Sharing memories and chocolate cake

Our world at the moment could benefit from more kindness. Mamma Marmalade kindly gifted me a hamper of goodies including her Beloved Mother's Chocolate cake recipe This recipe is very special to her family because it was a regular favourite when her Grandchildren visited.  I was touched to receive this gift and made it with my own Grandchildren in loving memory of a very special and generous woman I I hope you enjoy making and enjoying - recipes shared are so very special .....  Love.

Super Easy Chocolate cake 

1  1/3 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda

1 cup Cocoa powder

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk   OR

OR 1/3 cup milk, 2/3 cup greek yoghurt 

2 eggs beaten

125 gram butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

My add ins ... handful sultanas or chocbits

Method

Preheat oven 180 C   or  170C fanforced

Prepare 6cm deep, 20cm cake tin

Sift flour, bicarb and cocoa powder into large mixing bowl

Stir in sugar

Combine the buttermilk,  eggs and cooled butter then add to the dry ingredients 

Bake 40 to 45 minutes and allow to cool

ALSO

makes 12 mini muffins  , bake 11 minutes 

AND   13 muffins,   bake 19 -20  minutes 

OPTIONAL 

When cake has cooled…  CHOCOLATE  ICING

1  1/3 cups sifted icing sugar

1  1/2  tablespoons cocoa powder

Mixed with 20 gram softened butter 

Decorate with 125 gram blueberries 

Teddy in a blanket

 I am always on the lookout for any ideas for my grandchildren. Social media does come up with some great ideas. Like this one 

Ingredients

2 sheets of shop bought puff pastry

Packet of tiny teddy biscuits

1 or 2 Lindt chocolate blocks

Method

Defrost puff pastry 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Cut puff pastry into long squares, place one piece of chocolate near the top, place a tiny teddy on top and then bring up puff pastry to cover half of tiny teddy.

Cook in the oven till golden, cool and enjoy

Mamma Marmalade

 Seems everywhere I look these days I see a Dutch Baby.  I had never heard of the soft oven baked pancake before.  But they look spectacular and are very easy to make. this one is inspired by Martha Stewart. Great for a breakfast for guests.  Below is a banana Dutch baby but softened apple works well also.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 Granny Smith apple or 2 bananas, peeled and sliced

1/3 cup honey

1/4 Teaspoon ground cardamon

3 large organic/free range eggs

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup plain flour

1/4 Teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon icing sugar

Method

Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and add butter, and apples or bananna , cook until softened/lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in honey and cardamon and remove from heat.

In a bowl whisk the remaining ingredients apart from the icing sugar pour over the fruit and pop in the hot oven and bake until puffed and brown. About 20 minutes keep and eye on it, and remove when done. 

Dust with icing sugar.

Serve with a dollop of cream or maple syrup.

Mamma Marmalade

Pumpkin Scones

 I must admit that I do scroll through Instagram when I am bored, when a neighbour posted a picture of her pumpkin scones I was up for the challenge.  You see it's been years since I have made them and they looked delicious. So one chilly morning in Northern New South Wales I cranked up the little bench top oven (my trusty SMEG met it's demise in the February floods) and I must admit the results were delicious.  Recipe is the famous Lady Florence Bjelke- Petersen's

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 Teaspoon salt

1 Egg

1 cup mashed pumpkin, cooked and cooled (not too wet)

2 cups self raising flour 

Flour for dusting

Method

Preheat oven to 225 degrees Celsius

With electric hand beaters, beat butter, sugar and salt.

Add egg, then pumpkin and stir in the flour until just combined.

Turn out on to a floured board, bring together and gently roll until the disk is about an inch or 2.5 cm thick. Using a floured cutter, cut and place on a greased tray or dish, the trimmings left over can be combined together to make the final scones.

Bake for 15-20 minutes on the top oven shelf.

Serve with butter.

