Zucchini Slice

A great one for the whole family...


Ingredients
1 whole grated zucchini, grated, excess moisture squeezed out
1 medium carrot, grated (optional)
1 onion, finely chopped

1 small red capsicum, finely chopped (optional)
1.25 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup self-raising flour
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup of olive oil
3 whole rashers bacon, finely chopped - rind removed (I sometimes use 6 rashers)


Salt and Paprika (Hungarian sweet) to taste.


Method
Pre-heat oven to 180C (160C if fan forced).
Line a large slice tin (28cm x 18cm) with greaseproof paper. NB: side should be at least an inch high.
Lightly beat eggs and oil together.
Combine all ingredients together and mix until well combined.
Season to taste - I usually put in about a level tablespoon of salt and heaped tablespoon of paprika. We never use pepper, but you can add if you wish.
Pour the mixture into the prepared slice tin.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked (and golden).

Creamy Sloppy Joe's

I am dying to try this recipe, but as hubby won't eat anything "creamy" I'll have to save it for a day when I'm at mum's.

Creamy Sloppy Joe's

Ingredients
1kg ground chuck
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup

Directions
1. Brown the beef in a skillet and pour off grease.
2. Add the soup (undiluted) and stir.
3. Heat until warm.
4. Serve on hamburger buns.

How easy does that sound?!

Artisan Bread

So, I finally got around to trying the recipe out. Tastes quite nice!

The recipe allows you to mix flour, salt, yeast, and water to make a dough that rises for a few hours on the counter and then goes into the refrigerator to use at your leisure for up to two weeks.

You can use the dough to make pizza bases, bread rolls or loafs.
When you’re ready for fresh baked bread –simply load your hands up with flour, cut off a grapefruit size piece of dough from your container of dough, form it (if you haven’t made rounds before, you may need to see a video for this part) and place it on a pizza slide you have covered in corn meal/flour to rise for about 40 minutes (in the warmest part of your home).

Preheat your oven to 210 degrees celcius (fan forced) for 20 minutes (or halfway through the rising time) with a pizza stone on the middle rack and a broiler pan on the bottom rack–to be filled with a cup of very hot water when you slide your risen bread dough into the oven onto the stone. Slit the top of your risen dough with a serrated knife (dip knife in flour to keep it from sticking), sprinkle some flour over top, and bake! 30 minutes later, you should get something that looks like the photo at the top of the page (which I will be adding later).

WATCH THE VIDEO

Recipe: Simple Crusty Bread

Adapted from “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day,” by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007)

1.5 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoons salt
6.5 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, more for dusting dough
3 cups lukewarm water
Cornmeal

Method:

1. In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water (about 40 degrees celcius). Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours) in a warm draught free spot.

2. Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on pizza slide sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it.

3. Place broiler pan on bottom of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 210 degrees celcius (fan forced); heat stone at that temperature for 20 minutes.

4. Dust dough with flour, slash top with serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide onto stone. Pour one cup hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until well browned, about 25 minutes. Cool completely.

Yield: 4 small loaves.

NOTES: Make sure you use the pizza stone and add the hot water right after you slide dough oven. I do not have a pizza slide, so I used a the bottom side of a slice tin.

More Donna Hay Slices

This one came out so delicious that we ate the whole thing in one day!

Chocolate Coconut Slice

Ingredients
1 cup plain flour, sifted
2 Tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup shredded coconut
185g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten

Chocolate icing
1.5 cups icing sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
40g butter, melted
1.5 Tbsp boiling water

Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
Place the flour, cocoa, sugar and coconut in a bowl and mix to combine.
Add the butter and egg and mix until just combined.
Press into a 23cm-square shallow tin lined with non-stick baking paper.

* Bake for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the tin. To make the chocolate icing, place the sugar, cocoa, butter and water in a bowl and mix well to combine.

* Spread over the cooled slice and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until the icing is set. Slice to serve.

