Chicken & Spinach Lasagne

I've never made chicken lasagne, or eaten it which is quite surprising; so I thought I would make one for dinner. I didn't follow a recipe, I just put in what I thought might taste nice. I didn't have lasagne sheets so I just layered a spiral one. I wasn't planning on putting evaporated milk in the chicken mixture but I'm so glad that I did, so creamy and delish!

Chicken Lasagne
Serves 6


400g pasta (or normally I would use 10 lasagne sheets)
2 medium chicken breasts, diced (I poached mine)
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 large onion, finely diced
10 button mushrooms, diced
1/2 C light evaporated milk
2 C fresh spinach leaves
Cheese sauce:
1 tbsp margarine or butter
1 tbsp flour
1 C milk
1/2 tsp mustard
salt & pepper
1/2 C cheese


Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius on fan bake. Heat a medium frypan with the oil and sweat down the onions with the garlic half way then add the mushrooms and cook.


Then to the frypan add the chopped tomatoes, cooked chicken and evaporated milk and simmer for a few minutes. Season to taste.


To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan then add the flour to make a roux. Slowly stir in small portions of the milk with a whisk to remove any lumps and to get a thick sauce, add the mustard and season. Then remove off the heat and add 1/4 C of the cheese which will melt into the sauce.


In a medium/ large oven dish spread half of the chicken mixture in the dish then cover with the half of the fresh spinach and top with a layer of pasta sheets, then repeat until all of the chicken mixture is used. Top with the cheese sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes or until the pasta sheets have cooked. Remove the tin foil and brown the top for about 10 minutes.

Potato Topped Meatloaf & BBQ Glaze

Mmmmmmmmmmm. These are delicious. The meatloaf is moist and flavoursome, the bbq glaze adds a nice flavour combination with  the beef mince and also means you don't need any extra sauces to dip it in because it's just so nice the way it is! Sorry for the poor photo, I only took like two and I was rushing because I wanted to eat it! I don't know where I got this recipe from, I just kind of chucked anything I wanted in it.


I ♥ Potato Ricers. They. Are. Amazing.

Potato Topped Meatloaf & BBQ Glaze
Makes 6 texas muffin tin size meatloafs or meatloaves?? haha


Meatloaf:
500g premium mince
1 large onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (I put a bit more in because I love it haha)
1 egg
1/4 - 1/2 C breadcrumbs (just to bind)
1/2 tsp beef stock powder
salt & pepper


BBQ Glaze:
3 tbsp BBQ sauce (I used a smokey one and it was delish!)
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp mustard


Mix together in a small bowl.


Mashed Potato:
3 large potatoes, boiled
1 tsp margarine
A few splashes of milk to get quite a smooth consistency
Salt & Pepper to taste.


Mash with a potato ricer to get an amazing lump free mash.


Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius, fan bake.


Line a 6 hole texas muffin tin with baking paper which has been cut into small squares to fit each hole.


In a large bowl, mix all of the meatloaf ingredients together so it combines well, if not add a bit more breadcrumbs. Divide the mixture evenly and press firmly in to the muffin tin. Bake for about 15 minutes.


After 15 minutes, slightly cut one open to see if is nearly cooked. If so, brush the glaze over each meatloaf and use up all of the sauce then put back into the oven for another 10 minutes.


After 10 minutes, take out the meatloafs and pipe on the mashed potato and put back in the oven to grill. ( I didn't grill mine much because I couldn't be bothered but it would be very nice!)


Done. Serve with some steamed veges and you're sorted :)
Oh, and btw. I will ProPoint it soon! I just wasn't in the mood to do it today, oops.

Lemon Chicken Skewers with Yoghurt Sauce

This recipe is from the new Annabel Langbein cookbook Free Range in the City. I love her! She is my favourtie celebrity cook and when i saw her at the Taste of Auckland just wandering around a couple of weeks ago i was pretty much star struck. Buy her book from her website or a shop... thought i might just throw a link to her website in there haha. This recipe is all hers with no adjustments and is so delicious. The flavours arn't over powering with the suttle hint of rosemary in the chicken is great for a light meal. This recipe is one from her new book so if you like this you should definately buy it!

