Cheats Cheese & Tomato Scrolls

My kids don't eat sandwiches on their lunch, not that the dogs mind - they come running whenever they hear the sound of tupperware being opened in the kitchen these days. These cheese & tomato scrolls were very well received this morning and very quick to make. Maybe I've found a solution...

1 cup SR flour
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
30g butter, chopped
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp dried oregano
handful of shredded cheese
pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 200•C
Sift the flour and baking powder, then rub the butter into it with your fingers. Add the milk, and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Knead with your hands or a dough hook until just combined then dust a surface with flour and roll out into a rectangle.
Spread on the pasta sauce, sprinkle with cheese and oregano and roll up into a log, then cut into 1 inches pieces. Lie them onto a tray lined with baking paper and whack into the hot oven for 20mins.
I would like to try a grown up version of this too with rosemary and chopped olives and feta...

10 Minute Double Choc Muffins

Simple enough to make before school, thrown together whilst eating a stand-up breakfast!

They are best eaten straight out of the oven - there's no butter which makes them very fast to make but the tradeoff is they don't keep so well, although the banana does make them deliciously moist! Freshen one up for your afternoon cup of tea by zapping it in the microwave for 10secs.

PS. This is a modification on a basic muffin recipe - if you omit the cocoa powder you can do almost anything. Swap half the SR flour for wholemeal, add nuts, sultanas, a chopped overripe pear or frozen blueberries, add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on the top, whatever... just keep in mind that frozen fruit will up the cooking time to about 60mins. 

Makes 6

2/3 cup SR flour
1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)
2 heaped Tbs cocoa powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 ripe banana, mashed well

Preheat oven to 200•C
Prepare 6 squares of baking paper to line the muffin tin with - I find this works better than paper liners which stick to the muffins!
Sift the 'dry ingredients' into a bowl. (flour, cocoa & sugar)
Beat the egg and add the 'wet ingredients' (milk & oil).
Pour the wet ingredients into a well in the dry ingredients and mix quickly together - you might need to add a bit more milk if its a bit dry here, but don't overmix or the muffins will be tough.
Add the choc chips and banana and mix through briefly, then divide the mixture into the cases, putting the baking paper squares in as you go.
Pop them in the oven and in 20 minutes they're done!

Coconut Fish Curry

A delicious, healthy dinner with accompaniments, on the table in 30 minutes! Who am I - Jamie Oliver?? The curry is mild so kids will enjoy it and really compliments the fish. 

1 onion
1 clove garlic
1Tbs mustard seeds
1Tbs mild curry powder, such as Korma
2 kaffir lime leaves, if you have a tree in the garden!

Half cauliflower, cut into small pieces

3 small carrots, cut into thinish rings

Small tin light coconut milk
1 stock cube
mixed fish fillets - firm white fish and salmon, skinned and boned
1 bunch corriander, leaves removed and washed

1 + 3/4 cups rice
1/4  cup small dahl, such as moong dhal or urid dhal
2 cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1 tsp tumeric

1 banana 

2 Tbs desiccated coconut

papadums

mango chutney, to serve

First, get your rice on. Put the rice, dhal and spices into a small pot and add double the amount of cold water (4 cups). Bring to the boil and stir well. Then put a lid on it and transfer to the smallest stove hob on the lowest setting. Set your timer for 12 minutes.

Get your kids busy making the accompaniments! Papadums are so easy to make in the microwave and is a very exciting job for a 7 year old. Simply put down a square of paper towel and either 2 big or 4 small papadums on the edges. Zap them for 60 seconds, move them around and zap them again for another 60 seconds. Make more papadums that you think anyone could possibly eat! Meanwhile, your 4 year old can make the banana and coconut raita.

Slice the onion thinly into rings. Fry gently in a little oil, add the garlic, mustard seeds and curry powder. Put your kettle on to boil. The mustard seeds should start to pop and the curry powder smell delicious. Add the stock cube, kaffir lime leaves and a couple of cups of boiling water. Add the cauliflower & carrots and put the lid on to simmer for a few minutes. 

By now the timer should have gone on your rice! DO NOT remove the lid!! When the timer goes, simply turn off the heat and set your timer for 10 minutes. 

Add the coconut milk to the pot, and your fish fillets and gently stir to submerge them with the vegetables. Partially cover the pot and bring the heat up almost to a gentle simmer but don't let it boil, keep an eye on it, and gently turn the fish through the curry so it cooks evenly. It will only take a few minutes so don't over cook it.

Set the table with forks and spoons, there should be lots of delicious coconut flavoured soup with the curry and put down a couple of placemats so you can take the the two hot pots straight to the table. Add the corriander leaves to the curry at the last minute, don't stir them through but leave them in a beautiful green pile. You could add some sliced red chili too if you don't have kids and it would look even prettier! Fluff up the rice a bit before serving it and enjoy. 

Lunch-Box Cookies

These cookies are fast - you can make a batch first thing on a good day and eat a few straight from the oven on the way to school. They have no nuts and are relatively low in sugar. Tim said they are really sweet so I might even drop the brown sugar down to 1/4 cup next time I make them to see what happens! Feel free to omit the choc chips and replace with nuts if you want a healthier cookie too. The ginger flavour is quite prominent which I like, but can be reduced to 1/4tsp if you prefer.