* A brownie pan is a shallow-sided square slice pan. The shallow sides means the slice bakes more evenly. If you don't have one you can use a 22cm-square cake tin.


Chocolate Caramel Slice

Base
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
125g melted unsalted butter

Caramel
1/3 cup golden syrup
125g melted butter
2 x 400g cans sweetened condensed milk
choc topping
185g dark chocolate
3 teaspoons vegetable oil

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180c
2.Place flour,coconut,sugar and butter in bowl and mix well. Press the mixture into a 20cm x 30cm slice tin lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 15-18 minutes or until brown.
3.To make caramel filling, place the golden syrup, butter and condensed milk in a saucepan over low heat and stir for 7 minutes or until the caramel has thickened slightly.Pour over the cooked base and bake for 20 minutes or until the caramel is golden.Refrigerate the slice until cold.
4.To make the chocolate topping, place the chocolate and oil in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before spreading over the slice. Refrigerate until firm and cut into slices. Make 24 slices.

School Fete Recipe's - nom nom nom

Honeycomb

This is essentially toffee with bicarb soda added to make the flavour, froth and bubble that characterise honeycomb.
This recipe requires an eagle eye - you must take the toffee off the heat just as it begins to colour. Don't wait until it is honey-hued or you'll end up with an awful burnt mess. It colours in a flash once you add the bicarb. But, let's face it, it takes only 15 minutes to cook and costs next to nothing, so if you don't get it right the first time, don't be put off - try again.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp corn syrup (available from health food shops and some supermarkets)
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, sifted into a dessertspoon of water

METHOD
� Melt sugar and syrup in a pan for about 5 minutes, stirring gently. Increase the heat to boiling as the thick, granular mixture becomes more liquid. Once the entire surface is boiling gently, cook without stirring for about 10 minutes. Get ready! As soon as the surface turns yellow, sprinkle dissolved bicarbonate of soda over as wide an area as possible and stir through as quickly but gently as you can - be sure to take only a few seconds, or you'll lose the volume. Don't worry if tiny specks of bicarb remain. The mixture will froth up spectacularly and the trick is to combine the bicarb while bursting the bubbles as little as possible.

� Pour into a non-stick, paper-lined 30 x 25cm rectangular lamington tin (cut paper a couple of centimetres too big on all sides then make a diagonal cut from each corner to the base side so it fits snugly, overlapping at corners) and leave to harden.

� Break into shards or rough squares and keep in airtight containers until ready to package into bags or cellophane.


Chocolate fudge
A recipe that uses a confectionery thermometer for accuracy, although you can easily do without one. You can use either cocoa or chocolate but the colour and flavour are better with both.

INGREDIENTS
125g butter
4 tbsp water
3 cups castor sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
3/4 tin condensed milk
1 tsp pure vanilla essence
2 tbsp cocoa, sifted
100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

METHOD
� Butter or line an 18cm square (or similar sized) tin with non-stick paper.

� Melt butter, water, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan over gentle heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, without slopping the sides of the saucepan. Add condensed milk and bring to a gentle rolling boil, stirring continuously for 10 minutes. The mixture should be a pale caramel colour and either reach 118C or be at the "soft ball" stage.

� Add vanilla, cocoa and chocolate and stir through. Leave to cool slightly and wait for the bubbles to subside.

� Beat mixture with a wooden spoon or whisk until it is thick and creamy and leaves a trail as it falls from the spoon. Pour into prepared tin and allow to set. Cut into small cubes when solid. Store in an airtight container.


Meringues
There are several additions, such as cream of tartar, vinegar or salt, that many makers swear are essential to the success of meringues and pavlovas but the basic combination is fresh egg whites and sugar. The quantities here are a rule of thumb, so multiply according to your needs. One egg white will make about 15 tiny meringues. Endlessly versatile, meringues can be piled in a stack glued with cream, buttercream or chocolate to make a spectacular cake. For children's parties you can add a drop of food colouring with the vanilla, or use a piping bag to make shapes or animals.

