Daisy Chains and Picnics

  Very quick and easy to make although it is important that you keep a close eye on them as they can burn quickly. I opened the air fryer every so often to make sure they didn't burn. Ingredients 200g Brussels sprouts olive oil salt & pepper Method 1.  Cut ends off brussels sprouts, separate leaves. 2.  Place in a bowl, drizzle lightly with a little oil, add salt & pepper. Toss to fully coat. 3.  Place in the air fryer basket. Cook at 175°C for 2-4 minutes.

Cerys and I thought we would try cooking brussels sprouts in the air fryer to see if she would like them as she is not a fan of steamed brussels. We also cooked some of the leaves to make brussels sprout crisps. Ingredients 400g brussels sprouts olive oil 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning 1/2 tsp garlic powder Method 1.  Wash sprouts and remove tough outer leaves. Cut in half lengthways. 2.  Place in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Toss to fully coat. 3.  Place in air fryer basket and cook at 195°C for 5-7 minutes, shaking the basket every so often. She wasn't too keen on them but Scott and I enjoyed them, Jodie also had some.

  I thought I would try making spring rolls in the air fryer and they turned out better than I thought they would, I was a bit concerned that they would be tough and soggy but no, they were deliciously crisp and light. Cerys also loved them which is a bonus, she ate two and took another to her work the next day. You can use whatever vegetables you prefer, I used red & yellow capsicum, carrot, and mushrooms along with some cooked chicken. I got the spring roll wrappers in the Asian freezer section at Coles. They were easy to use and quite resilient to tearing, it is important to not allow them to dry out whilst you are making them in batches, I covered them with a clean damp tea towel whilst preparing them. Place them in a single layer in the air fryer, don't overcrowd. Ingredients 130 g cooked chicken breast, roughly shredded 1 small red capsicum, sliced into strips 1 small yellow capsicum, sliced into strips 1 small carrot, sliced into strips 3 button mushrooms, finely chopped...

  Scott came home with a couple of bags of apples from Sally. Cerys wanted to bake something so she made an apple sponge pudding. Ingredients 4-5 granny smith apples 1/4 cup caster sugar 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 2 tbsp water sponge ingredients 3 eggs, room temperature 1/4 cup caster sugar 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 cup self-raising flour 1/2 tsp mixed spice Method 1.  Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 5-cup capacity ovenproof dish. 2.  Peel, core and chop apples. Place in a pan with sugar, cinnamon and water. Cook, partially covered over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until apples are tender. Drain excess liquid. Transfer to prepared dish. 3.  Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar a little at a time, beating until thick and creamy. Stir in oil and vanilla essence. 4.  Sift flour and mixed spice over egg mixture. Using a spoon, fold through batter until just combined. Spoon over apple, spread even...

  Cerys made these the other day and they turned out really well, crispy and tasty, we will definitely be making these again. A super quick and easy snack done in minutes using the air fryer. Ingredients 6-8 small corn or flour tortillas cooking spray oil salt to taste Method 1.  Preheat air fryer to 170°C. 2.  Spray each tortilla with cooking oil spray on both sides, season with salt to taste. 3.  Stack tortillas on a chopping board, cut in half, then cut each half into 3 small triangles. 4.  Spread tortillas in a single layer in the basket. Return basket to air fryer. 5.  Cook for 3 minutes, turn and continue cooking for a further 2 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Season with more salt if needed. ( Don't worry  if they don't go very crispy when done, they will become more crispier as they cool down) Serve with your preferred dip.

  Not a traditional Scottish oatcake recipe but delicious all the same. I used virgin olive oil in place of butter which gives the option of a healthier oatcake. These are also suitable for vegans. Ingredients 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 1/4 tsp salt 28g virgin olive oil 1/4 cup hot water Method 1.  Preheat oven to 180°C. 2.  Add oats to a food processor and blend until oats are coarsely ground. 3.  In a large bowl, mix together oats, salt and olive oil, mix through with your fingers. 4.  Add hot water (from a recently boiled kettle) bit by bit and knead the mixture together until it forms a dough, continue to knead until it no longer feels sticky (depending on the consistency, you may need less or more water). 5.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, roll out to approx 3mm thick. Cut oatcakes with a small cookie cutter. 6.  Carefully place oatcakes onto a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Enjoy with a steaming bowl of sto...

  Liven up boring rice with a citrusy lemon tang. I also added some chili for a kick of heat but that is entirely optional. Delicious served as a side dish along with curries, seafood, chicken, meat, stir fry or on it's own as a main dish. Ingredients 400g long grain or basmati rice 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp mustard seeds 1 dried red chili (optional) 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 lemons, zested & juiced 1/2 tsp ground turmeric Method 1.  Cook rice according to packet directions. Remove seeds from chili and thinly slice. 2.  Heat oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add mustard seeds, as they begin to crackle, add chili (if using), garlic and lemon zest. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until lemon zest is starting to colour slightly. Remove from heat, add turmeric and stir well to combine. 3.  Drain rice, add to a bowl and pour over cooked spices, lemon zest mixture. Add lemon juice and toss to combine well. Season to taste. Enjoy.

Sixteen Eight Sixty-Eight = 53 Yesterday was my 53rd birthday 🎉🎈 I woke up to some beautiful cards. Cerys hand drew me this stunning flamingo card with the most heart felt message inside. There was a few rainbows throughout the day, so dad did come to visit 👆🌈 I got a message from Darren. And he came round for an impromptu visit bearing flowers (which also meant we had to share the scallops and mussels!) These are my gifts from Cerys, a stunning book (I LOVE books!), jar of posh tuna (this stuff is $15 a jar) and a purse. I absolutely adore Audrey Hepburn and the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's so this purse was a fantastic surprise. And what was even better was when I asked her if she sent away for the purse she told me she spotted it in a charity shop for $2 and bought it for my birthday, I love it even more, she takes a lot of notice as to what I like, she also sent me through this photo, it was originally $25 from posh mark!. I got a new Golden Girls book from Jodie, this book...