Delicious

Mamma Marmalade

Oven Baked Spaghetti Frittata

It can be tricky to think of an simple meal you can prepare a day ahead that travels easily and can be re-heated or eaten at room temperature.  I needed a lunch dish to take to my parents that was also easy to eat, plain ingredients and no spices.  I served optional pesto and chilli relish on the side for their other guests. This oven baked spaghetti frittata was satisfying comfort food and served with a green salad made a delicious lunch - serve warm or room temperature.  Also easy to add your choice of veggies or meats too.   Enjoy!  Colleen

  

Preparation   15 minutes not including cooking the pasta.   

                      note  pasta needs to be  Already cooked and cooled 

Cooking         25 - 30 minutes 

Reheating      20 minutes from room temperature approx

Ingredients 

- this is a very loose guide - use your choice of greens, meats etc

depends on how much you want to make - for my large tray I used 1 1/2 cups

1 cup (or more) of already cooked, drained and cooled spaghetti.  Stir in a little olive oil after cooking so won't go clumpy whilst cooling.  Cut up long strands a bit for easy eating later.

your choice of chopped veggies eg

- cooked, fried onions and garlic, mushrooms sliced and cooked

- capsicum diced

-  thawed peas, chopped baby spinach leaves, finely chopped broccoli or diced asparagus  

Meats - optional

- some chopped cooked chicken or ham etc

herbs 

- chopped parsley, thyme or oregano leaves or a little chopped sage

plus

6 eggs

1 cup milk or half milk half cream             (If using less pasta decrease eggs, milk too)

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Ground Pepper and Salt - to your taste

Topping

Grated Cheese

Some grated parmesan cheese

Sprinkle of some dried breadcrumbs

extra thyme leaves 

Method

prepare your ovenproof tray or pie dish

Preheat oven to 180 - 190℃

In a large bowl - Whisk the eggs with the milk/cream and parmesan.

Stir in your selected chopped vegetables, chopped meats, herbs and salt and pepper.

Add the chopped Spaghetti pieces and stir to combine evenly.

Pour into prepared dish

Sprinkle with Grated cheeses , some breadcrumbs and herb leaves.

Bake for approx 25 - 30 minutes (will depend on dish size) until middle is cooked and topping golden.

To reheat from room temperature

cover loosely with alfoil and reheat at 180℃ for approx 20 minutes or until warmed through.

Can also be eaten at room temperature.

Serve accompanied with optional pesto or chilli relish and with green salad and tomatoes.

Enjoy!   Colleen

Creme Catalan

 This Sunday is planned to be our monthly family lunch (unless Covid interferes).  This one will have a Spanish theme. Choosing various Tapas, then Paella and Chicken stew, dessert is Creme Catalan.  So after some You Tube viewing I have chosen this recipe.  For a trial, it went well, even bought myself a new "flame thrower" aka brulee torch.

The lunch was a resounding success, the menu even tempted a son and daughter in law to pop in from Melbourne.

 

Ingredients

8 egg yolks (free range or organic)

3/4 cup caster sugar

4 cups milk

1/4 cornflour + 1 Tablespoon

2 cinnamon quills

8 pieces of lemon peel

Extra caster sugar for bruleeing

Method

Combine cornflour with a little of the milk to make a smooth slurry.

Place remainder of milk, cinnamon and lemon peel in a medium saucepan.  Heat over medium heat for 10 minutes, do not let it boil. 

With a whisk, beat egg yolks and sugar until lighter in colour, fluffy and you can't see sugar grains.

Take the milk off the heat and stir in cornflour slurry, stir until all combined.

Drain milk over a sieve to remove lemon peel and cinnamon quills.

Let cool for 5 minutes before returning to saucepan and then add egg mixture.  

You must stay stirring this mixture until it turns to custard.  Once done, you will be able to run your finger through the custard on the back of a wooden spoon and it will stay separated.

Pour into small ramekins. Cool

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve sprinkle sugar on top of custard and using a small kitchen blow torch, brulee the top.

Serve and enjoy.

