TRIAL BY RECIPE

Cheddar Enchiladas

2009-09-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

25g Butter

2 Onions, Chopped finely

2 Cloves Garlic, chopped finely400g Can Chopped Tomatoes

2 Sticks Celery, chopped finely

1 pack mixed sweet peppers (I used Tesco Finest Sweet Red peppers - Pack of 2)

4tbs fresh Parsely, finely chopped

3 Tbs Olive Oil

150g Pack Baby Button Mushrooms, halved

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp cumin Powder

2 Bunches Salad / Spring Onions, Chopped Finely

1 tbs Thyme (I used Dried)

50g SunBlush Tomatoes

400g Mature Cheddar Cheese, Grated (I used Cathedral City)

Pack Flour Totillas (I used 4 from the pack)

Method:

Preheat oven to 190C

To make the tomato sauce, melt the butter in a pan & saute 1 onion, the garlic, celery & 1 of the peppers until softened Add 2 tbs of the parsely & the chopped tomatoes, then gently cook for 15-20 mins.

To make the filling, heat 2tbs of the oil in a pan & saute the other onion, the mushrooms & the other pepper until softened. Add the chilli powder & cumin, then cook for 1 min. Add the salad onions, the rest of the parsely & the thyme. Cook for a further minute, then remove from the heat.

Add the SunBlush tomatoes, and half the cheese & mix together.

To assemble the enchiladas, divide the filling between 4 flour totillas, roll them up and place in an oven proof dish. Pour on the tomato sauce and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 30-40 mins, until cheese is well melted and bubbling.

Rating: 9/10

Reheats well in the oven - needs approx 30mins.

Five Cheese Fettucine

2009-03-02T01:40:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:
8 oz Fettuccine or tagliatelle
1 can condensed mushroom soup
1 small pack cream cheese (I used Philadephia)
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 small carton double cream
65g Butter
1 tsp Garlic Powder
(3/4 cup) approx 75g Parmesan Cheese
50g Mozzarella / Cheddar mix, grated
65g Swiss Cheese (I used pre-sliced Emmental - 2 Slices)

Topping:
1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I used Commercially produced golden breadcrumbs)
2 tbs butter, melted
1-2 tbs Parmesan

Method:

Cook pasta according to instructions.
Meanwhile, in a large pan, combine the soup, cream cheese, mushrooms, cream, butter and garlic powder. Stir in the other cheeses, cook and stir until melted.
Drain pasta, add to the sauce, and mix in.
Transfer to a shallow, greased baking dish. Combine topping ingredients, sprinkle over pasta
Bake for approx 30 - 40 mins, or until golden and bubbling

Rating: 10/10

This dish is really rich and creamy. Delicious in every way. Perhaps is I made it again, I would add a little milk to the sauce to thin it down a bit. Reheats well in a microwave.

Spicy Cream of Broccoil Soup

2009-02-19T00:23:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:
1 chopped onion
1 carrot, sliced thin
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons butter
400g broccoli, chopped coarse
400ml Vegetable stock (1 used 1 oxo cube to make this)
200ml water
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, to taste
70g sour cream
60g double cream

Method

Cook onion, carrot, curry powder, mustard seeds and salt and pepper in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is soft.
Add broccoli, stock and water and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until broccoli is very tender.
Puree soup in batches until smooth.
Whisk in lemon juice and season to taste.
Heat over low heat and whisk in sour cream & double cream. Do not allow to boil.
Serve with a swirl of double cream on top.

This is a lovely creamy soup. The spices are very subtle and do not overpower the dish. Tastes even better the day after. I served this with garlic and herb muffins - see recipe below.

Rating: 9/10

Buttery Garlic & Herb Muffins

2009-02-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

Ingredients: (Makes 12)

270g Self Raising Flour

130g Butter

200g Garlic & Herb Soft Cheese (I used Philadelphia)

125g Sour Cream

Method:

Stir together all ingredients until just blended. Spoon into lightly greased bun tray, filling to the top.
Bake for 30 mins until lightly browned.

Rating: 9/10

Really nice scone type muffins. Lovely and creamy with a subtle garlic taste. Extremely quick and easy. Will definitely make these again.

Carrot Cake With Orange Frosting

2009-02-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

175g Light Muscavado Sugar

175ml Sunflower Oil

3 eggs

150g Grated Carrots

150g Sultanas

Grated zest of 1 Orange

175g Self Raising Flour

1 tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda

1 tsp Grated Nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Icing:

175g Icing Sugar

1-2 tbs Orange Juice

Method:

Line a square cake tin, and preheat oven to 180C.

Tip sugar into a large mixing bowl. Pour in the oil, and add the eggs. Stir in the grated carrot, sultanas and orange zest.

Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the mixing bowl.

Lightly mix the ingredients. The consistency will be fairly soft and runny.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for approx 40 mins until the cake feels firm to the touch when pressed in the centre. Cool on a wire rack.

For the icing, sieve the icing sugar into a bowl, add enough orange juice to mix into a smooth frosting. Pour over top of cake and spread evenly with a knife.

Rating: 9/10

Cookies & Cream Truffles

2009-02-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

These are very quick and easy to make. A bit messy coating the truffles in chocolate, but worth it!

Ingredients:

250g tub Mascapone Cheese

1 box Oreo Cookies (16 biscuits)

150g White Chocloate

Crush the Oreo cookies. Add to the Mascapone and beat well. Roll into 1" balls, and refrigerate until firm.

Melt the white chocolate. Dip the truffles into the chocolate and thoroughly coat. Place on grease proof paper to harden. Store in the refrigerator.

Rating: 7/10

Cheerio Marshmallow Peanut Butter Squares

2009-02-12T14:06:00.001-08:00

Extremely sweet and sticky squares. Easy to make, but the marshmallow mixture cools incredibly quickly, making the mixture quitte hard to mix and tip into the tip if not done quick enough! Original recipe from cdkitchen.com

Ingredients:

3 tbs Butter

300g Mini Marshmallows

100g peanut Butter

135g Cheerio's Cereal

Method:

Grease a shallow baking tray (approx 13 x 9").

Melt the butter in a large pan, add the peanut butter and marshmallows. Stir until melted and smooth over a low heat.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in the Cheerios and mix until well coated. Press into the baking tray.

Cool and cut into slices.

Due to the intense sweetness aswell as the difficulties mixing the mallow mixture as it cooled and went stingy, I would not rate this as a favourite recipe.

Rating 5/10

Spinach & Mascapone Gnocchi

2009-02-08T09:37:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:
1 packet of Gnocchi
1 jar 350g tomato pasta sauce or Nepoletana from chill cabinet
1 tub (250g) Mascapone
1 bag grated Mozzarella & Cheddar Cheese (approx 200g)
1 bag (approx 200g) Fresh Spinach

Method:
Cook the Gnocchi according to packet instructions. Drain and tip into an oven proof dish.

Heat the pasta sauce and add the spinach leaves. Cook until the spinach has wilted - 3-4 mins.

Pour the sauce over the Gnocchi. Spoon blobs of Mascapone over the sauce.

Finish with the grated cheeses, and bake at 200C for about 20-30 mins, until cheese is bubbling and golden.

Rating: 8/10

Hot & Creamy Palak Paneer

2009-02-08T06:44:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

oil for frying

1 packet of paneer, cubed

1 onion, finely chopped

1 inch ginger, minced

1/2 tsp Tumeric

1tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

3 Tomatoes, skinned & roughly chopped

400g fresh Spinach

1 tsp Salt

Generous handful Corriander, chopped

Small carton Sour Cream (approx 70ml)

2 Green Chillies

Method:

Heat oil and fry paneer for about 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon onto kitchen towel.

Heat 2 tbs oil in a large pan or wok, fry onion for 2 mins, add ginger and cook for further 1 min.

Add spices, salt, tomatoes and fresh corriander. Cook until reduced.

Add spinach, once the leaves have wilted, stir in the sour cream. Cook for approx 10 mins until almost dry.

Add Paneer, cook for further 5 mins.

Makes 3 generous portions, or 4 light meal portions.

Rating: 7/10

Chocolate & Caramel Layered Cheesecake

2009-02-08T05:37:00.001-08:00

This is a very quick and easy recipe for a rich chocolately dessert.

Ingredients:

4 digestive biscuits

1tbs butter or margarine

1 pot Ambosia chocolate custard

1 tub 250g Mascapone Cheese

Approx 75g Milk Chocolate

1 Galaxy Caramel bar

4-5 tbs Double Cream

1 Dime bar

Method:

Melt the butter. Crush the biscuits into crumbs and stir in the melted butter to make a biscuit base. Add one spoon of biscuit mixture to the bottom of 4 dessert containers.

Add a spoon of chocolate cusard on top of the biscuit mixture in each container.

Melt the Milk chocolate, mix into the mascarpone cheese until thorougly combined. Crush the dime bar into small pieces. Stir into the Mascarpone mixture. Add a spoon of the mixture to each container on top of the custard.

Melt the galaxy caramel bar for a few seconds in the microwave. Slowly mix in the double cream, adding enough to make a sauce consitency. Pour a little of the caramel sauce over the top of each dessert.

Sprinkle the tops of each dessert with remaining biscuit mixture. Refrigerate until cold.

Rating- 9/10