Wednesday Girls Dinner - Megsie

Entrée Coconut prawns with mango mayonnaise
Main Mango and Macadamia Chicken with Salad
Dessert White chocolate mango cheesecake with berries

Coconut prawns with mango mayonnaise

Ingredients (serves 6)

1 cup (150g) plain flour
1/2 tsp caster sugar
2 tbs coconut cream
1 egg, beaten
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
36 green prawns, peeled (tails intact), deveined
Canola oil, to deep-fry
Mango mayonnaise
1 ripe mango, flesh finely chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime, plus extra wedges to serve
1 cup (300g) whole-egg mayonnaise
1 small red chilli, seeded, finely chopped

For mango mayonnaise, place mango, lime juice and zest, mayonnaise and half the chilli in a food processor and whiz until smooth. Place in a serving dish and refrigerate until needed.

Mix flour and sugar in a bowl and season. In another bowl, beat coconut cream and egg with a fork. In a third, mix crumbs and coconut. Dip prawns first in the flour, then the egg, then the coconut crumbs. Chill until needed.

Half-fill a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan with oil and heat to 190°C (or test a cube of bread - it will turn golden in 30 seconds when oil is ready). Fry prawns, in batches, for 1-2 minutes until golden, turning if necessary. Drain on paper towel. Serve with mayonnaise, topped with remaining chilli.

delicious. - December 2005, Page 95 Recipe by Valli Little

Mango and Macadamia Chicken with Salad

 

Ingredients (serves 6)

Chicken tenderloins (firm white fish or prawns work wonderfully too)
Salad
Mixed green leaves
Cherry tomatoes
Feta
Macadamia nuts
Marinade/Dressing
1 Mango
Handful of fresh mint
Handful of macadamia nuts

Wizz all the marinade ingredients together; add chicken tenderloins and marinade for about 1 to 2 hours. Fry the chicken in the marinade juices until cooked.

Serve alongside salad. Pour the sauce over cooked chicken.

White chocolate mango cheesecake with berries

Ingredients (serves 6)

250g plain sweet biscuits
125g butter, melted
100g good quality white chocolate
1 tablespoon gelatine
¼ cup water
1 mango pureed (you can replace with 1 punnet of fresh berries)
500g cream cheese softened
1 x 400g sweetened condensed milk
1 x 300ml tub thickened cream

Method

Crush biscuits in an electric food processor until fine. Add butter and process a few seconds more. Transfer to the base of a 23cm springform pan. Refrigerate until firm.

Break chocolate into pieces, microwave 1-2 minutes on MEDIUM or until melted.

Sprinkle gelatine across water; microwave 20-30 secs on high. (or follow gelatine packet instructions)

Microwave cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth. Beat in the cream. Add cooled melted chocolate and gelatine, mix well. Pour mixture over prepared base. Swirl through mango (or berry) puree. Refrigerate until set. Decorate with pureed mango and serve berries on the side.

Wednesday Girls Dinner - Miss Foodie

Entrée Char-grilled asparagus & mozzarella salad with warm caper vinaigrette
Main Moroccan chicken, pickled lemons and green olives
Dessert Blueberry tart

Char-grilled asparagus & mozzarella salad with warm caper vinaigrette

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1/3 cup firmly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 loaf Italian-style bread, crusts removed, cut into 2cm cubes
3 bunches of thick-speared asparagus, ends trimmed
3 balls (125gm each)
buffalo mozzarella, coarsely torn
2 cups snowpea tendrils or rocket leaves
2 tbsp salted capers, rinsed, soaked in water for 15 minutes, then drained
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp finely chopped chives

Method

Place parsley in a small bowl, cover with boiling water, drain immediately, refresh in iced water, then drain again and squeeze out excess water. Process parsley and 1/3 cup olive oil in a food processor until very finely chopped, then transfer to a small frying pan.

Place bread on an oven tray, drizzle with 1½ tbsp olive oil and cook at 190C for 10 minutes or until golden. Brush asparagus lightly with a little olive oil, then char-grill or barbecue, in batches, for 1-2 minutes on each side or until lightly charred and tender. Transfer to a large bowl; add toasted bread, mozzarella and snowpea tendrils.