Mamma Marmalade

Ginger Cake from "A Generous Helping" Queensland Flood Fundraiser cookbook

Our hearts break for those affected by the cruel floods being experienced in Queensland and New South Wales.  After 2011  ABC Radio Queensland published a collection of shared community recipes as a fundraiser called "A Generous Helping".  Our little blog is about sharing and  "A Generous Helping" cookbook embodies that ethos so powerfully.  Baking a cake won't wipe the mud from people's homes but sharing a slice with a cuppa might raise someone's spirits and bring a moment of respite from the devastation all around.  Various community groups are mobilising #BakedRelief campaigns and that can be a way we can assist the affected homeowners and volunteer cleaners.  Wherever you are, our thoughts and love go out to you.  💔  Colleen 

This simple delicious recipe from the cookbook is by #AlisonAlexander.  

It works well cooked in one pan or in 4 small pans and keeps for a few days in an airtight container.

 

Preparation     10 minutes

Baking             35 – 45 minutes. 

 Makes            1  x  30x20cm cake      OR   4   x    7x13cm cakes

Ingredients

½ cup or 125 gram butter – melted  (do this first)

2 ¾ cups (390 gram) Self-Raising Flour

1 teaspoon Bicarb of Soda

4 teaspoons ground Ginger

3 - 6 slices glace ginger – finely sliced  (Optional – for a deeper ginger flavour)

3/4 cup pitted dates - chopped

½ cup Dark Brown Sugar  (Dark Brown has a stronger flavour than regular Brown Sugar)

¾ cup  (260 gram) Golden Syrup

1 egg – lightly whisked prior to adding

1 cup warm water

 

Method

Melt butter first

Preheat oven to 155 - 160 ˚C (fan forced) and prepare medium depth rectangular tray approx. 24 x 30 cm and line with baking paper.   OR  4 x  7x13cm small tins

Place all ingredients in Food Processor. Pulse until combined but do not over-process or the flour will become tough.

Pour batter into prepared tin.  If using the mini tins pop them onto an oven tray for easy retrieval later.  

Bake approx. 35 – 45 minutes.  Check at 35 minutes. May need to turn tray.  Mini tins took 30-35 minutes.

Cake will be cooked when a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tray before cooling completely on a cake rack.

 Cake keeps for a few days  in airtight container.  Wrap small cakes individually and store in airtight container in fridge if necessary for a few days.

Optional

Top with icing when cake is cool  or   lightly dust with icing sugar or maple sugar and a dash of nutmeg.

                               Sharing with love..... Colleen

Coffee and Honey Cake - from your pantry, simple and delish

This recipe makes use of simple ingredients from your pantry and fridge, nothing complicated or fussy.  Also it incorporates custard powder which seems to linger at the back of the pantry. It is an easy to transport, no nuts or seeds, no icing flavoursome cake. Cooking in a ring pan speeds up the cooking time and makes it easy to cut and serve.  I used a local bush honey and would recommend avoiding any very strong honeys such as leatherwood etc as the flavour would overpower the coffee.  The coffee is not too strong and the honey/coffee combination is almost a deep caramel flavour, great warm or cooled.  Enjoy!  Colleen

Preparation   15 minutes

Cooking         35 - 40 minutes

Ingredients

3 teaspoons instant dry coffee granules 

1 tablespoon hot water

125 gram butter - small cubed and room temperature, not melted

1/2 cup brown sugar - loosely packed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup honey      (not a strong flavour honey)

2 eggs - lightly beaten

1 cup Self Raising Flour

1/4 cup Custard Powder

dusting of icing sugar to serve - optional

Method

Preheat oven to 170℃ fan forced

Prepare and grease well a 20 -22cm ring pan

Dissolve coffee granules in hot water in a cup - no lumps

Cream the butter and sugar in bowl of mixmaster until pale and creamy

Add the vanilla, coffee water and milk

Add honey and beat well

Incorporate the eggs and beat until combined

Sift in the SR Flour and custard powder and mix to combine.  Do not overwork the flour.

Pour batter into prepared ring pan and bake 35 - 40 minutes.  Check after 30 minutes and turn pan if necessary.

Cake is cooked when inserted skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cook in pan on cake rack for 5 minutes.

