{Homemade Rosemary and Olive Focaccia}

I have been following the beautiful photos on Instagram that have been popping up under Gourmet Girlfriend's hash tag #ggbreadrevolution. She has written so beautifully about the love of fresh bread, a warm crusty loaf that comes out of the oven, preservative, additive and number free. 

{Soup Day Monday : French Onion}

Well, this has been the third "soup day Monday" and I have to say I am loving the challenge to think of cheap, healthy ideas. There are tonnes of ideas that I am sure could take me right through to Spring. 

{source}

This week I was inspired my Karen Martini om Better Homes and Gardens last friday night. 

The ingredients are so simple. And it was delicious. 

{Carrot Cake}

I was craving carrot cake the other day and I have to say this was such a delicious recipe. I have doubled the spices here as I was after a 'spiced cake' type taste. I often like more ginger than recipes call for too.



Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil (or other tasteless oil i.e. not olive oil)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon ground
1 tsp ground ginger
2 1/2 cups grated carrot (I just grated 3 carrots)
1/2 chopped pecans (walnuts would also work - can be omitted for allergy purposes)
1/2 cup sultanas (I omitted these by choice)

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180'C
2. Place sugar and oil in bowl of an electric mixer for a few minutes.
3. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.
4. Sift the flours, powders and spices over the sugar mixture. Add the carrots and nuts and stir until just combined.
5. Pour your mixture into a greased cake tin. I used a silicon loaf 'tin'.
6. Bake for about 50 mins or until cooked when using the 'skewer test'.
7. Serve warm or cool completely before adding cream cheese icing.


I left the cake covered overnight and I had some for morning tea the next day. This was so moist, full of taste. It didn't need the cream cheese icing, it was delicious as a spiced loaf on its own.
SO good, just like my grandma used to make!

Lauren x

{Bread Roll Meal 3 ways : Cheap, Easy and Healthy}

Here is a concept that you can adapt to yoyur taste or what ingredients you have to work with. The best thing is, taht you can personalise each serving to their own liking so you can omit onions from "billy's" and make vegetarian ones for "lilly".
I have tried this many times in the last few months and it all starts with the same base.

1. Cut a 'lid' off the bread roll. Hollow out the soft insides, being careful not to make a hole in the base or sides.

* I like using wholemeal rolls to make it healthier.
** This is a great way to use up day old rolls as you are toasting them anyway.
*** Use the bread from the inside and blitz up to make bread crumbs. Freeze them to keep them fresh.


Baked Beans and Egg Breakky Rolls:
1. Place a spoonful of baked beans in the bottom of each bread roll. Use homemade beans for a nice touch.
2. Crack an egg on top.
3. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top and some salt and pepper.
4. Bake in oven for about 20 mins at 180'C or until egg is set.


Scrambled Egg Rolls
1. Lay a slice of ham/ turkey in the bottom of the bread roll. (optional for vegetarians)
2. Crack an egg into a cup and whisk. Add some chopped capsicum, tomato, onion or whatever else you have/ want.
3. Sprinkle some cheese and salt/ pepper on top.
4. Bake in the oven for 20 mins at 180'C or until the egg sets.


Garlic Bread Rolls with Roasted Pumpkin Soup
1. Make up some garlic butter mixture and spread inside the bread roll. Sprinkle parsley on top and bake until golden.
2. Roast a tray of chopped pumkin, garlic, onions.
3. Whilst in the oven, sautee celery, leek and carrot in a pot.
4. Add the pumkin mixture into the pot with sauteed veggies and blitz up with some stock with a stick blender until thick and creamy.
5. Spoon some soup into the garlic bread rolls and 'plop' (technical term I know) some sour cream, pepper and parmesan on top.


I hope you enjoy these ideas, as they have become quite a good fall back on a busy day in this house.
Lauren X

{A not so naughty sweet treat]

Earlier this week we had some very ordinary weather in Sydney and one afternoon at about 2:30 I felt like snuggling up out of the rain and having a cup of tea with something sweet, but not indulgent sweet. Something rustic looking, country style with ingredients I already have in the pantry. Insert Apple Tea Cake here :)

Ingredients:
120g butter, chopped and softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (2/3 if you like it sweeter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
3/4 cup milk
3 small royal gala apples (any other kind will do)

2 tbls Demerara sugar (white sugar is suitable) or 3 tbls melted apricot jam.

**Optional: Ice cream or cream to serve**

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180' C, grease and/ or line pan.
2. Place butter, sugar, vanilla in electric mixer for about 3 mins or until creamy. if you dont have one, wait till butter is very soft (or zap in microwave until very soft) and mix by hand with wooden spoon.
3. Add eggs one at a time.
4. Sift flours over the butter mixture and add milk. fold these through together until just combined.
5. Pour into pan and spread out flat.
6. Peel and cut up two apples (use more if you want to) into fine slices and arrange on top of the batter mixture.
7. Sprinkle demerara sugar on top of apples (can substitute white sugar or melted aproicot jam as a glaze).

