tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91685067259188382312024-03-22T02:31:03.886+11:00Steph's KitchenRecipes and ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between - all cooked from a normal kitchen by a girl who just loves cooking!Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-24002182914080733022016-04-07T13:42:00.000+10:002016-04-07T13:42:59.401+10:00Mozzarella stuffed meatballs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQ3-wte961sKYHE2TaGKj0QCM_Cdk3Vt_XinMrg9eBjzXgrionlerCSBILBd0uxMKR24f8qdb_bmBucKoZ1at1J22yzyL-JH83oOJXvxRG2rtSZzbQ4Lm9oS1vRz3IvPjW_UafxbH-n1A/s1600/Mozzarella-stuffed-meatballs-Stephs-Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mozzarella stuffed meatballs" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQ3-wte961sKYHE2TaGKj0QCM_Cdk3Vt_XinMrg9eBjzXgrionlerCSBILBd0uxMKR24f8qdb_bmBucKoZ1at1J22yzyL-JH83oOJXvxRG2rtSZzbQ4Lm9oS1vRz3IvPjW_UafxbH-n1A/s400/Mozzarella-stuffed-meatballs-Stephs-Kitchen.jpg" title="Mozzarella stuffed meatballs - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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Firstly, apologies about the delay with this post. Life has been a little crazy, with more downs than ups lately, but one thing has kept me going ... Food! I don't know about you, but to me food is all about comfort and feeling like you are getting a big warm hug.<br />
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One of my favourite comfort foods is pasta. I know carbs are evil (yada, yada, yada), but I love them and I'd rather be happy than hungry. Over the years I've made many different types of meatballs <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">–</span> sometimes with a simple tomato sauce, sometimes baked, sometimes fried. I also love stuffing them with cheese from time to time. </div>
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Today I want to share my mozzarella stuffed meatballs, with gooey cheese in the middle and a yummy tomato sauce with semi-dried tomatoes. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIYbRINbH9ixfYa6u8otYiPRm14DGAVzBXZSp_8liPFq5dnNKcNZ-9_nAcmCoiSjumvKzemBJq4wL-mw1f-y0bjX2ZOggvXNwhIMTWCo9P7TRUrQPwp9Od_KM1x9Stofz7tLwpeftKkAY/s1600/Meatballs-cooking-Steph%2527s-Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Meatballs cooking" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIYbRINbH9ixfYa6u8otYiPRm14DGAVzBXZSp_8liPFq5dnNKcNZ-9_nAcmCoiSjumvKzemBJq4wL-mw1f-y0bjX2ZOggvXNwhIMTWCo9P7TRUrQPwp9Od_KM1x9Stofz7tLwpeftKkAY/s400/Meatballs-cooking-Steph%2527s-Kitchen.jpg" title="Meatballs cooking - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Mozzarella stuffed meatballs</b></h3>
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<i>Makes 10 large meatballs</i><br />
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500g beef mince</div>
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10 cubes of mozzarella or cheddar cheese</div>
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1/4 onion, diced</div>
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2 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">1 tsp dried oregano</span></div>
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1 tsp dried basil</div>
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1/2 cup breadcrumbs</div>
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1 egg, lightly beaten</div>
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1 can of tomato condensed soup (420g)</div>
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1 can of crushed tomatoes (approx. 410g)<br />
2 Tbsp tomato paste</div>
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1/2 can of water*</div>
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100g semi-dried tomatoes (optional)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLzFuNhXlfjCUyUHBLKoAgP-gRlSharS9kuos4JkpmdoIDEsUXGhxJZ6BxZAvprM45U2mMUIvpvX3al0EedDhV3H79bFEQ9Ezy2Md3PSIkDIorgHg5VgK2lnEFQ-QD0dtN-DJQtEw1WNH/s1600/Mozzarella-meatball-Stephs-Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLzFuNhXlfjCUyUHBLKoAgP-gRlSharS9kuos4JkpmdoIDEsUXGhxJZ6BxZAvprM45U2mMUIvpvX3al0EedDhV3H79bFEQ9Ezy2Md3PSIkDIorgHg5VgK2lnEFQ-QD0dtN-DJQtEw1WNH/s1600/Mozzarella-meatball-Stephs-Kitchen.jpg" /></a>1. Add the mince, onion, oregano, egg and breadcrumbs into a large bowl along with some salt and pepper and two dessertspoons of crushed tomatoes. <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Combine the ingredients using a fork or your hands until everything is mixed through well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">2. Divide the mince into ten portions and place on a chopping board. Take a portion of the meat and flatten into an rough circle shape. Place a piece of cheese into the middle of the meat and pinch in the sides to cover the cheese. Roll the mince in your hands to form a rounded meatball. Continue with the rest of the meat portions until you have ten meatballs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">3. In a large frying pan (with a lid), brown the meatballs in a little bit of oil until each side has a little colour. This is to simply make sure the meatballs keep their shape and have a little bit of colour on the plate. Remove meatballs from the pan and set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">4. In the same pan, add the tomato soup, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, garlic and basil. Cook over a medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Stir through the semi-dried tomatoes and return the meatballs to the pan, covering each one with a little bit of sauce.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">5. Bring the sauce to the boil before adding on the pan's lid and turning the sauce down to a simmer. Simmer the meatballs and sauce for 40 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">6. Remove the meatballs from the sauce and mix in your favourite cooked pasta or spaghetti (I often use large shells or penne). If you feel the sauce isn't thick enough, allow the sauce to simmer for 5-10 minutes (uncovered) before adding in the pasta.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">To serve, simply add the meatballs back on top of the pasta and top with a good amount of Parmesan cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">You can also add salami chunks to the sauce. Simply add it in with the semi-dried tomatoes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span><br />
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* Take the empty can from the tomatoes or soup and fill it half way with water. I often do this instead of measuring out the additional liquid and then trying to work out what the ratio is to the liquid from the can.</div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-82766978056213116522015-10-24T11:52:00.000+11:002015-10-24T12:09:54.426+11:00Steph's vegetarian breakfast: Buttery thyme mushrooms with poached eggs and creamy goats cheese<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRr7zjas8AJi-1dSM3MbjhfDzJ3kyRgM5GP0LdeUI3o2k_V1ga_ILuG5BTK02FhDLh2o63ME7XeBC0DlxEMfXvFPS7o4V8vQpvWKIHiR5pRbx6WwuGBxZyZHUNw3OaSpD1oVQg6MJyShKx/s1600/poached-eggs-mushrooms-feta-stephskitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Poached egg, buttery mushrooms and feta - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRr7zjas8AJi-1dSM3MbjhfDzJ3kyRgM5GP0LdeUI3o2k_V1ga_ILuG5BTK02FhDLh2o63ME7XeBC0DlxEMfXvFPS7o4V8vQpvWKIHiR5pRbx6WwuGBxZyZHUNw3OaSpD1oVQg6MJyShKx/s400/poached-eggs-mushrooms-feta-stephskitchen.jpg" title="Poached eggs, buttery mushrooms and feta - Steph's Kitchen" width="331" /></a></div>
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Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. As much as I love bacon, sometimes I just crave a vegetarian breakfast. <br />
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How could vegetarian be good over bacon, you might ask? Well, if you love buttery mushrooms, creamy goats cheese or feta and poached eggs, you will LOVE this breakfast as much as I do.<br />
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Buttery thyme mushrooms with poached eggs and creamy goats cheese</h3>
<em>Serves 1</em><br />
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2 eggs<br />
50g butter<br />
Fresh or dried thyme leaves<br />
2 - 3 mushrooms (I use cup mushrooms. If you use a different kind, you want about a small handful)<br />
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Meredith Dairy goat cheese (marinated in olive oil, garlic and thyme) or full cream danish feta (marinated or plain) - either choice is delicious!</div>
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Garlic chives or spring onions</div>
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1. Slice the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a small pan (with a tiny bit of olive oil to stop the butter from burning), adding the thyme leaves and mushrooms. Turn the pan to a low heat, turning the mushrooms regularly. Once golden and your mushrooms are soft, they are ready. So keep an eye on them as you work through the next steps.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">2. Fill a small pot three-quarters full of water, adding in about 1 tsp of white vinegar. Put the pot over a high heat, bringing it to the boil. Once boiling, turn down to a low heat.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">3. Using a spoon or knife, mix the water in the pot until it creates a small "spin". Crack your eggs into the water while it's still moving. Poach the eggs to your liking. I usually wait until the eggs have turned white and the edges of the egg are no longer whispy. You want the egg to be soft and springy. If the edges are too firm, your centre will be as well.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">4. On a piece of thick butter toast (sour dough or rye is amazing for this), place your eggs, followed by the mushrooms (with any left over butter from the pan). Top with crumbled goats cheese or feta and some garlic chives or spring onion.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Side note: This dish is also amazing with a little bit of pesto (not too much though! Just a little drizzle in places or it will overtake all the other flavours)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b>Steph xoxo</b></span></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-9093296504218808072015-09-25T19:27:00.000+10:002015-09-25T19:29:19.029+10:00Cafe-style breakfasts at home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We all love going out and enjoying a good breakfast on the weekend. However, how many of us really want to change out of our slippers and put on "presentable" clothes for breakfast every Saturday and Sunday?<br />
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Here's some of my favourite breakfasts that will have you enjoying cafe-style breakfast while still in your PJs (you're welcome!)<br />
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/pb-and-j-pancakes.html" target="_blank">PB and J pancakes</a></h3>
We all love peanut butter and jam on toast (it can't just be me?!). So why not enjoy that gooey-sweet goodness on a pancake! And no, I don't just mean spread it on top. This recipe takes it to another level! Peanut butter pancakes with an easy strawberry sauce.<br />
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If pancakes are on your mind but you're not in a PB and J mood, check out my article <a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/four-easy-ways-to-jazz-up-simple-pancake.html" target="_blank">"Four easy ways to jazz up the simple pancake"</a> for other ideas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLC_KSi6gDILoRW8Uqes93yl3yfJhCKGumLqw9O5EfxnzyQwchSuqOSrBEwLS3diJlmqCuvdFGypZAnooy7GXdJA6qkpmibOWAdBFFXpuGR59VurfMpxTDhsGjYcdrIjhYjz4amyli_XK/s1600/two-egg-omelette.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLC_KSi6gDILoRW8Uqes93yl3yfJhCKGumLqw9O5EfxnzyQwchSuqOSrBEwLS3diJlmqCuvdFGypZAnooy7GXdJA6qkpmibOWAdBFFXpuGR59VurfMpxTDhsGjYcdrIjhYjz4amyli_XK/s400/two-egg-omelette.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/two-egg-omelette.html" target="_blank">Two egg omelette (dairy-free)</a></h3>
If you think all omelettes are heavy and mostly cream, I urge you to try this two egg omelette recipe from my Grandma. It is super fluffy and turns out perfect every time. Make it your own by adding whatever ingredients you fancy. If you are lost for ideas in the morning fog that is your head around breakfast, here's some that I like:<br />
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<li>Grilled red onion (diced and fried until they are golden) and cheddar cheese - the more mature the better!</li>
<li>Ham, cheese and pineapple (yes, pineapple ... try it before you say no!)</li>
<li>Bacon, fetta and chives.</li>
<li>Three cheese: Cheddar, parmesan and fetta.</li>
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/the-ultimate-breakfast-wrap.html" target="_blank">The ultimate breakfast wrap</a></h3>
Trust me, it's not as complicated as it sounds. Grab some wraps, fry up some bacon, sausages and eggs, and add these yummy <a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/homemade-hash-browns.html" target="_blank">home-made hash browns</a>. Top it all with some BBQ sauce or tomato relish and you are good to go. It's the addition of the hash browns that make it amazing.<br />
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/cheesy-french-toast-with-cheats-tomato.html" target="_blank">Cheesy french toast with cheats tomato relish</a></h3>
This is a regular in our house, with Mr Steph requesting it at least every second week. The french toast is topped with cheese while cooking, and the tomato relish is the laziest relish you'll ever find.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span></div>
Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-69923754954333579342015-08-30T12:04:00.000+10:002015-08-30T15:06:44.287+10:00Mini apple and cinnamon turnovers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Apple turnovers are something I've always loved. They're what I pick at a bakery, and something I love to make at home!<br>
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Usually turnovers a quite large and you end up needing to cut them in half. Well, that's what I always end up doing! These mini turnovers are the perfect size for one person. And conveniently, you can make four mini turnovers from a sheet of puff pastry.<br>
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Once cooked you can let them cool and pipe in some sweetened wiped cream. I like to have mine hot with ice cream or cream for dessert.<br>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Mini apple and cinnamon turnovers</h3>
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<em>Makes 8 mini turnovers</em></div>
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2 large apples (I use granny smith apples)<br>
2 Tbsp brown sugar<br>
1 tsp cinnamon<br>
2 sheets of puff pastry<br>
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1. Pre heat oven to 180 C / 350 F<br>
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2. Peel and core apples, cutting them into small cubes. Put apples in a small saucepan with a 1/2 tablespoon of water, and cook over medium heat (with the lid on) for 5 - 10 mins until the apple is soft.<br>
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3. Add sugar and cinnamon to apples and stir through. Put aside to cool slightly.<br>
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4. Cut the puff pastry sheets diagonally to create four small triangles. Spoon heaped dessertspoons of the apple mixture into half of each triangle (careful not to add in too much of the liquid from the apples).<br>
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5. Fill a small cup with water. Dip one of your fingers into the water and run it around the edge of the triangle. Fold the non-apple side of the pastry over the apples, pressing both sides of the pastry together. Take a fork and press it around the edges of the pastry to seal the turnover. Continue until all eight turnovers are sealed.<br>
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6. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the turnovers on the paper and brush each one with a little bit of water or milk.<br>
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7. Bake in the overn for 25 mins or until they are golden all over.<br>
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8. Serve hot with cream or icecream, or let them cool, cutting the turnovers open on one side and pipping with sweetened wiped cream.<br>
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Enjoy!<br>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Steph xo</strong></span><br>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-38343177848022698382015-07-12T16:08:00.000+10:002015-07-12T16:30:23.811+10:00360 views and a night to remember<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On a recent trip to Sydney, I left Mr Steph in charge of organising a nice dinner out. I was delighted to find out he booked dinner at <a href="http://www.360dining.com.au/" target="_blank">360 Bar and Dining</a> in Sydney Tower.<br />
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I have to admit, this was the fanciest dinner I have ever eaten. It was like eating a Masterchef dish - micro-herbs and all! It was so relaxing sitting and looking over the city, slowly moving around 360 degrees until you could see all corners. We were also lucky enough to see fire works going off in the harbour as it was 4th July.</div>
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The presentation of the dishes were a work of art; pieces placed in delicate order on the plate to create the chef's masterpiece. Luckily, it wasn't just the presentation that was amazing. The food was absolutely beautiful, and we enjoyed every mouthful.</div>
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I had a lovely winter duck dish, with purple carrots, sauted mushrooms, walnuts and sweet potato balls. There was this beautiful sauce with it that I still can't quite work out. Mr Steph had the best steak he's ever had, with an amazing rich and velvet red wine jus.</div>
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Dessert was another Masterchef moment. A dark chocolate tart, with buttery, short pastry, caramel popcorn icecream and homemade honeycombe. My deconstructed rhubarb crumble was equally amazing, with rhubarb icecream, rhubarb jelly, stewed rhubarb, and a buttery crumble.<br />