Add capers to oil mixture in frying pan and cook over medium heat until just sizzling, add lemon juice and chives, then remove from heat. Season to taste, then pour over salad and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

http://gourmettraveller.com.au

Moroccan chicken, pickled lemons and green olives

Ingredients (serves 6)

60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
6 chicken marylands
3 Spanish onions, thinly sliced
1 bulb garlic, cloves separated
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
3 cinnamon quills, halved
2 litres chicken stock
8 baby pickled lemons (see note), halved
300g Sicilian green olives
3/4 cup coarsely chopped coriander
500g packet couscous
100g roasted blanched almonds

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large casserole over medium heat and cook chicken in batches until browned all over. Remove chicken and tip off all but 1 1/2 tablespoons fat. Add onions to pan and cook for 10 minutes. Add garlic, saffron, ginger and cinnamon, and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Return chicken to pan and add 1.5 litres stock, lemons and olives. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from pan and simmer juices until reduced by one-third. Return chicken to pan with half the coriander.

Bring remaining stock and oil to the boil in a pan, season, then stir in couscous. Remove from heat, cover tightly with plastic wrap and stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in remaining coriander. Serve chicken on a bed of couscous, scattered with almonds.

Vogue Entertaining + Travel - October/November 2008, Page 102 Recipe by Sophia Young

Blueberry Tart

You can have the tart case and syrup ready to go the day before and fill it at the last minute. Any type of berry would work well in this recipe.

Ingredients

Pastry Shells (you will find them in the deli area of your supermarket)
3 punnets blueberries (about 375gm)
Blueberry syrup

150g frozen blueberries
2 pieces lemon rind, removed with a peeler
150g caster sugar
Crème fraîche filling
250g each crème fraîche and mascarpone
80 ml (1/3 cup) thickened cream
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1 tsp vanilla extract
45g caster sugar

Method

For blueberry syrup, combine ingredients in a heatproof bowl, cover with foil, place over a saucepan of simmering water and cook until syrupy and berries are deep purple (2 hours). Strain through a muslin-lined sieve (do not press solids), discard solids and refrigerate syrup until required.

For crème fraîche filling, whisk all ingredients in a bowl until medium peaks form (do not overbeat as mixture may split), spoon into tart case and spread to fill.

To serve, scatter fresh blueberries over tart and drizzle with blueberry syrup to taste.

December 2009 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine

Wednesday Girls Dinner - Sarah

Entrée Seared scallops with carrot fritters and yoghurt dressing
Main Marinated coriander chicken with cucumber relish
Dessert Dar’s Black Cherry Cheesecake

Seared scallops with carrot fritters and yoghurt dressing

Ingredients: Carrot Fritters

½ cup plain flour
½ cup soda water
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 ½ cups grated carrot8 spring onions, finely sliced
½ cup chopped coriander
¼ cup vegetable oil
Method
Combine flour, soda water, egg, cumin, coriander (dry), turmeric, sugar and salt in a bowl – mix well. Add chilli, carrots, spring onion and fresh coriander – stir to combine. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry in batches (1 tbsp per fritter), 2 mins per side. Drain on paper towels.

Yoghurt dressing

½ cup natural yoghurt
1 tbsp lime juice
Sea salt, black pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil.

Method

Place ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Sear scallops, 1 minute each side. Serve on carrot fritters with a drizzle of yoghurt dressing. Marinated coriander chicken with cucumber relish.

Marinated coriander chicken with cucumber relish 

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs – sliced in chunks
2 cups fresh coriander (chopped)
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp sea salt
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp lime juice
¼ cup vegetable oil

Method

Combine all ingredients (except chicken!) in a blender – blend. Pour over chicken, stir through and place in fridge for 2 hours to marinate. Bring to room temperature and then fry in a pan until cooked.

Ingredients: Cucumber relish

½ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup caster sugar (dissolve in vinegar over low heat – stirring)
1 Lebanese cucumber, slice finely
½ red onion
1 long red chilli, seeded, finely sliced

Method

Combine all ingredients and serve on the side of chicken. Serve all with rice – enjoy!

Dar’s Black Cherry Cheesecake

This is my mum’s recipe; she’s been making it forever!