Then remove from pan by inverting onto cake rack and back up again.

Cake can be eaten slightly warm or when cooled down.

Optional Dust with icing sugar

Enjoy!   Colleen

Toddler Chef Eggbeater Pancakes

My Grandson discovered my manual rotary eggbeater and was enthralled. It was taken for rides in his little car, included in construction play and held during story time. So I needed to find an easy recipe where he could really whip up a storm and then eat the results!  

This is a simplified very young child-friendly recipe - no salt, sugar or butter in the main batter mixture. The finished pancakes can be made thinner than usual thick pancakes because the key attraction is the eggbeater and the final honey flourish! 

Usually you don't want to over-beat pancake and pikelet mixes because it toughens the gluten but the point of this recipe is to use minimal ingredients and encourage participation and learning cooking skills.  Nana doesn't indulge him with sweet treats - blueberries are the treat of choice in my home - but I do permit a tiny drizzle of fresh honey, sliced banana or a dash of raspberry jam on these homemade pancakes as there is no other sugar in the batter.

Of course, always supervise children closely and keep little fingers and clothes away from stovetops during cooking and while hot objects are around.

Enjoy!  Nana Colleen

   

Tip  - get all equipment and ingredients out before starting.  Have a damp handtowel and cleanup rag on standby. And a just-damp towel under a bowl can help keep bowl in place during enthusiastic mixing

Preparation    5 minutes or as long as they want!  

Plus 30 minutes batter rest time (if possible - good delayed gratification practice if toddler amenable)  They love watching the countdown on the timer!

Cooking          a few minutes per pancake

Serves             makes 3 - 4 small size pancakes

Ingredients

1 egg

3/4  cup Self Raising Flour  (OR  plain would be okay for this recipe)

75 ml water  (1/3rd cup)

75 ml milk    (1/3rd cup)

tiny shake cinnamon

teaspoon softened butter to grease pan

Method

Allow toddler to help measure out the ingredients and place necessary utensils on bench

Combine the water and milk in an easy-pour jug, approx 500 ml size so you can re-use to pour batter into pan later

Beat the egg until light and fluffy in a deep bowl - using the eggbeater!

Pour the water and milk into the beaten egg and beat again - using the eggbeater!

Sift the flour and cinnamon into another deep bowl

Make a little well in base of flour and gradually add the eggy milk - let them use the eggbeater  but not too much this time - until just combined and batter smooth. Pour batter back into the jug used previously to make pouring into pan easier.

Pop batter aside covered with a tea-towel. Let toddler set the timer for 30 minutes - if possible - even 5 minutes will be okay.  They love pushing the buttons and watching the countdown!

Warm pan and melt a tiny amount of butter.  Pour approx 1/third or 1/quarter into the pan depending on how many pancakes you want to make. This is a fairly runny mixture.

Cook on one side until starts to bubble (approx 2 - 3 minutes depending on thickness)

Flip over and cook other side ( approx 2 minutes)

Remove and pop onto serving plate.

Cooking remaining batter as above.

Serve with a drizzle of honey, sliced bananas or a dash of jam.

Let them help tidy up afterwards too!

Enjoy!   Nana Colleen 

Janelle's bliss balls

 I stumbled upon this recipe whilst looking for healthy snack ideas for my daughter in law who has a newborn and a toddler.  Great for snacking on when time is at a premium and you need a sweet fix but not necessarily a sugar high. 

    

Ingredients

I cup rolled oats (not instant)

1 Tablespoon of ground flax seed and 3 Tablespoons warm water

1/4 cup roasted almond butter

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

3 soft Medjool dates, pitted (or substitute 2 additional Tablespoons of Maple syrup)

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cups chopped pecans

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Method

In a frypan toast the oats over a low heat until just browned at the edges.  Toasting the oats makes them more digestable.  

In a small bowl combine flaxseeds and warm water, set aside for about 5 minutes until it thickens.

In a food processor combine almond butter, maple syrup, dates, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Add flaxseed mixture and blend until smooth.

