Vanilla (and Chocolate) Kisses

A simple, gorgeous little treat that's sure to impress!  You can spice these up with some flavour variations - my suggestions are at the bottom of the recipe.  But most importantly - what did Liam & Robbie think?  Listen to their controversial verdict in the Family Show Taste Test below!

Ingredients
125g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1egg
1/3 cup plain flour
1/4 cup self-raising flour
2/3 cup corn flour
1/4 cup custard powder

Vienna cream
60g butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup icing sugar
2 teaspoons milk

Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (180 fan-forced). Line oven trays with baking paper.

Beat butter, sugar and egg in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted dry ingredients, in two batches.

Spoon mixture into piping bag fitted with 1cm-fluted tube. Pipe 3cm rosettes on trays, about 3cm apart.

Bake biscuits about 10 minutes; cool on trays.

Make Vienna cream: beat butter and extract in small bowl with electric mixer until as white as possible; gradually beat in sifted icing sugar and milk, in two batches.

Sandwich biscuits with Vienna cream (I like to pipe it on).

Variations: mix 2 tablespoons cocoa with 2 tablespoons water and add to mixture at the end. Flavour Vienna cream with essence like strawberry, coconut or peppermint instead of vanilla.


How did Liam & Robbie rate them?  Here's the Family Show Taste Test:

Chai Tea

My dear friend Anita made this Chai for our mum's group a couple of weeks ago and I was so impressed!  She even sent us each home with our own little sample (which didn't last too long in my house!)  It is so easy to make, then you can just keep it on hand in a container in the fridge and spice up your standard cup of tea - perfect!

Ingredients
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
395g can sweetened condensed milk

English breakfast tea bags

Method

Combine honey, spices and milk in a small bowl.  Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Make a cup of tea, discard tea bag and stir in 1 teaspoon of the spiced milk mixture.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Choc Chip Biscuits

Not much to say but these are amazing!  Thanks to Canary Girl for the recipe!

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375ºF (175ºC).  Line a cookie sheet or two with parchment.

Cream butter and sugars until creamy, then add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Add Peanut butter and continue to beat until combined.

Add flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine.  Add chips and stir again.

Drop small spoonfuls of dough onto parchment.  Bake 12 minutes or until just golden.

Remove from oven and allow to rest on the sheet 1 minute before removing with a spatula.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

This recipe came from a book called "A Generous Helping", which is an ABC publication that came out post-floods last year.  I decided to try this one and it was super tasty - sweet and sour really is a winning flavour combo!  I'm never very good at meatballs, they always seem to fall apart on me.  These ones were not too bad, but I did have a few crumble!  Most importantly, kids LOVE meatballs and it's a great way to get lots of veges in.  The rice adds a bit of crunch and texture - although I was a little confused as to whether the rice should have been pre-cooked - can anyone shed some light?  Hubby thought it was just fine raw, so I'm happy to leave it like that!  This serves 4 and comes in at 325 calories per serve.  The original recipe suggests serving with spaghetti, but I didn't find it necessary.

Ingredients
Meatballs
500g lean beef mince
50g brown rice
1 onion, grated
1 carrot, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
olive oil spray

Sauce
400g tin tomato soup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 capsicum, finely chopped

Method
Combine all of the meatball ingredients (except oil) in a bowl and form into small balls.  Heat oil in a large frying pan and saute until browned on all sides - this may need to be done in batches.

For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.  Remove cover and simmer a further 5 minutes.  Add the meatballs to the sauce and heat through before serving.

Mediterranean Chicken with Cous Cous (& the Kidsafe Cook-off!!)

 Today I had the honour and pleasure of cooking in Brisbane's King George Square for the annual Kidsafe Cook-off!  Kidsafe is a wonderful organisation, focussing on preventing unintentional death injury to kids, for which I am an ambassador - yay!

The 96five "Mums in the Kitchen"

Anyway, they hold an annual cook-off to raise awareness and to have some fun!  I was in a team with 3 of my workmates - Anny, Amy and Anna - and we were aptly called 96five Mums in the Kitchen!  The judges were celebrity chefs Dominique Rizzo and Damian Heads - who are also Kidsafe Ambassadors, and all-round great people!

Getting some pointers from Damian Heads

The challenge had two parts - firstly, Damian gave a cooking demonstration of his Mediterranean Chicken (recipe below), then we had 30 minutes to cook it ourselves.  The second part was a mystery box, where we were given several ingredients and had 20 minutes to create two desserts.

Our delightful desserts!

We had such a great time!  Unfortunately our team didn't win, but it really was a blast!  I was so proud of food we made and the team effort - we'll just have to keep practicing for next year!

