Corn and Bacon Fritter

These are really simple but really yummy. My mum used to make them for me when I was little and I loved them, I used to ask her for them every night! She used to call them Bubble and Squeak...

Ingredients
2 rashers rindless shortcut bacon, chopped
200g desiree potatoes, peeled, grated
2 x 125g cans corn kernels, drained, rinsed
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Basic batter
2/3 cup self-raising flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Method
1. Heat a frying pan over high heat. Add bacon. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to a plate.

2. Make Basic batter: Sift flour into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Whisk milk and eggs together in a jug. Add egg mixture to flour. Whisk until smooth.

3. Using hands, squeeze excess moisture from potato. Stir bacon, potato, corn and chives into batter.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium heat. Using 1 heaped tablespoon mixture per fritter, cook 4 fritters for 3 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Repeat to make 16 fritters.

Notes
When cooking in batches, transfer to a plate lined with paper towel while cooking remaining fritters.

Use olive oil to cook fritters. Add more oil to pan between batches if necessary.

Serve them topped with Avocado and sour cream, or a tomato relish.

Asian Greens with chicken and crispy noodle salad

A great summer salad with a light and refreshing taste!

Ingredients
4 single chicken breast fillets
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways, thinly sliced diagonally
1 bunch baby pak choy, leaves separated, finely shredded
110g (2 cups) trimmed bean sprouts
1 bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
125ml (1/2 cup) sweet chilli sauce
2 tbs fresh lime juice
1 x 100g pkt Chang's Crunchy Noodles

Method
1. Bring a large deep frying pan of water to the boil over high heat. Add the chicken and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Drain. Transfer to a plate. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, combine the cucumber, baby pak choy, bean sprouts, coriander and mint in a large bowl. Whisk together the sweet chilli sauce and lime juice in a small jug.

3. Finely shred the chicken. Add the chicken and noodles to the cucumber mixture. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss until well combined.

Notes
If you want to save some time you can replace the chicken breast fillets with one of Woolworths Country Style Roast Chicken, skin and bones removed. Just leave out step 1.

To shred pak choy, roll up a few leaves at a time and thinly slice crossways.

If you have difficulty finding Pak Choy, any green asian vegetable will do. Bok Choy or Choy Sum. You could also substitute it for cabbage if you prefer.

ANZAC Biscuits

Monday saw us, here in Australia, celebrating Australia Day. A day for barbeques, flag wearing, pavlova eating, lamington making and simply being proud to be Australian. Another Aussie favourite takes the form of the very simple ANZAC biscuit.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons golden syrup or treacle
150g unsalted butter, chopped
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

Method
1. Preheat oven to 170°C.

2. Place the flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and stir to combine.

3. In a small saucepan place the golden syrup and butter and stir over low heat until the butter has fully melted. Mix the bicarb soda with 1 1/2 tablespoons water and add to the golden syrup mixture. It will bubble whilst you are stirring together so remove from the heat.

4. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix together until fully combined.

5. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and place on baking trays lined with non stick baking paper, pressing down on the tops to flatten slightly.

6. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes
These make great snacks and lunchbox fillers.

Quesadilla Stack

"Queso" is Spanish for "cheese", and this is my take on the traditional Mexican quesadilla.

Ingredients
5 Tortilla wraps
500g beef/pork mince
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
200g diced bacon
1 jar chunky salsa
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups peas and corn
3 cups grated cheese

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced)
2. Fry mince and bacon till brown, add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is soft.
3. Stir through salsa and tomatoes. Add peas and corn
4. Line base of round baking dish (or springform cake tin) with a tortilla wrap. Add a thin layer of mince mixture and top with cheese.
5. Continue layer with tortilla wraps, mince mixture and cheese.
6. Finish off with a tortilla wrap brushed lightly with oil and topped with cheese.
7. Place in oven and cook for 10 - 15 minutes.

Serve with garlic bread and/or potato wedges.

