Earlier this year I made it one of my goals to make sure I cook the gorgeous recipes I bookmark on Pinterest. Today I’m pleased to say I’m keeping that goal, and it feels really good. Turns out it tastes good too.

I’m currently holidaying at my in-laws, and with all the extra pairs of hands to watch Poppy, I’ve got mine free for a spot of baking.

I specifically bookmarked this slice on Pinterest because it’s gluten free and caters to my MILs dietary needs. Now that I’m staying at her place, I can use her as my GF taste tester as well as bake it as a thank you gift for her hospitality. Win, win.

The original recipe used apricots but I’ve switched it to pears and made a few other small adjustments – like glazing with a locally made fig, ginger and walnut jam. I just can’t help myself with tweaking recipes, it’s some sort of addiction, I’m telling you.

The end result is a super moist cake with a slight tang from the yoghurt and my official GF taste tester, Angela, was pleased with the fact that it wasn’t dry and crumbly like other GF cakes. It was moist, easy to slice and held together beautifully. I think I’ll give myself a pat on the back for this one.

Do you prefer moist or light and fluffy cakes?

Christie x

Gluten free pear and almond slice recipe

based on a recipe by the gluten free scallywag.

• 130g unsalted butter, softened
• 125g brown sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 2 large eggs
• 40g moist coconut flakes
• 85g plain gluten free flour
• 160g almond meal (ground almonds)
• 220g gluten free natural yoghurt
• 6 pear quarters, tinned or ripe fresh ones, peeled and cored
• 2 tablespoons fig and ginger jam (or apricot jam)

1.  Preheat the oven to 170C/340F and line a 30cm x 15cm rectangular slice tray with baking paper.

2. Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla until thick and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each one.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut, gluten free flour and almond meal. Add the dry mixture to the wet batter in batches alternating with the yoghurt, folding the mixture using a large metal spoon until just combined. Try not to over mix.

4. Pour the batter into the slice tray and smooth out. Press the pears, core side up, gently into the batter. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean, but a little moist.

5. Warm the jam in a small saucepan until runny and then brush over the cake. Allow to cool completely before serving with fresh cream, gluten free vanilla yoghurt or ice cream. Cake is pictured above with natural yoghurt.

I had a few pesky overripe bananas in my fruit bowl last weekend, and when that happens there is only one thing to do.

Make banana bread.

I’d also just received a jar of Beerenberg Blood Orange Marmalade. I’m not a marmalade fan at all, but this one is much sweeter than other ones I’ve tasted, so I decided to tweak my usual dense and moist banana bread recipe and top it with a sweet glaze.

I simply warmed three tablespoons of the marmalade in a saucepan and then poured it over the cooked cake and brushed it in with a silicone brush.

The marmalade added a lovely tang and a welcome sweet/sticky element when served in thin slices with a dollop of whipped cream. Just heavenly.

Grab the banana bread recipe here.

Do you like tweaking your own favourite recipes for a change?

Christie x

Update 3/2/2012: this competition is now closed. Congrats to the winners: David, Vici and Nicole.

Forget cocktails guys, winetails are the new black.

Not that I’m an expert or anything, but I did have a fiddle around making my own cocktails using Yellow Tail sparkling wine, and had some great results.

Win 6 bottles of Yellow Tail Wine!

Those recipes coming up in a minute, but first, make sure you are signed up to my email newsletter as I’ll be sending out competition details on Friday for how three lucky readers can win 6 bottles of Yellow Tail wine. Giveaway is exclusively for subscribers! Sign up right there in the sidebar -> -> ->

Right. Now that the admin is out of the way, let’s take a look at these winetails…

Once I got down to business, I was actually quite amazed at how versatile sparkling wine is when used in cocktails, ahem, winetails. The gentle fizz really adds a bit of fun and lightness, even for the ones that have strong alcohol in them (I’m looking at you bourbon whisky).

The best thing, though, was a new bottle feature – a resealable cap. How handy! Not only is this super convenient for regular folks who don’t want to drink a whole bottle in one sitting, but it was really great for me while I was experimenting and photographing over a whole day. The wine stayed fresh and chilled and ready for its close up.

Enough procrastinating though, let’s talk about these winetails.

Sparkling Leela. Named after the lovely girl who was taste-testing this for me. It’s a beautiful combination of peach nectar, fresh passionfruit and sparkling rose. A fun, girly, Aussie-Summer twist on a bellini.

Dark Golden Sunset. This is a masculine drink designed for the men at our taste-testing gathering. Bourbon whisky, cointreau, sparkling wine and dry ginger ale. Surprisingly, it remains quite a macho drink, even with the inclusion of supposedly ‘girly’ sparkling wine.

Minty Party Starter.  My taste-testers declared this was the best of the lot. Fresh, light and fruity with the mint being the stand-out ingredient. Definitely a winetail to kick your event off with a bang: lime, mint, vanilla sugar, moscato and tonic water. Yum!

Good luck in the competition guys, and do let me know if you try any of my winetail recipes tomorrow on Australia Day!

Christie x

This feature story and giveaway is proudly sponsored by Yellow Tail Wines.