Ingredients

250g philly cream cheese (bring to room temperature)

250g cream

½ cup caster sugar

1 tin of pitted black cherries – drained

1 tbsp gelatine

75g butter (melted)

1 packet choc ripple biscuits

Crush biscuits and combine with butter, press into a cling film lined spring form pan and harden in fridge. Cream cheese and sugar, add cream – beat. Dissolve gelatine in 1/3 cup boiling water – stir madly until dissolved, stir through mixture. Add black cherries – mix through. Pour on top of base and place in fridge – allow 2-3 hours to set.

Wednesday Girls Dinner - Megsie

Entrée Prawn Saganaki

Main Braised Veal or Lamb Served with gnocchi

Dessert Poached Pears

Prawn Saganaki

Source: George Calombaris Greek Cookery from the Hellenic Heart

Ingredients

600g whole green prawns

4 brown onions

250g extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 tbs thyme, chopped

2 cups crushed tomatoes

1 cup water

1/2 bunch shredded parsley

100g feta, crumbled

Method

In a heavy saucepan, sauté prawns in olive oil for 3 minutes. Add sliced onion and cook for further 3 minutes.

Add sliced garlic and thyme, cook for 2 minutes then add crushed tomatoes and 1 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste.

Stir in shredded parsley, spoon into serving dish/bowl and sprinkle with crumbled feta.

Grill until golden and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil to serve.

Braised Veal or Lamb Served with gnocchi

Ingredients

800g veal shanks (I used lamb)
30g plain flour
100 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
60 g unsalted butter
1 brown onion, finely diced
1 leek, white part, only, washed and finely diced
4 celery stalks, cut into 5 mm thick diagonal slices
1 large carrot, halved and cut into 5mm thick diagonal slices
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
375 ml dry white wine
500 ml chicken stock (I used vegie)
400 g can Italian tomatoes
2 tbs roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
400 g gnocchi (see my recipe in notes)
Parmesan

Method

Dust shanks in flour and shake away excess. Heat oil and butter over medium heat in a frying pan large enough to hold the veal and vegetables quite snugly. Brown shanks in pan (in batches if needed) then remove from pan. Add a little extra oil to the pan then add onion, leek, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook over medium hear for 10 minutes, or until vegies are soft, but not coloured. Add the bay leaves, white wine and chicken stock to the pan and stir to release any pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped tomato and half the parsley.

Return shanks to the pan and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Removed the lip and cook for a further 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone. Remove shanks and allow to cool slightly. Remove meat from bones and tear into 2 cm pieces (don't cut). Return meat to the sauce and check the seasoning. Keep sauce warm while you cook the gnocchi.

Stir remaining parsley into sauce. Spoon the gnocchi into bowls and top with sauce. (I stirred the gnocchi into the sauce rather than serving it on top of the gnocchi). Grate Parmesan over (lots of it!) and serve.

Delicious!

Source: My signed copy of Neil Perry, The Food I Love!

Poached Pears

Absolutely delicious, especially when served with ice cream. Do this recipe justice and make sure it's full cream ice cream too!

Ingredients

4 whole pears (I used Josephine)
500 ml sweet white wine (I used Moscato because I had it in the fridge)
175 g caster sugar (I think I used a bit less than that)
zest of 1/2 lemon
375 ml water

Method

Make sure the saucepan fits the pears snugly. Combine wine, sugar and zest and 375 ml water in the pan. Put over low hear until sugar dissolves. Add the pears and cover (with a round of baking paper - I didn't so this). Bring slowly to the boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the pears are soft yet still a little firm. Remove the pan from the heat and cool the pears in the poaching liquid.

Once cool, remove the pears from the pan and serve. The liquid can be used later in a variety of ways.

Source: Neil Perry, The Food I Love

Wednesday Girls Dinner - Alyssa

Entrée Warm beetroot salad with pancetta, walnuts and blue cheese.
Main Duck Ragu with mashed potato
Desert Blood Orange Panna Cotta

Warm beetroot salad with pancetta, walnuts and blue cheese

Ingredients (serves 4)

12 baby beetroots

4 slices pancetta
1/2 cup (55g) walnut halves
100g blue cheese, crumbled
100g Rocket

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Wrap each beetroot in foil. Place on an oven tray. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, place pancetta and walnuts on separate oven trays and bake in oven for 5 minutes or until pancetta is crisp and walnuts toasted.

