Carrot and orange muffins

Again had left over oranges and carrots that needed to be eaten so decided to do a carrot orange muffin trial! Another winner!

Ingredients:
1 C self raising flour
1 C grated carrots (about 2 med size carrots)
1 orange
Sprinkle of cinnamon & nutmeg
Sprinkle of vanilla sugar
1 egg
1/4 C vegetable oil
2 Tbs caster sugar
2 Tbs vaalia natural yogurt

• Preheat oven to 150 degrees C
• Lightly grease a 6 muffin tray with oil
• In a big bowl add the flour, cinnamon & vanilla sugar
• Finely grate the carrots and add to the flour mix
• In a separate bowl or measuring jug add oil, egg & caster sugar and whisk together until smooth, add to flour mix and stir
• Lastly add the yogurt and grate in the orange and stir until completely mixed through
• Spoon into muffin tray and bake for about 30 mins or until skewer comes out clean
• Leave in trays for a few minutes to rest before removing and putting on a wire rack to cool
• Serve with some whipped cream and enjoy with a nice cuppa!

Seared Salmon on a bed of grilled eggplant

Decided to do a small dish for dinner last night as DP wasn't very hungry so quickly put this together and it was delicious!

Ingredients:
Salmon fillet with skin on (this was actually a 200g pce that I cut in half once cooked)
Eggplant cut horizontal 4 pieces at about 1cm thick
Sweet potato cut horizontal 2 pieces at about 1/2 cm thick
Pesto (wattle valley-chilli red + rocket)
Olive oil for frying & grilling
Salt

• Firstly preheat the grill 
• Cut the eggplant and sweet potato and lay on a lined baking tray, spray or brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little bit of salt, turn over and repeat
• Place under the grill, you might have to move them around if some start to cook faster than others
• Once browned nicely turn over to cook other side
• When browned nicely turn off grill but leave tray in oven and put oven on 150 degrees C for 15 mins
• Next heat up a frying pan (on med/hot) with a little bit of olive oil 
• Rub a bit of salt onto both sides of the salmon fillet and place with skin facing down in frying pan
• Cover and sear and turn after a few minutes. After each side is cooked move pan off the heat and let sit
• In the mean time place eggplant on a plate (2 to each plate), place 1 sweet potato piece in the middle on top of the 2 eggplant pieces. Spread chilli red pesto onto the eggplant pieces.
• Take out the salmon and cut lengthwise into 2 pieces, place on top of eggplant and put a little bit of rocket pesto on top! Enjoy!

Home made pizza!

I love making pizza and this recipe I came across when I lived in the UK... I went through a crazy dough making phase! This dough recipe can also be used for making bread.

Ingredients:

250g Flour (tip 00 is best)

7g packet of yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Tbs Sugar

250ml warm water (not too hot or you'll kill the yeast)

Extra flour for kneading and then rolling out the pizza

Olive oil

• First thing I do is put the flour into a big mixing bowl, then I measure out the warm water into a measuring jug. Once I get the right temperature of the water I add the sugar, salt and the packet of yeast. I let it sit for about 2 minutes. 
• In the mean time get out a baking tray or if you have one a pizza stone (these things give the crust a nice crisp bottom), put some baking paper on top and grease a little with olive oil. Get out your other ingredients for the topping, I use leggos tomato paste, some chopped olives, shredded ham, nimbin grated cheese & some pesto.
• Next make a well in the flour and start adding the warm water mixture while stirring with a spoon. The dough should start to come together, if it's too wet add some more flour. Once it starts to get too hard to stir put your hand in and start kneading it together. The dough should be nice and spongey & smooth so knead for about 3-4 minutes. Put a little bit of olive oil in your hand (10c piece) and then cover the dough with it, place back in bowl and cover with a tea towel and let rise for 1 hour in a warm area, it should double in size.
• If you are making a tomato like paste then now is the time to do- a nice mix is tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, diced capsicum, salt, pepper, fresh basil or dry mixed herbs, chopped olives, chopped garlic and onions. Fry everything up then add enough water to just cover ingredients and let it reduce (you have to stay and stir it so the bottom doesn't burn) then get a potato masher and mash everything up so it is less chunky. Of course taste and add what ever you think it needs, if you like spice add a bit of chilli etc 
• 15 mins before the dough is ready to be kneaded out put the oven on about 180C
• Once the hour is up for the dough, start to knead it on a flour dusted chopping board, get all the air out of the dough. Dust a little more flour on the board and dough and shape it either into a circle or rectangle depending on what baking tray you are using. Trick is to move the dough around not the rolling pin which should just go in 1 direction-forwards!
• Add your toppings and place in the oven for about 20 mins-depending on how much cheese and topping you put on top and how crusty you like your dough you may need less or more time in oven!

Lemon Chia Seed Muffins

Decided to make these today as I have left over chia seeds that need to be eaten! Thought I'd try this recipe I found and it's definitely a winner!!!

1 cup flour
1 1/2 Tbls chia seeds
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbs butter, softened or can use canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 lemon, zested
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (non fat)

For glaze:
3 Tbs caster sugar
1 -2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 175 C degrees.  Grease a 6 cup muffin tin.

In a small bowl combine flour, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Beat cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy with a whisker.  Beat in eggs, mixing well.  Mix in lemon zest and vanilla. Mix in the flour and yogurt until just combined. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 of the way full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.  Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes, before removing to a wire rack.

While the muffins are cooling prepare the glaze.  Whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth.  Drizzle a little over the top of each muffin.  Allow glaze to set before serving.

Fluffy pancakes

I just made these pancakes for breakfast and they were my best ones yet! :P

1C plain flour
1 heaped tsp baking powder

3 eggs

pinch salt

140mL coconut milk

coconut oil for frying

1. In a large mixing bowl add flour and baking powder
2. In a separate bowl separate egg yolks from whites
3. Add pinch salt to egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form
4. Add coconut milk to the egg yolks & mix with a fork, add to the flour mix and stir
5. Fold in egg whites, don't over mix
6. Heat a teaspoon of coconut oil in fry pan and pour batter in to the size you like (15 cm is good :P )
7. add some whipped cream and maple syrup on top and voila!