Add the pecans, pulse to combine, Add the oats and coconut, pulse to combine. Add the choc chips and pulse until evenly incorporated.

Using wet hands roll the mixture into balls and chill until firm (at least 30 minutes).  If the mixture is too sticky to roll, place in the refrigerator for several minutes before attempting to roll into balls again.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Guaranteed delidous

Mamma Marmalade

bliss

Coconut and Lemon Syrup Cake

Mother's Day is a chance to remember the women who have shaped our lives.  The opportunity to gather together is even more precious these days and we are very grateful that we can enjoy family times in much of Australia now and then.  So, a simple but indulgent cake that's made for sharing is perfect for these celebrations.  This is an old Donna Hay recipe, perfect to transport to a picnic and a family favourite that also appears as dessert sometimes! Hope you have the chance to enjoy with your loved ones.  Cheers! Colleen

Preparation 

Baking             45 - 50 minutes.  Then cool in the tin

Serves             10

Ingredients

125 gram softened butter

1 cup caster sugar

zest of 1 lemon

4 eggs

splash of Vanilla extract

2 cups desiccated coconut

1 cup plain flour - sifted with

1 teaspoon Baking powder - sifted with the flour

optional - 1 tablespoon of lemon curd

options - pinch ground cardomom OR ground nutmeg OR tiny pinch ground lemon myrtle 

optional - some coconut shredded flakes for topping

LEMON SYRUP

1 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice  (probably 2 lemons)  - use the lemon zest too

Method

Preheat oven to 155 -160 ℃ and grease/paper a 20cm round springform tin.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and lemon rind until light and creamy.

Gradually add eggs and vanilla and whisk well.

Fold in the desiccated coconut then the sifted flour and baking powder (and spices if used)

Pour mixture into tin and gently shake to settle mixture.

OPTIONAL - swirl through a tablespoon of lemon curd

OPTIONAL - scatter top with a little shredded coconut

Bake approx 45- 50 minutes until cooked and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean.

POUR HALF Hot syrup over HOT cake  NB half (syrup - see below)

OPTIONAL - scatter with additonal shredded coconut

Allow to cool in the tin on a baking rack.

Serving

Cut into slices and you can serve with remaining syrup (but I don't) and/or a dollop of cream

I think it is best on it's own with a cuppa! but leftovers warmed up make a great dessert!

(PS  I freeze the remaining half syrup for the next cake bake!)

Making the Lemon Syrup

in a wide saucepan - heat over low heat, the water and sugar until sugar dissolves

Add lemon juice and boil for 5 - 7 minutes approx until syrupy. (that's why using wide pan)

                             Enjoy!    Colleen

  

 20 minutes plus 20 minutes for lemon syrup

Chilli Jam

 This is a favourite recipe of our family, a jar of Annabel Langbein's chilli jam in the fridge is so handy.  It can elevate a toasted cheese sandwich into the stratosphere or placed on top of chicken thigh cutlets and baked in the oven, to a dish that looks like you have been prepping all afternoon. I have an abundance of chillies in my garden in late Autumn, they're mixed varieties with varying heat, luckily our family like the "hotter the better" so none of my jam's are exactly the same.  Using long chillies as in the recipe below lessen the heat, but if you want to cool it down further, replace some chillies with red capsicums.

 

Ingredients

6-8 long red chillies, coarsely chopped

150g fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 kaffir lime leaves, deveined and coarsely chopped (if available)

1 head of garlic peeled

finely grated zest of 4 limes

2 1/2 cups caster sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup rice vinegar

3 Tablespoons fish sauce

1 Teaspoon soy sauce

Method

Sterilise jars with metal lids, approx 2 cups capacity

In a food processor, combine chillies, ginger, kaffir lime leaves and garlic. Wizz to a coarse paste.  Place this in a large pot with all remaining ingredients.

Stir over a medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Boil for about 15- 20 minutes stirring occasionally, should reduce by a third.  It will bubble up like jam.

Carefully pour the hot chilli jam into the warm sterilised jars, seal with lid.

Once opened store in the fridge.