Wear gloves to peel beetroot. Dress with olive oil and available vinegar (I used red wine vinegar). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange the rocket leaves on serving dishes. Top with beetroots, crumbled blue cheese, walnuts and pancetta. Drizzle with dressing. Serve.

Duck Ragu with mashed potato

Ingredients (serves 4)

20g unsalted butter
2 tbs olive oil
2 duck breasts (see note), trimmed of excess fat, and thinly sliced into strips
6 slices pancetta, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tbs tomato paste
1 cup (250ml) dry red wine
600g good-quality tomato pasta sauce
1 cup (250ml) chicken stock

Method

Heat the butter and oil in a frypan over medium-high heat. Cook the duck, in batches, until browned. Remove duck with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.

Drain all but 1 tablespoon oil from the pan and heat over medium heat. Add pancetta, onion, garlic, carrot, celery and bay leaves to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until they start to colour.

Return the duck to the pan with any resting juices, then add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the red wine and cook for 2-3 minutes until the liquid has reduced slightly. Add the tomato passata and chicken stock, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 45 minutes or until the duck is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.

Season the sauce to taste, then serve the ragu with creamy mashed potato.

*Please note when I was cooking this I could not locate duck breasts therefore cooked a whole duck and stripped the meat from the duck after it was cooked (this was a process I observed from cooking beef ragu). Note this was somewhat messy however I found this added a rich flavour to the dish.

Blood Orange Panna Cotta

Ingredients

600ml pouring cream
1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise down the middle)
1/2 cup of sugar
1 sachet of gelatin

Method

Heat cream, sugar and vanilla bean on medium heat for five minutes stirring gently until sugar dissolves and the mixture somewhat thickens.

Remove cream mixture from heat. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and remove vanilla bean from the mixture. Let it cool for five minutes.

Mix gelatine with water (as per packet directions).  Allow gelatine rest for 3-5 minutes. Main concern is to have cream and gelatine mixture similar temperatures.  Add gelatine to the cream mixture and gently stir.

Pour into glasses/moulds. Note it is easier to pour the mixture into moulds/glasses using a jug.  Place in fridge for about four hours.

Additionals - I created grapefruit syrup with mine by simply juicing one grapefruit and adding sugar. Do not be too concerned if there is pulp. I also added a citrus twist to my fat bottom panna cotta by including a long strip of orange rind with the vanilla bean in step one.

Maybe not the best recipe leading into pool party season but delicious and extremely easy.

My dear friend Heidi had her baby shower today; she looked beautiful, she was truly glowing :)

The day was a traditional high tea at her mothers house in Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast. We had everything from asparagus sandwiches, homemade spinach triangles, mouth size chirizo & herbed potato skewers to sweet tooth decedent caramel slice & Heidi's Berry Muffins. The photos below tell it all.

Hope you had a wonderful day Heidi, I know I always do every time I see you xx

The traditional match the person with their baby photo game was played.


Mum-to-be Heidi on the right and myself on the left.


The lovely Abbie on the left, Heidi in the middle and the sweet Becky on the right.


I didn't make all these delicious mouth fulls of wondrousness; It was a joint effort by Heidi's friends and family :)

Get ready for your mouth to water....

Wednesday Girls Dinner - Miss Foodie

Vietnam Inspired

My Mum bought me the Food and Travels Asia cookbook by Alastair Hendy for my birthday.  This book is by far the best Asian Cookbook I have ever laid my eyes upon.  The talent of Alastair Hendy blows my mind on each and every page I turn; the photography is exquisite, the recipes are so traditionally spot on - it’s brilliant! I highly recommend this book if you’re a fan of Asian food. 

Every time I go out for Vietnamese (and that's a lot) I always order the Turmeric Fish if it's on the menu and I love slurping on a hot Pho Soup.  Of course these traditional dishes were in the cookbook so it was easy for me to pick my menu  for this weeks Wednesday Girls Dinner.

