Traffic Light Frittata

In my spare time when I'm not baking, solving the world's HR problems or trying to at least be a semi-decent country housewife, I am the lucky (or some may say unlucky) person in charge of the Health and Wellbeing program where I work. All I do is organise events, programs, guest speakers and put out a regular newsletter and to be honest, I really enjoy it, in a short time we have achieved some really positive things like a communal fruit bowl and regular walking groups and we although we have only had one guest speaker so far, we have a few more lined up with some really interesting topics like vehicle ergonomics and how to read and understand food labels at the supermarket. Anyway, to try and keep it interesting I always include some different things in the newsletter like facts, tips, cartoons and, of course, recipes and I also make sure each edition has a different theme - for example our last one was Vehicle Safety so the recipes I included were  Traffic Light Jelly Cups, Tuna Traffic Light Kebabs and a Traffic Light Frittata! 

I am going somewhere with this, trust me. 

Several nights ago Mr B and I set out to Mum and Dad's for our regular weekly dinner and as usual Mr B had spent all day trying to find out what we were having with no success - he likes to know in advance if we are having something lentil / tofu related so he can fill up on 'normal' food during the day! When we arrived at Mum and Dad's look what we were met with........

The Traffic Light Frittata! 

I always give Mum and Dad a copy of the newsletter I put out so they know I do more then just drink coffee and harass the staff at work, so I was really pleased when they decided to make one of the recipes out of it for dinner. And I know what you're thinking - sometimes frittata's can be eggy and average and highly un-exciting, but believe me with this one you will be pleasantly surprised - for a little frittata, it is packed full of flavour! 

All you will need is:

1 red capsicum (diced)

1 zucchini (grated)

1 sweet potato (diced)

6 eggs (whisked)

1 onion (diced)

2 cups baby spinach

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 cup reduced fat grated cheese

Pre-heat oven to 170C and grease a quiche / oven dish

Saute capsicum, spinach, sweet potato, garlic and onion in a frypan with a small amount of olive oil.

Scatter mixture over the base of your quiche / oven dish. 

Mix zucchini, eggs and cheese together. Pour over the vegetable mixture and cook for 25-30 mins or until golden and set. Serve with boiled spuds and / or salad and enjoy!

On a side note, we are now entering a week of baking madness.....let me show you how my week looks:

Tonight (Thursday) - Chocolate cake for work tomorrow

Saturday - Hot chocolate cupcakes for RSPCA Cupcake Day donations, Cinnamon Roll Muffins and a Blueberry Blondie Cheesecake Slice for Mr B's lunches

Sun / Mon - Spectacular pool cake for the blog's 2nd birthday

Wednesday - Date cupcakes with rum frosting and toffee sauce for RSPCA Cupcake Day donations

Chocolate Cake - Check!

Wow!!! RSPCA Cupcake Day has come around quick! Just like last year I am making a batch of cupcakes for anyone who donates $20 or more and I'm really happy that only 2 days in I already have my first 2 donations. This year I am hoping to raise over and above last year's total of $500 - it can totally be done. Plus I have been promising Mr B cinnamon roll muffins for his lunches for a long time now and it's about time I came good...but then I found an awesome recipe for a baked cheesecake slice topped with a blueberry blondie and it was just too tempting to pass up so I'm making that too....and the blog's 2nd birthday is fast approaching and that requires a birthday cake...I looked at fancy cakes and pretty cakes and scary meringue things and then I decided maybe I was getting too tied down in doing something big and fancy. I have always always always wanted to make a pool cake like this one out of the Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book so that is what I'm going to do - with a few of my own twists added along the way! 

So much baking!!  But for right now I think I'm just going to enjoy sitting in bed with my cup of tea and my 100's and 1000's freddo and not think about it! 

Hope you are all having a fantastic week

Mrs B xx

Cheesy Polenta and Bean Slice

Polenta is a fantastic ingredient that I always have on hand in the kitchen, it's versatile, easy and when it's done spitting at you from the stove top, it's down right tasty! You can also use it to make this Tomato, Basil and Bocconcini Chicken or this Creamy Polenta or even these Roast Vegetable and Polenta Stacks.

