thin. I used quite a large frying pan and swirled my first crepe out to thinly coat the base.....but it was far too thin and I had no hope of flipping it over so for the next one I used the same amount of batter (1/4 cup) and swirled it out to about 20cm in diameter and it worked perfectly. Cook the crepe for 1-2 minutes or until the surface is no longer shiny and the edges are starting to brown. Carefully flip the crepe over with a spatula and allow it to cook for a further 1 minute or until done.

Slide the crepe onto a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.

I had so many ideas for what I wanted to do with these crepes (and they will most certainly be re-appearing this week filled with strawberries and cream!) but their first mission was these Pumpkin and Ricotta Crepes.

Pumpkin and Ricotta Crepes - Serves 4

8 crepes
800g pumpkin, peeled, seeded and diced
250g light ricotta
500g frozen spinach, defrosted
1/4 cup parmesan
1 cup thickened cream
2 tbspns wet italian herbs
Salt and Pepper to season
Steamed beans to serve

Pre-heat oven to 200C. Place pumpkin in a large lightly greased oven proof dish and roast for 45-60 mins or until tender. Mash until smooth.

Squeeze any excess liquid from the spinach. Combine spinach, ricotta and pumpkin and season with salt and pepper.

For each crepe, spoon 1/4 cup of the pumpkin mixture along the edge of your crepe and roll up to enclose the filling. Place the crepe seam-side down into a lightly greased oven proof dish. Repeat with remaining crepes and pumpkin mixture.

Whisk the cream and herbs in a jug. Pour over the crepes. Top with parmesan. and bake for 15-20 mins or until golden.

Serve with steamed beans and enjoy!

Is there anything that you have decided to tackle yourself because you refuse to pay supermarket prices for it??

Mrs B xx

Salmon with Brown Rice, Quinoa and Vegetables

A few months ago I signed up to be a 'taste tester' on taste.com.au. It's sort of like a volunteer process where you let them know what your interests are and occasionally they might send you a product to review on their website. I am all for free stuff so even if the chance of them actually sending me something was fairly low I was still keen to give it a try just in case.....

To be honest after I signed up I didn't really think much more of it and had completely forgotten about it by the time a packet of Sunrice 90 Second Brown Rice and Quinoa showed up in the mail box which led to a very confusing few moments wondering why someone had sent me rice......

Once I got over the initial excitement at actually having been sent something to try I entered full blown panic about what exactly I was going to make with it.

After coming up with all sorts of complicated and fancy ideas, the one that was most appealing was actually the easiest one and it doesn't get much easier (or much tastier!) then this simple salmon, brown rice, quinoa and vegetable stir fry.

Salmon with Brown Rice, Quinoa and Vegetables - Serves 2

1 x 250 pkt Sunrice 90 Second Brown Rice and Quinoa
200g smoked salmon ( I use Tassall's Smoked Salmon for Cooking)
1 x head of broccoli finely diced
6 x spears of aspargus trimmed and cut into thirds
1/3 cup diced spring onions
1.5 tbspns soy sauce

In a fry pan over medium-high heat, combine the salmon, broccoli, asparagus, and spring onion. Cook for 5-7 mins stirring occasionally.

Cook the brown rice and quinoa as per packet directions.

Add the soy sauce, brown rice and quinoa to the pan and cook for a further 3-5 mins or until salmon is cooked. Serve hot.

I was really surprised at just how delicious this was but it just goes to show sometimes simple and fresh is the way to go.

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Easy Cheesy Noodle Omelettes

We are all about the easy mid-week meals around here and this Easy Cheesy Noodle Omelette has it all.

I must admit that I was anticipating this to be fairly average and was a little unsure about the pairing of noodles and omelette but was pleasantly surprised at just how tasty and delicious it was.

Looking at these photos just makes my mouth water and I can't help picturing the omelette sandwiched between two pieces of buttery fresh white bread - hello leftovers for lunch heaven.....

Easy Cheesy Noodle Omelettes - Serves 2

1 pkt Chicken 2 Minute Noodles
1 zucchini, grated
125g tin corn kernels, drained
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated cheddar

Cook the noodles as per packet directions. Drain well.

Gently stir through the zucchini, corn, eggs and 1/2 of the grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into a large non-stick oven proof fry pan over medium-high heat. Allow to cook for 5-7 mins without stirring. It might look like it's not going to set but just have faith.

Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place under a hot grill for 2-3 mins or until cheese is melted and golden. Remove from the oven and gently fold the omelette in half. Cut into two and serve with steamed vegetables or salad.

And more flowers! These beautiful roses were a gift from Mum and Dad and I just love the way fresh flowers can completely change the feel of a room.

