Quinoa Salad

I've been meaning to get into the whole quinoa frenzy, but hadn't quite gotten to it. Pronounced keen-wah, for a long time I was even pronouncing it completely wrong! kwi-no-ah. How embarassing! Haha!

We went to friends for dinner recently and were very pleased to be presented with such a colourful and tasty meal, including the oh-so-healthy quinoa

It's similar to cous-cous in look, and somewhat in taste too. However quinoa is a grain derived from South America, where-as cous-cous is a form of pasta made from wheat and derived from Morocco. Quinoa can be considered a superfood because it is so high in protein and contains many essential amino acids :)

This salad was so yummy, and served with an equally delicious turkey loaf (sorry, no recipe for that). I am lucky enough to have been given the recipe for the quinoa salad and share it with you lovely folks!

Butternut Squash and Sage Manicotti with Roasted Red Pepper Bechamel

I have been been having a tough time getting back into the kitchen since our big move last year. All the stress I guess? But I certainly can feel it all coming back! :)
I made this dish yesterday for a dinner party. I was so excited to have my 'mojo' back in the kitchen I started doing a happy dance and sliding back and forth along the floors 'Risky Business' style. ha! No joke!

My plan was to make a Roasted Butternut and Red Pepper Manicotti with Bechamel sauce (still a delicious idea), but along the way I thought why not added the red pepper to the bechamel!? Don't you just love it when that happens? You have a clear plan in mind and half way through there's a new spin to the dish you're creating. This is one of my favourite thing about cooking; there are no rules and many suprises!

Spinach Fettuccine with Pesto and sautéed mushrooms

It's simple, it's fast, it's tasty. What more can you ask for?

If you want to make a simple pasta dish but with a different twist than the usual, go for spinach pasta! I love spinach pasta. Not only does it give a pasta dish a lovely depth but the colour is also so appetizing.

This is a 10 minute dish! Yup, you heard me right, 10 MINUTES!
You will need:

1 packet of fresh spinach fettuccine
As much pesto as you like (I put about 3 large spoonfuls)
2 handfuls of button mushrooms, halved
1/2 tbsp each of olive oil and butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Put a large pot of water on to boil and heat a large skillet on medium-high heat
2. If you haven't got pesto already prepared this is the time to make it (view link for pesto above). Fastest method is just throw it into the food processor (as opposed to mortar and pestle)
3. Melt the butter with olive oil in the skillet, then place in mushrooms and sauté until starting to brown (3-4 minutes). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté for another minute or so
4. The water is probably boiling by now. Cook pasta as per instructions
5. Combine pesto with pasta and plate it topped with the mushrooms

TIP (Sautéing mushrooms): Using a large pan for the mushrooms is important because the mushrooms must be place in a single layer, otherwise they will release juices and steam instead of getting nice and brown.

TIP (Sauce stick to pasta): To make sauce stick to the pasta always keep a little bit of the pasta water with the pasta

It's been way too long since I've submitted anything to Presto Pasta Nights. I've missed it so much! So here I go.....my entry for the next Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Claire at Chez Cayenne

Oven Roasted Vegetables recipe

What a great time of year for this colourful medley of veg! The amazing thing about roasting vegetables as your side dish is that you can use any vegetables you want. What are your favourite? Now mix these together, coat them in whatever your favourite flavouring is, whether it be plain olive oil or a chilli and cumin blend. It's all your choice. There are no rules!

Here is a simple recipe I made the other night

(Feeds 4 people as a side dish)

Vegetables:
1 yellow pepper - sliced into strips and halved
1 red pepper - sliced into strips
1/2 large onion - sliced and halved
1 zucchini - sliced and halved
1/2 eggplant (UK - aubergine) - sliced and quartered (please see NOTE on how to prepare egg plant)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 garlic bulb - cloves separated but left in shell
2 tbp fresh parsley- chopped

Flavour: Vinaigrette
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp mustard powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp dried thyme

Instructions:
1. Whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette
2. Combine all vegetables, parsley and vinaigrette together is a roasting pan or baking dish. Toss until well combined
3. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper
4. Place vegetables in a 450 F  (220 C) oven until vegetables are tender and starting to brown at the edges (about 35 min)

Once your vegetables are plated you'll be at the best part! Squeezing out all the lovely flesh from the garlic shells. Oh yeah!!