Entrée Cha Ca La Vong Noodles (Turmeric Fish)

Main Pho Bo (Hanoi Beef Noodle Soup)

Desert Vanilla Ice-cream with Lychees and Mint

Cha Ca La Vong Noodles (Turmeric Fish)

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic

4cm piece fresh galangal or ginger peeled

4cm fresh turmeric root or 2 tsp ground turmeric

500g firm white fish fillet (conger eel, monkfish, pollac, whiting) skinned and cut into chunks

2 tsp fish sauce

salt and black petter

pinch of ground chilli

1/2 tsp caster sugar

vegetable oil

2 very big bunches of dill, roughly chopped

To serve

4 spring onions, each sliced into 4

300g vermicelli noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed, according to the packets instructions

4 tbsp lightly crushed toasted peanuts

Nuoc cham (see recipe below)

handful each of mint and basil leaves

Pound together the garlic, galangal or ginger and turmeric to make a paste - or crush and finely grate, then mix together. Toss the fish with the fish sauce, a touch of salt, some pepper, the chilli and sugar, then toss through the paste, until the fish is evenly coated and leave, covered and refrigerated, for a good 2 hours or overnight.

Heat a heavy frying pan - something cast-iron is just the job - until smoking hot, then pour in about 2 tbsp oil. Pile in the fish. Allow to sizzle and splutter for about 2 minutes before turning the pieces over, then fry for a further minute. Add about 3 tbsp water, bubble up, then chuck all the dill on top and fold through - it should wilt but not go completely floppy. Ideally, you want to take the hot pan to the table (sit it on a thick mat) and let everyone take want they want, when they want. The remaining ingredients should all have been piled into bowls and set out on the table. 

Lay a piece of lettuce on your plate, top with all the scrumptious-ness that lays before you.  Roll it up and dip in Nuoc cham sauce and stuff it in your mouth and let the flavours take you to a sunny beach in Vietnam.  Repeat this process until everything is gone!

Nuoc cham

This is the classing dipping sauce you get on any Vietnamese table. Alaistair Henry says you can change it to suite; add grated ginger, shredded carrot or white radish, use all the lime juice and no vinegar; go more pungently Vietnamese and beat in a tsp of toasted shrimp paste; and for a milder sauce, stir in 2 tbsp water or coconut water - ideal for the dipping sauce to rice-paper-rolls (another HUGE favourite of mine) Makes an excellent fat free salad dressing too!

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic

2 yellow or red birdseye chillies, sliced

1 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp fish sauce (nuac mam)

3 tbsp rice vinegar (or any soft vinegar, I've used brown vinegar before and apple cider vinegar too, both were fine)

Mix together all the ingredients and stir until the sugar has fully dissolved; I normally put it into a small old jar; keep your caper jars there perfect size, then leave to stand for about 30 minutes.

Wednesday Girls Dinner - Sarah

Entrée Escargot’s (snails)
Main Chicken Schnitzels with Red Grapefruit & Avocado Salad
Dessert White Chocolate Mouse with Strawberries

Escargots

Ingredients

One tin of escargot from Samios (36 Annerley Rd, Woollangabba) - drained and washed
Sauce:
Butter (as much as you like)
Red onion, diced
Italian flat leaf parsley (chopped - again, as much as you like)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
Pepper

Method

Place butter sauce mix over escargot in a casserole dish and bake at 180oC for 10 mins. Serve with crusty bread to soak up yummy sauce.

Chicken Schnitzels with Red Grapefruit & Avocado Salad

Ingredients

Baby cos lettuce
Ruby red grapefruit segments
Avocado
Chicken breasts
Dressing:
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2xtsp white wine vinegar
A dribble of grapefruit juice (if any is produced in the segmenting of it)
Olive oil to emulsify (60ml)

Crumb for chicken schnitzel

2 x cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
4 tbsp flat leaf parsley (Sarah actually added curly leaf in too and put in way more than 4 tbsp 'cos she likes herbs!)
Salt and pepper to season.
Plain flour
2 eggs - beaten

Method

Bash chicken breasts to make them a bit flatter, coat in plain flour, dip in beaten egg, then coat in bread crumb mix and fry for 3-4 mins either side.Slice up schnitzels when done (also cheaty way to make sure they are cooked - keep frying if they aren't!) and place over cos lettuce, scattered with ruby grapefruit and avocado, drizzle over dressing.

