Lime Key Pie

Oooooo I was so excited when I had my first piece of this dessert pie. I have since decided that I love the crust! With the spring lime season just starting here I am looking for ways to use them in everything. This has been sitting in my cupboard for a while and I regret that now! It is so fresh and just lovely.

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

• 150g plain sweet biscuits (I use Nice Biscuits from Arnotts)
• 75g butter, melted
• 4 egg yolks
• 395g sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbsp finely grated lime rind
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• whipped cream and lime zest to serve

Method

1Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Process biscuits until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in butter.

Press mixture over base and side of a 3cm-deep, 20cm (base) glass or ceramic pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes or until base is light golden. Cool.

Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks in a bowl for 3 to 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk, lime rind and lime juice. Pour mixture over crust. Bake for 12 minutes or until mixture has just set. Remove from oven. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until chilled.

Cut into wedges. Serve with cream and lime rind.

Puff Pastry!

I do so enjoy indulging with puff pastry. I have had this main meal sitting in my recipe box for about a year now. I saw it while I was out and about and copied it down. The poor thing has been collecting dust. Until last week. I ended up spreading it across 2 nights, it was so filling and just lovely to have after a LLLOOOONNNGGG day. So I hope you enjoy these! Will need to photograph these. 

Beef and Vegetable Pastries

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 brown onion diced
•  1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp grounded cumin
• 1 tsp grounded turmeric
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 300g beef mince (I use heart smart)
• 400g potato, peeled, diced, washed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup coriander leaves chopped
• 3 sheets frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, partially thawed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and salt. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion is very soft. Increase heat to high. Add cumin seeds, turmeric, chilli powder and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add mince. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned.

2. Place potatoes into a shallow microwavesafe dish. Cover. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Roughly mash potato to mince mixture. Mix well to combine. Transfer filling to a bowl. Set aside to cool completely. Stir in lemon juice and coriander.

3. Preheat oven to 200C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

4. Cut each sheet of pastry into 4 squares. Spoon filling into centre of each square. Fold each square in half on the diagonal to form a triangle. Use a fork to press pastry edges together to seal. Place onto prepared tray. Brush with egg. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden. Serve with green salad.

Tea Cake

I have had this cake recipe sitting in my recipe box for 3 years with the intent of making it. 2 nights ago

finally did and was not disappointed. Cake came out the oven and it cooled...about 5 mins later 3/4 of it

was gone. This is such an easy recipe and you need things that should already be in the house. I  would

recommend having this with coffee or tea and it is simple enough to whip up when someone is coming 

over suddenly. I also like this cake because it is not sweet. 

Carrot and Spiced Tea Cake

Ingredients

65g butter, softened

            
1/2 cup caster sugar

            
1 egg

            
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

            
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted

            
1/3 cup milk

            
1 medium carrot, peeled, grated

            
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

            
1 teaspoon ground ginger

            
Butter, to serve

Cinnamon topping

            
10g butter, melted

            
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

            
2 teaspoons caster sugar

Method

1.     
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced oven. Prepare loaf tin.

2.     
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla together for 2 minutes. Stir in half the flour, then half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk, adding carrot, cinnamon and ginger.

3.     Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Level top.

4.     
Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

5.     Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn, top-side up, onto a wire rack.

6.     Make topping: Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Brush hot cake with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon mixture. Cool. Serve.

Escape for a day...

I went to the island for the day with my parents when they visited this week. My day in pics (taken from my view).

 It was a wonderful getaway. It was exciting to find the sea grass so close to shore again. I have posted a few of the wallabies because they were the highlight of the day. No matter how many times you feed rock wallabies it is still amazing. I love watching them bound and stretch.

Moroccan Carrot & Orange Salad

For afternoon tea I took myself to the backyard to watch the Rosellas, Lorikeets and Bower Birds. It was lovely. I decided to make something special for my break. Moroccan Carrot & Orange Salad. I really enjoyed the citric and cinnamon combination mixed in with the crunch of pine nuts. So many textures! The dressing is to die for over the carrots. Next time I will be more heavy handed with the dressing I think :) I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.  Photos to come once I find my camera cord.

Moroccan Carrot & Orange Salad

Prep Time: 5 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

450g carrots, peeled

2 large oranges peeled and cut into segments (reserve any spare juice)

1/3 cup rasins/sultanas 

1 tsp grounded cinnamon

2 tsp roasted pine nuts

Dressing- 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, pinch of sugar

Method

1. Grate carrots into serving bowl

2.Combine oil, lemon juice, sugar and any spare orange juice in a separate bowl.

3. Toss orange segments with carrots and stir in the raisins and cinnamon.  

4. Pour over dressing and scatter pine nuts just before serving.

Pumpkin and Red Onion Muffins

Mmmmm...I love these. Especially the coriander. I have been meaning to post this recipe for the past 2 weeks but sadly have been bogged down with work and a nasty bug. :( But, I am back :) So I hope you enjoy this lovely savoury recpie. Pop me a message and tell me how you go.

Pumpkin and Red Onion Muffins

Makes: 12

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook time: 50 mins

Ingredients

550g pumpkin

1 red onion diced

5 tablespoons olive oil

275g self raising flour

50g cornmeal

15g chopped fresh coriander

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 eggs, beaten

150ml milk

Method

1. Line a 12 section muffin tray with paper muffin cases. Cut the pumpkin into small dice, discarding seeds/skin. You should have about 350g flesh. Spread out on a roasting tray with onion and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast in preheated oven 220⁰C for 30-40mins. Leave to cool.