Here is a recipe Mr B and I tested out on Mum and Dad last week

Cheesy Polenta and Bean Slice with Pearl Couscous and Roast Vegie Salad. 

For the Cheesy polenta and bean slice you will need:

4 cups of vegetable stock

1 cup of polenta

1.5 cups of cheese - I used Kraft Mexican Blend which includes Queso Quesadilla, Cheddar and Colby Jack cheeses

400g can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Grease and line a small slice tin. 

In a large saucepan, bring the stock to the boil and gradually add the polenta. Stir continuously for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens - be careful because it will spit at you if you stop!

Remove from heat and stir in half the cheese and beans. Now if you wish you can add some 1/2 tspn chilli or 1 tbspn taco mix here for added flavour, but you don't have to either. 

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight to set.

When you are ready to serve the polenta, remove it from the pan and place on a baking tray. Cut into 6 slices and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for around 20 mins or until the cheese is golden.  

Now for the Pearl Couscous & Roast Vegie Salad...

You will need:

2 zucchini sliced
1 red capsicum diced
250g cherry tomatoes halved
150g button mushrooms sliced
1 sweet potato chopped into 2cm cubes
1 red onion diced
250g pearl couscous
2 cups of vegetable stock

Pre-heat oven to 180C.

Place zucchini, capsicum, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion and sweet potato in a greased baking dish. Roast for around 40 mins, tossing about half way through.

When the vegies have been cooking for 30 mins, place the couscous and stock in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and let them simmer for around 15 mins or until the couscous is soft. Drain any remaining liquid.

Combine the couscous and vegies in a large bowl and if you want you can drizzle with some lemon juice, but again, that's totally up to you.

Now I think this couscous would be lovely for a meal on it's own and you would get 4 mains out of this recipe, or you could serve it on the side with your polenta and it should do about 6 serves.

Enjoy!


Mrs B x

Pineapple and Coconut Slice

See I told you I wouldn't make you wait long! 

It all started a few days ago when Mr B and I were at the supermarket. I was scouring the dried fruit section looking for my 'go-to' mix of mango, blueberries and cranberries but alas they were all out, so I hesitantly asked Mr B if he would eat dried apricots in a slice...the look he gave me was enough to know the answer was not so much 'no', but 'hell no'. Just when I was about to give up and buy him a jam roll off the clearance table, he piped up with a very meek 'but I do like dried pineapple....' 

It wasn't until I got home and thought about it that I realised I wasn't entirely sure what to do with dried pineapple. A quick google search only gave me a million web sites on how to make dried pineapple or how to make dried pineapple flowers, which looked fascinating, but not quite what I was after. Luckily Mr B had gone to a poker game for the evening so I had plenty of time to figure it out. 

I was thinking slice and I was thinking pineapple and coconut so I decided to have a play around with a recipe for Almond Slice (obviously minus the almonds) and you know what, it turned out pretty good! 

For the base you will need:

1/2 cup brown sugar

125g butter (melted)

1 cup plain flour

Pre-heat oven to 160C. 

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and press into the bottom of a lined and greased slice tin. Bake for 12- 15 mins.

While that is baking make your topping...

For the topping you will need:

1/4 cup milk

90g butter 

1/2 cup dessicated coconut

1/3 cup brown sugar

200g dried pineapple 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 3 minutes, stirring half way through. Give it a good stir and microwave for a further 60 seconds. 

Pour over the cooked base and put back in the oven for 10-15 mins. 

When it is done, let it sit on the counter to cool before you try and slice it.

This slice is so yummy, with it's brown sugar shortbread base and chewy pineapple and coconut topping, it doesn't matter if you have it hot out of the oven with some whipped cream or straight out of the fridge, it's delicious either way! 

Mrs B xx

Carrot and Vanilla Cake

It is relatively early on Sunday evening here, but it has been such a big weekend and Mr B and I are absolutely exhausted so we are sitting in our warm cosy beds, trying to keep our eyes open for just a few more minutes!