White Chocolate Mouse with Strawberries

Ingredients

285g white choc
80 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups cream - whip until forms soft peaks
3 eggs separated - beat egg whites until stiff

Method

Melt choc with milk and vanilla in a bain marie, stirring until melted. Set aside to cool for 4 mins then add egg yolks one at a time, beating as you add. Fold through whipped cream (best done in portions rather than all at once). Then fold through egg whites until just combined. Place in fridge for 4 hrs to set. I topped mine with strawberries, but any berry fruit or passionfruit etc would also work.

Easy Tuesday Dinner - Lebanese Meatball Pockets

I made one of my favourite and easiest dinners last night; Lebanese Meatball Pockets.

I have been enjoying these since I was a rugrat living in

Darwin's Northern Territory.

As a family we used to go down to the cliffs at Nightcliff Beach with lots of friends to have dinner and watch the sun go down. Mum would make the Lebanese Meatballs and condiments to take down for our dinner. After e

xperiencing not-so-good Lebanese suvlaki from the local, Mum

decided to make up her own, s

he improved the taste by using lamb mince.

As Spring has arrived I feel this dish is great for either a mid week dinner or picnic.

Ingredients:

Lebanese Pita Bread

Lebanese Meatballs

500g Lamb mince

2 eggs

Bunch of fresh mint finely chopped

4 tbs of Cornflake crumbs or bread crumbs

2-3 garlic cloves (yes lots of garlic, so maybe not a date picnic lol)

Salt and Pepper

Tomato Condiment

2-3 tomatoes or punnet of cherry or roma tomatoes, diced

2 spring onions finely sliced

Salt and Pepper

Yogurt and Cucumber Condiment

4 tbls Greek Yogurt

1 garlic clove finely chopped

Small bunch fresh mint finely chopped

Fresh salad leaves opt.

Mixing it all up

For the meatballs, simply put all the ingredients into a bowl and get your clean hands in there and mix it all up thoroughly .

Then it's simply a matter of rolling the mixture up into small little balls, about 1 tbls size. *TIP* Damp hands make them so much easier to roll up.

I like to cook mine under the grill, it's a much healthier option. You could fry or even bbq them. What ever's easiest for you really.

For the condiments simply mix the ingredients together and pop into individual serving dishes.

To serve

Simply lay all the food out on display.

Slightly warm the Pita Bread just before you serve them. Cut them in half so you have 2 pockets. Stuff the pockets with a couple of broken up meatballs, layer the top with cucumber yogurt, tomatoes and some lettuce leaves.

Enjoy :)

Ed & Meg's Engagement Party Canape's

You know you're growing up when all your friends are getting married and having babies. The 21st parties are over, now its 30th's, engagements, weddings and baby showers.

Two of my closest friends; Megan and Ed, are tying the knot and their engagement party was on Saturday. They hosted the special event at their house on Brisbane's North side. Megan had been working hard all week preparing tasty canapes and tapas morsels. I offered to bring along a couple of tasty treats to help feed the 70+ guests that attended.

My mission on Saturday was to prepare Chicken Rice Paper Rolls. I'm a huge fan of Vietnamese food and I've searched for a tasty rice paper roll recipe that actually tasted good. I found this one on foodiewanderings.blogspot.com. and flavour is plentiful. Next was Tomato, Bocconcini and Basil Tartlets with Balsamic dressing. I made these a few years ago for a picnic, they are so easy and so delicious! Last but by no means least are Small Prawn Toasts. These tasty little toasts from heaven have been a party favourite for years. My dear Auntie Kathy would often bring them to family events and they would be gobbled down in minutes. I finally got the recipe and have been making them ever since!