NOTE:  EGGPLANT TIP - To avoid your eggplant releasing too much water and from it tasting too bitter simply lay slices out flat, cover in some slat and let sit for about 30min to an hour. You will see beads of "sweat" all over, this is the bitter water being released. Now rinse the eggplant and you're ready to go!
Also if you don't like tough skin you can peel the eggplant, but it's not necessary, totally personal choice.

NOTE2: ADDING POTATO - If you're adding potato or a hard root vegetable such as squash to your roasted veg make sure to cut them bite size so they cook through. Then you have a couple cooking options
1. Turn your oven up a bit (about 475 F / 245 C). You may also need to leave them in for a few more minutes.
2. Or you can par boil the 'hard' vegetable before mixing into the rest of the vegetables.

Homemade Pizza

We went to some friends for dinner and hockey night a week ago. We were treated with homemade pizza! We love pizza! It's probably our favourite "treat" meal. They even had a stone slate! I have to get one!!!
But get this... I have never made homemade pizza! I've made pizza from bread bases (ie Ciabatta Pizza), but never made the dough from scratch. I know, shocker right?

We usually buy the Dr Oetker Restaurante Pizza. It's the dish we usually have at the end of the week when I'm tired and just don't feel like cooking. But, uuuummm, hello!! why don't we have it on nights when I do feel like cooking and have homemade pizza?? Duh! I don't know where my foodie head has been floating off to in the past.
So this weekend I went for it. Wow! It was so quick and easy. It was actually quicker and easier than making the effort of getting my coat and shoes on, walking to the shop, waiting in line and buying a frozen pizza.

PIZZA DOUGH
1 (8g) package active dry yeast

• 1 cup warm water (cooler than bath water but warmer than room temperature)
• 2 cups all purpous flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons white sugar (optional, I read sugar makes the crust a bit puffier)

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl mix water with yeast. let stand for about 10 min, then add olive oil

2. In a large bowl combine flour, salt and sugar

3. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, then pour in wet mixture. Stir together well until a dough forms. Cover with a cloth to let rise for about 30min, or until dough has doubled in size. Meanwhile heat the oven to 375 F (190 C, gas mark 5)

4. Roll dough out (or toss it in the air and pretend you're an Italian cooking in your own pizzeria, like I did) onto a floured surface until it's round and about 1-2 cm thick. Place on a pizza baking sheet (or stone slate if you're lucky enough to have one already)

5. Top with tomato sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice and bake in the oven for 20-25 min, until reached desired golden colour crust and top

I didn't have any tomatoes or sauce on hand but I had some sundried tomato alfredo sauce leftover. Why not eh? I made a sundried tomato alfredo pizza with mushrooms, spinach and mozzarella. Yum yum yum yum!!

I'm in love! Mac n' Cheese

This has got to be one of my best Mac n' Cheese attempts! So oozy, creamy cheesy! The secret I've found to making a really good mac n' cheese is to used smoked cheese! It really adds an incredible depth.

I believe I've mentioned in my last Mac n' Cheese post that I have been on a mission to create the most perfect Mac n' Cheese. I have made several and they are certainly delicious and different every time. This one is definitely going on my list of tip top Mac n' Cheese.

250g macaroni
50g butter
50g plain flour
3 1/2 cup (900ml) milk
1/2 tsp mustard powder
pinch nutmeg
3/4 cup mature cheddar
3/4 cup Bavarian smoked cheese
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Instructions:

• Cook pasta al dente in a pot of salted water
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan , stir in the flour and cook on low-medium for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat again and stir in the smoked cheese and continue to stir until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and stir in the mustard powder.
• Drain your pasta and mix together with the sauce and 3/4 of the cheddar in a casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheddar then the breadcrumbs.
• Place under the grill for a few minutes until golden brown

Yummmmmmm!!!