INGREDIENTS
1 egg white
60g or 2 tbsp castor sugar
1 drop pure vanilla essence

METHOD
� Preheat oven to 150C. Grease a baking tray or cut a sheet of non-stick baking paper to fit.

� Beat egg white until stiff, gradually beating in the sugar, then adding the vanilla towards the end of the beating. The mixture should be stiff and glossy.

� Using two teaspoons, drop tiny peaked balls (or whichever shape you prefer) on to the tray. Bake for about 40 minutes until crisp.

� Meringues will colour very quickly so if you want little golden peaks, turn the heat up slightly but watch closely or they'll be black in a moment! Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.


Buttered brazil nuts
A more adult interpretation of toffee, this combines buttery caramel and the unusual texture of brazil nuts. The texture of macadamias suits this old favourite too.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tbsp corn syrup or liquid glucose syrup
30g butter
2 tbsp dark rum or other alcohol such as Cointreau, Frangelico or brandy
300g whole shelled brazil and/or macadamia nuts

METHOD
� Gently stir sugar into water and syrup, until dissolved, in a saucepan over gentle heat. Bring to the boil and cook steadily without stirring for about 10 minutes or until the temperature reaches 120C (or when a little thickened syrup dropped into cold water is at the "soft ball" stage, when moulded between your fingers).

� Add butter and rum, pick up the saucepan and gently swirl the syrup to combine but do not stir. Turn the heat down slightly, maintaining a gentle boil for another 15 minutes. The mixture will slowly colour and thicken as the bubbles become large and burst slowly.

� Add the nuts without stirring, swirl to cover them and set aside for a minute to cool.

� Remove nuts from syrup with a teaspoon and place on to non-stick paper or a greased oven tray.

� As the toffee hardens, spoon a tiny dob over any that do not have a good coating on top or a little pool of caramel around them. You'll need to work quickly but you can reheat the toffee very gently if it hardens too much before you finish.

� Store in an airtight container until ready to package.


Coconut ice

INGREDIENTS
5 cups icing sugar, sifted
3 cups desiccated coconut
400g tin sweetened condensed milk
1 egg white, slightly beatenred or pink food colouring

METHOD
� Line a 20cm square baking pan (or similar) with non-stick baking paper or foil.

� Combine icing sugar, coconut, condensed milk and egg white in a large bowl. Work the liquids through evenly.

� Press half the mixture into the prepared pan.

� Add about a teaspoon of colouring (about 10 drops - you may need less or more depending on which food colouring you use) to the remainder, combine and press on top of white layer.

� Leave to set in fridge then cut with a knife dipped in hot water for a nice, clean edge.

� Store in the fridge.


Toffees
Adopt an air of confidence when making toffee and it's easy. The key is to melt sugar and heat it to the point at which it caramelises and colours, without creating a smoking, molten disaster. Catch it at the right stage and you can do a lot with it. The easiest way is to pour portions into paper patty cups as soon as the mixture turns golden. Take it off the heat at that point and you can colour it with edible food dye to great effect. As it cools you can spoon pools onto non-stick paper and insert toothpicks or cut-down skewers to make lollipops. When cool, fold a small piece of cellophane over each to keep the stickiness factor to a minimum.
If you're feeling more daring, spread the lot on to non-stick baking paper. When cool enough to touch, cut quickly into narrow strips and twist. Set aside to harden.
Keep toffees of any shape cool but not refrigerated and eat as soon as possible as they will turn into a runny mess at any opportunity.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups sugar
1 cup water

METHOD
� Dissolve sugar in a saucepan over low heat, stirring gently to minimise liquid slopping on the side of the pan, as this will crystallise. When the sugar is no longer granular, raise the heat and bring to the boil, uncovered and without stirring, for about 15 minutes.

