Scallop & goat cheese salad

Scallops
Red onion
Goats cheese
Lettuce
Olive oil
Lemon
Fresh ground pepper

Saute onion and scallops in olive oil, pepper to taste & fresh squeezed lemon juice until cooked through. Place on top of lettuce and add cheese, then pour oil mix on top.

Chicken Livers (in red wine) salad

Chicken livers
Olive oil plus juice of 1/2 lemon (or lemon flavoured oil)
Red wine
1 clove chopped garlic
Salt & pepper to taste
Lettuce

Heat oil, then add garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add chicken livers, wine, and salt & pepper and saute about 5 minutes or until cooked through, turning chicken livers. Place over lettuce and pour remaining juice on top.

*Polenta is a nice side

Cabbage and Sweet Potato Soup

Chopped cabbage
Diced ham
Garlic, diced
Fresh ground pepper
Butter
Beef stock
Diced sweet potatoes

Cook sweet potatoes in beef stock. Separately, saute garlic and ham in butter, then add cabbage and water as necessary until cabbage is cooked. Season with pepper. Add cabbage mix to beef stock and serve with buttered, toasted rye bread.

Non-stick pans

I need to get a couple of nice non-stick pans when we get back to Adelaide. Any suggestions? I want something that won't wear out in a couple of years;)

Pineapple Cake

Made this the other day and everyone loved it! Soooo easy!!

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 large can crushed or chunk pineapple with juice(do not drain)sweetened or not.
2 cups nuts

Mix first 5 ingredients in large mixing bowl. Stir very well with a spoon. Do not use a mixer! Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees in oven for 35-40 mins. Let cool in pan 10-15 mins. Remove from pan if desired. Frost when cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pkg Cream Cheese
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg powdered sugar
milk

Let cream cheese and butter soften at room temp. Add vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth. (Don't think I used a whole pkg.) Add enough milk for desired consistency (usually 1 to 2 TBS). Frost cooled cake.

Pecan Tassies

Shells
½ pound butter (2 sticks)
1 large pkg cream cheese
2 cups sifted flour

Soften butter and cheese to room temperature. Mix well. And flour and mix with hands. Shape into balls the size of a small walnut. Press dough into muffin tins.

Filling
3 eggs slightly beaten
2 cups light brown sugar
Dash of salt
2 tsp vanilla
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups chopped pecans

Put pecans into bottom of shells. Mix first five ingredients well. Spoon mixture into shells. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Remove from tins while still warm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool.

Chili Beer

Spent the weekend in Wellington and while dining at a Cajun restaurant called Sweet Mother's (I'd give it 7 shrimps out of ten as the red beans 'n rice was to die for but the jambalaya was seriously lacking), we decided to try Chili Beer, which surprisingly, is from Arizona. It was so hot that I couldn't finish it:( Had I had more time, I would have, but it was precious last moments before having to head to the airport, so I had to leave it for the hubs, who had spent the better part of the meal trying to figure out how to get the chili out of his;)

Recipe blog links!

I've added a few recipe blog links to blog (if anyone whose blog I have listed finds their way here and wants theirs taken off, please let me know). Who knew there were so many fantabulous recipe blogs out there! I can't wait to get back to Adelaide and a proper kitchen:)

Healthy or Not

Butter vs. Margarine/Spreads
Olive oil vs. other oils
Lean mince vs. regular mince
Whole grain bread vs. white
Skim milk vs. Whole milk

I head for the former; hubs heads for the latter. Which do you use and why?

Chocolate Bar Brownies

These are usually made with Hershey bars, but I'd like to try them with Cadbury. Mmmmm....

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
1 lb. can (16 ozs.) Hershey's chocolate syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
1 cup nuts (walnuts, for example)

Cream sugar and butter. Add and beat remaining ingredients. Lightly grease and flour cake pan. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting
6 Hershey bars
Place on top of cake after you take it out of the oven. As bars melt, spread evenly with a knife.

White Chocolate Chip Cookies w/Dried Cherries

Hopefully my mom won't mind me sharing this one. She does some amazing cookies at the holidays and this one is worth sharing. I haven't ever made them, but I've eaten plenty!

2 1/2 cups uncooked old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups flour
1 tsp each: baking soda, baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 cup each: granulated sugar, packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pkg (12 oz) white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup dried cherries or cranberries

Heat oven to 375F. Process oats in food processor to fine powder. Combine oatmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt in medium bowl; set aside. Beat together butter and sugars in bowl on medium until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients, about 1/4 cup at a time. Stir in choc chips, walnuts and dried cherries. Drop by tablespoons on greased baking sheets. Bake in batches until golden, about 10-12 minutes, rotating baking sheet after 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool.

Blue Cheese and Broccoli Soup

6 ozs. potatoes
2 TBS butter
1 onion, finely chopped
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
12 ozs. broccoli
salt and pepper freshly ground
4 ozs. blue cheese
GARLIC CROUTONS:
2 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 TBS sunflowers oil
1 TBS butter
1 garlic close finely chopped

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occassionally, 5 minutes or until soft. Add stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 mins. Cut broccoli into flowerets and add to pan. Return to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile make croutons. Cut bread into small squares. Heat oil, butter, and garlic in a skillet and fry bread on both sides until golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Puree soup in a blender or food processor. Returned to rinsed-out pan, add salt and pepper, then crumble in cheese. Reheat gently without boiling, until cheese has melted. Garnish with croutons and serve.