Whisk or a whip

Julia Child introduced whisks (or whips, as she called them) to American kitchens in the 1960s. A multi-tasking utensil that can aerate, emulsify, deglaze, and mix. Yet anyone who's shopped for a whisk recently, could be forgiven for their confusion of finding a good whisk, an overwhelming array of designs are available these days. Balloon, Flat, Twirl, French and Ball whisks all shaped specifically to suit a certain method of cooking.

A favourite recipe we like to cook at home especially when the funds run low is eggs, any which way; omelette's, frittata, scrambled, boiled, poached or baked. The humble egg is a versatile and highly nutritious ingredient and a minute meal maker to satiate your appetite. The trick to cooking fabulous eggs it to not overcook them as they become rubbery and start to secrete water (syneresis). Cook them until they are almost cooked then remove them instantly from the heat as they will continue to cook slightly for a further more. Looks like it's an Omelette for dinner tonight.

serves: 1 hungry & tired lady quickly

takes : 5 minutes from prep to cooking

the ingredients

1 knob of butter (1-2 teaspoons)

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

20 ml water or milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

lets have some fun

Pre-heat a small 22cm non-stick fry pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Add butter and stir until almost melted. Add combined eggs and water, allow to cook for 30 seconds. Using a silicone spatula stir the eggs gently or alternatively move the pan backwards and forwards to allow the uncooked egg space to start cooking. Cook for a further minute or until the omelette is almost cooked but still slightly soft on top. Fold one half of the omelette over onto the other half. Slide the omelette gently out of the pan and onto a plate, season to taste.

Serve with fresh slices of bread and chopped parsley

love amie x

Strawberry

Summery Strawberries are highly recognised for their unique triangular shaped red fruit. This sweet little parcel is at its best when picked fresh and in season. Nutritionally speaking strawberries add a tasty dose of Vitamin C, Folate, flavinoids and dietary fiber to your diet, with less than 200 kJ per cup, a healthy snack anytime of the day.
Strawberries are a true delight when summer roles around especially served alongside ice-cream, cream or yogurt they easily turn 'simple into special' with; cheesecakes, puddings, chocolate and sponge cake.
Strawberries when dried lend themselves lovely to a favourite recipe, the Florentine.
Home made jams and preserves make a lovely addition to a ladies brunch, afternoon tea or a special present that money simply cannot buy.
Strawberries are best when grown in well drained soil the most recognized variant possessing over-sized rounded green leaves and small white and yellow flowers.

love amie x

For more inspiring recipes, Rhubarb and strawberry marble pudding click here: http://amieherring.blogspot.com/2009/06/rhubarb-strawberry-marble-pudding-stove.html

Lumberjack 'love heart' cakes

I love turning a recipe into something slightly more fun and creative. In honour of my mums favourite cake, the Lumberjack, I have made individual little love heart cake's.
The perfect sweet accompaniment to an afternoon tea with friends.









Lumberjack Cake recipe
prep: 10 minutes
cooking: 1 hour
makes: 1 round cake or about 12 love hearts
the ingredients

2 granny smith apples, peeled, finely grated

1 cup (160g) dates, pitted

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 cup boiling water

125g butter, cubed

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour

topping

60g butter

1-2 tablespoons milk

1 cup (60g) shredded coconut

½ cup brown sugar

lets have some fun

Pre-heat oven to 160 C for 15 minutes.

Place apple, dates and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, pour over boiling water ans stir. Cover and set aside to cool.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy, slowly add egg and vanilla, mix until combined.

Fold through flour and apple mixture, alternatively, until combined.

Pour into a 20cm cake pan lined with baking paper. Bake for 40 minutes.

Topping: Melt butter in a saucepan, add remaining ingredients, stir until combined, set aside.

Remove cake from oven and pour over topping. Bake for a further 15 minutes.

For 'love heart cakes: Cut out love heart's from cooled & cooked cake, using a love heart cookie cutter. Place on platter and dust with icing sugar.

