green tea dumplings.

this recipe is an absolute favourite. it's one i picked up at the grocery store and was created by masterchef winner, adam. it's a bit time consuming but very tasty!
i took some photos to record the steps. please ignore the poor quality of them, i was getting too into cooking and didnt take my time to take good snaps.

to make the dough:
combine 3 cups of boiling water with 2 tbsp of green tea and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
drain the tea leaves and bring the tea to a boil.
combine with 4 cups of plain flour.
kneed for 5-10 minutes until stretchy.
leave the dough for 30 minutes before using.

to make the mixture:
combine 250g chicken mince, 1 tbsp of fresh coriander, 1 tbsp of fresh chives, 1 tbsp of ginger and 1 tbsp of garlic.

once you have made the dough, cut into circle shapes.

put a small spoonful of mixture into each circle and close up into a dumpling shape.

the shape:)

fry in a saucepan until both sides are crisp.

then add boiling water to half cover the dumplings and cook for 2 minutes.

they're done! in a bowl ready to eat.

and they do taste even yummier with an orange dipping sauce!

 
to make orange dipping sauce:
juice 1 orange, strain and reduce to 1/2 by boiling. combine with 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar and 1 small knob of ginger cut into small pieces.

this recipe is an absolute winner, do try and let me know if you like it as much as i do!

a favourite recipe.

it's april and i'm back after some very busy weeks and a long cold. i thought today i'd share my a recent favourite recipe find of mine that i just want to keep baking and baking...thai chicken sausage rolls. they are just a little way to spice up sausage rolls and make them a bit more fancy:)

for recipe details look here 

 if your stuck for something for dinner that's quick and easy , then these sausage rolls are. 

happy weekend!

p.s i'm loving the newest free app i downloaded on my iphone, phonto. it lets you type straight onto any photo.

feta, olive and tomato tart.

per reader request i have decided to share this delicious recipe so you can also make your own feta, olive and tomato tart.

you will need:
2 sheets of shortcrust pastry
1/2 cup cream
100 g fetta cheese
4 eggs
4 tomatoes
1/4 cup black olives
basil leaves.

steps:
1. preheat oven to 180 degrees
2. spray a tin with olive oil and lay the pastry down. blind bake for 10 minutes.
3. in the meantime combine, eggs, cream and fetta in a bowl with a whisk.
4. pour the mixture on top of the blind baked pasty. trim the tops and bottoms off the tomatoes and cut in half. carefully place the tomatoes in the mixture and scatter over olives.
5. bake until golden (app 30 mins). then top with basil leaves.

voila! a simple and easy tart. it's definitely one of my go to dishes to take to pot luck dinners or as a side dish at a dinner party.

australia day.

i hope all you australian readers had a beautiful australia day yesterday.

i spent the day with friends, listening to the hottest 100, having snags on the barbie and lots of salad too, and eating far too many lamingtons and pavlova slices. the perfect day.

now for all you readers from other countries, here's some australia education so you can actually understand what i just wrote.

in australia, on australia day,  a radio station called triple j hosts a show called the hottest 100 where they do a count down to find the best song of the previous year. most people listen to this show on australia day.

snags= sausages and barbie = barbecue. these are typical colloquialisms that everyone uses. on australia day everyone seems to have barbecues with family and friends.

and finally lamingtons and pavlova are our australian desserts. you can make them from scratch like we usually do, or supermarkets sell them too.

a blurry photo of some of yesterdays homemade lamingtons. lamingtons are really just sponge cake cut up and covered in chocolate icing and coconut bits. sometimes they are also filled with jam and/or cream.

i didn't get a photo of the pavlova from yesterday before we devoured it but it's a cake with a marshmellow inside, meringue outside and covered in cream and fruit. it's quite possibly my favourite dessert. (source)

now i'm off to have some vegemite on toast, how australian am i :)

for the love of food.

holidays have finished now but the last week was a chance to release my inner foodie. and boy did i release it. my spice rack is brimming with new spices and my fridge is full of leftovers...just the way i like it.
to think i'd never cooked with char siu, chinese five spice, sage and sumac before!

blueberry muffins

tomato, feta and olive tart

pork with parmesan and sage

grilled vegetables

prawn fried rice

and there's nothing like sitting down at the table with fresh flowers from the garden, good wine, tasty food and great company.
happy weekend!

p.s i spent ages looking through recipe books to find these beauties and i was pretty pleased with how each and every dish turned out. i might twig them a bit when i re cook them but they were mighty tasty.
if you would like me to share any of the recipes please comment and let me know which one you would be keen to try out. 

quandong pie.

in case you haven't been following this blog for long, quandong, (australian wild peach) is a fruit that only grows in outback australia and i'm a bit obsessed with it. we have some trees in our yard and it's the best food i've discovered since being an outback girl. it's really hard to describe how it tastes, a bit like fig maybe but it can be used as a chutney in savoury food or to make sweet food like quandong pies and cakes. 

our tree (september 2011)

i picked a lot of them when they were in season and filled the freezer. since we had some friends round for tea and i was on holidays i thought i'd make a tasty pie.  i  thought i'd share the recipe if you ever get the chance to have pick some quandongs or visit an australian gift shop and buy some dried quandongs.

 you will need:

1 cup of  frozen quandongs

1 cup of water*

1 peeled, thinly cut apple

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup white sugar

2 sheets of shortcrust pastry

1 egg

steps:

1. boil the quandongs, apple, water, lemon and cinnamon until the quandongs and apples are soft.