It all started Friday morning, Mr B and I were fortunate enough to have the day off work and the sun was shining so we decided to make the most of it.....what better way to do this then with a road trip!?

We headed east towards an area called Strathgordon, which is about an hour and a half / two hours drive from where we live, and to get there you go through some of the most beautiful forest scenery you will ever see. Once we got to the end of the road (you literally drive until you get to the end of the road!), we were able to walk out and across the Gordon Dam. The Dam is 140m high, just several metres higher than the Sydney Harbour Bridge (134m), and holds back thirty times the amount of water in the Harbour itself! But the facts and figures are nothing compared to the view.......

On our way home we called into Maydena because we had heard about a volunteer project called Railtrack Riders. Some members of the community have gotten together and built these pedal powered railtrack carts so you can pedal your way up the old railway track through the forest. And best of all, if you get tired, the guide comes up behind you on his cart and gives you a push! Once you reach the end of the track there is a display of old photos taken in Maydena when the forestry business was booming and the guide tells you all about them and the history. After this you go for a quick walk through the forest and they tell you to keep an eye out for the local platypus. Now it was about here I started to complain, loudly, about how I had never seen a platypus in the wild and how I hate it when people tell you to just keep an eye out for one! Next thing I knew, Mr B was jumping up on a log laying across the river and waving his arms about like a crazy man. My first thought was that he had a) lost his mind and b) if he didn't stop jumping around he would fall in the water but then I saw what all the fuss was about - the platypus was there! He was a cute lil bugger and we watched in awe and admiration until he got sick of us and disappeared into the water. Mission accomplished, we made our way out of the forest and back to our railtrack cart for the ride back. It was such a unique experience in such a beautiful location, and it was so much fun!  

To top the day off, we went out for dinner to a place called the Salamanca Beef and Seafood Grill. We have been there a few times and never had a bad meal, this time Mr B had a 1kg steak topped with prawns and scallops and I had Tasmanian Salmon topped with basil pesto and camembert and we finished the whole thing off with a gelato tasting plate - doesn't get much better then that. 

Yesterday we were up early, and wearing head to toe fluro wet weather gear, and out in the elements planting trees around our fence line. My Mum and Dad have been digging these trees out from their new property and were kind enough to give them to us. We got maybe 10 in and then had to pack it in as Mr B was going to watch the local football and I had heard whisperings of a new cake decorating shop I wanted to check out. Shortly after I arrived at the shop I had to phone Mr B and advise him I would be moving in as I was now home and would he come visit me. He said no so that kind of spoilt that idea, but I was very pleased and excited about the shop and all their goodies! Definitely going to become a favourite of mine and I'm thinking it may just be easier to have my pay sent straight to their bank account every fortnight! 

I managed to pick Mr B up and feed him a veal parmigiana before taking him to a poker game (quite the social butterfly this weekend isn't he!) which meant I got to spend the evening in the kitchen baking. After cranking out enough chutney and cheese scrolls to last a life time, I also whipped up a pineapple and coconut slice using dried pineapple and it is to die for....stay tuned and I will put the recipe up in the next few days!

All of this leads us to today....Mr B and I were up early again, planting 19 more trees in the wind and the rain and the cold. But it was worth it, assuming they all survive they will be a lovely border around our property and provide some much needed shelter and privacy. After that Mr B and I had just enough energy left to make a much needed cup of tea and put a big pot of pumpkin soup and some fresh bread on for dinner. It has been a huge weekend but we have achieved a lot which is always nice. 

Do you know what else is nice - Carrot and Vanilla Cake! And it's perfect to have on hand for those busy weekends when you get unexpected visitors or your just too busy to make your own lunch and need something you can grab on the run! 

This cake was really easy - mainly because I cheated. If you want to, you can make all the components from scratch, but if you don't, it's ok to cheat! 

All you will need is

1 pkt carrot cake mix with vanilla icing

1 pkt moist vanilla cake mix with vanilla icing

Prepare and bake carrot cake as per packet directions in a 9x 6 round tin.

