Cranberry Stuffing Balls

Since I found this recipe Christmas is just not complete without our cranberry stuffing balls they are really good with your Christmas roast, covered in gravy, Mmm. I use the left over fresh breadcrumbs from making my Christmas pudding. I get a $2 bag from the local bakery of day old bread which is perfect for crumbing and seriously the bag is a 20kg flour bag!

Ingredients
1 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp sage, chopped
50gm butter, melted

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius
• Heat the oil in a pan an fry the onion and garlic until soft, remove to a bowl
• Add the breadcrumbs, cranberries, egg, sage and butter.
• Season to taste
• Mix well and roll into 16 balls
• Place on a baking try and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until browned
• I often make a double batch and then freeze them before baking them and defrost them as I need them.
  

Honey Roll & White Chocolate Mousse Cake

Another one from Woolworth's fine collection (I am a fan of any chocolate recipe collection!)

Ingredients
10 x 1cm thick slices of Honey Sponge Roll
200gm white chocolate, finely chopped
300ml thickened cream
2 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 tbsp boiling water
2 tsp gelatine powder
250ml thickened cream extra
2 tbsp icing sugar
50gm choc-dipped honeycomb, chopped

Method

• Grease a 20cm spring form tin and line the base and sides with cling wrap
• Place six slices of the honey roll around the edges and 3 over the base
• Cut the remaining slice to fill in the gaps
  
• Put the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl
• Heat 1/3 cup of the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils
• Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth
• Quickly stir in the egg yolks and vanilla essence
• Add the gelatine to the boiling water and stir until dissolved, stir into the chocolate mixture
• Beat the remaining cream until thick
  
• Then beat the egg white until soft peaks form
• Use a metal spoon to fold the cream and egg whites through the chocolate mixture
• Pour over the sponge base and refrigerate for 6 hours
• Place cake on a serving plate
• Beat the extra cream until thick. Spoon over the top of the cake
• Sprinkle with the honeycomb
  

Peanut Butter and Choclate Brownies

This came from a chocolate recipe book that Woolworth's put out and it is an outstanding recipe. I am a brownie fan but they have to be good. Too many recipes are dry and unappetising.

Ingredients
150gm dark chocolate, chopped
100gm butter, chopped
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup Super Crunchy Peanut Butter

Method

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius and grease a 16 x 26cm slab pan. Line the base and long sides.
• Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over water and melt until smooth
• Combine the sugar, flour and cocoa powder in a bowl
• Add the chocolate mixture and the eggs and stir until combined.
  
• Pour into the prepared tin
• Spoon the peanut butter over the top and using a knife make swirls
• Bake for 35-40 minutes
• Cool completely before cutting into squares to serve
  

Orange and Polenta Biscuits

Another Jamie Oliver recipe, I really like a lot of his cooking, simple ad yummy!

Ingredients
170gm butter
170gm sugar
255gm polenta
100gm plain flour
zest of 2-3 oranges (depends on how much of an orange taste you like)
2 large eggs

Method

• Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius
  
• Rub the butter, sugar, polenta and flour together until crumbs are formed
• Ass the orange zest and eggs
• Form into a dough
• Cover and place in the fridge for an hour
• Spoon teaspoon size balls onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper or silicon sheet 5cm apart
• Bake for 5-6 minutes until the edges are slightly golden
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before eating
  

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

These are my all time favourite! My MIL makes them for me, you just gotta love that!

Ingredients
700gm mined beef
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tsp onion, finely diced

Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 cup tomato sauce (Use your home made one!)
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp onion, finely diced
1 1/2 tbsp vinegar

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius
  
• Combine all meatball ingredients and form into meatballs
• Roll them in some plain flour and brown in a little oil
• Place them in a casserole dish
• To make the sauce mix all ingredients and heat in the meatball pan.
• Pour over the meatballs
• Cook for 1 hour
• Watch the water level as it may need topping up.
• If you freeze them and reheat you will need to add water to the sauce.
  

White Chocolate Banana Torte

I can' t remember where I got this recipe but I do know that I really love it. It is very moist and keeps well for a few days.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 tsp bi-carb soda
90gm white chocolate melts, melted
125gm butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup mashed banana
300ml cream
1 cup flaked almonds, toasted

Chocolate Cream
300ml Cream
100gm white chocolate, melted

Method

• Grease an line the base of a 22cm round cake tin
• Combine sifted flours, sugar, bi-carb soda, melted chocolate, melted butter, eggs, milk and banana. Beat on low speed until combined
• Then beat on a higher speed until smooth and changed in colour.
• Pour into the prepared tin
• Bake for 1 hour
• Cool
• Split into three layers and fill with the chocolate cream (just beat the cream until thick and stir through the melted chocolate)
• Beat the extra cream and cover the sides and top of the cake.
• Press the toasted almond flakes around the outside edges.

Chicken & Almond Rissoles

These are really yummy and it makes heaps. They are great served with sweet chili sauce and cold in sandwiches the next day.

