Lazy Susan 'meals in minutes'

What's for dinner tonight? Chicken, beef, pasta or salad? There is so much variety and choice in front of us that deciding something as simple as 'What's for dinner' can be a highly stressful and unmotivated task!

As a person who loves to cook & eAT I too feel at times the weight of my busy life when asked this simple question!

A common question in my line of work and one that is on every body's lips regardless of their love, passion and knowledge on food is 'whats for dinner?' It encompasses a whole range of people from the hungry hoards of children just home from a busy day at school, friends popping in for a last minute dinner, colleagues in the office looking for inspiration, and of course your partner who is racing home after another hectic day at the office. What to cook?

One of the things I love about food is how it brings people together forcing people unconsciously to form routine's; breakfast, lunch and dinner, afternoon teas, brunches and nibbles or the in vogue - tapas! We use food dates to catch up with friends, partners and family.

Chatting with my colleague today I decided to share some of my healthy, quick and cheap 'meals in minutes' I like to prepare mid-week for my friends, colleagues, family and partner!

My mantra is simple 'keep it simple'!

Last night we ate a simple Chicken & halloumi salad which couples as a 'light leftover lunch' your sugar will love!

Serves 2 plus leftovers for lunch!

the ingredients

100g pine nuts
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 large chicken breast fillets, skin removed

1 x 200g pkt halloumi cheese, sliced vertically into 1cm pieces

Salad

50g baby spinach, washed

1 Lebanese cucumber, chopped

2 tomato, chopped

1/4 cup mint or parsley leaves, chopped

100g kalamata olives

1/2 red onion, diced

zest and juice of a lemon

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil

lets have some fun

Heat a small non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add pine nuts; cook, stirring for 3-5 minutes until slightly browned and fragrant. Pour into a small bowl, set aside.

Rub oil into chicken fillets, season with salt and pepper and place in a non-stick fry pan. Cook turning once for 10 minutes until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan, cover & set aside to rest.

Add halloumi to the heated fry pan, cook for 2 minutes each side or until golden brown. Set aside.

Combine remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Slice chicken into 1cm pieces, place in serving bowls, add halloumi, salad and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, if desired. Season to taste.

This recipe is also great served with a dollop of hummus or natural yogurt!

Place your leftovers in a plastic container, cover, refrigerate.

TIP: Put a little note on your fridge door to remind you to take it out of your fridge in the morning.

What is halloumi? Halloumi is a Greek, Cypriot salty cheese used to make the classic snack Saganaki or fried cheese! It has a high-melting point so don't be scared when cooking as it won't melt or stick to your non-stick pans like other cheese! Delicious served alone or drizzled with lemon juice, fresh mint and a sprinkling of sea salt!

Another little gem and family favourite is the ultimate 'club sandwich' - a take out meal enjoyed at home that is so fuss-free, delicious & healthy to eat! The boys will be lining up to take over this job in the kitchen! Trust me! A healthy meal idea when your busy day makes you a last minute Lucy or a lazy Susan!

Shopping list - the ultimate club sandwich

2 x chicken breast fillets, skin removed, halved horizontally

2 rashers bacon, rind removed

1 avocado, peeled, sliced

1 tomato, sliced

100g tasty cheese, sliced

4 sliced good quality bread; sourdough or rye, lightly toasted

BBQ sauce, to serve

Watch this space for the 'club sandwich' and many more quick recipes to follow very soon....

If you enjoy reading my food blog and about food I would love to hear some thoughts on what you would like to read more of. Please send through your feedback and ideas as I would love to hear what you think.

love amie x

A Sweet Heart!

To Dazzle your beloved this Valentines Day try this super-sweet and simple White Chocolate and Rose-Water Turkish Delight Rocky Road.
Its sure to find the sweet tooth in us all and soften the hearts of those who don't believe in having a Valentine! One taste and you may want to think twice before sharing this treat as its so irresistibly decadent!