Dom & Damian judging the mains

So here's Damian's recipe - as best I could remember it!  It was absolutely delicious and would make a perfect weeknight meal that the whole family will love.  Thanks again to everyone involved today!

Ingredients
Olive oil
2 chicken breasts
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 zucchini, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
1 teaspoon chilli paste
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
3/4 cup passata
1/2 cup olives, pitted and sliced
2 teaspoons basil paste
3/4 cup cous cous
15g butter

Method
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.  Place seasoned chicken in pan and cook for approx 10 minutes, until golden brown.  Add onion and turn chicken over.  Cook for another 5 minutes.  Add chilli, garlic, zucchini, capsicum and passata and cook, covered for about another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil 3/4 cup water.  Add a pinch of salt and a splash of oil.  Take off heat, add cous cous, cover and stand for 5 minutes.  Add butter and fluff with a fork until butter is melted and there are no lumps.

Remove chicken from pan.  Add olives and basil to vegetables and toss to combine.  Slice chicken.

Arrange cous cous on plate, followed by chicken and vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil.  Serve.

Roast Vegetables with Creamy Spinach Polenta

This recipe is adapted from the Women's Weekly Best Recipes book. It would have to be one of the most filling low-calorie meals I've had (just 240 calories per serve!) We all really loved this one, kids included - it really ticks all the boxes for me! Oh and try not to get so preoccupied with making pasta necklaces for your kids that you let the milk boil over on the stove and have a huge mess to clean up - sigh...happens to the best of us!

Ingredients ingredients (serves 4)
2 zucchini, diced
300g pumpkin, diced
1 cup sliced mushroom
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Olive oil spray
1 tablespoon Moroccan seasoning
2 cups low-fat milk
2 cups water
1 cup polenta
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
250g frozen spinach, thawed

Method
Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius/200 fan-forced.

Combine zucchini, pumpkin, mushrooms, garlic and seasoning in a large baking dish. Spray with olive oil. Roast for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, combine the milk and water in large saucepan; bring to the boil. Gradually add polenta, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring, about 5 minutes or until polenta thickens.  Stir in cheese and spinach.

Divide between plates; top with roast veges.  Sprinkle with extra Parmesan if you like.

Chicken, leek & pumpkin lasagne

This is a tasty lasagne dish that's light on calories but big on flavour!

Ingredients (serves 4 at 280 calories per serve)
400g pumpkin, cubed
Olive oil spray
250g chicken breast, cubed
2 leeks (white part only), sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
15g whole grain mustard
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
150g low-fat ricotta
2 teaspoons dried oregano
50g finely grated Parmesan
3 fresh lasagne sheets (150g)

Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius/220 fan-forced. Spray pumpkin with olive oil and place in a baking dish. Roast for about 25 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over medium heat and spray with olive oil. Add leek and garlic and sauté until soft. Add chicken and cook until browned. Add mustard and mushroom and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Combine ricotta with oregano.

Layer ingredients in a a lasagne dish - begin with 1 lasagne sheet, top with half the pumpkin and half the chicken mixture. Follow with another lasagne sheet, half the ricotta and half the pumpkin. Finish with remaining ricotta, chicken and then Parmesan.

Bake in moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until browned.

Cupcakes

This Super Food Ideas recipe has been my go-to cupcake recipe for a while now. It makes about 2 dozen, so it goes a long way - it's easy and always delicious!  They are so fun, as pictured, with some coloured buttercream (recipe below) and smarties - these are a win every time :-)

Ingredients
200g unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup milk

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced oven. Line muffin or mini-muffin pans with paper cases.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla and sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition (mixture will separate at this stage). Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in half the flour. Stir in half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk until combined.

For 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pans use 2 level tablespoons of mixture. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Alternatively, for 1 tablespoon-capacity mini muffin pans use 1 tablespoon mixture. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Stand cakes in pans for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Buttercream

125g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
1 tablespoon milk

Method
Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a bowl until pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
Step 2

Gradually add icing sugar mixture and milk, beating constantly until combined.

Creamy low-calorie penne

This meal was just a throw-together weeknight meal that I wasn't going to blog. But then I was so blown away by my mum-genius that I simply had to share!  Are you ready? I think this idea has changed my life! Here goes - the creaminess of the pasta is simply made with a combination of low-fat ricotta and puréed cauliflower! No high-fat cream or white sauce - in fact, we're adding another vegetable into the mix! Told you it was good! You can easily add in any veges you have or any style of pasta - my kids LOVED this & I'm sure yours will too!

