Apricot Chicken

For Derek.

I large tin Apicot nectar
Ipac Wollworths homebrand French Onion Soup.
5 small carrots peeled
1/2 bunch celery
2 onions
1 kilo Chicken thighs
4 medium potatoes peeled
salt and pepper

Large baking dish and a hot oven

Cut the vegetables up to large finger size,
cut the chicken thighs into about 3 peices per thigh,
mix together in baking tray,

sprinkle french onion soup mix over everything, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper
pour slowly the Apricot nectar over everything.

cook in over 1 hour covered and half hour uncovered until juices are nice than thick gravy looking,
enjoy .

Sweet Red Capsicum and Tomato Relish

Ingredients

2 kilos ripe Red Capsicums , 

2 kilos ripe red Tomatoes,

1/2 kilo chopped onions - I used the frozen ones and give then a further chop in the blender

2 cups brown vinegar 

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt

Sprinkle of pepper and a sprinkle of chilli flakes

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 heaped tablespoon plain flour 

5 clean large jars with lids

I've been making relish for years now just the basic one but I wanted something a little bit special something with a bit of tang and taste, so I created this recipe.

This is a recipe you make slowly when you have some free time on your hands and not in a rush.

1). Chop the tomatoes , capsicum and onions up finely and put in a big pot add the salt and mix well, then put the lid on and leave for two hours to marinate.

2) after the  two hours - in a medium saucepan bring the vinegar and 2cups of sugars to a gentle boil for 5 minutes.

3) mix into the tomato mixture and slowly bring all this to the boil stirring often so the mixture doesn't burn. 

 

4) boil on high for 5 minutes stirring then turn down heat to a simmer and slowly cook for 3/4 hour stirring often so doesn't stick to base of pan.

5) by now your mixture should be a nice dark red relish colour and almost ready to put in clean hard you have ready. If your mixture looks very watery I sometimes strain 1 or 2cups of liquid off, I think it depends on what kind of tomatoes you use also.

6) add the flour and mustard together by making a smooth paste with cold water at first then a bit of the tomato juice mixture and stir into your relish,this will help to thicken it nicely

 turn up heat and cook on high for 5 minutes stirring constantly , take off heat let cool slightly and spoon into nice clean jars, seal and put in cupboard , when a jar is open keep it in the fridge it lasts for ages.

Enjoy :) 

Donna Hay style Bacon and Egg Pies

Nothing yummier than a nice warm Bacon and Egg pie from Breakfast on the weekend and then again cold later in the same day or day after,

My friend Jen and I made Donna Hay Bacon and Egg Pies a while back they were delish as expected , so since then I have done a little research and come up with my own version that works a treat to suit me well. 

You will need.
A nice warm over 160 to 180
1 12 pan muffin tray

About 4 sheets puff pastry ( I use the reduced fat ones )
500g Middle bacon
6 big or 8 small eggs
1 small container cottage cheese (I use chive and onion)
1/2 small container philly cheese
small handfull your favorite grated cheese
small pinch or salt and large pinch of pepper
cooking spray

Preheat the over,  spray the muffin tray, 
Mix together the eggs, salt & pepper, all three cheese's 
I use my mixing bowl on medium to blend everything well
Dice the bacon up into small 1cm strips and add to egg mix.
Using either a scone cutter or a glass about the same size as the muffin lid
Cut out 24 round pastry bases
using the first 12 place in muffin trays and add a large tablespoon scoop of egg bacon mix
Put in over when all filled and cook until golden brown checking regularly as to not burn.

Mandy's Apple Cake

Mandy's Apple Cake

Many was a lady I worked with in Tasmania, she made me a yummy Apple cake  and then ever so kindly gave me this recipe as I liked it so much,

 I made this last night and it is very yummy, I had a bowl of  Cherry's left over from Christmas that needed to be used , so I cored them and cut up cooked with a splash of lemonade and when simmered down to sticky cherry's mixed in with my tin of Apples

          Base & Crumble                   

•   125g melted butter                                         
•   ½ cup sugar
•   1 teaspoon Vanilla
•   1 ½ cups S.R Flour
•   1 beaten egg

            Fruit Filling

• 1 tin Pie apples or 6 just stewed apples in quarters
• Optional - a sprinkling or fresh raspberries or blackberries on top of the apples.
• Or Cherrys :)

            Method

• Press ¾ into a round tin
• Add the fruit
• Mix ½ cup S.R Flour with remaining mixture and crumble on top
• Bake in a Moderate oven 35 – 40 minutes
•  Best made the day before and left covered when cool in the fridge, makes it nice and moist.
• Serve with cream or custard

White Christmas Truffles

It's that Time of year again, where all Truffles must be hidden or they will be eaten before Christmas day even gets here :)

White Christmas Slice and Truffles

You need:

 2 cups ricebubbles.         

 2/3cup coconut.

1 1/2 cupskim milk powder.              

200g white chocolate, melted.

200g glacecherries, chopped. 

2 cup mixed fruit

400g tubdiet vanilla yoghurt

Method:

Line a 20 x30cm tin with foil.

Combine ricebubbles, coconut, milk powder, dried fruit and cherries, mix well.

Stir inmelted chocolate and yoghurt, mixing well.

Press intotin and freeze until set. ** Cut into fingers and store in an air rightcontainer in the fridge.

** if youare making Truffles like I do  take outof freezer after ¾ hour roll into teaspoon size balls and place in air tightcontainer when finished I return to freezer for 2 hours.

This is agreat recipe for kids to make as its fun and a bit messy.

Apricot an Orange Truffles

YUMMM 

1/2 cup Coconut

10 Apricot halves well chopped up

1 tin light condensed Milk

1 packet white Tim Tams (Crushed)

1 packet Orange cream biscuits (Crushed)

Coconut to roll finished truffles in.

Mix in a large bowl, set in fridge for about 3/4 hour , roll into large teaspoon balls, roll in coconut to set , leave in fridge until Christmas day if you can !

Thai Fish Cakes

Thai Fish Cakes

Mild

1 tsp. Canola spread,

1 tsp. crushed garlic

1 tsp. minced ginger

½ tsp. chilli (more if you like hot)

I cooked potato cold, diced extra small

1/3 diced capsicum

1 egg

50g grated cheese

450g firm white fish (mince the fish)

I used Nile Perch from Woolworths as it’s only about $6.50 for a nice big piece of fish, but I am sure even tinned salmon or tuna would work for this recipe well too.

These are really easy to make I made them in the morning and put in the fridge till lunch time to make sure the flavours had blended well, They are also great cold with salad as I had them the next day for tea.

So it’s just like making hamburgers make sure everything is cut up small, I used a processor for the fish and then mixed all the ingredients in by hand, it’s a bit gooey but fun too.

 

I used an ice cream scoop to make the cake size balls flattened in my hand and then put on a plate in the fridge when ready, if you keep your hands nice and cold wash under the tap between each fish cake your hands don’t stick much

Spray your frypan with cooking oil and cook on a medium to hot heat turn when nice and brown , eat hot or cold yummo.