Prepare and bake vanilla cake as per packet directions in a 9x6 round tin. 

Combine both icing sachets and prepare as directed. Set aside. 

Once the carrot cake is cooked, remove from the tin and place cake into a bowl. Set aside.

Once the vanilla cake is cooked, remove from the tin and cut the top of the cake off so it is nice and level. Place the off cuts in the bowl with the carrot cake.

Now, get your hands in there and combine the carrot cake and the vanilla cake off cuts. Make sure it is all well combined. 

Take a round 9x6 cake tin and line with baking paper. Push the carrot cake mixture into the tin ensuring even coverage. Spread the cake with a thin layer of vanilla icing. Place the vanilla cake on top and leave in the fridge for a 2-3 hours.

Remove cake from tin, pour over the remaining icing and sit down with a cup of tea and a well deserved slice of cake!

I know it sounds a little fiddly, but it's really not that time consuming and let's be honest, the only thing better then carrot cake is carrot and vanilla cake!  

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend however you chose to spend it!

Mrs B x

Prawn and Rice Noodles

You know how sometimes you just get a craving for something out of the blue? And you just can't rest / enjoy another meal until you've had it? 

Well that was me last week. 

All I wanted was some Singapore Noodles with Prawns.....and I don't even eat prawns! 

Ridiculous I say, but none the less, took up the challenge and set about making this recipe for Prawn and Rice Noodles I had floating around my recipe folder. 

You will need:

250g rice vermicelli noodles

5 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 tspns crushed garlic 

300g medium green prawns, peeled and deveined, with the tails removed

1 medium tomato, diced

2 cups roughly shredded wombok (Chinese cabbage)

1/4 cup Hoi Sin Sauce

2 tbspns soy sauce

1 egg, lightly beaten

Place noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish. 
Heat a wok or fry pan over medium-high heat and spray with cooking oil. 
Add eschalots and garlic. Stir-fry for 1 minute or until softened. 
Add prawns. Stir-fry for 3 minutes or until prawns are just pink. 
Add tomato and wombok. Stir-fry for 1 minute or until heated through.
Add noodles, hoi sin, soy and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. 
Add egg. Stir-fry for 1 minute or until egg is cooked and Ta-Da! 


Just like that, you have created a delicious dish that people will think came from the local chinese takeaway, not from your very own kitchen!

This recipe made enough for Mr B and I to have a GIANT bowl each...but in reality it would easily make 4 normal sized meals. 

Craving satisfied. 

Happy Wednesday everyone!!!

Mrs B xx

Sunday night musings.....

Well another weekend has come and gone before we even knew it had arrived!

It all kicked off on Friday night, poor Mr B was exhausted and asleep on the couch by 5pm so being the good little house wife I am, I left him a steak and some chips out on the bench ready to be cooked and took myself out to dinner with the ladies from work.

We went to a restaurant called The Drunken Admiral down on the waterfront. It's a fantastic little seafood place and the atmosphere and menu there just go hand in hand with a great night out. The meals did not disappoint with everyone oohing and aahing over everyone else's mains. I had pan fried blue-eye rubbed with Indian spices and served with coconut rice and mint yoghurt - totally as good as it sounds! Just when we thought we could not be anymore satisfied......they brought out the dessert menu. A few of us decided to share the 'Undecided Dessert Plate' which was supposed to be a dessert tasting plate to serve 2 people and every night they change what is on it. Ours came out with some lemon curd (that tasted like the perfect lemon meringue pie filling), a twist on a summer pudding (which was a lovely fruit jelly topped with a vanilla bean custard), some chocolate mousse topped with shaved chocolate and a bowl of macadamia ice cream....excuse me while I slip blissfully into dessert heaven!! (Thanks Netty for the photo!!)

  

Saturday was a bit cold and miserable so Mr B and I organised a lunch / shopping date with his Mum and sister. First thing's first though, we had to feed our lil babies...........

At the moment we have 13 sheep staying in our back paddock and 5 of them are ready to have lamb's any day now! It is quite funny to see all their little personalities come out and the way they follow us around (like sheep!!) when we go for a walk up there.  