3/4 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp sea salt

100g butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup alternative natural sweetener such as Xylitol

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

1Tbs tahini

1 cup rolled oats &/or rolled barley

1/4 cup choc chips

1/4 cup chopped raisins

Preheat oven to 190•C and line 2 baking trays.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt.

Cream the butter, sugar and sugar substitute with an electric mixer, then add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Add the sifted ingredients and stir until combined then mix in the oats, raisins and choc chips.

Roll spoonfuls of mixture and drop onto prepared baking trays and lightly flatten with a fork, the tahini will make them slightly sticky. Bake for 8-9 minutes and cool on wire racks.

Fresh Fettucini with Pesto

If you are feeling energetic you can make the pasta from scratch, its a fun activity to do with your family but you do need a pasta machine. Its worth making extra so you can dry some to have another day.

Same goes with the pesto - if you have a lot of rocket and basil in the garden make a big batch. It keeps well in the fridge as long as you put gladwrap touching the surface - the top will discolour but its perfectly okay. Adding your fresh pesto will liven up any soup, couscous, pasta, frittata, sandwich or veggie burger.

Basic Pasta Dough

Combine 400g flour with 2 tsp salt in a food processor. With the motor running add 4 eggs and process until the dough clings together and feels springy. If necessary you can add a little olive oil too.

Knead the dough for a few minutes on a clean, dry workbench. Then wrap in gladwrap to rest (preferably) for an hour. Put through the pasta machine on the widest setting and run it through about 3-4 times making the setting thinner and finally changing to the spaghetti or fettucini setting. Flour the pasta and hang it over a broom stick to dry.

Fresh Pesto Recipe

1 bunch basil

1 bunch rocket

2 cloves garlic, crushed

30g parmesan

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

pepper

Rinse the basil and rocket and dry well in a tea towel. Remove all tough stalks and stems. Place the leaves in a food processor along with the pine nuts, parmesan and pepper, then process adding the oil in a thin stream. Scrape down the sides of the processor with a spatula and stir then process briefly again.

Fresh Pasta Dinner

Toast some slivered almonds. Fry thinly sliced mushrooms and zucchini in olive oil with some crushed garlic in a large fry pan. Cook your fresh pasta in boiling salted water - it will only take a few minutes, taste to check when its cooked. Add a few big spoons of pesto to your pan and a big lug of olive oil. Drain the pasta and add to the fry pan then carefully distribute the pesto through the pasta using tongs. Garnish your fresh pasta dish with the almonds, fresh basil leaves, parmesan, cracked pepper and sea salt.

Choc-Chip Biscuits

Tom had a little friend over the other day and the two of them had great fun taking turns measuring, mixing and cracking the egg, then taking little spoonfuls of dough and rolling it. They made small balls and a couple of big balls and a few sausage shaped experiments which all worked really well as the big biscuits stayed deliciously chewy inside while the smaller ones were crisp! 

When they were cooked we took them down to the garden on a tray with some milk and cups and a few nice apples for a lovely Autumn picnic. 

1 egg, beaten

75g melted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup dark choc chip melts (These are better than the ones that hold their shape in my opinion!)

whole pecans to decorate

Preheat your oven to 180•c

In a big bowl mix together the sugar, beaten egg and melted butter. Then sift in the flour and baking powder and mix together with the choc chips. Then take small spoonfuls of mixture and, roll into balls and place well spaced on baking paper lined trays. 

Pop them in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes. You can start the first batch while the second tray is still being rolled then swap the position of the trays in the oven if it needs browning up a bit more by putting it up higher for the last few minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool, and when completely cooled store them in an airtight container. 

Katrina's Weet-Bix Slice

This is a terrific recipe that got shared in the playgroup kitchen by Katrina, one of the Mums who was sick of us repeatedly asking her for the recipe every time she made it. Not only does it use up all the broken bits at the bottom of the WeetBix packet, but its fun to make with little kids as its all about measuring and mixing.

And this is a little poem I learnt at my first cooking class when I was about six years old which I now share with my children:

First the oven,

Then the tin,

Wash your hands

And then begin!

1.5 cups crushed Weet-Bix

1 cup SR flour

1 cup sultanas

1 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup raw or brown sugar*

1 cup milk, or soymilk

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 180•C. Mix all ingredients. Spread into a greased square cake tin and bake 30-45 mins, depending on thickness.

*The last time I made this I dropped it down to 1/2 cup of sugar but it really wasn't sweet enough. I waited til it was cool though and drizzled some lemon icing over it and it made a very nice change.

Leandra's Gingerbread

Christmas to me is about homemade gifts, a tradition I'm sharing with my children. This year my good friend Leandra, who is a fabulous cook, shared her wonderful gingerbread recipe with me. Tom and I wrapped our gingerbread reindeer and men in cellophane tied with red ribbon for Tim's family who were coming to stay and even a week later they were still a delicious present!

125g unsalted butter at room temperature

0.5 cup brown sugar

0.5 cup golden syrup

1 egg yolk

2.5 cups plain flour

1 Tbs ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp bicarb soda

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Then add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat well. Sift in the flour, bicarb and spices and mix. Then knead on a floured surface until smooth, wrap in gladwrap and rest in the fridge for 30mins. Preheat your oven to 180•C. 

Roll out the mixture between two sheets of baking paper and use biscuit cutters to stamp out shapes and decorate with currants. (The mixture softens really quickly so you may find you need to pop it in the freezer for a few minutes to harden it again.) Bake for 10-12 mins and cool completely on wire racks.