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It was a great night out, however definitely something for a special occasion. The two courses we had were $85 per person, and it's this price regardless of if you choose a entree and main or main and dessert. You can still enjoy the views for a $20 ticket or spending $20 in the 360 Bar - which is easy with most cocktails around the $19 mark.<br />
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Overall, a great night out and one I will always remember. Just not one I can afford every week!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-51671340733814998922015-06-21T14:14:00.000+10:002015-06-21T14:14:39.181+10:00Dinner sausage rolls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimw1YU8ZHH14PMnKnIL28amFvcAD-NBqfAsf2GGvJL8lGJWY-RrnzJ9wUE4x2XhkJRO7F2WB87U6RYDiDiP-GHhusxvC9vQHUxUF2KSwnvLAHI0GgywFb7vB891Ypj0b9PJMBqHAM2fCtq/s640/blogger-image--1187776231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dinner sized sausage rolls - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimw1YU8ZHH14PMnKnIL28amFvcAD-NBqfAsf2GGvJL8lGJWY-RrnzJ9wUE4x2XhkJRO7F2WB87U6RYDiDiP-GHhusxvC9vQHUxUF2KSwnvLAHI0GgywFb7vB891Ypj0b9PJMBqHAM2fCtq/s400/blogger-image--1187776231.jpg" title="Dinner sized sausage rolls - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></b></div>
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No matter how old you are, sausage rolls are always enjoyable. Well, good ones anyway! What makes a good sausage roll is the filling. These sausage rolls are made with your everyday beef mince, not fatty sausage meat, and uses lots of yummy additions to add great flavour. </div>
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My favourite addition is fruit chutney. I use a great homemade mango chutney my Mum makes, but I use a good quality store bought chutney when I'm out - which works just as well. </div>
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I serve these large sausage rolls for dinner, with the normal sides of mash and vege or salad. This makes them a great recipe to have up your sleeve when you have beef mince to use up. </div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Dinner sausage rolls</b></h3>
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<i>Makes 4 large sausage rolls / 6 medium sausage rolls</i><br />
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500g beef mince</div>
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1 egg, whisked</div>
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2 Tbsp your choice of fruit chutney (my favourite is mango)</div>
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1/2 brown onion, grated</div>
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1/2 medium carrot, finely grated (using the small grater side of your cheese grater)</div>
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1 tsp/1 clove minced garlic</div>
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1/2 cup bread crumbs</div>
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salt and pepper to season</div>
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2 sheets frozen puff pastry</div>
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1. Pre-heat oven to 180 C / 350 F. Grab your puff pastry sheets out of the freezer and leave on the bench to defrost. If you live in a warm climate, be careful not too leave your pastry out too long or it will be hard to use. If it's a really hot day it may be better to grab it out after you've done your filling. </div>
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2. Add all filling ingredients into a large bowl. Using your hands or a large spoon, mix until well combined and the mince no longer looks grainy but more like sausage mince (usually a couple of minutes). The more combined the mince is the better your sausage rolls will taste.</div>
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3. Divide the filling into two and add into the middle of each pastry sheet, shaping into a long log shape about the width of your thumb.</div>
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4. Fold one side of the pastry over the filling, brush with a little bit of water and then fold over the other side. Flip over the large sausage rolls so the "fold" is on the bottom. Cut into two or three large sausage rolls, depending how big you'd like your sausage rolls to be. You can also cut them into six if you'd like to use them for nibbles.</div>
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5. Add sausage rolls to a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush each sausage roll with water and bake in the oven for 35 - 45 mins until golden brown.</div>
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Enjoy</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Steph xo</span></b></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-86806165996321691782015-05-21T19:45:00.000+10:002015-05-21T20:38:28.316+10:00How to cook "wood-fired" pizza at home using your every day oven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I don't know about you, but I LOVE pizza. It's not the cheese or the toppings that gets me hooked. I love the combination of them with a great pizza base. Without a good pizza base, the pizza is really average (let's be honest).<br />
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Wood-fired pizzas is one of my favourite things to eat out. It's that crusty, thin but soft base that gets me every time.</div>
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Well, guess what? I have finally worked out a way to get this wood-fired type of base at home, using my everyday, run-of-the-mill, oven! </div>
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/tandoori-chicken-pizza.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Tandoori pizza" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheN9NvvexoWG4d8baZRZXAM8MdnZDC99ppVsC1kFGTVfs5K0mHNmHwPMbMhGjjLrfj45CoSXdpywTZ6VCVnNzCRMDks42jyxzUKdNfTSxqEXdj9XVe1fvILZsGaLRisiP0vFqy58DxI8Om/s400/Tandoori-pizza-ready-for-the-oven-Stephs-Kitchen.jpg" title="Tandoori pizza - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
5 simple steps to make a "wood-fired" pizza at home</h3>
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<b>Step 1: </b>Pre-heat your oven to 180 C / 350 F and place your empty pizza tray in the oven to heat up.</div>
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<b>Step 2: </b>Roll out a large rectangle of non-stick baking paper, big enough for your pizza with at least a 3 cm hang on each long side. Roll out your <a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/basic-pizza-dough.html" target="_blank">pizza dough</a> onto the baking paper, creating a thin base.</div>
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<b>Step 3: </b>Top the base with your pizza sauce, sprinkle a little cheese on the bottom followed by your toppings. The secret here is DON'T GO OVERBOARD! The less you put on of each topping the better. Then top with a little more cheese. </div>
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<b>Step 4: </b>Remove your pizza tray from the oven. Carefully lift your pizza base using the over-hang of the baking paper onto the tray. Bake in the oven for 10 mins, until your cheese is melted but not yet brown.</div>
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<b>Step 5: </b>Pull out the pizza and remove the baking paper, sliding the pizza straight onto the pizza tray. Cook for a further 10 mins until the cheese is golden and the edges of your pizza has some colour.</div>
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Enjoy! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-40550713807521806132015-03-21T19:24:00.000+11:002015-03-21T19:24:38.931+11:00Glazed meatloaf<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Funny enough, even though I came from a more English cooking background, I didn't grow up with meatloaf on the menu. I always thought it was just a boring slab of meat with no flavour. And to be honest I continued to think this until I stumbled across a glazed meatloaf in a cooking magazine.<br />
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Inspired at how amazing it looked, I started playing around with my own recipe. Over time it has adapted into a more Asian inspired glazed meatloaf, using kechup manis for the sticky part of the glaze along with a little bit of chilli powder for a little bit of a heat (don't worry, it's not much!).<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Glazed meatloaf</h3>
<i>Serves 6</i><br />
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1 kg beef mince<br />
2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)<br />
1 egg, lightly whisked<br />
1 cup breadcrumbs<br />
1 Tbsp kechup manis<br />
2 tsp chopped parsley<br />
1 large carrot, peeled and grated<br />
1 large onion, peeled and grated<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Glaze</h4>
2 Tbsp kechup manis<br />
1 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)<br />
1 Tbsp water<br />
2 tsp soy sauce<br />
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder / cayenne pepper / paprika<br />
2 tsp white vinegar<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6_fLro1QCD_W_RWfZw5iZCXiVvdLhNxsP8pOpPa6AE_-E77cSuyNqSCzYaW6vBmtMyklHSoVUyGR25_ZBNZgQ94aQNg3GPMKAH-HwgH0c1azsW01Nz3IFDuxK5i3deGRiTiUcFLYvBhC/s1600/Meatloaf-mix-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6_fLro1QCD_W_RWfZw5iZCXiVvdLhNxsP8pOpPa6AE_-E77cSuyNqSCzYaW6vBmtMyklHSoVUyGR25_ZBNZgQ94aQNg3GPMKAH-HwgH0c1azsW01Nz3IFDuxK5i3deGRiTiUcFLYvBhC/s1600/Meatloaf-mix-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="200" title="Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl - Steph's Kitchen" width="150" /></a>1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 C / 350 F<br />
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2. Add all your meatloaf ingredients into a large bowl. Using your hands, combine all the ingredients and roughly mix the meat until the mince becomes a little smooth instead of it's "wormy" look you started with. Doing this uses the fat in the mince as an extra binding ingredient and the meatloaf won't be as grainy once cooked.<br />
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3. On a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, shape the meat into a long log - around 30cm in length.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8VRqPn71BGAWwoBMAOzJW1ml2hjeUKQYXSwGq4ykeyw_H2e_9BwXSQzTvUEPyL8kVMhUWHJjhucXa5P64JFANfPIQLJb-n36VPt5uoikQBfuaGZaaV6sME3Ud20NsITMPcMWJ12DzmtX/s1600/Meatloaf-ready-for-the-oven-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Meatloaf ready for the oven - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8VRqPn71BGAWwoBMAOzJW1ml2hjeUKQYXSwGq4ykeyw_H2e_9BwXSQzTvUEPyL8kVMhUWHJjhucXa5P64JFANfPIQLJb-n36VPt5uoikQBfuaGZaaV6sME3Ud20NsITMPcMWJ12DzmtX/s1600/Meatloaf-ready-for-the-oven-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="200" title="Meatloaf ready for the oven - Steph's Kitchen" width="150" /></a>4. Combine all the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle two teaspoons over your meatloaf.<br />
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5. Pop the meatloaf into the oven for 25 minutes before added half of the left over glaze. I use a teaspoon measurement and drizzle it over the top and sides to ensure I get as much of the meatloaf as possible.<br />
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6. Cook for a further 15 minutes and add the remainder of the glaze in the same way. Then, cook for a final 10 minutes until the glaze is nice and sticky on top.<br />
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7. Serve with your choice of side (we love salad and chunky mash!). We like to drizzle a little bit of the glaze from in the tray over the top before serving, but you don't have to.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Steph xo</span></b><br />
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-48333358781403139892015-02-15T14:47:00.000+11:002015-05-25T12:41:06.737+10:00Beef and onion fried dumplings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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With Chinese new year fast approaching, I want to share with you a Friday night favourite in our house: Fried beef and onion dumplings.<br />
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I didn't try dumplings until I moved to Melbourne, where Mr Steph soon introduced me to a little place we have no idea the name of in China town. It is simply known as "the dumpling place with the red door". This is no joke. We honestly walk down the alleyway looking for the red door we know and love!<br />
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Every now and then we'd be at home and would have a hankering for dumplings but we didn't want to drive into the city to have them. The area we've recently moved to is great, but not so great for Asian cuisine. It's all just Indian and Italian. We did find one place a suburb over which was OK, however it just wasn't the same.<br />
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I started off with an Indonesian dumpling recipe, carting one of my work friends off with me into an Asian grocer to help me find the ingredients and make sure I was translating the recipe correctly. I soon became a little more brave and started visiting on my own, hoping I was picking the right things off the shelves. <br />
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Over time I created my own dumpling recipe. This recipe uses your everyday beef mince - so don't stress about having to mince your own. It also uses ingredients that you can find in most supermarkets. However, I would check out your local Asian grocer as they have a much wider range to choose from. I use gyoza dumpling wrappers as I found they work much better than wonton wrappers. But if you have the nack for them, you can simply use wonton wrappers instead. I haven't found a grocery store that sells gyoza dumpling wrappers yet, so you may have to visit the Asian grocer for it.<br />
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Now, a bit of a disclaimer to start with. These are by no means traditional, so if you have a traditional or family recipe I'm apologising a head of time. <br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Beef and onion fried dumplings</h3>
<em>Serves 4 (approx. 35 dumplings)</em><br />
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Gyoza dumpling wrappers<br />
500g beef mince<br />
1 heaped Tbsp minced garlic<br />
2 tsp oyster sauce<br />
2 tsp kecap manis<br />
1 tsp soy sauce<br />
2 tsp sesame oil<br />
1/2 onion, finely diced and fried until golden brown.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
1. Add all your ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix the mixture for a couple of minutes until well combined. The reason I mix for so long - and with my hands - is that it starts to bring out the fat in the mince, creating more like a sausage mince than mince. This gives the dumpling a smoother texture, and ensures it won't be too "mincy" and turn out more like a rissole. The longer you can work the mince the better. You are looking for a smooth, sausage meat looking mixture.</div>
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2. Now onto putting the dumplings together. I've had a look a several YouTube videos for this, but I couldn't work out what they were doing. Anyway, this is my imperfect (most likely lazy) way of doing it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eSPlC7HSV1MOL2TD645nxck6F_baPPzmMpnZtD5zA2o33LTrkfD_a3SOIuKZ8_jrxthyt2JVBBE6k9BybKoCQshzpnjZPDTrNVduv_WzruytfLnMJIWxWGWKCe6v3G93_vB8biQjth6Q/s1600/how-to-dumplings-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to make your dumplings - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eSPlC7HSV1MOL2TD645nxck6F_baPPzmMpnZtD5zA2o33LTrkfD_a3SOIuKZ8_jrxthyt2JVBBE6k9BybKoCQshzpnjZPDTrNVduv_WzruytfLnMJIWxWGWKCe6v3G93_vB8biQjth6Q/s1600/how-to-dumplings-stephs-kitchen.jpg" title="How to make your dumplings - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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Add in a teaspoon of mixture into the middle of the gyoza wrapper. Dip your finger into some water and run it around the edge of the wrapper, making sure you go all the way round and right to the edge. Bring up both sides of the wrapper and press together. The water will help them stick. If they are not quite sticking, dab a little more water on the edges. Using your fingers, pin the edges of the dough together until it looks almost like crinkle cut. I like to use three fingers for this: Two on one side of the dumpling and one on the other. I then pinch the dough together to give it that wavy, crinkle look. I usually do this once on each side and in the middle.<br />
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3. Continue until you have no more dumpling mixture.<br />
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4. Now, onto steaming the dumplings. If you don't have a bamboo steamer like me, simply use a steel colander over a large pot of water. <br />
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Fill up the pot at least half way (making sure the colander sits out of the water), and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat slightly so that it'll gently bubble away while you're cooking your dumplings.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSklvwKN_Yz_CFLa_L2yIwhHMsdrBelC5XWRrI8XzO0i9fyMIUo_AV7k8ICJKe_O-MIQMZWwdD6fw6JfTXHcaZhfOcgb99Itnuem2EwFp5e1w-4-xok1amwHnts-3HWD7TJEI70FSkHPM/s1600/dumpling-production-line-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The dumpling production line - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSklvwKN_Yz_CFLa_L2yIwhHMsdrBelC5XWRrI8XzO0i9fyMIUo_AV7k8ICJKe_O-MIQMZWwdD6fw6JfTXHcaZhfOcgb99Itnuem2EwFp5e1w-4-xok1amwHnts-3HWD7TJEI70FSkHPM/s1600/dumpling-production-line-stephs-kitchen.jpg" title="The dumpling production line - Steph's Kitchen" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dumpling production line!</td></tr>
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Sprinkle a little bit of water into the bottom of the colander (just to stop the dumplings from sticking to the bottom), and place in as many dumplings as you can - making sure they aren't touching each other. If they are too close you'll have a group of dumplings instead.<br />
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Cook the dumplings until the dough starts to go slightly transparent and you can see the brown of the mince showing through. Remove from the "steamer" and place on a plate with some baking paper on the bottom. Again, this is going to stop those naughty little dumplings from sticking to your plate.<br />