Sparkling Leela

serves 1

• 30ml peach nectar
• 1 tablespoon passionfruit pulp (roughly half a passionfruit)
• 30ml vodka
• Yellow Tail Sparkling Rose

1. Pour the peach nectar into a champagne flute. Add the passionfruit pulp and vodka and stir.

2. Top with sparkling rose to fill the glass. Enjoy immediately.

Dark Golden Sunset

serves 1

• 30ml Bourbon Whisky
• 5ml Cointreau
• Yellow Tail Sparkling White Wine
• Dry Ginger Ale
• 2 ice cubes

1. Place the ice cubes into a short wide glass. Add the whisky and cointreau and stir.

2. Top with equal amounts of sparkling wine and dry ginger ale. Enjoy immediately.

Minty Party Starter

serves 1

• 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
• 3-4 mint sprigs
• 30ml vodka
• 60ml moscato
• Tonic water

1. Slice the lime into six wedges and place into a tall, slender hi-ball glass.

2. Add the sugar, mint and vodka. Smash, muddle and stir until the sugar dissolves.

3. Pour in the moscato and top with tonic water to fill the glass. Enjoy immediately.

Some nights you just want to get dinner on the table quickly. I mean, really quickly. On night’s like those I always turn to stir fries. Especially vegetarian ones.

Stir fries, for me, are never boring. There are just so many combinations of vegetables, spices and herbs that can come together quickly to create dinner in minutes. A dinner that tastes great and is good for you too.

I’m always trying to reduce the amount of meat our family eats and love the challenge of going vegetarian for one whole day every week. It’s easier than you might think, but if a whole day is a bit daunting, then maybe try dinner or lunch to get you started.

This mushroom stir fry actually has quite a “meaty” texture, well, they obviously don’t call mushrooms meat for vegetarians for nothing! It helped me use up a few ingredients I had in my fridge (thai green curry paste, ginger) and was beautiful served over basmati rice, which I prefer because it has a lower GI than jasmine or short grain varieties. It also works well mixed with egg noodles or served in crisp lettuce cups, san choy bau-style.

When I’ve made it on other occasions I’ve also thrown in some marinated tofu chunks, broccoli, spinach or bean sprouts. Feel free to add your favourite vegetables too, it’s a very versatile recipe.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

How about you? Do you actively try to eat more vegetarian meals?

Christie x

Quick Thai-inspired mushroom stir fry

serves 2 (can be doubled or trebled)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used sunflower)
• 1/2 red capsicum (red bell pepper), sliced into strips
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, thick centre stem removed, leaves finely sliced
• 250g mixed mushrooms (I used shiitake, enoki, oyster and king brown), cleaned and sliced
• 1 tablespoon Thai green curry paste
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari to make this gluten free)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• steamed rice, to serve

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan (skillet) over medium heat. Add the capsicum and cook for 5 minutes until softened.

2. Add the garlic, ginger and kaffir lime leaves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the green curry paste and stir to coat all the ingredients in the paste.

3. Turn up the heat to high and add the mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes until browned and wilted. Splash in the sesame oil and soy sauce and stir well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with steamed rice.

The minute I set eyes on this recipe I pinned it to my Things To Cook board and vowed to make it that weekend. No excuses.

I could barely believe my eyes: egg boats. Genius!

Why on earth haven’t I thought of this before?

The original recipe uses pancetta and gruyere cheese, both of which are great ingredients, however I had just roasted some fantastic local Australian garlic so decided to use that instead.

Baguettes always remind me of my dear friend Céline who is of Chinese/Vietnamese heritage. She grew up in France and now lives in the UK (oh, and speaks 6 languages!). Phew. Yes, she’s a very talented lady, but back to the story…

Every time I look at a baguette I am reminded of a trip she took me on to her home town of Toulouse in the south of France. Céline bought a gorgeously fresh baguette and loads of her favourite local goats cheese but then realised she couldn’t fit it all into her luggage to take back home to the UK with her.

So what did she do? Waste the food? No! She proceeded to load up the huge baguette with multiple logs of goats cheese and eat the whole lot. Right in front of us. In about 10 minutes.

Now, that’s a dedicated foodie (or a crazy woman), you decide!

So of course I had to top this awesome egg boat with goats cheese in a homage to Céline. Love you, girl! :)

My only tip? Make sure you don’t go too hard when removing the inner bread layer because even if there is the tiniest hole in the bottom, the pesky runny egg will find it’s way through and you’ll face a sticky, baked-on mess.

I’m speaking from experience. See picture below.

And the best bit? You can eat breakfast with one hand – very useful if you have a little one climbing all over you for a cuddle! Plus, it tastes great at room temperature so would be perfect as part of a buffet brunch.

Thanks to the guys at Spoon Fork Bacon for the inspiration for this! I seriously wish I’d thought of it first.

Have you ever done something crazy involving food?

Christie x

Egg boats with roasted garlic and goats cheese recipe

serves 2

1 half-size baguette
1 tablespoon butter
10 button mushrooms, quartered
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons double cream (heavy cream)
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 cloves roasted garlic, mashed
100g goats cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Prepare the baguette by cutting a deep ‘V’ into it, without cutting all the way through. Use your fingers to pull out the fluffy bread and make a cavity. Place onto a baking tray lined with non-stick paper.

2. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes until browned and tender. Set aside.

3. Whisk the eggs and cream together. Add the mushrooms, parsley and roasted garlic. Season with salt and pepper and whisk until well combined.

4. Pour into the baguette and crumble the goats cheese over the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until puffed and golden.