Lemon Chicken Skewers with Yoghurt Sauce

Serves 6

1 cup greek yoghurt

3 single skinless

chicken breasts

juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp rosemary leaves

salt and ground black pepper

½ cup mayonnaise

finely grated zest

and juice of 2 limes

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp turmeric

¼ cup chopped fresh

coriander leaves

about 1 tsp very finely

chopped red chilli, to taste

To make Spiked Yoghurt Sauce, stir together greek yoghurt,

mayonnaise, lime zest and juice, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger,

turmeric, coriander leaves and red chilli, to taste. Refrigerate

until ready to use.

Cut chicken breasts on the diagonal into finger-thick slices. Place

in a bowl with the lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary leaves and salt

and pepper and toss to coat. Thread onto about 12 skewers.

Grill or barbecue chicken over medium heat for 5 minutes each

side or until cooked through. Serve with Spiked Yoghurt Sauce.

Any remaining Spiked Yoghurt Sauce will keep in the fridge for

several days for later use with seafood, pork or vegetables.

Tips:

• Don't over cook the chicken, it will dry out.
• Soak your skewers in water first so they don't burn.
• Salt the chicken to taste (i love salt so i thought it definately needed a bit)
• Enjoy!

SO. Yea...

Well, i haven't been posting as uni has been hectic and i haven't really been cooking much. I've decided to have a gap year from my health science bachelor next year and do a online photography diploma and a culinary course. I just don't get my camera, like seriously; looking through food blogs and seeing their amazing shots makes me grumpy haha. I know, i have just started so it will take a bit of practice to get the kind of photos that i want but i will get there! So watch this space. I LOVE cooking, that's pretty much all i think about. Once my exams are over I'm really going to start creating well thought-out recipes that are easy, delicious and good for you. I am a confident cook which doesn't really reflect on my past posts as they are always just rushed meals i get ready for dinner on a busy day but because i wanted to do posts on this blog i just went with what i had.

I am young, and have lots of learning to do and practice to achieve my goals, but i am determined. I want to be a food editor/recipe tester/food stylist/food photographer SO BAD! So in 10 days from now when my exams are over i am going to practice, do a bit more practice i think and maybe PRACTICE freakin heaps.

My future recipes i want to make include:

1) Eye fillet steak and a sweet potato rosti with wilted spinach
2) Chocolate nougat
3) Oven baked spring rolls
4) Spinach, feta and pine nut filo roll
5) Salted caramel cupcakes
6) Lebanese kebabs with garlic yoghurt, cous cous and greek salad
7) Roasted capsicum and Parmesan pasta
8) Chocolate macrons (and win.)
9) Pizza dough using semolina for a traditional margarita pizza
10) And some sort of individual tart with my tart tins that i bought and are still in the bag haha

That's enough for now, i'm so flippen hungry now. Oh, and of course i will make these dishes as healthy as possible! (Maybe except for the cupcakes, you gotta live a little haha)

So keep an eye out! See you soon :)

Dulce de Leche

A post! Woohoo. I spent flippen ages searching through food gawker looking at the different techniques of how to make dulce de leche, a couple of hours pass and i still hadn't figured out how to say it. Oh well. I ended up using no recipe just some comments from different blogs (which all contradicted themselves haha) including: open the tin slightly to let the steam or whatever out; then some posts would say NEVER open the tin that is when it is likely to explode, cover the tin completely in water or cover it 3/4 of the way rah rah rah.

I used light condensed milk and it worked out great, i can't compare it though cause i've never made nor tried dulce de leche before. If i can make it, anyone can. Super duper easy.

Dulce de Leche

ProPoints: 30 for the entire tin haha

400g tin of light condensed milk, label removed

large pot

water

Put tin into a large pot and completely submerge in water, bring to the boil then lower the element to a simmer and let it do its thing for three hours.

Let the caramel cool completly before opening the tin! I left mine over night.