This is definitely not the first entry of Mac n' Cheese for Presto Pasta Nights but it is also definitely not the last! So many people love this dish and this particular version should surely be shared!!

This week is the 150th Presto Pasta Night!!! Well done everyone and a special thanks to Ruth from Once Upon a Feast!

This week is hosted by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook. Thanks Susan!

What type of mushroom?

A friend of mine recently asked me "how many types of mushrooms are there?". Well, I don't know the exact figure but I'm sure there are probably hundreds! She asked me this because I mention mushrooms in my recipes but never mention what type....whooops! My bad!
But usually if a recipe calls for mushrooms, and doesn't mention what type, surely it means the most common mushroom, which is the white mushroom (or 'button' or 'closed cup' mushroom, [image left]), right?
I should consider that some people don't cook much so they come to these cooking blogs for help.... I will try to be more specific in future.
My friend was also looking at my Chicken, Mushroom and Gorgonzola Pasta and asked "what kind of "mixed mushrooms", and how many?". Again I failed to mention that this can be as many and any kind of mushroom the cook prefers. I am very sorry to those of you who have been asking this question while looking at my recipes, for my lack of detail. My bad!

But lets look at it this way, just to make myself feel better ;) .... since I didn't mention a specific type of mushroom this allows you (the reader) to use imagination and decide yourself, which is exactly what a cook needs! Courage and imagination! :))

On that note, lets have a look at how many mushrooms we have to play with -

Crimini brown mushroom

Portabella mushroom

Shiitake mushroom

Oyster mushroom

Enoki mushroom

King oyster mushroom








This is just to name a very few!

Odd thing for me about mushrooms is that as I was growing up I couldn't stand them! My mother tried to hide them and cut them up really small but I always knew they were there. 'Ew! Yuck! are there mushrooms in here?!' Perhaps I was a bit too dramatic about it. So she had to start cutting them in large pieces so that I could easily remove them. My mother didn't mind though. This meant she could eat them. Mum absolutely loves mushrooms!
Overthe past few years, however, I've come to love mushrooms, and sometimes even crave them! Odd isn't it, how our taste buds change. Mushrooms honestly used to be my most dreaded food.
I'm so happy to be in the mushroom loving world now :)

Please note : all photos come from mushrooms.ca. To read more info about the differences between each of the above mushrooms (such as taste, texture etc) please follow this link

Pasta Primavera

This is a new favourite of mine! Delicious, healthy and quick to make! But not only that, the thing I like most about pasta primavera is you can use whatever spring vegetable you fancy most - no strict guidelines....Ok, I know it's not spring right now but these vegetables are actually available year 'round, so whatever. He he!

Many of you might already know that the word 'primavera' means spring, so really we should use spring vegetables otherwise it would have to be called something else (like pasta 'inverno' - winter pasta...hey! that's a great idea!! I might work with this idea...I'll keep you posted on it)

Although this pasta has an Italian name (and it is PASTA after all), it is not actually and Italian dish. This is an an Italian-American dish. Who knew!?

Anyway, back to the matter at hand.... Pasta Primavery, yes, super delicious, simple, healthy, excellent when you're hungry but don't want a heavy meal.

(Feeds 2 people)

300g short pasta (such as fusilli, penne, rigatoni)

1/2 a small courgette - julienne

3/4 cup muchrooms - sliced

1/2 a small carrot - julienne

1/2 red, orange or yellow bell pepper - julienne

1 cups broccoli florets

3 spring onions - sliced diagonally

1 clove garlic - crushed

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp each of fresh basil and parsley - chopped (or 1/2 tbsp each of dried)

1/2 tbsp dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
- Cook pasta al dente in salted water
- In the mean time heat half the olive oil in a pan, add broccoli and carrots. Heat through for about 1 minute then add all remaining ingredients. Cook on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
- Toss the pasta in the pan with all the vegetables and the remaining olive oil

This tastes delicious as is but you can also 'luxury' it up a bit and serve with some parmesan shavings and an added sprinkle of chopped fresh basil


This will be my entry for this week's Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by the founder herself, Ruth Daniel's from Once Upon a Feast!