5. Allow to cool for 5 minutes to let it set and then slice and serve.

Not only is this the easiest salad in the world, but it can also be the tastiest if made with home grown vegetables.

I was lucky enough to score a beautifully crisp and slightly bitter home grown cucumber and knew this was the only way it could be served.

The fresh little cucumber was sliced and mingled with vine ripened tomato, splashed with a little olive oil and white balsamic vinegar, then finished with a luxurious sprinkling of truffle salt. Perfection.

Let the salad sit while you make the rest of your dinner (whatever that may be) and basque in the glory of freshly picked goodness.

Do you have a quick go-to salad?

Christie x

Tomato and cucumber salad

serves 2 as a side dish (easily doubled, trebled or more)

1 medium cucumber
1 large vine ripened tomato
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch truffle salt (or regular salt)

1. Slice the cucumber and tomato and place into a shallow bowl.

2. Splash over the vinegar and oil and sprinkle with truffle salt. Mix gently and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

This was a case of “what the hell am I going to make for dinner?”.

Hubby had just arrived home from work, Poppy had been fed her dinner and I would usually have something bubbling on the stove – but that evening I had nothing. I hadn’t even prepped any veggies. There was simply nothing on the horizon.

“What’s for dinner?” said hubby.

“I don’t know!” I said. Hubby raised his eyebrows. It was weird. He knows I usually think about what’s for dinner all afternoon and even if I haven’t started it I have a pretty good idea about what it’s going to be.

I dug around in the freezer and found a half kilo bag of lamb mince.

“Something with lamb mince?” I shouted from the kitchen, still poking around to see if there was anything else more inspirational. Nope. Lamb mince it was going to be.

We had eaten pasta the previous night, so that was out. We’d eaten couscous the night before, so that was also out. Then I spotted some potatoes in the pantry that were in dire need of cooking (the white eyes were starting to look more like eyelashes, if you know what I mean!).

I contemplated boiling and slicing the potatoes to place on top of the mince stew but then realised I had some nice firm mozzarella in the fridge that would go beautifully bubbly and crisp over a mashed topping.

The dinner conundrum was solved and shortly thereafter these gorgeous little blue pots of deliciousness were ready for their close up. As I photographed them, wanting so much to dive into their saucy centres, I found it hard to believe they were dreamed up a mere hour earlier!

Do you poke around in the freezer for dinner inspiration?

Christie x

Spicy lamb and potato bake recipe

serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, diced
1/2 red capsicum (bell pepper), diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
200g swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
500g lamb mince
pinch (or two) dried chilli flakes
pinch dried mint
pinch ground white pepper
salt
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste (concentrated puree)

For the topping
1 kg potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon salted butter
splash of milk
100g firm mozzarella cheese, grated

1. Heat a large deep frying pan (skillet) over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion and saute until starting to brown. Add the capsicum and cook for a few minutes until it softens and starts to brown. Throw in the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes.

2. Push all the veggies to one side in the pan, turn the heat up high and add the lamb mince. Using a wooden spoon break it up as much as you can and mix the veggies into it. Allow to brown well for a few minutes before stirring. Cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until really browned all over and starting to stick to the bottom of the pan with tasty caramelised bits.

3. Add the spices, pepper and salt and stir well. Add the tinned tomatoes and tomato paste and stir well. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened slightly.

4. Preheat the oven to 200C/390F. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes then drain and mash with the butter and milk. Leave it a little chunky, it doesn’t have to be super smooth.

5. Ladel the lamb sauce into a 1L oven-proof dish or evenly into 4 x 1 cup ramekins. Spoon over the mashed potato and press down slightly with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and browns. Serve with buttered veggies and crusty bread.

People always ask me “How do you work from home with a baby around?”.

My answer is always the same: “With much difficulty!”.

Today’s post will show you just how quickly an innocent carrot cake can become the target of chubby fingers and a lemon-sucking free-for-all. Don’t believe me? Scroll down for the proof.

Yes, she’s on her tippy toes.

You’d be forgiven for thinking she is going straight for a big finger-licking dollop of icing…

Nope. She only has eyes for lemons.

I thought once she tasted the lemon she would spit it out, however she sucked on it for a good five minutes. It wasn’t even a particularly juicy or sweet one. Go figure!

Anyway, back to the cake. I had hubby’s aunty and cousin visiting for afternoon tea and decided I wanted to make a carrot cake. I went straight to my friend’s blog: Not Quite Nigella, and low and behold there on the front page was a parsnip cake. Wow, now that’s some sort of psychic friendship thing, if I ever saw one!

I substituted carrots and made a few other small adjustments and out came this absolutely delicious cake. Perfect for afternoon tea with a cup of Earl Grey. Plus, Aunty Sally declared it 11 out of 10. Success!

Tell me, do you ever have psychic coincidences with your friends?

Christie x

Carrot cake with lemon cream cheese icing

adapted from Not Quite Nigella and Favourite Cakes by Julie Le Clerc

2 large eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 cups grated carrot, firmly packed
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup brazil nuts, roughly chopped
1 cup plain all purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bi-carb soda (baking soda)

Icing
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 lemon, juiced and zested

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/250F. Line the base and sides of a 20cm x 20cm square cake tin (I used a 20cm round tin successfully) and set aside.

2. Beat together the eggs, sugar and both oils in a large bowl. Stir in the carrot, craisins and brazil nuts. Then add the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and bi carb soda and mix well.