Rocky Road with a girly touch!
The ingredients
2 x 240g block white chocolate, broken into pieces
200g rose water Turkish delight, chopped 1 cm pieces
1 x 200g pkt white and pink marshmallows, chopped
100g pistachios, shelled, finely chopped
Lets have some fun
Melt the chocolate slowly in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl combine Turkish delight & marshmallows, add melted chocolate and stir until ingredients are well coated with chocolate.
Pour evenly into Flexibake heart and sprinkle immediately with pistachios. Place onto a baking tray and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight.Serve heart whole or slice into small bite size pieces.

Share the love this Valentines Day - jump into the kitchen and make a treat filled with love, love love!

love amie x

Cherrylicious cherries

Put the rosy-hue back in your cheeks with some Cherrylicious recipes this month. Bursting with flavour, cherries are a quick & healthy snack any hour of the day. The kids will love finding these hidden in their school lunch box for a cheeky cherry treat.

The most popular variant; sweet cherries are used universally in cooking and baking alongside their in ‘vogue’ sister the sour cherry. Sour cherries are a superior choice when making Cherry jam due to their high pectin levels, which make for a better set jam.

Cherries are a perfect accompaniment to cheese platters, great in a sauce, served with pork or as a super-sweet Cherry cheesecake.

Fresh cherries found in roadside stalls are a delicacy and a ‘dime a dozen’ if you come across one; freshly picked straight from the tree there is no sweeter way to eat these tiny, fleshy sweet bursts of flavour.

If fresh are unavailable due to seasonality, frozen pitted cherries or canned in syrup are a perfect alternative all year round. A low-budget alternative to when cherries are out of season.

A known healthy snack, cherries are a great source of Vitamin C and Potassium. Cherries are the new red hot super food, higher in antioxidants than many other known ‘super-food’ fruits (blueberries and strawberries).

Get your cherry a day and enjoy the delicious variety of recipes you can create with this wondrous fruit!

Poached cherries

1/2 orange, grated

200 ml red wine (Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon)

1/2 stick of cinnamon

1 clove

1 teaspoon caster sugar, plus extra to taste

200g frozen black sour cherries, defrosted

Place all ingredients into the como advanced 2L saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced and sugar has melted.
For a low-fat dessert in minutes, serve Poached cherries with this deliciously sweet baked ricotta.

love amie x

Vealicious Veal

Veal the baby of the meat family or otherwise known as ‘young beef or bobby beef’ has a more delicate flavour and rose-like appearance compared to beef.

Its low-fat quality, makes this meat vulnerable to overcooking in the pan so take care when cooking, otherwise it will taste like a rubber boot!

A simple coating of flour, egg and fresh breadcrumbs to veal schnitzels makes a classic and easy meal in minutes.

Or if the budget has been bruised post-Christmas then try this Veal, pork & chicken terrine, wrapped in bacon or prosciutto this low cost dinner is a real winner in the next day sandwiches too.

For a vealicious dinner-party pleasure, try Poaching veal in stock and serve it with a light and zesty salsa verde sauce.

The wonderfully long and hot summery nights don't seem to be relaxing anytime soon!

But if you feel like tickling your taste buds with a wintry classic, then you must try a slow cooked, melt in your mouth delicacy when the Hot sultry weather does cease. A dish I seldom tire of throughout winter is veal ragout; a rich and full flavored Italian pasta delight. A must try feast in anyone’s repertoire.

For summer meals pair your luscious veal with a light butter & sage sauce, some lovely lemons, perhaps pasta, tomatoes, white wine, capers or olives!

Good quality veal is hard to find so do some research and talk to your butcher about where you can find ‘milk fed’ veal, which is of a superior flavour and texture.
Enough of the spiel on veal I am hooked! Happy cooking and enjoy this delicious and delicate meat.