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Depending how good you are at multiple tasking, you can start to fry up your dumplings while still steaming. But it's ready up to you and also how many dumplings you can steam at a time. I can steam six dumplings at a time in my colander, and usually wait until I have about twelve before I start frying them up.<br />
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5. Next, we are going to pan fry our dumplings until they have some gorgeous dumplings. If you prefer steamed dumplings simply skip this step. <br />
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Drizzle in a generous amount of vegetable oil, making sure it coats the bottom of your pan by at least a millimetre. Heat up the pan and then place your dumplings in side down. Fry until golden, then turn to fry the other side. <br />
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6. Eat your dumplings!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgg-CfBh83rdh1NV7jGHuGVcSfAAIjf8hIdZLwrzUvv9jM5YEEkZ98F3La7uwoyJmsn04ZCPrXrz3Agy5uja2qzpaRYQUuSy_ectklwKyZU-nWrff3DJItOTY5pt366saCWcJi9sPMDIM/s1600/Bunny-eating-dumpling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgg-CfBh83rdh1NV7jGHuGVcSfAAIjf8hIdZLwrzUvv9jM5YEEkZ98F3La7uwoyJmsn04ZCPrXrz3Agy5uja2qzpaRYQUuSy_ectklwKyZU-nWrff3DJItOTY5pt366saCWcJi9sPMDIM/s1600/Bunny-eating-dumpling.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My little cutie Bunny trying to make me share ...</td></tr>
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My favourite dipping sauce is a mix of kecap manis and soy sauce. Mr Steph loves chilli oil, which you can get from your local Asian grocer.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Steph xo</strong></span><br />
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0Melbourne VIC, Australia-37.814107 144.96327999999994-38.6164245 143.67238649999993 -37.0117895 146.25417349999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-90571538101374944122015-01-22T21:00:00.000+11:002015-01-22T21:00:02.006+11:00Tandoori chicken pizza<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Growing up in a very English household, I didn't experience too much Indian food other than the occasional curry. I've made tandoori chicken in kitchens I've worked in before, but I was never really interested enough to make it at home until a friend of ours made some for us last year.<br />
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If you haven't had traditional Indian before, you're missing out! Using yoghurt, tandoori paste and additional spices, he changed my perspective completely. It might have been that he marinated it almost all day before cooking the chicken, or just the fact that adding in the extra spices brought out the flavour ten-fold - but Mr Steph and I <i>still</i> talk about that meal.<br />
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From that moment I've had a little bit of a soft spot for tandoori chicken. After Mr Steph loved a tandoori chicken pizza he ordered a few months ago, I decided to recreate it at home one night. It was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing, so it's by no means traditional but more my twist according to what I had in the fridge.<br />
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During our pizza making, I also perfected how to make crispy pizza base like that of a wood-fire pizza. Tips on how to do this is in the recipe below!<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Tandoori chicken pizza.</h3>
<i>Makes two thin crust pizzas</i><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
For the tandoori chicken</h4>
2 chicken breasts, cut into small strips<br />
2 heaped Tbsp mild tandoori paste<br />
1/3 cup sour cream<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
For the pizza dough</h4>
1 1/2 cups flour<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/2 Tbsp oil<br />
1/2 tsp yeast<br />
2/3 cup warm water<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
For the pizza sauce</h4>
1/2 cup tomato paste<br />
1 1/2 Tbsp tomato sauce<br />
1 tsp minced garlic<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
For the pizza topping</h4>
1 1/2 cups grated cheese<br />
Small handful of baby spinach (around 25 - 30g)<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
For the garlic sauce (my twist on the traditional)</h4>
1/2 cup sour cream<br />
2 tsp minced garlic<br />
1/2 tsp lemon juice<br />
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1. Mix the tandoori paste and sour cream together, tossing the chicken pieces through until they are well coated. Pop the chicken in the fridge to marinate. I like to marinate it for at least 40 mins (while my dough is rising), but if you're short on time 15 mins or none at all is fine.<br />
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2. Next, onto the dough. Add the flour, salt and yeast to a medium sized bowl, creating a well in the centre for the liquids. Pour in the oil and slowly add your water. I usually add in half the water and start mixing, slowly adding more bit by bit. I find it easier this way as sometimes you don't need all the water. You're looking for the dough to be slightly sticky but not wet.<br />
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3. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it's smooth (around 3 - 5 mins). Place the dough in a greased bowl (using spray oil or spreading a drizzle of oil around the edges), cover the bowl with cling wrap and tea towel, and place in a warm draft-free place. Allow to rise for 40 mins or until dough has doubled in size.<br />
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4. Divide the dough in half, roughly kneading it for 30 or so seconds before thinly rolling out each base - aiming for no more than 3mm. Place each base onto a large sheet of baking paper, large enough for the base with a little bit extra handing over for you to easy hold.<br />
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5. Turn your oven on to 180 C / 350 F and place the pizza trays in to heat up with the oven. I've found this is the trick to having that crispy, wood-fire like base.<br />
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6. Cook the tandoori chicken on a medium heat until cooked through and the chicken appears dark in places. Try not to cook the chicken any higher than medium as otherwise the tandoori coating will simply burn before the chicken is cooked.<br />
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7. Mix up the pizza sauce and spread thinly across both bases. Avoid having it too think as you don't want the pizza to be all sauce!<br />
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8. Sprinkle a small amount of your cheese on the bottom, followed by spinach, chicken and then the rest of the cheese. You'll notice that the cheese is quite sparse, but this is the way it should be. The key is to have a small amount of toppings.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB2HibdIX3jZfdjeVJiV24ezMNH6_k6exDYSHriIzUOojTQqW5eaeQULsYAYrr5_VsB9WlGdvRJ4dfuKvHQyEpNGcbdbdFaXL9aPuXOukWtA-_DGkuvB06JYNI6H_4OvVP19Vw0XfyB2A/s1600/Tandoori-pizza-ready-for-the-oven-Stephs-Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tandoori pizza ready for the oven - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB2HibdIX3jZfdjeVJiV24ezMNH6_k6exDYSHriIzUOojTQqW5eaeQULsYAYrr5_VsB9WlGdvRJ4dfuKvHQyEpNGcbdbdFaXL9aPuXOukWtA-_DGkuvB06JYNI6H_4OvVP19Vw0XfyB2A/s1600/Tandoori-pizza-ready-for-the-oven-Stephs-Kitchen.jpg" height="300" title="Tandoori pizza ready for the oven - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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9. Take the pizza trays out of the oven one at a time, and, using the sides of the baking paper, carefully place the pizza (still on top of the baking paper) onto the tray. Slip the pizza back into the oven and cook for 10 mins, then careful slip the pizza off the paper and onto the tray for another 5 - 10 mins until the cheese and edges are nice and crispy.<br />
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10. Mix the garlic sauce ingredients together, drizzling it over the top of the pizza just before serving. Again, definitely not traditional, but it goes together so well!<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span><br />
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0Melbourne VIC, Australia-37.814107 144.96327999999994-38.6164245 143.67238649999993 -37.0117895 146.25417349999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-80773423784981944692015-01-10T06:30:00.000+11:002015-01-10T06:30:00.681+11:00Four easy ways to jazz up the simple pancake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Everyone loves a good pancake. However, maple syrup and butter can get a bit boring after a while! With today being International Pancake Day, here's four ways to make your next pancake a little more interesting.</span><br />
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Flavour with your favourite spread</b></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You can easily put a twist on your usual pancake batter by adding a sweet spread like peanut butter, Nutella or chocolate spread, or your favourite jam. </span>If you're not sure how much spread to add, start by mixing a couple of tablespoons to your mixture then taste to see how much more you need or would like. If you're a Nutella lover, you'll love my <a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/nutella-pancakes-with-nutella-pouring.html" target="_blank">Nutella pancakes</a> to take the guess work out of it.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Spreads are also great to simply spread over each pancake. A favourite combination for us lately is cream cheese and strawberry jam. Delicious and easy!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsog2xX7ffwgVhqklrOjL031AkqDJiCMXFuzlwndHThjMzx8PfIEy3L5lUTf1oYOLdBnfgbbrN-I10VKx9QPGDoi3TmcyIawXSIGEduk8ZM9I4bQKHeCgC2tgph2Pc8VbRczZcn1_mlUrr/s1600/eating-apple-pie-pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsog2xX7ffwgVhqklrOjL031AkqDJiCMXFuzlwndHThjMzx8PfIEy3L5lUTf1oYOLdBnfgbbrN-I10VKx9QPGDoi3TmcyIawXSIGEduk8ZM9I4bQKHeCgC2tgph2Pc8VbRczZcn1_mlUrr/s1600/eating-apple-pie-pancakes.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Add a spiced twist</b></h3>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sweet spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg are a great addition to your batter. For those that like to bake, you'd also know these are spices are often found together in recipes. They are also the signature spices in apple pie. I often like to change my white sugar in recipes with brown sugar and add a little cinnamon, just like in my <a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/apple-pie-pancakes_10.html" target="_blank">Apple Pie Pancakes</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUGI11JBgoa9PmdYlNvUEW0bGC-ktVp8ez-hO4LyJObCxq31HmfzBnzsJpgUSYF5ErD1xg_MtjH8Q60eT-Q_jF-Zhn208KCIcvknD1rjUVg8e_0f-p2OyTLGMy2kQjkzcqKvXOxRVCLWm/s1600/PB-and-J-pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUGI11JBgoa9PmdYlNvUEW0bGC-ktVp8ez-hO4LyJObCxq31HmfzBnzsJpgUSYF5ErD1xg_MtjH8Q60eT-Q_jF-Zhn208KCIcvknD1rjUVg8e_0f-p2OyTLGMy2kQjkzcqKvXOxRVCLWm/s1600/PB-and-J-pancakes.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Go fruity</b></h3>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">No, I'm not saying add some sliced fruit (even though this is good!) but get inspired to create a topping with fruit. Create a simple berry compote with mixed berries, pitted cherries or strawberries, using fresh or frozen fruit. For those worried, compote is pretty much just a fruit sauce made with fruit, water and sugar. My <a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/pb-and-j-pancakes.html" target="_blank">PB and J pancakes</a> use a strawberry compote on top for the jelly or jam component.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Another easy idea is stewing up some fruit such as apples or peaches with some spices, water and sugar. Nutmeg and peaches go great together, and cinnamon and apples are perfect partners. I use stewed apples for my <a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/apple-pie-pancakes_10.html" target="_blank">Apple Pie pancakes</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Bananas are another great pancake fruit. We love to fry ours off in a generous amount of butter before sprinkling them with brown sugar and cinnamon, creating bananas in a sort of caramel sauce you can drizzle over your pancakes. Bacon goes great with caramelised bananas as well.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdnLjP417p5fLNHnOnHrnT0nONItUTnK4QN6-VpsDoi_CKxwgW5MJyMsJWYj7rQHOClf9LN-4XD4VHAcucQJ3KtAK_0sQ4UPyA-6P3j-VP-zgM7z3DOK-WcRf5C-BMZ2f45JuLbQ-v9A_/s1600/butterscotch-sauce-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdnLjP417p5fLNHnOnHrnT0nONItUTnK4QN6-VpsDoi_CKxwgW5MJyMsJWYj7rQHOClf9LN-4XD4VHAcucQJ3KtAK_0sQ4UPyA-6P3j-VP-zgM7z3DOK-WcRf5C-BMZ2f45JuLbQ-v9A_/s1600/butterscotch-sauce-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yes, you could simply add an ice cream topping - but I'm referring to adding sauces such as a chocolate, Nutella or even butterscotch that you make yourself. Trust me, it's so much better! </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If making a sauce sounds a little daunting, try my <a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/nutella-pancakes-with-nutella-pouring.html" target="_blank">Nutella pouring sauce</a> or <a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/homemade-butterscotch-sauce.html" target="_blank">butterscotch sauce</a>. You'll surprise yourself with how easily you'll throw it together.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0Melbourne VIC, Australia-37.814107 144.96327999999994-38.6164245 143.67238649999993 -37.0117895 146.25417349999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-82622797749067960322015-01-02T21:38:00.000+11:002015-03-04T15:18:08.538+11:00Top five recipes of 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, another year has passed and hasn't it been an exhausting year! (or is it just me?!) Since my little blog started in January 2013, I've shared 62 recipes with food lovers like yourself. Thank you for every time you stopped by; liked, commented or shared my recipes and posts on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FoodfromStephsKitchen" target="_blank">facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/InStephsKitchen" target="_blank">twitter</a> or <a href="http://instagram.com/foodfromstephskitchen" target="_blank">instagram</a>; or pinned one of my recipes on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/instephskitchen/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.<br />
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I know you didn't come here to listen to my rambling - so here's the top five, most viewed recipes of 2014!<br />
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/banana-and-pear-bread-loaf.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/banana-and-pear-bread-loaf.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_k7KCbt8I7emL-IsJOFDkp7YJ7rilvcWM0VrTI2Ew2ZkrQl1qb6PEuIoA5jsqwH8YwTd8p5QViffJFAIKEMPQ-8BsmTcEvWcKTRUMKFu_5Y_2UBisWpsaUM7J1_oyns_jTZjhQJSXd3n/s1600/Banana_pear_bread_stephs_kitchen.jpg" height="220" title="Banana and pear loaf - Steph's Kitchen" width="320" /></a>Number 5: Banana and pear loaf</h3>
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Unlike some banana breads, my banana and pear loaf recipe was made specifically to put into the average, everyday toaster without falling apart. <br />
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/banana-and-pear-bread-loaf.html" target="_blank"><b>>> View banana and pear loaf recipe</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/sticky-carbonara-sauce.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/sticky-carbonara-sauce.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNp8FJ5WzzPgdEpCGCoKtdVyha25HwB17a8BmJDCb7j5W4ph8_3mbpmWNncIVT8-Apk3wZimRLMSxRAuRDBEkZH1wRGoNQ582B26gYNEFbTKFPBFRXFiRPSShGxIZBOmnp_CKxgBsAWKhu/s1600/carbonara-pasta-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="240" title="Sticky carbonara - Steph's Kitchen" width="320" /></a><br />Number 4: Sticky carbonara</h3>
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I'm so happy this recipe made it, as it's still one of my favourite recipes! (But don't tell the other ones that!)</div>
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/sticky-carbonara-sauce.html" target="_blank"><b>>> View sticky carbonara recipe</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/basic-pizza-dough.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/basic-pizza-dough.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYR3CodWTNiAdAigpB0zkSSOcT45I9xk7S2zG_kjwlhrC6cEU_BZBuLmvC-81z2J-RH6AiZR8STjzUw0SqaENE_syMbdgqlXb8navfJ3DujeAAZEpDzr8Dl6FlLX3WGOXuy7BL9PrkVfF/s1600/gourmet+pizza.jpg" height="240" title="Basic pizza dough - make your own pizza at home! - Steph's Kitchen" width="320" /></a></h3>
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Number 3: Basic pizza dough</h3>
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This is still a recipe I use on a regular basis, and it never disappoints. </div>
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Also keep an eye out for a pizza recipe coming very soon that will give you tips for wood-fire like pizza bases.</div>
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/basic-pizza-dough.html" target="_blank"><b>>> View basic pizza dough recipe</b></a><br />
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/nutella-pancakes-with-nutella-pouring.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/nutella-pancakes-with-nutella-pouring.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5PgwBCCTDTt2l5QRpO-A4OEz0U_wBHA9nGYg4Mf-TdwtUZOO_n4T5EFg-N_D-L5S1z-Vc4R-DnpOecnHo1j7WTZy0M8PiSB5jiN-tk4yxXrMEOY4xCeFCnLsQUSAs0oSSzhybhhy9zD2/s1600/nutella-pancakes-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="232" title="Nutella pancakes - Steph's Kitchen" width="320" /></a>Number 2: Nutella pancakes with Nutella pouring sauce</h3>
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This one I'm not surprised about at all as there are a lot of Nutella lovers out there!</div>
