Super Easy Muffins

Ingredients
220 self raising flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil ( I used peanut)
3/4 cup of milk (or buttermilk)
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
150g added flavours (I used frozen raspberries and white chocolate, can use other chocolate, grated apple, mashed banana, passionfruit pulp, dates, pumpkin etc)

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease muffin tins or use liners. Mix all dry ingredients together and make a well. Mix all wet ingredients together and pour into the well. Add flavourings and mix well until just combined. Place in tins and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Note
Over mixing will toughen the muffins. Weighing the flour makes nicer muffins. Only use 150g of flavourings.

Yummy!

Beer Can Chicken

An old faithful.

Remove fat from inside the chicken. Spray the chicken with olive oil spray and sprinkle with salt and paprika. Take a few swigs from the beer can and add some Worcestershire sauce. Sit the chicken on top of the beer can. Place the chicken in a foil tray on top of the bbq and close the lid. Cook for about 2 hours at about 190C.

Lime Pie with Caramel Bananas

Some friends came over for dinner and my husband requested this recipe from the latest Good Taste Magazine.

Serves 8
Preparation 40 mins plus cooling time
Cooking 55 min

2 25x25cm frozen ready rolled shortcrust pastry, just thawed
2 250g packets cream cheese, at room temperature, coarsely chopped
1 395g can sweetened condensed milk
125ml (1/2 cup) fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
1 1/2 tbs finely grated lime rind
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1 tbs plain flour
200g (1 cup firmly packed) brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbs dark rum
2 firm ripe bananas, peeled, thinly sliced.

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Line a 4cm deep 23cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin with removable base with the pastry and trim excess.

2. Line the pastry case with non stick baking paper and fill with pastry weights or rice. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 180C . Remove the paper and pastry weights or rice. Bake for a further 5 minutes or until the pastry is dry to touch.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 160C. Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese and condensed milk in a bowl until smooth. Add the lime juice and rind, egg yolks and egg, and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour. Pour into the pastry case and bake for 25 minutes or until just set. Set aside to cool.

4. Place sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and bring to the boil without stirring. Boil for 6 minutes or until the syrup thickens. Remove from heat, and add the evaporated milk. Place the pan over medium heat and cook for 1 minute, swirling the pan to combine. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.

5. Add vanilla and rum to the caramel and gently stir to coat. Cut the pie into wedges and top with caramel bananas to serve.

Per serve 15g protein, 37g fat (21g saturated), 74 g carbs, 1.5g fibre, 2870kg (685 Cals!!!!)

Bread Pudding

I wanted to use some left over mixed dried fruit, and I found this recipe for Bread Pudding.

225g bread
275ml milk
50g melted butter
75g sugar
1 egg beaten
2tsp mixed spice
175 g mixed dried fruit

Tear up bread, or use fresh bread crumbs and mix with milk. Leave 30 min and then give it a really good beating. Add dried fruit, butter,sugar,mixed spice,and egg. Beat again. Spoon into a buttered dish, I sprinkle a little more sugar, mixed spice and a few dots of butter on top. Bake in preheatd oven 180C for about 1 1/4hrs. Can also be made in muffin tins for the children to take to school.

I also made old faithful hamburgers today

1 kg mince
1 onion finely diced
2 pkts chicken noodle soup
2 cups SR flour
2 cups water
2 cups milk
4 eggs
salt and pepper
thyme
and any other finely chopped veggies you can sneak in

Mix all together and cook large spoonfuls in frying pan.

Super Sunday Salads!

Tomato and Bocconcini Salad

Slice tomatoes and bocconcini and arrange on a plate in concentric circles. Top with fresh basil and black pepper. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Rocket, Pear and Camembert Salad

Combine rocket, sliced pear, sliced Camembert and walnuts. Dress with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Yum!

Perfect Picnic

Parmesan chicken baguettes with caper mayonnaise

4 chicken breast fillets
1 cup plain flour
Salt and pepper
60ml (¼ cup) milk
2 eggs
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1 cup finely grated parmesan
1/2 cup freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp freshly chopped thyme
1 tbsp butter
80ml (1/³ cup) olive oil
6 baguettes, baby rocket leaves and caper mayonnaise (below), to serve

Place each chicken breast between a double layer of plastic wrap and flatten slightly with the side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Cut each breast into 3 strips.

Place flour in a shallow bowl and season with 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste. In a second bowl, lightly beat milk and eggs together. Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan and herbs in a third bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Dip fillets in flour to coat, then in the egg mix and lastly in the breadcrumbs.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large, non-stick frypan over medium heat. Place schnitzels in the pan (don't overcrowd - cook in batches if necessary) and cook for 3-4 minutes on one side until golden brown. Turn and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan, drain on paper towel. Allow to cool and then refrigerate until ready to transport. When ready to serve, fill baguettes with baby rocket leaves, top with 2 schnitzel strips and a dollop of the caper mayonnaise.

Serves 6

Caper mayonnaise

160ml (²/³ cup) whole-egg mayonnaise
1 tbsp baby salted capers, rinsed, chopped
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

Stir ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.

Cranberry and white chocolate biscuits

150g unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
125g (1 cup) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup white chocolate chunks
²/³ cup sweetened dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 180C, line 3 baking trays with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and stir until combined. Add the oats, chocolate and cranberries and stir to combine.

Roll tablespoons of the mixture and place on baking trays. Flatten the balls with a fork dipped in flour. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until pale golden.

Remove from oven and cool on trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 18

Potato salad with celery, parsley and mint

80ml (1/³ cup) extra virgin olive oil
40ml lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed with a little sea salt
2 tsp caster sugar
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp chopped mint
¼ cup chopped parsley
4 long green shallots, finely sliced
2 celery stalks, cut into batons
1 tbsp baby capers
1kg unpeeled kipfler potatoes

Place oil, juice, vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk until combined. Stir in herbs, shallots, celery and capers.

Cook potatoes in a large saucepan full of salted boiling water until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and allow to cool for 5 minutes before peeling

and slicing. Add potatoes to dressing while still warm. Stir gently to combine.

Serves 6

From the Sydney Morning Herald