Chicken Rice Paper Rolls:

1 pack of rice paper wrappers
100g vermicelli rice noodles
1 red chilli (deseeded & chopped)
1/2 to 3/4 cup spring onions, sliced thinly length ways into long matchsticks
1/2 red capsicum, sliced into thin, long matchsticks
1 grated carrot
1/2 continental cucumber, unpeeled, washed, deseeded & sliced into long matchsticks
Knob of fresh ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced or finely chopped
Meat from a cooked, bbq deli chicken
Bunch of fresh mint; a couple will be used for presentation per roll
Bunch of fresh coriander
1 teaspoon of lime zest
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1 tsp Sesame oil
3 tbls Soy Sauce
Ketcap Manis or substitute 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar & extra tablespoon of ordinary soy sauce
1 tsp Fish sauce
3 tbls Sweet chilli sauce
Paper towels to dry each wrapper as it gets removed from the soaking water
Roasted, lightly salted crushed peanuts... about 1/3 cup

Prepare all of your fillings and put on a large plate or platter; shred chicken, slice vegies, mince garlic, grate ginger, zest your lime, get your sauce bottles out.

Have a dish of water big enough to soak rice paper wrappers. They only take a minute to soak, so don't soak your first one until all of your filling ingredients are ready.

Soak your vermicelli rice noodles by soaking in cold water for 15 minutes & cut into smaller lengths; just use scissors.

After soaking noodles, put into a pot of boiling water for about 2 to 3 minutes & drain immediately & rinse with cold water. Briefly drain noodles in colander to squeeze out excess moisture.

While noodles are still draining, sprinkle a few drops of sesame oil over them and a splash of soy and about a tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce. Mix through so noodles don't stick together.

Have a clean, dry work surface ready in front of you.

In a bowl add shredded chicken meat and semi-seasoned noodles.

Prepare final step of noodle seasoning:

In a small saucepan saute the ginger, garlic, chilli & lime zest in some hot oil for about 30 seconds.

Pour hot seasoning mix over noodles and chicken and stir through well.

Assembling

Work with one rice paper wrapper at a time.

Soak wrapper, completely submerged in water for a minute.

Remove from water, drain and place on a clean, dry work surface.

When you've removed a wrapper, place another one into your water to soak.

Along one edge of prepared sheet of rice paper place 2 mint leaves.

Add vegie matchsticks, being capsicum, carrot and cucumber being careful not to overstuff.

Keep a centimeter or two at the top and bottom of your wrapper free because you'll need to fold down the top and bottom later when rolling.

Top vegie matchsticks with some chicken/noodle mixture (about 2 tablespoons).

Top chicken/noodle mixture with a generous amount of fresh coriander leaves, around 2 tablespoons.

Sprinkle with crushed peanuts (around half to one teaspoon per roll).

Fold down top and bottom part of your wrapper over mixture, then each side, start rolling mixture into a thick cigar shape. No need to moisten edges because once rolled up, the edges will stick together.

Repeat process until you there’s nothing left in the bowl!

Keep rolls covered and cool in fridge if not eating immediately.

Tomato, Bocconcini and Basil Tartlets with Balsamic dressing:

4 Sheets frozen puff pastry

Punnet of cherry tomatoes or roma

Bocconcini

1/3 cup cream

2 eggs

salt and pepper

sliced basil leaves

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

Cut each sheet of pasty into rounds about 5cm larger that the base of individual tartlet tins.

Brush or spray tins lightly with oil. Ease pasty into tin, folding neatly into a free form edge.

Arrange some sliced basil and balanced amounts of tomato and cheese. Place on a baking tray.

Whisk together cream, eggs and seasonings. Pour equal amounts into each pastry case.

Bake in moderate oven (180 degrees) for 25-30 minutes or until pastry is crisp and filling is set.

Serve warm on a bed or rocket leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Aunty Kathy's Small Prawn Toast

250g good quality butter

2 tbls each of dried, basil and parsley

A bunch of fresh dill

Small fresh prawns (the sweeter the better)

Lemon segments (inc. skin)

Caviar

Mix the butter and dried herbs and fresh dill, reserving a few tips for garnish.

Spread a small amount of butter on each piece of toast. Top with a piece of fresh prawn, lemon segment, caviar and a dill sprig.

Sadly there are no photo's of these, they were gobbled up before I got my camera out. I will make them again soon I'm sure and will post a photo then.

I didn't manage to take any photos of the tapas and canapés at the party either; as soon as I got there it was party time and the hours got away from me. I need to lift my game next time I think.

Oh well it's been fun so far, and it's only going to get better :)