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/nutella-pancakes-with-nutella-pouring.html" target="_blank"><b>>> View Nutella pancakes recipe</b></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbl66vIq6dzwYf7E5-gqX-mtjeFHITi294ReyQa75a7BIm1codrJHMHnWuCC5oRkoC93jA9jpwzwaA5Ahl5-PazpDA8XPu8Try4uwJ_GBdX7cT9OP4mfxeirS5o2o3nySCjXRIgEB2dBHW/s1600/Surf_and_Turf_with_creamy_garlic_sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/nutella-pancakes-with-nutella-pouring.html" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbl66vIq6dzwYf7E5-gqX-mtjeFHITi294ReyQa75a7BIm1codrJHMHnWuCC5oRkoC93jA9jpwzwaA5Ahl5-PazpDA8XPu8Try4uwJ_GBdX7cT9OP4mfxeirS5o2o3nySCjXRIgEB2dBHW/s1600/Surf_and_Turf_with_creamy_garlic_sauce.jpg" height="240" title="Creamy garlic sauce - Steph's Kitchen" width="320" /></a>Number 1: Creamy garlic sauce (for reef and beef)</h3>
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Not only has this recipe held the number one spot for two years now, it also takes out the spot for the <b>most viewed recipe of all time!</b></div>
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<a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/nutella-pancakes-with-nutella-pouring.html" target="_blank"><b>>> View creamy garlic sauce recipe</b></a></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0Melbourne VIC, Australia-37.814107 144.96327999999994-38.6164245 143.67238649999993 -37.0117895 146.25417349999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-48797491497207990692014-12-14T13:59:00.004+11:002015-09-03T11:01:40.560+10:00Chicken tenders with chilli, lime mayo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlp1xfvoT4Lz_wkviajMUvCNlilU87_k-1MI-bBLNMzNoaN2JwIgHpq1J2HdkCI8bPWMLTENGZd_XgtWQpY8k8XXuMGMiSZmvPsD45WXaJZkws0L8cbyO8fGvxjwHyRPAzK2tOW-uoT6SV/s1600/chicken-tenders-with-chilli-lime-mayo-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chicken tenders with chilli, lime mayo - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlp1xfvoT4Lz_wkviajMUvCNlilU87_k-1MI-bBLNMzNoaN2JwIgHpq1J2HdkCI8bPWMLTENGZd_XgtWQpY8k8XXuMGMiSZmvPsD45WXaJZkws0L8cbyO8fGvxjwHyRPAzK2tOW-uoT6SV/s1600/chicken-tenders-with-chilli-lime-mayo-stephs-kitchen.jpg" title="Chicken tenders with chilli, lime mayo - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's a regular occurrence at our place to settle down to a lazy afternoon to a platter of fruit, cheeses and savoury bites. For me, I love vegetable spring rolls or homemade sausage rolls. Mr Steph is more of a chicken tenders or satay chicken kebabs sort of guy. For a little while I was picking up tenders from my local supermarket for him, but I wasn't too impressed with them and decided to create my own.<br />
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It's all about the spice mix when it comes to tenders. Mr Steph loves tenders more on the spicy side, so I created a blend of paprika and cayenne pepper in my crumb mix. But then, of course, you need a dipping sauce! You could go a simple sweet chilli sauce or a ranch dressing. We find a chilli, lime mayo couples perfectly with them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA9ekYod30CZMhoPv7z1CTHa-6ztw00Vxcg68loFc0VovcX_sILhDficd5JQxuhAj_dRtlqn3JRzqDWk_rkTOAk0PXgRQzGuEDFZeMV5C6Hvk3iTeATiZERjNIiDTh971Go4Fza3Er6SV/s1600/chicken-tenders-spice-mix-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chicken tenders spice mix - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKA9ekYod30CZMhoPv7z1CTHa-6ztw00Vxcg68loFc0VovcX_sILhDficd5JQxuhAj_dRtlqn3JRzqDWk_rkTOAk0PXgRQzGuEDFZeMV5C6Hvk3iTeATiZERjNIiDTh971Go4Fza3Er6SV/s1600/chicken-tenders-spice-mix-stephs-kitchen.jpg" title="Chicken tenders spice mix - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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They are a perfect addition to a nibbles platter, or add them into a wrap with some salad for an easy mid-week meal.<br />
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Chicken tenders with chilli, lime mayo</h3>
<i>Serves 4</i><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
For the tenders</h4>
2 chicken breasts<br />
1 cup milk or rice milk (for diary-free option)<br />
2 1/2 cups breadcrumbs<br />
1 tsp paprika<br />
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper<br />
salt and pepper<br />
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Vegetable/canola oil for frying.<br />
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For the mayo</h4>
3/4 cup whole egg mayo<br />
2 tsp crushed chilli* or sweet chilli sauce<br />
2 tsp lime juice<br />
1 tsp vinegar<br />
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1. Mix the breadcrumbs, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper in a medium sized dish. Pour the milk or rice milk into a separate dish creating a bit of a production line for your crumbing. The milk will replace what you may know as an egg wash, which is commonly used for crumbing. Instead of the traditional egg and milk mix, I only use milk as Mr Steph is slightly allergic to eggs.<br />
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2. Cut the chicken breasts in half (short-ways), then cut each half into thick-ish strips (at least 1cm). If you have small chicken breasts you might not need to cut them in half first. How you cut them really depends on how long you want your tenders to be. I like to go for shorter tenders, so it's really up to you.<br />
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3. To make them nice and cripsy we're going to double crumb the tenders. Yes, it's exactly as it sounds. First, dip the chicken in the milk, then toss it into the breadcrumb mix. To get the best result with the coating, press the chicken into the crumbs - applying a little bit of pressure. This helps the crumbs to stick a little bit better and helps stop you losing crumbs when cooking. Dip the chicken back into the milk, then again into the crumbs. Place aside and continue with the rest of the tenders.<br />
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4. Pour in 1cm of vegetable/canola oil into a large flying pan. You could deep fry the tenders or even back them, but I prefer to swallow fry them. Heat the oil on a medium heat (no higher or you'll burn your chicken) until you can hold your hand above the pan and feel that it's hot. Place the tenders in one by one, cooking until the chicken changes colour around the outside then turning. This should give you a nice golden colour. <br />
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Once golden on both sides, allow the tenders to dry on some paper towel.<br />
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5. The chilli, lime mayo is pretty easy to make. Simply mix all your ingredients in a small bowl and you're done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHPhglLBm24NUAEEwl9kHK2FJpjqeGOXJH4ItnFy6WymemIAOoop5W7SprBMhC2PnzvuD5ZRPqzXoYdgpwykzXn96tXJLJxkk2GfZmO7dE3u5h3KDgGKJXCastJTkfgw4fppp-nq3bH7A/s1600/chicken-tenders-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chicken tenders - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHPhglLBm24NUAEEwl9kHK2FJpjqeGOXJH4ItnFy6WymemIAOoop5W7SprBMhC2PnzvuD5ZRPqzXoYdgpwykzXn96tXJLJxkk2GfZmO7dE3u5h3KDgGKJXCastJTkfgw4fppp-nq3bH7A/s1600/chicken-tenders-stephs-kitchen.jpg" title="Chicken tenders - Steph's Kitchen" width="300" /></a></div>
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Enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">* I buy a jar of crushed chilli at my local supermarket. You can find it in your herbs and spices section, where you'd find your minced garlic. It's great to have in the fridge, and, just like minced garlic, lasts for months. It's very handy to have!</span></div>
Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-45496802263363745302014-11-15T00:25:00.004+11:002014-11-15T00:27:26.461+11:00Banana and choc-chip muffins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2DjxzanzXfR-cxbiSqO3Z70QNjud-2fRvTWZTNXKZoduiCHG6xgKZsA0lJRthRAP7y8lx3Hi9cjJUE7NnnE0Xg0l_IIQp50toW9fyhqmU_19t3CzBAOBs-7k2hOtG4V8MdCdjvKbKsQJ/s1600/basket-of-banana-choc-chip-muffins-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Banana and choc-chip muffins - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2DjxzanzXfR-cxbiSqO3Z70QNjud-2fRvTWZTNXKZoduiCHG6xgKZsA0lJRthRAP7y8lx3Hi9cjJUE7NnnE0Xg0l_IIQp50toW9fyhqmU_19t3CzBAOBs-7k2hOtG4V8MdCdjvKbKsQJ/s1600/basket-of-banana-choc-chip-muffins-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="300" title="Banana and choc-chip muffins - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you know me (or this blog), you know that I'm really big on sweets - especially ones you can sneak into your lunch box to make the day go quicker. I'm also a massive fan of any recipes that use food items you might consider throwing out.</div>
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These banana muffins tick both boxes. They are perfect for lunches, and the blacker the skin of the bananas you use the better the muffins taste! Plus, they can be bruised and squished and it doesn't matter. Throw in some choc-chips and everyone's happy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyzqVOAm2ashVL7LsChXr3ICrXv5s2PDeBCAN-Iwqhk86ZlzFT3JZJ9B1zHK8IuXfgV7CxJBxVWRcZD6mop1sGT9S5hf54lUGX-C6xtDFSEMk4X-cMLXnE6i3I8R6w_BBVrwDaL1cvn8i/s1600/banana-choc-chip-muffins-cooling-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Banana and choc-chip muffins cooling - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyzqVOAm2ashVL7LsChXr3ICrXv5s2PDeBCAN-Iwqhk86ZlzFT3JZJ9B1zHK8IuXfgV7CxJBxVWRcZD6mop1sGT9S5hf54lUGX-C6xtDFSEMk4X-cMLXnE6i3I8R6w_BBVrwDaL1cvn8i/s1600/banana-choc-chip-muffins-cooling-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="400" title="Banana and choc-chip muffins cooling - Steph's Kitchen" width="300" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Banana and choc-chip muffins</h3>
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<i>Makes approx 16 muffins</i></div>
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125g dairy-free spread (or margarine)</div>
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3/4 cup of sugar</div>
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1 tsp vanilla essence</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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2 bananas, peeled and mashed</div>
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2 cups SR flour</div>
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2/3 cup rice milk (or milk)</div>
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1/2 cup choc-chips</div>
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pinch of salt</div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllNLemoKoaindc_PZcgUhSwJnUrl_D_DliC89Al2jOB4nNAsHuiBJvruFK8T44OXasPRmSLcoVfuK1I_T373ECRyCcyn94d15LJcXsPrAvvEHjLYSkqQQhR23XH7zRRiNRNC7j69IyOQt/s1600/filling-the-cupcake-cases-stephs-kitchen.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllNLemoKoaindc_PZcgUhSwJnUrl_D_DliC89Al2jOB4nNAsHuiBJvruFK8T44OXasPRmSLcoVfuK1I_T373ECRyCcyn94d15LJcXsPrAvvEHjLYSkqQQhR23XH7zRRiNRNC7j69IyOQt/s1600/filling-the-cupcake-cases-stephs-kitchen.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a></ol>
1. Firstly, set your oven to 180 C / 350 F.<br />
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2. Cream butter and sugar with an electronic beater until fluffy. My Mum has always told me this is the secret to fluffy cakes. It has always worked for me!<br />
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3. Add vanilla, eggs and mashed banana and mix until well combined.<br />
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4. Next, alternate adding the flour and rice milk. Add 1/2 a cup of flour, followed by 1/3 cup of rice milk - beating the mixture each time until well combined.<br />
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I know you are supposed to sift flour in cakes, but honestly I never do. I'm a little lazy on this front.<br />
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5. Finally, fold through the choc-chips.<br />
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6. Place muffin cases in a standard muffin tray, and using two spoons (as shown in my <a href="http://www.foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/pumpkin-and-white-chocolate-cupcakes.html" target="_blank">pumpkin and white chocolate cupcake recipe</a>) fill the cases around half way. If they are slightly over, that's OK too. You just want to make sure you don't fill more than two-thirds of the case.<br />
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If you want to make large, Texas sized muffins, simply use large or Texas sized cases and muffin tray. The mixture will make approx 16 standard sized muffins or 10 large muffins.<br />
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7. Place your muffins in the oven for 15-20 mins.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRLw2MpeodCtLV5IijZNB1sQIAtaqh4ipLBpAK8_VfiYQGFLdGME6W2fBHKmtX4ubxBpyO_YfUTCvBFBuq3VIx_JuCKWCINk73s4qL-YFdlywZvkEeGustbEBGJV3RwGDEtJoszoKTcee/s1600/bite-of-banana-muffin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Straight from the oven: Banana choc-chip muffins - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRLw2MpeodCtLV5IijZNB1sQIAtaqh4ipLBpAK8_VfiYQGFLdGME6W2fBHKmtX4ubxBpyO_YfUTCvBFBuq3VIx_JuCKWCINk73s4qL-YFdlywZvkEeGustbEBGJV3RwGDEtJoszoKTcee/s1600/bite-of-banana-muffin.jpg" height="400" title="Straight from the oven: Banana choc-chip muffins - Steph's Kitchen" width="300" /></a></div>
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Enjoy,<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-81739661022199172222014-10-04T15:20:00.000+10:002014-10-04T15:20:38.268+10:00PB and J pancakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I don't know about you, but I LOVE peanut butter and jam sandwiches or toast. It's so simple but oh, so good! Here in Australia we don't have the traditional fruit jelly those in the US have. I'm sure I can get it, but, being of English heritage, I grew up with a wide assortment of jams.<br />
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One morning Mr Steph and I were tossing around breakfast ideas.<br />
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"How about <a href="http://www.foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/apple-pie-pancakes_10.html" target="_blank">apple pie pancakes</a> again? I really feel like that with <a href="http://www.foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/homemade-butterscotch-sauce.html" target="_blank">butterscotch sauce</a>," said Mr Steph.<br />
"Sorry, hun. I'm out of butter ... " I said regrettably. "I really like the idea of pancakes, though ..."<br />
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I started thinking about different variations. I threw out the idea of <a href="http://www.foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/nutella-pancakes-with-nutella-pouring.html" target="_blank">Nutella pancakes</a>, but Mr Steph didn't feel like it. Then I thought, why not create a pancake that tastes like something else Mr Steph loves: Peanut butter and jam.<br />
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It turned out a treat!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSv5_18gsGxQzcLV-i3jV84FQNcdiMgz_4Hfacx0Isnhsw_-O7fvY6NN8RwQvGRaR8d3soPm1hCv1A3vEPrrLwzrGoP-OnE4Nr9A34g3NXjTqFiSgRmr1fYVW3qtv63QceZs6bVYo-M6ok/s1600/PB-and-J-pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="PB and J pancakes - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSv5_18gsGxQzcLV-i3jV84FQNcdiMgz_4Hfacx0Isnhsw_-O7fvY6NN8RwQvGRaR8d3soPm1hCv1A3vEPrrLwzrGoP-OnE4Nr9A34g3NXjTqFiSgRmr1fYVW3qtv63QceZs6bVYo-M6ok/s1600/PB-and-J-pancakes.jpg" height="300" title="PB and J pancakes - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
PB and J pancakes</h3>
<i>Makes approx 8 large pancakes or 12 medium pancakes</i><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
For the pancake batter</h4>
1 egg<br />
1 1/4 cups milk or rice milk<br />
1/2 cup plain flour<br />
1 cup SR flour<br />
1/4 cup brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter<br />
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For the jam or strawberry coulis (sauce)</h4>
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200 g frozen sliced strawberries. Fresh strawberries are OK also. If using fresh, add a tiny bit of water (no more than 1 Tbsp) to make more of a sauce, otherwise it'll just be a jam. As the strawberries cook, they will create their own liquid.</div>
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1/4 cup white sugar</div>
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Get your strawberry coulis on first. If you've never made one before, you'll find yourself making this all the time after this - adding it to ice cream, crepes or letting it go cold for a quick jam. You can use this same ratio or technique for any kind of berry sauce you'd like to make, such as blueberries or raspberries.</div>
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Add the strawberries and sugar (water also if using fresh strawberries) over a low heat. Allow to simmer and cook away while you make your pancakes, stirring every couple of minutes. Once the sauce is thick but still has a decent amount of liquid, turn it off and simply let it sit. If it's ready a while before the pancakes are done, simply add it back to the heat for a couple of minutes before serving so it's nice and hot.</div>
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For the batter, add all your dry ingredients into a bowl. Whisk up your egg in a small jug, adding your milk and mixing together. Create a well or hollow in your dry ingredients, and pour the milk and egg mixture into the centre. Mix to combine into a thick batter.</div>
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Now the magic ingredient: the peanut butter.</div>
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There's a couple of ways to add peanut butter into things. You can add it straight in, whisking until it combines - or whack it into the microwave for 20 seconds to soften it slightly. However you choose, mix the peanut butter into the batter until it's well combined. You want the batter to be thick but also still pourable. if you find it's too thick, add a little bit more milk until it gets to the consistency you like.</div>
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In a large pan, add in a little bit of butter over a medium heat. Once melted, swirl the butter around the pan so that the base is well coated. To make large pancakes, take a 1/2 a cup measurement of batter and pour it into the pan. For medium size, use a 1/4 measurement.Using measurements like this also helps you get pancakes the same size and shape each side.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeyYQAqzufE_3X5yrh6rqrGT7FA7YZ54WIeru_9iK01TCEmmSyTc5lppTVdI7O1R1drdAz5o0qr9D7CpvY0bSu4kc9dNyyC5CxxVWPJ4Tn3nixu8ji0NfDn9s-ezEEvUdWVdUDkEIfbFb/s1600/IMG_20140928_103101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAeyYQAqzufE_3X5yrh6rqrGT7FA7YZ54WIeru_9iK01TCEmmSyTc5lppTVdI7O1R1drdAz5o0qr9D7CpvY0bSu4kc9dNyyC5CxxVWPJ4Tn3nixu8ji0NfDn9s-ezEEvUdWVdUDkEIfbFb/s1600/IMG_20140928_103101.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know you're ready to flip the pancake<br />when bubbles appear across the surface.</td></tr>
