Chocolate Malteser Cake

I saw this Chocolate Malteser Cake recipe on Pinterest and pinned it instantly. I changed the recipe a bit because it was all chocolate including the cake. This one I changed to a delicious vanilla cake with a chocolate fudge icing and Maltesers on top.

The recipe for the vanilla cake came from a wonderful cook book I found called The Commonsense Cookery Book first published in 1914. It is my go to book when I want a basic recipe that is easy to make. It is an invaluable cook book in my library.

Vanilla Cake

Ingredients
125gm milk free margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 cups self raising flour sifted
1/2 cup rice milk

Method
1. Grease and lightly flour 20cm round baking tin.

2. Cream butter sugar and vanilla.

3. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

4. Add sifted flour alternately with milk.

5. Spread in prepared tin and bake at 180C/350F for 45 minutes. Keep an eye on it as it may burn before cooked. If so just cover with foil and place on lower shelf in oven until done.

Malteser Chocolate Fudge Icing

Ingredients
2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup milk free margarine
4 tablespoons water
2 heaped tablespoons cocoa
2 jumbo bags of Maltesers

Method
Sift icing sugar and cocoa together then mix to combine.

Add water and margarine and stir until smooth.

Spread on cake thickly.

Arrange Maltesers in a cross first then fill in each section.

Recipe for Lentil Soup

I like making lentil soup but wanted a recipe for lentil soup that had a bit more flavour to the last recipe I had.

This one is an incredibly delicious recipe with lots of flavour and body. It's a hearty meal that is incredibly delcious and good for you with ltos of vitamins and minerals.

This is also a vegetarian lentil soup with no animal products at all. ( I forgot to take a photo so used the photos from the recipe. I can't remember where I found this recipe now.)

Recipe for Lentil Soup

Ingredients
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
1 small leek thinly sliced
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 tbs tomato paste
1/2 cup brown lentils, rinsed, drained
1L vegetable stock
200g can chopped tomatoes
200g can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread, to serve

Method
Boil the lentils first in a saucepan for 10 minutes then drain. This gets rid of all the impurities.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the leek, carrot and celery, then cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until softened.

Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Add the lentils and stock and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 45 minutes, skimming the surface occasionally, until the lentils are tender.

Add the tomato, cannellini beans, coriander, paprika and some salt and pepper to the pan, then cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 10-15 minutes or until soup is thick. Taste for spices and seasoning, then stir in half the parsley.

Divide soup among bowls and top with remaining parsley, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground pepper. Serve and enjoy with crusty bread.

Best Bolognese Sauce





I used this recipe for Bolognese Sauce because I had made a delicious lentil soup a few nights ago and had half a can of Leggo's Diced Italian Tomatoes left over so went searching for a recipe to use them in. I didn't have to look far as it was on the can!

This is a very simple recipe for Bolognese Sauce that is easy to make and doesn't take too long.

I always use Tagliatelle pasta as it is my favourite. Makes a much heartier meal. Delicious. This recipe serves 3.

Bolognese Sauce Recipe with Mushrooms

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
250gm chuck steack minced or you can buy ready minced
1 tbspn tomato sauce
200gm Leggo's diced italian tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
1 bay leaf
3 large mushrooms chopped
1 teaspoon dried mixed Italian herbs

Method
In a large saucepan heat oil, add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Add beef mince, I always mince my own but you can buy ready minced, and cook until browned.

Stir in diced tomatoes, sauce, half the stock, bay leaf and mixed herbs.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes then add mushrooms and simmer a further 10 mintues.

Stir occasionally and top up with rest of beef stock. Season with salt.

Pasta
To make the pasta boil some water in a kettle then place in saucepan 15 minutes after you have put the Bolognese Sauce on simmer. The Tagliatelle pasta takes 10 minutes to boil. They should then both be ready at the same time.



 

Sushi Recipe

The hardest part about making sushi and this sushi recipe is the rice. The rest is very quick and easy. I bought the Obento Sushi Kit which had everything in it. All I had to buy were the ingredients that I wanted to put in the sushi rolls.

Cooking Sushi Rice

1. Bring 600ml water and contents of the rice sachet to the boil.
2. Lower heat, cover and simmer 12-14 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stand covered 5-10 minutes.

Prepare Sushi Rice

1. In a large bowl, evenly sprinkle powdered sushi mix over hot rice.
2. Stir through rice using a paddle or flat blade knife to separate and cool rice.
3. Divide rice into 6 even portions.

Prepare Sushi

1. Place 1 sheet of nori (shiny side down) onto the bamboo rolling mat, moisten your hands with water and take a handful of cooled prepared rice.

2. Spread the rice evenly over the surface of the nori, to within 1cm of the edge.

3. I spread some mayonnaise in the middle of the placed some chopped up prawns.

4. Then I added some sliced up avocado and salt.

5. Begin rolling up the mat over the ingredients holding the mat tight. Stop when you get 2.5cm from the edge of the sushi roll. Lift the mat and roll forward again to join the edges of the sushi roll. Keep applying a gentle pressure to make the roll firm.