Done! Now, what to do with it. I'm going to make WW brownies with dulce de leche swirled though and a brownie caramel slice, right now. I will post it when its done. YAY

GAHH!

Is that even a word? Well it's how i feel haha. Over the past month I haven't been posting, i've been super busy!

1. I have been going to photography classes, so my photos my not be as average as they have been because i actually know how to use my camera now, yay!
2. I have actually been losing weight on weight watchers. FINALLY. Love propoints, but i'm such a bloody slacker. Oh well, i'm on the weight loss band wagon and have lost 2.4kgs in three weeks. ( I would love to lose 8 kgs by the first day of summer, also my birthday! haha)
3. Uni= Hectic.
4. I got another part time job, at Stevens homeware- love that store! i want to buy everything in it!
5. Ummm, thats it.

I don't know if people actually like my recipes, but i do, and therefore i will post atleast one every Tuesday.

See you soon, friends.

Chicken Stir-Fry

This only took me like 20 minutes from start to finish, win.

Chicken Stir Fry

Pro Points: 5

Serves: 4

1 medium chicken breast, diced and marinated in soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce

175g pack of singapore noodles

1 C cabbage, shredded

1/2 C mushrooms, peeled and sliced

1 small head of broccoli, cut into pieces and steamed
1 medium onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp fish sauce

1/4 cashews

Heat a fry pan and cook the chicken then set aside.

In the fry pan, cook onion and mushrooms until just cooked then add the cabbage, garlic and broccoil. Once the cabbage has cooked down, add the chicken, soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce and singapore noodle (breaking them up as they are added to the pan).

Heat through and top with the cashews.

Done.

Pumpkin and Feta Filo Parcels

I went out for lunch today and had a super nice pumpkin filo parcel that was served with a salad. So for dinner, i made one similar haha. I am sooooo messy in the kitchen, its crazy. Everything ends up on the floor!

Pumpkin and Feta Filo Parcels

Pro Points per parcel: 3

Makes 6 parcels

1 C cooked pumpkin, diced

1 red onion, cooked

1/4 C wilted spinach, water squeezed out

60g feta, crumbled

4 sheets of filo pastry

2 tbsp pine nuts
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp sesame seeds

2 x 3 sec oil spray

salt & pepper, season to taste

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius on fan grill

In a medium bowl combine pumpkin, onion, spinach, feta, pine nuts, garlic and season.

Spray one sheet of filo pastry and lay another sheet on top. Cut the filo into three equal sections. Spoon one heaped tablespoon of mixture at the end of the filo and wrap and fold into triangles.

Lightly spray the top of the parcels with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake until golden brown and crisp.

Enjoy! They're yummy dipped in sweet chilli sauce or tomato relish.

Berry Smoothie

Well. My boyfriend always complains when i try to make him eat fruit so i just make him this smoothie and he loves it! I don't think he knows how much fruit is in it haha. With propoints, even though fruit is free this is probably a sufficient amount of fruit for the day. I love kiwifruit in smoothies because the pectin helps thicken the smoothie and they also increase the good bacteria in the digestive tract so you... easier (too much information haha). If you wanted a more sustainable smoothie, change the apple juice for low-fat milk and a tablespoon or two of yoghurt for a breakfast on the go.

Berry Smoothie

Propoints: 1

Serves: 1

3/4 C apple juice

1/2 mixed frozen berries

1 kiwifruit

1/2 C pineapple

Whiz everything in a blender and its done!

Banana & Walnut Bread

Mmmmm banana bread. I got this recipe from the Weight Watchers community message boards aaaaages ago. So thanks to whoever posted it haha. I added walnuts and chocolate because i LOVE chocolate. If i bake, and there isn't chocolate in the recipe; i will most likely add it. I also love the walnuts in this bread (tastes more like cake haha) as they add a nice crunch. This is super duper easy aswell and takes no time at all to make.

Banana Bread

Propoints: 3

Serves: 10

1 egg

1 tbsp golden syrup

1/3 C brown sugar

1 medium bananas, mashed

1 C self-raising flour, sifted

few drops of vanilla essence

cinnamon (to taste, about 1/2 to 1 tsp)

30g chocolate bits

1/4 C walnuts, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius on fan bake

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl apart from the flour

Fold in the sifted flour, if the mixture is too dry add a dash of milk

Bake in a loaf tin for about 30 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.

