Mindy Belle

Italian Meatballs

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons fine breadcrumbs

A small amount of milk, to soak

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

4 Shallots, finely sliced

2 Cloves of garlic

3 Tins of whole Roma tomatoes

1 Tablespoon of dried or fresh Basil

1 Tablespoon of dried or fresh Oregano

Freshly ground sea salt and pepper

10 Green Olives – stuffed

1 carrot finely diced

1 Zucchini finely diced

1 Broccoli broken into small pieces

500 g Fresh ground mince beef

3 garlic cloves

Flour to dust

2 Tablespoons of olive oil for shallow frying.

Method

Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl, pour over enough milk to cover.

Leave to soak, Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Start the sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium to large pan.

Fry shallot and garlic for a few minutes add the carrot,zucchini, Broccoli,

cook for about 5 minutes. Add the can tomatoes, herbs and olives.

Cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the meat balls.

Place the mince meat in a bowl, add the breadcrumbs (squeeze excess milk before adding to beef) add the garlic and season with salt and pepper.

Roll heaped tablespoons of mince to a ball and roll in flour to dust.

Heat a large fry pan with olive oil and shallow fry the meatballs until brown.

Pour the sauce into heatproof serving dishes, add the meatballs and cook for 10 minutes in the oven.

Serve with garlic bread and fresh pasta.

Enjoy

Better than la porchetta 🙂  said my boys.

Chilli Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

Thankyou Anzac Buscuits

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of Thankyou Fig & Pear Clusters

1/2 cup of plain flour

1/2 cup dried cranberries ( to represent the poppies)

100g Melted butter

1/3 cup Golden syrup

1 egg lightly beaten

Method

1.Crush the clusters in a bag and add to a large bowl.

2. Mix in the plain flour and cranberries to the clusters.

3. Melt the butter in a small pan add the golden syrup.

4. Add the beaten egg to the bowl mix well then pour in the butter and golden syrup mixture.

5. Mix well and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.

6. Roll into 1 heaped tablespoon balls and flatten.

7. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

8. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes at 170 degrees  until lightly golden.

Enjoy 🙂

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients

12 tablespoons unsalted butter ( room temp )

1 3/4 cup cups of White Sugar

2 large eggs

2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa

4 tablespoons red food colouring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups full cream milk

3 1/4 cups plain flour ( sifted )

1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Frosting Ingredients

150 grams Cream cheese ( room temp)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter ( room temp )

4 cups of sifted icing sugar

Method

1. Set oven to 180 degrees
2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy 3 – 5 mins
3. Add eggs one at a time.
4. Add Cocoa, food colouring, vanilla
5. in 1/3 batches add milk & Salt then the flour   ( one then the other in turns )
6. last mix the cider vinegar and baking soda and quickly add to mixture and beat for a minute.

Scoop heaped desert spoons of mixture into pans lined in a muffin tray – approx 1/2 full pan

Bake for 18 minutes
Test with a screwer
Cakes will spring back
and the top will look cooked.

Frosting Method

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter
2. Slowly add the icing sugar 1/4 cup at a time
3. Beat to finish, until light and fluffy

Cool the Cupcakes on a wire rack, then fill a sandwich bag with frosting chop the corner off the bag

and frost each cake with a swirl and push down the middle to finish.

Makes approx 22 large cakes 🙂

Enjoy !

Fish Curry

Ingredients

3 Barramundi portions  or equivalent fish ( cut into large chunks)

1 large onion or 2 small onions – finely sliced

11/2 teaspoons of dried chilli flakes  or a few fresh small red chilli’s finely chopped.

2 tablespoons Fresh ginger – finely chopped

1 tablespoon  Garlic- crushed

1 teaspoon Turmeric powder

1 to 2  teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1 can of diced tomatoes  or 6 small fresh tomatoes ( chopped )

1 can chickpeas and juice

2 cups of Okara  chopped to 2 cm pieces

4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Lime juice – to taste

Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a large pan, cook the dry spices. then add onions & ginger and garlic.

Fry for a few minutes, if too dry add a little more oil.

then add the rest of the ingredients ( except lime & Fish )

Cook for 5- 10  minutes on a low heat, add the fish pieces and lime juice.

Simmer on low until the fish pieces are cooked.

Serve with Basmati rice and fresh coriander as a garnish.

Enjoy ! 🙂

Ginger Carrot Cake – Gourmet Traveller recipe April 2015 ( made with beautiful Makayla)

To serve: chopped roasted hazelnuts, and carrot thinly shaved crossways and tossed in orange juice, brown sugar and cinnamon   Salted butterscotch frosting 30 gm butter, coarsely chopped 30 gm brown sugar 2 tsp golden syrup 100 gm sour cream 450 gm pure icing sugar, sieved

Method

Lamb Shank Soup

Chicken Soup

Version 2  My version of mum’s recipe 🙂

1 Litre of Chicken stock

2 Tins of Creamed Corn

3 Spring onions- finely chopped

500g of Shredded Chicken

2 Tablespoons of Butter

4 cm cube of Ginger finely chopped

2 Leeks finely chopped

Method as mum’s recipe below.

Ingredients – My Mum’s recipe from the 80’s

1 pkt Chicken noodle soup or French onion soup

2 tins of Creamed Corn

3 spring onions – finely chopped

1 Roast chicken – flesh removed shred into small pieces

2 Tablespoons Butter

Boiling water

Fresh ginger finely chopped  ( optional )

Method

Heat butter in a large pan

Add the spring onions and cook slightly

Then the French Onion with the creamed corn

Cook for a minute or two

Add boiling water approx 1.5 Litres or 8 cups to the level you prefer

lastly add the chicken pieces

Bring to boil and cook until soup thickens a little approx 30 minutes.

Enjoy 🙂

Street food – Chicken Meatballs Recipe by: Miguel Maestre