Classic Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie, Pumpkin pie wherefore art thou Pumpkin pie? .....on my dining table, that's where you are, and in my tummy is where you will be!

God bless the pumpkin!! It's got to be one of many people's top reasons Autumn may be their favourite season! It is for me anyway.

As you can see from my previous post I've just experience making my first truly successful pastry!

I have made pastry before, as I mentioned but this time has surged an abundant feeling of pride, and what better pie to go along with this occasion, and considering the time of year, than pumpkin pie!

I've kept it a Canadian classic by using the E.D. Smith pumpkin pie filling recipe (but I did decrease the mount of nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon slightly, Turned out lovely! So you can easily adjust the amount of spices to your own taste)

*To make 1 pie:

2 eggs

1/2 of a 796ml can of E.D. Smith Pure Pumpkin

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 salt

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 9 inch unbaked home-made deep dish pie shell - pastry recipe here

(I used 2 very shallow pie dishes instead of 1 deep dish)

Instructions:

- Beat eggs lightly in a medium bowl. Add pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt; stir until well combined

- Blend in the milk, then pour the filling in the pie shell

- Bake at 425F (gas mark 7) for 15min. Reduce temperature to 350F (gas mark 4) and continue baking for another 30-35 minutes, or until knife inserted in the centre of the pie comes out clean

- Take pie out of the oven and place on a wire rack to cool

Serve each slice with a dollop of fresh whipped cream...heaven in one bite!

* To make 2 pies, use 1 whole can (796ml) pure pumpkin and double up all other ingredients. Unused portions can be refridgerated or frozen

Oven baked Zucchini Sticks

This is such a treat! Especially for Canadians (we like to call them "Zoo Sticks").

I'm having one of those nostalgic days, craving food from home....and while, unfortunately, I can't just hop on over to my closest "White Spot" (Canadian family restaurant chain), I have no choice but to attempt at making them myself, which I, of course, am totally up for! New challenge :)

So off I went to the store to get my necessities and (also after reading a few ideas on line) came up with the following (approximately measured) recipe:

2 zucchinis

2 eggs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

3 tbsp flour

1 cup dried bread crumbs (I chose the natural style breadcrumbs instead of the extra fine golden as I am using the baking method rather than frying - a healthier choice)

smoked sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

- Preheat your oven to 400F (gas mark 6)

- Cut zucchini into strips (about 3-4 inches long and 1 inch thick) then season with salt and pepper.

- Mix the bread crumbs, parmesan, flour and bit more salt in a bowl
- Dip the zucchini in the egg and then the bread crumb mixture to coat well
- Place the zucchini sticks, skin side down, on a foil lined then slightly greased baking sheet in a single layer
- Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown

This should make about 2 dozen zucchini sticks

Serve them hot with a ranch style dip - combine 1 part sour cream to 1 part ranch dressing

Yum yum yum!! Ahhh,the taste of home :)

Cheese and Onion Quiche

I'm realizing more now how versatile quiche can be. Yeah, I know what you may be thinking, this quiche is just a simple cheese and onion quiche. True, but I'm still kinda new at the quiche thing. It's so easy to make and knowing egg can go with just about anything....well, I see into the future....many different quiches are to be created!

Another reason quiche is so great and versatile is that it can be eaten warm or cold! And as I mentioned in the post for my last quiche creation, it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

1 sheet of ready made shortcrust pastry

3 large eggs
2 cups strong cheddar
1 1/2 onion (chopped)
2 tbps olive oil
1 cup soy cream (for a healthier choice use soy!)
1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
- Heat oven to 400° F (gas mark 6).
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to be a bit larger than a 9 inch pie dish. Carefully drape the pastry over the pie dish so there is some pastry hanging over the sides. Lightly push the pastry along the inside edges. Cut the excess pastry away.
- Cover and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a pan saute the onions with olive oil on low-medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook onions until they are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Take pie crust out of the fridge and poke several holes in the base, then line with greaseproof paper and baking beans (I use dried macaroni noodles which I keep specifically for this purpose) and blind bake the pie crust for 7-10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and soy cream. Stir in the 1/2 the cheese, parsley and the onion mixture.
- Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top and bake until the filling is golden and set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with some salad and grilled vegetables. Delicious!

