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!

Minestrone Soup

Yummy, budget friendly, good for you and the kids love it not to mention its one pot cooking so less washup!

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 karge onion finely chopped
2 stalks of celery finely chopped
2 medium carrots finely chopped
1 zucchini finely chopped
1 small tub tomato paste (salt reduced)
2x 420g cans of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons vegeta stock powder
enough water to cover vegies
dried italian herbs to taste
1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
1 220g can baked beans
1 cup uncooked macaroni pasta

Method:
Put the first 4 ingredients into a large soup pot and add enough water to cover the vegies. Add the vegeta stock anddried herbs then simmer on a medium heat until vegies are softened approx 15-20 mins. Scoop the sum off the surface of the soup and discard. Add canned tomatoes and and macaroni pasta, continue cooking for 10 minutes then add the zucchini. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until pasta and zucchini is soft. Add the tomato paste and baked beans mix well then add the fresh parsley.
Serve with warm crusty bread and a bit of butter.
Enjoy!

Super Yummy Noodle Stirfry!

This stirfry is soooo tasty and sure to please the fussiest of tastebuds....I have included substitutions to turn it into a vegetarian option as everyone needs to taste the flavours of this dish!

Ingredients

1 x 440g pkt flat rice noodles
1/3 cup chicken stock (for vegetarian option use Vegeta mixed with water for stock)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
1 tbs peanut oil
500g chicken stirfry strips (for vegetarian option use tofu)
1 bunch broccolini, coarsely chopped
1 small red capsicum, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled, halved crossways, cut into matchsticks
1 can baby corn spears thinly sliced
2 large shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced

Method 

Prepare the noodles following packet directions. Combine the stock, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger and Chinese five spice in a small bowl.Heat a wok over high heat. Add half the oil and heat until smoking. Swirl to coat. Add the mince and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the mince changes colour. Transfer to a plate. Heat the remaining oil in the wok. Add the broccolini, capsicum and carrot. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the broccolini is bright green and tender crisp. Add the stock mixture, mince, noodles and shallot to the wok. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the noodles are soft and heated through. Divide among serving bowls to serve.Enjoy

 

Pumpkin Soup!

Who can resist a nice big bowl of pumpkin soup with a side of garlic bread?

Ingredients:
1/2 butternut pumpkin cubed (skin removed)
1/2 brown onion diced
1 carrot diced
1 potato diced
2 cups vegetable stock Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of cream
Pinch of parsley

Method:
In a large pot place all ingredients except cream and parsley. Cook on medium heat until all vegetables are tender. Cool then blend with a stick blender until smooth. Reheat until hot then serve into bowls, add a little cream to the centre of each bowl and garnish with parsley.
Enjoy!

Picture to come soon!

Easy Peasy But Oh So Yummy Cous Cous

This cous cous is very yummy and easy! Its the perfect with just about any meal and is great and cheap for a take along dish to a party can be severed cold, room temp or warm!

Ingredients:
1 cup dry cous cous
1 small or half a normal brown onion finely diced
2 sticks of celery finely diced
1 tomato diced
1 tsp vegeta stock powder
1 tsp chopped parsley
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup tasty cheese

Method:

Saute onion, celery and minced garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent and celery is softened. Remove from heat and put into a large bowl (keep the oil and put it in too as it will stop the cous cous from being too dry), add remaining ingredients except cheese and mix. Add boiling water according to cous cous instructions on packet (usually same amount as the cous cous) and give it a quick stir then cover with clink wrap and set aside for 5 mins for the water to be absorbed then fluff up the cous cous mixture with a fork until fluffy then put into your serving dish or alongside your meal and sprinkle with the cheese.
To pretty up the dish when taking to parties slice a couple of cherry tomatoes into a cross shape without going all the way through and open up alternate with bunches of basil or parley (see pic)
Enjoy!

Vegetable Quiche!

Who can resist a yummy Quiche with a side of garden salad for lunch or a light dinner?

Ingredients:
1 sheet of puff pastry
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
1 Tbsp vegeta seasoning powder
2 cups of your fave vegies chopped into similar sized pieces (I use carrot (parboiled or canned), canned tiny taters, capsicum, corn kernels, zucchini)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
thin slices of tomato for decoration (optional)
1/4 cup extra tasty cheese
1 tsp  extra chopped parsley

Method:
Preheat fan forced oven to 180 degrees celcius. Spray a quiche dish with oil and line it with your puff pastry. Cut excess around the top of the dish off and blind bake in oven at approx 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes. While blind baking the pastry mix the vegeta, 1/2 cup cheese and  1 Tbsp parsley  into your chopped vegies then crack the eggs into a measuring jug and whisk the milk in until thoroughly mixed. Remove quiche dish from oven and pop your chopped vegie mix into the dish evenly and pour over egg mix until just covers the vegie mix. Top with the sliced tomato, extra parsley and cheese then bake in the oven at 180 degrees for approx 30-40 mins or until centre of the quiche is set and raised.
Slice and serve with a garden salad and your favourite dressing...enjoy!!