lovely lemon

The sour sister of the citrus family, lemon’s can make even the prettiest face turn!

Lemons can be added to a morning glass of water to help kick-start your metabolism, the perfect companion in honey and mint tea to soothe a sore throat or added to a favourite bowl for a visually bright addition to your kitchen counter.

In food lemons act as a preserver, balances and can often be the hero ingredient in many dishes; lemon curd, puddings, pies and tarts to name a few favourites. Experiment by adding a squeeze of lemon into your next stew at the end of cooking time. Or fresh lemon zest stirred through a dish of pasta, olive oil, Parmesan and rocket is simple and flavoursome.

Love a lemon and enjoy the many recipes they can create.

love amie x

Christmas cakes in July, mini style

We Australian's love any excuse for a party and especially a second Christmas in July.

Those of you who love Christmas cake will love this deliciously easy and super moist cake you can make in next to now time. For myself Christmas cake has definitely been an acquired taste, when I was growing up I remember always trying just a sliver of this rich moist fruit cake every Christmas but always turning my little button nose up in a complete disgust! Things have changed since then and now I just can't seem to get enough of it. I look forward to eating Christmas cake any which way; sliced and served cold with a 'cuppa' or slightly warmed up and with lashings of freshly made custard and ice-cream for dessert.

Make the most of the remainder of this cool month of July and give Christmas cakes a chance this winter, you wont be disappointed.

the ingredients

300g butter, cut into small cubes

400g soft brown sugar

500g mixed dried fruit including sultanas, currants, raisins, dates, prunes

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

4 tablespoons brandy

2 teaspoons mixed spice

4 eggs, lightly beaten

400g (2 1/2 cups) wholemeal plain flour

100g pecan nuts. optional

50g raw almonds, optional

lets have some fun

Preheat oven to 150ºC for fifteen minutes.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large (6L capacity) non-stick pot. Add sugar, dried fruit, bicarb, brandy and 375ml water (1 1/2 cups).

Bring mixture to the boil slowly, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Add mixed spice and eggs to fruit mixture, stir well. Stir in flour.

Pour mixture into silicone 1 cups/12 cup muffin. Decorate the top with the nuts as desired. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked.

Check that the cake's are not cooking too fast. If browning too much cover loosely with foil and continue to bake for remainder of time or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out almost clean. Cool completely in the Pan's. Invert onto wire cake cooling rack, and place in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap until required.

Cakes may be frozen for up to 12 months; double wrap in plastic and place in an airtight container. Remove when required.

love amie x

Can a stove top double as an oven? Carrot Cake like you have never seen it before...

For a simple and much adored classic dessert cake the whole family will enjoy. The irresistible stove top carrot cake is a must this winter. Best enjoyed with a group of your girly friends over a cup of hot chocolate or freshly brewed coffee.

A super-sweet way to stay in touch!

the ingredients
1 cup olive oil
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs (lightly beaten)

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups firmly packed grated carrot (approximately 4 carrots)
1 cup walnuts
Icing:
1 x 250g packet cream cheese, softened
1 cup pure icing sugar
Zest of 1 orange
lets have some fun
Place oil, sugar and eggs in a medium bowl and whisk well to combine. Add flour, bicarb soda, and cinnamon until just combined. Stir in carrots and walnuts, mix well until combined.
Lightly dust a non-stick 2L saucepan with plain flour, pour in the cake mixture.
Place the saucepan on to cook top, cook (lid on and closed) over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until the lid is HOT. Open lid vents and cook for a further 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Invert cake onto a cake cooling rack & allow to cool completely before icing.
To make the icing:
Beat all ingredients together until combined. Spread over cake and serve.

love amie x

Bastille Day - An excuse to enjoy all things French

How could you not fall in love with the heady romanticism that bubbles around all things French. Ohh la la!
Sweet and ever so delicate French Macaroons (my absolute devilish favourite), fresh baked baguettes straight frmo the oven, soft-gooey cheese, light, bubbly champagne (perhaps this is where my headiness has arrived from!) and of course Amelie the movie are just a few of my French favourites.
Bastille Day, which is Frances national holiday (July 14th) is a great excuse to get busy in the kitchen playing around with some French classics.
The classic French dish - beef bourguignon is a highly re-visited dish especially in winter. A rich and hearty beef stew that will melt in your mouth every time if you follow a couple of easy rules. To make this dish a delicacy buy the correct cut of beef (ask your butcher for stewing beef or try Chuck steak) and then cook it slowly until the meat is tender and succulent to give this dish its 'just deserves'.
In Australia such dish's are viewed as 'poor man's food', not so in France this is a very traditional dish and delicate care is taken in the preparation to marinate the beef and vegetables (mushrooms and onions) before cooking. Adaptions of this stew have arisen to suit the laid back Australian lifestyle. With the right beef and a few simple ingredients you too can make a Delicious French 'inspired' beef stew in next to no time.

Beef Bourguignon (simplified)

active time: 15 minutes
cooking time: ~ 2 hours

the ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 leek, washed, chopped (white part only)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
1kg chuck steak, chopped 3cm cubes
250ml (1 cup) red wine
4 cups beef stock, hot
¼ cup tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 sprig thyme
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Pinch salt, to taste
10 eshallots, peeled
100g button mushrooms, halved
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest

lets have some fun
Heat a non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add oil, leek and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until softened.
Add flour to beef in a plastic bag and shake well to coat the beef cubes.
Add the coated beef to the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until meat is browned. Add wine, stock, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme and seasoning’s. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 1 ½ -2 hours.
Add mushrooms and eshallots in the final 30 minutes of the cooking time.
Sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest, serve stew with mashed potato.
Best eaten for lunch or dinner the following day when the richness of the dish has had time to develop.
Bon appetite

love amie x

Did you know Amie is also the French 'term' used to describe a 'female friend’?