Daisy Chains and Picnics

This is one of Darren's favourite, he usually orders a parmy when he goes out for a meal. This one is tangy and tasty, I used shop bought chicken schnitzels as I had them in the freezer and decided to use them with this sauce but I will make my own next time 😜 Ingredients 700 g tomato passata sauce 1 onion, finely chopped 100 g mushrooms, sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1/4 Tsp onion powder 1/4 Tsp garlic powder 1/4 Tsp dried oregano 1 1/2 Tsp Worcestershire sauce 1/2 Tsp salt 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped 1 -2 Tbsp olive oil 4 thick slices mozzarella 40 g grated Parmesan 4 chicken schnitzels Method 1.  Cook chicken schnitzels according to packet instructions. 2.  Meanwhile heat oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add onions and cook until slightly transparent. Add mushrooms, cook until softened, add garlic, cook for another minute. 3.  Stir in passata sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, worcester sa...

Darren came home the other day with this strange looking but very pretty vegetable, I had no in idea what it was called but fortunately he had written the name on the paper bag, it was a Romanesco. Looking it up online, it is called a Romanesco broccoli, also known as Roman cauliflower. photograph taken from the internet. I browsed through various ways it can be prepared and cooked, I decided to try it roasted with lemon as I had lemons to use up. It was really tasty, and still had a bit of a crunch to it after roasting, equally delicious hot or cold. I will be using this again in summer salads. Ingredients 1 head Romanesco, cut into florets 1.5  tbsp olive oil pinch of smoked paprika pinch of garlic powder zest from 1 lemon 2 tsp lemon juice Method 1.  Preheat oven to 210°C. Line a baking tray with foil. 2.  Put florets in a bowl along with 1/2 tbsp oil, paprika and garlic powder. Mix to combine. 3.  Spread ou...

After the success of the peanut butter I made the other day, see post  here  I picked up some roasted cashews while at the supermarket to make cashew butter. My kids love nut butters and making them yourself you know exactly what goes into them making them a healthier snack for them to enjoy. I found that the cashews took a lot longer to become nut butter consistency than peanuts, for a while it doesn't look as though anything is happening apart from the nuts looking finely chopped, but patience is the key here, it will eventually turn into a thick creamy butter. Adding a little oil of your choice makes it more creamy. I used peanut oil but avocado or coconut oil also works. Ingredients 2 cups roasted cashew nuts 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp peanut oil or oil of your choice Method 1.  Add cashew to a food processor with blade attachment and blend until thick and creamy, about 8-10 minutes stopping every so often to scrape down the sides. I...

I made cloud eggs a while back, see recipe  here , this is a slight variation of the same dish, this time I encased the egg yolk in the egg white mixture, it turned out great, Jodie ate 2 of them! They are delicious as a starter, lunch or light dinner. You can add some chopped ham, cheese or herbs and spices to the bottom part of the egg white for extra flavour and variety. Ingredients 6 egg whites 4 egg yolks Method 1.  Preheat oven to 180°c. Line a baking tray with baking paper, coat with nonstick cooking spray. 2.  Grease 4 small bowls with nonstick cooking spray. Carefully separate the eggs putting 4 egg yolks into the small bowls (1 yolk per bowl) and 6 egg whites into a mixing bowl (use the other 2 yolks for another recipe, check this one  here ). Season the egg whites with salt and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. 3.  Spoon approximately 1/2 of the egg white mixture into 4 dollops on the lined...

Scott came home with a bag full of lemons freshly picked from a clients tree so I have been using them in various dishes. Yesterday I made lemon fried rice, as I had some chicken leftover from the Sunday roast I added it to make a stir-fry rice dish, but the chicken is optional. I also added a chopped 1" piece of preserved lemon as I have preserved lemons in the fridge, just toss it in when you add the remaining ingredients. Ingredients 1-2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 small green chilli, finely chopped 1 tbsp coriander, chopped 3-4 cups cold cooked rice 100 g frozen peas, thawed 2 tbsp soy sauce 2-3 tbsp lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest 1-2 cups cooked chicken 1/4 cup chicken stock Method 1.  Heat oil in a wok over a medium heat. Add onions, garlic and chilli, and coriander, cook until onions are transparent. 2.  Add remaining ingredients, season to taste, stir fry for 5-6 minutes or until co...

All the fun of cereal in a milkshake.. I love experimenting with shakes. From healthy to fun you can let your imagination run wild. There were some froot loops left at the bottom of the packet and I thought it would be fun to try them in a shake. The result was creamy and delicious. Ingredients 2 cups vanilla ice cream 1 cup milk 1 cup froot loops Method 1.  Put ice cream and milk in a blender and blend until combined. 2.  Add froot loops and again blend or pulse until combined. Top with whipped cream. Easy as! I melted some white chocolate to coat the rim, then added some crushed froot loops for effect. Enjoy.

Bubble and Squeak is a delicious dish traditionally made from leftover vegetables from dinner the night before. The typical ingredients are potatoes and cabbage, but any other leftover veg can be thrown in to give more variety in flavour. This was a firm favourite in our house when we were growing up, one of my dad's favourite but he enjoyed any kind of leftovers. 😋 My mum recently sent me through some handwritten recipes, ( I absolutely adore handwritten recipes ) and one of them was her bubble and squeak so the other day when I had some leftover mashed potatoes and cabbage I knew what to make for tea. How awesome is this 👍 Instead of bacon fat I used olive oil and I also added some chopped chives.   Method Mix together equal quantities of mashed potatoes and roughly chopped cabbage, season with salt and pepper. Heat some oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add mixture to pan and flatten down, cook gently until browned, carefully turn and cook other si...

A delicious quick and easy lunch or dinner, serve with a bowl of soup, salad or chips. Ingredients 2 panini, cut in half 1 cup shredded cooked chicken 2-3 tbsp salsa sauce 1 cup grated mozzerella 1 tsp dried oregano Method 1.  Toast panini on both sides until golden and lightly toasted. 2.  Spread toasted panini with salsa, top with chicken, mozzarella and oregano. Grill for 2 minutes until heated through.

I love spicy foods of any kind. The other day I was craving something spicy, as I had eggs to use up I decided to add some spice to make a delicious salad filling which I enjoyed as a sandwich and Jodie had some with crackers. Ingredients 2 hard boiled eggs 1/2 small carrot, grated small stalk celery, finely chopped 2 tbsp onion, finely chopped 1 -2 tbsp spicy Jalepeno mayonnaise 1/2 tsp Nandos peri peri salt 1/2 tsp chilli flakes 1/2 tsp dried chives Method 1.  Peel eggs and put in a bowl or jug then mash with a fork. 2.  Add carrot, celery and onion, mix to combine. Add the rest of ingredients. Stir gently to combine. 3.  Serve as a dip with crackers or a filling for sandwiches or jacket potatoes. It wasn't overly spicy so would also suit anyone who likes mild spice. If you prefer less spice, omit the chilli flakes and use plain mayonnaise.

A delicious nutritious brunch or lunch. Use whichever bread you prefer, I used a rye and molasses bread. Top with a poached egg if you desire . Ingredients 2 slices bread 1 ripe avocado, peeled and de-stoned 1/4 red onion, finely chopped juice of 1/2 lime 1/4 tsp chilli flakes salt and pepper hot chilli sauce Method 1.  Mash together the avocado, onion, chilli flakes and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 2.  Toast 2 slices of bread of your choice. Top toast with the smashed avocado. Drizzle with hot chilli sauce or olive oil. Enjoy.