� Keep an eye on the mixture but don't be tempted to shake or stir. You'll notice the bubbles change as the liquid reduces. At first the consistency is watery and the bubbles small and frenetic, later it becomes syrupy and the bubbles become larger and seem to pop slowly. You're nearly there.

� Set out 12 paper patty cups (preferably in muffin or patty cake trays) and watch for the moment when the toffee begins to turn yellow then golden.

� As soon as the mixture is a mid-golden colour, remove from the heat. Set aside to allow the bubbles to subside, then pour into the pans. Cool slightly and, if you wish, decorate with sprinkles.

� Fill the saucepan with water and boil to remove the toffee.

toffee recipe

Ingredients
2 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of cold water
1 tablespoon of white vinegar (this helps to spot colour change quicker)

Method
* place all ingredients in a saucepan.

* stir over heat until sugar dissolves bring to the boil (do not stir)

* cook until golden brown, remove from heat and allow bubbles to settle.

* pour into small patty cake papers


Peanut Brittle

Ingredients
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup glucose
1/4 cup warm water
1 pinch salt (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda


Method
* Stir sugar, water, glucose and salt in a 2ltr pyrex jug or bowl
* Microwave on high for 7mins or untill the mix is starting to turn a light golden colour
* Mix in the vanilla and butter, microwave on high for another 1 minute.
* Take out and stir in the peanuts and bicarb quickly
* Pour onto lightly greased baking tray and spread with the back of 2 spoons sprayed lightly with spray oil.
* Sit until cool and set . Break into pieces.


NB: Based on a 800w microwave, Store in an airtight cool dry place

Ginger Crunch Slice - Donna Hay

Ginger crunch slice

Ingredients
2.5 cups plain flour, sifted
1 cup caster sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
250g cold butter, chopped

Ginger icing
150g butter
1/4 cup golden syrup
1.5 Tbsp ground ginger
1.5 cups icing sugar, sifted

Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
Place flour, sugar, ginger and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.
Add butter and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Press into a 20cm x 30cm tin lined with non-stick baking paper.
* Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch.

To make the ginger icing, place the butter, golden syrup and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the butter is melted.
Stir through the icing sugar and pour immediately over the slice.
Refrigerate for 1 hour or until the icing is set.
Slice to serve.

* The flour mixture will be quite crumbly when you press it into the tin but it comes together as it cooks and as the butter melts.

Chicken Vegie Wellington

This one is super easy!
Serves 2 -4

Ingredients
Chicken Tenderloins (500g)
One red capsicum (sliced into strips)
1 packet Tasmanian Feta (cubed)
I bunch English Spinach (washed and remove stalks)
200g Swiss Brown mushrooms (optional - chopped into quarters)
1 packet puff pastry - 2 sheets

Method
* Lightly fry the tenderloins till browned, but not cooked through. Fry in butter.
* Set chicken aside to cool.
* Line puff pastry with Spinach, leaving a 1-2cm border.
* Layer on the chicken, feta, capsicum and/or mushroom.
* grab 2 opposite sides of the pastry and fold up and press together. Then fold it over so you have a roll with a line down the middle.
* press each end together with its partner using a fork, then fold it again and fork it again : )
* Brush with egg yolk and place in pre-heated oven (180 deg C/ 160 deg C fan forced).
* Cook for 1/2 hour.
* Cut in half to Serve.

NB: It is probably best if you also make a sage crepes to line the base of the roll, as that will absorb the excess moisture and keep the pastry crispy. Just use any crepe recipe and add shredded fresh sage (not too much!).

Broccolini, Bacon and Lemon Pasta

We used plain old Broccoli for this photographed. It was also a tad overcooked (thanks hubby!) so was mushy.
DON'T overcook it!