3. Pour into the baking tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool completely in the tin and then remove.

4. Make the icing by beating together the cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon juice and zest. This is easiest using a stand mixer or handheld electric stick mixer. Spread over the cake and decorate with more brazil nuts, if you like.

There was no greasy breakfast or hangover for hubby and I this year.

Just a 6am wake up (thanks Poppy!) with avocado and tomato on multigrain toast and a super-charged smoothie to kick-start 2012 with all the healthy energy we can muster.

Packed with seasonal bananas and apricots, high fibre soy milk, oatbran and then sweetened with maple syrup; it made us feel great about getting the year started.

Then we packed Poppy into the car and headed to Manly beach for a bit of sun and a delicious seafood platter at the pub overlooking the beach.

How was your start to 2012?

Christie x

2012 banana smoothie

serves 2

1 banana, peeled and sliced
2 apricots, seed removed and sliced
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Vitasoy Hi-Fibre soy milk
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon oatbran
handful of ice cubes

1. Place all ingredients into the blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Don’t have dessert or drinks planned for NYE? Never fear, I’ve got you covered.

This boozy, summery granita is super simple to make and oh-so-Pretty In Pink! (My favourite 80s movie). You’ve probably already stocked up on champagne for the 2012 toast, and there are plenty of ripe watermelons around right now (sorry, Northern Hemisphere friends), so this will be a cinch.

Enjoy it on it’s own or with more champagne poured over. I also served it on top of oysters on xmas day and it was delicious!

Quick, blitz this up right now and you’ll be ready for tonight’s festivities without breaking a sweat. Promise.

{My new vintage ceramics get their first workout}

NYE last year was a non-event for us. We had a 6 week old baby, and fell asleep exhausted at about 9pm. Hmmm, welcome to parenthood!

This year we are planning to stay awake with a trip to our local park to watch the fireworks, and hoping other young families will be doing the same.

Poppy absolutely loves being around other children, especially toddlers that can walk. She is still at crawling stage and is fascinated by their ability to get around so quickly. Hopefully there will be lots of children to entertain her so that hubby and I can lay back on the picnic rug and relax a bit with some nibbles and a drink.

Later on at home we’ll toast the new year with this boozy watermelon treat and chat about our plans for 2012. It’s going to be a big year for our family and this blog – but more on that tomorrow.

For now, enjoy the last hours of 2011 and here’s wishing all of you a very happy and shiny new year!

Christie x

ps. If you fancy a granita that’s a little bit creamier and richer, check out my friend Lorraine’s Espresso Kahlua Granita. Why not make them both?!

Watermelon and champagne granita recipe

serves 6-8

200g white sugar
250ml water (cold tap is fine)
1.25kg seedless watermelon (whole weight)
2 limes, juiced
250ml champagne

1. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves then bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes until syrupy. Pop into the fridge to cool while you prepare the watermelon.

2. Remove the outer green skin with a sharp knife, roughly chop the flesh and place into a blender. Juice the limes and add to the blender along with the champagne and sugar syrup. Blitz until smooth.

3. Pour the mixture into a shallow freezer-proof container (metal works best, but plastic is fine too) and place into the freezer. Check after one hour and, using a fork, scrape the frozen outer edges into the centre. Repeat each hour for 3-4 hours until all the mixture is frozen. Serve immediately in small bowls or keep frozen for about a week.

Hubby and I have named these ‘Lumplings’ – half lasagne, half dumplings. They use wonton wrappers for ease, and boy, do they make it easy.

Last week when I cooked the Salt ‘n Pepper Turkey Drumsticks I had an excess of turkey meat. And just when I thought I’d be eating turkey sandwiches for the next month, I stumbled across this mini lasagne cups recipe.

The original uses a really nice meat ragu, but I’ve made a cheat version using leftover turkey and jarred sauce. Hey, don’t be hating! You’ll do it too, come Tuesday night next week, when you’ve been slaving all Christmas weekend over a hot stove.

Mmm… oozy, stringy mozzarella cheese; fresh from the oven.

These little beauties are great served hot, but even better warm or at room temperature (where there’s no burning the roof of your mouth on molten cheese lava!). They also reheat a dream for two days after they have been made, just cover with foil so that the wonton edges don’t burn.

What do you think of the term ‘Lumplings’? Have you got a better amalgamation of Lasagne and Dumpling? Warning: it may get used, hubby and I intend to take the world by storm with these gorgeous little snacks :)

Christie x

Mini turkey lasagne recipe

makes 12

cooking oil spray
250g cooked turkey (breast or leg meat), finely chopped
400g jar pasta sauce (I used the Barilla brand of Arrabbiata sauce)
24 fresh egg wonton wrappers
200g ricotta cheese
200g firm mozarella cheese, grated

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/355F. Place the chopped turkey and pasta sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Spray a 12 hole muffin tray with cooking spray and place a wonton wrapper into each one, pressing into the corners to secure it.

3. Place a tablespoon of ricotta into each one, then top with 2 tablespoons of turkey sauce. Layer another wonton wrapper and top with more ricotta then sauce and finally sprinkle them all with mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool for 10 minutes in the tin before removing and serving. These are also great at room temperature and re-heat well for two days.

I really fancied salmon for dinner the other week. Then I saw this potato tart recipe and decided I fancied that too (who can go past a bechamel sauce filling?).

