Immunity tea...

Need a brew to boost the immune system? We all find ourselves run down at this time of year and we just can't afford to get sick, right?

Never fear, lemon, ginger and green antioxidants are here!

Green tea on it's own is full of helpful antioxidants that boost your immune system, so when paired with lemon and ginger extracts  it's perfectly potent in cold and flu fighting vitamins!

I tsp of green tea leaves

A few thin slices of fresh ginger

1 fresh lemon rind

Pop the ingredients into a tea infuser and cover with  up to 3 cups of boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes and enjoy!

 Did you know lemon rind is much more concentrated in vitamins than lemon juice? So don't waste it! Although, if you're not using organic lemons there's a good chance pesticides and other nasty chemical residues still reside on the skins. Rub a little bicarbonate soda over your lemons and rinse thoroughly in warm water to rid them of these toxic nasties!

luscious left overs...

I found this poor little lonely left over chocolate cake in my fridge, the result of having excess cake mixture and not wanting to waste it earlier in the week.

As you can see I don't have very much in my fridge at the moment (understatement of the century), which I'm sure every new home renter/recently moved couple/living out of home first timers experience… so you have to make the most of what you do have!

As I stared at this feeble little feller I couldn't help but notice he was a little dry and in need of a serious pep up, so I enlisted my most recently favoured friend of the chocolate misters kind to help. The raspberry!

After heating 1/2 a cup of frozen raspberries, a teaspoon of white sugar and 1/4 cup of water on high for 2 mins in the microwave, I strained half of the pulp mixture over the cake to moisten it. I then placed the cake in the microwave for 1 min before pouring the remaining pulp mixture over the top.

And there you have a deliciously moist, fluffy, sweet little raspberry and chocolate pudding for 2… or 1 if you can hide it better than I could :)

Custard Tarts with Raspberries...

 

I love gooey custard, so much more so when it's paired with crispy pastry and tart berries!

To make:

I started by making a custard on the stove, simmering 2 cups of milk with vanilla extract before adding 2 creamed egg yolks with 1/2 cup of white sugar in a saucepan for 10 mins.

Note: Do not let the mixture boil as it may curdle and continue to stir at intervals to ensure it does not burn.

I let the custard stand while I prepared the casing.

I simply layered 3 large sheets of filo pastry, brushing each with a little melted butter as I went, then folded the entire thing in half to create 6 layers. I pleated the pastry into lined pie moulds and blind baked it in a 180oC oven for 10 mins.

I then poured the custard into the pastry moulds and baked for a further 15 mins in the same oven. After this, I left the tarts to chill in the fridge for a while until the top set and the centre gooey.

It was just a matter of topping the tart with some raspberries to finish and brushing with a simple glaze to make those berries shine like rubies… yum yum!

Coconut porridge with berries and maple syrup...

Porridge… you either like it or you don't!

My dad is the ultimate porridge chef in my eyes, from 6am buttery-nutmeg bowls when I was 5 to honey-licious brain food as I ran out the door to work, he's the master! After so many years of watching and testing I think I've found my favourite concoction to date...

Coconut porridge with berries and maple syrup.

If you're usually a porridge protester, I guarantee this will change your mind.

Serves 2

Before you go to bed at night, place 1 cup of oats, 1/4 cup of shredded coconut and 1 and 1/2 cups of water in a medium sized saucepan to soak overnight.

In the morning add 1/2 a cup of coconut milk (or cream) to the saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling continue to stir the  mixture until it thickens.

Spoon porridge into a serving bowl before topping with berries (frozen or fresh) and drizzling over some maple syrup. The creamy coconut mixed with the tartness of the berries and the sweetness of syrup is a match made in heaven!

Note: Create a smoother texture by using quick oats instead of regular oats. These are also good to use if you haven't had the chance to soak your ingredients overnight.

My dad <3

Pastry Pep-talk...

I'm sure we've all tried (and succeeded) to make a delicious pie. But have you considered making your own pastry?

The ingredients are probably already in your fridge and pantry and all it really takes is a little preparation...

Traditional short crust is still a little difficult for me to handle so I tend to stick with this fool proof recipe and add my own personal touch...

For a savoury crust with a twist, start by rubbing 250g of plain flour, a pinch of salt, 125g of cubed butter and a heaped teaspoon of curry powder with your hands until it resembles bread crumbs. Whisk 1 tablespoon of chilled water with an egg and add it to the flour mixture, folding with a wooden spoon until it starts to clump up. Now use your hands to roll it into a smooth ball before wrapping it in cling wrap and putting it into the fridge for 2 hours.

Once the pastry has chilled, flour a clean and dry work space ready to roll out the dough. You have to work quite quickly because if the dough gets too warm its much harder to handle. For every few rolls of the rolling pin, flip and turn the dough to ensure it spreads in an even fashion and is not sticking to your work surface.

When the pastry is 5mm or less its ready to bake!

I like to use this recipe to top a pot pie, try it with a chicken, leek and mushroom recipe! Just don't forget to pierce the top to ensure the steam from the filling escapes and doesn't steam your pastry.

You can brush some melted butter on top for added colour and bake it in a nice hot oven for 20-25 minutes, until it is golden brown!

ps: wearing black was not the greatest idea...

Wonderful Whistler...

I recently made the move to the magical town of Whistler in BC, Canada, with my  snow-crazed fiancé, living in a quaint little apartment at the bottom of Blackcomb mountain. While this is exciting to say the least, I'm most excited to continue the challenge of creative blogging with minimal appliances and a whole lot of improvisation!

Semi-Salsa Verde...

Salsa Verde sounds super impressive, but really all you need are your ingredients and a food processor!

I hand picked from my brothers organic vege patch a whole heap of flat leaf parsley, chives and 2 sprigs of mint. This is only a smidge of the ingredients usually used hence why it is only a Semi-Salsa Verde. You could also add basil, garlic, anchovies, lemon etc, but as a light accompaniment to my warm chicken, orange and spinach salad this worked a treat!

I just had to combine the herbs with some olive oil in a food processor and blitzed it for less than a minute before adding some salt and pepper to taste. Wallah, instant salad sensation!

I used it again tonight with some spinach, cucumber, feta and pine nuts,

mm mmmm!