Mamma Marmalade

Chicken Enchiladas with creamy salsa verde

 This handy mid week meal is ideal for using cooked/rotisserie chicken. In this version I had some fresh silver beet growing in my garden so I added some of them shredded to boost the nutritional value.  I use low carb wraps but flour tortillas work just as well. If not on a low carb regime pop in the white beans (cannellini) for extra flavour and texture. Another great idea from Skinnytaste .

  

Ingredients

 Chicken and White Bean filling:

Olive oil

1/2 finely diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 fresh green chillies finely diced

1 x can Cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)

2 cups approx diced cooked chicken meat

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Green Salsa Verde

2 Teaspoons butter

1 finely diced onion

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup chicken stock

2 jalapenos chopped (use a jar of pickled jalapenos)

2-3 chopped green green chillies, according to taste

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup grated matured cheese

8 flour tortillas 

chopped fresh coriander

Method

For the filling:

Heat olive oil and add onions, saute till soft, then add garlic, stir to combine and cook out a little.

Add green chillies, beans, cumin and chicken stock. Mix well, cover and simmer on low for approx 15 minutes.

Remove lid and add chicken cook for an additional 5 minutes or until it thickens.  Set aside

For the creamy salsa verde sauce

In a fry pan, melt the butter add onion and cook for about 3- 4 minutes until onion is soft.

Add the flour and stir well. Cook out the flour by stirring constantly then add the chicken stock a little at a time to incorporate. Cook over a medium heat until the sauce thickens about 4-5 minutes, add fresh chillies and jalapenos.

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

In an oven dish, spoon 1/4  of the creamy sauce on the bottom.

Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture and place seam side down in the dish.

Continue until all tortillas are filled and rolled.

Pour over remaining creamy sauce. Top with grated cheese, cover with foil and cook in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 20-30 minutes. Remove foil and brown top for a further 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with chopped coriander.

Serve with Mexican rice and a green salad.

Mamma Marmalade

Lentil and Ricotta Easy Frypan Lasagne

I stumbled across this recipe a while ago and have adapted it with extra herbs and veggies to make an easy meal that tastes like lasagne - without the hour of preparation.  Wilbur went back for seconds without realising there was no meat - he is finding lentils are actually tasty! Plus it is a great way to use up a few bottom of the crisper veg, reducing waste.     Enjoy!   Colleen               

Lentil lasagne by Feed Your Inner Cook

Lentil lasagne by Feed Your Inner Cook

Preparation   5 minutes

Cooking       15 minutes frying then 15 - 20 mins baking in oven

Serves            4 - 6  especially if served with salads

Ingredients

splash olive oil

1 brown onion - diced

1 garlic clove - crushed

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (400 gram approx) tin brown lentils - drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 zucchini, grated and squeezed of excess liquid ( in a Chux cloth or teatowel)

1  400 g tin diced tomatoes plus 1/4 tin water -ie rinse the tin

3 big handfuls baby spinach leaves

Pepper, some fresh rosemary chopped, or thyme OR dried herbs

big handful fresh basil leaves - torn - reserve some for garnish

a little fresh parsley - chopped

shake of dried chilli flakes (optional)

2 fresh lasagne sheets (usually in the supermarket fridge section) - tear into large ribbons

150 - 200 gram tub Smooth ricotta  (one of the few times I prefer tub to fresh ricotta)

2 cups grated cheese

some grated parmesan cheese

few cherry tomatoes - halved (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to  190℃

In a large frypan (check it is safe to go into oven OR cook then pour into oven pan later)

warm the oil and gently fry the onion until soft

Stir in the garlic and the tomato paste then the drained lentils and balsamic vinegar.

Add the grated zucchini, diced tomatoes, water from the tin, then spinach leaves.

Just cook until spinach begins to wilt - a few minutes.

Add your fresh and dried herbs plus some pepper and chilli flakes.

Stir to combine, turn off the heat.

Spoon 1/4 of the mixture into a bowl to add back in later.

Place the torn lasagne sheets over the cooked mixture in a single layer, tucking a few pieces into the mixture.