Ingredients
1 kg chicken mince
1 onion, finely diced
1 red capsicum, finely diced
4 weetbix, crushed
1/2 cup almond meal
1 1/4 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp olive oil

Method

• Put the mince, onion, capsicum, weetbix, almonds, cheese, parsley and egg in a large bowl and mix well.
• Use 1/4 cup per rissole and shape into 18 balls
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes
• Heat the oil in a pan and cook the rissoles for 4 minutes each side, don't turn more than once.
  

Tomato Sauce

This is my MIL recipe for tomato sauce it is great to use as a sauce or add to pasta sauces, meatball sauces and casseroles. It keeps for about two years as long as it is properly sealed.

Ingredients
3.5kg tomatoes, roughly chopped
6 granny smith apples, diced
2 capsicums, diced
1 cup sultanas or raisins
10 peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, crushed
small pieces of ginger, crushed
2 tsp cayenne Pepper
350gm brown sugar
3 cups vinegar

Method

• Put everything together (except the sugar) is a large pot and boil for 2 hours.
• Add the sugar and boil another hour or until thickness desired is achieved
• Vitamise the sauce with a stick blender
• Pour into washed bottles and seal immediately
  

Chicken Almond Pilaff

This was given to me 20 years ago by a friend's mum and I still use it to this day!

Ingredients
Olive Oil
2 onions, diced
1 cup rice (use a white version brown takes too long to cook)
2 cups water
2 tsp chicken stock
3 chicken fillets, diced
1 tsp chili
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp coriander (dried)
2 tbsp soy sauce
50gm slivered almonds
1/2 cup sultanas
1 green capsicum, diced

Method

• In a large saucepan boil 1 onion, the rice, water and stock for 20 minutes
• Stir fry the chicken in a little oil
• Add the onion and capsicum stir fry a further 2 minutes
• Add all the other ingredients and stir fry another 2 minutes
• Add the rice mixture and stir it through, cook until heated
  

Sizzling Shanghai Beef

This is one from my Mum and it is one of the few stir fry dishes that my four year old will eat!

Ingredients
2 tbsp oil
500gm beef strips
1 onion, cut into wedges
2 tsp beef stock powder
2 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp plum jam
1/4 cup water
1/2 red capsicum, sliced
1 cup green beans, sliced

Method

• Heat the oil and stir fry the beef and onion for 3-4 minutes
• Mix the stock powder, flour, jam and water
• Add this mixture to the beef with the red capsicum and beans
• Stir fry until the vegetables are tender
• Serve with rice
  

Kashmiri Meatballs

I discovered this one when I was a bit bored of meatballs in tomato sauce, and we really loved it! See sometimes being inventive pays off!

Ingredients
500gm minced beef
1 onion, finely diced
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp tomato paste
ground pepper
2 tbsp oil
Pataks Rogan Josh Simmer Sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup plain flour

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius
  
• Combine beef, onion, egg, tomato paste and pepper.
  
• Using table spoon amounts of mixture, roll into balls and coat lightly in the flour
• Heat the oil in a pan and cook until golden on the outside.
• Place in a 2 litre casserole dish and pour over the Pataks sauce and water
  
• Cook for 30 minutes
  

Canadian Ring Cake

This is a really great Christmas Cake and because it looks so good to the eye it is really good to give as a present as well as having one on your own Christmas table.

Ingredients
200gm dates
200gm glace cherries
100gm apricots
100gm glace ginger
100gm glace pineapple
125gm Brazil nuts
125gm Pecan nuts

Cake ingredients
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 egg
splash brandy
1/2 cup self raising flour

2 tbsp honey extra
Splash brandy extra

Method

• Preheat oven to 150 degrees celcius
• Mix all the fruits and nuts together
  
• Mix all the cake ingredients together
• Add 3/4 of the fruit and nut mixture to the cake mixture
• Press into a greased ring tin, flatten it into the tin until there are no gaps.
• Decorate the top with the remaining fruit and nuts
• Cook for 1 hour
  
• Drizzle with the extra 2 tbsp honey and a further dash of brandy while hot.
  

Date and Ginger Loaf

Really nice and yummy

Ingredients
1 cup dates, chopped
1 tbsp preserved ginger, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp bi-carb soda
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups self raising flour

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius
  
• Place dates, ginger, butter and sugar in a bowl
• Sprinkle the bi-carb soda over the top
• Pour over the boiling water and mix well
• Leave to soak for ten minutes
• Add the flour
• Pour into a greased loaf tin
• Bake for 45 minutes
  

Beef Chipolata and Spicy Tomato Casserole

This is one I picked up from the supermarket, a fast family dish, if you like it even spicier then use Medium or hot taco sauce.

Ingredients
500gm beef chipolatas
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, thinly sliced
200gm cherry tomatoes, halved
200gm jar mild taco sauce (salsa)
400gm can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup beef stock

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius
• Heat a non-stick pan and cook the chipolatas, making sure they are brown on all sides
• Place them in a 2 litre casserole dish
• Add a little oil to the pan and fry the onion until soft, add the capsicum and cherry tomatoes cook for one minute
• Add the taco sauce, tin tomatoes and stock and bring the mixture to the boil.
• Pour over the chipolatas and stir through
• Cover and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
  

Jamie's Sticky Chocolate Pudding

This is Jamie Oliver's recipe and it is really yummy! Kind of like sticky date chocolate style. Yum!!