Serve with cream or ice cream.

tiny tip

Replace dried dates with figs

love amie x

Zucchini WHO?

Is this another forgotten vegetable?

Named either Courgette or Zucchini depending on your code, this long green or gold vegetable may look slightly on the boring side but it offers an array of recipes and delicious surprises in the beginning of these warmer months filled with entertaining and fuss-free eating.
Grated, zucchini can be used in savoury slices, chocolate cakes and even muffins. Zucchini’s can be cooked in a variety of cooking methods including; steaming, fried, boiled, simmered, stuffed, grilled and even barbecued for a great vegetarian option. Zucchinis are a somewhat bland tasting food and so will capture the flavours from other foods they are cooked with.
The zucchini is an extremely low energy yielding food that has a substantial amount of dietary folate, magnesium and Vitamin A for good health so eat your greens next time your mum insists.

Store in the chiller section of your refrigerator for up to 3 days, zucchinis are prone to chill bruising, which you will see as inverted little welts on the skin.
TIP - If you are lucky enough to grow your own zucchini if you have the space make sure you keep the flowers, which grow from the end of the zucchini. Wash and pat dry each flower, make a quick batter of flour, soda and salt. Stuff each flower with a mixture of ricotta, Parmesan and mixed herbs, dip the stuffed flower into the batter and fry for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and place on absorbent paper. Serve immediately.
This recipe reminds me of my other sister, Joanna. Each time I visit without a doubt she will have this in her refrigerator or be making a fresh batch. We learnt this simple recipe from our mother and I suspect this is one of Joanna's favourite's.

Buy firm zucchini free from blemishes at your local supermarkets or if you are lucky like Joanna, use freshly picked zucchinis. Which she grows in her large apartment-sized vegetable patch. Pick zucchinis when the flowers are blooming or about to or when they are 20cm in length as this is when they are at their best.

This slice recipe makes a perfect lunchbox companion and easy picnic food.

For bub x

Zucchini slice

makes 1 slice tray

prep 10 minutes

cooking 35 minutes

the ingredients

2 teaspoons oil

1 onion, chopped

4 rashers, rind less bacon, chopped

5 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup plain flour

3-4 zucchinis, washed, grated

1 cup tasty cheese, grated

lets have some fun

Pre-heat oven to 180 C for fifteen minutes.

Heat oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add onion and bacon, cook for 5 minutes or until softened and slightly brown. Remove onion mixture from the pan and set aside on absorbent paper.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, flour, zucchini and cheese, stir through onion mixture and pour into a slice pan lined with baking paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Slice and serve hot or cold.

love amie x

Traditions -Terrific tiramisu

My sister's love to cook just as much as I do or at times sometimes more. We grew up helping pick or some might say we were stealing our favourite; Pa's peas fresh from his beloved garden! Squatting in between the lengthy rows of voluptuous vegetables, giggling and laughing. Each eyeing the others tiny pea harvest, making sure one sister didn't have more than their fare share. Opening the sweet little pod in hope of finding lots of tiny green dot like peas, then straight to the cheeks. Looking back I think Pa had a cheeky suspicion of what was going on but he never said so... Our passion and love of cooking has stemmed from the healthy education we were surrounded by when growing up. Old fashioned country-style living, we knew no other way.
To this day we still share recipes weekly and one recipe I learnt whilst working in a biscuit factory with Italians was Tiramisu, which my sister recently requested.