The tart didn’t feature salmon, but that didn’t stop me. I just fiddled around with the recipe until voila! – a new recipe. I’m telling you, bastardising recipes is my absolute favourite thing to do, how about you?

I love the way this tart is a full meal in one – protein, carbs, veggies, fat – it’s got the lot, and in good proportion too. Serve it with a nice green salad peppered with chunks of cherry tomatoes and avocado and you’ll have a very happy tummy.

It’s best to leave it for a good 15-20 minutes in the tin after baking as the filling firms up, making it much easier to slice. I found out the hard way with bechamel sauce oozing everywhere. Actually, that’s quite a nice image, isn’t it?

As per usual, I licked the saucepan, wooden spoon and bench top clean of every bit of bechamel sauce. I am so in love with that stuff.

What is your favourite savoury tart?

Christie x

Salmon, potato and zucchini tart recipe

serves 4 

Crust
Cooking Spray
750g potato, peeled and chopped
30g butter
50g cheddar cheese, grated
60ml milk

Sauce
30g butter
50g plain, all-purpose flour
380ml milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and white pepper
50g cheddar cheese, grated

Filling
5 green onions (scallions), sliced into 5cm lengths
2 small zucchini, sliced into rounds
200g salmon fillet, skin removed and chopped into 3cm chunks

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F and spray a 23cm loose bottomed tart tin with cooking spray.

2. First, make the crust. Boil the potatoes until very tender then drain thoroughly. Put them back into the saucepan and mash with the butter, cheese and milk until smooth. Press into the base and sides of the tart tin. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven.

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Slowly add the milk and stir until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir well.

4. Scatter the tart base evenly with the onions, zucchini and salmon. Pour over the sauce and top with grated cheese.

5. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese bubbles and browns and the salmon is cooked through. Allow to sit in the tin for 15 minutes, this will firm up the filling and make it much easier to slice. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The men in my extended family love gnawing on bones; lamb bones, beef bones and… turkey bones. This proves a problem when we all get together for the holidays because… turkeys only have two legs!

This year, I think I have solved the problem: roast four extra turkey drumsticks.

Why on earth haven’t I thought of this before?

Turkey is one of those festive meats that gets served annually and devoured with gusto. In Australia it’s a strange and uncomfortable time of year to be cooking and eating a large roast meal (unless, of course, you do so in a bikini!), but many of us still oblige.

If you are cooking turkey this year, and fancy making it a bit easier on yourself, then why not consider cooking several turkey drumsticks instead? Or perhaps in addition to the whole bird.

Turkey drumsticks, just like chicken drumsticks, are much more forgiving for both juiciness and tenderness. If you overcook them slightly you won’t bugger them up too much – and let’s face it, the legs are the most flavoursome part of the bird and they are quicker to cook: it is a win-win situation.

Another added bonus for the men-folk: “they look very Flintsone-ian”, which is a positive attribute (according to my hubby), so they’ll probably go down a treat with your man too. Let the bone-gnawing commence!

I made ours look a little prettier with a beautiful red organza ribbon tied in a bow, but I’m not overly crafty, you’ll probably come up with something more creative. If you do, I’d love to see a pic.

And lastly, just because you’re cooking drumsticks doesn’t mean you have to miss out on stuffing. Simply mix together my yummy mushroom and cranberry stuffing and bake in cupcake cases for an individual treat that’s nice and crispy. Don’t forget to drizzle with turkey pan juices for an extra burst of flavour!

What are you planning to cook for the holidays?

Christie x

Fig & Cherry received the turkey with compliments of Ingham and Beyond the Square. Thanks Jessica!

Truffle Salt ‘n Pepper Turkey Drumsticks

serves 8

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 turkey drumsticks
2 tablespoons truffle salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Using your hands, rub each turkey drumstick all over with olive oil. Place all the legs onto a large roasting tray in a single layer.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the turkey drumsticks, turning to coat, and patting any excess that falls off onto each one.

3. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes turning once at 30 minutes until fully cooked through. Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving with the stuffing cupcakes (recipe below).

Mushroom and Cranberry Stuffing Cupcakes

makes 10 small cupcakes

100g day-old bread (about 2 slices from a crusty loaf)
375ml water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
200g mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
50g craisins (dried cranberries)
120g firm mozarella cheese, grated
10 cupcake cases

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C and line a cupcake tin with cases. Tear the bread into small chunks and place in a large bowl. Pour over the water and mix, making sure all pieces of bread are submerged in the water. Set aside for 15-20 minutes until all the water has been absorbed.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the onion until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are wilted and soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Pour the mushroom and onion mixture into the bread and add the craisins and grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

4. Spoon evenly into cupcake cases and bake for 30 minutes. If serving with turkey drumsticks (recipe above) drizzle with pan juices for an extra burst of flavour.

I cannot believe I haven’t made these before, they are so easy to whip up!

Fish cakes are my favourite appetizer to order at Thai restaurants. I like them so much that I made and ate this whole batch by myself while hubby was working late. In my defence, that was all I had for dinner. I just couldn’t help myself.

But it’s only fish and veggies – which are healthy, right? Let’s just conveniently not mention all the oil they’re fried in. It will be our dirty little secret, OK?

When eaten as part of a balanced meal, or as a delicious canapé, these are sure to impress your guests. Simply make them an hour or so before your guests arrive and leave to keep warm in a low oven.

Alternatively, fry and eat them as you go like I did. Then go to the gym and run hard for 30 minutes and smile to yourself because it was worth it.

Christie x

Gingery fish cakes recipe

makes approximately 15 small fish cakes

2 garlic cloves
1/2 long red chilli
2 green onions (scallions)
15g root ginger (thumb-sized piece)
3 kaffir lime leaves, centre stem removed
200g white fish fillet, roughly chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
80g green beans, finely chopped
vegetable oil, for shallow frying
sweet chilli sauce, to serve

1. Place the garlic, chilli, onions, ginger and lime leaves into a food processor and blitz to a paste.

2. Add the fish and egg and pulse until combined. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Add the curry paste, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce and green beans and mix thoroughly (it’s best to use your hands).

4. Shape the mixture into small patties with damp hands* and then shallow fry in small batches for 2 minutes on each side. Enjoy immediately dribbled with sweet chilli sauce.

*If you are feeling fancy, use two spoons to shape the patties into pretty quenelles, and then shallow fry.

I’m naming this the ‘All-star breakfast’ because almost every ingredient is a famous gourmet brand. It features:

1. McLean’s Run Free Range Eggs
2. Pepe Saya Butter
3. Bourke St Bakery Personal Sourdough
4. My marinated mushrooms – OK, they’re not famous, but this blog kinda is :)

This dish turned a rainy weekend morning into quite a scrumptious affair and even baby Poppy gobbled up a portion, impressing me with her complex palate. The mushrooms were quite vinegary and covered in dill which is not something I would normally feed her, except she saw us eating it and wanted in on the action!

Once the mushrooms have been marinated, this takes only a few minutes from pan to plate, so even the most hung-over cook will easily whip it up. Just remember to pop the mushrooms into their marinade the night before and you’ll be livin’ on easy street.

Enjoy!

Christie x

Fig & Cherry received the eggs with compliments of McLean’s Run and One Green Bean (thanks Laura!) and the butter with compliments from Pepe Saya and Liquid Ideas (thanks Georgia!).

Marinated mushroom scrambled eggs recipe

serves 2

1 tablespoon butter
200g marinated mushrooms
4 eggs
splash of milk
salt and pepper
toasted sourdough, to serve

1. Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for 2-3 mins until lightly browned.

2. Whisk the eggs and milk together and season with salt and pepper. Pour into the pan and tilt the pan to coat. Drag the cooked egg from the edges to the centre until all the mixture is almost cooked to your liking. Take off the heat as it will continue to cook from residual heat.

3. Serve immediately on toasted sourdough that has been slathered with more butter.

They arrived in a beautiful brown cardboard box tied with a red ribbon. Baby Poppy helped me untie the ribbon and then I squealed with delight at its contents. Poppy stared at me blankly, a little freaked out by my sudden outburst.

“Lychee season is here!” I told her excitedly. “You’ve never tasted lychees, do you want to try one?”

I immediately peeled a lychee and popped a small segment into her mouth. She smiled and juice dribbled down her chin. Then she opened her mouth for more. It was love at first lychee.

As far as I’m concerned there are only two ways to enjoy lychees:

1. Straight up. Peeled and eaten immediately. (Slightly frozen are a close 1B).

and;

2. With booze. Preferably gin, or pureed into a martini, or with this granita.

When Poppy went to bed, hubby fixed us both a nice drink of gin and tonic with fresh lychee. Now that’s a great night in!

Christie x

Fig & Cherry received the lychees with compliments of Impact Communications. Thanks Cessie!

Mushrooms are not usually a vegetable associated with the Aussie festive season during Summer time. Which is a shame, because they are such a versatile ingredient.

I’m the first to admit that mushrooms are in their element when braised in Winter stews, stroganoff, pasta sauces and slathered in butter and garlic for a stick-to-your-ribs hearty breakfast on a chilly morning, but there is so much more to mushrooms.

Summer mushroom dishes are quick and easy to prepare and most importantly, they are light and healthy, which is what we are all looking for at this gluttonous time of year (or is that just me?). Dare to be a little bit different with mushrooms!

Mushrooms are absolutely wonderful marinated as they soak up flavours and moisture quicker than a sponge. Once marinated they keep for a few days in the fridge and can be used in a myriad of ways; in salads (as seen above), on antipasto boards, next to cheese on a toothpick or skewered and BBQ’d.

Speaking of BBQ’s, have you tried mushrooms on yours? If not, you are really missing out. The combination of the meaty texture and juiciness of mushrooms coupled with chargrilled edges is completely intoxicating. Seriously. Put it on your must-cook bucket list.

This year I am helping the Australian Mushroom Growers Association spread the word to Aussies about eating delicious mushrooms during Summer time. I’ve recruited some fantastic bloggers who are going to knock your socks off with inspiration for Mushroom Salads, Mushroom Festive Dishes and Mushroom BBQ dishes.

There will be so many recipes you’re not going to know how you ever got through Summer before without eating mushrooms! Stay tuned as I’ll be posting a monthly round up of links to all the participating bloggers and their yummy mushroom recipes.

I’m the first cab off the rank with this festive salad offering that would be right at home next to turkey, ham, pork or duck. It is also a great salad to take with you to a festive event or BBQ as the mushrooms can be marinated ahead of time and then the salad quickly assembled once you arrive.

So, go on, head out to your local green grocer to pick up some mushies for this salad. I’m sure you’ve got an event coming up it will be perfect for!

