Chocolate Swirl Loaf

MMMMmmmmm yum!!! Nice soft fluffy bread with a swirl of oozing chocolate, one of my fave food memories as a child...Delicious toasted with a scraping of butter *drool*

Ingredients
3.25 cups all-purpose flour
1.25 tsp salt
1 packet (2.25 tsp) instant or bread machine yeast
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 - 1.5 cups water
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method:
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, salt, yeast, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir until there are no clumps. Add 1 cup of water. Stir and add more water, a few tablespoons at a time, just until the dough forms one ball with no dry pieces on the bottom of the bowl. It is okay if the dough is wet and sticky. Cover the bowl loosely and let it rest for two hours at room temperature (or alternatively if you have a bread machine you can do this part on the dough only setting). After two hours, sprinkle some flour on the expanded dough and on a clean work surface. Flour your hands and transfer the dough to the work surface. Give the dough just a few quick "kneads" just to make sure it is evenly mixed (honestly only 3 or for turns/folds). Shape the dough into a long rectangle with the short end the same length as your bread pan. Roughly chop the chocolate chips into small pieces. Sprinkle them over the surface of the bread dough. Working from the short end, stretch and roll the dough up with the chopped chocolate inside. Stretch the dough as you roll and roll tightly so that there as much "swirl" as possible. Place the rolled up dough, seam side down, in a bread pan coated with non-stick spray. Cover loosely and let rise until double in size (about one hour). Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celcius, place the risen loaf inside, and bake until deep golden brown on top (about 30-35 minutes). Remove the baked loaf from the pan and let cool on a wire rack before cutting open.
 Enjoy!

Crunchy Vietnamese Chicken Salad

So full of flavour, super crunchy, healthy and delicious...what more could you want?

Ingredients:
4 single chicken breast fillets
1/2 (about 730g) wombok (Chinese cabbage), hard core removed, finely shredded
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
1 bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked
2 small carrots, peeled, cut into matchsticks
2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into matchsticks
1 Red capsicum, cut into matchsticks
4 green shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally
2 cups trimmed bean sprouts
2 fresh red birdseye chillies, deseeded, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs caster sugar
1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Changs original fried noodles

Method Place the chicken in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, turning once, for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Drain and set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Coarsely shred.Combine the wombok, mint, coriander, carrot, cucumber, shallot and bean sprouts in a bowl. Whisk the chilli, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a small jug. Add the chicken to the salad and toss to combine. Drizzle over dressing. Divide among serving bowls and sprinkle with peanuts and noodles to serve.
 Enjoy!

Banana & Honey Muffins

Yummo, great for an after school treat for the kids or pack them in the lunchbox....super yummy for the adults too, dont let the kids have them all!

Ingredients:
2 very ripe bananas (you know the ones that are soft that the kids wont eat cause they have all brown spots on the skin)
1 egg
3 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 thin slices of banana for decorating the top (optional)

Method:
combine banana, egg, oil, honey and water in a large mixing bowl. mix with hand held blender until banana is mushed in but there are still some small chunks in there. Sift remaining ingredients into the banana mixture and mix with blender until just combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a round tablespoon and scoop into muffin patties equally (approx one heaped tablespoon per patty)
Bake in oven on the middle shelf at 180 degrees for approx 15-20 mins or until golden and muffin springs back when touched in the centre.
 Enjoy!