Mrs B x

Polenta Chips and Julie's Eton Mess....

What a weekend it has been.

Three whole days off and Mr B and I have been surprisingly productive. Friday resulted in running some errands, weeding the garden and dusting the house. If you know me you will be well aware that I am not a gardener or a cleaner so for me to achieve both of those things in one day is beyond huge.

On Saturday Mr B and I had a lovely lazy morning and just as we headed out the door for the afternoon we managed to lock ourselves out of the house....

'But wait....' I said.....

 'All is not lost, we have spare keys' I said.....

And then Mr B proceeded to tell me that our spare keys were actually inside, safely tucked away in a drawer. Super useful huh?

So we proceeded to break into our own home. In record time I might add which was slightly scary. But a few window removals and one blaring alarm later we had our keys and were on our way.

Mr B spent the afternoon at an AFL Grand Final BBQ with his friends and I spent the afternoon with my Nan. It has been far too long since I've seen her and at the same time it was like I had only seen her yesterday. We spent hours and hours drinking tea, looking through photo albums and just catching up and I am so glad I finally made the effort.

And today has been a kitchen day - I made crepes and I am not ashamed to say I danced around the kitchen with joy when they worked out.

Now onto recipes. Last Tuesday night Mum and Dad served up a stellar menu of Polenta Chips with Black Rice and Asparagus followed by Eton Mess....the main was delicious and comforting, the dessert was light and decadent and it was all shared with 3 of my favourite people - what more could you ask for?

Polenta Chips - Serves 4

1.5 cups chicken stock
1 cup instant polenta
280g jar char-grilled antipasto vegetables, drained and finely chopped
1/3 cup parmesan

Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm square pan.

Combine two cups of water and stock in a medium saucepan over moderate heat and bring to a simmer.

Slowly whisk in the polenta in a thin steady stream until combined. Whisk and cook for 5 minutes or until polenta is thick and comes away from the sides of the pan. Stir in the vegetable and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into the prepared pan and level the surface. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Remove the polenta from the pan and cut in half. Cut each half into 6 pieces. Heat 1 tbspn oil in a fry pan over medium high heat. Add the polenta chips, cooking for 2 mins on each side or until golden.

We had ours with steamed asparagus and black rice, but you could serve these with pretty much anything - or even have them on their own for an afternoon snack!

And what fabulous meal would be complete without a fabulous dessert?

A few weeks ago Mum and Dad made a Strawberry Eton Mess for dessert which was delicious but Mum wasn't 100% thrilled with it and had some ideas to make it bigger and better.The end result was a cross between a trifle and an eton mess and I have to say it was spectacular!

Julie's Eton Mess 

1 pkt Raspberry Jelly Crystals prepared as directed
100g Mini Vanilla Meringues
600ml Thickened Cream, whipped
500g fresh raspberries
White Chocolate and Ice Cream to serve

Break up the jelly and spoon into the bottom of your trifle bowl.

Top with mini vanilla meringues, half of the cream and half of the raspberries.

Repeat layers with the remaining cream and raspberries and finish the whole thing off with some shaved white chocolate.

Serve with some vanilla ice cream and enjoy!!

As you can see from the way he is scraping the leftovers out of the serving bowl Mr B was absolutely NOT a fan...

And last but not least a look at some of the beautiful tulips that have popped up in our front garden this week.

I will never forget walking out the front door last year to find one of our lambs in the garden and when I called out to her Blossom whipped her little head around to show me a mouth full of newly bloomed tulips! It was hilarious but sadly the end of our tulips for that year.

Luckily this year the lambs are in the back paddock so we can enjoy the beautiful colour for a little longer.

Mrs B xx

Cinnamon Blondies

Last weekend I learnt a lesson.

Actually I learnt two lessons....possibly even three.

You see normally I ask Mr B what he thinks of the slice / cupcake / biscuit / random creation I'm going to make for his lunches and regardless of whether he says yes or no....I kinda tend to make it anyway.

95% of the time it works out really well and despite his original protests, he ends up enjoying the finished product....

....which means that the remaining 5% of the time Mr B protests for one reason or another, I make it anyway and for the aforementioned reason Mr B refuses to touch it with a ten foot pole....

And for some reason I get all offended and upset that he won't eat whatever it is that I have slaved over even though he made it very clear he wouldn't like it.

Lesson number 1 - Pay more attention to your husband. If he says he doesn't want a Wagon Wheel Slice then he doesn't want a Wagon Wheel Slice.....

Thank god my Dad loves EVERYTHING I make and is always happy to accept donations of misguided baked goods. .

Anyway so basically on Saturday I spent the day in the kitchen, making cheese, baking slices and re-baking slices.