6. Use a sharp knife to cut the completed rolls in half, place the halves side by side and cut into thirds each roll will make 6 pieces.

Chicken and Mushroom Pies

I love making these chicken and mushroom pies. It's great for when I am feeling lazy about cooking because they last a few days and I can eat them without having to cook.  The bad side about these pies is they are time consuming.

I prefer to use the reduced fat puff pastry because they have less butter and are lighter on the stomach. It doesn't take away from the flavour they taste just as delicious as normal puff pastry. You can also use short crust pastry. I just had puff pastry in my freezer so used that.

Enjoy.

Chicken and Mushroom Pies

Makes 4 small pies


Ingredients
2 tspns olive oil
700gm chicken thigh fillets chopped
1 leek finely sliced
100gm cup mushrooms sliced
30gm butter
1 tbspn plain flour
1 cup rice milk
4 sheets reduced puff pastry or short-crust pastry
50gm melted milk free margarine

Method
1 heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook chicken in 3 batches over medium high heat until well browned and cooked through. Set aside in a bowl.

2. Reduce heat to medium and add leek to the pan. Cook for 2 min or until leek is soft. Add mushrooms and cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until soft. Remove from pan and add to chicken. Melt margarine in same pan and sprinkle flour over. Cook stiring for 1 min. Add milk a little at a time stirring until smooth and well combined between each addition.

3. Add milk mixture to chicken and vegetable and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cool completely.

4. Preheat oven 190C or 170C fan. Cut a 16cm and a 12cm round from each pastry sheet (they will overlap slightly but you can stretch out the pasty to fit) Line 4 lightly greased 1 cup capacity pie dishes with larger pastry rounds.

5. Fill pie shells with chicken mixture, then lay a smaller round on top. Use a fork to seal the edges and then prick a few holes in the top tp let the steam out. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Ginger Cake

I really love ginger it's great for you and tastes great too. When I found this Ginger Cake recipe I had to make it.

It so simple and easy to make and totally lactose free.

Ginger Cake

Ingredients
1 tablespoon margarine
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup rice milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda


Method
Grease a loaf tin
Cream margarine and sugar
Beat egg well mix in the milk and treacle
Add gradually to creamed margarine and sugar
Lightly stir in the sifted flour, ginger, cinnamon and soda.
Pour into tin.
Bake for about 25 minutes.
Turn onto cooling racks to cool.


Icing

White Icing Sugar
You can choose to ice with icing sugar mixed with a little water to the consistency that you like. I prefer a thicker topping so don't use much water.

Cinnamon & Honey Topping
Melt 2 tablespoon milk free margarine and brush over loaf then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and then drizzle with a little honey. 

Homemade Vegan Chocolate Mud Cake

I got this lovely Vegan Chocolate Mudcake recipe from WhyVeg.com.  I was looking for a sweet treat but something healthy and this hit the spot.

This is a chocolate cake recipes made from scratch which you will definitely enjoy and make again and again.

Chocolate Mudcake Recipe

Ingredients
100g Wholemeal flour
100g Plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
30g Cocoa
100g Caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
125ml Vegetable oil
175ml Water

Chocolate Icing
1 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons milk free margarine
2 tablespoons water


Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Add wet ingredients and mix with a mixer on high for a couple of minutes.

Pour into baking tin.

Cook for approx 40mins or until a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool to room temperature.

Ice with Choclate icing by sifting the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Then add remaining ingredients and mix well. Ice cake.
 

Light and Healthy Sausage Rolls

I have wanted to make sausage rolls for ages but don't really like eating pastry because I find it too heavy due to all the butter that it has in it. Then I discovered low fat puff pastry and thought I would give it a go. I am glad I did as it is light and delicious.

I mince my own meat which I prefer to to do as this way I know exactly what type of meat goes in it. No off cuts for me. I got my mincer off eBay for about $40 and it works brilliantly.

Serve these healthy and delicious little sausage rolls with tomato sauce as you can see from above I love my sauce.

Be careful as they are light and addictive. Pace yourself. If you eat too many you will get a stomach ache. Hmmm am I speaking from experience!

Sausage Rolls Recipe

Makes 20


Ingredients
250gm chuck steak minced or your can buy ready minced beef
1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/2 zucchini grated
1/2 small brown onion chopped
1 small carrot grated
1 tspn thyme
1 tbsp parsley
1/4 cup melted milk free margarine
2 sheets frozen low fat puff pastry
salt and pepper


Method
Preheat oven to 200C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Mix together mince, breadcrumbs, zucchini, carrot, herbs, salt and pepper and half of the melted margarine. Use hands and mix well to combine.

Cut each side of pastry in half. Divide mince mixture along the centre of each piece of pastry, shaping it into a log. Brush edges of pastry with remaining melted margarine. Roll up pastry to enclose filling. 

Cut into preferred sizes. I got between 4 and 5 pieces per log. Brush with remaining melted margarine and place on prepared trays.

Bake for 20 minutes until pastry is puffed up and golden. Serve the sausage rolls with tomato sauce.