2. Mix together flour, cornmeal, coriander, celery salt and baking powder in a bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk and remaining oil with a fork in a small bowl. 

3. Stir the cooled pumpkin and onion into the dry ingredient. Add the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Divide muffin mixture between paper cases.

4. Bake in oven for 20 mins or until risen and just firm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or cold. 

Chicken Milano from ladyb

I love SWAPBOT! Just in case you hadn't caught that vibe from this blog. I am just getting back into it all after the wedding and after wedding recovery (imagine sitting on the couch doing NOTHING). One of my many Swapbot addictions is swapping recipes. It is so interesting to see how food is created across the globe. I have received some wonderful dishes and many have entered my monthly mmmm whats for tea. This is one such recpie. A BIG thanks for ladyb for this yummy simple recipe.

Chicken Milano

Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 2 skinless chicken breast (1 1/2 inch cubes)
-2 tbsp butter
- 1 med. onion
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tin tomato soup
- 6 fresh sliced mushrooms OR 1 jar sliced mushroom
- 2 medium zucchini (slice)
- 1/2tsp basil
-1/8 tsp chilli powder

Method
1. Prepare rice as label directed.
2. In large skillet over medium heat in hot butter, cook onion and garlic until tender. Add chicken and brown on all sides.
3. Stir in soup and remaining ingredients. Over high heat, bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Serve by spooning mixture over rice in a deep platter.

Wedding Day Professional Photos

A big thank you needs to go to Roy Leigh from Zen Images for these amazing images from our special day. Here are his other wedding albums. This is but a snippet of the amazing photos he took on the day, it was hard to choose. Our wedding took place in the beautiful council park Palmetum and our reception took place at Reef HQ.

Chocolate Walnut Cupcakes

I have been using this recipe on and off for the past few years. I love the soft fluffiness of the cupcake with the crunch of the chopped nuts. Enjoy for a bit of crunch on your chocolate cupcakes. This is also lovely to have with coffee after a LONG work day. 

Chocolate Walnut Cupcakes

Ingredients

150g lightly salted butter

150g caster sugar

175g self raising flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

3 eggs

3 tbs baking cocoa

1 tsp vanilla essence

Spare chopped walnuts (to top cupcakes)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180⁰ prepare cupcake tray.

2. Combine butter, sugar, eggs, flour, cocoa and vanilla essence in a bowl. Mix with a hand held mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Gently fold through walnuts. Spoon into cupcake tray. Sprinkle with spare chopped walnuts.

4. Cook for 20-25 mins. Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack. 

Breakfast Muffins

I made these a few weeks ago and have been playing with the recipe to make it work for me. I originally had mushrooms but took them out, however I have not given up on the idea. Patience, patience, patience Mushrooms will appear in one kind of breakfast muffin I make. This one is my left over veggies and bacon muffin, it was a random find. Have a go and let me know how it went.

Bacon, Carrot and Zucchini Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients

3 rashes of bacon small dice
1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)
1 sml carrot grated
1/2 sml zucchini grated
1/4 cup shallots
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3 tsps baking powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheese (I use tasty)
80g butter melted
2 eggs lightly beaten
2/3 cup of milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200⁰C and prepare muffin tray. Fry bacon until crispy and put to one side.
2. Place flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and cheese into a bowl, mix.
3. Whisk butter, eggs and milk in a mixing bowl.
6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and combine. Stir through carrot, shallots, zucchini and bacon.
7. Spoon into muffin trays and cook for 20mins.
8. Serve warm or cool for lunches or afternoon tea.

So...not a lot happening this week. I am working on my second turtle and have played with a few old recipes. I haven't been feeling crash hot thanks to a nasty virus so not to many new things happening. I have been chilling a lot and watching a few anime series. Plus, I am doing data analysis at work (read home because of time) to provide evidence for results etc. I have got a few more fabrics which is oh so exciting from Fabric Love Australia. A wonderful site and now many new projects to plan for.

Strawberry Pie, so simple!

I adore strawberries! Punnets, punnets and punnets of strawberries. In QLD at the moment they are in season and smelling amazing. I have had 4 punnets in the fridge ALL day and not had a single one. I wanted to save them for a Strawberry Pie. This recipe was nothing like what I was expecting, but it is so simple and amazing. Plus, I made sure I had extra strawberry and warm syrup left over so I could have half a bowl of the mixture warmed. YUMMY! 

Soak your strawberries

If you love strawberries have a go because this is such a refreshing dessert. I received this recipe from a partner in a swap on Swapbot. She also sent me a surprising hint when using strawberries in cooking. You need to soak your strawberries for at least an hour before use in cooking. I usually just wash it under the tap and then go but, it makes a different to the flavour. The strawberries absorb some moisture and it throughly cleans them. I will be doing this from now on.

Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

Baked and cooled sweet pie crust (you can make your own or buy pre done)

3 punnets strawberry

1 cup of water

1 cup of of sugar

2 tbsp of cornflour

1/3 cup strawberry jelly crystals  (jello)

Methods:

1. Ensure you cook your sweet pie crust so it is browned. Set aside to cool.

2. Slice strawberries (you can use whole if you wish but I find more flavour when sliced) and set aside.

3. Mix sugar and cornstarch.

4. Place water in sauce pan and begin to heat. Add sugar/cornflour mixture until softly boiled. It will start off cloudy and then become clearer consistency.

5. Once clearer stir through jelly crystals (jello) until all dissolved. Take off stove top and cool. 

6. Place strawberries into pie crust.

7. Pour over jelly mixture and place in fridge overnight. 

8. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. So glossy.