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The biggest problem people have with pancakes is knowing when to flip them, ending up with burnt pancakes or batter going everywhere in the pan once flipped. The trick is to look for bubbles appearing on the surface of the pancake. You are looking for small bubbles to appear all over, not just around the edges.</div>
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Once flipped, the pancake will only need a little over a minute to be cooked on the other side. Remove the cooked pancake from the pan, add in more butter and another scope of pancake mixture.</div>
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Continue scoping the mixture until all the mixture is used, making sure to stir your strawberry sauce every so often.</div>
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You can plate your pancakes however you'd like. For the real peanut butter lovers, you could even spread some between each pancake. I know Mr Steph is just obsessed - eating it off spoons if I let him. If you love sweets like I do, you might want to add a little bit of sauce between each one or just add the sauce on top. Either way, you will have the family licking the plate clean!</div>
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Enjoy,</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Steph xo</span></b></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-38313093273101167042014-09-06T14:24:00.000+10:002014-09-06T14:24:18.238+10:00Homemade butterscotch sauce<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfLVsoO6NFdJy0vzrKwTtDe8PY94KTpQ2kN7hnSH28J5UU2GRm2jujzoLTlxqnU0FgsYUbQep0PxFl6SI-DEQVVIQC442o8wPm30jF0lLml9aSr9rFYMUMoUewXgp1TwEOn2l_3p1a38W/s1600/butterscotch-sauce-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Butterscotch sauce - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfLVsoO6NFdJy0vzrKwTtDe8PY94KTpQ2kN7hnSH28J5UU2GRm2jujzoLTlxqnU0FgsYUbQep0PxFl6SI-DEQVVIQC442o8wPm30jF0lLml9aSr9rFYMUMoUewXgp1TwEOn2l_3p1a38W/s1600/butterscotch-sauce-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="300" title="Butterscotch sauce - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have many good memories about this butterscotch sauce. My Mum used to make it all the time when we were kids. Her favourite was butterscotch sauce with spiced apples and crepes. It's still one of my favourites, and I hope to pass on the love of it to my children in turn.</div>
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It's a little different to other butterscotch sauces. The ingredients are all the same, but the method is slightly different - with the cream added at the end rather than at the start. I'm not sure why I make it this way, it's just how my mother taught me. I just thought it was the way you make it!</div>
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I've made this sauce for family and friends, and it's always a winner. It's also a star in my <a href="http://www.foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/cookie-crumble-butterscotch-sundae.html" target="_blank">Butterscotch Cookie Sundae</a>. I just try not to have it too often as it's a little bit naughty ... but all good things are naughty! I hope you enjoy as much as I do.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/cookie-crumble-butterscotch-sundae.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Butterscotch cookie sundae - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeTUZF3Iov2IuygVXKnvFXSFK0ozfOIVisd_KLs21hwNX_9Ip8jgwHWfTJ9EhfteqRYIRFbuyKKcg6EEJLF9zhfrDLlmtmrS5G9Rnkbv2LKds5daY8QytJ6omGvjcH1zD9fvsFYOIEY7G/s1600/butterscotch-cookie-sundae.jpg" height="400" title="Butterscotch cookie sundae - Steph's Kitchen" width="300" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/cookie-crumble-butterscotch-sundae.html" target="_blank">Butterscotch cookie sundae</a></td></tr>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Butterscotch sauce</h3>
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100g butter</div>
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1/2 cup brown sugar</div>
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1/2 cup cream</div>
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In a small pan or pot, place butter and brown sugar over a low heat. Allow it to melt, stirring occasionally to combine the butter into the sugar. Once completely melted, continue to stir until the sugar and butter are completely combined. You can increase the heat now slightly, to a medium to low heat, and allow it to slowly come to a gentle simmer. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes (3 - 5 minutes), stirring every now and then, until the sauce feels smooth, the sugar is completely dissolved and it is like a thick but pour-able syrup.</div>
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Take the sauce off the heat and allow it to stop bubbling before adding in the cream. Stir to combine, adding it back to a low heat until it thickens slightly.</div>
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And you're done.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvP4hgR9mwl1q37a0uthBH8a_vMR790ZY4P8dXVoTDGD-YsZy8yrSlyLJI3UVUiwRlMDYbgLTON5cNIMMmZx1_DsFUypIXsHMrsAgiU8TuC1936Pr6BW7Zdn8FCVQBZLKF3Vb0aXndFsZ/s1600/butterscotch-sauce-crepes-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvP4hgR9mwl1q37a0uthBH8a_vMR790ZY4P8dXVoTDGD-YsZy8yrSlyLJI3UVUiwRlMDYbgLTON5cNIMMmZx1_DsFUypIXsHMrsAgiU8TuC1936Pr6BW7Zdn8FCVQBZLKF3Vb0aXndFsZ/s1600/butterscotch-sauce-crepes-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butterscotch sauce with crepes</td></tr>
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It's great with ice cream, crepes or in a <a href="http://foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com/2014/09/homemade-butterscotch-sauce.html" target="_blank">sundae</a>. This butterscotch sauce is also used for sticky date pudding (on of my absolute favs!)</div>
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Enjoy,</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Steph xo</span></b></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-17428219443822291082014-08-09T16:03:00.001+10:002014-12-14T14:35:34.897+11:00Mustard and herb roast beef<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I love a weekend roast, but I know a lot of people are a little intimidated by them - leaving them to the Mums and Grandmothers of their world because they do them best. What a lot of people don't realise is if you follow a few simple rules, roasts can be pretty easy! <br />
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Once you know these roasting rules you'll find yourself experimenting with all sorts of combinations, like my roast chicken with apple stuffing.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Roasting rules-of-thumb</h4>
These are general cooking rules my Mum taught me which is always good to remember how long to cook your roast for. This way you don't need an exact size or have to use a recipe.<br />
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<b>Red meat: </b>Cook the roast an hour for every kilo (kg) at 180 C. Then rest for at least 20 before carving. This will give you a roast on the well done side, which is most people's preference. If you like it a little on the medium side, poke your roast with a skewer in the last 30 mins and check the colour of the liquid that comes out. You'll be looking for a almost clear liquid, with a little pink. If well done, you want the liquid to be clear.<br />
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<b>White meat: </b>Unlike red, white meats must be completely cooked through. As a general rule of thumb, cook your roast on 180 C for 40 mins for every kilo. Make sure you use a skewer before you remove it to check the juices running out are clear. If pink in any way, roast in 15min intervals until clear.<br />
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<b>Rolled roasts: </b>This is not something I was told, but something I have learnt from experience. If a rolled roast with a stuffing, I usually find that the usual rules above work fine.</div>
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If your cooking a rolled roast that is just all meat, you need to allow more time for it to cook. For white meat I allow an extra 20 mins per kilo on top of the ratios I've mentioned above. And for red meats, about 30 mins per kilo (if you are looking for well done). If you like it more on the medium side, no extra time required. Using the skewer to check before removing is a must, as depending on the size of the roast and thickness of the roll time may vary.<br />
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The roast I have for you is roast beef with a mustard and herb marinade. What I love most is you don't have to marinade ahead of time, and you can even just coat and roast straight away. It uses both Dijon mustard as well as seeded, with a combination of herbs and a little vinegar to give you a great flavour.<br />
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If you are thinking it might be a strong flavour, I can reassure you it is mild. I also love to roast mine on top of quartered onions for extra flavour. It also allows the roast to sit out of any fatty juices from the roast that usual pool around it in the pan.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Mustard and herb roast beef</h3>
<i>Serves 4 adults</i><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Mustard and herb marinade</h4>
3 Tbsp dijon mustard<br />
1 tsp wholegrain mustard<br />
1 tsp roughly chopped thyme leaves<br />
1 tsp parsley<br />
1 1/2 tsp olive oil / vegetable oil (whatever you like to cook with)<br />
1 tsp white vinegar<br />
1/2 tsp crushed garlic (1 small clove, crushed)<br />
Salt<br />
Generous amount of pepper<br />
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1 large brown onion, peeled and cut into quarters<br />
1.5 kg sirlion rolled roast - have also used topside before and it it just as nice. You could really use whatever cut you would like.<br />
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In a small bowl add all your marinade ingredients, mixing until well combined. You could just smear this onto your roast but I've found a great (less messy) way of doing it using a large freezer bag. Yes, you heard me correctly! Grab a large freezer bag, add your roast into the bag and pour in your marinade. Remove the air from inside the bag and tie it off in a little knot at least 2 - 3 cm from the roast. To completely coat the roast simply move the roast in the bag, rotating until you are satisfied.<br />
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Now, you can leave the marinade on as little or as long as you like. You can do this the day before or in the morning and just pop it in the fridge until you need it. If you are a little impatient and don't have time, you can remove the roast straight away. I usually make it up at least an hour before so I know it's all done.<br />
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Pre-heat your oven to 180 C or 350 F.<br />
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In a large oven dish, preferably with high sides, place down your onions in the bottom of the pan in a sort of square. You want space between them but not too much. The placement will really depend on the shape of your roast. Once you find a position that you think will work, grab your roast (still in its bag) and place it on top. If you think it is in a good position to hold the roast up, then awesome. If need be play with it a little bit longer until you are happy. It's easier to do this now instead of when you have your roast out and it's all coated and hard to play with without making mess.<br />
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Take the roast of the bag and place upon of the onion in the pan. I usually try to have a clean roast with as little oil/fat as possible as we find our tummies are thankful afterwards. As there is oil in the marinade, you don't have to add more oil if you don't want to. You can drizzle a little bit of oil over the top before placing it in the oven if you wish.<br />
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Using the cooking rule of thumb above, I cook mine for 2 hours 15 mins (1.5 hours for red meat + 45 as it's a rolled roast) as Mr Steph only likes well done roasts. If I had my way I'd just do the 1.5 hours and have it medium. But you have to keep the "diners" happy, I guess!<br />
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Enjoy,<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span></div>
Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-68690099868261103792014-07-20T18:47:00.003+10:002014-07-20T18:47:36.936+10:00Macadamia and white chocolate chip cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It may appear that I am on a macadamia binge since my last recipe (<a href="http://www.foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/apple-and-macadamia-upside-down-pie.html" target="_blank">apple and macadamia upside-down pie</a>) also showcased macadamia nuts. This cookie recipe is actually one that I have been making for many years now, and is a good old favourite that never disappoints.<br />
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I first started making these cookies when I was in my early twenties. I was baking cookies as Christmas gifts and decided to adapt my Mum's choc-chip cookie recipe as I had been obsessed with the macadamia and white chocolate combination - buying them anytime I came across them at cafes or just out and about.<br />
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The recipe is simple, using basic ingredients, and the dough is a great base for you to try your hand at any combination you desire.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Macadamia and white chocolate chip cookies</h3>
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<i>Makes 18 medium sized cookies</i></div>
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125g margarine or diary-free spread</div>
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1/2 cup white sugar</div>
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1/2 cup brown sugar</div>
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1 egg</div>
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1/2 tsp vanilla essence</div>
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2 cups SR flour</div>
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70g white chocolate chips (if going dairy free, swap for a dried fruit like cranberries or sultanas, or vegan chocolate chips such as <a href="http://www.sweetwilliam.com.au/index.php/Products/ViewProduct/13" target="_blank">Sweet William</a>) </div>
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60g macadamia nuts</div>
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Before anything else, pre-heat your oven to 180 C or 350 F.</div>
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For this first part, you can use electric beaters but I usually use a wooden spoon. Cream the margarine and sugar in a large bowl until the sugar and butter is well combined. Add the egg, vanilla and salt, mixing until it creates a thick batter.</div>
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Now for what makes these cookies so good: the macadamia nuts and chocolate. To smash the macadamia nuts, place them in a small zip-lock bag and use something with a little weight (like a can or mullet) to roughly smash the macadamia nuts. The pieces don't have to be even, simply broken up. If you'd like smaller chunks of nuts keep going until the pieces are the small you would like. I usually give them a little hit or two until the nuts are no longer whole. This way I get big and small pieces in the cookies, which I think makes them even better. Add the nuts and chocolate chips to your mixture and stir through.</div>
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Onto the flour.</div>
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I think it's best to add a little bit of flour at a time so you can easily incorporate it into the mixture. Using a 1/4 cup, add the flour a little at a time until you create a dough. Towards the end you may need to use your hands to mix in the remainder of the flour. You want the dough to be soft but not wet to the touch. If need be at a little more flour.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYxvApuDAz8RSsNRGbR9uLcxtvuasIRnoD0eg3MdPPKvtfGp19kQmFoImzjv2dHKAS4MvtWWI8fbqM7AdPGiw4bc9BwFZqM9I8V-3eacBCPlU8GshSWW9wrnEgoUQpEOncC3dKBQ79mrF/s1600/cookie-dough-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cookie dough - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYxvApuDAz8RSsNRGbR9uLcxtvuasIRnoD0eg3MdPPKvtfGp19kQmFoImzjv2dHKAS4MvtWWI8fbqM7AdPGiw4bc9BwFZqM9I8V-3eacBCPlU8GshSWW9wrnEgoUQpEOncC3dKBQ79mrF/s1600/cookie-dough-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="400" title="Cookie dough - Steph's Kitchen" width="340" /></a></div>
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Take small balls of the dough (about a table tennis ball in size or in Australia a 50 cent piece) and roll into a ball. Flatten slightly in your hand before placing them on a large, greased baking tray (or tray lined with baking paper). Sprinkle each cookie with a little bit of white sugar before placing them in the oven.</div>
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Bake the cookies in the oven for 10 - 15 mins until the edges of the cookies are golden in places. This way they stay a little soft inside. If you like them a little more crispy, cook for a couple more minutes until there's a little colour on top as well.</div>
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Enjoy! </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Steph xo</span></b></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-21346740704174488832014-07-05T16:16:00.001+10:002014-07-05T17:30:36.963+10:00Apple and macadamia upside-down pie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv8Jid8v4vMwLB2MF2awntz0Pj-9CaMR597FiT_MgCNPtLJXNCUSdrRmdthbya7NO2EvjfyC3t3gL62QOmnXbNIfjkrcCcarXD4JzQxWbX0SSV_nXUxHHLJZa0eiqa2CVuCgm4Os2KX-y/s1600/apple-and-macadamia-upside-down-pie-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Apple and macadamia nut upside-down pie - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv8Jid8v4vMwLB2MF2awntz0Pj-9CaMR597FiT_MgCNPtLJXNCUSdrRmdthbya7NO2EvjfyC3t3gL62QOmnXbNIfjkrcCcarXD4JzQxWbX0SSV_nXUxHHLJZa0eiqa2CVuCgm4Os2KX-y/s1600/apple-and-macadamia-upside-down-pie-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="300" title="Apple and macadamia nut upside-down pie - Steph's Kitchen" width="400"></a></div>
