Balsamic vinegar

For a lot of the stews and mince mixtures, we often add a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Adds a piquant, unusual flavour and leads to "What's that taste I can't identify?"

Use the best you can afford - the real deal - not the cheap stuff made by adding caramel to the base vinegar.

Chocolate bread pudding

This is a variation of the previous recipe. If you look at the picture, you will see little pieces of "chocolate chip". This happened when we added the warm, melted chocolate to the cold milk and the chocolate mixture solidified!

Also the bread and pastry is a bit of an overkill.

Changes:

No pastry
6 slices bread
200g (70% cocoa) dark chocolate

Warm the milk before adding to the bread. Now when you add the chocolate, it won't solidify.

Rest of recipe as described.

Yummy - perfect for cold winter's nights.

Chocolate and bread tart

Sheet of sweet pastry
4 slices bread, cubed with crusts removed
2 eggs
350 ml milk
150g (70% cocoa) dark chocolate
50g butter
4 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cocoa

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Line an oven proof baking dish with the pastry.
Bake the pastry blind for 20 minutes, then remove the blind and bake for another 4 minutes.
Cover the bread with the milk and leave to soak.
Melt the butter and chocolate and add to bread mixture.
Add vanilla essence and cocoa and stir.
Beat eggs and sugar separately and then stir into mixture.
Reduce oven to 180 degrees C and bake for 35 minutes or until set.
Serve with cream or ice cream.

Green Thai chicken curry

500g chicken breasts cubed (skin removed)
1 onion
Garlic and ginger.
Herbs and spices.
Tin Thai green curry mixture (Check coconut cream is part of the ingredients otherwise purchase separately)
Frozen vegetables
2 Tbsps fish sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Cooked rice

Brown chicken, onion, ginger, garlic and spices in a frying pan.
Add herbs and stir through
Add fish and soy sauce and stir through
Quickly soak the vegetables in boiling water, then drain and add the vegetables.
Add the green curry mixture (and coconut milk if required) and bring back to boil.
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve over rice.

Chocolate and coffee pie

Sheet of sweet pastry
180 ml cream
2 eggs
1 Tbsp instant coffee
50 ml milk
200g (70% cocoa) dark chocolate
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Line an oven proof baking dish with the pastry.
Bake the pastry blind for 20 minutes, then remove the blind and bake for another 4 minutes.
Cream together milk, cream and vanilla.
Add chocolate and warm gently. Remove to cool slightly.
Whisk sugar and eggs and add to mixture. Add instant coffee and stir through.
Reduce oven to 160 degrees C.
Carefully pour filling into pastry base.
Bake for another 20 minutes or until set.

Cheesy mince and pasta bake

500g mince
1 onion
Garlic and ginger
Herbs and spices
1 tin savoury tomatoes
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup cheese
Cooked pasta

Brown mince, onion, spices, garlic and ginger in frying pan.
Add herbs.
Add tomatoes and bring to boil.
In an oven-proof dish, layer the pasta and mince mixture.
Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese and scatter over the dish.
Bake at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes or until topping is golden.

Don't drop the chocolate

When melting chocolate and butter over a double boiler, ensure that the small dish cannot drop into the bigger one! If it does and boiling water gets into the melting mixture, you are guaranteed to have a mess.

And always use chocolate made with at least 70% cocoa. It's a bit more expensive but the difference is well worth it. Spoil yourself!

Rhubarb crumble

Filling:
50g butter
2/3 cup sugar
3 to 4 cups chopped rhubarb
1 tsp vanilla

Crumble:
75g butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup ground almonds

Combine butter and sugar.
Stir over medium heat until starting to brown.
Add rhubarb.
Cook stirring all the time until mixture starts to thicken. (Approx. 12 minutes)
Remove and stir in vanilla.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
Cream butter and sugar.
Combine flour, almonds and oats.
Gradually add butter mixture and rub until crumbly.
Pour rhubarb mixture into baking dish.
Sprinkle crumble over the top.
Bake for 25 minutes until cooked and the top is brown.

Aside : Camellias in the garden

To celebrate the first day of spring, a dash of colour!

Chicken and penne bake

500g penne pasta
400g chicken breasts
Onion
Garlic and ginger
Herbs and spices
1/3 cup chicken stock
Tin canned tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine

Cook pasta.
Brown onions, garlic, ginger and spices.
Add chicken and herbs and brown.
Add stock and white wine. Bring to boil.
Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add pasta and warm through.
Serve with crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices.

Baked custard tart

Sheet of sweet pastry
4 eggs
2 cups cream
1 1/2 cups milk
3 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line an oven proof baking dish with the pastry.
Bake the pastry blind for 20 minutes, then remove the blind and bake for another 4 minutes.
Cream together sugar, milk, cream and eggs.
Carefully pour filling into pastry base.
Bake for another 45 minutes or until set.

This is one of those standard recipes with a million variations. Grated cinnamon or nutmeg can be added when the tart is removed from the oven.

My kids like to roll the pastry and line the dish. The leftovers are rolled and cut into strips and then baked at the same time as the "blind" pastry and then enjoyed as a taster.

Fish and pumpkin in korma sauce

Oil
2 cups coarsely chopped pumpkin
500g firm fish fillets
Jar korma sauce
Onion
Garlic and ginger

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
Brown onion, garlic and ginger.
Add pumpkin and fry for 5 minutes.
Reserve and brown fish on both sides
Place the pumpkin into a baking dish, cover with the fish and cover with the korma sauce.
Bake for 20 minutes.