Chocolate Decadence

Here's something very naughty, but very yummy that you could give a try for Valentine's Day :)

INGREDIENTS
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Butter six ramekins or custard cups. Melt chocolate and butter slowly: You can do this in a double boiler, over, not in, simmering water, or in microwave, stirring to prevent scorching. Stir until completely smooth.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer until frothy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir vanilla and salt gently into beaten eggs. Fold half of egg mixture into chocolate mixture, mix well. Then fold remainder of egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Pour chocolate and egg mixture into prepared ramekins.

Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place ramekins on towel, inside roasting pan. Butter a piece of foil big enough to cover entire pan, and cover the ramekins, buttered side down. Place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 5 minutes, then remove foil and bake 10 minutes more. Remove ramekins from water carefully.

Let cool on wire rack for at least 3 hours. Cakes will firm up as they cool.

Serve in the ramekins and garnish with whipped cream, berries (frozen work really well if that's all you can get) and for that restaurant look, a shake of icing sugar for good measure, and serve.

Refrigerate unused portions - these left overs taste really good even a few days after!

Pumpkin & Apple Curry

Thanks for updating the blog Meegs.

Here's a new one from me:

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
500 g / 1.1 lb pumpkin or butternut squash, deseeded, peeled and cubed
800 g / 0.9 lb baking potatoes, cubed
1 medium cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 tsp mild curry paste
1 tsp turmeric, plus extra to garnish
2.5 cm / 1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
2-3 bay leaves, torn into pieces
1 vegetable stock cube
50 g / 2oz raisins
4tbsp fromage frais, to serve
bread or rice to serve

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until golden. Add garlic, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and apple. Stir in the curry paste, turmeric, ginger and bay leaves.
2.Add 500 ml / 1.05 pints water, the stock cube, raisins and plenty of seasoning. Bring to the boil, stirring, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender.
3. Spoon into bowls and top with the fromage frais and a pinch of turmeric. Serve with flatbread and/or rice.

Takes 45 mins. Serves 4-5.

Calling All Cookbook Contributors!

Happy New Year Everyone!

To welcome 2007, we have upgraded to the 'new and improved' Blogger, which means a few things have changed:

1. You may not see your name listed under Contributors as per 2006. This is because we all need to have a new Google account now. If you haven't already, you will need to log in as per normal and set up a Google account. Then you will be back on the list of Contributors to our blog. At this stage I am just assuming this is what will happen automatically and that it won't be any more difficult than that...
   
2. Blogging your recipes will still be the same, however we can now categorise our recipes, so please label your post in the box located below the text box.
   
3. Categories (or Labels) I've already set up include: Mains, Vegetarian, Treats, Chocolate, Pasta, Salads, Soups, Chicken, Fish, and Breads. You get the drift... Please add more in if we need them.
   

And I think that's it! While I haven't had a good look around to see what else has changed yet, I'm sure you guys will have found more good stuff we can have a play around with in the new Blogger. Just make sure you post about it to let us all know :)

Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

Jar of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise – or similar good quality mayo

2 cans artichokes drained

¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated

1 tsp minced garlic

Squirt lemon juice

Corn chips for serving

Method

1. Mix all ingredients

2. Bake until golden brown and serve warm with the corn chips.

This is enough mixture to make two decent sized dips, just split it before baking

smoked salmon on rosti

This is a great easy meal to serve when you have friends over for a leisurely breakfast. It's even better with a bottle of bubbly! Rosti are Swiss pan-fried potato cakes, and are best made from starchy potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes, peeled
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 120g spreadable light cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 150 sliced smoked salmon

Method:

1. Coarsely grate potatoes; use hands to squeeze as much excess liquid as possible. Measure 1/4 cups of grated potato, placin each portion on a long sheet of baking paper.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large non stick frying pan; place two portions of the rated potato in the pan, flattening each with a spatula. Cook rosti over medium heat until browned, turn with the spatula to cook the other side. Drain on absorbent paper, make six more rosti with remaining oil and grated potato.
3. Combinie cream cheese, herbs and juice in a small bowl.
4. Divide rosti among serving plates, top with herbed cream cheese and smoked salmon.

Serves 4.

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Serves 6

Ingredients:
6 salmon fillets
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tblsp white wine (or stock or water as substitutes)
1 tblsp honey
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tspn dijon mustard (you can use french as an alternative)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tblsp chopped fresh oregano

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Line a baking tray with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Coat a small saucepan with non-stick spray and over a medium heat, cook and stir garlic until soft. Mix in wine, honey, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for approximately 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
3. Arrange salmon on the foil lined tray and brush fillets with the glaze, leaving enough syrup for a final glaze at the end. Sprinkle with oregano.
4. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes if you prefer your salmon to be cooked all the way through. 10 - 15 if you like some pinkness in the middle.
5. Brush fillets with the remianing glaze and season with salt and pepper.

Greek Salad

This is actually one of Jodie's recipes that I've stolen and wanted to share!
And just a warning: these quantities make enough to feed a small army :)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red capsicum, cubed
1/2 cup green capsicum, cubed
1 cup salad onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cupes contintental cucumber, cubed
1/2 bunch celery, sliced
1 cup tomatoes, cubed (or left whole if using cherry or grape tomatoes)
1 large cos lettuce
1 cup reduced fat feta, cubed
1/2 cup spanish olives
1/3 cup no oil fat free Kraft french dressing
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp french mustard

Method:
Combine the french dressing, garlic and mustard in a small leak free container and shake vigorously.
Mix together all the salad ingredients but don't toss the dressing though until you're about to serve.

Tomato Stacks

Ingredients:
500g vine ripened tomatoes
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons basil pesto
100g feta, finely crumbled
olive oil for drizzling

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C (or 180°C for fan forced). Cut off tomatoes from the vine, leaving the calyx and some stem (the green bit that's stuck to the tomato).
2. Slice a small amount off the base of each tomato, this is so it won't fall over. Cut each tomato in thirds horizontally.
3. Combine the pine nuts, pesto and feta in a bowl. Arrange a spoonful of mixture between the tomato layers and press together firmly.
4. Place the tomatoes in a medium sized oven-proof dish and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Vegetarian Chilli

This is a recipe I've been meaning to blog for ages - it's an absolute beauty! Healthy, delicious and easy to make (if you can use a tin opener), it probably fits Del's call for a good slap together meal. Southern hemisphere dwellers may want to try it before the weather gets too hot...

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
225g chopped onions
2 medium green capsicum, seeded and chopped
3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (leave the seeds in for a hotter chilli)
3 tablespoons chilli powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 x 400g tins of Italian style plum tomatoes, chopped
1 x 170g tin of tomato puree
1 x 565g tin red kidney beans, drained (bean lovers can add an extra tin)
1 x 425g tin pinto beans, drained
225g diced zucchini
Grated mature cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped onion or spring onion, chopped tomatoes or chopped olives for serving on top of the chilli (yum)

Method
In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, capsicum, garlic and jalapenos. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the chilli powder, oregano and salt. Add the tomatoes and their juice, tomato puree and beans. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls and serve with toppings.

What's your favourite 'cook in a flash' meal?

Hi everyone, I would love to read about all your favourite quick meals. You know the ones. You come home late, tired and grumpy (and starving) and the pantry is looking a bit on the lean side...
For me, I trot out the old student meal - two minute noodles cooked with frozen mixed veg (stir fry mixes are great) and any old other veg lying around in the bottom of the crisper. Drain, chuck some grated cheese on top and voila! - dinner in about 4 minutes (and very cheap too)...
So how about you, what's your favourite 'chuck together' meal?