Tuesday 27 September 2011

Food for your EYES

 

Citrus Berry Smoothie

Supercharge your eyes in the A.M. with this smoothie. Fresh berries, orange juice, and toasted wheat germ fill you with vitamins E and C -- nutrients that may help protect against age-related macular degeneration.



Curried Carrot Soup

It's no secret that carrots are good for your eyes. But they go down a lot easier in a light, creamy tasting soup like this one

Crispy Phyllo Spinach Tartlets

What doesn't taste better wrapped in phyllo? With spinach as a filling in these little tarts, you get a most delicious source of lutein and zeaxanthin -- nutrients that help shield eyes from light damage.

Bean and Butternut Tacos with Green Salsa

Try a totally new twist on tacos. The beans and butternut squash in this veggie-based filling add extra fiber and vision-bolstering beta carotene

Triple-Nut Biscotti

Made with dried fruit and vitamin E-rich wheat germ and nuts, these smart cookies can be enjoyed guilt-free any time of day with a cup of coffee

Strawberry-Orange Muffins

These muffins taste as good as those at your corner bakery, but with a lot fewer calories and a lot more vitamin C. Makes them ideal for your eyes and your pants size

 


Source:


Monday 12 September 2011

Flapjacks





















Good old fashioned BEST flapjack recipe

Ingredients
·          2 cups flour (wheat can be used also or a combination of the two)
·          4 tablespoons sugar
·          2 teaspoons baking powder
·          6 tablespoons butter, melted
·          1 1/2 cups milk
·          1/2 teaspoon salt
·          2 eggs

Directions
 
 
Preheat griddle so that a drop of water beads when dropped on it.
Combine dry ingredients.
Combine wet ingredients and beat well. (Do this quickly as the butter will tend to set up when it hits the cold milk).

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.

Mix but not too much. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

Drop a couple tablespoons for each pancake onto hot griddle and cook until bubbles appear in batter and bottom is golden brown.

MY Topping suggestions:
  • Maple syrup / honey
  • Freshly cut strawberries
  • Freshly cut bananna
  • Sprinkle of icing sugar on tthe top

Thursday 8 September 2011

Strawberry Cheesecake



















White mix base

1 x Packet biscuits
1 x Box Orley Whip
1 x Tub Smooth Cottage Cheese
1 x Tin Condensed Milk
½ x Cup Lemon Juice
1 x Sachet Gelatine
1 x Cup Boiling Water


Topping


1 x Packet Strawberry Jelly
1 x Cup Hot Water
1 x Tin Strawberries



Base Method:

-         Layer Tennis biscuits in dish
-         Dissolve Gelatine in boiling water – set aside to cool
-         Beat the Orley Whip until stiff.
      -         Add cottage Cheese, Condensed Milk and Lemon Juice
      -         Beat together
-         Add Gelatine (make sure it is cold), beat together.
-         Pour mixture over biscuits
-         Place in fridge to set.


Topping Method:

-         Dissolve Jelly in 1 cup hot water
-         Add juice from tin of strawberries
-         Place strawberries on top of set “white mix”
-         Pour topping mixture over “white mix” (over the back of a spoon).
-         Place in fridge to set.

Tuesday 6 September 2011

Apron Mania

Nothing beats a good fitting, stylish apron to assist you on your cooking and
baking missions in the kitchen.
Check out my favourites


PINUP





MULTI-PURPOSE 




INFO CHOP




HALF APRON


50'S Fun & Flirty




60's Vintage




Retro Mixmatch



Simple, Classic & Preppy

Worlds BEST Lasagna Recipe 2011






PREP TIME 30 Min

COOK TIME 2 Hrs 30 Min

READY IN 3 Hrs 15 Min






INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
  • 3/4 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup minced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
  • 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 16 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  2. Soak lasagna noodles in hot water for +-15 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  3. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C
  4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Monday 5 September 2011

Soft chocolate brownies

(Also known as brown choc sheet cake)

 







 






BATTER
 
275g (2 cups) cake flour
400g (2 cups) sugar
a pinch of salt
125g butter or margarine
250ml (1 cup) water
125ml (1/2 cup) sunflower oil
50g (1/2 cup) cocoa
125ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk
5ml (1 teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda
2 extra-large eggs


ICING

60g (5 tablespoons) butter or margarine
37,5ml (3 dessertspoons) buttermilk
30ml (2 tablespoons) cocoa
200g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar
5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence


METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200 C.   Grease a 30 cm x 25 cm x 5 cm grilling pan/ pyrex dish or baking sheet.
 
Sift the cake flour, sugar and salt together.   Heat the butter or margarine, water, sunflower oil and cocoa in a saucepan until boiling briskly (can use microwave).   Cool slightly, then pour over the flour mixture and mix well.
 
Mix the buttermilk and bicarbonate of soda.   Beat the eggs lightly and mix with the buttermilk.   Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix well.
Pour the batter into the pan.   Bake for about 25 minutes until done.
 
Heat the butter or margarine, buttermilk and cocoa to boiling point.  Remove from the stove.   Sift and stir in the icing sugar and vanilla essence.   Pour the hot icing over the hot cake.  Allow the cake to cool, cut into squares and serve.