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I love quick and easy sweets.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div>
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This upside-pie came about when I went to make my apple and date upside-down pie and I was out of dates. I had already made the pastry so I looked through the pantry hunting for something to go with my sliced apples, the sweet brown sugar and the drizzle of melted butter that goes over the top of the pie before serving (yes, it is as delicious as it sounds!). I spied a bag of honey-roasted macadamias and had a little light bulb moment.</div>
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The combination was amazing! The nuttiness of the macadamias is a perfect match with the sweet of the apples.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">The best part - it'll be ready in under 30 minutes ...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKas1uMZyX2NKxl9AqFg9J8FG9BlCeqYhF2hxIKdG6SSn0l8ayKaiN_PHHvK5hlCRMp7OnMIcEJ5-_25SFo6qssIcmAwe88bV0gVp0OmQdRzF_Oz-7tof8wRSXqWX3FJKKIpt7Gk36BHly/s1600/apple-macadamia-upside-down-pie-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Apple and macadamia upside-down pie - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKas1uMZyX2NKxl9AqFg9J8FG9BlCeqYhF2hxIKdG6SSn0l8ayKaiN_PHHvK5hlCRMp7OnMIcEJ5-_25SFo6qssIcmAwe88bV0gVp0OmQdRzF_Oz-7tof8wRSXqWX3FJKKIpt7Gk36BHly/s1600/apple-macadamia-upside-down-pie-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="300" title="Apple and macadamia upside-down pie - Steph's Kitchen" width="400"></a></div>
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Apple and macadamia upside-down pie</h3>
<em>Prep and construction, 20mins</em><br>
<em>Baking time, 25mins</em><br>
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<strong>Pastry:</strong><br>
1/3 cup / 76g butter or margarine (I use marg)<br>
1 1/2 cups of SR flour<br>
1 Tbsp sugar<br>
1/2 cup water<br>
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If you don't have time to do the pastry you can also simple use frozen puff pastry cut to the size of your dish.<br>
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<strong>Filling:</strong><br>
2/3 cup honey roasted macadamia nuts<br>
2 small or 1 large apple<br>
3 Tbsp brown sugar<br>
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<strong>Just before serving:</strong> 1 Tbsp melted butter, sprinkle of cinnamon<br>
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Pre-heat oven to 170°<em></em>C / 338°F<em></em><br>
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First step, the pastry. In a food processer add the butter, flour and sugar, and blend until it forms fine breadcrumbs. Then slowly add the water while blending, letting your dough turn into one large ball.<br>
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Line a 24cm pie dish with baking paper, allowing it to hang over the sides a little (or a lot) so that you can use the over hanging bits to lift the pie out easily later.<br>
<br>Add the macadamia nuts a zip-lock bag, and using something with a little weight, such as a tin or a mug, lightly smash them. How much is up to you. Then core and thinly slice the apple. Now you're ready to put the pie together!</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="border: medium none;">Firstly, sprinkle the brown sugar on the bottom, then the smashed macadamias, followed by slices of the apple. Over lapping the apple is ok, as there is a little more then you need to cover the bottom. Next we'll get started on the top of the pie!</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br></div><div style="border: medium none;">Quickly knead the dough on a floured surface, then roll it out to slightly wider then the width of your pie dish. Place the pastry on top of your filling, pushing it down into the dish, tucking it slightly down the sides so it creates a sort-of lid around the filling. This will allow the apples better while the pie is baking while in the oven. </div><div style="border: medium none;"><br></div><div style="border: medium none;">Pop in the oven for 25 mins or until golden brown. Once ready, place a dish on top of the pie, turning it upside down so that it sits on the plate. Slowly pull back the baking paper and while still warm drizzle over the melted butter and sprinkle with some cinnamon. </div><div style="border: medium none;"><br></div><div style="border: medium none;">Serve with icecream or cream, or with custard for dessert</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br></div><div style="border: medium none;">Enjoy!</div><div style="border: medium none;">Steph</div></div>
Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-30883478826465983662014-06-19T21:22:00.000+10:002014-06-19T21:22:11.565+10:00My blog tour: Blogging, food, and friends I've met along the way<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I started blogging almost two years ago to save my Facebook friends from constant food pics and recipes in their news feeds. I'm sure most of them didn't mind (as a lot of them now follow <a href="http://www.facebook.com/foodfromstephskitchen" target="_blank">Steph's Kitchen on Facebook</a>) but it became even more difficult when people would ask for recipes and I had to quickly type things out in comments.<br />
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At first I just had a Facebook page, with my recipes posted in notes if people cared to check them out. However, I wanted to share more and reach out to more foodies that shared my passion for simple, good food.<br />
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And then my blog was born.<br />
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As Steph's Kitchen has grown I have met many great and wonderful foodies and fellow bloggers. It's an amazing community! One testament to this is the Foodie Parties you find weekly on blogs and Facebook, which sees so many bloggers from all over the world eager to share their passion for food and links to their cherished recipes.<br />
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I was honoured when Katie from <a href="http://pearlsplusgirls.com/" target="_blank">Pearls+Girls</a> featured me in her recent <a href="http://pearlsplusgirls.com/2014/06/blog-tour/#comment-1857" target="_blank">blog tour post</a>. For those unfamiliar with this type of post, it allows you to get to know bloggers and their writing process. It also gives me the opportunity to give a much deserved shout-out to three fellow bloggers that I am happy to call friends: Sofia from <a href="http://www.franticinthekitchen.com.au/" target="_blank">Frantic in the Kitchen</a>, April from <a href="http://www.whatcanibake.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">What can I bake?</a>, and Nettie from <a href="http://www.mooreorlesscooking.com/" target="_blank">Moore or Less Cooking</a>. I have more about these lovely ladies below, so keep reading!<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9voT_KBD_kGXktsKpHD95us4jcukcbnKvsSLNGjZHYGez1DPZhC3CuAUSfX5tPDfGDXuz1LEXqsqfivXnF9RtSbFYJ8fck_5Aazfjou31UnRQ0NdxSGFVOfSLF4yWjWsUjjUCH0DX1mVB/s1600/Stephs-Kitchen-about-me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="About me - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9voT_KBD_kGXktsKpHD95us4jcukcbnKvsSLNGjZHYGez1DPZhC3CuAUSfX5tPDfGDXuz1LEXqsqfivXnF9RtSbFYJ8fck_5Aazfjou31UnRQ0NdxSGFVOfSLF4yWjWsUjjUCH0DX1mVB/s1600/Stephs-Kitchen-about-me.jpg" height="280" title="About me - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, what am I currently working on?</h3>
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I have made it my aim this year to go through my earliest posts and update them to the style I use today. That includes taking more yummy looking pics for you!<br />
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Looking over my most popular posts from last year, it is also clear that you guys LOVE easy mid-week recipes that you don't have to put much effort into. And if Pinterest is anything to go by, with my most pinned recipe being my <a href="http://www.foodfromstephskitchen.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/creamy-garlic-sauce.html" target="_blank">creamy garlic sauce</a>, you guys love simple sauce recipes. So I'm also working on putting pen to paper on easy dinner ideas and sauces that I do in my own kitchen.<br />
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How does my work differ from others?</h3>
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Funny enough, this answer comes from my gorgeous sister Cakey (her affectionate nickname, of course). During a recent chat about recipes she said, "You really go into detail explaining things in your recipes."<br />
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I try to write what I would say if you was standing beside me and watching me cook, giving you comments about what to look for when cooking so that you don't have to rely only on simple instructions. This is how I learnt, and I think it's important to have those pointers to look for as instructions and terms can be interpreted differently from person to person.<br />
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<br /> Why do I write what I do?</h3>
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Simply put, I just love food. It's more than just eating, it's about enjoying good food. I blog so that I can share my love of food with you. Because good food is even better shared!</div>
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<br /> How does my writing process work?</h3>
<br />Unfortunately for me, blogging is not my day job. The simplest way I can explain what I do (and yes, I actually do explain it to people this way a lot) is that I play with colours and words all day. As I work in Melbourne City, I am also away from home almost 12 hours a day.<br />
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With such a busy schedule I have to be organised. I collect all my recipes I want to share with you and map them out on a calendar to ensure I keep on track. I then put time aside each weekend to make them up again, checking all my measurements, before taking pictures for you so you aren't just getting my dinner snaps all the time.<br />
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Three bloggers I love and admire</h3>
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<a href="http://franticinthekitchen.com.au/" target="_blank"><img alt="Sofia - Frantic in the Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIsVaHXKPxz5SKzyFUvxnpChZL9Ruw5hj7dhJ057594zOYEVHiWf-v6_-trJipffU7UCorP9nIje8Ld9Tu97yxlHPyQqzoGwEpo8x-IxxTU_bckrW6kYgpdbLRTYYFy1xejCq3WQy1bMu/s1600/Frantic-in-the-kitchen.jpg" height="280" title="Sofia - Frantic in the Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sofia from <a href="http://franticinthekitchen.com.au/" target="_blank">Frantic in the Kitchen</a> has such a love for food, and she has such an amazing food story. I was so excited when I found out that she is a Melbourne gal too, and it didn't take long before we were catching up over coffee about our love of food. As a busy mum, she has a fantastic collection of family recipes to inspire you so it's more than just meat and veg every night.<br />
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Recipes to check out: <a href="http://franticinthekitchen.com.au/upside-down-pear-and-almond-cake-served-with-lemon-myrtle-cream/" target="_blank">Upside down pear and almond cake</a>, <a href="http://franticinthekitchen.com.au/beetroot-and-beef-patties/" target="_blank">beetroot and beef patties</a><br />
Follow Frantic in the Kitchen: <br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/Franticinthekitchen">www.facebook.com/Franticinthekitchen</a><br /><a href="http://www.franticinthekitchen.com.au/">www.franticinthekitchen.com.au</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.whatcanibake.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank"><img alt="April - What can I bake?" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFg2O7NNpny2o3PfGIkID2hVzYZkyZGZSk2JRRz6ZDHt9ZUEhBzwdPKEqPLaaXAEMI8nTpwLiYb5m64LxAcByJAmu6824-16W4gvryt5E1jPTHeNBmZMHPD3LRwGW_ON6iaXaBAeVrtYA/s1600/What-can-I-bake.jpg" height="280" title="April - What can I bake?" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />April is another great Aussie blogger. Calling Perth (in Western Australia) home, she loves using local produce and fresh ingredients. She also loves to check out great places to eat in the local area, and you'll often find reviews on her blog as well as a great collection of recipes. If you are in Perth you are going to want to check her out especially!<br />
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Recipes to check out: <a href="http://www.whatcanibake.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/jelly-cheesecake-slice.html" target="_blank">Jelly cheesecake</a>, <a href="http://whatcanibake.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/steamed-pork-dumplings.html" target="_blank">steamed pork dumplings</a><br />
Follow What Can I Bake?: <br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/whatcanibake">www.facebook.com/whatcanibake</a><br /><u><a href="http://www.whatcanibake.blogspot.com/">www.whatcanibake.blogspot.com</a></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwSghhPlodQxr638vXxtgCx8C74Zj6bGrXR0zU_JXk-4CoRd982AqP1f2LznFc0d-onKQqza6AmcCbbJeAB6aVmfy_rNx7mMUrtaJ_hxOy0F8tKQw16dwnN-LLjVn4NkkwykQ-zystiND/s1600/Moore-or-less-cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nettie - Moore or Less Cooking" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwSghhPlodQxr638vXxtgCx8C74Zj6bGrXR0zU_JXk-4CoRd982AqP1f2LznFc0d-onKQqza6AmcCbbJeAB6aVmfy_rNx7mMUrtaJ_hxOy0F8tKQw16dwnN-LLjVn4NkkwykQ-zystiND/s1600/Moore-or-less-cooking.jpg" height="280" title="Nettie - Moore or Less Cooking" width="400" /></a></div>
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Nettie was one of the first food bloggers I started following on Facebook, relating instantly to her real passion for cooking. She also has a fantastic collection of recipes - both savoury and sweet - and has been active in the blogging community for many years. She is also fantastic at bringing together so many bloggers in the community through link sharing blog posts and foodie parties on her facebook page.</div>
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Recipes to check out: <a href="http://mooreorlesscooking.com/2014/05/27/fluffy-strawberry-lemon-cake/" target="_blank">Fluffy strawberry lemon cake</a>, <a href="http://mooreorlesscooking.com/2014/01/12/easy-fettuccine-alfredo/" target="_blank">easy fettuccini alfredo</a><br />
Follow Moore or Less Cooking:<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/Mooreorlesscooking">www.facebook.com/Mooreorlesscooking</a><br />
<u><a href="http://www.mooreorlesscooking.com/">www.mooreorlesscooking.com</a></u><br />
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Well, that's my blog tour post. I hope you enjoyed learning more about me and how I blog. Make sure you check out the great bloggers mentioned!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span><br />
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-82980732626917672962014-06-14T14:00:00.000+10:002014-06-14T18:20:04.199+10:00Lazy donuts with Nutella<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfEP7F1g54Xbtdkny6v7oOVwta-Vl_YrNxLw6sxEue_fzaMClTC2yL-dT80mZC33LydagpSqLmHOMGxyWdUbIV4ES-VAk-U8FqOUDgpDwEbLPTIGiYROuYfxHCxw8AQu5zIdqpzwvQRUj/s1600/lazy-donuts-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lazy donuts with Nutella - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfEP7F1g54Xbtdkny6v7oOVwta-Vl_YrNxLw6sxEue_fzaMClTC2yL-dT80mZC33LydagpSqLmHOMGxyWdUbIV4ES-VAk-U8FqOUDgpDwEbLPTIGiYROuYfxHCxw8AQu5zIdqpzwvQRUj/s1600/lazy-donuts-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="400" title="Lazy donuts with Nutella - Steph's Kitchen" width="307" /></a></div>
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I had my lazy donut recipe ready a week ago while I was at the airport and about to fly out on my holiday. Unfortunately, I ran out of free wifi before I could get it up! So here it is ...</div>
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Well, I don't know about you but I love short cuts. I love recipes that you don't have to wait for or you can cheat on - especially desserts. Now I do have a donut recipe (will go on the blog eventually - I promise!) that uses yeast or SR flour for those on a time limit, but my lazy donuts are a whole new level of cheating; five ingredients and eating in ten.</div>
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It's so quick and easy that I'm writing this right now at the airport, with no recipe in front of me ... got to love free wifi!!</div>
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I guess if you got into the technical side of things, these donuts may be considered more of a fritter. However, we call them lazy donuts at our place! And I originally created them when I had a craving for donuts and didn't have much in the kitchen, as I was cleaning out the fridge ready for our holiday, other than pantry basics. They turned out great! </div>
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I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.</div>
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<b>Lazy donuts with Nutella</b></h3>
<i>Makes 14 small "donuts" - enough for a quick dessert for two!</i><br />
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1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp SR flour<br />
2 Tbsp sugar<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
Sprinkle of cinnamon</div>
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Mix all dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add milk and mix to create a batter. </div>
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Heat up some vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium to high, no more than a couple of centimetres deep. Once hot (you can feel the warmth when you hold your hand over the top of the pan), drop in tablespoons of the batter into the oil. When a couple of bubbles appear turn your lazy donuts over and cook the other side (cooking no longer than a minute).</div>
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Place each of the donuts on some paper towel to drain the excess oil off then serve, drizzling some warmed Nutella over the top and a sprinkle of icing sugar over the top.</div>
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And that's it. Told you it's easy!</div>
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Enjoy<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>
Steph xo</b></span></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-75728815036101951722014-05-10T13:48:00.000+10:002014-05-10T13:48:14.538+10:00Apple pie pancakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcireh_CaY5jSlb3VPCv_Xi02v54BL6EN33O7GL0aMUm5NU13CNQQQevdJr5idgfnlOxhCgcp1dr8Kaxc3R07dUzrtLkxxNOjmT07PGyXlO_5FsrqG_kHhuFwudg2ADvV01743PoEUDU5/s1600/a-slice-of-apple-pie-pancake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A slice of apple pie pancake - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcireh_CaY5jSlb3VPCv_Xi02v54BL6EN33O7GL0aMUm5NU13CNQQQevdJr5idgfnlOxhCgcp1dr8Kaxc3R07dUzrtLkxxNOjmT07PGyXlO_5FsrqG_kHhuFwudg2ADvV01743PoEUDU5/s1600/a-slice-of-apple-pie-pancake.jpg" height="300" title="A slice of apple pie pancake - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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Every now and then I get a hankering for apple pie at breakfast. The worst part is you can't just throw together a pie in the 20 minutes that you want it. There's the pastry to make, the filling, and then the cooking. Unless you are just simple amazing or have your pie apples and pastry ready to go. I am not that amazing nor think that far ahead.</div>
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The only other option are those apple pies you get at Macdonalds. Very yummy but not really that good for you!</div>
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I was determined one morning to make something quick that tasted like the gorgeous apple pie I so craved for. Firstly there's the most important part of the pie: the apples. I didn't just want the tasteless, plain apples from a can. I wanted something that had the flavour of Mum's apples made with all that love, to make that warm fuzzy feeling when you eat them. So an apple mix with all the yummy apple pie spices was a must.</div>
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So what about something for the pastry? My mind went straight to pancakes. It would give a good base for the apples.</div>
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It turned out amazing! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eSvonYjr3I1eYePPCajRK46uxsCYzzX8-OXhFwtdZULE1s-19zdIm0u6iWkItMY8vOiRa_ihY4tr9kr6HF1V8DE0lRP6Y2bArt33rlVE4fM6xBWHqz2C396EnrgQ8FhSWVEtvEnrFZJJ/s1600/apple-pie-pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Apple pie pancake stack - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eSvonYjr3I1eYePPCajRK46uxsCYzzX8-OXhFwtdZULE1s-19zdIm0u6iWkItMY8vOiRa_ihY4tr9kr6HF1V8DE0lRP6Y2bArt33rlVE4fM6xBWHqz2C396EnrgQ8FhSWVEtvEnrFZJJ/s1600/apple-pie-pancakes.jpg" height="300" title="Apple pie pancake stack - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Apple pie pancakes</h2>
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6 - 8 medium pancakes</i><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
For the pancakes</h4>
1 cup milk or rice milk<br />
2 Tbsp margarine or dairy-free spread<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1 cup SR flour<br />
1/2 cup plain flour<br />
1 egg<br />
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For the apples</h4>
2 apples, cored and diced<br />
1/4 tsp nutmeg<br />
1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 Tbsp sugar<br />
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Firstly, the apples. Place all the apple ingredients in a small pot over a low heat with the lid on. Resist the urge to add in water! The apples will create enough liquid as they cook down. You can cook the apples for 15 - 20 mins, so simply leave it, stirring occasionally mainly just to check on it. We want the apples to be nice and soft, and there to be a little bit of juice from the cooking to be a little bit of a syrup.</div>
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Now, the pancake batter. Add in all your dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl. Lightly whisk your egg and put aside. In a small jug add your milk and margarine (or rice milk and dairy free spread for a dairy free option). Pop it the microwave for around a minute (doing 25 second intervals if required) with your margarine or spread until melted. I usually only wait for the margarine to be half melted and then mix it through the warm milk to melt the rest. Create a well in the centre of your dry ingredients and add the egg first, followed by half the milk. Mix until well combined and then slowly add the rest of the milk until it creates a think batter. If you feel you don't need the last little bit of milk simply don't add it.</div>
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Depending on how long it's been now, your apples might be ready. If you are at the 15 min mark, check your apples and turn it off if your apples are nice and soft. They shouldn't take any longer than 20. So if you feel like you'll forget them if you go onto your pancakes either wait that little bit longer until they are done or just turn it off and leave the lid on. They'll cook that little bit longer while you do your pancakes and will still keep warm. You can also cook them a couple more minutes just before serving if you need to.<br />
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Heat a large pan or electric fry pan on medium (I use my gorgeous <a href="http://www.breville.com.au/crepe-creationstm.html" target="_blank">Breville Crepe Creations pan</a> which I recommend to anyone), spraying the pan with a little bit of oil once it's hot enough if it's not non-stick. If you'd like all your pancakes to be the same size it's best to use a measuring cup to spoon the mixture onto the pan with. Depending on what size you want you can use a 1/4 or 1/3 measuring cup. Otherwise you can always use a jug to pour the mixture for each pancake. Do whatever makes you comfortable, because that is what cooking is all about!</div>
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When cooking your pancakes a lot of people worry about when you should flip them. The best thing to look for is for little bubbles to appear all over the top. If you flip it when there are only a couple of bubbles or only in one area you run the rest of it not being cooked on the side with no bubbles or that your pancake sort of turns on itself when you flip it. Once the bubbles appear flip your pancakes and cook for a little bit longer on the other side and your done. Continue until you have used all your batter.<br />
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I know a big stack of pancakes looks amazing, but trust me - they are deceiving size wise! I usually only have two, and Mr Steph has three. Add your pie apples on top of each stack with a drizzle of thickened cream or a scoop of vanilla icecream.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-57431455180775148212014-04-27T15:32:00.000+10:002014-04-28T14:17:31.031+10:00Moroccan inspired beef mince with mini tortillas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's funny when you look back at how you started cooking. I always helped Mum in the kitchen, even from a very young age, but when I was nine things quickly changed from helping to doing.<br />
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My Mum had a really tough pregnancy with my little sister. I was only nine at the time, but I could see my Mum was struggling. In her last trimester she continued to try and do everything as normal but she just couldn't. My Dad worked a lot to support us, so it was just Mum and us kids (three under the age of nine) at home before dinner-time. After Mum was trying to vacuum the house one day she had to lay down on the couch and just couldn't move she was so exhausted.<br />
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Being the eldest and seeing my Mum needed help I just stepped in. I got everyone in the bath, putting my younger sister Cakie (her nickname, of course) no more than seven years old in charge while I set off to find out from Mum what she wanted me to do for dinner with whatever she had out.<br />
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From this point forward I learnt how to cook by myself quickly and in a very unorthodox way. My Mum never used recipes for things she cooked for dinner; it was all in her head. I would tell Mum what I wanted to make and she would tell me what I needed, giving me a quick run down about what to do. As I didn't have Mum with me she would give me details about what it was suppose to look or smell like as she told me what to do. If I got stuck I would call out to Mum or bring her a taste so she could tell me if I'd missed anything. Most of the time I just tried to do it myself, using whatever knowledge I had to adapt into new things, as I didn't want to bother her while she was resting.<br />
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I still cook like this today - paying more attention to how something should look, smell or taste more than anything else.<br />
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Coming from a big family as well all of us now "grown up" kids have learnt to make dinner with as little as possible to keep the costs down. An ingredient my Mum always had was beef mince as it was so affordable. Today it is also a regular ingredient for me because it's just so quick and easy. I know a lot of you are the same, so here's another mince recipe for you, so it isn't just rissoles or spaghetti each time.<br />
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I know it's not a traditional Moroccan recipe, but it's my spin on Moroccan flavours. There are four main Moroccan spices: Coriander, cumin, garlic and ginger. I'm not a massive ginger fan so I replaced it with a little bit of chilli as I love the combination of chilli and cumin in other dishes. Another addition is bacon, which I know shouldn't be in a traditional Moroccan dish but I just love how the bacon gets that little bit crispy and adds another texture into the meat.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;">Mini Moroccan tortillas</span>
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
with Moroccan inspired beef mince and mini home-made tortillas</h4>
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<i>Serves 4</i></div>
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<b>For the Moroccan mince</b></div>
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300g beef mince (you can use lamb as well)</div>
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1/2 large onion, diced</div>
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2 heaped tsps minced garlic / 2 large cloves of garlic, finely diced</div>
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1 long red chilli, finely diced / 2 heaped tsps crushed chilli</div>
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1 Tbsp ground coriander</div>
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1 Tbsp ground cumin</div>
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4 shortcut / British style bacon</div>
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1 Tbsp BBQ / brown sauce</div>
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1 Tbsp oil (I use rice oil, but you can use olive or vegetable oil also)</div>
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To tortilla filling: 180g goat's milk feta cheese (crumbled) and 120g shredded lettuce. You can also simply use your family's favourite salads and normal grated cheese.</div>
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<b>For the mini tortillas</b></div>
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Makes 18 mini tortillas. </div>
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Four per person is usually plenty, but this way you have two extra for those hungry people. If you don't want to make your own simply buy tortillas. You can also use pita or pocket bread</div>
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2 cups plain flour</div>
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3 tsp baking powder</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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1 Tbsp oil (olive, vegetable or rice oil)</div>
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3/4 cup warm water</div>
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Extra flour for kneading and rolling</div>
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It's best to get your tortillas all rolled out first so that you just have to fry them off later. I usually start cooking them while I'm making my mince, but if you don't like doing things at once cook them before you get started on your mince.</div>
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In a large bowl add in your flour, baking powder and salt. Mix these through and create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Next add your oil and water, stirring with a wooden spoon (or whatever spoon you are comfortable with) until it comes together into a dough. I usually mix until it starts to turn into a ball, then use my hands to knead all the strangler bits of dough together with the rest.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4XHNPLR_9KaLLGF1dN-GqLkExyxlR0CNBfTbRjBDufxvFWiFeBO8oo8wnJTXZRZQQh-7HopDyvpKdQmM8uVOOujcEHps82qNpCljHB9q9OWsKfhsh_c5vMl9ySUs5sRF9yF2j6kGwgfA/s1600/the-size-of-the-tortilla-dough-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Making mini tortillas - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4XHNPLR_9KaLLGF1dN-GqLkExyxlR0CNBfTbRjBDufxvFWiFeBO8oo8wnJTXZRZQQh-7HopDyvpKdQmM8uVOOujcEHps82qNpCljHB9q9OWsKfhsh_c5vMl9ySUs5sRF9yF2j6kGwgfA/s1600/the-size-of-the-tortilla-dough-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="240" title="Making mini tortillas - Steph's Kitchen" width="320" /></a>Sprinkle some flour onto your bench or a cutting board and knead the dough for a few minutes until it feels smooth. What I mean by this is you don't want the dough to feel grainy or lumpy when you are kneading it. Once you're happy with your dough divide it into 18 small balls. You want the dough ball to fit nicely in the small of your hand.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4XHNPLR_9KaLLGF1dN-GqLkExyxlR0CNBfTbRjBDufxvFWiFeBO8oo8wnJTXZRZQQh-7HopDyvpKdQmM8uVOOujcEHps82qNpCljHB9q9OWsKfhsh_c5vMl9ySUs5sRF9yF2j6kGwgfA/s1600/the-size-of-the-tortilla-dough-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Now you can start rolling. Flour your bench again, flattening a ball slightly on the bench before you start to roll it out with a rolling pin. Don't stress about them not being round; they don't have to be perfect. If it makes you feel any better mine never are! You want to roll each one out until it is no more than 2mm thick. Once you are happy with your tortilla, sprinkle each one with some flour before putting them aside and moving onto your next one. The flour stops them from sticking together but you also need a little bit of flour on the outside for when you cook them.</div>
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As I said, I usually cook mine off as I make the mince. For the purpose of this recipe we will make things a little less chaotic for those that already are multi-tasking with kids around them and cook these off first. (You go Mums!) The best thing about these tortillas is you can make them up early (even the day before) and simply zap them in the microwave quickly so they are just warm before serving.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrLGG8VLkzozTaHN7zhPKzrkXhHJDHoEmec96bBGV6RFxNwGGHYX_pQ7Pz6TZyOeeM-t5VCDjt7f6_wpOSimTKXdsHm5qv6Zd4RyRyVoFK_gZO80Qz0pcM7CalHPP8-yieU9brHYm24Tf/s1600/cooking-mini-tortillas-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Cooking mini tortillas - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrLGG8VLkzozTaHN7zhPKzrkXhHJDHoEmec96bBGV6RFxNwGGHYX_pQ7Pz6TZyOeeM-t5VCDjt7f6_wpOSimTKXdsHm5qv6Zd4RyRyVoFK_gZO80Qz0pcM7CalHPP8-yieU9brHYm24Tf/s1600/cooking-mini-tortillas-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="150" title="Cooking mini tortillas - Steph's Kitchen" width="200" /></a>Heat up an an electric pan or large frying pan over a medium heat. Once you can hold your hand over the top of the pan and feel the warmth, spray with a little bit of oil and add in your tortillas. You can add as many as you want, just make sure they are not over-lapping in any way. Cook the tortilla until you can see little bubbles appear on top, then flip them. They only need to cook a minute on the other side and they are done. All you really want to do is make sure they have a tiny bit of colour in places. If you cook them too long they won't be soft but rather crunchy.</div>
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Continue cooking your tortillas, spraying with a little oil each time you add in new ones. Once cooked place them aside and get started on your mince.</div>
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Add your oil into a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. Once hot enough add in your onion. If you are using fresh chilli add it in with the onion. Saute your onion (until it appears transparent) before adding in your bacon and beef mince. Once you've browned the mince add in your spices, garlic and crushed chilli. Stir the mince for a couple of minutes until you can smell the spices and garlic cooking off. Lastly, mix through the BBQ sauce and you're done.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrgOggg7KDH5iLdmJXjbaQDh-yLj2UTPsc_j9wfNkg7Zyq8pmJEbSgPwcWWoUrKwxrJRE_ZvInU7t59loh89by5xFU52vvFbVLOgIae0JiszC4OKDEebW95HbZ9CE9WMZLUT0f-uEuwdE/s1600/mini-moroccan-tortillas-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mini Moroccan mince tortillas - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrgOggg7KDH5iLdmJXjbaQDh-yLj2UTPsc_j9wfNkg7Zyq8pmJEbSgPwcWWoUrKwxrJRE_ZvInU7t59loh89by5xFU52vvFbVLOgIae0JiszC4OKDEebW95HbZ9CE9WMZLUT0f-uEuwdE/s1600/mini-moroccan-tortillas-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="300" title="Mini Moroccan mince tortillas - Steph's Kitchen" width="400" /></a></div>
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Simply serve the mince, cheese and lettuce in their own bowls on the table and let everyone make their own tortillas; kids love being able to "construct" there own dinner. If your family don't goat's cheese people simply use normal grated cheese or feta, and add whatever salads your family will actually enjoy.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span></div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-39985337666188168172014-04-01T21:19:00.000+11:002014-04-01T21:20:33.284+11:00Easy beef burgers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgxxE_8eW3wt8vthhvlUQoEJeycqcsmGeEIX1Ypmrfb_zzWqtV9Tj3MbT5O2Mam3vHLurA9W1kEuc31L6bEN651KE5nh7uimbtd5MsNEk4YqX_x7xf8_RcSfpKL3TT6bFujpDR5tWT4kV/s1600/beef-burger-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The open beef burger - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgxxE_8eW3wt8vthhvlUQoEJeycqcsmGeEIX1Ypmrfb_zzWqtV9Tj3MbT5O2Mam3vHLurA9W1kEuc31L6bEN651KE5nh7uimbtd5MsNEk4YqX_x7xf8_RcSfpKL3TT6bFujpDR5tWT4kV/s1600/beef-burger-stephs-kitchen.jpg" title="The open beef burger - Steph's Kitchen" /></a></div>
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I don't know about you, but I absolutely love burgers. They always tempt me when I go out, and I'm a sucker for a whopper from Hungry Jacks. Even though I get really sick later, I still do it.<br />
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I started my hunt to create a beef patty that tasted just like the ones I get when I eat out. I've always grown up the Aussie way with rissoles or beef patties on the BBQ, but it always had the chunks of onion and a different flavour to the patties I would enjoy out.<br />
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I first started simply grabbing store bought patties from the deli when I felt like a burger. I knew these were pretty close to the sort of patties on your usually take-out grill. Looking at how they were made and how they cooked I worked out that the reason why mine always taste different is all the binding ingredients I need to use, and the consistency is different because of the onion I add for flavour.<br />
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One day I thought 'Why not use my food processor for all my herbs like I do for my chicken stuffing?'<br />
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So I threw the onion and all my herbs in and blended it until the onion was finely chopped, then I added it to my mince. Doing this still didn't give me the exact flavour I wanted because I still had to add my breadcrumbs and egg to bind it all together.<br />
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I then had a light-bulb moment. Why not simply use the fat in the mince to bind everything together? So the next time I added mince into the food-processor with the blended herbs, followed by just a little bit of the usually binding ingredients I use. And it worked out exactly how I wanted. A smooth mince patty but with all the flavour I wanted from my traditional rissoles I make.<br />
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If you don't have a food processor, don't worry I have an option for you below also.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwq6neb8KiLaE4xHNr-QM68t_KQh2CStoRjxD2aS89U9AiqwVZQqf2EiRBA0L6CcI1kSEoMMmR-OYOP0kAOGDQRAdVSiMfotffLXI3tN3rrO-Y1ToVYuJKWGhg1T9vVnwkchzVze_Cy_y/s1600/beef-burgers-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beef and bacon burger - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwq6neb8KiLaE4xHNr-QM68t_KQh2CStoRjxD2aS89U9AiqwVZQqf2EiRBA0L6CcI1kSEoMMmR-OYOP0kAOGDQRAdVSiMfotffLXI3tN3rrO-Y1ToVYuJKWGhg1T9vVnwkchzVze_Cy_y/s1600/beef-burgers-stephs-kitchen.jpg" title="Beef and bacon burger - Steph's Kitchen" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Beef patties for home-made beef burgers</h3>
<i>Makes 6 medium sized patties, large enough for your average hamburger roll.</i><br />
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500g lean mince. You could use regular mince, but I don't like too much oil cooking out of them as I find them a little greasy.<br />
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2g fresh parsley (just the leaves)<br />
2 tsps fruit chutney<br />
1/2 medium onion, quartered<br />
1/2 cup breadcrumbs<br />
1 egg<br />
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If you don't have a food processor see my note below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I1wkVoqd2AXytUKHKUqu_2q7g41nts59_UGdMShqNlP8ARHX-eeu9fjDXX3eINdFYPj0Ngit-bFZ5kr_CQehCPA4e2OA6b7-rNJm1KYbYdKg7U5RIzscyMVHfiUYDOJ9GUzx7XNqLcFg/s1600/beef-patty-mince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Beef patty mince in the food processor" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I1wkVoqd2AXytUKHKUqu_2q7g41nts59_UGdMShqNlP8ARHX-eeu9fjDXX3eINdFYPj0Ngit-bFZ5kr_CQehCPA4e2OA6b7-rNJm1KYbYdKg7U5RIzscyMVHfiUYDOJ9GUzx7XNqLcFg/s1600/beef-patty-mince.jpg" height="240" title="Beef patty mince in the food processor - Steph's Kitchen" width="320" /></a>Grab your food processor and throw in your onion and parsley. Blend them together until the onion is finely diced. Next throw in your mince, breadcrumbs and crack in the egg - no need to whisk. To make sure you don't over-work the mince, which will make it grainy in texture once cooked, break up your mince into large chunks so that it is spread out around the processor and not just in one section. Now turn it onto the low setting and blend quickly until everything is combined - around 1 minute. Any longer then that and your mince will be grainy, and you don't want that. Trust me. If the onion hasn't blended into the mince very well simply grab it out and finish combining it together with your hands in a small bowl.<br />
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Divide the mince into six equal amounts, then roll each of them a ball and then flatten them to around 1 1/2 cms thick. I usually flatten each and then lay them on a plate or cutting board ready to go.<br />
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In a large frying pan or electric pan, heat up a couple of tablespoons of oil (I use rice oil, but you can use olive or vegetable oil also) on a medium heat until you can feel the heat radiating from the pan when you move your hand over the top. Once your oil is ready pop in as many of the patties as possible while still having space between them so that you can easily flip them.<br />
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Now, I don't time each side like I probably should because I'm always doing something else while things cook rather than waiting and looking at a clock. I'm pretty sure many of you are also like that. What I look for is when you can see the patty is slightly cooked around the very edge of the patty, then flip. If you flip and they aren't brown enough on that side simply leave it and then flip it again once the other side is cooked to get that little bit of extra colour. To work out if they are done I usually use my egg flip and press down on the patty. You want clear juice coming out. If you are still a little unsure, you want the patty to feel more firm then soft when you touch it.<br />
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Now your patties are ready to add it to your burger bun of choice with all the salads or extras you desire.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Some gourmet extras to make your burger extra awesome and a bit more gourmet</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VieOSttCAPVrL46jKZz_yDBDYhpEh6RFB3XqoX8inJ7eegz2k9ohTQV3lYIAtTHn2kOnKWOnhZRyXChVm1rh2ZmeOT4mX3WuYBjKgKihKzXED_qTlEHD3MijN3kwJ01mCNKS84MjcTfa/s1600/cheese-on-top-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Add cheese on top of your patties" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VieOSttCAPVrL46jKZz_yDBDYhpEh6RFB3XqoX8inJ7eegz2k9ohTQV3lYIAtTHn2kOnKWOnhZRyXChVm1rh2ZmeOT4mX3WuYBjKgKihKzXED_qTlEHD3MijN3kwJ01mCNKS84MjcTfa/s1600/cheese-on-top-stephs-kitchen.jpg" title="Add cheese on top of your patties - Steph's Kitchen" /></a></div>
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<li>Fry up some onion with a little butter and oil. Cook them until they are soft and start to have a golden colour.</li>
<li>When you flip the burger the first time, allow the other side to get a little bit of colour and then add some cheese slices (and your onion if you are doing it) so that the cheese melts while the patty is cooking.</li>
<li>Toast up your burger buns before serving by spreading a generous amount of butter on the open side and frying them off until they have a little bit of colour. </li>
<li>Cut the sides of a large red capsicum or pepper and then grill them in a pan or on the BBQ with a little bit of oil. Red peppers are sweeter than green, so it will turn a little sweet when grilled. Make sure you grill it until it has blackened in areas.</li>
<li>If you are going for a mock-up of a Hungry Jacks or Burger King burger: add cheese to the top of your patty, zap it in the microwave for 25 seconds, add it to your burger bun followed by a little tomato sauce or ketchup, tomato, onion slices (use white or brown onion), and shredded lettuce. Top it off with whole egg mayo on the top side of your bun, and you're done. Zap it again for 20 seconds so that your bun is slightly warm.</li>
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Note: What to do without a food processor. Grate your onion and finely dice your parsley. Then mix that through the mince, massaging it into the mince so that the fat in the mince starts to bind things. Then add the breadcrumbs followed by the lightly whisked egg, using your hands to mix everything together until smooth. Divide, roll and flatten as per recipe above. Cook as normal.</div>
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Enjoy,<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span></div>
Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9168506725918838231.post-38445411092089922162014-03-23T16:50:00.000+11:002014-03-23T16:50:03.414+11:00Dijon mustard crumbed chicken<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-bPxRFGM_FA9Hi2tsAyiFa6AtRTFPRVxUcywQHRMJrTghHYdv686l77kSqUZwWAyfEYopP9F3tyLgJK_XFmZ4rVcpSoLZH-04hUHuAGuot-4QwoCKx-cnzpIWugmftsjDzbz9lyVhHZ2/s1600/Dijon-mustard-crumbed-chicken-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dijon mustard crumbed chicken and chips - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-bPxRFGM_FA9Hi2tsAyiFa6AtRTFPRVxUcywQHRMJrTghHYdv686l77kSqUZwWAyfEYopP9F3tyLgJK_XFmZ4rVcpSoLZH-04hUHuAGuot-4QwoCKx-cnzpIWugmftsjDzbz9lyVhHZ2/s1600/Dijon-mustard-crumbed-chicken-stephs-kitchen.jpg" title="Dijon mustard crumbed chicken and chips - Steph's Kitchen" /></a></div>
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I never used to be a big mustard fan. I grew up with mild and hot English mustard like all good English children should, but other than that mustard was just another "sauce". Only in the last few years did I even have Amercian mustard on hot dogs, and even then it was only because Mr Steph likes it.<br />
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One day I bought Dijon mustard for a herb crusted lamb recipe I found. It was very delicious (which reminds me I should make it again!), but after I didn't really know what else to use it on. I started experimenting, using it in my potato salad instead of mild English mustard and also on sandwiches, then one day I decided to try it on some crumbed chicken I was making.<br />
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It was delicious.<br />
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"Mustard chicken", as it is commonly called at our house now, is a regular mid-week meal, especially in summer as you can enjoy it with a big salad or even veggies. Sometimes we are a bit naughty and have it simply with baked chips like in the photo above. No matter how you have it, I can assure you that you will not just make it the once and think 'Meh, I guess that was ok ...' It really is delicious. I made this just over Christmas for my visiting family and they loved it too, so it's not just me and Mr Steph approved!<br />
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You can bake the crumbed chicken, but we usually shallow fry them as they go that little bit more crispy. By double crumbing the chicken (which I'll explain later if you are not sure what that means) also gives you more of a crispy, thicker crumb on the chicken.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNCjk1W3UiizBxsKY6waTORHg41QXdEo_5Q2MsDMcohx73WVzOiSv7rygH5DP-RaZ070apTh7YtyH8aECHQrOMf5aE6eELQ1Wkz3srzQWijhSkMwp3cJa7esCic-4Uk5x_gER4XpBiwUL/s1600/dijon-mustard-crumbed-chicken-stephs-kitchen-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dijon mustard crumbed chicken with baked chips - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNCjk1W3UiizBxsKY6waTORHg41QXdEo_5Q2MsDMcohx73WVzOiSv7rygH5DP-RaZ070apTh7YtyH8aECHQrOMf5aE6eELQ1Wkz3srzQWijhSkMwp3cJa7esCic-4Uk5x_gER4XpBiwUL/s1600/dijon-mustard-crumbed-chicken-stephs-kitchen-2.jpg" title="Dijon mustard crumbed chicken with baked chips - Steph's Kitchen" /></a></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Dijon mustard crumbed chicken</h3>
<i>Serves 4</i><br />
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2 chicken breasts<br />
1/2 cup of Dijon mustard<br />
2 1/2 cups of bread crumbs<br />
1 cup of milk or rice milk* (or 1/2 a cup of milk and 1/2 cup of water)<br />
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Firstly measure out your bread crumbs and milk in two separate bowls. Also measure our your mustard and set it aside. Now onto the chicken.<br />
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Cut your chicken breasts in half as evenly as you can. Of course you will have the fatter ends that will be thicker but that's ok. You can simply flatten them with a meat mallet quickly, but often I just let them cook a little longer later on. Once halved, cut each piece of chicken into two or three pieces. We usually cut it into three so that you have smaller, crispier pieces. You could even leave them as large pieces of chicken (with the whole half of the breast). It's entirely up to you and what you would like.<br />
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Arrange the chicken side by side on your cutting board and spread the Dijon mustard generously over one side of the chicken. Now coat the chicken pieces one by one in the bread crumbs, setting them back on the board once completely covered. As you are crumbing the chicken on the mustard side, gently push the bread crumbs into the mustard so that they stick. One by one dip the chicken carefully into the milk, and then back into the crumbs again. This is double crumbing, which gives your chicken that extra layer of crumbs. Once cooked this will make it extra crispy and give it this nice crunch of a crumb layer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1q3JKR56KCcwJOhChxoPjiH_bczve6EXZ_K-IgZV_MUh-F86BlBdYTLLxO0RAjnr1tdvucZz6rSALabLC1WmzCM8T20CQj0GJhvNWC-Bu4tyIAmWjdTaF7Y4h2nbim85aSnMz_ZTdn0Z/s1600/crumbing-the-chicken-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Double crumbing the chicken - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1q3JKR56KCcwJOhChxoPjiH_bczve6EXZ_K-IgZV_MUh-F86BlBdYTLLxO0RAjnr1tdvucZz6rSALabLC1WmzCM8T20CQj0GJhvNWC-Bu4tyIAmWjdTaF7Y4h2nbim85aSnMz_ZTdn0Z/s1600/crumbing-the-chicken-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="150" title="Double crumbing the chicken - Steph's Kitchen" width="200" /></a><br />
Traditionally when you double crumb something you would dip it first in the milk (or an egg and milk mixture), then the crumbs, and then you repeat this again. As Mr Steph is slightly allergic to eggs I try to avoid cooking with them if I don't need to. In this recipe I am missing that first dip in the milk as you want to keep as much of the mustard on the chicken as possible. You can use this technique to crumb any sort of meat, such as steak (for crumbed steak or schnitzel), fish or even pork chops. I find that double crumbing it really gives it that proper fully-coated layer that you want.<br />
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In a large pan or electric pan add enough vegetable or rice oil (I use rice oil) to give around 1 cm in the bottom of the pan. Heat up your oil until you can wave your hand over the top and it feels warm. Turn down the heat to medium and add the chicken into the oil with tongs so that you don't accidentally get your fingers in the oil (which I have done far too many times!). The reason you want it to be on a medium heat and not too high is you don't want your crumbed coating to burn but the chicken not be cooked properly.<br />
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Cook the chicken until you can see around 1/2 cm of the edge of the chicken a different colour to the middle of the chicken, then turn over. I find this is the best judge of when you know it's safe to turn your chicken. This way you are not having to cut open your chicken to check if it's cooked and flipping the chicken a million times in the oil. The less you turn the chicken the more crispy it will be in the end.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhmorZJNdYAjnDIcYwYbZDVWPEyzISWuM0S1j-Gx-nWvak-NdRtIVokgjYHurjNFrCc0wZ8ua2abxaU2xkh_RceYuCsvJZm4pkOQoHKxrvf6ww022VLWKzdthAmepvUndZRuuDuRowMfD/s1600/dijon-mustard-chicken-ready-to-be-served-stephs-kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Dijon mustard chicken just before serving - Steph's Kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhmorZJNdYAjnDIcYwYbZDVWPEyzISWuM0S1j-Gx-nWvak-NdRtIVokgjYHurjNFrCc0wZ8ua2abxaU2xkh_RceYuCsvJZm4pkOQoHKxrvf6ww022VLWKzdthAmepvUndZRuuDuRowMfD/s1600/dijon-mustard-chicken-ready-to-be-served-stephs-kitchen.jpg" height="126" title="Dijon mustard chicken just before serving - Steph's Kitchen" width="200" /></a>Once your chicken is a golden brown on the other side remove the chicken to a plate with paper towel. This will soak up the oil before you put it on the plate - otherwise you'll be serving oily chicken!<br />
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Serve with salad and chips, or mashed potato and veggies.<br />
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Now you can deep fry or bake this recipe, but I prefer to shallow fry as it still gives you that crispy outside without me having to feel guilty about it sitting in all that oil! If you are baking simply back it in a moderate open for around 25-30 mins or until golden brown. Simply poke the chicken with a small knife or skewer and check that any juice that escapes is clear before serving.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Steph xo</b></span><br />
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* Use rice milk to make this recipe dairy free.<br />
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11913142353167686965noreply@blogger.com0