Vegetarian Chili

I usually just modify my normal chili recipe, but decided to have a google this time and see what extras I could come up with. Look what I found!

But what I suggest for a good veggie chili is:
cumin, cayenne, chili powder, and cinnamon, to taste
3 cans of beans (for example, 1 pinto or black, 1 white, and 1 spicy kidney)
1 can corn
1-2 cans diced tomatoes
1 eggplant, chopped
1 capsicum/bell pepper, chopped (red, orange or yellow)
1 sweet potato, diced and slightly cooked
1 bottle of beer (1/2 for the chili and 1/2 for the cook! Use any beer you prefer.)
1 tsp or so of olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and cook until veggies are tender, either on the stove or in a crock pot.

*Sour cream and cheese to top of course!

**Other optional ingredients to heat up or spice up Chili are Worcester Sauce, Hot Sauce, BBQ Sauce. Other spices I've seen used in recipes but not tried yet are Paprika and Mustard.

Coconut Curry

My very first curry attempt! Made this with some fish fillets last night, although you can use prawns or scallops, or a mix.

Fish (such as cod fillets), cut up into 2 inch pieces
1 c chopped onion
2 cloves crushed garlic (recipe called for 4, and I only used 1 but would use more next time)
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp diced red chili
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tomatoes, diced (or 1 can)
1 can coconut cream
4 fresh bay leaves, chopped
1 capsicum/bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
chili powder and curry powder to taste

Spices I didn't have which can be added:
1 tsp tumeric
pinch ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
2 tbsp frsh coriander leaves

Saute onion and garlic in oil for about 4-5 minutes. Add spices, capsicum, ginger and saute a couple of minutes more. Add tomatoes and coconut cream; mix well. Add fish and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice. (I might also add pineapple next time around.)

Pay it Forward

Came across this on another foodie blog:

“I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this...exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, which is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”

The one condition I'm going to put on this is that you must be in Australia, as this will be done (my part of it anyway) after I return to my own kitchen, and shipping fresh items overseas is sometimes impractical due to cost and customs restrictions. So, comment away and make sure to leave a link to your blog as well as some method of contacting you.

Modified to add: Bumping this up in case anyone else in Adelaide wants to participate. I should be back soon;)

Food Blog Wanderings

I'm quite often bookmarking recipes from other blogs. Have a huge list now of things I'd like to try, so thought I'd share:
Bread/Muffins
Breadchick's Chocolate and Michigan Cherry Quick Bread (because anything with chocolate & cherries has to be good)
Carrot Apple & Honey Muffins, from Baking Bites (so many great recipes on this blog I have a separate list)
Lime and Raspberry Bread, from Baking Bites
Desserts
Bourbon Pecan Pumpkin Pie
Cherry Ripe Cheesecake, from Women's Day (not a blog, and not sure I should share this one!)
Chocolate Banana Cake, from Food and Thoughts
Coconut Rice Pudding, from Kitchen Addiction (I lurve any rice pudding!)
Coconut Cream Pie, from Baking Bites
Mains
Beanie Wienies for Grown Ups, from The Homesick Texan (fancy pork & beans)
Pastas, from Who's Cooking Tonight (they all have me drooling)
Soups
Chickpea, Ginger & Coriander Soup, from Pinch My Salt
Sides/Veg
Stuffed Mushrooms, from Dharm (loads of mushroom recipes, although I like the one at the bottom best)
Tomatillo Salsa, from What We're Eating
Yummy Broccoli, from SpiceTart

Yes, there is an overabundance of dessert recipes, but I do like baking best.

Laksa?

I'm in need of a good, or a few good, Laksa recipes, and if they aren't too terribly difficult, that's even better;) Trying to do at least two vegetarian or one vege and one seafood dish per week. My hubs is anti-tofu but I think if I may something he likes with it, I may be able to convert him.

Homemade Cherry Ripe Slices

Ok so this recipe doesn't taste like Cherry Ripes at all, but it came out pretty great anyway. Anything with coconut and chocolate is good! I wanted to make my DH something similar to Cherry Ripes for Valentine's Day and it wasn't quite what I expected, but it's worth a repeat.
Base:
1/3 c sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
100g butter, melted
3/4 c flour
100 g crushed morning or "Marie" biscuits
Filling:
1 1/2 c shredded coconut
1 can condensed milk
Chopped glace/maraschino cherries
Topping:
30g copha (coconut oil)
100 g dark cooking chocolate
1. Mix base ingredients together, spread in bottom of pryex and press down. Cook on 180 for 15 minutes.
2. Mix filling ingredients together, spread over cooked base, and put back in oven to bake for a further 20 minutes.
3. Melt topping mixes together in pan. Spread over cooled dessert, then let set and/or chill before eating.

Corned Silverside

For those of you in the US, this is corned beef. I've never made it before so thought it would be worth giving a go. Hint: next time I'd put more of the seasonings in.

1 corned silverside (mine was 1.5 kg and I cut it in half to fit in the pot and simmered it for an hour and a half)
1 large onion, sliced
6 whole cloves
1 tbsp raw sugar
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp peppercorns

Rinse meat. Cover with cold water, bring to boil, then pour out water and add fresh water to cover again. Add all other ingredients to pot and bring to boil, then simmer 1 hour per kilo or until tender. Serve with boiled potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Wholegrain mustard is also nice on the side.

Apple, Pear & Peach crumble

2 apples
2 peaches
2 pears
cinnamon
1 & 3/4 brown sugar
2 c. oats
1 c. flour
2 tbsp butter

Thinly slice fruit and layer in medium rectangular pyrex slightly greased with butter. Sprinkle 3/4 c. brown sugar, cinnamon to taste & about 1/3 cup water over fruit. In separate bowl, mix flour, oats, rest of brown sugar and butter. Spread oat mix over fruit and press down. Cook in 180/350 degree oven for approx 45 minutes.

*Can be served with custard or vanilla ice cream