Done! I spread mine with a cream cheese and icing sugar mix.

Roast Vege Cous Cous Salad

I love trying to balance different flavours to suit my own taste, i definately did this for this recipe. Cous Cous is a fav. It's so easy to prepare just pour over hot water, wait a bit... fluff, and it's done! Win. This recipe is perfect for left over roast veges and chicken, and easy to have the next day for lunch cold.

Roast Vege Cous Cous Salad

Pro Points: 6

Serves: 2

40g dry cous cous

50g boiled potato (half a potato), diced

50g boiled kumera/sweet potato (half again), diced

50g pumpkin, diced

1 red onion, sliced

1 carrot, diced

1 tbsp maple syrup

50g roast chicken, shredded

1 clove garlic, crushed

lemon juice

salt and pepper

2 tsp olive oil

balsamic vinegar to taste

parsley, chopped

Heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Toss all of the veges, apart from the onion with 1tsp of the olive oil, maple syrup and salt and pepper.

Grill until the veges are starting to go golden then add the onion and keep in the oven until crisp and heated though.

Meanwhile, prepare the cous cous with 1/4 C of hot water then fluff. To the cous cous add a squeeze of lemon juice, remaining olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, garlic, shredded chicken and parsley.

When the veges are done toss through the cous cous mixture then add salt and pepper to taste.

Fin.

WW Friendly Chocolate Mousse

This is seriously good. I had some light evaporated milk left over so i decided to make this mousse. It is adapted from the Healthy Food Guide website and definately tastes to good to be true! But it is. I'm not a fan of the photo i took but oh well.

Chocolate Mousse

Propoints: 3 per serve

1 tsp gelatine

2 tbs boiling water

1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
2/3 C light evaporated milk
2 tbs cocoa
1/4 C sugar
70g dark chocolate

Place 1/3 cup evaporated milk in the fridge to chill well. In a small bowl, dissolve gelatine in boiling water. Add coffee powder and stir until combined. If you don't want a strong-ish coffee taste only use 1/4 of a tsp.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine remaining 1/3 cup evapo­rated milk with sifted cocoa and sugar; stir well to ensure there are no lumps. Break up the chocolate evenly and add to the bowl. Microwave on medium-high for a few minutes until chocolate has melted; stir until smooth. Add gelatine mixture and stir well. Cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes.

Remove chilled evapo­rated milk from fridge and beat until thick peaks stand up by themselves. Fold into cooled chocolate mixture and then divide into six ramekins. Leave in fridge until completely cold and set before serving.

Mmmmmm.

Pizza Dough

Like my last post, the dough has to be good for a yum pizza. I have tested so many different ways to make it including doing it by hand, the bread maker and a million different recipes. All dough recipes are relatively the same but some taste more bready than others, esp ones for the bread maker with milk powder in. This one is a keeper, here we go...

250ml (1C) lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried yeast
3 C plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Combine the water and sugar then sprinkle over the yeast and leave for 10 minutes or until the yeast starts foaming

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixuture and olive oil.

Use a wooden spoon to combine and then knead the dough until it is light and elastic (if you push down on the dough with your finger it will spring back up)

Leave to rise in a warm place until it has double in size then it is ready to use.

Win. This base can be rolled out very nicely and goes thin and crisp, yum!

Pizza Sauce

Okay so, I go to uni and have worked at a pizza takeaway place for four years. Not to brag, but they are the best pizzas i have tasted in my entire life... no joke. My boss always says that toppings will always taste the same so therefore what makes a good pizza is the base and the sauce, of course she won't tell me the recipes but i have secretly watched her to try and figure it out. I have tested so many flippen ways to get a good sauce trying tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and a bit of it all to get a good one.

Pizza Sauce

410g tin tomato puree

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tbsp mixed herbs
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp tomato paste

Over a medium heat, in a small pot heat the olive oil and add the garlic (be careful not to burn the garlic or else it will taste like poo).