Ingredients
200gm sugar
200gm butter
200gm self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
3 tbsp cocoa powder
8 tbsp warm water
handful of flaked almonds
100gm cooking chocolate, broken up (I used chocolate chips)

Sauce
100gm cooking chocolate
100gm icing sugar
100gm butter
4 tbsp milk

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius, grease a 20cm pudding dish
• Beat the sugar and butter until creamy
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition
• Mix in the flour and baking powder
• Mix the cocoa with the warm water until there are no lumps and a smooth paste forms.
• Mix the cocoa paste, almonds and chocolate into the pudding mixture.
• Pour into grease dish and bake for 20-30 minutes
• When the pudding has about 5 minutes left to bake make the sauce
• Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until everything is melted and smooth.
• Serve the pudding straight from the oven with the sauce over it and some vanilla ice cream.
  

A Chocolate Birthday Treat

For my birthday Russell and Mr Moo gave me a course at Marg and Maree's doing chocolate cake decorating. So this morning I headed off with my white undecorated mud cakes and the list of required utensils for four hours of kid free chocolate decorating! Hmm I know sounds grand doesn't it! I had a ball, we covered cakes with chocolate fondant, made ganache, truffles, shards, curls, bark and panels. So at the very end we had a two layer fully decorated mud cake complete with sparkles! I would highly recommend the class to anyone who loves decorating cakes and loves chocolate. And of course the picture is of the final grand creation. Which I took home to be my birthday cake! And no you may not ask how old I am!!

Ginger Fruit Balls

These are great for kids to make, they can get in and help and roll the balls for you.

Ingredients
90gm butter
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
250gm ginger nut biscuits
1.2 cup glazed ginger
1/2 cup dried fruit
1 cup coconut

Method

• Melt together the butter and honey
• Mix in all other ingredients except the coconut
  
• Roll into small round balls and roll in the coconut
• Refrigerate until set
  

Almond Bread

This is really good with coffee or even on a cheese platter.

Ingredients
155gm Plain Flour
3 egg whites
125gm castor sugar
125gm raw almonds

Method

• Sift the flour into a bowl
• Beat the egg whites until soft peaks firm, and then gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat.
• Gently fold through the sifted flour and almonds
• Spoon into a greased loaf tin and bake 170 degrees celsius for 35 minutes
• Leave in the tin for 24 hours
• Remove from the tin and cut into wafer thin slices
• Place the slices on ungreased baking trays and bake 120 degrees celsius for 45 minutes or until just browned.
• Store in an airtight container.
  

Honey Joys

I still make these for my son and he loves them. I remember them fondly from my childhood, I hated chocolate crackles but these I loved!

Ingredients
2 cups cornflakes
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp honey

Method

• Melt sugar, butter and honey together until it bubbles and froths
• Mix it with the cornflakes
• Spoon into patty pans
• Cook for 10 minutes 150 degrees celsius
  

Lemon Cheese Chicken

This dish is really nice, it sounds a bit weird but really worth a taste!

Ingredients
1/3 cup plain flour
2 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper
6 chicken fillets, cut into strips
75gm butter
2/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup flaked almonds
90gm Romano Cheese (use Parmesan if you can't get Romano)
2 tbsp lemon juice

Method

• Combine flour, rosemary and pepper and dip chicken strips in the flour
• Heat the butter and cook the strips in batches until golden
• Combine sour cream, milk, onion, almonds, cheese and lemon juice
• Spoon over the chicken
• Bake 180 degrees celsius for 20 minutes
  

Tuna Casserole - MIL

You now how there were always several ways to cook one dish? Well her is another 70's treat for you take 2!

Ingredients
2 cups cooked white rice
425gm Tuna in spring water
1/2 cup grated cheese
425gm tin cream of chicken soup
1 onion, diced

Topping
2 tbsp melted butter
3/4 cup cornflakes

Method

• Mix all ingredients together and place in a dish
• Mix the topping ingredients together and spread over the top
• Bake 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes

Tuna Casserole - Mum

Now I am on a 70's theme for you!

Ingredients
425gm Tuna in spring water
400gm can corn kernels
1 can condensed chicken soup
425gm can pineapple pieces in natural juice
2 cups boiled white rice
1 large onion, diced

Method

• Fry onion in a little oil until soft
• Add all other ingredients and heat through
  

Ky Si Mein

Now here is one from the 70's for you to enjoy.

Ingredients
500gm Mince Beef or Pork
1/2 savoy cabbage finely chopped
2 medium onions, diced
500gm beans
2 tbsp rice
1 pkt Chicken Noodle Soup
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp curry powder
3 cups water
salt and pepper

Method

• Brown the meat in a large wok
• Add onion and cook til soft
• Add all other ingredients and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally