Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Baked Mushroom Risotto


 I thought I better start posting some good food recipes before you all think that we live on biscuits and delicious treats in our home...

So here is start...
...mmmm we love baked Risotto's AND you dont have to stand and stir for ages like you do with stove top Risotto's...

You will need:

2 Tblsp Olive oil
400gr mushrooms - sliced  
(I used a mix of white button and big black mushrooms)
1 - 2  onions - finely chopped
1 - 2 tsp garlic
1 tsp salt
1 cup Arborio Rice
 500ml Vegetable stock
100gr approx Parmesan cheese - grated
Ground Pepper
Shavings of parmesan 

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celcuis.
Add olive to a pan, then add the mushrooms, garlic and salt.
Cook for a few minutes, just until mushrooms are soft. Do not overcook the mushrooms!!
Place the mushrooms in a oven proof dish.
Then in the same pan cook  the chopped onions until soft and translucent.
Add the rice and stir for one minute until nicely coated.
Add the stock and bring to simmering point.
Pour into the oven dish containing the mushrooms, add the grated parmesan, some ground pepper and combine well.
Place shaved or grated parmesan on top.
Cover dish and bake for 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked. 

Enjoy with a salad and some crusty french bread!
     
 

Monday, June 25, 2012

Lemon Cookies


I was blessed by a bag of fresh lemons from a dear friends tree the other day, so of course I wanted to make some lemon cookies. I love fresh home grown lemons with their bumpy skins and real lemony smell...

...so this is what I baked...

You will need:


1/2 cup (125g) butter - softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tsp lemon zest (I added a little more!)
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp bicarb of soda
1 1/2 cups cake flour
Icing sugar to roll the dough in - approx 1/4 cup

Beat the butter and sugar together - add the vanilla, egg, lemon zest and lemon juice - beat until light and fluffy. Sift in all the dry ingredients. 
Mix together lightly.
Roll the dough into small balls. 
Sprinkle the icing sugar onto a plate, then roll the dough balls in the icing sugar to coat them. Flatten a little then place onto a well greased baking sheet. 
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for approx 10 minutes (always keep check as ovens differ!)
Take out of the oven and allow to cool slightly then move onto a cooling rack.

My knight enjoyed some with a buddy of his and some hot chocolate, cute sister and I enjoyed some with a cup of tea and Granny and Grandpa for company...


Enjoy!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Cranberry and Chocolate Biscuits

A wonderful friend of mine organised a Winter solstice evening for the children - we made lanterns, ate delicious warm soup and then enjoyed mugs of hot chocolate with ...
these yummy biscuits...


You will need the following:

250gr softened butter
530gr sugar
2 large eggs
650gr cake flour
7,5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
4ml salt
50gr (approx) dried cranberries
125gr (approx) milk or dark chocolate bits
125gr (approx) white chocolate bits

Beat the butter and sugar together until light in colour. 
Add the eggs and mix well. 
Sift all the dry ingredients together and add to the butter mixture. Mix lightly to form a soft dough. Add the cranberries and chocolate bits. Roll the dough into small balls and flatten with your fingers or the back of a spoon, place on a well greased baking sheet - leaving enough space in between them.
Bake in a preheated oven 180 degrees Celsius for about 12 - 15 minutes.
Makes about 50 biscuits.

Enjoy!
lovely lanterns

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Healthy bran muffins

This recipe can be made and left in the fridge for up to one month and used as needed. 
It is a wonderfully easy, quick recipe to make, can be adapted easily...
and is always yummy...


You will need the following:

125ml (1/2 cup) sunflower oil
2 eggs
375ml (1 1/2 cups) brown sugar
500ml (2 cups) milk
250ml (1 cup) nutty wheat flour
375ml (1 1/2 cups) cake flour
500ml (2 cups) digestive bran
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
5ml (1 tsp) salt
10ml (2 tsps) bicarb of soda
250ml (1 cup) raisins
250ml (1cup) freshly chopped apple

Beat  the oil, sugar and eggs together until well mixed. 
Then add all the other ingredients.
Combine well.
Bake in well greased muffin tins at 180 degrees Celcuis for 15 minutes.
(always remember to check as ovens differ!)
 Please remember if there is not enough mixture to fill all 12 muffins tin holes, just fill the empty ones with a little water to avoid them burning...
Serve with butter and jam or cheese or just as is...

Enjoy!

Adaptions:
You can add various things to the basic mixture - apple and raisin are always a favourite but you can replace them with fruit cake mix, chopped dates, tinned apple, mashed bananas, nuts etc etc...

I have sprinkled a little raw oats and brown sugar on the top...

Instead of nuttty wheat flour you can add oats...

I often add extra bran to make them more brany...

X

Monday, June 11, 2012

Custard Tea Biscuits

I am always getting requests to forward this recipe on to friends, they are really very delicious little biscuits and super quick and easy to make...

Custard tea biscuits


You will need:
320 grams Butter - softened
150 grams Icing sugar 
120 grams Custard powder
340 grams Cake flour
Glazed cherries - optional

Combine the softened butter and icing sugar together. 
Then add the flour and custard powder. Mix together with your hands to form a dough.
Roll into small balls and place on a greased baking sheet.
 Flatten the balls with the back of a fork. 
I added a small piece of glazed cherry to each biscuit. You can leave them plain. 
In the past I have also put a small piece of a nut in the center (any nut!)
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes. 
(Please remember to always check on your biscuits while they are baking as ovens differ!)

Enjoy with a cup of tea.