Bruschetta

I know what you may be thinking.....Summer has come to an end (well, in London anyways) so what is this light summery dish doing popping up on my blog? Well, as I mentioned in my previous post, I had lost inspiration to cook....which for some could mean losing the will to live....I hope you know I'm kidding.

Also you may notice from my posts that season doesn't seem to affect what I feel like cooking. If I feel like making stew or dumplings in the middle of summer I must let it be. And if I feel like making bruschetta [pronounced - bru'sketta] come fall or winter, same rules (or not rules, really) apply! It's extremely difficult for me to ignore my cravings.

I'll get on with it now and tell you how I made this bruschetta.....well I wanted it to be simple and traditional with no modern flares, especially since I'd never made bruschetta before. I found a great recipe from a fellow food blogger Elise at Simply Recipes. Her recipe was just what I was looking for, sweet and simple and full of traditional flavour.

I made a couple changes however. We love garlic so I put a 1 small clove extra, and my boyfriend is not a huge fan of anything too vinegary so I put a tad less balsamic.

I prefer my bruschetta a bit chunky so I did the same as Elise and chopped my tomatoes by hand instead of using a food processor.

I will add a little suggestion that if you find the chopped tomatoes are too watery (even after you have removed all the juicy bits from the tomatoes), you can put them into a sieve for a minute.

This is a gorgeous snack. Or you can make it a meal like I have and serve it up with other bits and pieces. I made a side of sauteed parmesan prawns to go with it and it was a brilliant combination!

Vietnamese fresh spring rolls

I've tried the fried spring rolls, now it's time for the healthier fresh ones! The fun thing about these is you don't necessarily have any cooking to do!

This is a great vegetarian dish or with seafood or chicken.


If you want vegetarian you could use tofu or just a your favourite vegetables.

I've made with prawns and chicken, but in this photo I've used only chicken.

It's a great dish for leftover chicken. I happen to have some cooked chicken from the deli which worked great for a speedy light meal before we went to the cinema. We had 2 each and it actually filled us up quite well. Traditionally, however, this would be a starter.

I didn't measure my ingredients, I judged by eye, so the following measurements are just a guideline.

(Serves 2-4 people)

4 rice wrappers (about 8.5 inch diameter)

75-100g fresh rice vermicelli noodles

100g cooked chicken (torn strips)

12 cooked prawns (peeled, no tails) - I didn't include in the ones in the photo as I didn't have any left on hand

1/2 carrot (thinly sliced strips - I used a peeler)

2 spring onions (chopped)

1/2 a red chili (chopped - seeds removed if you don't want too hot)

2 handfuls of fresh bean sprouts

Half handful of fresh cilantro

Half handful mix of fresh basil and mint

1 large lettuce leaf (chopped in large pieces)

Instructions:

- Have large diameter pie dish of warm-hot water ready for your rice wrappers

- Soak a rice wrapper in the warm-hot water for about 10-15 seconds, until it softens enough to work with, but do not over soften or it will rip too easily

- On a dry clean surface very gently place the softened rice wrapper flat in front of you

- Place bits of each ingredients an inch away from the edge (closest to you) of the wrapper. Leave about 2 inches of space from each side of the wrapper

(For nice looking wrap place filling ingredients in this order : lay lettuce first, then herbs, carrot, chili, spring onion, bean sprouts and rice noodles in a neat row over top of the lettuce, running lengthwise across the wrapper; place chicken on top or just in front of the vegetables; on the bottom 1/3 of the wrapper place 3 prawns in a horizontal row

- Start rolling from the side closest to you. Try to keep the rolling as tight as possible without tearing the wrapper. After rolling once pull in the 2 sides and continue rolling straight over the prawns. When finished you should be able to see the prawns nicely displayed through the wrapper

Cut each roll in half at an angle. Serve with peanut dipping sauce (I used satay sauce mixed with a bit of sesame oil and lime juice to loosen it up)

Enjoy the taste of health!

