pizza + wine

I know that my latest and greatest eating habits are not as exciting as my baking of delicious sweet treats.. and I also know that for some reason, I am not as skilled at photographing my savoury food compared to fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies or generously-iced cakes..

But after seeing a million photos on pinterest, I decided it was a sign from the universe telling me it was time to give the whole 'cauliflower pizza crust' thing a go.

Was it worth the time and effort??

Cauli-crust Pizza

YES!!!

I roasted pumpkin for the topping;

I blended cauliflower into a 'dough';

I smeared avocado as a base;

I added capsicum, pinenuts, mushrooms and basil for the topping.

And the end result was undeniably delicious.

The most time consuming component of the entire process was drying out the cauliflower to make it 'dough-ready'.

After blitzing about half a head of cauli in my blender (apparently, you can grate it as an alternative), you then need to get the excess moisture out of it.

I did this over the stove top, on low heat, stirring until it 'cooked' and dried.

After allowing it to cool, add 1 egg + some mozzerella cheese. Then form 'pizza' sized circles on a baking tray.

Cook the base until golden brown.

Unless you're like me, and you get too excited, forget, and load your pizza with toppings before you realise you missed this step!!

[It didn't really matter.. I suppose my bases would have been a little crispier if I had remembered this part...]

After adding the topping, cook until brown/cheese has melted/you get hungry..

Enjoy with a glass of vino*.

xx

*Always drink responsibly.

back to baking

I don't remember the last time I went to the kitchen to make something fun.

The last few weeks have been a blur of take away and raw foods, so actual cooking has not happened for longer than I care to admit. And don't even question me on the last time I baked.

Last night, inspired by the latest Donna Hay magazine, I decided to turn on the oven and end the food drought.

Ta-Dah!!

Turkey & Cranberry Sausage Rolls

A delicious snack, meal or if you're weird like me, breakfast.

Off the top of my head, the recipe looked something like this - 

500g Turkey Mince

2 pieces puff pastry, cut in halves to create 4 pieces (good math Andie..)

1/4 cup cranberry sauce

2 Tbsp sage

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 egg

Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

The recipe also called for prosciutto, but my Coles didn't have any in stock.

In summary - 

Lightly brown the onion & garlic in a pan, then allow to cool

In a bowl, mix turkey, cranberry sauce, Dijon, sage

Stir in onion/garlic mix

Roll mince mix into pastry, cut into bite size pieces, brush with beaten egg, sprinkle sesame seeds, put in oven.

They are good.

Even better served with cranberry sauce.

Next time, I'm going to add real cranberries to the mix. 

And maybe some Camembert cheese....

If I was the Entertaining type, these would be an absolute crowd pleaser at a party.

Or you can just eat them for breakfast, like me!

xx

Liquid Gold

I've been known to make soup in 40+ degree heat. So it's not unusual for me to randomly decide that it's soup season.

Sometimes I just feel like a hot bowl of soup.

It's that simple.

And this soup recipe was the perfect solution to my craving.

Thai Pumpkin Soup

This recipe made enough for nine decent portions.

I froze the excess into individual containers for easy lunches or dinners.

Or snacks, if the mood strikes..

This was probably the easiest soup I've ever made.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
2 clove of garlic, grated
1.5 kg of butternut pumpkin, peeled, coarsely chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs ginger, chopped or grated
1 litre of vegetable stock
200ml of coconut milk or cream

Instructions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat before adding the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.
Add the ground coriander, cumin, fresh ginger and cook, stirring until aromatic.
Add the pumpkin and coat in the spices before adding the stock. Bring to the boil
Reduce heat to low and simmer and stir occasionally. Cook for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Using stick mixer - Mix until smooth.
Add the coconut cream or milk  and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve.

xx

Original recipe here

Hola Enchilada Soup

I know it's summer.

But I love soup.

I love that it's super quick to make a pot and I love that one batch can feed me for a week.

On Sunday, my housemates mocked me for making soup on a 36°C day. But I was determined.

OK... Perhaps it's a lazy girls' meal... But most soups are healthy, right ? All filled with veggies and other healthiness.

I like to make a batch of soup and freeze it in individual containers. Easy for work lunches and easy for dinner. What could be better?!

On the weekend, I was on a mission to make a soup recipe I had seen on Pinterest* 

AND.. by the end of the day it was raining. So I've decided that this soup is like a rain dance in a pot!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

OK.. So you probably won't try this until winter - But here's the run down just in case....

Ingredients

1L Chicken Stock

2 Chicken Breasts

2tsp ground cumin

1tsp chilli flakes

1/2tsp paprika

1 can diced tomatoes

1 chopped capsicum

3 cloves garlic; minced

1 can 3bean mix

1 can sweetcorn kernels

4 tbsp tomato paste

How ??

Heat chicken stock in a large pot.

Add chicken breasts; simmer for 20 minutes

Remove chicken breasts; shred; set aside

Add tomatoes, capsicum and garlic to pot; stir; simmer for 20minutes

Add beans, corn and tomato paste; stir; simmer for 10 minutes

Add shredded chicken breast; stir; simmer for 20 minutes

Serve (or if you're like me, ladle into individual containers; set aside to cool slightly; freeze)

*NOTE : I have made some alterations to the original recipe which contained cheese and jalapenos.

xx