Spoon the 1/4 reserved mixture back over the lasagne sheets.

Using a teaspoon, dollop ricotta all over, then, half swirl some of the dollops through a little bit.

Sprinkle over the grated cheese and grated parmesan.

Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes on top, pushing in slightly.

Sprinkle with a scattering of dried herbs if desired.

Pop the pan into oven and bake for approx 15 - 20 minutes until golden and cheese oozes.

Garnish with reserved basil leaves if desired.  TIP - rub a tiny bit of olive oil over the fresh basil leaves before garnishing so they don't wilt too quickly on the hot topping.

Serve with a green salad.

Enjoy!   Colleen

Sweet Potato and Coconut Curried Red Lentil Salad - for Dinner

One of my favourite and most versatile salad recipes is the sublime Belinda Jeffery's   clever Fragrant Spiced Red Lentil and currant salad that I have shared on this blog previously.  It is an absolute winner for flavour and is a firm favourite in my home. 

On the weekend I was a bit overenthusiastic and made an rather large quantity.  My usual options for changing or reinvigorating the salad are to add some fish or protein along with additional vegetables.  This time however, I wanted a quick dinner, so I warmed some already roasted chunks of sweet potato, added spoonfuls of the red lentil salad and stirred through some coconut milk.  The tang from the salad vinegar is quite zingy alongside the coconut.  Garnished with a little fresh mint or coriander - a quick to prepare warm variation using a favourite recipe.  

Belinda Jeffery lives in the beautiful Northern New South Wales region which grows an abundance of enticing fruit and vegetables. Pop into the village of Uki when you visit this picturesque region.             Enjoy!  Colleen 

Preparation    5 minutes -  Fragrant Spiced Red Lentil and currant salad already made

Cooking          5 - 10 minutes  - if your salad and sweet potato are already prepared.

Serves            depends on quantity used.  Mine serves 4

Ingredients

Fragrant Spiced Red Lentil and currant salad  click on this link for blog recipe

1 large sweet potato - peeled, cut into chunks and roasted

a little oil

couple of handfuls of baby spinach leaves

approx 125 ml (1/2 cup) coconut milk  - add gradually, might not need all of this

freshly chopped mint or coriander to garnish

Method 

Warm the roasted sweet potato chunks in a splash of oil.

Stir in baby spinach until just wilted.

Add several large spoonfuls of the prepared Red lentil salad and gently combine.

Pour in a little coconut milk and gently stir through. You want it to be creamy but not sloppy so add gradually. Taste and adjust if needed with touch salt, pepper or herbs.

Serve garnished with fresh mint or coriander

Enjoy!  Colleen

Pork Chops in BBQ sauce

Midweek meals are sometimes difficult to make interesting.  But as you may have come to realise, the two contributors to this blog rarely prepare standard meat and 3 veg fare like they had in their childhood.  So with the dilemma  of 2 plain pork chops looking at me I was on the hunt for some spices to make them pop.  The following is a marinade that you don't need to make ahead of time as the chops actually cook in the sauce. So it's super quick for a midweek dinner with the added benefit that all the ingredients are already in the pantry.

   

Ingredients

Marinade

3 Tablespoons quality BBQ sauce

1 Tablespoon Soy sauce

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon brown sugar

2 Teaspoons Balsamic vinegar

1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Teaspoon garlic, minced

1/4 Teaspoon salt

1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less if not keen on heat)

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Prepare the pork chops by combining 1/2 Teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder (i didn't have any) and paprika. Rub this over the pork chops and then season with salt and pepper.

Combine all the marinade ingredients into an oven dish. Add the pork chops and baste.

Place in the oven on the top shelf because at the end of the cooking we will be grilling to make golden and crunchy.

Cook chops for 20 minutes, turning and basting every 10 minutes.

Turn oven to grill and then allow a further 5-7 minutes each side until edges are caramelised.

Top with fresh herbs and serve.  

Our accompaniments were mashed pumpkin and sautéed cabbage, bacon and fennel seeds. 

Mamma Marmalade