Christie x

This recipe content is proudly sponsored by the Australian Mushroom Growers Association who compensated me for creating the recipe as part of the Summer Mushrooms campaign. For more details check out their My Mushrooms blog.

Marinated mushroom, watercress & pomegranate salad recipe

serves 6-8 as a side dish

125ml olive oil
50ml white balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons fresh dill, leaves only, finely chopped
1 blood orange, sliced in half
400g button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1/2 fresh pomegranate
1 large bunch watercress, thick stems discarded

1. Place the oil, vinegar and dill into a large bowl. Squeeze one half of the blood orange into the bowl (reserve the other half for garnish), season with salt and pepper, and then whisk until combined.

2. Add the mushrooms to the marinade and stir until all the mushrooms are thoroughly coated. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight.

3. To easily remove the seeds from the pomegranate, slice it in half and hold it, cut-side down, over a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, hit the skin-side firmly several times. The seeds should fall into the bowl, ready for use. Set aside.

4. Wash the watercress, remove any tough stems and place into a mixing bowl. Drain the marinade from the mushrooms and pour over the watercress. Toss to coat and then arrange on a serving platter, leaving any excess marinade behind.

5. Arrange the mushrooms on top of the watercress and garnish with pomegranate seeds and slices of blood orange.

Last week I attended an event on ‘The Island‘, Sydney Harbour to celebrate Maille mustard retailing in Australia for 30 years (which seems like a long time, however, the company was established in France in 1747, so the brand is actually older than Australia has been a colonised country!).

There was plenty of food to complement the mustard such as smoked salmon, potato salad, crumbed veal and a sausage sizzle cooked by Hayden (of Masterchef fame) but the most surprising and outstanding dish of the day was definitely the chocolate lava cake with a mustard and honey centre.

Who would have thought mustard and chocolate would work? Not me! When I got back to the office I tweeted and facebook-ed about the cake and had an overwhelming response. Some were curious about the taste, others the cooking technique and some were just straight up bold enough to demand the recipe!

Well, I’m happy to report that I have received permission to print it. Full instructions at the end of this post.

One last thing about the day that I am very chuffed about is a special pot of mustard I received in my goodie bag – you can see it there in the picture above – the little ceramic pot in the bottom left hand corner. It’s an exclusive Dijon mustard made with chablis wine and absolutely no preservatives.

This special mustard is only available in Maille boutiques in Paris and Dijon and was flown into Sydney especially for the 30th anniversary event. So now you know why I am so pleased to have it in my hot little hands… and it will only be good for three months, so expect a few mustard recipes appearing on here shortly. Until then, give this unusual dessert a try, I’m sure you will love it.

Christie x

Photographs taken by Esteban La Tessa, courtesy of 360 Focus. Thanks also to Gail and Kathee for organising a great event!

Dark chocolate lava cake with a molten Maille Dijon mustard and honey centre

serves 8

250g 70% cocoa dark chocolate
180g butter
20g rice flour
20g cocoa powder
8 egg yolks
8 egg whites
120g sugar

Molten centre
50g Maille Dijon mustard
50g honey
100ml cream

1. First, make the molten centres. Mix together the cream, mustard and honey in a small bowl. Fill an ice cube tray with the mixture and place into the freezer until completely frozen.

2. Next, make the cakes. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (heat proof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water – make sure the bowl never touches the water or the mixture will seize). Whisk the egg yolks with the rice flour and cocoa until well combined. Pour in the melted butter and chocolate and stir gently.

3. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks, then gradually add the sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks. This is best done with a stand or hand held mixer. Carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate mix trying to retain as much air as possible.

4. Line eight small ramekins (8cm x 2cm) with baking paper and thoroughly butter the insides. Divide chocolate mixture evenly between them and then push a mustard and honey ice cube into the centre of each one. Make sure the chocolate mix completely covers the ice cubes.

5. Bake on the centre shelf for 7 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes before carefully removing the cakes. Enjoy!

It started with a request from my brother-in-law to teach him how to make pulled pork and ended with me vowing never to buy bottled BBQ sauce ever again! It was quite a day in the kitchen, I can tell you.

And when I say day, I mean it, because the luscious shredded meat on this burger takes around 5 hours to get that way. 5 long hours while the house smells absolutely scrumptious. It’s excruciating, but then oh-so-worth-it. Just ask my BIL and hubby – they ate two burgers each and then sat back rubbing their tummies with a big smile on their face while I tried to photograph one.

I find it quite annoying that it’s difficult to photograph a burger prettily. In fact, it’s quite hard to eat a burger and remain pretty, so that actually makes it quite apt. But I digress…

Who knew there were so many different types of pulled pork? A little bit of Google research revealed a myriad of recipes using wet marinades, dry rubs, overnight brines, mixed with BBQ sauce, not mixed – the list goes on. Plus, there are different styles in different regions: Texas, South Carolina, Memphis and more. What was a girl to do?

Well, there was only one thing to do – bastardise them all into one. I decided to go down the dry rub route (hang on, that didn’t come out right!?!) and then used about 10 different recipes to come up with this spice combination. I basically just picked all the spices I thought would work and then crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. Very scientific (and a little bit crazy, seeing as I had never made it before).

Three tablespoons of salt sounded like too much, so I used the same amount of super chunky rock salt instead, and let some of it fall off during cooking. That worked a treat, FYI.