Bake for about 35 mins or untill skewer comes out clean. YUM!




Apple-lutley Delicious!

Lauren
X

Homemade Hommus

Our house eats very healthy (even the kids!) and one thing everyone here loves is hummus. Whether its spread on a wrap with freshly made falafel and tabouli, used instead of butter or margarine on a salad sandwich or just dipped with veggie sticks, it's always a winner!!!
So here is my recipe for it, I've never bought it from the store since and always make a double batch!

Ingredients:

2 tins chickpeas, drained.

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini (unhulled is the best)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste about 1/2 a can worth of water (sometimes I need more/ less depending on the batch of chickpeas)

2 tablespoons olive oil

**If you want a kick, add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, yum!

Method:
1. Put all ingredients and blend in food processor. Done! Hard huh ;)
2. I always taste test first because sometimes the chick peas are saltier than others or the lemon may not have as stronger taste. Just add more of the seasonings (i.e. lemon, salt and pepper or garlic) to refine recipe to how you want t to taste.


Chick peas are a helpful source of folate, zinc and protein. They are also very high in dietry fibre and a healthy source of carbohydrates. They are low in fat and the fat the do have is polyunsaturated anyway. These are always in stock in our house and I hope you try this one at your place. I will also post the falafel recipe soon too - one of our favourite meals. Delish!

Enjoy;
Lauren x

{12 Days of Christmas ::: Day 1} Almond& Rosewater Shortbread and a Guava Mocktail

Well, I have had a hectic few weeks in my little world. Not much crafting or cooking or anything like that as I have finally settled into our new house. I love the kitchen and it is such a feature, will have to share a pic soon.

But now that I have found my power cord to my lap top, I am now free to start sharing some festive inspiration as we all approach my favourite time of year - the very busy season of Christmas.
We have 12 days till Christmas so, here is DAY ONE. I thought I would share 2 yummy festive treats for my first post back after the move. The first of these treats is what I Christened my new oven and my new Kitchen Aid with and it is simple and delicious ;)
Almond and Rosewater Shortbread I loved this (and so did my girlfriends I had over for a craft night recently). I also had all ingredients except for the rice flour on hand in the pantry, so adding that to my shopping list for $1.30 meant this was very economical. I doubled the batch it was so delcious. This would also make a wonderful gift for school teachers, just bag or box up nicley and done!



Oil spray to grease tray or baking paper
180g soft butter
125g (3/4 cup) icing sugar mixture, sifted
1 x 100g pkt almond meal
115g (3/4 cup) plain flour
45g (1/4 cup) white rice flour
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tbs rosewater essence
About 3/4 cup icing sugar mixture, extra, to dust (i didn't need that much, but use how much you like here).

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
   

2. Spay 2 baking trays with oil to lightly grease or lay with baking paper.
   

3. Use an electric beater to beat together the butter and icing sugar mixture in a bowl until pale and creamy.
   

4. Add the almond meal and sift over the flours and ground cloves. Stir until well combined.

5. Use your hands to roll heaped tablespoonsful of mixture into 8cm long logs. Roll them into a ball first and then roll the logs so the ends are nice and rounded. Shape into crescents and place on prepared trays. THe mixture does spread so make sure to leave a few cm between them. I did try a few different designs (hearts, logs and crescents) but the mixture doesn't hold shape very well do do hearts, but the logs and crescents worked well.
   

6. Bake in preheated oven, for 20 minutes or until cooked through and light golden. Remove from oven.

7. Lightly brush shortbreads with rosewater essence and set aside on trays for 30 minutes to cool and firm.

8. Dust shortbreads with extra icing sugar.
   

9. Set aside for a further 30 minutes or until completely cool.

Guava, passionfruit and lime mocktail
I love this drink, as you can have all ingredients on hand and they last for a while in pantry which means you can shop ahead of time for this one too. It's a delcious and festive drink that adds something special.For an extra nice touch, pre-chill champagne or martini glasses in the fridge and serve in them as your guests arrive :)

Fresh limes cut into small wedges
1 tin of passionfruit (or fresh if in season)
1 bottle of Guava nectar
1 bottle of soda water
Ice
Strawberries and mint leaves to serve (if desired)

1. Put ice cubes into glass
2. Squeeze lime wedge into glass and put the whole wedge into the glass
3. Put a teaspoon of passionfuit pulp in glass
4. Pour Guava nectar into glass till about 1/3 full
5. Top up with soda water
6. Push a fresh strawberry onto side of glass to garnish if desired. 7. If you want a minty touch to it, just rip a mint leave in half (to realease aroma) and place in glass.

Enjoy;
Lauren x