2. add sugar and mix until it is dissolved. then cool the mixture

3. preheat an oven to 180 degrees. line a pie dish with pastry and brush egg wash over it. blind bake for about 10 minutes.

4. pour the mixture into the pie base and cover with pastry. brush the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle some sugar.

5. bake the pie in the oven until it is golden brown.

6. eat it while it's hot and serve with either ice cream or cream.

* you will need to use more water if you are cooking dried or fresh quandongs. i have a neighbour who uses lemonade instead of water too. when i made this pie i felt that i used a little bit too much water so in this recipe i have reduced the amount a little.

bon appetit!

butter chicken (without using spice paste).

it's been a while since i've shared a recipe i really love and this one was just so good. i've always made butter chicken from spice paste mixes but this year i'm trying to expand my cooking and went all out, making it from scratch, and it wasn't as hard as i thought it would be.

i made a batch for dinner. then i spent the afternoon sampling it. i'd fill a teeny bowl with it and sit down to watch some tv. then i'd have to stand up and get some more. this happened about 6 times until i was afraid i'd eat it all up so i had to take extreme measures and take some breath mints to stop myself from eating it  be warned it is adictively good. and yes, like every indian dish, it does require that you use lots of different spices but once you've bought all the spices, you can make this dish again and again and i know you'll want to! 

...and just to let you know, this recipe requires you to marinate the meat the night before and makes enough for 4- assuming you can stop yourself from just eating it all!

you will need:

1/2 cup natural yoghurt

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 tsp garlic, crushed

1 kg chicken breast fillet, chopped

1 tbs vegetable oil

1/2 cup cashews

60g butter

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf ( apparently there is a special type of indian bay leaf but any bay leaf will do)

2 tsp paprika

410g can tomato puree

150 g chicken stock

1 cup thickened cream

(i know this sounds like lots of spices but if you have a stock of tumeric, garam masala, chilli powder, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leafs, cinnamon sticks and paprika you can use them to make lots of other delicious dishes too.)

steps:

(the night before)

1. put the yoghurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, chilli, cumin, ginger, garlic and chicken in a bowl and stir well. cover and refrigerate overnight

(the day you plan on eating it)

2. process 1/4 cup of cashews until they are finely ground.

3. heat butter and oil on medium heat and add the onion, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf. cook until the onion has softened. reduce heat to low and add chicken and marinade, paprika, cashew powder, stock and tomato puree. simmer for 15 mins. 

4. stir in cream and cook for 10 more mins and you will have your own pot of deliciousness.

5. garnish with cashews and serve with rice- and naan and papadums if you like.

enjoy!

tourist in adelaide: vintage dining and dress shopping delight.

i am always incredibly excited when i find a cute new place to catch up with friends and can't help but share the best finds with you all. i recently discovered this adorable vintage cafe/ shop in the middle of the myer centre (adelaide city)- level 2. it serves some incredible chocolate tea and is filled with lots and lots of cute clothes. i was smitten.  it's only been open for a few months and it was just lovely; having a cup of tea, watching some old movies on the retro tv and then shopping...i've found it all.

and they've got into the christmas spirit too, what more could you want from a place?

tourist in adelaide: the fleurieu pantry

i haven't done a tourist post for a while but finally i've found another place which is worth posting about.
i confess. i never ever go down south of adelaide but when a close friend sent me an invite for a kitchen tea in port noarlunga, i caved and ventured south. and i am so glad i did! it's a bit of a drive from adelaide city (app 40 mins) but there is the most gorgeous shopping precinct in gawler rd, port noarlunga. there are all these cute antique, collectable shops and about 20 places i wanted to eat in. but for today's post i'm going to share about the lovely fleurieu pantry. it's an extremely cute little cafe/restaurant that hosts a cheap and delicious high tea. it also has a little gift shop attached which makes for some excellent browsing.

photos: 1)the gift shop. 2) my friend jas loved the place too. 3) high tea. 4) with jas.
i would highly recommend this place if your in the mood for a little drive and want to enjoy some good food and drink at a darling little place.

honey biscuits.

source

 this recipe will make approximately 30 biscuits delicious biscuits.

you need 125g butter, room temp chopped

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 egg

2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon bi-carb soda

1/4 cup honey

preheat the oven to 180. line trays with baking paper.