Veal, pork & chicken terrine

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Makes: 2 meatloaves
Keeps: 3 days; covered & refrigerated, frozen for up to 1 month

The Ingredients
100g pistachios, shelled
¾ cup (90g) dried cranberries
500g veal mince
500g chicken mince
500g pork mince
4 rashers rind less bacon, chopped
Optional 10 rashers of rind less bacon, extra to enclose meatloaf

Lets have some fun
Preheat oven to 180ºC for 15 minutes.Place pistachios on baking tray lined with baking sheet; roast pistachios for 7 minutes.
Combine pistachios, cranberries, mince and bacon in a large bowl; mix well to combine.
Line each loaf pan with 5 rashers of streaky or thin strip bacon, overlapping slightly; divide the mince mixture evenly between the two loaf pans, pressing down firmly. Enclose meatloaf with excess bacon and place in oven.
Bake meatloaf for 45-50 minutes or until temperature reaches 70C when probe is inserted in the centre of terrine and bacon is crisp.
Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Drain excess liquid from loaf pans. Serve warm with Roasted Pear & Rocket Salad (http://www.chefstoolbox.com.au/

Tips
Replace pistachios with roasted walnuts
A great quick and easy gluten free meal
A fantastic picnic terrine to share amongst friends

love amie xo

One banana two banana’s, 3 bananas, 4 banana’s! Banana’s are an all round favourite food, comic skit (Banananman), and comedy (Banana Split’s) an oldie but by no means forgotten favourite! Easy to love this hearty and robust starchy fruit, provides a powerful energy hit mid-afternoon.
A delicious addition baked in these banana & double choc muffins or they team perfectly in a super-simple banana cake, serve in pancakes, porridge, ice-cream or try your hand at banana custard (a delicious dessert the kiddies will adore! I did :-)
Could you really live without the ‘best friend’ of all fruits, the humble banana?
Carried in school lunch boxes, handbags, man bags and even gym bags, this robust fruit is a best friend to all. It picks you up when you’re feeling down, is by your side through the good and the bad and can be super sweet even at its worst!
Nutritionally high in potassium and fiber so enjoy a banana a day! Sliced and added to cereal, toast or fruit salad either way makes a great start to the day!

Banana's love being paired with chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream, even cumin and curry spices!

Try these quick and easy Banana & double choc muffins anytime of the day...
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes for 12-cup & 12 minutes for 24 cup
Makes: 12 large or 48 mini

Keeps: Best served on day of making; wrap individually in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 3 months.

The Ingredients
2 cups (300g) Self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup (125g) sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup (40g) white chocolate, chopped
¼ cup (40g) dark chocolate, chopped
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup (250ml) milk
65g butter, melted

Lets have some fun
Preheat oven to 180ºC for 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl combine; flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and half the chocolate. Add banana, egg, vanilla, milk & butter; stir gently until just combined.
Spoon muffin mixture evenly between the 12 cups of the Flexibake muffin & top each muffin with extra chocolate pieces.
Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Tips
Muffins don’t like to be over mixed, so as a rule of thumb only stir the mixture 15 times.

Enjoy experimenting with banana's & happy cooking,

love amie x

PASSIONS

What are your passions?

With Christmas just around the corner this time of year always makes me ponder even more (some could argue that this couldn't be possible!!!) the highs and lows of the last year.

Here is a tiny sneak....Of a few of mine!

What are your passions from 2008?
Is it music, politics (yuk!), food (yum!), sports, arts, religion???

I recently found a new cook book (something new!) called Table Tucker, Penina Petersen.

http://118.127.10.68/~earthhap/shoppingcart/index.php

I was inspired by this woman's refreshing take on a cook book. Every day it seems we are inundated with new cookbooks, springing up from out of nowhere.

This book makes getting organised look like FUN! Perfect for busy people who like to be organised. Featuring tips on shopping, budgeting along with beautiful writing by Penina.

Take a look and see what you think.

I love that 'Table Tucker is like having your mum in your back pocket!'

love amie x

what i love xox