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

My parents were visiting us from Canada and I'd made a few dishes that they were quite impressed with....sigh of relief!! My mother liked this sauce so much she wants the recipe. That can only make a a girl feel so happy when her Mother is asking her daughter for recipes!


This is a sauce that can really be used with just about anything....over chicken, fish, pasta. You name it....
This one is completely off the top of my head. I'm really pleased with how it turned out, so full of so much flavour.

The photo I have here isn't the original dish I made the sauce for. I made it to pour over chicken (I forgot to take photos).
The meal in this photo I had some sauce and chicken left over and decided to make the meal a bit different and mixed the sauce with pasta for a side dish with the chicken, plus sauteed mushrooms.

SAUCE (MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS)
1 red pepper (sliced)
1/2 onion (sliced)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1.5 cups soy cream (or single cream)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
- Toss the onion and red pepper in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper
- You can roast the red pepper and onion, or if you have limited time, like I did when I made this, grill them until soft and a bit charred
- In a food processor blend onion and red pepper with soy cream and garlic
- Season more if desired
- Add extra olive oil if necessary

To make the chiken breast I had just pan fried with some olive oil, dried rosemary, salt and pepper, and a bit of garlic powder

Vegetable Spring Rolls

I can't believe I've waited this long to try making spring rolls. It's so easy! :)
I had a little bbq last weekend but wanted to avoid the typical snacks such as crisps , breads and dips. At the same time I was craving an attempt at making an Asian dish I'd never made before. Not really a bbq type food but who doesn't love spring rolls?! There's no rules eh?! ;)


I live just a few minutes walk from an asian grocery store so why I don't cook asian cuisine more often, I don't know!
For the bbq I also made fresh vietnamese spring rolls. Unfortunately I forgot to take photos so I'll have to make them again soon to show you.
The chinese spring rolls were very popular. One friend even told me they tasted professional and so much better than ones from chinese take-away restaurants! Music to my ears!!


Here is what you'll need:

½ onion (sliced very thin)
½ cup sauerkraut
1 carrot (peeled strips)
3 cups fresh bean sprouts
½ tbsp crushed ginger (or ½ tsp ginger powder)
2 cloves crushed garlic (or ½ tsp garlic powder)
3 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp celery salt
2 tbsp sesame oil
Small size spring roll wrappers
1 tbsp flower + 2 tbsp water mixed for a sealing paste

Instrictions:
FILLING
- Heat sesame oil in a wok. Fry onions for just under a minute. The wok will be quite hot so onions will start cooking quite fast. Throw in garlic and ginger (if using powdered add later), sauerkraut. Cook for another minute or so then add carrot and bean sprouts. (Add more sesame oil if necessary at this point)
- Pour in the soy sauce and stir. Add celery salt and sugar. (at this point you will also add powdered ginger and garlic)
- Cook all ingredients through until at the softness of your preference (some people prefer softer inside the roll, and some prefer a bit crunchy. Who says there’s a right or wrong eh?)
- Once cooked through transfer filling to a bowl and allow to cool down
- Wipe the wok clean as you will use it to cook the spring rolls (that’s if you don’t have a dep fryer)