For Kate x

Tiramisu - the traditional way

makes:1 large tray of Tiramisu

chill:at least 6 hours

the ingredients
6 eggs, separated
100g caster sugar
1/4 cup rum
500g Marscapone, softened
1 pkt (500g) Sponge finger biscuits

1 cup coffee, peculated - may need a little more

100g dark chocolate, grated

lets have some fun
Beat egg yolks and sugar until smooth & creamy.
In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add rum to egg whites and gently fold through. Set aside.
Add marscapone to the egg yolk mixture and beat until smooth. Fold the egg white mixture into the marscapone mixture until combined.
Dip sponge fingers into coffee, lay sponge fingers in a single layer in the base of a pudding dish (5-cup capacity). Spoon half the marscapone mixture evenly onto the sponge fingers and smooth out. Repeat with another layer of biscuits and finish with marscapone. Add grated chocolate or sifted cocoa. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

love amie x

Back to basics

Sometimes 'the simple things in life are often the best' or in this case the most basic things. I am often asked by friends, colleagues and family for a Basic muffin recipe.

In honour of the most versatile and understated baked goodi 'the muffin' I have put together a few of my favourites to share.

Basic muffin mix

the ingredients

2 cups (300g) self raising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup (125g) sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
200g butter, melted
½ cup sour cream
½ cup (125ml) milk
lets have some fun
Pre-heat the oven to 180º C for fifteen minutes.
In medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder & sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, butter, sour cream and milk. Mix until just combined.
Spoon the mixture evenly between a 12-cup muffin tray.
Bake on the top shelf of your oven for 18 minutes or until golden brown.

Here are a few of my favorite muffin recipes on my blog:

Raspberry and white chocolate –Add 1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries and 1/2 cup white chocolate, chopped to the basic muffin mixture. Berry – Add 1 cup mixed berries; raspberries, blueberries & strawberries to the basic muffin mixture.Banana & double choc –Yum! If you don’t want to add chocolate you can either omit or substitute for plums or leave simply as Banana. Mum’s date & bran overnight muffins – A healthy breakfast treat or mid morning treat. Serve smothered in butter or a dollop of fresh ricotta and honey. mini spiced banana Sweet and delicious, the mini size means you can take two.

Muffins and mini muffins are great frozen in snap lock bags for up to 3 month, perfect for the kiddies lunch box. Simply pull out frozen muffins in the morning and pack into your kids lunchbox, doubling as a cooler to keep sandwiches fresh!

love amie x

An oval orange

If you haven't already noticed winter is over and spring has begun, this mornings clear blue sky and perfect sunrise told me it was so. Spring reminds me of oranges and with the few remaining in my fruit bowl at home I was determined to not let them spoil. Sweetly spiced orange and chocolate bread was my breakfast of choice. If you have a couple of lazy Orange's hanging around the house then take the following ingredients out of the kitchen cupboard and try this super easy recipe. Perfect for a throw together lazy Sunday brunch.
the ingredients
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup almond meal
2 oranges, zested (coloured part only) and juiced.
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (250ml) milk
1/4 cup oil
100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped, optional

lets have some fun
Pre-heat oven to 190C for fifteen minutes.
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well.
Pour mixture into silicone loaf tray.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before inverting.
Serve warm pieces of sliced Orange and chocolate bread with fresh ricotta, sprinkled with warmly toasted flaked almonds

Oranges are known most commonly or perhaps optimistically some might say, the iconic dimple-skinned Orange holds the cure for the common cold...
Not as sour as its sister fruit the lemon, lime and grapefruit. The orange imparts a much sweeter flavour and has a slightly stringy texture. The hidden juice-filled bubbles of this sweet citrus fruit lay dormant just beneath the thick skinned rough exterior, ready to explode on impact.
Freshly squeezed, oranges make a perfect start to the day, crammed with flu fighting Vitamin C to help fight off any ailments, which may come your way. Oranges can be quartered for a quick snack or carefully segmented with a paring knife they add zing to a summery salad. For a quick flavour boost add a tablespoon of freshly grated Orange zest to your favourite berry dish to enhance the tangy flavour in pies, compotes, bircher-style muesli and decadent chocolate puddings, a union that is hard to resist.
Growing up I remember Oranges being a regular fixture at the local footy, served at quarter time breaks for a quick energy boost.
Do try an oval orange in your own style!

love amie x