“SOUP”ER FRESH!

November 28, 2015November 28, 201513 Comments

Fresh Vegetarian Rice Noodle Soup!

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, peeled, then sliced finely
1 medium sized red capsicum, cored, deseeded and sliced into medium sized strips
1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced into disks
2 small red chills, sliced finely
1 litre vegetable stock
1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced finely
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced finely

Last Minute ingredients:

1 large bunch of fresh thai basil, chopped
A small amount of fresh thai basil, to garnish
1/2 a fresh lemon, juiced
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
450g fresh rice noodle sheets, cut into desired thickness

Method:

Using a medium-sized pot, combine all your ingredients into the pot, except for the Last Minute ingredients. Cook, on medium heat, for approximately 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked. Once cooked, turn the heat to low, then place your last minute ingredients into the same pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 2 minutes, or until the noodles have softened. Once cooked, turn the heat to off.

Compiling the Beauty:

Grab your favourite soup bowl, then ladle the ‘soup’er fresh soup into that bowl. Garnish with some more fresh thai basil.

Relax and enjoy!

Karina x

“SHOCKING” NEWS!

November 25, 2015November 28, 201513 Comments

Karina’s Electrical Safety Cooking Tips!

I thought I’d make this post very short. Of course, we can go into detail regarding electrical safety, however, the below two are a good start to go by:

Don’t stick a utensil (forks, knives etc) in a toaster to retrieve trapped toast. This may be a “shock” to your system.
Don’t use any electrical power chords which are damaged in any way. It could be “shocking” news if you did.

Have fun and be safe in the kitchen!

Karina x

“FRET NOT” FRITTATA!

November 21, 2015November 21, 201512 Comments

Karina’s Mini Sweet Potato Frittata Cupcakes!

Remember my last recipe called ‘Silly “Dill”y,’ where I used roasted sweet potato to make a healthy and delicious Low GI sweet potato salad? Well, there were some leftovers from the salad, so I used all the leftovers as prime ingredients for this recipe. If using the leftovers in this manner, this is an ultimate time-saver, money-saver and food-saver recipe, where all leftovers are used, so there is no waste! This recipe is also environmentally friendly, due to re-using of ingredients to eliminate waste.

Ingredients:

300g leftover roasted sweet potato salad (refer to previous recipe)
3 eggs
1/4 cup thickened light cream
1 pinch black pepper
1 birds eye chilli, chopped finely

Method:

Preheat oven to 200° C.

Using a large bowl, beat your eggs and cream together, until well combined. Once well combined, mix all other ingredients together with your beaten egg, until evenly incorporated.

Using non-stick 12 mini-cupcake moulds, pour this mixture into each mould, then place in the oven for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes are over, turn the oven to ‘off.’

Compiling the Beauty:

Take the Mini Frittata Cupcakes out of the oven, then place two cupcakes on each plate.

Serves 6 as an appetiser.

Enjoy!

Karina x

“WATER” YOU DRINKING!

November 18, 2015November 18, 20156 Comments

Karina’s Healthy Water Drinking Tips!

Here are a few healthy water drinking tips I would like to share, so that your water won’t have to be boring again! Alongside pimping up your water, you would be adding vital nutrients and healthy herbs into your drink. See below ideas for pimping up your water!

Add a fresh wedge of lime with a fresh sprig of mint to your water jug, then refrigerate
Add a fresh wedge of lemon with a fresh sprig of mint to your water jug, then refrigerate
Add a fresh wedge of lime with a fresh wedge of lemon and a fresh sprig of mint to your water jug, then refrigerate
Add a few slices of fresh cucumber with a fresh sprig of mint to your water jug, then refrigerate
Add a few wedges of fresh apple, with a few wedges of fresh pear, then refrigerate
Add a few slices of fresh watermelon, along with a wedge of fresh lime and a sprig of fresh mint, then refrigerate
Add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, along with a few chopped segments of fresh mandarin, then refrigerate

The list is endless! Try what works for you 🙂

Enjoy!

Karina x

SILLY “DILL”Y!

November 14, 201513 Comments

Karina’s Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Dill!

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 kg sweet potato, cut into large cubes
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and kept whole
5 rashers of rindless bacon, fat removed
1 tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
150 ml thickened cream
2 tablespoons of roasted aioli

To Garnish:

1 large bunch of fresh dill, stems finely chopped and leaves left in small pieces
1 pinch cracked black pepper

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 200°C. Once preheated, place 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a large baking dish, along with your sweet potato and whole garlic pieces, then place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Once the garlic is cooked, turn the oven to ‘off,’ then take your garlic cloves out of the oven. Return your sweet potato to the oven, then allow the sweet potato to cook for another 5 minutes using the residual heat of the oven to cook the sweet potato.

Using a large bowl, mash your roasted garlic cloves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, along with the roasted aioli, wholegrain mustard, thickened cream and cracked black pepper, until it forms an even and smooth paste. Place all your roasted sweet potato pieces into this bowl, mixing well until evenly coated. Set aside in the refrigerator until you have cooked your bacon.

Using medium heat, briefly heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large fry pan. Once heated (should only take a few seconds), place your bacon rashers into the hot fry pan, then cook, without disturbing or turning, for 2 minutes on each side, or until crispy, then turn the heat to ‘off.’

Once the bacon has cooled enough to handle it safely, cut the bacon into small strips, then set aside.

Compiling the Beauty:

Take your sweet potato salad out of the fridge, then spoon a quantity large enough for one serving, into your favourite bowl. Sprinkle your sweet potato salad with enough crispy bacon and a fine, but vibrant, sprinkling of fresh, elegant dill.