Serves 4
Ingredients
400g Rigatoni (ridged tube shaped pasta)
2 bunches of Broccolini (400g), trimmed and sliced
1/4 cup olive oil (good quality)
4-6 rashers of bacon, remove rind, chopped.
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon of lemon zest (or zest of one lemon)
1/2 cup of finely grated parmesan (I use Romano instead). Get proper parmesan from a deli.
Sea Salt
Method
* Place large saucepan of salted water on to boil. Once rolling boil is achieved, add pasta.
* 1 minutes before pasta is cooked (refer to the packet you bought), add the Broccolini. Cook for further one minute. Drain and keep warm - in the large saucepan.
* Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in frypan. Add bacon and cook for 3-5 minutes or until crispy.
* Add garlic and lemon zest and cook for one minute or until fragrant.
* Add to pasta and stir through, adding remaining oil and sea salt to taste.
* Add parmesan andtoss to combine.

Pasta/Lasagna and Bechamel Sauces - Our Old Family Recipe

Pasta/Lasagna Sauce

Ingredients
700g Mince (pork and veal mix 50/50 ratio)
2 Bottles of Passata(fill each 1/2 again with water) nb: each bottle is 680g
2 teaspoons sugar
1 chicken stock cube
2 cloves of minced garlic (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of ground chilli
1 branch of Basil
1 large brown onion

Method
- Chop onion finely and cook until translucent.
- Add in mince and brown it off.
- Add in 2 bottles of passata, filling each half again with water to "rinse" out the bottle into the sauce.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground chilli (nb: this doesnt affect the taste, it is purely to retain the bright red colour - if you want spicy, add more chilli)
- Add 2 teaspoons of sugar.

- Crumble 1 chicken stock cube in.
- Add garlic (optional)
- Let simmer for at least 1/2 hour.
- Taste. Add salt/pepper to taste.
- Add in whole (washed) branch of Basil. Remove before serving.

NB:
- Sauce can be simmered for longer for a thicker sauce.
- The longer this is cooked, the better it can taste.
- This recipe freezes well, for up to 3 months.
- Recipe can be made without meat for Vegetarians.
- Use only jars/bottles of Italian crushed tomatoes, or home made.
- Do not use any other sort of mince. Pork/Veal mix or nothing!


Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients
1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup butter
2.5 cups milk (Must be whole milk)
Salt - to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Method
- Fry the flour in butter (at moderate heat) - Roux method.
- Heat milk in a microwave until warm.
- Add milk a little bit at a time, making sure to remove any lumps.
- Keep stirring while sauce cooks and thickens.
- Sprinkle nutmeg over the top and stir in.

NB:
- If Storing or not using immediately, wrap with clingfilm right down onto the surface of the sauce.
- I strongly recommend pouring/using this sauce while it is warm and still relatively runny.
- In lasagne, sprinkle very lightly with cheese (parmesan) during construction.

Spicy Potato and Leek Soup with Caramelised garlic and lemon myrtle

Spicy Potato and Leek Soup with caramelised garlic and lemon myrtle

Ingredients
1 bulb garlic (peeled and left whole)
2 medium onions (peeled and left whole)
3 red/purple sweet potatoes
1 carrot
1 stick celery
1 pint cream (570ml)
Spice Mix – TOASTED TOGETHER (cummin, marsala, curry and cardamon)Ground Cummin 2 tsp
Garam Marsala 2tsp
Curry Powder 1tsp
Cardamon 1tsp

Chicken/Vegetable Stock
Brown Sugar
Lemon Myrtle 1tsp
1 bunch coriander (root and leaves)
1 or 2 Leeks
2 royal blue potatoes

Method
Caramelise onions with garlic, butter and brown sugar.
Add peeled chopped sweet potato, royal blue potato, carrot, celery and toasted spices.
Add cream, stock, coriander and lemon myrtle.
Simmer until all is tender, then puree.
Slice leek and add to soup.
Simmer again for 10 minutes and serve hot with crème fraiche and toasted leek (green part of stalk) as garnish (shred).