Lunch was lovely too - I didn't have the camera with me, but I had the biggest pineapple fritters I have ever seen.....it also didn't hurt that the pineapple was soaked in rum and vanilla before it was battered either! 

After lunch we were people 'with no purpose,' as Mr B's Mum put it, but somehow we managed to cover a fair bit of ground (and shop up a storm while we were at it!). By the time Mr B and I got home it was dark and time for dinner and a warm bed! 

As for today, well this morning I woke up and thought it was Monday, then I thought it was Thursday, then I thought maybe Friday....eventually I figured out it was Sunday so I got up and got Mr B and I some brekkie in bed - only way to spend a Sunday morning, lying in bed with a coffee and some hot buttery english muffins!

When we managed to drag ourselves out of bed, we went to visit some friends of ours who have recently had a little bub. I have been trying to restrain myself, but couldn't hold out anymore, there was a cute, newborn little baby with my name all over it for hugs! He was a gorgeous little boy and slept peacefully the whole time we were there (cluck cluck!!)

A quick trip to the supermarket later and the only thing left to do for the day was dive into the kitchen. I whipped up these Date and Banana Muffins using the recipe for my Date Loaf and I just added 2 chopped bananas into the date mixture before I microwaved it. These are really delicious and I can't wait to try one with some butter and a cup of tea!

Sheppard's Pie for dinner....ssshhhh don't tell the sheep!!

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend 

Mr and Mrs B xx

Mr B's Chicken Involtini

Is there really anything better then sitting down at the end of a busy day to a delicious meal? How about a delicious meal that someone else cooked? Don't get me wrong, I love being in the kitchen, but I am also quite partial to putting my feet up while someone else is in the kitchen on my behalf - don't we all? 

When Mr B said he was going to just 'whip up' some chicken involtini for dinner a few nights ago I was mainly just grateful for the opportunity to curl up on the couch with a blanket and play on the computer. Little did I know I would be presented with this......

...........I think he may have been showing off a little!! 

Not that I am complaining because it was mighty tasty! Although I did feel like after he made such a lovely dinner, the least I could do was the washing up.....and no one likes doing the washing up.

If you want to be like Mr B and impress people with your skills in the kitchen, you will need:

2 large chicken breasts

8 slices prosciutto
2 tspns crushed italian herbs (including basil, garlic and oregano)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 thin slices mozzarella or 1/2 cup grated mozarella and parmesan
2 tspns crushed garlic
3 large ripe tomatoes, halved, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
1 teaspoon sugar
salad or steamed vegetables, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced).

Butterfly the chicken breasts by slicing horizontally almost to the end, taking care not to cut all the way through. Open out the chicken and press to flatten.

Arrange four slices of prosciutto overlapping each other on your work surface. Place a butterflied chicken breast along the thin edge, then top with 1 tspn herbs and a slice of mozzarella or 1/4 cup grated cheese.

Carefully roll up the chicken in the prosciutto to enclose the filling. It should hold it's shape, but if it doesn't, tie up with some kitchen string. Repeat to make the remaining involtini.

Heat a fry pan over medium heat and spray with some cooking oil. Add the two involtini and cook for about 2 minutes on each side until the proscuitto is brown and crisp. Remove from the pan and place in a baking dish.

Spray the pan again with a light coat of oil and add the tomato, garlic and stock.  Bring to the boil and reduce the heat so the mixture is just simmering. Season with pepper and sugar and cook for about 10 mins or until the sauce thickens slightly- don't add salt as the prosciutto is quite salty!!

Pour the sauce into the baking dish with the involtini and bake for 15 mins, being sure to turn the involtini over half way through. A skewer inserted into the centre of the rolls should release clear juices.

Serve with salad or steamed vegies.

                                          

May I just say that these were absolutely awesome! It was amazing how salty the sauce actually was because of the prosciutto, but that didn't matter because the combination of the salty prosciutto with the fresh tomatoes, herbs, mozarella and the chicken was just spot on - I will be requesting this become a regular I think!! 

Mrs B xx