step 1:

in a large bowl, using electric beaters, beat together butter and sugar for 2-3 mins until creamy. add egg, beat well. fold in combined sifted flour and bi-carb soda.

step 2: 

heat honey in the microwave for 20 seconds. stir in to dough. mix well. cover in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least 30 mins. knead gently on a lightly floured surface. roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper until about 5 mm thick.

step 3:

using cookie cutters, cut out shapes. place on prepared trays. bake for 10-15 mins until they are a nice golden brown colour. allow to cool on trays and then decorate with icing.

these cookies are delicious. tip: chilling the dough for 30 mins makes it much easier to handle. this mixture freezes very well and make lovely gifts. 

now to share some cute decorating ideas which make these biscuits look amazing.

source

source

source

or for something that little bit easier... source

christmas cheer.

 

there are 3 weeks of term left, the christmas pageants are all happening, my trees up and there is christmas music filling the department stores. my friend and i felt like baking so we whipped up some gingerbread cookies and spent an evening decorating - these photos only show a very small few we decorated. there's nothing like christmas baking to get my starting to feel festive. ( and yes i know dogs aren't really christmasy but anything dog is always cute and mum had a great dog cookie cutter).

which trees your favourite ?

pizza topping.

for christmas we were gifted with a lovely pizza cooker that cooks a pizza with a raw base in less than 10 minutes. since then we've been a bit pizza obsessed and have pizza almost weekly for dinner. the dough is super easy to make and pizza dough can be frozen for up to 8 weeks  (in 2 layers of glad wrap) so you don't always have to make a new batch every time you feel like pizza. we've worked our way through all the traditional pizza flavours and are starting to get a bit more adventurous. so today i thought i'd share a topping we tried the other night that was super tasty and easy. mango chutney is used for the base and then add the chicken and spring onion followed by cheese. and enjoy.

mexican feast.

 

a simple recipe for chicken enchiladas that's tried and tested...and tasty. serves 4 hungry people.

you need: 500g chicken breast.

1 red onion.

1 tablespoon cumin.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

2/3 cup sour cream.

2 cloves of garlic. 

1 tablespoon tomato paste.

2 cans of tomatoes.

1 tablespoon on oregano.

11/4 cups of grated cheese.

10 tortillas.

 1.pre heat oven to 180 degrees. Put the chicken whole in hot water and boil until cooked.

2.cut the red onion into small pieces and fry until soft. put half the onion in a bowl and leave the rest in the fry pan.

3. add (to the onion left in the fry pan) garlic and cumin and cook till fragrant.

4.then add undrained cans of tomato, tomato paste and oregano and cook for 1 min.

5.meanwhile mix the cooked chicken (shredded) with the onion from the bowl and 1/3 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup of the cheese.

6. warm tortillas (follow instructions on packet) and dip them in the tomato mixture (in the fry pan).

7.grease an oven dish and cover base with 1/2 cup of the tomato mixture. fill all the tortillas with chicken mixture and place in a row in the oven dish.

8. cover the tortillas with the remaining tomato mixture and sprinkle with cheese. cook for 15 or so minutes.

9. serve with remaining sour cream and enjoy!

so if you've got a craving for Mexican cook this up and try. i'd say it's mighty tasty.

looking for the perfect breakfast.

 

i've shared a few favourite eating spots in Adelaide. 

and last time i was in adelaide i found another one, the organic market, Stirling.

i was super impressed by their great coffee, to die for muffins and delicious smoothies. 

there's also a cute market out back to stock up on organic produce.

 x

p.s if you haven't yet tried them yet here , here and here are some other favourite food places.

food food food

in adelaide last weekend i was on the lookout a great place to eat and came across a lovely organic cafe- wild thyme. it's on melbourne st, north adelaide and sells amazing super fresh food and has a super cute little organic shop out the back. 

also if you're in the mood for sweets you should check out the mac factory or the best pizza round at fellini's.

and something cute for your thursday...

tasty adelaide

On the way to and from Canberra I stopped off in Adelaide and like most things my time in Adelaide revolved around food:

• Mum's amazing homemade pumpkin soup
• Fresh jam and cream scones and lattes at our families' favourite cafe in Stirling
• A hot chicken roast with piles of vegies.
• Chocolates and other treats at Grandma's while played cards
• Delicious honey cupcakes baked by Jasmine
• Green chicken curry and chicken cashew from Parade thai
• Macarons!!!

I was introduced to the most lovely macaron shop round with a cutesy herb patch out front and incredible mango tea. It was taste bud heaven and definately my favourite dessert place find this year. The decor is something out of a interior design mag with the most spectacular wallpaper and an excellent cook book shop out back. Five thumbs up from me.

Check it out:

our lovely plate of macarons

 I love the black, grey, white, brown and green colour scheme (earthy tones) going on and of course the fabulously tasty macarons and tea.
Will be going back there soon!