Warm Chicken & Peach Salad

This salad a perfect midweek meal - it is simple, quick and delicious! If peaches are unavailable feel free to replace them with any other stone fruit you can find.

The Recipe

Prep Time: 10 Minutes         Cook Time: 15 Minutes          Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 400g Chicken Tenderloins
• 60ml Olive Oil
• 4 Ripe Peaches, stones removed. quartered
• 1 Carrot, diced
• 1 Zucchini. diced
• 1 Clove Garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Long Red Chilli, seeded and finely chopped
• 150g Salad Greens
• 100g Feta Cheese, crumbled
• 4 Slices Crusty Bread, to serve

Method

1. Heat 2 tsp of oll in a frying pan over high heat. Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes each side, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add carrot, zucchini and garlic to pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until just softened. Add to plate with chicken.
3. Add 1 tsp oil to pan and add peach quarters. Season well and cook for 1-2 minutes or until browned and warm.
4. Combine remaining oil, vinegar, honey and chilli in a bowl. Place salad greens on a platter, pout over chilli dressing and toss to combine. Top with chicken, cooked vegetables, peaches and feta. Serve with bread.

East Vegetable Pasta

This pasta recipe is a take on the classic Italian dish - Pasta Primavera. The traditional version uses only spring  vegetables, but I feel that the addition of the carrots and corn make it truly delicious. This pasta dish comes together in the time that it takes the pasta to cook, making it perfect midweek food. It is also vegetarian, but trust me, no-one will miss the meat! 

The Recipe

Prep Time: 5 Minutes         Cook Time: 10 Minutes          Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 250g Dried Tagliatelle Pasta
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas, Corn & Carrot Mix
• 125g Green Beans, trimmed
• 125g Snow Peas, trimmeed
• 30g Butter
• 2 Tbsp Pine Nuts, toasted
• 2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Chives, chopped 

Method

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil. Cook pasta for 8 minutes, adding all the vegetables to the water for the last two minutes (you want the snow peas and beans to retain their crunch)
2. Drain everything well and add back to the cooking pot with the rest of the ingredients. Season well and serve.

Date & Ginger Cake with Caramel Glaze

This recipe comes from the Delicious. Baking cookbook and is so good that I had to share it. If you are a lover of sticky date pudding, this is the cake for you. Sticky, sweet and a little spicy, this cake is a perfect winter warmer.

The Recipe

Prep Time: 15 Minutes + Chilling         Cook Time: 1 Hour + 20 Minutes          Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 200g Pitted Dates, halved
• 1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 75g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
• 165g Brown Sugar
• 2 Tsp Ground Ginger
• 3 Eggs
• 225g Self-Raising Flour
• 80g Glace Ginger, chopped

Caramel Glaze

• 110g Caster Sugar
• 25g Salted Butter
• 80ml Thickened Cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C / 160C fan forced. Grace and line a 1L loaf pan with baking paper. Place the dates, bicarbonate of soda and 330ml boiling water in a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until thick and pale. Add the ground ginger and beat to combine.
3. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and beat until well combined, then stir in the date mixture.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and scatter over the glace ginger. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 170C / 150C fan forced and cook for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, to make the caramel glaze, place the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, for 8 minutes or until a deep golden caramel. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Add the cream and stir until smooth and glossy. Transfer caramel to a bowl and cool slightly, then cover and chill for 1 hour or until spreading consistency.
6. Spread caramel glaze over the top of the cake.

Fajitas

These fajitas are sooooo easy and equally as yummy. They are perfect midweek entertaining food as everything can be made ahead and assembled when your guests arrive. Feel free to substitute the beef with chicken breast or even mushrooms for a vegetarian version!