Add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes or so, it will splash everywhere so watch out.

Done. Simple but good. Seriously try it and you WILL taste the difference and have an amazing pizza.

Pumpkin and Sunflower Seed Bread

This is some seriously good bread. Very filling and super easy to make. I have adapted it from Annabel Langbeins (Love her!) The free range cookbook. I found that because the bread is quite dense, it takes longer than the 30-40 minutes suggested cooking time, so definately tap the bread to see if it sounds hollow or else if its not cooked it will sink. (Happened the first time i made it so i just toasted it, yum!) I've made this twice and it didn't rise as much as i thought, my bad?

Bread

2 C boiling water

4 tsp honey

2 C cold water

7 tsp dry yeast granules
2 3/4 C wholemeal flour
2 3/4 C high-grade white flour
3 tsp salt
1 C sunflower seeds (the actual recipe has two cups but i think 1 is enough)
pumpkin seeds to sprinkle on the top of the loafs

Preheat the oven to 80 degrees celcius and line 25 x 10cm loaf tins with baking paper.

In a large bowl, dissolve the honey in the boiling water. Add the cold water and yeast and put a side for 10 minutes.

Whisk the yeast mixture then add the two flours, salt and sunflower seeds and mix until combined. (Quite a wet batter)

Divide the mixture into the two tins and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top and make a few slices with a sharp knife on the top of the loaves so there is even rising.

Bake for 20 minutes at 80 degrees celcius (for the bread to rise) then turn the oven up to 210 degrees celcius for a further 30-40 minutes until cooked through and will sound hollow when tapped.

This bread toasts like a boss.

Chocolate Brownie

Om nom nom. Brownie! I know its probably not the best idea for weight watchers but i would much rather prefer a small amount of something nice rather than some average wayyyy-to-healthy recipe that doesn't taste that good. Therefore i present this brownie recipe which is amazing! Everything in moderation. The good thing is that once i made it i had a small slice then sent the rest home with my friend. Easy as that, yo.

Chocolate Brownie

Makes: 20

ProPoints: 3

100g butter, melted

1/2 C cocoa

1 C caster sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1/3 C plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 C chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius, fan bake. Line a 24 x 30cm baking pan with baking paper.

2. With an electric beater, mix the melted butter and cocoa in a large bowl. Then add the sugar, vanilla essence and eggs to the bowl and whisk until thick and smooth.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl, fold until combined then add the chocolate chips.
4. Spoon the mixture into the baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes.

Done.

Potato Top Mince Pies

I bought my camera today! YAY! But for dinner tonight we had a nice and simple meal of potato top mince pies. Even though its not what i would like my first to be, (maybe something a bit fancy to show off? i dunno haha) this is a solid week night meal which is quick and easy to prepare.

Potato Top Mince Pies
Propoints per serve: 6

Serves: 8

8 sheets filo pastry

spray oil

500g premium beef mince

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 carrot, grated

1 onion, finely sliced

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, crushed with salt

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp beef stock powder, dissolved in 1/8 of a cup of water

3 medium potatoes, mashed

50g edam cheese
Paprika

1. Preheat the oven, fan bake to 180 degrees celsius.
2. Spray two texas muffin tins (8 cases) with oil then place in the oven until brown and crisp.
3. Brown the mince with the onion and grated carrot in a fry pan.
4. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, beef stock and soy sauce to the pan and heat through.

5. Divide the mince mixture between the filo cases, top with the mashed potato add the grated cheese and sprinkle on some paprika.

6. Return to the oven and bake until golden.

Serve with a simple salad and a dollop of sour cream. Yum!

OMG my first post!

Stoked. OKAY, so. My official recipe post will be up shortly but first of all i would like to say a hellooooo! I convinced myself yesterday that i would like to spend quite a lot of my money- being a poor uni student- on a lovely DSLR camera. I can see my savings slowing slipping away. New camera soon, oh yeaaa! Then once i have this little photo making tank i shall also have nice photos to accompany my recipes. Win win.