ROLLING
- You will need a flat dry surface to roll your spring rolls
- Place a sheet on the dry surface with a corner towards you (so looking down the sheet is a diamond). Place a tbsp amount of the filling at the corner of the sheet towards you. Wrap the corner of the sheet overtop of the filling and start rolling it quite tight. Once you’ve rolled about halfway pull in both side corners and continue rolling. Seal the closing corner with your paste
- Continue rolling until you’ve used up all your filling. As you’re rolling Make sure to keep your pile of spring roll pastry sheets covered with a slightly damp cloth to stop them from drying out
COOKING
- As I don’t have a deep fryer I used my wok. Heat about 1 inch deep of vegetable oil in the wok. Make sure it gets very hot so that the rolls fry immediately as it hits the pan
- You’ll probably be able to cook about 8 rolls at a time as you don’t want them overcrowding in the wok.
- Keep a close eye on them, they will only need frying for about a minute or two on each side. Since they are on direct contact with the wok they can burn quickly so make sure to turn them at the right time and remove as soon as they are done.
- As you remove them from the wok place them on a paper towelled plate

These really did turn out wonderful! So crispy and tasty. Quite proud of myself really :))

Serve with a sweet chilli sauce for dipping

Primavera Rice Casserole

Isn't wonderful how many of our best dishes come from last minute inventions, using whatever foods we have lying around.
My other half will often come to me, after looking through the kitchen, say that we have nothing to eat so what should we do for dinner......nothing to eat?? what?? this is not possible.
This meal came from one of those evenings. I went straight upstairs took out any vegetables we had, some rice (which we always have in stock), and a few other ingredients. 30 minutes later I presented my boyfriend with our evening meal. That "how did you come up with this" impressed look along with a big smile came onto his face.

Here is the dish to create such a wonderful "yum yum" sounds.
Looks so simple but taste is so comforting!


(FEEDS 2 PEOPLE)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 celery stalks (thinly sliced)
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp celery salt
Seasoning salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup parmesan (grated)
1 cup cheddar (grated)
1 bag ‘boil in a bag’ white rice

Instructions:
- Cook rice as per instructions
- Meanwhile fry onion and celery with olive oil until beginning to soften and brown a little, then add garlic and red pepper. Continue to fry for a few minute (but do not allow the garlic to brown). Once red peppers begin to soften add the mushrooms and oregano. Season with seasoning salt and black pepper and fry for a further few minutes.
- Combine vegetable mix, rice and parmesan in a small casserole dish, top with cheddar. Place lid on the casserole dish and cook in the oven (375 C, gas mark 5) until cheese is nicely melted (approximately 10 minutes)

Twice Baked Potato Deliciousness!

I wasn't a huge baked potato lover until I found this recipe. The moment I saw it I just had to try it! I am definitely now a 'twice baked potato' lover! Never turning back.

This recipe is adapted from Paula's Twice Baked Potato at "It's all gouda"
I made a few changes, using what I often may use if I were to make mashed potatoes. It really is a recipe to have fun with since you can really add any ingredients which may be your favourites

(Feeds 2 people)
2 large baking potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 strips of streaky bacon (cut into small pieces) - of course if you want vegetarian this can be omited and still be just as tasty! ;)
1 small red onions (chopped)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup fresh chives (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
- Baked the potatoes at 400F (gas mark 6) for about 1 hour or until soft on the inside and crisp on the outside.
(make sure to prick potatoes a few times with a fork to keep them from bursting during baking)
- Cook onion and bacon in a pan until onion are soft and bacon crispy
- Once potatoes are cooked slice in 2, scoop out the soft potato and place in a large bowl. set potato skin shells aside.
- mash the potato then add to the potato 1/2 of the cheddar and all remaining ingredients. Mix well
- Divide potato mash into all 4 potato skin shells. Sprinkle the remaining cheese equally onto each potato
- Place potatoes onto the baking sheet and grill in the over for about 10 minutes or until top is looking nicely melted and slightly browned.

These are quite filling so we had ours with a nice fresh side salad. A lovely spring lunch!
Or consider serving 1 of the potato halves with some veg and grilled chicken or steak for dinner. Yummmy!!

Thanks Paula!! :)

Trio Mac & Cheese

I am the ultimate Mac & Cheese lover. I have enjoyed plenty a box of Kraft Dinner (for when I don't feel like cooking but need some comfort food) but nothing beats a homemade creamy Mac & Cheese does it?!