The Recipe

Prep Time: 15 Minutes + Marinating         Cook Time: 10 Minutes          Serves: 4 

Ingredients

• 185ml Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
• 4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
• 3 Red Chillies, chopped
• 1kg Rump Steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 Red Capsicum, sliced
• 1 Yellow Capsicum, sliced
• 1 Red Onion, sliced
• 8 Flour Tortillas, warmed
• Guacamole, shredded lettuce, diced tomato and sour cream

Method

1. Combine oil, juice garlic, chilli and steak in a non-metallic bowl. Cover and marinate in the fridge for as long as you can (a few hours is fine but overnight is better).
2. Drain the meat and toss it with the capsicum and onion. Cook the meat and vegetables in a very hot frying pan until cooked. Scoop onto a serving board and set it in the middle of the table. Serve with tortillas, guacamole, shredded lettuce, diced tomato and sour cream.

Pink & White Cupcakes

The great thing about these cupcakes is that not only do they taste wonderful, but they can be put together almost entirely from things that you already have in your pantry and fridge. This recipe uses an Italian meringue as the topping but feel free to substitute your own favourite frosting recipe.

The Recipe

Prep Time: 5 Minutes           Cook Time: 35 Minutes          Makes: 12 Small Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 115g Self-Raising Flour
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 115g Butter, softened
• 115g Caster Sugar
• 2 Eggs, 
• 1 Tbsp Milk
• 2 Drops Red Food Colouring

Topping

• 1 Egg White
• 175g Caster Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Hot Water
• Pinch Cream of Tartar
• 2 Tbsp Raspberry Jam
• 3 Tbsp Desiccated Coconut

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Line a 12-whole muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each one until just combined.
3. Add in flour and baking powder, beating until just combined. Add in milk and food colouring and stir until colour is evenly distributed.
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
5. To make the topping, place the egg white, sugar, hot water and cream of tartar into a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water. Using an electric hand whisk, beat for 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and forms peaks when the whisk is lifted.
6. Spread a layer of raspberry jam over each cupcake, then top with a swirl of the topping. Sprinkle with the coconut and serve.

Coconut Noodle Soup

What isn't to love about this vegetarian soup? It is full of flavour, easy to make and comes together in under 20 minutes. Feel free to add any vegetables that you fancy - it is a great way to use up anything leftover in your fridge.

The Recipe

Prep Time: 5 Minutes           Cook Time: 15 Minutes          Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 Carrot, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Tsp Lemongrass, finely minced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
• 1 Tsp Ginger, grated
• 1 Tsp Ground Turmeric
• 2 Tsp Ground Coriander
• 2 Green Chillies, finely minced
• 2 Spring Onions, finely sliced
• 1/2 Cup Green Beans, chopped
• 2 x 400ml Cans Coconut Cream
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Vegetable Stock Cube
• 200g Fresh Hokkien Noodles
• 125g Bean Sprouts
• 2 Tbsp Coriander, chopped

Method

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add lemongrass, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add turmeric and coriander and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant.
2. Add carrot, chilli, spring onion, beans, coconut cream, noodles and stock cube and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.  Stir in bean sprouts and coriander.

Summer Strawberry Cupcakes

To me, these cupcakes are the essence of Summer. They are best made with perfectly ripe, freshly picked strawberries and are always a crowd favourite.

The Recipe

Prep Time: 20 Minutes + Cooling          Cook Time: 15 Minutes          Makes: 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 250g Small strawberries
• 225g Self-Raising Flour
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 125ml Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 100g Butter, melted and cooled

Frosting

• 125b Butter, at room temperature
• 230g Icing Sugar Mixture
• 1 Tbsp Milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan forced and line a 12-whole muffin pan with paper liners. Reserve 6 strawberries and cut the rest into small pieces.
2. Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the milk, eggs and vanilla in a jug until combined. Add this mixture along with the butter to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in the chopped strawberries. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
3. Use and electric mixer to beat butter in a bowl until light a creamy. Gradually add in the icing sugar and milk until combined.
4. Finely chop the reserved strawberries. Frost the cupcakes as desired and top with chopped strawberries.