Pappa's Vindaloo

My dad is a lover of Indian food and he has passed that particular trait onto me (not to mention a few other things). This is his own very simple recipe for Vindaloo and I love love love it, so does the hubby :)

Pappa's Vindaloo
(serves 6)
600g chicken thigh fillets, cubed
1 packet Birdsey Create-A-Meal vegies in Honey and Soy
1 Jar Patak's Vindaloo sauce
375ml Beef or Chicken Stock
4 potatoes, cut into pieces
1 large onion, chopped roughly
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
375ml Cream (optional)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C (160C Fan forced)

2. Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish and cook in oven for 45 minutes, stir, then cook for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft and chicken is cooked.

Serve on rice with natural yoghurt or tzatziki.

Notes
I add the cream when I am in the mood for a creamier, slightly milder dish.
Lamb is a great substitute for chicken in this recipe
You can use any Indian sauce in this recipe. Vindaloo can be quite hot so if you're after something less spicy i would recommend a Korma or Butter chicken.

Can't you trip like I do.....

I"m off to Sydney for 4 days my friends! So I will post when I get home!!

xoxo

Irish Stew

I'm very proud of my Irish heritage and this recipe was passed down to me through my mother from her mother. I've edited it slightly to include more conventional ingredients such as beef stock cubes rather than real beef stock. It's a deliciously hearty and down to earth recipe great for winter. (Even if I do make it all year round!)

IRISH STEW
(serves 6)

INGREDIENTS
1.25kg lamb neck chops, trimmed*
1/2 cup plain flour
3 brown onions, chopped
1kg potatoes, peeled, sliced
2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups boiling water
3 beef stock cubes, crumbled
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 160°C (150°C fan-forced)

2. Cut the chops in half. Place flour in a plastic bag and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chops in bag and shake well until chops are well coated. Transfer chops to a plate and reserve flour.

3. Place onions, potatoes and carrots in an ovenproof dish. Top with half the chops. Repeat layers with the remaining onions, potatoes, carrots and chops.

4. Whisk reserved flour, tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of cold water in a large jug or bowl until well combined. Slowly add boiling water, whisking constantly. Add stock cubes and parsley, stir to dissolve stock cubes.

5. Pour mixture over chops and vegetables. Cover and cook for 4 hours or until the meat is tender and sauce has thickened.

NOTES
This recipe can be cooked in a slower cooker. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker as directed above and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or until meat is tender and sauce is thickened.

*I use lamb neck chops as a preference, however any thick cut lamb chop or steak will suffice. You can also cut the lamb into cubes and mix all ingredients together for a slightly different feel.

Creamy Tomato Chicken Gnocchi

Creamy Tomato Chicken Gnocchi
(Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS
500g Chicken Thigh fillets, cut into pieces
300g Bacon, diced
1 Brown onion, roughly chopped
2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
250ml cream
250g jar of Leggo's Sundried Tomato Pesto*
1 packet Gnocchi

METHOD
1. Fry onion and garlic, remove to a plate or bowl
2. Fry bacon till golden in colour, remove to a plate or bowl
3. Fry chicken in batches
4. Place onion, garlic, bacon and chicken back in frying pan. Add tomato pest, stir through. Add cream
5. Place lid on pan and allow to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, sauce should thicken slightly
6. Meanwhile, prepare gnocchi according to packet instructions. Add gnocchi to chicken and pesto mix, simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Serve with a side of garlic bread.


Notes
* I use a tomato pesto because my husband prefers it. This recipe works well with a traditional basil pesto.
I use chicken thighs rather than chicken breast as I often find chicken breast dries out too quickly. I also fry the chicken in batches as it helps to prevent the chicken from sweating and stewing in the pan.

Welcome to my kitchen...

Since getting married i have discovered a passion for cooking. I don't mind what I'm cooking as long as it's edible and delicious when I'm finished.

And this little blog is just another way of expressing my new found passion. Each day I'll post a new recipe. Each recipe will be personally tried out by me first and I'll make note of any changes or future ideas I have for the recipe.

Enjoy!