I have done the homemade thing quite a few times, each time trying a different method or recipe, attempting at creating my ultimate macaroni cheese creation to go along with my ultimate love for the dish.
This is not to say the ones I have come up with are not good, they're always cheesy, tasty and oh so comfoting! All I mean is that this is a dish I am determined to perfect and along the way have come up with several different styles (I think I'm more of a perfectionist than usual when it comes to this dish). This is the first one I'm posting. Check out the creaminess!! Oh yeah!

350g elbow macaroni (For fun I used spirali which is similar to elbow macaroni but longer and spiralled, hence 'spirali')
1/4 of a large onion (chopped)
2 1/2 tbsp butter (1 tbsp for topping)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
3 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp creamy goats cheese
1/2 cup mature cheddar (shredded)
1/2 cup emmental cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup parmesan (shredded - for the topping)
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
3 1/2 tbsp fresh chives (half for the topping)

Instructions:
- Cook pasta as per instructions
- In the meantime you will create the cheese sauce:
- melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter with olive oil in a saucepan, add onions to saute. Once onions are soft turn heat right down and add flour. Whisk mixture together. Add milk a little bit at a time, whisking together until smooth with each addition of milk. Continue stirring until sauce has thickened.
- Turn heat up slightly and add cheddar. Once cheddar has melted add the emmental and once emmental has melted add the goats cheese, allow to melt.
- Stir in chili flakes if including. Add salt & pepper and half the chives.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple minutes, but do not allow to bubble
- In a bowl mix together breadcrumbs, parmesan and the remaining chives. Set aside
- Turn oven on to gas mark 6 (400 F)
- In a casserole dish mix pasta with cheese sauce
- Melt the remaining 1 tbsp of butter in the microwave then combine with the breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over top of the pasta. Bake in the oven until top is golden (approx 20min)

Enjoy the comfort!

For All You Cheese Lovers!!

I was in the middle of creating a recipe and wasn't sure about one of the cheeses I wanted to use. I wanted to know how it melts. So I did one of my quick google searches and found a website which gives excellent and helpful info for using different cheeses in our cooking


Check it out here

Hope this will also be helpful to all you other cheese lovers!

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Being a Canadian I love anything with cheese, especially lovely oozing melted cheddar!
This is such an easy and super tasty side dish


(Feeds 4 people)
1 medium size head broccoli (stem cut off and florets separated)
1 medium size head cauliflower (stem cut out and florets separated)
1 cup milk
1 cup cubed strong (mature or vintage) Canadian cheddar
3 tbsp flour
2 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tsp dijon mustard (or 1/2 tsp mustard powder)
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
1 tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
- Steam broccoli and cauliflower until al dente. You don't want them too soft or mushy. Put in a baking dish and keep aside

SAUCE:

A ROUX SAUCE FOR STARTERS.....
- Melt butter in a saucepan.
Keep temperature on a lower heat.
- Whisk in the flower until mixture turns into a ball (if a ball is not forming just add a tiny bit more flower)
- With a wooden spoon flatten ball and cook out the flower a bit (still on a lower heat).
- Turn up the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the milk until all is smooth (liquid will thicken with some time). Never allow sauce to boil or bubble

ADDING THE FLAVOUR FOR A CHEESY SAUCE.....
- Stir in the cheddar (reserve some for topping) and allow to melt in the white sauce, then add mustard
- Add nutmeg, chili flakes, paprika, stir
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Turn temperature back down between low and medium. Let sauce thicken.
Sauce is ready when it falls off the wooden spoon smoothly

- Pour cheese sauce over top of the broccoli and cauliflower and stir just a little bit, avoiding breaking the veggies more
- Bake in oven for approximately 25 min at Gas Mark 7 (425 F), or until cheesy top is golden (Top with the reserved cheddar for the last 10 min)


Serves great with any main of your choice, chicken, fish, or if you're a veggie it could serve nicely with stuffed aubergines or stuffed pepper

NOTE: Of course you can use any strong cheddar you want. Maybe it's all in my head and being a proud Canadian but I always seem to prefer the flavour that comes out of Canadian cheddar :)

Enjoy!