Ingredients (serves 5 at 250 calories per serve)
200g penne
Olive oil spray
150g rindless bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushroom
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 1/2 tablespoon dried)
1/2 cauliflower, chopped
100g low-fat ricotta

Method
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add penne and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and return to saucepan.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and spray with olive oil. Add bacon and onion and sauté until browned. Add mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir through basil.

Meanwhile, steam cauliflower until tender. Blitz with a hand-held blender until smooth. Add ricotta and mix well.

Add ricotta mixture and bacon mixture to the penne and stir to combine. Serve.

Savoury Waffles

I was given a waffle maker some time ago and have usually associated it with high-fat, high-sugar toppings like ice-cream & golden syrup (yum!)  So a couple of weeks ago I just randomly thought that there must be savoury waffles out there!  I found this recipe here and it was superb! I added boiled eggs and ham (which weren't really necessary - the waffles were filling enough) and it was a very delicious weekend treat!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup polenta
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions
Preheat a waffle maker on medium-high heat according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, polenta, baking powder, baking soda, black pepper, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter and buttermilk. Stir in the grated cheese. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then add the chives and parsley. Stir until just incorporated. Try not to over-mix the batter.

Cook according to your waffle machine instructions.

Garnish with extra chives and parsley and serve immediately with bacon and fried eggs. Add a dollop of sour cream if you wish.

Jam Drops

As a follow-on to last week's recipes for Strawberry Jam and Banana Jam, I decided to put the jams to use and make some good old-fashioned jam drops!  I found the recipe in Good Taste magazine.  These little delights are quick, easy and delicious and perfect for the kids to help out.  In fact, I had a very helpful 2-year-old "helping" me for these ones, declaring "mummy, I NEED to taste it, I NEEEEED to!"  Well, judging by the spotless bowl at the end, she gave them a big tick of approval!  See what Liam & Robbie thought in the Family Show Taste Test below.

PS Does anyone know why the Banana Jam holds its shape so well, but the Strawberry Jam spreads and goes a bit messy?

Ingredients
125g butter, softened
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
190g (1 1/4 cups) self-raising flour
Plain flour, to dust
115g (1/3 cup) strawberry or raspberry jam

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Use an electric beater to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla essence in a medium bowl until pale and creamy. Add the egg and beat until combined. Sift flour over the butter mixture and stir until combined.

Use lightly floured hands to roll teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls. Place on the prepared trays, about 5cm apart. Use a lightly floured finger to make an indentation in the centre of each ball. Spoon 1/2 tsp of jam into the centre of each biscuit.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, swapping trays halfway through cooking, or until the biscuits are cooked through and light golden. Remove biscuits from the oven. Set aside on trays for 30 minutes to cool completely.

But how did Liam & Robbie rate them?  Check out the Family Show Taste Test!

Lemon Tea Cake

A delightful afternoon tea cake, with just the right balance of sweetness and citrus!  This one didn't last long in my house :-)  Thanks to www.taste.com.au.

Ingredients
Melted butter, to grease
200g (1 1/3 cups) plain flour
150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
285g (1 1/3 cups) caster sugar
150g butter, melted, cooled
3 eggs
100ml milk
1 tbs finely grated lemon rind
125ml (1/2 cup) fresh lemon juice
150g (1 cup) pure icing sugar, sifted
Lemon rind, zested, to decorate

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 22cm (top measurement) bundt pan with melted butter. Sift combined flour into a bowl. Stir in caster sugar. Make a well in the centre. Whisk the butter, eggs, milk, lemon rind and 100ml of lemon juice in a bowl until combined.

Add the lemon mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into cake comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Place cake on a serving platter. Combine the icing sugar and remaining lemon juice in a small bowl. Spoon icing over the cake and decorate with lemon rind. Set aside to set.

Grilled Herb & Parmesan Polenta

I recently picked up some polenta on special, then had a bit of a search around to decide what to do with it. I tried this recipe from Good Taste Magazine and loved it! It's so delicious with that added cheese and the fresh herbs really set it off. I cut it into batons for the kids and they loved their "chips". It's only 100 calories per serve, so as you can see, it's a perfect low-calorie addition to some skinless sausages and salad.

Ingredients
Olive oil spray, to grease
1L (4 cups) salt-reduced vegetable stock
170g (1 cup) instant polenta
25g unsalted butter, chopped
25g (1/3 cup) finely grated parmesan
1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbs chopped fresh oregano
Olive oil, to grease

Method
Spray a 22 x 32cm (base measurement) Swiss roll pan with oil. Line the base and 2 long sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing sides to overhang.