I used the same scientific method for finding a good BBQ sauce recipe.

I wasn’t even going to do this to begin with because it seemed like too much effort, but boy am I glad I did! Do you know how fantastic homemade BBQ sauce tastes? Make my recipe and you will find out. Then, like me, you will never buy it in a bottle again. It’s so easy and a billion times better than anything at the supermarket. Did I mention how great it is? OK, I will shut up now.

Here’s a little an insight into my brain (pictured above).

It is the cheat sheet I created for myself to use in the kitchen. It’s also a shopping list. The ingredients with an * next to them mean I need to buy them. The handwriting is shocking as I excitedly scribbled down my thoughts with my hand going just that little bit slower than my brain. Don’t you hate that feeling?

If you think the paper looks a bit crinkled, then good observation. Poppy got her little hands on it and gave it a good scrunch. I’m just glad she didn’t drool and smudge it because it was my only copy. Hence why I took a quick photo of it – to baby-proof it. Thank goodness for the 21st Century.

Have you tried pulled pork before? What about homemade BBQ sauce?

Christie x

Pulled pork recipe

serves 6

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons salt (rock or ground, your choice)
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons chilli powder
2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon ground star anise
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5kg pork shoulder

To serve
Soft burger buns
Coleslaw or salad

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/390F. Place all the spices in a large mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.

2. Rub the vegetable oil all over the pork shoulder then massage with the spice mix, pressing as much on as possible.

3. Place on a rack in a roasting tray, fat side up, and pour 500ml (2 cups) of water into the tray. Cover tightly with foil and cook at 200C/390F for 30 mins.

4. Turn the heat down to 150C/300F and cook for 4.5 hours or until the meat flakes easily. Check on it every 45 mins and top up the water as necessary.

5. Remove the layer of fat in one piece and discard. Use two forks to shred the pork then mix with some BBQ sauce (recipe below) and serve on soft buns with coleslaw.

Home made BBQ sauce recipe

makes about 1 cup

250ml (1 cup) cold tap water
250ml (1 cup) tomato sauce (you can use ketchup, passata or tomato puree)
145g (1 cup) brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses

1. Place all ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 5 mins until thickened slightly.

Hands up who loves Tupperware? My hand is up. All the way up.

I am one of those freaks that needs to have everything in a container. My pantry is neatly stacked with everything decanted. My husbands ‘lunch box’ is a series of different containers filled with treats.

My fridge has all leftovers placed into individual containers: nuts are stacked on one shelf and half-cans of beans, beetroot and olives decanted and stacked on another shelf. Even cheese is taken out of its nasty plastic wrap and placed inside a container, sometimes wrapped in greaseproof paper, if necessary. Yes, I’m pedantic.

What can I say? I like keeping food fresh and I hate throwing things away because they go bad in the back of the fridge. Hate it. Therefore Tupperware (and other storage ranges) are my friends. Best friends.

I used to love going to Tupperware parties with my Mum when I was little. They were terribly exciting – the way the hostess would demonstrate everything and serve party food like dips, cocktail onions on a stick and other 80s culinary delights (Jatz and cheese, anyone?).

I remember excitedly helping my Mum fill out the order form and then going home after the party a little sad with nothing to show for it. Back in those days you had to wait, what seemed like ages, for your parcel to arrive with all the goodies.

These days, thanks to this blog, I am lucky to be sent products to review (so I get parcels with goodies all the time!) and I could not be happier when this new Ultra Pro Tupperware range arrived at my office. These little beauties can be used as a casserole dish in the oven and then popped into the freezer for reheating another day. Very clever and very convenient! Especially for busy Mums.

The design is also very modern (not 70s brown!) and the rounded handles make it easy to lift in and out of the oven and freezer. Let’s not forget the best part – less washing up! Plus (and this is a BIG plus), it’s easy for hubby to grab out of the freezer and place in the oven for dinner. Perfect for lazy Sunday evenings or mid-week exhaustion nights when baby Poppy has been very active.

If you have just celebrated Halloween and have a fair amount of pumpkin leftover, this could be just the dish for dinner tonight. Happy cooking!

Christie x

Fig & Cherry received the Tupperware Ultra Pro range with compliments from Tupperware Australia and Undertow Media.

Ginger chicken and pumpkin casserole recipe

serves 4

This recipe uses the Tupperware Ultra Pro range, but you can just as easily use a regular casserole dish with a lid.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 brown onion, sliced into half moons
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 x thumb-sized pieces of ginger root, peeled and coarsely grated
500g chicken thigh fillets, diced
500g pumpkin (whole weight with skin still on)
250ml chicken stock, hot
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
pinch of ground white pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/390F. Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large frying pan and add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring often until starting to brown around the edges. Add the mixture to the casserole dish.

2. Heat another tablespoon of oil in the frying pan and add the diced chicken. Brown on all sides for 5 minutes and add to the casserole dish.

3. Peel, de-seed and dice the pumpkin into bite-sized chunks. Add to the casserole dish along with the stock, soy sauce, mirin, sesame seeds and white pepper. Stir well, then cover with the lid and place on the middle shelf in the oven.

4. Bake for 30-40 mins until the chicken is cooked through, the pumpkin is tender and the sauce is slightly reduced. It will be a thin, soup-y sauce. Serve with steamed rice or noodles.