Serves 4

Enjoy!

Karina x

DON’T KNOCK IT, “ROCK”IT!

November 10, 2015Leave a comment

Karina’s Rocket Environmental Cooking Tip!

This will be a very short and sweet Environmental Cooking Tip, by yours truly, Karina.

If you have sprouting Rocket during spring, you can easily and quickly plant the seeds. All you need to do is wait until the middle of spring, or until you see pods or ‘bulbs’ growing out of your Rocket herb. Crack the rocket pod open, scrape all the seeds out of your pods, pant all the seeds directly into soil, then cover lightly with soil. New shoots will form within days!

You will be laughing with how much rocket you can harvest!

Happy Gardening all!

Have fun in the garden!

Karina x

YOU’RE “MINT” FOR ME!

November 7, 201514 Comments

Karina’s Trifle-Misu with Chocolate-Cowby Custard, Chocolate Soil and Chocolate-Mint Herb Pot Plants

If you like cooking, as well as gardening, then this recipe is for you!

This recipe is very fun to do for kids as well as big kids (like me)!

I made up the recipe, however, the idea of an edible plant was someone else’s (not sure who, so all credits go to this person).

Ingredients:

Custard Ingredients:

500ml custard made up as per custard powder packet directions (this usually means using custard powder, 2 tablespoons of castor sugar and 500ml of milk).
200g good quality milk chocolate
3 heaped tablespoons good quality cocoa
3 tablespoons premium strength cowboy drink
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Coffee Soak:

2 heaped tablespoons of strong coffee
3 flat tablespoons of ‘creme de cacao’ Liqueur
1/3 cup castor sugar
2 cups boiling water
550g Italian lady finger biscuits

Chocolate Soil and plant Topping:

Ten long sprigs of fresh ‘chocolate mint’ herb, freshly cut.
250g chocolate ripple biscuits, crumbled and smashed with a rolling pin

Cream Layer:

250g mascarpone
400g whipped cream
3 egg whites, whipped until soft peaks form
3 egg yolks, whipped with 1/3 cup castor sugar, until pale and thick

Utensils:

2 x new medium-sized terracotta pots, cleaned thoroughly, then set aside to dry naturally
1 x new medium-sized garden trowel, cleaned thoroughly, then set aside to dry naturally
Foil to line the inside of both terracotta pots, also using the foil to cover the hole at the bottom of the terracotta pot.

Method:

Combine 250g mascarpone with 400g whipped cream, then gently fold in the creamed egg yolks, followed by the whipped egg whites until combined, but still light (refer to cream layer ingredients). Place this cream mixture in a large bowl in the refrigerator to chill.

Place chocolate ripple biscuits in a large and lockable glad wrap bag, ensuring all biscuits are placed inside and all air is knocked out of the bag before closing. Close the bag, then, using a rolling pin, crush all the biscuits until they maintain the consistency of soil. Set aside (away from heat or cold).

Boil 2 cups of water, then, using a spoon and a large bowl, combine all the coffee soak ingredients. Once combined and whilst still hot, carefully and briefly dip all the Italian lady finger biscuits in this mixture, place in a large bowl, then set aside.

Make your chocolate cowboy-custard by following the directions of your custard powder mixture packet and by adding milk and sugar, then follow all directions until your custard is lovely and thick. Whilst your custard is still hot, add 200g cadbury milk chocolate, separated into cubes, then gradually whisk in, along with your bournville cocoa, cowboy drink and vanilla essence. Whisk until all ingredients are well combined, then set aside. Refer to my custard ingredients section under the ingredients section.

Compiling the Beauty:

Grab your two terracotta pots, then line them both with foil. Now the fun begins!

Grab 1/4 of the soaked italian biscuits, then evenly place them at the bottom of one of your terracotta pots. Pour 1/4 of your chocolate-cowboy custard over this, then pile 1/4 of your mascarpone and whipped cream mixture on top. Repeat this process one more time for this first pot. Top with half of your chocolate soil mixture, then gently and artistically stab your chocolate soil mixture with 5 ‘chocolate mint’ herb cuttings. Repeat this process to make your other pot.

Serve with a mess of your chocolate soil and your garden trowel, using your garden trowel as a scoop for your dessert!

N.B. The fresh ‘chocolate mint’ herb is a perfect match for the chocolate-cowboy custard in one mouthful!

This was heaps of fun to make!

Makes 2 pots!

Enjoy!

Karina x

THAT’S “HARDCORE!”

November 3, 2015Leave a comment

Karina’s Fresh and Safe Cooking Tips for Kids!

Before you cook with your child, ask your child to put on their apron and to keep them away from any sharp objects.
Before you cook with your child, ask your child to clean their hands well.
Before you cook with your child, ask your child to help you pick which fruits, vegetables and meat are the freshest.
If your child likes the look of fish from the fresh seafood market, ask your child to look into the fish’s eyes, then ask your child “what do you see?” If the fish’s eyes are cloudy, tell your child not to buy it. If the fish’s eyes are clear, then tell your child the fish is fresh.
Try to gradually build your child’s appreciation for food, by allowing them to help you to select the freshest ingredients, so that you can help your child in making safer food choices.
Introduce your child to farm animals, so they know where their food came from. One important safety tip regarding this, would be to keep your child far away from an aggressive farm animal, bulls, goats and any other potentially aggressive animals.

Be Safe in the Kitchen!

Enjoy!

Karina x