On Saturday afternoon Mr B and I had planned to go down to the wharf and see all of the Tall Ships that were currently docked there, but by the time we managed to head down there it was a bit later then we had planned and I was absolutely exhausted and generally thinking we should just give it a miss, but we had both been looking forward to it so much so I persevered....even when it started to rain.

And do you know what?

The rain cleared up and we had the loveliest time.

Lesson Number 2 - Don't be a sad sack. Make the most of every single second.

Mr B and I spent the afternoon (and well into the evening) wandering around the wharf, jumping on and off the various tall ships and exploring all they had to offer.

There were so many beautiful ships and being able to go on board and have a look at them was a real treat.

Mr B even found his next vehicle!

And when we boarded the last ship, Mr B simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to climb the mast.

Mr B was all kitted up with a harness and was soon making his way up the rope ladder to the crow's nest.

I decided to remain on the ground for 'photography' purposes.

Safe and sound at the top and taking a moment to enjoy the view.

Can you spot him?!

This was the second slice I made on Saturday afternoon after we decided that the Wagon Wheel Slice was going to live with Dad.....

I was super impressed with how dense and chewy these came out and love the more-ish cinnamon flavour!

Cinnamon Blondies

1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
115g butter
1 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 170C and line a 8x8 inch slice tin with baking paper.

Place the butter, brown sugar and caster sugar into a microwave safe jug and heat in 40 second bursts until butter is melted.

Using an electric mixer, combine the butter mixture with the flour, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat until combined. The mixture will be very thick.

Spread mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 30-35 mins or until golden around the edges and set. Allow the blondies to cool completely before removing from the pan.

If you wanted to you could top the cooled blondies with a vanilla buttercream but Mr B wasn't interested in that and given my track record for ignoring his requests and it backfiring on me, I thought I better actually listen this time. However in saying that, they were delicious just as they were.

And do you know what - my Dad sent me a txt message this morning saying that he loved the Wagon Wheel Slice and that he gave some to his workmates to try and they loved it too......as it turns out it wasn't a failure, it was a success.

Lesson Number 3 - Always get a second (or third!) opinion and never delete your awesome photos assuming the recipe isn't good enough for the blog prior to gaining said second opinion....

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx

Neapolitan Icecream and Nutella Crunch Cake

It struck me a few weeks ago that it has actually been quite some time since I made dessert for just Mr B and I. 

Each Monday night I used to make us something to satisfy our post dinner sweet tooth and given there is only two of us it would normally last the whole week, but lately between one thing or another, dessert just seems to have fallen by the way side and the best we have managed is a tub of ice cream. 

The only problem with that is we have no portion control with ice cream and a 1 litre tub lasts us all of two nights.....

Anyway, last week Mr B finally cottoned on to this whole lack of a real dessert caper so I thought I better get my act together. 

It still involved a tub of ice cream mind you, but I took it to a whole other level by adding loads of crunchy Nutella pieces. 

We were both slightly unsure about this dessert to start with because we were worried the rice bubbles would go all soft and chewy, to our surprise they actually stayed nice and crunchy and it turned out to be a real winner!

Neapolitan Icecream and Nutella Crunch Cake
 
2 cups Nutella
6 cups puffed rice cereal like Rice Bubbles
4 litres neapolitan ice cream

Place a large springform tin and a very large mixing bowl in the freezer to chill. 

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the nutella for 30 seconds or until softened. Working quickly, combine the nutella with the rice cereal. Mix well so that all of the cereal is coated in the nutella. 

Line a baking tray with grease proof paper and pour over the nutella mixture. Spread evenly over the pan and smooth the surface. Place in the freezer. 

Remove the ice cream from the freezer and place in the refrigerator to soften. 

After about 30-45 minutes your nutella mixture should be chilled and firm but not frozen. Cut the mixture into bite sized pieces and if necessary place back into the freezer until the ice cream has softened. You want the ice cream to be soft enough to easily and quickly stir the nutella mixture through without breaking it up too much but not melted to the point where it's runny. 

Remove the bowl and springform pan from the freezer. Combine the chocolate and vanilla portion of your neapolitan ice cream and the nutella mixture in the large bowl

Spoon the mixture into your springform pan, pressing it down firmly to ensure there are no air pockets. Top the cake with the reserved strawberry ice cream. 

Cover the tin with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for overnight. 

This cake is massive so if you are serving the whole thing at once I would suggest removing it from the freezer about 30-45 minutes before serving and placing in the refrigerator to soften a bit. If however you decide that rather then sharing it you will savour a slice every night for as long as possible I would suggest cutting your desired portion and letting it sit at room temperature for maybe 5 mins before you tackle it. 

Enjoy!

Mrs B xx