Pretend Chicken Curry

I call this 'Pretend' Chicken Curry, because the name suggests it is a curry, but in the ingredients, there is none at all.

- 3 chicken breasts                            

- 2 tablespoons olive oil       

- 6 oz sweet chilli sauce
- 1 small can coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- salt and pepper



1. Heat oil in a large frypan and cook the chicken until browned.

2. Stir in the coconut milk, cumin and turmeric, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir frequently until the sauce thickens.

HELLO AGAIN

Hello again. It feels like ages since I have blogged the recipes I've made, or even cooked now I think of it! Since a new Chinese restaurant opened up just down the road from where I work, I stopped cooking my dinners because it was just too yummy and convenient; but talk about money! It ends up costing a me at least $30 a day, where if I cooked my own meals, I can get a huge selection of different foods and it ends up costing me less.


So here I am back again and staying. Not only does it save me money at the end of the week, but I forgot how relaxing I find cooking. Just looking at all my ingredients I have now is making me extremely excited.


For some reason, my computer isn't letting me upload a photo of the dish, so I will still type out the recipe, then once it decides to co-operate with me again, I'll put the picture up.

Vegetable Strudel

Next time that I make this recipe, I am going to try it with just puff pastry. I found the amount of butter between the layers if pastry became a little sickening. Also, before I tasted this, I wasn't sure of the eggplant as I know I don't like the taste (or texture, I'm not sure which), but it worked perfectly in this strudel.

- 12 English spinach leaves
- 12 tablespoons olive oil                        
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1 red capsicum, sliced
- 1 green capsicum, sliced
- 2 zucchinis, sliced
- 2 small Lebanese eggplants, sliced
- 6 sheets filo pastry
- 40g butter, melted
- 20g finely sliced basil leaves
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 210 degrees celcius and brush an oven tray with melted butter or oil.

2. Heat the oil in a fry pan, add all the vegetables and cook until they've softened. Cool.

3. Brush 1 sheet of filo pastry with melted butter, then put another sheet on top. Continue until you have used up all the 6 sheets.

4. Place the spinach leaves, cooled vegetable mix, basil and cheese along one side of the pastry, leaving a 2cm border. Roll up tightly.

5. Place the strudel seam side down on the oven tray and brush with melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.  

Viennese Cookies

- 100g unsalted butter, softened                 

- 1/3 cup icing sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup plain flour
- 100g dark chocolate, chopped
- 30g unsalted butter, extra

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Cream the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg yolks and vanilla. Transfer to a large bowl and add the flour. Using a knife, mix until the ingredients are just combined and the mixture is smooth.

3. Make flat rounds of the mixture with your hands and place on the prepared tray.

4. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely.

5. Place the chocolate and extra butter in a heatproof bowl and melt them together. Dip one end of the cooled biscuits in the chocolate mixture and let set.

yoghurt cake with syrup

- 185g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 5 eggs, separated                                   
- 1 cup greek style yoghurt
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bi carb soda

SYRUP:
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cm strip of lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius and prepare a cake tin.

2. In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the egg yolks gradually. Stir in the yoghurt, lemon zest, baking powder and bi carb soda.

3. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until stiff peaks form, and fold into the cake mixture.

4. Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool.

5. FOR THE SYRUP:
Place the sugar and cinnamon stick in a saucepan along with 3/4 cup of water. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, add the zest and juice, then reduce the heat and simmer 5-6 minutes. Strain.

6. Pour syrup over cooled cake.

zesty olive oil cake

- 2 eggs                              

- 2/3 cup caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups self raising flour
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius and line a cake tin.

2. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with the electric mixers until well combined. Add the zests, then stir in the oil.

3. Stir in the sifted flour alternately with the milk and juice. Pour into the prepared tin.

4. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Thai Style Fried Rice

- 2 tablespoons oil                             

- 3 shallots, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 100g green beans, sliced
- 1 small red capsicum, sliced
- 90g mushrooms, halved
- 2 1/2 cups coked jasmine rice
- 1 teaspoon grated palm sugar
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 10g basil, shredded

1. Heat frypan and the oil. Add the garlic and shallots and fry for 3 minutes, or until fragrant.

2. Add the beans, mushroom and capsicum and stir fry until soft. Stir through the cooked rice and heat through.

3. Dissolve the palm sugar in the soy sauce and pour over the rice. Stir through basil.