Place the stock in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Gradually add the polenta in a thin, steady stream, whisking with a balloon whisk, until well combined. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in the butter, parmesan, rosemary and oregano. Season with salt. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth the surface. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Cover. Place in the fridge for 2 hours to set.

Preheat a chargrill on high. Cut polenta into 12 pieces. Brush both sides with oil. Cook half the polenta for 2 minutes each side or until crisp and golden. Transfer to a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining polenta.

Chicken Tortillas

This is another CSIRO recipe, which comes in at a delicious 305 calories per serve. I just love the fresh flavours of lime and coriander - plus the kids always think tortillas are fun! Another Mexican favorite :-)

Ingredients (serves 4)
1/3 cup low-fat sour cream (I actually just used low-fat grated cheese)
4 large whole meal tortillas
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 tomatoes, diced
400g cooked chicken breast, finely sliced

Corn salsa
2 corn cobs
Olive oil spray
1/3 cup chopped coriander
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
Juice of 1 lime

Method
To make corn salsa, preheat barbecue or grill pan to high. Spray with olive oil, then grill, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned all over. Remove & allow to cool. Cut kernels from cobs and put in a small bowl. Add coriander, mint, onion and lime juice and toss to combine.

Put all ingredients onto tortillas, roll up and serve.

Banana Jam

 My second jam experience (after the very successful Strawberry, Lime & Vanilla), was to try out a Banana Jam.  I was introduced to this on the weekend by a friend who'd made some and I was very pleasantly surprised!  I'd never had it before, but it really is delicious spread on a fresh pikelet or crumpet.  It would be super tasty with pancakes and ice-cream, or peanut butter (yum!)  The options are endless with Banana Jam!  I love this recipe (found here) because it's so easy to make according to how many bananas you have (I doubled this one and it made an average-sized jar) and the brown sugar in it gives it that extra richness and deliciousness.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 banana, the riper the better
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons butter (see note)
Coarse sea salt, To taste

Method
In a small pot combine banana, brown sugar, lime juice and butter. Whisk over medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved and the the banana has softened. 

Adjust the heat as necessary to prevent burning. Using the whisk thoroughly smoosh the banana. Once the mixture is smooth-ish, you are simply thickening without burning. The mixture will bubble 3-4 minutes over medium heat and it should be about ready at this stage.

Refrigerate and use within two weeks.

Strawberry, Lime & Vanilla Jam

My mum and grandma are the best jam-makers I know. Grandma makes the BEST apricot jam you'll ever taste (made from big, juicy, sweet, South Australian apricots), while mum makes a pretty mean strawberry jam, along with marmalades, chutneys, relishes - you name it! But it was actually with a group of girls on the weekend that I made my first foray into jam-making - and here is my first solo effort. I did a bit of searching and comparing and found this recipe. All I can say is - WOW! The flavours are amazing! My jam came out a little runnier than what you'd buy in the shop, but strawberry jam is known for that, because of the lack of pectin. I was really pleased with the result, and am hoping this is the start of a long love affair with jams and preserves! But what did Liam & Robbie think? Check out the Family Show Taste Test below.

PS The delicious pikelets in the photo are made by my amazing husband, using this recipe.  Pretty talented, isn't he?!?

Ingredients
1kg strawberries, chopped (it was 750g once they had been hulled)
2 cups sugar, divided use
2 vanilla beans, split and pulp scraped from inside the beans
1 lime, zested and juiced

Method
Place the berries into a large bowl, and mix with 1 cup of sugar, the vanilla beans and vanilla seeds. Allow the berries to macerate for at least 2-3 hours. A thick, rich sugary syrup will develop.

Pour macerated strawberries into a large pot and add the remaining cup of sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the jam reaches 220 degrees (using a candy thermometer).  Here is the best method for testing if your jam is ready.  Add the lime zest and juice in the final 5 minutes of cooking. Remove the vanilla bean pods.

Transfer jam to clean, sterilised jars. 

And now for the Family Show Taste Test - how did the boys rate it?

Apple & Date Muffins

An easy, yummy and low-calorie muffin, perfect for the whole family's morning tea.

Ingredients
1 cup (35g) All Bran cereal
2/3 cup (160ml) reduced fat milk
3/4 cup (100g) self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
3/4 cup (85g) natural oat bran
1/2 cup (120g) chopped dates
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper cases.

Place All Bran into a small bowl and pour over milk. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Sift flour, baking powder and spice together into a bowl. Add oat bran, dates and apple and mix well.

Whisk egg and maple syrup into All Bran and milk mixture. Pour into dry ingredients and mix together quickly using a wooden spoon until just combined. Mixture may be lumpy and does not have to be evenly mixed.

Spoon mixture into paper cases. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.